10:13am Thursday 15th July 2010
After playing all over the world with Nine Below Zero, Brendan O’Neill is performing near to home at Music in Wanstead Park, writes Nick Elvin
A host of performers will take to the stage at an annual summer music festival in Wanstead this Saturday.
Headlining Music in Wanstead Park will be hard-working, long-established blues band Nine Below Zero.
The group started life more than 30 years ago, and spent a few busy years playing live, recording and making the odd television appearance, before taking a break to pursue other projects. They reformed in 1991, with drummer and Wanstead resident Brendan O’Neill added to the line-up.
Brendan says his almost two decades with the band have been most enjoyable, and very busy – the band have a show in France just two days before they play Wanstead Park.
“It’s great that people still want to come and listen to the music,” he says. “We play a lot of festivals. The band tours extensively in Scandinavia and right down to Spain, Italy and Greece. This year we’ve also done Bahrain and Dubai. The wildest fans are the French. They still view us as a pub rock band.”
With a string of albums including the well-received new offering It’s Never Too Late under their belts, Nine Below Zero have struck a chord with a legion of fans over the years, and have gained the attention of some famous names.
“We’ve been on tour with Sting and we did 13 nights with Eric Clapton at the Royal Albert Hall,” says Brendan. The band even played at an event at the Premiere of the Bruce Willis movie Twelve Monkeys.
“He’s a very keen amateur harmonica player. He got up and jammed with us on stage.”
Brendan, who joined the group after ten years with blues musician Rory Gallagher’s band, has a special interest in this weekend’s event, as he has lived in the area for the past 13 years with his family.
“It’s the shortest distance gig I’ve had to do,” he says. “I could walk it, but I couldn’t get my kit there.”
Playing at the festival will be Brendan’s daughters, Jennifer and Katherine, who play in the indie rock band Bleech.
Brendan says he didn’t directly influence the 19- and 21-year-olds to get into the industry, and he likes their music.
“As a musician you must keep an open mind to what’s going on. Young people are always pushing the boundaries. Young bands have to find their own direction.”
Also at the event, which is organised by the Aldersbrook Families Association, there will be a wide range of acts on offer, including 1930s swing, plus many other activities, such as a climbing wall, and live owls and snakes.
Music in Wanstead Park takes place on Saturday, 2pm-11pm. Tickets are available from the Northumberland Avenue entrance. Details: www.aldersbrook.info
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