THE CHANNEL ISLANDS’ MUSIC LOVERS FESTIVAL – NEW LINE UP ADDITIONS:BADLY DRAWN BOY, FINLEY QUAYE & LLOYD YATES
LINE UP: VAN MORRISON / RAY DAVIES / NOUVELLE VAGUE / LEE‘SCRATCH’ PERRY / JOAN ARMATRADING / RODRIGUEZ / JOHNCOOPER CLARKE / BADLY DRAWN BOY / FINLEY QUAYE / LLOYDYATES / MORE TBA
Set in the coastal outskirts of St Helier, the heart of Jersey, Folklore is the ChannelIslands’ newest boutique music and arts festival, and becomes the most southerly festivalin the British Isles.
Enjoying more sunshine than any other part of Britain, and situated just 15 miles from thecoast of France, Jersey is famed for its stunning beaches, lush countryside and uniquelyAnglo-Gallic culture – and of course for the iconic 80s TV detective, Bergerac.
Its blend of cosmopolitan lifestyle and unspoiled landscape make it the perfect festivaldestination, and an increasingly impressive bill of artists mark is out as one of the mostenticing UK festivals this summer.
Joining Main Stage headliners VAN MORRISON and The Kinks’ founder member andfront man RAY DAVIES, as well as French bossa nova outfit NOUVELLE VAGUE, reggaepioneer LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY, cult psychedelic folk hero RODRIGUEZ, 3-timeGrammy nominee JOAN ARMATRADING and legendary punk poet JOHN COOPERCLARKE are a trio of artists whose folk roots make them the perfect additions to analready mouthwatering bill.
Joining the Sunday afternoon Main Stage Big Top Arena bill is acclaimed singersongwriterDamon Gough, aka BADLY DRAWN BOY. Since his Mercury Award-winningand platinum-selling debut album The Hour of the Wilderbeest in 2000, Mancunian Goughhas gone on to become one of the best-loved artists to emerge from Britain in recentyears, not to mention one of the most industrious. As well as releasing eight studioalbums, he founded Twisted Nerve Records with long-term collaborator Andy Votel andhas scored several film soundtracks, including the critical success About a Boy and thisyear’s Being Flynn, starring Robert De Niro, and Gough has also collaborated with suchinfluential British artists as UNKLE and Doves. A truly independent pop visionary, BadlyDrawn Boy is a welcome addition to the Folklore line up.
Performing earlier on Sunday’s Main Stage line up is Scottish singer-songwriter FINLEYQUAYE. Son of the great jazz musician Cab Quaye (and godson of Duke Ellington), Finleyshot to fame with his multi platinum-selling debut album Maverick A Strike, which earnedhim a 1997 MOBO Award for Best Reggae Artist and a 1998 Brit Award for Best Male SoloArtist. The list of his collaborative partners reads like a who’s who of contemporary music:Iggy Pop, Primal Scream, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Beth Orton are just a few of them. Sunkissedhits such as ‘Your Love Gets Sweeter’ and ‘Sunday Shining’ are sure to make forthe perfect soundtrack for a Sunday afternoon at Folklore.
Completing Sunday’s Main Stage line up and opening the proceedings is one of Jersey’sfinest musical exports in recent years, LLOYD YATES. Since being spotted performing atLondon’s Troubadour Club by EMI Vice-President of A&R Daniel Lloyd Jones, Lloyd hasbeen signed to a publishing deal with the label and has been working tirelessly with JasonBoshoff, writing with Starsailor front man James Walsh and an EP Bring Back The Life isdue out in July. Although a brand new artist to the wider world, Lloyd is well-known to thelocal audience, his unique brand of reggae and bluegrass-inflected folk making him a firmfavourite with a loyal island following.
A second stage will feature an array of live music, film, poetry, comedy and theatre overthe weekend, with the iconic punk poet JOHN COOPER CLARKE confirmed to appear onboth days. With all this as well as an Arts & Crafts market, an Organic Food Village, aHolistic Village and a Kids Creative Playground, it’s an event to bring the whole family to.
With a capacity of just 5,000 daily, Folklore’s cosy site ensures that this will be an intimateaffair, and with Jersey boasting one of the warmest local music crowds you could hope tomeet, it’s a festival at which many a friendship will be forged! Not to mention the fact that,just a stone’s throw from the beach, Folklore has about as perfect a festival setting asyou’ll find.
Co-organiser Warren Holt:“The Folklore line up is almost complete, and as well as being delighted with ourheadliners Van Morrison and Ray Davies, who are bound to play sets packed full of hits,I’m really pleased with the eclecticism of the music on offer so far. There’s something of afolk theme running through the line up of course, but with each artist bringing their ownelement to it, from reggae to rock n’ roll, bossa nova to indie, it’s looking like a bill that cancertainly reach out to a wide range of music fans.”
Tickets are on sale now. Standard Weekend tickets are£105 and day tickets are £62.50. Hospitality tickets are from £125
Many more acts are to be announced.
Dates Saturday 30th June and Sunday 1st July
Folklore is a non-camping event. However there are a wide variety of accommodation options including hotels, guest houses, caravan and campsites, as well as some more unusual accommodation options including Durrell Wildlife Park’s hostels and Jersey Heritage sites such as fully-furnished forts and castles.
Jersey is easily accessible from the UK, with over 12 flights per day from London and regular daily flights operating from over 25 regional airports, including all major cities. Condor Ferries operates a ferry service from Weymouth, Poole and Portsmouth for those preferring to travel by sea or wishing to bring a vehicle.
Folklore is curated by Warren Holt and Warren Le Sueur, the organisers of Jersey Live festival, the Channel Islands’ biggest live music event whose previous guestshave included Dizzee Rascal, Kasabian, The Prodigy and Paul Weller. Jersey Live takes place this year on September 1st & 2nd. Line up TBA.
