The Joy Formidable and more added to Summercamp Festival

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The Joy Formidable, who recently toured the US with Muse, make a brief return to the UK for a slew of festival dates, which now includes a stop off at Summercamp. The riff-loving Welsh trio’s tidal wave of euphoric rock is sure to engulf the stage in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle district. The last few early-bird tickets for the August bank holiday event at only £20 are available to buy from Summercampfestival.co.uk.
 
Currently riding high on praise for their third album, which has been described as the band’s “most accomplished to date” by The Fly, Dutch Uncles have also been confirmed for the stellar Summercamp line-up. Will Sergeant and Les Pattison, members of Liverpool legends Echo and The Bunnymen, are bringing their new band Poltergeist to the festival for a dose of progressive-inspired rock.
 
Elsewhere on the bill are new offerings in the form of lo-fi indie and afrobeat rhythms from Fair Ohs and the new band project, Le Carousel, from DJ/producer Phil Kieran known for his work with labels including Bugged Out!. Add to that Roscius, a one-man live loop and beats maestro, Americana-inspired garage rock from Spectrals and the sugary sweet electro indie pop of We Were Evergreen and Summercamp is shaping up to be the North West’s best bank holiday weekend bash by a long shot.
 
Whilst early tickets are in very limited supply standard adult passes will still only set fans back £50, proving that a top quality festival need not break the bank or involve wellies. Tickets are now on sale via summercampfestival.co.uk.

 

The Scribes Interview @ Gottwood Festival Anglesey

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Deep in the glorious, green woods of Anglesey in June-time is the annual Gottwood festival; an increasingly popular outdoor event, which promises not only uniquely stunning fairy-lit scenery but also a broad range of live musical talent from all over Europe.

The journey through the festival grounds puts one in mind of a surreal secret garden! At one end lies a beautiful, colourfully spot lit lake, and at the other, a huge dome tent bathed in psychedelic light and blasting out futuristic dance music. The event certainly caters for a wide range of festival lovers and general sight-seers alike.

The Lakeside Stage proved to be a hit throughout the weekend. Although the area would have undoubtedly benefitted from less unpredictable weather, the dedicated crowds never failed to show their support for the live talent. Ending the evening in style, The Scribes performed their unique hip hop set to hundreds of fans, who battled the rain to dance along. I joined the band after their show for an interview on behalf of Summer Festival Guide.

Rachael Hey guys. I loved the set, you absolutely smashed it! So tell me – it’s your first time at Gottwood, how are you finding it so far?

Johnny It’s been really good, and we’ve had a great crowd. Although it took a long time to get here, and to be honest by the time we arrived in the pouring rain and tried to put up a tent, we were expecting the worst! But once we got to the woods and saw what Gottwood has to offer, which is frankly a lot of light, a lot of ambience and a great vibe going across the whole place, it has been really nice.

Shaun Plus it is different to a lot of festivals we do. It’s a lovely area, lovely surroundings, lovely ambience that’s around the place. It’s a shame the weather’s been a bit on and off, but to be honest, it’s so nice here that we’ve definitely enjoyed playing it.

Johnny And with all the owl sculptures and lights, and everything they’ve managed to put together. It makes it more than just a few stages. It felt like a bit of an adventure.

Rachael So you’ve had a chance to explore. Do you have a favourite section?

Lacey Obviously performing at Lakeside was good. I also liked it all lit up at night, especially the little dance-y tent with all the lights on. That was cool.

Shaun Well sadly we didn’t get here ‘til late, but we had a chance to look around. We saw all the areas they’ve got. They have a few different stages and it’s all set amongst the forest which is really nice. They’ve got all the lights in the trees, the sculptures and stuff going on. As Lace said, there’s a projection tent that’s like a big dome, with visual effects in time with the music – that was a bit surreal. But the vibe is the most important thing and there have just been nice, happy people here having a damn good time!

Johnny I enjoyed the bit where we played, which was the Lakeside. It was a really nice stage with a great view and once the sun came out it looked really quite spectacular. Definitely one of my favourites.

Rachael So are you guys used to performing at the mercy of the Great British outdoors or is this a new experience for you?

Shaun Well we’ve been going for a long time now so we’ve done plenty of festivals, and you have to sort of roll with it. I think you’ve got to work a bit harder in the rain. If a crowd is staying in the rain to see you, then they’re giving you a lot more than normal. They’re making a point of standing to see you in the rain, and nobody enjoys standing in the rain! So you feel obliged to give a lot more in the show and the audience really enjoyed that which made it very memorable.

