County Durham musicians to perform at Durham Miners’ Gala party

Original article appeared in Chronicle Live.

A host of North East musicians will perform at the Durham Miners’ Gala Punky Reggae Party at Alington House in Durham on Saturday, July 9

Thousands of people are expected to descend on Durham for the 132nd Durham Miners’ Gala next weekend.

The city will be full of awash with colourful and inspiring banners and brass or silver bands as the annual parade takes place on Saturday, July 9.

This year’s Gala is going beyond its traditional early evening wind-down in order to showcase some of County Durham ’s best musicians with a special Punky Reggae party at Alington House in the city centre.

The People’s Bookshop have teamed up with Jam Jah to lay on an eclectic line-up of Durham musicians at Alington House on Saturday July to showcase their talent.

The Garden Stage will kick things off with acoustic sets from Seaham’s This Little Bird, Joe Solo and Peterlees’s Jordan Kirkup between 5pm to 7pm, before Newcastle’s Jazz Riot and Peterlee’s The Kets take things notch in the front room from 7:15pm until 8:30pm.

Bubamara will then bring their fizzy, folk/punk take on the hits of the Mediterranean to the main stage from 8:45pm, along with Durham rockabilly group The Groove Diggers and Pity Me’s pop-punk act No Ditching.

These acts will be pulling out all the stops to get Durham dancing and in between live sets Jam Jah DJ’s Lazy Dave and Dave Jam will keep things ticking over until the party ends at 2am.

As always, when The People’s Bookshop get involved with something it’s not just about music or books and this time they are getting right behind The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign.

TOTAJC is determined to get justice for miners who were victims of police lies and cover ups at Orgreave in June 1984. The campaign is strictly non-party political and welcomes support from anyone who has genuine concerns about the pattern of deception and cover up that characterised police behaviour not only at Orgreave but throughout the coalfields during the 1984/85 strike.

The Durham Miners’ Gala’s Punky Reggae Party will take place on Saturday, July 9 at Alington House, 4 North Bailey, Durham City, DH1 3ET between 4pm and 2am. Tickets are £5 on the door and are also available in person from The People’s Bookshop or from www.peoplesbookshop.co.uk .