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THIS IS TRUCK - WIN TICKETS

14 Comments - Add comment Written on 03-Jul-2009 by sam

Right, I just had word through that we have a pair of tickets for the exceptionally wonderful Truck Festival in Oxfordshire this weekend.

www.thisistruck.com

So - we're going to give them away to one lucky Other Sider.

Leave a comment below stating your favourite animal and we'll choose a winner by lunchtime today.

Simple right.

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Tags: this is truck,festival tickets,win!

Rock - a - field

0 Comments - Add comment Written on 30-Jun-2009 by sam

This weekend saw my first festival of the summer. Rock-a-field in Luxembourg led me to a European festival for the third time in as many years. Kings of Leon and Franz Ferdinand beckoned, although the Ting Tings and Razorlight prolonged the wait. The festival is surrounded by trees and sits somewhere in the south of the country, we blindly got on a bus and let them take us to the forest before walking about a mile to the secluded field.

All feeling pretty good so far

Secluded Field - Check

Great Bands - Check

Ticket - Check

I made my way to the press box on the offchance that they might have forgotten to reply to my email I had sent earlier in the year, standing in front of me was a youngish girl who had travelled from Iceland in her 20's crying because she'd forgotten her ticket "this is not an excuse" bellowed the man behind the counter. I considered my plan of action.

"hello" I said, "don't worry I have my ticket, however, I was hoping to take some photos of the bands, I emailed Michel (the organiser) a couple of times"

"and did you get a response?"

"obviously not, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation" I replied

"well in that case it would appear that you are not worthwhile enough"

I was a little taken aback by this response, not even the nazi style guards at Glasto were this obnoxious.

With this in mind I walked into the festival, without a single ticket check and suddenly felt even more sorry for the Icelandic girl, who was now out of sight.

My heart sank immeidietly as I saw ticket booths to purchase tickets for food and drink. My pet festival hate, even more so when the ticket booths outnumber the bars. Not to mention it was essentially £4 for a half pint of beer. V Festival seems cheap in comparison. This festival lacked everything a decent festival should have. There were no quirkly little festival gems, except for the amazing Moldover (feature coming soon on this guy), which was actually part of the Rockhal stand, Luxembourg's equivalent to the ICA. We loved Hal Flavin who are in London at the end of August, on the local band stage and although we missed them a big thank you to Mutiny on the Bounty who took us home and will be touring the UK soon with their brand of Mathematical Rock.

Kings of Leon rocked and so did Franz Ferdinand...Razorlight...well...do you care...and a big shout out to Eagles of Death Metal who are proper old skool rock!

It's just a shame about the worthless organisers who didn't give a crap about us, the bands or well, anyone.

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Tags: luxembourg,kings of leon,rock-a-field,franz ferdinand,moldover

Festival Fashions by Sarah Raphael

0 Comments - Add comment Written on 17-Jun-2009 by sam

Festival Fashion – the good, the bad and the ugly

Forget toning up for beach bodies – you want to start thinking about festival legs. There are far too many attractive legs at festivals; it’s like a gigantic pit of octopuses and if your pins aren’t up to scratch – you may as well ebay your tickets now. Kate Moss, that old gal started off the stressful trend of tiny hot pants with wellies, which has since, frankly, spiralled out of control. There’s not one modest woman on the field.

So you arrive on site with all the gear and no idea, hair with just the right about of wave, fresh faced and donning your most ‘rock’ band t-shirt and those dreaded hot pants. Day one yes, is a joy, but what about Day three? Day four? when you’re about to crack…an egg on your head of grease. Fear not, for amidst the mud, sweat and tears, there are methods of damage control. Your tent is your refuge. A home from home. Those zipped flaps are your very own Stars in Their Eyes puff of smoke from which you emerge transformed. You can do the “festival” thing and not care what you look like bla bla bla, or you can be strategic and realise that evidence will be posted all over facebook, irrevocable records that will come back to haunt you. Here are some tips from head to toe on keeping up the festival chic and avoiding the fashion faux pas.

To hat or not to hat is the question that plagues the fashionista’s existence, because although they look great in the shop, the only people who can, in actuality pull them off without the circus connotation, are Keira Knightly and Sienna Miller. Festivals however, present the delightful opportunity to wear hats without looking like an absolute try hard. Festivals are a poor man’s Ascot and the possibilities are endless - straw, bowler, trilby, visor, ironic rude boy cap for the boys. Daisy chains, flowers and plaits around the head are another festival privilege; outside the field you’d be a weirdo who probably worships Stone Henge, but inside is hippy heaven where daisies, daffodils, heck, weeds if they tickle your fancy, are all glorified and appreciated forms of headdress.

