Lifestyle and Culture Magazine Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire
No: 155 May 2019
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THE OCELOT FESTIVAL GUIDE p14
Photo by Andrew Allcoack
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THE OCELOT FESTIVAL GUIDE
p14 to p43
Other non-festivally stuff 04 Luke Coleman 06 Encyclopaedia Ocelotica 09 Wine not? 11 History of falafel 12 Altered States 44 Bandit PR 45 Nerd’s Last Word
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The Editorial Team EDITOR - Jamie Hill - jamie@theocelot.co.uk DEPUTY EDITOR - Ben Fitzgerald - ben@theocelot.co.uk THE SCRIBBLER - Claire Dukes - claire@theocelot.co.uk The Sales Team Dave Stewart dave@theocelot.co.uk - 07872 176999 Rosy Presley rosy@positive-media.co.uk - 07717 501790 Kay Wainwright kay@positive-media.co.uk - 07769 978823 Main Number - 01793 781986 Positive Media Group, Old Bank House, 5 Devizes Road, Swindon SN1 4BJ PRINTED BY - Deltor, Saltash, Cornwall 24/04/2019 17:03
Marsh mellow in Eden Off The Grid with Luke Coleman - Our man in Iraq It’s taken enough time, but I finally went viral, bitchez. I took a trip south in April, ostensibly to report on the effect of a very rainy winter – the wettest in decades – downstream of the great twin rivers Tigris and Euphrates. In truth, it was a chance for me to unshackle myself from the desk, and tick off one of my final Iraq desires. Time to head to the marshes and whizz through the reeds in a mashoof boat, piloted by Abu Haider, who’s something of a personality in them there parts. Some say that this part of the world is the setting of the Garden of Eden. I saw no apples, was charmed by no snakes, but watched the water buffalo swim and graze, the monochrome white-throated kingfishers hover and dive, and the incredible Halima drive her mashoof up to the shore, and trade with the other fishers as dawn broke. Halima is a single woman – she ditched her husband after a week, he was “too bossy” – winning the battle of the sexes in a male-dominated workplace. As soon as we’d done the interview, I knew we had something special. I sent the footage up to the office once I got into Baghdad, and they edited the Arabic version straight away. Halima’s story on the Arabic page sailed past one million views in four days. My photo of Halima was published in The Guardian. An English version can be found at twitter.com/yalla_en
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By Ben Fitzgerald
Encyclopedia Ocelotica:
The mammalian diving reflex If you grew up in an era before ‘in car entertainment’ then enduring endless mind-bendingly tedious road trips was only made bearable by inventing weird games. One of my favourites, in the solo category, was holding your breath whenever the car goes through a tunnel - it’s what passed for entertainment in the 70s. Old habits die hard and even now I find myself taking a big inhale whenever I drive though any road tunnel - on a busy day, you can be on the verge of passing out before reaching daylight. You may speculate that this is not normal behaviour, and you would be right. However considerations of normality are not something that bother the small group of people who self identify as Free Divers. These extreme sports enthusiasts take ‘not normal’ behaviour to a whole new level - elevating breath holding to an art form and rewriting biological textbooks at the same time. The science of free-diving attempts to explain how experienced enthusiasts are able to swim to extreme depths without any breathing apparatus. The current record being a lungbusting 214m. Champions can hold their breath for extraordinary amounts of time – the record for women is nine minutes, and men 11. Evolutionary biologists have identified the Mammalian Diving Reflex as being behind their seemingly superhuman ability
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which is activated when the face is immersed in water. Newborn babies instinctively close their windpipes to prevent water from entering the lungs. This evolutionary adaptation can be strengthened to improve diving performance. It is what triggers our bodies to conserve oxygen, use it more efficiently, and it protects our organs at deeper depths. This reflex also means that when we enter water, our hearts also begin to slow. For the average person, this means a 10 to 30 per cent reduction in heart rate, but freedivers who train can experience up to a 50% heart rate reduction. In addition, deep divers experience peripheral vasoconstriction - a narrowing of blood vessels in the extremities of the body to conserve blood and oxygen for vital organs The blood flowing away from the limbs occupies the empty space that is created after the lungs compress. This is called the blood shift. If this did not occur, a diver’s chest and lungs would crush under the increasing pressure of the water, but since blood does not compress, it maintains the volume, regardless of how deep the freediver descends. This incredible throwback to our aquatic past reminds us that, as a species, we are on an on-going journey of evolution. Perhaps humans are not quite ready to be wandering around on legs? Let’s all go back to the ocean - it’s where we belong.
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MAY 2019 FRI 3rd NEW NOISE SWINDON - EMO, POP, PUNK & ALT ANTHEMS - 10pm-3am £4 SAT 4th NIRVANA vs PEARL JAM - 2 HUGE GRUNGE TRIBUTES - 8.30pm-11.30pm £8 SUN 5th #SAVESWINDON 2ND BIRTHDAY W/ WOOKIE - HOUSE & UK GARAGE SPECIAL - 9.30pm-3am £8 adv/£10 otd FRI 10th WHEATUS - THE ORIGINAL BAND WHO GAVE US ‘TEENAGE DIRTBAG’ - 8pm-11.30pm £16.50 adv SAT 11th NO MOTIVE DNB #4 WITH NICKY BLACKMARKET & MC BELLYMAN - DNB CLUB NIGHT - 9pm-3am £8 standard THURS 16th ELECTRIC SIX - THE ORIGINAL BAND WHO BROUGHT YOU ‘HIGH VOLTAGE’ & ‘GAY BAR’- 8pm-11pm £16.60 adv/£20 otd FRI 17th AMONGST THIEVES/GRIEVER/ EDENFALLS/XADIUM - BANDIT MUSIC PROUDLY PRESENTS: - 8.30pm-11.30pm £5 adv/£7 otd SAT 18th BLACK PARADE - OO’S EMO ANTHEMS AT LEVEL III SWINDON - CLUB NIGHT- 11pm-3am £4 adv THURS 23rd BOXING DAY, ALL BETTER + MORE - POP-PUNK ORIGINALS 7.30pm-11.00pm £4 adv/£6 otd FRI 24th PRESS TO MECO - 8.30pm-11.30pm £8 adv/£10 otd SAT 25th PRIVATE FUNCTION SUN 26th 90’s/00’s ALTERNATIVE CLUB NIGHT - 10pm-3am £3
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FRI 3rd THE SKANDALS - SKA COVERS - 9pm-11.30pm SAT 4th THE LIAM WARD BAND - AWARD-WINNING ORIGINAL AND CLASSIC RHYTHYM AND BLUES! - 9pm-11.30pm FRI 10th SKA’BUCKS - SKA CLASSICS - 9pm-11.30pm SAT 11th PUNISHMENT DUE - METAL ORIGINALS - 9pm-11.30pm FRI 17th TENSHEDS - GRITTY, HEAVY, EDGY BLUES/PUNK ORIGINALS - 9pm-11.30pm SAT 18th BARRELHOUSE - VINTAGE BLUES & BLUES/ROCK CLASSICS, OLD & NEW - 9pm-11.30pm FRI 24th TAFFY WAS A THIEF - ORIGINAL BLOOZY RAWK’N ROLL! - 9pm-11.30pm SAT 25th PAPA SHANGO & THE TERRORSAURS - CIRCUS ROCK ORIGINALS - 9pm11.30pm
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By Darren Willmott of vinesight.me
Gettin’ izzy with it!
