Festival News – Latest Festival Line-ups, Rumours, Dates, Locations

Snowbombing Confirms 2010 Line Up

Robin Murray — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:48:07 +0000

One of Europe's biggest winter sports and music events Snowbombing is set to return with headline performances from Editors, Doves and more.

Held high up in the Austrian alps, Snowbombing has grown into one of Europe's most prestigious winter events. The festival attracts a host of revellers each year, indulging in some of the finest snow conditions around.

Earlier this year the event held a hugely successful series of performances, with tons of high profile acts stopping by to refine their snowboarding skills. Sadly for The View, lead singer Kyle Falconer over indulged on the slopes and the band's performance had to be abandoned.

Snowbombing is set to return this year with a series of top names. Editors have stormed back with their number one album 'In This Light And On This Evening', possibly their most adventurous effort to date.

A sublime live act, Tom Smith & Co. are set to head out to the slopes to headline Snowbombing 2010. Joining them at the Austrian event are Manchester band Doves, who also recently surprised fans with new material.

Newcomers Friendly Fires have confirmed details of their second album, and could preview new material at the Mayrhofen event. The St Albans trio are due to be joined by French producer Vitalic, who has set dancefloors alight with his new album 'Flashmob'.

Hip hop icons De La Soul are due to drop by, with a back catalogue littered with golden rap hits. Three is a magic number, after all...

Boasting DJ sets from the likes of Adam Beyer, Scratch Perverts, Slam, Fake Blood and more Snowbombing is one of Europe's hottest parties. Watch the snow doesn't melt!

Snowbombing takes place in Mayrhofen, Austria between April 5th - 10th.

ATP Present - In Between Days

Robin Murray — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:47:48 +0000

The organisers of All Tomorrows Parties have confirmed details of a stunning new event - In Between Days.

All Tomorrow's Parties has grown from its inception a decade ago to become a globally recognised brand, capable of hosting events in the United States and even Australia. Returning with two instalments in December, organisers have confirmed yet more musical mayhem.

With My Bloody Valentine curating 'Nightmare Before Christmas' the Minehead chalets are also set to be full for the Ten Years Of ATP event. Due to take place just one week apart, organisers have now bowed to pressure and launched a new event to fill time between the festivals.

In Between Days allows those who stay on in the chalets the chance to catch some music and much more. Taking place over four days (December 7th - 10th) organisers have already confirmed some star names.

American two piece noise rockers Lightning Bolt are due to return, with their long awaited new album on the horizon. Joining the raucous act are APSE, who are actually signed to ATP Recordings.

Also due to appear are Deerhoof, with British electronic wizards Fuck Buttons also set to blow some minds. Other acts confirmed include Om, Mum, Dirty Three and much more.

In addition to music In Between Days is set to include a Splash Waterworld swimming day on Monday (December 7th), a Steam Train ride on Wednesday (December 9th) and on Thursday (December 10th) Crispin Glover will perform his Big Slide Show - a one hour dramatic narration of eight different books.

Tickets are available now.

In Between Days takes place at Butlins, Minehead between December 7th - 10th.

Matt Groening To Curate ATP

Robin Murray — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:29:42 +0000

Simpsons creator Matt Groening is set to curate a very special instalment of All Tomorrow's Parties next year.

Founded a decade ago, All Tomorrow's Parties shows no signs of slowing down. This year the festival has passed over the keys to artists such as The Breeders to organise some very special events.

With a special 10th anniversary event planned for this Christmas, All Tomorrow's Parties has now confirmed plans to kick start its new decade.

American alt rock dons Pavement are due to reform and curate a very special Butlins weekender next year. The band last performed in Britain in 1999, with Pavement splitting shortly after.

Returning to Britain for a special re-union show, Pavement will bring along a host of friends, inspirations and other guest stars for a weekend of fun and adventure.

Now in a special coup All Tomorrow's Parties have unveiled Simpsons creator Matt Groening as the curator of a new event in May. Taking place between May 7th - 9th the cartoon legend will help organise the festival.

