We predict the festival fillers of 2009

The acts you're likely to catch more than once

United Kingdom | 12 January 2009

So Blur, The Smiths or The Beatles have got back together and you just had to see them, or Bruce Springsteen and Prince have made it to the UK, for like, the first time ever and you simply couldn't miss it! But after booking your ticket on headliners alone, who else are you going to see?

Well, here are the acts likely to be coming to a festival near you this summer and guess what? You're in for a treat…

Klaxons

Now, where might one go to catch the Klaxons this summer? Well, according to bassist Jamie Reynolds, they'll be playing 'every festival possible' following a quiet 2008.  With their 'difficult' second album due for release in the coming months, it's starting to look as though the band will have a very hectic schedule in store. So, pack your glow-sticks and book a ticket for any festival you fancy, chances are Klaxons will be there.

Last festival: Reading and Leeds 2007
Might see them at: Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, V Festival, T in the Park, Isle of Wight, Bestival, Lovebox, O2 Wireless, Creamfields and Rock Ness. Phew.

The Prodigy
The luminescent hair may be greying, but these 'old rave' pioneers are still regaling chemically-enhanced campers with tales of how they like to start fires in a twisted manner and smack the occasional bitch up. With a new album coming soon, they're already confirmed for Rock Ness and are a good bet for this year's 'heavy dance' act at Download (a la Pendulum in 2008). You can expect to see them fattening up the bill of some of the larger events too, just catch them before Keith Flint starts looking any more like the world's most embarrassing dad.

Last festival: Jersey Live Music Festival 2008
Already confirmed for: Rock Ness
Might see them at: Reading and Leeds, Download

Glasvegas

Following a successful season on many a smaller festival stage, the band of 2008 look likely to be main stage fodder for some of the larger events this time around. Expect Glasvegas to be a huge hit with their countryfolk at T in the Park: the sound of thousands of Tennant's-swilling Scots singing 'Daddy's Gone' at the main stage will be heard as far away as Cornwall.

Last festival: BBC Electric Proms 2008
Might see them at: Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury, T in the Park, Isle of Wight, V Festival.

Lily Allen

Keith Allen Junior returns to her day job following an unsuccessful stint as a TV host and falling out of chichi London clubs. Her new album looks to be a much darker affair than her debut, but summery tunes like 'LDN' and 'Smile' will no doubt coax the sun out at festivals around the country. Let's just hope she doesn't wheel out her dad for an impromptu rendition of 'Vindaloo'.

Last festival: Coke Live Music Festival 2007
Might see her at: Isle of Wight, Glastonbury, Bestival, T in the Park, Lovebox

Fleet Foxes
This lot were conspicuous by their absence from the festival scene last year; not playing a single UK outdoor date in 2008 despite burgeoning critical attention. This means America's new harbingers of harmony have a lot of lost time to make up for and having made nearly every critic’s best of 2008 list there's going to be huge demand for them among festival bookers. Expect to see them occupying prime spots at the more 'tasteful' end of the market in 2009.

Last festival: The Falls Festival 2008
Might see them at: Latitude Festival, The Big Chill, Glastonbury, Hydro Connect

Jack Penate

He was a festival staple a couple of years ago when indie-pop was at its peak, but since then it's all been afrobeat and girls with guitars – so where does Penate equate in today's scene? Well, if his latest single is anything to go by, he's stripped back the jangling guitars and headed into Peter Gabriel territory with a melodic stormer of a pop single. He might even play WOMAD. Maybe.

Last festival: Reading and Leeds 2008
Might see him at: T In The Park, V Festival, Isle Of Wight Festival, Wakestock, Underage Festival

The View
With the Dundee dregs of The Libertines returning with a new album next month, we can expect the festival mantra of wearing the same jeans for four days to return in honour of The View. As with all Scottish bands, the big one will be T In The Park, but they should be everywhere else as well.

Last festival: V Festival 2008
Might see them at: Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury, T In The Park, O2 Wireless

CSS

Last year was a relatively quiet one for the hardest working band in electro-pop, having undoubtedly been the most ubiquitous act on the circuit in 2007. However, following the muted reaction to recent album 'Donkey' there's a good chance Lovefoxx and Co. will be dusting down their multicoloured romper suits and heading to Britain over the summer in a bid to boost their flagging profile. Already confirmed for The Breeders' ATP Festival in May suggests the kooky Brazilians aren't planning to vanish from our radars any time soon.

Last festival: Iceland Airwaves 2008
Already confirmed for: The Breeders' ATP Festival
Might see them at: Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, V Festival, O2 Wireless, T in the Park

Ash
Having announced that they'll never release another album and losing a member in the notoriously foxy guitarist Charlotte Hatherley, you'd think the end would be nigh for the one-time Britpop upstarts. Not so – the band have penned a whopping 32 songs, all set to be released as a string of singles this year, and suggested a number of shows to promote them over the coming months. Sounds like it could be festivals ahoy for the newly-downsized boys from Downpatrick.

Last festival: Ben and Jerry's Sundae On The Common 2008
Might see them at: Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, T in the Park, V Festival, GuilFest.

Madness

The baggy-trousered veterans are celebrating their 30th anniversary by resurrecting their own Madstock festival after an 11-year hiatus. They're rumoured to be appearing at Glastonbury and forthcoming album 'The Liberty Of Norton Folgote' will need plenty of promoting – so don't be surprised to find Suggs leading a ska-tinged cockney knees-up at a festival near you in the summer months.

Last festival: Montreux Jazz Festival 2008
Already confirmed for: Madstock
Might see them at: Glastonbury, GuilFest, Isle of Wight, T in the Park, Beautiful Days

By Francis Whittaker

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