Lyme Regis is ready to rock

Glastonbury is over for another year, but Lyme Regis is preparing to go global on Saturday (4 July) as this year’s Big Mix family youth music festival welcomes a world of talent to the town from near and far.

Fresh from their appearance and having a massive impact at Glastonbury, dance band KOG and the Zongo Brigade will headline the festival. Fronted by the irrepressible Ghanaian-born songwriter and performer Kweku Of Ghana their blend of West African rhythms, soul, funk, reggae and Latin jazz has taken them all over Britain and Europe and they arrive in Lyme Regis on the back of a UK tour in support of their seven-track Akwaaba EP.

Returning to the Big Mix stage in Theatre Square are Brighton-based power pop trio The RPMs. Originally from Bridport, singer Jack Valero can’t wait to return to the local scene of some of their very first gigs together.

“We’re really looking forward to playing for B Sharp again,” says Jack. “We had so much fun when we played for them before and they were very supportive in those first few days of us starting out as a band.
The Big Mix is really great because it’s pretty much the only music festival for aspiring musicians in the Dorset area to perform at.”

Also following up a storming show at Glastonbury, Calamity Poets bring their self-styled ‘spaghetti shonk’ – a fusion of blues, folk, rock and jazz – to the Big Mix having expanded their original guitar and trumpet line up to incorporate a full band.

Promoted by young people’s music charity B Sharp, the Big Mix is run by young people for young people and families with a range of fringe activities including mobile skate ramps and a chill out and ‘crafter-noon’ area run by young artists that includes a hooping workshop, face painting, nail art, hair braiding, beach art and much more.

“There has been a massive groundswell of support for the festival in Lyme Regis, you can feel the excitement building in and around the town,” says B Sharp director Fran Williams. “The Big Mix is a really special event and leading the way locally because it opens doors for young musicians, technicians, artists and event organisers to work with industry professionals, many of whom began their careers at B Sharp.”

The bill also includes Bridport singer songwriter and B Sharp young music leader Ella Squirrell, Weymouth-based grime artists SouthDub, Lyme’s own pop jazzers Joanna Clark and Nathan Austin and opera singer Chloe Stratta, who worked for B Sharp as a singing mentor. Four groups from Hub Jams, B Sharp’s creative music making sessions, will launch a four-track CD and Boombox Music, created at Charmouth Primary with B Sharp music leaders Jacques Verhaeren and Pete Wild, will also be performing.

The Big Mix runs from 1pm to 11.30pm in Theatre Square, Lyme Regis.

Tickets (£5, U18s £1) are selling fast and are strictly limited. To avoid disappointment organisers recommend booking now from Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre on 01297 442138.