Tag Archives: Festivals

What was the best festival of 2014? Olivia Outram spills the Secret

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SGP

The Secret Garden Party

So with the initial line up for 2015 released this week, I think it’s about time to gush a bit about my festival of last summer.

The Music
As the sun went down over the main stage on a balmy Saturday evening Sub Motion Orchestra revealed themselves as the standout performers of the festival for me. Theirs was the kind of bass that makes the earth, not shake, that wouldn’t be the right word, but sway in a luxurious, sensual manner. Ruby Wood’s ethereally jazzy vocals were the cherry on a quite delectably sexy cake. Clean Bandit have really upped their game since doing the festival rounds in 2013, commanding the main stage with tens of thousands of festival goers singing back their lyrics. And for the late night lovers, Sigma “absolutely smashed it” (as Cheryl Cole might say) in Temple of Boom post 3am. My only personal disappointment was standing pride of place on the top platform of the Collisillium, having elbowed hundreds of people out of the way, waiting for this year’s secret act to perform (Chase and Status again…) at the stroke of midnight – Only to be left waiting… and waiting… and waiting… Rumour has it they finally rocked up over two and a half hours late. Not. Cool.

The Locale
This really was the ultimate adult’s playground, whether you like it colourful, eerie, hard-core or filled with sunflowers, there was a playground for every personality. There was also the option of swimming in the lake, which might sound spontaneous but after you’d donned your sexiest swimsuit you were left standing in line for the best part of an hour waiting to be refreshed (or, let’s be honest, have a replacement bath). To be fair the excessive queue was no doubt due to the scorchingly hot weather we enjoyed at SGP this year (Sorry (not sorry) to all of you who pinned your festival hopes and dreams on Glastonbury but forewent your summer glow for trench foot). From secret tunnels, floating dance floors, winding forests and colossal stages to fields filled to the brim with 6 foot tall giant sunflowers hidden behind a secret portaloo door – the one thing we can all admit is the hills of Abbots Ripton are transformed into something truly magical, that even Alice in Wonderland would gawk at.

Local Wildlife
The clientele cannot go unmentioned. It seemed like this year’s festival had an unparalleled supply of beautiful people – everywhere you looked you saw another “genetic lottery winner”, as one companion commented. As ever, body paint, glitter and “quirky” headwear were all the rage. Meaning the usually bold and unique individual fizzled into the crowd. Those who really wanted to stand out, and there were quite a few, dispensed with the outfits altogether, some choosing to don only carefully applied body paint and a few of the most adventurous opting for just the glow of the summer sun and a dab of moisturiser. For the sake of their nipples, I sincerely hope one with SPF.

Inevitable Celebrity Sighting
This bit all depends on your definition of “celebrity”… you could feast your eyes on pretty much the entire cast of Made in Chelsea. Alex Mytton even made the sought-after headlines of Daily Mail Online with his episode of “exhaustion”. For the more refined celebrity oglers, his royal highness (absolutely no pun intended) Prince Harry graced us with his presence in full Secret Garden Party glittery glory with his face painted a smirf-tastic shade of ‘royal’ blue.

Transcendent-moment-where-everything-makes-sense
As the sun dipped behind the horizon on the Saturday evening, it was replaced by a spectacle of fiery colourful delight with the annual SGP fireworks extravaganza. I think you’d be hard pressed to find a Secret Gardener who didn’t suddenly think their drink had been spiked with the best type of acid, when a plane flying low rained giant bubbles over the entire festival’s heads. This, combined with the darting lasers piercing the wobbly, translucent globules made for a truly incredible vision. The whole of the main stage appeared to be covered in glittering fairy dust. Either that … or the drive to the festival from the station with the utterly charming former Police Constable Simon, now of ‘Steve’s Cars’. Simon you are an utter legend.

words by Olivia Outram

The Readers & Writers Festival to be held in lovely Margaret River, Western Australia

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I found Margaret River when I was researching my bestselling novel Canopy of Silence for Heinemann some years ago now. I flew over from the UK and took the bus down from Perth, Western Australia to seek out descendants of the Group Settlers. I found Dinkie Sutton, who was the relative of the guy who ran the post office in my Somerset village, where I lived then. She introduced me to others.

I fell in love with the Sutton family and Margaret River. I think of it as my second home. It is a place of great beauty and initially, of great hardship for the settlers, who were enticed out by the British and West Australian governments after the 1 World War to create dairy farms.

The settlers were shown films of established dairy farms in New South Wales typical, it was said, of the farms they would go to.

