Comedy Tent returns to Green Man Festival

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Here are the latest fantastic funny men and women heading to Wales’ breathtaking Black Mountains from August 16-19 for Green Man 2012:
 
Tom Wrigglesworth The Yorkshire funny man is an articulate and natural raconteur with an innate ability to riff with an audience like they’re old friends.
 
Colin Hoult Talented actor who excels in comedic character transformation; marvel at his acute ability to snap in and out of a multitude of hilarious personas.
 
Jordan Brookes Cardiff-based comedian who regularly intimidates tipsy people into nervous laughter; an unnervingly stable presence with smart one-liners.
 
Josie Long Much-loved Green Man favourite returns with her obsessive and ridiculous stories that leave audiences smitten with her innocent wonder.
 
Benjamin Partridge Rising star of Welsh comedy who has an intimate knowledge of the M4 thanks to regular gigs in London and Cardiff.
 
Steve Hall One third of BBC Three sketch group We Are Klang and an acclaimed solo live performer who supported Russell Howard on his sell-out national tour.

Dan Evans Accessible but childish surrealism from a comedian who continues to delight audiences throughout the UK and Ireland a decade in to his career.
 
Tom Bell Prolific sketch star and stand-up comic with an upbeat, surreal style – one of the most unique and exciting performers on the circuit.
 
Nadia Kamil Swansea comic born to a Welsh mother and Iraqi father, an Edinburgh Festival hit as one half of the acclaimed double act The Behemoth.
 
Chris Chopping Cardiff based comedian with an engaging anecdotal style who reached the Semi Finals of the Welsh Unsigned Stand Up Award 2011.
 
PLUS Jared Hardy, Danny Deegan, James Bland and a whole host of amazing undiscovered up-and-coming comedians in the daily Green Man New Act Hour!
 
And don’t forget, Green Man 2012 gets off to a flying start on Thursday night (August 16) as Adam Buxton presents Best of BUG: The Evolution of the Music Video – a hilarious compendium of outstanding video clips, astounding online nuggets and perhaps a few homemade musical gems of his own thrown in for good measure…

Catch some of the best stand-ups from around the world live on stage from 7pm to 2am daily as part of the 24 hour merriment you'll find at Green Man this summer!

Bloodstock Open Air Fancy Dress theme

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After MACHINE HEAD’s historic set on Saturday night, it’s time to get spooky, ugly and evil, to party the night away, as well as win one of three great prizes on offer. There’s also the small matter of some serious fun-times, with the 4 DJs of The Apocalypse and the infamous metal karaoke to entertain the morbid masses til the early hours.

The first prize for the most gloriously dressed is a pair of weekend tickets for next year’s festival, as well as a £100 cash prize. Second prize is £50 cash and a BLOODSTOCK goody bag, with the bronze medal earning you a goody bag.

Whether you’re a Goblin from middle earth, Errormon, the Nibenay Basin, the Green Goblin of New York or even Wychwood’s own Hobgoblin, Abaddon, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles or some other nefarious Demon or just an ugly, hairy Troll, there’s ample opportunity to get creative and take home the grand prize.

What’s more, anyone who purchases a weekend ticket between now and the 31st July (including anyone who has already purchased a ticket), will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win one of 25 pairs of tickets for BLOODSTOCK 2013 – for which one awesome headliner has already been confirmed.

Don’t forget – headliners MACHINE HEAD are letting fans pick five songs from Burn My Eyes – head to http://www.facebook.com/Bloodstock now to cast your vote.

T in the Park 2012 – Sunday Review

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Arriving at the car park on Sunday, I was grateful it wasn't raining again, but by the time I reached the main arena, that gratitude was slowly sinking, much like the festival goers. The mud was ankle deep and if you went down to flat land, you were lucky if the pools of mucky water wasn't 12 inches high. All of this aside, the Scottish crowd seemed to be enthusiastic for the day ahead. Wandering around the arena people were, throwing mud, sliding face first in it, one guy even dived off a picnic table in to it. Safe to say, no spirits were dampened by the ground conditions.

Chase and Status were definitely one of my highlights of Sunday, the two DJ's joined on stage by their drummer Andy Gangadeen and vocalist MC Rage put on an amazing show. With special guests Maverick Sabre and Liam Bailey, Chase and Status certainly pulled out all the stops and provided a memorable performance. The crowd for Chase and Status was certainly a rowdy one, several mosh pits were started and crowd surfers had to be pulled out by security.

