Go back to Press Articles page 1 July 2008 - www.cambridge.gov.uk Murray Hockridge and Dave Kilminster to play City Centre Management will be holding the first ever Buskers & Street Performers Festival in the streets of Cambridge city centre and on Christ's Pieces from Tuesday 29 July until Thursday 31 July. We hope this festival will be a huge success and will look to build on it in future years. There will be a diverse range of music and dance throughout the city centre, with buskers from all over the region taking part. Heather Bevan-Hunt, festival organiser, says "I am delighted with the response to the festival and encourage Cambridge residents, visitors and businesses to come along and watch the performances that are taking place over the three-day period. "We have managed to secure an eclectic mix of performances including a variety of musical groups, solo guitarists, dance acts, African drummers, Egyptian dancers, steel bands and many more," she goes on to say. "The aim of the festival is to celebrate and embrace all of the talent and culture we have in the city centre when it comes to street performances, but to also educate the busking community and increase their awareness of the need to follow the street performers' code of practice." A full programme of performances will be printed in the Cambridge Evening News and online at www.cambridge.gov.uk, and will also be available on the day. We will be holding a competition for the public to vote for their favourite busker. A coupon for voting will appear in the Cambridge Evening News the week before the festival and will also be available in the tourist information centre on Wheeler Street and at the information desk at the Grafton Centre. This free three-day event will begin at 11am through to 5pm (8pm on Wednesday) and should create a fabulous atmosphere in the city. Scenes from the festival will be captured on canvas by local artist Valerie Weir. To support the festival we have managed to secure four of the best musicians from the Cambridge area to showcase their act on the steps of the Guildhall on Wednesday 30 July. Hot Lips & Chilli Fingers will kick off proceedings at 1pm. Steve Lockwood and Chris Newman who make up the band have been playing together for seven years and have got a history of busking the Cambridge scene, with Steve starting out some 22 years ago. He then moved on to busk throughout Europe before securing gigs with the likes of Larry Adler and Screaming Lord Such. He has recorded an incredible 60 albums with acts worldwide, including some with both the Royal and Prague Philharmonic Orchestras. He has recently described his career as "from busker to Royal Philharmonic and back again". Chris started his musical career back in the 70s forming bands including Warlock, Alimony, and later joined the John Slaughter Blues Band. As a member of the Soul Survivors Chris recorded the song Wooly Bully with the infamous Vinnie Jones, and more recently a new acoustic album for Hot Lips & Chilli Fingers. Chris has also just played at the London International Music Show on the same bill as jazz legend Courtney Pine, guitarist Joe Satriani and Led Zeppelin drummer Jason Bonham. Next up is Murray Hockridge and Dave Kilminster. Acclaimed guitarist Kilminster and vocalist Hockridge are sure to get the crowd going with their individual style, mixing vocals and guitar sounds that fans and critics love and flock to but find impossible to describe. Kilminster is more recently known for his work touring the world as lead guitarist and vocalist with Roger Waters' Dark Side of the Moon tour. Hockridge is familiar with the Cambridge busking scene as he was a regular busker in Cambridge throughout 2004 and 2005. Both bands will play a 15-minute acoustic set. All four musicians are delighted to be performing at the festival and encourage all Cambridge residents and visitors to come along and see the talent on offer throughout the three days. For more information please contact Heather Bevan-Hunt on 01223 457315, or email heather.bevanhunt@cambridge.gov.uk.
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