Butserfest 2015 Review

Nearing its tenth year, Butserfest hit a new level last weekend. With acts ranging from the harmonious Lounge Kittens, to metal core Vanity Draws Blood, the biggest alcohol and drug free festival in the UK had something for everybody to enjoy.

The arrival to the festival began with a Wars and Vanity Draws Blood both drawing in the crowds as the momentum grew for the main stage to begin. With a little bit of rain from the beginning, it eventually grew brighter and brighter, bringing out the smiles and the friendly atmosphere. Being my first time at Butserfest I was constantly overhearing about previous years and how excited everyone was to be back!

Photo by Jade Hill

Once the acts started playing, the crowd’s energy grew stronger through every song. What I could gather from the festival was that size does not matter! With only two big stages, Main Stage and Crossroads Stage, the only other places to find music were the Introducing Stage and the Acoustic Shack located backstage for lucky festival goers.

As the day carried on the we saw sets from SHVPES who had previously played NASS and Y NOT Festival, with their crowds growing bigger for every festival. Since their show last week supporting Bring Me The Horizon in Kingston, these guys are growing at a rapid rate getting better with every performance. Other acts which have been growing increasingly popular were main stage acts The One Hundred and The Xcerts, two acts which drew in an excessively large crowd.

Photo by Jade Hill

Being a day festival, it meant that there was no time to waste, there was alwasy an act to see. With a few acts who I bumped into in conversation, I could tell how much they were enjoying and how much they would have loved it to have been a weekend event! I for one would also have enjoyed another two days in the beautiful location of Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Petersfield.

As the sun started to set, the music got louder and the crowds got more energetic. With excellent performances from Zoax, who's style and energy definitely took the unaware crowd by surprise. There were hats thown off heads, breaking of comfort zones and continuous laughter throughout the entire set – Zoax definitely knew how to draw a crowd in.

Photo by Jade Hill

With the sad news released a few days after Butserfest that Funeral For A Friend are finishing as a band, I was so glad I got to the chance to watch and photograph them on the day! Playing a mixture of old and new there was something for new fans and older fans.

Photo by Jade Hill

And then it came to the end of the night when the two headliners took to the stage! WIth HECK* (previously Baby Godzilla) taking to the Crossroads stage and Don Broco on Main stage, the night was definitely worth waiting for. Announced for Wapred Tour UK later this year, Heck have been taking festivals by storm this year, and Butserfest was no exception. Photographers like myself were not even allowed in the pit due to health and safety (even though the act would spend the majority of their time in the crowd anyway) and the act did not dissapoint! They were climbing the roof of the tent, running into the crowd, diving to the floor and throwing instruments in the air. If you missed it, you definitely missed out!

Finally it came to 9pm and Don Broco were about to start. With their recent release of thier new album 'Automatic' and their phenomenal set at Reading and Leeds Festival, these guys have taken this Summer by storm, and Butserfest was no exception. The crowd were kept on their feet, their energy had exploded as they opened their headline set. They played a mixture of older music from the album 'Priorities' as well as their most popular songs from the new album. Overall my experience at Butserfest was very enjoyable! Would highly recommend it for anyone! Looking forward to next year already!

DO YOU WANT TO BE A BUTSERFEST CHAMPION?

WANT TO GO TO BUTSERFEST FOR FREE?

Butserfest have given you the chance to grab yourself a free ticket to this year's Butserfest!

They're looking for Butserfest Champions to promote Butserfest to their friends. Sell at least 1 ticket to a friend and get yours for FREE.

There is NO CATCH! They're even offering a backstage acoustic wristband to the champion who sells the most tickets!

Check out their website here to see more information and to find the link to apply to become a Butserfest Champion!

http://www.butserfest.co.uk/2015/08/introducing-butserfest-champion/

Also check out their facebook and twitter:

facebook.com/butserfest

@Butserfest

 

 

BUTSERFEST BACKSTAGE ACOUSTIC SETS

BUTSERFEST BACKSTAGE ACOUSTIC SETS

Since 2011 the backstage acoustic sets have been an exciting added bonus to the already popular Festival. This year Butserfest are giving you and a friend the chance to win a special wristband that’ll gain you access into our Acoustic Shack.

