The Manfreds to Return To Ealing After Sixty Years
Headlining this year's 'adventurous and exciting' Ealing Blues Festival
The Manfreds pictured in a recent performance
June 22, 2023
This year’s Ealing Blues Festival will see the return of legendary act The Manfreds sixty years after the band first played the Ealing Club.
For members Paul Jones and Tom McGuiness, the gig on Saturday 22 July will mark a return to the area after they first appeared at the Ealing Club 1963 as what was then known as the Mann-Hugg Blues Band. The group took over the Rolling Stones’ weekly residency at the Club and appeared frequently until early 1964 by when, as Manfred Mann they’d scored the first of many UK top five hits with 5-4-3-2-1. Not long afterwards they became the first group from the South of England have a number one single in the US with Do Wah Diddy Diddy.
Festival founder and artistic director Robert Hokum says that next month's festival will have one of its most adventurous and exciting programmes since its inception in 1987.
He added, “This year we have an unprecedented range of blue-based music from the classic west London R&B of The Manfreds and The Eel Pie All Stars, to the tequila-fuelled goodtime Tex-Mex sound of Los Pacaminos and Britain’s most outrageous all-female band, The Vampirettes.
“It’s fantastic to have secured such a legendary act, especially as Paul and Tom got started 60 years ago at the Ealing Club. I’m also pleased to be able to showcase some new young talent in the shape of The Hornets – the best west London four-piece band since The Who, and the Powerjam band project.
“The Ealing Blues Festival started as a community event as a bit of fun for a few local bands, but it’s grown to become one of the best attended blues gigs in the UK combining serious music with sheer entertainment with an ethos to combine up-and-coming acts with established talent and to support the performers of the future.
“Our community-based roots continue to be reflected in low advance admission ticket prices.”
The Hornets bring their energetic brand of R&B to the 2023 Festival
Tickets are available now.
The 36th Ealing Blues Festival takes place over the weekend of 22-23 July in Walpole Park, Ealing, W5 5EQ. It is run by The Event Umbrella on behalf of Ealing Council and is part of Ealing Summer Festivals a series of music, comedy, and culture in west London.
The Great West Groove Big Band featuring Festival founder Robert Hokum performing at the 2022 Ealing Blues Festival.
The festival was started in 1987 by Robert Hokum, the blues musician alter-ego of Bob Salmons. With audiences having reached 10,000 people, it has grown to become one of the biggest blues events in Britain. In May 2022 Salmons was awarded the Unsung Hero Award by the UK Blues Federation for his work in promoting live music and Ealing’s music heritage.
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