As has been seen with the now defunct Kintbury street fair, ‘event fatigue’ will dim the enthusiasm of even the most ardent communitarians, so perhaps it’s time to start streamlining some of Newbury’s events into a packed weekend for thousands rather than hundreds to enjoy.

Already there are signs of this emerging, and this year’s Fringe festival was accompanied by Art In the Park – the collective of potters, painters and jewellers displaying their wares in Park Way – which worked well with the regular craft guilds attached to the Fringe.

At high noon, and with a fanfare not heard since the days of King Arthur, town mayor Mike Rodger launched the day’s programme of events from the bandstand, where the Apollo Big Band gently wooed the older audience with a few Glenn Miller favourites. They soon made way for the omnipresent Rhythmworks drummers, banging out jungle beats appropriately, as the weather had turned sticky and humid.

Over in the Kennet Centre, proud parents reinforced the 150-strong crowd sweltering under the glass atrium to watch the St Gabriels dance presentation The Heat is On. The routines were imaginative, and the undoubted highlight the quirky performance of the dozen or so ghostly penguins from the younger ranks. All ages worked hard, but at times the floor seemed crowded and confused.

Back at the bandstand, Zertain Effects – a local acoustic blues trio provided a Mississippi soundtrack as the dark sky threatened rain, at times appearing to also provide the “crackle” of a Robert Johnson track.

The rain held off, and the evening session kicked in, with a “tribal gathering” of young Newbury. Skaters, grungers, punks and rockers soon packed out the bandstand area for the flurry of acts powering through their 20 minute sets.

Notable highpoints included Read Between the Lines, a female-led quintet with some No Doubt/Portishead vibe.

The swaggering five piece Monique went down a storm with a rock hybrid of Stone Roses/Stereophonics, with Nirvanaesque guitars. Come Into The Dark and Out In the Cold worked especially well, at times marred by a pedal happy guitarist, and too many styles.

All this was a shame for Five Sided Dice, who followed with a cleaner Crowded House vibe which lost some impact.

Next up, the hilarious On Trial, an old school punk band angry about not-very-much. Started well, then confused everyone by playing heavy metal. By this time though, the lager was in full flow, and the kids didn’t care. They were enjoying a big fat freebie on their own doorstep.

Arguably, the Fringe tries to please too many people, and ends up overstretching. The ‘highbrow’ arts have the spring festival, so let this be a day to celebrate youth culture.