Legends at Rhythm Festival

Richard Young

Published: 10:39 AM August 11, 2011

Updated: 7:56 PM November 1, 2020

With a line-up featuring some of the greatest names in rock, punk, pop, blues and reggae this year’s Rhythm Festival offers up three days of legends in two weeks time.

The festival in Old Warden Park takes place from August 26 to 28 with a who’s who of acts aimed at the MOJO magazine loving crowd.

Headliners Buzzcocks, Nick Lowe and Toots And The Maytals are joined by Jack Bruce, Steve Cropper and The Animals, Hazel O’Connor, The Blockheads, Pretty Things, The Blockheads and loads more.

Other highlights include the be-quiffed rockabilly star Imelda May - singlehandedly bringing the genre back from the crypt and Mississipi bluesman Eddie C Campbell - who at 12-years-old earned a guest spot with Muddy Waters at the 1125 club in Chicago and went on to ride around the city on a purple motorbike with a red Fender Jazzmaster on his back.

Founded in 2006 by veteran music promoter Jim Driver, the festival has had some mighty headliners over the past five years including Jerry Lee Lewis, Big Star, John Mayall’s Blues Breakers and Jefferson Starship.

This year the festival is also reaching out to younger music lovers with the additional of its Secret Showcase stage which Jim said will feature “young and up-and-coming acts from around the world.”

Billed as ‘Britain’s Happiest Festival’, Jim said the ethos of the festival is to attract real music lovers without fleecing them: “Rhythm is a family festival for people who like festivals, but who don’t like rip-off burgers, terrible food and indifferent booze.”