Now in its 22nd year, Didmarton Bluegrass Festival is considered by many to be Britain’s premier bluegrass and acoustic music festival. This year’s festival will take place at Cotswold Airport at Kemble, near Cirencester, on 2-5 September 2010
Some of the biggest names in Bluegrass music will play at the festival
Attracting the top names from the UK and international bluegrass scenes, this year the festival bill will be headed by the multi Grammy award-winning Peter Rowan (plus his full Bluegrass Band) and the dynamic, Nashville-revered Claire Lynch Band.
The festival also ensures a diverse and quality approach, offering a range of musical styles that further embrace blues, jazz, folk and everything acoustically in-between.
Acoustic roots
Around 35 artists will perform during nine scheduled concerts, along with instrument and dance workshops, camping, showers, food, bonfires, banjos and a biker run bar that never seems to close!
The 2010 event will kick off on Thursday, 2 September, 2010, with a special one-off, separately charged concert, by one of the finest acoustic-roots groups in the country – Show of Hands.
Other acts to perform over the weekend include Leon Hunt with his band The Scoville Units, the wildly entertaining Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys, the old time sounds of Jock Tildesley and Vera Van Heeringenn, A Band Like Alice, The New Essex Bluegrass Band and Monroe’s Revenge.
North Carolina native and renowned flat-picker Jack Lawrence will be joined by UK award-winning Richard Plank to add a nice relaxed touch to the bluegrass proceedings.
Comic legends
The ‘alternative’ music front offers an equally illustrious line-up as led by west-country comic legends Bill Smarme and The Bizness, the cool 60s US west-coast sounds of The Stone Saloon, and Fastest To Canada with some of the funkiest folk you will ever hear.
Several open mic sessions will be running throughout the weekend and there are yet more bands to be confirmed.
The festival will have all the usual Didmarton attractions; concerts, dance displays, instrumental seminars, the tuition tent, a wide range of traders and quality catering all contributing to the biggest programme of the 2010 Bluegrass festival season.
Tickets are now on sale from the Didmarton Bluegrass Festival website.
