Truck Festival

Final additions to Truck Festival announced

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Hard to believe that this is the 15th installment of Truck Festival – some of its founders were barely more than 15 years old themselves when it started back in 1998! This year sees a return to the classic format, under the new management of the team from the award-winning Y-Not Festival, with the main Truck stage back where it always was and the legendary barn stage re-opened for business, only now with a new roof decked with solar panels to provide green energy to power the stage within. The team have put together a splendid line-up for you at Hill Farm, with a mix of returning favourites,including The Mystery Jets, British Sea Power, 65 Days of Static and Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, and exciting acts new to the festival: The Temper Trap, Villagers, The Low Anthem, Guillemots, Little Comets, Three Trapped Tigers and many more. And perhaps the biggest coup of all: we've got Matilda-soundtracking, Jesus-Christ/A-List-Superstar TIM  MINCHIN!

Tim Minchin

 

This being Truck, local acts and labels are heavily involved with the event, from established names like Fixers, Spring Offensive, and This Town Needs Guns to those playing Truck for the first time, including Old Grinding Young, the Black Hats and Kill Murray. The Big Scary Monsters & Alcopop labels present an afternoon of bands in the barn and BBC Introducing in Oxford will also be on-site once more. And the stars of last year’s Rumours performance will be back – Michele Stodart, Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou, and The Dreaming Spires. In breaking news, Fresh Out The Box DJs return to close things off in the Barn both nights for the traditional ‘cowshed rave’!

There's also a large Big Top stage and the Ladybird tent providing kids' activities by day and entertainment by night. There are two distinct camping areas: one for families in one end of the market field, and the larger main campsite in its usual spot. The Didcot Rotary Club and friends are here once more, serving hearty food, smoothies (and of course donuts) and raising substantial funds for good causes. Keep an eye out for some new flavours this year, we hear rumours they'll be trying their hand at pizzas this year!

For the first time this year the festival takes place on Friday and Saturday, giving you Sunday afternoon to head home and recover before work on Monday- we've expanded the bar to provide a splendid range of ales, beers and ciders, as well as the addition of some of your favourite top-shelf drinks, and even a few cocktails: we hope this 15th anniversary event provides plenty of opportunity to celebrate! Saturday is also the first fancy-dress day, and after a public vote Truckers chose wild animals as the theme: we'll look on with interest to see what they come up with! speaking of wild animals, keep an eye out for the legendary and elusive Truck Monster: He (or she?) will be appearing around town in the run-up to the event and on the official Truck T-Shirts and Hoodies, of course, available from the Truck Store on-site – which will also be selling merchandise and albums by most  of the acts appearing at the festival.

In a year with no Glastonbury and a summer royal and sporting overload, it’s down to the likes of Truck to keep the flag flying for the true spirit of festivals. Truckers have responded well to what is being called Truck’s best line-up ever, and we’re cautiously confident of an advance sell-out for the 4,500-capacity event. Tickets are available for the astonishingly reasonable price of £69 for a weekend ticket, with under-12s free (with a responsible adult), making it a great destination whether you’ve just finished your exams and are attending your first festival or you’re a family with young kids looking for a good value weekend in the country. It’s often forgotten how lovely it is down at Hill Farm and you can’t beat walking down the Causeway in Steventon to get there.

 

Emmy the Great, Lucy Rose and more set for Truck Festival

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The multi-talented Emmy The Great will be at Truck this year – she's worked with everyone from Tim Wheeler of Ash to Noah and the Whale and is a super solo performer in her own right as well as a terrific writer. What's not to like? We think she last appeared in Truck in 2008, and also in 2006. Welcome back  Emmy!

Lucy Rose

Lucy Rose is perhaps best known for singing on the song and album 'flaws' by Bombay Bicycle Club (she's also on the new one). Lucy Rose toured the UK and the US with the aforementioned BBC and Noah And The Whale in early 2012, and according to Vogue is "one of indie music's breakout stars for 2012"; come and see for yourself- and see whether she really does hand tea and jam out to festival-goers.

Kill It Kid, from down the M4 in bath, are fronted by the vocals of Chris Turpin and Stephanie Ward and boast a blues-heavy sound, emotive vocals and a spot of fiddle (though not so much on the new record). Looking forward to this one- and nice to see a band naming themselves after a song by Blind Willie McTell!

This Town Needs Guns are well known to Oxfordians, as well as audiences around the world, so should need no introduction here. Math-rock? possibly. Built around impossibly complex guitar patterns, their music has been released on the Sargent House and Big Scary Monsters labels amongst others. Their line-up has change but no doubt the passion inspired in the Truck audience will remain the same.

