The 20th edition of the Upton Blues Festival took place in mid-July 2024 in the small picturesque town of Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire. It started in 2002 in a couple of pubs and has grown over the years to now five stages and over 20,000 people attending with thousands camping for the weekend.
The line-ups of most of the stages is decided by Director of Music Stephen “Stein” Steinhaus, with the Acoustic Roots stage in St Peter & St Paul’s church managed by Trevor & Emma Steger. New for 2024 was the Under the Bridge Stage and the Hobson’s Village Stage (in the campsite)
Along the main stages the pubs in the town also put on bands to compliment the program from the main stages.
With a wide range of music on offer the £5 program is well worth getting hold of with its great information about the acts, allowing visitors to create a schedule of who to watch.
On the very hot and sunny Friday I enjoyed, on the Meadow stage, the soulful Connolly Hayes, the traditional blues from Reverend Robert Blues Band & the excellent UK Blues Award winner Alice Armstrong.
On the Acoustic Roots stage with the excellent church acoustics, with its Blues in Britain stand (managed as ever by Christine & Tony Moore) were excellent performances I saw by Adam Sweet (with Paddy Blight), Greg Coulson (as a solo performer) & Nothing in Rambling with the witty banter between songs from Sister Suzie.
At the far end of the town on the Riverside stage I caught the excellent Birmingham band Blue Nation, Andy Sharrocks & The Incurable Romantics & the great vocals from Kyla Brox.
Saturday, like 2023, suffered with rain though not as much this year, but this didn’t put off the fans.
On the Meadow Stage I got into the groove with Greg Brice Trio, The Terraplanes Blues Band & over from New Jersey, USA the diminutive figure of guitarist and singer Arielle and her band.
The Acoustic Roots stage was extra busy again on a rainy day with queues to get a seat with very different acts such as Jenny Wren & Her Borrowed Wings & The FoBo Jug Band.
On the Riverside Stage the Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band went down very well (according to my cousin Mark from Sheffield) and The Milk Men & Beaux Gris & The Apocalypse played to a packed audience which filled that end of town.
Sunday was a better day weatherwise and so the Meadow stage and the food and other stalls area was packed. On the Meadow Stage Demi Marriner (who is a member of Elles Bailey’s band) wowed the audience with her Americana tunes. The Clay bottom Jug Busters were a much more tradition blues outfit with a quirky style and the C Bone Band were as good as some recommends, I heard.
Over on the Acoustic Roots stage in the church there was a very busy final day with bands I saw included Andres Roots over from Estonia with his great guitar playing, Diabal Cissokho (a replacement for his cousin Jali Fily) with his authentic Senegalese sounds taking it back as host Trevor Steger said ‘Right back to the root of Blues music’. The day was finished with an acoustic duo and witty banter from Nine Below Zero’s founder members Dennis Greaves & Mark Feltham.
Up on the Riverside stage both Chris Bevington Organisation & Connor Selby were brilliant to listen to and played to packed crowds.
The 2025 Upton Blues Festival takes place between 16th to 25th July 2025.
