Big Blues party swings into town

This Thursday 5th March 2020, the 33rd Swanage Blues Festival gets underway, with music fans descending on the town.

Billed as a Big Blues Party on the south coast, the event, organised by local legend, Steve Darrington, sees musicians performing in a variety of pubs, bars and restaurants around Swanage. Programmes and entrance wristbands are now on sale from venues across town.

Advertisement 

Tall, Skinny Mama

Kicking off the festival on Thursday evening at The Legion, will be one of Swanage’s best-known names, Hugh Budden on vocals and harmonica, with Andy Stone on vocals and guitar. Expect to hear one of Hugh’s favourites, ‘Tall, Skinny Mama’.

Speaking to Swanage News, Hugh Budden said that he was looking forward to catching up with old friends:

“There will be great music and I always get to meet some lovely people. They come from across the country every year and it’s great to catch up. There’s always such a tremendous spirit, even when it snowed, people still made the effort to brave the ‘Beast from the East’ and join in the party!”

Following Hugh and Andy’s set at The Legion, will be the ‘fast and wild’ keyboard player and singer, Marky Dawson, who grew up in Poole and is often described as a mix of Elton John and Freddie Mercury, with piano chops to make Jerry Lee Lewis blush!

Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion

Other well-known names on the Blues circuit, who are performing at the festival over the long weekend include the hugely talented Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion, established Blues musician and founder of the Ealing Blues Festival, Robert Hokum, the powerful five piece Blues unit, Backwater Roll Blues Band and also Eric Ranzoni, the entertaining pianist who’s played all the major Blues festivals in Europe and appeared on the BBC2’s ‘Later with Jools Holland’.

Venues in Swanage include the Grand Hotel, The Legion, the White Horse, the Waterfront, the Black Swan, The Centre and the Red Lion.

Experienced musician, Steve Darrington

The Swanage Blues Festival was started in March 2001 by experienced musician, Steve Darrington, initially as a birthday party in a Swanage nightclub for local blues fan, George Crane. It quickly grew to become a regular annual event with other venues like pubs and restaurants joining in. With the March event proving so successful, it then expanded to become a bi-annual event. There’s another Blues festival in Swanage, later this year, from 1st to 4th October.

Steve Darrington, who continues to organise the massively popular event, describes it as primarily a ‘pub trail’ of the best kind! There are now 18 indoor venues with 44 bands doing 70 gigs from Thursday until Sunday.

£10 wristband

Those who come to see the bands perform, are asked to buy a £10 wristband to cover the costs of organising the festival, which is run as a not-for-profit venture.

Share this story

Contact us

Do you have anything to add to this story?

We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.

Advertisement 

Top stories

Actor Robson Green wraps Jurassic Coast filming for TV walk show Granchester star Robson Green has just finished three weeks filming along the Jurassic Coast from Studland to Lyme Regis in Dorset for a new eight part TV series which is ... 1 month ago Kindness of Purbeck keeps Tiff in the house her Jack built 4 weeks ago New plans for Swanage seafront and Shore Road unveiled 2 weeks ago Reopened pub at Norden aims to pull in custom all year round 3 weeks ago Ron the Seal photo bombs MPs beach clean campaign at Durdle Door 5 days ago

Most recent

Memorial to boys killed on Swanage Beach unveiled Five school boys, who died in a post World War Two tragedy, have been remembered on the 70th anniversary of the sad event with a new memorial in Swanage, Dorset 22 hours ago No ‘third-party involvement’ in Swanage care home deaths 2 days ago Purbeck author’s dadvert story to raise funds for charity 3 days ago Cheers to alcohol free cider from Purbeck orchards 4 days ago Ron the Seal photo bombs MPs beach clean campaign at Durdle Door 5 days ago