The Modfather Paul weller joins the Isle of Wight Festival lineup

What’s more I Am KlootKe$haKodalineDevlinLittle AngelsWilly MasonSteve Harley & Cockney RebelLawsonIan Hunter and The Gypsy Queens will also be making an appearance across the weekend at the much loved Festival. Don’t miss out on your chance to be there, head to www.isleofwightfestival.com for tickets NOW!

Gracing the Main Stage on Friday 14th June before a headline performance from The Stone Roses will be the British institution that is Paul Weller. A pre-eminent songwriter of his generation, Paul Weller has attracted international success as frontman of The Jam and The Style Council, as well as his critically acclaimed solo career. Now the man himself will be making a special guest appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival 2013.

Paul Weller says: “It’s been a while since I've played the Isle of Wight Festival and I’m excited to be playing it this year, it’s a great way to kick off the summer."

Paul weller

John Giddings, the Festival’s promoter, says: “If you like music, you like Paul Weller – he is one of the greatest singer songwriters this country has produced and we are proud to bring him to our small island off the south coast – we have plenty of pebbles on a beach for him!!”

Making their Isle of Wight Festival debuts under the Big Top on Saturday 15th June, are electro-pop star Ke$ha and grime-mastermind Devlin. Manchester trio I Am Kloot and hot new-comers Kodaline will also be appearing on the Big Top stage on Sunday 16th June, whilst London-based & four-piece Lawson will be stopping by for a slot on Saturday 15th June.

Over on the Main Stage, American singer songwriter Willy Mason and British rock legend Ian Hunter will be appearing on Saturday 15th June.  Plus, one of the UK’s best rock bands Little Angels and Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel will be wowing the crowds on Sunday 16th June.  Also keep an eye and an ear out for The Gypsy Queens who will be roaming the Festival site.

As the first major music Festival of the year, the multi award winning Isle of Wight Festival is steeped in history and is famed for its eclectic & electric line-up, mixing iconic legendary artists with the hottest up and coming acts. This year the Isle of Wight Festival features two highly anticipated Festival exclusive performances from The Stone Roses and Bon Jovi, plus Saturday Main Stage headliners The Killers.  Also joining the ranks will be Jake BuggThe ScriptBloc PartyPaloma FaithThe MaccabeesEmeli SandeBen HowardEllie GouldingBlondie and many more spectacular acts still to be announced.

For tickets and more details, log on to www.isleofwightfestival.com where you’ll find money saving ticket and travel packages plus, the Isle of Wight Festival payment plan. With so many top acts and excitement all packed into one weekend, the Isle of Wight Festival 2013 is an unmissable date for the diary!

THE STONE ROSES – THE KILLERS – BON JOVI – PAUL WELLER

EMELI SANDE – I AM KLOOT – KE$HA – BEN HOWARD – JAKE BUGG – THE SCRIPT BLOC PARTY PALOMA FAITH – THE MACCABEES – KODALINE – PALMA VIOLETS – LEVELLERS LAURA MVULA – LIANNE LA HAVAS – ELLIE GOULDING – HAPPY MONDAYS – FUN – YOUNG GUNS – KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES – TRACER – IMPERIAL TEEN – NEWTON FAULKNER

WILLY MOON – STEVE FORBERT – THE FARM – STACKRIDGE – BLONDIE

DEVLIN – LITTLE ANGLES – LAWSON – IMAGINE DRAGONS – DEVLIN

WILLY MASON – IAN HUNTER – THE GYPSY QUEENS

STEVE HARLEY & COCKNEY REBEL – THE BLOCKHEADS

BONNIE RAITT – REPUBLICA – LEZ ZEPPELIN

Chagstock Festival announces 2013 Ticket Details & First lineup additions

FRIDAY 19th – SATURDAY 20th JULY 2013

First acts to be announced include: 
Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman | Wille & The Bandits | Marc O'Reilly 
Brother & Bones | Ferocious Dog | The Aurora Skies | Crazy Arm | New Crisis

Many more acts, including all headliners, still to be announced

Returning after the stunning sell-out success of last year's event which featured memorable performances from KT Tunstall, Fun Lovin Criminals, Seth Lakeman and Alabama 3 amongst many others, Chagstock retains its traditional 2-day format in 2013. 

