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Printable
EmailORGANISERS of the trade union-backed Left Field stage at the Glastonbury Festival revealed on Tuesday that they will be taking their blend of music and politics to the deepest part of Texas to stage an event in March.
People behind Left Field have been invited to become involved in the South By South-West music event in Austin. The idea is to promote a project by singer Billy Bragg to help prisoners learn to play musical instruments, which was launched in memory of music legend Joe Strummer of the Clash.
The Jail Guitar Doors scheme has spread to 20 prisons in Britain over the past year and will open in two US jails in 2009.
The British organisers are still finalising the line-up for their involvement in the US festival, but they said that they have had positive responses from Chris Shiflett from the Foo Fighters, Mick Jones from the Clash, Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers and a host of others. The Texas mission is backed by the Fire Brigades Union and talks are under way with US unions for an international collaboration.
Left Field supremo Geoff Martin said: "We are dead chuffed that South By South West, one of the biggest of the global music festivals, have given us the nod to bring our blend of great music and social justice campaigning across the ocean."
