The proprietors of the Barnsley Original Music concept were a local band of four members who have been volunteering hours of their time for the last five years to enhance the profile of local artists and bands/musicians in the local area by publishing a monthly fanzine (BOM fanzine). The fanzines first edition was printed in 2003 which reviewed bands Demos and Classic albums, Live performances and promoted anything it heard about in the local music arena.

The Co-operative group granted us 500 pounds to pay for the production costs which allowed us time to develop. Once the realization materialized that there was a demand for local music we decided to start our own live night in conjunction with the fanzine. These nights have been going for four years now and are on a Thursday night at the Pulse bar in Barnsley with free admission which makes the nights popular and affordable whilst also providing a great environment for up and coming bands to perform free of charge.

This evolution from band to publishing to promoting gave the team some invaluable experience for then taking on the task of an outdoor event. The team of four then turned to the local residents to help form a committee and establish an official community group, uniting and utilizing local experience and enthusiasm. This committee was officially formed in January of 2005.

Bomfest started off as a free outdoor music festival with local bands/musicians and artist coming together for the day to showcase their efforts whilst providing a safe, clean environment for the community to enjoy but the festivals popularity and costs have spiralled and therefore we have had to put on a small admission fee to help balance the books.

The events initial planning started in January of 2005 when we enquired about the possibility of funding the event. We thought that by using the local historical heritage as a backdrop (Barnsley National Monument for miners) would capture the attention of the whole community bringing Barnsleys past and future together. Since them early days we have had major backing from the South Yorkshire Community Foundation, Coalfield Regeneration Trust, The Arts council of England, B.M.B.C., Richard Bailey and U.C.B. and we thank them all for helping make BOMfest a reality. Thanks also go out to the smaller businesses who year in year out support the festival.

More Information:
www.myspace.com/bomfest