How?  Well there are 3 different ways

• Friday tickets are still available … so just buy a ticket for Friday and see one of my fav bands, the mighty Lazy Habits plus a whole load more… for 9 quid!!
• 

  Dad dancing not mandatory

  Join the crew!!  We need stewards for Saturday (that’s stewards, not security!!) anyone 18+ and vaguely sensible can apply.  As a Saturday Steward you work half on half off on Saturday and don’t work at all on Friday BUT you get a free weekend pass + camping! We also need people to help with the set up and tear down, again you get a free weekend pass and you don’t have to do anything during the festival…. but you do need to be available some or all of the week before and on the Sunday after

• Not 18?  Well join the “Street Team” – wazzat? Well email info@sherstonfest.com an we will explain.  All you need to know is you can get to go to the festival for free AND there is a chance you might win an even more impressive prize AND you don’t have to do anything at the festival it’s self…..!!

And we are particularly keen to hear from anyone who can guarantee to bring sunshine…!!

For those who have been in the UK for the last 2 “summers” – this is the sun

Cedric had his Saturdays and he wasn’t letting go!!

Like it says Saturday only tickets are now sold out (wa-hey!!)

You might still find the odd weekend ticket kicking about at the pub & post office in Sherston, at Capers Cafe/Deli in Malmesbury and with your local ticket sellers (see Facebook) – but there only a handful of those left too.

But don’t be too sad…. there are still tickets available for Friday night – but there won’t be for long…. so crack on!!

Those who were there last year were pretty unanimous that Friday was the best day of the festival and this year will be no different AND it’s only £9 !!

For that paltry sum you get

• Lazy Habits – big band hip-hop from London – one of my personal favourite bands of all time…. seriously
• The Atelier – uber cool jazz/rock from – well actually from everywhere – Moscow/Paris/London/Birmingham (yeah – ok forget the last one)
• The Darwin Republic – quality indie rock from a band that have just been signed to Snow Patrols management (and are actually originally from Malmesbury!!)
• Mammoth Sound – rap/beats/dub/ska/madness from London
• + +  + + more…….

nine quid…. nine quid…. we must be mad!!

More later music lovers!!!!

Camping at festivals eh? To get the full festival experience you are supposed to sleep in a tent the size of small tin of sardines in 6 inches of mud with a bloke playing bongos just outside…. right?

Wrong!!!  The “standard” camping @ Sherstonfest is pretty good (level pitches, well drained site etc,,,) but this year we also have also hooked up with the lovely Nat and Champ at Tentation.co.uk to offer you the wonders of  ”glamping” !!

Glamping (“glamorous camping”) is where someone else puts up a tent the size of a small African nation, decks it out with all manner of finery for you and then takes it down when you’ve done with it – sound good?

In this case the tents in question are hand made Thai bell tents – in fact made by Champ’s very own Thai hands!! (you might have seen a couple at last years SherstonFest?)  They come in various sizes (and hence sleep varying numbers of people) and also come in all manner of jolly festival colours.

So if you want to off load the relatives for the weekend but can’t face the idea of bunging them in the old pup tent in the garden maybe this is for you?  If so just get directly in touch with Nat and Champ and they will sort it out for you, no problem…. and…..

………..yes there is more….. if you also want to avoid the bloke with the bongos we even have a secret VIP camping location you can book for up to 5 tents…… mmmm …. mystery!!

Your view of Sam Green @ Glasto – to be fair he’s not very big and he sits down

OK so we haven’t booked the Stones (wouldn’t have them again, not after they way they behaved when we had them in the village hall) but it’s kinda satisfying to think that our mates down at Glastonbury have been watching who we have on the SherstonFest line up and booking the same acts for their local festival too!!

The first act they copied from us was the epic Electric Swing Circus. Fair enough, I mean you would – one of the best electro swing outfits on the planet and the best thing to come out of Birmingham since the A38, good times guaranteed…

Your view of Sam @ SF..you might want to back off a bit…

But then they went and toadied up the Same Green and the Midnight Heist too. OK-OK Sam is a brilliant lap-slide guitarist, and yes the band play that kind of high octave bluegrass stuff that makes it impossible not to dance, but come on guys… did we go and nick The Arctic Monkeys?