If I could offer you one piece of advice for the future, cordless hair straighteners would be it. It’s about premeditated messy hair, not actual messy hair. The difference is colossal. I would go so far as to compare it to the difference between Bush and Obama. Because it’s all very well embracing festival nonchalance if you have naturally gorgeous hair that only gets more gorgeous in the rain and mud, but for most of us who turn into either drowned rats or Diana Ross – they are an essential.

The sunglasses debate is really a two horse race; wayfarers or aviators. Not particularly original but if you can think of an alternative, like wearing your nan’s light sensitive specs, feel free. Festivals are one of the few places left on the earth where nu rave is still acceptable so neon variants of wayfarers and aviators are rife. A big trend this year will inevitably be geek chic plastic glasses, a useful prop to conceal your filthy mug. Beneath Clark Kent’s geek chic glasses is Superman, beneath yours will be Superminger, but no one would ever suspect.

Now down to the nitty gritty…Waterproofs are a necessary evil, but a stylish alternative is a Barbour jacket, with the sleeves rolled up a notch. Denim is none too practical, but when the sun is shining, a denim jacket or waistcoast over bold print or floral dresses are on the right side of the 1990s. Old school band t-shirts are only allowed if you’ve at least heard of the band you’re promoting on your bosom. If you’re really tuned in to trend, show a bit of midriff if you can stomach it, with high-waisted denim shorts and a Spice Girls crop top, the kind you used to get at Tammy Girl when you were 12. Tartan shirts, hoodies pulled up, scarves and nautical mini dresses are good staples. Accessorise with lots of bracelets and weird rings that may or may not be capable of magic. If you’re unsure on how to put it all together, take a look at Alexa Chung’s festival ensembles; she may be a demi god who’d look good in a bin bag, but the girl’s got style – steal it shamelessly. You may end up looking so hot that you fall in love with your reflection in a mud puddle.

If you buy one festival specific thing this year – for god’s sake make it a bun bag. The question is not, ‘why on earth would I buy a bun bag?’ The question is why wouldn’t you? It’s practical, it’s unstealable, it’s got compartments, it sits around your waist like a loyal friend and it’s about the only retro thing that hasn’t already been done to death. Mark my words; bun bags will reign again. To complete the look, rock out your dad’s Addidas shell suit jacket, stripes a plenty. Just be aware around campfires. And don’t team this look with short shorts or hi-tops and socks– or I’ll call 118 on you.

Bring some good solid undies. None of this silky, sexy malarkey; real nana pants in case you wee a bit when Kings of Leon come on. At any event, big white pants are a good grounder, you can rely on them, you both know where you stand.

If your wellies are a bit roomy, wack on some knee high socks underneath. Slightly oversized wellies are also quite useful for smuggling alcohol. Word of advice though, don’t go mental on the wellies, flower or heart printed ones ain’t impressin’ no one. Act your age in decent bottle green, black, grey or brown. Florescent face paint on the other hand, is a great way to relive your youth and recognise your clan by their markings in the darkness, while conveniently disguising the greasy mess that lies beneath. Slightly more edgy footwear are Dr Martens; they’ll look their best with the floral dress, bare legs and denim jacket.

The boys are always scruffy, dirty and a bit smelly, but that’s their charm, they can pull it off - all they need is a bullet Lynx. They will not show you the same mercy. Yes festivals are all about looking like you don’t give a damn, it’s all about living in the in the moment, giving yourself on an epic journey through the bottomless pit of musical creation. All I’m saying is, enjoy that journey all the more with decent hair and flattering attire. It might all be a lilac acid induced haze, you might not have the foggiest memory of what you looked like…but facebook will.

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Tags: wellies,festival fashion,bum bag

White Lies Interview.

1 Comment - Add comment Written on 04-Jun-2009 by sam

1. Who are you most looking forward to seeing at this year’s Latitude festival across the Arenas (Obelisk, Uncut, Comedy, Theatre, Literary and Poetry, Film & Music) and why?

Wow, so many acts I would love to see this year. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Grace Jones, Spiritualized and Bat For Lashes are the big names for me. Also, there's a few acts who I have close ties with through my Chess Club record label and promotions, who are brilliant, and they are Post War Years and Kurran and the Wolfnotes.

