NEXT month's Ealing Blues Festival will have one of its most adventurous programmes since its inception in 1987, according to founder and artistic director Robert Hokum.  

He said: “This year, we have an unprecedented range of blue-based music from the classic west London R&B of The Manfreds and The Eel Pie All Stars, to the tequila-fuelled goodtime Tex-Mex sound of Los Pacaminos and Britain’s most outrageous all-female band, The Vampirettes.”  

Headlining on Saturday, July 22, are The Manfreds. For Paul Jones and Tom McGuiness, the Blues Festival gig will mark a return to Ealing 60 years after they first appeared at the Ealing Club 1963 in what was then known as the Mann-Hugg Blues Band.

The group took over the Rolling Stones’ weekly residency at thecClub  and appeared frequently until early 1964 by when, as Manfred Mann, they’d scored the first of many UK top five hits with 5-4-3-2-1.

Not long afterwards they became the first group from the South of England to have a number one single in the US with Do Wah Diddy Diddy. 

Robert Hokum said: “The festival started as a bit of fun for a few local bands but it’s grown to become one of the best-attended blues gigs in the UK.  

“Our community-based roots continue to be reflected in low advance admission ticket prices.”  

Tickets are available now from https://www.ticketline.co.uk/ealing-summer-festivals