Phuket Blues Festival And Blue Sky Air Show Set To Play To Large Crowds This Weekend

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Phuket Blues Festival and Blue Sky Air Show set to play to large crowds this weekend

Phuket Gazette

Irish rocker Grainne Duffy will be among the stars on stage tonight at the Phuket International Blues Rock Fest.

World-renowned stunt pilot Les Vorosmarthy will be amazing the crowds at the Phuket Blue Sky Air Show over Surin Beach tomorrow afternoon. Photo: Norman Yusof

PHUKET: -- Only hours away, this year's Phuket International Blues Rock Festival is set to bring the canvas roof down at its new venue in the Festival Marquee at the Laguna Beach Resort's Y-Junction.

It is the place to be today and tomorrow for a sublime celebration of blues rock music with some of the finest musicians ever to appear on Phuket.

Chris Thomas King from the US is simply a blues legend with a literally record-breaking music background.

Prior to King's performance, Irish rocker Grainne Duffy will hold court. Her music pedigree is unassailable, having played at many of music's top venues, including Glastonbury.

Other music acts to keep an ear out for this evening are Sky High from Sweden, TOKEN from Thailand, Moscow fish from Canada, Jack Derwin from Australia, and Phuket's own Rockin Angels with Mojo Perry from the USA.

Tomorrow, the Stuart Bush Band starts the evening's entertainment, followed by Phuket's Colin Hill Band accompanied by Jimmy Fame and P Jae Stanley.

Ricky Zen and Gazette editor Marc Mulloy return to co-present the festival. This year, however, clean-shaven professionalism gives way to bearded shenanigans, with both MCs intending to give the audience a taste of their unique brand of entertainment.

The biggest festival in its six-year history, this one is not to be missed.

Gates open today at 6pm, but acoustic performances will be given in the lobbies of the Laguna Beach Resort, the Dusit Thani, the Angsana and the Best Western Allamanda from 3pm onwards.

The same schedule applies tomorrow, so get your tickets now for a wild weekend of incredible entertainment.

For more information contact organizer Andy Anderson on 086-682 2639 or [email protected].

Meanwhile, the White Sand / Blue Sky Airshow scheduled for tomorrow afternoon over Surin Beach has been confirmed by the Thai aviation authorities and will see aeorbatics ace Les Vorosmarthy performing spectacular stunts from around 4pm onward.

Free of charge, this show is guaranteed to shock, with spins, slips, barrel rolls, snap rolls, wing-overs, loops, waterfalls, 'Immelmanns', upside-down everythings, and who-knows-what-else.

Although the wingsuit flight has not been approved by the authorities, Birdman Jari Kuosma will be on hand at the event to meet and chat with sky diving enthusiasts wishing to share their experiences and passion for the sport.

Jari will demonstrate his wingsuit and offer his immense knowledge of the history, technology and joys of flight without an aircraft or a parachute.

Both of these big events this weekend are proudly sponsored by the Phuket Gazette.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle12407.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-02-24

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Phuket Blues and Rock fest feasts on talent

Phuket Gazette

CLASS ACT: Swedish group Sky High with guitarist Clas Yngstrom clad in leopard print. Photo: Christian Mouchet

AkashA.Their exciting brand of instrumental rock using modern and traditional Indian instruments had the crowds bounding around in front of the stage. Photo: Christian Mouchet

PHUKET: -- Friday nights don’t get much better. A superb venue and organization matched with a range of music that voiced soulful lyrics and pumped out thumping rock rifts helped kickstart the 2012 Phuket International Blues Rock festival at Laguna Beach Resort last night.

A slightly later than scheduled opening allowed visitors to drift in to the Festival Marquee having not missed the first acts of Australian Jack Derwin and the emotive Moscowfish from Canada.

Phuket’s Rockin’ Angels upped the tempo with their set that included an adrenalin driven version of JJ Cale’s classic rock anthem Cocaine with young stars Paul Mulloy and Rianne Davies impressing the big names in the audience.

If it weren't for a blond guitarist clearly loving every moment on stage, it seemed that Santana was live in Phuket. Thailand’s award-winning tribute band are truly a credit to the Mexican legend and his style of salsa and jazz fusion.

A powerful Swedish contingent exploded with enthusiasm as Sky High hit the stage, and rightly so. The only thing louder than the magnificent music was Clas Yngstrom’s leopard skin suit that will go well with the pink guitar strap presented to him by event organizer Andy Andersen – an awesome combination.

A sprint through raffle prizes was followed by an extraordinary performance from Malaysian group AkashA.Their exciting brand of instrumental rock using modern and traditional Indian instruments had the crowds bounding around in front of the stage.

Not on the program was Stephanie Keys from San Francisco, who literally caused hairs to stand on end with her unaccompanied and compelling rendition of Janis Joplin’s Mercedes Benz and later I need a man, that was expertly challenged in jest by MC Ricky Zen.

Tonight’s lineup promises more exhilarating music with the Stuart Bush Band getting the party going at 6pm. Colin Hill with Jimmy Fame and P Jae Stanley add a Phuket flavor to the stellar mix before the fabulous Grainne Duffy from Ireland and Australia’s John Meyer’s Blues Express get the pulses raised.

The crescendo reaches its peak when headliner Chris Thomas King belts out his blues set, sheduled for 10:45pm.

Anyone with a love for music will love this event. Get to Laguna this evening for an evening that’s guaranteed to impress.

For tickets visit phuketgazette.net/tickets or phuketbluesfestival.com. For more information contact organizer Andy Anderson on 086-682 2639 or email [email protected].

The Phuket Gazette along with 91.5FM and Laguna Phuket are sponsors of the 2012 Phuket International Blues Rock Festival.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2012/article12413.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-02-25