RICHARD Huish College students performed their own ‘mini Glastonbury’ in Taunton, showcasing new and talented bands.

BTEC Popular Music students rocked the two-night Huish Live and Loud Festival 2014, held at The Master Thatcher.

The entire festival was run by students, with BTEC Music Production pupils producing the live sound and film students capturing the performance and feeding the live images to screens in preparation for working at the Glastonbury Festival.

Popular Music students at Huish have gigged on 28 different dates at music venues across Somerset in the last year, performing every fortnight.

Huish’s Popular Music course manager Andy Wild, who has worked with Corinne Bailey Rae and Snow Patrol, said: "We have incredibly talented and hardworking musicians and this festival was a celebration of their years work.

“We had a fantastic crowd of students, relatives and friends. The Popular Music BTEC is for anyone that likes performing in popular styles.

“We are the only college in this area where students can experience what it is like to tour with your band and equipment and get a realistic taste of life on the road."

Lower six students also hosted their own end of year gig at the Master Thatcher to round off a week of entertainment.

The County Gazette caught up with Sam Midgley, Owen Melbourne, Hugo Lagnado and Ben McCarty - also known as Phrank Whittle - after their performance at Live and Loud.

They said: "These events allow us to play to a practice crowd and to see how the audience responds to what we play.

"It's a chance to test new songs and get prepared to play big events and festivals.

"It's good fun, especially when they're all friends and all dancing. We get honest feedback and a good reaction from them."