It was the 4th year for North Wales Pride at Hendre Hall in Bangor and like earlier years the Pride event brought people from near and far to celebrate Pride in North Wales.
This year I was honoured with being the official press photographer for the event again, so that gave me the chance to get those exclusive shots on stage with the artists that were performing.
After arriving at Hendre Hall, grabbing the “staff” wrist-bands and catching up with my friends that put on the event, it was time to take a walk around and grab some breakfast/dinner from “Snax R Us”.
While looking through the menu board, something caught my eye, pulled pork, no wonder the van is an extremely popular choice for food at North Wales Pride, it’s all great value and delicious.
I have to admit that I wasn’t sure who the guests were that were taking part in the Pride event, but after meeting them and hearing their work, I knew exactly who they were. With headliner Angie Brown at North Wales Pride the Saturday night was certainly going to be a fantastic performance.
I arrived at Hendre Hall from around 11:30, just before the doors opened at 12pm, we were given our wristbands and welcomed back by the organisers and friends at Cymru Pride Wales.
There were so many people camping over the weekend at Hendre Hall for North Wales Pride and as with the previous pride events, everyone gets on with one another, families all go along to the idyllic Hendre Hall that is just off the A55 in Bangor.
It wasn’t as busy as it has been in earlier years, but those that did make it to this years Pride were loving it, people who have been to earlier events were catching up with old friends and making new ones, the entertainment for all the family was taking place in the courtyard of Hendre Hall along with a fantastic kids corner for the kids to have something to do during the day.
The fantastic Bloco Swn put on an amazing performance to open up the day, I’d seen them perform at last years Beach Fest at Rhyl and I knew that they would certainly bring in the crowds at the opening ceremony and they did, it was just brilliant to see them live again and we even managed to get some audio of them.
But of course, the main entertainment of North Wales Pride is at night when the acts come to the stage, with Chrystal Bawls taking to the stage in her extravagant elegance, to introduce the acts and get the crowd in the main hall ready for what would be another fantastic evening.
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Elin Flur Local Entertainment at Bangor Pride
I have to say that I was looking forward to hearing Elin Fflur performing live and she really didn’t let the fans down with her performance as her amazing voice melted the hearts of those listening in the audience.
Christopher Haul was next in the line up at around 9:30, the evening was certainly about local talent and Chris is also from Wales and his music was very different to Elin’s it was upbeat and got the crowd moving to the beats, Chris even got the male fans in the audience excited as he stripped his top off and performed his set topless.
Diva Fever is a duo consisting of Craig Saggers and Josef Al-Smadi, friends who met through the University of Leicester. Saggers from Longthorpe, Peterborough is studying English Language and has recently completed his second year. Â Al-Smadi, from Wigston, Leicestershire is studying English through the Open University while working for British Gas in Leicester. Craig Saggers has previously performed in his home town of Peterborough at Fireworks and Christmas Lights events and won an X Factor style contest called the Top Notch Factor. – Source Diva Fever
I had a quick chat with Josef after the show and he was amazing, it was an informal chat and we just talked about the evening and how fantastic North Wales Pride is for everyone to get together and have fun and celebrate togetherness.
As an added bonus and not listed in the programme for the evenings show we also had Eryl Restall performing in the main hall, wow did she get the hall excited, what an amazing voice and accompanied by live bass, brilliant. Eryl had been performing earlier in the courtyard and she certainly added to the excitement to the already feeling of the night that was ahead of us all in the main hall.
North Wales Pride Headliner Angie Brown
Angie Brown is most well-known as the featured vocalist on Bizarre Inc’s two hits “I’m Gonna Get You” (1992) and “Took My Love” (1993), and as the featured vocalist on Motiv8’s top ten UK track from 1994, “Rockin’ for Myself”. Before this, she was a member of the group Thrashing Doves (known at that stage of their career as The Doves), and performed lead vocals on their single “Beaten Up In Love Again”. Brown has also performed backing vocals for Grace Jones, Beverley Knight, Mark Morrison, The Rolling Stones, The Dirty Strangers, Kate Bush, Chaka Khan, Heaven 17, Neneh Cherry, Lisa Stansfield, Mola Mola, The Stereophonics and Fat Boy Slim. – Source WikiPedia
Wow what a headliner, Angie put on one heck of a performance and she just got the crowd joining in so easily, they all sang along with her and at one point she was down at the front of the stage and up close and personal singing to the those just behind the barrier, just superb and ideal chance for me to jump on the stage with and get a shot of her at this perfect moment. 
What a fantastic event, there may not have been so many people there as last year, but that was made up by the excitement and the joy that everyone was having not only on the night, but during the day as well, all the acts were great and mingled with the fans afterwards, even Angie Brown went out on to the dance floor after the show, rather than just do a meet and greet back stage, she opted to enjoy the rest of the evening with everyone, fantastic.
So all that leaves me to say is a massive thank you to the committee for North Wales Pride for asking me to be part of the team, they have put on yet another superb event and I’ll be back next year for more exclusive shots etc.
If you would like to learn more about Pride and Hendre Hall then please stop on by the North Wales Pride website for details.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