English sparkling wine is on the up – there’s no doubt about that. It’s been served at many prestigious events, ranging from the Oscars to the marriage of Kate and Wills. Laying claim as one of the smallest vineyards in the UK, certainly one of the smallest commercial vineyards, was that of Laithwaites; the UK mail order wine empire founded by Tony Laithwaite. This year the company celebrates 50 years of bringing quality wines to you, direct from the cellar door. Being a Windsor native, Tony was keen to keep his local roots, but when the business had outgrown their humble railway arch premises, he was looking for suitable land to grow the business. In a south facing site located just off the M4 in the Berkshire town of Theale, he found enough space for the office and, in the barren land in the back where the builders were storing their machinery and redundant materials, the space to plant a vineyard. In 1998, under the supervision
of Champagne doyen Thierry Lesne, 704 Chardonnay vines were planted over a mere 0.14 of a hectare. In addition to being a commercial venture and marketing tool for customers, the vines doubled as both a staff labour of love (each vine was tagged with one of their names) and for training exercises. The first vintage was the 2002. Situated directly across the road from Theale train station, the shelter and heat of the surrounding estate buildings were enablers to coaxing out the full maturity of the grapes. Even with the most meticulous of hand harvesting, grape picking took just a couple of hours. With no vinification facilities on site Tony consulted his address book, roping in the late Mike Roberts of English Sparkling legends Ridgeview to produce the final cuvée. With the 2003 giving 756 bottles, the bumper crop of 2004 giving 1,274 and the much smaller 2011 giving 600 bottles, the average yearly yield for the site was around just 750 bottles per year. When Laithwaites decided to
relocate their HQ a few years later the landlord requested that the vineyard be removed at the same time, and 2015 saw the last grape harvest from the Theale site. It was impossible though to consider that the vines should simply be ripped up. Uprooting any well-established plant is usually folly, but doing it 704 times would be unthinkable. Wouldn’t it? Using industrial machinery, the removal of the vines commenced in March 2016 and, against the odds, they were successfully transported over 100 miles away to Devon where they now thrive once again. Sadly, and such is the nature of progress, the Theale vineyard land is now the flat, grey and uninspiring dispatch area for online giant Amazon. The recently released, but increasingly rare 2012 is now available. The next couple of years will see the arrival of the ‘13, ’14 and ‘15. The last vintages from a vineyard that no longer exists. Rare wine indeed. Cheers!
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The Beer Monkey Column From The Ocelot’s tame beer industry insider... Ed Dyer
Quenching thirst since 400BC Kent brewer Shepherd Neame has long been hailed (and markets itself) as Britain’s Oldest Brewery, with a founding date of 1698 (although there is evidence to suggest their brewing journey started as early as 1147 at a nearby Abbey). However, these claims have been seriously trumped by recent discoveries in Cambridgeshire, where signs of an Iron Age brewery dating to about 400 BC were identified by archaeologists during an upgrade of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon. This evidence took the shape of fragments and lumps of charred residues from the beermaking process, making the discovery the earliest evidence of brewing ever found in the British Isles. When studied under electron microscopes, this burned material contained barley and oat grain fragments, but larger, cracked grains rather than the fine flour grains associated with bread; The starch granules from these beer grains contained air bubbles characteristic of
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those formed in the boiling and mashing process of brewing, typical evidence of the changes that occur during the fermentation process. These ancient brewing remains were found alongside remains of bread and porridge making, suggesting that even ancient Britons found that nothing washes down a meal — or takes the edge off an otherwise stressful day — quite like a tasty brew. Generally speaking, brewing in England dates back thousands of years. It was firmly established by the time the Romans occupied England. Early beer, made from cereal grains, water, and yeast, would have been produced mostly by individual households and farms. East Anglia has always been an important region in brewing terms, as a result of the quality of the barley that grows there. Prized by brewers throughout the world, the strains are as maritime barley and are sought after for their high sugar starch yields. When the Romans invaded Britain they found the local tribes
in the region brewing a type of beer called Curmi, a drink made from these grains. Hops were not used in Britain until the 15th century, when they were introduced by Belgians in the Maidstone region of Kent, where favourable growing conditions naturally occur. England’s national drink until then had been ale, unhopped and sometimes flavoured with herbs such as wormwood. It’s Festival Season! Recent trips to a few beer festivals have reminded me that this is the time of year that many organisations organise their annual festivals of beeriness. I had hoped to compile a list of Wiltshire / Oxfordshire / West Berkshire events for you to pick from for this issue, but time ran away with me and it proved very difficult to easily find information on what was happening. So, beer festival organisers – I still wish to highlight the fantastic events you put on, so please do email over all your details to the Ocelot office for them to pass on to me for future issues.
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By Ben Fitzgerald
A history of falafel
With the festival season fast approaching, we will soon be hitting peak falafel. As a fest food it ticks all the boxes - veggie (tick) from abroad somewhere (tick) portable (tick) decent profit margin (tick) actually delicious (tickety tick). I’m not quite sure when the falafel turned up to the party but seemingly overnight in the mid 90s, just as Britpop, Lads’ Mags and Lager were leaving in a taxi together. No longer were festival goers forced to choose between greasy burger with cheese or greasy burger with onions - there was now a wonderful third way full of mystery and promise. For the uninitiated, the falafel is a deep fried ball of mushed up chickpea, onion, parsley, garlic and various spices such as cumin, pepper and coriander. The only downside is that these
balls of yummy chickpea stuff are exceedingly difficult to balance on a paper plate unless stuck down with a glob of yoghurt. Despite their carefree image, the origin of the humble falafel is as contested as the middle east region from whence it hails. You will find falafel being sold at food stalls all over the middle east. The Israelis claim it as one of their national dishes, but the Palestinians claim that this is a form of cultural appropriation - laying claim to the chickpea based treat. Not to be left out, the Lebanese have thrown their hat in the ring as the originator, as have the Yemenis. Theories are many and varied - and the truth is probably that everyone is a bit right. People must have been squishing together balls of food in the Middle East since the dawn of time. There’s always someone willing to lay claim to a great idea as
being their own and as a result, falafel origin stories are many and varied. Some say that it was created in Egypt - although it was only mentioned in literature after the British Occupation in 1882. The theory goes that British officers, having acquired a taste for fried vegetable croquettes in India, may have asked their Egyptian cooks to come up with something similar using local ingredients. This would make sense, because if there’s one thing that invading Brits enjoy it’s asking for things to be deep fried - anything really. Oh and interfering in regional affairs before pulling out and leaving a power vacuum leading to generations of internal strife and warfare. Other theories are available. Whatever the truth - there’s no point fighting about it, it’s just food. Everyone just relax.
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Altered States Open Air Sculpture Exhibition by Jim Crockatt Words by Jamie Hill
On May 4 The Altered States Open Air Sculpture Exhibition will be open to the public at Shaw House in Newbury until May 27. The opening times are from 11am – 4pm every day and Sundays from 11am – 3.30pm. The show comprises 50 sculptures of different styles, materials, sizes, prices and most importantly of all imaginations. The work has been sourced from the length and breadth of Great Britain by its curator Jim Crockatt. A spokesman said: “What should strike the viewer is how myriad the sculptural form is and what emotions the works evoke. A visitor can simply bask in the beauty of the piece. “The materials used are as varied as the pieces themselves including bronze resin, stone, stoneware
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ceramic, granite, polyurethane foam resin, wood, and metals including copper, brass, steel and bronze. “Families are encouraged but please respect the pieces and you are discouraged from touching them. “A huge amount of effort, energy and enjoyment has gone into creating, installing and organising this show so it is hoped you will get as much out of it as we have creating it. “Never before has so much metal been assembled at Shaw House since The English Civil War!” Purchasing the works are most certainly encouraged, and should be directly made with the sculptor. Pick up a price list at the foyer. www.alteredstatessculptures.co.uk.
