NWB - Community Blog

05 Mar 2010

Attention all Darwen bands!!!

Filed Under : Festivals

Posted By : The Cottonhouse Shakers | Comments : 27

Darwen Live info

Some of you contacted me regarding Darwen Live in past and I now have more info.

The pubs will be booking their own bands which has been the case for the last 3 years since Darwen Music Projects pulled out of organising the event.

As for the Main stage - there has been instructions to only book (apart from the 2 headline acts) only "Darwen bands". Now what this means is that at least one member of the band has to currenty live in the town.

There are 10 slots to fill so not everyone will make it and I know that a list has been drawn up. I have said that over the next few days I will add as many names to the list as possible. So if you fit the "Darwen band" criteria and you wish to play the main stage then simply add your bands name to this blog. Originals or covers.

Please note that I am not organising and I don't have or want the final say in who plays. I've just offered to help the programmer by giving him more options.

The fee is £10 per head

Comments

# Posted by grooverman - 05/03/2010, 19:05 (GMT)

fee ? who get that the band ?

# Posted by Absolute Heroes - 05/03/2010, 19:45 (GMT)

We don't live in Darwen but the kids go to school in Darwen does this count?

# Posted by NIGHT TRAIN - 05/03/2010, 19:53 (GMT)

our bass player has a stall on Darwen market...does that count?
Actually I think our drummer does live in Darwen somewhere..I'll ask him

# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 05/03/2010, 20:55 (GMT)

@grooverman - fee ? who get that the band ?

You don't have to pay if that's what you mean...lol

The fee alone should be enough to put off any out of towners! haha

# Posted by 53 Degrees North - 06/03/2010, 00:42 (GMT)

I was raised in darwen until I was 8, and still have aunties, uncles and cousins in darwen - does this help?!!

# Posted by hulkamania78 - 06/03/2010, 07:33 (GMT)

I live in Manchester .......

# Posted by Lorna Christy - Solo vocalist/... - 06/03/2010, 08:53 (GMT)

I don't think I will be bothering again. Last year they put some bands up near the library theatre on the car park. The area was fenced off for "security reasons" and there were no facilities for food or drink. Security wouldn't let you take anything in. I thought a five year old could have organised it better. Would be nice to see just "local" bands on the main stage though.

# Posted by Mark bassist in Piggery Bandan... - 06/03/2010, 09:35 (GMT)

We got our cat from darwen, and she will perform on stage with some interpretative dance entitled "furr ball hell". Do we qualify?

# Posted by James - Metalleeka - 06/03/2010, 10:26 (GMT)

are cover bands welcome? I'm from darwen

# Posted by grooverman - 06/03/2010, 10:44 (GMT)

only if you know dualling banjos

# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 06/03/2010, 11:13 (GMT)

@Piggery Bandana - your cat will be pur-fect for Darwen Live

# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 06/03/2010, 11:16 (GMT)

@Steelfield - yes

@grooverman - Well you were quite happy to have your nadgers felt at the Millstone last month....even if she did have 6 fingers. lol

# Posted by grooverman - 06/03/2010, 12:08 (GMT)

she was looking for somewhere to hang her hat. darwens got some decent venues. our old singer in WFG always used to wear a Bolton shirt and torment the hell out of the rovers fans in the Millstone !! but it was always good natured eeeee them wert days

# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 06/03/2010, 12:10 (GMT)

Right let me explain. The council have given instruction to only programme Darwen bands and there could be a number of reasons for this.

1. Darwen bands will play for £10 a man so it is an easy way of cost cutting from a council who are not interested in the event anyway.

2. The For Darwen party MAY (and I must state MAY) have suggested this.

3. There's a number of Darreners who feel that only Darwen bands should play at the festival. If these people get their opinions over to existing councillors then the council will be tempted to take action regardless of whether it is for the benifit of the festival.

Darwen Live was built up over seven years as a music festival promoting ALL styles of music (ie a MUSIC festival) by Darwen Music Projects. Since they stopped their involvement with the event Darwen Live has become a shitty political mess with no direction (hence the problem that Lorna suffered). There is nobody with any experience of organising festivals involved with the event which is why I've been asked to compile a list of Darwen bands because although they only want Darwen bands they haven't a clue who they are!!

There are only 10 slots available and a large list of contenders so I could forward the details of all those who's next door neighbour now lives in Darwen but realistically it probably won't get you on the main stage.

I like the funny comments though!

Finally the guy in charge of programming is a friend of mine and is completely blameless.

The above quotes are that of my opininion only.

Gary
The Cottonhouse Shakers + Darwen Music Projects

# Posted by "RED ZOO" - 06/03/2010, 12:34 (GMT)

Have any bands from Darwen actually thrown their hats in to the ring yet...if not why not? there are 10 slots available, are there 10 bands in Darwen??

