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
2004 GIG REVIEWS
Photo's and Gig Reviews of ALL the stages/venues of Festival 2004
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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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Main Stage Montage - click to ENLARGE
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Queens Montage - click to ENLARGE
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Shore Hotel Acoustic Stage - click to Enlarge
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Bridge Inn Montage 2004 - click to enlarge
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THE MAIN STAGE
THE RIVERSIDE MUSIC ROOM PAVILION - LAXEY GLEN
The Festival's Main stage in 2004 was in the Riverside Music Pavilion, Laxey
Glen Gardens,
Riverside Music Room Pavilion
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sponsored by Charterhouse Group International, a local company and
a generous supporter of the Festival.
For 2005 the Riverside was to have again been the Main Stage but due to circumstances entirely beyond the control of the Festival it has had to be moved - at the 11th Hour and the 59th Minute - to The Bandstand Marquee in Laxey Station - see below. You can check out the latest Programme by clicking
here
THE SHORE HOTEL - ACOUSTIC STAGE
The Shore has been a part of the festival from the beginning and has grown from
a tiny p.a. in the corner of the car park to a major part of the weekend - it
even has its own web site and if you click
here
you can check programme details, photos of previous years and a lot of other
stuff.
The Acoustic Stage Marquee at the Shore opens up for the weekend on Festival
Friday night at 7.30 with a full
non-stop programme of all kinds of music, not just the Blues and not only
acoustic.
THE QUEENS HOTEL
Regular music venue throughout the year, purveyor of fine beer and home of the
moddydhoo.
The
Queens Hotel
is a free showcase of local and visiting talent over the entire Festival
weekend in
their very fine
Queens Blues Marquee
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The guys at The Queens are putting together a terrific programme of bands and
players over the entire weekend as a quick glance at
The Queens Page
will tell you. More details will appear there over the coming weeks. You can
also check times and days if you visit the programme page by clicking
here
THE BANDSTAND
The Bandstand Stage has always been the venue for the Festival's Free Electric
Stage. In the past the stage was quite literally a Victorian era Bandstand in
Laxey Station and we have had some marvellopus gigs there. But unfortunately
not every year enjoys the beautiful weather in the photo here. So we now hold
the Bandstand gigs on the Blues Pavilion Stage.
The Bandstand Marquee in 2003 - Laxey Station
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In 2003 this was a marquee in
Laxey Station and in 2004 it shared the Chareterhouse Group International
Blues Pavilion Stage in the
Riverside Music Room - Laxey Glen Gardens and was, as usual, free as it will be
in the years to come.
On the 23rd April 2005 (just three weeks before the 2005 Festival) we were informed that the Riverside Licence had been withdrawn by the Licencing Court. We are now working hard to move the Main stage to The Bandstand and hopefully the transition will happen smoothly and seamlessly.
THE BRIDGE INN
The Bridge Hotel, home of the Isle of Man Blues Club (held on the first Friday
in the month), offers the chance to hear rootsy blues in an intimate
atmosphere. In the past Ben Waters, Ben Andrews, Guy Tortora,
Emily Druce , renowned keyboard
player Daniel Smith, Adrian Byron Burns and Jimmy
Burns have played here.
THE MINES TAVERN
A charming, traditional pub, the Mines has built a reputation as one of the
best places to
catch festival musicians relaxing - and it's all free. The resulting Saturday
and Sunday Lunchtime and afternoon sessions at the Mines Tavern offer the
opportunity for
musicians to indulge in
informal
Jam sessions alongside the top acts at the Festival. Otis Grand played
alongside Jimmy Burns and Steve Arvey from Chicago, other sessions have
featured Wes Mackey, Kevin Brown Guy Tortora and Eddie Martin amongst others.
The Mines annually resurrects its special festival menu with doubtfully named
dishes such as BB King Size Burgers and Muddy Waters Soup. The Mines is not the
sort of place to have a "Happy Hour", though the landlord enjoys a less grumpy
few minutes when the National Steel Cash Register is sounding out at top
volume. We'll either let you know who's playing at the Mines nearer the day, or
keep it to ourselves so we actually get the chance to get to the bar to buy a
beer.
LAXEY FOOTBALL CLUB
Laxey Football Club joins the roster of Festival Venues for 2005 with their
brand new Indie & Rock Stage.
The Club is putting up a large marquee in their ground on Glen Road, Laxey
which will be licenced for the event, kitted out with tables, chairs, a bar and
a stage. Midway between the village of Laxey and the Shore Hotel Acoustic Stage
the Laxey FC Marquee should prove a popular dropping off point for Festival
fans taking the stroll down to The Shore from the Village...and back again.
Click
here
for the latest programme news.
Click
here
for the 2004 Festival gigs.
Click
here
for the 2003 story.
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