12:47pm Monday 11th August 2008
FAIRPORT Convention fiddle player Ric Sanders is headlining this year's West Fest, which takes place on Bank Holiday Monday (August 25).
Since its launch, the festival has become not only a major fixture in the local music calendar, but also an important supporter of local causes in West Malvern and beyond.
All the bands play for free, and last year the organising committee gave away £7,800 to local good causes.
Among the recipients were West Malvern's cricket club, football club, allotment association, primary school, and baby and toddler group.
Now organisers are hoping music fans will flock to West Malvern's playing field to make this year's event event bigger and better than last year's - and raise even more money Headliner Ric Sanders is a long-time member of folk-rock legends Fairport Convention, and audiences can expect eclectic mix of jazz classics and rock and pop covers, original compositions, folk tunes and some re-worked Fairport favourites.
Also performing will be West Malvern's own Sean Eireann McMahon Irish Dancer, who last year received a West Fest grant to attend the world championships in Belfast, which one of them won.
And the full line-up includes many familiar names such as Paul White and Ray Mytton, The Pewke Band, Funky Junky Monkeys, Vo and Tyler, the Carol Lee Sampson Band and Flatworld. The format will be the same as last year, with an electric stage in the field and an acoustic stage in the beer tent. As well as the music, there will be lots of arts and crafts, children's entertainment, food of many varieties and specially-brewed beer from the Malvern Hills Brewery, at £2.50 a pint. Entrance is £5 adult, £3 under-18 and £10 family.
Complete line-up: 11.50 Sean Eireann McMahon Irish Dancers, 12.00 Crimson Playdo, 12.45 Lou Richardson, 1.15 Jibba Fish, 2.00 Paul White and Ray Mytton, 2.30 The Mike Mann Band, 3.15 Dave Onions, 3.45 The Pewke Band, 4.30 Ouja, 5.00 Funky Junky Monkeys, 5.45 Vo and Tyler, 6.15 The Sarah Warren Band, 7.00 The Carol Lee Sampson Band, 7.30 The Ric Sanders Group, 8.30 Flatworld, 9.20 Transcendence. For more information see www.west-fest.org.uk.
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