The reality on the western side of Australia was different. South of Perth there were sandy tracts, and further down, near Margaret River, the soil was just not capable of producing grazing land sufficiently nutritious for dairy herds.

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Before they reached that stage the settlers had to fell the huge trees, with a mattock and a saw, sometimes walking a couple of miles to collect water for their young families. It’s the stuff of heartbreak, but the Poms were a tough lot, just as are the Australians.

They endured, and latterly it was discovered that the Margaret River area is suitable for wine growing. It’s worth a visit just to tour the vineyards which produce the most superb wines. Trust me, I remember the hangovers. Even those were of a superior variety.

I have many tales to tell of the area and will dig out a few as we get more news from the region, because I’m delighted to tell you we have the first of many items from the region. Bring ‘em on, please.

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The Margaret River Readers’ and Writers’ Festival  2015

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SEASONS is the theme for the seventh annual Readers and Writers Festival to be held in the beautiful Margaret River wine region in Western Australia next year, so those of you in the UK have time to plan your trip. Those of you in Australia, get ready to clear your diaries and give yourself a real treat.

Festival director Helen Allan tells me the annual festival will be held over the May long weekend 29-31 2015 and the festival has already secured a huge line-up of famous authors to excite readers of all genres.

“We are focussing on the environment, nature and the seasons of our lives – the theme `Seasons’ encapsulates all of those things, and Autumn is such a beautiful time in Margaret River, we should celebrate that – when Keats wrote that Autumn was the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ it almost seems like he wrote it for our region.”

The festival committee had lined up around 20 authors and the festival will, once again, run over three days.

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“From Tomorrow When The War Began author John Marsdon to science fiction author Isobelle Carmody, comedian and authors Sami Shah, Justin Heazelwood and Luke Ryan to romance authors Fiona Palmer, Michelle de Kretser and food/nature author Sophie Zalokar, we have something for everyone,” she said. As both a reader and writer I was already hooked.

“We will be letting more names out of the bag as the time draws nearer, we have had a huge amount of interest from authors wanting to take part in next year’s festival, given the outstanding growth and success of the festival last year.”

The festival, while small, is steadily growing and  the organisers are keen to have a big-name international authors to headline their event.

“We don’t have a huge budget, but what we lack in funds we make up for in warmth and hospitality, our authors are treated like royalty and thoroughly spoiled when they come over.

“We had hoped to have some British writers participate in next year’s festival and had invited Stephen Fry and Michael Palin, but to no avail. Hopefully as our festival gains more of an international standing more English authors will come forward. Our wine region is an exciting and beautiful place to visit and what could be better than combining a look at our natural wonders with a celebration of literature?”

 

I can vouch for all of that, and what a wonderful time to be south of Perth, in the lovely Margaret River area. While you’re there, have a good look around. See the wonderful surf, and give it a go. My son-in-law promises himself the opportunity one day. Perhaps head out to see the Prevelly Chapel, a monument to the monks of Crete who helped save so many Australian Servicement in the 2nd World War, at the expense of their own lives. Returning servicemen raised the money to raise the Chapel in tribute. It’s moving, but that’s an understatement. Go and see for yourselves, and make it in May so you can catch the Festival.

 

 

Belfast City Guide

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If you have never been to Belfast before and are planning to go then you will be in for a treat…


Belfast Facts

A thriving city which always has something going on: Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland.

Belfast may be a small city but it is big on excitement.

There is a population of only 286,000 in the city of Belfast but what it lacks in size and population it more than makes up for in history, events and fun things to do.

First Thoughts on Belfast

Your first impressions of the city is just how beautiful it is. The accent of the resident will also leave an impression. The Irish accent is know to be beautiful and lyrical, as is the friendliness of the Irish people.

Then there will be so much stuff to do that you won’t know where to start.

If you are a Game of Thrones fan then you are certainly in for a treat as the hit fantasy TV show is filmed in Belfast and the rest of Ireland.

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You can take a tour of Titanic Studios in Belfast where it is filmed. You can also take a Game of Thrones location tour and get a picture of yourself sitting on the throne.

For something else that will also inspire a high amount of awe you might want to go for some real-life history and see the Titanic Belfast. Titanic Belfast is the largest Titanic visitor experience in the world. It is situated right beside the real historical site where the world’s most famous doomed ship was constructed. The 6-floor building will also have all of the information you could ever need to know about the Titanic, from her construction to the very tragic end.

