8th Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival, 23-5 Sept. 2016

Thanks to C. Paul Lyttle, chief organiser of the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival (MMBF) for the news that the 8th MMBF will be held at the festival-rich village of Moniaive in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, just three months from now - Fri. 23rd-Sun. 25th September. Full details are on the festival website.

Tickets are now on sale, and there's a very impressive lineup of 4 Wheel Drive (NL/D/B), the New Essex Bluegrass Band (England),  Kentucky Cow Tippers (England), Sweet River Band (France), Stonebones & Bad Spaghetti (Portugal), and Seven Sons (Scotland). Performance videos for these bands can be seen on the festival website, and Paul has drawn up special playlists of recordings by them for broadcast on his Criffel Creek radio show, today and on Tuesday 28 June.

The image above is the current header of the MMBF website, and shows the Corn Potato String Band (USA), already well known in Ireland, who on this coming Saturday (2 July) will be giving old-time music workshops and an evening concert at Moniaive; they will also be taking part in this year's Bluegrass Music Festival (2-4 Sept.) at the Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone. More news of music events at Moniaive - including the Scottish Autoharp Weekend (22-4 July) - are on the MMBF website.