Splendour Festival

10/07/2009

Glen Parver talks you through Nottingham's Splendour Festival

Splendour Festival - Half price tickets for Nottingham City Council tax payers
PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!

If you're from Notts and you want to be part of the Summer Festival scene, you don't have to travel to another city, spend hundreds of pounds on tickets and hours pitching a tent, only to go to the toilet in a small plastic box that stinks like Jeff Capes' jockstrap.

Instead you can get your festie fix by simply catching a bus to Wollaton Park. For the measly price of £30 per adult (or the even more bargainous £15 if you live within the City of Nottingham), you can spend a day out in the sun, watch some great acts and then go home to your creature comforts afterwards. Splendour is the brainchild of Nottingham City Council and - in our opinion – a fantastic use of our council tax (and they also make a bit of money back, too). This year’s line-up includes…

Madness
Madness first formed in 1976 as The North London Invaders, and went on to dominate the eighties with songs like One Step Beyond, Baggy Trousers and It Must Be Love. During the first six years of that decade alone they spent a record 214 weeks in the UK singles charts. After a long break, they reformed in the nineties with a series of festival-sized gigs known as Madstock to more than 75,000 people per time in Finsbury Park, London. Apparently during the stomp frenzy of One Step Beyond, several local residents reported an earthquake to the police. Let’s hope Wollaton residents keep a watchful eye over any ornaments...

The Pogues
Nottingham’s first chance to see Shane MacGowan’s new gnashers! Yes, everyone’s favourite Irishman of many words and few teeth has actually gone and got himself a whole new set of dentures. Of course, there’s more to The Pogues than just their wreckhead of a frontman. The rest of the band include tin whistle player Spider Stacy, guitarist Phillip Chevron and bass player Darryl Hunt, who spent over a decade living in Nottingham after studying fine art here in the seventies. With hits such as Fiesta, A Pair of Brown Eyes and Fairytale Of New York under their belt, The Pogues’ gigs are known for their hardplaying, hard-drinking and hard-jigging shows. Q Magazine listed them as one of the fifty bands you have to see before you die. Now’s your chance!

Fun Lovin’ Criminals
In the early nineties Hugh Morgan (aka Huey), Brian Leiser (aka Fast) and Steve Borgovini (aka Steve-O) all worked together at a club in New York and decided to form a band, covering for any acts that didn’t show up. On one of these nights, an executive from EMI was in the crowd and offered them a record deal. Fast forward a couple of years and they released their debut album Come Find Yourself – a mix of rock, hip-hop and lounge music. It flopped drastically in their home country and they were about to be dropped from the label when suddenly and surprisingly it took off over here due to hits like Scooby Snacks, King Of New York and Bombin’ The L. From there they released four more studio albums and a Greatest Hits compilation. They still love touring and are always a fun band to see live.

Imelda May
An Irish female vocalist who has shared the stage with the likes of Jools Holland, Elton John, Elvis Costello and Scissor Sisters. Imelda has released two studio albums (No Turning Back and Love Tattoo) and was voted best Irish female at this years Meteor Music Awards.

The Rifles
Straight outta Chingford, The Rifles were inspired to form a band at an Oasis concert in Knebworth. So far they’ve released two albums - No Love Lost (produced by Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie) and Great Escape.

Kid British
According to The Guardian, these guys are ‘the best new band in Manchester’. Varying between ska and indie in style, their debut album It Was This Or Football was released on Mercury Records earlier this year.

Dog Is Dead
The hot young things on the Nottingham music scene – and when we say young we mean young. They’re barely old enough to legally buy a drink in a pub, yet their mix of pop and nu jazz has brightened up many a live venue.

Natalie Duncan
Nottingham's answer to Nina Simone will be representing in the LeftLion Courtyard stage. Listen out for her sultry and smokey soul and jazz vocals.

Yunioshi
Fresh from Glastonbury and ready for their Summer Sundae festival gigs, Nottingham's finest pioneers of space-pop will also be representing on the LeftLion stage.

In addition to all this there will be a comedy stage at the festival (line-up to be confirmed, but expect some fresh local and national acts), a funfair, stalls and a kids’ area. Plus, it goes without saying that LeftLion will be heavily involved in the festival again this year, representing in the Courtyard with a selection of the finest local talent you’ll have seen since, well, when we did it last year.

Discounted tickets for city residents (£10 for 11-17 year olds and £15 for 18+) can be purchased from Rock City, the Royal Centre and City Council Leisure services. Just bring some identification confirming your NG1-NG10 postcode. Standard entry tickets (£30 for adults, £15 for 11-17 year olds) can be purchased at the same venues. Kids under 10 get in free.