Johnny We have been to many random places and the great outdoors is something we’re used to. We did a festival in the South of Italy on a beach with lightening striking out at sea. It is nice to get outside instead of being stuck in a club.

Lacey I prefer performing outdoors too. It’s like a nice, open space festival atmosphere here. Lovely.

Rachael So how would you describe your sound? Because you’re a lot more upbeat than a lot of hip hop I’ve heard.

Shaun It’s hard to say to be honest. I think we definitely sound like us. It’s very hard to draw any immediate comparisons.  We’re obviously very much rooted in hip hop, in terms of the raps, in terms of the beats. But we do pick up the pace a bit. It’s not sample-based, it’s all played in the studio with live instrumentation, so we can be a bit more progressive and melodic with it. I always go with ‘New Wave Hip Hop’, which is a made-up genre that makes the point that we’re not that strictly hip hop. It gives us a lot more freedom to make the music we want to hear. The fact other people want to hear it is just really nice.

Lacey Our music is quite up and dance-y. I’d describe it as raw, energetic lyrical magic.

Shaun Nice!

Johnny And I think it was a nice change of pace for Gottwood, because what we played was a little bit more uptempo. It was nice that the crowd we had decided to stay in spite of the rain, so I think the change of pace went down well.

Rachael Good stuff! So have you guys got any tips for people camping at Gottwood?

Shaun Yeah, make sure you arrive when it’s light, because putting up a tent in the dark is enough to pull apart any band’s friendship. (laughs) But we’ve all reconciled now.

Lacey Yeah, don’t try and set your tent up at eleven o clock at night. My favourite bit of the camping experience was not sleeping in the tent and sleeping in the car!

Rachael That does not sound fun! So you’ve recently signed with Kamikazi Airlines Records in the US, how did that come about?

Shaun Yeah, we're chuffed to bits with it to be honest. The label's co-owned by Dizzy from Ugly Duckling. We toured with them last year and he liked what he saw, so he bought the other label people to see us live and we put pen to paper a few weeks back. They've worked with some huge names in hip hop so we're honoured to be working with them going forward. It's a big deal for us.

Johnny It's massive. We're the first English act they've signed so we've got to fly the flag for Britain! To celebrate the deal, and as a thank you to everyone who helped us get here, our last album ‘The Sky is Falling’ is now available as a free download from www.kamikaziairlines.com/scribes. So if you're reading this go and get it now! 

Lacey Like the guys said, this has been years of hard work in the making, so we're pretty excited about it all.

Rachael And finally, where can people find out more about The Scribes?

Shaun Well we're all over the web like a hippedy hop rash! We keep our facebook up to date with all our latest tour dates and news, so you can add us up there at www.facebook.com/scribesmusic.

Johnny Or, if you're a really cool kid, you can follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/thescribes, though we're still getting to grips with that one!

Lacey And the label page at www.kamikaziairlines.com/scribes for the free LP. Do it.

Rachael Well, guys, it’s been a pleasure chatting with you this afternoon. Best of luck with the signing, and I look forward to hearing what The Scribes have to offer in future!

Cream @ Privilege Ibiza to be broadcast on Radio 1

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Cream returns with another exclusive party at Privilege, to be broadcast live on Radio 1 as part of the station’s weekend in Ibiza.
 
The event will take place on Saturday 3rd August featuring sets from the awesome Eric Prydz, Chase & Status (DJ Set), Pete Tong, Hardwell, Zane Lowe, Benga, Mistajam, Friction, B Traits, Gorgon City, Monsta, Danny Howard, Koan Sound, The Frederik and the Cream Ibiza residents.
 
BBC Radio 1 will be broadcasting live from the venue between 1am- 5am (BST) / 2am – 6am (CEST). UK listeners will then have the option to stream the show for the next 7 days via http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1
 
Based on the success of last year’s party this event is expected to sell out so please purchase tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.
 
For more info please go to Cream Ibiza’s facebook page – www.facebook.com/officialcreamibiza
 
Eric Prydz
 
 
FULL LINE-UP
Eric Prydz
Chase & Status (DJ Set)
Pete Tong
Hardwell
Zane Lowe
Benga
Mistajam
Friction
B Traits
Gorgon City
Monsta
Danny Howard
Koan Sound
The Frederik
& Cream Ibiza Residents B2B
 
EVENT INFO
Cream @ Privilege, San Rafael, Ibiza.
Saturday 3rd August
Times – 11pm – late.

