SOME big names have been booked for Rock Island 2, the Isle of Wight Music Festival which takes place over the weekend of June 14-15. Bryan Adams, Iggy Pop, Counting Crows and Starsailor head the line-up, and tickets are already on sale.
Ticket prices are £50 for the weekend and £30 for a single day; a weekend camping pass costs £10.Isle of Wight residents get a discount - it’s £40 for a a weekend ticket (£37.50 concessions) or £24 for a single day (£22 concessions). Tickets are available at Wight Leisure’s Head Office, 17 Quay Street, Newport, at Medina Leisure Centre, Fairlee Road, Newport, at The Heights Leisure Centre, The Broadway, Sandown, or a the Waterside Pool, Ryde Esplanade.

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       TICKETS are now on sale for this year’s 14th Larmer Tree Festival at Tollard Royal in Wiltshire.  Held in the exotic Larmer Tree Gardens, the festival takes place between July 17-20, opening with a Thursday evening concert featuring Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.
  This year’s festival is preceded by a special  pre-festival concert on Friday July 11, when Van Morrison, who opened the 2001 festival, will perform. As usual the Larmer Tree Festival will host a huge line-up of music acts from around the world, plus free workshops for adults and plenty of activities for kids includingng the huge fancy dress carnival procession on the final day.
  A full line-up of performers appearing at  this year’s festival will be announced shortly; tickets are being made available now because of public demand. 
   James Shepard, Larmer Tree Festival Co-Director explains:  "Initial enquiries are at record levels and after our fastest ever sell-out in 2002, we are bowing to public pressure and placing tickets on sale a month early."  Tickets can be purchased online via www.larmertree.co.uk or by telephone on 02380 711820.

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       PUMPBOTTOM Farm at Apuldram just south of Chichester is a mecca for blues fans each summer. That’s where Blues On The Farm takes place every year, this time from June 26-29.
Organiser Julian Moores has booked a cracking line-up for Blues On The Farm 2003, including Ben Andrews, Sugarland Slim, Popa Chubby, Nine Below Zero, The Hamsters, Eric Sardinas and Brian Kramer & The Couch Lizards. For more details ring 01243 773828 or see the website www.pumpbottomfarm.co.uk

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       MUSIC in Romsey 2003 concerts begin in Romsey Abbey in March and continue regularly throughout the rest of the year. Southampton University Symphony Orchestra get the classical season underway on Saturday March 15 with pieces by Bruckner, Elgar and Respighi. April concerts feature the Wessex Brass Quintet and The Romsey Singers. For ticket prices and enquiries contact Romsey Tourist Information Centre on 01794 512987.

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        HELP! We are looking for an enthusiastic young person, preferably with an interest in music and writing, to help us review some of the stuff aimed at younger audiences. You don’t get paid but you do get free CDs and the opportunity to get into gigs for free to review them. Anyone who is interested, please ring Peter Ashton on 02380 551847.