Energy In Abundance At Prestfest 22

​The kind of energy that comes for free was there in bucketloads at Prestwick as the Scottish Coastal Town celebrated its 10th annual festival.

Prestfest Main Stage. Unless otherwise stated, all pictures courtesy of the author.

​A party atmosphere is common among the many bars and restaurants along the Main Street in Prestwick especially at the weekend. But, on one particular weekend every year things get cranked up just that bit more. In the warmth of the Ayrshire community, revellers dance to the strains of every type of music you can imagine as the party atmosphere of the annual Prestfest gets into full flow. With a full set of Tribute Bands paying homage to the likes of The Beatles and The Kinks sharing the main festival stage with more traditional performances from the Ayrshire Fiddle Band and the Ayrshire Rock Orchestra, the scene was set for another amazing year at Prestfest. Arriving late to my home in the town, I wolfed down a hastily prepared dinner of fish fingers and toast and headed out into the party already in full flow.

​My first venue was ‘Some Comedy Yeah’ at the Prestwick Cricket Club where some friends of mine were among the acts at Prestfest’s first ever comedy night. Local writer, comedian, and musician Robert Neil teamed up with Ayrshire comedian Ian White to bring a comedy line up to Prestfest for the first time in its history. Robert, who opened the comedy set at the Cricket Club, is keen to attract comedy to Ayrshire as a local alternative to the thriving scenes in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Ian hosts a popular comedy night at the Smoking Goat Bar in Ayrshire on the first Thursday of every month.

Arriving late, my first impression was of the tremendous success of the night. The venue was packed to capacity, definitely standing room only, and laughing uproariously as Jim Hobbit worked his way through a hilariously chaotic act. I found a corner at the back of the room to stand and watch as comedian Liam Farrelly made a fantastic job of rounding up the night. He discussed such insightful subjects as the complications of having an aunt who you had to call ‘sister’ because she was a nun. Hosts and acts alike would later comment on the amazing audience. I was smiling broadly as I made my way back to the Main Street where I’d heard that a 7-piece Sca Band was playing in The Buff.