Comedy lineup announced for End of the Road Festival

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Located in a hidden glade in the woods that surround Larmer Tree Gardens, End of the Road's comedy stage is a bit like a seditious medieval meeting, except instead of rebels plotting against the king you are greeted by a series of brilliant comedians wearing jeans and T-shirts rather than tabards and sword-sheaths.

Okay, so it was not the best simile, except, maybe, for the fact that among the comedy additions announced today – alongside wonders such as Mark Watson and Sara Pascoe – is Gemma Whelan, also known as Yara Greyjoy from that ridiculously addictive TV series Game of Thrones. She and seven others join an already-great lineup whose names so far confirmed include Phil Nichol, Michael Legge, Robin Ince, Nick Doody, Joey Page, Colin Hoult, Tom Allen, Sarah Bennetto, Stuart Black, Chris Coltrane, John Robins, Robin and Partridge and Felicity Ward.

Read on for the latest confirmations with notes by the festival's comedy creator Sarah Bennetto.

Mark Watson
Stand-up, writer, all round great guy. He has won the Edinburgh Best Newcomer Comedy Award and Panel Prize, and has appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Mock the Week. His “long shows” are the thing of legend, and his warm-hearted humour and terrific flights of fancy will leave you aglow. 

Sara Pascoe
Wit and whimsy, with a dark edge and political subtext. Sara Pascoe is a talented stand-up who also starred in Twenty Twelve, The Thick of It and Live at the Apollo (amongst many more of your favourite comedy shows). 

Gemma Whelan as Chastity Butterworth
Hilarious stand-up and comic actor, Gemma Whelan can also be seen gallivanting about as Yara Greyjoy in the mighty TV behemoth, Game of Thrones. Chastity Butterworth will whip you all into shape as she lectures on social niceties and festival manners. 

The Monster Comedy Shed
A wonderful little thing run by that clever Neil Wates and the folk at Monster Comedy. A tiny audience inside a wooden garden shed, plus special guest comedians. There will be no more than four audience members at a time – you have been warned! The Monster Comedy Shed will also be wheelchair accessible. 

Pappy’s 
The return of the anarchic comedy trio. They have yet another Edinburgh Award nomination under their belt, a smashing podcast, plus a BBC sitcom just about to launch! Watch them soar in 2013 onwards.   

Tony Law
Often surreal, always sharp Canadian stand-up and Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee. Audiences and comedians, alike, love him. And with good reason – the man’s a comedy god.

Phil Kay
A force of nature. Phil Kay had a few years off End of the Road, and now he’s back with a new book in the works and even more tremendous adventures to tell us about. A mesmerising, messy comic journey. 

Tiffany Stevenson
Straight-talking and often biting, Tiffany Stevenson can be found cracking her wit whip at all the best theatres, clubs and music festivals. End of the Road Festival is honoured to have her joining us in 2013.

The music lineup at this year's End of the Road Festival is topped by Belle and Sebastian, Sigur Rós, David Byrne & St Vincent and Eels.

Creamfields – Saturday Day tickets almost sold out

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Those wishing to purchase Standard Saturday or Standard Sunday Day tickets for this year’s Creamfields festival are being urged to do so as soon as possible as these tickets are close to sell out. 

Creamfields is on course for its 5th consecutive sell-out and promises an unforgettable weekend hosted by some of the biggest stars in electronic dance music including The Prodigy, AVICII, Tiësto, David Guetta, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso,  Above & Beyond, Eric Prydz, Knife Party, Paul van Dyk, Groove Armada, Pete Tong, Annie Mac, Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice, Sub Focus, Afrojack, Alesso, Marco Carola, Ferry Corsten, Eddie Halliwell, Laidback Luke, Steve Aoki, Hardwell, Nicky Romero, NERVO, Solomun, AlunaGeorge, Madeon, Sasha, Julio Bashmore, Maceo Plex, Eats Everything, Baauer, Jackmaster, Redlight and Maya Jane Coles.

Standard day tickets are available to purchase online at www.creamfields.com/tickets and over the counter via 3b records, Slater Street, Liverpool City Centre.

Best Kept Secret Festival 2013

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Its a very rare occasion that you get to experience a new festival without hearing the experiences of others, and I wasn't sure what to expect from Best Kept Secret, but I was pleasantly surprised by the site, the friendliness of others and sheer organisation, this is definitely a top European festival to be reckoned with.

Not only is it situated on a safari park, but it is surrounded by a beautiful lake and a white sandy beach. Revellers have the opportunity to kick off those shoes, get their feet wet and go swimming whilst listening to some great bands that are were offer. And don't worry if you're not a great swimmer, there are life guards on patrol looking out for your safety.

