Summer Festival Guide

Dry the River, Raghu Dixit Project and more announced for HoneyFest

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The intimate Honeyfest will also be adding the all-new BBC introducing stage this year with more info coming soon; for now the first batch of artists set to grace the Honeyfest hive this April can now be revealed.

Welcomed back for the second year and hotly tipped for big things in 2012, Dry the River will be taking to the stage. Joining them will be Nick Harper, with his majestic guitar skills and endearingly satirical songs. Joining them on the bill will be crazy, cutting edge ceilidh troupe Cut-a-Shineand the genre blending Kidnap Alice who fuse bluegrass, blues and folk.  With the Battle of the Bands competition only a few weeks away and the first headliners news coming very soon, Honeyfest is sure to mark the Spring calendar with the sweetest music yet!

Meet the bands…

Dry the River – Honeyfest are delighted to welcome back the haunting vocals and beautiful melodies of Dry the River. As supporters of the first event, Dry the River have gone from strength to strength since, and are making waves in the music world including getting a mention on the BBC Sound of 2012 List.  

http://www.drytheriver.net/

Raghu Dixit Project – One of India’s best selling artists, Raghu Dixit Project remarkable rise has been nothing short of spectacular. As part of India’s blossoming alternative music scene, they create rousing folk rock that is making waves internationally.

http://raghudixit.com/

Nick Harper – known for his wild personal introspection and biting political satire via a charmingly caustic wit, Nick often seamlessly moves from his compositions to well-loved covers, effortlessly delivered in his style. Nick takes on Presley, Zappa, Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin, Monty Python and Public Enemy (yes, on an acoustic guitar!) Honeyfest is really excited and pleased to have Nick perform in 2012.

http://www.harperspace.com

"If imagination, energy and bags of talent were the only factors in makingK a successful pop career, few would deny that Squeeze man Glenn Tilbrook has backed a winner in Nick Harper…Splendid stuff" – MOJO magazine

Cut A Shine

Cut A Shine are a London based troupe of traditional musicians, dynamic dancers and crazy callers determined to spread the word that the Hoe Down is a’happening! From Hoxton to Humberside, from Amnesty International to Bestival, Cut A Shine are putting the ceilidh back on the map with sell-out parties in London to top summer festivals. This “Anarchic Hillbilly Barn Dancing Squad” will bring a rip-roaring, thigh-slapping, pavement-stomping, exhilarating, heart thumping, blood pumping barn dance creation to the green pastures of Honeyfest!

http://www.cutashine.co.uk/

Kidnap Alice

Kidnap Alice are a new band bursting on to the London scene with furore; set to spread across the UK with an upcoming tour and bookings at this Summers UK festivals – Honeyfest will be one of the first chances to see them this year! The band mix up classic Bluegrass and 'Old Time' tunes with a modern twist, and give their own original songs the Bluegrass treatment with fiery mandolin, blistering banjo and slapped bass. With soulful vocals and tight arrangements from a classic acoustic string band line up, the band bridge the gap between vintage Rhythm and Blues and Appalachian mountain music. The band's début festival performance took place at Glastonbury in 2010 and have since performed at Camp Bestival, The Big Chill, Green Man, Bestival, Secret Garden Party, The Alternative Village Fete at the National Theatre, and The Shakespeare's Globe amongst others.

http://kidnapalice.wordpress.com/

This is the first wave of acts to be announced, the first headliners announcement is soon to follow, as well as the results from the Battle of the Bands which will take place on 3rd February, where competition winners will seize their chance on the big stage amongst some of the UK’s leading festival acts.

TICKETS INFO:

The tickets are available through the website www.honeyfestuk.com or directly through Ticket Web at: http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=xxx&query=schedule&promoter=honeyfest&interface=honeyfest and Sound Knowledge, Hughenden Yard, Marlborough.

local discounted tickets are available from the 2011 venue, The Barge Inn, Honey Street, Wilts. http://bargeinncommunityproject.com/

 

Bingley Music Live team up with Live and Unsigned

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Bingley Music Live has risen from humble beginnings to a festival that in only its 6th year is nationally heralded as one of the UK’s major festivals.

