The second edition of Aggro Fest returned triumphantly to Kettering on Saturday, July 29th, 2023. This heartfelt event is devoted to celebrating the life and legacy of our dear friend, Aaron Francis, who sadly left us last year. Aggro Fest is a joyful celebration of friendship, community, and a platform to showcase our passions.
This year, the festival was all about inclusivity, welcoming people of all ages and diverse backgrounds to join in the festivities. Held at the picturesque Ise Lodge Skatepark in Kettering, it provided an ideal backdrop for a day of fun and connection. Best of all, entry to the event was entirely free of charge.
An energetic and talented lineup of over 12 artists took to the stage, including well-known performers like Geval, SexGerms, Bite Wound, Feral Sate, and many others. Their performances filled the atmosphere with music and positive energy, connecting attendees through shared passions and interests.
Throughout the day, live music resonated in the air, starting at 12 noon. Initially, performances were held indoors in the scout hut due to rain. As the weather improved and the sun emerged, organisers wisely decided to move the music outdoors to the skatepark.
Bands from across the country travelled to participate in this vibrant celebration, adding their unique styles to the musical experience. The live music spectacle continued until 9 PM, with attendees enjoying the electrifying performances. Despite a slight delay caused by the rain, the event extended beyond the scheduled time, allowing everyone to fully indulge in the musical magic.
Alongside the bands, several graffiti artists came down to paint the park, including artists like eeizuu and many others.
The event welcomed all types of wheels, embracing participants on inline skates, scooters, skateboards, and quads with open arms. However, it was disappointing to see that only a few BMX riders turned up to participate.
In an impressive collaboration, this year's event teamed up with Zions Community Kitchen, offering a delightful selection of tasty vegan food for attendees to enjoy.
The event was generously sponsored by SkateHut, Illicit, and Three Amigo Skate Shop. SkateHut, in particular, organised an exciting mid-event raffle exclusively for skateboarders, while Streetwise provided some amazing prizes for scooter Riders.
The Street Wisethe crew, being local to the park, made a special appearance at the event. It was a joy to reunite with them, especially after conducting an interview with them in March. We had the chance to catch up with Harry Bridgen and Jamie Weir, gaining their insights and thoughts on the event.
“One of the best moments from the day had to be the Bite Wound set, as the energy in the park was immense with everyone getting involved. The band's stage presence was extraordinary, so everyone was giving it their all both in the pit and on the skatepark.” -Harry Brigden.
It was amazing to see all the different communities come together; we had skaters riding with scooters, scooters being cheered on by punks, and punks riding with skaters. Ise boasts such a close-knit community of wonderful people, and it was lovely to share that with so many new faces. Streetwise was only present until about 6-7, so we missed the last few hours but had enough time to distribute a few prizes and sort some kids out with new griptape and hoodies.
“one of the toughest experiences of my life, and now all my hardcore buddies want to return next year” -Jamie Weir
To conclude the blog, we spoke to the organiserblxckmysticabout how he felt the event turned out in the end: “We organise Aggro Fest with love and passion for both music and action sports culture. It means the world to us to keep our friend's memory alive, raise funds in support of local charities, and bring everyone together to celebrate our community. We have held Aggro Fest for two consecutive years now, and it continues to grow and get bigger. It will be exciting to see how we can continue to expand the event to reach more people and raise even more funds to support the local community!”