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Wha on
Photo credit: Giles Smith
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The Ocelot’s Festival Guide Guide by Claire Dukes
It’s May and that means festival season has officially arrived! As part of The Ocelot’s guide we have more than 20 pages covering some of the best festivals our regions have to offer - from Truck and Reading Festival to 2000Trees and some rural gems! This year we’ve also got some new game players hitting the scene. So, whatever your musical taste, there’s bound to be something in here for you! In amongst some of the best musical line-ups to date we also have an exclusive interview with rising star Ten Tonnes, a guide to festival fashion must-haves and eye-catching menus from Michelin starred chefs! Wherever you end up we hope you have an amazing time - and maybe we’ll see you around! claire@positive-media.co.uk
’s What ? on
MUSIC
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FOOD
INTERVIEWS
FASHION
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Swindon Spring Festival
Newbury Spring Festival
When: May 6 to May 19 Where: Swindon - venues vary Who: Martin Kemp, Swindon Poetry Slam, Kate Spicer, Creative Swindon Network
When: May 7 to May 19 Where: Newbury - venues vary Who: National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Budapest Café Orchestra, A Taste of Italy, Leonardo 500 Years On
www.swindonspringfestival.co.uk
www.newburyspringfestival.org.uk
Wood Festival
Witney Music Festival
When: May 17 to May 20 Where: Braziers Park, Oxfordshire Who: Tunng, Martin Harley, Belshazzar’s Feast, Midnight Skyracer, Hannah Rose Platt, The Hanging Stars
When: May 24 to June 15 Where: Witney - venues vary Who: Republica, N-Trance, Jilted Generation, The Inflatables supported by My Winehouse
www.woodfestival.com
www.witneymusicfestival.co.uk
Blenheim Palace Food Festival When: May 25 to May 27 Where: Blenheim Palace Who: Launch of ‘Nature’s Pantry’, Raymond Blanc MBE, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Angellica Bell www.blenheimpalace.com
Devizes Arts Festival
Vintage Nostalgia Festival When: May 31 to June 2 Where: Stockton Park, Wiltshire Who: Bamboozle, The Flaming Feathers, The Harlem Rhythm Cats!, Veteran Cycles, vintage/ classic cars www.vintagenostalgiafestival.co.uk
Blue Sky Festival
When: May 31 to June 16 Where: Devizes - venues vary Who: Moscow Drug Club, Ed Byrne and Friends, The Shakespeare Smackdown!, Grupo Lokito, An Audience with Fay Weldon
When: June 11 to June 16 Where: The Pound Arts, Corsham Who: Josie Long, Jonny and the Baptists, Rachael Dadd, John Peel’s Shed, The Brass Funkeys, DJ Hiphoppapotamus
www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk
www.blueskyfestival.org.uk
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Lechlade Festival When: May 24 to May 26 Where: Riverside Park, Lechlade Who: The Feeling, That 80s Rock Show, Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra, Chay Snowdon, The Marley Experience, Tasha Leaper as Madonna, Jetstream www.lechladefestival.co.uk Since its inception in 2011 Lechlade Festival has hosted the likes of Status Quo, The Proclaimers and The Hoosiers. In 2016 it was voted “The Best Festival in the Cotswolds” by Cotswolds Awards and last year alone organisers welcomed
6,500 festival-goers through the gates. This year will be Lechlade’s biggest line-up yet welcoming headline act The Feeling, as well as one of Britain’s rising musical stars Chay Snowden. As well as music there will also be Burlesque shows and the Comedy Stage.
ChippFolk Fest When: May 24 to May 27 Where: The High Street, Market Square Who: Melrose Quartet, John Kirkpatrick, Gog Magog Molly, John & Karen Sweeney, England’s Glory Ladies’ Morris, Jody Kruskal www.chippfolk.co.uk The ChippFolk Fest returns for its 48th run of local, and traditional, folk music and dance! The volunteer-led festival will play host to folk dance, Ceilidh, storytelling, parades and more. An organiser of the event said:
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“Chippenham Folk Festival is a unique and distinctive event of national importance. It features the very best in English traditional music and dance. “The festival punches well above its weight and is regarded as one of the premier folk festivals in the country.”
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Get your festival on!
Ocelot fashion guru Gina Akers says: “Festival season is upon us so time to get thinking festival fashion. Festival looks take on all kinds of style and influences with these beautiful temporary escapes providing the perfect place to be yourself, or be someone entirely different. Many a seasoned festival goer will say practical style is the best option, yet at the same time just as many will say throw practical out the window and take full advantage of your ticket to the outrageous.”
For chunky check out the Hahn High Top Trainers (£35) www.koifootwear. com
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For the two tone look it’s the Thrace Two Part Trainers (£30) from www.koifootwear. com
For a stylish alternative to the traditional welly but with reliable 100% waterproof protection, go for Tretorn’s Atmos Hybrid Rubber Boots (£110). www.gb.tretorn.com
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Whether you’re lounging around a campfire or dancing till the early hours, you’ll want to do it in style. Chelsea Peers have the perfect two piece Palm Printed shorts set (£32) visit www.chelseapeersnyc.com
For ladies the Littal T-Shirt in black (£27.99) will look on trend and hide any festival grubbiness. www.protest.eu
The Bandoeng 19 Tunic (£49.99) is the ideal easy to wear option. www.protest.eu
To bring on the brights the Nitpicker Singlet in Live Coral (£17.99) is key. www.protest.eu
An old faithful festival style, the Heaton Long Sleeve Shirt (£39.99) works as a cool cover up and with rolled sleeves looks right on trend. www.protest.eu
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Wychwood Festival When: May 31 to June 2 Where: Cheltenham Racecourse Who: The Stranglers, Scouting for Girls, ABC, T’Pau, Toyah, Ibibio Sound Machine, Thrill Collins, Regiment, The Baghdaddies, Penny Mob, Folk On www.wychwoodfestival.com For a small festival Wychwood has gained attention nation-wide. In previous years the festival has thrown some stellar acts into the lineup including Buzzcocks, The Beat, Baxter Dury, Peter Hook and the Light and Bill Bailey. Jump forward to 2019 and it’s Wychwood’s
15th birthday! “An excellent hybrid of the Big Chill, WOMAD and The Cambridge Folk Festival” - Time Out. The Independent added: “You can go to festivals all over the world, but none will be quite as homely as Wychwood”.
RunFestRun When: May 31 to June 2 Where: Bowood House & Gardens Who: Chris Evans and Vassos Alexander present: Olly Murs, Razorlight, Reef, The Coral, Ten Tonnes, Faithless DJ Set www.runfestrun.co.uk This is a rather athletic festival, - encompassing some of the UK’s best athletes and musical talent - and May sees its first ever run! Chris Evans said: “We want to encapsulate the excitement of preparing for a weekend of running and all the irrepressible energy
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and camaraderie that comes with that.” Based on what awaits at the end of the finishing line, I’m sure many runners will be hitting some personal bests! The Ocelot cannot wait to attend RunFestRun’s festival debut!
