Here is the
UK
and European Blues Festivals Guide 2015,
including blues related workshops, exhibitions and lectures.
I'm waiting for details of some festivals throughout the year (shown as "2015
- TBA"). Whilst I have taken every care to ensure details are
correct, please confirm dates with festival organisers - I have included contact
phone numbers, email addresses and website addresses. Please let me know
of any other UK or European blues festivals, workshops, exhibitions and lectures not listed here.
I regularly
update this list as I receive more details from festival organisers,
so
please check back often.
Friday 23rd January 4pm - 4:45pm – STARVIN SID
5pm - 5:45pm - JACK J HUTCHINSON
6pm - 6:45pm - GED WILSON
7pm - 7:45pm - REBECCA DOWNES
Saturday 24th January 4pm - 4:45pm - LOST MINUTE
5pm - 5:45pm - THE RIOTOUS BROTHERS
6pm - 6:45pm - VICTORIA KLEWIN AND MOJOHAND
7pm - 7:45pm - PIERRE K BAND
Sunday 25th January 3pm - 3:45pm - RUSSELL SINCLAIR
4pm - 4:45pm - STARK
5pm - 5:45pm - GEORGE SHOVLIN AND THE RADARS
6pm - 6:45pm - STRUGGLE BUGGY
7pm - 7:45pm - THE DELLA GRAN
Bar facilities
available (not included in ticket price)
Wheelchair
accessible
This is certain to
be one of the best events on the calendar and is bound to
sell out, so make sure you get your tickets soon, either
online at
www.lymmfestival.org.uk
or locally at Lymm Electric and Rushgreen Motors.
The 4th
Bowness Bay Blues Weekend 2015
27th-29th March 2015
Headline acts:
David Migden & The Twisted Roots,
an exciting electric five-piece, performing
original material in a genre-busting
crossover
of rock, blues and twisted American roots
The Laurence Jones Band,
fronted by a brilliant young guitarist who has
been likened to Robin Trower
and called 'The
Future of the Blues'
Northsyde,
a unique band, with a grooving combination of
rock, funk and a serious nod to the blues.
Also appearing...
Rosco Levee & the Southern Slide
The Robin Bibi Band
TJ and the Suitcase
Matt Woosey
Stark
Al Hughes
The Blues Duo featuring Tommy Allen
and Johnny Hewitt
The Deluxe
Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion
Buzz Elliott
The Elderly Brothers
Zoe Schwarz by Rob Stanley
Stark by Chris Giles
TJ & The Suitcase by FloCat
Matt Woosey by Stuart Stott
THE FOURTH
BOWNESS BAY BLUES WEEKEND,
27-29 MARCH 2015
Word is getting round about Bowness
Bay Blues festival, which has become known as 'a
flagship for the very best of British blues' and
one of the best-value music festivals in the
North-West. No wonder tickets are selling fast,
as music fans love the combination of
top-quality blues performers and the stunning
setting of Bowness-on-Windermere.
The organisers are particularly excited about
this year's line-up, which includes some
award-winning acts. Sunday headliners David
Migden and the Twisted Roots represented the UK
at the 2014 European Blues Challenge in Riga.
And Laurence Jones, the Saturday headliner, won
'Young Artist of the Year' in the British Blues
Awards. He has followed that up by being
selected to represent the UK in Brussels in the
European Blues Challenge in March 2015, only a
couple of weeks before his appearance at Bowness
Bay Blues!
The prizes are by no means
confined to the headliners. Brilliant blues
singer and guitarist Matt Woosey has just been
named 'Acoustic Artist of the Year' by
international magazine 'Blues and Soul'. And
last-minute addition to the line-up,
sultry-voiced, jazz-influenced singer Zoe
Schwarz (of Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion) was
runner-up in the female vocalist category of the
British Blues Awards. Every act on the programme
has their own unique take on the blues and the
festival website gives full details of all this
year's performers:
http://www.bownessbayblues.co.uk/
Examples of
others to look out for include: Rosco Levee &
the Southern Slide, tipped by 'Classic Rock'
Magazine as 'one of the hottest bands to watch';
young alt blues band Stark who have made recent
highly acclaimed appearances at London's
legendary 100 Club; top blues rock guitarist
Robin Bibi, who has played with big names
including Robert Plant and Jimmy Page; and
one-man blues dynamo TJ and the Suitcase, now
making a name in the US as well as the UK.
