Gloucester Cajun and Zydeco Festival

Under 10s Free!

2012-01-26T18:52:00.000Z

So the weekend has nearly arrived, but before it does...

Just a quick note to say we'll be allowing Under 10s into the festival for free this year. We have had a lot of customers asking about bringing their children, and grandchildren, and introducing them to cajun music, but not wanting to pay £30-£60 for the priviledge!

So, we've decided that aged 10 seems a fair cut-off point, and anyone under that age can come in free. 10s and over will have to have paid tickets, sorry!

New Band Added!

2012-01-25T12:06:00.001Z

With just a couple of days to go until the festival, we're happy to announce a late addition to the line-up, in the shape of Charlie and Phil - Charlie Skelton performed last year as part of Acadian Driftwood, and Phil Underwood you know from leading our Zydeco dance workshops over the weekend.

Full details of the band have been added to the lineup page.

In other news, due to some maintenance work being carried out in the building this week, the customer lift will unfortunately be out of order for the duration of the festival weekend. This is something we have been working hard to try and avoid, but that has not been possible. If any festival goers could please make any necessary arrangements, we will do our best to support you all as much as possible. If this will cause you any difficulties, please contact us as soon as you can.

Feedback / Tours / Price Freeze

2012-01-17T18:13:00.000Z

Just a quick follow on from yesterday's message, we now in fact will not be able to offer the Eastgate Chamber tours as we did last year unfortunately, as the chamber is being renovated over that weekend, the permission and funding has just been granted, so apologies for that. They'll be back in 2013, don't you worry.

Secondly, we're always trying to find ways to improve the festival and love hearing any feedback from you all about any aspects of the event, from the timings, choice of performers, workshops, down to the food. We'll be carrying out surveys over the festival weekend again, and look forward to hearing what you all have to say! Please be aware though, that we get a lot of conflicting comments, and it's very difficult to please everyone. One very obvious example of this is the finish time on the Sunday night. We brought this forward last year in response to a lot of feedback we'd had from customers travelling from long distances who had to book an extra day off work and an extra night in a hotel instead of travelling back on Sunday and going back to work on Monday. Then after the 2011 event we were given a mix of feedback from some people thanking us for listening, and others complaining about the change. So whilst we do try and listen to and act on all your comments wherever possible, please do bear in mind that other people might not share your views, and we have to try and take a balanced and considered approach to try and cater for as many people as possible.

Lastly, we'll be selling the Super Early Bird tickets again over the festival weekend for the 2013 event, but we've decided that the ticket prices will remain the same for the 2013 festival. Just thought you'd like to know!

That's it for now.

It's nearly time!

2012-01-16T17:28:00.001Z

The 19th Gloucester Cajun and Zydeco festival is less than two weeks away, and our toes are already tapping with excitement!

Tickets have been flying out, so make sure you get yours soon before they sell out.

All the band details and times are on the line-up page, and if you want any more info please drop us a line to ask.

We'll be running the city tours again over the weekend, so keep an eye out for details of them over the next couple of days.

Other than that, we look forward to seeing you on the dancefloor!

New Cajun festival in Yorkshire

2011-12-13T11:10:00.001Z

Nothing to do with us, but we thought we'd give a quick mention and draw your attention to a new Cajun music festival starting in Yorkshire in March.

All the info you seek can be found on the festival web site here.

Best of luck to John and the team there - hope it's a great success!

Day line-ups announced for 2012 Festival

2011-10-24T12:54:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the delay in this post, things have been very busy at the venue over the last couple of weeks, but anyway - back to business.

The response to the 2012 lineup so far has been fantastic, there's a lot of excited people out there, which is great.

Here's how the lineup breaks down:

Friday night: Joe Le Taxi (headline), Chanky Chank (support)
Saturday night: Cajun Roosters (headline), Elvis Fontnot and the Sugar Bees (support)
Sunday night: River Zydeco (headline), Hackney Ramblers (support)

We'll be adding information about all the bands to the lineup page now, and remember, day tickets and full price weekend tickets go on sale next week, so if you want a discounted early bird ticket, you'd better get your skates on!

