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Off the back of its 10th anniversary, Wychwood looks to 2015 for another stellar year as the country's favourite family weekend. Welcoming all generations, the festival curates a packed programme year on year with timeless greats, upcoming music, literature, comedy, children's entertainment, good food and drink.
UB40's Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue are the first headliner revealed for next year, joining a long list of world famous acts to grace the Wychwood stage including The Boomtown Rats, The Human League, Supergrass, Duffy and more. Responsible for a myriad of hits in the 80s and 90s including Red Red Wine, Kingston Town and Falling In Love With You, the band's founding members reunite for a thrilling performance on Saturday night.
Also performing on the Saturday are Scottish brother duo The Proclaimers. Currently battling for Christmas number one with their charity single cover The Farm’s All Together Now, the pair have been making music for decades and their extensive touring makes them the perfect live veterans for Wychwood's busy main stage. Vintage samples, electro beats, gypsy-jazz guitar, electric double bass, keys and live drums will be performed by the sounds of Electric Swing Circus delivering a consistently dazzling show, whilst indie folk band Rusty Shackle will perform on Sunday's mainstage. Providing the sounds and the beats for Friday's opening night celebrations, the mighty Deadzone return to Wychwood after popular demand providing a show-stopping performance and a firm favourite for all Wychwood fans.
Strong supporters of innovative new music as well as heritage acts, Wychwood will once again team up with London promoters Smashing Blouse who take over the popular Big Top stage. Headlining on Saturday is the mercury-nominated, lyrical wizard and astounding live performer Ghostpoet, plus Brighton pop outfitFickle Friends.
Graeme Merifield, Festival Director comments, "We are hugely excited to welcome UB40 with the exceptionally talented Ali Cambell, Astro and Mickey Virtue back together for what I have no doubt will be an incredible Saturday headline performance on our Wychwood mainstage. The tenth birthday celebrations this year was an absolute delight and with this firmly in our mind, Wychwood 2015 is set for even bigger and better things and we cannot wait to share the three wonderful days with you all."
Wychwood Festival returns to Cheltenham Racecourse from 29th to 31st May 2015. Early bird weekend tickets are priced at just £119 for adults, £94 for concessions, £54 for 10-15 year olds, £18 for 5-9 year olds and under 5 free. All tickets and more information is available from www.wychwoodfestival.com.
After two sell-out years Standon Calling returns for a tenth birthday celebration like no other. One of the most intimate festivals of the summer, Standon has always punched above its weight by securing the biggest acts around and 2015 will be no different. Fresh from their recent Grammy nomination for Never Never, electronic music heavyweights Basement Jaxx are the first act to be revealed for the festival. Known for their incredible live performances and hot off their recent tour, Grammy Award nomination and Guardian citing as at the 'live peak of their career’, the spectacular show featuring costume changes and incredible dancers will close Standon Calling in true style on the Sunday evening.
Speaking about today's announcement Felix of Basement Jaxx said: "It's great to end the year with a Grammy nomination and our tour finale at the O2 in London. Looking forward to 2015, we're excited to announce a headline slot at the brilliant Standon Calling festival on Sunday August 2nd".
Standon Calling will celebrate its 10th birthday in 2015. What started as a birthday BBQ and DJs with a handful of friends has become the perfect summer escape for festival-goers, offering renowned and upcoming acts, art, comedy, fancy dress and of course its own heated outdoor swimming pool. Next year will see an innovative new day-to-night programme that will see the festival embrace its dual persona of packed out fun for all by day and then more mischievous side as a myriad of hedonistic surprises are unveiled for when the sun goes down.
A very small number of early bird tickets tickets are available at £97 and tier 1 tickets for Standon Calling 2015 are expected to go on sale any day from £117 from www.standon-calling.com with discounts available for group bookings.
The pioneering Ibiza Rocks brand will travel to Zrce Beach to once again revolutionise the music holiday format with Croatia Rocks on 19th – 23rd July 2015. The festival marks a decade at the forefront of the Ibizan music scene for the group. Working with the team behind the monumental Hideout Festival and with Ibiza Rocks’ Musical Director Zane Lowe at the helm, Croatia Rocks will welcome a handpicked selection of live and DJ heavy hitters and newcomers from the world-famous Rocks & W.A.R! stages.
