Final preparations are under way for the biggest blues and soul festival in North Wales, which takes place in Mold over the weekend of August 5-7.

The festival is now in its third year and is expected to attract crowds of up to 4,000 people to Kendrick’s Field in the town. More than 20 of the UK’s hottest blues and soul acts will take to the stage.

Headline acts this year include songwriting and storytelling blues legend Doug Macleod. Connie Lush, five times winner of ‘Blues in Britain’ magazine’s ‘Best UK Female Vocalist’, is also on the bill along with British Blues Young Artist 2015, Laurence Jones.

A special tribute will also be paid to Tim Bacon, the hospitality entrepreneur behind Living Ventures, who sadly passed away this year. Mr Bacon was a key supporter of the festival and a lover of the blues. In his memory the main performance area has been named the Tim Bacon Stage.

Doug Macleod, who was named best acoustic artist at this year’s Blues Music Awards, is widely regarded as one of the finest talents performing in the blues world today and represents a major coup for the festival.

The event is backed by Mold Town Council and a number of local and national businesses, including Living Ventures, the restaurant group.

This year’s line-up will also include Dale Storr, regarded as one of the most accomplished pianists in his genre, along with Alex McKown, Tom Attah and The Bad Man Clan and Liam Ward Band. Yes Sir return, playing their own style of ‘jumping’ Chicago R’n’B, after their brilliant performance at last year’s festival.

Connie Lush returns to Alexanders in Chester on December 12.
Connie Lush

Another fresh and emerging talent, Aynsley Lister, will also be performing and The Hexmen, Waterbear, Skariad, Burning Black, Colin Hinds, Rebecca Downes Band, Born Healer and Deep in the Top will also feature, along with Triple J, Midnite Johnny and Delta Radio.

A number of the town’s bars and pubs have a supporting programme of blues acts performing over the weekend.

Charlie Broadhurst, the promotor from Event Sound Ltd, said: “This is definitely, overall, the strongest line up we’ve put together in the three years of this festival. There are no passengers in this line up and there is a deliberately strong mix of established and emerging talent that we would confidently match up with anything the other festivals across the country could put together.”

Tickets are available from: http://nwbluesandsoul.co.uk/