Elbow's crowd wasn't quite as energetic, but they were not any less committed, singing along to all of their hit songs providing a classic, chilled out festival atmosphere.

Going over to the Radio 1/ NME Stage the atmosphere changed completely, Nicki Minaj, being 55 minutes late, ran on stage, with no explanation as to why she made her fans wait so long. Scotland's crowds are well known for being enthusiastic and energetic and were complimented by bands and artists over the weekend, but when Nicki Minaj kept them waiting, they were anything but forgiving, in between tracks, you could hear heavy booing and insults being thrown at her from all directions. Cutting her set short, I doubt she'll be rushing back to Scotland anytime soon and if she does, she better at least bring an apology back with her.

Nicki Minaj

I've never really been a huge fan of Kasabian, I've always seen them as just another band, lacking anything extra special, but seeing them at T in the Park I was very wrong, delivering a lot more grit and character than I ever expected. Unlike a lot of bands, you weren't just drawn to the singer but you found yourself watching the whole band. Their song Velociraptor off their new album is definitely worth a listen.

After announcing they will be splitting after completing already confirmed gigs for this year Swedish House Mafia's set was set to be a sort of, farewell performance, and they didn't disappoint. Having preformed at T in the Park last year they had set themselves a standard barrier, which they smashed to smithereens. I can't explain it in words, you will have to watch the multiple videos on YouTube to fully understand where I'm coming from. Absolute madness.

Even if the weather was horrific this year, the Scottish crowds were still in full force and didn't let it dampen their spirits over the weekend. T in the Park is an amazing festival, with brilliant characters and a phenomenal atmosphere. I would recommend everyone get tickets for next year, as it is T in the Park's 20th anniversary and it'll be even bigger.

Check out photos from Friday @ T in the Park
Check out photos from Saturday @ T in the Park
Check out photos from Sunday @ T in the Park
 

T in the Park 2013 Early Bird Tickets

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On the back of another triumphant year, festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager are looking ahead to 2013, when T in the Park will celebrate the significant milestone of its 20th year. Fans can ensure they’re part of this momentous occasion and secure their place in the 85,000 strong crowd daily when a limited batch of early bird tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 13th July at 2012 prices. Music lovers can also guarantee their ticket for the festival’s 20th year with an exclusive early bird offer; a £50 deposit will secure their 2013 ticket, making sure they don’t miss the hottest festival action on the planet in 2013.

T in the Park’s 20th year will bring the biggest acts and the most passionate music fans in the world together again for the weekend of a lifetime. Next year’s event will take place over Friday 12th – Sunday 14th July 2013.
 
A limited number of T in the Park 2013 tickets will be available at 2012 prices – go to www.tinthepark.com or www.ticketmaster.co.uk or call 08444 999 990.
Vodafone VIP customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on early bird sale from 9.00am on Wednesday 11th July, simply go to vodafone.co.uk/vip

Gold Panda & Willy Moon to headline Festibelly 2012

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Headlining Saturday, sharp suited Willy Moon fuses rock'n'roll and hip-hop; or “Bo Diddley as imagined by Timbaland” says Q Magazine. 

Gold Panda headlines Sunday, whose magnificent debut LP ‘Lucky Shiner’ scooped accolade after accolade (“a masterclass” – Dazed & Confused, “stunning” – Q Magazine, “blissful” – NME) and went onto win The Guardian’s First Album Award. 

Gold Panda

Also joining the bill is BBC Radio 1 DJ and Bestival host Rob Da Bank, rave heroes Ragga Twins, perennial ‘Belliers Man Like Me and many hotly tipped bands including Clock Opera,Bluebell and Bastille. 

Amongst those already announced are three-piece rock ’n’ roll family band sensation Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, folk group Skinny Lister, who won the title of 'Hardest Working Band in Britain' following their record number of festival appearances last year, Mr Nice aka Howard Marks, rising French band We Were Evergreen and London collective Reggae Roast. 

Festibelly, now in its fifth year, is a hidden gem on the festival calendar. Nestled among the woodland on the edge of the New Forest, there is something for the entire family. For the first time it opens its doors as a two day party, a double dose of the intimate charm it had become known for. 

