Matti had a similar attitude: \u201cYou know when you go out for a few pints and you have a chat with your mates. You start spitballing and coming up with weird and wonderful ideas. It was kind of like that. We woke up the next day and still thought it was a good idea basically.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite their nonchalant recollections of the original murmurings of a festival, for Morgan, Matti and the rest of the team, it didn\u2019t just happen overnight. Covid-19 stood in the boys\u2019 way as the country shut down for two years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A barrier to proceedings or an opportunity to thoroughly plan a well thought out festival?<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSamuel, the man in charge of booking bands, remembers the leap from glorified house-party to music festival: \u201cThere was a lot of hype and build up around the 2021 one because we\u2019d been talking about it for two years at that point. Everyday at school, a lot of us are lifeguards on the beach as well, so we\u2019d just be talking about it on the beach as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The festival is completely self-funded, the lads scraping together part-time earnings, birthday and Christmas money to put on the original show. Oh yeah, luckily, Matti\u2019s parents own the land at Pencoose farm, a collection of fields just off the main farm complete with their own \u2018festival centrepiece\u2019 that could rival the tower at Glastonbury Tor in the form of a large mining chimney. So that came free of charge, \u201cas long as we sort out them and their mates with tickets.\u201d Morgan explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It can\u2019t be easy controlling the finance of an event funded by the pocket money of Cornish teens. Sure enough, it isn\u2019t. Morgan revealed 2023\u2019s festival was \u201creally good because it was the first time in 3 years we\u2019ve been completely debt free.\u201d The festival seems to have come on leaps and bounds from its humble beginnings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn 2021 we didn\u2019t charge people for entry. It was our first year properly going for it so we didn\u2019t know that we could do it. We didn\u2019t want to charge people money and let everyone down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe lost quite a bit, the only income we had was from the bar.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2021\u2019s teething problems were to be expected. Matti recalls: \u201cWhen we started off, none of us had any experience of any of the aspects of organising a festival, the roles just kind of naturally formed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But some of the issues seemed more obvious than others. Samuel remembers the band booking taking its place on the backburner that year: \u201cA few years ago we would leave the bands very very last minute\u2026 it would be a couple of weeks before and we wouldn\u2019t have any artists! Everyone would be panicking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid Morgan tell you about the toilets?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where on Earth is this going, Samuel?<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cBefore it was ticketed we wanted to hire portaloos but by the time we got around to it they\u2019d all been hired by Boardmasters and all the bigger festivals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The great Cornish portaloo shortage just about sums up how difficult it is to think of absolutely <\/em>everything when event planning. \u201cWe basically built our own compost toilets. We dug massive holes in the ground and used pallets of wood to create makeshift bogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIt shocked some people when they first arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis was when we were much more amateur.\u201d Samuel added sheepishly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2022 saw the addition of overnight camping as well as a \u00a310 ticket charge: \u201cThe professionalisation in 2022 was a lot greater and of course you do incur a greater cost.\u201d Morgan explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Familiar faces Caravan Club<\/em><\/strong> returned to the iconic Pencoose Chimney for another DJ set and the lads set about marketing the event to the Truro locals, employing a familiar slogan \u2018Probably the best party in the world\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhilst levelling up as a festival year on year is a priority for the lads, Samuel spoke about the festival as a fond pastime. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a really really good site and a team that are really keen to keep growing. I definitely think there\u2019s potential for it to expand a decent amount significantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe want to make sure we are sticking to the core values, keeping the local charm and Cornish identity.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\")
Sweet Juno<\/em><\/strong> performing at Pencoose 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe local community theme of Pencoose has been reflected in the Samuel\u2019s lineup in every year of the festival: \u201cWe like to have Cornish artists or a connection to Cornwall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe all live in Cornwall, go out, follow the Cornish music scene so we tend to have quite a few ideas going in. We sit down and have brainstorming sessions\u2026 look at up and coming small bands and big music scenes in Falmouth. We look on the lineups of bigger festivals like Boardmasters and see who\u2019s playing on the local band stages. Normally we have an idea of who we know and go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beneath the joyful tasks of picking the lineup and planning the site layout, which doubtless led the boys to fall in love with the Pencoose dream in the early days, lies the legal requirements – the tasks less likely to have set the lads\u2019 imaginations alight back in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Morgan stressed the importance of getting the right authorities onside once again with Pencoose becoming a larger recognised event in 2022: \u201cThe landowners are really good but obviously they don’t want a massive out of control party. We have to demonstrate that we are competent enough to run a successful event on their property without any damage.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matti definitely drew the short straw job-wise. Admin, admin and yet more admin. Matti has to be one of the only 20 year olds in the nation tasked with creating a ten page fire safety plan among other long and complicated risk assessments. He played it down as all part of the journey telling himself: \u201cYou have to do the boring stuff to do the fun stuff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe run at a maximum capacity of 499, which is under the temporary events threshold. You need a temporary events notice which grants you permission to serve alcohol and have live music past eleven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou apply on the council website and describe all the considerations you\u2019ve made – how you\u2019ll make the site safe and not annoy the neighbours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou need to ensure they don\u2019t submit any objections to your notice. The big one is the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEnvironmental agencies look a lot at how the noise might affect the surrounding area. I just write a plan of all the mitigations in place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sounds like fun, Matti!