LakeFest Review by Dan Wheatley

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Set in the spacious grounds of Croft Farm, the lakes and Malvern Hills provided an idyllic and breathtaking back drop. The lake also provided a second purpose of being used for water sports for those who dared to brave the cold waters.

LakeFest

With the last few weeks of torrential rain across the UK, a very muddy and messy festival was expected, fortunately the weather held out for the entire weekend, with even a break in the clouds to allow summers rays to shine down.

The atmosphere of the festival was something I’ve not experienced before; friendly would be an understatement to describe the festival goers, staff and numerous dogs.

The Garden Tent, The Roots and The Blossom Stage all had their own unique blend of styling, atmosphere and music. The children’s area was a hit for both children and parents, with music sessions, arts & crafts, horse rides and entertainers, such as the two stilt walkers who seemed to amuse more than just the children.

Gloucestershire’s biggest band in history EMF took the stage on Saturday evening for their first gig of the year; they delighted festival goers both old and young by performing Schubert Dip, their acclaimed multi-million selling debut album, in its entirety.

LakeFest

Straight after EMF’s electric performance, Reef performed pretty much instantly keeping the crowd dancing and singing along to their best known hits "Place Your Hands", "Come Back Brighter" and "Consideration" The bands vivacious energy kept on right up until the  end of their set.

Among those two, festival folks were also able to indulge in music from the likes of Top Loader, 3 Daft Monkeys, Miles and Erica of The Wonder Stuff , Avert Francis and Chesney Hawkes.

LakeFest

In spite of still being a small event, the organisers managed to pack a huge amount of festivities into the two days. This was “the one and only” way to start the summer festival season.

Click here to view the photos from LakeFest

James Zabiela, Jaguar Skills and more added to Jersey Live Festival

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The Dance Arena line up is nearing completion, with Saturday night to be headlined by tech house starlet JAMES ZABIELA whose turntable skills and pioneering use of loops and effects have made him one of the most sought after producer-DJs in the business, with the likes of Royksopp and Ladytron calling upon his remixing services. The legendary Sasha, who signed him to his Excession agency, refers to him as ‘the guv’nor.’ Given the stratospheric trajectory of his career and his superhuman ability on the decks, it’s not hard to see why. 

Jaguar SkillsHe’ll be joined in the Dance Arena on the Saturday by one of the busiest and most influential producers in electronic music, Joshua Harvey, akaHERVE. A mainstay on the UK festival scene in recent years, his sets make for the ultimate rave: with big bass lines aplenty the Jersey Live audience can expect an explosion of electro, dubstep, fidget-house, drum & bass and grime. Having remixed Bloc Party and Calvin Harris amongst innumerous other indie and dance acts, he’s a producer with a big reputation and the talent to back it up. The masked man of mystery JAGUAR SKILLS makes a welcome return to Jersey Live, having performed at the festival in 2010. One of the most exciting scratch and mash-up DJs around, Jag is yet to reveal his true identity to the public, but we’re happy for him to let the music do the talking. 

Since becoming the youngest ever DJs to record a live Essential Mix for Radio One, JAYMO & ANDY GEORGE have gone from strength to strength, regularly co-hosting with the likes of Annie Mac and Zane Lowe and enjoying huge success with their infamous Moda parties, taking place in clubs, warehouses, theatres and even boats across the globe. Their sets are a mash-up of electro, techno, disco and indie, and will be a welcome addition to the Dance Arena bill. Confirmed for the Sunday in the Dance Arena is Ram Records’ much-lauded drum & bass duo DELTA HEAVY. With radio airplay and DJN support from such diverse DJs as Zane Lowe, Huw Stephens, Andy C and Friction, it’s clear that their cross-over appeal is set to make them ones to watch. Completing the first wave of Dance Arena announcements is FEED ME. Signed to Deadmau5’s Mau5trap label, the British electro-house/dubstep producer has remixed Muse, Chase & Status and Gorillaz, and with a debut album due out this year, he’s set for very big things indeed.

