A History of ROX Music & Arts
Registered Charity # 1101454.
In 1991 it dawned upon two enterprising Bognor Regis drummers that there weren't enough music venues "In This Here Town" for young people to strut their stuff. Behold - an impromptu stage sprung to life one summer's day upon The Promenade - keen beat groups were invited to condition their hair, press their jeans, spank electric planks and batter the ozone out of crude oil drums - 150 people boogied on down to the sea shore.Our intrepid duo determined to repeat the experiment with a bigger and better plan. The annual ROX Free FESTIVAL was well and truly born - and to this day rocks on - 21 years later. Over 35,000 people visited ROX's seafront Festival sites in 2010. ....
As the early ROX Festivals grew in stature, scope and popularity, the committed teams of ROX volunteers' reputation for promoting and presenting quality live music and related cultural projects on an absolute shoestring, whatever the obstacles, grew also. Battling on, switching venues, dealing with constant funding worries and complex regulation, ROX Music & Arts attained its charitable status, and finally the respect they deserved from the community, businesses and local authorities, who now rally round every year to facilitate, sponser and provide assistance to keep this unique and totally free admission celebration bang on their doorstep. ....
ROX Music & Arts has formed creative partnerships with visionary captains of local industry & education; the expanding University of Chichester campus in Bognor Regis, and the enormously successful Butlins leisure business both providing crucial support to the charity in these difficult economic times. And meanwhile the ROX team of volunteers continually produce high quality Live Music gigs; Musical Theatre runs; Comedy Nights; Classical concerts; & Chilled Shakespeare public readings in venues in the area, throughout the year. The annual Festival is just the jewel in their crown.
..This year's 21st ROX Music & Arts Free Festival 2011 will be held along the seafront, in Bognor Regis, West Sussex on ..Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th JULY 2011 ......5 stages & 100+ performers, rock, blues, indie, pop, dance, DJ's, folk, classical, jazz, world plus Food stalls, licensed bars, & trader villages.
Over 100 different performing musicians, artistes, & groups of all ages will appear across 5 seperate "stages" - including the 5000 capacity Arena on the luxurious lawns of The Royal Norfolk Hotel, the U-Stage and the Garden Stage on the Promenade itself, the Classical stage inside the Hotel , and Visions Club's Conservatory Bar on top of the Pier.
Come rain or shine the Bognor Regis ROX organisation soldiers on to bring a little music, a smidgen of art, a dash of colour and a load of fun and togtherness into a divided world. The ROX Festival is one of the biggest totally Free Admission Festivals still operating in England. ROX on, you crazy diamonds !!
In September 2010 = FROM THE JAM headlined the 20th Anniversary ROX Free Festival
In August 2009 = NEVILLE STAPLE (from The Specials) & His Band headlined
In August 2008 = HUGH CORNWELL (of The Stranglers) & His Band headlined
In July 2007 = TEEN SPIRIT (Europe's premier Nirvana Tribute) headlined
In May 2006 = JOHN OTWAY (Sunday) & THE FUN LOVIN' CRIMINALS (BH Monday) headlined
In previous years 100's of other interesting & creative local groups & touring bands have appeared @ ROX - 21 years and still Rocking !
'Changing lives through music and the arts'!
