Bid to open prison doors for music event
Organisers of one of the stages at the Glastonbury Festival will be taking their blend of music and political campaigning to the heart of redneck Texas to stage an event in March.
People behind the Left Field area of Glastonbury have been invited to become involved in the South By South West music event in Austin.
The idea is to promote a project by singer Billy Bragg to help prisoners learn to play musical instruments, which was launched in memory of music legend Joe Strummer of the Clash.
The so-called Jail Guitar Doors scheme has spread to 20 prisons in the UK over the past year and will open in two US jails in 2009, with the help of American singer-songwriter Steve Earle.
The UK organisers are still finalising the line-up for their involvement in the US festival, but said they have had positive responses from Chris Shiflett from the Foo Fighters, Mick Jones from the Clash, Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers and a host of others.
The Texas mission has been backed by the Fire Brigades Union and talks are under way with US worker organisations for an international trade union collaboration.
Geoff Martin, from Jail Guitar Doors and the Left Field, said: “We are dead chuffed that South By South West, one of the biggest of the global music festivals, have given us the nod to bring our blend of great music and social justice campaigning across the ocean.”
Category: Festival News, International Events
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