Also joining our second wave of announcements are a number of acts that will be performing on the Main Stage, JT Stage and Tease Stage over the weekend, starting with BBC Sound of 2012-listed indie outfit FRIENDS, described by the Guardian as ‘Brooklyn’s sassiest girl-fronted group” and whose third single ‘Mind Control’ was recently named as Huw Stephens’ Hottest Record in the World on Radio One. Manchester reggae-funk party-starters THE JANICE GRAHAM BAND perform twice over the weekend, and come with the approval of none other than Stone Roses bassist Mani, who describes them as “so unique in an age where it’s so easy to copy what has gone before.” Scottish afrobeat quartet BWANI JUNCTION appear on the JT stage at the festival, after having earned themselves a legion of fans headlining the BBC Introducing Stage at T in the Park in 2011. Their compatriot NINA NESBITT will perform on the Tease Stage, having enjoyed a meteoric rise to become one of the most talked-about new acoustic indie-folk artists of 2012. The precociously talented 17 year-old has collaborated extensively with her other half, Ed Sheeran and is on the cusp of joining him on the British musical A-list. The final artist to be announced is another much talked-about and super-talented youngster JAKE BUGG. Since appearing on the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury last year, the 18 year-old singer-songwriter has enjoyed extensive Radio One airplay and been signed to recording giants Universal, and with artists such as Donovan and Johnny Cash influencing his country-tinged folk music, he’s sure to be one of the highlights of this year’s festival.

The festival boasts five stages in total: The Main Stage, where the big guns go head to head; The Dance Arena, which will host some of the world’s hottest DJs and producers. Previous artists have included Calvin Harris, Annie Mac, Mr Oizo and Boys Noize; The Tease Stage is a themed stage featuring a mix of local and international artists, as well as a fancy dress stall (very much recommended to all that visit it) and games galore; The JT Stage hosts an array of local and international artists, and provides a more chilled-out area to recharge your batteries before heading out for more Main Stage action; The Hospitality Stage is available to Hospitality ticket-holders (see below for details) and features exclusive DJ sets throughout the weekend.

With plenty of bars, an entire food village, arts and crafts stalls and its own funfair, yet a capacity of just 10,000 daily, Jersey Live has all the action of a major festival but all the friendliness and intimacy that its boutique status would suggest.

Jersey Live is heading towards a decade of unforgettable parties, and with many more acts to be announced soon, this one might just top the lot.

The Zing Zilla’s & Dick and Dom return for this years Lollibop 2012

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The ‘LolliBop Live’ stage will play host to some of the hottest names in kids entertainment with musical performances from the likes of the Zing Zilla's, JassaAluwahlia (Art Attack) and The Mr Men & Little Miss Party Roadshow. TV favourites Dick and Dom will also take to the stage to entertain crowds with their unique blend of music and games. 

Celebrating its first year in the West End, Shrek the Musical will also make a special appearance with a performance from the award-winning show (Sunday 19 only).

 In the Lollipaladium, see the story of The Gruffalo brought to life on the stage with plenty of audience interaction. CBeebiesfavourite, Mister Maker will be on hand to demonstrate his unique arts and crafts skills.  Mister Maker is a real life character who gets inspiration to make art from everything around him. Packed full of stimulating ideas, set in his own fantasy art world, prepare to expect the unexpected!

Other headline attractions include yoga sessions with Waybuloo, workshops by Horrible Histories, Roald Dahl Museum and Storytelling Centre, performances by 8ft Titan the Robot, an Alice In Wonderland tea partyand a chance to meet ‘Tiny’, a 125 million years young dinosaur.

The brand new life-size Transformers Optimus Prime Truck will also be at the three day event, giving fans the chance to get up and personal with this movie legend. 

Pint sized guests (and grown ups) will notice a few more additions to the 2012 event.

The ‘LolliBop Kitchen‘ is an exciting new area, where LolliBoppers will have the chance to learn new skills from live demonstrations and interactive workshops, featuring popular blogger My Daddy Cooks.

A new ’Tween Town‘ area will feature a number of activities for older kids including street dance, hula-hooping, magic and beat-boxing workshops, plus an older arts and crafts tent and a brand new laser room!

Halfords will create a bespoke Bike City at LolliBop, which will include a Wacky Races obstacle course for under 5’s, where children can be the first to try out a brand new range of Balance and Apollo kids bikes. For older kids, highlights include a BMX stunt display and demo area.