\u00a0<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\nRoughly 350 people descended on the Chimney in 2022, up 150 from 2021\u2026 a number that would rise again to 450 in 2023, when the Pencoose fairytale continued for its third year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ize Neal<\/em><\/strong>, Cornish guitarist, headlined the event with his band, Cattalyst<\/em><\/strong>, in 2021 and returned to the Farm with Cattalyst\u2019s drummer in 2023 as an opening act. Ize has conquered the county, playing many Cornish beer festivals and even securing an appearance at Boardmasters but doesn\u2019t seem to have a bad word to say about Pencoose.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIt was a really successful event\u2026 every year they get more and more tight on how they are arranging the festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to see it be as enjoyable for them as it is for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe had an original song come out, called new situations. When we played as a band in 2021, we had that moment of \u2018oh my god people know this song and people are singing it\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI stopped singing for two seconds and then people were singing it back at me. I was going \u2018Oh shit this is actually really cool.\u2019”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow us on Instagram<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a> and Tiktok<\/a> for more content!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBefore it was ticketed we wanted to hire portaloos but by the time we got around to it they\u2019d all been hired by Boardmasters and all the bigger festivals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The great Cornish portaloo shortage just about sums up how difficult it is to think of absolutely <\/em>everything when event planning. \u201cWe basically built our own compost toilets. We dug massive holes in the ground and used pallets of wood to create makeshift bogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt shocked some people when they first arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis was when we were much more amateur.\u201d Samuel added sheepishly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2022 saw the addition of overnight camping as well as a \u00a310 ticket charge: \u201cThe professionalisation in 2022 was a lot greater and of course you do incur a greater cost.\u201d Morgan explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Familiar faces Caravan Club<\/em><\/strong> returned to the iconic Pencoose Chimney for another DJ set and the lads set about marketing the event to the Truro locals, employing a familiar slogan \u2018Probably the best party in the world\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whilst levelling up as a festival year on year is a priority for the lads, Samuel spoke about the festival as a fond pastime. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a really really good site and a team that are really keen to keep growing. I definitely think there\u2019s potential for it to expand a decent amount significantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe want to make sure we are sticking to the core values, keeping the local charm and Cornish identity.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The local community theme of Pencoose has been reflected in the Samuel\u2019s lineup in every year of the festival: \u201cWe like to have Cornish artists or a connection to Cornwall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe all live in Cornwall, go out, follow the Cornish music scene so we tend to have quite a few ideas going in. We sit down and have brainstorming sessions\u2026 look at up and coming small bands and big music scenes in Falmouth. We look on the lineups of bigger festivals like Boardmasters and see who\u2019s playing on the local band stages. Normally we have an idea of who we know and go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beneath the joyful tasks of picking the lineup and planning the site layout, which doubtless led the boys to fall in love with the Pencoose dream in the early days, lies the legal requirements – the tasks less likely to have set the lads\u2019 imaginations alight back in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Morgan stressed the importance of getting the right authorities onside once again with Pencoose becoming a larger recognised event in 2022: \u201cThe landowners are really good but obviously they don’t want a massive out of control party. We have to demonstrate that we are competent enough to run a successful event on their property without any damage.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Matti definitely drew the short straw job-wise. Admin, admin and yet more admin. Matti has to be one of the only 20 year olds in the nation tasked with creating a ten page fire safety plan among other long and complicated risk assessments. He played it down as all part of the journey telling himself: \u201cYou have to do the boring stuff to do the fun stuff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe run at a maximum capacity of 499, which is under the temporary events threshold. You need a temporary events notice which grants you permission to serve alcohol and have live music past eleven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou apply on the council website and describe all the considerations you\u2019ve made – how you\u2019ll make the site safe and not annoy the neighbours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou need to ensure they don\u2019t submit any objections to your notice. The big one is the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnvironmental agencies look a lot at how the noise might affect the surrounding area. I just write a plan of all the mitigations in place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roughly 350 people descended on the Chimney in 2022, up 150 from 2021\u2026 a number that would rise again to 450 in 2023, when the Pencoose fairytale continued for its third year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ize Neal<\/em><\/strong>, Cornish guitarist, headlined the event with his band, Cattalyst<\/em><\/strong>, in 2021 and returned to the Farm with Cattalyst\u2019s drummer in 2023 as an opening act. Ize has conquered the county, playing many Cornish beer festivals and even securing an appearance at Boardmasters but doesn\u2019t seem to have a bad word to say about Pencoose.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was a really successful event\u2026 every year they get more and more tight on how they are arranging the festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want to see it be as enjoyable for them as it is for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe had an original song come out, called new situations. When we played as a band in 2021, we had that moment of \u2018oh my god people know this song and people are singing it\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI stopped singing for two seconds and then people were singing it back at me. I was going \u2018Oh shit this is actually really cool.\u2019”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Follow us on Instagram<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a> and Tiktok<\/a> for more content!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/feedbackmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/05\/sweet-juno-2023-1024x693.png\")
Sounds like fun, Matti!\u00a0<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/feedbackmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/05\/cap-5-2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/feedbackmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2024\/05\/chimney-2.png\")
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