So we were just calming down when b*gger me, they proudly announce that Troy Ellis and the Hail Jamaica Reggae Band will also be heading down Glasto way a couple of weeks after SherstonFest. I mean it’s not surprising that the son of Alton Ellis (the legendary “king of dancehall”) might catch the eye – but its a bit rich to let us trail all the way over to Freetown to convince Troy to come to rural north wilts, only to find that they have enticed him down Somerset way to do his laid back thing?

But to put the cap on it they then go and book the Ten Pound Suit Band too! If I’m honest that’s a step too far, the Suits are “our band” – we found them playing in some doggy boozer in Bristol, we made them what they are today. Ok I can see that any festival just *needs* a mad man on Banjo and a wild woman on trumpet with the best swingabilly band in the south west to play “covers, but not as we know them Jim” – but c’mon guys, do you not have your own programming team?

Anyway we are not bitter – so if you want to drop 200+ quid to see these fine artists from about 2 miles away on the other side of the valley, then knock your self out, off to Glastonbury you go my friend. On the other hand you could part with a paltry 24 quid for the whole weekend and see them up close and personal at SherstonFest on 14th & 15th of June!!

Saturday will be sold out soon – so crack on if you want to go…  tickets here.

More later campers…..!!

The Penniless Optimist – “Dance like you don’t give a ………”

Electric Swing Circus first came to the attention of SFHQ when at last years WOMAD this big ginger bloke with a military bearing lent over and bellowed in an SF staffer’s ear “I say, this lot are ‘kin brilliant aren’t they?”  - so the “Sassy Sisters of Swing” can count at least one royal prince in their fan club!  But it looks like Prince Hazzer is not alone in thinking they are “kin brilliant” as they are set to be wowing audiences all over Europe in 2013 including a stints at Glastonbury, Boomtown and a host of other festivals.

So what’s all the fuss about?  Well the 6 piece Electro Swing troupe that fuses cool 20′s swing with fiery electro beats in a dazzling live show and burst out of Birmingham in 2011 to take up residency of the Hot Club De Swing, and Electro Swing Club UK wide.  After just 3 months they earned the coveted title of BEST LIVE ACT in the ElectroSwing Peoples Favorite Awards 2011.

C’mon – everybody wants to be a cat right?

Although fronted by the aforementioned Sassy Sisters of Swing the drive comes from the addition of live drums, fretless bass, gyspy jazz guitar, synths and swinging samples. The Electric Swing Circus hotfoots it through their own unique blend of Electro Swing, fused with everything from Breakbeat, house, Drum and Bass, Dubstep and more… even the odd Disney number has been known to make it into their eclectic set!!

Armed with a battle cry of “tonight we’re gonna party like its 1929″  these are good time party sounds but with a real musical quality and a high octane show that will have you up and “dancing like you just don’t give a …….” as the Sisters have been known to say.

They are our Saturday night headliners at this year’s SF, so as ESC are wont to say “Ladies and Gentlemen, get your glad rags on. The circus is coming to town… !!!!!!!”

Electric Swing Circus – http://www.electricswingcircus.com/

I know, I know, it’s a “Cider and Music Festival” , but forget about the fantastic music line up,  the kids program and even the cider line up!!!…. because the food lineup just might steal the show!! 

For a kick off we have Los Amigos cooking up a storm in a cantina with their authentic Tex-Mex favs.  Careful of the “2-beer-chilli” and you’ll be just fine.

And if that doesn’t float your boat then the Cotswold Pizza Co will be firing up the authentic wood fired pizza oven to send sparks and the aroma of Italy into the balmy summer sky. No,? Then what about a cracking bit of Jerk Chicken or Thia noodles From the Flaming Gourmet to go with a nice spot of Reggae  on a sunny afternoon? 

Got a sweet tooth? Then maybe a  fair-trade organic espresso and a cake from the fantastic solar powered Airstream that is home to The Super De-Lux Coffee Co ?  

