Blackpool is looking forward to its fifth year of Blackpool Cricket Club and Cowbell Radio’s Alfresco festival. Growing bigger and better every year, this event encourages music loving parents to allow their children freedom to explore the many arts, crafts and theatre-based activities in the open air (with cover provided).
This year’s musical line up is stronger then ever:
- Edan & Paten Locke
- A Love From Outer Space: Andrew Weatherall & Sean Johnstone
- Sh*t Robot
- Hackney Colliery Band
- Morgan Hammer
- Section 25
- Finitribe w/a Finiflex Production
- 2 Billion Beats
- Las Kellies
- 7″ Of Bliss
- Speak to the Streets
- Joe’s Bakery
- Martin Brew
- Richard Hector Jones
- Soft Rocks
- Nancy Noise
- Gemini Brothers
- Phil Mison
- Clandestino
- Andy Taylor
- Haules Baules
- Richard Norris
- Ruf Dug
- Craig Bratley
- Chris Duckenfield
- Tronik Youth
- Terry Childs
- Ben Pistor
A number of acts have played the Cricket Club previously and the individuals privy to the Alfresco and Cricket Club events will have been welcomed into a somewhat ‘underground’ and affordable event, allowing the audience to experience music that is mostly placed within city scenes. Organiser Mark Davis (Chinny) continues to push a decisive and cool music scene to the sometimes apathetic Blackpool audience.
Personally I think supporting, or rather experiencing, the local music and art/culture scene is important. For those of us who get frustrated at the lack of things to do in Blackpool and complain about having to travel further afield to watch world class acts, we must scratch the surface to uncover affordable, friendly, positive Blackpool events such as Alfresco which comes with the added benefit of a cheap bar and covered stages in case of the ever pending doom of rain.
This will potentially be my fourth year in attendance and after photographing the last three, I can say it’s a day not to be missed. With prices starting at just £17.50 for an adult ticket and a full twelve hours of good quality music acts, did I mention the kids’ entertainment?
One of the headliners, Edan, is not to be missed. He is an NYC DJ whose set in 2013 (yes, that’s me in the video taking photographs) was exceptional. His funk and hip-hop fusion created a great atmosphere, with amazing mixing skills and, to be fair, who doesn’t love a New York DJ? The Hackney Collier Band’s gigs are usually £10 alone and their cover versions of No Diggity and Under The Bridge are legendary. I blummin’ love a jig round to a brass band; it’s like being tickled and jamming away to that in a lovely intimate crowd should be tip top. It’s just a huge giggle!
There is not much more that I can say other then I urge you to attend. It suits all ages, is very laid back, dry and warm or, should the sun go crazy, haystacks and deckchairs are provided. Who can forget its third year, when many children had great fun chucking straw around the field from the bales that were provided as seating. Take a picnic, take your deckchair, take your anorak, take your sunscreen, take an open mind, don’t take so much money (the bar is cheap), take your dancing shoes and take a parcetamol the next day. Just get out there and experience it people!
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