Norman Jay

Latitude reveals further late night lineup additions

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For all those at Latitude who are looking for late night fun and games the i Arena is the place to be this year. On Friday evening revellers can party the night away to the best dancehall sounds, courtesy of popular party crew The Heatwave, who will be bringing a little bit of Notting Hill Carnival to Suffolk. Crowds will be rum drunk and raving with the wickedest performers, scandalous dancers and plenty of banging bashment anthems. 

On Saturday night the party continues with a live set from Mancunian Skittles, whose brand of breakstep, garage and electronica has been receiving lots of love from the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs and Toddla T. Legendary DJ Shy FX will also be rolling out the tunes, expect a flawless set jam packed full of classic jungle and drum ‘n’ bass cuts, plus everything else in between. Don’t miss out on a party with one of the original pioneers of the scene! 

For any Latitude festival goers who don’t ever want the fun to stop, newcomer Tuesday Born is on hand to keep the party alive until the small hours of Monday morning. The 21 year old Londoner will be causing a stir with his fresh and exciting mix of African influenced rhythms and ethereal electronic jams. BBC Radio 1 DJ Mosca will be powering the dance floor with a set drawing on influences far and wide – expect the hottest tracks from the worlds of  dancehall, grime, bashment, garage and house. Joining them is George Fitzgerald, who will be hitting the decks on Sunday evening. The London beatsmith and head of the ManMakeMusic imprint is racking up the fans for his distinctive dubstep, techno and house productions and is a formidable DJ to boot. The perfect end to what promises to be an amazing weekend in the i Arena!

Other areas of the festival will also be hosting a selection of the best DJs and electronic acts to keep the crowds entertained. In The Woods have already lined up DJs Goldierocks, Norman Jay and Fat Camp for a party like no other under the cover of the woods. Over on The Lake Stage Friday evening will feature Latitude favourites Huw Stephens and Moshi Moshi DJs, on Saturday Gareth Porter takes to the decks and rounding up the weekend on the Sunday evening will be all-girl DJ group the Vinyl Vendettas spinning the tunes as the sun slips away. Finally if cutting-edge electronic music is your bag, sets from Apparat, Walls, Dub Boy and The Field will all keep you dancing late into the night… see you there!

UB40 to headline Wowfest and more acts added to lineup

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With a string of top ten hits to their name, UB40 head up a quite outstanding reggae line-up of living legends that already includes the likes of Finley Quaye, The Wailers, Aswad, Maxi Priest and Misty in Roots alongside another dozen acts in what promises to be the finest collection of reggae artistes anywhere in the UK this year.

UB40

And there was further excitement from the Wow camp with news of the exclusive UK appearance of Madeleine Peyroux, from USA, on Sunday on the Blue Angel Stage, for what is to be a great treat for fans of her jazz/folk bohemian style, once discovered busking in the streets of Paris with her soul shaking songs and haunting voice likened to Billie Holliday. This follows the Saturday headline appearance of The Overtones – 5 Irish/English boys updating the swing and fun of be-bop and dee-wop and bringing some good old style back into the modern UK jazz scene. The Blue Angel Stage features some exquisite Jazz acts including the recognisably Jamaican inspired lilts of jazz party trombonist Dennis Rollins in the Velocity Trio and Dominican Cameron Pierre, Dixie chicks Larkin Poe, plus The London Community Gospel Choir, with some more outstanding live appearances still to be announced, ensuring the most impressive selection of Jazz acts in the UK for 2012

And the global party that is Wowfest continues to gathers pace in the afterhours Club Nights with the addition of Roni Size alongside Smith and Mighty for superlative jungle/dubstep/drum and bass night on Friday, whilst Peter Hook, until recently of New Order fame, joins Marshall Jefferson on the ones and twos in a closing Madchester Hacienda themed after hours party on Sunday.

