It’s here! The fifth annual Dereham Blues Festival starts next week, on 6th July. Over 50 acts playing at 15 venues makes this year’s festival bigger and better than ever. Apart from the opening concert, the gigs are free to enter as they are sponsored by the host venues.
The festival kicks off in grand style with a concert at The Dereham Memorial Hall on Thursday evening 6th July, featuring the international star Andy Fairweather Low and his band The Low Riders. A top musician, Andy is much in demand and has played alongside some of the rock and blues music greats over the past six decades as well as having hits in his own right as lead singer with Amen Corner and as a solo performer. Supporting Andy at the opening gig will be local favourites The Dove and Boweevil Band.
The opening concert is kindly organised by the Friends of the Dereham Memorial Hall and is almost sold out, but there are still a few tickets left. To nab the last few tickets go to www.derehambluesfestival.org.uk.
Tim Cara, Chairman of The Friends Of Dereham Memorial Hall, says:
“It is tremendous to get Andy Fairweather Low to come to play in Dereham. Equally fantastic is the response from the public coming from all over the East of England to support this event with the gig virtually selling out long before the concert”.
The festival starts on Thursday evening 6th July and runs through to early Sunday evening 9th July. Some 55 of the very best blues and roots acts drawn from the region and across the UK will be playing their very heart and souls out in Dereham town centre venues. So if your music tastes lie either with rocking blues to soulful or country blues or through to the sultry introspective “rootsy” end of the blues and roots music spectrum, there’s something for everyone. Truly a “whole lot more than 12 bars of blues”!
Festival Chairman, John Vasco says:
“I am so pleased to see the festival growing year on year. The interest in coming to Dereham both by acts wanting to play and blues lovers wanting to see them is truly impressive and gratifying, and is testimony to all the hard work put in by volunteers and other organisations, including the tremendous support afforded by the sponsors, to put on the event”.
If you like blues and roots music come to Dereham from Thursday 6th July to Sunday 9th July for the fifth annual Dereham Blues Festival – this year with more free acts than ever. A hot bluesy Norfolk welcome awaits you.
For the full line-up, more information or to book visit www.derehambluesfestival.org.uk.
There will also be a festival information stand in the market square during the morning of Saturday 1st July ahead of the festival weekend and again on the Festival Saturday morning 6th July.
