BLUES FESTIVAL 2001
|
PREPARATION FOR BLUES FESTIVAL 2002
|
|
2002 BLUES FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
|
BLUES FESTIVAL PHOTO'S 2002
|
2002 BLUES FESTIVAL Riverside BBQ
|
ACOUSTIC STAGE
MESSAGE BOARD
|
ACOUSTIC STAGE ARTISTES
|
TRAVEL AND
ACCOMMODATION
|
BLUES FESTIVAL 2001
|
PREPARATION FOR BLUES FESTIVAL 2002
|
2002 BLUES FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
|
ACOUSTIC STAGE
MESSAGE BOARD
|
ACOUSTIC STAGE ARTISTES
|
|
TRAVEL AND
ACCOMMODATION
|
BLUES FESTIVAL 2001
|
PREPARATIONS FOR BLUES FESTIVAL 2002
|
ACOUSTIC STAGE PROGRAMME 2002
|
ACOUSTIC STAGE
MESSAGE BOARD
|
ACOUSTIC STAGE ARTISTES
|
TRAVEL AND
ACCOMMODATION
|
BLUES FESTIVAL 2001
|
PREPARATIONS FOR BLUES FESTIVAL 2002
|
2002 ACOUSTIC STAGE BLUES FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
|
ACOUSTIC STAGE
MESSAGE BOARD
|
ACOUSTIC STAGE ARTISTES
|
|
TRAVEL AND
ACCOMMODATION
|
|
|
|
Programme
|
Welcome
to the
BIG WHEEL BLUES FESTIVAL
- ACOUSTIC STAGE -
Sponsored by
LAXEY,
ISLE OF MAN
|
|
CLICK HERE!
|
|
|
FEST 2002 BEATS THE WEATHER
|
Doghouse are heavily involved in the annual Big Wheel Blues Festival,
particularly
so with the
Acoustic Stage
at The Shore Hotel,
in lower Laxey.
This marvellous event is held in May every year and largely due to corporate
sponsorship
has grown in leaps and bounds into one of the Isle of Man's most popular music
weekends.
Our principal sponsor is once again Merrill Lynch and thanks to their
investment in the Acoustic
Stage we have been able to continue to provide some of the best live music with
many
local bands as well as specially invited international musicians, togther with
great sound in a marvellous outdoor setting but protected from the
uncertainties of
the weather
by an even bigger marquee this year. Which was just as well as the wind blew
and the rain came teeming down. But did we care? Did we hell.
Despite the worst weather for many years the Event in the Tent at the Shore
Hotel was bigger than ever this year. Being half as big again as the 2001 tent,
The Merrill Lynch Marquee provided cover and protection for the biggest crowd
of the four year history of the Big Wheel Blues Festival. The atmosphere on
Friday night, whilst the rain lashed down outside, was truly fantastic and
despite the wet and windy night the crowd enjoyed 6 live bands and hundreds of
hotdogs and hamburgers (not forgetting the vegetarian "option" of course - this
was a sellout too) as well as one or two pints of beer.
Saturday dawned wet and windy but by the time the music started at lunchtime it
had dried up just a little and by the 3rd or 4th Band the sun was even
beginning to put in an appearance. The Merrill Lynch function held at the Shore
during the afternoon added to the already large and growing crowd and by
midafternoon the scene was set for another record-breaking night.
Doghouse kicked off the evening session at 6.15 and the music kept flowing
until 11.00 when the very excellent local band the G.A.S.P. took to the stage.
They played a storming set to gone midnight, and when we left the Merrill Lynch
Marquee to grab a taxi home, amazingly, it was dry.
You couldn't say the same about Sunday though. This extra day was only added to
the Acoustic Stage programme a week before the event and three hours of live
music was planned at the last minute. It teemed down all day and the words
"chill-out" just about say it all but nevertheless the bands played to a very
appreciative audience. But when the rain put the lights out, just before the
scheduled close, we decided to adjourn to the inner sanctum of the Shore Hotel.
But the crowds of us who were there throughout this weekend long festival knew
we had seen something just a little bit special.
|
BLUES FESTIVAL 2002
"Despite the weather forecast, festival 2002 was bigger
than ever..."
|
BLUES FESTIVAL 2001
"I was down at The Shore for the whole of Saturday
afternoon - it
was great; marvellous atmosphere and plenty happening" - Dave McLean
|
Our Sponsor:
MERRILL LYNCH
- in tune with the Festival
|
For more info about the fest. or to leave a message click a dog to the left.
|
The Annual Bushy's Blues Festival
is a fund raising event for the British Red Cross and all the local musicians
give their time and skill for free and as the organisers and hosts of the
Acoustic Stage,
Doghouse
are deeply grateful to them all. But there are so many, many people involved
in setting up the Festival and the organisation goes on for months beforehand.