And with the addition of the Alabama 3, Heaven 17, 808 State, Kitten and the Hip, The Pretty Things, and The Blockheads to the Main and Global Stages, with plenty more support acts as well as headliners still to be announced, Wowfest is already shaping up to be an iconic event, with an eclectic mix of House, Reggae, Ska, Jazz, Global and Dance that is already seeing a few envious eyes cast by established festival organisers – with the emphasis firmly on quality rather than excessive quantity of fillers that can sometimes blight other festival line-ups

Tickets are on sale from the event website for a bargain early bird weekend £99 (including free travel on Southern Vectis buses) for limited period only, and many have already snapped up since the announcement of  Paul Oakenfold, Soul 11 Soul, The Beat, Norman Jay, Danny Rampling, The Selecter, Bad Manners, Neville Staple of the Specials, Bez from the Happy Mondays' acid house night, Manos De Dios, Black Roots, Talisman and host of other top names all appearing at Wowfest over the weekend – and with a lot more to come yet.

Wowfest also sees a very promising stage for newer acts evolving – The Shaved Fish stage highlights global and local up and coming bands ensuring that plenty of young unsigned and Isle of Wight talent gets to share the event with some of the classiest live performers alive today. Local and unsigned acts are invited to contact Wowfest HQ to apply for an opportunity to play – see the event website www.wowfest.co.uk for more info about opportunities to perform and get involved with Wowfest – including catering and trading concessions, volunteer stewards and other opportunities to join the festival.

And with a strong green ethos, an emphasis on veggie, locally sourced and organic food, and a tantalizing looking selection of workshops and activities for kids and families in the African Village, plus some fabulous comedy, cabaret, theatre, performance, circus and walkabout, there's plenty more going on than just the superb musical line-up to ensure a truly memorable weekend at what promises to be one of the friendliest and enjoyable weekends this summer

WOWfest is also proud to partner the following charities: Oxfam, Solar Aid, Building Schools for Africa, Sustrans, Vegfam and the IW NHS Juba project.

Tickets are available from www.wowfest.co.uk. 

Winter Sessions Weekender 2012 in Chamonix France

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Confirmed artists so far:
NORMAN JAY, ZERO 7, TROJAN SOUND SYSTEM
MR THING, DK (NINJA TUNES), SOUNDCRASH SOUND SYSTEM
CHEEBA, LAZY HABITS, RUNNING NUMBERS, JON KENNEDY
RUSS JONES, PADDY FREEFORM
and more to be announced…
 
Daytime mountain activities:
MOUNTAIN TOP STAGE & SOUND SYSTEM, SKI & SNOWBOARD COMPETITIONS, MOUNTAIN TOP BAR & BBQ, ALPINE CAKE BAKE OFF, I-POD BATTLE, SPACE TURKEY WRESTLING, BEST ONESIE KING & QUEEN and much more….
 
Renowned as the adventure sports capital of Europe, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc plays home to the two day festival on and off the slopes of the Mont-Blanc Massif.
 
Winter Sessions heart and soul is rooted in creating good time party vibes with storming line up’s echoing out across the Alps. The line up this year brings together an eclectic mix of world class DJ’s and bands covering an array of musical genres to suit every taste; house, electro, drum & bass, hip hop, disco, dub step, ska, roots and reggae.
 
Artists include the legendary Norman Jay (MBE) of Good Times Notting Hill Carnival fame, gold album selling Electronica actZero 7 and roots, reggae, SKA stars – Trojan Sound System (Earl Gateshead & Daddy Ad). Upping the ante even further this year are London’s biggest promoters of the moment, Soundcrash, who have come on board as an official partner to the festival hosting a stage and sound system. Further acts include Mr Thing (Scratch Perverts), DK from the mighty Ninja Tune record label, hip hop ensemble Lazy Habits and Hackney Globe Trotter, Russ Jones bringing a cumbia flavour of beats and bass lines.
 
Alongside the sounds pumping out all weekend, Winter Sessions pays homage to the beautiful setting they are blessed enough to access for the masses – the Mont-Blanc Massif mountain range. Mountain Sessions, the daytime event held in the Snow Park of Les Grand Montets mountain celebrates the defining element of the festival; massive amounts of snow!!Mountain Sessions features ski and snowboard competitions, a stage, sound system, bar and BBQ topped with a collection of hilarious games and attractions including the I-pod Battle, Best Onesie King & Queen, Alpine Cake Bake Off and Space Turkey Wrestling. 
 
