WAX LYRICAL
LONDON’S FIRST MUSIC LITERATURE FESTIVAL
LAUNCHING IN JUNE ACROSS LONDON

1st - 7th June 2020
1st Edition of the festival with announcements of twenty-one evening events.
1st European appearances of authors published by Jack White’s THIRD MAN BOOKS.
UK Premiere of acclaimed film documentary AMERICAN EPIC.

LONDON, FEBRUARY 6th, 2020: Neil O’Brien Entertainment announces Wax Lyrical, a brand-new music literature festival launching across eleven venues in London this summer, June 1st to 7th. The festival promises to showcase both British and International literary and musical talent and will celebrate the cross-over between literature and music. From biography and memoir through to musical history, film and even neuroscience, Wax Lyrical will hold a string of innovative and thought-provoking Q&As, talks, discussion panels and live performances that span across various genres and art forms.

The programme for the festival includes legendary songwriter JIMMY WEBB (Witchita Lineman, By The Time I Get To Phoenix) performing a rare concert and in conversation with GQ editor Dylan Jones. The Go Betweens ROBERT FORSTER will give the first reading from his forthcoming debut novel and the festival will also showcase authors published by Jack White’s THIRD MAN BOOKS featuring Robert Gordon, Abraham Smith, Janaka Stucky and Sheree Renee Thomas. Bowie’s Books author JOHN O’CONNELL, poetry and music from independent publisher PEEPAL TREE PRESS with Kevin Le Gendre and Anthony Joseph, The Music Diet with DR ROCK AKA JULIA JONES.

RAY CELESTIN, author of the award winning City Blues Quartet series, HOLLY GEORGE WARREN, acclaimed author of Sunday Times Music Book Of The Year, JANIS, and English folk collective and BBC Folk Awards Winners STICK IN THE WHEEL performing the premiere of Kill The Witch with TOM COX. It will also play host to regular events such as ROCK N’ROLL BOOK CLUB and A WORD IN YOUR EAR and BOOK OFF! podcasts.

The live music programme includes concerts with London’s First Lady Of Soul and former Ikette PP ARNOLD, Blue Note French Jazz artist CHARLES PASI, Brixton based Blues/Reggae harmonica player ERROL LINTON, Faroe Islands songwriter/pianist TEITUR, The Alarm songwriter/lyricist MIKE PETERS, American Punk Rock, Anti Folk Spoken Word musician HAMMELL ON TRIAL and Canadian singer/guitarist MELISSA LAVEAUX.

The festival will host the first UK public screening of the BBC/PBS documentary AMERICAN EPIC at the legendary Olympic Studios cinema - telling the story of recorded music in the studio where Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones and many others recorded some of their biggest selling albums. The screening will be accompanied by an exhibition of stills and artefacts and a Q&A with Director Alison McGourty and Producer Bernard McMahon.

Iconic London venues will be the home of the festival, including Oxford Street’s 100 Club, Soho Jazz venue Ronnie Scott’s, Camden Cecil Sharp House and Dublin Castle, Canada Water Theatre, The Tabernacle Notting Hill, The Islington, Bush Hall Shepherds Bush and Hoxton Hall. The official hotel is the Iron Maiden owned Soho Sanctum hosting events throughout the week.

The festival is produced by Neil O’Brien Entertainment - a London based music agency and event producer. Founder Neil O’Brien has programmed some of the capital’s renowned venues including Mean Fiddler, Subterania, The Forum, Brixton Academy, Shepherds Bush Empire and Scala and most recently programmed the Kew The Music and Greenwich Music Time concert series.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

• FIRST TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 14th FEBRUARY - PRE ORDER SIGN UP MONDAY 10th FEBRUARY
• SOCIALS - @waxlyricalfest
• FULL PROGRAMME TO BE REVEALED ON 2ND MARCH
• ASSETS - Festival Poster & Logo / Selection of author / artist pictures.

For more information please visit:
www.neilobrienentertainment.com