Having sold out of the 5000 tickets that were on sale for this years Standon Calling, we were pretty excited about seeing what this small little festival based in Hertfordshire had to offer.
It was the first time since its inception that Standon Calling has sold out, and it had good reason to! The lineup was no short of spectacular with Bastille, Digitialism, De La Soul, Band of Skulls, DJ Yoda and more performing across the stages over the weekend.
On top of that, this years theme was “Running from the Circus” and there was a number of circus based activities taking place through the different arenas. The wonderful trapeze school provided a number of “ohhhs”, “ahhhs”, “woohooos” and other reactions from the crowd as the punters took their hand at all sorts of acrobatics on the learning Trapeze structure.
Walking around the grounds we could see that a number of people made the effort to dress up in their favourite circus acts. There were plenty of face painted kids running around, lots of shiny and tight lycra pants and a other circus costumes.
Being quite a small festival, it was no effort walking around to check everything out. There was plenty of food and drink selection for everyone. This year Standon Calling implemented a cash less transaction scheme whereby each festival goer was given a wristband on entry which was then topped up via Cash and used to purchase food and drinks. Personally I thought this was a good system, it saved having to go through wallets for money and it seemed to make the process of buying things quite streamlined. At the end of your weekend a cash refund was given for any remaining money.
There is a huge family friendly tag associated to Standon Calling and the kids had plenty to keep them entertained. A swimming pool, arts and crafts and children dedicated area’s like “The Little Den” made sure that there was something for everyone!
Musically, there is plenty to see. De La Soul closed out the main stage for this year with a smashing performance. Having being slightly delayed due to some sounds issues, Kelvin, David and Vincent aka De La Soul came out full of energy to a huge crowd which had descended to the main area to catch the hip hop legends. Getting the crowd involved by asking the audience “Who wants to hear some hip hop” and ripping straight into their massive back catalogue of tunes such as “Take it off“, “Oooh“, “Me Myself and I“, “Stakes is High” and more, they had the crowd waving their hands in the air and bouncing about during the entirety of their set.
One of the most memorable parts of De La Soul’s set was when they requested that everyone (and I mean everyone) put one hand up in the air. They even had all the photographers and security waving hands up and down whilst they videoed the reaction from their phones on the stage. Having seen them years ago, De La Soul were a pleasure to watch again bringing to a close what was quite a spectacular year for Standon Calling.
Earlier on in the day, we checked out London Grammar whom I had never seen live before and was really impressed. Hannah Reid has amazing vocals and managed to pack out the Big Top with the crowds running in to catch this new band perform hits from their debut EP ‘Metal & Dust‘. London Grammar were ecstatic to see just how many people were in the tent, even mentioning very young kids which were up on the shoulders of parents watching.
Alunageorge also took to the Big Top stage to show why they are in so much demand this year after their massive hit ‘Attracting Flies’ smashed the charts around the world. Having been nominated for the Brit Awards, this musical duo had the crowd shuffling their feet to their electronic infused sound.
Gentlemen’s Dub Club, Chloe Howl, London Afrobeat Collective and Rotten Hill Gang also performed on Sunday to a crowd which had witnessed a number of great performances over the weekend.
As small festivals in the UK go, Standon Calling has to be one of the best festivals we have ever been to. Everything from the music, to the facilities, and the organisation of the event was spot on. It has a little something for everyone and still has that independent festival vibe running through it that just makes it something more special.
Check out more photos from Standon Calling 2013 here
We managed to pull Hex from States of Panic out of the studio for a few moments to talk to him about their upcoming show at Bloodstock, festivals and their new album!
SFG: What was the first thing you did this morning? Hex: Opened my eyes…… To find myself still in the studio.
SFG: What will be the last thing you do tonight? Hex: Close my eyes, and fall asleep in the studio
SFG: What's the first thing you put on your festival rider? Hex: For me, definitely a can of Monster energy! It is essential for gig days….and most other days….if I'm being perfectly honest, every day. I think I might have a problem!
SFG: What is the strangest thing you have seen at a festival? Hex: I saw a group of about 6 people all wearing pikachu onsies at download, at first I was fairly weirded out by it but then remembered I was at download and it didn't seem so strange any more.
SFG: Do you have a pre-performance ritual, if so what is it? Hex: Apart from tanking up on Energy drinks and general gear preparation we have a warm that we do. We kick everyone out the dressing room and put on Andrew WK's Party Hard then run on the spot for the verses and Jump during the choruses. Sounds ridiculous when you explain it to someone but it is great for getting the heart rate up before the show.
