From Devon With Love: Duplicity

Duplicty, directed by Rose Mullin and Mike Gilpin, was performed on Friday January 17 as part of the From Devon With Love Festival.

Entering The Bike Shed theatre, the audience are heaving with anticipation for the sold out play. Having reviewed Substance and Shadow Theatre’s Skin Deep in June, I have high expectations, knowing what the company are capable of.

Duplicity opens with a poetic monologue from Fabie, played by Joana Crisostomo. Following this, Midge Mullin takes the stage, playing the roles of identical twin brothers, Tommy and Finn, who grew up working in the circus. Tommy then leaves to realise his dream of joining a punk rock band, whilst Finn remains at the circus, crippled by the illness of polio.

Image credit: Matt Austin

Oscillating between these two roles, Midge faces a difficult acting challenge. I initially have my doubts about whether or not he can pull this off, but these uncertainties are obliterated after the first switch-over. Throughout the play Midge’s acting is of an exceptional quality. His characterisation of each brother is brilliant, with control maintained over every detail of his facial expression, posture, gait, and tone of voice.

Apart from a couple of hesitations on lines, the rest of the acting is also highly commendable, with impeccable accents maintained throughout. Rachel Milne portrays Tommy’s girlfriend, Ultra Violet, oozing a ‘punk rock’ attitude with her sultry scowl and slouched posture.

I particularly enjoy Nathan Simpson’s depiction of the comical band manager, Leonard Silver. Nathan’s dancing is hilarious, and has the whole audience in fits of laughter. Nathan fluently transitions from initially providing comic relief, to developing his character’s much darker side which later has serious implications for the others.

Whilst Midge, Nathan and Rachel have equally developed and prominent roles, Joana Crisostomo has comparatively much less time of stage which seems a little asymmetric. All four of the actors, however, do not falter for a split second with their energy. This energy gives the play its kick, and entirely illuminates the sparse Bike Shed stage.

Multimedia has been used cleverly. A projector screen on the back wall, sound effects and music help set the scenes, and add emphasis to the action. I particularly enjoy the use of punk rock to link scenes, which adds a sense of urgency and excitement I imagine to be reminiscent of the era.

Once again, Substance and Shadow live up to their name, delivering theatre which flickers between moments of light and dark, love and hate, connection and isolation. Rose and Midge Mullin have successfully written a play which simultaneously entertains us, taking us back in time to the punk rock era, and urges us to reflect by exploring our notions of identity, family and love.

I eagerly await Substance and Shadow Theatre’s next endeavour, having immensely enjoyed all I have seen so far. The Exeter audience absolutely love the play, and I believe that Substance and Shadow Theatre make a valuable contribution to the arts scene in the city.

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Giverny Masso, Online Arts Editor

Follow @exeposearts on Twitter and like us on Facebook here.

'Side splittingly hilarious' comedy festival coming to Exeter this month

Are you a fan of comedy? If so then find out what the 2014 Laugh Out Loud festival, coming to Exeter late January, has to offer.

Laugh Out Loud, Exeter’s annual comedy festival, returns with another incredible lineup. A host of big name and well-known comedians will be flocking to Exeter at the end of January/start of February for the simple purpose of making everyone Laugh Out Loud.

High profile names performing at Exeter Phoenix include standups Miles Jupp, Sean Hughes and Alex Horne. They will be joined by Rob Newman, Festival of the Spoken Nerd, Paul Sinha and Mitch Benn, completing Exeter Phoenix’s line-up for this year’s festival.

Festival of the Spoken Nerd
Image credit: Exeter Phoenix

A number of other comedians will perform at a variety of venues across Exeter during the two-week extravaganza of comedy. Other venues include The Bike Shed, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Exeter Corn Exchange, Thirst and the City Gate Hotel.

Image credit: Exeter Phoenix

Exeter Phoenix’s lineup is particularly exciting this year as it includes Perrier Award winner Sean Hughes’ new show Penguins that received critical acclaim and hosted packed out audiences when at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

The comedy phenomenon Festival of the Spoken Nerd will bring together experiments, songs and stand-up to create a night of comedy and curiosity. The Guardian: “Charm and perky curiosity is in its DNA.”