Organised by the Rotary Club of Windermere, the
2014 festival raised over £6,000 for Automated
External Defibrillators for the Windermere First
Responders Team as well as other charities. The
main beneficiaries from the 2015 event will be
The Alzheimer's Society and The Multiple
Sclerosis Society.
Easter Weekend
Thurs 2nd April - Sun 6th April 2015
19th Nantwich Jazz, Blues & Music
Festival
Nantwich Civic Hall & The Crown Hotel
Nantwich
Thea Gilmour & Her Band
Andy Fairweather-Low & The Low Riders
Connie Lush & Blues Shouter
FM
The Blues Band
King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys
Claire Martin & The Montpellier Cello Band
King
King
Mike
Zito and The Wheel
Virgil and The Accelerators
King King
are on a roll,
they are currently the hottest draw in British
Blues Rock. There are no smoke or mirrors behind
their five year rise to success just killer
songs performed with true passion by a fist
tight line-up. There is no denying the buzz
surrounding their third anticipated new album '
Reaching For the light' due for release on May
5th which is set to rubber stamp King Kings
success as the boldest creative force in the
game, and dashes the hopes of rivals out to take
their crown.
American guitarist,
singer, producer, and songwriter from
St. Louis and a
co-founder of
Royal Southern Brotherhood
Mike Zito
headlines a fantastic night of
blues infused music supported by two of the best
young British bands on the current circuit.
Renowned
Exploding onto the blues rock
scene in 2009 Virgil and the Accelerators
have been making a huge impression across
Europe. Touring in their own right and on
premium support tours with the likes of Michael
Schenkers Temple Of Rock, Uriah Heep and Wilko
Johnson. They are renowned for pushing the
boundaries of the blues rock genre and
delivering incendiary live sets
The following bands will also be performing in
the new Front Room and Lounge bar throughout the
afternoon. Admission FREE.
Overton on Dee is
a beautiful little village on the Welsh borders
approximately 8 miles south of Wrexham
Friday May 8th 2015 Two venues in the village tbc - 7pm doors for 8pm - ticket prices tbc The Blues Duo (Tommy Allen & Johnny Hewitt)
Half Deaf Clatch
Saturday May 9th 2015 in the large Village Hall - £25. 12.30 doors for 1pm Never The Bride
The Producers
David Migden & The Twisted Roots
3Kings
Blue Swamp
Stark
Henri Herbert
Jack Blackman
Limited tickets
available so early booking recommended
Tickets:
Weekender £30 Friday £10 Saturday £25
Send cheque made
out to OVHMC with SAE to :-
Overton Blues Festival, Church Cottage, High St, Overton on
Dee, Wrexham LL13 0DT
For camping and
caravan info ring before 9pm 01978 710413
5 Food outlets
available in village + 12+ real ales and ciders, donation
car park available
Shuttle service
available to outlying B&Bs and Hotels
Festival
organised by Goin’ Up The Country Blues Club, Worthenbury
www.hookerblues.co.uk
Mud Morganfield
Big Joe Louis and his Blues Kings
Mike Sanchez Big Boy Bloater
TC and the Moneymakers
The Stumble
Todd Sharpville and guest Jon Amor
Vince Lee and the Big Combo
The Excellos
Hollowbelly
The Blues Bishops
Tom Ford
Tim Aves and his Wolfpack
The Gustav Bensel Hot Club
Connor Pianoman
Russ Sinclair and the Smokin' Locos
Victoria Klewin's Mojo Hand
Blue Horizon
Stompin' Dave
The Marc Woodward Trio
There
will be an after-hours jam, a daytime jam,
workshops, and great food and drink including a
range of Real Ales. There is a range of on-site
accommodation and camping. It starts on the
evening of Friday 22 May and ends on Sunday 24
May.