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Forest Live When: June 13 to June 16 Where: Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Gloucestershire Who: Stereophonics, Paul Weller, Jack Savoretti, Haçienda Classiçal www.forestryengland.uk This June the Forestry Commission England welcomes back Forest Live to Gloucestershire. Westonbirt Arboretum is by far one of the most beautiful forests in the UK - boasting a gorgeous range of botanics. So, factor in the latter and add live
performances from Stereophonics, Paul Weller, Jack Savoretti, Haçienda Classiçal... This event is a no brainer. Graeme Park, Haçienda Classiçal’s DJ curator, said: “The glorious outdoor surroundings promise to complement our exciting new show.”
Avebury Rocks When: June 15 to June 16 Where: Manor Farm, Avebury Trusloe, Marlborough Who: Showhawk Duo, Atari Pilot, Eric Walker, Platform 1, Strange Folk, Dakota Simpson, Kaleido Bay, The Dirty Smooth, The Ukey D’Ukes, Lottie J, Eddie George www.prospect-hospice.net Avebury Rocks hosted its first festival back in 2015 - with Newton Falkner headlining! Each year since the line-up has been getting bigger and bigger! A spokesperson for Avebury Rocks said: “Avebury Rocks was the inspiration of local-
born musician Nick Harper as a way to give something back to Prospect Hospice who provided care for his late mother. “These days you can expect an eclectic lineup of local and national artists.” All proceeds go to Prospect Hospice.
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Offbeat Festival When: June 17 to June 29 Where: Oxford Playhouse and the Old Fire Station Shows: Nathan & Ida in Tropez!, Ashanti WheelerArtwell’s British Vogue, BBC New Comedy Award finalist Aaron Simmonds’ Disabled Coconut, and so much more! www.offbeatoxford.co.uk June is when theatre, music, dance and festival-fun burst through the doors of Oxford Playhouse and the Old Fire Station. In perfect fringe style you can see some of the top acts on the circuit, as well as those who are up and coming! Louise Chantal,
Director at the Oxford Playhouse, said: “Working with the Old Fire Station on Offbeat is one of the highlights of our year; we love bringing a taste of the Edinburgh Fringe to the city and I urge people to try something new, and see as much as possible.”
MantonFest When: June 29 Where: Manton Grange, Watermeadow Who: Mercury - The World’s leading ‘Queen’ Tribute Band, T.Rextasy, The Troggs, Barrelhouse, Clive Collective, Straight Six, Creedence Clearwater Revival Revival www.mantonfest.co.uk Mantonfest has been supporting local charities through its musical line-up since its inception in 2015. Back for another year this one-day fest will be hosting its line-up over two stages - offering up some of the UK’s best cover bands and international acoustic
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artists. And yes, you are right, sixties sensations The Troggs will be there! As well as music MantonFest has a glorious gastro line-up including Wolf Catering, Botanico Gin Bar, The Italian Job, Gold Bars and Sumblers. Best of all? It’s dogfriendly!
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When: June 21 to June 23 Where: Victoria Park, Bath Who: Will Young, Texas, Basement Jaxx (DJ Set), Gabrielle, Soul II Soul Soundsystem, The Bluetones, The Cuban Brothers www.pubintheparkuk.com/bath
How times have changed. When I first hit the festivals as a teen, food was sought-out for pure stamina (to soak up all the booze which would in turn hopefully see me through to the headline acts). These days at some festivals, like Pub in the Park, the music is almost the bit on the side to complement the dish - and people can flock to Bath for a weekend feast with a side of Texas and Will Young this June. At Bath’s Pub in the
Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park
Park wedges and chippie vans will be exchanged for Michelin-starred chefs and pop-up restaurants including Tom Kerridge’s The Hand & Flowers, Josh Eggleton’s The Pony & Trap, The Marlborough Tavern and Stephen Terry’s The Hardwick. Tom said: “Last year’s Pub in the Park festivals were so much fun, I can’t wait to bring excellence in food, world class chefs, ace music and an awesome vibe to eight locations across the UK this year.”
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Glastonbury When: July 5 to July 7 Where: Worthy Farm, Somerset Who: The Killers, The Cure, Stormzy, Kylie, George Ezra, Liam Gallagher, Miley Cyrus, Tame Impala, Christine and the Queens, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Friendly Fires www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
Photo credit: Jason Bryant
2010 was the year that I experienced Glastonbury for the first time - it’s been saved as one of my life highlights. It’s truly on another level - not only because of the line-up, but culturally, and literally, it is just another world (one everyone should experience at some
point). Each year the line-up gets bigger and, subject to opinion, better. It’s one of the most versatile line-ups going from The Cure to Stormzy, and Miley Cyrus to Kurt Vile. Unfortunately for festival-goers wanting a ticket, they’ve all soldout (hardly surprising)!
Cornbury Festival When: July 5 to July 7 Where: The Great Tew Park, Oxfordshire Who: The Specials, Keane, The Beach Boys, Echo & The Bunnyment, KT Tunstall, Paul Carrack, Beverley Knight, Gaz Coombes, The Hairy Bikers Festival Feast www.cornburyfestival.com This year will mark the festival’s sixteenth run of incredible music and entertainment. As well as the three headliners for 2019, Cornbury have also announced the return of the award-winning culinary duo the Hairy Bikers. They’ll be bringing their ‘Festival
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Feast’ to the line-up, serving gourmet food from a pop-up woodfired restaurant. Cornbury organiser, Hugh Phillimore, said: “There are certain legacy artists that we’ve been after for many years - finally our number got called by The Beach Boys!”
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l a v i t s Fe survival w kit
By Ben Fitzgerald
hen it comes to picking your way carefully through the tulips (and human turds) of the festival landscape - there are a few things that you may consider taking with you to ensure that your experience is every bit as sun dappled and life changing as the festival website promised when you bought your tickets last January to cheer yourself up as the rain battered relentlessly at your window.
A trowel - Topping the list should be the humble trowel - it might seem a bit of an odd choice initially, but trust me, after four days surviving on a chickpea based diet, the ability to dig your own bog and have a quiet shit in a corner of the meditation field justifies the inclusion of this little baby right up there in the top spot.
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A pointy wizard’s hat - this is essential festival wear - not only will it keep off the sun and rain, but it will ensure that no irritating twonks stand too close behind you when you are watching Dolly Parton because they won’t be able to see the stage. This has the knock on bonus that you will avoid the discomfort of some beered up loon with a large bag of coloured sand bellowing in your ear during the chorus. And furthermore, a decent wizard’s hat will mean that you won’t get pestered by naked unicycle riding acid-heads because they will clock your mystic
headpiece and understand that you are a being of great and mysterious power and give you a wide berth. Also any real wizards will think of you as one of their own and also give you a wide berth (it’s well known that wizards are solitary animals and much prefer their own company) Oh, and you can be spotted by your anxious friends if you go missing and end up naked atop a unicycle displaying hitherto unknown talents.
www.theocelot.co.uk
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A large bag of coloured sand - this is brilliant and was taught to me by a man in a pointy wizard’s hat. If you want a bit of peace and quiet - something hard to come by in a crowded festival ground and vital if you want to make use of item number one in the list to do a number two then simply tip out a little of the sand in a big circle around you. You will find that no other festival goer will want to venture inside the circle to join you in your personal space, for fear of getting caught up in some awful three hour long audience participation puppet show. Plus, you can sit on your bag of sand if you need an ad hoc easy chair to drink in the Sleaford Mods performance - or you can even stand on it to make you a foot higher if some twonk stands in front of you wearing a wizard’s hat.
