FESTIVAL FORUM
Debate, discussion and argument - gear, bands and gigs - it's your call
2004 FESTIVAL ARTISTES
The who's who of Festival 2004; pictures, links, the lot
ARTISTES
Many of the Fest bands and musicians
who have appeared over the years
Bio's, pic's and loads of info.
2004 GIG REVIEWS
Photo's and Gig Reviews of ALL the stages/venues of Festival 2004
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PREVIOUS FESTIVALS
Vast archive of Photo's and Gig Reviews of Previous Festivals
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POSTER 2004
The 2004 Poster is available free to download right now
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PROGRAMME 2004
What was on in 2004
All the bands, venues and times
ACOUSTIC STAGE
The "Acoustic Stage" (in reality an eclectic mix of music from Delta Blues to
flat out rock) at The Shore Hotel has it's own website which is now updated
with new pictures and info..
SPONSORS
Without our sonsors
there would be no
Fest - Who are these
generous people?
ISLE OF MAN BLUES CLUB
The Manx Blues Club; where the Festival sprang from
venue, dates, history etc..
TICKETS
The Festival is mostly FREE
but which stages require tickets?
Click here for all the info
ARTISTES
Bio's, pic's and loads of info on most of the artistes that have ever appeared.
VENUES
Info & Location
NEWSLETTER: SUBSCRIBE NOW - FREE
Be in the know...first
CONTACT US
Keep
us
in the know
MAP
Where is it? Here!
Includes Photo's of Laxey
TRAVEL
How to get to the Isle of Man
Stage: MAIN STAGE GIG REPORT 2003
Photo's and Report on the
Charterhouse International Blues Pavilion
Main Stage
Stage: ACOUSTIC STAGE
The Acoustic Stage has it's own web
site. You can check out: Previous
fest.s, pictures and details.
Domicilium: Internet Providers to the Festival
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Bushy's Big Wheel Blues Festival 2003 is
a fund raising event for the British Red
Cross. Please give generously.
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Steve on stage at the 2003 Festival - click to enlarge and see the rest of the
band
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Born in 1952 in Birmingham, England, Steve was brought up listening to his dad
playing drums and guitar in the 50's and 60's.
His father, Bobby Ajao, had a great record collection and Steve was listening
to people like Lightnin' Hopkins, Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, T Bone
Walker, BB King, Buddy Guy and all the best blues, R&B and jazz at some of his
dad's parties long before the so-called "British Blues Boom" happened in the
early 60's.
Steve started off playing drums, but by the late fifties, when he was just
eight, he was given his first guitar, a "Selmer 222". By the age of thirteen,
Steve was playing non-stop and beginning to develop his own style, which was
strongly based on Lightnin' Hopkins. He even managed to fool his dad into
thinking some tapes that he had made were actually by Hopkins!
That was enough to persuade Steve's dad to bring him into his band as lead
guitarist. Still just thirteen, Steve was playing soul, R&B and early reggae
together with a smattering of blues in black clubs and dances all over the UK
at weekends.
During this time Steve was still studying hard at Moseley Art School in
Birmingham, developing his other great passion and skill in fine Art. He then
went to Lanchester Polytechnic, Coventry to study graphic design, but still
came home each weekend to play in his father's band and even got poached by
some of his dad's friend's bands!
So by his late teens, Steve was working with a wide range of bands such as The
Woodpeckers, The Cariboes, Barley Wine and The Internationals, The Caribbean
Allstars and played the odd recording session with the great Laurel Aitken.
After graduating, Steve came back to Birmingham and, having had no luck in the
traditional job market, got deeper and deeper into music. Although initially
playing mainly soul and reggae, Steve was so amazed by the wonderful playing of
Jimi Hendrix, who had just emerged onto the scene, that he just had to get back
to the music he really loved... the blues.
Living in Moseley, right in the heart of the artistic and musical epicentre of
Birmingham, Steve soon became recognised as one of Birmingham's top blues and
rock guitarists.
Throughout the seventies, Steve was playing the pub and college circuit with
bands like the First Band, Spitfire and the Wide Boys. However, to make ends
meet, he was also playing Delta style blues, solo in some of the hardest and
roughest pubs around.
Although a hard working blues singer and guitarist for some sixteen years,
Steve also wanted to develop his other music passion further and taught himself
to play the saxophone. By now Steve was also in great demand as a Bebop sax
player on the jazz scene as well as continuing to be widely recognised as a
great blues man.
The resurgence of interest in jazz during the eighties saw Steve playing more
and more on the London scene, including The Wag Club, Dingwalls, Ronnie Scott's
and at Brighton's Concorde Club together with the great Red Rodney, Charlie
Parker's trumpet player!
Over the next twenty years, Steve worked endlessly in both jazz and blues.
He has maintained his hard hitting three-piece blues band, a regular jazz
quartet, made numerous solo appearances and all the time has also worked with
countless other well established musicians and done lots of teaching,
television and radio work.
Steve always pushes himself to ensure that his playing never stands still. He
has that rare ability to draw upon various music forms which gives him such a
unique style which is immediately accessible to both jazz and blues lovers.
Much of Steve's work over the past thirty or so years has been based here in
the UK, however, Steve can now be seen more and more on the international stage
and we look forward to seeing him at Festival 2003.
Steve was on the Main Stage in 2003 - Click
here
to read the Main Stage gig reviews
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