WHEN I look at a lot of festivals over time, there’s a common thread that they often lose a part of their identity as they seek to and often get ‘bigger’.

One example of this was, in my mind, the infamous original Looe Music Festival (LMF) which got bigger and bigger before it collapsed into a heap. In the early days of LMF, it was an event that brought the community together – there were so many events held in venues across the town and in tandem. Hell, they even invited us along.

But as time went on, in the bid to be ‘bigger’, and inevitably pay for the costs of getting well known acts to headline, the prices to participate got more expensive, as did the tickets and it felt to us that they ‘lost’ the original community spark that provided its genesis.

It is not a charge that could be levelled on the annual one-day music festival in Bodmin known as ‘Alstock’ – even as it approaches its 20th anniversary having been a fixture of the town’s community calendar since 2007.

Set up to celebrate the memory of Bodmin’s most famous son, celebrated guitarist Al Hodge, it is organised by a team headed by Mr Hodge’s son, Luke. It features a smorgasbord of musical acts ranging from bands to cover acts, local musicians and performances from local groups such as KBSK with a common theme – the music is king.

It is a fixture in the town’s social calendar and an opportunity to enjoy a full day of music, catch up with people and this year’s event even brought the sunshine after a rainy start to the day. It’s also worth noting that all the profits from the day provide a sizeable contribution to the local community and provide a bursary for a young musician, something that Al Hodge himself would have supported and championed during his lifetime.

It might not be seeking to be the biggest festival you’ll ever see but make no mistake – there’s nothing half baked and certainly no half measures – the whole day is meticulously organised and the end product both in sound and vision are comparable to more expensive, more famous music events. In short, it is an outstanding day.

All of the acts provided the musical soundboard for a really outstanding day for the community, whether they love music or seek an inexpensive day out with a difference. It was an outstanding day for the town too with Bodmin Town Council doing a spectacular job organising a free family ‘Sports in the Park’ event and the monthly market happening on the same day. That was a real treat.

It is a music event which pretends to be something it’s not, and in many ways it’s a perfect metaphor for the town from which it hails.

For the fact Bodmin never tries to be anything it’s not but when you give it a chance, you’re pleasantly surprised and delighted at just how brilliant it is.

To Luke and everyone who made Alstock happen – thank you.