“Last year’s daytime program turned out to be a great success. The Festival cinema, a hand full of theatrical spectacles, and the concerts held by day went a long way in proving that Audioriver can be just as interesting in broad day light as it can be after dusk. Consequently, we pretty much jumped at the idea to take things to another level ”, says Audioriver spokesperson Lukasz Napora.

So what’s exactly behind the name itself? Well, it derives from the fact that the Independent Market will be located – surprise, surprise – in Plock picturesque Old Market Square, where Polish record labels, promoters, booking agencies and media outlets will have the opportunity to set up their own stands and show the whole scene exactly what they are about. Furthermore, each of the handpicked companies will also be allocated an hour of the daytime musical program.

“We expect the labels participating in this bold new venture to provide all interested parties with a thorough presentation of their music at their respective stands, along with interesting concerts and DJ sets. Booking agencies, too, will more than likely have no problem with providing a plethora of interesting music. On the other hand, festival organizers, event promoters and club owners will have the perfect opportunity to make the best of pushing their upcoming projects. The Independent Market, first and foremost, is intended to be a place where everyone can have a shot at reaching the Audioriver faithful. Not everyone who comes to Plock is in the loop about what’s happening in the Polish scene or regularly mingles with the who’s who of our scene, so this will be the perfect opportunity for such people to get the low down about what exactly is happening”, says Napora.

What’s more, the general public will also get the chance to take part in the Red Bull Music Academy workshops conducted by some of the festival’s headliners associated with this international project. Apart from the two week annual session held in a select city, the Red Bull Music Academy also encompasses traveling workshops, lectures, festivals and special info sessions held all over the world. The names of the international acts that will be taking part in the workshops in Plock will be announced soon.

Admission to the trade fair and workshops will be free of charge. The fifth edition of Audioriver Festival will take place on 6th-8th of August, 2010.

Tickets can be purchased exclusively via Ticketpro (www.ticketpro.pl)

Visit www.audioriver.pl for more info.

After recently announcing the inclusion of techno uberguru Richie Hawtin as Plastikman Live to this year’s line up, we are more than pleased to confirm that Ellen Allien will finally be back in Poland for the first time in 9 years. Considered by many to be the queen of both the German and international techno scenes, Allien has on several occasions released seminal albums, the most notable undoubtedly being her solo effort ‘Berlinette’ and ‘Orchestra of Bubbles’ recorded together with Apparat. As the head of Bpitch Control, she has been responsible for giving the world a plethora of trend setting, timeless pieces of music, and has also nurtured the talents of highly respected artists like Modeselektor, Moderat and Paul Kalkbrenner under BPitch’s wings.

Fans of quality techno have always had many reasons to come to Plock, but this year they will have more than ever with the ubiquitous Dusty Kid and the highly respected Karotte on the bill. The former is the man behind one of the finest dancefloor friendly techno LPs (‘A Ravers Diary’) of last year, while the latter literally destroys dancefloors the world over on a regular basis. And his residencies at clubs such as U60311, Harry Klein and Cocoon pretty much speak for themselves.

It is also worth noting that for the first time in the festival’s five year history the organizers of Audioriver have booked an act to perform for a second time. ‘Although Hybrid played at the festival in 2007, we just could not resist inviting them to come again after hearing that they will soon be releasing their fourth album. Each and every one of the group’s albums has so far been a masterpiece, and the band went down a treat on our stage the first time around, so we really did not have much to think about. And the recently released lead single from the forthcoming album, ‘Break My Soul’, went a long way in strengthening our belief that Hybrid should be the first repeat act in Audioriver’s history’, says festival spokesperson Lukasz Napora. Here’s the video to Hybrid’s youngest child: http://vimeo.com/9552552

There will be no shortage of top flight drum & bass, either. Fans of the genre will most likely be very pleased to learn that Audioriver’s organizers have a real treat in store in the form of Qemists Soundsystem, whose highly energetic album ‘Join The Q’ found its way into the record collections of fans of groups such as Pendulum. ‘The trio, which at times ventures into rock territory, usually performs live, and sometimes as DJs. Despite the fact that the group is unfortunately not planning to perform live this year, we managed to book them as a semi live act, which means that their ‘traditional’ DJ set up will be accompanied by live keys and an MC’, adds Napora.