Paul Sinha, best known as ‘The Sinnerman’ from ITV’s The Chase, will perform the kind of show that only a qualified GP and proud quiz geek can.

Beatles fans will undoubtedly enjoy Mitch Benn whose stand-up show combines his Scouse upbringing with his love of music and lifelong obsession with Liverpool’s most famous sons. “Anyone who likes music, hates Simon Cowell and likes learning new things will love it” CHORTLE ****

Rob Newman is making a hotly anticipated return to comedy with his first complete show in 7 years. New Theory of Evolution describes the 150 year controversy in evolutionary theory and explores how the latest science demonstrates that DNA is not destiny. With jokes.

Alex Horne performs new show Lies which he says will include, ‘a panda, some jokes and some lies. Although one of those may also be a lie.’

Miles Jupp, famous for Rev and The Thick Of It, performs his first live show since 2012 and tickets have already sold out.

More information about this year’s Laugh Out Loud can be found at the festival website http://www.lolexeter.com or from the Exeter Phoenix website http://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk or by contacting the box office on 01392 667080.

 

Andy Pulleyn

Follow @exeposearts on Twitter and like us on Facebook here.

"Both Wonderful and Strange": Twin Peaks UK Festival 2013

David Lynch’s surreal 90’s hit Twin Peaks may be overlooked by a new generation hooked on blue meth and coming winters, but for a hard core of viewers the spirit of the show is still live and kicking. Jess O’Kane, Screen Online Editor, joined the superfans down in London this weekend.

Full photo gallery here

Riverside Studios in Hammersmith became a hive of nostalgia and obligatory donuts this weekend as hundreds of “Peakies” descended on the capital for an annual trip down cult TV lane.

The Red Room Diner
Image credit: Jess O’Kane

Now in its fourth sell-out year, Twin Peaks UK Festival is both eccentric and utterly charming – fitting, perhaps, for a festival about a show that features murder, dwarves, personified logs and a truly unsettling villain.

Revisiting the spirit of such a beloved and bizarre show would be a challenge for any festival, but TPUK managed it admirably.

Downstairs, one room had been christened the Red Room Diner, where fan artwork, jewellery, David Lynch coffee and Twin Peaks manicures were on offer (one girl I spoke to proudly showed me her nails, which had a tiny typed letter glued to it where the murdered Laura Palmer’s would have been).

Upstairs, in a blood-red and sweltering cinema, there were screenings of various episodes and a surprise message from absentee cast member Kimmy Robertson.

Miss Miranda as a sultry Shelly and her comatose boyfriend.
Image credit: Jess O’Kane

The necessary dose of darkness came in the form of the Double R Club, a Lynch-themed cabaret act. A satirical take on the waitress Shelly Johnson (played by Madchen Amick, one of the festival guests) from fetish model Miss Miranda had a few pulses rising under their wristbands as she performed a strip tease for her comatose boyfriend Leo.

Best of all was comedy singer-songwriter Laurence Owen, whose witty ditties like “Bob’s Your Uncle” cleverly re-imagined the show’s characters with Tim Minchin-esque delivery.

As the evening progressed, the fans became the focus. A Q&A session lived up to every expectation, with stars Ian Buchanan, Charlotte Stewart and Madchen Amick proving to be both charming and full of anecdotes.

Whilst the focus was mainly on Amick, Buchanan and Stewart proved equally entertaining, and both seemed pleasantly surprised at how strong the Twin Peaks legacy has proved to be.

Niklas poses with his Red Room Scarf (in the Red Room)
Image credit: Jess O’Kane

The crowd were surprisingly diverse – I spoke to Brummie students, kids from Slovakia, eager Londoners and people who’d only seen a few episodes. None of the furthest travelled seemed bothered that they’d be flying back the next day or the day after.

Niklas, a friendly 30-something from Sweden, had been to the US festival in Snoqualmie twice, had named his child after one of the characters, and had sought out the exact branch where the bird sits at the beginning of the titles. His love of Twin Peaks, he said, was pure “nostalgia” – growing up, Twin Peaks was one of the few adult shows he was allowed to watch, and it had never left him.

