MUSIC MATTER – We’re all gearing up for the Godiva Festival in Coventry

Godiva Festival is once again attracting signs and as always the big acts are the most ubiquitous brand names around, including Coventry’s Primitives.

For me and this music column it’s all about the local acts and this year there’s a new kid in town ‘The Cov Stage’.

As the festival publicity says, “The Cov Stage is the place to be if you want to discover the next big artists from Coventry and Warwickshire!

Each year we host local artists in collaboration with industry professionals and BBC CWR.

We can’t wait to see who we discover on The Cov Stage in 2024!

The real smart thing here is a series of ‘Takeovers’, here’s what the Godiva Festival organizers say about them.

Love and Madness Takeover – Friday 5th July

Love and Madness is a feel-good Coventry story. Drawn from the city’s rich musical talent, the performers represent a cross-section of new, experienced and diverse artists.

Following the huge successes of their debut EP WHO’S BLUE – welcome to the world of love and madness.

BBC CWR Takeover – Saturday and Sunday 6th and 7th July

BBC CWR is proud to host the ‘Cov Stage’ on Saturday and Sunday daytime at this year’s Godiva Festival, highlighting the local music scene.

All the artists have appeared on our BBC Music Introducing programme, many of whom we’ve supported over the years and some who’ve only been on the radar for a year or so.

The line-up has a fantastic mix of artists and styles and we think it shows just some of the talent Coventry and Warwickshire has to offer.

Coventry Music Museum Takeover – Saturday 6th July

And we at Coventry Music Museum have our own takeover from 5.30pm on Saturday 6th July.

It all kicks off with a special tour, DJ Trevor Evans (ET Rockers) turning up the heat for the arrival of reggae kings, the very wonderful Lloyd McGrath Collective, followed at 8pm by our next artist of the month – the one everyone is talking about – Duke Keats .

Then fronting our stage is the one and only Roddy Radiation and the Skabilly Rebels, bringing our takeover to a glorious close.

We might be competing with the other stages but if it’s Coventry you want then our stage is your choice, there will be some merch and freebies available with my amazing team on hand in my own gazebo to make it a special Godiva!

As usual, Godiva Festival features many local artists, so many in fact that I really can’t list them all here and it would be unfair to mention just a few, so for a full picture go to the website at godivafestival.com .

See you on July 5th.