Tickets, as always, are available via www.ticketpro.pl

Ticket prices for Audioriver 2010 are as follows:
March 1st – April 30th: 70 pln | approx. 18 euros (two day ticket)
May 1st – July 31st: 100 pln | approx. 25 euros (two day ticket)
August 1st – August 5th: 130 pln | approx. 32 euros (two day ticket)
During the festival: 130 pln (two day ticket); 70 pln (one day ticket)

For more info visit www.audioriver.pl

TICKETS ON SALE TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY AT 9AM
Weekend Early Bird tickets: £72.50 + Booking Fee
Sunday Early Bird tickets: £37.50 + Booking Fee
Saturday Early Bird tickets: £37.50 + Booking Fee
Tickets available from: www.ticketmaster.co.uk / 0844 847 2467

THE SOUTH WEST FOUR WEEKENDER HAS LANDED!

2010 marks a new chapter in the history of the UK’s premier inner city dance festival. Having brought alive London’s favourite field Clapham Common for six consecutive years, we are delighted to present the first ever South West Four Weekender!

With the world’s biggest DJs, electronic live acts and leading dance labels hosting our arenas, South West Four returns bigger and better than ever before. Falling on the Bank Holiday Weekend of Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th August, SW4 presents an unforgettable gathering featuring the capitals most discerning disciples of dance.

“Following six sensational sell-out years and phenomenal demand from the SW4-loving public, it was only natural that South West Four would evolve into a two day spectacular” says SW4 director Danny Newman. “This is the dawn of a new era for SW4 and with everyone off work on Monday we hope you can join us and see out the summer in style!”

NO MUD! NO CAMPING! NO HASSLE!

From a never before seen line-up to world-class production, we’ll once again be putting in place everything a great festival should… with the added luxury of catching the last tube home! This includes a variety of freshly made global food, four music stages, toilets galore and an atmosphere as good as you’ll find anywhere on the planet!

Furthermore with more people than ever expected to experience SW4, we have teamed up with the best hotels in the area to offer you rooms at unbeatable rates! Check out the accommodation section of the SW4 website to receive a 20% discount when you quote SW4 on booking!

With no mud, no camping and no re-mortgage plans needed to finance your fun, the South West Four Weekender is your one-stop festival shop, right here in the heart of London.

AND YOUR SW4 HEADLINERS ARE…

SATURDAY

[ONLY LONDON APPEARANCE OF 2010]

As the world’s undisputed no.1 DJ it’s a great honour to announce that Armin van Buuren has chosen South West Four for his only London gig of 2010. Armin follows in the footsteps of Paul van Dyk, Carl Cox, Sasha and John Digweed by headlining South West Four for the very first time.

Not only has Armin officially been voted the most popular DJ on the planet for the past three years, A State Of Trance continues to set the standard as the world’s most popular radio show. It now appears on a remarkable forty worldwide FM stations and attracts more than thirty million listeners a week. His record label Armada Music is now one of the premier labels in dance music, whilst Armin’s remixes of The Killers and BT sell by the lorry load. This is all achieved whilst Armin tours the four corners of the globe headlining the world’s leading nightclubs and festivals, holding down an epic weekly summer residency at Amnesia Ibiza and regularly playing ‘Armin Only’ gigs to over 10,000 fans. Currently working on a new album which will be showcased at SW4, this will be the first time he has headlined a festival in the UK. A true landmark gig for Armin, this will be a guaranteed pilgrimage for any trance lover.

