The Groundhogs get the party started on Saturday at the Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival.

Here, the band’s Tony McPhee answers a few questions.

How does it feel to be part of the 25th anniversary celebrations at Colne?

Colne has become such a highlight of the Blues scene in Britain that it feels really special to be part of the celebrations. Still fresh and offering new opportunities through the years, it’s great to see the enthusiasm for the event continues.

For those who haven’t seen you live before, what can the audience expect from your set in Colne?

In the Groundhogs set, we lay a foundation of solid early blues Ground-ing then we Ground-uate via heavy riff lead blues-rock Groun-ge to an extreme, progressive, ground-breaking guitar lead, Extrava-Ground-sa. Tony McPhee is of course the Ground-father of Grunge, Dave Anderson the bassist that Hawkwind could not forget, drummer Carl Stokes the thrash metal escapee and Joanna Deacon vocalist transported directly from a 70s freakout! And we take ourselves VERY seriously!

The blues covers so many types of music – what does the Blues mean to you?

Blues is the music that fills my world, it was my escape from the sugary pop of the 50s & 60s, it taught me to play the guitar, (I hoped) it was the means to meet girls and the way that I could escape a career in the GPO... If you don't know what this is, you probably have never used a dial phone either!

Blues fans are a devoted bunch. This must make them a great audience to play to.

Blues audiences always know the words/album/date/original artist if you forget them, they will laugh with you, cry with you and have a drink with you afterwards ... most of all they ALWAYS Woke up this mornin’.

What advice would you give yourself as a youngster just starting out in the music business?

1 You have to have the skin of a rhino, learn to take the knocks...

2 Work all the angles 3 Be REALLY, REALLY good After Colne, what does the rest of the year have in store for you?

Whatever the great gig fairy in the sky can offer us!

Have you had chance to look at this year’s line-up? If so what catches your eye?

What a cruel question, there’s so many fabulous performers. Love the fact that there will be open mic, Tony & Jo run a regular session and it’s a brilliant opportunity for people to get heard.

Playing fantasy festivals, which three artists or bands (alive or dead) would you put on for your line-up and why?

Cyril Davies All Stars, Rory Gallagher and John Lee Hooker. They were the best...

For fans new to the blues, what is the one album (yours or someone else’s) which they must have in their record collection and why?

Its ‘The Blues Roll On’ Feat. Mississippi Fred McDowell. It’s from a collection of musicians recorded by Alan Lomax in the cotton fields. It’s the root of all blues, and the first blues I ever heard.

Finally do you have a message to those who seem all too keen to write off live music?

bIjatlh 'e' yImev ... Its Klingon for 'Shut up'

 

The Groundhogs, international stage, Colne Muni, Saturday, August 23, 2pm. Details from the box office on 01282 661234.