Tickets will be available on the website
www.ashburtonbluesfestival.co.uk
The Big Wheel Blues Festival returns to the
Villa Marina on Friday Saturday and Sunday May
22nd - 24th. There will be ticketed concerts on
Friday and Saturday featuring international
artists, doors open 7pm, and two free stages of
local musicians from 12.30 to 5pm on Saturday
and Sunday, with family entertainment courtesy
of the Children's Centre. Ticket prices have
been held at £22.50 inclusive of booking fee per
night, available from villagaiety.com. We
will be building up towards the Festival with
two Blues at Laxey Institute shows, doors 7pm,
tickets £5, on Friday February 27th and Saturday
March 3rd, with three top local bands each
night, plus at Peel Centenary Centre on April
4th visiting UK artists Ron Sayer jr and
Charlotte Joyce, doors 7pm, tickets £10.
Ticket only event:
Available via the above website or phone: 01624 664460
19th
Ribs & Blues Festival
23rd - 25th May 2015
Domineeskamp
Raalte
Netherlands
"The Wallingford Blues and Beer
Festival is an independently run charity festival and the money raised
from it goes towards promoting live music in Wallingford and helping to
promote youth development projects in the town and surrounding areas.
Since becoming an independent festival in 2000 we have raised, thanks to
your generosity, over £29,000 which has gone to local organisations and
charities".
The Radford
Mill Festival of Rhythm & Blues
Bath’s newest festival set in the idyllic riverside venue of
Radford Mill Farm
Saturday 20th June 2015
Events from 11.00 am
[gates open at 9.00 am]
Eight bands in a big marquee
Real Ale and Real... Cider bar
Barbecue, organic cafe and a pizza parlour
Overnight camping - tents, caravans, motorhomes - and the
famous Radford Mill Sunday Big Breakfast!
Organised by enthusiasts for enthusiasts.
Family/ child-friendly with many events and stalls
including:
Otherworld silent disco for kids of all ages
A Magic Club
A Vinyl Record Fair
Blues Guitar/ Drums/ Harmonica Workshops
The Mill Gallery
Portrait painting and face painting
The Mill Chill zone including meditation and acupuncture
Radford Mill Frack Free Festival Reunion
Early bird ticket discounts: go to
Wilko Johnson,
Andy Fairweather Low & The Low Riders,
The Hoax, Ryan McGarvey,
Erja Lyytinen,
Layla Zoe,
Phil Bee's Freedom,
The Juke Joints,
Rosco Levee,
Billy Walton Band,
BabaJack,
Federal Charm,
Snakecharmer,
Matt Woosey,
Robbie Blunt,
The Delta Grants
We are pleased to announce our full line-up for
2015 ... arguably our best ever!
The festival will start with a bang on Friday
with Dutch blues-rockers The Juke Joints,
continue with Erja Lyytinen, the "Finnish slide
goddess" and finish with some classic rock
sounds from Snakecharmer.
Saturday promises to be a great day, with the
heat mounting when Layla Zoe and Ryan McGarvey
get on stage, building when the Hoax rip through
some of their modern energetic blues and near
exploding when Wilko tops the day.
Exciting new band The Della Grants kick off
Sunday. Don't expect this to be a day of rest,
as Babajack will get your feet tapping and Billy
Walton will surely get you on your feet. Make
sure you leave a little in reserve as we need to
finish with a big sing-along compered by Andy
Fairweather Low!
Manchester Acoustic Blues Festival set to return
21-22nd June 2015
As
part of this year’s independent Manchester
Biennial Festival the Manchester Acoustic Blues
Festival ‘MABS Fest’ returns with a world class
line up. The event will also host the European
Blues Awards from 2014 that were postponed from
the London Blues Fest UK following the sudden
tragic passing of nominee and award winner Jack
Bruce last October. Acts from right across the
globe include Ryan McGarvey, Kyla Brox, France’s
Peter Von Toy, Bluesman Mike Francis, Dai Thomas
and annual British Rhythm & Blues Festival
favourite Mal Gibson.