String - there is never an occasion when string is not useful, but it is most essential during a festival. Before setting off, you should tie one end to your tent. Then, wearing your wizard’s hat, and with your bag of coloured sand under one arm, you can set off looking for the meditation field to lighten your load, unravelling the twine as you go. It doesn’t matter if you get distracted along the way by the delights of the Hare Krishna tent or get caught up in some Czech woodblock carving workshop… when you want to go back to bed, simply pull really, really hard - you may need to rope in 30 or so other people to help you, and before you know it, your tent will come to you along with some other unexpected objects, people and performers. Jelly beans - when you are in the festival bubble, the norms of established society rapidly break down. Cash soon loses its value - because, y’know, it’s just a promise of actual value from the corrupt banking conglomerates who are out to stiff you at every turn man. So this is where jelly beans come in - they have undeniable value, and you can point out that if they are planted over in that freshly dug soil patch over in the meditation field, they will almost certainly sprout overnight into a huge beanstalk that will allow the owner to invite their crusty friends to clamber over the security fence right under the noses of the fascist goons. You will most likely end up with a cow which you can use to start a dairy farm when everyone’s gone home.
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Minety Music Festival When: July 5 to July 7 Where: Kinch’s Field, Minety Who: Toploader, Republica, Revival (The Tribute to ABBA), Faux Fighters, Arcadia Roots, The Dirty Smooth, Hip Route, Leon Daye Band www.minetyfestival.co.uk In a short space of time Minety Music Festival has become one of the ”go to” festivals in the calendar. They’re back for 2019 with the best line up yet as well as their trade mark features: – a huge, free Kidszone (including free slacklining, free indoor caving, free
circus skills workshops, free inflatables, bouncy castles, slides, assault courses), great food and local stalls. With the absence of Fieldview and Boondocks Festivals this year, local festival goers won’t be disappointed with all Minety has to offer!
DOCA When: July 10 to August 31 Where: Devizes - venues vary Who: Skittles Night, Devizes Carnival, Picnic in the Park, International Street Festival, Lantern Parade, Confetti Battle & Colour Rush www.docadevizes.org.uk Well, if it isn’t DOCA (Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts) - the ultimate street party to attend! Spanning over weekends throughout July and August, aka the ‘Festival Fortnight’, DOCA hosts everything from street theatre and contemporary dance,
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to puppetry and circus acts with its annual, and unmissable, events on top of that. A spokesperson for DOCA said: “DOCA was born out of the town’s traditional Carnival but is now much more, bringing some of the world’s top performers to our streets.”
www.theocelot.co.uk
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Barn on the Farm
Frome Festival
When: July 4 to July 7 Where: Over Farm, Gloucester Who: Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, Maggie Rogers, Sea Girls, Ten Tonnes, Zak Abel, Maverick Sabre, Swim Deep, Jade Bird
When: July 5 to July 14 Where: Market Place, Frome - venues vary Who: The Coral, Scouting for Girls, DJ Judge Jules, The Drifters, Jethro, Comedy Crawl launch
www.barnonthefarm.co.uk
www.fromefestival.co.uk
Stratton Festival
Chalke Valley History Festival
When: July 6 Where: Stratton, Swindon Who: Kova Me Badd, Echo, Ukey D’Ukes, Sister Sister, a mini animal petting zoo, Bandido’s Burritos
When: July 6 to July 7 Where: Broadchalke, Wiltshire Who: Britain: The Thread of History, Sword School, Giant Hawker Typhoon, Live History Live, WWII Trench Experience
www.strattonstmargaret.gov.uk
www.cvhf.org.uk
Mfor Festival
Larmer Tree Festival
When: July 27 Where: Lydiard Park, Swindon Who: Years & Years, Toploader, Ella Eyre, HRVY, Becky Hill, Jahmene Douglas
When: July 18 to July 21 Where: Larmer Tree Gardens, Tollard Royal Who: Kate Tempest, The Cat Empire, The Shires, Jack Savoretti, KT Tunstall, Gomez, Let’s Eat Grandma
www.mforfestival.co.uk
www.larmertreefestival.co.uk
Saddleback Festival
WOMAD
When: July 20 Where: Devizes Sports Club Who: Whole Lotta Led, Creedence Clearwater, Elles Bailey, Ruzz Guitar’s Blues Revue
When: July 25 to July 28 Where: Charlton Park, Malmesbury Who: Ziggy Marley, Orbital, Salif Keita, Anna Calvi, Brushy One String, Cymande, Dhafer Youssef
www.saddlebackmusicfestival.co.uk
www.womad.co.uk
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Cheese & Chilli Festival When: July 6 to July 7 Where: Lydiard Park, Swindon Who: Cheese Bomb, Glastonbury Dairy, Heritage Cheese, Lymn Bank Farm Cheese, The Cheese Wedge Co Ltd., The Culmstock Chilli Co www.cheeseandchillifestival.com This is the third year that the Cheese & Chill Festival returns to Lydiard Park and, whether it’s hard to believe or not, the festival is one of the most highly anticipated events held at Lydiard Park. The two-day event includes live music,
cooking demonstrations, street theatre, Man V Food, a chilli eating competition, beer, crazy golf and a human-sized table football. This year also sees the introduction of a fiery VIP area which includes an indoor bar amongst a whole range of luxury services to benefit from!
Henley Festival When: July 10 to July 14 Where: Henley Bridge, Henley-on-Thames Who: Boy George, Jessie J, Tom Odell, Jo Whiley’s 90s Anthems, Ed Byrne Dress code: “Strictly Black Tie... but think James Bond!” www.henley-festival.co.uk Henley Festival is glamping taken to a whole new level. The charitable festival takes aim at the finer things in life from boating and cocktails at Ronnie Scott’s, to to chilling out at the Jazz Quatre and making acquaintances with The Picasso People.
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The Ocelot’s Deputy Editor, Ben, went last year. He said: “I had my doubts about Henley, but the whole event turned out to be a total blast! If you fancy a change from mud and irritating teenagers consider next year’s Henley Festival a viable option.”
www.theocelot.co.uk
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al
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Swindon Shuffle When: July 11 to July 14 Where: Old Town, Swindon - venues vary Who: Gaz Brookfield, Wyldest, The Astral Ponies, Raze*Rebuild, Flour Babies, Fake Walnut Dash, Wilding, The Bone Chapel, No Side Effects, The Oxymora www.swindonshuffle.org.uk Swindon’s biggest musical highlight returns for its thirteenth year this July! The town’s music scene is seeing a highly anticipated revival over the last two years bands have been strongly developing and emerging left, right and centre. This
year looks to be the Shuffle’s best line-up yet, - and last year was pretty damn good showcasing the best of the town’s local talent. And as one door closes, another one has opened with the Shuffle team welcoming the arrival of a brand new venue - The Hop!
Readipop Festival When: July 12 to July 14 Where: Christchurch Meadows, Reading Who: Cassetteboy vs DJ Rubbish, Sleeper, Brand New Heavies, The Orb, The Primitives, Saltwater Sun, Jurassic 5’s Soup Presents: The Fullee Love Collective www.readipop.co.uk Back in its fourth year, Readipop Festival returns to the banks of the River Thames in Caversham this July! The Readipop music charity is very proud to be bringing its strongest and most diverse musical line-up yet to Reading for an affordable weekend
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alongside delicious street food, a Reading Etsy team market, boat trips plus workshops in music, arts, circus and dance for all the family. Readipop Festival director, Gavin Lombos, said: “Our excitement for the performances this July could not be higher!”