Really want to indulge?  Go on then, crack into the FHC churros and ice cream tent but don’t come crying to me when the scales complain on Monday!!

In short the food will be as epic as the music and the cider  – so whatever you do don’t eat before you get there or you will be kicking yourself!!!

Oh, and have I mentioned that the tickets are going as fast as a melting vanilla scoop in a hot chocolate sauce?  So chop-chop, crack on and get yours while they are hot, because as the man from cream egg land once said “they won’t be here for ever Trevor”

So get on the diet now  and more breaking news when we have it sports fans!! 

Video for Even Out – my fav track!!

People have been asking, so here’s the downlow on Lazy Habits (appearing @ SF’13 – Friday 14^th June)

If you ask any band what sort of music they play they will usually say “it’s really hard to categorise”  – but within about 8 bars of listening to them *you* know exactly how to categorise it!!

Would that it were thus with the Hackney based Habits as it would make this a lot easier, but it’s not.  So the best I can do is to invent a new genre (unless it’s already been done), which I reckon we should call “hip-bop”.

Video of “The Road – you might have caught the song on a recent Nike ad?

Thing is this is just about the tightest live band you have ever heard with an awesome horn section, a rock solid rhythm section and some hard hitting beats producing a sound influenced by music as diverse as New Orleans jazz, northern soul and the Big Bands of the 50’s – and t.b.h. that on its own is worth the ticket price.

But then the whole show is blasted into the 21st Century by 2 MC’s with epic sing-a-long choruses and slick lyrics, who – and here is the kicker – deliver rap that me and you (i.e. non native “gangsta” speakers with a dearth of “ho’s” and “biatches” in our lives) can actually understand and relate to, from memory Peter Crouch gets at least one mention!

Memory Banks – feat. Baby Sol (Paloma Faith)

So it’s kinda big band swing and it’s kinda hip-hop and it’s kinda rap, so where does the “bop” bit come in.  Well it’s spooky but just like thousands of others at festivals up and down the country you WILL end up dancing “The Habits Bop” after 2 numbers – I won’t try and explain that but 10 mins into the show just look round you… oh yeah, the bop will have landed!

Now then, cards on the table  – I am “of a certain age” (old) so I know that some of you will be reading thins giving it “rap, I hate rap, that’s rap with a silent “C” more like!!”   – and I can honestly say that until I saw Lazy Habits I would have been right there with you.

But remember last year before you saw Dub Mafia?  Back then if anyone had asked if you liked drum and bass/dubstep chances are you’d have said much the same? Well “listen without prejudice” (as George Michael might have said) and this year I reckon we’ll have you wearing jeans with a crotch dragging on the ground and a cap on backwards by the end of the weekend!

Anyway – enough of my prattle check out the videos and remember get your tickets while you can (from the web site) ‘cos when they are gone they are gone!!

That’s it for the Habits until Friday 14th June – but stay tuned for more breaking news as it happens sports fans…..

Oh yes!!!!  The 2013  line up has been announced and is here. Highlights?  Lots of ‘em  - in fact all of ‘em!  But here’s just a couple of snippets to get your juices flowing…

Electric Swing Circus – what can we say? Fronted by the sassy Sisters of Swing with the addition of live drums, fretless bass, gypsy jazz guitar, keys synths and swinging samples. The Electric Swing Circus hotfoots it through their own unique blend of Electro Swing, fused with everything from Breakbeat, house, Drum and Bass, Dubstep and more. If you missed them at WOMAD and Fieldview last year then now is your chance to swing your pants electro stylee   

Lazy Habits – Didn’t make the Hackney based crew’s recent gig @ Colston Halls…? well shame on you! But fear not SFHQ were there and were just blown away by their unique sound (influenced by New Orleans jazz, soul and the Big Bands of the 50’s but blasted into the 21st Century with hard hitting beats and slick lyrics)  - so they will coming to a field near you on Friday 14^th June!