SUNDAY

[ONLY LONDON APPEARANCE OF 2010]

With SW4 extending across two unforgettable days in 2010, we needed an act that had been there, seen it and done it all to headline the Sunday night. To use one of dance music’s most loved cliché’s we needed an act who needs no introduction. And for us there was only one contender. That man is Fatboy Slim.

As one of the most consistent songwriters of the modern era, not to mention one of the very best remixers in the business and one of the most popular DJs of all time, Fatboy Slim is the big man for the big occasion. From DJing infront of 250,000 people on Brighton Beach and at the Rio Carnival, through to headlining the world’s leading festivals and selling out concert venues the world over, Fatboy Slim’s DJ sets are the stuff of legend. With an astounding ability to connect with thousands of people in one instant, Fatboy Slim is the ultimate performer that we are truly privileged to welcome to SW4 for his only London appearance of 2010.

MORE HUGE NAMES FOR SW4 COMING SOON!

Hot on the heels of the news that Armin van Buuren and Fatboy Slim are to headline the first ever South West Four Weekender will be the full additions to the lineup in the coming weeks. Weekend Early Bird tickets are on sale on Tuesday 23rd February at 9am priced just £72.50 + booking fee with Saturday and Sunday Early Bird tickets only £37.50 + booking fee. Do not miss it!!

And make sure you join the mailing list at www.southwestfour.com to hear all the latest news and gossip first, as we keep the line-up announcements coming thick and fast!

TICKETS ON SALE TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY AT 9AM

“It’s difficult to say which performances were the best, as the proceeding spanned across four stages, but after a quick look at Internet message boards, it looks as if Moderat, Richie Hawtin, Dirtyphonics, Dub FX, DJ Hell and James Holden, who rocked the crowed with a four hour set in the wee morning hours, made the biggest impression on the Audioriver faithful. Holden played for an hour and a half longer than we was slated to, only to go on to give a couple of encores, and ended the beach portion of the festival in style. Feedback regarding the festival is very positive, although there were a few hitches along the way, the biggest of which was the lack of free space on the tent field, despite the fact that it was twice the size compared to last year. This means that for next year we will have to find a bigger location for the tent field, as the beach itself can’t accommodate such a high number of tents. And we can’t simply make the festival grounds smaller, because this year’s edition took up the whole of the beach’s capacity”, says Audioriver spokesperson, Lukasz Napora.

And what did the headliners have to say about the festival? On Sunday, Richie Hawtin wrote on Twitter: “thank you POLAND… hope it doesn‘t take another 5 years to come back…”. The guys from Moderat, on the other hand, said that they had never played on such a good soundsystem, while Lee Jones, one half of MyMy, was very surprised by the reaction the duo received from Polish clubbers. “They’re amazing! They go crazy every 16th bar!”, said Jones.

Audioriver’s newest attractions, such as the Festival Cinema and Street Theaters, were also very well received, but the biggest success of all in this respect was without a doubt the Muzzo Stage, which during the daytime was surrounded by punters dancing in the Old Market Square and… in the fountain to be found in the Square. Several dozen people dancing in water up to their knees was definitely a priceless scene.

Unfortunately, for the first time in the festival’s history not all the artists that were booked performed. On the Friday, the organizers received a message from Rusko’s manager stating that the artist missed a total of three flights! The situation surrounding the absence of Chase, on the other hand, was a little more complicated. “A few weeks after we booked the duo, it turned out that only Status will be able to come to Plock, as on the same day the group had another engagement in London. We wanted very much for the performance to take place, so we refrained from renouncing the contract. However, it must be clearly stated that the contract included a paragraph which required the show to be promoted as a performance from both members of Chase & Status, which is why we did not inform the general public about this state of affairs beforehand. Needless to say, we are not fully content with such a turn of events, even though Status together with MC Rage literally tore the roof off”, says Lukasz Napora. Also, Polish DJ Poziom-X didn’t manage to play his morning set, which was supposed to commence at 6:30 on the Sunday. However, the reason for this was James Holden’s out of this world performance, which, as mentioned already, took up an hour and a half more than was originally planned. “We would like to thank Marcin for understanding the situation and giving his time to James. In short, the Sunday morning in question was without a doubt one of the festival’s best moments”, adds Napora.