Michele Stodart is of course bass player of The Magic Numbers and this year releases her debut solo album, which follows her recent single "Take your Loving Back". She's been on the road all year spreading the word. She appeared at Truck festival 2011 where she also joined in the very memorable performance of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours which closed the festival.

Josh Kumra  is from just down the road in Swindon, and is best known for co-writing and appearing on UK Number One single "Don't Go" by Wretch 32. How about that! He's about to kick off a residency at the Social in London and cites Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and the two Bobs (Marley and Dylan) among his influences- catch him now and say you were there.

Gabriel Minnikin & the Fast Country. Let's just quote Manchester Evening News from last week: "There are many ways to describe Parakeets With Parasols, the third and latest album from Manchester-based singer-songwriter Gabriel Minnikin: an orchestral country-pop masterpiece; a monolith of intricately carved pop classicism; the work of a modern day Phil Spector; the best album by a Manchester-based artist in 2012." High praise, but deserved!

Tim Minchin, Frightened Rabbit and more for Truck Festival

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Of course, there have been comedians at Truck in some of the smaller tents: but this is a full main-stage showbiz show with make-up and crazy hair. Of course, Mr Minchin is no ordinary comedian: he describes his act as a "funny cabaret show"; his songs, he says, just happen to be funny. "I'm a good musician for a comedian and I'm a good comedian for a musician but if I had to do any of them in isolation I dunno." Don't be so hard on yourself, Tim! We reckon this is one of the most exciting additions to any Truck Festival bill ever!  
Tim has also been a big supporter of our friends at the (Oxford-based) Sumatran Orangutan Society, who are regularly seen in Orangutan outfits accompanying our own Truck Monster… here he is wearing one of their T Shirts! (like the shirts: you can buy one here). 

Tim Minchin

FRIGHTENED RABBIT
We are very pleased about this addition too: Frightened Rabbit have been gradually expanding from Scott Hutchison's one-man bedroom project in 2003 to their present globe-straddling epic status, clamoured over by indie enthusiasts and major labels alike. Their new album appears this summer, and this will be their long-awaited first appearance at Truck Festival: it seems like the ideal home for the band.

FUTURE OF THE LEFT
Future of the Left was formed by singer/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously members of Cardiff band mclusky, in 2005; both incarnations have appeared regularly at Truck Festival, often in the Barn, and that is where they will be once more this year. Apparently Future of the Left have been playing a few Mclusky songs on their set recently, though no doubt we can mostly expect material from their recent EP and the new album The Plot Against Common Sense, which comes out this summer. Welcome back, gentlemen!

Also storming the barn will be TURBOWOLF who sound "exactly how you might imagine a band with that name should " (says Kerrang), and they are charged with bringing the rock back to the barn – no doubt they will prove more than up to the task. We are pleased to announce a first tranche of acts from the Thames Valley Delta, as we call it, and a few from further afield. There will be a trickle (truckle?) more to come shortly, so don't fear if your personal favourite isn't on this list. Here goes with some micro-descriptions. Do check out all of these artists if you haven't already heard them! In no particular order at all:

MAN LIKE ME are Johnny Langer and Peter Duffy, pockets filled with underground classics London Town, Single Dad, Carny and Lovestruck.
DELTA ALASKA are a five piece from Londonwho play pop songs as loud as they can. Sounds good to us!
JOHN J PRESLEY: the fragility of Josh T Pearson, the raucousness of Tom Waits and the orchestration of the Dirty Three. Enticing!
THE BLACK HATS. If you’re all about “high energy post-punk, skewed with some dub beats and ska riffs” then you’ve come to the right place.
CO-PILGRIM, Mike Gale (once of Black Nielson) and friends concoct melodic magic; their dreamy new LP is produced by Mark Gardener of Ride.
DUBWISER, Oxford's finest, indeed legendary, reggae band will get you in the mood for fun.
SPRING OFFENSIVE are a relentlessly inventive guitar band complete with rich harmonies, pounding rhythms and dark lyrics.
DEAD JERICHOS:  this three piece New Wave / Psychedelic band are Truck regulars and will set the barn jumping once again.
CRASH OF RHINOS are five dudes from Derby in a band. OK!
FLIGHTS OF HELIOS: a drone/popular song/psychedelic ensemble from Oxford.
THE DREAMING SPIRES channel Big Star, Teenage Fanclub and the Everly Bros (via Steventon) on their new album on Clubhouse.
POLEDO, also from Steventon, wielding trashy riffs from the Dinosaur Jr playbook and big beats courtesy of Steve Jobs.
THE LAST REPUBLIC: the next big band to emerge from Wales? Soaring, bittersweet vocal melodies set against a sonic landscape of distorted grandeur!
TREVOR MOSS & HANNAH-LOU, Kent's original and best folk duo currently across the channel recording a new LP.
THE HI & LO– two musicians and a boot full of instruments from Leicestershire. They play stripped down original roots music.