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.

Festibelly also throws several 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. 

15th July – Kitty Daisy & Lewis (DJ), Draper @ The Lock Tavern, Camden
21st July – Festibelly Vs Durty Sound System, Chichester
3rd August – Man Like Me @ Orange Rooms, Southampton
11th August – 60 Million Postcards, Bournemouth
12th August – Festibelly presents Terrapin Station @ The Lock Tavern, Camden

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

15 more bands for Bloodstock

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The main RONNIE JAMES DIO stage and the SOPHIE stage boasts some of metal’s biggest names, both international and homegrown. But no less exciting is the NEW BLOOD stage, which offers emerging talent the chance to play an internationally renown festival. The METAL TO THE MASSES initiative works hard scouring the length and breadth of the country to discover the UK’s best new talent, hosting heats where bands will compete for a coveted spot at BLOODSTOCK.

This year, the quality of the unsigned bands on offer is outstanding, resulting in the NEW BLOOD stage’s most exciting line up to date. With sold out finals up and down the country in 200 – 600 capacity venues, as well as reaching over the borders to include talent from abroad – as well as rewarding homegrown talent with the opportunity to play partner festivals abroad, WACKEN andMETALCAMP, the future of UK metal has never looked so bright, and with this latest batch there may well be a futureBLOODSTOCK headliner in amongst them.

On the Friday, EXILE THE TRAITOR bring their melodic death metal to the NEW BLOOD stage, joined by Brummie death metallersKATALEPTIC, Norwich thrashers KILLER HURTS, Romanian experimentalists KRESPUSKUL, Manchester bruisers MY WOODEN PILLOW, Liverpool’s SCARE TACTICS and WALKING THEO from Selby.

Saturday sees Welsh trad-metallers APOLLYON join midlands doomsters COSMIC VORTEX OF DOOM and all the way from Croatia,RATHER, while the Sunday offers Nottingham glamsters AIRSTRYKE, Cypriot death/thrash/groove combo BLYND, Welsh sludge monsters HAKIN, Nottingham Trash-Merchants INCINERY and Preston Industrialists SA – DA – KO.

Simon Hall, who has been overlooking METAL 2 THE MASSES can't help being excited by the talent on display:

This year's Metal 2 The Masses has blown me away with the diversity and talent that is turning heads within the UK underground scene. The quality of The Newblood Stage is undeniable and I can't wait to unleash these bands on Bloodstock along with some more to come in the next week or so!

Whatever you do, make sure you stick your head into the NEW BLOOD stage and support new bands – you may discover the next big thing!

BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2012 takes place at Catton Hall August 9th – 12th. Tickets are available from www.bloodstock.uk.com

Line Up So Far:

RONNIE JAMES DIO STAGE

ALICE COOPER

MACHINE HEAD

BEHEMOTH

ANVIL – WATAIN – PARADISE LOST – DIMMU BORGIR – HATEBREED – CORROSION OF CONFORMITY – SANCTUARY – GRAND MAGUS – THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER – EVILE – NILE – MAYHEM – LOCK UP – SEPULTURA – ICED EARTH – TESTAMENT – CHTHONIC – DIO DISCIPLES – CROWBAR – BENEDICTION – I AM I – MOONSORROW – FREEDOM CALL KOBRA & THE LOTUS

SOPHIE LANCASTER STAGE in association with Last.FM

ALCEST – ORANGE GOBLIN – ANAAL NATHRAKH

ALCEST – ORANGE GOBLIN – ANAAL NATHRAKH – HEADCHARGER – WINTERFYLLETH DEMONIC RESURRECTION – EASTERN FRONT – ANCIENT ASCENDANT – SIGHT OF EMPTINESS – PRIMITAI – PYTHIA – CRIMES OF PASSION – SATURNIAN BLOODSHOT DAWN – RE-ARMED – GONOREAS – COMMANDER IN CHIEF – RISING DREAM – INFERNAL TENEBRA – NOCTEFERIA – MARIONETTE- FURYON – DERISION – BATALLION – WITCHSORROW – DRIPBACK – SAVAGE MESSIAH – FLAYED DISCIPLE – VIKING SKULL – DEATH VALLEY KNIGHTS – SWEET SAVAGE –