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When: July 11 to July 13 Where: Upcote Farm, Cheltenham Who: Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, You Me At Six, Deaf Havana, While She Sleeps, Flogging Molly, Every Time I Die, The Skints, All Ears Avow, Skinny Lister, Yonaka, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Puppy, Dream State, Allusinlove, Petrol Girls, Sean McGowen, Modern Error, Milk Teeth www.twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk
2 0 0 0 T R E E S
Since its inception in 2006, 2000Trees has become a multi award-winning festival - donned as “Britain’s Coolest Festival” by Kerrang! Magazine last year. This year boasts one of the festival’s more versatile line-ups, particularly as more bands are experimenting with their sound - take You Me At Six, for instance. There will always be arguments for what is deemed the ‘best line-up’ to date, but as far as 2019 is concerned get this weekend booked off in the diary!
Claire Dukes in conversation with You Me At Six’s bassist, Matt Barnes Back in October as You Me At Six prepared to release their latest album, ‘VI’, Claire Dukes caught up with Matt Barnes to talk about the band’s new-found sound. On releasing the album Matt said: “We’re writing the music we want to write – we don’t want to release the same thing over and
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over again. “We were a bit scared – it’s a bit different to what we used to sound like, but you can experiment, and it won’t scare people off. If we’d have done this six or seven years ago people would have shit themselves! “We’ve always had a poppy
sound to our band, – we love Hip Hop, Pop, RnB, dance – and like we rarely put on rock music in the dressing room. It’s something different. “I feel the rock genre has been going down for a few years. I believe there hasn’t been support – it’s everyone’s fault. I hope it’s going to turn around.”
www.theocelot.co.uk
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Truck Festival When: July 26 to July 28 Where: Hill Farm, Oxfordshire Who: Foals, Wolf Alice, Two Door Cinema Club, IDLES, Don Broco, Nothing But Thieves, Slaves, You Me At Six, Johnny Mar, Public Service Broadcasting, Kate Nash, The Japanese House, Sea Girls, Mallory Knox, Ten Tonnes, Yonaka, She Drew The Gun, whenyoung, Swimming Girls, Self Help, The Murder Capital, Cassels www.truckfestival.com “The Godfather of small music festivals” is back with its strongest line-up to date. It’ll also be a homecoming for Oxford’s Foals and host some of the UK’s biggest and up and coming acts including IDLES, Don Broco, Nothing But Thieves, Wolf Alice and
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You Me At Six and Ten Tonnes. It’s no wonder the majority of Truck’s tickets went flying out within a few days! Truck is at the helm of small music festivals but based on some line-ups this year it’s certainly giving the larger events a run for their money. Get this in the diary!
www.theocelot.co.uk
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Wilderness When: August 1 to August 4 Where: Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire Who: Robyn, Bombay Bicycle Club, Groove Armada, Tom Odell, Caravan Palace, Tom Grennan, Freya Ridings, George Fitzgerald, Low Island, Kawala, Blanco White www.wildernessfestival.com
The Wildnerness line-up is a strange concoction of my iPod throughout the years - from Robyn and Caravan Palace, to Low Island and Kawala. Put this alongside the beautiful backdrop of Cornbury Park? Winning! If the musical line-up doesn’t catch your eye, then we really need to address Wilderness’ Wellbeing Programme. As well as partaking in some casual yoga classes (both paddleboard and aerial), you can
also sign up to some philosophical workshops, try some axe throwing and get involved in the World’s Largest Spooning Cuddle - the majority of which is set against a bespoke soundscape created by a live DJ. As well as forest lakes and woodfired hot tubs, this year the line-up also includes performances from two of the most worldrenowned dance companies around: Sadler Wells and Rambert.
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Festival on the Farm When: August 2 to August 4 Where: Purton House Organic’s Farm Who: The Wurzels, True Strays, The Dirty Smooth, Get Carter, Sister Sister, Buswell + Friends, Rave Against the Regime, Ska Bucks, Pink Mac www.festivalonthefarm.co.uk Swindon’s only small, funky, cool festival on an organic farm is back - bringing along West Country favourites the Wurzel’s and some of the most renowned tribute acts! This year festival organiser, Rowie Meers, wants to implement more eco-friendly
alternatives and will be introducing re-useable beer glasses as well as ensuring that food vans use recyclable packaging. Rowie said: “We can’t use glass on the field because of the animals. Now we have sourced a cool pintsized reusable cup - a great souvenir too!”
Swindon & Wilts Pride When: August 10 Where: Town Gardens, Swindon What: The Swindon & Wiltshire Pride Parade, the Official Pride After Party at Level III www.swindonwiltshirepride.co.uk Months of hard work have paid off for the Swindon & Wiltshire Pride team as they return for the LGBTQ+ festival’s eleventh year! This year the organisation will be showcasing local talent on a newly introduced community stage, as well as hosting a family,
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craft and shopping zone. Pride’s Chairman, Kristian Wheeler, said: “An important part as a committee is preventing social isolation. We do this by bringing the community together an extremely important part of what we do.”
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Marlborough Rising When: August 9 to August 11 Where: Marlborough - venues vary Who: The Tony O’Malley Band, Little Geneva, George Hinchliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, more to be announced! www.marlboroughrising.com Run by music lovers, for music lovers, Marlborough Rising will be once again ‘filling the town with music’ this summer! Robin Pritchard, Chairman for Marlborough Rising, said: “Building on the success of last year’s event, we will be back
with a weekend of incredible artists and great music. “Marlborough has a long-standing love affair with live music and we know that this year’s event will continue to inspire, entertain and delight in equal measure. We look forward to seeing you!”
The Big Feastival When: August 23 to August 25 Where: Alex James’ Farm, The Cotswolds Music: Jess Glynne, Rudimental, The Cuban Brothers, Duke, Lewis Capaldi, Elbow, The Zutons, Jade Bird, Nina Nesbitt, DJ Luck & MC Neat, Fun Lovin’ Criminals Chefs: Daniel Clifford, Andi Oliver, Candice Brown, Gennaro Contaldo, James Lowe, Raymond Blanc www.thebigfeastival.com Whatever your taste is, the line-up is always looking delicious at The Big Feastival. On top of awardwinning artists and award-winning chefs comes Michelin-starred restaurants. As always the weekend hosts pop-
up restaurants including Made of Dough, Claw, Le Swine and hot sauce kings TABASCO® Sauce, Le Bab and Crust Bros. Big Feastival is one for the whole family which includes the Little Dudes’ Den, The Family Dining Room and The Big Top.
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Interview: Ten Tonnes on his debut album, festival highlights and keeping it real Words by Claire Dukes
Ethan Barnett, aka Ten Tonnes, is by no stretch of the imagination the new to the music scene. And with his hit single ‘Lucy’ already in the bag, and his first album ready for release, he’s undoubtedly one of the fast-rising names in indie-pop certainly, a weighty force to be reckoned with. At 22 I was studying at university and making some questionable life choices… But at 22 Ethan has already played to sold-out arenas, worked with renowned music gurus and is releasing his self-titled debut album
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‘Ten Tonnes’ May 3. So, how did he get to where he is at this age? “I’ve been asking myself the same thing [laughs],” he tells me. “It’s a lot of hard work! I don’t want to toot my own trumpet, but I had to do a lot of shit gigs to do the good ones.” After dropping out of university Ethan hit the open mic nights hard for the following two years – sending off demos left right and centre “and not getting responses”. As well as a “good old dose of luck” his hard work has paid off, leading him to working on his album
with former Kaiser Chiefs’ drummer Nick Hodgson. On working with Nick, he says, “He’s such a good songwriter – which helped a lot! We got the title and then we spoke about what would sound cool and definitely wrote it with the live show in mind, so it has a singalong vibe. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want things to be catchy, because that’s what I love – The Beatles were the absolute best to me, and all their tunes just have that level of catchiness to them. “There were so many different options of what
the album could have sounded like, but I think you can get bogged down if you think about it too much. So, I just went on my gut.” As we talk Ethan’s youthfulness and creative inclination becomes naturally apparent, but his breezy disposition is not to be misinterpreted as non-sensical. In terms of the album it becomes clear that the collaborative project has been orchestrated to build upon his own musical influences as well as, as he terms it, the “general musings of a young lad.”