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Because there is so much to do in Belfast and you will be surprised at just how amazing the city is, the best thing to do is to sort out your accommodation first. Find a good hotel from Hotel Direct before you leave so you can just relax and enjoy the rest of your visit. After you have dropped your stuff off the first thing you should do is grab a guinness. A trip to Ireland is not fully complete until you have tried this famous beverage.

Whats happening in Belfast?

There are also a number of festivals that happen in Belfast throughout the year.

Check ahead before you leave and you won’t miss out.

Festivals range from Red Bull Music Weekend, Sound of Belfast and the Belfast Restaurant Week.

You can take your pick depending on when you visit but there is usually at least a few great festivals or events running in the city. Catch some live music and you might hear the next big thing. A lot of famous artist have come our of Northern Ireland like Snow Patrol, Ash, Van Morrison, Therapy?, The Divine Comedy and The Undertones.

What about food?

You will also have a good choice when it comes to eating out.

There is a substantial amount of good restaurants in Belfast. Try and have a traditional dish like Irish Stew, Colcannon (a traditional Irish dish which generally consists of mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage) or soda bread.

Family fun

Belfast Zoo Credit: flikr

There is also plenty of things to do for families. The Belfast Zoo is a good place to start and the W5 interactive science museum will have hours of educational fun to entertain you and your children. For the more sporty and energetic there is the T13 Urban Sports Academy.

Here there is a good range of exciting and sporty things to do: BMX, skateboarding, kick scooter, break dancing, urban art and DJing. Rather handy, the T13 Urban Sports Academy is opposite the Titanic Belfast. So you can catch both star attractions on the same day if you have time.

All in all, Belfast is a wonderful place to visit, not only will it make a good first impression on you, but it will also leave a good lasting one, with wonderful memories and an urge to go back again and again. What are you waiting for?

 

 

Unknown pleasures

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Unknown Festival site

Croatia didn’t have the best of it in the 20th century. Occupied by pretty much everyone with a standing army and a superiority complex (Austro-Hungary, then Germany and Italy, a bit more by Hungary and finally by Yugoslav communists) its post-communism civil war only ended in 1995. Since then it’s managed rather better, becoming the world’s 18th most popular tourist destination, the 28th member of the European union, and (if my acquaintance is anything to go by), the number one destination for unstoppable lads looking to get tanked up and forget they work in finance.

But more important than all that: it is now the country the brains behind Field Day and Hideout have chosen to bless with the inaugural extravaganza of sun, sea and pumping dance music that will be new festival Unknown.

The biggest luminaries of the genre will be there, from disclosure, to Julio Bashmore, to SBTRKT, to the horrors, to my own personal favourites Clean Bandit.

The picturesque town of Rovinj, an unsuspecting coastal jewel of less than 15,000 people is set to be overrun by European party types from the 10th to the 14th of September.

Now, festival previews invariably tend to refer to those pitching up as “revellers”, something which I for some reason find rather irritating. So… attendees will have the choice of either camping out under the stars, in what is expected to be 25 degree weather or they may, like me, stay in an air conditioned apartment complete with bathroom, kitchen, terrace and beautiful people.

The music will be split across 4 stages: the main; the pool; the forest; and mad ferret’s mirror world (think lasers, vortexes and illuminated trees). Given the line-up these should all be pretty spectacular, but what I’m really looking forward to are the 18 or so boat parties. these will feature some of the world’s biggest djs playing intimate sets to 200 lucky… people present in blazing sunshine on the Adriatic Sea. Gonna be a shit time. Most of these are sold out now, but if you’re willing to try your luck there are usually a few struggling souls (for whom the idea of 3 hours on water has become about as appealing as a gooseberry and acid smoothie) who are looking to sell their tickets.

If all the sea, sun and sand gets a bit much, the forest stage, open from 4pm till 6am, promises an ethereal, sun-filtering backdrop to some delightfully deep house. Think Cyril Hahn, Jamie xx and Henrik Schwarz.

Incidentally, if you fancy getting a bit closer to nature (that is, stripping to your wristwatch and going for a hazardous walk in the woods) then you might be interested to know that there’s nowhere better than Croatia – it is world famous for its naturist resorts and about apparently about 15% of the country’s 10 million visitors pack little more than sun cream and a suspicious looking raincoat (n.b. unknown is not a naturist festival).

Otherwise, we recommend short shorts, blinding neon vests and patent leather jazz shoes. Or flip flops.

We hope to see you there. If you see someone wearing patent leather jazz shoes it will probably be me. Come say hi.

