Friday, August 29, 2008
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Friday, August 29, 2008 |
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essexuncovered keep you updated on all the latest news from the V Festival 2004, as it’s released… Check out the photos taken at V 2004
Grolsch Summer Set to be a Scorcher! The Grolsch Summer Set is back! From 4th - 8th August, Grolsch will return to the stunning courtyard at Somerset House on London's embankment to host five nights of music from a diverse range of exciting artists. This year Grolsch has raised the stakes by adding more dates and securing the perfect line up for a balmy summer evening of quality music and chilled beer. AIR Wednesday 4th August Tickets priced at £23.00 TURIN BRAKES Thursday 5th August Tickets priced at £23.00 BASEMENT JAXX Friday 6th August Tickets priced at £22.50 BEVERLEY KNIGHT Saturday 7th August Tickets priced at £22.50 SNOW PATROL Sunday 8th August Tickets priced at £18.50 Great things are never rushed, so additional support acts will be announced in good time! All those that attended last year's event will remember the likes of Ash, Morcheeba and the Gotan Project playing against the backdrop of the grandiose open-air courtyard at Somerset House. All three events were packed out with over 9,000 music lovers chilling to summer sounds in the heart of the capital. Once again you can look forward to a perfect combination of quality live music, cold beer and good company. For further information check out www.grolsch.co.uk
HOLD ON TIGHT, V’S COMING ROUND FAST… …THE KILLERS, along with DEEPEST BLUE & SYNTAX confirmed in the line-up! You’ve been warned: prepare yourself for a hit of pure Las Vegas indie pop at V this summer. Festival organisers have just confirmed that desert-dwelling kings of cool, The Killers will be bringing their ‘marvellously buoyant’ sounds to the line-up this summer. Joining Nevada’s finest will be masters of the contemporary pop anthem, Deepest Blue, and electronic dance duo Syntax, who will be shaking up the JJB/Puma arena at Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffs, on 21st and 22nd of August. It had to happen eventually. When you survey previous exports from the city of Las Vegas - a ragtag assortment of suspect hair metal bands, one-hit wonder Toni Basil, and Andre Agassi - it was only ever going to be a matter of time until a group would emerge from Sin City and wipe the slate ceremoniously clean, giving the inhabitants of that Nevadan outpost some fresh hope and an escape from their culturally underperforming past. The unique habitat in which The Killers developed – “a world of snuff and nonsense where hermaphrodites dance in casino halls and boyfriends murder girlfriends over bottles of bourbon” (NME, 01.06.04) – as well as their mind-bogglingly kaleidoscopic musical influences (Morrissey, Bowie, Ocasek, Gallagher, Presley, Smith, Sumner, Corgan, Cocker, Byrne, Lennon, to name but a few…), have gone towards creating a band so clearly the product of their environment and yet so perfectly adapted to becoming a truly dominant species in the world of pop. Hailed as “unashamedly joyous indie pop with a sheen of retro cool” by Time Out (01.06.04), The Killers’ debut album, ‘Hot Fuss’, infused with exuberant, irrepressible indie pop, is set to make stars of the Nevadan four-piece in 2004. With music “built to tug you on to the dancefloor”, The Killers’ appearance at V Festival this summer is sure to be a murderously marvellous experience. With their own brand of radio friendly, intelligent and uplifting contemporary pop anthems, lyrically accomplished and musically innovative duo, Deepest Blue, are currently scoring big. The brainchild of Israeli born producer and classically trained violinist Matt Schwartz, and singer/songwriter/unassuming wunderkind with a complete commitment to his music Joel Edwards, the artistic meeting of minds is central to Deepest Blue. Having worked with a wide variety of some of the biggest names in music (most notably Massive Attack), their inspired lyrics, and polished but fresh sound is down to their eclectic taste and combined musical trainings. With their smart, infectious, expertly crafted pop music, and their live set in V’s JJB/Puma Arena, Deepest Blue are all set to irreversibly capture the imagination of music