Other new areas include: ‘LolliBop Animal Curiosities’, which features animals including a polar bear, a dinosaur and gorillas!  ‘The Disco Shed‘ which will have mini boppers (and parents!) dancing the day away and ‘The Village Green‘ – the perfect spot to chill out and enjoy some street theatre.

Back by popular demand, the Science Museum are preparing for a triumphant return to Regent’s Park with an expanded area and dedicated Science Zone.

For pre-schoolers, the ‘3ft &Under’ area is also back.  Confirmed activities include a mini disco, tiny play, little arts, baby ballet, yoga, teddy bears picnic and sing and sign.  There will be two boob and botty boudoirs this year, and covered buggy parks and lollishade areas are also being created.

Old favourites, including ‘LolliSports‘, ‘Imagination Stations‘, ‘Itsy Bitsy Strictly‘ and ‘The Enchanted Forest‘ will all also return for 2012.

And if that wasn’t enough, there are plenty of arts and craft activities, face painting and workshops, including circus skills.

A wide selection of food and drink stalls are on offer to provide a welcome rest.

All of the activities, stages and events are included in the entry ticket price, which starts at £22 per person.For more information, including a full programme of events, visit www.lollibopfestival.com

Public Enemy and more added to SW4 2012 lineup

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Reviewing their list of accolades, it’s easy to see why they are such an inspired choice. Selling millions of records worldwide, plus a penchant for causing controversy, means their seminal anthems strike a chord with fans and critics alike. The influential ‘Rolling Stones’ magazine, ranked Public Enemy #44 in their ‘100 greatest artists of all time’, whilst their rampant tracks have influenced and inspired generations. ‘Bring The Noise’ is just one example, whilst ‘Fight The Power’ took the #1 spot in VH1’s ‘100 greatest hip hop songs.’ It’s these thought provoking titles which deem Public Enemy kings amongst men. To make this SW4 exclusive even more mouth watering, 2012 represents the 25th Anniversary since Public Enemy’s debut album ‘Yo! Bum Rush the Show’ shocked the world and provided the first step on their road to superstardom. As the self proclaimed prophets of rage, notorious for upsetting middle America, their media and government, it’s time to BRING THE NOISE to SW4.

Public Enemy

In addition to the announcement of Public Enemy as our Sunday live headliner, we can also reveal some very special guests playing across the weekend…

On the Saturday the sunshine sounds of Erick Morillo will light up his Subliminal arena. Having already announced that Erick will headline the stage in his only UK festival performance of 2012 and first London show in seventeen months, we can now reveal he will be bringing something extra special to SW4. In its UK debut, Erick returns for a second stint – along with cohorts Harry ‘Choo Choo’ Romero and Jose Nunez. The talented trio have named themselves ‘Sympho Nympho’, a project that has got everyone talking. With all three having previously worked together under the ‘Ministers De La Funk’ pseudonym, an affinity within the DJ booth equates to one hell of a show. Guaranteed to have maximum impact, Erick, Harry and Jose will play off against each other with dramatic delays and rocking reverbs. A sure fire hit at Subliminal in Ibiza this summer, three is definitely the magic number. Each having crafted their own legacy within the scene, together they look set to be a dominant force. A privilege to host their UK debut in another UK festival exclusive, SW4 is delighted to welcome Sympho Nympho.

A-Trak is another Saturday addition, his wizardry unmatched by any other. Proved by a technical trophy cabinet, boasting the DMC, ITF and Vestax crowns, A-Trak is the only artist to hold all three of these ‘majors’. Add to this five DMC world championships, the first triumph whilst only fifteen years young, a record perhaps never to be broken, A-Trak’s perplexing performances is underpinned by these award winning repertoires. Hence the Subliminal arena will be perfect for his sublime skills, the foundation for fusing an array of electronic genres. Wowing not just within the live domain, a production prowess earmarks A-Trak as the top dog. For example remixing Martin Solveig’s ‘The Night Out’, adding a gurgling bass line and rasping synth – peak time personified! Not forgetting some sweet ‘Duck Sauce’, the brilliant collaboration with Armand van Helden. ‘Barbra Streisand’ stormed the charts, whilst ‘Big Bad Wolf’ was awarded ‘Best Underground Track’ at this year’s IDMA awards. Don’t miss one of dance music’s most talented purveyors.

