Massachusetts is oftentimes given the credit as the birth of wizard rock because of Harry and the Potters. But we all know that without Harry Potter, there would be no wizard rock. And where did Harry Potter get its first real start? A little coffee shop in Edinburgh, called The Elephant House.
So, with a castle about 650 meters away, and a converted 19th century church at its base, what better place to hold this year’s UK Yule Ball?
I talked to Neil Bird, who organized the Snow Ball this year. This is actually only the second wizard rock show organized in Scotland. The first was Christie (of 142 Staircases), Dinah, Lauren, James and Neil sitting on the banks of Loch Ness, drinking and singing some wrock songs. Neil says, “Needless to say, it was cold but fun!”
Six months after attending the UK Yule Ball, Neil tells me how he got involved with planning this year’s event. “I went down to the Hogwarts Jamboree in London and had a great time, but I was a bit disappointed by the turn out, given that Holly had done her best to give people plenty of notice ahead of time. I felt that the UK Wrock scene had the potential to be a lot bigger.”
And bigger it will be. Over 100 tickets to Friday’s ball have been sold. People are traveling from far and wide, including Belgium, Germany, Italy, Norway, California and Ireland. This year, the ball will be featuring a U.S. band, Alex of The Remus Lupins. “My hope is that after initially being attracted to the Ball by bringing over a US band, these new people will come to love the UK bands, just as I did, and become regulars at future events.”
Aside from Alex, Riddle™, Romilda Vane and the Chocolate Cauldrons, Siriusly Hazza P, and The Black Sisters will be playing. For more details, check out the Facebook page!
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