Newark Blues Festival

[Rob Jackson]

I was at the 5th Newark Blues Festival at the weekend and yet again there were some cracking bands playing.

As in previous years most of the bands are free during the weekend at venues (pubs) throughout Newark (Notts). The Saturday afternoon also featured a handful of free bands on the main stage, this year in the Palace Theatre and not the Castle grounds (sadly).

Friday night featured Laurence Jones (who had a free track, Thunder In The Sky, on a CR cover CD not long ago), Albany Down (not really a blue band but not bad) and The Hoax at the top of the bill. I'd never heard of the headliners but they were very good.

Saturday kicked off with Blue Boy Kings, a great Lincolnshire (i.e. local) band. Then Bare Bones Boogie Band followed by Ron Sayer Jnr who used to play bass for Oli Brown but for me was a real highlight of the festival in a lead guitar / front man role.

Headlining was hotly tipped Jo Harman. Now I'm a big fan of Jo so no surprise I thought she nailed it. A fantastic band, a great mix of songs and not only her voice but some of the most impassioned delivery from a singer I've ever seen. The shame of it was that the place was less than half full.

Two nights of great music for £20. You can stuff your Glastonbury's and Reading's, this was a cracking festival.

If anyone fancies coming next year you will not be disappointed.

Rob

Rob Jackson FRSA

robjac...@yahoo.co.uk