PRITCHARD Vs DAINTON – STEVE HUGHES

NEW BLOOD STAGE

DOOMED – GONE TIL WINTER – HURON – FALLEN FATE – REIGN OF FURY –DREAMCATCHER – REFLECTIONS IN EXILE – INFERNAL CREATION – CAMBION – WARHORSE – MERCILESS FAIL – STORMBORN – TEMPUS FUSION – WRETCHED SOUL – A THOUSAND ENEMIES – SHATTERED SKIES-  EXILE THE TRAITOR – KATALEPTIC – KILLER HURTS –  KRESPUSKUL – MY WOODEN PILLOW – SCARE TACTICS – WALKING THEO APOLLYON – COSMIC VORTEX OF DOOM – RATHER – AIRSTRYKE – BLYND HAKIN – INCINERY –  SA – DA – KO.

Wireless Festival 2012 – Saturday Review

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The day kicked-off with a bang, when X- Factor judge Tulisa took to the main stage to sing two new songs from her debut album. Launching an attack on the ex-lover behind her recent sex tape scandal, she stuck a finger up at the 60,000 strong crowd and invited them to join her in publicly mauling him. 

Professor Green followed Tulisa on the main stage, giving a confident, energetic, and crowd-pleasing performance.

He opened his set by announcing Wireless as the ‘biggest f***** audience’ he’d played to all summer.  His nerves didn’t show as he ferociously rapped his way through a number of chart friendly tracks.   Biggest cheers (and mass audience participation) came for his encore, the No.1 hit and Emeli Sande collaboration, ‘Read All About It’.

Over on the Pepsi Max stage, British singer-songwriter Delilah lived up to recent music press hype.

A striking presence in camouflage jacket and knee-hi dominatrix style boots, she captivated the audience with her soulful and haunting voice.

Heartbreak and versatility framed her set as she stunned the crowd with a track list that compassed a cross of genres such as dub- step, soul, trip- hop, and R&B.

 Her last release, ‘Breathe’,   and the debut single, ‘Go’ (which carries a heavy sample from Chakka Khan’s ‘Ain’t Nobody’), were met with astounding reception.

Labrinth did his best to outshine Delilah, and very nearly succeeded until he was let down by poor sound quality inside the Pepsi Max tent.

An exuberant performer, he carried on regardless, and got the masses bouncing along to the cheery and catchy single ‘ Express Yourself’.

The Hackney-born star turned things down a notch with a beautiful, acoustic version of his debut hit, ‘Let The Sun Shine’.

 A massive crowd hurtle ensued as he launched into the mega selling single‘‘Earthquake’, which concluded a lively but inconsistent set.

Labrinth

Proving you don’t have to sell millions of records to make an impact at a commercial festival, up- and-coming South London soul singer Josh  Osho took to the tiny Bandstand Stage and became the surprise highlight for many.

Blessed with a powerful and silky voice, he also displayed his flair for epic song writing on tracks such as ‘S.O.S’, and ‘Redemption Days’.

A cover of the Alex Clare hit ‘Too Close’, went down a storm with the younger crowd, and worked exceptionally well in acoustic format.

As the rain started to pour down, the Wireless crowd waited in anticipation for U.S. hip-hop star and female powerhouse, Nicki Minaj to take to the main stage.

Sporting a typically colourful outfit (and bright blonde wig), she was greeted with a frenzied response. The Wireless crowd just couldn’t get enough of the eccentric performer and her foul-mouthed banter. From firing a dry- ice gun into the crowd, to performing hits such as ‘Moment 4 Life’, ‘Starships’ , and ‘Superbass’, she proved to be festival gold and kept the damp punters smiling through the rain.

Nicki Minaj

Deafening screams were heard all over Hyde Park as headliner Drake took to the stage.

The charismatic rapper was completely at ease with his huge audience(who were gradually getting wetter and wetter as heavy rain set in), revealing that ‘London is like a second home’, and requesting that they chant along with his rhyme: ‘ I don’t give a f*** about the rain tonight cos I’m here to watch Drake go insane tonight’.

His adoring fans responded immediately and sang along to the short bursts of rapping at the start of the set.

Drake performed two storming collaborations- ‘Crew Love’, with The Weekend, and ‘Make Me Proud’ with Nicki Minaj.