If you’re looking for a unique festival experience, this is where it’s at. If you don’t ski or board, don’t let that put you off.Chamonix is the third most visited natural site in the world for some damn good reasons!  Walk into an ice cave of one of the longest glaciers on earth; the Mer de Glace, check out the view from the Aiguille du Midi some 3,842 metres high, gohusky dog sledging or take a helicopter ride around France, Italy and Switzerland in one afternoon.
 
And if you are a winter sports lover, welcome to paradise! Chamonix boasts some of the most amazing terrain in Europe, over 600km of piste – not to mention what you’ll discover off piste. Freeriding at its very best!
 
Whether you’re a corporate group looking for a unique way to entertain some clients or group of mates looking for the most economical package possible, we have something for every need and budget.  
 
Winter Sessions official travel partner, Off The Piste, are offering some unbeatable holiday packages around the Weekender. Bespoke holidays from just £314 pp including 7 nights self catered accommodation, 6 day ski pass and 2 day festival wristband which gives you access to a range of fantastic discounts across the Chamonix valley (skis, boards and boots hire, restaurants, bars & experiences).
 
Corporate and luxury packages are available from official partner, Haute Pursuit, offering all inclusive catered chalet, private driver, helicopter ride and VIP access to all the festival has to offer.
 
Early Bird Weekender tickets are exclusively available from www.soundcrashmusic.com at just £49 until the 31st January 2012. Advance Weekender tickets are available online from a selection of UK & French outlets.

 

House of Fun Weekender

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25th-27th November 2011
 
Madness said of the event. “Life is a series of beautiful moments, this weekend is a moment in time where you can, we hope take some beautiful moments home with you. Please endeavour to introduce yourself to as many as possible, make new friends, dance, sing, laugh, give support, create joy, be decent, spread the love and most of all enjoy yourselves as much as you think is possible, you know it makes sense”
 
Madness
 
With their tenth album currently in the works, Madness will be playing a career-spanning extravaganza over the weekend, with a few extra-special surprises up their sleeves.
 
The weekend will be packed with top class performances from the likes of the mighty los hermanos Cubanos, The Cuban Brothers, DJ Jerry Dammers, beatbox superstar Beardyman and a set from eclectic powerhouse DJ Andrew Weatherall. Heavyweights The Whip will bring the party, and Norman Jay MBE will be providing yet another classic set. Mr Scruff will grace us with more than three hours of freestyle beats,whilst Squeaky Hill, Marc Roberts and Toddla T & MC Serocee will provide the bass driven rhythms. Check out some arcade-electro rhymes from Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, and digital-ska maestros Man Like Me.
 
We have a wealth of comedy acts on show, who will provide side-splitting entertainment just for your pleasure! The amazing talent we have for you includes Bob Mills, Junior Simpson, Nick Wilty, Al Barrie, Kevin McCarthy and Ben Norris with 8-piece horn and percussion ensemble, Brassroots, Wagontails. As if our stellar musical line-up wasn’t enough, we’re also treating you to some of the best comedians around!
 
The amazing ex-Housemartins and Beautiful South singer Paul Heaton will be one to see, along with Marcus Birdman, Gordon Southern, Michael Smiley and incredible improv-rapping with Abandoman. Halifax Hospital Radio’s very own Barry Peters will make a special appearance, with zoot suited soul flavours from The Milk, electro-swingers The Correspondents and Radio 1’s leftfield master Rob da Bank. Don’t miss DJs,Justin Robertson & Greg Wilson or Brit-Rock Poppers Missing Andy. Watch legendary darts players Wayne Mardle & Peter Manley for something a little bit different, or check out late night treats from Marc Roberts and a ninja-mash-up from Jaguar Skills. DJ sets from Don Letts and erstwhile Specials kingpin Jerry Dammers are sure to get you dancing.
 
Future garage don Doorly will be unmissable, along with Marc Roberts and Craig Charles’ Funk and Soul Show. We are in for a treat from El Thommo in the form of Lee Thompson’s Ska Orchestra and the Irish Bar will host odd-ball merriment from Squeaky Hill and sing-along japes with Rockaoke all weekend long. You can score a strike with the Bowling Disco plus there will be a very special Madness Pool Competition.
 