Simply visit their Facebook page to enter for a chance to win! (Please note that access to acoustic sets does not include event tickets)

https://www.facebook.com/Butserfest

The first backstage acoustic act announced was Brighton pop punkers, Boston Manor who will be performing a 3 song acoustic set for a small group of lucky competition winners.

Photo by Leigh-Ann Kilner

 

Other acts which have also been announced are Dirt, Create to Inspire and Our Hollow Our Home! With six acts in total confirmed to play the Acoustic Shack, the last two are being kept a secret. With a little inside knowledge, we can guarantee that you will not be disappointed!

If you would like to know a little bit more about the acoustic sets, check out last years video of Joe from EMPIRE doing a cover of Prince’s ‘Kiss’

 

To check out more of the latest news from Butserfest check out their website:

http://www.butserfest.co.uk/

Twitter: @Butserfest

Facebook: www.facebook.com/butserfest

HECK! TO JOIN BUTSERFEST 2015

SECOND WAVE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR BUTSERFEST 2015

East Hampshire District Council are delighted to announce the final bands to complete the line up for this year's Butserfest, the UK's biggest alcohol free youth live music festival.

Joining an already explosive lineup are South Wales' post hardcore GIANTS Funeral for a Friend, who make their return to our hallowed field, Nottingham scoundrels HECK* (formerly known as Baby Godzilla) – who will headline our alternative road stage sponsored by Crossroads, and who make a very welcome return having aptly lain waste to the same stage in 2014, those loveable ladies The Lounge Kittens, who will be entertaining our crowds on the main stage between our later acts, the delightfully ferocious SHVPES, Southampton boys Our Hollow, Our Home, also making their return to our event having smashed our second stage last year, pop punkers Boston Manor, who recently toured the UK with As It Is, and Londoners Vanity Draws Blood.

Complete lineup:

Don Broco, Funeral for a Friend, Hacktivist, HECK*, The Xcerts, The Qemists, The Lounge Kittens, Fathoms, The One Hundred, Carcer City, Zoax, Our Hollow Our Home, Lock & Key, Create to Inspire, Shields, SHVPES, Prolong the Agony, Dirt, Boston Manor, Networks, Lost Atlanta, Cardinal Bay, Vanity Draws Blood, Wars and Waking Angel.

INTRODUCING STAGE (in no particular running order):

Deference, Elements, Daniel Eagle, Flashfires, Zenthetix, Jack Howson, Forever in Depths, Eight 28, Just Millie, These Septic Stars, Forgotten Shores, Ella Davidson, Breathe in the Silence.

Tickets are on sale now priced at just £24.90 (and no booking fee)  from www.butserfest.co.uk/tickets

Every ticket bought in July & August will be entered into a draw to win VIP packages. More info on website

Butserfest to host four Live and Unsigned acts

Butserfest is an alcohol/drug-free festival that takes place at Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Hampshire, the festival features two stages of music, as well as free activities. Previous years have included bungee runs, laser tag and inflatable table football.

Butserfest 2012

Butserfest is now in its sixth year and aims to feature the best local and national up-and-coming bands. Previous acts have included You Me At Six, The Blackout, The King Blues, Funeral For A Friend, Bury Tomorrow and Young Guns.

Lucy Soal, band organiser at Butserfest, said; ‘It’s great to be working with Live and Unsigned once again. We pride ourselves in giving opportunities to unsigned acts and the national winner in the rock category will be a welcome addition to our line-up.’

How to win

Three acts will be hand-picked by Butserfest organisers in Portsmouth along-side the winner of the Rock category from the national Grand Final at The O2.

Live & 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.

To keep up-to-date with Butserfest, go to www.facebook.com/butserfest or visit the website: www.butserfest.co.uk.