You can buy tickets for unknown at http://www.unknowncroatia.com/#tickets17

JAY Z Takes The Crown At UK Festivals

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JAY Z TAKES THE CROWN AT UK FESTIVALS

~ Demand to see Jay Z this summer outstripping that for Beyonce by 2:1 ~

Jay-Z_2011

He may have 99 Problems but selling tickets ain’t one. Fans of Jay Z are clearly hoping to witness the world’s biggest hip hop star take centre stage as demand for tickets to Wireless Festival has soared following the leaking of his album. viagogo saw a 163 per cent increase in searches for the Wireless festival.

Wife Beyonce is also sure to dazzle the crowd at V Festival this August with fans keen on catching her in action following her unforgettable Mrs. Carter Show earlier this year. However, King Jay Z takes the throne this summer with demand outstripping that for Queen Bey by 2:1, while other festivals, including T in the Park and Bestival, are still yet to sell out.

 

Arty partying in the Secret Garden

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An artist's impression of one of the spectacular art installations gracing this year's Secret Garden Party

Luz, by Les Mechants – An artist’s impression of one of Secret Garden Party’s spectacular art installations

Assuming you haven’t been driven mad by Glastonbury envy by now, you will probably be looking for another festival which has managed to bottle a little of that Glasto magic to see you through what’s turning out to be a rather glorious British Summer. Here at Frost, the festival that provided a glint of hope as we unkindly hoped for torrential downpour to rain on the parades of the 180,000 people who hadn’t inexplicably slept through multiple 9am ticket-buying wake-up calls is Secret Garden Party.

It doesn’t boast the monster stadium rock acts of its bigger rival (though headliners Bastille aren’t exactly the My Little Pony of the NME stable) but it does have the same unfakable, unidentifiable, unexplainable vibe that makes Glastonbury quite simply the greatest show on our fair isle.

One of the key parts of that ‘vibe’, beyond the music, the theatre, the lake, and the pyrotechnics, is the art. Huge, ambitious works scatter Secret Garden Party like giants’ toys, some to be interacted with, some gawped at, and some shat on by. Yes.

Lucky Shit by Hungry Castle, is described as “A giant pimped out yellow bird sculpture which, at some undisclosed stage of the festival, will ‘shit’ yellow goo on Gardeners who dare to pass beneath it.”

Luz by Les Mechants, is a giant sculpture cum architectural installation that comprises a glowing purple, pyramidal structure with a collection of carefully arranged mirrors inside. Festival goers are invited to creep inside and lend their (probably beautiful) visages to the sculpture, creating a kaleidoscopic extravaganza of headbands, flower necklaces and good looking humans which would stop Michael Eavis dead in his tracks.

There are nine of these extraordinary works at this year’s festival. They’re funded by commissioned grants via Secret Productions, the team behind Secret Garden Party and the Secret Arts Foundation, with the aim to encourage and support young artists whose work is interactive, thought provoking and suitable for a non-gallery location.

Each year the biggest and most spectacular sculpture is planted right in the middle of the lake. This year’s, somewhat unimaginatively code-named the ‘Middle of the Lake’ sculpture, will remain a closely guarded secret until the Garden opens on the 24th July. However we can offer readers of Frost one enigmatic clue from the conceivers and makers of this year’s sculpture, Pirate Technics:

“About his shadowy sides; above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell”

So it’ll be something about Eric Pickles taking a bath in a poorly lit motel then. Let us know if you have a better idea!

If you want to join us at Secret Garden Party you can buy tickets here: http://tinyurl.com/at5tgug

Festival Survival Pack

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Festival survival packWaking up in a tent with a hangover means a dry mouth and bad breath. Forgotten your toothbrush? Then Oraldiet is the perfect solution to keep you minty fresh all day. It’s an innovative lozenge that contains the probiotic lactobacillus reuteri, which balances out the bad bacteria in the mouth – the main cause of bad breath. It also contains aloe vera gel, which helps to keep your mouth bacteria balanced and keep you bad breath free.

I reviewed Oraldiet to see if it works. I took one everyday after brushing my teeth and it made a difference. It tastes like a strong mint. My mouth was fresher all day and I also noticed an improvement in my overall dental health. Better gums, whiter teeth and my tongue looked healthier too. Pretty cool.

Being on your feet all day at a festival can leave you feeling a little sore in the sole, but now you can add an extra weapon to your armoury against foot care woes with Carnation Footcare’s Anti Blister Stick. Long lasting, invisible and non-greasy, the innovative Anti- Blister Stick can be applied directly to the areas of your feet where shoes pinch and rub, providing instant relief, while also being easy to pop into your bag and carry around – perfect for when you are stuck in a field in the middle of nowhere. I use this almost everyday. I even took it on a recent trip to Toulouse and it helped with the hours of fun sight-seeing, which are always hard on poor feet.

