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Photos by Geoffrey Head
We’ve had a lot of people message us since the 2023 festival ended, congratulating us on a job well done. While we appreciate what you’ve had to say, we also have to point out that without the venues to host the events and without the bands who play the gigs, and without the people who come to see them, we wouldn’t have a festival at all. So, the thanks goes to you, the audience, to the musicians & performers and to the venues. You are all fabulous!
Here are some highlights from Malvern Rocks 2013 to give you a flavour of the festival.
Malvern Rocks was part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Malvern Hills District Council.
Malvern Rocks 2023 is over but what a line up we had for you!
We’ve got a little bit of something for everybody at this year’s Malvern rocks. If funk is your thing, we’ve got it. If you like rock, we’ve got it. Indie-folk? It’s covered. We even have the world’s best flamenco-punk band. Or, if you like listening to solo acoustic performances on a sunny Sunday afternoon we’ve got that too.
Malvern is renowned for its musical history and for its musicians, and Malvern Rocks is a great showcase for their talents. However, the festival also features acts from further afield. Biskee Brisht are from the Isle of Man while Paurosi has recently moved to Malvern from Zimbabwe.
On Friday night, midlands-based festival funk favourites Cantaloop will rock the house at the Newtown club while at the Red Lion, you can catch The Oohz with their original blues noir and dystopian chic. In other venues over the weekend, you will find an eclectic field of amongst others, the Kitchen Island band, Linkwells, Polly Edwards, Hills Angels, Nothing but Dust, Gypsy Pistolleros, Sonic Bloom, Collective Sleep, Hennesea, Topaz, The Arboretum and many, many more.
Hopefully we have managed to get a cross-section of musical styles with the hope that everyone will find something they like.
To see a full list what’s on where, go to the festival gig guide. Or view by venue here.
Remember, all the festival gigs are free to enter. The festival is part-funded from the sale of merchandise which is available from the website shop. T-shirts badges and wristbands will all help to pay for the performers and crew over the weekend.
There will also be QR codes prominently displayed in each of the venues so that visitors are able to use a smartphone to support the festival. It’s the first time that we have undertaken to pay the performers. In previous years, the festival operated in a charity support model with the performers playing for free.
With the support of our audiences through virtual entrance fees, using QR codes and the selling of merchandise, we can make sure the festival thrives and that Malvern becomes the destination for music. So, please . . . buy stuff and scan those codes!
We hope you enjoy this year’s Malvern Rocks.
Malvern Rocks Team
In a radical departure from previous years, Malvern Rocks festival organisers are paying all artists and musicians who perform at the festival, as well as the crew and organisers. This is a significant financial commitment, and the organisers are asking for your help in supporting the festival.
There are a number of ways you can support Malvern Rocks. You can purchase festival merchandise, donate to the festival’s funding page, or become a patron of the festival. Your support will help ensure that Malvern Rocks can continue to provide a platform for established and up-and-coming artists and musicians, and that it can continue to be a great weekend of music and fun for everyone.
Here are some ways you can support Malvern Rocks:
Thank you for your support!
Since the Middle Ages when William Langland wrote his epic poem, William’s Vision of Piers Plowman with its description of the Malvern Hills, the area has been associated with poetry, art and music.
Everyone knows that one of the country’s most revered composers lived in Malvern. Edward Elgar is now synonymous with the town.
In his Pomp and Circumstances Marches, The Enigma Variations and his viloin and cello concertos, many hear the inspiration of the Malvern Hills themselves.
Sir Barry Jackson, founder of the Birmingham Repertory Company and his collaborations with George Bernard Shaw put the town firmly on the map with the Malvern Festival. This original drama, literary and classical music festival ran from 1929 and acted as a showcase for Shaw’s work.
Through the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, Malvern Winter Gardens became a major venue for popular music. Bands and artists as diverse as the Velvet Underground, The Who, Joy Division, The Jam and The Specials played at the Gardens. The venue was ‘on the circuit’ and the list of performances there is like a who’s who of rock ‘n’ roll.
Malvern Fringe Festival was, at one time, larger than Edinburgh’s Fringe. Founded as a reaction to the more traditional Malvern Festival, the Fringe ran for over 36 years, putting on music, spoken word and art-based events. Including week-long festivals, and the annual Malvern May Day Festival and Parade.
In the ‘90s, Malvern became home to Nigel Kennedy, one of the world’s most celebrated violinists. Kennedy could often be found jamming with local musicians in small pubs on the Hills.
Malvern is, to put it simply, full of musicians. The quality and talent of our local maestros is astounding as a visit to one of the many local open mic nights can show.
Because the bar is set so high, the town tends to undervalue our musicians. We plan to put an end to that with the resurrection of Malvern Rocks.
Malvern Rocks 2023 was part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Malvern Hills District Council.
© 2023 Malvern Rocks Limited.