WowFest

Following consultations and full consideration, it is with heavy hearts and much regret that we have been forced to announce the postponement of WOWfest 2012.

Putting the festival together, in what is proving to be a very challenging year and with damage inflicted by anti-festival lobbyists, was more difficult than we anticipated. We have spent the last year fighting hard to establish and keep WOWfest in the calendar. Unfortunately circumstances have dictated that this is no longer possible to achieve in 2012.

Although great confidence had initially been shown by the Isle of Wight Council to grant a Premises License for 18,000 rising to 22,000 capacity over a three year period and to further grant permission to run an event of that size under the Isle of Wight Act there are many forces trying to prevent the event happening. There is no doubt of the WOWfest team operational capabilities to deliver such an event.

However, the Isle of Wight Act conditions imposed by the council on the 18^th May required a lump sum payment of over £140,000 for Council and Emergency Services to be brought forward to the 31^st May. The conditions also stipulated the need for a financial bond of an unspecified and potentially unlimited amount to be made to the Isle of Wight Council.

WOW Festivals Ltd informed the Isle of Wight Council and responsible authorities, before the payment deadline for over £140,000 under the Isle of Wight Act fell due, that WOWfest would revert to run a downsized event – under the size (5,000) at which the Isle of Wight Act is invoked. However, the Isle of Wight Council rejected a minor variation application to voluntarily reduce the capacity and hours of operation on our Premises Licence and the Police decided to call for a full licence review, at the start of the Jubilee weekend. Undue and untimely pressure has resulted in one of the organisers suffering a stroke over the Jubilee weekend.

The planned event for 2012 will need to be postponed. Alternatives have been briefly assessed but time is against us and therefore the only sensible decision is to cancel WOWfest 2012 on the Isle of Wight and look to the future in 2013.

Ticket holders for WOWfest 2012 will be refunded.

Whilst we will be in touch with them all separately, in addition to this announcement, we want to openly express our deepest regrets to the artists and to thank all the people, suppliers and contractors who worked so hard with us to try and pull off what has proved to be a monumental task when there have been so many people determined to destablise the event with negative publicity and actions. We also want to send a huge thanks to the partners and people who stuck by us and we are so sorry that we can’t fulfill what we set out to do in 2012.

WOW Festivals Ltd

There is an intentionally eclectic mix of music on offer from the curators of Shaved Fish, which is a result of their high drive to create a unique experience with a real WOW factor that differs from night to night…

On Friday expect to hear an acoustic orientated night with hints of folk and country. Saturday steps up to an Indie rock night with a very exciting new band at the top of the bill, and on Sunday to finish the weekend there is a full on Psychedelia night. It’s a great place to discover something new and enjoy the already excellent WOWfest vibe – created by headline acts such as UB40, Heaven 17 and Madeleine Peyroux, and top DJs including Paul Oakenfold Danny Rampling and Bez from The Happy Mondays.

The team behind Shaved Fish are three island musician amigos Charlie Harris, James Thorpe and Shaun Barker.  The trio have used their time and resources wisely to book some excellent music. 

Charlie is a current university student, studying Music Management and Studio production, alongside juggling a few musical projects and producing artists and bands. Born and raised on the Isle of Wight he entered the music scene at the age of 13, playing in bands and attending local gigs, soaking up what the island has to offer. With a good knowledge of new and fresh music, along with a love for music from previous decades, it is his goal to create an exciting line-up for the Shaved Fish Stage.

James is a self confessed music snob, with a primitive vintage studio set up in the top floor of his Ventnor house and co-running a label under the name Red Squirrel with Shaun and Charlie, he is certainly a man to know if you're in the island scene. James, along with the other two, entered music through playing in a band and live performance, but has followed his interests and ended up in the field of production and recording. His connection to the network of Isle of Wight musicians has proved valuable in the booking of some great music from the island.

Shaun and James come as a pair – it’s rare you'll find them creating music more than 10 feet from each other. As teenagers playing in band together for 8 years and attending the same schools, their interests are naturally fairly mutual. Shaun's involvement in music is, like the others, in production and engineering music and co-running the studio with James, his input into the music made is vital to the Red Squirrel sound.

For these three island lads, this is great personal development in their chosen industry. Not only have they had full control over the musical programming of the Shaved Fish, they also have to organise the whole show. They are doing this with the guidance of the older members of the team but they have met the job full on with energy, enthusiasm and enjoyment. Instead of running competitions like many other festivals, they did email auditions with MP3s and made a selection from thousands of applicants off the island and on the island. The line up is their choice of high quality emerging and current sounds from psychedelia, Indie, jazz to shoegazing and we are pleased to see they chose The Shutes, Pale Seas, JC & Angelina, Raff, Faber, Wos, Kris and Kaf alongside Hugh Verey (founder of Wight Salads now retired).

The Shutes are a widely anticipated 4 piece Alternative Indie Surf band from the Isle of Wight, whose catchy riffs get mass audiences going in their home turf. Recently touring in Europe, The Shutes have released their new EP “Echo of Love” which will be part of their set on the Shaved Fish Stage at WOWfest 2012. The Shutes feature Rob Potter on bass, Chris Jones on drums, Michael Champion on vocals/guitar and David Champion on guitar.

Pale Seas, from Southampton, is a young band tinged with Americana folk jarred with English self-deprication and an intimate nocturnal sound to melt any heart.

Island born brother and sister, JC & Angelina, are well known on the island circuit and to festivals and clubs far afield. Their recordings are original material.