2015 Festival

2015 and leg 11 of our annual shindig, so in time honoured tradition,  lets talk about the weather baby, that most British of obsessions. And boy-oh-boy did this one start off bad, like a big baby blubbering and tipping his bathtub at the same time, for a good five hours. Thankfully it had all passed by the time most people awoke and sun greeted the doors opening.

This year laid witness to some of our most adventurous programming to date, Ex-Easter Island Head and an ensemble from BBC Philharmonic, together they created and performed a brand new composition in a shop shell at the soon to be completed Vimto Gardens, whilst Sara Lowes led 9 other musicians in  40 minute monster composition on the historic site of the Battle of Bexley Square.

We moved into a brand new space at the New Bailey Arches, a cavernous warren of arches that saw Sways Records present the hugely ambitious “Ring Cycle’, best described as ‘a very fucked up Jools Holland’. We welcomed packed out shows from Jane Weaver, LA Priest, Black Josh and Sauna Youth , whilst the whole thing was tied together and torn apart by the Costumologists and Faux Queens rabid, pinata fuelled “Micro Cosmic Delirium‘, perhaps nowhere better illustrated than their truly uplifting collaboration with Barberos at the Old Pint Pot.

(in no particular order)

Sways Records, Fat Out, WotGodForgot, BBC Philharmonic, Now Wave, Video Jam, Red Laser Records, El Diablos Social Club, Gizeh Records, The International 3, Gesamtkunstwerk, Annex Agency, Faktion, Little Red Rabbit, Good Afternoon, Comfortable on a Tightrope, Wet Play, Tru Luv, Hey! Manchester, Faux Discx, Grey Lantern, Sham Bodie, Red Deer Club, Samarbeta, Bad Uncle, Ono Tesla and Sacred Tapes.

(in no particular order)

The Costumologists, Christeene, Jane Weaver, Zun Zun Egui, Cale Tyson, Will Varley, Brown Brogues x PINS, Pinkshinyultrablast, Barberos, Denim & Leather, Lakes of Snakes, Mike O’Neill, Creeping Heat, Michael Holland , Brain Machine Radio, D/R/U/G/S, Voodoo Black (Sparkz, Dubbul O, Ellis Meade, DJ Cutterz), Bhrisc, Deadbear, Black Josh, Charlie Cocksedge (MONEY),  Loftt , Ella Deacy + Abi McVeigh, Gengahr, LA Priest, Real Lies, R. Seiliog, Groves, Jupiter-C,Beach BabyEsper Scout scored selected visuals by Joe Whitmore, Hartheim scored ‘Emak Bakira‘ by Man Ray, Acre Tarn scored live visuals by Joe Whitmore, Metaphysical Human scored ‘Cosmodrome’ by BlackLab, Paper Dollhouse, Normal Love , Irma Vep, Fliss Horrocks, Composition, Jen Calleja, Cold Pumas, Sex Hands, Sauna Youth, Sealings, Housewives, Tense Men, Innerstrings Psychedelic Lightshow , Hookworms, Sonic Pleasure (aka Marie-Angelique Bueler), Ben Gwilliam, Lee Patterson, Matt Wand, Wasp Nest, Pumping Iron, Garth Be(Sweet Sticky Records), Eggs Collective, Quippodrome, PINS (Acoustic set), Sean Morley, Sam & Tom, Will Setchell, Brown Brogues (acoustic set), Tony Basnett, Barbara Nice, Sara Lowes, Liz Green, Songs for Walter, Phill Howley, Aidan Smith, Najia Bagi, Jote Osahn, Raz Ullah, Chris McGrath, Neil C Young, Paddy Steer, Silverclub, Ruf Dug, Il Bosco, Disco Mums, BBC Philharmonic Ensemble, Ex Easter Island Head, Last Harbour, Lazarus Clamp, Naked (on drugs), Tomorrow we Sail, Fieldhead, Rian Treanor, Guildford Squad, NPLGNN, Hess, Vulj, Danny Saul vs Sam Weaver // David Birchall // Sam Andreae & Andrew Cheetham Trio // Chris Anderson // Callum Higgins // John Dean & David McLean // Jeu // Playacting // Hot Shorts // Wilderness Hymnal // Groves // Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs // Baby Brave // Doctrines // Fists // Junk (play the hits of Jesus & Mary Chain) // Hate Your Friends (play the hits of The Lemonheads) // VF Big Band Karaoke, Mother, Parade, Kyogen, Blacklung, Kraken,  Ezo (on drugs), A String Quartet, Golden Hank Mondo, Onika, Croww, Faux Queens