In West Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where he spent most of his days! Still residing in Philly, Diplo bears some resemblance to the Fresh Prince. A charismatic and open minded ethos has helped him develop an eclectic and loyal fan base, as has his ability to fuse genres. His seminal ‘Mad Decent’ label, Major Lazer project with Switch and collaborations with Beyonce, M.I.A., No Doubt, Busta Rhymes, Tiesto and Usher are evidence of this and has acted as the perfect platform to gain worldwide exposure. Expect a SW4 Sunday display of electronic madness, flirting with urban, dub, D&B and dancehall, in that trademark Diplo style.

Finally on the Sunday dynamic Italian duo Crookers. To serve up Mama’s groundbreaking recipe for mayhem, incorporating all styles into one chunky package. A sought after sound, Crookers have produced acclaimed remixes for Timbaland, Chromeo, Moby, Robbie Williams and The Chemical Brothers amongst others. Not forgetting the unashamedly catchy remix of Kid Kudi’s ‘Day ‘N’ Nite’, which stormed to No.2 in the UK charts. A warping bass line and soulful under current, ensure this is a track to grace any festival setting. Crookers’ fractious blend of street, rap, house and fidget is one of the great wonders of DJ land. A skill not taught at any academy, it is eminent in their pulsating studio work. Latest offering ‘That Laughing Track’ is custom made for SW4’s lasers and lights. Haunting vocals give it an unconventional sound, but one which will blow the roof off SW4 such are its genre defying properties. Crookers; here to steal the SW4 show.

As indicated by the oversized clock which always adorns Flavor Flav, it’s time for South West Four 2012. The road to Clapham is well and truly mapped out, with these line-up additions. The most diverse and delectable line-up this summer, SW4 is here to stake its claim for another year. Get ready…

Riot Jazz returns to this years Kendal Calling

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Step into a real life festival fairytale with ‘The Great Puppet Show’ that will transform a corner of the Kendal Calling fields with plenty of antics, art installations, eye catching décor designs and a host of circus performers & eclectic musicians. Riot Jazz brings an area of true escapism, it’s weird and wonderful and full of hidden musical gems to discover.

Acts to grace the Riot Jazz stage include: Riot Jazz Brass Band, The WhiskyCats, Honeyfeet, Lauren Housley, Jonny Dub (DJ), Dirty North, Gogo Penguin, New York Brass Band, Extra Love, The E.M.E, Nancy Kent, Lauren Housley, Age Of Glass, Toe Rag, The Templebys, Thingumabob & The Thingumajigs, Sara Mac, Al Baker & The Dole Queue, Chili Mazarin, The 2nd Tallest Man in the World, Scratter's & The Funky Disco Pig, Stan's Magic Foot, Al Baker, Joey Arnold and Blind Dog Daddy'o PLUS a special guest headliner.

The Riot Jazz Brass Band are the artists in residence, the masters of ceremonies who ventured from their arena and graced the main stage last year. Fronted by MC Chunky, the band has performed across the globe from Finland to Croatia delivering high-octane shows. As well as hosting the Riot Jazz area, the band have a debut album coming soon that captures their unique talents in time for Summer.

Other highlights on the bill include Honeyfeet; who has been described as a songbird of her generation with a full live band to support her electric sound. Also joining the bill is Lauren Housley, a bright artist from Yorkshire who is redefining Northern Soul as she conjures a warm, organic soundscape with a fresh, full voice that references Dusty Springfield with the virility of Ray Charles.

Live favourites The Whisky Cats make a welcome return to the festival, with their hazardous and original get up. Their authentic sound and unique theatrical approach to performing has prompted people into saying that they are one of the best live acts in the country. Their sound is so diverse that ex-Blur bassist Alex James said Whisky Cats 'don't sound like anyone else in the world'

Aside from the music they’ll be a whole host of entertainment with performance art, circus troupes and vaudeville amusements. Riot Jazz is a true trip into a land of legend and fairytales, where costumes and decor transform reality, dusk turns into dawn and strangers become friends. Immerse in this adult wonderland armed with weapons of mass distraction. Experience and hear something new, Riot Jazz has landed.

