Virtual Festivals' weekly news round up

Completed line-ups, technical glitches, ballet & more

Daniel Fahey - 03 May 2009

Line-ups

This week the Isle Of Wight Festival completed its line-up, with a little help from The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess. The Brit popper, who was asked to curate the Big Top on the Sunday of the event, picked the likes of Killing Joke, The Horrors, Black Lips and New York’s The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. His own band will bring the tent to a climax at the end of the evening, going head-to-head with Neil Young who will headline the main stage. “About going up against him,” the singer mused, “hopefully it won't be a disaster, they'll be so many people at the festival anyway that hopefully they'll do a bit of both.”
 
Reading and Leeds Festivals were busy booking bands for the smaller stages on Tuesday (28 April) with Billy Talent, Anti-Flag, Rise Against, Mad Caddies and many more confirmed for the Lock Up Stage.

On the headliners front this week, both Camp Bestival and Green Man Festival unveiled their final bill toppers for 2009 this week. Kid Creole And The Coconuts will join PJ Harvey and Mercury Rev in Dorset for Camp Bestival in July and organiser Rob da Bank couldn't quite contain his excitement about the addition: “I booked him for Bestival a couple of years back and he smashed it with one of the tightest bands and razzle dazzle performances I've booked,” he said, “It was like Prince meets George Clinton on a desert island and he's coming to Dorset!”

The DJ also announced a special surprise to close the festival, which will close the family-friendly festival with a bang. The Camp Bestival boss promises a stunning surprise for the senses. Rob da Bank will DJ while the best pyrotechnic innovators in the UK, The World Famous and the English National Ballet will provide the visuals. Hard to imagine? Don’t worry, “it’s gonna be pant wettingly good," bosses insured us.

Meanwhile Green Man chiefs plumped for former-Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker as their third headliner, joining the previously announced Animal Collective and Wilco. Noah And The Whale, Emmy The Great, Fence Collective and more have also been booked for the Brecon Beacons event.
 
Elsewhere Get Loaded In The Park organisers have managed to secure Roni Size Reprazent on a UK festival exclusive for 2009 as well as a UK debut for Carl Craig’s Innerzone Orchestra show. Craig and a ten-piece orchestra will re-score the entire Innerzone catalogue while electro filth pot Peaches, Freeland and Sneaky Sound System have also been confirmed along with Krafty Kuts, Evil Nine, Devil’s Gun and Magnetic Man featuring Skream and Benga.

Its sister event, London's premier dance one-dayer South West Four was also busy announcing more names this week. On Monday (27 April) they confirmed that Armin Van Buuren will be heading up The Gallery Stage with Markus Schulz, BT, Tall Paul and 16 Bit Lolitas as well before confirming Richie Hawtin on Wednesday (29 April).

North of the border, T In The Park continued to add more names with Doves and Idlewild on the Radio 1/NME stage and Iglu And Hartley in the King Tut’s Wah Wah tent. Patrick Wolf, Dinosaur Pile-Up and Vagabond were also revealed, with all three set to join the likes of Passion Pit and M83 on the Futures Stage.

Finally, more acts have been announced for the Summer Series set of gigs at London's stunning Somerset House. Joining confirmed artists Grace Jones, Lily Allen, Pendulum, The Ting Tings and Athlete will be Coventry scamps The Enemy, American prog merchants The Mars Volta, everyone's favourite headband wearing kooky girl Bat For Lashes and Welsh pop supremo's Super Furry Animals.

Tickets

A limited number of day passes and Guest Area tickets have gone on sale for this year's Download Festival. Festival-goers can now choose whether they want to see the likes of Faith No More, Motely Crue and Meshuggah on the Friday (12
June), Slipknot, The Prodigy and Anvil on the Saturday (13 June) or Def Leppard, Trivium and Go Audio on the Sunday
(14 June). Organisers have also revealed that, for the first time in the event’s history, Guest Area passes will be made
available. Day tickets will set you back £65 and you can get them here.

And finally

A technical glitch on the V Festival website meant that fans were treated to the latest line-up additions a few days early. 2 Many DJs, The Human League, Natalie Imbruglia and Calvin Harris were among the names mistakenly divulged.

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