# Posted by grooverman - 06/03/2010, 12:42 (GMT)

a list here some good bands as well , im not sure a tenner would cover the travelling expenses though

http://www.whatsondarwin.com/bands/index.html

# Posted by NIGHT TRAIN - 06/03/2010, 12:45 (GMT)

The Full Zimbabwe was a great band from Darwen (more of a studio project really) had a cd called In the land of Vout or something like that...will give it a play this affy...get them on!

# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 06/03/2010, 13:04 (GMT)

@Red Zoo - are you having a laugh?? Darwen is the mother of all music towns. lol!

All qualify as Darwen bands (not including solo artists)-

Crush
Beathovens
TFL
India Mill
Jah Mission Vibes
Cherry bomb
The Kicks
The Jamie Mac Band
Kruise
The Cottonhouse Shakers
Tramtown Junction
Scar
Fiery Jack
Made In England
The Chain
Steelfield
Recall
The Brigantes
The Raggle Taggle Gypsies
Eternal Winter
Modson
Nightmare Visions
The Soul Train
Jo Danuki Band
The Armadillos
The Northern Jazz Orchestra
Blancmange
Outsider
Avalon Way (name changed now)
Easy Street
Bag 0 Spuds
Kooler
Van Downham
The Right Lines
Sax Pistols
The Half Monty
Solus
The Badniks
Magenta Ray

As for applying, the bands who play regularly perform at DL tend to get asked and therefore don't always apply which is why I am asking if there are anymore bands who would like to be considered.

Not all of the above bands will want to play on the main stage anyway, The Cottonhouse Shakers are one of them.

# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 06/03/2010, 13:06 (GMT)

The Full Zim are no more I'm afraid. Very Good band.

# Posted by "RED ZOO" - 06/03/2010, 13:27 (GMT)

This is Darwen lancashire??? a cross roads near Blackburn & Burnley?? when i worked in that neck of the woods..a long time ago .. Darwen was just a farm, i remember when it was all fields....when did the population explosion happen...or is it just the one band with several names...

# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 06/03/2010, 13:37 (GMT)

@Red Zoo- haha........Not only that but check out the amount of currently active venues-

Marigolds
The Crown
The Millstone
Frankys Bar
The Black Horse
The George
Hollins Grove Con Club
The Ranken
The ICI Club
Darwen Library Theatre
The Blackamoor (technically Darwen)

There's another 15 currently inactive because of the demise of the pub trade.

# Posted by hulkamania78 - 06/03/2010, 15:29 (GMT)

We (WHATEVER) have played at Marigolds and the millstone at Darwen live and prefer Marigolds anyday there was hundreds packed in there and we finished the Sunday night top night better than the organised chaos on the main outside stages. My opinion is to get into the pubs better more of an Academy feel than the cabaret stuff on the main stage.

# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 06/03/2010, 18:10 (GMT)

Pete Barton and The Animals, Pete Barton and the Boomtown Rats, Pete Barton and The Jam have hardly been inspiring. Like I say the festival is not what it used to be. Performing to a big crowd on an outdoor stage however is a big attraction for local bands, that's why most bands want to do it. Marigolds is a great gig for covers bands especially during the festival.

What time do you start tonight? (Whatever)

# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 06/03/2010, 20:35 (GMT)

For those wanting to know the attraction of playing the main stage-

Can anyone spot me?

# Posted by Alyerpal - 08/03/2010, 13:54 (GMT)

Looks like Marigold's on saturday night - except maybe not enough punters!

Alyerwerockeddarwenonsaturdaynigh(again)andIloveditpal

# Posted by The Sanity Clause - 10/03/2010, 22:41 (GMT)

Our bass player is a Darwen lad and we'd be interested in playing.

# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 10/03/2010, 22:54 (GMT)

@Sanity Clause - I'll put your name on the list.

Tomorrow is the last day before I hand over the list. Some bands have PM'd me and thanks for that.

I would imagine that it will all be wrapped up in the next 7 days.

You need to be Logged in | Registered to add a comment

Blog Search

Follow NWB on Facebook and Twitter

Help Support NWB - Find out how.

Shopping online? - Select your stores, enter search text, and click go!

Cottam Guitars

10% Discount for NWB members, email max@cottamguitars.co.uk

Bakehouse Studio

Accrington's cosy project studio. Book online 24/7. Use code NWB20bc110301 for NWB members special 20% discount.

Pinned Posts

Latest Comments

Hot Posts

Community Blog Guidelines

Be nice: Even if you disagree with someone, you need to keep your tone civil and reasonable.
Keep on topic: Please keep discussions relevant to each topic and avoid multiple topic posts.
Don't Spam: Show restraint with your posting frequency. We're all doing cool stuff on NWB, but if we post about it too much, it can be distracting.
Respect the Moderators: The entire Community Staff were users once, just like you. We try very hard to answer everyone's questions, so please be cool.