SFG: What has been your favourite festival of the year so far? Hex: The only one I've been to so far was Download so I'd definitely have to say Download!
SFG: What gig are you most looking forward to next? Hex: After Bloodstock we have a lot of really exciting gigs lined up but I think the one I'm most excited for is Trashfest over in Finland in October!
SFG: Where would be your dream place to play a gig? Hex: That's a tricky one, if you mean in terms of venue I'd say a underground tunnel quite like the video for Slither by Velvet Revolver purely for the video footage. In terms of geographical location there are a million places I'd love to go, I want to play everywhere!
SFG: Who would you love to tour with? Hex: Would love to tour with a band like Escape the Fate or Dead by April. They are two of my favourite bands and it would just be cool to share a stage with them.
SFG: Having played a festival before, what if the main difference between this festival and others you have performed at? Hex: I'm not sure but I'm excited to find out! I think the crowd will be different to download but will hopefully respond well to the onslaught of chaos we're about to unleash upon them!
SFG: What surprises are the crowd in for this year at Bloodstock? Hex: I think we will be a surprise ourselves as we are quite different from the rest of the line up in a lot of ways. I think there will be a few people getting a bit of a fright. Hopefully the good kind!
SFG: When can we expect the debut album and what can you tell the fans about it? Hex: We are currently in the process of smoothing out all the songs ready to send to the producer which should be happening over the next week or so but the next step is for us to release a music video for our second single. I can't give away too much yet but the song is sounding huge and the ideas are going to be epic!
SFG: To those that don't really know you, sum up the band and what it represents in one sentence. Hex: We are the alpha and the omega.
Photo courtesy of Dom Bower Photography
Merely tipping their hat to monsters of rock past, States of Panic combine old-school, modern metal, electronics and synth, twisting their sound into something fresh and new.
Their aggressive, high-octane crowd assault exudes a raw authenticity that channels the self-destructive spirits of the New York Dolls, spiked by the anti-establishment rebellion of Rage Against the Machine.
States of Panic provide a soundtrack for a generation disillusioned by plastic politicians and unemployment, reflecting the pent-up angst and restlessness of a youth sick of war, seedy statesmanship, lack of prospects and lack of hope. A troubled band for troubled times.
But despite the dystopian themes and subject matter behind the band, the music is anthemic and energetic, encouraging fans to be aware of social injustices, the importance of self-worth and to realise the power that we possess collectively.
Are you ONE OF US?
States of Panic are:
Johnny Gunn – Vocals Rusty Gill – Lead guitar Hex – Bass Dagan – Rhythm guitar Hammy – Drums
Today the organisers announce yet more artists to the bill including Paul Woolford, Ryan Elliott, Mark E, FCL and a live performance from Jon Hopkins, totaling almost one hundred artist performances at the week long event. Others including Death on The Balcony, Last Magpie, The Sonic Emporium and Nicola Bear will also join the inaugural Unknown event.
Unknown is a new event from the collective outfits that have previously produced other infamous events such as Hideout Festival in Croatia, The Warehouse Project Manchester and Field Day London. Their first collaboration promises to be both inspiring and diverse with live artists such as The Horrors, Jessie Ware, TEED and Henrik Schwarz set to play as well as new faces tipped for big things such as Jagwar Ma and Lulu James. Not to mention one of the most impressive DJ programmes yet to surface with Disclosure, Ame, Dixon, Jamie XX, Richie Hawtin, SBTRKT, Prins Thomas, Tiga and many more stacking up the bill.
The simple booking system at unknowncroatia.com can facilitate purchases of all accommodation and tickets at the debut Unknown event. This includes many options from camping to five star luxury apartments available on the inclusive site in Rovinj, Croatia, on the serene and undiscovered Adriatic coastline that will soon host a special and memorable week of musical adventures for Unknown.