2. What aspect of Latitude Festival interests you the most and why?

Colourful sheep. Stages in the forest. Boat rides. Because there aren't many festivals I know where you can enjoy such pleasures.

3. What can people expect you to bring to the festival and do you have anything special planned?

I think we'll be aiming to fill the stage with our performance, and hopefully rouse some emotion with our songs. I don't think we'll have too many fancy gimmicks in the show but I know we'll play with 100% commitment and conviction. And when we do that we always have a great show. We also have a fantastic slot and we'll be making the most of it, and hopefully channeling our nerves to a good use!

4. If you weren't doing this what would you be doing?

If I wasn't playing with White Lies I think I'd be searching for a different creative outlet. I take my photography pretty seriously, and I've also just got into making short films, with the aid of my trusty super 8 camera. Although without White Lies I probably wouldn't have such interesting people and places to capture, so who knows!

5. What do you always bring to a festival?

So much underwear it's obscene. And Frosties cereal bars.

6. Have you been to Latitude before, and if so, what has your favourite performance been?

We were lucky enough to play Latitude last year, and stay for pretty much the whole weekend. I really enjoyed Crystal Castles set in the middle of the forest, and also The Do's set there too.

7. Do you have any festival tips for those in attendance at Latitude?

Eat lot's of food there, it seems to be much better than the usual festival fodder. Explore the forest a bit too, it's an amazing place to be after dark and definitely take a boat ride.

8. What is your favourite colour Sheep?
The purple ones last year looked like they were having the best time.

See White Lies in the Obelisk Arena at Latitude Festival.

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Tags: festival,interview,sheep,white lies,latitude,white lies jack

The Garden Festival

0 Comments - Add comment Written on 16-May-2009 by sam

Where?

Petrčane, a fishing village in Croatia

When?
3 to 12 July 2009

Who?
A combination of internationally acclaimed DJs, including Gilles Peterson, Greg Wilson and Rainer Trüby and live acts, such as The Haggis Horns and Soil and "Pimp" Sessions. These acts are spread across a club, an outdoor stage, a terrace overlooking the beach and a boat which sets sail on the glistening Adriatic.

Getting there
The nearest airport is Zadar (20 minutes by car), followed by Split (90 minutes) or Zagreb (3 hours). The festival organisers offer airport transfers, subject to demand – visit their website for more information. Many choose to start their holiday elsewhere in Eastern Europe – train travel and car hire are both reasonably priced in this area.

Hazy memory
Last year’s unexpected triumph arrived in the shape of an early evening performance from enigmatic disco-house act Crazy P. Despite an extremely hot afternoon, the band roused even the most lethargic attendees with their anthemic Sun Science. Its reprise of Sunshine makes me feel better / Sunshine makes me feel this way summed up the collective sentiment of those gathered at the main stage, old and new friends exchanging hugs and vowing never to bother with rainy UK festivals again.

Later, there was a power cut affecting some of the stage lighting and – more worryingly – all of the sound. Unflustered, leading lady Danielle Moore joked and bantered with the crowd. With no fix in place some ten minutes later, the band continued their set without amplification. On paper, it should have been a disaster. In reality, it was a festival highlight. The band maintained the crowd’s energy such that when the sound was restored, the effect was akin to the serotonin-fuelled elation I expect is experienced by extreme sportsmen. Arm-flailing, beer-soaked magic.

Insider tip
Your general pass gets you access to the main festival site, comprising the main stage, a dancefloor terrace by the beach and plenty of stalls, bars and seating areas. Tickets for the afterparties at the Barbarella's Discotheque club and for the Argonaughty boat parties are sold separately and sell out quickly, well in advance of the start of the festival itself.

Book plenty of these now before it’s too late. The boat parties are a fantastically successful, albeit unlikely, combination of pounding dance music and stunning scenery – most make friends for the festival and beyond whilst onboard the Argonaughty. Similarly, the afterparties continue well into the small hours and attract DJs you won’t otherwise see as part of the main festival programme.

If you purchase extra tickets and change your mind on the day, they'll almost certainly be snapped up at face value (or more) by those with less foresight than yourself. Once you've been to one of these addtional parties, though, it's unlikely you'll surpass any opportunity to attend another.

Sarah Chapman

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Tags: garden festival