2027 MEARFEST MEMORIES CALENDAR
MEARFEST CALENDAR 2027
THE FINAL FLIP OF THE PAGE!
Well… we could not quite leave it there, could we?
After ten years, countless gigs, ridiculous amounts of cake, cups of tea, and good beer, painted rocks, raffle tickets, books, poetry, friendships, tears, laughter, and some seriously questionable dance moves, we wanted to create one last memorable Mearfest item. Something you could hang on your wall and, every time you turn the page, think:
“Blimey… I remember that?”
2027 will be our first Mearfest memories calendar, which will take a nostalgic wander through the last few years, from Mearfest North at Trillians, all the way down to the Flame in Nuneaton and The Village Hall at Farnham Royal.
This calendar isn’t simply about bands. It is about people, the performers, friends, helpers, supporters, and our creative photographers, plus many other downright legends who have given their time, energy, and hearts to Mearfest. The people who never made it about themselves. The people who turned up, mucked in, gave their all and helped make Mearfest what it became.
We could easily have filled another ten calendars.
But here we go…
FRONT PAGE - CHRIS TINKHAM - Photo: Claire Mear
Our front cover had to feature the mighty Chris Tinkham, who has attended Mearfest so many times, bringing with him his own uniqueness in his dress attire, kindness, but mostly his yummy home-made cakes and bakes to every event; it all started at Farnham Royal 2018, along with Tim Perry’s desperate quest for a decent mid-afternoon cup of tea! This combination made our 4 o’clock tea and cake a Mearfest thing from that day forth.
JANUARY - DESOLATION ANGELS - Photo: Jim Donnelly
They played our first gig in 2016 and our second to last in 2025, with many memorable shows in between. Lead singer Paul Taylor finished Mearfest Requiem 2026 by playing with Elixir. We must mention Clive Pearson and Paul Michael Chatfield who has supported Brian as a good friend through hard times, donating a ton of merchandise. They have both given so much to our raffles and shows, and between them they have managed to attend every single Mearfest event. That is some serious Mearfest mileage!
FEBRUARY - MR & MRS MEAR - Photo: Kevin Hargrave
No words needed. February 2027 will be Mrs Mear’s 60th birthday year; the day is marked with Molly Mear’s handprint, the very hand that started this whole incredible journey.
MARCH - JEFF BADDLEY - Photo: John Lambton
From Troyen fame, Jeff has not only played Mearfest numerous times, but he has given his time in so many other ways, from creating graphics for Brian’s Elements poetry book to being Brian’s go-to person at Nuneaton as drum tech and stage manager. A true Mearfest behind-the-scenes hero.
APRIL – MANDORA - Photo: Martyn Turner
Representing the North East, we give you Mandora. Because whenever we ask, they give us 100%. Every. Single. Time. Energy, enthusiasm, fun and plenty of laughter.
MAY - HANNAH NEIL - Photo: David Wilson
This month is dedicated to remembering Hannah, lead singer of Fallen Mafia, an eternally beautiful soul, who passed away on 28th May 2023. She left this Earth far too soon. She is missed by everyone who knew her. As quoted, she is loved beyond lyrics.
JUNE - SACRED ALIEN - Photo: Jim Donnelly
Remember that incredible alien light show at Trillian’s in 2022?
And then again at The Queen's Hall in 2025? Sean Canning has been a performance genius since 1981; he has also been a huge supporter of everything Mearfest. Lights, lasers, aliens, and sheer madness. Keep watching the skies!
JULY - AND THE CROWD ROARED! - Photo: Claire Mear
One snapshot. A whole load of favourite people. And one hell of a night.
Taken at our very last Mearfest at The Queens Hall, Nuneaton, 2026, this one image captures exactly what Mearfest was all about. Featuring Chris Tinkham, Caroline Larking, Diane Dingley, and the delightful Kita Morton and her gorgeous family, along with the Mearfest Family.
AUGUST - TRILLIAN’S 2019 - Photo: David Wilson
Look closely, can you spot yourself? One photograph packed full of our amazing North East Mearfesters. This was only our third year; the love and support palpable.
SEPTEMBER – STORMCHILD - Photo: Jim Donnelly
Featuring the maestro of glam and rock himself, Mr Colin Berry of STORMCHILD fame.
Are YOU somewhere in that audience?
OCTOBER - STEPHEN HALL - Photo: Claire Mear
This month belongs to a very special Mearfester. Stephen Hall sadly passed away in August 2026. Stephen was the heartbeat of Mearfest North. We first met him in 2017 while raising money for DSNE, as Molly would have been a Downs baby. Stephen had Down Syndrome, but what we remember most is simply Stephen being Stephen: a true rock fan, a legend in his own right and someone who rocked along with the best of them at every event we held at Trillian’s. He was part of the Mearfest family. Rest sweetly, our beloved friend.
NOVEMBER - INCUBUS LOVECHILD - Photo: Claire Mear
Featuring Mark Skid Edwards, captured at Mearfest Space 2025.
Mark has given so much to Mearfest, particularly behind the scenes, and we genuinely cannot thank him enough. Somehow, he manages to walk the tightrope between musical genres by skilfully blending his own unique electro bliss with metal magic all as a one-man act.
DECEMBER – MONSIEUR BILL GANG - Photo: Jim Donnelly
From France with love and usually a healthy dose of madness!
Despite the distance between our two countries, Bill Gang from GANG has been close by throughout the years. From creating those memorable Star Wars animations in 2018 to performing his heart out with GANG repeatedly. He's also supported us as a family, weaving the essence of Amélie into his musical projects, which means an enormous amount to us.
IT’S ACTUALLY USEFUL TOO!
The calendar is a standard A4 size, 210 × 297 mm, with plenty of room to write down all your daily doings. This year, the individual daily boxes will be bigger than those in last year’s Insectica 2026 calendar. Because apparently some of us have very busy lives.
New box dimensions: 25mm x 25mm
And finally…
From both of us, thank you. To every single person who has travelled this road with us.
To everyone who attended, who played, helped, and supported our books and poetry.
To everyone who bought a previous calendar, painted stones or Molly T-shirts, donated goodies to our raffles, and bought raffle tickets. To everyone who cheered from the front and who worked quietly behind the scenes. And to all those lucky battle jacket winners…YOU ROCK! Mearfest has never just been about the music; it's always been about our Mearfest community, sharing our good news, and talking frankly about our bad days, especially giving space to talk about baby loss, and of course about Molly, our own stillborn daughter, whom, if this had never happened, nor would Mearfest.
AND THAT’S A WRAP…
This may be our last printed project for a while.
Every penny raised from the calendar will go towards keeping the Mearfest website running and helping with the costs of producing our next book.
*£1 FROM EACH COPY SOLD GOES TO DOWN SYNDROME NORTH EAST.
So, you are not just buying a calendar; you are helping keep a little piece of Mearfest alive.
FLIP THE PAGE. REMEMBER THE MOMENT. THE FLAME STILL BURNS.
CALENDAR COST IS JUST £12.00
AVAILABLE AND POSTED FIRST WEEK IN OCTOBER.
