Reviews

The 13th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (Oct 2022) – Colin Campbell

Well, it’s that time of the year again, to reflect on this award-winning Festival. In this reviewer’s opinion, this certainly is the best in the UK. Very well organised as usual by Nick Westgarth and his associated crew. Sound and lighting were excellent throughout the weekend.

Cannot compliment the stage crew enough, just watching them clear the stage after every act is like a Magician’s trick, especially taking down the full Rig at end of Festival. The fact that it is all in the same venue is also a bonus and for the ever-increasing age demographics, there were enough seats, hey even people danced during the sets! Feedback from artists was very positive also, including the Hospitality area and Games Room, Jenga seemed very popular with the artists. Anyway, onto the music…

 

The 12th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (Oct 2021) – Colin Campbell

The Crown & Mitre Hotel, Friday, Saturday & Sunday 8th/9th/10th October 2021

After having suffered a drought of live music for almost eighteen months, at long last a festival which was able to run whilst remaining within government guidelines for the abominable coronavirus pandemic.

Having suffered the frustration of organizing and postponing the event in 2020 the joy and relief for organiser Nick Westgarth must have been incomprehensible. Thanks to his superhuman efforts, his weekend team of back-room helpers and an amazing stage crew, the sold-out festival of music came together and delivered possibly the best three days in the history of this event. Acts of the highest quality, wide variety of musical styles, meticulous organisation, adoring and positive comments from attendees and high praise from the acts just some of the factors behind the success of the latest Carlisle Blues/Rock Festival. The actual venue, the adapted Crown & Mitre ballroom, provided the space whilst creating an intimate feel, ideal for reintroduction of live music. The acoustics in the temporarily converted ballroom were excellent but that is also a testament to the sound engineers who delivered a full and clear sound without overdosing on the volume.

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The 11th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (Sept 2019) – Various

The Crown & Mitre Hotel, Friday, Saturday & Sunday 27th/28th/29th September 2019

Carlisle Blues/Rock Festival never fails to deliver and this year was no exception. When you get Kyla Brox, Kaz Hawkins, Connie Lush, Matt Long and Mike Bowden all together for a jam in the bar after the best weekend ever, you really do feel you have died and gone to Blues heaven. Nick Westgarth you and your team deserve a medal for this year’s festival. It was the best! Thanks to everyone who contributed and look forward to next year.

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The 10th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (Sept 2018) – Rosy Greer

The Crown & Mitre Hotel, Friday & Saturday 28th/29th September 2018 and The Old Fire Station, Sunday 30th September 2018

What a fabulous venue the Crown & Mitre Hotel Ballroom is for a festival and that’s where it all kicked off in style on the Friday night.

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The 9th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (Sept 2017) – Happy Daze

The Venue, Friday 29th September 2017 and The Crown & Mitre Hotel, Saturday 30th September 2017

The Carlisle Blues Rock Festival had lain dormant for two years whilst numerous ‘blues’ events popped up around the country. It took only one weekend in September for the event to re-establish itself amongst the very elite of blues and blues/rock events in the UK. Two magnificent days of blues and classic rock left attendees ecstatic and clamouring for the event to re-establish its annual status.

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The 8th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (Nov 2014) – Rosy Greer

The Venue, 7-9 November 2014

A rustle of excitement prevailed, as we headed for the new location at The Venue in central Carlisle, on Friday 7th November 2014, for the 8th Carlisle Blues & Rock Festival. This was an iconic step forward for the festival, as just six weeks earlier there were fears that it would not go ahead due to the immediate closure of the Swallow Hilltop Hotel, that had been home for the festival for the past 7 years. So, it was well done to Nick Westgarth for being able to secure a base for this year’s festivities – and what a great venue it was!

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The 7th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (Nov 2013) – Mel Wallace

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, 8-10 November 2013

State-side headliners included some musical younger sons. Devon Allman, son of Gregg, and Cyril, youngest Neville Brother forming part of blues rock ‘super group’ Royal Southern Brotherhood. Dickey Betts son Duane, and Cody Dickinson, son of producer Jim, made up one half of The Mississippi Mudbloods. Friday night, meanwhile saw Bernard Allison, son of legendary Luther top the bill. The cream of current U.K. contemporary blues artists completed this eclectic mix.

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The 6th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2012) – Rosy Greer

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, November 2012

This is my personal take on the now – ‘Carlisle Blues Rock Festival’ As the host for Lancashire Blues Archive and rep for the British Blues Archive it’s good to get ‘out and about’ in the neighbouring counties. The festival is in its sixth year and I’ve been to the last four at the Hilltop Hotel. Not much change there…except the new name of ‘Carlisle Blues Rock Festival’… but I suspect this is a sign of the times!