Famed for his interest in left field music, Groening was the brains behind 'Homerpalooza' - possibly The Simpsons finest half hour. Featuring guest appearances from Cypress Hill, Smashing Pumpkins and Peter Frampton the episode was so goddam cool that Sonic Youth recorded the theme tune.

Matt Groening has worked with ATP before, helping to organise an amazing 2003 festival at The Queen Mary, Long Beach, California.

Tickets for the forthcoming Matt Groening / ATP event are set to go on sale from October 16th.

Andy Williams For Glastonbury

Robin Murray — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:50:51 +0000

Legendary pop crooner Andy Williams has confirmed that he will play a set at next year's Glastonbury festival.

Andy Williams is a graduate of the old school. Having made his name in American nightclubs during the 1940s the singer's jazz tinged vocals lent themselves to massive pop hits throughout the 50s and 60s.

Hosting his own variety show on American TV the singer's career then tailed off until an unlikely revival. Andy Williams' song 'Music To Watch Girls By' was used in a prominent advert in 1999, becoming a massive chart hit.

Originally released in 1967 the song breached the UK Top Ten singles chart second time round. Andy Williams became a star all over again, with his tours selling out on a regular basis.

Last year the singer played the Royal Albert Hall in London, with fans thrilling to his old school stage craft and easy going manner. Andy Williams could now be set to play Glastonbury after confirming his involvement.

The singer was onstage at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Saturday (October 10th) when he revealed his involvement to fans, reports The Guardian.

The crowd responded with a huge cheer. BBC Radio 4's John Wilson said: "I had asked him if he had any plans to play any more gigs, and he said he had been asked to play at the festival."

Glastonbury is set to take place between June 25th - 27th next year. The event recently opened sales of early bird tickets, with fans rushing to claim their weekend passes after the success of this summer's event.

Tickets have sold out, though a limited number of cancelled tickets are due to go on sale today (October 12th).

Reading Organiser Fined

Robin Murray — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:49:37 +0000

The company behind Reading and Leeds as been fined £4000 over alleged health and safety breaches.

Reading and Leeds go from strength to strength each year. The festival has increased in capacity and attracted larger acts than ever, with this summer's event boasting Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead and more.

However there are those who criticise the festival. An incident in 2006 has now resulted in accusations of breaching health and safety regulations, with the festival organisers being fined £4000.

An incident in 2006 resulted in two men being injured when a crane ran into power lines during preparations for the festival in August 2006.

In addition to this, Reading Festival Limited has agreed to pay over £20,000 in costs for the prosecution.

Earlier, promoter Melvin Benn had more than eighteen charges against him dropped. The local council had accused Benn of failing to ensure the safety of contractors, but Reading council withdrew the charges.

The lawyer for the defence admitted that the organisers had made mistakes, but that they had been "hugely over-prosecuted" when a total of 36 charges were brought against them.

Reading Council in turn admitted that it had not spotted the danger of working underneath electric wires. Deputy District Judge Peter Greenfield said it was "rather strange neither the council nor the company took the time to realise there might be a hazard from the over-head wires".

"Luckily it wasn't as catastrophic as it might have been," he added.

Reading Borough Council said: "The council is satisfied the serious and overarching charges pleaded guilty to by Reading Festival Ltd today reflect the most serious aspects this case."

Pavement To Curate ATP

Robin Murray — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:41:23 +0000

Legendary American alt rockers Pavement are due to curate All Tomorrow's Parties in 2010.

All Tomorrow's Parties may well be named after a song by The Velvet Underground, but the event has no more definite act than Pavement.

Formed in the late 80s the band guided underground rock out of the grunge cul de sac with scratchy riffs and a wry, witty sense of humour. A series of classic albums followed as Pavement set about re-defining American rock.

Splitting in 1999, the band's fame has only increased with each passing year. Lead singer Stephen Malkmus has went on to enjoy solo success while guitarist Scott Kannberg has also released acclaimed music.

Recently announcing their reformation, Pavement are due to play four shows in New York's Central Park next September. Causing a stir amongst fans, the news has now been followed by the revelation that Pavement are set to curate and headline ATP.