For many, though, the allure of Twin Peaks seemed to be a kind of exoticism. A beardy man proudly bore a “BRING BACK TWIN PEAKS TO TV” t-shirt, and further inspection revealed that the campaign has over 20,000 likes on Facebook – impressive, for a show that’s now 23 years old. The love of Lynchian styling was a frequent theme; Ben and Maria, two first-timers, were there because “there’s not much else like it”. Ain’t that the truth.

As the night came to an end with a screening of Lynch’s 1997 Lost Highway, and a few stragglers stayed for “Twingo” (Twin Peaks bingo) and cherry pie, I was happy just to wander. I may not have been the biggest Peakie in the room, but I could feel the love everywhere: from the packed out cinema right down to the donuts.

Jess O’Kane, Screen Online Editor

Photo Gallery: Twin Peaks UK Festival 2013

The venue

Excitement builds

The Red Room Diner

Fan artwork

Cherry pie and imported David Lynch coffee set the mood

Home-made brooches (your roving reporter bought the log)

Twin Peaks Manicure

Miss Miranda despairs at her comatose boyfriend’s lack of interest in his birthday cake.

Dashing: (L-R) Ian Buchanan, Charlotte Stewart and Madchen Amick

All photos: Jess O’Kane, Screen Online Editor

Preview: Twin Peaks UK Festival

Twin Peaks UK Festival returns to Riverside Studios this year for more surreal frolics. Online Editor Jess O’Kane has much to look forward to:

Image credit: Collider

What do logs, coffee, dwarves and cherry pie have in common?

It can only be, of course, David Lynch’s seminal Twin Peaks, which debuted in 1990, and still remains as fresh as ever. With its unique brand of humour, heart, surrealism and drama, in a mere two series Twin Peaks catapulted from the backwater of alt-TV to captivate the imagination of mainstream viewers.

Today, it’s celebrated as one of the greatest TV events of all time, and its fanbase are still as passionate as ever about it – a marvel, perhaps, considering that not even the creators of the show thought it would get past the pilot.

Testament to that longevity, the 30^th of November 2013 marks the fourth annual Twin Peaks UK Festival, which welcomes fans – or “Peakies” – to give them their proper title, from all over the world to share in their love of everything Twin Peaks.

Madchen Amick as kind-hearted waitress Shelly.
Image credit: CW

The fourth festival will see appearances from special guests Madchen Amick (CSI NY, Californication, Gossip Girl), Charlotte Stewart (Eraserhead, Little House on the Prairie) and Ian Buchanan (General Hospital, Panic Room, Days of Our Lives), who played Shelly Johnson, Betty Briggs and Dick Tremayne, respectively.

The festival will also host a charity auction selling props from the show, including Dick Tremayne’s cigarette holders, plus a very special screening of a 35mm print of Lynch classic Lost Highway, Lynch-flavoured cabaret, Twin Peaks art and, of course – David Lynch coffee and donuts in the custom-made Red Room diner.

As if that wasn’t reason enough to go, all money raised from the festival goes to Macmillan Nurses for Cancer Care.

Festival Founder and Producer Lindsey Bowden said of the event:

“It’s very important to recognise what an impact this remarkable piece of television had and still has on its fans today. Thanks to recent reruns there is now a whole new generation getting to know Twin Peaks and other David Lynch works, and it’s great that once a year fans from all over Europe get together to celebrate their favourite show. “

Exeposé Screen will be sending two of our most hardcore Peakies along to bring you an insight into the wonderful world of Lynch fandom. Expect badly executed costumes, vlogs, reviews and much more!

TWIN PEAKS UK FESTIVAL 2013

Doors: VIPs 9.30am, Regular tickets 10am.

Date: Saturday 30 November 2013

Venue: Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London, W6 9RL

Ticket prices: £65 Regular / £85 VIP (sold out)

For tickets to the 2013 Festival, click here. For more info, visit the festival homepage.

BFI LFF Review: We Are the Best!

“HATE THE SPORT! HATE THE SPORT!”, 13 year-old Klara wails, her mohawk flopping. Her bandmates Bobo and Hedvig jar in time, a frenzy of elbows and grimaces.

