Review: "I went to Rugby's Fake Festival and it was as good as the real thing"

They set up their big-top circus tent in Whitehall Rec. and prepared to entertain local fans with the best of rock music.

The touring show may promote themselves as Fake Festival, but there was nothing fake about the ability and talent of the singers and musicians who performed before a lively and enthusiastic Rugby crowd.

The reaction of a group of teenage girls when asked, what do you think, was typical. “We hear what we like, and we like what we hear,” they called out in unison, which sounded like a practiced refrain.

They sang along in a loud voice while bobbing up and down and punching the air to the beat of Ultimate Green Day, singing ‘Coma City’.

The occasional brief summer shower did not seem to bother anyone, some remained in the tent, but most set up a space on the grass outside. When it rained, some raised their head to allow the raindrops to trickle down their cheeks to cool their warm faces.

And they laughed until the rain stopped; it was that kind of festival, everyone was smiling.

Alanish is a Yorkshire lass who has a voice as powerful as her hero, Alanis Morissette.

She performed songs from Jagged Little Pill album. Her performance of All I Really Want was ringing in the ears of many of the punters when Vicky Jackson as Pink jumped onto the stage to catch even the most genuine Pink fan by surprise.

A dazzling three costume performance proved she could match the real Pink’s acrobatic stage presence, and more.

If hard-grinding alternative rock is what you were looking for and Foo Fighters were your band of choice, you could easily have settled for Fore Fighters.

Their cover versions of the originals were as near as you can get anywhere.

The pace slowed a bit when The Fillers took to the stage to perform sounds familiar to fans of The Killers. Playing music heavily influenced by indie-rock and new wave, their individual interpretation of Mr Brightside was recognised and with a sing-along. Many Killers fans would have recognised the opening riff of Uncle Johnny, and many did if the head-banging and fist pumping was anything to go by.

Oasish may look like Oasis, Oasish may dress like Oasis, and they may even curse and swear like Oasis, and if you are an Oasis fan, you would not have been disappointed with Oasish.

Tickets for the current Oasis tour, at rip-off prices, may beyond your reach of many but Oasish offered a production and stage presence that promotes the iconic image of Oasis, and their presentation was as close to the real thing as you will find anywhere.