The band members are familiar with the Camber Sands event, with both Malkmus and Kannberg having performed their several times. Given free rein to book who they wish, Pavement will no be able to play alongside inspirations, contemporaries and more.

Tickets for the weekend event will cost £160 for room only and £170 pp for self-catering. Going on sale this Friday (October 9th) early bird tickets will be available until October 16th - unless they run out.

Pavement are set to curate ATP between May 14th - 16th.

Glastonbury 2010 Tickets Sold Out

Robin Murray — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:58:48 +0000

Epic British music event Glastonbury is already a sell out for next summer's instalment, despite being some eight months away.

Glastonbury has enjoyed its ups and downs but the reception afforded the 2008 event took everyone by surprise. For the first time in its existence the festival was being openly questioned, with many criticising the line up and ticket procedure.

However since then organisers have re-doubled their efforts to make Glastonbury the best festival around. A new ticket procedure has seen fans pay a deposit on their tickets before paying the rest of the amount in instalments.

Resulting in last year's record sell out, Glastonbury 2010 has now beaten this by selling out less than a day after briefs went on sale. With phone lines opening on Sunday morning all tickets were snapped up less than 12 hours later.

Speaking to NME, festival organiser revealed that even those behind the scenes were shocked by the scale of the demand.

"It took a few months last year, we went on sale in October and were sold out by February, so it was brilliant, but we're just a little bit shocked and surprised," Eavis told NME.

"It amazing to sell out this far in advance. I'm sure the 40th anniversary has something to do with it, and we've had a really good run of a few brilliant years," she explained.

She added: "It's quite humbling for us, because people are showing a lot faith in us, and it makes us think we've got to rise to it and really pull out all the stops next year! To be honest it's what we've been doing for next year anyway, but it's a good reminder."

A small supply of Glastonbury tickets are set to become available soon due to cancellations. Registration for this limited batch will reopen on October 12th.

Glastonbury 2010 Details Due

Robin Murray — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:44:41 +0000

Legendary British music festival Glastonbury is close to cementing its bill for 2010.

Founded as a free festival in Somerset, Glastonbury has grown to become one of the most iconic events on the festival calendar. Simply put - nowhere on Earth is like Glastonbury.

With a myriad of stalls, performers and workshops fans can get lost for five days without ever hearing a note of music. However the event boasts a stunning background, with this year's line up including the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and more.

Tickets for Glastonbury's 2010 event went on sale over the weekend, with organiser Emily Eavis claiming recently that they are close to confirming the headliners for next year's event.

"It's perfect timing because we're just cementing our headliners for next year," she explained. "So it's nice that it's all happening at once."

Due to turn forty years old next year, Glastonbury plans to celebrate its birthday in style.

"I think there's lots of interest in the 40th anniversary next year. And we're excited about it too – there are lots of great ideas flying around for the anniversary."

The organiser added that she wants some of the band's who performed at the original Glastonbury in 1970 to return to the event.

"We've got a lot of really interesting offers coming in – like one (performer) who's an organic potato farmer now, who played in 1970 but wants to reform his band for next year," she explained.

"Which is great. I think it's really important to have a bit of that, plus lots of the new stuff as well."

Reading Festival Fire Claims

Robin Murray — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:18:24 +0000

Fans attending next year's Reading Festival could be set to face yet more legislation appeals from a local MP.

Reading and Leeds grow from strength to strength each year. Already one of the biggest live music events in Europe, this year organisers bagged headline performances from Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon and Radiohead.

A stunning success, this year's event saw thousands of fans indulge in music across the twin sites. However fans attending next year's event could face new legislation regarding the lighting of campfires.

Reading West MP Martin Salter called for camp fires to be banned at all festivals recently, arguing that they are difficult to police and are potentially dangerous.

Speaking to BBC 6Music the politician claimed that Reading festival simply didn't possess sufficient security measures to control all the problems caused by camp fires.

The politician described "angry mobs running around, stealing other people's tents and possessions and throwing them on the bonfires to keep the fires burning. It's a lethal cocktail, drunken young people, fires and insufficient security to deal with the situation."

