Solid Entertainments have confirmed that Wilko Johnson will headlinethis years Lincoln Blues Festival taking place at The Engine Shed on Sunday 18 May! 

Wilko Johnson - is best known for his work in the 1970s with rhythm and blues band Dr Feelgood and will top the bill at this year's festival.

He’s a poet, a painter, an astronomer and an actor, but Wilko also happens to be one of the great British rock guitarists, acknowledged by his peers as among the most influential.

In an interview for The Independent in November 2013 "I’m supposed to be dead now,” admitted Wilko Johnson, the guitarist who was told that he may not survive past October!

Since being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, the former Dr Feelgood guitarist, 66, says he has never felt more “vividly alive”.  Johnson refused chemotherapy treatment so that he would have the strength to complete a “farewell tour” in Spring, where he basked in the adoration of fans.

On 14 November, Johnson was hailed as a musical innovator by an audience of his rock peers and Jimmy Page, the Led Zeppelin guitarist, presented Johnson with the Innovator award at the Classic Rock magazine Roll of Honour held at the London Roundhouse, in front of an audience including Black Sabbath, Ray Davies and Manic Street Preachers.

Johnson told The Independent: “It’s very gratifying to be given an award by Jimmy Page because I’ve always admired him as one of Britain’s great guitarists. I’ve received one or two marks of recognition recently. I suppose people want to get them in while I can.”

Recently, Wilko teamed up with the Who’s Roger Daltrey to produce a new album that will be released in March. "Going Back Home" will feature 10 Johnson originals, from both his solo career and his days with Dr Feelgood and Solid Senders, plus a cover of Bob Dylan’s Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window.

He continues to perform concerts as his health permits and his presence at Lincoln Blues Festival, is certain to delight his local fans and those across the region as a whole!

As the first festival of its kind in Lincoln, the line-up will be something very special. Also confirmed for the Festival is The SpellKasters with the remaining four acts to be announed soon.

The SpellKasters - During the nineties drummer Romek Parol and bassist BJ Anders spent most of their time sharing studios and stages with Mick Green under the flag of The Pirates. They recorded two albums, a couple of singles and toured Scandinavia and Europe extensively including a few shows with ZZ Top by their personal invitation.

Towards the end of that decade Mick went on to play with Van Morrisson and Paul McCartney whilst Romek and BJ pursued their own projects mostly with British “guitar slingers” ... Eric Bell, Stan Webb, Ray Majors, Huw Lloyd Langton, Ray Minhinnett  ... to name but a few.

BJ built his own studio in Sweden and recorded & produced records for many Swedish bands and also his own, successful  projects. Romek, meanwhile, produced some extremely varied music for major record labels and publishing houses and in late 2007 returned to working live  with Eric Bell of Thin Lizzy and later with Stan Webb’s Chicken Shack taking in tours of Poland, Ukraine, France,Holland, Belgium Germany ... and even Dubai.

A chance meeting with guitarist Pete Edmunds in early 2013 led to a few studio sessions and it became apparent that  a new project – a stomping RN’B band - was the way forward ... Romek called BJ and asked him if he fancied putting a good, old fashioned British R’nB band together ... BJ nodded his head in agreement  and thus The Spellkasters were born ...

Pete, Romek and BJ met over a lengthy Sunday lunch in Wales in May 2013 and the decision to cut an album in BJ’s studio in Helsingborg, Sweden  was quickly taken.

By the end of June the album was ready and in the can. On the menu, driven by the influences of The Pirates, DR.Feelgood, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Wilco Johnson and the like,  is a  mix of new, uncut material with some old “childhood” favourites. Record executive Peter Purnell  offered the band a deal to release it on his label, Angel Air Records, and the release date of Kastin The Spell  is set at 10th February 2014 in the UK .....  closely followed by Europe, USA and Japan.

With some of the hottest names in the business stepping on stage, festival goers will see top class live performances and hear a range of blues driven incredible sounds, with sets that incorporate distinctive elements of Rock and R & B; in short, Lincoln Blues Festival is one not to miss and will certainly be a day to remember!  

Lincoln Blues Festival at The Engine Shed on Sunday 18 May 2014 from 2 pm - 10 pm. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketweb.