DECK chairs, picnics and sun hats were the order of the day as families enjoyed day two of the B Love festival.

The Sunday of the two-day music extravaganza at War Memorial Park has always been family day, and with little ones able to camp out in the shade of the magical forest, this year was no different.

Kicking things off on the main stage was indie punk two-piece Wait. The youngsters seemed to be at home on the big stage and it would not be a surprise if they are a band to keep an eye on in years to come.

For a lot of people, the relaxed vibes of the Electric Soup stage were the place to be, people sitting in the tent enjoying a range of acoustic artists. One who caught the eye of The Gazette was 17-year-old Tilly from High Wycombe.

The teenager performed a set of original material and demonstrated a powerful voice, she even endeared herself to the crowd by saying “If you see a piece of paper on my wrist it’s my setlist as I haven’t been doing this very long.”

One of the highlights of the afternoon was the 40-minute dance / acrobatic performance on the B Awesome stage from Ockham’s Razor. Called the Belly of the Whale, the show was breath-taking, and the performers seemed to make every movement effortlessly.

Back on the main stage Sugarman Sam & The Voodoo Men brought the groove to Basingstoke one last time as the band have decided to take a break. But they made sure to go out with a bang getting the audience to dance along to their blend of blues and rock and roll.

Speaking of rock, a band who seemed to come out of nowhere were two-piece A Werewolf. Their ferocious instrumental mix of math rock and punk was a spectacle to watch, made even more enjoyable by the fact the pair were wearing Hawaiian shirts.

Closing out the weekend and ultimately this year’s Basingstoke Festival were Reef. Formed back in 1993 the band have been a pinnacle of the British indie rock scene and the B Love crowd showed their appreciation of that fact.

The band themselves were full of energy and frontman Gary Stringer’s voice is just as powerful as it ever has been, meaning he was able to keep the B Love crowd around the palm of his hand.

With this being the first year of the music festival being a paid for event there was a notable drop in attendance. However, there is scope for growth and now that B Love has its own identity it has real potential to put the town on the music map.