GuilFest is an independent music and arts festival held in Stoke Park, Guildford. Started in 1992 by Tony Scott, who still runs and directs the festival, which first attracted 1,500 people per day, GuilFest now sees over 20,000 visitors each day and has truly established itself as one of the UK's leading festivals.


This year, the festival took place on the 15th, 16th and 17th of July. This year's festival offered a weekend of great live musical entertainment set across 8 stages, crossing all genres. As well as live music, there was comedy, theatre, arts and crafts, with all other sorts of other entertainment.


Friday's line up included Roger Daltry, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Rifles, Adam Ant and Macavitys Cat. Saturday saw Razorlight, N-Dubs, Noisettes, Peter Andre, The Farm, Pendulum and Wretch 32 to the stage, and on Sunday, visitors could see James Blunt, Erasure, Ziggy Marley, The Blow Monkeys, UK Subs, Public Image and Chipmonk. In all over 140 music acts played, with 28 comedy acts over the weekend.

Uke2 Unleash The Power of The Ukulale!

It was bound to happen eventually. On the one hand, one expects a pub hosting an open mic to be filled with guitars as budding performers wait their turn to pluck their strings to the awaiting audience, but on the other, such events can suddenly surprise. None more so than at The Bulls Head.

Few were prepared for two local musicians, Dave and Nick, to turn up and unzip their guitar cases to reveal two ukulele's. That in itself looked hysterical. The shere size of these miniature instruments against a back drop of full sized guitars was enough to put the audience in fits of laughter. What followed was quite simply astounding and, well, to be honest, extremely funny.

Listeners were geared up in preparation for some sort of Spanish traditional rendition, so typical for these instruments. But alas, this was not to be. The duo got started straight away pounding out tunes so unfit for a ukulele, the audience fell about laughing. The laughter was not indeed due to the quality of the musicians before them, but more the sheer wonderment and astonishment that these two skilled lads chose to open with 'Play That Funky Music' with their faces fixed stern in the belief that such a tune was written for such meagre instruments. If that wasn't enough, the crowd was silenced as the duo crowed 'Shut Up. This is serious you know' whilst driving home a fantastic (and surprising) delivery of 'Ace of Spades'.

We should forget counting the different elements that make this performance so good, as there are too many. But to summarise, Uke 2 have devised a unique performance style that has been crafted with incredible skill, and it is delivered in such an entertaining way that leaves the audience in awe. It is impossible to dislike them. Moreover, as the reception showed, they were by far the most enjoyed and favoured band of the night.

You can see Uke 2 perform on regular open mic nights. You can also book their compact entertainment for all occasions by calling 07531 355315 or 07760 476603.