All the best,
Joe

2012 Lineup Announced!

2011-10-10T10:57:00.001+01:00

We're delighted to announce this year's lineup as follows:

Cajun Roosters (UK/Germany), River Zydeco (NL), Chanky Chank, Joe Le Taxi, Hackney Rambers, and Elvis Fontnot and the Sugar Bees.

Exact days and times will be posted later in the week.

Early bird tickets are still available, full price / day tickets go on sale 1st November.

Announcement Coming Soon!

2011-10-03T11:37:00.000+01:00

Afternoon, pop pickers!

Sorry it's all been a bit quiet on the Western front lately (is that the correct term?)

Anyway, it's all systems go now in Cajun camp, and we're hoping to finalise the 2012 lineup this week and announce it as soon as possible, maybe even next Monday with any luck!

So, please bear with us a little longer, and we'll bring you the news you've all been waiting for just as soon as we have it.

Look forward to seeing you all for what will be our 19th year in 2012!

All the best,

Joe
Festival Organiser

Thank You and Goodnight!

2011-01-31T15:33:00.000Z

Well that's another festival done and dusted. Thank you all for traveling as far as you did (one couple from Australia!) and helping us make the festival what it is. We were absolutely delighted with how the weekend went, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it a similar amount.

We've had an absolute mountain of feedback already, which is fantastic. But if you haven't yet given us your thoughts about this year's event, please drop us a line to guildhall@gloucester.gov.uk. We'd love to hear from you, whether your comments are positive or negative, or just things you would like to see changed or tweaked for future years.

We're already planning next year's event, which will take place again over the final weekend in January (27th-29th). You can pick up your Early Bird tickets from the web site using this link. They are at the festival weekend discount price of £40 just for one more day. As of 1st Feb, they go up to £50.

Once again thank you to everyone that helped make the weekend such a fantastic success. The bands, the workshop leaders, Carole and Nigel for DJ'ing, and most importantly all of you for showing up!

See you in 2012!

Cotton Eye Joe
Festival Organiser

Photo: henk de Man

2012 Super Early Bird Tickets

2011-01-28T10:38:00.001Z

Super Early Bird Tickets for the 2012 Festival are on sale now, priced £40. You can buy them here.

These tickets will go up to the normal Early Bird price of £50 on 1st Feb.

Tech Issues Sorted / Weekend Tickets Nearly Sold Out / 2012 Early Birds

2011-01-24T15:48:00.000Z

Hi All

Less than a week to go now, and I hope you're as excited about the festival as we are! Firstly, apologies again about the technical issues that have dogged this site over the past week. They are now finally sorted, it was all due to DNS and IP servers and boring internet things like that. Anyway, we're back online - hurrah!

Anyway, enough of such things. Weekend festival tickets are now nearly sold out. In fact they were sold out, but we've just put a couple more on sale, and we'll try to make as many available as we can.

Lastly, early bird tickets for the 2012 festival will be on sale over the weekend, priced £40. They'll be that price until 1st Feb, when they'll go up to £50.

Any questions? No? Good. See you on Friday then!

Technical Issues

2011-01-20T17:47:00.000Z

Apologies to anyone who has had problems accessing the site over the past 24 hours. We've been trying to change a few things behind the scenes, and technology it seems, got the better of us!

We'll try and figure out what went wrong before giving it another attempt. Normality is now back in service.

Just a handful of tickets left for the festival, so if you're still waiting to buy, BUY SOON! It may well sell out!

Gloucester Tours On Offer

2011-01-18T14:05:00.000Z

For the first time as part of the festival weekend, we're really happy to announce we've teamed up with Gloucester's Museum Service to offer festival goers a greater insight into this historic city.

Partly hidden by shops, a tour of Eastgate Street’s underground chamber will reveal the remains of defences and the East Gate of the city since it was established as a Roman fortress in around AD 68.