lovers in 2004. Who knew that when Syntax’s Mike Tournier and Jan Burton shut themselves into a West London studio to jam, drink, and stir up the spirits of dark hybrid electronic music, it would be the starting point for one of the great synthesiser blues adventures? By chance, a wandering rock singer manque from Wales and a respected avant-dance producer from London had found a majestic route forward out of the repetitive beat trap of pure electronic grooves. A brand spankingly new, vocal-lead, post-electronic band, grafting bloody poetry, fractured states of mind, fevered emotions, and narratives of lust, death, life and hope onto a deep knowledge of club music, and an instinctive love for the Dionysian, epic possibilities of rock, Syntax are poised to be one of the most effective new crossover groups out there in 2004. With their gliding electro hymns and cyber beats of rare gravitas, they’re most definitely going to be one to keep a sharp eye on at V this summer. The line up so far… THE STROKES € DIDO € MUSE € PIXIES € KINGS OF LEON € MASSIVE ATTACK € N.E.R.D € PRIMAL SCREAM € PINK € THE THRILLS € ATHLETE € BADLY DRAWN BOY € FAITHLESS € JET SNOW PATROL € KEANE € JAMIE CULLUM € JAMELIA € THE CHARLATANS € STARSAILOR € BASEMENT JAXX € SCISSOR SISTERS € KOSHEEN € BIG BROVAZ € ELBOW € BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB € THE DIVINE COMEDY € THE ZUTONS € HUMAN LEAGUE € BEVERLEY KNIGHT € DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL € € THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS € FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE € GROOVE ARMADA € RONI SIZE € CHICANE € AMY WINEHOUSE € AUDIO BULLYS € KANYE WEST € HAL € MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY € THE KILLERS € THIRTEEN SENSES € PHOENIX € DEEPEST BLUE € SYNTAX
NME STAGE SET TO ROCK... THREE MORE ADDITIONS TO THE LINE-UP! THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS € HAL € FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE Brace yourself for a barrage of summer festival anthems! Organisers have confirmed three more acts for the NME stage at this year's V Festival, providing music fans with an unbeatable line up that veritably rocks. Oklahoma's most irresistible musical export, The All American Rejects, Dublin four-piece, Hal and New York ambassadors of pop-rock, Fountains of Wayne, will be joining other NME favourites on the stage, including Kings of Leon, Jet, Elbow, Keane, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Scissor Sisters, The Zutons, and Starsailor, at Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffs on the 21st and 22nd of August. Hotly-tipped as being on a crash-course to success, these three additions are headed straight for the Nation's diskdrives in 2004, but V-fans will be given the chance to get ahead of the game when they witness a set of live performances to remember this summer. Festival Director, Bob Angus commented: "We're delighted to continue to announce such quality acts. The British music scene has been unrivalled for some time now, and we're excited about creating a bit of healthy competition by welcoming stateside imports like The All American Rejects and Fountains of Wayne, together with The Strokes and Kings of Leon, into the line-up. V Festival 2004 looks set to be one to remember well beyond August!” Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler are The All American Rejects, and they're proud of it. Growing up in Stillwater, Oklahoma - a place which in their own words "pretty much screams unexcitement", where they spent years passing each other in school halls - neither founding members of The All American Rejects suspected the other was seriously into music, though apparently each had good reason to be. Each spent years watching rock music videos, listening to metal, grunge and punk, and relentlessly practising on their guitars. They eventually paired up after stints in bands in junior high and quickly locked onto a music-making method that has worked for them ever since. With material derived from real life, and infused with insightful lyrics, unforgettable pop-rock melodies, and an irresistible, head-bobbing, locomotive energy all of their own, All American Rejects are on the up. The band's performance at the V Festival, where they'll be showcasing their freshest