The Temper Trap, British Sea Power and more announced for Truck Festival 2012

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THE TEMPER TRAP, BRITISH SEA POWER, THE LOW ANTHEM, GUILLEMOTS, KING CHARLES, THREE TRAPPED TIGERS, LITTLE COMETS and more will join the already-announced MYSTERY JETS, VILLAGERS, 65 DAYS OF STATIC and GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY! amongst many more on the bill for this year's Truck Festival! 
 
Here's new Truck organiser Ralph Broadbent: "I think this line-up captures the spirit of Truck over the last 15 years – everything that's great about music all in one place, with some of the most creative and independent acts out there, and at £69 for the weekend, it's really affordable!" 
 
We hope you'll agree, this is as good a selection as you'll see anywhere trooping in for Truck's 15th Anniversary on July 20th & 21st at Hill Farm, Steventon. Early Bird tickets have sold out but Weekend tickets are indeed still only £69; they are available now at www.truckfestival.com.
 
THE TEMPER TRAP
Closing the main stage on the Saturday will be The Temper Trap; these Australians sport an international Top 10 hit single, Sweet Disposition, and a 2011 BRIT Award nomination for 'Best International Breakthrough Artist'; this year they're following up that breakthrough with a much-anticipated new album, ‘The Temper Trap’. The new album was recorded at the famed Sound Factory in Los Angeles, with producer Tony Hoffer (Beck, M83,Phoenix) and we look forward to seeing their ambitious live show on the back of a truck…
 
British Sea PowerBRITISH SEA POWER
It's an amazingly long time since BSP graced Hill Farm, which is surprising because they are almost the perfect band for the festival. In an unrelated comment, frontman Yan recently claimed: “I was a big fan of World’s Toughest Trucker on UK Channel 5, which finished a couple weeks ago – especially old dog Rookie who came third. You can probably still see it via the Watch It Again M8! function?” Perhaps he's cryptically expressing his excitement to be back playing at Truck Festival. We'd better do a risk assessment for use of twigs and branches on the stage…
 
Oh my God, THE LOW ANTHEM!
We are delighted to add this talented and creative band; they embody the DIY spirit of Truck Festival, self-releasing their break-out 3rd album "Oh, My God, Charlie Darwin", screen-printing the covers themselves and heading out on the road to promote it. Last year, as well as following up with "Smart Flesh", produced by Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, they dished out a free album for fans under the alter-ego "Snake Wagon". The epic sweep and rustic roots of their music will sound great on the back of a truck at Hill Farm, that is for sure!
 
GUILLEMOTS
Fyfe Dangerfield & co recently played instore at Truck Store and mentioned that they had somehow never played Truck Festival, and the new organisers instantly moved to correct that! As well as having mass appeal and hit albums, the band are constantly evolving and putting out interesting music, which makes them a perfect band for Truck too. Drummer Greig Stewart has close links with the Oxford area so we're glad to welcome him along to Truck to play – finally!
And that’s not all:
 
KING CHARLES has toured with Mumford & Sons, Noah & the Whale and Laura Marling, but has a style and bohemian panache all of his own, "part of that tradition of uniquely English, psych-inflected pastoral whimsy", and our scouts saw it for themselves at a recent Oxford show. His debut album comes out in May. We also welcome VADOINMESSICO, an elusive collective from London with accordions, harmonies, and even a remix by Crystal Fighters. Mysterious! and FEDERATION OF THE DISCO PIMP: Maybe you've listened to ex-Red Dwarf man Craig Charles' funk show on 6 Music, in which case you'll have heard these guys: Scotland’s premier exponents of modern funk, alright! and this just in: LITTLE COMETS will be bringing their hard-touring guerilla-gigging bandwagon all the way from Tyneside, for one night in July!
 