The site includes Roman remains, the base of a 13th century Medieval tower and the Tudor 'horse-pool' where wagons and livestock were washed in the city.

Led by Sarrah Macey, Marketing Manager of Gloucester Museum Service, this tour will take you around areas of Eastgate Chamber not usually open to the public and also give you the chance to quiz Sarrah on the rest of Gloucester’s rich heritage and culture.

Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th January 4pm. Tickets usually £4. Cajun Offer £3. Places are limited so pre-booking is advised. Please call Gloucester Guildhall Box Office on 01452 503050 or pop in and reserve your place.

Whiskey River videos

2011-01-05T11:50:00.001Z

First things first, Happy New Year to all our festival fans! The festival is now fast approaching, but there is still lots for us to do!

The Whiskey River Zydeco Twisters recently recorded a number of live videos in the chapel at the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford, so we thought we'd put them up here for you to enjoy...

Festival Times Revealed

2010-12-08T15:09:00.000Z

The festival is fast approaching, and tickets are selling really well. It looks like we're on for another fantastic year.

To help you prepare for the weekend, here are our current timings for the weekend. These may change slightly, and we'll keep you updated if they do. We've tried to take all your comments from last year's festival on board (not having back to back workshops, leaving bigger gaps between dances where possible, an earlier finish on the Sunday etc) so hopefully these will meet with your approval.

Friday

6pm -7pm Swamp Rock DJs and introductions
7pm – 8pm approx Acadian Driftwood
8pm – 9pm Swamp Rock DJs
9pm – 11pm approx Zydeco Diamonds
11pm onwards Swamp Rock DJs

Saturday

11am – 12.30pm Zydeco dance workshop with Harold Guillory
1pm – 3pm The Whiskey River Zydeco Twisters
3.30pm – 5pm Cajun dance workshop with Satu and Kay
7pm-9pm Swamp Rock DJs
9pm – 11pm approx The Flatville Aces
11pm onwards Swamp Rock DJs

Sunday

11am – 12.30pm Cajun dance workshop with Satu and Kay
1pm – 3pm Cajun Dawgs
3.30pm – 5pm Zydeco dance workshop with Harold Guillory
6pm – 8pm approx The Bayou Brothers
8pm onwards Swamp Rock DJs

2011 Festival Press Release / Bayou Brothers Announced

2010-12-02T17:11:00.000Z

The biggest festival of its kind in the UK, the Gloucester Cajun & Zydeco Festival brings the best bands and musicians from around the world to the city for a weekend of non-stop partying, music, dancing, workshops, authentic Cajun cuisine and an atmosphere that’s become legendary on the international Cajun & Zydeco scene.

Now in its eighteenth year, the festival was founded by Pat Roberts and Louis Hawkins back in 1993, inspired by a love of Cajun music and a fascination surrounding Cajun dance. From its humble beginnings as a one-day event, it is now regarded as one of the best around, with enthusiasts flocking to Gloucester from all over the world, and this year’s line-up is pretty special.

Friday night headliners The Zydeco Diamonds, led by ex-ZFunk accordian player Gavin Lewery, who is widely considered to be the best Cajun/Zydeco accordian player in the UK, will be joined for this tour only by Harold Guillory, one of the biggest names in the genre today. A direct descendant of Zydeco founder Amade Ardoin and grandson of the great Boisec Ardoin, Harold will also be running his infamous dance workshops on the Saturday and Sunday. The Zydeco Diamonds will be joined on Friday by newcomers to the scene, Acadian Driftwood.

On Saturday afternoon The Whiskey River Zydeco Twisters will be making a welcome return to the festival, after they blew the roof off last year. They'll certainly get you warmed up for a real treat on Saturday night in the form of The Flatville Aces, who are renowned as one of the best Cajun bands in the UK. They have one of the most authentic Cajun sounds outside of Louisiana and are sure to be a big hit with festival goers.