Every Thursday there will be more news from Kendal Calling with area news and line-up additions to add to the already stellar bill.

See you in the fields!

www.kendalcalling.com

FULL LINE UP INCLUDES:

DIZZEE RASCAL / JAMES / MAXIMO PARK / DAN LE SAC VS SCOOBIUS PIP / SHED SEVEN / WE ARE SCIENTISTS / THE VIEW / FEEDER / INSPIRAL CARPETS  / SPECTOR / VINTAGE TROUBLE / TRIBES / BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH / WHISKYCATS / DJ YODA & THE TRANSIBERIAN MARCH BAND / /DREADZONE / LITTLE ROY / TO KILL A KING / DODGY/ BOMBSKARE / GHOSTPOET / TWISTED WHEEL / JUAN ZELADA / THE LANCASHIRE HOTPOTS / MONSTER CEILIDH / VARIOUS CRUELTIES / ISLET / LUCY ROSE / TOY / STEVE SMYTH / MAX RAPTOR / HYDE & BEAST / RAE MORRIS / RYAN KEEN / PETE ROE / KING CHARLES / JACK MARTELLO / SPRING OFFENSIVE / JAKE EVANS (BAD LIEUTENANT) / EXTRA CURRICULAR / BEANS ON TOAST / RANDOM IMPULSE / WONDER VILLIANS / POLICE DOG HOGAN

DANCE TENT: BENGA / ANDY C / SHY FX / JACK BEATS (DJ set) / MOSCA / MS DYNAMITE / TODDLA T /  A.SKILLZ / OLUGBENGA (METRONOMY) / UTAH SAINTS / 16-BIT  /  THE CORRESPONDENTS / PHAELEH / DUB PISTOLS (DJ set) / JAYMO & ANDY GEORGE / D/R/U/G/S + MANY MORE

RIOT JAZZ STAGE: RIOT JAZZ BRASS BAND / THE WHISKYCATS / HONEYFEET / LAUREN HOUSLEY / JONNY DUB (DJ) / DIRTY NORTH / GOG PENGUIN / NEW YORK BRASS BAND / EXTRA LOVE / THE E.M.E / NANCY KENT / AGE OF GLASS / TOE RAG / THE TEMPLEBYS / THINGUMABOB & THE THINGUMAJIGS / SARA MAC / AL BAKER & THE DOLE QUEUE / CHILI MAZARIN / THE 2ND TALLEST MAN IN THE WORLD / SCRATTERS & THE FUNKY DISCO PIG / STAN’S MAGIC FOOT / JOEY ARNOLD / BLIND DOG DADDY’O plus more tba

The music and activities in the Kendal Calling meadow span 11 diverse stages and areas, situated in a close-knit site that means you’re never far from your friends; areas include Mainstage, GLoW dance tent, Calling Out new music stage, Kaylied tent, Soapbox, Kids Area, Kendal Calling Real Ale Festival tent, Garden of Eden, Village Green, New Woodland area (details tba), Happy Slap boutique, Riot Jazz, Houseparty and new for 2012; Tim Peak’s Diner brought to you by Tim Burgess of the Charlatans!

100 days till Reading and Leeds Festival

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With exclusive appearances from THE CURE, KASABIAN and FOO FIGHTERS on the Main Stage and hundreds of other artists set to appear, this is the only place for music fans to spend the August Bank Holiday weekend.

KasabianOther acts confirmed to appear include PARAMORE, FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE, THE BLACK KEYS, THE MACCABEES, JUSTICE, AT THE DRIVE IN, METRONOMY, LESS THAN JAKE and SOCIAL DISTORTION with many more names yet to be announced over seven stages.

The festival takes place at Little John’s Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds where 160,000 music fans spend the best weekend of the year listening to the greatest line-up of rock, indie, metal, punk and dance music.

