Thursday 16th June

Diggle Hotel                Dave Speight    

The Gate Inn                Racketeers                    

Friday 17th June

Wizards Hollow          Stone Cold Heat

Diggle Band Club      Bridgewater Blues Band        

Saturday 18th June

Diggle Lock                 Delta Grooves

Kilngreen Hall             Headhunters Blues Band                            

Diggle Band Club      Teresa Watson Band 

Wizards Hollow          The Hexmen

Sunday 19th June

Grandpa Greene’s      Howlin’ Mat

Diggle Band Club      John Montana Trio

Kilngreen Hall             Five Points Gang

ARTIST INFO FOR DIGGLE BLUES FESTIVAL 2022

DAVE SPEIGHT at the Diggle Hotel, Thursday 7.15 – 8.30pm
Dave is a veteran accoustic blues guitarist having been in the blues business for 50 years. His blues credentials were recognised when he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame of England in 2017. Dave has had some prestigious gigs and played last year on the main stage of one of the UK’s biggest Blues gatherings, the Skegness Rock and Blues Festival. We’ve not been to the Diggle Hotel for a few years but Dave is sure to get our Festival off to a great start.

THE RACKETEERS at the Gate Inn, Thursday 9 – 11pm
A local band, you may have seen the members in other bands, two of the members, Lee and Karl are in Stone Sole River and the fabulous guitarist Bobby Grant also fronts rock band Snakewater. These guys, all top musicians, can play rock, blues and a hint of soul but tonight they are concentrating on their blues repertoire. Another great act on our opening night.

STONE COLD HEAT at the Gate Inn, Friday 7.15 – 8.30pm
The drummer of this band, Howard Lees, was a member of the Time Splinter Blues Band when they appeared on the very first Diggle Blues Festival in 2010. He’s been a member of several bands since, and although being a talented multi intrumentalist, this veteran bluesman is sticking to drums and vocals tonight, ably supported by lead and bass guitar in the trio.

DELTA ROADS at the Diggle Band Club, Friday 9 – 11pm
Now for some laid back sounds of Delta Roads. These guys cover the spectrum of music genres playing easy listening from the blues and beyond. Yes another local band, Oldham based, we bring you the best we can find throughout the country but we can’t forget our local talent. These guys can hold their own against bands we have coming from afar and they are too good to leave out of this festival on their own doorstep.

HOWLIN’ MAT at Grandpa Greene’s, Saturday 3 – 4.15pm
There’s a great blues scene in the North East and Mat travelled down from there in 2017 to do a spot for us at the Gate Inn. He has toured Europe several times playing the blues with a variety of guitars which includes my favourite cigar box guitar, changing guitars to suit the blues sounds both old and new. In 2017, I was so impressed with his version of Muddy Waters ‘Country Blues’ when I heard him at the Gate that I filmed it and went home and learnt it on my Diddley Bow, can’t say it comes up to his standard though.

DELTA GROOVES at Diggle Lock, Saturday 4.45 – 6pm
Well we’ve had Delta Roads, now we’re going to get Delta Grooves. This band from York is made up of guitarists Dave Smith and Karl Moon from the Half Hand Hoodoo Band and ace harmonica player Tom Cocks who used to front his own band T.C. and the Moneymakers. The band play a mix of different blues styles from the slide of Muddy Waters ‘Louisianna Blues’ to the swing of Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vincents ‘Kidney Stew Blues’. I’ve seen Half Hand Hoodoo Band and also Tom Cocks in his band, so I’m looking forward to see how the two outfits marry up – I’m sure it will be a winner.

THE HEAD HUNTERS BLUES BAND at Kilngreen Hall, Saturday 6.30 – 8.30pm
This band from Liverpool are really making some waves on the blues scene, we’ve had a few great bands from there and I feel this is going to be another one. They have a Chicago blues style and rework the old songs to an electric sound featuring songs by Muddy Waters, Tampa Red, Blind Willie Johnson, Tommy McClennon and more. Looking forward to this one.

THE TERESA WATSON BAND at the Diggle Band Club, Saturday 9 – 11pm
The North East figures again with this band. Several of the members were also in the Groove-a-matics who appeared at the Band Club in 2018. This time with Teresa Watson on vocals and award winning guitarist John Whitehill who played for many years with Paul lamb and the Kingsnakes. Teresa is amongst our top UK lady blues singers, well respected in the blues fraternity.

BLIND JUSTICE PAGE at the Gate Inn, Sunday 1.45 – 3pm
This is a blues band with an old-time feel who mix original material with some well chosen covers. Their musical inspiration comes from the likes of Robert Johnson,Mississippi John Hurt and Bessie Smith with some Woody Guthrie and Jimmy Rodgers in the mix. Their philosophy is that two great traditions of country blues and old time hillbilly music have so much in common and should be mixed up whenever possible. They are a 3 piece band, Steve Page and Kevin Jones handle the vocals, guitar, slide guitar, banjo and harmonica between them and Sally Page is the rhythm section on washboard and suitcase bass drum.

STOCKPORT BLUES SOCIETY at the Diggle Band Club, Sunday 3.30 to 5.30pm
This band is the house band of the Stockport Blues Society . The band, led by fabulous guitarist Jon Ingham meets for a jam session on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Spinning Top which is on the main A6 in Stockport under the Garrick Theatre. We’ve been over several times and had great nights with not only a great house band but quality musicians doing a spot jamming with the band. The band also includes on keyboards Rod Mayall, brother of blues legend John Mayall who originally came from Stockport. Any blues fan would love a Stockport Blues Society get together, just as you’re going to love their spot at the Band Club. They are having a Stockport Blues Festival of their own in September and 6 of us have already got tickets for the event.

THE BACKWATER ROLL BLUES BAND at Kilngreen Hall, Sunday 6 – 8pm
I saw this band a few years ago at Scarborough Blues Festival and thought then that they would be a great band for Diggle. Although they come from Southampton, these guys have done several gigs up North and they’re happy to travel, having done several trips over the channel to Belgium and Holland and Blues Festivals all over the UK. This harmonica driven band with the big guy up front has quality musicians with fabulous solos from the two guitarists who regularly swap over as main guitar. Absolutely top band to close the festival.