With no key sponsor in place Bingley Music Live is funded in the main by Bradford Council and is organised by a small team who through a dedicated and hands on approach, a mutual love of music and a passion to make the festival one of the most memorable for bands and audiences alike, have developed the festival consistently each year.

Bingley Music Live 2012!

There has been strong growth in the festival’s following which has resulted in sell out crowds for the past three years seeing notable performances from Chase and Status, Maximo Park, Feeder, James, The Enemy, Public Image Ltd, Seasick Steve, Editors, Calvin Harris, Doves, Fun Lovin’ Criminals as well as breaking acts such as Wretch 32, Eliza Doolittle, Example, Professor Green, V.V. Brown and Kassidy.

Chris Grayston, managing director of Live and Unsigned, said; ‘We’re really starting to put meat to the bones of our winner’s tour now and I can’t think of many festivals better to do that than Bingley Music Live. The line-up over the last 6 years has grown in magnitude for every outing; this year can only mean big things for the festival and our winner!’

The Tour

So far the winner of Live and Unsigned 2012 is confirmed to be going to Bingley Music Live, Norfolk Spectacular, Boardmasters, Strawberry Fields Festival, Brownstock, ButserFest, London Summer Jam and Lancaster Music Festival, and this list is only set to grow!

Live and Unsigned is the biggest unsigned music competition for original unsigned bands and artists in the UK. It offers the finalists the chance to play at The O2 in London alongside some of the UK's best musicians at Live Fest, London’s biggest indoor festival. There’s also £100,000 worth of prizes to be won, including an additional new main cash prize of £10,000 for the winning act to spend on development.

Auditions will begin in January 2012 and all acts in the competition are auditioned live. Acts that make it through the audition stage will get to perform to industry judges, A & R associates and celebrity guests. Judging last year’s competition and hopefully set to join the panel again in 2012 include; Radio 1 DJ’s Annie Nightingale, Ras Kwame, Tom Deacon and Daniel P Carter; Kerrang’s Alex Baker; and Happy Mondays star Bez.

If you are interested in playing the best festivals of 2012, including Bingley Music Live 2012, click here to check out all the festival partners for Live and Unsigned 2012.

Y Not Festival tickets on sale 1st February 2012

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Immediately after these go, tickets are on general sale at £75 for a full weekend with camping.

So what's new and different from this Midlands treasure?

Following on from an in-depth survey with a fifth of our customers responding, we’ve made it bigger and better than 2011 – and this is how:

  • A whole brand new amazing stage; 
  • A bigger and better line-up (amid much grumbling at rocketing band fees – they'll be worth it!);
  • An entire new arena, more stalls, more food, more to do onsite; and,
  • Improved camping facilities, with site access on Thursday possible for the first 2,000 at £9 per ticket.

Y Not takes place on 3-5 August 2012 in the Peak District (near Matlock). To keep up to date with the Y Not Festival, follow @Y_Not_Festival on twitter or like Y Not on facebook.

In 2011, the festival scooped a double at the UK Festival Awards, taking home the gongs for The Grass Roots Festival and Best Toilets.

Line-up to be announced.

The Cure to headline Bilbao BBK Live

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The band will be touring the major European festivals this summer offering a very special set: over two hours of selected anthems from their fourteen studio albums, including those from ‘Wish’, a very special celebration of the 20th anniversary this album.

Just a week after announcing performances by Klaxons, Noah and the Whale, Snow Patrol, Band of Skulls, The Gift, Vetusta Morla, Lori Meyers and first headliners Radiohead; Bilbao BBK Live now adds second headliners The Cure, French duo Inspector Cluzo, British four piece Tribes, Mexican alternative-psycodelics Zoé and Spanish super group Corizonas to the line-up.

With this new announcement, the line-up of Bibao BBK Live starts taking shape attracting, once again, the biggest names in music. Previous editions of the event have included headliners such as Coldplay, Pearl Jam, Depeche Mode, Jane’s Addiction, RHCP and Suede.

Three Day Early Bird tickets to the festival, which include camping, are available for just £73 until the 24th of January on See Tickets, Ticketweb and Lastminute.com.

The Big Chill 2012 CANCELLED!

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See the statement below posted on The Big Chill website from Melvin Benn, MD of Festival Republic:

 

“It is with a considerable amount of regret that I have decided not to go ahead with The Big Chill in 2012.

