Free family music festival set to rock Bank Holiday weekend

AN INDIE-rock band, a radio DJ and a group of African drummers will be among those performing at a free family festival.
Revellers enjoying last year's Beanz BashRevellers enjoying last year's Beanz Bash
Revellers enjoying last year's Beanz Bash

The third annual Beanz Bash is on Saturday, May 26, and Sunday, May 27, in memory of Matthew Kiernan.

The former Wickersley School student - a known as Beanz - a committed suicide in 2012, aged 20.

The festival, at The Three Horseshoes, Wickersley, will raise money for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a charity which raises awareness of male suicides.

Matthew’s aunt and event organiser, Diane Irwin (49), said: “CALM receives around 5,000 calls a month, 80 per cent from men, and each costs the charity £7.”

She said she hoped many people would attend the event and donate to bucket collections to help support people like Matthew.

“It amazes us how generous people are,” she said.

“We normally get hundreds of people attending on the Sunday because it’s a Bank Holiday weekend.

“In the Wickersley and Bramley area there have been quite a few suicides over the last few years.

“People in the area are aware of it and touched by it and that’s why they are so supportive.

“It resonates with a lot of people and it’s not until you start talking to people that you realise how common it is.”

Children’s entertainer Patsy Fun will kick-off the bill on Saturday.

Also performing will be singer and guitarist Danny Newey, punk band The Seditionaries and DJ Liam James from Sheffield Live FM.

On Sunday, there will be performances by the Rotherham African Drummers group and Paul the Sax Man.

Danny Newey and DJ Liam James will return along with rock band The Origin.

Diane said she began organising the event to help prevent other families losing loved-ones like steelworker Matthew.

She said she hoped she had borne a legacy out of Matthew’s death.

“Matthew would think this is fantastic and will be looking down on us thinking: ‘Go for it’,” she added.

“He used to call me ‘Big D’ so he would be saying: ‘Go on Big D!’.”

Admission is free.

 

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