This year’s Dundee Blues Bonanza an event which normally brings an estimated 12,000 people into the city centre has been cancelled.
Organisers have confirmed that, due to health issues, the volunteer committee members have decided to take a break and have notified around 200 bands who were hoping to take part this summer.
The cancellation of what has been billed as Europe’s biggest free blues festival will be greeted with huge disappointment not only among blues bands, musicians and fans but Dundonians in general, thousands of whom look forward to their annual weekend of wall-to-wall music in the city’s pubs and clubs.
Organiser Bob Telford told The Courier: “It’s not going to happen this year. We’re taking a year out. We’re tired and the volunteers have other things in their life to do, so we’re not going ahead this year.
“We do intend to come back next year. We’ve done 19 years and we just want a little break from it.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=z6pQSxM2Oj8%3Frel%3D0
“We’re looking after our health and we want to have a rest. All the bands have been notified. We’ve spoken to about 200 of them.
“We’ve had a hell of a lot of support from the bands. They know what it takes to put this on and they know the reasons why we’ve cancelled it this year.”
The organisers also cited funding issues plus the counter attraction of football’s World Cup as reasons for the cancellation.
A statement on the Blues Bonanza website said: “Very regretfully, due to several issues, including health, funding and World Cup etc, the Dundee Blues Bonanza committee have decided that the festival will not take place this year.
“We intend to take a year out and come back refreshed and raring to go in 2015. Hopefully with more corporate support.
“Thanks all musicians and fans for your invaluable support and friendship over the years and we are now confirming this so that you may make other arrangements.”
More than 30 venues regularly host more than 120 acts over the Blues Bonanza weekend, which traditionally takes place on the last weekend in June.
Among the previous headliners are Li’l Jimmy Reed, LA songstress Kat Pearson and Muddy Waters’ son Mud Morganfield.
This year’s event was due to take place on June 27, 28 and 29.