The final day of the festival features the brilliant Cajun Dawgs, who combine traditional Louisiana Cajun and Zydeco with swamp Blues, Country and early rock'n'roll, all served up with an earthy authentic sound resonating back to the 1940s and 1950s, and Sunday headliners The Bayou Brothers. All the way from San Diego, their unique blend of intricate harmonies and rocking Zydeco blues, combined with trademark dazzling showmanship and a lot of dancing, will be a riotous end to what proves to be a fantastic festival.

Delivering an unrivalled mix of music and dance rooted in the traditions of America’s Deep South, Gloucester’s Cajun & Zydeco Festival is hot and steamy entertainment for a miserable January.

Kay and Satu for Cajun Dance Workshops

2010-12-02T17:08:00.000Z

As well as Harold Guillory doing our Zydeco workshops, we have Kay and Satu returning as ever to lead the Cajun side of things...

Kay Anderson has been dancing all her life but got hooked on cajun and zydeco music a number of years ago at Broadstairs Folk Festival. Finding gigs and workshops locally proved difficult so she started her own regular dance workshops where she offered to share what she had learnt. After getting Satu Phillips up to speed, together they have led cajun and zydeco dance workshops at major festivals and gigs all over the country as well as teaching monthly cajun and zydeco dance workshops in Kent. If you’re down south, look up www.kentcajun.org.uk and come and join in the fun. "You learn by doing!"

Welcome Our New Partners - Gator By The Bay!

2010-10-27T11:19:00.000+01:00

We're delighted to announce that we've teamed up with the best Cajun and Zydeco festival - GATOR BY THE BAY.

Gator By The Bay is the biggest Zydeco and Cajun festival on the West Coast, celebrating the rich and unique culture of Louisiana, and will have its 10th year in 2011.

The Gator by the Bay festival creates a rich cultural experience with zesty Zydeco, Cajun, Blues, jazz, country, and Swing bands; authentic Creole food; dancing and dance lessons; costumed New Orleans-style daily parades; and lots of kids’ activities. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the 2011 event.

Since the first festival in 2001, Gator By the Bay has captivated participants from 31 states, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Visit the Festival website at www.GatorByTheBay.com and see what you won’t want to miss!

The aim of this tie-up is to increase awareness of our festival in the USA, and to increase awareness of Gator By The Bay in UK. So if you're looking for something a bit different to do for your holiday next year, then we may have just the thing for you!

Swamp Rock DJs To Play and Compere 2011 Festival

2010-10-20T11:50:00.000+01:00

We're delighted to announce Carole Lateman and Nigel Bewley, who together run the UK's only specialist Cajun and Zydeco club night, Swamp Rock, will be bringing their Cajun sounds to Gloucester as they'll be playing and compering the 2011 Festival!

Check out the Swamp Rock web site here.

Here's some more info on them...

Nigel is a professional sound engineer specialising in audio archiving and restoration as well as a jobbing photographer. (Available for weddings and bar mitzvahs). He has been DJ-ing since 1972, when he started playing records on folk nights at The Penthouse, a night club (now long gone) in his home town of Scarborough in North Yorkshire. He was bitten by Zydeco music in 1986 when hanging around the offices and studios of Island Records he met Buckwheat Zydeco, the label's new signing. In 1995, Nigel was asked by a dance club promoter what his 'stage name' was when booked as a DJ for a series of 1940s style swing nights. Put on the spot, he came up with Flying Home in reference to a tune written by percussionist Lionel Hampton. Nigel, aka Flying Home, has a huge record collection of many different styles and when DJ-ing likes nothing better to make people dance to tunes he loves - whether it's a boogalooing Buckwheat or a swinging Hampton. Laissez les bons temps roulez - vous avez raison!

Carole has always been a passionate fan of music and dance, growing up in a household filled with Jazz and Ballroom dancing. As a child, she learnt ballroom, ice dancing and folkdance, and in later years, enjoyed Swing , Rock ‘n Roll and Latin.