The limited number of 2013 Early Bird tickets sold out in record time, so standard tickets (still held at 2012 prices!) are now on sale, a month earlier than anticipated. Full ticket details are below.

Details of a number of exciting changes for Chagstock's seventh consecutive year have also been released by the Festival Organisers. 
For the first year, both the Main and Second stages will run throughout both days. The Acoustic Second stage has been re-branded the Marquee stage. Furthermore, the on-site Bar is being upgraded, with a major expansion to the bar size and staffing levels. Parking arrangements have also been reviewed and improved. Other exciting changes to the festival will be announced as we get closer to the event.

As introduced last year in recognition of the tough economic climate for families, all children under 12 can attend for free (ticket is required). 

Chagstock's capacity is once again capped at just 5,000 tickets to ensure that its intimate, family-friendly atmosphere is maintained. 

Simon Ford from Chagstock Festival says, "After last year's sell out success – our first ever – everyone involved in Chagstock Festival is committed to making 2013 our best year yet. We have some fabulous headline bands in the pipeline and we can't wait to share the details of who will be performing at Chagstock 2013 with you in due course. We know times are tough for people so we are keeping our prices at last year's levels, meaning a whole family can spend the weekend at Chagstock for less than the price of a single adult ticket to some of the corporate music festivals. We look forward to seeing first-timers and regulars alike at Chagstock 2013"

This year's fancy dress theme will be 'Circus'

Weekend Camping Tickets are priced at £65 (Adults), £40 (Under 18's), 
Under 12's are free (ticket is still required). A Family Ticket for 2 Adults & 2 Under 18s is £170.
Camper / Caravans / Live-ins Vehicles just £10 per vehicle
All weekend tickets include 2 nights of camping, access to all music & on-site events, and car parking. 
Day tickets are also available, Booking fees apply.

Huge lineup additions to Sónar Barcelona

New additions to Sónar Barcelona

Darkstar (UK)
Liars (US)
Paul Kalkbrenner (DE)
Sherwood + Pinch (UK)
Nicolas Jaar (US)
Delorean (ES)
Foreign Beggars (UK)
Maceo Plex (US)
Mykki Blanco (US)
Karenn (Blawan + Pariah) (UK)
Baauer (US)
Gold Panda (UK)
La Bien Querida (ES)
Christeene (US)
Sound Pellegrino presents Sound Pellegrino Thermal Team + Matthias Zimmermann (FR)

Sónar continues to add new artists to its 20th anniversary event, which will take place in Barcelona on 13, 14 and 15 June. The scheduled shows by Kraftwerk (3D show)Pet Shop BoysTwo Door Cinema ClubLindstrøm & Todd TerjeVatican Shadow,Bradien + Eduard Escoffet, Hot Natured and Fantastic Mr. Foxare joined by various heavyweight additions. 

These new names include outfits whose appeal is tried and tested, like the British trio Darkstar, one of the most interesting projects to emerge from low-rev dubstep, who are about to release their new LP, "News From Nowhere", on the prestigious London label Warp; and the American trio Liars, presenting their excellent new LP "WIXIW," which is much more synth-based and oriented towards electronica than their previous albums.

Among the latest names to be added to Sónar Barcelona is the new artistic duo Karenn, which brings together two masters of today's rawest techno: Blawan – who astonished us at Sónar by Night last year – and the talented Pariah; the New York trap producer Baauer, who has hit the mark this year with his formula of powerful basses and rhythmic forcefulness; the British beatmaker Gold Panda, the main man at the Ghostly International label; and the haute école funk-based tech-house by the popular American dj Maceo Plex.

Sónar 2013 also presents the performance by a unique and very special duo: consisting of Adrian Sherwood, a cult name in dub in the British Isles and the founder of the influential On-U-Sound label, and Pinch, an eminent personality on the Bristol dubstep (and post-dubstep) scene.