“All in all, we would like to thank everyone who came out to Audioriver this year. Thanks to such a turn out, we are motivated to more with each edition, as such high numbers confirm that there is a place for quality underground dance music in our scene. Sure, not everything was perfect, but be hope that punters appreciate our efforts to make each edition even better than the last”.

For all the eager beavers who don’t want to miss out on next year’s fun, we’ll be rolling out a limited number of 2010 tickets at 2009 prices. Due to be held on the first week of the school summer holidays again (30th, 31st July & 1st August 2010) at Lulworth Castle expect even more marvels, merriment and incomparable family fun brought to you by the team behind Bestival.

Early Bird tickets go on sale at 10AM on Thursday 6th August – remember this year sold out fast, so if you want to guarantee your place at our award winning family festival in the stunning surrounds of Lulworth Castle, call Ticketline on 0844 888 4410 or visit us at www.campbestival.net

Highlights from this year’s festival included a stunning headline spot from PJ Harvey in her only UK festival appearance of the year, Cbeebies’s Mr Tumble rocking the crowd with nursery rhyme mania and a disco fabulous Chic. Other top turns came courtesy of the calypso-tastic Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Will Young dazzling the audience in a jaunty top hat and a mesmerising set from Bon Iver. And of course there was the finale to end all finale’s – Rob da Bank behind the decks joined by the English National Ballet, going out with a bang to a spectacular firework display at the castle!

In the words of Rob da Bank :
“Camp Bestival Year 2 was a right hoot – amazing music from PJ Harvey to Bon Iver, Yoda to Rusko and a superb crowd from 3 week old babies to raving grandparents, all having fun in the sun. Roll on 2010.”

Camp Bestival 2010 Early Bird Tickets:
Weekend Camping: £130 (Adult) / £65 (Age 11-16). Subject to booking fee.
All Kids Under 10 Go For Free! (ticket required)

Tickets available now from:
www.ticketline.co.uk / 0844 888 4410

Having sold out three days before this year’s festival – The Glade Festival – held last weekend at its new home Matterley Bowl was a huge success. So much so, revellers have already starting snapping up tickets for next year’s Festival. Early Bird tickets for 2010 went on sale yesterday, Wednesday 22nd July at £110 and have 250 tickets have already been sold.

There are only 1,000 Early Bird Tickets on sale for a limited period which can be purchased from gladefestival.com. Next year’s festival takes place from Thursday 15th – Sunday 18th July 2010.

What is a British festival without rain? True to form, we were visited by the rain clouds at this year’s Glade Festival. However, it only showered during the day and there were plenty of sunny intervals with no rain at night keeping the vibe happy and the smiles on dials. Even when it was raining, Glader’s showed no signs of stopping the party, and business continued as normal throughout the weekend. The chalk underneath the site helped drain excess water away and keep the grass green. Everyone was surprised at how well the site held up.

The atmosphere was fantastic with Glade Festival once again showing it has the friendliest most peaceful dance crowd in the UK. The feedback so far was that this was a next level music festival and by far the best Glade Festival yet.

There was some minimal crime reported, but overall: “It was relatively quiet,” said Sgt Stuart Gilmour, of North Walls police station, Winchester. “Apart from the six arrests it was very peaceful.”

Luke Piper, Festival Director said: “We have developed a good relationship through working with Hampshire Police and are very grateful for their expertise and input. They are very knowledgeable and through their observations at this year’s event have provided us with excellent advice on how to further improve security for 2010.”

A special hotline was also set up to take noise complaints from local residents and received very few calls over the weekend.