In 1988, on her first visit to New Orleans, she discovered the exciting rhythms of Cajun and Zydeco music and dance. Since then, she has learnt to dance, built up a large collection of discs, and attended numerous Cajun and Zydeco festivals, gigs and cruises in the UK, Europe and the USA. She has also taught Cajun and Zydeco dance workshops.

In 2004, together with Neil Papworth, she started London’s Swamp Rock Club, putting on regular dances with live Zydeco bands, and also DJing with her husband, Nigel Bewley (Aka Flying Home). Together, they have run stages at The Thames Festival, promoted gigs at The 100 Club and other London venues, and DJd at numerous dances and private parties. Carole also plays Zydeco rubboard and has jammed with numerous Cajun and Zydeco bands in the UK and abroad. She also performs in Israeli Dance Troupe ‘Alonim’.

As a dancer, she knows what music to play to get that dancefloor jumping!

FULL 2011 Lineup Revealed!

2010-10-01T16:53:00.000+01:00

After the great success of this year's event, we are delighted to announce the Gloucester Cajun and Zydeco Festival will return for its 17th year in 2011.

We think we've got a really special lineup this year, and we're pretty sure you'll agree:

Headlining Friday night we have The Zydeco Diamonds. Led by ex-ZFunk accordian player Gavin Lewery, considered by most to be the best Cajun/Zydeco accordian player in the UK, The Zydeco Diamonds are a band formed of top musicians recognised in the field- Andy Watson (drums), Jacqui Savage (bass) and Dave Luke (Guitar) ..... And for this tour only, featuring the top Louisianna name of Harold Guillory. Harold is one of the biggest names in the genre today. A direct descendant of Amade Ardoin (one of the founders of zydeco) and Grandson of the great Boisec Ardoin.As if that wasn't enough, Harold will also be running his world-renowned Zydeco dance workshops on the Saturday and Sunday! The Zydeco Diamonds will be joined on the Friday by newcomers to the scene, Acadian Driftwood.

On Saturday afternoon, we're glad to welcome The Whiskey River Zydeco Twisters back to the festival, after they blew the roof off last year in opening the festival. They'll certainly help you get your dancing shoes on and get you warmed up for a real treat on Saturday night - The Flatville Aces. This will be the band's first appearance in a long time, and is sure to be a festival hit.

Finally on Sunday we'll again be giving you something fairly upbeat to keep you on your toes during the afternoon - the fantastic Cajun Dawgs. Again, newcomers to the Gloucester festival, we know you're going to love them. And last but not least, our Sunday headliners? Well, that's a surprise for now, so we'll just say Special Guests!

Add to all that our regular dance workshops, and amazing traditional Cajun cuisine, and I'm sure you'll agree this could be the best festival yet!

Early Bird Weekend Tickets are still on sale for just £40. CLICK HERE TO BUY

Full Price Weekend Tickets will be £55, Friday Tickets £20, Saturday Tickets £25, Sunday Tickets £25 - All on sale Monday 1st November.

Flatville Aces confirmed as 2011 headliners!

2010-07-20T11:58:00.000+01:00

We're delighted to announce the headliners for the 2011 Gloucester Cajun and Zydeco Festival are the fabulous FLATVILLE ACES.

Sales for the festival are already at an all-time high and we're sure this will continue as we announce the remaining bands over the coming weeks.

In the meantime, please head over to our tickets page to buy your tickets for the 2011 event.

2010 Was Great, Roll On 2011!

2010-03-27T17:23:00.001Z

We were absolutely delighted with the success of the 2010 festival. It was the first year the festival was run internally by the Guildhall and the response was fantastic. We had a few teething problems, but nothing that can't be easily fixed.

Work is now well underway for 2011, and we'll be able to announce the first bands very soon.

Early bird tickets are already available and selling at a rate of knots!

We've gone through all the feedback you gave us at this year's event and we're working hard to make any tweaks and changes you've suggested to ensure that the 2011 Gloucester Cajun and Zydeco Festival is the best yet!

See you on the dancefloor...

Cotton Eye Joe
Festival Organiser

Photo: henk de Man