Inside their tiny practice room in a Stockholm youth club, sport is just one of many targets; tomorrow it might be parents, the next day the neighbouring town. But then Bobo cracks up, and suddenly peals of laughter ring out . The heroines of We Are the Best! may take Punk as their deity, but their emotions are entirely agnostic; swerving awkwardly between cropped-hair resistance and helpless innocence.

Image credit: BFI

With that in mind, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the man behind it all is Lukas Moodysson – a director well known for his sensitive portrayals of characters on the cusp of adulthood. After several years of “experimental” exercises, We Are the Best! is a welcome return to form.

Set in a beautifully coloured Stockholm in 1982, the film follows three misfits – Klara, Bobo and Hedvig – as they attempt to show their mums, their teachers, and just about anybody that Punk isn’t really dead, and that short hair is, of course, the secret to anti-Conservatism.

Thankfully, it’s a far more complex and interesting film than its billing grants. Moodysson capitalises on the natural strengths (and weaknesses) of his three inexperienced leads – and it shows, even in the smallest gestures. The confident, brash Klara (Mira Grosin) makes the perfect partner to school outcast Bobo (Mira Barkhammer), and both equally invigorate the shy, religious Hedvig (Liv LeMoyne).

Image credit: BFI

In a beautiful moment, Bobo and Klara lie in bed while Bobo bemoans that she’ll never have a boyfriend. Klara gently brushes the back of her hair and reminds her that she is, nonetheless, in the greatest band in the world. “That’s something”, she replies.

It’s this microscopic quality that makes We Are the Best! special. It’s not a film about music. It’s a film that uses music to contextualise the personal struggles of its characters, and to bring them forward.

That’s not to say that the script is dreary – quite the opposite – but that Moodysson’s strength is in encompassing the world of his protagonists via small yet heartfelt crises. We Are the Best! may not be the most dramatic or innovative film you see this year, but you’ll struggle to find one more thoroughly satisfying.

4/5

Jess O’Kane, Online Screen Editor

Clara Plackett: My Edinburgh Fringe Experience

Clara Plackett, Deputy editor, talks about her experience reviewing at the world’s largest arts festival.

Image credit: Abi Skipp

We’re now approaching mid-September, and I think I may just have recovered from the Edinburgh Fringe. I wouldn’t want to put anyone off going, but volunteering there is definitely not for those who can’t get by without a lot of sleep. Reviewing for Broadway Baby is not something I’ll be offering to do for free again, but after being asked to review forty-one shows in three weeks, I do at least feel that I’ve had the real Fringe experience, and have played a part in the world’s largest arts festival.

As a first-time reviewer, I was left with some pretty dodgy shows. Low points included ‘Yannis Pappas in the Yannis Pappas show’, where I felt obliged to sit through an hour of Pappas talking about his cock with a few other members of the audience, who all looked suspiciously like box office staff. Aside from this and some painfully average theatre, however, I was very lucky. Being able to hear one of my favourite artists, Gabriel Orozco, discuss his life’s work on my first day was invaluable, as was attending gigs starring Orkestra del Sol, the most flamboyant brass band I will probably ever see. Although reviewing meant that I had to spend a lot of time on my own, it was worth it for rewards such as these, and I now have no fear of being picked on by crazed comedians after the brilliant Joseph Morpurgo interviewed me on stage and made up a rap about my hair and sunglasses. Slightly mortifying, but hilarious.

Festival spirits
Image credit: Flickr user Skotpics

As vibrant as Edinburgh manages to be for the whole of August, this year’s Fringe was far from struggle-free for anyone, as I quickly learnt after a few days of being there. Due to arts cuts, theatre companies are struggling to stay for as long or to even get to the Fringe at all, and there are real and very rational fears of a talent drain in Britain. I met two performance poets who had moved to Canada to make a decent living and a couple of playwrights who are working in Germany, where they feel far more valued. This was such a shame to observe, particularly because events such as The Free Fringe give so much back to anyone who has travelled to Edinburgh or lives there permanently. Performance poet Rob Auton’s ‘Sky Show’ was definitely one of the most moving pieces I saw whilst I was up there, for example, and I know many who went to see him multiple times. You can easily spend £10 on a bad show in Edinburgh, and though The Free Fringe has its fair share of duff acts, there are also some truly amazing and award winning ones.