By day, Croatia Rocks teams up with the biggest clubbing brands on the planet as revelers are treated to a myriad of DJ talent against the backdrop on the stunning Adriatic coastline. By night, The Rocks and W.A.R! stages deliver the best of live and electronic music into the early hours as the crowds party with the biggest names and hottest upcoming talent.
Live highlights at the inaugural Croatia Rocks include the standout live act of 2014 Clean Bandit, the funk-inspired Jungle who bring their extensive live show to the beautiful surroundings of Zrce Beach. Kwabsbrings his exceptional vocals and anthemic songwriting to sun-kissed revelers, while lyricist Kate Tempest, the hotly tipped Shura, Brighton-based surf-rockers Black Honey and high-energy London lads The Bulletproof Bomb, all fly the flag for innovative new UK music.
Croatia Rocks will also host DJ sets on the sandy beaches of Pag from double BRIT winner Fatboy Slim, who returns for the first time in three years to Croatia. After the roaring success of their number one debut album 'Home' Rudimental will fire up the Croatia Rocks crowds with a very special DJ set as well as a plethora of electronic music’s finest including Wilkinson, Hannah Wants, Blonde, B.Traits, Soul Clap,Monki, Shy FX, Friend Within, Karma Kid, Waze & Odyssey, DJ Luck & MC Neat, Doorly, Mak & Pasteman, Eton Messy DJs, Jaymo & Andy George, Tom Shorterz and Lxury.
Joining already announced Mallory Knox and Charlie Simpson we have some ambient post hardcore courtesy of Reading's Devil Sold His Soul, guitar fuelled rock in the guise of Leeds boys Allusondrugs, electronic alt rock from The One Hundred, stomping anthems from Emp!re, some bruising metal from local boys Dendera, some hardcore from Essex crew Confessions of a Traitor, and some melodic deathcore from Plymouth boys Refuge of the Fallen.
Adding to the palpable excitement, further acts have been revealed for FSTVL 2015 including Steve Angello, Knife Party, Steve Aoki, Marco Carola, Claude VonStroke, Redlight, The Martinez Brothers, Oliver Heldens, Amine Edge & DANCE, Art Department, Cyril Hahn, Huxley b2b J.Phlip, Onebit, Andrea Oliva.
On Sunday 31th May, We Are FSTVL’s Main Stage will be headlined by Nordic house heavy-weight Steve Angello. Following a sonic campaign for world domination as one third of dance phenomenon Swedish House Mafia, his Main Stage performance will bring an explosive close to the final day. Further dance music luminaries join the Main Stage billing with enigmatic duo Knife Party and the unstoppable Steve Aoki also announced.
French ‘G House’ pioneers Amine Edge & DANCE bring their bass-heavy style to the ‘Field of Dreams’ for the second year running, whilst hot new property Oliver Heldens will deliver his infectious brand of future house. Bronx-born tech house duoThe Martinez Brothers will also feature, and indie-electronic pair Onebit will round off the main stage line-up.
Elsewhere at Sunday’s FSTVL, Jamie Jones’ welcomes two esteemed figures to complete the billing for Paradise; Music On’s Marco Carola, will bring a hefty dose of techno to We Are’s Very Big Top, while Dirtybird head honcho Claude VonStrokeadds a ghetto-tinged house flavour to proceedings. Those treating themselves to some Area 10 VIP action will be rewarded with a rare back-to-back set from Dirtybird label-mate J.Phlip alongside Huxley, hot off the back of releasing debut album “Blurred”.
Joining Defected’s ‘Very Big Top’ on Saturday 30th May is Swiss upstart Andrea Oliva, whose Ibiza residency for ANTS at Ushuaia has made him a serious one to watch for 2015 – whilst underground mainstays Art Department are set to join Saturday’s Used + Abused Techno Warehouse. Representing Hannah Wants’ bass-tinged stage is Bristolian pioneer Redlight, with the hazy pop sounds of Cyril Hahnrounding off We Are FSTVL’s phase 3 announcement.
