Bingley Music Live

Bingley Music Live is an annual music festival held in Myrtle Park (external link), Bingley, West Yorkshire. The festival features a range of musical genres including rock, alternative rock, indie rock and pop music. Organised by Bradford Council, it is held on the Saturday and Sunday at the end August, with one of the days having free admission. First held in 2007 it was shortlisted in the ‘Best New Festival’ category of the Virtual Festival Awards [reference 1] The ethos of the event is to present high quality music at an affordable price and give a platform for local bands from across West Yorkshire to a large audience. [reference 2]

History Bingley Music Live evolved from a previous event at the same venue called Music At Myrtle (external link). Music at Myrtle was first held in 1991, had free admission, and featured headline performances by tribute acts and bands from the 1960’s and 1970s, such as The Searchers, Alvin Stardust, local band Smokie, Suzi Quatro, Shawaddywaddy, Hot Chocolate, Edwin Starr]] and Boney M. In 1998 it became a two day event with the addition of The Pulse Party in The Park (external link). Programming for the Party in the Park was by local radio station, Pulse FM and featured contemporary pop acts, such as Rachel Stevens, McFly, Liberty X, Busted and Gareth Gates. 2007 saw a change in musical direction for Music At Myrtle with Ocean Colour Scene as the headline act (external link).

In February 2007 it was announced that the event was to be cancelled because of escalating costs, shrinking audiences and a decline in support from the music industry for this type of event [reference 3].

Bingley Music Live 2007(External Link) Bradford Council took on the sole responsibility for organising the event giving it a new identity as Bingley Music Live in September that year [reference 2].

Saturday 1st September Line up: From The Jam, The Bluetones, White Light Parade, The Touch, Splash Alley, The Analogue Bombs, Sharp Darts. Free Admission

Sunday 2nd September Line Up: The Charlatans, The Twang, Milburn (band)/Milburn, Elliot Minor, Random Hand, Scars on 45, The Good Die Young, Talk to Angels. Ticketed day.

Bingley Music Live 2008 Event [reference 4] Saturday 30th August Line Up: Happy Mondays, Scouting For Girls, The Automatic, Terrorvision, Delays, Infadels, Ebony Bones, Sergeant, Billy The Kid, Michael Mallinson. Ticketed day.

Sunday 31st August Line Up: Echo & The Bunnymen, Alabama 3, Natty, The King Blues, Jubilee 9band)/Jubilee, The Sylvias, Desert Eskimo, Redwire, Hundred Dollar Cigar. - Free Admission

External Links Bingley Music Live website http://www.bingleymusiclive.com/

References [1] http://bradford.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4F32B08E-DC55-4B5D-ACBF-3E3AE2AD25EC/0/compride0806augustseptember.pdf [2] http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/content/articles/2007/08/29/bingley_music_live_2007_feature.shtml [3] http://archive.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/2007/2/21/193144.html [4] http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/videoandpictures/videonews/46550/read/