It’s difficult to see everything you want to at The Fringe, and I was disappointed to have missed out on the feminist tone of this year’s, having to avoid Bridget Christie and Adrienne Truscott because of my busy schedule. Reviewing did mean that I saw the entire city, however, and attending a world jewellery collection and a hidden art exhibition in a bookshop, as well as a talk on veganism, are definitely not events I would have sought out myself, though I enjoyed them all. If I had to give advice to anyone planning on going next year it would be to see something you know absolutely nothing about; it’s called The Fringe for a reason and in a way, it doesn’t really exist for the big names. I’ll definitely return – next time just for pleasure – and I can’t imagine filling my August with anything quite as entertaining.

Clara Plackett, Deputy Editor

Follow @exeposearts on Twitter and like us on Facebook here.

Festival Preview: Bestival

Image Credit: commons.wikipedia

Good things come to those who wait. I’m not sure who this well-known phrase is attributed to, but I’m sure the festival season was at the forefront of their mind. As the summer winds down and a feast of fantastic festivals comes to a close, Bestival, taking place September 5-8 at Robin Hill Country Park, promises to be the icing on the cake. The festival, curated by BBC Radio 1 colossus Rob da Bank and his partner in crime (and in life) Josie da Bank, looks to celebrate its tenth birthday in style with a star-studded line up that would fill even the most seasoned festival goer with all the tingling excitement of a six year old on Christmas Eve.

Indeed, Christmas has come early for the 55,000 lucky enough to be on board the decks of ‘HMS Bestival’ this September. Fatboy Slim, a year on from his Olympian exploits, tops the bill on Friday night, only to be followed by fellow headliners Snoop Dogg (Saturday) and Sir Elton John, who looks set to shake off illness in time to end the party on Sunday.

But such blockbuster names are merely jewels in the crown adorned by Britain’s Best Major Festival. Scratch beneath the surface and you will find a bottomless pool of world class musical talent that demands to be dived into (apologies for the wrought metaphor – I seem to be drowning in Bestival’s ‘nautical’ theme for this year). And if you dare to look further still and see what non-musical entertainment is on offer, you will begin to understand why Rosie da Bank’s creative vision marks Bestival out as one of the most revered festival experiences amongst artists, critics and festival goers alike.

The line up is something special: Franz Ferdinand, on the back of releasing their first album in four years, join The Flaming Lips and The Knife in serenading crowds with their catalogue of hits; while chart behemoths Rudimental, Disclosure, Jessie Ware, Bastille and DJ Fresh offer a tasteful dosage of contemporary pop. Elsewhere, festival stalwarts Bombay Bicycle Club accompany Crystal Fighters, Peace, Is Tropical and Swim Deep as the indie acts not to be missed.

Away from the list of household names, Peak District grunge rockers Drenge and Arctic Monkeys-supporting The Strypes look to be the pick of the Bestival cherries ready to be popped at this year’s event.

Bestival also boasts a strong hip hop presence, with East Coast pioneers Wu Tang Clan joined by a host of red hot heavyweights including a UK festival exclusive from London bad girl MIA.

But Exeposé Music is most excited about Chic performing at this year’s event. The disco demons, featuring living legend Nile Rodgers, will hope to replicate the success of their Glasto set and keep the crowds dancing long into the night. We live in hope that the watching hoards get lucky and witness the band drop Daft Punk’s chart-topping phenomenon. We are also interested to see how James Blake adapts the mesmeric, nuanced sound that characterised his latest brilliant record to the expansive surroundings and eager crowds.

Image Credit: bestival.net

After dark, a pleathora of DJs look to keep the Bestival crew up all night with a stellar list of names to match any dance music festival line up this year. You would be foolish to miss dance legends Richie Hawtin and Kerri Chandler do what they’ve been doing best for the best part of two decades, while Bondax, Hudson Mohwake, Jaguar Skills, Exeter’s own Fred V & Grafix and a very special David Rodigan Ram Jam are our picks for the weekend. Oh, and Rob da Bank will return to his day job alongside fellow Radio 1 favourites Annie Mac and Pete Tong.