Two international electronica benchmarks return, in the shape of Germany's Paul Kalkbrenner, now consolidated as one of today's most popular names, who will be bringing his new album 'Guten Tag' under his arm; and the Chilean-American Nicolas Jaar, who returns to Sónar for the third consecutive year entirely on merit.

Two of the biggest names on the Spanish scene, Delorean and La Bien Querida, will also be present at Sónar Barcelona. The Basque outfit are releasing a new album in 2013, two years after the international success of "Subiza," while the project by Ana Fernández Villaverde and David Rodríguez has given their songs a considerable twist, dressing them up in dazzling techno-pop costumes for their latest album, "Ceremonia." 

Two unique and irreverent artists will be visiting from the United States underground scene: Mykki Blanco, the standard bearer of the movement known as "queer rap" (a mixture of hip-hop rhyming and powerful techno basses); and Christeene, a man-woman who takes the extravagance and perversion of electronic pop one step beyond mischief by means of a highly individual sense of humour. 

This batch of additions is rounded off by the showcase from the French label Sound Pellegrino, in association with the historic rap group TTC and a platform for some of today's most cutting-edge and freshest dance beats, headed by Matthias Zimmermann and the Sound Pellegrino Thermal Team; and the highly respected British hip hop and grime collective Foreign Beggars, presenting their powerful new album, "The Uprising".

Sónar Barcelona tickets on sale

Sónar 2013 Passes and 2 Night Tickets for Sónar 2013 are available now.

Professional accreditation for SonarPro 2013 is available at a special price of 190 €, until 1 April only.

Sigur Rós confirmed to headline Live from Jodrell Bank

Previous Live From Jodrell Bank shows with Elbow and The Flaming Lips have sold out and the events have been euphoric affairs, marrying science and music in this stunning location.

Elbow's Guy Garvey and The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne have cited the shows as among the most amazing they have ever played. Elbow will release a full length version as their first ever live DVD later this year.

Sigur Rós follow in their footsteps and the much celebrated ambient / post rock band from Reykjavík are a pioneering force in a creative and vibrant Icelandic music scene.  Their immensely beautiful songs are pure, honest and timeless and their live shows have received international critical acclaim.  The band has released 6 studio albums and with an expansive sound and gargantuan visual light show they are the perfect band to immerse the audience and venue in their cinematic soundscapes.

The Live From Jodrell Bank series sees some of the most innovative artists performing in this unique and dramatic setting, marrying science and music and bringing the audience superlative sounds from earth and beyond.  The bands will even project visuals onto the 76 metre Lovell telescope.

Before the spectacular evening concerts and throughout each day, attendees will be able to participate in a fantastic range of hands-on experiments and workshops on site at Jodrell Bank.  With full access to the magnificent Discovery Centre included in every ticket, this is a great chance to find out more about the mind-blowing research happening at Jodrell Bank and beyond.  Explore the wonders of the universe and find out for yourself why stargazing has enjoyed a massive resurgence in the past few years.

For over five decades, the giant Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank has been part of the Cheshire landscape and an internationally renowned landmark for astronomers.  Since the summer of 1957 it has been exploring the depths of outer space in a quest for knowledge.  It remains one of the biggest and most powerful radio telescopes in the world, spending most of its time investigating cosmic phenomena that were undreamed of when it was first conceived.

Further transmissions to be announced…

 

Off Festival announce first acts and earlybird tickets

Just like you did last year and the years before that, mark your calendars for the first weekend of August. We?ll kick things off on Thursday 1st August, with a Before Party (more details to come), with three days of madness at Three Ponds Valley starting the following day, 2nd August.

Tickets go on sale at the OFF Shop on our official website starting on Tuesday 15th January. The first 300 people to order their tickets will get a free designer OFF Notes notepad (the final batch of last year's limited edition of 1,000, designed by Marta Ignerska).