Did You Know:

  • There is a competition running online at www.readingfestival.com and www.leedsfestival.com where you can win the chance to become the Lord or Lady Mayor of the festival. Your ticket will be upgraded to VIP; you can watch your favourite band from the side of the stage, have a backstage slap up lunch and much, much more.
  • Reading & Leeds actively operate and promote deposit schemes for cups and water bottles, facilitating the collection of recyclable waste and ensuring we achieve the highest rate of recycling. A 10p deposit is taken for each cup which is refundable if the cup is taken back to the refund points.
  • When the bands stop the fun doesn’t – at Reading & Leeds films are show in the cinema tent till late and there is dancing in the Silent Arena at both sites where you can disco dance till dawn, plus late night entertainment to be announced at the Alternative Stage in Leeds including DJ’s, interactive films and much more.
  • Vodafone customers can ensure their mobile phone is charged throughout the festival weekend by leaving it at the Vodafone VIP Recharge Truck. Vodafone only customers can also enjoy an unrivalled view of all the performances on the Main Stage by visiting the Vodafone VIP viewing platform.
  • Relentless will bring the new look Energy Sessions Arena, sponsored by Relentless Energy Drink, to the campsite at Leeds each night from 10pm to 3am – a massive outdoor stage playing host to an array of not-to-be-missed DJ talent and delivering a unique experience for festival-goers.
  • 2012 is the tenth year the Festival has been at Bramham Park in Leeds, but Bramham Park has been open to the public for sixty years this year.
  • Jägermeister will be turning up to Leeds with their massive three story specially converted ex-military 25 tonne Ice Truck. The Ice Truck will be situated in the main arena and comes complete with a serving bar, dispensing Ice Cold Jäger shots from tap machines that chill the Jägermeister to zero degrees.
  • River Island will be getting involved at Reading this year with a festival ‘Swap Shop’ – exchange your dirty festival clothes for some brand spanking new River Island kit, safe in the knowledge that you’re doing your bit for charity.  River Island will clean your dirty kit and donate it to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.  Check the festival website for details.
  • Everybody who buys a weekend ticket gets a free burger and beer on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the festival, with vegetarian and soft drink options if preferred.  Don’t just stick to that though, this year there will be all the usual foody options available but also the likes of tapas, a full carvery and even ostrich!
  • Reading & Leeds Festival is partnering with goCarShare. It's built around Facebook and connects festival-goers, so you can see if you have any friends or friends of friends, heading the same way. There is priority parking right by one of the site entrances for the first 200 cars to sign up, which means no time wasted looking for a space and a short walk to the campsite. All occupants of the car, passengers and driver, will be in with a chance to win a pair of tickets for either Reading or Leeds 2013. The goCarShare team will even wash your car for you! Full details and T&C’s on the Reading & Leeds websites.

Band News:

  • Azealia Banks released an eagerly awaited new track ‘Jumanji’ last week, taken from her debut album 'Broke With Expensive Taste’ due later this summer and Reading & Leeds are one of the only festivals to catch her at.
  • Iceland’s Of Monsters And Men have never been to Reading & Leeds. They’ve said “We're really excited.  We've never played a UK festival, BUT we have played in London.  We expect sun but also a lot of rain. We're not afraid to get muddy!”
  • The Joy Formidable make their only UK appearance of the summer at the festival. They have just completed work on their second album with legendary producer Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Jeff Buckley Rage Against The Machine), the follow up to their debut ‘The Big Roar’.  No doubt fans will get their first preview of the new tracks at Reading & Leeds.
  • The Black Keys release a new single ‘Dead and Gone’ this month, taken from their hugely successful album ‘El Camino’.   Released to widespread critical acclaim in December, ‘El Camino’ debuted at # 2 on the Billboard Top 200 and has already been certified Platinum in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and Gold in France, Ireland, the UK and US.
  • Will Rees from the Mystery Jets was asked recently what he was looking forward to this summer – “Leeds (Festival).  They’ve got dodgems.” Whereas Ryan Jarman from The Cribs said “Reading is always my favourite ‘cos that’s the one I always used to go to when I was growing up, even when Leeds started.  I’ve been there every year since 1997.”
  • Next weekend Foo Fighters will appear on the series finale of ‘Saturday Night Live’ in the US, hosted by none other than Mick Jagger.

TICKETING INFO

  • Weekend tickets £197.50 plus applicable booking fees
  • Day tickets Fri, Sat, Sun £85.00 plus applicable booking fees
  • Early entry permits £15.00
  • Campervan permits £60.00
  • Lockers £15.00
  • Reading car parking £5.00
  • Weekend ticket prices include camping

Sunday Day Tickets at Reading Festival are now sold out.

