THEY were singing the blues in Ramsbottom all weekend - and some were singing in the rain - at the town's first ever rhythm and blues festival.

Thousands flocked to the 2004 Thwaites Beers Ramsbottom Rhythm and Blues Festival, where 42 bands, 85 per cent of them musicians from the North West, played at five packed venues.

Organisers of the event are so pleased with its success they may do it again next year and make it a permanent fixture in the North West's R and B calendar.

Kelvin Barlow, rhythm guitarist with four piece band Ronnie "Razorback" Gibson and the King Bees, which opened the festival on the main stage at Ramsbottom Civic Hall, said he was "highly delighted," with the weekend and each venue had been filled to capacity.

Businessman Mr Barlow, who wanted to hold a blues festival in his home town, said organisers had received an extremely positive response to the festival and had been inundated with requests to hold another next year.

Ramsbottom's publicans had been equally keen.

He said: "We have had to close the doors at each and every venue in the evenings as they were full to capacity. We were even turning people away."

Mr Barlow, who added the event could not have happened without main sponsors Thwaites, said there was a "very strong possibility," another festival would be held in Ramsbottom next year.

Mr Barlow had teamed up with friend and fellow band member Chris Cullen to stage the event, the newest blues festival in the region

They then brought in Stuart Law, landlord of Ramsbottom's Royal Oak pub, one of the three premier venues. The festival was promoted by The Met, Bury's Arts Centre. Its director Ged Kelly has already staged successful blues festivals, including two in Bury.

Headline acts on the main stage brought the house down and topped the list of top drawer acts and musical talent.

Slack Alice played to an enthusiastic capacity audience on the opening night, while Paul Lamb and the King Snakes on Saturday and Snake Davis and Jim Diamond last night were equally popular.

Free roadhouse sessions were held at The Royal Oak, Grant Arms, Clarence and Grey Mare pubs where more than 30 bands kept Ramsbottom rocking.

Another first for the weekend were almost fully-booked Blues Trains, run by the East Lancashire Railway.