THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION ARTISTS – in brief

• Brave Rival – Brave Rival draw their influence from the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Led Zeppelin and Tedeschi Trucks. The powerful and beautiful twin vocals of Chloe Josephine and Lindsey Bonnick with the crunching rock riffs and dramatic guitar solos from Ed Clarke offer a style and sound that you’ve always known, and yet never heard before. Nominated again for Best Band at the 2023 UK Blues Awards, the band has gone from strength while winning over many new fans throughout the country
• The Producers – Dave Saunders and Harry Skinner formed The Producers in 1990. They went on to be one the most popular blues outfit in the country winning the ‘British Blues Band of the Year’ award 4 times. Concerned with feel and attitude rather than slavishly copying ‘hand me down’ American music, The Producers move effortlessly between their own well-crafted material and seriously reinvigorated classics which they stamp with their own characteristic identity. Sadly the band’s final tour.
• The Milk Men – is a band made up from the cream of British R’n’B talent and pedigree, bringing together members of the legendary Pirates, and British Blues Award-nominated The Mustangs. The Milk Men have been tearing up venues and festivals all over the UK with their dynamic, white hot versions of classic blues tunes, alongside unforgettable foot-stomping originals. The Milk Men’s sound has been called ‘ZZ/DC Feelgood” by some critics, who have lavished praise on the band’s dynamic live show and original songs.
• The Chris James and Martin Fletcher Band – a Blues and roots four-piece offering a different take on the four-piece format. There is no electric lead guitar but an abundance of feel, melody and harmony provided by Chris’ excellent acoustic guitar and Martin’s harmonica. The rhythm section is organic, subtle and understated but nonetheless provides the grooves which sets the band apart from most others in the UK.  One reviewer wrote ‘Chris is not afraid to sing with pure and heartfelt passion and his virtuoso use of slide technique…just like the real Mississippi thing’