Martin Salter did reveal that he was a fan of the event itself. "I am a supporter of the festival, I want it to be a great success," he said, "but I want it to be a safe event for young people as it always used to be."

The politician was due to meet Reading festival boss Melvin Benn in a meeting on Saturday (September 26th).

Glastonbury 2010 Early Bird Tickets

Robin Murray — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:37:41 +0000

Epic music event Glastonbury is set to return in 2010 with early bird tickets going on sale on October 4th.

Held in Somerset, just a few miles from Stonehenge, Glastonbury is unlike any other festival around. Founded in an era when going to a music festival was regarded as being a life changing counter cultural event, Glastonbury retains this other-worldly feel.

After the trauma of 2008 the festival bounces back this year. A new and improved ticket procedure saw fans snap up briefs in record numbers, with even the weather playing its part in a relatively dry year.

Headliners this year Glastonbury included some of the biggest names around. Bruce Springsteen played his first ever British festival date, while Neil Young dropped by after the release of his 'Archives' boxset.

Doves played a storming set while Newcastle punk funk types Maximo Park opened proceedings with a fan-curated set.

Tickets for next year's event are set to go on sale on October 4th. Glastonbury are set to retain their hugely successful deposit scheme, while as ever tickets will be limited to those who are over 13.

However the price for passes has gone up - weekend tickets for Glastonbury 2010 cost £185, a £10 rise.

Speaking on the Glastonbury festival website founder Michael Eavis claimed that he had no option but to bring in a price rise. "I do try and hold it down, but the girls doing the budgeting are so thorough and so clever, and they said: 'Look, the minimum rise we can get away with is 10 quid more'. It is a shame, because I really wanted to hold the price."

The festival icon also claimed that he had no plans to retire. "There's no thought of me retiring whatsoever. I've got no interest in retirement. One day I'll have no choice, presumably, but while I can choose I've got no interest in retirement."

Bestival Early Bird Tickets Details

Robin Murray — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:09:24 +0000

With the fancy dress costume stored away for another year, music fans are beginning to look forward to Bestival 2010.

This year's Bestival appears to have quite literally blown the minds of those lucky enough to attend. Held on the Isle Of Wight, the event boasts a stunning location with a friendly atmosphere and some astonishing acts.

With the fancy dress theme announced as being 'outer space' some ticket holders went that extra mile to make their costume that little bit extra special. Leaving the main arena looking like something out of 'Space: 1999' revellers basked in sunshine throughout the weekend.

This year organisers pulled off a spectacular coup by unveiling Massive Attack and Kraftwerk as headliners. The Bristol trip hop group unveiled some new material, their first in almost a decade.

However it was German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk who stole the show. The band ran through their seminal material against a breath-taking backdrop, bringing a once in a lifetime feel to the event.

In total over 300 bands and DJs performed at Bestival with special moments to be had from the likes of Florence & The Machine, Mika, Bat for Lashes, Klaxons, Seasick Steve and more.

Check out our extensive photo galleries HERE!

It's no rest for the organisers, though, with work already beginning on next year's event. Bestival 2010 will be spread across September 10th - 12th, and with tickets sure to be in demand you'd better act quick.

2010 Tickets at a very special Early Bird rate will be Sale this Friday (18th September) at 10am from the official Bestival website.

Kings Of Leon Reading Slot Discussion

Robin Murray — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:23:39 +0000

A new discussion has erupted about Kings Of Leon's performance at Reading festival, with the organiser blaming 'connectivity'.

Kings Of Leon are one of the safe bets of the festival season. Following the release of 'Only By The Night' the group come equipped with an arsenal of anthems, capable of moving the most stubborn crowd.

Ireland's Oxegen event invited the group back after polling fans on their favourite act of the 2008 festival. After storming T In The Park this year Kings Of Leon turned their attention to the twin sites of Reading and Leeds.

However the band's performance at Reading was a damp squib. Widely criticised, Kings Of Leon seemed to suffer from poor sound and relations between band and crowd were frosty at best.