material, will surely guarantee them a tribe of newly-devoted followers. Taking their name from '2001 A Space Odyssey's' homicidal computer and songwriting hero Hal David, Dublin four-piece Hal are a band with a confident musical swagger and rightly so - they're one of the bands to look out for in 2004. Their sound recalls a pre-punk era when there was no shame in the power of well-crafted emotional pop. Theirs is off kilter, 21st Century blue-eyed soul, country-flecked harmony-pop and it's coming to claim your 2004. Brothers Dave and Paul Allen, together with fellow bandmates Stephen O'Brien and Brian Murphy, have played across Ireland as well as on the recent NME UK tour, learning the stagecraft that's currently propelling them towards great things. The endless nights they've spent honing their songwriting on an eight track home studio over the last four years is now proving fruitful for Hal: they are emerging as an astonishingly accomplished and musically mature band. With their appearance on the NME stage, V Festival will be raising the curtain this summer on a band that combine the strut of a young group at the top of their game with the songwriting chop of artists twice their age. Named after a lawn ornament store in Wayne, New Jersey, and already hailed as masters of the three-and-a-half minute pop song in their homeland, New York-based quartet Fountains of Wayne are known for crafting witty, wistful, and instantly memorable character portraits. Lauded for their witty take on pop, MOJO Magazine recently included Fountains Of Wayne in their book, "The Greatest Albums Of All Time", calling the band "almost better than anything, ever." With the recent hit 'Stacey's Mom', and their fresh album release - 'Welcome Interstate Managers' - the group are currently tackling such time-honoured pop subjects as love and work, together with their own witty takes on the topics of frustrated commuters, drunken salesmen, clip-on ties and lawn mowing. Led by songwriters Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood and their trademark power-pop, laced with trashy guitar rock, pop-orchestral flourishes, laid-back shuffle, hints of 60's psychedelia, and even country, Fountain's of Wayne are to take the UK by storm in 2004, starting with the unleashing of their infectious melodies on V Festival revellers. The line up so far... THE STROKES € DIDO € MUSE € PIXIES € KINGS OF LEON € MASSIVE ATTACK € N.E.R.D € PRIMAL SCREAM € PINK € THE THRILLS € ATHLETE € BADLY DRAWN BOY € FAITHLESS € JET SNOW PATROL € KEANE € JAMIE CULLUM € JAMELIA € THE CHARLATANS € STARSAILOR € BASEMENT JAXX € SCISSOR SISTERS € KOSHEEN € BIG BROVAZ € ELBOW € BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB € THE DIVINE COMEDY € THE ZUTONS € HUMAN LEAGUE € BEVERLEY KNIGHT € DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL € THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS € FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE € GROOVE ARMADA € RONI SIZE € CHICANE € AMY WINEHOUSE € AUDIO BULLYS € KANYE WEST € HAL € MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY € THIRTEEN SENSES € PHOENIX € ...with more to be announced! 2004 will see V Festival organisers take their support of new talent a step further with the introduction of a new band stage for the first time ever. Over the years V Festival line-ups have always included a proportion of new acts but this year talented but lesser known acts will be given a dedicated platform to introduce their new sounds to music lovers. Tickets for this year's V Festival have nearly ALL gone! All camping tickets have now completely sold out and there are only a very limited number of day tickets still available. To purchase the few remaining tickets call the credit card hotline number 0870 405 0447 or visit www.vfestival.com <http://www.vfestival.com/> . Tickets are priced at: £46.50 for a one-day pass and £82.50 for a weekend pass. If you're unfortunate enough not to get your hands on a pair of tickets to V Festival this year, the whole weekend will be broadcast live on Virgin Radio, including the live sets from headliners The Strokes, Muse and Dido. Those eager to get a slice of the action ahead of the live event can also check out the V Festival 2004 video on the Virgin Radio website for a preview of some of the acts set to perform this year.
