PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Blues and Soul music, apparently, are dying genres. Strange then that are so many festivals across the country this year and that so many clubs are hiring Blues bands and artists to perform. Not least of these is that which takes in North Wales between August 7th & 9th at Kendrick’s Field in the historic Welsh market town of Mold.
The line up this year is certainly impressive. Connie Lush, Laurence Jones, Rebecca Downes amongst a host of others are all on the bill and event organiser Charlie Broadhurst, Managing Director of Event Sound Limited, is basking in the warm light of success that’s being offered by his labour of love. “Event Sound was established in 2006,” Charlie explained, taking a well earned break amidst a whirlwind of organisational activity. “Since my teenage years I had been in bands and had a passion for live music, so decided to take a leap of faith into becoming self-employed, having gained valuable experience operating sound equipment for my own bands. Since then I have never looked back. The business grows organically year-on-year, providing live sound, staging & lighting for bands & music events.
“In 2013 I approached Mold Town Council with a proposal to establish a Blues & Soul Festival in Mold; with an ambitious target to grow to the size of other established Blues festivals such as Colne and Maryport within 5 years. I received the full support of the Council; in particular Dave Hill, Mold Town Manager, and his team of volunteers, who have given the event their full support.
“Quite simply, this is one of the strongest line-ups of any UK Blues Festival. Almost all of the bands are award winners – either UK or overseas – and there will be incredible diversity, from the acoustic storytelling of Doug MacLeod, winner of this year’s National Blues Awards [Memphis] best acoustic artist award, to the amazing, unique guitar style of Aynsley Lister & his band.
“Every band is different and worthy of headlining any festival. It is also fantastic value for money. Adult Weekender tickets are just £36, Friday only adult tickets are priced at £5, and individual adult tickets for Saturday and Sunday priced at £17. We also offer children’s and family ticket deals as well so I can guarantee that nobody will be disappointed with the show.”
In these austerity driven times, music – particularly live music – is ever more important. To get any event up and running though is no mean undertaking, requiring an army of men and women to get the whole thing together. “Having worked in the music industry for over 10 years I have some excellent contacts which have proved invaluable in assembling such a strong line-up every year.
“Obviously, getting 20 ‘named’ bands into a 3-day schedule is another matter, particularly as they already have busy schedules and can be travelling from anywhere in the UK or even Europe. Add to that the fact that Event Sound also provide the main stage, PA system and stage lighting for the event means that I am kept on my toes in the weeks running up to the festival.
“It is also important to note that the rest of the committee work tirelessly all year round to ensure that all other aspects of the festival are managed. This includes the website, marketing & publicity, licensing, funding & sponsorship, camping, catering, toilets, fencing and everything else that’s required. It really is massive team effort and without those who work so tirelessly, it just wouldn’t be possible.”
The North Wales Blues & Soul Festival is also proud to promote burgeoning local talent and this year is no exception with Wrexham band Delta Radio performing on Sunday … with a particularly special guest putting in an appearance. “Uli Jon Roth formerly the guitarist from The Scorpions will be guesting with the lads, which is just fantastic,” Charlie beamed proudly. “They hooked-up with him at a local event and after a couple of rehearsals, Uli suggested that he play a guest spot with them. We are really excited about this as he is obviously such a global star.”
So Blues & Soul are far from dead and buried, with tickets flying out of the door. What is it that most Charlie believes appeals so much to audiences? “It’s pretty simple really: it is real, quality music played by musicians who are passionate about their craft. In these days of commercial, reality TV generated fodder that is passed off as music, I think people are fed up of generic mediocrity.
“There is no substitute for genuine live music. It also helps that within 50 miles of Mold there are Universities & Colleges such as Wrexham Glyndwr, Chester University, Bangor University, Liverpool LIPA, Salford University and many others that all have fantastic performing arts faculties, encouraging kids to study music. That can only be good for attracting a younger audience as well as a new crop of artists each year.”
And many of these are just as passionate about experiencing the outdoor festival experience, although Charlie has also noticed a shift in trends recently too. “There is definitely a trend toward smaller more intimate local outdoor festivals these days. We know this because, as a business, Event Sound is providing a service to more new local events year-on-year. People are generally thinking more local nowadays which can only be good for local businesses as well. At the North Wales Blues & Soul Festival we only use local brewers, caterers and concessions so we are putting something into the local economy as well as putting on a fantastic event.”
So having organised this and many other events, what are among Charlie’s own personal favourite gig experiences? “That’s a really tough question. I saw The Red Hot Chili Peppers at the City of Manchester Stadium with support from James Brown who stole the show. Also Bruce Springsteen was fantastic at Old Trafford Cricket Ground. I personally prefer go to gigs with an audience of less than 3000 because I like the atmosphere. Unforgettable gigs of that size for me would be The Kinks, The Clash and the Jam; all at Manchester Apollo in my college years. If I had to name one band though, it would be The Cat Empire from Australia. Their gigs are unbelievably exciting, musical and flawless. That coupled with the fact that they only play small venues makes for an unforgettable gig.”
So with this year’s festival fast approaching, thoughts are inevitably turning to 2017. “It’s onwards and upwards. As soon as the dust settles on this year’s festival, we will get busy preparing for 2017. I reckon I could already write the line-up as we couldn’t match dates with so many great bands this year…watch this space, as they say.”
So who is on the wish list for 2017? “Buddy Guy…no Derek Trucks…no Joe Bonamassa…maybe Walter Trout?…the list goes on because there are so many great bands and artists around. Whoever ends up on the bill, though, it is guaranteed to be amazing again next year.”
Interview by Chris High
The North Wales Blues & Soul Festival takes place in Mold, August 5th – August 7th. For Tickets and Information: http://nwbluesandsoul.co.uk