Much criticised by Reading ticket holders, the group referenced the show when they played Leeds. Frontman Caleb Followill thanked the Leeds crowd, claiming they had obviously been interested in hearing more than two songs.

Now Reading festival organiser Melvin Benn has entered the debate, blaming 'connectivity' for the much criticised headline slot.

"The performance was flawless," Benn told NME. "But the connectivity between the band and audience wasn't as good as it could have been. The connectivity with the audience in Leeds was incredible."

"It's an incredibly strange one. They can't put their finger on it, we can’t put our finger on it. Watching Kings Of Leon isn't hit or miss. It isn't likely that the band take the stage and you have no idea whether it's going to be the best performance in the world or the worst performance in the world."

"The truth is, musically, it was flawless."

Bestival iPhone Application

Robin Murray — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:09:13 +0000

Award winning music event Bestival is set to return with a host of new surprises in the build up to the Isle Of Wight event.

Held on the Isle Of Wight, Bestival has grown to become one of the nation's most respected musical events. Determined to tread its own path the Isle Of Wight weekend is set to return with a host of unusual features.

This year festival founder Rob Da Bank has launched the new Bestival iPhone application. Available to download now, the iPhone app will contain a host of exciting features to enhance your Bestival experience.

Amongst the treats on the application are:

- The Bestival 2009 Site Map
- Rob Da Bank Twitter feed
- The Soundboard: featuring snippets from Rob Da Bank and Beardyman and an exclusive hidden track
- Bestival decider: a new dice game
- Credits page, with links to tickets for Bestival 2010

All that for only 59p! Founder Rob Da Bank had this to say:

"'3,2,1…. blast off! Yes, we're ready to take Bestival dancing, kicking and screaming into the 21st century technological cyberspace with our own amazing application for the i-Phone. Check out Beardyman at his best with some of his finest imitations of a major artists, and throw the Bestival dice to help guide you to what's going down at any given moment."

Bestival has also brought back the 'Swim To Bestival' race. Twelve swimmers are set to make the crossing to the Isle Of Wight with all proceeds from the race going to charity.

Bestival is set to take place between September 11th - 13th.

Offset Line Up Change

Robin Murray — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:21:01 +0000

With this weekend’s Offset Festival fast approaching, Clashmusic can announce a late change to the line-up of our very own Clash Live stage.

Grunge rock trio A Grave With No Name have replaced goth-pop girl group Ipso Facto, who were due to play the bash on Sunday.

Ipso Facto, friends of Offset headliners The Horrors, will be sorely missed at the festival, but in their place come the fantastically noisy A Grave With No Name, whose brand of scratchy guitar music is sure to storm the Clash Live stage.

The band are fresh from touring with ClashMusic favourites The Big Pink and promise a ferocious set with the volume turned up to 11.

The Clash Live stage will be headlined by the high keening voice of Cumbria's Wild Beasts and will feature performances from R&B fixated youngsters The xx and blues rock duo She Keeps Bees.

To find out more on the bands read ClashMusic.com’s Offset Festival Preview here!

Held in Hainult Forest, Offset is just a few minutes train ride from London. Amid glorious English countryside ticket holders can catch a bill that blends newcomers with hugely influential musicians.

Can's Damo Suzuki is due to perform, with a stunning legacy behind him. The Japanese performance artist fronted perhaps the definitive Krautrock group and still enjoys an acclaimed solo career.

Offset Festival is set to take place between September 5th - 6th.

Words by Ben Homewood

Offset Final Additions

Robin Murray — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:26:47 +0000

Metronomy, Clinic and Wild Beasts have been announced as the final line-up additions to alt-indie bonanza Offset Festival, which takes place this weekend.

Electro-popsters Metronomy, Scouse indie legends Clinic and ClashMusic’s favourite Cumbrians Wild Beasts join the already impressive line-up, which features 200 hundred bands including The Slits, The Horrors and A Certain Ratio.

Clinic are taking a break from recording their sixth studio album to treat fans to their scuzzy blend of indie and surf-punk, with their set promising a taste of new material as well as a selection of old favourites.

