As a visitor, you can join a jam session with the Open Stage musicians and show your own musical talents. On Sunday 13 July, the stage will be led by the band Steam Down, who will open the session before visitors enter the stage, accompany you during your performance and close the evening with a jam.
Steam Downis more than a band, it's a close-knit music community in Southeast London, brought together by multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Ahnansé, whose birth name is Wayne Francis. In 2017, he decided to connect local musicians and producers. The initiative blossomed into a weekly event. Their debut single Free My Skin (2019) and its successor Etcetera (released in 2020 by Blue Note) were streamed almost two million times worldwide.
The playing time per visitor is about 5 minutes. You can register at the Open Stage at Central Park, between 14:30 and 18:00.
The stage is equipped with a fixed backline setup, including drums, keyboard, (double) bass, guitar and microphones that may be used. Visitors are only allowed to bring small instruments (such as saxophone, guitar, electric bass, violin, flute, etc.) provided they are registered with the organisation in advance. As house rules dictate you are only allowed to bring small bags, please make sure to register your instrument now by sending an e-mail to info@northseajazz.com. You will then receive a confirmation to show at the festival entrance. Please note this does NOT automatically guarantee a spot at the Open Stage; you’ll still have to register at the festival.