NEW ADDITIONS
LIVE: Jon Hopkins
DJ: Ryan Elliot / Paul Woolford / FCL / Mark E / Last Magpie / The Sonic Emporium / Death on the Balcony / Nicola Bear / Man Power / Mediate
PROGRAMME LIVE: Clean Bandit / Disclosure / Django Django / Dutch Uncles / East India Youth / Factory Floor / Four Tet / Henrik Schwarz / Jagwar Ma / Jessie Ware / John Talabot / Lindstrom / London Grammar / Lulu James / Moderat / The Horrors / Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
DJ: Ame / Craig Richards / Cyril Hahn / Daniel Avery / Daniele Baldelli / Dixon / DJ Koze / Erol Alkan / Floating Points / Geddes / George Fitzgerald / Giles Smith / Jackmaster / James Holden / James Priestley / Jamie XX / Joy Orbison / Julio Bashmore / Justin Robertson / Kerri Chandler / Maceo Plex / Michael Mayer / Nina Kraviz / Oneman / Optimo / PBR Streetgang / Prins Thomas / Richy Ahmed / Richie Hawtin / SBTRKT / Scuba / Subb-an / Tale of Us / Tiga / Tim Sweeney / Todd Terje / Trevor Jackson / Waze & Odyssey
Bad Passion Project / Bill Brewster / Chida / Coyote / Domenic Capello & Harri / Hardway Brothers / Eskimo Twins / Joe Hart / Last Waltz / Lock Tavern DJs / Lovefingers / Mike Jones / People Get Real / Renato / Scott Fraser / Shacklewell Arms DJs / Timothy J Fairplay / The Backwoods AKA DJ Kent / Toby Tobias / Tom Grainger / Youandewan
+ More to be announced
LABEL PARTNERS: Innervisions / Kompakt / Phantasy
CLUB PARTNERS: Beats In Space / Beacons Festival / Bugged Out / Bleed / Canal Mills / D-Edge / Dollop / Eat Your Own Ears / Gottwood Festival / Kubicle / Mad Ferret / Mono_cult / Mulletover / Now Wave / Secretsundaze / Trouble Vision / Unit44 / Wax:On / Warung
The official model agency of Sundown Festival, Next Model Management – one of the world’s biggest agencies – have opened the search for one lucky guy and girl to become the new face of the UK’s most exciting new music festival, and ‘selfies’ are the way to enter
The ‘Next Face of Sundown’ model competition runs from 11 July – 22 August 2013. One boy and one girl will be chosen from the entrants on Instagram and given a VIP package to attend Sundown Festival on 31 August – 2 September in Norwich with a friend
To enter, hopefuls should Instagram ‘selfie’ shots @nextmodelmgmt using #NEXTFACEOFSUNDOWNUK where all entries will be carefully reviewed by Next Models’ top international scouts. One boy and one girl will then be invited to Sundown 2013 to meet Next Models in person and attend the festival in VIP style
The prize package includes an introduction to Next Model Management, with the chance to sign globally, two tickets to Sundown Festival 2013, a camping pitch (which are now sold out) and a VIP Pass which gives weekend access to the ‘Bank Fashion’ hospitality area
Example and Jessie J will headline the festival, with the likes of Rita Ora, JLS, Wiley, DJ Fresh, James Arthur, Union J, Naughty Boy, Jaguar Skills and many more also set to perform the main stage. Rinse FM and Hospitality will host Stage 2 with sets from superstar DJs including Skepta, Redlight, High Contrast, Zinc, Netsky, Danny Byrd, Nu:Logic and Huxley, while Circus, Color and Hed Kandi will host the campers-only after-show Warehouse parties. For the full line-up, visit sundownfestival.co.uk
“This competition is a great way for guys and girls all over the UK to be able to get in front of our model scouts, it’s so easy to just snap a photo of yourself and upload it to instagram. If you have always wanted to find out if you could be a model, this is the perfect chance for you” says Ross Young, head of New Faces at Next Models London
Sundown Festival spokesperson, Dion Clements comments: “Fashion and music go hand-in-hand so, following Sundown’s hugely successful partnership with Next Model Management in 2012, we’re delighted to renew and develop the relationship further”
Legendary rap group Public Enemy will perform at Flow Festival on the Sunday 11th of August. Cody ChesnuTT is added to Saturday's lineup. Azealia Banks cancels her gig due to illness.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest albums in the history of hiphop: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back by Public Enemy. 10-year-old Flow Festival celebrates also this, and the group will take the stage at Suvilahti. Come witness the always polemic, the always unbeatable, the one and only Public Enemy.
With his songs full of delicate but raw soulfulness and tradition-laden r&b guitarmanship, Cody ChesnuTT has become a stand out artist among modern singer-songwriters. With the timeless quality of his music and lately sold out shows, he seems to finally be gathering the appreciation he was always destined for.
Azealia Banks, initially set to perform at Flow Festival in Helsinki on the Saturday 10th of August, cancels all her August performances due to serious throat infection.
The tenth Flow Festival will be held 7–11 August 2013 in Suvilahti, Helsinki.