Artists such as Underworld, Squarepusher, Femi Kuti & The Positive Force, Booka Shade, Juan Atkins, Adam Beyer, Benga, Dub Pistols and many, many more rocked the crowds all weekend. Arcadia – the outdoor scrap metal and fire installation was also a huge hit with nightly fire shows and killer sets from the likes of Adam Freeland, Deekline and Alex Metric. The outdoor Psytrance stage Origin was also heaving for the entire weekend. All in all, underground dance communities from all corners went for it hard and had it large at this year’s Glade Festival.

Nick Ladd, Festival Director said: “This year we really got it down. The Glade Festival is now the perfect hybrid between a fat rave and a festival of performing arts, it’s really taken UK dance events to a new and exciting place that they haven’t been before. The entertainment is really diverse now, with lots of interactive stuff to get people involved and in touch with their own creativity.

“The Interstella Circus and Cabaret went down a storm and the site art was really spectacular – right up there with the best in the world. Lots of international artists came off the stages absolutely buzzing at the crowd reactions, and the dancefloors were rocking until 6am to the hugely improved late night sound levels. It was absolutely banging all weekend, the move to the new venue worked in every respect, we are well chuffed.”

Date: Thursday 15th – Sunday 18th July 2010
Tickets: 1,000 early birds on sale until sold.
Children / Teenagers: Under 12′s free if accompanied with an adult. 13 – 15year olds are allowed but must be accompanied by an adult. No 16 – 17year olds.
Location: Matterley Bowl, Winchester, Hampshire
Capacity: 10,000
Entrance: Gates open midday Thursday 15th July
Hours: Thursday midday – late | Friday midday – 4am | Saturday midday – 6am | Sunday midday – midnight [subject to licensing] Bars will be open 24 hours a day.

Part of the brand new musical phenomena known as ‘girls’, leading the pack is Little Boots aka Victoria Hesketh. Though she grew up an accomplished pianist, Little Boots has since turned her attention to the weird world of electronics and is often seen playing what looks like a sonic Etch-a-Sketch. Her debut album ‘Hands’ was partly produced my Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard and is packed full of catchy, credible pop songs that have gotten the media in a tizz.

Perhaps the fifth ‘girl’ to be discovered in this brave new frontier is Marina Diamandis aka Marina and the Diamonds. She’s a solo artist and The Diamonds are considered to be her fans rather than the backing group. She recently stormed BBC Radio 1′s Big Weekend and Glastonbury Festival, plus her Crown Jewels EP has been met with critical acclaim.

London’s Golden Silvers have been attracting quite a lot of attention since they won Glastonbury’s New Talent contest in 2008. Their debut album ‘True Romance’ is filled with romantic, lyrical tunes that manage to combine flamboyant references to Greek Myths alongside fresh disco beats – an unusual combination but one that definitely works.

Theo Kerlin AKA star on the rise Master Shortie is a British rapper and singer who founded his own record label, ‘Odd One Out’. Theo’s Dad ran an East London jazz bar throughout his childhood, which exposed him to tones of music and spurred him on to start rapping. At 16, Kerlin enrolled on a BTEC course studying Music Technology. After a year he was excluded from the college due to unruly behavior. He then started recording and producing his own adolescent hip-hop songs. We’re glad he did – the educational system’s loss was fresh pop hip hop’s gain.
Signed to Mercury records, Manchester 4 piece Kid British take and create influence from many musical genres, from old school ska and dancehall, to indie reggae and electro pop. Their music is said to sound like amalgamation of The Specials, Outkast, Madness, De La Soul, Gorillaz, The Streets and Blur.

Following two hugely successful sold out events, Underage returns to Victoria Park for its third year. Founded by Sam Kilkoyne (now 17) the Underage Club and Underage Festival are the original and most revered under 18’s events in the world. Critically acclaimed by the media and much loved by its enthusiastic, adolescent audience Underage has captured the imagination of a nation and tapped into a vibrant and buoyant scene set by Britain’s youth.
Underage Festival are also delighted to be able to welcome back sponsors Converse, Top Man CTRL and Red Bull Bedroom Jam for this year’s festival.

Underage Festival continues to distance itself from more grown up music festivals and provide the nation’s youth with an extravagant musical playground.

