Mark Metcalfe/Getty ImagesThe third annual Malibu Guitar Festival gets underway tonight in Malibu, California, and among the four-day event’s highlights is a headlining performance this Saturday by Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood‘s side project, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band.
Fleetwood tells ABC Radio that his blues band’s appearance at the festival is the group’s only confirmed 2017 gig, noting, “We’re all flying in from Hawaii, and we’re doing the one show and then going home.” The band also features ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Rick Vito, and showcases material from the famous group’s early Peter Green-led period.
“I think it’s gonna be a great festival, and a lot of great musicians are…booked,” says Mick. “It’s also quite well-known for unannounced, impromptu things happening and people jamming with each other…So, I think it’s a very cool situation.”
The festival kicks off with a charity event at which Doors guitarist Robby Krieger will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. The fundraiser also includes a star-studded performance featuring Krieger, ex-Wings guitarist Laurence Juber, John Hiatt, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone, country star Hunter Hayes and others.
The show, which will be held at Casa Escobar at The Malibu Inn, will raise money for three charities: TheraSurf, the Emily Shane Foundation and The Karl LaDue Wodakota Foundation.
The festival’s Friday show, dubbed the “Hot Licks Night,” also will take place at Casa Escobar, and will feature rock-guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, plus several female guitarists who contributed to the recent Vai-curated She Rocks compilation.
The Fleetwood Blues Band’s performance on Saturday will be part of the festival’s day-long “Main Event,” taking place on two stages in the Malibu Village parking lot. The lineup also includes Juber, Hayes and many others. Visit MalibuGuitarFestival.com for full details.
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