For the foodies out there, a great selection of both meat dishes and veggie delights were on offer at a reasonable price. And although the weather wasn't on our side, this didn't stop anyone from grabbing a free poncho, throwing it over themselves and making the most of what was on offer. Like most European festivals, BKF operates on a token system, and have a great incentive to ensure you don't litter. For every cup you return to the bar you receive half a token, 2 tokens gets you a free beer, so before you know it, you'll be receiving a free beer for your efforts.

Best Kept Secret Festival

Friday saw the doors open at 5pm, and within easy walking distance you had a choice of 3 stages. Most of the artists had only a slight overlap, so if you wanted to check out a number of bands, then it was easily done. On the bill were Swim Deep, The Maccabees, Bloc Party, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Fuck Buttons and closing the main stage were the Arctic Monkeys. Not only did they pull in biggest crowd, but they played an hour and a half set including their classics which had everyone jumping up and down.

Day 2 saw the likes of Two Door Cinema Club, Alt-J, Allah-Las, Koreless and Damien Rice take to the stages. Damien Rice entertained the crowd with his hits and it wasn't long before everyone was singing canon ball in unison.

The final day ended with the Local Natives, Everything Everything, Palma Violets, Kurt Vie and the Violators, Portishead and Sigur Ros. Not only was there a great selection of established bands on offer, but also some exciting new bands to watch out for. One band that stood out were Autre Ne Teut, hailing from New York, these guys provided a packed out tent to a mixture of way out musical styles mixed with some great beats to match. Sigur Ros closed the festival with an incredible set and atmosphere to match. They also donated some used signed drum heads and drum brushes, all proceeds donated to Unicef. For anyone looking for their next European festival, I would strongly recommend BKF, you won't be disappointed.

Sigur Ros @ Best Kept Secret

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BEST KEPT SECRET FESTIVAL

Download Festival 2013 – Sunday Review

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A drier Sunday sees festival goers lounging on the hillside whilst watching the writhing madness that is the mosh pits at Five Finger Death Punch, and wassailing with Swedish melodic metallers – Amon Amarth, who play aboard their on stage Viking longship, to a sea of fans’ windmilling hair and guttural yells.

Stone Sour pull off a powerful set to a packed arena with the likes of ‘Say You’ll Haunt Me’ and ‘Mission Statement’. With the words “We are in England, the home of heavy metal. This is where it all started. There’s one band that we all owe our allegiance to… Black Sabbath. This is dedicated to them” they proceed to play a very Stone Sour cover of ‘Children of the Grave’ and frontman Corey Taylor goes on to perform second cover Alice In Chains’ ‘Nutshell’ as a solo. Yelling “I’m going to go on record and say this country is my favourite in the fucking world” Corey gains a roar of respect from the crowd, however he (and countless unfortunate others) cop an eyeful of the buck-naked dude standing atop his mate’s shoulders for much of the second half of the set.

Over on the second stage something odd is occurring, my first encounter with what I can only describe as Papal-Metal, comes at the hands of Swedish eccentrics Ghost. Dressed in cardinal’s robes and misfits style skeleton paint, frontman Papa Emeritus II has a much higher/softer rock vocal than you expect, and the ‘Nameless Ghouls’ (read: rest of the band, dressed in black robes) do a decent job with ‘Year Zero’ and ‘Ritual’ to a pretty large crowd.

Following them, the second stage sees a sudden influx of bodies in preparation for the return of Aussie icons Airbourne, a band who last time they performed were put in the naughty corner for frontman Joel O'Keefe’s rock and roll, rigging-scaling action. Smoke cannons, energetic hopping around and some proper good old windmilling are the mainstay of Airbourne’s performance, and a quick “You’re a fucking sight for sore eyes Donington, it’s great to be back in the U fucking K” puts everyone immediately on side. Joel foregoes the death-defying stunts this year and instead legs it into the crowd with his guitar, meeting fans, playing, and just generally having a nice time for ‘Raise The Flag’. After getting back on stage, the crowd is treated to ‘Live it Up’ and ‘Runnin’ Wild’ with a bit of good old synchronised headbanging.

