Venue Cymru set for country music festival

Sep 4 2008 By Daniel Bissett

THIS weekend sees the 14th North Wales Country Music Festival take place at Venue Cymru.

The event remains the only major theatre-based festival of its type in the UK giving artists the chance to shine in an environment with the best sound and lighting to enhance their performances.

The line-up which will play from Friday to Sunday, September 5-7, and was put together by musical duo Iona and Andy, keeps up the usual high quality.

This year’s bill topper is the legendary guitarist Albert Lee with his band Hogan’s Heroes.

English-born Albert now lives in the States where he regularly tours with the Everly Brothers, and his UK appearances are eagerly awaited.

Also making the trip from the US is Texas singer/songwriter Kimmie Rhodes who has written for and sung with such greats as Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris.

Nick Barraclough is known as the voice of Radio Two country music and now Smooth Radio, but not so many people know he is a singer and musician as well as a broadcaster and has put together a group of musicians The Burglars who play an eclectic mix of bluegrass and contemporary acoustic music.

There is also a debut at the festival for arguably the most exciting and authentic modern country band in the UK, Scotland’s Brian Hughes and the Lone Sharks.

Added to this are some of the best of the regular UK country favourites like Kalibre, The Fabulous Picasso Brothers and The Haleys whose superb acoustic set last year led to an immediate rebooking.

Completing the line-up in the theatre is a young man from North Wales called Alistair James who is making a big name for himself with his Welsh recordings, and Iona and Andy themselves who put together a band of stellar British musicians, The Festival Band, to back them.

As well as the theatre shows in the evening there is an all day line dancing session on Saturday afternoon.

For further details, call (01492) 872000 or visit www.venuecymru.co.uk