…5 MORE REASONS TO BE AT V THIS YEAR… AMY WINEHOUSE € “AUDIO BULLYS” € KANYE WEST € MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY € PHOENIX Today’s addition of five great new artists takes music-lovers one step closer to what’s shaping up to be the greatest V Festival of all time! Entering the mix this week and joining the already 37 strong line up are: Amy Winehouse, “Audio Bullys”, Kanye West, Mull Historical Society and Phoenix. An eclectic mix in themselves, these five acts will join headliners The Strokes, Dido, Muse and Pixies for a musical extravaganza to remember, taking place simultaneously at Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffordshire on 21st and 22nd August 2004. Amy Winehouse is back this year, after her debut V appearance in 2003, to unleash her trademark soulful tones. “Audio Bullys” will also be bringing their unique ‘electro fizz’ to the JJB/Puma stage and hip hop lovers can enjoy the chart-topping, laid back beats that have earned Kanye West a succession of hits over recent months. Mull Historical Society will be adding his unique combination of seventies country-rock meets folk and pop, while Phoenix will be providing their infectious brand of catchy feel-good pop for festival goers. V Festival Director Bob Angus Comments: “It’s a blistering mix of Jazz, Indie, House, Hip Hop and Rock - today’s announcement is a great example of what V’s about – a diverse range of artists giving their all at two sites over two days!” The line up so far… THE STROKES € DIDO € MUSE € PIXIES € KINGS OF LEON € MASSIVE ATTACK € N.E.R.D € PRIMAL SCREAM € PINK € THE THRILLS € ATHLETE € BADLY DRAWN BOY € FAITHLESS € JET SNOW PATROL € KEANE € JAMIE CULLUM € JAMELIA € THE CHARLATANS € STARSAILOR € BASEMENT JAXX € SCISSOR SISTERS € KOSHEEN € BIG BROVAZ € ELBOW € BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB € THE DIVINE COMEDY € THE ZUTONS € HUMAN LEAGUE € BEVERLEY KNIGHT € DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL € THIRTEEN SENSES € GROOVE ARMADA € RONI SIZE € CHICANE € AMY WINEHOUSE € AUDIO BULLYS € KANYE WEST € MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY € PHOENIX Born and raised in North London, Amy Winehouse is the vivacious owner of what has been described as “one of the most extraordinary voices to be heard in pop music for years”. She spent her teenage years balancing school and boyfriends, with hours locked in her bedroom, ears glued to classic song chord changes. Winehouse may sound like a 40s jazz singer to many, but she has an uncanny knack for using forefront beats and lyrics. Like any inquisitive city kid, Amy went through phases, sampling everything from grunge to Jimi Hendrix. By the time she was 16, Winehouse’s investigation of the boundaries of music and the development of a broader musical education was in full swing, with favourites that included Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The Roots and Erykah Badu. Gradually, the smoking grooves, jazz enunciation and feisty attitude came together to form Amy's own thing. Following on from her appearance at V Festival 2003, Winehouse’s eagerly anticipated and engrossing debut album “Frank” was released last October to critical acclaim. Written in the main by Winehouse and crowned as “one of the most impressive British debuts in years”, her debut album was a work naturally grown from teenage passions, innate skills and on-going curiosity. Crucially, Amy's musical debut revealed an utterly unique, genre-challenging artist, who – bolstered by her performance at V Festival this summer - is destined for even greater things in 2004. In 2000, Phoenix’s ‘genre-splicing’ debut, “United”, blazed a trail across the music industry. What Soulwax would sound like if they replaced the rock with some pure unadulterated pop, music aficionados and critics alike were all captivated with France’s latest house music pioneers, and with good cause: Phoenix’s work has been consistently characterised by great composition, great performances, great production and attention to detail. With the March 2004 release of the group’s second album, ‘Alphabetical’, an utterly complete and uncompromising work, Phoenix have truly built on their unrivalled reputation. The group have characteristically drawn on a wide range of disparate influences to create a ‘musical idiom’ that is both coherent and profoundly original. As their latest release has shown, Phoenix have the knack of flawlessly and uniquely unifying the seemingly incompatible – their work is never artificial nor laboured, but characterised by remarkable diversity and coherence. With their latest single ‘Run Run Run’ recently receiving massive airplay, Phoenix are destined for mainstream success this year, A band whose work has been hailed as ‘a work of true genius’, and ‘a magical journey into sound’, is certainly a very welcome addition to V Festival’s 2004 line up. London-bred “Audio Bullys” compel you to rake over the coals of new wave, ska and punk for reference points: it seems odd for a band who were