A BAND from Warrington are set to open Neighbourhood Weekender 2025, after launching a campaign to join the line-up and live their dream.
The Bemonts are band based in Orford that formed two and a half years ago and is made up of four members.
The band’s singer Dave Collins, 42, and bassist Adam Barnett, 42, met at Beamont Collegiate Academy on Long Lane.
The childhood friends decided to turn their love of music into reality when they formed the Americana-rock band with Glenn Trowson, 32, and Liam Winterbottom, 25.
The band has been working hard and performing at a variety of shows since then, including Warrington Music Festival.
“The following that we’ve had is unbelievable from people on our social platforms,” said Adam.
“We’ve not got anyone that sounds like us to be honest, but it’s a mixture of all different things and it’s all original material.”
But one stage seemed completely out of reach for the unsigned group.
Neighbourhood Weekender announced in October that the festival would return to Victoria Park in Warrington next year.
This year, the event was postponed, but the announcement of its return made many music fans rejoice.
None more so than The Bemonts, who have been attending the festival since 2018.
“It’s our home festival, we love the vibe of it, and we go every year,” said Adam.
“We were all so gutted it wasn’t on this year because people in Warrington wait for this festival because it’s unbelievable.
“We’ve always thought wouldn’t it be good to get on there really.”
After spending many years looking up at the stage from the crowd, Adam decided he didn’t want to just dream any longer – he wanted to make that dream a reality.
So, he launched a campaign.
“I finished working and something told me to go to Victoria Park and film a message to Jack and Simon and say ‘listen, this is what we want, and I know we’re no one at the moment but all these big bands started with a dream’,” said Adam.
“It quickly gained a lot of traction. We started uploading stuff on social media and before we knew it, we had 84,000 interactions on Facebook.
“We could see that people were starting to take an interest and people were wishing us well. It was like we had all of Warrington behind us.”
After a series of social media posts to help raise awareness to their campaign, Adam received an email from Jack Dowling, one of the organisers of Neighbourhood Weekender, asking the band if they would like to open the festival on the Viola Beach Stage on May 24.
“Straight away I typed back and just spilled my guts on the email,” said Adam.
“We’re really, really happy. I had a feeling we were making the right traction and waves – we’re massive manifesters.
“There’s been times when we’ve driven down to Victoria Park and sat where the main stage is and just played our tunes.
“We were trying to manifest it and it’s just mad how it worked out. It’s still not sunk in.”
The Bemonts can’t believe their luck and say that being offered the slot has been a dream come true.
“We’re just so grateful to SJM, Jack, Simon and the Neighbourhood because they’ve given us a shot,” said Adam.
“It’s very rare nowadays that someone with that much pull and power gives someone like us from Orford a chance, and believe you me we’re not going to let them down.
“We’re going all out to put a show on for them – not just a gig, a show.”
The band have started rehearsals ahead of the festival and hope that their performance will be the start of a successful career.
“Expect enjoyment, really good songs, stage presence – we’re not going to be stood still, we’re going to be having it, basically,” said Adam.
“We want to put a show on that rivals everything else. We want to show we’re not just a band that have done a campaign and got on, we want to cement our place within that festival and hopefully one day we’ll be walking out on that main stage.
“We’re going to be representing not just ourselves, but the whole of Warrington as well.”
Adam hopes that the band’s successful campaign will not only show how rich with talent the music scene in Warrington is, but that other musicians in the area should chase their dream too.
“It’s just nice knowing that you’ve been playing your instrument since you were 16 and thinking one day I’m going to be on a stage like that, but you never actually think that it will happen,” he said.
“But you’ve got to keep going and keep kicking walls down and trying to open doors yourself, because no one is going to come to you and say, ‘do you fancy playing this’. You’ve got to show them how much you want it.
“If you’ve got a dream you’ve got to go at it 100 per cent. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it because we’re living proof that its possible.
“People like SJM and Neighbourhood saw a little Orford band that had massive dreams, they made it a reality and I’ll be forever grateful to them.”
Neighbourhood Weekender will take place at Victoria Park on May 24 and 25, 2025.
Tickets are on sale now and can be found on nbhdweekender.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here