Metronomy are gearing up for an extensive autumn tour with a headline slot on the Loud and Quiet stage whilst Wild Beasts are set to bring their intelligent yet smutty indie anthems to the masses by headlining our very own Clash Live stage.

Clash is proud be a part of the festival and the Clash Live stage will feature performances from The xx, Maps and Gold Panda.

For more on the Clash Live stage check out our Offset Festival Preview (here).

Set in the leafy surrounds of Hainault Forest, a mere thirty minutes east of London, Offset Festival also boasts a funfair, vintage clothing market and both comedy and performance art tents.

The sheer quality of the line-up, combined with a woodland setting means that Offset Festival promises to be one of the summer’s standout events.

Offset festival takes place between September 5th - 6th.

Reading Boss Talks Sound Problems

Robin Murray — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:52:28 +0000

The discussion surrounding the sound problems at this year's Reading festival has found a new voice with event boss Melvin Benn entering the fray.

This year's Reading festival was an enormous success. Bigger than ever, tickets for the event sold out in record time with organisers confirming a stunning line up.

Headliners included the likes of Radiohead, who unveiled a never before heard track at the event. Also performing were Arctic Monkeys, whose recent album 'Humbug' soared into the charts at number one.

The final headliners were Kings Of Leon who played a stunning set drawn from their recent chart slaying album 'Only By The Night'. Further down the bill Reading festival organisers assembled a sizzling cast of support groups, including La Roux, Crystal Castles and more.

However fans have been grumbling about the sound at the event. Last year Reading was dogged by complaints over the sound system, with fans chanting 'turn it up!' during the headline set by The Killers.

This year organisers moved to improve the soundsystem, with Reading boasting a louder kit than ever. However it seems that adverse weather conditions - such as swirling winds - have combined to restrict the full impact of the sound.

"To be fair, the sound has been massively better. Last year we were having to run so low that it wasn't possible, that hasn't been the case this year," he told the NME. "Generally, we've been running between 101 and 103 decibels, sometimes 107, amazing."

"The only issue has been there have been massive gusts of winds which can pick up the sound and throw it away. That's not a sound issue per se. Some people will have noticed on Friday we had to drop the screens on the Main Stage because of the wind."

"The sound has been pretty remarkable, the gusts of winds have been difficult. It’s generally a British summer issue."

Crystal Castles Reading Chaos

Robin Murray — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:29:01 +0000

Chip-tune terrorists Crystal Castles caused chaos during their appearance at Reading festival (August 30th) with singer Alice Glass having to be rescued from the crowd.

Crystal Castles are not known to be shy. In Alice Glass the group have a singer who is simply not intimidated by any crowd, no matter the size. At last year's Glastonbury the band had their set pulled after Glass began scaling the poles used to erect the tent they were playing in.

However it seems that the security at Reading festival had never seen anything like her before. Taking to the stage amid huge cheers from the crowd, Crystal Castles leaped into their set with 'Exoskeleton'.

However the ever energetic Alice Glass caused problems throughout, repeatedly hurling herself into the crowd. Crowd surfing during 'Air War' the singer ended up so far into the Radio 1 stage crowd that security were forced to come to her aid.

Returning to the stage Alice Glass picked up a flashing light and wrapped it round her neck. Later in Crystal Castles' set, Glass again went into the crowd to meet the audience.

A massive crowd had assembled to watch the group, after a summer of stunning festival performances. Crystal Castles had earlier played a set at T In The Park, opening proceedings with their remix come cover version of 'Atlantis To Interzone'.

Finishing with 'Intimate' the duo left to huge cheers from the assembled crowd. Astonishingly, Crystal Castles had enough energy to play a set at Leeds festival soon after, causing a similar amount of mayhem.

Crystal Castles played:

'Exoskeleton'
'Baptism'
'Courtship Dating'
'Reckless'
'Crimewave'
'Air War'
'Alice Practice'
'Black Panther'
'Yes No'
'Intimate'

Black Lips Leeds Stage Invasion

Robin Murray — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:13:40 +0000

Atlanta flower-punks Black Lips invited hundreds of fans up on stage with them during their set at last weekend's Leeds festival.

