Another great peice by young guest blogger Kira Curtis
Well I’m not going to deny it, Cuffe and Taylor have really out done themselves this year!
Here in Lytham, the crowds, loud music, busy streets etc. are all starting to become a regular thing. We’ve had club day for 120 years now but in this modern day and age, that one day of the year just isn’t enough for our small, usually peaceful, town. We want events. We want festivals. So what have we got? This year brings about the brand new annual Lytham Sport Festival and also the increasingly popular Lytham Wartime Festival.
Two festivals – is that enough yet? Oh no. Not here. Considering we are only a small town, we want more!
Of course, I’m forgetting the LYTHAM FESTIVAL! Lancashire’s largest live music event returns for its 8th year! Only it didn’t start quite so big. Back in 2009, local music and performance lovers, Daniel Cuffe and Peter Taylor came up with the idea to celebrate to 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Nobody knew then what it would turn into 8 years on. Last year was a whole new beginning for Lytham festival and we saw it expand to a full week-long event held in August. This year we are beginning a new chapter once again!
A whole lot more performances spread across the week, from big name bands and singers to more local and intimate gigs across all five different venues – The Proms Arena, Stage Too, The Pavilion Stage, World Jazz Stage, and Lytham Hall
So what’s on?
It all starts on Monday 1st August with local group, The Shanty Crew, Off the Rails Big Band, Ferris and Milnes, and Nina Conti. Oh, and Lemar! You can also head on down to Lytham Hall at 7:30pm to watch the late legend that is David Bowie in his spectacular movie, Labyrinth. It only seems right to go and celebrate his life at what will be a complete movie party!
Tuesday’s outdoor movie at Lytham Hall is the one and only Rocky Horror Picture Show, so you better go and find some fish-nets and fingerless gloves, not to mention a whole lot of make up! Across the stages you can see The Shires and X-Factor and I’m a Celebrity star Jake Quickenden and his soothing acoustic guitar.
On Wednesday 3rd August you will find The Dolls & Space, an all female rock band, at the Pavilion Stage, The Lottery Winners and their Support on Stage Too, and Jeramiah Ferrari, four young men who fuse reggae, rock, ska, punk and more together, on the World Jazz Stage.
Not only that but down on the front at the main Proms Arena, you can experience the largest beach front screening in the UK, and guess what the film is… Guessed yet? No? STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS! What a blockbuster of a night that will be! On a 100 square metre LED screen too!
As if you’ve not already had such an amazing week already, Thursday brings you the Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds. Not only that but at the World Jazz Stage, Bugalu Foundation, a 9 piece powerhouse band will be playing a fusion of soul, jazz, funk, and Latin. That’s definitely a bit of a mix! At Stage Too a five-part vocal harmony group, MiC Lowry will be singing. And X-Factor 2010 winner Matt Cardle is on at the Pavilion Stage! I absolutely love Matt Cardle’s voice!
All that already and then the weekend comes! Friday brings back the hit 80’s vs. 90s night at the main Proms Arena. There’s too many people to list to be able to tell you exactly who will be there. Let’s just say you’ll be doing the ‘YMCA’ in a Boogie Wonderland. Liverpool based The Fire Beneath the Sea will be performing at the World Jazz Stage and Blackburn-born singer-songwriter Nathan Grisdale is taking a little time out from his ‘Back to Basics’ tour to give us a show. According to the Lytham Festival website, he loves KFC, the colour blue and X-Factor rants. Interesting bio!
Over on the Pavilion Stage one of my favourite modern-day bands, Lawson, shall be gigging it! Did you know that they are called ‘Lawson’ because it was the surname of the doctor who saved the lead singers life when he had to have brain surgery? No. I didn’t either. Inspirational!
Saturday used to be classed as the main night but no night seems any bigger than the other anymore, they are all amazing! If you’ve listened to any local radio recently then you’ll have heard Summer of ’69 being played and that’s because the very popular and extremely talented Bryan Adams is on the main stage! That is going to be a night to remember! Better start warming up your vocals! For all bidding musicians out there, you can attend a drumming workshop at midday and then Room 94 and Drop the Floor will also be performing that night, just in case Mr Adams isn’t your kind of thing.
Sunday is the final night of Lytham festival is always a big celebration. There’s another workshop at midday for those of you who are musically inclined, this time is for the song-writers. At the Pavilion Stage, popular synthpop band Heaven 17 will be performing some of their hits but I must admit, I shall be down on the green with my Union Jack for the ‘Last Night at the Proms’. Oh it’s very patriotic! This year round the theme is West End Proms, my favourite. You can sing-a-long to all your favourite musicals being performed by Collabro, Jodie Prenger, Ruthie Henshall and many more!
As you can see, it’s a very long list!
Oh wait, I’m not finished!
As a pre cursor to the ‘Main’ Event, Lytham Festival presented two Special happenings at the end of May at Lowther Pavilion, (which will become the Pavilion Stage), that brought us the absolutely extraordinary Cee Lo Green at one of his only four UK dates. Plus, as an ‘added extra’ the 80’s Pop Singer Paul Young, with classic songs that live on for ever, how come I know the words to ‘Every time you Go Away’?
How on Earth did Cuffe and Taylor manage this, I do not know but way to go them!
Now, I’m finished! What an outstanding line up for this year’s Lytham Festival! (For ticket and more info see their website HERE)
Hope to see you all there!
Kira L Curtis
Guest blogger for Lytham Life and Style
I run my own blog over at www.kiralcurtis.com
Also find me on twitter! www.twitter.com/kiralcurtis