Passes will be available at the OFF Shop at these promotional prices:

Three Day Pass: 140 zloty / 35 Euro (180 zloty / 45 Euro with campsite access)
Four Day Pass: 150 zloty / 37 Euro  (190 zloty / 47 Euro with campsite access)

Prices are valid until 5th March, after which passes will be available at other outlets at slightly higher prices.  

Buy tickets here http://offsklep.pl/public_html/settings/lang/en

Deerhunter
We know how long you've been waiting for this one, so we?re glad to announce that Deerhunter will be performing at this year's OFF Festival! New psychedelic rock, ambient punk, garage pop? it?s hard to find a label that?ll stick to this Atlanta quartet, but there?s one thing everyone can agree on: they're one of this century?s best American guitar bands. It?s been a while since the release of Halcyon Digest (2010), so it's safe to assume that Deerhunter will be bringing some new material along to Katowice. Bradford Cox recently revealed that the songs he?s been writing are very weird? well, why don't we let that be a secret.

Laurel Halo
This American artist is said to have taken up the piano at the age of six, and soon moved on the violin and the guitar, so it?s no wonder she?s grown sick of them after all those years. Lauren Halo translates her classical music education into broken, futuristic electronic sounds and bold, intriguing vocal melodies. It comes as no surprise that her full-length debut, Quarantine, came out on Hyperdub, one of the most respected labels in the industry. Laurel Halo?s music is dense and multi-layered, but at once subtle and elusive. Unlike many of her fellow Hyperdub artists, who like to crush, terrify, and deafen their audiences with heavy basslines, her output is much more positive, yet no less demanding. One Guardian critic likened these sounds to 'Oxygene? for Brooklyn hipsters.'  No offense to hipsters ? it really is that good!

Metz
Polish audiences might expect this to be a stand-up comedy performance by the popular local music journalist Piotr Metz, but we?re going to have to burst their bubbles: the Metz we're talking about here is a Canadian trio whose eponymous 2012 debut album proved that Sub Pop still has a knack for no-nonsense guitar noise, continuing in the American rock vein of the Pixies and Shellac. They say that before Metz went in to lay down the tracks for this record, a few sharp minds got together to figure out how to capture the trio's live energy in the studio. Whatever they did, it was a success: the album ended up on most year-end lists of guitar music. But none of that matters to us now: we?re going to see them live at the OFF Festival. Hold on tight!

Merchandise
Next up in the category of three-man noise machines: Merchandise. This Florida band?s post-punk wall of noise has slammed down on reviewers at Pitchfork and the New Musical Express, both of whom gave them rave reviews for their mid-2012 album Children of Desire. This year the band is planning a new mini-album as well as more live performances, including a first-time appearance in Poland.

Jens Lekman
You know what I Know What Love Isn?t is? It's a heart-rending and unbelievably beautiful work of consolation. Here?s what Jens Lekman had to say about his third album, released last fall: "I just want people to get some kind of comfort from it. Especially the people who have gone through some kind of break-up. When I went through the break-up, I really looked for some kind of music, or art or literature that could say, 'I've been in the same situation.' I couldn?t find anything the moment, and that made me really sad."

Naturally, we hope that none of us will be going through a breakup at the OFF Festival, but don't we all like to shed a tear while reminiscing about past relationships both failed and happy to the sounds of charmingly delicate melodies?

Travel and Accommodation
There are regular cheap flights to from the UK and Europe to Katowice with Wizz Air, Ryan Air, Lufthansa and KLM.

Katowice has a broad range of accommodation, from cheap hostels to luxury hotels, but you can also live the festival life 24 hours a day at the OFF Festival Village, providing you with a place to stay, take care of sanitary needs, and grab a bite to eat.

Croatia hosts Love System Festival 2013

Love System takes place in the never-before-used Punta Radman wood. The shaded, intimate site contains a maze of bars, stages and chill-out areas nestled in between the trees. Venture further into the wood and, without a building in sight, punters spill out onto the coast where the main stage lies floating over the Adriatic. Here, festival-goers will have the opportunity to dance the day and night away to the beat of electronic music’s elite, caressed by the afternoon summer sun or the blissful Croatian night-time. Shonky, Ralph Lawson, Mario Basanov and Finnebassen are just some of the names to grace the floating stage. 