both barely born in 1980. But name checking The Specials, Bob Dylan and the Beatles alongside Biggie Smalls and Method Man, Blondie and the Police next to early hardcore and jungle tunes, songwriter Simon has no prejudices about when and where music’s come from. His lyrics tell small-scale tales of young urban life: micro sagas of street corners and party politics. The DJ half of the Bullys, Tom had his decks at 16 and was a resident at London club Milk N’ 2 Sugars when he was 17. The “Audio Bullys’” music is born of bored youth's enthusiasm, doing for West London's less glamorous suburbs what Paul Weller did for Woking and lobbing the same grenades the Damned chucked at Croydon. They’re the ghost of Ian Dury getting down at Twice As Nice, the sound of The Sex Pistols if they played the Ministry rather than the 100 Club. Undoubtedly one of Hip Hop’s most talented and accomplished young producers, Chicago-bred aural architect Kayne West has firmly established his place as one of the genre’s most important new voices. West caught his big break when his work attracted the attention of decision-makers at Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records, who lauded his soulful approach to hip hop production, but it was a life-changing, near fatal car accident in 2002, which inspired West to produce one of the most arresting and triumphant creative statements rap music has ever seen. Just weeks after skirting death, and with his jaw still literally wired shut, he recorded ‘Through the Wire’, a pointed and personal account of the events, resonating with uncanny wit and raw emotion. In essence, Kanye West’s music has arrived not just for the sake of defying expectations, but to express the truisms of every day life as no one in hip-hop has done before. West is set to bring his signature style and unique musical vision to V this summer * For more information on Mull Historical Society, please contact the V Festival press office * Tickets for V Festival 2004 are on sale now, to purchase yours call the credit card hotline number 0870 405 0447 or visit www.vfestival.com <http://www.vfestival.com/> . Tickets are priced at: £46.50 for a one-day pass; £82.50 for a weekend pass and £98.50 for a weekend pass with camping. Tickets for this year’s V Festival have nearly ALL sold out! Our advice to music fans to ensure that they get a slice of what promises to be an unrivalled V Festival experience set to go down in history, is buy them while you can. Weston Park has sold 97% of their camping tickets, ALL Chelmsford camping have sold out, and there are only a very limited number of day tickets still available. Call the box office on 0870 405 0447 for current availability 2004 will see V Festival organisers take their support of new talent one step further with the introduction of a new band stage for the first time ever. Over the years V Festival line ups have always included a proportion of new acts but this year talented but lesser known acts will be given a dedicated platform to introduce their new sounds to music lovers. If you’re unfortunate enough not to get your hands on a pair of tickets to V Festival this year, the whole weekend will be broadcast live on Virgin Radio, including the live sets from headliners The Strokes, Muse and Dido. Those eager to get a slice of the action ahead of the live event can also check out the V Festival 2004 video on the Virgin Radio website for a sneaky peak at some of the acts set to perform this year.
…TWO MORE ACTS CONFIRM FOR V FESTIVAL 2004 GROOVE ARMADA € RONI SIZE “Groove Armada and Roni Size are undisputed leaders in their field
– two quality additions to an already solid line up. Adding their
distinctive sounds to the mix of Indie and Rock acts is testament to
our commitment to providing something for everyone at V Festival.” “Groove Armada and Roni Size will add another dimension to the V
Festival - perfect for those who prefer something a little different.
But it doesn’t end there, over the coming weeks there will be even
more acts added to the ever expanding line up.” One of the most critically acclaimed bands to emerge from dance in
the last four years, Groove Armada are equally revered by the public
plus some very famous fans. Madonna for whom Groove Armada have
completed a remix and Sir Elton John are both Groove Armada
aficionados. Upon Elton John’s request, Groove Armada were
booked to play at America’s ‘Interview’ Magazine’s 30th birthday
party, which he was hosting. Their set was rapturously received
by the likes of Johnny Depp, Calvin Klein, Liz Hurley, Jon Bon Jovi,
Puff Daddy, Moby and Giorgio Armani. Groove Armada’s star is
definitely on the rise but it all began some 8 years ago when
Yorkshire man Andy Cato was introduced by his girlfriend to a group of
Cambridge music makers such as Tim ‘Love’ Lee, the Idjut Boys and a
young man called Tom Findlay. Tom and Andy with the rest of the
group sat around, chatted, listened to records, played bass guitar and
discovered a shared love of jazz, funk, disco and real house.