Away from the mouth watering musical madness, we are especially looking forward to Bestival’s cultural delights offered up on the returning Amphitheatre stage that showcases a range of theatre, comedy and talks. Exeposé Music is always on the look out for innovative crossovers between music and drama, and, as huge fans of spoken word performances, we are particularly excited about the prospect of Kate Tempest performing her incredible debut play ‘Wasted’.

On top of this, a range of poets will entrance crowds over the weekend, including performances from John Osbourne and Tim Clare at Scroobious Pip’s Satin Lizard Longue sessions.

It is this beautiful yoking of outstanding music and entertainment that gives Bestival its magic and casts a spell on festival-goers who yearn for the weekend never to end. Rob de Bank’s encyclopedic musical mind and Josie’s creative vision ensure the whole event is a marriage made in musical heaven.

For more information, including how to buy tickets, check out the official site here and keep up to date with Bestival’s official Facebook page here.

Ben Clarke, Online Music Editor

Festival Preview: Essential Guide

Image credit: Ian Wilson

Overwhelmed by the humongous Festival Menu this summer? Don’t worry, because Exeposé Music is here to recommend a few of the tastiest offerings being served up in the coming weeks. Whether you want full fat flamboyance or an eco indie getaway, we’ve got you covered with our eclectic choice of specials:

The Green Man Festival

Where: The Black Mountains in Wales.

When: 15-18th August

Who: Band of Horses, Local Natives, Stornoway, Johnny Flynn and Kings of Convenience

Why: A proper intimate, independent, award-winning local festival growing in stature year on year. The UK’s only festival with a 24 hour license boasting eclectic music acts, stand up comedy, spoken word performances, real ale and decent food. Green Man will keep you singing, dancing and laughing all the way through a weekend-long idyllic stupor.

Info: http://www.greenman.net 

 

Farmfestival

Where: Somerset

When: 26-27th July

Who: Ghostpoet, Art Brut and The Ukes of Hazard

Why: Defying convention and media hype, Farmfestival has been the go-to getaway for the more budget conscious festival-goers for the past 8 years. With weekend camping tickets at just £5o, the festival is perfect for meandering dreamily through pretty damn beautiful grounds and catching little-known alternative bands while munching on some locally sourced food. Oh, and there’s a hat competition.  What more could you want?

Info: http://www.farmfestival.co.uk

 

Leeds/Reading Festival

Where: Leeds or, um, hmmmm, Reading

When: 23-25th August

Who: Green Day, SOAD, Haim, Eminem, Foals, Bondax, Crystal Fighters

Why: A blockbuster line-up, including some of the biggest names from an impressive array of genres. There is an exciting rap/hip presence at this year’s incarnation, with US hotshots Azealia Banks, A$AP ROCKY, Action Bronson and headliner Slim Shady complementing UK names such as Giggs, Toddla T and the omnipresent Wiley. Dance acts including Magnetic Man, Sub Focus and Mount Kimbie ensure the madness continues away from the campsite DJ sets, while exciting new acts like Drenge, Balthazar and The Strypes promise to steal the show. This one is definitely for the ones mad to live, mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time. 150,00 are due to attend. Sheer madness.

Info: http://www.leedsfestival.com

 

Creamfields

Where: Cheshire

When: 23-25th August

Who: The Prodigy, Duke Domont, Benny Benassi, Justin Martin, Tiesto, Paul van Dyk

Why: It’s battle of the bank holiday weekend heavyweights as Creamfields goes head-to-head with Leeds/Reading. For the sixteenth year in a row Cream boasts an irresistible line-up for bass and dance heads alike. World class talent dominates every moment of this mega-fest, with pretty much every DJ worth their salt turning tables to thousands of eager ravers over the course of the weekend. Creamfields covers all the bases of electronic music – from house to dubstep, bass to techno, or anything in between. Particular highlights to look out for include Knife Party, Feed Me, Groove Armarda and Progidy’s only UK appearance this summer. After last year’s washout, festival goers will be drowning in ecstasy.