 

Graham Coxon Live performance

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2012 is going to be yet another a huge year for Graham Coxon – he's already released his 8th solo album 'A+E', just completed a massive solo tour, and in August he and fellow Blur members will playing a gig in Hyde Park.

This track 'Ooh, Yeh, Yeh' is the closing track on A+E and the closing track on his recent tour and perfectly demonstrates why Graham's songwriting style continues to lead the pack.

For more tracks and interviews please go to www.youtube.com/o2academytv

Festibelly announce Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Skinny Lister and more!

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Festibelly fav James Yuill, Mr Nice aka Howard Marks, Balkan folk troop The Trans-Siberian March Band, rising French band We Were Evergreen, and London collective Reggae Roast – many more acts are still to be announced. 

As well as the usual dazzling selection of musical talent on the main stage, the Festibelly field will play host to a number of venues and attractions including Terrapin Station, Le Disco, brand new Le Roller Disco, Massive In China and Autumn Shift – together creating a kaleidoscope of psychedelic gypsy to dirty disco, wrong cabaret, circus performance, wonky gameshows, cosy cafés, poetry, painting and more. This year Festibelly flings its arms wide open to those with young Festi Critters, bringing new kids entertainment area The Owlery to site. 

As ever, Festibelly stays close to its grassroots ethos and remains brand and sponsorship free and is always guaranteed to have friendliest Festi-goers to be found. Previous artists to play Festibelly include The Big Pink, New Young Pony Club, Ghostpoet, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Rob Da Bank, Drums Of Death, Man Like Me, Hollie Cook, James Yuill, She Keeps Bees, Greco Roman Sound System, Psychemagik, Reggae Roast, Oh Ruin, Johnny Flynn, King Charles, My Tiger My Timing, Tek-One, O Children, Skinny Lister and Toy.

Catch Festibelly warmup events this summer at London’s The Lock Tavern, Bournemouth’s 60 Million Postcards, Southampton’s The Orange Rooms and Festibelly Local events in its hometown of Lymington, Hampshire.

Event: Festibelly 2012
Location: Undershore, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 5QA
Date: Saturday 25th – Sunday 26th August 2012
Times: Gates open 9pm 25th August – close 2pm 27th August
Ticket Price: Weekend ticket: £55 // Sunday ticket: £38 – on sale 9th April via festibelly.com
Capacity: 3,000

Summer Festival Guide’s preview of this years RockNess

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Very few festivals offer such a diverse selection of bands in a setting as breath taking as RockNess. Now in its seventh year the festival returns the weekend after jubilee bank holiday weekend in the stunning surroundings of Clune Farm on the banks of Loch Ness.

With a little over three weeks to go and the e-mail confirming my attendance fresh in my inbox it’s certainly something to get excited about and to kick start the UK festival season.
 
Rockness will be the first big festival I’ll be photographing and reporting on, several artists within the massive line-up have already caught my eye and will be a definite must to photograph over the weekend.
 
I will have the opportunity to experience new artists and bands alongside those already seen, on top of interacting with the crowd on a whole new level; Working a festival with this different perspective & atmosphere will make it one to remember.
 
DeadMau5
 
RockNess 2012 promises to be a success once again after winning the NME Awards Best Small Festival for the second consecutive year. The eclectic line-up sees English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran headline on Friday, Canadian Electro house producer Joel Thomas Zimmerman AKA Deadmau5 lead the bill on Saturday and Scottish rock sensation Biffy Clyro brining the festival to a close on Sunday. Other live acts appearing across the weekend include Wretch 32, Noah & the Whale, Mumford & Sons, Annie Mac, Justice, The Pigeon Detectives, DJ Fresh, Friendly Fires, Knife Party, Madeon & Beardyman while the Comedy stage is host once again to Scottish Comedian of the Year, Ro Campbel along-side Daniel Sloss with many more also appearing.
 
