THE SIXTH SWANAGE BLUES FESTIVAL
Thanks to everybody who helped make the weekend such a success.
We’re all looking forward to the next one from 2-4 March 2007, see the website www.swanage-blues.org
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Posted by Steve Darrington to swanage view at 3/07/2006 09:26:04 AM
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29 comments:
What a great weekend. Good to see the town and venues, (what there are of them), so full of people this early in the season. With a superb choice of acts,(top of my list was Sonny Black at the Moonlight Bistro), this event goes from strength to strength.
Excellent weekend, and very friendly atmosphere. Personally it was a joy to be invited to jam in on harmonica with the talented Jives on Saturday night, and also to "have another go" later with the frighteningly good Hollow Bone in their storming after-midnight session in the Anchor. (Again I apologise for calling the band by their album name by mistake! - probably due to a delayed reaction to earlier real ale(s) in the Kings bar!
See you next year, and I'll try to get the guys from my French band (the Spitting Llamas) and/or my Leek band (Jackrabbit Sugar Shakers) to come down too. Thanks again, Mark Goodacre (aka Mr G or "Pitch Black").
Just to say it was a great Blues Weekend in Swanage. All bands had something different to offer. Memories include Hollow Bone's stories and cool guitar; the Robert Hokum band impromptu "Blues Rap"; excellent Chish & Fips and good beer.
Thanks to all the organisers and hope to be back next year!
This year was the fourth festival that I have attended the Blues Festival and it is certainly becoming more and more popular. I was in the Kings Bar on Saturday and the place was heaving & rocking. The music was superb - was particularly impressed by John Crampton, Cal Batchelor and Hollow Bone. Also lots of great beer.
Loads of thanks to Steve and his team for organising the festival and for all their hard work. Keep up the good work! Shall be back next year.
Once again I had a really good time. Excellent, well organised festival with a great atmosphere.
Steve really ought to get some kind of award from the town for the work that he puts in to organise this.
Swanage is really nice, but i would not have thought of coming to visit if it were not for the festival.
The first time that we came there were just two of us. This year we brought a party of fourteen!
2006 - My 1st Swanage Blues Fest - could only get to the Saturday with a mate but had a brill time - can't wait for the next one. Plan to come for the weekend in 2007. Great music, great location and all offered free!!! Congrats to Steve and team for putting it all together and a big thanks to all the musicians. 'Boogie on down' - from Vanessa W. North Cadbury, Somerset
We had a super weekend at Swanage. 2nd festival for my husband and I and we brought some friends with us this year. The music was great, the venues small and crowded on Sat night but who cares - we managed to get in - and our evening meal at the Moonlight Bistro with Sonny Black playing was beautiful. Swanage had some good small town shops on offer too; All in all a magic weekend. We came away raving about Hollow Bone for the sponteneity of their live sets. Yanu has a great voice and Damien plays magic blues guitar. Together, they create something really special. All thanks to wonderful Steve and his helpers for another great one.
A big thank you to Steve and Elaine for putting on such a fabulous array of blues music. This was our first visit and we've already booked at The White Horse for next year! Swanage is a lovely place and everywhere we went we were made welcome. What a crying shame that the Town Council do not sponsor this event, we could have some headlining acts like they have at Upton on Severn or Gloucester. Many people visit the Upton Festival, and the local councils all chip in to pay for bigger bands. Last year for instance, we had Mike Sanchez and his band. Well done Steve,you put on a fantastic event on a shoestring! You deserve a lot more help with the finances for this event. Long may it continue!
thanks steve for organising such a great event,and for all the local people and landlords who make this event possible,and of course many thanks to the musicians..KEEP MUSIC LIVE.we have been to swanage before but this was our first blues festival,we will be back,of that iam sure.i wont choose a best band, they were all excellent,but i do love the immigrant son song,it still haunts me now...REAL BLUES.what a great weekend see you all next year.
From myself and the other guys in The Guv'nors / Robert Hokum Blues Band. Thanks to Steve, Elaine, PurbeckMusic, The Kings Bar and to all the punters for giving us such a great gig on the Saturday. Without promoters prepared to put in the time and effort to gigs, us musicians are nothing and so 'maximum respect' to Steve Darrington for his commitment to the Festival. Some of you will be aware that I work with my local Council on the Ealing Blues Party and I find it incredible that Swanage Council haven't woken up to the potential that this Festival has for bringing business to the town out of season. Here's to the next one!
Steve, Steve, Steve
With diversions it was a 500 mile round trip for us Broadstairs Boys but worth every traffic jam.. We had never been to Swanage before but we're coming back and will definately be there for 2007... Roland Chadwick (Guitar)& Nigel Feist (Harmonica)have to be booked for 2007 as they tore the Kings Bar up on saturday afternoon.. Sonny Black was a quiet giant of a man with talent of equal proportion...
We rolled into town, found the newly opened Auberge Bunkhouse to stay in and had ourselves a fantastic weekend!!!
Our apologies for taking a while to get used to the fact most people in Swanage say hello and smile, we'll try and bring the custom back to Kent !!!