I looked long and hard late last year at moving the date so it didn’t clash with the Olympics but the mix of the festival fans desire to keep the date and an inability to find an alternative date that works I plumped for maintaining the existing weekend. Sadly, the artist availability and confirmations we were achieving led me to conclude that I couldn’t risk going ahead with the event as an outdoor event this year. Efforts are being made to look to bring a smaller event indoors this year with the anticipation of Big Chill being back outdoors in 2013.”

Melvin Benn, Managing Director Festival Republic.

Just So Festival moves to a new home!

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The festival provides a magical experience where art, music and literature are embedded and entwined in a beautiful and wondrous landscape. We provide a broad range of musical, theatrical, visual and aural performances, workshops and installations within a safe, natural and magical setting. Every clearing and glade holds a new way to unleash creativity. Families discover and delight in the spectacular within the woodland environment during this spectacular weekend event.

The Just So Festival has a brand new home for 2012 – the wonderful woods and parkland of Rode Park, near Scholar Greenthe beautiful woods and parkland of Rode Hall in Cheshire. The not-for-profit family arts festival will take place in its new location over the weekend of 17th-19th August 2012 when families can share a weekend of wonder, magic and discovery in the company of authors, performers, artists and musicians. Sarah Bird, festival director, said “Rode Park is a beautiful landscape, with acres of mysterious woodland and surprising nooks and crannies just waiting to be transformed into magical and exciting spaces. Campers will be able to spread out among glorious parkland, which has at its heart a breath-taking lake”

The family arts festival was launched in 2010 by Sarah Bird and Rowan Hoban, who after spending years visiting traditional festivals with their children found much of the entertainment off-limits for the whole family. The result was the Just So Festival, a weekend-long journey of the imagination, where everything from a beach installation, gypsy bands, top-name authors and creative workshops illuminated the arts for children and parents amid the natural landscape.

Over the coming months the team will release lots of exciting bits of programming, great acts, workshops and vendors, but with Early Bird tickets sold out since September festival goers will need to be quick if they want to join in the festivities. Rowan Hoban, festival director, explained, “ We certainly won’t be expanding the number of people at the festival, we think that we currently have the right balance with a safe and intimate atmosphere so that families can have creative adventures, singing, dancing and playing together without having to queue up or make their way through overwhelming crowds. Our aim is to create spellbinding environments where the audience feel like anything is possible”

 

Date: 17-19 August 2012
Location: Rode Hall Parkland, Cheshire

Winter Sessions Weekender 2012 in Chamonix France

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Confirmed artists so far:
NORMAN JAY, ZERO 7, TROJAN SOUND SYSTEM
MR THING, DK (NINJA TUNES), SOUNDCRASH SOUND SYSTEM
CHEEBA, LAZY HABITS, RUNNING NUMBERS, JON KENNEDY
RUSS JONES, PADDY FREEFORM
and more to be announced…
 
Daytime mountain activities:
MOUNTAIN TOP STAGE & SOUND SYSTEM, SKI & SNOWBOARD COMPETITIONS, MOUNTAIN TOP BAR & BBQ, ALPINE CAKE BAKE OFF, I-POD BATTLE, SPACE TURKEY WRESTLING, BEST ONESIE KING & QUEEN and much more….
 
Renowned as the adventure sports capital of Europe, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc plays home to the two day festival on and off the slopes of the Mont-Blanc Massif.
 
Winter Sessions heart and soul is rooted in creating good time party vibes with storming line up’s echoing out across the Alps. The line up this year brings together an eclectic mix of world class DJ’s and bands covering an array of musical genres to suit every taste; house, electro, drum & bass, hip hop, disco, dub step, ska, roots and reggae.
 
Artists include the legendary Norman Jay (MBE) of Good Times Notting Hill Carnival fame, gold album selling Electronica actZero 7 and roots, reggae, SKA stars – Trojan Sound System (Earl Gateshead & Daddy Ad). Upping the ante even further this year are London’s biggest promoters of the moment, Soundcrash, who have come on board as an official partner to the festival hosting a stage and sound system. Further acts include Mr Thing (Scratch Perverts), DK from the mighty Ninja Tune record label, hip hop ensemble Lazy Habits and Hackney Globe Trotter, Russ Jones bringing a cumbia flavour of beats and bass lines.
 