Joining the newly announced are luminaries The Horrors, Patrick Wolf, Hadouken!, JME, Caspa, Plastician, LadyHawke, Santogold (UK festival exclusive), The Pigeon Detectives and Rolo Tomassi

Plus, for the third year running Underage are pleased to welcome back BBC Radio 1 and BBC Switch as media partners

CONVERSE MUSIC
Hadouken! / Lion Club / Mystery Jets / Rolo Tomassi / Santigold – exclusive UK date / The Chapman Family / The Pigeon Detectives

ARTROCKER MAGAZINE
Patrick Wolf / The Horrors / Flashguns / Golden Silvers / Good Shoes / Marina and the Diamonds / The Whip / The XX / Video Nasties

TOPMAN CTRL
Caspa (DJ set) / Esser / JME / Little Boots / Lo-Fi Culture Scene / Metronomy / Plastician / Pull In Emergency / Rusko / Tinchy Stryder / Tomb Crew / Two Door Cinema Club

YOUTH MUSIC
LadyHawke / First Aid Kit / Kid British / Kissy Sell Out / The Temper Trap / Tommy Sparks

RED BULL BEDROOM JAM
Blood Red Shoes / Dissolved In / Don Bronco / I Haunt Wizards / Lykes / My Passion / None The Less / Saving Aimee

MAOAM DJ TENT
Adventures in the Beetroot Field DJs / Bloggers Delight DJs / Bugged Out! Presents Hannah Holland / Freddie Smith (UK Club Culture) / Miss Odd Kidd (DJ set) / Smash and Grab DJs / White Heat DJs

MUSIC SPACE
Master Shortie / 5th Vandetta / A Team Arts / Raw Talent / Ban Rays / Bigga Fish / Flamboyant Bella / Mercuric / Naga / Purple Socks / Social Outcast / Soft Toy Emergency / The Alfonz / Underground Heroes

THE MUSIC SPACE STAGE / PRESENTED BY CM AND TOWER HAMLETS
Master Shortie/ Flamboyant Bella/ Underground Heroes
The Alfonz / Soft Toy Emergency / Ban Rays / Social Outcast / 5th Vandetta
Bigga Fish / Naga / Mercuric / A Team Arts/ Raw Talent
Purple Socks

Location: Victoria Park, 360 Victoria Park Road, London, E9
Doors: 11am (Curfew 8pm)
Ticket Price: £26.50

Tickets strictly available only to those between 14 and 18 (including 18 year olds).

Available from the following outlets:

See Tickets
www.seetickets.com
0870 264 3333

Ticket Web
www.ticketweb.co.uk
08444 771 000

7 days, 30 clubs, 7 beaches, 250 events, over 100 DJ’s and 50,000 people

The biggest names in dance music will descend on Barcelona from the 3rd to 9th August 2009 for the inaugural Barcelona Summer Week Festival.

Superstar DJs such as Tiësto, David Guetta, Layo & Bushwacka!, Erick Morillo, Armin Van Buuren, Sander Kleinenberg and Fedde Le Grand, will be amongst the many DJs to play host at parties across the capital during the week-long fiesta.

Barcelona – capital of culture and style, home to Discotheque, Eibisi, Opium Mar, Sotavento, Atlantic Club, El Chiringuito Marbella and just a short ferry stop to Ibiza – is already one of the leading dance music destinations in Europe. Barcelona Summer Week looks set to cement the city as the epicentre as it plays host to a stream of elaborately planned parties at open-air venues, the coolest clubs and venues across the capital with pool, beach and boat parties to rival those of the Miami music conference.

The week-long festival will culminate in a two day extravaganza at the Montjuic area against the backdrop of the historic and vibrant city. This is close to the port and the airport and very easy to get to on the Metro Lines and Buses.

The festival already looks set to draw more than 50,000 music lovers from across the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and beyond.

