Info on this summer's upcoming Beat-Herder Festival in Yorkshire...
BEAT-HERDER FESTIVAL The Ribble Valley, Lancashire 3rd - 5th July 2009
THE FESTIVAL
Now in its fourth year, the Beat-Herder Festival (3rd, 4th, 5th July) is set in beautiful woods and farmland beneath Pendle Hill and overlooks the 3 Peaks of the Yorkshire Dales. At a capacity of only 5000, it is a unique, intimate, and friendly experience, spiced with artistry, the best music, and theatrical nonsense.
Formerly a best-kept secret, Beat-Herder is smaller version of events such as Bestival and Glastonbury. 2009’s early bird tickets sold out in 3 hours, 20 minutes. Tickets are only available from the Beat-Herder website.
The festival is fully independent and self funded, building on work from over the last 10 years and its origins as a free party within the Northern scene. It remains a DIY ‘handmade’ production, helped by the input of friends and volunteers. Split into four areas, the Main Arena, Lazy Way, Toil Trees, and the Lazy Meadow, within these are eight musical pockets, numerous cafes and bars (4am licence). Food and drink (including alcohol) can also be brought onto the site.
THE MUSIC
The musical talent this year ranges from Reverend And The Makers, The Whip, Beardyman, The Filthy Dukes, Utah Saints, Banco De Gaia, and the Dub Pistols, to 808 State DJs, Krysko, James Yuill and many more.
THE SPECTACLE
In addition, the event’s reputation for art, theatre and spectacle continues, via installations and wacky props. There’s Mikey’s Tea Shack, a rustic building situated within the woodland. A secret room in the woods accessed by a long tunnel, a vodka bar that requires thirsty people to lie on their bellies to be served, a trick or treat booth, and beyond. Artists include Paul Hitchen and Hugh Jart (Glasto and Bestival letter creators), graffiti crews such as Bestjoinedup, the Mutoid Waste Company, costumed acts, stilt-walkers, the Ladybird Project kids area, a techno barber, workshops for all ages, comedians, and much more (please see the full line-up below).
THE ETHOS
Beat-Herder’s organisers (including builders, joiners, plumbers, gardeners and electricians) stick rigidly to an eco-friendly and green ethos, recycling reclaimed timber, materials from house clearances, donations, and skips to build the site infrastructure and the many ‘objects’ and sculptures that are a unique feature of the festival. These include a cube that holds a 36 ft maze, the shower blocks, the VJ booth, an underground bar, and many more. In addition, each artist performer receives a handmade flower box, with plants grown from seed and their logo painted onto it.
THE TALENT
Mainstage: Reverend and The Makers Beardyman The Whip Filthy Dukes Young Punx Dub Pistols Banco De Gaia Nucleus roots Loonaloop Biscuit Head and The Biscuit Badgers (comedy musicians) Voodoo Trombone Quartet Monkey Wrenchers Shoshin Woods 'Toil Trees': Sugarbeat Club ft Utah Saints, Meat Katie, Ali B, Toni Jarvis, Mooquie Punks Jump Up 808 State Djs Men in Masks Krysko James Yuill - LIVE!! Toil Soundsystem DJ's Tilley & Killawattz DJM Skank2skank soundsystem Celt Islam Trailer Trash: Underground Roots featuring Bongo chilli and Danman Dead Silence and The Real DS DJ Baliuk + RMKO (Ukraine) Shean P (Disconotdisco/BBE) Trailer Trash DJ’s Rusty Staples
Stumblefunk: Pendle Coven Mr psik Knob jockeys Ken Evil Xander Caul Bearers Live film re-score by Animat Johnny clash Unbalanced jack Electrosluts Se7en Pete Mangalore Lost Property Longshot Freaky Bitches Dave Witchdoctor
Smokey Tentacles Shisha Lounge: Techi The Hang Project Lazy Habits Rum Jig Lewis Garland and The Kett Rebellion Brooke Sharkey Woodnote The Beat-Herder and District Working Mens Club: Captain Hotknives - (Comedy musician) The Eggs On Sticks Theatre Company Andrew Barry Eddie Earthquake and The Tremors
Bushrocker Hi-Fi: Mikey Don One Love (Lancaster) Messenger (Edinburgh) Eden Dub
Also featuring: Festival Artist - Paul Hitchin (Liber8designs) Bestjoinedup - amazing graffiti artists who do many club nights in Leeds LML paint team - more great graffiti artists The ladybird project - kids area + loads of workshops for all ages Hugh Jart - the creators of the famous Glastonbury LOVE letters and BESTIVAL and artistic veterans of the UK festival scene Mutoid Waste Company - Glastonbury and Fuji Rocks amazing mad max style sculptures and crazy contraptions Inta Africa - The UK festival circuit's biggest bus-full of drums and workshops to go with them. Floorspace - roaming madness and silliness in costume The Pandemonium Collective - more roaming escapades The Company Contrary - Stiltwalking fun Lost Frosticles - Stiltwalking madness from the veterans of Megadog's club nights Bubble man - filling the site with his bubbles from his crazy contraption Techno Barber - techno haircuts for the mad max fan + loads more workshops, a fancy dress theme of Animals or a Lancashire Hotpot!, range of cafes, flags, banners, showers, amazing views and lovely people.
THE FACTS
Adult tickets now £60, kids tickets (under 12's) £5, Campervans £10 - + booking fee No dogs on site ANYWHERE! No glass in the main arena Site opens midday on Friday 3rd July. (pitch tents and set-up) Festival begins/opens - 17:00
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