But without the help of Merrill Lynch (and in particular; Helen Makin, Al
Lawrence, and Dougie Elliot), Paul and Jill of The Shore Hotel, The Old Laxey
Brewery, Candy, John and their team at A3 Marquees, Gill and Jim Caine of
Horizon (a great stage once again), the BBQ squad (too many to mention!), Phil
Maddrell and Dave (PA and hours of painstaking work), Henry Qualtrough
(lighting), Andy Radcliffe (photography)..... we wouldn't have half the weekend
that we have just so thoroughly enjoyed. (If we have forgotten someone who is
very important to us - and history says it is more than possible but not
intentional - to them, our sincerest apologies).
2002 Photo's.
There is a web page dedicated to photos of the 2002 event and it will be worth
a visit just to check them out. Click
here
to go straight there.
2003 - The Year ahead.
.
We are already thinking about next year and making tentative plans for the '03
Fest. If you want to be involved either in planning (the Festival Committee is
always looking for volunteers), playing, organising, trade-stand opportunities,
advertising or in any way at all don't hesitate - get in touch. From this
website you can email us, check progress on next year's Fest. receive the
Programme as it develops and keep up with the latest news.
ACOUSTIC STAGE PROGRAMME MAY 2003
|
The 2002 Programme can be viewed right now by clicking
here
. However if you want to recommend a local
band or musician for
2003
you can email us or leave a message on one of the boards.
All ideas are very welcome but the time slots get filled very quickly even this
far in advance (May 2002) and several "slots" are already filled. But the
Acoustic Stage is very definitely a moveable feast and we want to hear your
ideas and we will use the best of them, so please get in touch.
THE BLUES FEAST BBQ
at
The Shore Hotel
An extended, bigger, better, covered BBQ provided hot food on Friday Evening
from 7.00pm to late and on Saturday all afternoon into late evening. To see the
delicious new menu click
here
.
MAIN FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
- Electric Stages -
MAY '02
The Main Festival Stages have a host of international Blues Fest. Players (see
box below)
and Laxey was truly the Capital of the Blues in May 2002, for a weekend
anyway. Some
were playing for free and for some you needed tickets. The tickets were
available
from 1st April 2002 from the Tourist Board Office Douglas and other outlets
around the Island.
See
Big Wheel Blues.Com
by clicking this link for more
details and all the ticket outlets.
|
|
Programme
|
|
2003 FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
GET IT NOW
|
|
If you would like to receive a copy of the Acoustic Stage Event programme, as
it develops for 2003, all
you have to
do is let us know your email address and we'll do the rest -
JUST CLICK HERE.
|
EMAIL WORKS!
"Dave Plaehn & Jeff Hino emailed us from the Pacific North West -
this is what the Fest. is all about, making connections with musos and fans
everywhere" - Dave Ashton
|
|
OTHER PAGES
CHECK 'EM OUT!
|
Start by clicking on the little dog to the left entitled Acoustic Stage
Artistes or simply
click
here.
This will take you to the pages, which list some of the bands and muso's
that have appeared at the
Merrill Lynch
Acoustic Stage at the Shore Hotel. Apologies to those that I have
forgotten - it's just a bad memory, not a selective one.
I have details of some of the bands(
Click Here
), as well as a few photographs of bands and performers,
which you can see once you are at the page. I am looking for more and will
post them as and when they come to hand. If you can help either
email
or leave a message on one of the message boards by clicking
here
or elsewhere within the site where shown.
|
BLUES FESTIVAL 2001
"Doghouse Duo soundcheck on the Merrill Lynch Marquee Stage."
|
|
|
|
LINKS
to related or interesting (perhaps) web sites
- Click on the arrow in the box below to choose one of our links - if
you want to suggest a web site link, send an email by clicking
here
with all the details.
|
|
|
|
Blues & Stuff
Your gateway to the Blues.
Delta to Blues Rock...
They got it all.
The "Official" Web Site:
www.bigwheelblues.com
Click logo
Our Sponsors:
Merrill Lynch
"in tune with the fest..."
Click logo
Shore Hotel & Bosun's Brewery
Click logo
|
|