Rob da Bank says – ‘This ain’t no marketing shenanigans, folks, this is the last call at the bar, the final furlong, the last lap, the final frontier and the end of the road for all you non ticket holders! What with a recession going on and some mega competition we’re pretty chuffed to sell 40,000 tickets with 2 months to go. We won’t say it again – this is your last chance.’

Taking place from 11th -13th September, Bestival’s sixth outing promises to be a truly legendary weekend. With a brand new site layout, our new Afterburner Stage & Blastival show, the Outer Space fancy dress theme, Heavenly Healing, the Pamper Lounge, Kids Garden, tea, cakes, amazing food and an eye-popping line up that includes Massive Attack, Kraftwerk, Elbow, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Seasick Steve, Klaxons, Lily Allen, Soulwax, La Roux, Bat For Lashes, The Big Pink, Chase & Status, Toddla T, Appleblim and oh, so much more, all sprinkled with a very generous helping of Bestival magic, it really is going to be our best one yet, so don’t miss out!

As well as a full weekend of wizardry, Bestival-goers turning up to Robin Hill on the evening of
Thursday 10th September will be treated to an extra-special screening of the 25th Anniversary Special Edition of the greatest rockumentary of all time, This Is Spinal Tap. Released on 7th September on DVD and Blu-Ray with a host of extras, This is Spinal Tap: the 25th Anniversary Edition will be going one louder in the Big Top and as if that wasn’t enough, the first 100 people to arrive at the screening will receive a special goody-bag! The screening will be preceded by a special Never Mind the Buzzcocks-style quiz testing some special guests on their knowledge of the film whilst post-screening fun will see a ukelele band playing a selection of Spinal Tap faves and DJs rocking the dancefloor.

We can’t wait!

Glade Festival head honcho and general festival guru Nick Ladd has put together his festival ‘Thrival’ guide for all those unsure on general procedure for enduring the hardships of the everyday festival, i.e. Glade Festival. On that note, Glade Festival 2009 kicks off from Thursday July 16th to Sunday July 19th at the new site Matterley Bowl in Winchester, Hampshire. The festival will go on louder, later and longer than previous years, and with exclusive live sets from Underworld, Booka Shade, Squarepusher and more it’s set to be the biggest yet.

Nick went to his first rave in 1989 and hasn’t looked back since, producing some seminal outdoor dance festivals including the 2001 Zambia and 2002 South Africa solar eclipse parties, before coming home to England and partnering in the birth of the Glade at Glastonbury. He has since been instrumental in creating the Glade Festival, voted Best Dance Festival in the 2008 UK Festival Awards.

Nick continues to get his inspiration for his events, and life, by travelling around the globe and attending outdoor dance festivals. This makes him exceptionally well qualified to advise on how to have a seriously good time at festivals, as – quite simply – it’s what he does. Without further ado, read and learn from the master…

1) IF YOU LOSE ALL YOUR MATES
Don’t worry about it… and especially – do not spend the next five hours looking for them, trying to get a signal on your phone and asking people if they have “seen my mate Dave?” Instead, go and do some stuff that you wouldn’t normally do with your mates. Go and talk to interesting people with beards in the healing field; get some fancy dress on, dance like freak to a Balkan violin band and drink Margaritas. Go to a Tai Chi workshop… or at the very least go and see some bands you have never heard of with some cool people you have never met. Get out of your comfort zones and find the flow and enjoy it! Losing your mates can be a very liberating thing.

2) IF YOUR RIZLAS GET STUCK TOGETHER
Cos they got damp the night before… Try breathing on them as you try and peel them apart. The warm moisture from your breath will reactivate the gum, a bit like steaming a stamp of a letter. Also, if you are trying to roll one in a dark tent and can’t find which side the gum is on, hold the Rizla up and look down its length and all will become clear.

3) DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR TENT
There is a very small minority of complete ar**holes who go to festivals to rip people off. They need to be discouraged in no uncertain terms, my policy with festival valuables is: if it doesn’t fit in my pockets, leave it at home. However, if you have brought the old iPod and speakers so you can chill with your crew early morning back at your camp, then stick it in the free lock up that all good festivals have while you are out partying and then pick it up on the way back. If you see a group of blokes looking like they are robbing tents, go and find security and let em know… it’s up to all of us to take responsibility to stop this crap behaviour.

4) FIND THE NAKED SAUNA
It’s the best way to get a hot shower without having to queue up for hours! You shower before and after the sauna and it’s a great way to cleanse yourself inside and out.

5) IF YOU NEED YOUR MUM
If you (or anyone you meet) are cold, tired, hungry, skint, sketched out, freaked out or just need someone to talk to, get up to the WELFARE AREA… most good festivals have one, and they are full of lovely people who know what they are doing and are there to help you feel better with hot tea, blankets and calming vibes.

6) BE HERE NOW
Turn your phone off, forget about work, don’t argue with your girlfriend, don’t plan too much and don’t think too much… just wander round and be in the moment… the sensory overload of festivals is particularly good at taking you there.

7) DO NOT USE CANDLES OR GAS STOVES INSIDE YOUR TENT
For what you would think are fairly obvious reasons but you would be surprised at the amount of nitwits whose tents we have to hose down each year.. if you feel like cooking your own breakfast and it’s raining, then find a tent with an awning you can sit under.

8) BE PART OF THE SHOW
The best festivals are the ones where everyone is a part of the show… so get stuck in! Bring your trumpet, (whether you can play it or not), bring your wig collection, your vicar’s outfit or be the Superhero you always wanted to be… make the costume and get into character. Set up a table with a sign, put on a lab coat and pretend to be a psychiatrist; start a Welly Wanging workshop… Practise random acts of kindness… LET YOUR FREAK OUT AND BE THE PERSON YOU WANNA BE!… people will love you for it

9) DONT GET INVOLVED IN FERRET LEGGING OR FIRE BREATHING UNLESS YOU ARE SOBER.
Nuff said here I think.

10) ARRIVE EARLY, STAY LATE
One of the most amazing things about festivals is how they change your life… how when you get to work the next week you suddenly realise that you have somehow still got a bit of the weekend’s beautiful reality bubble with you… the longer you stay, the deeper that feeling goes… so take Thursday and Monday off work and really get immersed. Especially stay Sunday night… often it’s the best bit.

11) CHECK OUT THE SMALLER ACTS
We are looking forward to Underworld headlining this year’s Glade Festival, but some of my best moments have been catching up and coming bands on the smaller stages as well. I once saw an unknown Ska band with an Elvis impersonator as the lead singer on a stage so small that the lead guitarist had to lean back every time the trombonist extended his slide, the audience was going bananas, its moments like that – the combination of music and humour – that makes the English festival scene completely unique and for my money the best on the planet.

Glade Festival 2009 takes place from Thursday 16th – Sunday 19th July 2009 at the new Matterley Bowl site, Winchester, Hampshire and will go on louder, later and longer than previous years.

The Glade Festival won Best Dance Festival at last year’s UK Festival Awards and is a 10,000 capacity event, visited by dance music and free spirited aficionados from around the world. The Glade Festival is known as one of Europe’s best underground electronic festivals and will celebrate its sixth birthday in 2009 after starting life as part of Glastonbury festival (of which it is still a part of).

Event: Glade Festival 2009
Date: Thursday 16th – Sunday 19th July 2009
Tickets: £125 + £7 bf from www.gladefestival.com
Children / Teenagers: Under 12′s free if accompanied with an adult. 13 – 15year olds are allowed but must be accompanied by an adult – tickets cost £125 + bf.
Location: Matterley Bowl, Winchester, Hampshire
Capacity: 10,000
Entrance: Gates open midday Thursday 16th July
Hours: Thursday midday – late | Friday midday – 4am | Saturday midday – 6am | Sunday midday – midnight [subject to licensing] Bars will be open 24 hours a day.