Hebden Bridge is the best of British blues
Jason Elliot (front centre) celebrates Hebden Bridge Blues Festivals succes at the Brisg Blues Awards 2012
HEBDEN Bridge is officially singing the blues after its main music festival was voted the best in Britain.
The Hebden Bridge Blues Festival, which is only in its second year, got the prestigious award at the British Blues Awards 2012.
Festival organisers Jason Elliot and Paddy Maguire said they were surprised and delighted to receive the prize and hope the success will help attract some sponsorship for next year’s event.
Paddy said: “We were thrilled in the first place just to have been nominated to the final five. But to have actually won the thing, beating some long established and well funded festivals, and after only two years is more than we could have hoped for.”
Hebden Bridge pipped some more established festivals into first place, including The Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival and the Newark Blues Festival.
Jason said: “I really have no idea how a small festival like ours could have come out ahead of the others, but we have, so I’d like to say thank you to the people of Hebden Bridge and beyond who helped and supported us. We had an incredible team of volunteers too and this award is for them really.”
The festival attracted both big names and up and coming acts from the world of blues, including Todd Sharpville, Cherry Lee Mewis, Marcus Bonfanti, Paddy Milner, Mitch Laddi, The Revelator, Boneyard, The Ben Poole Band, Paddy Maguire’s Midnight Jam Sessions, Diamond Dac, Idle Hands, Rabbitfoot, Fuschi, Babajack, George Lindsay, Poplar Jake, Binsness Blues Boys, Eastwood Station, Bare Bones Boogie Band, Stuart James Band, Bonnie Mac Blues Band, Steamhouse, 844s, Something Blue, Lewis Hamilton and The Boogie Brothers, Angelo Palladino, Rhythm Zoo, Dave Arcari, Russ Tippins, Tom Attah, Lucy Zirins, Fran McGillvray, Crosscut Saw, Monitor, Hooson, Booba Dust, Bridgewater, Marcus Bonfanti and others.
Jason said that around 80 per cent of the line-up for next year’s festival had been decided and although the award was fantastic it wouldn’t necessarily help to attract any more big name artists.
“We will be having some brilliant new acts, as well as a few festival favourites,” he said. “Our philosophy is only to put on those artists that are currently writing and recording, keeping the blues alive and fresh, so whoever is playing you can be sure that they will be the very best of what’s on offer.
“I think the acts that we’re looking for would want to play at Hebden Bridge anyway, whether we won or not as they would be attracted to our particular philosophy. It will hopefully help attract a bit of sponsorship though so if there is anyone out there who’d be interested in partnering up commercially to take advantage of the exposure they would get, it’d be great to hear from them.
“In these tough times, the fact that we’re generating money for the town is great too. Hopefully the publicity that being ‘Best in Britain’ gives us will help attract even more people to next years’ event, although we are only going to sell 500 tickets to keep that special intimacy that our gigs have.”
Anyone interested in sponsoring the event, can conact Jason at jason@hebdenblues.co.uk.
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Wednesday 19 June 2013
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