Due to popular demand and following two hugely successful weeks of live music in Wilton’s Mahogany Bar, the Global Beats Festival is graduating into the auditorium. Curated by Planetman (Little Blue Ball/Passing Clouds), for four nights only, Wilton’s will bring the cultural melting pot of East London under one roof. Featuring some of the best music from Senegal, USA, Italy, Nigeria, Venezuela, Portugal, Algeria, Congo, Brazil, Turkey, Greece, UK, Colombia, Israel, Yemen, Jamaica, Ghana, Armenia, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Japan, this 100% world music festival with a difference boasts artists from all continents. For more info go to www.globalbeats.org
Wilton’s Music Hall was built to welcome people from all over the world as they arrived into the port of London Docks. Wilton’s will be getting into carnival spreading good vibes and opening up every available space to celebrate these international collaborations.
VIP tickets: For the first time Wilton’s is creating a VIP balcony for those who are searching for something a little more exclusive. There will be a private bar, waiter service and aperitivi all within arm’s reach as well as the best views from the gorgeous balcony. These tickets are very limited so we do recommend early booking.
Wednesday 14th August:
Seddik Zebiri & The Seeds Of Creation (Algeria)
Founded by Seddik Zebiri in 2010, Seeds of Creation pull on the lead man’s Algerian roots, well-travelled background and experience along with his diverse collection of fellow musicians. The sound churned out by this outfit is irresistibly danceable with an urban edge deeply steeped in North African traditional vibes. Seeds of Creation brew an excellent blend of traditional Berber music fused with Afro-Blues, Jazz and raw Psychedelic sounds that will transport you deep into the heart of the Sahara.
Kadialy Kadialy Kouyate Kouyate (Senegal)
Born into the great line of Kouyate griots, Senegalese kora maestro Kadialy Kouyate draws on his heritage and its traditional songs to create his own mesmerising compositions, leading his fantastic five-piece band into the West African groove. Kadialy’s mesmerising kora playing and singing style has been welcomed in many prestigious venues as both a soloist and in different ensembles: Royal Festival Hall, O2 Arena, Union Chapel and WOMAD amongst others.
Rodney Branigan (USA)
Artists are often described as having “a unique talent”; few epitomise this more than virtuosic guitarist Rodney Branigan. In fact, Texan-born Rodney’s talents as a musician are as plentiful as the many instruments he expertly plays side by side. The London based singer/songwriter masterfully plays two guitars at once or both guitar and piano simultaneously, however it is his ability to mix this extraordinary skill with his own heartfelt lyrics and rich, soulful voice that have led to Rodney Branigan becoming one of the most followed global performers of the moment.
DJ CousCous (Armenia)
Based in London UK, this Global Beats DJ has been playing on the UK circuit for the past 12 years, performing at Festivals such as Glastonbury, Womad, Secret Garden Party, Bestival, and many more boutique events. He is co-founder and musical director of the Rollright Fayre Festival based in Oxfordshire UK. He is also the music coordinator for The Lizard Stage, a micro stage that tours the UK festivals hosting a range of live acts and DJ’s. His style of music can vary wildly on the night, incorporating elements of Reggae, Balkan, AfroBeat, Cumbia, Drum N Bass, Electro-swing, Breaks, and Ska. The tempo's may change, but the vibe stays constant, Swing n' Skank with a Funk and Soul heart.
Thursday 15th August:
Hernando Arias & Su Conjunto Vallenato (Colombia)
José Hernando is a 20 year old self-taught virtuoso accordion player, born in London, but of Colombian descent. José fell in love with Vallenato, the popular folk style from the Caribbean coast of Colombia which he learned
through watching clips on Youtube and video cassettes his father brought back from Colombia. In 2011 he won the apprenticeship program promoted by the BBC World Routes Academy and featured in the BBC proms in 2012. He
plays in a number of Vallenato and Cumbia folk bands in London and is also the musical director of Revolucion Vallenata, a London based multi-cultural band celebrating the Vallenato tradition. He dreams of popularising the genre in Europe through his own music. He will be performing with his band Su Conjunto Vallenato.
Luzmira Zerpa (Venezuela)
Luzmira Zerpa is one of the most celebrated Venezuelan artists working in the UK today. She comes from the immensely rich lineage of Venezuelan folk music and plays traditional instruments such as the cuatro (Venezuelan four-string guitar) and maracas. Her powerful voice and stage presence have enchanted audiences across Europe, in venues such as Chesky Krumlov Castle, London’s Barbican and the Royal Academy of Music’s Purcell Room, amongst others. She has collaborated with some of the world’s finest musicians such as Alirio Diaz and Pavel Steidl.
