Swanage’s 40th Blues Festival, the first without its creator Steve Darrington, opened with a moment of silence and a toast to his memory before music filled the packed Royal British Legion in Swanage, Dorset.
Steve’s step children Simon and Toni Darrington took on the mammoth task of taking over the festival following his unexpected and sudden death in June 2024, and praised Swanage and the blues community for helping them to make it happen.
Blues festival founder Steve Darrington, who died in June 2024, is pictured on stage, left, with Hugh Budden at a former festival event
A pledge to hold 25th anniversary event
Organising more than 60 gigs at 16 venues in Swanage and Purbeck over four days turned out to be a rollercoaster ride, especially when so much vital information was in Steve’s uniquely coded filing system.
But with the backing of Swanage and the enthusiasm of blues bands who were determined to pay tribute to Steve and to keep the festival by the sea running, the upbeat commemoration began on Thursday 3rd October 2024.
While Simon and Toni will be unable to stage the start of the season blues festival in March next year, they have already pledged to hold the 25th anniversary event in Swanage in October 2025.
And in the meantime, as many people as possible are urged to show their support for the festival by attending the dozens of gigs which continue until Sunday 6th October 2024.
Simon and Toni Darrington are in Swanage to oversee the event they organised in a rollercoaster eight weeks
“A real rollercoaster of a ride”
Simon Darrington said:
“It has been a huge challenge to get the festival running, it has been 12 weeks since Steve died and we spent the first month organising the funeral – so for the last two months it has been absolutely crazy.
“Trying to pick up the pieces from someone who single handedly organised this festival for 25 years and trying to get information out of his spreadsheets and understand the way that his mind worked – it was a real rollercoaster of a ride.
“Certain information was colour coded, which must have meant something to him, though it didn’t to us. But people have been so eager to help – we sent out emails to everybody who had been pencilled in for gigs and they really wanted to keep the festival going.
“There was a lot of pressure to put on the festival, but we all wanted to do it as a memorial to Steve, to finish what he would have wanted to do.”
Steve Darrington, who dedicated the last 25 years to organising the Swanage Blues Festivals
“Steve would be proud we have pulled it off”
Simon added:
“We have said already that we can’t commit to running the March festival next year because we need a break – we are not in a position to finish this one and start organising the next because we need a chance to breathe.
“But we have said that we will do the October 2025 festival, which will be the 25th anniversary of the event and will give us a taste of doing it from scratch.
“I’m not sure if we have as much pulling power as Steve with his personal connection to so many bands, he was so revered in the blues world, but we will see what we can do to make it a huge success for him and for Swanage.
“If Steve could look down on us, he would be proud that we have managed to pull it off because it was such hard work.
“Organising the gigs was just a small part of it when we also had to do posters, get them distributed, run the website and social media, pay invoices … the list was never ending.”
Hugh Budden and the Blue Chords opened the festival at the Legion with a toast to Steve
All seats were taken and it was standing room only at the Royal British Legion, Swanage, as the blues festival began
“It’s been really emotional”
Although the not for profit festival had funds in the bank from previous events, Simon and Toni only managed to get access to the accounts in September, meaning that there were many failed payments which potentially could have scuppered the event.
But with endless goodwill from venues, bands and businesses – and with long and unsocial hours decoding Steve Darrington’s spreadsheets and files, one of the UK’s largest and friendliest festivals was put together in just eight weeks.
Toni Darrington said:
“It’s been really emotional, I have listened to one of Steve’s albums every day in the car and when I arrived in Swanage today, like a nutter I went and sat outside his flat, with the window open and played one of his tunes to him, just to let him know that it was all happening.
“It does hit hard. I was on holiday in the Lake District this week and was in a restaurant where they were playing all the tunes that Steve had played in the past. It feels like everywhere you go, there is always something to remind you.
“We have been lucky that we had all of Steve’s input. It’s sad that he’s not here to run this festival and we would rather that it was him doing it than us, but it’s the work that he has put in over the years which has made it possible.”
Ray Drury and Pete Harris played the Red Lion on Thursday 3rd October 2024 as the festival got underway
“Raise your glasses to Steve”
The opening gig of the festival, where there was standing room only, was played by Hugh Budden and the Blue Chords at the Legion in the High Street, Swanage, who led a toast to the memory of Steve Darrington.
Hugh Budden said:
“Welcome to the 40th Swanage Blues Festival, many thanks to Simon and Toni Darrington who have done such sterling hard work with Steve’s spreadsheets and emails. We would like to say a huge thankyou to them.
“Of course, this particular festival is tinged with such sadness after the sudden departing of Steve back in June, so if you would all like to raise your glasses to Steve with me, we will remember him through the music.”
The Fabulous Fezheads, who have played every festival since 2008, were delighted to return to honour Steve
“A huge celebration of Steve’s life”
And many of the bands who will play at the 40th festival have made their own tributes to Steve, including the Fabulous Fezheads, who said:
“This is a huge celebration of Steve’s life and for his incredible hard work and vision for the festival. We are incredibly proud to be included once again in the lineup for the Swanage Blues Festival.
“We believe it was in 2008 that the Fabulous Fezheads first ‘got away with it’ enough for Steve to include us every year since, which is remarkable as we never have been a blues band!
“But we have always said that if you have the blues, then the Fezheads can help by making you smile, and we like to think Steve thought so too.
“We will be playing on Saturday 5th October 2024 at Herston Caravan and Camping Park at 2 pm and later at The Red Lion at 9 pm, and we’d love everyone to come along and help us celebrate with music and mayhem, Steve’s life and Steve’s blues festival.”
The George Hall Trio will play at the FONC Lounge on Saturday 5th October 2024 at 8.30 pm
John McClean and the Clan appear at the Conservative Club on Saturday 5th October 2024 at 5.30 pm
Prototype Blues festival held in 2001
Steve, who performed alongside Abba and at Wembley on separate occasions with the Everly Brothers and Queen, first came to Swanage for just a few days in August 2000.
He would tell people that he liked Swanage so much, he simply stayed and ended up organising a blues party for his friend George Crane, which became the prototype Blues Festival in 2001.
As it expanded to multiple venues and with an ever growing list of guest blues musicians, the event became so popular that it was extended to a twice yearly festival in March and October.
The Robin Bibi Band will appear at the Legion on Saturday evening and lead a jam session there on Sunday 6th October at 3 pm
The Neil Sadler Band will close the weekend festival at the Legion on Sunday 6th October 2024 at 8.30 pm
Relies on sales on £15 wristbands
Extending the town’s tourist season for participating venues was always one of the primary aims for the Swanage Blues Festival, and supporting local businesses remained of paramount importance.
Swanage Blues Festival is a not-for-profit event and relies on sales of optional £15 supporter wristbands, rather than ticket sales, to cover its cost.
Wristbands are available throughout the festival at the Conservative Club, FiFi’s, the Grand Hotel, Jenkins, the Royal British Legion, Purbeck Plaza, Rainbow’s End, the Red Lion, the Mowlem Theatre, Swanage Information Centre and the White Swan.
Setting up for a great festival of blues music in Swanage to celebrate the achievements of Steve Darrington
Further information
- A full schedule of artists and venues for the 40th Blues Festival is available on its website