Click here to goto the official RockNess website
 
Written by Dan Wheatley

More additions to this years Live from Jodrell Bank

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Graham Coxon, Baxter Dury and Little Barrie also perform
 
Artists to perform in the grounds of the iconic Lovell Telescope
 
Meet a Mars robot, find out the science of sport, try your hand at mathematical origami and loads more at Jodrell Bank’s Science Arena!
 
Hands-on science workshops, lectures and experiments also included in the ticket price
 
LFJB VIDEO LINK – LINK  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAXJVwl423Q&feature=youtu.be
 
Live From Jodrell Bank announces further music and science collaborations for its Paul Weller headlined show in June.  Acts perform in front of the iconic Lovell telescope and beam their projections onto this 76 meter structure marking Live From Jodrell Bank out as a truly unique event in the summer festival calendar and the definitive place to stargaze whilst appreciating superlative sounds from earth and beyond.
 
Internationally acclaimed star Paul Weller headlines the show performing songs from his hit laden career.  A significant figure in British culture, Live From Jodrell Bank is Paul Weller’s only stand alone performance of the summer.  Paul Weller comments “I’m excited to play Jodrell Bank, it’s always good to perform in unique places and this will be the most unique of them all!  It’s going to be a great show in a great space-age setting,"
 
Having already announced a fascinating programme of science related activity to take place throughout the day, Live From Jodrell Bank are thrilled to confirm that Craig Charles will be appearing for an exclusive Q and A ahead of the airing of the 10th series of Red Dwarf.  This cult show is the definitive British Sci-Fi comedy and one of the most adventurous comedies in TV history.  As the character Lister, Craig was the star of the show and has been an ever present throughout the series.  As well as bringing his acclaimed funk and soul show to Jodrell Bank, Craig will also be giving a Q&A session in the Science Arena with a Jodrell Bank scientist on hand to relate the fiction of sci-fi series Red Dwarf to the facts of space exploration.  
 
Gomez are one of the best live bands in the country and still lead the pack when it comes to intelligent and melodic indie rock music.  They will be performing a set made up of classic tracks from their huge back catalogue.  Jake Evans fully rounded vocals, ear for perfect pop and supreme guitar playing led to him co founding Bad Lieutenant, a band that has featured New Orders Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris and Phil Cunningham as well as Alex James from Blur.  His solo show is sure to be a highlight of the festival.
 
Also performing on the day will be Graham Coxon who will be playing tracks from his acclaimed new album A + E as well as all the classic tracks from his previous 7 studio albums.  Baxter Dury showcases his expertly constructed psychedelic pop whilst Little Barrie brings some undiluted rock n’ roll swagger.
 
Highlights from the Science Arena include:
·       See the amazing giant Lovell Telescope in action as Jodrell Bank Astrophysicist Tim O’Brien puts it through its paces live from stage!
·       Meet Bridget, the Mars rover built as part of the research for the European Space Agency’s next mission to Mars
·       Find out about the beautiful intricacies of mathematical origami – and do some experiments of your own
·       Learn about the science of sport with In the Zone – a Welcome Trust exhibition inspired by London 2012 – discover the secret springs that make you jump – get under the skin of your blood system – race to the finish and take home access to your own personal showreel!
·       Find out more about pulsars, rapidly rotating stars the size of a large city that send out radio waves across the Universe
·       Meet Jodrell Bank scientists and engineers working at the cutting edge of science and find out about the latest research http://www.jb.man.ac.uk
·       Find out the latest news about the exciting multi billion pound project to build the world’s biggest telescope, the Square Kilometre Array – with the international HQ right here at Jodrell!
·       Meet eMERLIN, the UK-wide network of telescopes run from Jodrell Bank
·       Get updates on the search for the elusive Higgs Boson, the so called ‘God particle’, from the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva
·       Celebrate the centenary of the birth of pioneering computer scientist, Alan Turing with the Turing Sunflower project, a mass experiment to grow thousands of sunflowers and count their spirals!
·       And finally, find out why Jodrell Bank is the UK hub for ALMA, – a world class Telescope in the heart of the Chilean Andes.
 
Associate Director Of Jodrell Bank Observatory, Tim O’ Brien comments “We’re really looking forward to this year’s festival and very excited about bringing together great music and great science. Watch out for a star performance from the Lovell Telescope!”
 
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.