In true Croatian style, Love System wouldn’t be complete without a boat party, so we have decided to bring you eight. Hosted by some of the most esteemed labels and party brands in the UK, including JauntUnderground, Kumasi and Bad Apple, the Love System fleet sets sail twice daily. Catch George Fitzgerald representing his ManMakeMusic label, roll up for the Tom Demac Live show with Micron, indulge yourself with French house groover Shonky on the 2020Vision cruise, or see UK funky don Ossie smash up the Flux boat. 

Further additions to the lineup include:

First up, No Artificial Colours make the trip to the Adriatic, bringing their signature hypnotic melodies and growling basslines. Their recent Boiler Room takeover has continued the duo’s sharp rise in the house music canon, having released on Nurvous and Resonance Records of late.

Scottish/American/London trio WildKats will accompany them, also fresh off a Boiler Room takeover, where they exhibited their Midas touch for house and disco edits. Releases on Hot Creations and OFF Recordings capped off an excellent 2012 for the three producers.

Exploited Records, meanwhile, are sending the all-conquering Adana Twins and Claptone, comfortably the biggest selling deep house acts of 2013. Adana Twins have recently been honoured with a guest mix on Pete Tong’s Radio 1 show, off the back of their exemplary “Everyday” EP. Claptone’s gorgeous reworking of an iconic Charmel’s sample meant his absolute bomb “Cream” tore through Europe’s dancefloors in 2012, whilst recent release “Wrong” suggests a producer in the time of his life. Supporting Ben Pearce on his Purp & Soul takeover will be Harry Wolfman and Jouhl.

Boat Parties

Love System will put on no less than eight boat parties.  Hosted by some of the most esteemed labels and party brands in the UK, including Troupe, Jaunt, Underground, Kumasi and Bad Apple, the Love System fleet sets sail twice daily. Catch George Fitzgerald representing his ManMakeMusic label, roll up for the Ben Pearce and Tom Demac Live show with Micron, indulge yourself with French house groover Shonky on the 2020Vision cruise, or see 2013 man-of-the-moment Ejeca smash up the Troupe boat.

Afterparties

There will be a series of afterparties running at the weekend in addition to the main stages and also once they have closed. These will take place in the local Shark club, and be hosted by three esteemed UK party brands, including Magna Carta, with No Artificial Colours, Wildkats, Kreature and more all playing.

Woodland

As a shady counterpoint to the larger, sun-kissed main stage, the Woodland Arena promises to be a more intimate experience. The sound will be intense, the environment unique, the vibes absolutely spot on. Over the weekend, the woodland arena is taken over by some of Europe's most trailblazing house brands – Milan's Take It Easy crew, East London tastemakers Costa Del Wallop, Manchester outfit Purp & Soul and Leeds upstarts Flux.

LINE UP

Shonky | Bicep | Mario Basanov | Finnebassen | Ralph Lawson| Tom Demac (live) | Jay Shepheard | Ben Pearce | wAFF | Ejeca | Lovebirds | HNQO | Midland | George FitzGerald | Adana Twins | Claptone | No Artificial Colours | Shir Khan | WildKats | Sven Weisemann | Paleman | Ossie | Trikk | Kolombo | Dirty Channels | Climbers | JOBE | Klose One | Matt Fear | Kreature | Squarehead | SION | Mike Gill | Markas | Jonny Cade | Lauren Lo Sung | Harry Wolfman | Jouhl | Bugsy | Fabio Alampi

Love System is more than just a festival; it is a holiday as well. There is a range of beautiful apartments and villas just minutes from the site, allowing revellers all the comforts and luxuries they could want. Alternatively, camping is available next to the site for those looking to enjoy the Croatian summer. Travel packages including transfers from Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle to London airports, and coaches to the site, are available to make booking your time at Love System as easy as possible. 