A much anticipated 30 Seconds to Mars are giving the female festival population ovarian tingles, as frontman Jared Leto (widely enjoyed for purely shallow reasons) turns his wailing on the busy arena. Four guys in coloured balaclavas are for some unknown reason, employed to bang drums steadily behind the band a la Blue Man Group, but much less interesting, and Leto’s inane comments (particularly the weird “We are forty seconds to mars”… we all heard that right?!) are getting a bit hard to swallow. Calling out “You, you in the blue hat and the Cannibal Corpse tshirt, you’re just looking at your dick… This guy is gonna lead the jump for us” Leto continues to make an ass of himself. Dear Jared Leto, despite your penchant for odd outfits and your strange ideas about fan-prizes (see “win a night in my bed” no, really) I actually don’t *hate* the way you sound, but come on… if there’s a guy at your show in a Cannibal Corpse tshirt, he’s either just securing his spot for Rammstein later or appeasing a teenage girl. Take the hint. After arrogantly announcing a forthcoming UK tour (the entire list of dates and locations… *sigh*) and pulling a load of screaming hormonal girls on stage, they close out with  ‘The Kill (Bury Me’, ‘Kings and Queens’ and ‘Up in the Air’, to the cheers of all those thoroughly annoyed at having witnessed it.

During the stage-setting break the last few brave souls hit the zipline to the terrifying sight of a crowd gearing up for their descent, with a host of bottles and other miscellaneous missiles to hurl at the unfortunate victims – it makes for interesting sport/entertainment as we wait.

Rammstein hit Donington with everything they’ve got, showcasing their heavy style amidst a plethora of flaming devices from ‘2, 3, 4, Links’ and ‘Du Hast’ to ‘Ich Will’ and ‘Sonne’. Fans are treated to a spectacular show, including flamethrowers, fireworks, bondage and S&M alongside anthemic hits, it’s the show Download Festival has been waiting years for and they certainly do it justice (see the full review for complete details). Closing the night and the festival with the comedic and fairly gross, ‘Pussy’ and a foam-spraying giant penis-cannon, flanked by ticker-tape explosions, it’s been a long time coming (excuse the pun…) but Rammstein know how to put on an epic performance, this has been one extraordinary night for Download Festival and for the history of Donington Park. Who knows what to expect next year…

Beach Break Live 2013 – Saturday Review

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Strong wind; rain; hundreds of party people who were wearing layers of clothing to keep warm but were raring to go and dance the day away; that pretty much sums up Saturday of Beach Break Live. It started off with patchy spells of rain that had people running back to their tents to grab ponchos and wellington boots. The weather really hit you though the moment you arrived at Fistral Beach, everyone was styling a very nice up do of wind swept hair and soggy clothing. As long as you could withstand the wind and actually made it to the main stage it wasn’t too bad; everyone huddled together to form a group near the front of the stage to keep warm; I guess the weather brings people together at times.

Due to the weather many people didn’t really want to leave their tents meaning there wasn’t anyone at the main stage until Lazy Habits came on. Now I’ve been told about these guys before, their brass section was praised by another band that I had been talking to so there was no way I was missing out on them. I quite liked the way they began; you had the lead singer performing as best he could whilst the rest of the band stood waiting; I even managed to glimpse a cheeky smile from the trumpet player as he tried to keep himself composed. Their upbeat sounds were perfectly composed together with the brass line, which gave them a unique performance from the rest of the weekend so far.

Next up were Submotion Orchestra, there was so much buzz around this band and I have to admit I was not let down. What I loved the most about them is that they wanted to be there and you could tell, they all had smiles on their faces even though they had strong winds and rain hitting them. Following were AlunaGeorge, now I first thought it was the entire band or just the singer but I was later informed that it was two people. You had Aluna, the main singer, and George the keyboardist; this is something I would have never guessed. Yes they put on a decent set, they could have been more energetic but I guess they were freezing cold so I will give them that. The downfall was that George just seemed like he didn’t want to be there and left the stage presence to Aluna, I guess that’s what happens when you are just put in the background to play. Despite all this the crowd was dancing and screaming the lyrics along to the songs, they all seemed to be having a great time, which means they’ve done their job correctly.

We finally had Jake Bugg on stage; with his rise to fame from the song Lighting Bolt it was understandable that he had the largest crowd of the weekend. Everyone was there to see this one guy play guitar on the stage and hear the songs they love and know so much. After seeing him perform at a festival called Blissfields (Winchester, Hampshire) last year to 10 people I felt like a proud guidance councillor to see him perform in front of hundreds, maybe even thousands. Unfortunately many people left disappointed because he doesn’t have that stage presence that you need to entertain a large amount of people, he just provided his refreshing voice and country sounds. Saying that he does what he does well and if people want to see him good on you, he is very good live it’s just a shame he doesn’t interact with the crowd that much.

