Festival to celebrate city's musical talent (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

St Albans Music City to celebrate unsigned musical talent

5:00pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News By Zoe Forsey, Senior Reporter

Musicians jumped aboard an old London bus in St Albans today to promote a festival celebrating unsigned talent in the city.

St Albans Music City, which began on Saturday and will last until Sunday, March 24, was set up four years ago to promote live music.

Today organisers and musicians parked up their bus in St Peters Street and performed for shoppers in the town centre.

Daria Kulesh performs in St Albans City Centre this afternoon to promote the festival.

Event manager Grae Wall said: "It has been the coldest and wettest so far but the reaction has been fantastic.

"People just stop and notice the music and it makes them smile.

"That is what music is about.

"It is getting bigger every year which is great.

"We’ve had people travelling from as far as Brighton and Liverpool."

More than 70 gigs will take place this week across 33 venues in the district including the Alban Arena and The Horn.

Bill Johnson, one of the musicians playing in the town centre today, said: "I think it is great because it celebrates that St Albans not only has an incredible music history but it is still blooming now.

"There is so much out there.

"This gives people a whole different perspective of the local music culture.

On Saturday a Samba band attracted crowds of more than 150 people with a performance in the city centre.

Mr Wall said: "It was great because they were really loud.

"Within minutes we had hundreds of people around."

Details of the festival’s line-up can be found at www.stalbansreview.co.uk/leisure/music/10289319.St_Albans_is_alive_with_the_sound_of_MusicCity.