Tag Archives: west holts stage

After all, what is a festival or concert without its audience, but an empty field or room? The communal celebration as a gathering of people engrossed in the celebration of music has no equal. Attempts at explanation fall short, words expressing themselves as self-indulgent jibberish, yet we know that sense of connection is real. A short period when I become us. The moment of realisation that a single purchase sitting amongst a collection, the downloaded file occupying your hard-drive, or a streaming code reassembling itself on your mobile is connected to a community. It’s the discovery of a new sound, the uncertainty and doubtful expressions shared with a stranger. The connection and consciousness that we share much more in common than what divides us.

A collection of West Holts audience photographs taken during the 2017 festival. 

Tonight the Streets Are Ours

By 1963, Duane Eddy had already etched his name into music history, having sold over 12 million records—an astonishing feat that marked him as one of the true pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll guitar. What makes the West Holts Stage so uniquely special is its ability to bridge generations through music. It’s a place where the legends who may have slipped quietly past the radar of younger audiences can still shine brightly, and where emerging artists step forward to pay homage to those who shaped their own musical journeys.

On Sunday, 26th June 2011, this beautiful tradition unfolded in a memorable moment when Richard Hawley, a modern torchbearer of guitar-driven storytelling, joined Duane Eddy on the West Holts Stage. Together, they created a magical celebration—a meeting of past and present, respect and inspiration, showing how timeless influence can be when true artists come together.

Sound Propagation

The heat of June settles over the fields as the crowds begin to gather for the beloved West Holts ritual: a crisp cider in hand, catching up with old friends, and hunting down something delicious to eat. These photographs, taken on a Thursday in 2010, capture a moment just before the magic unfolds. The stage is 99% ready for the opening band the next day, and the air hums with a quiet anticipation. As the sun dips lower, a gentle chill rolls in, coaxing everyone to shed the weight of their everyday lives and ease into the festival spirit.

There’s a special moment here that the crew hold dear — the Sound Propagation Test. Usually happening early Thursday evening, once the PA rig is set up, it’s when the system is fired up with some recorded music for a short while. To the crowd, the first notes crackling through the speakers ignite a cheer — for some, it’s like a medieval horn, a beckoning call to gather and celebrate. It’s the unofficial signal that West Holts is coming alive.

Jazz

The transition from Jazz World to the West Holts Stage happened in 2010 — a year that, digging through old hard drives, clearly lives up to its memory as a scorchingly hot summer. The photos from that time reveal a festival crowd not just ready to soak up the music but also inventively deploying every creative means to find—or fashion—their own patch of shade. We’ll dive into those sun-smart snapshots soon enough, but for now, let’s start here.

That year marked a turning point behind the scenes, with a series of technical upgrades introduced to support our ever-growing audience. The stage itself saw fresh new dressings that added a fresh visual flair, though the much-anticipated side screens were still absent. The evolution was underway, setting the stage for what West Holts would soon become.

 

1998

Friday Evening

Portishead

Cornershop (if memory serves me right they also headlined the Other Stage on Saturday night too).

Faithless

Saturday Evening

Roni Size and Reprazent 

The Roots

Amanpondo feat. Juno Reactor

Sunday Evening

D-Influence

Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters

Dr John

Over the weekend Tortoise and Terry Callier also featured on the Jazz Stage line up. My two abiding memories of that year were not actually Jazz Stage related, but watching Sonic Youth rip it up on Pyramid after the Tony Bennett legend’s slot. And watching Joe Strummer perform for the last time. In fact, that is me (right) with an old friend with the Mescaleros feat. Joe Strummer in the background. 

 

Roots Manuva: Jazz Stage 2009

Digging Through the Archives: Roots Manuva and Festival Memories. This time of year, as I gear up for the upcoming festival season, I finally get around to cleaning out my hard drives and sorting through old files. In the process, I stumbled across a stash of photographs that instantly took me back—like this one of Roots Manuva from 11 years ago.

Back then, our event was still known as the Jazz Stage, and that year’s lineup was nothing short of legendary. Alongside Roots Manuva, we hosted an incredible roster including Q-Tip, Playing for Change, Lamb, The Streets, The Black Eyed Peas, Baaba Maal, Steel Pulse, and many more.

Looking back at these snapshots reminds me just how vibrant and eclectic those festival days were.


Mix-Tapes

Vol.1: Leo’s Sunshipp, Pete El Conde Rodriguez, Johnny Hammond, Orchestra Harlow, Billy Stewart, Chuck Carbo, Robert Parker, Broadneck, Johnny Otis Show, The Gil Evans Orchestra.

Vol.2: Ofege, People’s Choice, Funkadelic, Edwin Star, Betty Davis, Lil Buck & The Top Cats, Skip Easterling, Cymande, Fabulous Emotions, Barry White.

Vol.3: Robert Belfour, Sly & The Revolutionaries, Charlie Louvin, Centers, The Lafayette Afro Rock Band, Afrissipi, The Selector.

Vol.4: Air, Mum, The Bees, 1 Giant Leap, Craig Armstrong, Moby, Badmarsh and Shri.