To book the House of Fun Weekender, or for more information, call 0845 070 4730 or visit www.butlins.com/madness (The maximum call charge is 2p per minute from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may vary)

 

The Big Feastival – A Festival With A Heart

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THE FIRST WAVE OF MUSIC REVEALED:

FRIDAY: SOUL II SOUL FEATURING CARON WHEELER /

NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB / NORMAN JAY GOOD TIMES /

DANNY RAMPLING

SATURDAY: THE CHARLATANS / THE MYSTERY JETS /

KURRAN & THE WOLFNOTES

SUNDAY: ATHLETE

MANY MORE EXCITING LIVE ACTS TO BE ANNOUNCED…WATCH THIS SPACE

FANTASTIC FOOD:

LOCANDA LOCATELLI / THE PROVIDORES / WAHACA / FIFTEEN / CANTEEN / BARBACOA / BENARES / REDHOOK /

VINOTECA / CAFE SPICE NAMASTE / GBK /

GIANT ROBOT PRESENT THE VIP BAR

PLUS MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

www.thebigfeastival.co.uk / www.facebook.com/thebigfeastival / @thebigfeastival / #bigfeastival

The Big Feastival is a sensational new three day event on the festival calendar combining mouth-watering food from some of the country’s top chefs with a top drawer selection of the finest live music acts around. The Big Feastival takes place on Clapham Common on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd July, and is the first festival of its kind bringing the best things in life – friends, families, great food and drink and amazing live music – together in one place over one fantastic weekend.

The Big Feastival is a festival with a heart, raising funds for The Prince’s Trust and The Jamie Oliver Foundation to help change the lives of disadvantaged young people. Proving food is the new rock ‘n’ roll The Big Feastival combines London’s finest gourmet experience with the look of an urban village fete and a music festival vibe, creating an extra special big day out for the entire family with food included in the ticket price and best of all kids can go free.

The Big Feastival has a stellar music line up from the hottest pop stars around to some of the most loved bands of the last 20 years entertaining the masses all weekend long. Amongst the first wave of acts announced for Friday July 1st are the majestic Soul II Soul who have reunited with acclaimed vocalist Caron Wheeler and are currently recording material for a brand new album, new wave electro-pop sensations New Young Pony Club, national treasure Norman Jay, who will be on hand to curate The Good Times Bandstand and Shoom legend Danny Rampling. Saturday’s musical entertainment is headed up by one of the UKs most loved bands, The Charlatans, who will be wowing the crowds with an almost unending stream of classic hits, plus there will be Eel Pie Island residents Mystery Jets whose quirky pop will entrance one and all and Kurran and the Wolfnotes who will be adding cutting edge alt-folk action to proceedings. The first name out of the hat for Sunday is Ivor Novello Award Winning indie rockers and South London’s finest Athlete, whose uplifting life-affirming music has made them one of the UKs most successful platinum-selling artists. There is still a wealth of amazing bands and DJs to be announced in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled and keep checking www.thebigfeastival.co.uk for the most up to the minute information.

Jamie Oliver commented: “The Big Feastival is something unique that we’ve wanted to try for a while. A really good festival for everyone with great music AND great food, all for charity. You can buy a music ticket to see the bands, and just enjoy all the extra free entertainment too. But the really great deal is the music and food standard ticket, with five meals from any of our fantastic restaurants included too – and I don’t just mean little mouthfuls, I mean good portions. Kids under 12 go free as well and there’s loads to entertain them like a funfair and brilliant kitchen garden.”

Charlatans Lead Singer Tim Burgess Said: ‘You can’t really argue with Shakespeare and he said that music is the food of love, so there’s always been a link between the two. Festivals were often known for their dodgy burger vans and some gigs were a bit ‘chicken in a basket’, so it’s good to redress the balance and have great bands and fantastic food in the same place.’

