Fantastic performance by Sean Webster kicks off Festival in style

We were promised something special by the Festival when they booked fast-rising talent 'The Sean Webster Band' to open this year's Audlem Festival. And the Festival and Sean Webster keep their promise in a seriously big way in the Public Hall last night. The front-man guitarist vocalist delivered a stunning set of largely self-penned numbers that captured the essence of modern popular blues. His searing guitar solos, visually almost mimicking every teenager's frenzied air-guitar dreams, were simply brilliant, the staccato arrangements grabbing the audience's attention from the very first number. His voice is gravelly and mature beyond his years, and with his superb song writing, this is a real talent at work, a man who clearly enjoys performing. And boy, does he perform, yet he was engagingly modest after the show as he happily signed albums for new-found and very happy fans.

The band was formed in June 2003, but Sean soon tired of performing covers and started writing, a move that has been notably successful as the invitations now come in to play at blues festivals across the country, including the Nantwich Jazz & Blues Festival this year. With bass-man Tom Latham and new drummer Martin Collins setting off Sean's talent superbly, they have already released two highly rated albums, Long Time Coming and If Only.

Big Blue House opened the night's entertainment and proved yet again why they are so popular throughout the area. It was a totally assured performance from a band that is one of the great supporters of the Audlem Festival. It was, in all, a thoroughly enjoyable start to the Festival weekend. As Sean Webster said to the audience: "Thanks for coming out and supporting live music." And thanks to Paul Moran and the Festival team for bringing such great live music to Audlem.

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