Antonio Testa (Italy)
Antonio Testa specialises in organic sound and the creation of musical atmospheres using a vast array of mostly native and shamanic instruments with his own creations made from organic and recycled materials. Antonio has been active in the field of contemporary music since early 80’s working as a percussionist specialising in tribal and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, etno-ambient and world music. An artist who is constantly working to expand his knowledge of ethnomusicology and the curative powers of sound, his music is used widely for healing and various types of therapy sessions.
DJ Wala Danga (Zimbabwe)
One of the most important figures in African Music in the UK, he has promoted music at the Africa Centre Covent Gardens for over 25 years bringing over some of the biggest artists from Africa. He's also the Programme Director at WOMATT, Productions Events & Festival Consultant Program Director at Kaya Festival, Events Programme producer for the Mayor of London RISE Festival African Music Village. As a veteran DJ his music collection spans over half a century and includes classics from all across the African continent.
Friday 16th August:
Abdul Tee-Jay's Rokoto (Sierra Leone)
Abdul Tee-Jay and Rokoto is a seven-piece band with several albums including, Kanka Kuru, Fire Dombolo and E'Go Lef Pan You. They have toured extensively in many countries. At a very young age Abdul Tee-Jay, somewhat secretly, learnt to play guitar. At that time there was music coming into the port of Freetown, Sierra Leone from many different regions. Abdul was influenced by all of these sounds and joined local bands. His family were all very academic and in 1974 he went to study in Virginia, USA. While there he took the opportunity to learn more guitar, and use better instruments, he also joined a band called Spice and learnt to play the dulcimer. In 1979 Abdul came to Britain to work in banking but met other musicians and decided to form a band called African Connection. In 1982 he decided to concentrate on more typical African music, and a pan-African band, African Culture, came into being. Even this was not satisfying so Abdul resolved to base all his music on Sierra Leone street and folk music. In 1988, the band changed it’s name to Rokoto, the nickname of part of Freetown. Abdul's music is still evolving and he now includes beautiful acoustic palm wine music.
Kasaï Masaï (Congo)
Based in London and led by Voodoo King Nickens Nkoso, Kasaï Masaï brings us the traditional sound of the most remote equatorial villages with an urban twist. Named after a river, Kasai lies in the heart of the rain forest where many tribes such as the Pygmies still maintain their traditional lifestyles. The Masai, just like the Baka, are another dignified tribe whose lives still centre around a nomadic existence.
The Turbans (UK/Turkey/Bulgaria/Greece)
The Turbans is an international musical collective travelling the world on a quest to discover and create great music. Starting in Nepal in 2009, when classical violinist Darius Luke Thompson and guitarist Oshan Mahony played together for the first time in Kathmandu, they travelled by bicycle to India where they formed a band that has played music all the way through Pakistan, India, Turkey, Greece, Poland, Spain and the UK. With a mix of traditional balkan, klezmer, turkish, celtic and greek traditional folk sounds, their reputation as radical performers of real musical substance and prodigious energy is growing and growing.
Kabula (Brazil)
Founded by Mestre Carlo Alexandre Teixeira da Silva, Kabula is a community organisation that aims to connect and inspire people. At the heart of their project is Capoeira Angola, an exhilarating and elegant blend of dance, play, fight and music of Afro-Brazilian origin.
DJ Koichi Sakai (Japan)
Koichi Sakai is a Tokyo born, London based DJ, producer, musician and promoter who is widely recognised for his highly developed, unique style which reflects the varied influences that have continuously informed his creativity and career. His musical style is jazzy and percussive; playing a distinctive and smooth mix of Soul, Jazz, Funk, Reggae, Latin and Afrobeat. During his musical career, Koichi has collaborated in various clubs in London with Gilles Peterson, Snowboy, Phil Asher, Patrick Forge, Nostalgia77, Quantic, Bugz In The Attic, Broadcite, Mr Bongo Soundsystem, Sofrito, to name but a few.
Saturday 17th August:
Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra (Nigeria)
Dele Sosimi, the UK's multiple award-winning Afrobeat Ambassador has been consistently flying the Afrobeat flag in the UK since 1995, leading to roles as Musical Director and Afrobeat Music Consultant for the US award winning acclaimed musical FELA! at the National Theatre, South Bank in London (2010-2011). His “Afrobeat Vibration”, now in its fifth year, is London’s top underground event. Dele’s Afrobeat pedigree is impeccable. He was keys player and a musical director in Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80 and subsequently with Fela’s son Femi Kuti’s Positive Force. Dele’s pulsating live shows demonstrate his vision of Afrobeat – one that is faithful to the original blueprint, but also clearly bears Dele’s own DNA, expanding the horizons of the genre.