The much-requested London noise-rockers THREE TRAPPED TIGERS will be closing the Barn on Saturday which will doubtless be a very special occasion. Before them, just in case you missed it, we have announced the line up for the Alcopop Records and Big Scary Monsters takeover (4-9pm Saturday, The Barn). They will be bringing with them: JOHNNY FOREIGNER, TALL SHIPS, BRONTIDE, TALONS, GUNNING FOR TAMAR & MY FIRST TOOTH. Sweeeeet! These labels, and bands, represent what the Barn stage is all about and no doubt the famous cowshed will be heaving throughout!
 
Of course, there are many more artists still to be added, including many local acts; we are accepting BAND SUBMISSIONS until 1st April 2012. After this date, no further submissions will be considered. To apply, bands can send an email with links to 2-3 recordings on Soundcloud or Youtube to: [email protected]. We ask them not to send MP3s or other audio files or large photos as attachments (these clog the inbox), and please don’t try to send us physical packages- we haven’t got anywhere to put them!
 
We've also launched a new website with all kinds of information about the festival at  www.truckfestival.com.  Tickets can be purchased there for this year's 15th Anniversary back-to-basics truckstravaganza! Tickets are also on sale at Truck Store, Oxford and will soon also be available at Remade Guitars, Abingdon.

Truck Festival announce Wood Field and Wood Stage

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Home to the family camping area, the kids tent, workshops for all ages and green initiatives, the field will be centred around the Wood Stage and will include many of the features that have made the award-winning Wood Festival such a delight. Oxford Playhouse will be providing a number of activities for children through their learning team and will be staging an outdoor production of ‘The Secret Garden’.
 
Just as with the rest of the Truck Festival line-up, the Wood Stage promises some real treats. The stage will be programmed on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th July by the Oxford Folk Festival. Team Truck were very sad that the wonderful Oxford Folk Festival was forced to cancel earlier this year, having appreciated it as one of the best folk events out in the UK for some time, but they’re very happy they can give it a home at Truck Festival this summer with two days of the best in folk and roots. Acts include Karen Tweed’s No 1 Ladies’ Accordion Orchestra (does what it says on the tin with about 15 accordionist’s), up-and-coming hushed songwriter Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Heidi Talbot, Kris Drever, Dana and Susan Robinson, Pilgrim’s Way, Monument Valley, Rachael Dadd and Truck Festival favourite (and Robin and Joe’s sister) Katy Rose & the Cavalry Parade.
 
Friday 22nd July will see the Wood Stage graced by Gabriel Prokofiev’s NonClassical, who returns after an acclaimed visit to Truck a couple of years ago, Consortium 5 (a recorder quintet) and Juice Vocal Ensemble amongst others still to be announced.
 
The Wood Field will be a festival within a festival for those who wish that Wood could happen more than once a year, although of course it’s within easy reach of the rest of the great music and entertainment taking place all over Hill Farm for those who want to sample all the treats of Truck. One of the other hits at Wood, the Kitstock tent, will also be coming to Steventon, creating another relaxed, chilled out space at the other end of the newly designed site.
 
Weekend tickets for Truck are still less than £100 taking the prize for the best value mini-holiday music lovers could wish for in 2011.
 
FULL TICKET DETAILS
£99   Truck Festival adult weekend ticket                                         
£79   Truck Festival young person (13-17) weekend ticket  
£40   Truck Festival adult Friday & Sunday day tickets
£33   Truck Festival young person (13-17) Friday & Sunday day tickets
£45   Truck Festival adult Saturday day ticket
£38   Truck Festival young person (13-17) Saturday day ticket
                                   
All ticket prices subject to booking fee
Please note under-12’s go free and under-18’s must be accompanied by an adult
 
AVAILABLE FROM
Online via www.thisistruck.com and www.seetickets.com 
By phone on 0844 854 1350
In person at Truck Store, 101 Cowley Road, Oxford (01865 793 866) and other shop outlets.

Truck Festival announce Graham Coxon, The Go! Team and more

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Hosting on Friday will be Transgressive Records. Label co-founder and director Toby L: “Transgressive has a rich history with Truck. An independent event with true distinction and personality, the line-ups are always brave and innovative. Hosting the second stage is a great opportunity for us to introduce a slew of new signings from our roster (for instance, the entrancing Mechanical Bride, the solo auteur Marques Toliver, fast rising Dry the River and punk all-girl choir Gaggle), as well as celebrate with a couple of older, more familiar names (our headliners Graham Coxon and Johnny Flynn). We look forward to spending the weekend with you all.”