Alongside the sounds pumping out all weekend, Winter Sessions pays homage to the beautiful setting they are blessed enough to access for the masses – the Mont-Blanc Massif mountain range. Mountain Sessions, the daytime event held in the Snow Park of Les Grand Montets mountain celebrates the defining element of the festival; massive amounts of snow!!Mountain Sessions features ski and snowboard competitions, a stage, sound system, bar and BBQ topped with a collection of hilarious games and attractions including the I-pod Battle, Best Onesie King & Queen, Alpine Cake Bake Off and Space Turkey Wrestling. 
 
If you’re looking for a unique festival experience, this is where it’s at. If you don’t ski or board, don’t let that put you off.Chamonix is the third most visited natural site in the world for some damn good reasons!  Walk into an ice cave of one of the longest glaciers on earth; the Mer de Glace, check out the view from the Aiguille du Midi some 3,842 metres high, gohusky dog sledging or take a helicopter ride around France, Italy and Switzerland in one afternoon.
 
And if you are a winter sports lover, welcome to paradise! Chamonix boasts some of the most amazing terrain in Europe, over 600km of piste – not to mention what you’ll discover off piste. Freeriding at its very best!
 
Whether you’re a corporate group looking for a unique way to entertain some clients or group of mates looking for the most economical package possible, we have something for every need and budget.  
 
Winter Sessions official travel partner, Off The Piste, are offering some unbeatable holiday packages around the Weekender. Bespoke holidays from just £314 pp including 7 nights self catered accommodation, 6 day ski pass and 2 day festival wristband which gives you access to a range of fantastic discounts across the Chamonix valley (skis, boards and boots hire, restaurants, bars & experiences).
 
Corporate and luxury packages are available from official partner, Haute Pursuit, offering all inclusive catered chalet, private driver, helicopter ride and VIP access to all the festival has to offer.
 
Early Bird Weekender tickets are exclusively available from www.soundcrashmusic.com at just £49 until the 31st January 2012. Advance Weekender tickets are available online from a selection of UK & French outlets.

 

Soundgarden, Biffy Clyro, and more announced for Download 2012

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Soundgarden, one of the forefathers of the renowned Seattle alternative rock scene in the 90s, reunited last year following a 14-year hiatus, and is set to release a brand new album later in the year. Download takes place 8-10 June and is headlined by The Prodigy, Metallica and Black Sabbath. 

Soundgarden

Soundgarden – Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd – along with their contemporaries Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Nirvana, were all pivotal in the creation of a brand new sound in alternative rock during the 90s which centered on Seattle. ‘Grunge’ became a worldwide phenomenon, not only impacting musically but on wider culture and fashion too. 1991’s album Badmotorfinger produced the singles ‘Jesus Christ Pose’ and ‘Rusty Cage’ whilst its follow up, 1994’s Superunknown, which reached No.1 on the US Billboard Chart and No. 4 on the UK Album Chart featured the singles ‘Black Hole Sun’ ‘Fell On Black Days’ and ‘Spoonman’. Soundgarden have sold over 21 million albums worldwide.
 
"We are beyond psyched to play Download 2012. It will be a huge year for the band and what better way to celebrate than bring it all to our UK family at Download. See you there!" – Matt Cameron, Soundgarden
 
A further 13 acts have been announced to play Download to ensure the festival’s 10th anniversary is its biggest and best weekend yet!  Scottish rockers BIFFY CLYRO bring their incendiary live show to Donington for the 5th time in their career, whilst TENACIOUS D – Jack Black and Kyle Gass’ comedy-tinged rock act – and London Electronic / Dubstep duo CHASE & STATUS LIVE will both make their Download debut, the latter as special guests to The Prodigy. They will be joined by the biggest names in contemporary metal – LAMB OF GOD, TRIVIUM and MACHINE HEAD – who all return to Download for more ferocious action on the stage and in the mosh pits. 
 
Thrash icons ANTHRAX, who celebrated their 30th anniversary last year, return to Donington for this year’s Download, as well as YOU ME AT SIX, the UK rockers who have gone from strength to strength with most recent album Sinners Never Sleep reaching No. 3 in the UK charts. 
 
