THE Hanwell Hootie is back and could be the biggest yet as the free festival celebrates its 10th anniversary.
It’s also a landmark year for the music industry.
Marshall Amps opened its first shop in Hanwell in 1960 and then, in 1962, launched the revolutionary Marshall Amp for guitars, making this year its 60th anniversary.
The shop’s early customers included Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Ronnie Wood, Jimmy Page and other now-legendary rock guitarists.
The Hanwell Hootie was started in 2012 to celebrate the life of Jim Marshall (or The Father of Loud, as he became known) who died that year.
The first festival was held in April 2013 to mark the first anniversary of Jim’s passing – starting with the unveiling of a plaque by the art deco Hanwell clock tower to honour him.
This year, to mark the double anniversary celebrations, the Hootie will run across two days, with more than 25,000 people expected to attend.
On Friday, May 6, headliners will include Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, the high-energy punk rock band that released their fourth album last year. It is being called the Marshall Hootie and tickets to the night can be bought in advance online at www.marshall.com/hootie
Of the £15 cost, a fiver from each ticket will be donated to the charity Youth Music that supports young musicians.
On Saturday, May 7, the traditional day-night Hanwell Hootie will be in full- low and it will be free for all to attend. More than 100 bands will play across 15 venues, and the famous Hootie Busking Bus will be found in the car park of the Viaduct pub.
From 1pm until late, there will be music in pubs, St Mellitus Church and in two outdoor locations – Sandy Park and Viaduct Meadow (which features the main stage and is opposite Ealing Hospital).
A food festival will offer all kinds of cuisine in Viaduct Meadow and Sandy Park.
From 8pm, the Big Top in Viaduct Meadow will host a series of musical comedy presented by the Bearcat Comedy Club.
June Martin, director of Hanwell Hootie Music Festival CIC, said: “We will draw in thousands of people and we are pleased about the positive economic impact it will have on local businesses post-COVID.
“Though it is free all day for anyone to attend, we decided to also respond to demand from local people for some priority ticketing to be available too.
“So, to enable families to come and avoid being put off by queuing with children, there will be a limited ‘priority ticket’ available for £10 between 1pm and 6pm that will allow an adult and a child to skip the queue."
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