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“It’s a mixed bag,” he continues. “I wrote some of the songs when I was 18, so the album’s been done over a long period of time. It’s about living in my home town and wanting to get out when I was younger. I wanted to make it feel pretty young because obviously the songs I write now are different, but I didn’t want to lose that kind of youthful naivety to it, – I wanted to make sure that stayed - especially for my first record as well because people put out music so quickly now. I think EPs skip over a whole period of your life like ‘oh that was three years ago so I’ll just leave it’ but I wanted to make sure it felt like a first record not some weird mismatch of things. I’m super excited to finally get it out, and the tour starts the day after the album comes out, so I’ll be straight into the shows which is really exciting.” The young singersongwriter’s clearly a savvy guy but is still seemingly up for taking some risks. In the oftenruthless world of social media he’s become rather self-aware of the personas constructed across the likes of Instagram and Facebook
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– and in theory he could pick any cardboard rock ‘n’ roll cut-out of his choosing. Instead, it’s all about building on the gap, - or the ‘Cracks Between’, if you will between himself and his fans. He says, “I’m just trying to be myself. I think people can still like your music and still not follow you, so you kind of need to get people bothered about what you’re like as a person. “I just try and stay pretty similar to what I’m like usually – and just don’t get too weird, I guess [laughs]. I don’t want to scare people away!” He’s even gone one step further and cut out the middle man entirely by playing shows for fans in their living rooms – a bold yet seemingly astute idea. “It’s just a cool way to get some fans going,” he explains. “It has the potential to be so fucking weird, but I think it’s a testament to my good fans because everyone was so lovely. I told my mum and she said ‘that sounds like your idea of hell’ because I’m bad at meeting people! But I think more acts should do it – it’s a cool way of getting to know people.” Socially-challenged
he may be, but Ethan is on another level entirely when it comes to getting on stage. He says, “I just get really excited – like that manic energy of getting butterflies. It’s never like ‘oh my god, I’m shitting myself’ because we rehearse enough, and I feel confident in what we’re doing. On the last tour that I did, which was my headline show, it was only like four shows, but they were all so fucking good – I’ve just spring boarded off the back of that and I’m raring to go! “It feels like it’s been so long since I played a show. I’m quite antsy at the moment, and not very settled, so at the moment I don’t know what to do. I realised the other day I don’t really have any hobbies [laughs], but music is all I’ve ever done, and is all I did, and now it’s my job. I do still play guitar in my free time but it’s a bit different now because it’s hard to separate playing guitar for the fun of it and not be thinking ‘oh maybe I should write a new song’. I just want to be playing gigs! If you leave it too long, it gets a bit like ‘what the fuck do I actually do…’ “I’m excited for festivals this year, more than any other year,
because the album’s going to be out, and it feels like it’s built around more of a thing rather than a few random songs. Hopefully by that point people would have heard it [Ten Tonnes] and made up their mind if they want to come and see me, or not.” This festival season Ethan has two particular highlights – a cruel question I present to him on both a personal and professional level. “On a personal level, Reading definitely. That was the first festival I went to when I was 15 – I turned 16 that weekend, I got my GCSE results and just saw these amazing bands. It was such a wicked weekend! This is also the fourth time in a row that they’ve asked me back – which is so fucking cool. So, I really love going back just because I look back at being a kid, which I was, to then being one of the people playing there. “On a professional level I’ve wanted to play Truck for ages – I think it always has such a cool line-up and definitely fits in with the music that I make. “There’s a lot of young, indie kids into guitar music so that should be a good one.”
Ten Tonnes on tour www.tentonnes.com
Where: The Bullingdon, Oxford When: May 16 www.thebullingdon.co.uk
Where: RunFestRun, Bowood House & Gardens When: June 1 www.runfestrun.co.uk
Where: Barn on the Farm, Over Farm, Gloucester When: July 7 www.barnonthefarm.co.uk
Where: Truck Festival, Hill Farm, Oxfordshire When: Date TBC www.truckfestival.com
Where: Reading Festival, Richfield Avenue, Reading When: August 23 www.readingfestival.com
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Classic Ibiza When: August 3 Where: Bowood House, Wiltshire Who: Urban Soul Orchestra (USO), Goldierocks (AKA Sam Povey-Hall), Max, Jina, Fola
When: August 7 to August 12 Where: Winchester Who: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Prophets of Rage, The Streets, Chronixx, Chase & Status, Groove Armada, UB40, Salt-N-Pepa, Kate Tempest
www.classicibiza.co.uk
www.boomtownfair.co.uk
Fairport’s Cropredy Convention
Retro Festival
When: August 8 to August 10 Where: Cropredy, Oxfordshire Who: The Waterboys, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Gogol Bordello, Martin Simpson, Seth Lakeman
When: August 9 to August 11 Where: Newbury Showground Who: Ricky-Tick, Martin Fuggles, Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band, The Ken Fox Troupe Wall of Death, air displays, Retro Shopping Village
www.fairportconvention.com
www.retrofestival.co.uk
Rewind Festival
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Boomtown Fair
Towersey Festival
When: August 16 to August 18 Where: Temple Island Meadows, Henley-onThames Who: Lulu, Four Tops, Heather Small, The Undertones, Michael Bolton, Belinda Carlisle, The Wailers, Heaven 17
When: August 23 to August 26 Where: Thame Showground, Oxfordshire Who: The Selecter, Newton Faulkner, Hothouse Flowers, Seth Lakeman, From The Jam, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Beans on Toast
www.south.rewindfestival.com
www.towerseyfestival.com
The Phoenix festival
End of the Road
When: August 24 to August 25 Where: Abbey Grounds Park, Cirencester Who: The Rolling Clones, Totally Tina
When: August 29 to September 1 Where: Larmer Tree Gardens, Tollard Royal Who: Beirut, Metronomy, Muchael Kiwanuka, Baxter Dury, Spiritualised, Courtney Barnett, Jarvis Cocker, Deerhunter
www.phoenix-festival.co.uk
www.endoftheroadfestival.com
www.theocelot.co.uk
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Reading Festival When: August 23 to August 25 Where: Richfield Avenue, Reading Who: The 1995, Post Malone, Foo Fighters, Royal Blood, Twenty One Pilots, A Day To Remember, The Wombats, Blossoms, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, You Me At Six, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, The Distillers, Charlie XCX, Enter Shikari, Pale Waves, The Japanese House, Sea Girls, Ten Tonnes, Black Honey, Basement, Valeras, Twisted Wheel www.readingfestival.com Mainly for financial reasons I haven’t been to Reading Festival since 2009 (RIP Keith Flint) but, based on this year’s line-up, I’d be happy to stretch the purse strings! Reading is one of the UK’s leading festivals and even this year it’s not hard to comprehend why! From the Main
Stage to the Festival Republic Stage, and The Pit / The Lock Up to the BBC Radio 1 Stage this line-up is incredibly tight boasting one of Reading’s most diverse to date! Saturday and Sunday day tickets have sold-out but there are still weekend tickets up for grabs!