Racing through rap numbers, ‘She Will, and Headliners and Practice, Drake’s vocals shone through on his slower, R&B tracks- sounding smooth and effortless.

The obvious encore had to be -and was, the Rihanna duet, ‘Take Care’.  The Barbadian superstar didn’t appear in person but her vocals were sampled throughout the track.

Drake

She closes the festival tomorrow and is sure to successfully round off a fierce, dance-tastic Wireless 2012.

Photos courtesy of Wireless Festival

Metronomy and more added to Green Man Festival lineup!

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Since then, The English Riviera – Metronomy’s incredible third album – has catapulted the band into the stratosphere: a gorgeous, unashamed pop record full of languid, sunset funk songs tailor-made for a balmy summer’s evening.

Featuring the already classic singles Everything Goes My Way and The Look, The English Riviera was undoubtedly one of the defining records of last year. We know you’ll join us in welcoming Metronomy back to Green Man 2012 with open arms – it should be a night to remember!

Also newly added to the line-up for this summer’s Green Man are…

Savages – all-girl four piece Savages have smashed their way on to the music scene, only playing their debut show at the beginning of the year, their intense and energetic live shows have been excited fans and critics alike, being described by many as the best new band in London.

Loney, Dear – the Swedish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emil Svanangen, released his utterly stunning latest album Hall Music at the end of 2011. His live set promises to be a real treat.

Tom Williams & The Boat – following their enchanting performance at our annual Boat Party we’ve invited the six piece to join us in the Black Mountains. Their new album Teenage Blood which was released last month via the ever-discerning Moshi Moshi label, showcases the poetic sharp wit and heartfelt tales of love lost from the six-piece “anti-folk” band.

Head over to the Walled Garden where a whole host of top DJs and our 24hr bars will keep the celebrations going well into the early hours!!

I/O (Stornoway Afrogrids DJ set) – we're welcoming Stornoway back to the Black Mountains with open arms but this year they'll be spinning some records to this special DJ set

Communion DJs (featuring Michael Kiwanuka) – founded by Ben Lovett (Mumford and Sons), musician Kevin Jones, and acclaimed producer Ian Grimble, the Communion label quickly grown into a flourishing hub of new talent, working with artists such as by Marcus Foster, Matt Corby, Johnny Flynn, Alessi's Ark, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, and many more!

Cover to Cover – the brainchild Sean Rowley (Guilty Pleasures) and Christian Laing (Buttoned Down Disco) take you on a weird and wonderful journey as they celebrate cover versions from right across the genres including oddities you will never of heard of, until now!

Adam Walton Crackling Vinyl – listen in to his Saturday night BBC Radio Wales show and you can hear the likes of Sun Ra, Fairport Convention, Big Black, War and Westlife, all rubbing shoulders with the finest new Welsh musical talent.

Jen Long – following her much talked about DJ set last year’s festival we’ve invited the new music journalist and BBC Introducing DJ back to the Walled Garden on Friday night.

And the great music doesn’t stop there:  Chai Wallahs make sure the party will continue long into the night with over 40 live bands and DJs playing the very best in reggae, rap, blues, jazz, hip hop, dub and dance!

A giant Bedouin marquee serving a feast of food and drink until 5am daily, Chai Wallahs is the perfect place for a lazy, hazy afternoon chill or a late night dancefloor freakout. Check out the latest amazing acts joining the ever-expanding line-up:

Dizraeli & The Small Gods – a 7 piece band from England, playing a folked, melodic, unashamedly heartfelt reinvention of hiphop.

Coda – live dubstep band from London, who’s sets fuse together the raw energy of a traditional band performance with the flow, excitement and hype of a DJ set.

Heymoonshaker – duo Dave Crowe and Andy BaLcon met in New Zealand, they now bring their beat box & blues to the Black Mountains!

Laid Blak – Brought together by producer DJ Bunjy and MC Joe Peng, their musical direction took a course that has led them to seek out some of Bristol’s finest musicians, and what started as a studio project evolved into this acclaimed live act…Laid Blak.

Polaroid 85 – Their soulful, piano-led compositions are infused with elements of jazz, drum’n’bass, dubstep, broken-beat, world, classical and folk music, taking the listener on a varied sonic journey.