Black Lips are one of most volatile live groups on the planet. The band have a love of losing themselves in the music, however this often results in some spectacularly memorable - if bizarre - moments.

Once, the group's lead singer urinated into his own mouth while a recent tour of India ended in disaster. After kissing and fondling each other onstage Black Lips were warned by police to leave the country, before having a mad-cap dash to the airport.

Taking to the stage at Leeds festival the group seemed in the mood to party. Black Lips played a variety of material from their latest album '200 Million Thousand', acclaimed by critics as one of their finest to date.

Click HERE to read our review of '200 Million Thousand'!

However the band soon turned into their foul-mouthed best. "Take Brian Wilson's penis out of your mouth. You've been digging on him too long," guitarist Cole Alexander told the crowd. Playing a string of fan's favourites the crowd erupted when Black Lips invited them to party onstage.

Hundreds of fans rushed the stage, with extra security struggling to keep things under control. Ending in a hail of noise and feedback, Black Lips left the stage to huge cheers from the audience.

Black Lips played:

'Sea Of Blasphemy'
'Drugs'
'Short Fuse'
'O Katrina'
'Dirty Hands'
'Make It'
'Cold Hands'
'Dutronc'
'Not A Problem'
'Ain't No Deal'
'Lock 'N' Key'
'Witch'
'Bad Kids'
'Juvenile'

Beach Down Festival Cancelled

Robin Murray — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:00:03 +0000

Organisers of this year's Beachdown festival have announced that the event has been cancelled due to monetary difficulties.

The recession has had a massive affect on British life. With thousands being made unemployed every month there is little money to go around, with large scale expenditures such as festivals suffering badly.

A host of festivals have been forced to strip down or cancel completely due to ongoing money problems. The credit crunch has left banks afraid to lend, and as a result already over-stretched events are falling by the wayside.

Beachdown is the latest to fold. The Sussex event had confirmed an all star bill including Super Furry Animals, The Zutons and Grace Jones. However the festival is not now able to go ahead, with organisers citing a "lack of support" in the current economic climate.

A statement from organisers claimed that they were left with no choice to cancel Beachdown, claiming they suffered from "slower than forecast ticket-sales and lack of support at a critical time from our bank and certain suppliers".

The statement reads: "Very simply we were unable to meet the demands that the current economic climate put against us and at the eleventh hour despite having most of the infrastructure in place we have been forced to cancel the event.

"We also wish to advise everyone that we explored every possible avenue to finance the event including re-mortgaging our houses to combat the unwillingness of banks to support us."

Those due to attend the festival are advised to "get information from the outlet that you purchased the ticket from in the first instance".

Beachdown was due to take place between August 28th - 31st.

Get Loaded In The Park Sells Out

Robin Murray — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:10:39 +0000

London's wildest party Get Loaded In The Park has sold out, with just days to go before the gates open.

Held in Clapham Common Get Loaded In The Park is a call to arms for serious clubbers. Held just yards from the rush of the city the event is a blast of tranquility and quality beats that is growing from strength to strength.

This year Get Loaded In The Park is set to be headlined by none other than Orbital. The Hartnoll brothers have promised the Get Loaded crowd a host of treats in their only London live appearance this summer.

Having ripped the roof off RockNess earlier in the year Orbital aim to see out the festival season with a bang. Joining the rave duo on the bill are a host of acts both great and small, with organisers being brave enough to recruit anyone they think will make you dance.

Norway's chilled out dance specialists Royksopp are due to perform, alongside Germany's pulsating electro-house duo Booka Shade. Joining them on the bill this year are VV Brown, Miike Snow, Crookers and much, much more.

All this week ClashMusic has been running interviews with artists due to attend. To catch a glimpse of who we have covered then just click HERE!

With demand higher than ever, organisers have issued a statement revealing their delight at selling out. All tickets for the event are gone, with the site currently being prepared for the onslaught that is due to follow.

Organisers have, though, urged anyone who doesn't have a ticket not to travel to Clapham Common this weekend and not to buy from touts.

Get Loaded In The Park takes place on August 30th.