Commenting on his involvement with Big Feastival Norman Jay (MBE) said: ‘I’m really honoured to be involved with such a prestigious and worthy event for The Princes Trust and Jamie Oliver Foundation, Good food….. Good music……Good Times!!’

With what will be an unrivalled selection of delicious food on offer, The Big Feastival has a committee of top chefs – who have come together to celebrate all that is good about food in a rock ‘n’ roll environment. Committee members include one of the UK’s finest Italian Chefs and Michelin Star recipient Giorgio Locatelli, former Masterchef winner and Wahaca co-founder Thomasina Miers, The Providores and Tapa Room and Kopapa co-owner Peter Gordon, owner of Milk & Honey, the original secretive speakeasy in Soho, Jonathan Downey and founder of Fifteen Jamie Oliver. Other restaurants supplying sublime sustenance across the weekend will include Benares, Redhook, Vinoteca, Cafe Spice Namaste, Canteen, Barbacoa and Giant Robot who will present the VIP bar, with lots more restaurants still to be announced.

Wahaca Co-Founder & Prince’s Trust Supporter Thomasina Miers Said: ‘The Big Feastival appealed to us from the start as it is all about getting people into cooking, particularly with the emphasis of the charities that we are supporting this year. The Prince’s Trust is one of Wahaca’s main charities it supports so it was an ideal fit for us. I know that our chefs are going to have an amazing time too – it’s going to be so much fun! I can’t think of anything better than being outside in the summer enjoying good food whilst listening to great music!’

Peter Gordon commented: ‘The Big Feastival will be a brilliant weekend of delicious eclectic flavours, sights and sounds. The restaurants are gearing up to feed everyone the most brilliant food and help raise as much as we can. It’s going to be a laugh!’

There’s plenty more incredible attractions and delicious food on offer throughout the weekend from the likes of The British Cheese Board and The People’s Supermarket, plus there will be myriad demonstrations and masterclasses from a wealth of experts including Sophie Grigson, Recipease, Jo Pratt and Rachel Allen, so watch this space for more information.

With a whole host of chefs who will be contributing to One Big Menu that will serve up the most exquisite cuisine available at any festival all summer long, even more music acts and more attractions to be announced make sure you visit www.thebigfeastival.co.uk and follow www.facebook.com/thebigfeastival and @thebigfeastival for more information and don’t forget to tag your tweets #bigfeastival.

Ticket Information:

Ticketline – 0844 888 9991

http://www.ticketline.co.uk/

Friday 1st July: 14:00 – 22:30

Saturday 2nd July: 12:00 – 22:30

Sunday 3rd July: 10:00 – 20:00

Early Bird – £50

Music + Festival Entertainment

Adults – £75

Music + Festival Entertainment + Food (5 Feastival ‘scoffs’)

VIP Tickets (18+) £125

Music + festival entertainment + 5 Feastival scoffs + VIP bar by Giant Robot with unlimited beer wine and soft drinks + non-stop fantastic food

FAMILY (2 adults, 2 children 12-17) – £175

Music + Festival Entertainment + Food (A family receives 16 scoffs between them)

Child Tickets (Aged 12-17*) – £25

Music + Festival Entertainment + Food (3 scoffs)

Child Tickets (Aged 11 And Under) – Free Entry!

*the age you will be on the day of the event

Editors Notes:

The Prince’s Trust

Youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps change young lives. It gives practical and financial support, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation. Every year, The Prince’s Trust supports more than 40,000 disadvantaged 14- to 30-year-olds who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law. One of the charity’s key programmes is ‘Get into’ – short vocational courses that develop young people’s skills in a specific sector such as cooking or hospitality. Last year, more than three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust moved into work, education or training.

The Jamie Oliver Foundation

The Jamie Oliver Foundation’s mission is to educate and empower as many people as possible to love and enjoy good food. This means learning how to cook, understanding where food comes from, and recognizing the power it can have on our health, happiness, and even finances. It does this through teaching, training and employment, and also by making good clear information available to as many people as possible. There are four activities within the Jamie Oliver Foundation: Fifteen Apprentice Programme. Jamie’s School Dinners. Jamie’s Ministry of Food. Jamie’s Food Revolution