Planetman & The Internationalz (Yemen/Israel/Jamaica)
Planetman & The Internationalz (Yemen/Israel/Jamaica) Global Beats Festival founder, curator and host, Planetman and his band The Internationalz come with a message to express and a mission to embark upon: to promote love & unity amongst all, while blending elements of Reggae, Afrofunk, Rock and D&B into their own distinctive style. With
super tight rhythems and blasting horns Planetman & The Internationalz prove conclusively that pure groove still has a place in the hearts and souls of man. Planetman is a singer consumed with the passion of his art. A good-time band, they will have the audience up on its feet, shoes kicked off and toes dancing. East-London’s cult band and members of the Passing Clouds Collective, they formed in summer 2001 and have played at the country's biggest festivals including Glastonbury Festival, Notting Hill Carnival, Big Chill, Secret Garden Party, Sunrise Festival, to name a few, and across the globe from Portugal to Tanzania, Hungary to Thailand.
Baajo Acrobats (Ghana)
Hailing from Ghana this incredible performers will blow your mind with their acrobatic dance routines. Performed to the sound of traditional live drumming, this group is called Baajo which means 'come and dance'.
Catarina Moreno (Portugal)
London based singer, songwriter and guitarist Catarina plays bossa nova with soulfulness and beauty to seduce you into her own world. Born in Lisbon, Portugal this talented singer is also an actress and a dancer.
Future Swing Stories (New Zealand)
Future Swing Stories is a London based collective of producers, dj's, promoters, bloggers, designers & musicians. Their sound merges a forgotten era of Swing, Jazz and dixieland with the contemporary sound of big band breaks & bad boy bass – sometimes known as Electro Swing, they prefer "Ghetto Swing!" Their music, although very important to the "electro swing" movement, borrows heavily from old school hiphop breaks, Nu-school bass lines, dusty drum loops and swing era samples arriving at a sound that quenches even the most discerning of the dance music generations thirst. This vintage revamp will surely leave you with a new understanding of what it really means to “shake a tail feather”.
Comprising of some of the very best contemporary artists and alternative cool break through acts, Shrewsbury Fields Forever is a fusion of music, artistic expression with a sprinkling of community stuff and comedy.
Taking place over the friday evening, Saturday and Sunday the festival being only a stones throw away from the town centre will feature multiple arenas of music showcasing a wealth of top big International artists combined with the best Up-coming acts and local talent to provide a superb choice of live Indie, rock, alternative, electronic dance and popular music. Being so close to the town centre, Shrewsbury Fields Forever is only a few minutes walk away from all the local transport links and hotels, but of course the option to camp over is always there for those who want to do the complete festival experience.
Combined to this all the fun of the fair will be had, with an array of performing arts, fun fair, audio / visual artistic entertainment found within a community entertainments village, In which nominated charities alongside sponsoring businesses will be providing some extra on-site entertainment and games to help fund raise for a worthy cause.
13TH, 14TH AND 15TH SEPTEMBER 2013 @ The west mid / Shropshire showground, Berwickk Road, Shrewsbury, SY1 2PF.
Just £18 – £69 for a whole weekend with camping.