MABSFest is purely
acoustic and will be held in the bespoke Eagle
Inn Salford to run from 4pm on Sunday 21st
June with the European Blues Award winner’s
presentation being held from 7pm on Monday 22nd.
Entry will be limited to ticket only and for
booking information and updates please see
skiddle.com
http://bit.ly/1EAbZoE
and @MABSFest on twitter.
Boarshaw Working
Men’s Club
1 Dixon Street
Off Boarshaw Road
Middleton, Manchester
M24 6GB
Victor Brox & Band A real live blues legend, having
worked with all the greats and recipient in 2014
of a Lifetime Achievement Award from The British
Blues Awards
Tony Auton Band Tony is probably Manchester’s most
popular & prolific singer/songwriter having
played with people like Chris Farlowe, Wilko
Johnson, Joe Bonamasa etc. and he covers styles
ranging through rock, punk, folk & blues
Lol Goodman Band In their three years of regular
gigging they’ve carved a niche as one of the
North’s best, hardest working original
blues/rock bands. Two critically acclaimed
albums to their name and appearances this year
on main stages at major blues festivals: The
Riverside Stage at Upton Blues Festival,
headlining the British Stage, the Great British
RnB Festival in Colne and prime Saturday night
slot at Stafford Blues Festival.
Nick Dow & Pete Benbow Acoustic blues form two guys who have
a deep love and understanding of traditional
blues. Nick presents the long running blues show
Lancashire Bluenotes on BBC Radio Lancashire
every Sunday evening.
Asher & Ben Young guys who play rock acoustic
covers just a bit differently. They are both
studying sound engineering in Manchester and
hope to make music a career.
As always, bands overflow from the outdoor main
stage into the Great Hall, our shops and cafe
courtyard, and the late night sessions in our
bar tent. Delicious food is prepared by our
catering team, ranging from homemade burgers to
spicy curries, ice creams from our vintage ice
cream van, and bakes and cupcakes in our tea
tent. Local, award winning Wold Top beers will
be on tap, brewed just a few miles away and
delivered by brewer and jazz fan Tom Mellor, who
then picks up his guitar to play in the Hall.
There is camping in the beautiful surroundings
of the adjacent Park Field, with hot showers
laid on. The child in all of us is taken care of
by balloon artistry and face painting, and
highlights of Burton Agnes' grounds inlcude a
maze, giant games, jungle garden and woodland
walk with forest creatures to find.
"The whole experience was brilliant...the
combination of antiquity and youthful influence
from Simon and his family, protecting tradition
and heritage yet creating a relaxed and happy
atmosphere. We will be back again."
Festivalgoers Tom and Hildy Young.
If you would like to receive information about
the 2015 Jazz & Blues Festival, please email:
office@burtonagnes.com
Set in the beautiful Worcestershire
riverside town of Upton upon Severn (where the flood
defences are robust!), this is a festival where every
band is free to see, with no external funding, government or
local authority support and with no major sponsorship, they
are able to be as independent, flexible and unique a
festival as ever.
Edinburgh Jazz &
Blues Festival is pleased to announce the
largest blues line up in the festival’s
history. Over 25 major blues concerts will take
place from 17 - 26 July 2015, alongside an
outstanding line up of jazz, funk, soul and
swing performances.
Xander and The Peace
Pirates
The Q Jumpers
Broken English
Collision
Trail
Blind J-Bear
Johnson
Cindy Hoten
The Della Grants
Ged Wilson
George Shovlin & The Radars
GT's Boos Band
Gus Munro
J-Bear and The Giants Lewis
Hamilton Band
Little Devils
Melanie Kinsella
One Eyed Jacks
Poorboy
Red Butler
Robin Robertson Band
Rusty Jacks Blues Band
Steve Fulsham Band
Steve Morrison
2015 - TBA
Ealing Blues Festival 2015
Walpole Park
Mattock Lane
Ealing W5
Miners Welfare Hall
Upper Cwmtwrch
Swansea Valley
West Glamorgan
SA9 2XH
Alvin Youngblood
Hart
Wilko Johnson
amongst others!