The hugely popular live music element will return to the main open-air stage on Lytham Green with the added bonus of an extra fourth night on Thursday 6 August.
There will also be additional events including comedy, literature and even more music featuring at other venues across the town throughout the week.
Event promoters Cuffe and Taylor are behind the success of Lytham Proms and are taking the bold move of making the event bigger and better than ever before.
Director Peter Taylor said:
"We are really excited about Lytham in 2015. This marks a huge change for us to move from the three-day Lytham Proms to a week-long Lytham Festival but we are sure it will be a great success.
“People attending the event over the last four years have been really loyal and have thoroughly enjoyed the wide range of music that has been available.
“We are not going to change that because it is a formula that works. However, we want to offer people more choice and therefore we are expanding our event to cover a variety of venues in Lytham and to offer much more in the way of entertainment.”
Lytham Festival is pulling out all the stops for 2015 and superstar headliners from a variety of genres will be announced soon.
Fans of the original format need not worry as A-List talent from the classical and pop worlds will remain the jewel in Lytham Festival’s crown as they perform on Lytham Green over four nights from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 August.
Comedy and literature, for both children and adults alike, will feature in the expanded Lytham Festival programme across a whole week starting Monday 2 August. Venues including The Assembly Rooms will host a Jazz Café, while festival-goers can venture to Hewitt Lecture Rooms to discover spoken word and poetry plus a comedy Big Top will pop up at Park View 4U.
Park View 4U will also host a specially devised “Festival of Stories” for younger festival-goers with a programme celebrating heritage and creative storytelling aimed at children, young people and their families. This will include published children’s authors, workshops and exhibitions
With the additional activity running alongside the main arena on Lytham Green events over the course of the week will include both free and ticketed options.
And as it blooms from a three-day, one site offering to a full week of entertainment and culture it is anticipated it will have a fantastic knock-on effect for local businesses.
Peter added:
“We want people to come to Lytham Festival and enjoy a few days away. This is the perfect festival for all the family to come and enjoy some amazing entertainment while also experiencing the wonderful Fylde Coast. “
Adam Shelton / Andrew Ashong (Live + DJ) / Artwork / Brawther Craig Richards b2b Ben UFO / dBridge / FaltyDL / Frank & Tony Hunee / Leon Vynehall / Marcellus Pittman / Margaret Dygas
Maxxi Soundsystem / Midland / Motor City Drum Ensemble
Mouse Outfit (Live) / Move D / Om Unit / PBR Streetgang
Point G (Live) / Radioactive Man / Ralph Lawson / Subb-an
Tornado Wallace / Zenker Brothers / Zip
Plus:
2 Bad Mice / Al Dobson Jr / Alex Arnout / Alex Jones / Bad Passion
BEHR (Live) / Bell Towers / Blackhall & Bookless / Bradley Zero / Brinsley
Casino Times / Cassio Kohl / Cedric Maison / Chimpo / Cottam / Denney
Dom Chung / eLDOKO / Francis Inferno Orchestra / Futureboogie DJ's
General Roots (Live) / Hesseltime / Ishmael / Josh Tweak / Lee Coombs
Luv*Jam / Michael James / Morris Cowan (Live) / Nils Diezel / Prequel
Real Nice / Red Eye Hi-Fi (Live) / Romare / Ruf Dug / Sean Brosnan
Sisterhood / Soul Jazz Soundsystem / Sounds Of The Universe DJ's
Steevio (Live Modular) / Tenderlonious / Tristan Da Cunha
Wolf Music / Zoo Look
Amongst the delicate balance of DJs and live acts, there's upcoming talent and established names in equal measure. Gottwood favourite and host of this year's new 'The Nothing Special' stage, Fabric's Craig Richards will be joined by the returning Hessle Audio co-founder Ben UFO for a special back to back set.
Perlon head honcho Zip, pioneer of the microhouse and general minimalist sound is making a rare UK festival appearance alongside Panorama Bar bi-monthly resident Margaret Dygas. In addition to this Gottwood welcomes globally profiled DJ and producer Motor City Drum Ensemble, renowned for his eclectic taste in music and his technical production wizardry.