APPROX 100 ACTS – those announced so far are:
*Saturday main stage:*
Maximo Park The 1975 Athlete The Sunshine Underground Masters In France Dumb Pixle Fix We were Frontiers Snapped Ankles Portlights BOTB winner
*Saturday dance tent:*
Roni Size with Dynamite MC SHY FX with Stamina B.Traits (Radio 1) with MC Joker Rockwell with Mantmast K90 Classics Double XL Dribbz Monchi H2flo Banshco Nedd DJ competition winner A
*Saturday Experience tent with Spunkys, SubKutz and Reloaded*
Darren Styles and MC Storm Sc@r and Mc Energy EHD Jay Robinson ADK Johnny Flash Emerson da Silva Shaun Price DanZ – Dad Adam B DJ Toddie D Amais Red & Trickett
*Saturday Silent Disco*
Call Me T Bare roots True & False Andy Phillips Dirty Lookin Mobile disco Sammy J DJ Housescratt
Followed by the not so silent Traffic takeover with:
Bazland Taylor J
*Saturday Boat Party 'Fuzzy Logic'*
Digital Mafia + guests
*Saturday VIP hospitality
Quartz DJs Cheadle & Hubby Lily Green 2 Second Story Nicole Phillips Keren Macmillan
*Friday Dance tent*
Sister Bliss Faithless DJ set Plump DJs Gemma Furbank P.A.S Dene-No-Rhythm Kate Naylor DJX2
*Friday local heroes live stage*
The Taste Doppleganger MK Zero The Lucidity Socail Confusion The Cosmic Rays Thin Vision
*Friday Liquid D'N'B tent with Perception*
Conspire Jay Dubz Tim Ryan (Fantazia) Rapture Pixle + Guests
*Sunday Jestival comedy tent*
Dylan Moran (Shaun of the Dead, Channel 4's Black Books) Sanderson Jones Carl Donnelly Brett Goldstein (Channel 4's Derek) Johnny Candon Alexis Dubus Chris Washington Wendy Wason +more tba
*Sunday Acoustic stage*
James Walsh STARSAILOR solo acoustic set Andy O'Brien (The Clocktower) with Matt (The Twang) and Alistair (Ocean Colour Scene) Micky Greaney Band The Ronaldos The Making acoustic Remedy Soundz UK Open Mic champion UK Open Mic SFFF choice Lily Juniper
*Sunday house / oldskool tent*
K Klass live Sonny Wharton Sparky Dog Karlos Cheadle Mark Smallwood Jon Harvey Mike Archer Russ Edwards Dj competition winnner B + More TBA
This will be combined with Comedy tent, fun fairs, boat party, chill out zones, art and crafts, stalls, licensed bar, charity stuff, optional camping, entertainment etc etc!
Check out the Website, Facebook Page or Twitter for the latest info:
Olivia Frayman was at Kendal Calling, reporting for Summer Festival Guide, here is her interview with Lucy Rose.
Olivia: Hi Lucy, welcome to Kendal Calling, you've covered a lot of festivals, do you have any favourites that stick out?
Lucy: Glastonbury was so epic and brilliant, that’s definitely got to be up there. And I really enjoyed Cambridge Folk Festival on Friday, I was headlining that night I was headlining the smaller stage and there was no one on the bigger one and it was really scary, and it was a lot of pressure and really good, people were really welcoming with my sort of music I was playing, so it was really nice.
Olivia: Ah that’s excellent, and what’s your music writing process like?
Lucy: Yeah its pretty crazy at the moment, I think I've written 16 songs for the next album, which is exciting, most of them I've recorded on the road and sound checks, and recently I've started playing on Beat Maker II on the ipad that I'm obsessed with, its actually like a dangerous obsession, which I keep writing beats with but it seems inappropriate, there’s always sections for a rap artist and stuff, so I’m like maybe this isn’t the right pair.
Olivia: Any favourite things about playing a festival?
Lucy: The crowd, I think that’s the classic one, I think everyone is so up for it, drunk or a combination of both, that it’s just a different sort of atmosphere that you get at any other gigs.
Olivia: I hear that Vogue magazine listed you as one the Indie break through artists of 2012, how does that make you feel? Or were you even aware of this?
Lucy: Yes because every interviewer ask this (laughs).
Olivia: Oh no.
Lucy: No, it’s a good thing because I didn’t even know it was happening, then their like, did you know, and only now I know, yeah I actually never read anything about me, so the first time I heard about it was in an interview and someone asked me about it, obviously that’s pretty crazy, its vogue, I’m not stylish.
Olivia: You'll make the front cover?
Lucy: I doubt that highly, that will never happen, but yeah, coming from Vogue, that’s pretty cool.
Olivia: And is there anyone that you'd like to collaborate with?
Lucy: I don’t know, there’s tonnes of cool bands, musicians out there, so anyone that came up to me and said let’s do something, I’d be up for, so I’m pretty open to all collaborations.
Olivia: And I hear you’re a fan of tea?
Lucy: yes.
Olivia: What is your favourite tea?
Lucy: My own blend of tea which I make, called builder grey it’s a combination of Earl Grey and English Breakfast, and it’s the bomb.
Olivia: So hopefully we'll be seeing that in the shops soon?
Lucy: Yeah I need to get that into some shops somehow, not sure how my way in is.
Olivia: And lastly, what can fans expect from your performance today?
Lucy: Hopefully a lot of energy, a lot of fun and a lot of new stuff mainly, there’s going to be a lot of new songs in there, hopefully just get into the rhythm.
Olivia: Thank you for your time, and best of luck for your performance today.
