Virtual Festivals' weekly news round up

Motorhead, computer games, cancellations and more

Daniel Fahey - 20 March 2009

Line-ups

While the major festivals started padding out their line-ups with non-headline acts, it was down to the smaller events to wheel out the big names this week, starting with Guilfest. Motörhead and former Beach Boy Brain Wilson will be taking the 'Good Vibrations' (the organisers’ pun, not ours) to Stoke Park this July, bosses confirmed, with many more names expected in the coming weeks.

Secret Garden Party proved a little more frivolous with naming names on Tuesday, as festival chiefs released a slew of acts headed up by Pulp's poet Jarvis Cocker. Reggae legends Toots And The Maytals, Emiliana Torrini, Slow Club and Peggy Sue were also among the 60-odd bands announced, as further plans for this year’s festival unravelled, including the news that the site will be split into two areas: Eden and Babylon.

Elsewhere, Will Young will continue his successful festival tour, taking in Camp Bestival this summer, after winning over fans at its sister event Bestival in 2008. The singer will be joined by Mumford And Sons, Phoenix, Crazy P and more at the family-friendly event, as festival bosses announced that the fancy dress theme for July will be 'Animal Magic'. "Read into that what you will," said curator Rob Da Bank, "unicorns, bears, elephants, Scooby Doos, Johnny Morris look-alikes and Paul Daniels impersonators will all be very welcome."

Speaking of the dark arts, Wizard Festival in Scotland announced that The Charlatans will headline this year's event, with punk rockers Buzzcocks also set for the Aberdeenshire event.

Sticking with Scotland, but crossing over to T In The Park, and organisers have confirmed that trip hop magician Mr Scruff will notch up another festival date on his record bag this year, joining Boys Noize and Laurent Garnier in the festival's Slam Tent. Organisers also announced that Passion Pit and M83 are set to make names for themselves on the Futures Stage come July.

Two names comedy fans should already be accustomed to are Mathew Horne and James Corden, stars of hit TV series 'Gavin And Stacy'. The pair are preparing to unleash their musical side at the Isle of Wight Festival with a group they're set to put together just five days before the event – expect bum notes and fat jokes aplenty. Organisers also revealed that a recently reformed Ultravox are also heading to the Garden Isle alongside Maximo Park, The View, White Lies and The Zombies.

The first acts announced for WOMAD emerged this week, with Solomon Burke, Ethiopiques and Fat Freddy's Drop leading the charge. India's Darbar Morchang Party and Gypsies of Rajasthan are also set to appear alongside Hindi Zahra and Caravan Palace from France. Organisers' globe-trotting conquest for the best bands around the world, also led to artists as far a field as China, Hungary, Australia and Burkina Faso being announced.

Fans of exclusives should be looking no further than Manchester International Festival, with bosses revealing an imaginative programme of commissioned work, music, art, theatre and experience. Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed will appear for the first time together in the UK, Kraftwerk will work will composer Steve Reich and Elbow are set to hook up with The Hallé at the festival. Click here to see more of the scheduled events and where to get tickets.

Summer Sundae Weekender bolstered its bill early on Monday with Saint Etienne, Noisettes, Imelda May and Frank Turner among the notable additions, while the teenage and alcohol-free arm of Camden Crawl confirmed that Eugene McGuinness, Howling Bells and Attack! Attack! will play the inaugural event next month.

Finally this week, Radio 1 announced that their One Big Weekend will take place at Lydiard Park in Swindon from 9-10 May, with Snow Patrol and N-Dubz the first artists confirmed.

Cancellations

The credit crunch claimed another festival victim this week, dragging Heavenly Planet down from the stars before it even debuted. "The worsening economic crisis and circumstances beyond our control have been major factors in the final decision," conceded one of the organisers Melvin Benn.

Tickets

Camp Bestival bosses announced a ticket scheme, which they say is a UK first. Those wishing to attend can now stagger payments by paying a third of the ticket cost now, followed by two payments paid over two consecutive months.

Click here to buy Camp Bestival tickets.

Over on Virtual Festivals Europe

This week there were two Allens (Tony and Lily) added to the Roskilde line-up, with Keith Allen's daughter also confirmed for Benicassim alongside Mystery Jets and TV On The Radio. Oasis and Kings Of Leon were among the names for Gurtenfestival, while Placebo, The Killers and Slipknot will head to Rockwave in Greece this July. Elsewhere Madness were the lone addition to the Exit Festival line-up and Royksopp, Simian Mobile Disco and more were confirmed for Hartera in Croatia.

And finally…

The time wasting trophy of the week goes to Global Gathering, with organisers creating an online computer game that reveals acts that are playing the festival, the more levels a player completes.

Click here to start playing, or simply wait until 27 March to find out who will be joining headliners The Prodigy, Orbital and Pendulum.

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