Wendy WilliamsIT kicked off over a quiet beer between a music fan and a musician.
Bar owner Paul Darwent and friend Markus, a guitarist and singer, were wondering how they could get a bigger gig together in the mountains.
“And within a couple of months we had organised our first Allioli Music Festival,” explains Paul, who runs the popular Bar Allioli, in Jimera de Libar, in the Guadiaro Valley.
The event in 2009 proved to be a roaring success, with the Spanish locals particularly enjoying the antics of tree surgeon Kit Hogg and his glam rock band Biagra, who herald from nearby Gaucin.
Last year the event got bigger, taking place at a local camp site, but despite being an idyllic setting, it has been decided to hold it again in the square in front of Darwent’s bar.
This year as well as Biagra, who are headlining the event on June 18, there will be the popular Celtic fusion, motown and rock group the Stolen Gnomes.
Meanwhile Costa del Sol musician John Wild has put together a Rock & Roll combo with Mel Williams, who is one of the Lonnie Donnegan crowd. Rock ‘n’ Roll ‘n’ Sunshine! The Reverend Richard John should delight all lovers of blues and soul music.
A marquee will be erected and there are a number of stalls selling artisan products, gifts and a range of foods, in particular, a South African Braai.
The event is also scheduled to launch the Allioli Weisse Bier made by Kettal a microbrewery in Los Barrios.
The seven hours of music starts at 1pm when the train arrives from Algeciras. The last train goes at 8.15pm and everything will start winding down around 10pm. There is an entrance fee of two euros to help cover the cost of the music.
Visit www.barallioli.com for more info.
