THIS year’s Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival in Colne offers one of the most diverse line-ups in the event’s 24-year history.

And no artist epitomises that variety more than Deborah Bonham, who will be returning to play at two different venues over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

With a sound that crosses blues, rock and country, it is hard to put a label on the singer, the sister of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.

“I just can’t bear to be labelled,” she said. “We seem to have this ridiculous obsession about it these days. It’s not something that existed in the Seventies when I think there was a lot more freedom in music and artists weren’t pigeon holed. Look at Led Zeppelin — they had everything from English folk to country. Their music covered the whole gamut and no-one tried to stick a label on them.

“I’m really glad that the Colne festival is open to so many different styles of music, I’m really thrilled to be comiong back.”

Deborah recently released her latest album Spirit, which features a band including Band of Joy drummer Marco Giovino, which has had rave reviews and she has recently returned from Chicago where she supported Bad Company on their anniversary tour.

“We went down a storm there and had a lot of fun,” she said. “And there seems to be a lot of interest in us going back to the States to tour the Spirit album next year.”

For this year’s Colne festival Deborah will be playing two acoustic sets, one on the official acoustic stage on Saturday, August 24 and also at the Roadhouse venue the Green Chimney earlier in the evening.

“I won’t have a full band this time but that gives me a chance to do something a little different,” she said. “This time I don’t have to get away as I have a few weeks off and so I’m hoping to stay up for the whole weekend and see some other artists, I’m particularly looking forward to seeing Elliott Randall.

“My family are originally from Haworth and Keighley so I might also pop over the border to have a look round there.

“I like Colne because they understand that a successful festival has to be diverse. It keeps it interesting for the fans if you have an eclectic mix.

“To me the blues is really a feeling and that there is so much of our musical heritage which can be linked to the blues.”

  • The Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival runs from Friday, August 23 to Monday, August 26. Headliners include Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, Ginger Baker and Wilco Johnson. For details contact the festival box office on 01282 661234 or visit www.bluesfestival.co.uk