The Ten Pound Suit Band – Ah “The Suits”, if you were at the Fire and Ice Ball you probably already get it. If you weren’t then think of The Rinky Dinks but replace the ukuleles with a mad man on banjo and wild woman trumpet, then and replace skiffle with bluegrass/swingabilly and you get the idea….  The ultimate party band, no one gets out without dancing!! 

Sam Green and the Midnight Heist  – the best lap slide guitar you have ever heard, add in a band with more energy than Hinckley Point (feat. local boy James Cameron  of  Fieldview/Old School Tie fame) and some real foot stompin’ tunes and there is a guaranteed ho-down going on! 

And there’s soooooo much more !!!!  Future Dub Orchestra, Mammoth Sound, Show It Off, Troy Ellis (son of rocksteady legend Alton) and the Hail Jamaica Reggae Band, smooth operators The Atelier, insanely cool indie/jazz rock from Kenworthy, local girl Sophie Stead -  want more ? What about the haunting sound of Old Colours and add in local fav’s The Soul Destroyers, Henry Green, Miss Da Funk   - even the now legendary “wake and shake” set from The Sherston Village People and I am just getting too exited!   

That’ll do for starters?  I think I have to go an lie down now…. as ever lots more info on the web site and more to follow – so stay tuned listeners!! 

And remember IT WILL BE SOLD OUT so get your tickets now before it’s too late!!

…. more later sports fans!!

Saturday is the family day at SherstonFest and like last year kids under 14 get in for free on Saturday (if accompanied by a ticket carrying adult), but this year we have really pushed the boat out to keep the little er…. “darlings” amused while they are there

No one remembered inviting Aide Edmondson to join the troupe – but hey he got riddum…..

The highlight of the kids programme this year will be the Samba Party (or  “Samba Pa Ti” – see what I did there ) drumming workshop. Kids 7 and up  (actually anyone, including grown ups, that like hitting or shaking stuff)  can sign up for a Samba drumming workshop before the music programme starts on Saturday.

Once they have some cool  Latin rhythms down the drummers will be parading round the arena (aka village hall field!) as an opening ceremony for the days festivities.  All equipment will be provided and there is a charge of £7 for the drumming course. Numbers will be strictly limited  so you should reserve your slots by emailing kids@sherstonfest.com  asap.

Not a bog roll left in the village – but it was worth it..!

But it doesn’t stop there!!  Oh no!! During the day our little darlings will also be able to amuse them selves in the JunkFish (http://junkfish.co.uk )  make and play area where amongst other things they can make costumes, headdresses shakers and all manner of other good stuff so that they can join in the second Samba procession round the arena at tea time.

On this second show the drummers can be joined by all their friends in their new costumes and headdresses.  You don’t need to pre book Junk Fish just turn up and play!

And there is even more!! Added to last years face painting and hair braiding Chers Funky Faces will also be offering henna tattoos, plus Build-a-Pizza  will be making a welcome return where the kids can make their own pizzas and see them cooked in traditional pizza oven (they can even eat them of they aren’t too “grey” and/or been on the floor too many times!!)

So there you have it

• Mid day(ish)  - drum workshop (limited number – reserve by email to kids@sherstonfest.com )
• 1:00 (ish)  - Samba Party opening procession – parents welcome to join it
• All day – Junk Fish make and play – make your own samba costume
• 5 (ish) – Samba Party procession take 2, this time with costumes!!
• All day – build a pizza + all day face paint/hair braid

Add in some sunshine, some great music and a few cheeky ciders – what could possibly go wrong!! 

Just Doin’ It For The Kids…….…. as Robbie and Kylie once said!!

Later Potaters!!!

Coach wasn’t sure that Forest had got the message about needing 4 weekend tickets, so he held on to the pistol just in case….

The waiting is over, the time has arrived, yes for those who missed out on the early birds the world is now looking a brighter place as the next batch of tickets have gone on sale, here and at the pub & post office in Sherston.

They are still ridiculously cheap for “the best boutique festival in the southwest”  and I predict these too will disappear like dew in warm June sunshine.

Just putting the finishing touches to the line up and organising the Kids Stuff area for Saturday…. so check back later for more exciting news!!