Planning on dancing the night away? Look no further than the 9bar range for all of your energy needs. Available in nine tasty varieties – Original, Nutty, Pumpkin, Flax, Organic, Peanut, Anglesey Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper and Sweet Chilli – there’s a flavour to suit every taste bud. Packed with nutritious seeds that give a slow release of energy, 9bars keep you feeling fuller for longer, allowing you to concentrate on more important things – like which stage to attend. I have tried them and they are delicious.

Don’t let hangovers get in the way of your festival fun. Start your day with a Nature’s Plus Red Lightning powder sachet and feel electric. Each sachet is packed with over thirty whole food extracts including cranberry and pomegranate, giving it an antioxidant punch, perfect for curing those sore alcohol induced heads. It’s the perfect way to start your festival day!

The lights have gone off, the field is silent and you feel the need to sleep for days. It’s safe to say that the festival is over. Make sure that you are ready to get back to the daily routine with Detox Patch-It. This simple plaster-style detox system uses reflexology to support the body’s natural detoxification process. Just apply the Detox Patch-it to the bottom of your feet and let it do all of the work. Using double distilled mandarin wood vinegar and green tea the patches deliver FAR-infrared energy to stimulate key reflexology points on the feet so you awake feeling revived and ready for your next festival!

The 9bar range is available from Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Holland & Barrett and independent health food stores nationwide. Original, Nutty, Pumpkin, Flax, Organic and Peanut are available in 4 x 40g multi packs, RRP £1.89, and in 50g singles, RRP 70p. Anglesey Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper and Sweet Chilli are available in Waitrose stores nationwide. All varieties are available as 30g singles, RRP 65p.

Oraldiet is available from www.revital.co.uk. £6.35 for 30 lozenges.

Carnation Footcare’s Anti Blister Stick is available from £4.05.

Detox Patch-It is available from Holland & Barrett stores nationwide. £3.99 for 2 patches or £29.99 for 20 patches.

Nature’s Plus Source of Life Red Lightning powder sachets are available from www.nutricentre.com. £1.38 for 6g sachet.

One Of These Days Festival – First announcement

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8th + 9th December 2012
Winter Gardens, Blackpool
www.oneofthesedaysfestival.com

One Of These Days will capture the essence of Field Day, Oya Festival, Melt!, Kendal Calling, Glastonbury Dance Village, Electric Elephant, End of The Road, DFA Records, SWN Festival, The Warehouse Project, Now Wave, Free Rotation, Eden Sessions, Fiber Festival, and Shambala to create a truly unique experience in the suitably elaborate and legendary Blackpool Winter Gardens, in the shadow of the Blackpool Tower. One other major international festival’s participation is yet to be announced.

One Of These Days will be two days like no other in the international festival calendar. Never have so many of the world’s best events come together to create a one-off spectacular and the look and feel of each event will be distilled and brought to Blackpool and allowed to explode aurally and visually into the many rooms of the Winter Gardens. Each festival will bring their unique ethos and style to their own individually designed space at the legendary multi-venue indoor complex, curating a line-up that reflects their own celebrated events. From the spectacular Cubehenge light installation of Glastonbury to the indoor forests of End of the Road and the Croatian beaches of Electric Elephant, each festival will bring a taste of the place they call home to Blackpool.

From the big stage draws of Melt! Festival and Eden Sessions to the electronic innovation of The Warehouse Project, Glastonbury Dance Village and DFA and the folk inclinations of End of the Road and SWN Festival, you’re sure to find plenty to explore. With over 150 bands, artists and DJs, not to mention interactive art and film installations, an emerging talent strand and our exclusive Winter Market, One Of These Days promises to end the year in spectacular fashion.

One of These Days will help kick start the cultural redevelopment of Blackpool, it aims to bring this world first event to the seaside town and utilise Blackpool’s existing infrastructure of beautiful Victorian theatres and bars that stretch the coastline.

“We were going around the world to many different festivals seeing really unique ways of doing things. We decided to invite these wonderful festivals to the party. Our vision is to have one site where each space within it is filled by a micro-version of each festival, not just musically, but visually – capturing the essence of each festival. We aimed high and asked the festivals we love to come to Blackpool. They said yes…”
– Ruth Daniel, Promoter, One Of These Days

Weekend tickets from £59 now at www.ticketline.co.uk 0161 832 1111

Buy tickets or register for line-up info here: www.oneofthesedaysfestival.com