Famed for their Guinness World Record Attempt for ‘Largest Circle Pit’ at Download 2009, DEVILDRIVER will play the festival for the third time in support of new album Beast, along with American metalcore act AUGUST BURNS RED and the highly creative and eclectic DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT. Download 2012 will also see the reformation of UK rockers LITTLE ANGELS and Californian hard rock band UGLY KID JOE.
 
Weekend tickets for Download 2012 are now on sale from www.downloadfestival.co.uk <http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/>  – subject to availability.  Weekend ticket prices for Download 2012 will remain the same as the prices for Download 2011 until midday Monday 30th January 2012 when all ticket types will go off sale. All tickets will go back on sale at 5pm Monday 30th January 2012 with Weekend tickets increased to 2012 prices. Festival organisers encourage fans to take advantage of this offer while it lasts.

Beach Break Live Tickets details and new website launched

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Over 20,000 festival-goers travelled to the UK’s largest student festival in 2011, Beach Break Live today releases a video taster of what to expect in 2012!

Set in stunning South Wales, Beach Break Live is the leading student festival, celebrating the end of another academic year. After months of planning, June 14th – 18th will see thousands of university goers descend on Pembrey Country Park, South Wales, to enjoy four action packed days brimming with some of the biggest, best and most hyped music, extreme sports and more.

Beach Break Live have now opened the gates to the festival digitally speaking with a re-vamped website featuring an access all areas highlights video capturing all the mayhem from 2011: 

 

Ibiza and Mallorca Rocks 2012

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How do you fancy a line-up of bands and DJs that stretches across four months? Well, that’s exactly what you’ll get here – Ed Sheeran starts the party on 5th June (Mallorca) and 6th June (Ibiza), whilst Two Door Cinema Club are playing the closing parties on 18th and 19th September. In between you can expect regular gigs, silent discos and clubbing trips. Here’s all you need to know about the 2012 festival for both venues:

  • Ed SheeranEd Sheeran is the man of the moment. Riding high on the success of multiple BRIT Awards nominations and hit singles including ‘The A-Team’ and ‘Lego House’, he’s heading to the Balearics to kick things off for us. Mixing grime, indie, acoustic and rap, you’d be hard-pushed to put him in just one music category, so expect the crowds to be massive.
  • Activities to look forward to are the weekly silent discos, daily pool parties and the use of the Xbox Social Room, where you can try out the hottest new games.
  • This year festival-goers have been treated to double the amount of events, with big-name DJs playing every weekend in addition to the weekly gigs.
  • During the summer months you can expect an average of 11 hours of sunshine per day – perfect weather for sunbathing, exploring the islands or trying out some water sports. If you’re in Ibiza then why not check out the hippy shopping scene, or chill out in the Can Marca Caves? On Majorca Island you can visit the Nemo Submarine, hit the trendy bars of Palma or go horse riding in the hills. Don’t forget to take your camera!
  • The full list of acts hasn’t been announced, but you can guarantee there will be something to everyone’s taste. In 2011 we had Tinie Tempah, Biffy Clyro and Example, whilst Pendulum and The Kooks have played in previous years. Basically you won’t be disappointed with the eclectic mix of talent here!
  • You don’t have to camp. Forget your tent and don’t worry about using dodgy loos in fields, because this festival takes place within the grounds of its very own hotel. Guests have full access to the regular events, and those who stay on gig nights will get their tickets included in the price of their stay. If you book a Stage View Studio room then you won’t even have to leave your accommodation to see the bands, getting your own private party.
  • If you want to save even more money, go for the cheaper Mallorca Rocks Hostal package – you’ll be just 500m from the main hotel, with full access to the pools and other facilities, and you won’t miss out on tickets for the events. What’s more, you can also book Ibiza and Mallorca Rocks flights at the same time and have your entire festival holiday sorted in a few simple clicks.
  • Want to try some of the local clubs and attractions when you’re there? Just ask your Hotel or Hostal Hosts, who can organise discounted entry to clubs such as BCM in Magaluf, as well as waterpark tickets.
  • Two Door Cinema Club, who are closing the festivals, have said: “It’s going to be a fun show. We’ve spoken to other artists who have performed there and it’s supposed to be a crazy party!” We’ll take their word for it.

Now you’ve got all the details, it’s time to start the countdown to summer – let the festival season begin.