It was great to be invited to play DJANGO REINHARDT STYLE SWING GUITAR at the MARGATE CAVES THANK YOU PARTY recently in Kent.
Margate Caves has been an 8-year project that finally came to fruition in 2019 thanks to the tireless work of the team, volunteers and sponsors behind it.
The evening was a great success for everyone involved and I was happy to play some foot-tapping tunes while guests enjoyed the prosecco, canapés and the caves themselves.
Alongside myself, there was renowned British fashion historian, Amber Butchart on the decks spinning tunes, Petra Hadjuchova on piano and Rosa Guilfoyle in the caves with voice and harmonium.
It was very cool to spot local gal and top artist Tracey Emin amongst the crowd.
About MARGATE CAVES.
Originally dug as a chalk mine in the 18th century, the Caves have been welcoming visitors since 1863 but were closed in 2004. Since 2011, campaigners determined to save the Caves have gained major funding from the Big Lottery Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund.
The money raised has enabled the The Margate Caves Community Education Trust (TMCCET) and the Friends of Margate Caves to contract geotechnical engineers to conserve the Caves and ensure they conform to all modern Health & Safety criteria, while a specialist conservator has brought the site’s vibrant murals back to life, undoing years of damage.
At the heart of all this is the new Margate Caves centre. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Community Lottery Fund, the building’s dramatic exterior provides a new landmark on the route between Margate’s Old Town and nearby Dalby Square, Northdown Road and Cliftonville.
The building provides access to the restored Caves, and features a shop and community café. Here they tell the story of the Margate Caves and how landscape, ecology and geology have impacted on the town’s rich social and cultural heritage.
If you'd like to hear me playing 1930's/1940's, classic Django Reinhardt style swing guitar, I've got a couple of local dates coming up at the fabulous FEZ MICROPUB in Margate High Street.
The first is Thursday 17th October at 7.45pm (see poster below) and then Thursday 12th December at 7.45pm. It's free entry at this wonderful establishment so please pop in and enjoy a drink or two while I fill your ears with tunes from a bygone era!
I am available to hire solo for every type of event imaginable and I am also available with my various vintage style groups on my BAND HIRE PAGE.
To check out JONNY HEPBIR SOLO GYPSY JAZZ GUITARIST availability, prices and to discuss your requirements, please drop me a line at info@jonnyhepbir.co.uk
or call 07712 332 967.
Here's a video of the other song I played for Margate's Seaside Sessions, 'Les Copains D'abord' by George Brassens.