Love System is the connoisseur’s festival: forward-thinking music, mindblowing Adriatic coastline setting, bespoke boat parties, branded after parties, luxury accommodation, and the Croatian summer. With tickets limited to just 800, make sure you bag yours now to avoid any disappointment. Early Bird tickets are on sale now priced at only £59. Roll on the Summer of Love!

Avicii, Carl Cox & Armin van Buuren to headline Ultra Europe

The past couple of years have seen Tim Bergling – aka AVICII – on a rise to stardom that has been nothing short of meteoric; the pinnacle of this surely being headlining Ultra Music Festival in Miami earlier this year and being introduced onto the stage by the undisputed ‘Queen Of Pop’ Madonna. AVICII will be topping the bill for Friday 12th July and bringing his energy-filled electro house to Split.

Avicii

On Saturday 13th July it will be Dutchman Armin Van Buuren headlining the main stage at Ultra Europe. Armin’s had an amazing year flying the flag for trance music around the globe with a residency at Privilege Ibiza, closing out Ultra Music Festival Miami and recently reclaiming the coveted #1 spot on the DJ Mag Top 100 Poll. A firm favorite with audiences everywhere, he’s guaranteed to light up Croatia with his own inimitable style.

Dance icon and mainstay for almost 3 decades, Carl Cox, will also be bringing his encyclopedic knowledge of house and techno to a specially erected stage adjacent to the Poljud stadium, alongside a stellar lineup of some of the best DJs on the planet. For both days of the festival in Split you can be sure to expect some of the freshest and most cutting-edge music to be found anywhere in the world.

After early bird tickets sold out in less than ten minutes last week, tickets for GENERAL ADMISSION for the 12th and 13th July at the Poljud stadium in Split are NOW ON SALE for the still unbelievably low price of €50 for the 2 days; VIP TICKETS are priced at €100 per day; head over to www.ultraeurope.com to purchase them now. Tickets for the third day of the festival at the Hotel Amfora Grand Beach Resort on the beautiful island of HVAR will go on sale early in 2013. 

 

Steve Aoki, Justice, Dada Life and more for Balaton Sound 2013

Steve Aoki, the impulsive musician from California of Japanese descent, is sensational and unstoppable. He is the founder of today’s most dynamic record label, Dim Mak Records, which has released more than 250 productions from the best bands and formations. His latest work, “It’s The End of the World As We Know It”, was released stylishly on December 21st, 2012. The master of electro house parties will be a co-headliner on the Main Stage getting the maximum out of the fans.

Steve Aoki

For years now the crowd of Balaton Sound pushes for Justice. The number one international stars of Ed Banger Records have music without genre boundaries: from catchy tunes and cool hits they can easily switch to something more brutal and offensive. Nowadays, no one knows better what French electronic music is cool for and for sure they also know how they can mobilize the crowd in Zamárdi…

Usually at the acts of Bloody Beetroots tens of thousands of fans go crazy while the boys rock the stage wearing masks in the state of full euphoria – after a long time, this year again, in front of the Hungarian audience!

First time in Balaton Sound history Dada Life will play for the satisfaction of many. The outlandish electro house duo from Scandinavia is known for their crazy live sets, lately becoming one of the most important festival headliners all around the world.

The lakeside event will also host Hardwell, a shamelessly young and talented Dutch titan, possessing a fan base of hundreds of thousands by being a progressive and electro house musician, producer and record label owner. He smashed into the music industry, amongst the best, at the age of 23 and now he is ranked within the top 10 on DJ Mag’s top 100 DJ list for 2012.

Amon Tobin is known for his original work by having a boundless and unique sound. His newest electronic vision is hooked to the world of hip-hop, but also connected to the dark side of grime and dubstep. This year those who need a real e-music indulgence should check out the “Amon Tobin presents Two Fingers” DJ set. The mainly instrumental set is a truly creative project by being super-massive, expressive and eclectic.

In addition to the line-up, one of the most promising French DJ and producer, Brodinski, is also confirmed for the 2013 Sound. His dynamic sets are primarily based on the bass-lines of house and moving techno themes staying wide open to minimal as well.