King
King photograph used with permission
NORTH WALES BLUES FESTIVAL 2015
31st July - 2nd August 2015
KING KING CROWNED
HEADLINERS AT NORTH WALES BLUES FESTIVAL
One of the UK’s
hottest blues bands, King King, have been
confirmed as the headline at the North Wales
Blues and Soul Festival 2015.
The show
represents the only chance for British fans to
see the Glasgow-based four piece in action as
King King’s European tour doesn’t come to UK
this summer. The band swept the board at last
years’ British Blues Awards, collecting five
accolades including ‘Best Band’ and ‘Best Album’
for ‘Reaching for the Light’.
“King King’s live
shows have rapidly become the stuff of legend
and the band are being feted by blues
aficionados the world over,” said promoter
Charlie Broadhurst. “The sheer quality and
swagger of King King live is something to behold
and needs to be experienced. We are delighted to
have booked them and festival goers are in for a
night of smouldering, thunderous blues.”
The festival takes
place on the 31st July – 2nd August and will
welcome blues and soul fans from all over the UK
to the heart of Mold, North Wales for the
second–time, following the huge success of last
year’s inaugural event. For further details,
please see http://nwbluesandsoul.co.uk/
The line-up will
also include British Blues Awards 2015 finalist
Brothers Groove, who were singled out as an
emerging artist for 2015 as well as Matt Wolff,
the Eddie Martin Big Band and the David Sinclair
Four.
This year’s event
also promises a chance to see some of the newest
and most talented soul and blues performers in
Britain as well as some firm favourites from
last year’s festival, The Cadillac Kings and the
John Verity Band.
The North Wales
Blues and Soul Festival is a three-day event
celebrating the best in blues and soul music.
The festival is the result of a collaboration
between Mold Town Council, Event Sound Limited,
and our media partners are The Leader newspaper
group, Radio Deeside and Influential Agency.
Funding support is
provided by Mold Town Council and Flintshire
County Council.
10cc
The Proclaimers
Billy Bragg
Wilko Johnson
The South
Seth Lakeman
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Tom Robinson & Band
Eliza Carthy Big Band
Kathryn Tickell & The Side
Show of Hands
Edward II
Carlos Nunez
Sharon Shannon
Martin Carthy
Roy Bailey
Andy Fairweather-Low
Luka Bloom
The Dhol Foundation
Moulettes
Tankus The Henge
The Hut People
Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston
Huw Williams & Maartin Allcock
The Spooky Mens Chorale
Les Barker
The Gren Bartley Band
Gavin Marwick's Journeyman Spectacular
Lisbee Stainton
De Temps Antan
Megson
Charlie Cunningham
The Askew Sisters
and many more to be confirmed
Plus: The Groovy Movie Solar-Powered Cinema Hand To Mouth Theatre
Company Craftscene
The Travelling Talesman Storytelling Big Noise Samba Sarah Shaw Face-Painting
Ticklish Allsorts Childrens Entertainers Carnival Bands Punch & Judy Dance Displays
Healing Area Campsite 'Posh Wash' Showers Craft Fayre Exotic Foods Fayre Real Ale Bars
Digital Funfair Playbus Laser Arena and much
more!
THE ROCK AND BLUES ALL DAYER Copeland Stadium Whitehaven
Cumbria
8th August 2015
Copeland Stadium at Whitehaven will
be the venue for a new and exciting ALL DAYER of
live rock and blues music on 8th August. The
bands include the Marcus Bonfanti Band, Sean
Webster and the Deadlines, the Paul Rose Band,
the Christian Sharpe Trio, and event
organiser Ryan Burns' own band Mama-Sang and
the Robot, plus many more.
Marcus Bonfanti is one of the most dynamic
live entertainers on the scene today. He fronts
the highly acclaimed Ronnie Scott's Blues
Explosion at the prestigious London venue and is
currently touring with Ten Years After,
alongside his own career as a solo artist and
with his band.
His
latest album 'Shake The Walls', released in June
2013, was listed in Classic Rock Magazine's Top
5 Blues Albums of the Year, as well as getting
airplay on Radio 2 and 6 Music and much critical
acclaim in the music and national press.
