A ROCKIN’ good time is promised for all next weekend at the free Morton Stanley Festival in Redditch.
Headlined by top music acts Gypsy Hill – known as the Beast from the East – and Sam and the Womp, over 40 bands will be playing over Saturday and Sunday (August 22-23) – including Redditch’s own Stuart Woolfenden.
Plus there will be a global village of food from around the world and countless stalls to visit and browse over.
Gypsy Hill play an intoxicating mix of Balkan brass, Mediterranean surf rock, ska & swing.
Featuring guitars, horns, tuba, a scratch DJ and a mix of live and electronic beats, they effortlessly mix the traditional with a uniquely modern sound.
Producers DJ Kobayashi and Herbert Newbert have taken the project from studio to stage, gradually growing the band and honing their high-energy live hows. Their burgeoning CV includes remixes for the likes of Balkan Beat Box and Al Jawala and a special feature on Ninja Tune’s acclaimed ‘Ninja Jamm’ app.
Their tour history includes some of the UK and Europe’s biggest festivals (Glastonbury, Bestival, WOMAD, Sziget, Fusion, Winterthurer Musikfestwochen), so Gypsy Hill are no strangers to the big stage.
Sam and the Womp offer a huge brassy sound, grooving drums that prioritise the party with their unique blend of trumpet driven dance music.
Their debut single ‘Bom Bom’ shot straight to No 1 in the UK music charts in August 2012 and sold over a million copies worldwide.
Fronted by trumpeter and chief rabble-rouser Sam Ritchie and singer/songwriter Bloom De Wilde, the London-based.
On the food from Que Delicia will offer regional and traditionally inspired recipes from Portugal, while the Penang Laska Co will take hungry revellers to Malaysia with their authentic Street Food experience.
Jo’s Coffee to Go mobile van will be offering high quality freshly ground Fairtrade coffee, tea and other beverages and The Indian Rasoi will bring traditional Indian food to the festival.
Finally there will be Caribbean Delight featuring dishes like jerked chicken, curried chicken/ goat and more.
The fun starts on both days at 1pm and runs until 11pm on Saturday and features Stuart Woolfenden with Gypsy Hill and Sam and the Womp closing proceedings from 5pm on Sunday for a 7pm finish.
