Britpop icons Supergrass are set to headline a fundraising gig in Frome to help a community campaign group in their fight to save Packsaddle Community Fields from development.
The sell-out show, which is a headline Frome Festival event, will take place on Friday 11th July at the Cheese and Grain, with support from local indie band Lumley.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to People for Packsaddle’s fundraising campaign. The group is urgently looking to raise £10,000 to fund legal costs to help save the green space from development.
Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey is a Frome resident and a supporter of the People for Packsaddle campaign. The band, which performed on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage last week, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their seminal, chart-topping debut album I Should Coco by playing it in full, followed by a set of their greatest hits, including Pumping on Your Stereo, Alright, Caught by the Fuzz and Mansize Rooster.
People for Packsaddle spokesperson Toby Culff said, “We are enormously grateful to Supergrass, the Cheese and Grain, local band Lumley and Frome Festival for their support in ensuring this crucial fundraiser can go ahead, as well as to everyone who comes along, enjoys the gig and helps us achieve our goal of saving the fields from development. We won’t stand by and let developers ride roughshod over democratic, locally made decisions, this fundraising event is going to really help us achieve this aim.
“Despite hundreds of objections and the planning application being refused by Somerset Council, the developers are taking it to appeal. For us to fight the appeal and be represented by a full legal team comes with a significant financial cost.
“The fields are a designated Asset of Community Value and a crucial, irreplaceable resource for local people and wildlife, and for Frome as a whole. By coming along to this gig, people will be supporting positive community action whilst also helping to protect the environment.”
Local indie band Lumley will be supporting Supergrass on the night. Lead singer Michael ‘Fordy’ Ford, who is also a concert promoter, said, “First of all, this show is for Frome and the ridiculous proposal to build at Packsaddle. We stand with our brothers and sisters of People for Packsaddle.
“Secondly, it’s just awesome [to be able to support Supergrass]. The band at Bath Moles in 1994 changed everything for me and I finally found my band.”
Frome Festival director Adam Laughton said the show is the ‘cherry on top’ of a sensational 10-day festival which runs from 4th to 13th July.
He said, “Supergrass headlining Frome Festival is further evidence of the cultural significance of this amazing town, continually punching well above its weight. Enormous thanks to the individuals who have made this happen, as well as the Cheese and Grain and People for Packsaddle. Over 280 events in more than 50 venues are scheduled for the festival, there’s truly something for everyone.”
People for Packsaddle has led the campaign to save the site, with backing from local MP Anna Sabine, Somerset councillors Adam Boyden, Dawn Denton and Martin Dimery, Frome Town Council, local councillors, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and the wider community.
The appeal hearing will be held at Somerset Council’s Shepton Mallet site on 12th August and is expected to last four days.
