Ricky Skaggs et al. at UTV Country Fest, 2-3 Aug.

26 January 2008

Roger Ryan reports:

Round about Easter time every year I begin to feel really nostalgic and long for the return of the Wembley Festival. The International Festival of Country Music was staged over the Easter weekend at the Wembley Arena and drew people from all over the world. It ran for 22 years and was recognised as the biggest festival of country music in the world, rivalling even the biggest in the States, and surpassing quite a lot of them. What began as a 1-day event in 1969, developed into a 3-day festival which came to an end in 1991.

Organised by the Mervyn Conn organisation in London, over the years it introduced us to all of the biggest names in the world of country music, including USA, Canada, Ireland, England, Sweden, Holland, etc. Some of the highlights which I remember were seeing Tompall & the Glaser Bros, Marty Robbins, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Ernest Tubb, Hank Thompson, Hank Snow, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, etc. performing their first shows outside of the USA on the Wembley stage, and it helped to make them stars. Once word got back to the States of their success in Wembley, they began to repeat that success at home. It also helped establish a lot of our Irish artists who later built on their success with regular tours to Britain.

Despite rumours of a possible return, the Wembley festival never did. We thought we had found a replacement in the Midlands Festival here in Ireland, but after two years, rumour has it that it will not take place this year.

So, is it a case of back to square one for country music fans? Far from it, my friends, far from it. As a matter of fact the news couldn’t be better.

J.W. Promotions have announced details of a major country music festival called UTV Country Fest and it boasts a lineup of talent as good as anything ever staged at the famous Wembley Festival, and the good news is it’s right at our doorstep. The festival will be staged over two days on August 2nd and 3rd, at Dungannon Park, Tyrone.

Fifty artists will perform on three stages over the two days and the lineup reads like a virtual who’s who of country music stars from the USA and Ireland. Headed up by George Jones who will perform on both days, the bill includes the following: George Jones, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, John Michael Montgomery, Nanci Griffith, Gene Watson, Stonewall Jackson, Billy Jo Shaver, Vernon Oxford, Gretchen Peters, Clinton Gregory, Dee Reilly, Jimmy Buckley, Mike Denver, Roly Daniels, Philomena Begley, Brian Coll, Robert Mizzell, Hugo Duncan, Louise Morrissey, John McNicholl, Eamon McCann, Aidy Quinn, Shaun Cuddy, Shaun Loughrey, Anthony McBrien, Billy McFarland, Ray Lynam, Leanne & Carrie Benn, Country Harmony, Deirdre Bonner, Boxcar Brian, Fiddler Adam, Justin McGurk, Warren Smith, Blackheart, Colin Kirwan, Ally Harron & Marion Curry, Alan West, Steve Black, Liam McLoughlin, Bonnie, the Barroom Buddies, Sean Corrigan, Curtis Magee, Tony Kerr, Matt Leavey, the Murphys, and more to be announced later.

This festival, plus all the other tours etc. that are taking place all over Ireland this year, will ensure that country music fans are well catered for. Let’s hope that all these events are well supported, and in that way we can be sure of lots more shows to come.