Also joining the Chai Wallahs’ line-up this year at Green Man are: Ambassaduers, Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra, Honeyfeet, Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six, Moneyshot, Nick Mulvey, Pat Dam Smyth, Rackabeat & Barlow,Sheelanagig, Syd Arthur, JFB vs Switch, Will & The People, and The Peoples String Foundation. – Check out the Chai Wallahs page for more details.

Wilderness Festival lineup

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Curated by the producers of Lovebox and Secret Garden Party, Wilderness is a celebration of the arts and outdoors and will return to the breathtaking Cornbury Estate on 10-12th August 2012.

Set in the wilds of England against an exquisite backdrop of lakes, forests and parklands, Wilderness 2012 will offer a gastronomic banquet for all the senses.

Some of the finest names in musicianship are already confirmed for the 2012 spectacular and Wilderness is proud to announce that Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela and pulse pounding orchestra C.U.B.A will be a performing together in a UK festival exclusive.
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Rodrigo y Gabriella says:

“When we were asked to perform at Wilderness we were instantly inspired by the name of the festival. For us, being surrounded by nature and performing in the woodlands is a perfect combination. Being included in a line-up with so many cultural and arts elements is something we're really looking forward to.”

Also venturing into the wild this year will be Chicago stalwarts Wilco, who wil bring their own brand of bold and breathtaking alternative rock to proceedings. Joining them are space-rock icons Spiritualized, Oxford boys Stornoway, British soul sensation Lianne La Havas and Sydney based psych-folk four-piece Cloud Control.

London Folk Guild are also returning for a second year bringing a variety of folk performers to the festival.

Other feasts for the ears will include; US rockers Giant Giant Sand and Grant Lee Buffalo, the honey voiced Jenny O, Sunderland’s finest Field Music, Malian songstress Fatoumata Diawara, New York hipsters Milagres and folk-pop outfit To Kill a King.

Tim Harvey, festival organiser says:

“Last year was the first ever Wilderness festival and we were thrilled to see that 10,000 others shared our passion for a new festivalconcept. This year, the festival is back and we’re planning even more adventure as we celebrate the arts and outdoors in the beautiful Cornbury Park.

“For us, it’s important for friends and family to come along and use the weekend as a place to indulge the senses, relax, eat well, escape, learn and enjoy activities that aren’t so easily accessible in our day to day lives. We’ll be adding foraging in the woods, horse riding, food workshops, a bandstand, a new twist on wine tasting and plenty other new entertainment.”

The much lauded banquets will be making a welcome return for 2012 and will see another three days of communal feasting in the beautifulWilderness banqueting tent.  Wilderness is delighted to welcome the incomparable Yotam Ottolenghi who will headline and curate one of the weekend’s three sumptuous feasts. He will be joined by the founder of the award winning St John restaurant, Michelin Star chef Fergus Henderson. Completing the set is nature lover Valentine Warner who will be sourcing the ingredients for his veritable feast from a three-mile radius of the Wilderness festival site. Expect lavish three course banquets served on long communal tables in stunning surroundings.

Exmouth market’s famous Moro will be making a welcome return to the wild for 2012 to host their very own Souk Tent. The beautifully dressed Bedouin tent will be open for the duration of the festival and will serve a fusion of Spanish and Middle Eastern dishes with an accompaniment of cocktails, wines and aperitifs.

The 2012 food offering will also include an immersive mix of talks, tastings and workshops curated by local Cotswolds food school Thyme at Southrope Manor. The Thyme area will offer three days of total immersion in everything from market gardening to gourmet gastronomy.

The fo:rem will also return to feed and enrich the mind with its nourishing line up of talks and debates. The likes of Aleks Krotoski, Tim Gill, Intelligence Squared and Robin Ince will be amongst the speakers lined up for a weekend of talks, debates and related workshops.

A new addition to the talks and debates lineup is The School of Life whose London-based workshops have consistently sold out and offer a place for people to step back and think wisely.

Tom Hodkinson’s Idler Academy will return to Wilderness inviting festival goers to view life differently and The Royal Observatory will also be on hand offering star gazing sessions.

One of last year’s biggest highlights, The Old Vic will be back to host a wild masked ball bringing together incredible performance and an outlandish party deep in the woods.

And after you have fed your stomach and mind, why not relax the body with The Wilderness Spa? Set alongside the beautiful lakes, it will offer festival-goers hot tubs, a champagne bar, saunas and massages.