Jake Bugg - Beach Break Live 2013

  After a long day at the beach I decided tonight was the night to head out and see what was going on around the town. There was something going on every where, you would step outside the pub/club you were just in and there would be another band/DJ playing across the road; it was truly amazing. It meant that everywhere you went there would be people enjoying themselves and spreading a good vibe, even some celebrities (who will remain unnamed) were spotted around the town getting involved. Overall it was a genuinely good day, despite the winds, and it definitely was full of surprises, entertainment and soggy clothing.

Check out the photos here

Beach Break Live 2013 – Thursday & Friday Review

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Thursday provided the festival with an opening night that was more of a fizzle than a bang. Transport problems, computer issues meaning waiting around two hours to get a wristband, and rain all contributed to that festival nightmare that every festivalgoer has to experience. Although you could hear people chatting away and having a good time if you ever left the tent all you would find was a deserted mound of tents surrounded by mud. Friday however definitely made up for anything that may have gone wrong the night before.

Jumping on the bus with a load of hung-over, tired students for the 20 minute journey into town where a 10 minute walk was waiting for us to get to Fistral beach.  It was most definitely worth it when you talk those last few steps before you see the stage and the view that surrounds it, you start to hear the beat of the drums and you know it’s going to be a good day.  The weather however teased us into thinking it was going to be terrible but the moment Gentleman’s Dub Club jumped on stage the sun came out and it no longer felt like you were just on a beach in Cornwall.

Stand out act of the day had to be Cuban Brothers, recommended for those who like to have a good laugh. The first thing the lead singer did was jump straight out into the crowd; the sea of people parted to form a perfect circle around him as he continued with the song. He danced with as many people as he could, people were jumping on his back, and I believe he got hit in the head with several beach balls and yet never missed a beat. If you search them up and read the bio of their website the first thing you read are the words “They will make you laugh, sing along, cry with joy, shit your pants and shake your booty” and I don’t think I could sum them up any better.

Following on from the Cuban Brothers were Foreign Beggars who weren’t really my cup of tea but they definitely put on a show; providing beats and an overall vibe that their fan base would love. Bouncing around on stage making sure all of the crowd were involved, getting people to put their hands up, sing along and even managed to chuck in a couple of jokes now and then. After Foreign Beggars was Devlin.  His grime collective teased the crowd as they came on one by one over a long period of time; I’m not sure whether this is their usual plan of action but it definitely frustrated the crowd. Once they were all on they did put on a good show; much to the relief of the security guards who really didn’t want to have to control a crowd of hundreds of people. Shock of the day came last; the entirety of the press pit was shocked as the man we all thought was getting the stage ready was actually David Rodigan himself. On came the remixes of original reggae which was an incredibly way to end the night at Fistral beach; they were pieces of music that everyone could admire and have a casual groove to. The crowd that was still standing, even though the sun had gone away and the weather had started to take a turn for the worst, definitely enjoyed David Rodigan and left leaving positive and still dancing.

Beach Break Live 2013

The overall vibe of the day was perfect, you had people walking around in their swim wear with flip flops on as they paraded on the beach section of the festival. There were people dressed up as clowns, pirates, and many other strange combinations of costumes who all provided a source of energy and fun when no one was on stage. To sum up the day in general I would have to say it was a day to remember, and if the rest of the weekend is like this I recommend buying a ticket for 2014. 

Nozstock reveals final music lineup for 2013

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The small family-run event now in its 15th year is set in a beautiful rural part of Herefordshire. It started life as a party for relatives and friends and has grown over the years into one of the friendliest small festival experiences to be had.

The Hidden Valley has nine stages, many nooks and crannies and is landscaped around a ramshackle Tudor farmhouse. The ORCHARD STAGE is set at the foot of a natural arena on the side of the gently sloping valley. Alongside the farmhouse is the GARDEN STAGE, which provides a more eclectic line up, turning electronic by sundown whilst converted cowshed the CUBICLES pushes out sub-thumping bass and dubstep this year hosted on Saturday by the legendary drum 'n bass label RAM Records. With further music (including a new electro-swing stage), theatre, comedy stages and tents dotted around the site Nozstock offers a cornucopia of wonders to explore.

This year’s theme is Wild Wild West, so dust off your cowboy hats, fringed moccasins, saloon skirts and ropey John Wayne impressions for what promises to be the best Nozstock yet.  

