SHE’S A WINNER

SHE’S DONE IT!

Emma has won the final of “MUST BE THE MUSIC” after winning a place in the final three acts, she won the phone vote boosted by huge audience support in the Wembley arena beating bands “Missing Andy” and “The Pictures”.

Giving a beautiful performance while visibly fighting with nerves she won over everybody, including the judges who had been vocal in their support and belief in Emma from the start... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

THE IRRESISTIBLE RISE OF EMMA, AND SOLFEST2010

First of all huge congratulations to EMMA GILLESPIE or as I should  correctly say EMMA’S IMAGINATION who has won through to the finals of “Must Be The Music” on Sky1 and will be singing live next Sunday at Wembley against the other finalist/s the group THE PICTURES. Biased as I am I am bound to say that Emma is hands down and head above shoulders in an overwhelming winning yoga position. Unbiased, I would still say that as her song “This Day” is a masterpiece and a winning song anyway. If you don’t believe me check out the i Tunes download chart and you will see it’s currently at number five... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

HOW COOL IS THIS…

You will recall in my last blog a had to rewrite it to take account of the fantastic news that Emma Gillespie had won round one of her audition on the Sky1 show “Must Be The Music”.

Well, it gets better for Emma has won a place in the live semi finals which will be broadcast the week after Solfest. Click on the line below to see her audition... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

COMING AROUND AGAIN…

The ongoing tale of one mans life caught up in a “groundhog day” of festival preparation and execution…

Read on…

Well it’s that time of year again. So it’s time I wrote one of my accounts of how things are doing, who’s doing then and for a bit of spice, who’s doing it to whom.

It’s odd though as I feel I’m watching the festival develop from afar, taking a back seat on the scary rollercoaster this year and yet still doing all the stuff I usually do... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

BACK ONLINE WITH THE WIRELESS SHOW

WIZARDMARRAS DRYSTONE WIRELESS SHOW 2010 NUMBER 1

Well, after a year of my podcast being offline it is such a good feeling to put one out there at last particularly so as its jam packed full of Drystone acts for this year's forthcoming festival, with one exception and more about that in due course... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

AUNTIES CALLING AND MGM

Well. I'll not say a word about the kerfuffle my last post caused. But least said soonest mended.

But my main purpose on writing this is actually two fold, and neither related in any way to a musical gathering I am honoured to serve,

Firstly. I have been invited by BBC Radio Cumbria to take part in Little Cumbria... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

I BELIEVE IN FAERIES!

DRYSTONE ACTS PART TWO

I BELIEVE IN FAERIES!

I can finally announce what I've been keeping secret for all this time and it with great pleasure and excitement that I can confirm that this year on the Drystone will be the fantastic...

PEATBOG FAERIES

http://www.peatbogfaeries.com/

I don't really have to say an awful lot about these guys as they have been regulars on the UK festival scene for years. They of course pretty much founded the Acid Croft genre of music and set countless imitators on their musical careers... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

 

CHANGE AND THE FIRST DRYSTONE STAGE ACTS ANNOUNCED

The French have a word for it in fact, damn the expense “Au diable les dépenses” they have six, “Plus ça change, Plus c'est pareil” translated (and we’ll noy be outdone by the French for the price of a word or two) it means “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Take Radio 2, we’ve just got rid of Parkinson on Sundays when “avant de le savoir” before you know it, Wogan’s got the show... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer

ANOTHER NEW YEAR

My GOD! It's 2010 already and it's been about six months since I've been comprehensively online apart from the odd day in the library and at two quid for an hour they were few and far between.

So what's new Al? Well the biggest and most important thing is of course that I am now married to the most wonderful lady in the world my darling Karen and I can thoroughly recommend married life. The wedding day itself was perfect and I have to put on record here a great big word of thanks to my best man BIG JOHN THOMPSON he did me proud got me to the registry office on time and embarrassed me big style in his speech... To continue reading this post, please go to my website: Alan Whittaker is The Wizardmarra - Compère, Curator and Performer