This was my second year at Nozstock and having just left, I can say that not much has changed since 2012… which is fantastic.
The same warm smiles and friendly faces scatter the green fields, waters and forests of this small but very picturesque festival. The beer is still cheap (at £3.20 a pint), the entertainment diverse and the toilets clean. Although one noticeable difference was the presence of rain this year which was heavy at points but this only seemed to cause for more smiles when the sun came out time and time again. What I didn’t notice last year were the sometimes steep slopes dotted around the place, being that the festival is housed in VALLEY truthfully I should have seen this coming but when the rain came down these made for some slippery journeys and treacherous trekking between the campsite and the stages but the organisers were only a stone’s throw away laying down straw and wood chips over night to make it all better. These little touches are evident throughout the festival and this is what makes it so special. There was a Human Fruit Machine, which I had to play; archery and belt making – to only name a very few!
Inside the festival there appeared to be a lot for kids to do and plenty for the adults too. The days were easily filled with comedy and music, this year saw Howard ‘Mr Nice’ Marks grace the comedy stage with some trademark tales and bands I’d never heard of owning the main stage (Orchard Stage) such as Tako Lako from Denmark (who I now CANNOT wait to see again next year, I think the lead singer might be a new hero of mine) and The Wytches who had a great sound as well as acts I was looking forward to like The Electric Swing Circus. The Orchard Stage was also the setting for yet another memorable performance from The Correspondents; ‘Mr Bruce’ never seems to fail the crowd! It was just as good as last year!
It’s so easy to kick back and soak it all up in the sun on the farm but it it’s at night when this one really kicks into gear. The sun goes down, the volume goes up and the masses come out. Friday night saw, By The Rivers, an original 6-piece reggae band, light up the Garden Stage. I had never heard of them but had received strong recommendations – I was not disappointed at all as they played a lovely sounding reggae to a packed crowd. Andy C was the highlight for me, having appeared to enjoy his time at the cubicles (Nozstock’s dedicated dance area) last year so much that he brought his crew this time, with Loadstar and Wilkinson also delivering big beats into the small hours. A late night/early morning trip down to the coppice is a must as there’s nothing quite like a trance skank-out in the forest before bed at dawn.
A great thing about Nozstock is the size, it is one of the smaller festivals but with so much going in really doesn’t feel very small; a problem with larger festivals can be the lack of phone signal, this was not the case but most of the time it was not needed as I always found myself bumping into the same festival goers over the weekend.
The more I go to Nozstock the more I love it. There’s just something remarkable about listening to a huge stacked speaker system in a graffitied barnyard on a weekend afternoon with a pint of locally sourced beer or cider. If you can manage the drawn out trip over to this remote spot I would definitely recommend it. Just watch out for the slippery slopes.
Beacons Festival, nestled in the heart of the Yorkshire moors, is boutique bliss. Having burst onto the already swollen festival scene a mere two years ago, the four night event boasts the crème de la crème in food, arts and culture-and by no means slim pickings when it comes to stellar performers.
It’s tough to know where to start when the offerings span from up-front indie to chillcore trance, edgy noise punk to folky-psych pop (if you hadn’t already guessed, this festival could count as "one for the hip ‘n’ happening students") but Friday headliner Bonobo is a sure place to start. If you weren’t lucky enough to catch the trip hop megastar’s down-tempo London shows showcasing new album ‘The North Borders’ then you have no excuse not to go. Simon Green's bass-guitared brainchild will surely be the premier event of the weekend, withGold Panda's similarly trippy blend of electronica shortly following.
Not to worry fans of the heavier side of life; Canadian hardcore outfit F*cked Up will no doubt, a la Gallows, prove they're eclectic and interesting enough to break out from the punk scene into all rounder NME poster boys. F*cked Up may not be one not to take your kids to, but the festival's famously family themes (the Guerilla Rave Rug is apparently perfect for the child who wants everyday to be their birthday) add generational variety beyond what the lineup suggests.
For more chilled out vibes, check out Channel One Soundsystem andUncle Acid and the Deadbeats; the former being world famous reggae dub DJs (expect tantalising Panda Dub overlays) and the latter grubbing out some classic stoner rock 'n' roll. Nice.
Others not to miss: Local Natives, Django Django, Eats Everything, Egyptian Hip Hop, Savages, Hookworms, Drenge
Beacons Festival takes place on the Funkirk Estate, Skipton between the 16th-18th August and, at just under £100 a ticket, is set to be the most economically priced-for-what-you-get fest of the summer.