Also playing are hotly tipped young upstarts The Strypes, one of Britain’s longest running and most cherished acts Chas & Dave, Dub Pistols (fronted by the enigmatic Barry Ashworth), The Beat, Benny Page, The Computers and Ava Leigh plus the legendary RAM Records takeover of The Cubicles dance arena. Featuring some of the hottest talent in the dance music scene including the undisputed godfather of DnB Andy C, RAM will once again be bringing his bag of bass-heavy tricks, alongside Wilkinson, Loadstar, Loko and MC Visionobi.

New Additions:

THE CORRESPONDENTS | THE WYTCHES | MISTY MILLER  |   ELECTRIC SWING CIRCUS

WILLE AND THE BANDITS | THE EQUATORS | TAKO LAKO | SMERINS ANTI SOCIAL CLUB | MORE LIKE TREES | DR MEAKER  |   UNCLE DUGS  | KRY WOLF  |  RICHARD AND THE RAFTERS | BO WALTON  | STIFF JOINTS

The Correspondents will be returning to Nozstock for a second year with their high-energy two-man stage show. DJ/Producer Chucks throws a history of dance music from Blues to Jazz, Electro to Dubstep to Drum’n’Bass into the mix which is then seasoned with Mr Bruce’s vocals depicting the trials and errors of love, lust and loss creating a show not to be missed.

Electric Swing Circus are a 6 piece Electro Swing band that fuses cool 20's swing with stomping electro beats in a dazzling live show.  Fronted by the sassy Sisters of Swing with the addition of live drums, fretless bass, gyspy jazz guitar, keys, synths and swinging samples, The Electric Swing Circus hotfoots its way through everything from breakbeat and house to jungle and dubstep, whilst keeping true to their own unique style of swing. 

The Wytches formed in November 2011 and have slithered their way in to various cities over England with a cynical, dark and flowery take on psychedelia ever since. Their songs take in 50’s surf riffs, desert whips and loungey melancholic shuffles, drawing influence from Nirvana, Bright Eyes and The Cramps

Dr Meaker have become one of Bristol's prize assets and are set to be an exciting prospect for Nozstock this year. Many have been won over by their mind blowing live performances, tight production, quality writing and their ability to effortlessly mix soul with Bass music. Last year the band performed a Maida Vale Live Lounge session for Trevor Nelson’s BBC Radio 1xtra show.

Smerins Anti Social Club are renowned for their explosive live shows and Nozstock will be no exception. They have long been firing up festival crowds and gig-goers throughout the UK with their 10 piece lineup using the raw ingredients of ska, funk, dub, drum'n'bass and swing to full effect in their epic, brass-heavy instrumentals.

Sika Studios Hip Hop Squat Takeover

Fliptrix  |Verb T | Jam Baxter |Leaf Dog | BVA | Edward Scissortongue | DJ Sammy B Side| DJ Madnice |Dr Syntax |Devilman | Ed Cox + Stivs (DSC) + Mattycore (Life4land) |Stagga + Skamma |Lee Scott + Bill Shakes (Children of the Damned) | Split Prophets | Jman |Sonnyjim + Sleaze |Mylo Stone | Tenchoo | Traumatik |Rum Committee | Concept of Thought | Defenders of Style + Lego + Matter | Granville Sessions + Jester Jacobs|Influx |TPS |GV Clik | Cracker Jon + Too Late | Bennadict | Kimberley Newell |Bahai | Flash Harry

In addition to these announcements, Sika Studios have announced the lineup for their hip hop squat takeover in The Bullpen. This will see the return of High Focus Records to Nozstock, putting on a showcase featuring the like of Fliptrix, who has been considered the UKs freshest hip hop MC since 2010's critically acclaimed Theory of Rhyme, Leaf Dog, one third of underground heroes Three Amigos, Verb T, BVA, Jam Baxter, Edward Scissortongue, DJ Sammy B Side and DJ Madnice. A huge figure in underground UK hip-hop, Dr Syntax will be returning to Nozstock, with his ‘witty social commentary, self-deprecating humour and intelligent wordplay. (Rhyme and Reason).

The Coppice lineup announced

Psytrance stalwarts Tribe of Frog will also be returning to Nozstock to bring deep beats into The Coppice all weekend long with acts like Big Scary Monsters, Illegal Machines, and K.i.M joining the fray. Also appearing will be: Brainiac, Occular, Lurk, Lorraine, Awen, Neutron, Nocotopus, Psychosonic, F'da F'da, Hemp, Timmer, Dr. Psy, Piemanand Wicki.

First comedy acts revealed

Nozstock is also thrilled to announce the first wave of its comedy lineup for 2013. Hosted by Rock ‘N Roll tour manger turned award winning comedian Bob Slayer, this year’s line up features the cream of the UK comedy crop.

