Godiva Rides Again
So it’s very nearly Coventry Godiva Festival time again.
The line-up looks great, and if all goes to plan, it promises to be the best Godiva ever (yes, I say this every year, and every time I’m right).
Away from headliners like The Stranglers, The Darkness and Example & DJ Wire, there’s a great selection of local talent on show, and that’s where I come in.
Loz Pettite, Voodoo Kings, Lucy Rose, Army of Skanks, Superhooch and The Commonjets are just some of the local talent punctuating proceedings. The former Enemy Front man Tom Clarke headlines The Rhythm tent on Saturday. Before him, Bhangra king Panjabi MC takes the 7.20 slot.
On Sunday is Badfinger, who have morphed from a Swansea unit into a Cov band. You will come and get it when they take the stage at 2.45.
Don’t miss Joe O’Donnell’s Shkayla before them at at 1.55. It’s worth mentioning here to check out timings yourself, as things do change.
Sunday for me will be exciting, when the Rhythm Tent becomes the Ska/Reggae arena. This in association with The Specialized, a project that has collected thousands of pounds for teenagers with cancer, led by Paul ‘Willo’ Williams, it has helped so much, and altered lives. This is one of our own Lord Mayor Tony Skipper’s chosen charities.
Just to make me even more excited, I’m honoured to have been asked to compere the tent on the day. So in partnership with Coventry Godiva Festival and myself, Specialized are bringing a mix of ska and reggae, with legendary ska band King Hammond & The Rude Boy Mafia headlining, with Roddy Radiation & The Skabilly Rebels, Ruder Than U, Kingsize, the Lloyd McGrath Collective and Rooted ‘n’ Booted all supporting inside Sunday’s Rhythm Tent.
Check out loads more local talent at Sam McNulty’s Mircro Acoustic Stage (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), and at #WeAreCoventry Community Stage with Brody Swain (Saturday and Sunday).
Don’t miss The Notables, they are amazing, or Sunday in the Paradise tent with Warren Offer where the Young Entertainers take the stage from Coventry Schools.
Autopilot
On the main stage on Saturday at 2.55 are Autopilot, with Andy Hopkins, previously the bassist in one of Coventry’s most successful bands.
Andy, along with lead singer Jack Schofield, drummer Chris Lewis and lead guitarist Tom Gedney, are set to play their alternative/indie/pop show.
Fresh off the back of supporting the likes of The Pigeon Detectives and White Lies, AutoPilot are starting to make waves and will be announcing tour dates later this year.
With 3 top ten albums and several world tours Andy goes on to explain….
“I feel that I am in the most productive part of my musical career. The last couple of years I have been working hard with the boys, writing songs that we are very excited about playing live. The set is full of energy and singalong choruses.
“The journey I have had with The Enemy and our incredible fans has been amazing and I can’t wait for them to see what AutoPilot are all about. And if I know our fans, they are going to love it.”
Feedback box
At the music museum we have a Godiva Festival feedback box.
We ask our visitors who they would like to see at the festival. We get some fairly sensible ones asking for Hazel O’Connor, UB40, The Selecter, The Twang and The Ellipsis.
Some were expecting a little too much from a free festival, asking for Adele, Justin Beiber, Krafwerk, Blondie and Madness.
Then there are some that obviously live under a proverbial rock who would like to see Oasis, David Bowie and The Enemy all play the festival.
And to be expected the biggest vote by far was for The Specials to play their local festival.
Now if we got the City of Culture bid, wouldn’t The Specials by default have to be involved?