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The 6th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2012) – Roz Sluman

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, November 2012

Carlisle in the far north west of England has a strong industrial past and due to it’s proximity with the Scottish border a history of turmoil! However, this previously austere and highly fortified city now presents a different image. The city still boasts of its association with Hadrian’s Wall and it’s 12th century castle, but these days the cathedral complex and impressive Tullie House Museum, alongside a burgeoning cafe culture in the pedestrianised town centre add to it’s tourist appeal.

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The 6th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2012) – Lionel Ross

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, November 2012

The sixth Carlisle festival enjoyed the customary large turnout for two and a half days of top class entertainment. As in previous years, the line-up covered an extensive range of blues-related music incorporating artistes from around the UK and special guests from the USA and Australia.

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The 5th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2011) – Lionel Ross

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, November 2011

Following the first Carlisle Blues Festival in 2007, each subsequent event has been acclaimed as better than the one before. Whilst it is fully understood that there has to be a realistic, ultimate limit to perceived excellence, this year’s festival still managed to raise the bar that little bit further. Once again, it was a magnificent weekend of blues-based music that delivered four action-packed sessions over three days intermingling seven acts from the United States and ten from the UK.

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The 4th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2010) – Christine Moore

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, November 2010

My advice for anyone who loves blues music is “don’t wait too late to get your tickets for 2011” many did this year and were disappointed. This was the only UK Blues festival to sell out all three days before the weekend started. Though only in its 4th year, this festival is fast becoming ‘The Festival’ to attend. Called by some “The Civilised Festival” there is no running from one venue to another, or camping out in the cold or wet. The festival is held in the one hotel, which is taken over for the duration of the festival by Blues enthusiasts.

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The 4th Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2010) – Steve Bouckley

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, November 2010

Opening up proceedings were Kevin Thorpe’s Tipping Point, sadly without Kevin and the first gig that Tipping Point have played since Kevin’s untimely demise at the Newark Blues Festival.

“This gig is for Kevin” said the lead guitarist and singer Dominic Holland. “Can’t Keep a Poor Boy Down” was straight into the groove with an excellent middle eight too from Dale Storr on keyboards. “Smoke Stack” was a slow tempo throbbing song about life way down south featuring another solo from Dale and the outro was fabulous. “Down In The Water” was a slow ballad written by KT.

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The 3rd Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2009) – Tony Winfield & Sue Hickling

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, November 2009

In it’s 3rd year, this was our first visit to the festival. Mainly seated, there was a large friendly crowd and many familiar faces from the festival scene.

Friday Night opened with Hokie Joint, relatively new, but already one of the best live bands on the circuit. These guys are an original and exciting 5 piece, fronted by the animated and gravelly voiced Jo Jo Burgess.

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The 3rd Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2009) – Norma Victor

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, November 2009

Friday night got off to a lively start with a harp driven set by Hokie Joint. Band leader Giles King is already well known for his work with Lightnin’ Willie and the Poor Boys. Sam Kelly’s Station House had arrived at the venue two members down; keyboards man Paul Jobson was recovering from an operation and guitarist Tony Qunta was stuck in traffic.

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The 3rd Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2009) – Alan White

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, November 2009

The third Carlisle Blues Fest took place at the Swallow Hilltop Hotel on Friday 13th to Sunday 15th November 2009. A rather unusual time for a music festival, but perfectly timed to boost those winter blues during the run up to Xmas.

This was the second year the festival had been hosted at the Swallow Hilltop Hotel; the first festival, held at the Lakes Court Hotel (now The Hallmark Hotel), was so instantly successful it had to move to a larger venue.

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The 2nd Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2008) – Lionel Ross

Swallow Hilltop Hotel, November 2008

This was the second Carlisle Blues Festival, following the spectacular success of the first festival twelve months ago. The venue was the Swallow Hilltop Hotel, which was fully booked for the event and substantially supplemented by a large number of non-resident punters. 

The festival was opened on Friday evening by the Sean Webster Band with a mix of rousing blues rock and angst-filled ballads. Sean led the charge on vocals and guitar, ably backed by the ubiquitous Dave Raeburn on drums and Tom Latham on bass guitar. The trio took no prisoners and ended their powerful set with an excellent vocal rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind” and the slow blues, “Have You Ever Loved A Woman?”.

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The 1st Carlisle Blues Rock Festival (2007) – Steve Bouckley

Station Hotel, November 2007

The first ever Blues Festival in Carlisle and we had weekend residents tickets, yippee, as the festival had been sold out for months.

We went up on the train and the hotel is right next to the station. After a speedy check-in and throw the bags in the room, it was down to the bar for a swift pint and say hello to some of the Maryport crowd, before dinner was served. We’d bet that there wouldn’t be any real ale on in the hotel, but there was, Cumberland Ale. Then we bet that there wouldn’t be any in the function room, but there was, Yates’s, brewed by an ex Jennings brewer. One of Nick the organiser’s nice little touches for the weekend.

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