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“It deserves to be on the map with other places” - could a new Metal night shake up Swindon’s music scene? Words by Claire Dukes
In the world of music promotion there’s a new kid in town – specifically, a 28-year-old kid, Josh White, who “looks about six”.
I can’t count how many times I’ve heard someone whine, ‘there’s nothing to do in Swindon’. I don’t think they realise what a cliché that outlook has become. A cliché, might I add, that has come full circle and ultimately is not cool. What is cool, however, is supporting your local music scene, and Josh White could not agree more. “That’s what Bandit Music is all about” says Josh, - the founder of a new Metal music promotion label, Bandit Music - as we sit outside Level III, which will soon be home to a brand-new Metal and Hardcore night in Swindon. Even though he “looks about six” Josh is no new kid on the block, - he’s been in the world
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of music promotion since he was 18 - working primarily in Yeovil. Since the launch of Bandit Music in January Josh now has his sights set on Swindon, Bristol and Bridgewater to reignite the Metal and Hardcore scenes - with bands booked up until October this year! But, it’s Swindon that needs waking up a bit. “Swindon deserves to have a scene,” Josh says. “It deserves to be on the map with other places - because there was a time when Don Broco played here, and we’ve had Milk Teeth here too – who are opening the Main Stage at Reading! “I saw, for the Metal nights, that a massive market’s been missed. You have so many local bands in the area, - Homeland, Ursus,
Ghost Machines, The Oxymora, Heriot and edenfalls – and they haven’t had a chance to play any relatively big nights. But without having the smaller nights, especially with the Metal scene, you’re not going to be able to build those bands to the point where they can bring in other bands of that kind of size and that kind of level. “We have a 2000 cap venue in this town [The MECA] which isn’t being utilised, and I don’t see why it isn’t, because you have Bristol’s O2 Academy, which is a 2000 cap venue, and people go to that so why not Swindon? Why can’t we sit here as a town and say, ‘You know what, we deserve to be on the map’?
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Support your local music scene and get involved! Bandit Music are on the lookout for a street team! If you’re a music lover, particularly of Metal and Hardcore - living in Swindon, Taunton or Bridgewater, Bandit Music want to hear from you. In return for selling tickets, flyering and promoting events across social media you’ll get comp tickets to gigs under the umbrella of Bandit Music, meet and greet the bands and have a few drinks chucked in for free. For further information email banditmusicpr@gmail.com
What’s on: Who: Amongst Thieves / Griever / edenfalls / Xadium Where: Level III, Swindon When: May 17 Who: Boxing Day / All Better / Floorboards Where: Level III, Swindon When: May 23 Who: Sheer Music Presents: Modern Error & Lotus Eater UK tour Where: Level III, Swindon When: June 6 www.banditmusicpr.wixsite.com
“At the end of the day I want to be able to build a community where people are going to come along and say, ‘Swindon isn’t a B-town anymore – the town isn’t dead’ – I want people to come back through.” As well as putting on Metal and Hardcore nights, Bandit Music is keen to build a community - a community, since the days of The Furnace, the town seems to have nearly lost entirely. Josh continues, “The most tragic thing about Swindon’s music scene, at the moment, is that not enough people are getting behind it. “I think in some ways the birth of streaming has hit Swindon really hard – people are far happier to sit inside and listen to music via Spotify and YouTube and they’re not going out, and they’re not supporting their local scene.” And, unfortunately, Josh has a point. But, there is a impelling sense of hope because neither Bandit Music nor the owner of Level III, Darren Simons, seem to be messing about. Josh said, “Darren’s the best guy for it, – he’s got all the best intentions – and I just think we all need to come together as a collective and support it. We all have the same end game. “There’s no need for any alpha male, dog-eat-dog outlook, because at the end of the day you’ll lose out – I learnt that the hard way. When I first started promoting I went full-out with a
full head of steam, thought I could own the world, and I crashed. “Part of what we’re doing with Bandit is we’re going to start up community nights. So once a month we’re going to invite local promotors, venue owners and music lovers to come down and give their ideas on who they’d like to see and what they’d like to build.” It’s all getting very nostalgic - eery almost. The Furnace was once one of the most thriving music venues in Swindon, with people travelling into Swindon for the bands. As we sit outside the newly reformed Level III, with the ghost of Furnace past reverberating from the underground, Josh tells me, “I used to come to The Furnace – I used to travel from Taunton for it. It was amazing and that’s what we need again.” And, as it turns out, in order to push Swindon’s music scene forward Bandit is seemingly taking music promotion back in time - so you can expect to see a lot of flyers. “I’m very old school in my approach,” he says. “It’s what I’ve done before, and it’s worked. I’ve been doing this long enough to feel confident. “I’m excited about just getting the nights going – just seeing what happens! I’m really excited to see what people we get, what kind of vibe we have and I’m excited to just get people through the doors! “It’s going to be brilliant!”
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How to DIY The Nerd’s Last Word with Michael Bosley The warmer months and longer days present us with many opportunities to carry out all those little jobs around the house that we’ve either found too daunting to undertake ourselves or for one reason or another, we’ve chosen to ignore until they’ve either threatened the lives of those around you or singlehandedly bought down the price of your house. Here’s how you can properly DIY like a pro and feel like an actual useful human being:
Drink lots of tea
Drinking lots of tea and standing around pondering your next move is 90% of DIY. Drinking tea can ease the ebbing panic as you realise you’ve bitten off much more than you can chew or are so far past the point of no return that you’re actually considering just burning down the house to cover up your fuck up.
Cut off too much/too little of something
This could be anything; a piece of incorrectly measured wood, material or cable. Whatever it is, it will usually result in binning the whole lot and taking another humiliating trip to the DIY store to get some more.
Blame the tools
When the shit inevitably hits the fan, it’s often far easier and far less humiliating to deduce that the cheap, useless tools you have are to blame, even though it was in fact you that bought the cheap, useless tools.
Curse like a sailor
Swearing is proven to be therapeutic in a number of DIY situations. It eases the pain of a poorly swung hammer or banged head on a cabinet door, but it also soothes the whitehot feeling of abject failure one feels when they realise that replacing a sink isn’t quite as straightforward as the Youtube video made out.
Play pretend
The novelty of physical labour can bring out the inner builder/plumber/tiler/plasterer in us. Our unfulfilled calling as a tradesman can cause us to adopt a somewhat stereotype mockney accent and partake in innuendo-laden back-andforth’s with our partners such as “Ello luv, you got anything that needs hammering?” or “Alright darlin’! You seen my bag of nuts?”
Reassure
The unholy language coming from the shed as well as the cascade of plaster falling from the ceiling has your children and your other half genuinely concerned for your welfare as well as that of the house. Questions such as “How are you getting on?” and “Are you sure you don’t need a hand?” come from a place of concern and love, but to the budding DIYer, they undermine the recently learned skills of the weekend warrior, valiantly soldiering through this cabinet build against the odds and despite having misplaced the bag with the screws in. “It’s fine”, “It’s worse than it looks” and “It’ll look fine once it’s done” are all good responses to any concerns raised about the wanton mess and destruction.
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