Summer Concerts
Other than walking in the mountains, for me, there is nothing that stirs the soul more than live music. Not particularly genre specific – I have a large and eclectic music collection – but I have to admit, blues and jazz really gets the juices flowing!
Summer’s always great for live music – you have all the festivals, the proms, the concerts in Hyde Park. Here’s what my summer looks like musically:
11 July – Summer Swing, Kew Gardens – Jools Holland and his Blues Band
Been to this event a few years running now, but this year was my favorite. Mr Holland and his band blow you away with their talent. Great sound from the PA. Big group of friends sharing a picnic. Champagne. Cigars. Whisky. Dancing. Fireworks. Not even the great British summer weather could put a dampener on it, and the tone for the summer was well and truly set!
25 July – 2 Aug – Ealing Festival, Walpole Park, W5
Ealing is blessed with this festival each year. It’s been running for decades and each event is just £1 to enter. What you get are two marquees with live music (main stage and a slightly more fringe one), a huge beer tent, all the usual food and craft stalls, and an excellent atmosphere. The music started on 25 July with a day of blues, followed the next day with world music and then almost a week of jazz. Great for kicking back in the sun on a weekend afternoon/evening with a rug, a picnic, a box of chilled Chardonnay and soaking up the vibes with friends … or getting more energetic – I have top memories last weekend of dancing at the front with my 8 year old friend, Alfie on my shoulders!
14 August – U2, Wembley
Ok, confession time – I have never been to a U2 gig. I narrowly missed out on one in 1993 when I broke up with my girlfriend at the time just before their Zooropa tour and she took the tickets back. I’m a big fan but I feel like the football fan who’s never been to see their team play! Well, all that ends this year. U2 play Wembley on their 360° tour with a grand revolving stage … and my superstar sister got us tickets before they sold out in half an hour! I actually like their last couple of albums, but if I’m honest, I really hope they play a lot of the old stuff from the 80’s and early 90’s.
28-31 August – Greenbelt Festival
Greenbelt has been running for over 25 years and is a music and arts festival with a Christian ethos. A lot of the music is mainstream however – Athlete are headlining this year, and I’m looking forward to hearing Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip. Also a good lineup of talks including Douglas Alexander MP and Bishop Gene Robinson.
Post-summer, White Lies at Wembley sounds excellent, but no tickets yet.
I’ll leave it there for now as the final day of the Ealing Jazz Festival is calling. Photos will be up on Flickr soon.