A fake war of words has broken out between two tributes bands due to go head-to-head later this month at the inaugural Big Marquee Weekend music festival in Macosquin on the outskirts of Coleraine.
The three day event gets underway on Friday 21 August with a Clubland night headlined by Micky Modelle and Ultrabeat, before climaxing on Sunday with a hugely impressive country music line-up featuring JD Country, Ritchie Remo and Ireland’s leading Garth Brooks tribute act Jason Hughes.
But it is on Saturday 22 August when sparks have long been expected to fly as Belfast’s Oasis look and sound-alikes Roll With It go up against Bon Jovi tribute band Con Jovi from Armagh in a Brit Pop versus Rock battle.
And the verbals have started early after Roll With It’s “Liam” claimed that Con Jovi would “cast no shadow” over the Belfast boys.
“Liam” from Roll With it, letting it out
“Look man, some might say that Con Jovi are half a world away from us,” said Liam, who said he was looking forward to lots of cigarettes and alcohol after coming off the professionally-constructed stage.
"We’ve played all around the world and, unlike the real Oasis, we’ll not fade away and gonna live forever. We’ve got a masterplan, I’m a rock ‘n’ roll star and Con Jovi can slide away. Come the Big Marquee Weekend, they’ll be standing on the shoulders of giants as we bask in the sunshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine. D’you know what I mean?”
But “Jon” from Con Jovi wasted no time in hitting back, saying that his band were planning to give Roll With It “a taste of their own bad medicine.”
“Hey, we weren’t born to follow,” said Jon. “We’ll have a nice day in Macosquin and leave in a blaze of glory. But we won’t runaway and, no apologies, Roll With It are livin’ on a prayer if they think they’re better than us.
Con Jovi who have pledged to leave the Big Marquee stage in a blaze of glory
"This ain’t a love song and I say to Liam, you give love a bad name. Keep the faith. I’ll be there for you, always, but don’t lay your hands on me or you’ll be wanted dead or live. These days life isn’t a bed of roses and you were born to be my baby. What about now?”
Hearing Jon’s fighting talk, Liam’s pretend big brother “Noel” entered the fray with a direct challenge to Con Jovi.
He said: “Either stop crying your heart out or go let it out.” But Noel added: “We’ll never acquiesce so let there be love. I’m a songbird and I don’t look bank in anger. But after the gig, Con Jovi can stand by me as I sit on a wonderwall and toast Roll With It’s victory with a champagne supernova.”
Noel also revealed that Roll With It are planning to travel from Belfast to Macosquin in a supersonic car. “She’s electric,” he explained.
Day tickets for the Big Marquee Weekend are priced at £10 for Friday and £12 on Saturday and Sunday. A two-ticket is also available priced at £20.
Tickets can be purchased from Mary Pat’s Bar in Macosquin, Romaya Hair Sanctuary in Coleraine or by calling Tel: 028 7034 4659.