Thornhill Blues Festival

We are staging this years fundraiser at The Deerhunter, Sanquhar on Sunday 9th October starting at 3.00pm.

There are four bands lined up to perform, Pablo Eskimo will be there for the first time along with The Seventh Sons who played at the Thornhill Blues Festival back in May.

Two bands back by demand are our very own Sinister Footwear and the ever popular Wiseguys.

Admission will be £5.00 at the door.

Get yourself there early and enjoy a great day of live music!

What a weekend in Thornhill: the pubs were mobbed on Friday and Saturday as a raft of blues bands played at the first festival. Were you there? Who was your stand-out favourite at the main event?

Leave your comments or click the links below to review the bands at the main event…

Chantel McGregor
Blues’n'Trouble
Oli Brown Band
Aynsley Lister

We have been informed by the local constabulary of a local by-law banning the consumption of alcohol in the streets of Thornhill.

Please comply with this ruling and help make the event trouble free.

The local hotels are starting to fill up now, for those coming to the event and are looking for somewhere to stay there are guest houses and hotels in the surrounding villages of Moniaive, Closeburn and Sanquhar.

12 miles south in Dumfries there are a large number of places available to stay at.

We have finally got the band line up for the pubs, ticket sales are going well and the most importent issue is the change of venue for the main part of the event.

We have now secured the use of the Bailley Hall within the newly built Wallace Hall Academy. The hall has disabled access and is more suitable for our needs with a large stage and better sound proofing.

We must draw your attention to one of the conditions of let is that there is a STRICT NO SMOKING POLICY within the building and the school grounds.

We do not see this as being too much of a problem as it’s only a very short walk to the gates. We would appreciate it if all smokers would comply with this condition and not let it have an effect on the letting of the venue for future events.

Tickets for the main blues event on Saturday 30th April are still on sale

The event venue is now confirmed as the Bailley Hall within the newly built Wallace Hall Academy

Buy tickets online or at:

BARNSTORM RECORDS, DUMFRIES

THOMAS TOSH, VIRGINHALL, THORNHILL

NITH VALLEY EMBROIDERY, SANQUHAR

Deerhunter Fundraiser – Sunday 10th October 2010.

Were you there? If the answer is no then you missed an awesome gig…if the answer is yes then you already know just how awesome it was! Thornhill Blues, with the co-operation of Jackie and Violet Thomas, mine hosts of the Deerhunter, staged another fundraiser for next years blues festival.

Five incredible bands played out of their shoes to guarantee the day was a success, and the first band, “The Rainbow Stairs” set the yardstick for the rest of the day. Playing covers by the likes of Cream, Rory Gallagher, Santana and Robin Trower, they had the crowd on their feet from the first track!

Next up came The Wise Guys, a more traditional blues outfit with keyboards and sax adding to their authentic sound, evoking visions of smoke-filled bars in Memphis or Chicago.

Then the eclectic mix that is Sinister Footwear, with songs ranging from Ian Dury through the Grateful Dead via ZZ Top to Peter Green, the “Footwear” are nothing if not diverse.

Following them came Lanarkshire’s We’re With McReedy, a rocking outfit playing original material that was recieved warmly by the enthusiastic crowd.

Last but by no means least, the incredible Earl Grey and the Loose Leaves, a young band with old heads on their shoulders, blowing up a storm of self-penned tracks from their eponymous album, rooted in the blues but  highly original, harp player Corey Gibson and the rest of the “Leaves” are undoubtedly heading for bigger and better things

As the old saying goes “Watch this space”…So its onwards and upwards for next April, and if the Deerhunter gig was anything to go by it looks like being “a cracker”. Thornhill Blues would like to thank Jackie and Violet (The Deerhunter), all the bands who played, “Blackie” and Nicola for the amazing sound system and everyone who came to listen, thanks all.