Throughout their 8 years Groove Armada have stacked up numerous
releases, award nominations and wins and completed a number of hugely
successful tours. Their last album which was released in
November 2002 was the boys 4th studio album, ‘LoveBox’ - named after
the famous club night which they successfully ran / DJ’d at Rouge in
London. The album was met with both commercial and critical
success alike. The singles ‘Easy’ and the ballsy ‘Purple Haze’ were
Top 20 hits and the album went on to sell in excess of 100,000 copies
in the UK. Naturally a sold out UK tour followed including 2
nights at Brixton Academy and ‘LoveBox on a Summers Day’ -
Groove Armada took over Clapham Common on the bank holiday weekend and
hosted the dance event of the Summer. After a break of almost a
year the boys have taken time to absorb new influences and go back in
the studio with fresh ideas. The 28th June 2004 sees the release of
the first Greatest Hits package from the group – ‘Groove Armada: The
Best Of’ – 14 tracks, all fantastic, all memorable, all on one album.
“As full time concert promoters, bringing on new talent has always
been important to us, which is why over the years V Festival line ups
have always included a proportion of new acts. This year we have
decided to take this one step further by giving talented but lesser
known acts a dedicated platform to introduce their new sounds to music
lovers.” Tickets for V Festival 2004 are on sale now, to purchase yours call
the credit card hotline number 0870 405 0447 or visit
www.vfestival.com <http://www.vfestival.com/> . Tickets are
priced at: £46.50 for a one-day pass; £82.50 for a weekend pass and
£98.50 for a weekend pass with camping. If you’re unfortunate enough not to get your hands on a pair of
tickets to V Festival this year, the whole weekend will be broadcast
live on Virgin Radio, including the live sets from headliners The
Strokes, Muse and Dido. Those eager to get a slice of the action
ahead of the live event can also check out the V Festival 2004 video
on the Virgin Radio website for a sneaky peak at some of the acts set
to perform this year. Virgin Mobile will be the headline sponsor of the V Festival for
the fifth consecutive year, one of the longest-standing music
sponsorships in the business. They will be taking the hugely popular
Virgin Mobile Red Light Club to both sites, for a feast of live music
and entertainment in a genuine nightclub on site! Text The Fest and
Foto the Fest will be returning to display festival-goers’ best gags,
observations and declarations of love or lust, which last year
received more than 30,000 messages! An army of Virgin Mobile Angels
will be on hand to help festival-goers pitch their tents, find the
stages, and find their way home after a big weekend of partying! The smartest way to hear about the latest V news is to register for
free V Festival Alerts sent direct to your phone. Virgin Mobile
will send you the latest line up info as it breaks. Plus, you’ll
get traffic, gossip and weather tip offs too. And if you’re a
Virgin Mobile customer, you’ll get a few free beers and the chance to
lord it up in the VIP area too! For Stafford - text 'yes' to 07906 930 002 Visit www.virginmobilelouder.com <http://www.virginmobilelouder.com/>
to win VIP camping tickets plus a great colour Virgin Mobile phone,
and you can chat to other V festival goers in the forum. NME The NME stage and signing tent will once again be the place to be
at this years V 2004 Festival. The NME stage will be hosting some of
the most exciting bands of the festival including NME Award winners
Kings Of Leon and Massive Attack.
