After a very successful debut last October, time has rapidly moved on and next month sees the return of the Blackpool Music Festival. The four day music extravaganza has gone a stage further with even more bands, more venues and this year a real international flavour added to the mix. Jon Bamborough, the event founder and co-ordinator, has pulled out all the stops to make the 2014 festival even bigger and better. Again, with the assistance of a fantastic team of dedicated volunteers, many great local bands and venues stretching throughout the whole of the Fylde Coast, there is something to suit every taste and to accommodate live music fans everywhere in the area. All for free entry to every venue participating on each evening of the festival. So, getting your live music fix is a no-brainer really.
The festival begins on the evening of Thursday 9 October and runs the length of the weekend until the Sunday 12 October with an eclectic and exciting variety and genres of music, featuring many talented upcoming bands, singers and musicians as well as the more established crowd favourites. The festival this year even features a full choir ensemble, poets and many artists from all parts of the UK and Europe. With venues ranging from café bars, sports clubs, theatres, stores, pubs, restaurants and the well known live music establishments dotted around Blackpool and the Fylde, it should reach to everyone, actively encouraging people to support live music and the arts in the area.
There are some very exciting and ambitious additions this year, which is a testament to the hard work Jon Bamborough has dedicated to the organisation of the festival. Some excellent highlights include a visit from Hyphen Records from Belgium, who will be bringing with them the artists and bands currently signed to their label and each will be performing live at The Blue Room on Saturday 11 October from 6pm until 11pm.This will no doubt add something quite spectacular and uniquely different to the festival and reach out beyond our shores. We will be featuring a dedicated article on Hyphen Records and its bands very soon in the run up to the start of the festival. Andy Higgins will also be featured at the festival spinning the best vinyl tunes available, entitled Vinyl Revival, on the Saturday at the HMV store in town.
The festival will also include a real treat for any fans of The Beatles. On Sunday 12 October an afternoon dedicated solely to the fab four, and running parallel with the last show at The Winter Gardens of the musical Let It Be, will feature tributes by local bands and musicians performing their own versions of The Beatles’ songs in the Theatre Bar from 4pm until 7pm. An afternoon entitled A Hard Day’s Afternoon will see the likes of April Keen and band, The Atmospherics, The Jeps, The Full Fat Boogie Band, Captain Pierre and the Galleonaires, Cavern regulars The Rockits and others entertain the crowds in what should be a fabulous setting.
Jon Bamborough explained,“As well as being the last night of Let It Be, it is also the last day of our four day free festival, so we wanted to go out on a high with a tribute to a band which has been a massive influence on so many musicians.”
New venues are expected to be added and announced soon and we can confirm that the Sandcastle has now been included as a host. Blackpool Music Festival is a FREE ENTRY urban festival featuring over 170 acts, in more than 25 venues over 4 days across the Fylde Coast. All venue information and more about the line-up is available from www.blackpoolmusicfestival.com. Jon Bamborough can be contacted by email at [email protected].
Look out for our extended feature on Hyphen Records and the bands the label will be bringing over to perform at the festival next week here at altBlackpool.
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