Germany's Move D will be bringing his own inimitable style to the forest, with the diverse live performance on par if not superior to his studio work. In addition to the house and techno mainstays Exit Records boss dBridge, NYC's genre hopping FaltyDL, live Mancunian hip-hop act Mouse Outfit and Metalheadz Om Unit are ensuring all corners of the musical spectrum are covered.
Gottwood is known not only for its ambitious and credible bookings, but also its carefully curated party vibes that are this year being delivered by Futureboogie's Maxxi Soundsystem, fast rising star Tornado Wallace and the Detroit veteran Marcellus Pitttman.
The now legendary London record store Sounds of the Universe are programming a day of live music next to the picturesque Gottwood Lake, the Gilles Peterson favourite and Theo Parrish collaborator Andrew Ashong is closing affairs with the 22a and Rhythm Section regular Al Dobson Jr providing an eclectic afternoon soundtrack. Acts returning to Gottwood following the Festival's 5th Birthday earlier this year include Futureboogie label regulars PBR Streetgang, Artwork, Ilian Tapes co-founders Zenker Brothers and 2020 Vision records owner Ralph Lawson.
Other names on the bill include One Records stage hosts Subb-an and Adam Shelton, Rush Hour Record's Hunee, AUS's Midland, Boilerroom host Bradley Zero, France's Point G and the highly regarded Leon Vynehall.
Determined to bring the finest of underground talent to their coastal woodland location, Gottwood will host stages from – Back To Basics, Bad Passion, Bade Records, Brotherhood Soundsystem, Butterside Up, Dog Eat Dog, Future Disco, Futureboogie, Fresh Out The Box, Hit & Run, Hypercolour, Jaunt, Jigsaw Presents, Louche, Nixwax, One Records, Percolate, Real Nice Presents, Rhythm Section, Road To Nowhere, Sounds Of The Universe, Studio 89, The Nothing Special, Tief, Waxxx, Wigflex, Wolf Music.
Jungle, the celebrated London funk collective, and probably the hottest band in the UK right now, are set to join the Secret Garden Party 2015 line-up. Described by Time Out as a band who ‘make electronic music with a human heart, marry underground cool with main-stage appeal, and do it with vision and conviction,’ they released their self-titled debut album through XL Recordings in the summer to widespread acclaim.
Kate Tempest, who really needs no introduction, is officially added to the line-up this time round having busked at the Secret Garden Party a few years ago. Winner of the Ted Hughes Poetry Award for her narrative poem, ‘Brand New Ancients,’ she was also nominated for the Mercury Prize for her album ‘ Everybody Down.’ She will be performing her new poetry collection ‘Hold Your Own’ along with the current album.
French ensemble extraordinaire and long-time Garden Party favourites also join this first wave of bands. Renowned for their outstanding live shows Caravan Palace bring together elements of jazz, gypsy and dance music in a vibrant, upbeat and exhilarating fashion.
Rising stars Jack Garratt and Marika Hackman are also confirmed along with Flyte,Iyes, Jagaara, Elder Island and Menace Beach. New artists, who all possess excitingly unorthodox and distinctive styles.
Sónar 2015 announces its first names for Sónar Barcelona. The first artist announcement includes classic and revered names of electronic music and benchmarks for a new generation, together with new producers and bands outlining the futuredirection of electronica.
The Chemical Brothers (UK)
Autechre (UK)
Kindness (UK)
Evian Christ (UK)
Fat Freddy's Drop (NZ)
Daniel Avery (UK)
Ten Walls (LT)
Lee Gamble (UK)
Sophie (UK)
Holly Herndon (US)
PXXR GVNG (ES)
Kiasmos (IS)
Kate Tempest (UK)
Tourist (UK)
Vessel (UK)
Niño (ES)
Mans O (ES)
Helena Hauff (DE)
and many more to be confirmed…
Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers, speaks for the first time exclusively for Sónar
Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers, speaks for the first time exclusively for Sónar to provide the first details about the new show and new studio album in 2015:
“We're very excited to return to Sónar, one of the best crowds, in one of the greatest cities. We are still imagining the gig, both music and visual. We are working on the staging of the live gig at the moment. Adam (Smith) has some amazing ideas. The show will be an intense ride, hold tight. (About the new album) I guess the most important feature of the album is that it connects with us emotionally in some way. We hope for finding a new way to make you feel. We dream of new sounds and different frames. We have worked with some guest singers but mostly the album is pure Chemical Brothers.”