Saint Etienne (previously announced) will headline the Heavenly Recordings programme on the Saturday. We welcome as special guest the inspirational Orange Juice singer, solo artist and survivor Edwyn Collins, alongside Cherry Ghost, Sea of Bees, Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou, The Rockingbirds and James Walbourne.Saturday on the Clash Stage will take on a celebratory feel as Heavenly mark a special moment, as label founder and boss Jeff Barrett explains: “Heavenly Recordings can think of no better place to celebrate it’s twenty first birthday than at the ever wonderful Truck festival.” Good job there are late night DJ sets lined up from Justin Robertson and Richard Norris (Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve) to keep the birthday shindig going into the early hours.

Sunday’s hosts will be Bella Union. Simon, Mark, Luke and Anika at the label sum up why they’re joining the Truck family this July: “Bella Union has never been into expansion and empire building just for the sake of it, we love to keep things small and manageable. And yet we love to branch out and spread the love far and wide. Curating stages at festivals and starting the radio show have been recent developments and working with the fine folks at Truck, putting together such a wonderful line-up for the Sunday has been a real treat.” Previously announced John Grantwill headline Bella Union’s bill, alongside Oxford music legend Philip Selway of Radiohead, performing material from his warmly-received solo record. Dean Wareham (playing the songs of his legendary band Galaxie 500) joins us from New York, and Alessi’s Ark, Treefight for Sunlight, Lanterns on the Lake and Cashier No9complete this specially curated day.

Truck 14 is shaping up to be something truly special, defined by the personal touches, unique collaborations and the independent spirit that has always been the calling card of this much-loved festival. Festival organiser Robin Bennett gives an insight into this year’s plans:

“At Truck we’ve always been inspired by the best independent labels, whether Creation Records taking on the mainstream, the wackiness of Apple Records, or the DIY spirit of Chemikal Underground. We have the utmost respect for those which survive and thrive while putting out great and interesting music; this year we decided to introduce a major new stage at the festival and thought, why not get some of the best current independent labels to programme a day of acts each? So we’re welcoming Transgressive, Heavenly and Bella Union to do just that. They are all great labels because they have great people behind them, tight gangs who are passionate about keeping the flame of original music alive in our present X-Glee-Pop-Factor world (just as we at Truck try to keep the corporate-blandification of festivals at bay and present a real alternative for music-lovers hungry for the genuine article).

They’re bringing with them amazing artists and all-time greats like Edwyn Collins, Philip Selway and Graham Coxon; when we were waking the neighbours with our teenage-garage-band versions of Blur and Radiohead numbers, Joe and I didn’t imagine that members of said bands would be taking to the stage in our home village a few years later. Truck Festival, like us, has come a long way. Bring it home!”

And the news doesn’t stop there today, the stellar line-up on the Truck Stage also continues to grow with the following additions:

Sonic adventurists The Go! Team, Tunng and country royalty Justin Townes Earle take to the Truck Stage on Sunday before the Truck Festival All-Stars, a specially-assembled cast lead by Robin and Joe, close the festival weekend with a grand Last Waltz-style finale. Previous Truck headliner with Idlewild, Roddy Woomble will roll into Steventon on Saturday to play the main stage alongside Two Fingers of Firewater while Admiral Fallow and Pete Molinari continue the Friday feeling of the best roots and alternative country on the Truck Stage.

Weekend tickets for Truck are still less than £100, taking the prize for the best value mini-holiday music lovers could wish for in 2011. Cabaret, comedy, theatre, cinema, a dedicated Family Field, luxury camping options and the legendary after-dark party spot Boxford all add up to make Truck Festival a truly special destination this July.

TICKET DETAILS

£99 Adult weekend ticket
£79 Young person (13-17) weekend ticket
£40 Adult Friday day ticket
£33 Young person (13-17) Friday day ticket

Includes Bellowhead, The Duke & The King and Transgressive Records programme with Graham Coxon, Johnny Flynn and more

£45 Adult Saturday day ticket
£38 Young person (13-17) Saturday day ticket

Includes Gruff Rhys, Roddy Woomble and Heavenly Recordings programme with Saint Etienne, Edwyn Collins and more

£40 Adult Sunday day ticket
£33 Young person (13-17) Sunday day ticket

Includes Truck Festival All-Stars, The Go! Team, Tunng and Bella Union programme with John Grant, Philip Selway and more

All ticket prices subject to booking fee

Please note under-12’s go free and under-18’s must be accompanied by an adult

AVAILABLE FROM

Online via www.thisistruck.com and www.seetickets.com

By phone on 0844 854 1350 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            0844 854 1350      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

In person at Truck Store, 101 Cowley Road, Oxford (01865 793 866 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            01865 793 866      end_of_the_skype_highlighting) and other shop outlets.