Peterborough: Licences granted for Nene Valley Rock Festival

Taking place from August 31 to September 3 in the picturesque surroundings of Nene Valley Park, the first ever Nene Valley Rock Festival will see a group featuring a Peterborough musician among the headline acts.

On September 1, Ten Years After - complete with bass guitarist Colin Hodgkinson - will headline the event. 

Colin, who is from Peterborough and still lives in the area, has a long and distinguished musical career.

Although perhaps not a household name, he is the archetypal ‘musician's musician’ – someone who is well known to his fellow musicians and has played with many of the big names in rock, blues and jazz.

Starting in the 1960s, the list of bands and artists that Colin has played with include Mick Jagger, Gary Moore, Bill Wyman, Alexis Korner, Whitesnake, Jan Hammer, The Spencer Davis Group and many more.

Square Wild are one of the bands who will perform at the first ever Nene Valley Rock Festival in Peterborough this summer (Image: Ian Stuart)

For many rock fans, their first exposure to Colin would be via the group Back Door and their first album released in 1972 which highlighted Colin’s playing by utilising the bass guitar as a lead instrument.

In 2014, he joined Ten Years After, who are probably best known for their show-stealing appearance at the Woodstock Festival and, in particular, in the festival film which made the band rock superstars.

And now there is a very rare opportunity to see Colin and Ten Years After in Peterborough at the Nene Valley Rock Festival.

Playing songs from throughout their career up to their latest release ‘A Sting in the Tail’, Colin is looking forward to bringing world class rock and blues to his home town.

Day and weekend tickets are now on sale from the festival website: https://www.nvrf.rocks/tickets