The Iris stage has grown in size in recent years, it originally started as 4 pallets & 2 sheets of ply wood knocked together in the corner of the beer tent. It featured only acoustic performers. It has now grown in to a 200ft long traditional marquee which can hold up to 2000. It now features a “proper” stage, great lighting rig & powerful PA to boot, but still retains that traditional rally tent feel. As it grew we decided it need a name, an identity all of its own, that’s when we gave it the name,  “Iris Stage”, named after Iris Smith, one of our fellow organisers & Director, who sadly passed away a few years back

Musically it’s normally a little more laid back than the main stage, with mainly blues, swing, & progressive rock bands playing. On Saturday bands are playing all afternoon from about 1.00pm until late evening, when  we allow, (against our better judgement you understand) a DJ to play some of that nasty dance/trance type malarkey. So where better to spend Saturday afternoon after all there is a bar in the Iris tent too.

Scorching a trail across the live music venues of the land is this sizzlin’ hot 1950’s R&B combo…
The Revolutionaires!

Established within the ‘hotbed’ of the North East music scene in the UK, they power out jumpin’ hot rhythm & blues in their own indomitable hard hitting style.
Primarily, they are influenced by 1940’s and 1950’s R&B. In particular, Louis Jordan, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Roy Brown, but have adopted a harder and more aggressive approach, synonymous with modern blues artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Mike Henderson which helps create their own high energy sound.

” We’ll be rockin’ up a storm tonight! “

Oil City Connection are a band based in the north east of England UK specialising in the rocking style of rhythm & blues first made popular by the Canvey Island bands of the late seventies. Come along to one of our gigs for a great evening of harp blasting guitar thwanging bass pumping drum thumping ear bashing sonic mayhem ! Pub rock at it’s finest ! If you don’t tap your feet to these guys you must be dead !!

SATURDAY

TOMMY &

THE ODDBALLS

NO TIME

FOR JIVE

No Time For Jive have rocked up over 20 years of playing their blend of West Coast style R & B Swing and Blues that few British bands seem to capture, making them firm favourites on the North East music scene.
A tight four piece with a big sound who are: BRIAN LYNAM (a.k.a. Scotswood Slim), NAT McLEAVE, KEITH FORSYTH (a.k.a. Beefy La Slap) & PETE REDHEAD. Find them @ www.myspace.com/notimeforjive

MINNIE &

THE VICTORS