Camp Mike

26 Feb

Mike Camp, at the heart of the Watford music scene, standing among tall green plants — Michael Camp

Mike sadly passed away on 2nd November 2019
He was 48 years old

Remembering Mike

Camp Mike was a four-day music festival at O’Neills pub in Watford (formerly and locally known as The Flag).

The event was a tribute to Mike Camp, who was at the very heart of the music scene in Watford.

This was a non-profit event. All the money collected on the door or donated was given to a select group of charities that were important to Mike: Herts Mind Network, Spectrum (Watford) and The Bushy Tail Cat Aid sanctuary.

Everyone involved, the bands, artists and crew, volunteered their time to make this event a fitting tribute and a fantastic send-off for all who knew Mike. Everyone had at some stage worked closely with Mike over the years, had their bands booked by him, had him as their sound engineer, or were bands that Mike loved and supported.

A band on stage under green light at O'Neills, Watford, on the first night of Camp Mike

Drummer under purple light in front of the O'Neills neon sign at Camp Mike, Watford

Trombone and guitar players under red light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

A fan in the crowd under blue light as a band plays at Camp Mike, Watford

Black and white photo of a drummer behind her kit at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a singer and guitarist sharing the stage at Camp Mike, Watford

Guitarist in a blue shirt playing a white guitar at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Singer and guitarist in a leather jacket under red light at Camp Mike, Watford

Guitarist with long curly hair playing a white Telecaster at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a drummer in front of the O'Neills sign at Camp Mike, Watford

Black and white photo of a singer with a white guitar at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Bassist and band under red stage light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Singer and guitarist under turquoise light on Thursday night at Camp Mike, Watford

Black and white photo of two guitarists on stage at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

A woman laughing in the crowd at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Guitarist leaning back with a red guitar at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

A trombone player and guitarist under teal light at Camp Mike, Watford

A guitarist plays to friends in the crowd at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Singer in a shirt and tie playing a pale blue guitar at Camp Mike, Watford

A three-piece band under green light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Bassist, guitarist and drummer under purple light at Camp Mike, Watford

A band with trombone and guitars on the O'Neills stage at Camp Mike, Watford

Drummer under pink light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a bassist with long curly hair at Camp Mike, Watford

A band under blue light in front of the O'Neills neon sign at Camp Mike, Watford

A band in pink and purple light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a singer with a white Telecaster at Camp Mike, Watford

Singer and guitarist under blue light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Drummer behind a white kit under pink light at Camp Mike, Watford

A guitarist in orange stage light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Guitarist with long curly hair and a bassist at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a bearded guitarist at Camp Mike, Watford

Black and white photo of a guitarist in a leather jacket singing at Camp Mike, Watford

A three-piece band with trombone and guitars at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Singer and guitarist in a blue jacket under pink light at Camp Mike, Watford

Black and white photo of a fiddle player, guitarist and singer at Camp Mike, Watford

Long-haired guitarist mid-riff at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a singer with an acoustic guitar at Camp Mike, Watford

Black and white photo of a singer gripping the microphone at Camp Mike, Watford

Meansteed's guitarist playing a red guitar at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a guitarist and violinist at Camp Mike, Watford

Singer and acoustic guitarist under blue light on Friday night at Camp Mike, Watford

Singer with long hair under blue light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a guitarist and singer at Camp Mike, Watford

Singer with guitar under red and blue light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Guitarist singing under blue light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of Meansteed's guitarist and violinist at Camp Mike, Watford

Black and white photo of a Meansteed guitarist at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

A guitarist bathed in red light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a drummer at Camp Mike, Watford

Guitarist under green light with keyboards behind at Camp Mike, Watford

Guitarist, singer and bassist under blue light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a tattooed singer playing acoustic guitar at Camp Mike, Watford

Singer and acoustic guitarist sharing the stage at Camp Mike, Watford

Guitarist in a checked shirt under blue light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Guitarist, violinist and singer on stage at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Guitarist singing under blue light with the drummer behind at Camp Mike, Watford

Black and white photo of a drummer mid-fill at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a violinist and singer at Camp Mike, Watford

Black and white photo of two guitarists at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

A packed crowd watches a band at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Drummer under red light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Violinist and guitarist under red light at Camp Mike, Watford

Guitarist singing under blue light on Friday night at Camp Mike, Watford

Guitarist under green light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Long-haired guitarist with a violinist and singer under blue light at Camp Mike, Watford

Guitarist in glasses under green light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

A band under green light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a guitarist singing at Camp Mike, Watford

A guitarist with long red hair under orange light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Singer in a tie with a white guitar under purple light at Camp Mike, Watford

A band in full flow under blue light at Camp Mike, O'Neills Watford

Black and white photo of a band on the O'Neills stage at Camp Mike, Watford

The line-up

Thursday 23 January: Wonky Fairy Entertainment

Live music from 8pm, featuring:

The Last Goodbye
The Imaginary Hat
Roberto Cappelina
Andrew Lane and the Tender Moments
Supersonic Porn Hounds

Friday 24 January: Monkey Boy

“We’re back from the dead for one last shred”

Jumpman
Lost Without Cause
Smugglers Wake
Telstar
Meansteed
With DJ Ben Sparks

Saturday 25 January: Watford Punk Collective

The Angry Agenda
Skurvi
The Spacewasters
Codename Colin
The Reverends UK
Saving Sebastian
Brocker
Subculture
The Mistakes
Suckerpunch4
All Aboard Gloria

Sunday 26 January: Papermouth

Acoustic performances from local solo artists, featuring:

Tom Craven (host)
Lauren Rich
Martin Renshaw
Minnie Birch
In the Forest
Klownius
Molly and the Beekeepers
Dirty Spoons
Bathtub Ginn