Cheers Steve
Cheers Swanage
Lee, Stew & Paul
What a great blues weekend and really good intimate venues, with such a good vibe and friendly atmosphere. For a free festival the acts were superb and varied. This was our second Swanage Blues Fest and I can see its going to be on our list. Worth a trip from Portsmouth just to listen to Sonny Black at the Moonlight Bistro. Well done to all the organisers.
What a great event. Swanage was bouncing on Saturday night and when The Mustangs launched into their final song everyone in The White Horse really believed that they were "Born to be Wild"!
If only the council would give as much to Steve Darrington as he gives to the town.
Steve,
Many thanks for a great festival. It gets better and better.
Keep on truckin
Rob
Only our second year to the Blues Fest, but third time to Swanage, having returned in July last year. We love the place, the folks are friendly, the ale is certainly fine, oh yeah, and the bands were not bad either ;-)
Must say a big thanks to Steve & Elaine for all their hard work to produce an excellent weekend - yet again - and I'm sure next year will be better still.
Thanks too to all the bands for some excellent entertainment, special thanks to Bob H & the Boys.
We agree with most of the comments posted by everyone else. Swanage was amazing again! We don't really agree with Lesley Troughton that Swanage Blues would be better with more headliners. One of its strengths is that it gives full opportunity to new and developing talent like Hollow Bone(who were great)and such acts would likely be the one's squeezed out at a more "star-studded" event. Not to say that the Swanage Council shouldn't give Steve Darrington some financial support - they should - but please keep the event fresh and friendly so that there is room for new talent and for returning favourites like Cal.
We brought our own accommodation - a caravan - and had a great weekend! The highlight for me was our meal at the Moonlight Bistro on Saturday; excellent food, good service, and such an intimate atmosphere with Sonny Black's magical guitar. Next year's dates are already on our calendar.
The Mustangs - awesome - they should be superstars!
Must have dined with Kate as we also went to the Moonlight Bistro and enjoyed an excellent evening, great food, great music. Only down side is I couldn't catch all the bands. Never seen a town rock quite like that one did on Saturday night, can't wait for next year.
it was my first swanage blues festival,but i will be back, what a great week-end,Steve done a great job,the amount of people and trade it must bring to Swanage they should get more help from the council,over the whole week-end all i saw was smiling faces! Amazing week-end thanks to everyone involved !
....ever since i started playing guitar i have met such nice people, played in amazing places and heard wonderful music from other players....all of which happened again at swanage. i am very lucky and privileged to know steve darrington and elaine williams to whome thank you... to the moonlight bistro and all who were there friday and saturday thank you too. sonny black
First time at the Blues Fest for us - and we loved it! We - a group of 20-somethings - came down from, Manchester, Birmingham and Plymouth especially and we weren't disappointed! Lovely weather, good ales - and some superb music. We will definitely be coming again. Thanks for all your efforts Steve!
Some pics posted at www.flickr.com/photos/gibson - in the "Swanage Blues Fest" set.
See you all at Blues on the Farm, Chichester, in June! Cheers.
We travelled down from Hertfordshire for the festival and what a great weekend of music it was. How fortunate is Swanage to have someone like Steve Darrington who can draw so many people to the area (and out of season) with their wallets open and ready to spend on anything and everything. Not to mention how lucrative it must have been for all the pubs and restaurants in the area - surely a real 'out of season' bonus. We'll be there next year for sure.
thanks steve for wonderfull weekend,ihave only lived in swanage for eight months but this was certanly the highlight and cant wait to see such superb bands again next year ,i only hope the local council give you more support.it was well organised and put together so well carry on the good work ,dave
can any bands/acts play at the blues festival who do they ask is it a closed shop? I know a couple very good blues acts that would love to play any suggestions?
Organiser of the Swanage Blues Festival, Steve Darrington writes:
Each year I receive hundreds of applications from artists wishing to appear. I send each of them exactly the same set of terms and conditions, and ask them to read the reviews of previous years' festivals, so that they understand the nature of the event.
They are then invited to send in their promotional material, and acts are considered on merit. After discussing any particular requirements with the landlords and restaurateurs, the acts are booked.
Some acts have appeared more than once simply because they are the best of the bunch. If you know anybody who is interested in taking part, please ask them to look at the website www.swanage-blues.org and e-mail s.darrington@btopenworld.com
Thank you.
Steve Darrington
resturanteurs ? I thought the bands only played in pubs which resturants do they play in then ?
Good point Anonymous. The Moonlight Bistro has had two very successful years hosting music during the Blues Festival, and if you read above you will see many positive comments about Sonny Black's performances there this year.
ANY restaurants, pubs or suitable venues are always welcome to contact me with a view to taking part in the festival. I'm working on next year's already.
Planning, co-ordination and co-operation are essential to the success of this event, as is publicity. There's nothing secret about it!
Just take a look at the website www.swanage-blues.org and contact me personally on 01929 422338 or e-mail s.darrington@btopenworld.com
Is the moonlight bistro near the pier ? whats the food like there do they have music any other times ?
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