A new addition for 2012 is The Healing Herb Garden, which can be found nestled in the woods amongst saves of lavender and geranium galore offering a safe haven of restorative treatments and workshops.

There will also be bigger and more improved kids and family area which will include ‘laughter therapy’ with the Flying Seagulls, Fairyland Trust workshops and even Guerilla Geography. Bearded Kitten will be returning to host the famous ‘Not Your Average’ Cricket match on the lawn complete with lashing of Pimms and piles of cucumber sandwiches will also be on offer and will all take place against the stunning backdrop of Cornbury estate.

Weekend Tickets Available from £119
Weekend Young Person (11-17 years) Tickets available for £54
Family Ticket available from £287
Deposit Ticket Scheme available
Children under 10 go free

All tickets available via www.wildernessfestival.com

T in the Park 2012 – Saturday Review

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Waking up to pouring rain I was not discouraged for the day ahead, driving through the rain I was not discouraged, but sitting in the car park, putting on layers upon layers of waterproofs, waiting hopelessly for the rain to stop I will admit, I was not feeling awfully enthusiastic. Today, Scotland was living up to it's reputation for hideous weather. Prepared with two jumpers, a water proof jacket and the infamous waterproof poncho, I felt I could conquer this rain. Oh how wrong I was.

I'm only grateful that the first act I saw was worth standing in the rain for. Enter Shikari will smash, trample and burn on any genre you place them in. They have a unique sound that intertwines upbeat dance samples and post-hardcore metal breakdowns which leaves you with a sort of happy-hardcore. Front man Rou Reynolds is not only a great vocalist but has a sense of humour when performing by dancing along to the upbeat parts. Their "Sorry you're not a winner" single from their debut studio album Take To The Skies is still a favourite with fans, the song features three claps at the beginning which the crowd took full responsibility for. They then continued to sing along with vocalist Rou Reynolds during their set. Enter Shikari have transformed and improved since their first album, continuing to surprise and impress years on and with live performances like this it is no wonder why they had such an impressive and committed crowd. They give it their all, providing an unforgettable high energy show.

Walking around the arena there was definitely a buzz for Jessie J's performance hours before it had even started and her performance displayed why. Not only did she display her vocal range remarkably but interacting with her band, the crowd and the television cameras made her performance that much more entertaining, she knows exactly how to please an audience whether they be in the crowd or watching from home. Jessie J has such a powerful voice, even when experimenting with different pitches she always stays in tune offering a startling performance. Shouting "I'm going to make you really warm" Jessie with all her smash hits and a rendition of Luther Vandross "Never Too Much" definitely gave the crowd something to dance along to. Closing with "Domino" the crowd certainly made Scotland proud, fighting through the awful weather and enjoying her performance fully.

The Stone Roses were headlining the Main Stage to T in the Park's Saturday evening and rightfully so. Although being in their peek in the early 90's songs from all of their albums have continued to circulate over the years, even after they split up, meaning that the crowd was not just full of Mum and Dad's reminiscing their wild years but contained younger generations there to celebrate their music. This band do not need to have dancers in skimpy outfits or huge laser lights cutting through the night sky, them playing in front of a backdrop showing all their old music videos was enough to capture the attention of the huge crowd. They were chilled, laid back and let their music do the talking. As it should be some may argue? I'll let you decide.

T in the Park

David Guetta returned to T in the Park this year after an explosive set two years ago, now given a larger stage area and more room for the crowd to dance it was already sounding promising. You could see David Guetta's lights from the other side of the arena, drawing crowds in to see him perform. Having seen him two years previous, for me he had set himself a standard bar and the question was, would he surpass it? Unfortunately I would say no, although his set was phenomenal and the atmosphere in the crowd was overwhelming I was let down by the lack of his own material. However I would say, his set is worth a watch on the BBC Highlights.

Leaving David Guetta's set early I stumbled across Sub Focus's set on the Transmissions stage, still of a similar genre to David Guetta, he offered something less commercialised with a lot more bass, and this is how I ended my Saturday T in the Park 2012 experience, with ears pounding, how it should be done.

Check out photos from Friday @ T in the Park
Check out photos from Saturday @ T in the Park
Check out photos from Sunday @ T in the Park