MALMESBURY’S first independent, home-grown music festival has been deemed an outstanding success after 1,700 people attended the sold-out event over the weekend.

People lured to the two-day Boondocks Festival at a 15-acre rural site off Foxley Road, a 20 minute walk from the town centre, have been buzzing with enthusiasm on local websites.

Sam ‘Brooksie’ Brooks said: “I was proud to steward such a lovely event with nice people - it was ace,” while Neil Bryars posted: “Anyone who wasn't there needs investigating. Amazing event.”

Lisa Tweddle described the event, which opened on Friday, as a “wonderful couple of days,” while local resident Woody Allen said: “Hat's off to everybody involved in running the Boondocks Festival. What an amazing job they all did.”

Malmesbury Police, who patrolled the event, posted that everyone seemed to have had a great time.

Chief organiser Neil Muttock said: “It was the most fantastic event ever.

“We sold out a week before and it was as if the whole of Malmesbury was there. It was just amazing. Every few paces and you’d bump into someone you knew.

“When you organise something like this you hope that it all goes well and all goes to plan, and it did. But what I didn’t quite anticipate was the sheer vibe at the festival. The atmosphere was absolutely stunning.”

It was made possible late last year when Mr Muttock and a group of like-minded people, many of whom have been involved in staging the Sherston Festival, thought that Malmesbury deserved a similar event.

They tested the water by seeking pledges from those who said they would buy tickets and comfortably hit their £30,000 target within just a few weeks via an internet Kickstarter campaign.

They booked bands from a wide range of genres - from dub and funk to rock and folk - from around the country, along with a several local acts.

Mr Muttock said: “I was delighted with the line-up. Getting them all here is one thing but actually watching them perform is another.”

Despite countless requests to make Boondocks an annual event he said he thought this would be unlikely as it took so much time to organise, and took him away from his computer software programme business.

Mr Muttock felt that they may have to stage Boondocks every couple of years, alternating it with the Sherston Festival which wasn’t on this year.