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CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF VIBRANT RHYTHM & BLUES IN GLOUCESTER

The latest unbroken run of Festivals started in 2000. Previously Gloucester was known for its Blues Festivals based at The Guildhall. The 2007 Festival carried on despite suffering from the aftermath of the severe flooding, although several of the main stage events had to be cancelled, and there was a ‘Dunkirk Spirit’ in the venues to keep the Festival alive with improvised facilities, finishing with a marvellous show to aid the recovery by The Animals and Friends in the courtyard at Greyfriars.

‘The Trail’ is again the centre of this year’s Festival, and enables the audience to walk around the city centre and catch some of the best musicians around, whilst also chewing the fat with old acquaintances and taking in the friendly atmosphere. The small venues are more intimate, and often the musicians can be seen chatting to members of the audience, both after their performance, and sometimes even during it.

Local musicians mix with touring national acts, and there are opportunities for artists to shine at the ‘Open Mic’ Blues Jam night which will take place at the Cross Keys Inn on Wednesday 28th July.

Gloucester is the home of the European Blues Association with its wealth of resources and invaluable archive donated by blues historian Paul Oliver. The EBA will be hosting a Workshop by finger picking guitarist Sonny Black, and there will be lunchtime concerts there too.

Performers from previous years have included American musicians Sherman Robertson, John Jackson, Lazy Lester, and Philadelphia Jerry Ricks. UK blues luminaries to come to the city have included Paul Jones with The Blues Band, Andy Fairweather-Low, John Cleary with his New Orleans band The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, The London Community Gospel Choir, The Animals and Friends, Nine Below Zero, Stan Webb with Chicken Shack, and Ruby Turner to name just a few.

This year’s festival is organised by Marketing Gloucester Limited. They help promote Gloucester as the place for all round festival entertainment. For further information contact Marketing Gloucester ltd on 01452 207020.