Keystones of electronica
For the past twenty years, The Chemical Brothers have redefined the idea of live electronic music. In that time, their live show has evolved from humble beginnings in dank London nightclubs into one of the most in demand festival headline sets in the world. All the while, it has adhered to the same basic idea: that the gig should create its own transcendent audio/visual space where the audience can lose themselves for the duration of the set. The Chemical Brothers on going relationship with director and visual artist Adam Smith continues to produce hallucinogenic results across the globe (as seen in 2012’s collaborative concert film Don’t Think). The band are due to release their eighth studio album in 2015.
Autechre are one of the most admired and respected duos in abstract and experimental electronica. The importance of the music and sound imagined by Rob Brown and Sean Booth cannot be underestimated. They have played an integral role in the development of abstract techno and IDM (intelligent dance music) over the past 25 years. One of their tracks "Flutter", is considered by critics as a historical zenith of IDM, and albums like "Incunabula", "Amber", "TriRepetae" or the more recent "Oversteps" and "EXAI" are all masterpieces of sonic deconstruction. Their live performances are rare and very exclusive, and in 2015 they will perform at Sónar by Day, nearly two decades after their first and only appearance at the festival in 1996.
New benchmarks
As always, the Sónar line-up is dominated by the huge presence of new producers and bands noted for their powerful artistic profile and sound that in many cases outline the future direction of electronica and cutting edge music.
This is certainly the case for Vessel and Evian Christ, two very young British producers with a distinct and identifiable sound based on techno, who are exploring more complex sonic territories in immersive shows with a potent sensorial impact; Lee Gamble, the respected and experienced aural adventurer will present his new live audiovisual concept in collaboration with the London designer Dave Gaskarth.
Sónar also recognises new dynamic female talent such as American songwriter Holly Herndon, creator of dystopian sound worlds with futuristic auditory aesthetics; and KateTempest, poet, performer and British playwright -winner of the Ted Hughes Award in 2013- who will present her first album "Everybody Down" on hip-hop label Big Dada; or German dj Helena Hauff, faithful disciple to the continuation of the most resonant techno and electro from her home base in Hamburg.
The festival will also host exciting dance music projects from:Kiasmos, whose emotive and dance friendly techno is produced by prodigious Icelandic pianist Ólafur Arnalds, together with Janus Rasmussen; electropop quartet Bloodgroup; and the luminescent and penetrating melodies of Lithuanians Ten Walls, whose career has just taken off. You will also be able to enjoy prestigious young DJs likeDaniel Avery, mentored by Erol Alkan and hailed by critics as the British Isles new master of tech-house; and producers like Sophie, creator of colourful melodies and contemporary rhythms, in keeping with the new PC Music trend, who recently collaborated with Madonna, Nicki Minaj and Diplo.
There will of course be room reserved for pop and other styles including celebrated New Zealand band Fat Freddy's Drop, who return to Sónar with their fantastic live show where they will intelligently mix dub, reggae and soul, with techno and house. Also appearing from the UK will be Tourist and Kindness, two key names in today’s synth pop sound, both of whom have newly released material. Tourist will present a tantalizing live audiovisual show where the piano takes centre stage, while Kindness will present a liberating and highly emotive concert experience.
The first announcement from Takedown organisers is that Mallory Knox will headline the 2015 event.
4 years in and Takedown has become an essential date in the UK indie alternative summer festival diary. Except it's in March. Which is where we like it.
Taking place in the heart of the thriving live music metropolis that is Southampton, Takedown Festival has proven itself year after year as the perfect appetiser for the whirlwind that is the UK festival season, and judging by the last 3 years it's a date definitely not to be missed!
More bands announced soon!
Early Bird tickets are available for just £30 from www.takedownfestival.co.uk