Budweiser Budweiser is the official and exclusive beer of the annual V
Festival. The sponsorship is part of Budweiser’s True Music
programme which supports live music events. JJB/Puma Arena Following 4 fantastic festivals, JJB and Puma have teamed up to
sponsor the JJB/Puma Arena at this year’s V 2004 Festival. JJB and
Puma will be featuring competitions in over 400 JJB stores, online and
through the JJB storecard with giveaways such as the chance to win VIP
weekend tickets and the latest in Puma sportswear. JJB are
hosting ticket giveaways online at www.jjb.co.uk <http://www.jjb.co.uk/>
enter and you can receive the latest information on the JJB/Puma Arena
stage line up as soon as it is announced. There’ll also be some
fantastic activities and giveaways at the V Festival weekend itself. B Bar The Bacardi B-Bar, the original festival party, makes a welcome return to V2004 to entertain the most discerning festival goers. Celebrating with a unique blend of the funkiest DJ's and percussionists mixed with world famous cocktails the B-Bar is ready to rock - making 2004 the best V Festival yet...Full line-up to be announce shortly
The Strongbow Rooms The Strongbow Rooms will be at V Festival bringing an exciting
stable of vinyl spinners including DJ Yousef and Lottie, who'll mixing
up the hottest tracks so you can strut your stuff on the dance floor
or just hang out and relax in the sun, while supping on a refreshingly
cold pint of Strongbow. Top comics The Cuban Brothers, will also
be on hand, feeding punters a diet of soulful, sexy tunes inspired by
the beats and breaks of a thousand B Boys – an act that truly combines
music, comedy and dancing. You’d better get practicing some smooth
dance moves for hours of upbeat musical madness! Following last week’s line-up additions, V Festival organisers have come up trumps again adding The Charlatans, Starsailor, Basement Jaxx, Scissor Sisters and Kosheen, to the already impressive bill. They, along with 14 other already confirmed acts, will be supporting joint headliners The Strokes, Dido, Muse and Pixies. The festival, in its ninth year, takes place at its two spiritual homes at Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffordshire on 21st and 22nd August 2004. V Festival Director Bob Angus comments: “The line up for V Festival 2004 is getting bigger and better by the week. Adding Scissor Sisters and Basement Jaxx to the line up is evidence of our commitment to giving festival goers a truly eclectic musical experience ”. V Festival Director Simon Moran Comments: “As the line up expands, ticket availability keeps going down. Tickets have been selling rapidly since going on sale just over two weeks ago and there are no signs of it letting up! Those keen not to miss out on this great line up are urged to get their tickets and fast!” The line up so far… THE STROKES € DIDO € MUSE € PIXIES € KINGS OF LEON € MASSIVE ATTACK € N.E.R.D € PRIMAL SCREAM € PINK € THE THRILLS € ATHLETE € BADLY DRAWN BOY € FAITHLESS € JET SNOW PATROL € KEANE € JAMIE CULLUM € JAMELIA € THE CHARLATANS € STARSAILOR € BASEMENT JAXX € SCISSOR SISTERS € KOSHEEN There is no doubt that The Charlatans can still rock, and rock in consistently intriguing new ways. But just in case there is, fifteen years since forming and nearly three years after the scorching rock’n’soul of Wonderland, they’ve again jinked enthusiastically in a new direction with their soon to be released new album ‘Up At The Lake’. Post-Wonderland, the various members of The Charlatans enjoyed a brief sabbatical. While Tim made a solo album, and toured with a new band (including a couple of stadium support slots with The Rolling Stones), Mark did a bit of production, and toured with Starsailor. The ‘Blunt and Rogers Roadshow’ toured Ireland DJing and party crashing, Tony also produced a single for Moco (which was ‘Single of the Week’ in NME). Meanwhile Jon drummed on some Chemical Brothers tracks. Back together again they will stun V Festival fans with their brand of ‘underground’ rock. It took Starsailor a little while to get here but here they are! When you’re thrust from a run-of-the mill life working in off-licenses, funeral homes and call-centres in Lancashire, to selling a million albums in just a few short months, there’s bound to be a period of adjustment once the clamour quietens down. Principle songwriter, James Walsh, knew that when the touring ended in Spring 2002 the pressure would be on to at least match his first batch of songs. Could he do it? He wasn’t sure. Starsailor’s eagerly awaited second album, ‘Silence Is Easy’, is an album of revelation, both musically and personally. For the band, its writing and recording has reaffirmed their place in the world: their calling is to communicate emotionally through song, simple as. For the rest of us, its revelatory kick is in the further unfolding of a mighty talent. Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe met over an obscure Masters At Work record in Brixton, south London in 1994. Choosing the name Basement Jaxx (Simon had a studio in a basement and the music jacked), their initial ambitions were humble: to put on great parties and produce records which emulated their heroes on the US house scene. Signing to XL, they released their debut album, Remedy, in 1999. An instant classic, it spun ragga, disco and R&B into anarchic new mutations and yielded the hit singles Red Alert, Rendez-Vu, Jump And Shout and Bingo Bango. Their second album, Rooty, released in 2001 was fiercer and rowdier than its predecessor, helping them to win an MTV statuette to add to their Brit (Best Dance Act 2002) and half a dozen Muzik awards (including best group three years in a row). Pop music has exploded in an edgy, sexy, supremely tuneful commotion – thanks to the uncommonly brilliant sounds of the Scissor Sisters. Creative sparks first ignited five years ago, when a then 19-year-old explosion of energy called Jake Shears was introduced to a multi-instrumentalist who goes by the title of Babydaddy. Fired up by a passion for solid songwriting and off-the-wall humour, they joined forces to write hook-studded tunes, adopted NYC as their home – and agreed on a cheeky name that’s caused confusion and provoked many blushes in turn. ‘None of us are lesbians, though,’ say Scissor Sisters, helpfully. Shameless? Absolutely – and infectiously essential, too. Scissor Sisters bring to V Festival 2004 rollicking guitar riffs, throbbing synths and a whole bunch of wicked lyrics. Their influences skitter through glimmers of vintage Bowie, Roxy Music and Elton John to Giorgio Moroder, burlesque theatre and rock opera. Once in a while, a band comes along that doesn’t just ignore the rule book, but rewrites it. Since forming in the late 90’s, Kosheen have proved that success doesn’t have to come on someone else’s terms. Fusing the plaintive, potent vocals of singer Sian Evans with the darkly intimate electronica of Darren Decoder and Markee Substance, Kosheen create songs where the sounds tell the story as much as the lyrics while the boundaries of genres are blurred and challenged. In 2004, individuality remains their calling card placing them as one of the UK’s most exciting, experimental bands. Sunday 4th April - Camping at Chelmsford sold out! V Festival is delighted to confirm that all camping tickets for Hylands Park in Chelmsford site have now sold however, camping tickets are still available for Weston Park in Staffordshire but are being rapidly snapped up by music fans. Day passes and weekend passes without camping are also still available for both festival sites. Festival Director, Bob Angus commented: “Camping tickets have already sold out at phenomenal speed and we haven’t even fully announced the line up. We’ve broken last years record – V has been on sale for 2 weeks, which is a massive achievement for us and shows that V is well and truly established as being a part of people’s summer. With The Strokes, Dido, Muse and Pixies and all other artists playing – we’re confident that this year will be the best V festival ever.” V Festival headliners Muse, commented: “We last played V in 2001 and have been looking forward to coming back since then. It’s a cool festival with a great vibe. The diverse styles of the bands performing always make for a really interesting line up” 30th March - THE LATEST ACTS TO CONFIRM FOR THE V FESTIVAL 2004: FAITHLESS € THE THRILLS € BADLY DRAWN BOY € JET € JAMELIA The line up is getting better and better… Faithless, The Thrills, Badly Drawn Boy, Jet and Jamelia are the latest acts to confirm they will be playing at the mighty V Festival 2004. They will be supporting joint headliners The Strokes, Dido, Muse and Pixies – and nine other acts already confirmed for this year’s V Festival. The festival is once again taking place at its two spiritual homes at Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffordshire on 21st and 22nd August 2004. |
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