Lauded by Time Out as a ‘wonderfully observed and hysterically funny character who contacts dead celebrities with incredible results‘ Tom Binns is set to grace the stage with his most recent comic creation Ian De Monfort, a psychic from Sunderland.  Mr Methane, the renowned performing flatualist caused a stir on Britain's Got Talent a few years ago with his anal voiced rendition of The Blue Danube will also be appearing.

Other highlights include Martin Mor, Norman Lovett and Simon Donald as well as Lach, Joey Page, Holly Burns, Ben Target, Pat Cahill, John Kearns, Holly Burn, Karl Schultz, Adam Larter, Paul Duncan McGarity, Matthew Highton, Beth Vyse Gareth Morinan and Joe Davies.

Full Lineup

The Strypes | Dub Pistols | Chas and Dave | Mr Scruff | The Beat | The Correspondents | DJ Yoda | Sonny Wharton | The Wytches | | Parlour Flames | The Computers | Misty Miller | Electric Swing Circus  | Wille and The Bandits  | The Equators  | Ava Leigh | Tako Lako | Smerins Anti Social Club | Kitten and The Hip | More Like Trees | Dr Meaker | Uncle Dugs | Kry Wolf | King Porter Stomp | By The Rivers | George Ezra | Velvet Stream | The Resonators | Dutty Inspectors | Ziro | Heymoon Shaker | Backbeat Soundsystem | Coda | MouthMaster Murph | Goldseal | More Like Trees | Gypsy Unit | Cazal | Too Spicy | Duncan Disorderly and The Scallywags |  Wyynona Ryyder |  Caolin Clay | Johnny Kowasaki and The Sexy Weirdos | Captain Accident and The Disasters | Sarah Joy | Jennifer Booton | The Inexplicables | The Cadbury Sisters | Richard and The Rafters  | Bo Walton  | Stiff Joints | High Focus Records Showcase | Fliptrix | Verb T | Jam Baxter | Leaf Dog | BVA | Edward Scissortongue | DJ Sammy B Side| DJ Madnice | Dr Syntax | Devilman | Ed Cox + Stivs + Mattycore | Stagga + Skamma | Lee Scott + Bill Shakes | Split Propehts | J Man | Sonnyjim + Sleaze | Mylo Stone | Big Scary Monsters | Illegal Machines | K.i.M | Brainiac | Occular | Lurk | Lorraine | Awen | Neutron | Nocotopus, Psychosonic | F'da F'da | Hemp | Timmer | Dr. Psy | Pieman |  Wicki

 

Andy C | Loadstar | Wilkinson | S.P.Y | Kasra | Break | Benny Page | Loko | MC GQ | MC Lowqui | MC Visionobi | Remidy MC | Amoss | Octo Pi | DJ Scope

 

The Music Pool Charity

This year Nozstock is delighted to announce The Music Pool as an official charity for 2013. A community based music charity for Herefordshire and its borders; they are dedicated to providing chances for people of all ages and abilities to make music together, because it is one of the most powerful ways to improve people's lives and well-being. You can find out more about what they do at www.musicpool.org.uk and catch the best of their Livewire youth music project showcased on The Bandstand on Saturday.

Cosy Camping from Yippee-Yurts

If there’s one thing that would make your Noz experience that little bit snugger, it would be having a non-soggy sleeping bag, and no muddy footprints on the tent ceiling from the previous weekend (don’t ask). If this sounds like your festival wish list, then you need to book yourself in for some cosy camping. We’re over the moon to have partnered up with Yippee-Yurts who are offering you the chance to build a pick and mix package that suits you (and your wallet!) for the festival weekend, with cosy and spacious fab cotton canvas (no soggy nylon nightmares here!) bell tents, assembled and waiting for you simply furnished with scatter cushions, textile rugs, fleecy throws and decorated around the entrance with solar fairy lights, and more standing room than you’ll know what to do with. If you want to push the boat out why not book an airbed with bed linen and a snuggly duvet! In the Yippee Village there will be a covered chill out area with chairs, tables, BBQ's and charging facilities for your phones and pads! They even offer a luggage porter service and they stay on-site to look after you for the whole event! Start your cosy camping experience at www.yippeeyurts.webs.com or email [email protected] to choose what you want for your weekend home. Just imagine, perfect days at Nozstock and perfect nights in your bell tent. Could your weekend get any better?

ON SALE NOW AT – www.nozstock.com

Tier 2

Adult Weekend = £95

Children 12 and under – free

Car parking – £10

Camper Van £30