The full programme for Stone Music and Arts Festival has been revealed, with more than 30 groups and solo entertainers during the main weekend alone.
The festival has been made possible by sponsorship this year from Wedgwood, which has its famous pottery factory in nearby Barlaston, and takes place on stages in the market square and High Street and in pubs in the town between May 23rd and 29th.
The choosing of the finalists for the Battle of Bands was one of the final pieces of the jigsaw that makes up the Music and Arts Festival.
All teenage musicians, Sounds of the Curious, a two piece acoustic duo; Terror Incognita, a five-piece rock band; and Three Minute Warning, a four-piece heavy metal band, will battle it out in the final on 20th May at the Den Youth Cafe, starting at 8pm. The winner will appear on stage during the festival, at 10am on Sunday May 29th.
Pubs in the town will host live music in the preceding week, and there’ll be a festival launch party at the Crown Hotel on Friday 27th May. New local band Drivin South will perform, supported by Laura, playing guitar and singing some of her own compositions, and Geoff Shaw, a vocal guitarist.
The official opening of the festival is in the Market Place in Stone on Saturday morning when Radio 2 DJ Alex Lester will join the Mayor to launch the weekend’s musical extravaganza.
There’s a busking competition in the High Street with cash prizes for the winners, and at 11.30am on Saturday the Clifford Project, which helps young people with learning difficulties, will perform on the stage outside the town’s library.
Over lunch the winner of the busking competition will be performing, followed by the best of the Open Mic sessions which take place each week at Granvilles. Stone Male Voice Choir, The Blueshounds and Stone Choral Society will round off the afternoon clearing the stage ready for the evening’s two headline tribute bands: The Jam’d and, at 8.15pm, U2 tribute Achtung Baby.
Meanwhile, in Christ Church on Saturday evening, an organ and harpsichord recital will be given by Oxford organ scholar Joanne West, who has connections with Stone. She’ll be playing the works of Handel and Bach and will be supported by well-known local spoken word performer Ray Johnson, who will share the words and wisdom of Josiah Wedgwood.
Overnight the stage will be moved from outside the library to the top of the High Street.
First up at 10am, the winners of the Battle of the Youth Bands competition will demonstrate why they were chosen. They’ll be followed by a varied programme of entertainment by students from Christ Church Middle School. This will include an African drum band, the school choir, a wind band, contemporary and street dance, soloists and drama sketches.
Stone Town Band will be on stage at noon and will be followed by the Stagecoach Theatre Arts, Stoke on Trent indie-rock band The Vanz, the ever popular Irish folk musicians Murphy’s Marbles and then the versatile Stone band Phoenix.
Glam rock is the theme for the grand finale, with Ballroom Glitz on stage at 6.30pm followed by the Bryan Ferry tribute Roxy Magic.
“It really is a cracking programme,” said Steve Brookes, chairman of the voluntary organising group, who a little over a year ago had to announced that the 2010 festival would not take place because of a lack of funding.
“We’re delighted to have the support of Wedgwood – without their contribution the event would not have been possible, but I also have to pay tribute to a very small, but growing band of enthusiasts who have given up their time to make it happen.
“The festival will bring thousands of people to Stone to the benefit of its traders and helps put the town on the map as a good place to come for a day out or even a week’s holiday.”
Festival organisers have also appealed for people to come forward to help in the run-up to the event and over the festival weekend.
Steve Brookes says that they need help with a variety of tasks from distributing the free programme to every house in Stone through to erecting the safety barriers during the weekend and stewarding the thousands who are expected to flock to the town to hear nearly 20 hours of live music and performance.
There are more details at the Stone Music and Arts Festival website.
