Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival 2008

3 August – The Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival 2008 is set to hit all the right notes for music fans across the city and beyond this summer.

The Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival is an annual highlight of the city’s music calendar, and this summer’s line-up looks set to bring smiles to music fans from far and wide when the 2008 festival gets underway for the ninth year in a row this July.

With a nine-day packed line-up of live music spread-out across Gloucester’s public spaces, pubs and gig venues, the only problem you’ll find is fitting in all of the top performances planned for 2008.

Saturday 26 July 2008 at Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival

The opening of this year’s Rhythm and Blues Festival will officially take place at Gloucester Park from 8pm, when a free open air concert will take place headlined by sultry Scandinavian all girl blues band Little Jenny and The Blue Beans.

From 8.30pm, you can also hear electric and acoustic trio Lowdown perform at The Conservative Club. One of Britain’s foremost roots and country blues players, Giles Hedley and The Aviators, will be playing live at The National Waterways Museum also from 8.30pm. While from 9pm the blues slide guitarist D. B. Smith will be playing a gig at Pig Inn The City.

Sunday 27 July 2008 at Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival

From 1pm until 7pm, Kings Square will come alive to the live sounds of a host of performers at the free gig, which will include Mississippi-born Lisa Mills accompanied on double bass by Ian Jennings; the sharp Matt Schofield Trio; Midlands-based nine piece band The Big Blues Tribe and the infectious Jon Cleary and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen.

Authentic African-American sounds come courtesy of The Ragtime Jug Orchestra at Pig Inn The City from 7pm; acoustic guitarist Paul Cowley will be at The New Inn from 7.30pm; and Oxfordshire based blues band King B will be at Café Rene from 8pm.

Monday 28 July 2008 at Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival

Gloucester Blues Festival favourites Keith Thompson and Patsy Gamble will be giving music lovers at Café Rene a guitar and sax show to remember from 9pm.

Tuesday 29 July 2008 at Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival

Oxfordshire guitarist Andy Douse with his new rocking blues band, Déjà Voodoo, will be playing live at The New Inn from 8.30pm; Celtic roots-inspired Will Killeen will take to the stage at The Cross Keys Inn from 9pm; while local boys Sons of The Delta will be on stage at Café Rene from 9pm.

Wednesday 30 July 2008 at Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival

Early-risers can take part in a free morning workshop at the Centre for African-American Music at the Performing Arts Library, Greyfriars from 11am. When American Piedmont-style guitarist Michael Roach and UK harmonica king Paul Lamb will be imparting their wisdom in the two-hour workshop, ending with a free concert, to book a place call (01452) 396755.

In the evening, David Bristow will be performing at Café Rene from 8pm; Steve Kent takes to the stage at Pig Inn The City from 8.30pm; while also at 8.30pm the festival Open Mic Night will begin at The Cross Keys Inn, run by Sons of The Delta's Mark Cole. From 9pm festival-goers can choose to between seeing Mumbo Jumbo and The Wooden Horse of Dr. Troy at the Dick Whittington or Jamie Thyer and his new band at the Deans Walk Inn.

Thursday 31 July 2008 at Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival

The Steve Browning Band will be bringing their modern blues sound to The New Inn from 8.30pm; Gloucester Blues Festival veterans Bridget and The Big Girls Blues will be live at The Cross Keys Inn from 9pm; with the mightily popular Innes Sibun Band at Café Rene and Oliver Darling at the Dick Whittington also from 9pm.

Friday 1 August 2008 at Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival

A trio of fantastic gigs lie ahead of Friday evening revelers at the Blues Festival, with Howard Smith and The Razors playing to the Café Rene crowds from 8pm; The Suspects taking to the stage at Pig Inn The City from 8.30pm; while Robin Chandler and The Howling Tomcats playing a gig at Teagues Bar from 9pm.

Saturday 2 August 2008 at Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival

Café Rene will be hosting a whole weekend of eclectic live music over the next two days, with highlights set to include The Dirty Robbers, and Moles and Skylarks from 6pm on the Saturday. The Blues Anoraks will be playing at The Conservative Club from 8pm; the Guy Tortora Band will be at The National Waterways Museum from 8.30pm; while Cool Hand will be playing to crowds at Pig Inn The City from 9pm.

Sunday 3 August 2008 at Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival

There’s more live music planned at Café Rene, including Perry Foster, Ben Ferri, Fat Digester and Tom McNai all scheduled to play throughout the day. While the finale of The Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival 2008 will take place between 2pm and 7pm at The National Waterways Museum, when The Honeyboy Hickling Band, and Mike Sanchez and The Portions are set to play to packed crowds. Bridget and The Big Girls Blues are also set to return to Pig Inn The City for a final performance from 9pm.

Event: Gloucester International Rhythm and Blues Festival 2008
Venue: Numerous locations across Gloucester city centre, see above for specific information
Dates: Saturday 26 July to Sunday 3 August 2008
Tickets: Vary according to each event, see above for specific information. Phone (01452) 412828 or visit gloucesterblues.co.uk for more information.

Michelle Byrne
6 July 2008