Info: http://www.creamfields.com

 

Lovebox

Where: Victoria Park, London

When: 19-21st July

Who: Plan B, Disclosure, D’Angelo, Goldfrapp

Why: If you aren’t partial to spendings days covered head to toe in mud, sweat and beers then Lovebox could be right up your street (particularly if you live in the Tower Hamlets area). Held over the course of three days (but not nights), Lovebox offers an exciting blend of popular music that ends when the sun goes down. Julio Bashmore and SBTRKT look set to get the hip crowd going with live DJ sets, while Lil Kim, Mark Ronson and Plan B promise to be other big name highlights. Keep an eye out for Exeter based Fred V & Grafix, as well as rising soulful stars Kwabs and Josef Salvat.

Info: http://mamacolive.com/lovebox/

 

Bestival

Where: Isle of Wight

When: 5-8th September

Who: Elton John, Snoop Dogg, Fatboy Slim, Wu-Tang Clan, James Blake

Why: Trekking over the pond to the Isle of Wight may seem like an effort, but boy is it worth it. Bestival consistently produces outstanding line ups year on year. This summer is no different. The headliners are superlative: superstar Olympian DJ Fatboy Slim will be spinning the decks as Elton John look set to shake off his illness and put on one of the most highly anticipated classic shows of the summer. Accompanying such household names will be quintessential festival favourites Crystal Fighters, Johnny Marr and Bombay Bicycle Club, while Wu-Tang will bring that East Coast hip-hop vibe to proceedings. With unrivalled talent spanning all genres, this is a festival that will end the summer in stupendous style.

Info: http://www.bestival.net

 

Ben Clarke, Online Music Editor

Festival Preview: Beat-herder

Glastonbury Image credit: bobaliciouslondon

I admit it: I’m gutted to have missed Glastonbury. I can’t check Facebook without being bombarded by cleverly captioned Holga snaps and smug Glasto-goers debating whether Mick looks more like a sparkly tortoise or Mrs Doubtfire… But as this year’s offerings become a distant memory, there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon for those of us who were only there in slipper-clad spirit with a little help from our tellyboxes.

Returning to the remote Ribble Valley for its seventh year, Beat-herder boasts another bountiful three days of beats and barminess with a refreshingly independent ethos this weekend (5^th-7^th July). Born from the simple objective of bringing good people together for a good time, Beatherder has come along since its early days of selling tickets to villagers on the side of the road, but still keeps at its heart it’s mission to provide a great time without charging extortionate prices. Sadly the same cannot be said for Glastonbury. As the number of festival-goers increase so too does to cost of a ticket. The hundreds of pounds we’re now expected to pay are a far cry from a modest £1 entry at the first ever Glastonbury festival in 1970. Why part with £6 for a pint to aid the reign of terror of the corporate companies that sponsor festivals like Glastonbury when you can celebrate a true home grown festival that favours local produce and reasonable prices while still hosting an impressive, eclectic line up?

Both headliner Nile Rodgers and up-and-coming singer/songwriter George Ezra are fresh from Glastonbury. Other lineup favourites are Random Hand, promising some proper northern ska-punk, Jimmy “The-older-they-come” Cliff, Clean Bandit and Mr Scruff. But what Beat-herder really does best is showcase artists you’ve heard of but haven’t really listened to, like trippy neo-psych quartet Temples, and Jaguar Skills, who took us by storm at SSB 2012.

Of course, all this musical mayhem takes place in an idyllic setting scattered with intimate venues waiting to be discovered. Among many returning this year is Toiltrees, hosting a massive sound system deep in the woodland, and the North West’s original reggae tent, the Bushrocker Hi Fi, operating a strictly vinyl only policy. New additions include The Fortress, a 60 foot long steel rave stronghold, and the intimate French themed stage Maison D’Etre.

So, whether you’ve got Glasto withdrawal symptoms and are desperate to get back in your wellies, or you’re still yet to tread the field this year, Beat-herder is definitely the place to go. With its enchanting atmosphere and brilliant mix of dub/reggae/dance/folk artists, you’re guaranteed a great time that wont break the bank.

Grab a pair of tickets here.

Magda Cassidy, Music Editor