Prominent performer of the Berlin electronic scene, DJ and producer, founder of Innervisions Record label, Dixon, is also announced among the firsts in Zamárdi. He is well-known also outside Germany for his eclectic and floating deephouse mixed with funky house.

2013 kicks off to a great start with 8 exciting reasons to buy tickets to the event. However within days there might be a lot more to be excited for!  The organizers of Balaton Sound will step on the red carpet of the European Festival Awards in Groningen, The Netherlands, to join the best of the continent. It is in itself an outstanding recognition for the Sound to be considered in the Top 10 of its European category. Fingers crossed!

 

Ticket Payment Plan launches for Bloodstock 2013

Festival go-ers will have a 3-month window (from 7th Jan until 1st March) to subscribe to the scheme, with the initial payment being taken on the day they sign up.  The deal breaks down as follows:

1st payment – £39.25 (+ booking fee) required at sign up.
2nd payment – £46 – debited from your account on 31st March.
3rd payment – £39.75 (+ postage) – debited from your account on 30th April.

Payments will be debited by bank transfer automatically on the designated day(s), so the purchaser doesn't have to worry about accidentally missing a payment date.  For full details on how to sign up, click over to http://bloodstock.seetickets.com/event/bloodstock-2013/catton-park/677634.

With headliners, SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD and KING DIAMOND, plus DEVILDRIVER, MUNICIPAL WASTE, ANTHRAX, ACCEPT, and more, with a host of other bands still yet to be announced, Bloodstock is shaping up to be the metal fest of the year.

Also need an easy way of getting to the site next year?  Big Green Coach are the official and exclusive coach travel partner to Bloodstock Festival.  Their drivers can take you, your mates, and your camping gear direct to the festival grounds!  Choose from 26 locations direct to the heart of Bloodstock, from the very reasonable rate of £34: BIRKENHEAD, BOURNEMOUTH, BRIDGEND, BRISTOL, CARDIFF, CARLISLE, CHESTER, GLASGOW, GLOUCESTER, LANCASTER, LEEDS, LIVERPOOL, LONDON, MANCHESTER, MIDDLESBROUGH, NEWCASTLE, NEWPORT, OXFORD, PRESTON, SHEFFIELD, SOUTHAMPTON, STOCKPORT, SUNDERLAND, SWANSEA, WARRINGTON, and WORCESTER.  To guarantee your return seat, click here: www.biggreencoach.co.uk/bloodstock.

The Kills and Calexico set for Paredes de Coura

On the 16th of August, The Kills, formed by the duo Jamie Hince / Alison Mosshart, will be back to the stage where the band made their Poruguese live debut. The brand new album under their belt, “Blood Pressures”, is being described by Hince as “an album about relationships”, so a very intense show is expected – also because Mosshart declared “I have to play this album live to understand its real meaning”.

The seducing dynamic in The Kills’ albums is formed by complicity and discord. The pair challenge each other in an everlasting “battle of the sexes” that takes another dimension on the live arena. The Kills shows are always a very special moment with the audience where the physical barrier of the stage vanishes. We will witness this at Vodafone Paredes de Coura.

To play on 17th of August, the performance of Joey Burn and John Convertino’s band, Calexico, has been confirmed. The band has lots of new stuff to show to the Portuguese audience after not having performed in the country for a long time. Joey Burn told the Metro journalist (and bloger at Aqueles dias de paródia) Bruno Martins: “We’ve never played in a Portuguese festival before, but we’d really love to play one that takes place in the North… Vodafone Paredes de Coura”. Their last album “Algiers” confirms the band as the makers of their own sound, out of any musical style or scene. A soundtrack to the torrid and dusty landscape where North America and Mexico meet and ignore frontiers. There is country, mariachis, meditation, party in Calexico’s music.

In the recording of “Algiers” Calexico searched for new frontiers just to overcome them: They moved to New Orleans. And there, they discovered Haiti, Cuba and Africa, bringing them to the album. After two decades as a band, Calexico is now revitalised, even with more freedom. something worth on (re)discovering at Vodafone Paredes de Coura.