Red Rooster festival 2018 line-up at Euston Hall

Red Rooster returns to Euston Hall this summer. We check out the festival line-up so far.

Forget the Beast from the East and get ready to embrace the best of the west as this year’s Red Rooster rolls into East Anglia.

Hosted by music fan the Duke of Grafton in the woods and parkland of Euston Hall, the festival - now entering its fourth year - champions the best in R ‘n’ B, Americana, blues, soul, roots and country.

It’s just been announced that Mississippi’s Eli Paperboy Reed and his 10-piece High and Mighty Brass Band! will headline Saturday night.

Also joining the line-up will be former Old Crow Medicine Show member Gill Landry from Louisiana, who’s been on Red Rooster’s want list for a while.

Flying the flag for Britain is Bristol’s Yola Carter, crowned the Americana Music Association’s UK Artist of the Year 2017. Joining her on the main stage are the legendary Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, originally from Colorado, with some experimental country.

Red Rooster friends and Norwich favourites Ida Mae present their blue-eyed soul and Americana, while Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton takes you back to the 1920s. The latter’s one to watch, having already played Carnegie Hall with Buddy Guy among others.

Spain’s country-punk-rock-soul-garage-gospel machine Los Chicos perform while Ross Allen spins records into the night.

Other acts include Jake La Botz, West Coast rock and roll from GospelbeacH, 1970s folk-rock, California country and classic Laurel Canyon style from Kashena Sampson, Lucy Grubb and dirty Cuban rock and roll, rockabilly and voodoo blues from Johnny Cage and The Voodoogroove.

Friday’s headliner is Pokey LaFarge from Missouri. Capturing the authentic dust-bowl era sound of American roots, blues and swing his new album, Manic Revelations, reflects the current maelstrom of noise everywhere in the world.

Alabama 3 acoustic, know for providing them theme tune for The Sopranos, headline Thursday night.

The first run of acts also include Red Rooster favourites Daddy Long Legs. New York City’s most beloved blues bashers have been huffing and puffing and blowing houses down on a nightly basis during their infinite world tour and last played the festival in 2016.

Staying on a New York theme, the hottest late-night underground act is Jonathan Toubin and his New York Night Train Soul Clap and Dance Off. Awarded best DJ in the Village Voice 60th anniversary Best of NYC, expect lost 1960s soul tracks and rare retro gems.

Texas-based songwriters Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay make their Red Rooster debut with craft story songs. The daughter of renowned artist Olivier O, Sarah Olivier is one of France’s rising stars and brings an explosion of chanson, rock and roll and blues to Suffolk.

Boasting head knocking back beats, Northern Ireland’s The Bonnevilles don’t so much play punk blues as use it as a springboard to create a completely new genre.

London’s quirky duo Worry Dolls, having supported Joan Armatrading and received praise from Paul McCartney, will be serenading the Red Roosters with tongue-in-cheek, honest lyrics.

Five-piece all-female led group Dana Immanuel and the Stolen Band join the party with their alt-country eccentricity, while Norwich’s 4D Jones continue to tear up the rhythm and blues rule book.

It’s not all about the music, with plenty of rootin’ tootin’ kids commotions.

Activities include mask-making workshops, where they can deck their face out and partake in the Mardi Gras parade; try to puncture the piñata or give a hula hoop class a spin.

There’s traditional country-style games including ball in a barrel, hook a duck, the coconut shy and, for the more daring cowboys and cowgirls, you can learn to dance with Daisy Duke or rodeo ride.

Red Rooster Festival runs May 31-June 2. More details at www.redrooster.org