Coastline Bluegrass Music Event, 6-8 June

The song 'Sleepy Hollow' by G2 Bluegrass Band from Sweden is the sound-track for a promotional DVD for the Third Coastline Bluegrass Music Event, which will be held at Plas Uchaf Farm, near Llandudno Junction, North Wales LL28 5PD, on 6-8 June.

The DVD shows the site and its picturesque setting looking over the Conwy estuary; photos of all members of bands taking part; and shots of the open mike stage, jam sessions, and other features of the festival. It proves that a DVD need not be an expensive technical miracle to be a completely effective promotional tool.

G2 (the current #1 European Bluegrass Band) are at the top of the bill for the Event, together with the Sons of Navarone (Belgium), Longway (Scotland), and two Appalachian dance teams, Mind the Step and Wicked Soles. The Event also has a MySpace site.

Picnic Festival, Namur, 6-7 September

Toute l'équipe du Picnic Festival vous souhaite ses...

Meilleurs Voeux pour cette Nouvelle Année 2008

Et en guise de cadeau, découvrez le DVD du Picnic Festival 2007
sur la page d'accueil de notre site.

Rendez-vous les 6 et 7 septembre à la Citadelle de Namur pour la quatrième édition, avec une affiche exceptionnelle...

*****************************

The Picnic Festival Team wishes you a...

Happy New Year 2008

As a gift, there's the video of the Picnic Festival 2007 on the main page of our website.

Please note on your calendar the 4th edition next 6 and 7 September at the Citadel of Namur with an extraordinary schedule...

New DVD: Rawhide live

What the fans have been begging for over the years: Rawhide has released its DVD Live. It gives an appropriate reflection of the music and unique humorous atmosphere Rawhide creates on stage. The DVD includes an uncut one-hour show at the Fredericia Bluegrass Festival 2007 (DK), and as bonus a 25-minute set at EWOB 2007 plus an original recorded in 1993!

See for yourself why Rawhide was chosen #3 European Bluegrass Band for two consecutive years. You can enjoy them now from your lazy chair for just €10 (+ €2 to get the DVD to your lazy chair). Contact the band by e-mail or their website.

Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys: live DVD

The Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys from Somerset, south-west England, are planning to release a DVD, including film taken over the last few years but centred on a live show to be held at their home base, the Wellington Arts Centre, on Saturday 1 December 2007. Admission is free, but only about 130 tickets are available, and can be ordered from the band by e-mail. The DVD is scheduled for release in spring 2008.

The band have three shows on their schedule between now and the filming: a charity show on Saturday 27 October at Wellington School, in which Thunderbridge appear at 8.00 p.m.; a free-admission show at 9.00 p.m on Thursday 8 November at The Martlet, Langford Budville; and Fry's country club on Saturday 10 November at Keynsham, near Bristol. Other shows follow on 14 and 15 December; full details are on the Thunderbridge website.

Thunderbridge also tip their hats to the UKBluegrass.com website, founded nearly a year ago as a medium for publicising bluegrass in the UK.

Chris Jones Announces New Website

Chris Jones, a veteran of the European bluegrass circuit, has announced the release of his new website featuring video samples and a music store.

Happy birthday, Rawhide

Waitin' for a train: Rawhide on their trip to Denmark

Rawhide, Belgium's senior bluegrass band and the only band to have played at every European World of Bluegrass Festival, celebrates its thirtieth anniversary with a concert and party (admission free) on Thursday 4 October 2007 at the Kunstcentrum Kaleidoscoop, Molenstraat 50, 2640 Mortsel, Antwerp, Belgium, starting at 8.00 p.m. As many previous band members as possible will be there. A flyer can be downloaded from the band's website.

Further steps towards a European Union of bluegrass: Rawhide played in Denmark at the Fredericia Bluegrass Festival in May. Photos of the trip can be seen here. The band reports:

We had a great time, not only doing the gig itself, but also because we ran into some old friends. Late night jam sessions were the obvious result. Anytime Denmark calls us, we'll be on our way!

NEW: Some of that feeling is now available to all - Rawhide is launching a DVD, Live in Denmark, showing the unique atmosphere that the band creates on stage. It includes an uncut one-hour show from the Fredericia Festival, and as bonus a 25-minute set at EWOB 2007, plus an original tune recorded in 1993. For further details see here.

The Osborne Brothers: live in Germany

Pinecastle Records of Columbus, NC, announce that The Osborne Brothers: live in Germany 2 CD/DVD set is available in stores today - the first of several unreleased Osborne Brothers recordings that will be made available to the public in the next few years.

The rare archival footage was recorded on 30 July 1989 in Streekermoor, Germany, during a European tour with the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. Sonny Osborne's liner notes tell it how it is: 'This is just about as good as you will ever remember the Osborne Brothers.' Their hits 'Kentucky', 'Georgia mules and country boys', 'Midnight flyer', 'Tennessee hound dog', and 'Rocky Top' are among the 22 songs presented on two CDs, and 27 tracks on the DVD. Musicians with Bobby and Sonny Osborne include Terry Smith (bass), Terry Eldridge (guitar/vocals; now with the Grascals), and Steve Thomas (fiddle). Cuts from Live in Germany can be heard on the Osborne Brothers' online press kit.

The Osborne Brothers: live in Renfro Valley is being re-released for the first time on DVD today (3 April). Recorded on 6 August 1992 at the Barn in Renfro Valley, Kentucky, it features nine favorites from the Osbornes.

Press info: Ethan Burkhardt; phone +1-828-894-0322 x225

Sons of Navarone promo DVD available

The Sons of Navarone, from Belgium, can now offer a free promo DVD to promoters and event organisers. Taken during the Sons' performance in September 2006 during the Second Edition of the Picnic Festival in Namur, Belgium, the live video footage has been put on a DVD, together with extra information about the band.

Interested in booking the Sons for a gig? Order your free copy of the DVD: send your details to this link and it will be posted out 'on the fly'.

Bluegrass in Sweden on DVD

The January/February 2007 issue of IBMA's newsletter International Bluegrass reports: 'A new DVD entitled De Blanande Bergens Musik: Bluegrass Torsaker 2005 features footage of bluegrass music in Sweden, including festivals and the surrounding countryside. Info: here.'

International Bluegrass's 'Video file' column also notes that new and reissued instructional DVDs from Homespun includes New directions in flatpicking - from bluegrass to European dance, by Beppe Gambetta.