Sean Webster and the Deadlines are going
from strength to strength this year. Sean's
rich, powerful vocals and searing guitar licks,
combined with second lead guitar from Ash
Wilson, make this band a force to be reckoned
with.
The
2015 Rye International Jazz & Blues Festival,
now in its 4th year, takes place from
Thursday 27th – Monday 31st
August in the beautiful town of Rye, East
Sussex.
One
of the UK’S best boutique musical festivals
presents an array of superb world class headline
acts featuring the very best in Jazz, Blues,
soul, R&B, Funk, Latin and World Music.
Headline acts include Paul Jones and the Blues
Band, blues singer and guitarist ex-front man
and founder of Dr Feelgood Wilko Johnson,
Bassist Herbie Flowers, jazz singer James Tormé,
the UK’s number one male jazz singer Ian Shaw,
the charismatic jazz singer Liane Carrol,
Mercury prize award winning GoGo Penguin, jazz
singer and pianist Theo Jackson, US Soul Diva
Avery*Sunshine, the Neil Angilley Jazz trio,
Jazz Diva Kitty LarRoar, Cuban band Son Yambu.
The
festival programme also includes many free live
music events at local fringe venues, acoustic
sessions, and marching bands parading through
the streets over the August bank holiday
weekend.
The Big Green Cardigan Festival Hawkhurst Road
Crips Corner
East Sussex
TN32 5SA
Acts confirmed so far
include:
Spikedrivers (London) "Full of innovation - with strands of musical styles from
Africa,
Flamenco, country and a bucketful of delta blues" say Blues In
Britain
Stark (Brighton) "Bursting with tight,
driving melodicism" says Time Out, Critic's Choice
Le Trio
Perdu (Belgium) "Billed as, 'Gypsy Swing Jazz' this incredible trio is in
fact very much more.
Combining elements of European, Irish, English, and American folk,
and showing how jazz, the Great American Songbook, and blues,
gradually evolved from this heritage, they are not to be missed" say
Jazzwise
Fri 2nd Oct - Sun 4th Oct 2015 (Also see the 15th Swanage Blues Festival in March and the Purbeck Roots
& Rhythm Festival in June)
"Three days of excellent music in a
friendly seaside town with a great atmosphere"
60 gigs, open mic and Acoustic & Electric jam sessions
in 15 indoor venues.
Artist details to be released on
their website soon. WEBSITE
www.swanage-blues.org
Carlisle
Blues Rock Festival takes a break in 2015
It's common
knowledge in the UK Blues scene that organiser Nick
Westgarth has decided to 'take a break' in 2015 but if
you hadn't heard, this statement has been posted
recently on the festival web site and Facebook :
Eight years is a long time, but to take Carlisle
Blues Festival from scratch to one of the top blues
events in the UK, without funding or sponsorship in that
time frame is still something of an achievement and one
of which I'm immensely proud.
However,
2014 was a difficult year; it took its toll, so much so
that I don't have the energy and wherewithal to organise
the event in 2015. It is my intention to get my health
and well-being back on track and use the time to
rediscover my mojo.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who
has helped me in whatever way over the past eight years
and wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2015.
Nick Westgarth - Carlisle Blues Rock Festival
Organiser
Take a look at the 2014 Festival Photos
here.
Take a look at the 2013 Festival Photos
here.
Take a look at the 2012 Festival Photos
here.
Take a look at the 2011 Festival Photos
here.
Take a look at the 2010 Festival Photos
here.
Take a look at the 2009 Festival Photos
here.
Take a look at the 2008 Festival Photos
here.
Take a look at the 2007 Festival Photos
here.
It just doesn't come any
better !!
A big thank you
to Nick Westgarth and all involved over the past eight
years. Since it's inception, Carlisle has been one of the
finest blues rock festivals I have ever been to, period!
Maybe a small festival but with a big heart and always
packing a mighty punch! Just amazingly well run, world class
performances and immaculate stage management.
- Alan White, Earlyblues.com
7th - 15th November
2015
21st Lucerne Blues Festival 2015
Lucrene
Switzerland
