leahortez86: Nantwich jazz festival attracts hundreds over bank holiday

Monday, April 25, 2011

Nantwich jazz festival attracts hundreds over bank holiday

STUDENT Tom Seals swapped his studies for the stage to entertain hundreds of revellers at a popular music festival.

The 18-year-old, from Haslington, was picked to play on the centre stage during the annual Nantwich Jazz, Blues and Music Festival.

The weekend event, which will finish today, saw dozens of musicians perform at venues across the town.

But for South Cheshire College student Tom, who plays the keyboard and sings, performing on the outdoor stage was something special.

"It's great to play at the festival as you can have all your mates in one place and know they are out there while you play," he said.

Tom, who is also a regular on Signal One where he stars alongside breakfast show hosts Perry Spiller and Louise Stones, plays "jazz pop" which he describes as being similar to the music of Jamie Cullum.

The music and psychology student said: "One day I would love to be a full-time musician and earn a living from it.

"At the moment I go round gigging at pubs and clubs to earn a bit of extra cash but I definitely want to do it as a career."

The talented teenager hit the musical trail at the age of four when he borrowed, or as he says "stole", an electronic keyboard from his sister.

Dad Anthony Seals, aged 40, a self-employed alarm engineer, was in the crowd to watch his son on Saturday.

The father-of-two said: "It's been great to see him play at this festival. I kept wanting to tell people that it was my son on stage."

Tom performed between jazz and swing band King Pleasure and The Biscuit Boys.

A dancing area was set up in front of the stage for revellers.

The band's drummer, Gary Barber, aged 44, from Leicester, said: "The atmosphere has been superb and it has been great to play outdoors in the sunshine."

Members of dance group Ceroc, who regularly meet in Nantwich and Stoke-on-Trent, helped oversee the dancing.

Paul Hooper, aged 42, from Nantwich, one of the Ceroc entourage, said: "If people have come to the festival alone they can have a dance as it's considered bad etiquette to refuse someone a dance."

Visitors were charged �5 for a wristband to give them entry to pubs and clubs where further musicians were performing.

Andrew Boote, lead guitarist and singer for rockabilly band Vavoom, performed at the White Horse.

The 49-year-old father-of-one, from Crewe, said: "There is a really good atmosphere and it's one we enjoy playing at."

Artists including glam-rock icon Alvin Stardust, Thea Gilmore, Elvis impersonator Paul Larcombe, King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys and former Simple Minds duo Derek Forbes and Brian McGee also performed over the weekend.

Organiser Phillip Martin, who also runs The Crown Hotel, said: "The festival just seems to get bigger and bigger every year."