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WELCOME Lancaster's Second Annual Music Festival, Friday Oct. 8th through Sunday Oct. 10th, 2010

2009 FEEDBACK

Well the Blues Bunny Review is in! Actually, there are quite a few of them. Click on the bunnies!


Red Gap (Isle of Man)	Van Preston (USA)	Barnbox Record Day (Lancashire)	Barnbox Record Day (Lancashire)	Butch Ross (USA)	Mark Thornley Band, Half a Day, The Convulsions (Lancaster)

Participating act, Red Gap, posted the following review:

"RedGap were selected in 2009 and the Promoter response was quick and positive throughout.We were paid for the gigs all weekend and sold loads of albums. This was a fantastic weekend, great fun, we got photo shoots done, magazine writeups without knowing they were even in the audience and the people of Lancaster and elsewhere who followed us from gig to gig were fantastic support. Ben Ruth from CME Artists - RedGap love you!x
I rated this gig % stars"

And here's the Lancaster Guardian review (click on the icon) followed by general observations from punters, venues and the acts themselves

Many venues had their busiest week / weekend / day ever. The turnout was estimated at between 2000 to 6000 festival goers (this would include repeat visits). Most folk were from lancaster but many folks were from out of town so we greatly appreciate the influx of festival junkies!

The acts were very appreciative of the audience support

The number of acts will be increased by about 25% next year to well over 100

The number of participating venues should increase by at least 4 (possibly 9)

The maritime, indie and jazz themes were particularly successful and will be expanded next year

It was felt there were too few acts on Sunday (unless you liked jazz and maritime). We plan to expand the existing themes not represented much or at all on Sunday into Sunday and those themes only on a Sunday to the rest of the weekend

There will be a classical theme of at least 3-6 groups in 3 new venues

There are plans to have a punk theme (there were in 2009 but it fell through)

There are plans to have a funk theme properly represented

There were three scheduling conflicts in the brochure which were picked up after going to print. This will be rectified next year by having a schedule proof read in addition to a grammatical one

There were three unanticipated no-shows: funk DJ and jam at Penny Bank Sunday afternoon, the folk session Sunday afternoon at Gregson and a band on Friday night at Stonewell. We sincerely apologise for any frustration or inconvenience this may have caused. In no case were the venues to blame as the acts themselves gave no notice. Assuredly this upset us too as we want everyone to enjoy our festival. We have already started locating alternatives for 2010

There was one incorrect venue telephone number on brochure and website (thanks Google!)

We need more food on the quay

Put a compass bearing on the map for disorientated reviewers from Glasgow!

The brochure will hopefully be expanded to include information about the acts thereby more closely resembling this website (brochure was limited by budget in 2009)

Our sponsors (all local) want to be included on next year's event and we thank them very much for their continued support

Unlke some festivals we want the acts that participated this year to share in the success they have helped ensure for next year by bringing them back, along with more acts and genres, into an expanded program of events and venues for 2010

We'd like to thank all the venues who took a chance and were the biggest collective sponsors of this festival, all the local sponsors (opposite), the wonderful acts who entertained us so well and lastly, the folks visiting lancaster to see what we had to offer and everyone in our city with tears in their eyes who came out of their homes for one weekend in such heartwarming numbers to share the sheer joy of our city's great and diverse music scene

In such appreciative numbers, you the punters, are consequently enabling us the organisers to improve and provide even more entertainment and diversity for 2010.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Ben Ruth, Festival Coordinator 14/10/2009

As well as music from Lancaster's own diverse pool of over 300 acts this festival will also feature national and international acts covering many genres. Because Lancaster's 27 live music venues tend to cater for specific genres of music there are several music themes running throughout this festival:

Fri. Oct. 9th: John O'Gaunt (2.30pm - 4pm)
Fri. Oct. 9th: Lancaster Blues Club at the Golden Lion (7pm+)
Sat. Oct. 10th: The Merchants (all day), Penny Bank (afternoon)
Sat. Oct. 10th: John O'Gaunt (2.30pm - 4pm)
Sun. Oct. 11th: Lancaster Blues Club at the Gregson Centre Main Hall (all day)

Lancaster once boasted the largest maritime festival in northen Europe. We are delighted to invite some of the veterans of those events back to the quay along with some newcomers. Acts selected for this play short sets at each of the venues, walking from venue to venue. Click <HERE> for full schedule:
Three Mariners, Maritime Museum, George & Dragon, Wagon & Horses

Fri. Oct. 9th:The Pub (9pm+)
Sat. Oct. 10th: The Pub (all day - tbc)
Sat. Oct. 10th: Penny Bank (9pm+)
Sat. Oct. 11th: John O'Gaunt (all day from 2.30pm)

Lancaster is the Northwest’s best kept musical secret. Just out of sight of the M6 between junction 33 and 34 this supposedly ‘quaint historic market town’ conceals a very different personality.

Lancaster has an edgy, highly diverse world class music scene, boasts probably more musicians per head of population than any other location in the UK (at last count there were over 300 acts - see music) has a truly staggering concentration of live music venues within walking distance of each other (27 at the last count not even including Morecambe just 3 miles away - see venues) and an equally surprising number of organisations dedicated to promoting live music and the creative arts (see partners and sponsors opposite for current list of festival partners).

There are a large number of cracking pubs (see ales), restaurants (see food), night clubs and accommodation to suit every taste and every pocket. So many pubs in fact that Pub Utopia is based in Lancaster (and is running the Festival Facebook accounts) and a number of pub beer festivals are taking place (George & Dragon, Penny Bank and Merchants).

Whatever music you love, you will find it here, for free, in Lancaster city centre and all in walking distance.

To keep up to date with what is going on and to sign up to our newsletter see contacts. You can follow our festival coordinator's immediate updates on our Twitter account. Or contribute to our Facebook Event blog

*BEER!! Beer festival at the George & Dragon sponsored by Admiral Taverns opens on Fri. Oct. 9th for 6 days. 15 cask ales

**FOOD!! Ring Of Bells has a festival menu all weekend. BBQ, homemade curry, fish and chips, pies - previous night club owner Eddie is actually a superb gastronome. Proper hearty pub cooking (yes, it's all prepared fresh on the premises). Prices range from £2(!) for pie and peas to nothing much more.

**This just in, The Park Hotel has a festival outside BBQ all day Saturday. Landlord Richard Dow also owns the Brit 101 which is Lancaster's top tapas restaurant. We're guessing the sauce on those ribs will be delicious!