Escape To Freight Island 2nd October 2022

This coming Sunday afternoon I'll be playing some of my favourite music down at Escape To Freight Island in The Platform.

The Dig Deep Records Pop-Up shop will also be on site so people can peruse our vinyl picks and have a listen to the records we have for sale on the day.

We kick off proceedings at 12 noon and run through till 4pm before the esteemed Abigail Ward takes over on the decks till 8pm. (Live recordings now up on Mixcloud)

 

 

The event is part of the Better Days Festival which features great DJs providing the soundtrack to everything from Sunday roasts and good food from the many restaurants, lots of things for the family to do, pop up record shops, rare finds flea market, weekend papers, a roller skating rink, and live music. Read on to see what is happening between now and the closing party on 27th November...

The Vintage Festival: Vintage By The Sea 2022

Not long to go before we're off to the seaside for The Vintage Festival: Vintage by the Sea 2022 in Morecambe. 

Described by The Guardian as one of the ‘Top Five Retro Events in the World’ the award winning weekend event attracts 40,000+ visitors per year.

Every September Morecambe seafront provides a stunning backdrop for a programme of cultural content inspired by the 1920s to the 1990s ‑ including a Vintage Marketplace, Routemaster Bus Bar with DJs, Family Workshops, Street Theatre, Best in Show Catwalk, Torch Club Ball, Pop Up Dance, Art Exhibitions, Street Food, Melodrome Music Stage, The Midland Rotunda Bar with DJs, Classic Car Show, Afternoon Teas, Vintage Mobile Cinema, Vintage by the Sea After Party, plus much much more. 

The Beat-Herder Festival 2022

It's safe to say Beat-Herder 2022 absolutely smashed it yet again. The outpouring of love across social media from those in attendance in the 2 days following the festival has really demonstrated how much of a good time was had, with many saying the now common post Beat-Herder mantra "best one yet!".

The success of The Beat-Herder Festival really is a credit to everyone involved, from the festival organisers that create a unique environment and unite us as one, the teams that put their heart and soul into running each of the stages, the DJs, artists, and musicians who deliver amazing performances, to the ever loveable crowd that brought their best party vibes for the 15th anniversary. Everywhere I looked people were having the time of their lives. Festivalling as festivalling should be done.

In world that is mired with corruption, capitalism, greed, and general badness we need safe spaces like Beat-Herder to be free, connect with like minded people, express ourselves and show love and respect for one and another. That sentiment has always been at the heart of Beat-Herder and is the reason why it continues to be the best festival in the land. Herd Em Up!

The Beat-Herder Festival - 14th-17th July 2022

The Beat-Herder Festival // Buy Tickets // Line Up // Stages // News

Trash Manor At The Beat-Herder Festival - Full tage Line Up Announced

Trash Manor - The home of rebels, punks and pioneers.

The Trash stage is my home from home when I'm in Beat-Herdershire. The area is run by a tight family of Northern misfits and artisans and they always make me feel welcome and one of the gang,

If someone had told my 17 year old self that one day I'd be on the same flyer as that top line I'd have thought they were winding me up.

In 1992 Justin Robertson released his first Lionrock 12" and this was quickly added to my growing collection. I went on to buy all of his releases and remixes for years. We went to see Justin DJing on many occasions in places like Cream and Voodoo in Liverpool, possibly The Orbit, and Sankey's plus another club I can't remember the name of in Manchester He was always great.

Ralph Lawson came a bit later. It's a bit hazy now but I know in 1996 I was listening to his Back To Basics: Cut The Crap mix incessantly and had just started buying his releases on his prolific 20:20 Vision label.

This all came together at the now legendary Back To Basics club night in Leeds. Justin Robertson would be tearing the roof off the the basement with some heavy weight Techno alongside the likes of Andy Weatherall and Slam's Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle. Meanwhile Ralph Lawson would be DJing upstairs alongside Terry Farley playing the deeper more soulful side of House music. That time was truly inspirational for me and helped me develop the foundation of the electronic side of my music collection. 

I'll not go into the time that I (allegedly) drove straight over a roundabout one night on our way to Leeds. Or the time that I was faced with a herd of escaped sheep that were jamming up the country lanes in the early hours on our way back home. Or the time that I forgot to turn the kill switch back off after a fun night in Cream. I still feel bad about making my mates push the car halfway through Liverpool as I tried to bump start it - which obviously was never going to happen. We had to get a taxi to tow us home in the end and I only realised what had gone wrong the next day.

Greg Wilson has been DJing for the longest of the 3 of this year's Trash Manor headliners. Interestingly it's the sound that he was championing in the early 1980's that I have spent the last 10+ years learning about, collecting and playing. It was that proto-house vibe where disco and funk and modern soul became that bit more electronic as the (then) new boogie sound took hold with labels like Prelude and Leroy Burgess' output going onto be classics that still sound fresh today.

Toil Trees At The Beat-Herder Festival - Full tage Line Up Announced

For those that don't already know, the Toil Trees area is organised by the crew that created the festival back in 2006.

In July we celebrate the 15th Birthday of the 10,000+ capacity award winning festival.

It's been a pleasure to have watched Beat-Herder grow over the years. The festival is pulled together by a small bunch of people that do it for the love and you can tell. 

The vibe is 2nd to none and this year's line up is super strong. I'll be warming up Toil Trees early on the Sunday before Mikey D.O.N, Mr Scruff, and Dan Shake take us through the afternoon to the evening and DJ Paulette, Or:la, and HAAI cover the night shift.

Herd Em Up!

The Beat-Herder Festival takes place 14th-17th July 2022

The Beat-Herder Festival // Buy Tickets // Line Up // Stages // News

Paul Thornton Live at Eastern Bloc X Rotation presents Fourth City Vol 3

Recorded live at Eastern Bloc X Rotation presents Fourth City Vol 3

 Celebrating all things musical from Detroit, Chicago, New York & Manchester. Strictly vinyl running through Rotation's MasterSounds Linear 4V mixer. 

These heavy weight jams sounded so good projected onto the dance floor via Eastern Bloc's sublime sound system.

 

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The Beat-Herder Festival 2022 - Phase 1 Line Up Announced

The Beat-Herder Festival have announced Phase 1 of the line up for their 15th birthday and it has some mint acts to look forward to. 

In their usual style we have world-renowned DJs and internationally acclaimed bands rubbing shoulders with up and coming names and people that are well established on the underground side of things.

Herd Em Up!

Beat-Herder 2022

I'll be honest, after 2 long years of hunkering down, physically separated from the music scene that I have loved since I was in my teens, I was starting to wonder if we would ever be allowed to play out again.

But thankfully things seem to be going in the right direction (kind of) and if there was ever something that was going to tempt me out of my rabbit hole, it was going to be The Beat-Herder Festival.

After all how could I miss what is certain to be an epic post apocalyptic party of joyous communal togetherness. 

In fact just a few minutes looking on the website at The Gallery of spectacular scenes is enough to bring back a wealth of warm fuzzy memories. Of all the festivals I have been too, Beat-Herder is the one that truly feels like coming home.

To me The Beat-Herder Festival has always felt like a society where we can live how we should live every day. Where we can shut out the nonsense that plagues the world and congregate with like minded people. 

It's a place where mates and music bring about happiness, smiles, fun, love, and unity. Where fields of colourful tents and amazing art instillations keep your eyes wide open, whilst headliners rub shoulders with local acts to create an explosive atmosphere of liberty, dancing and escapism.

It's a family thing pulled together by a small bunch of people that do it for the love, and you can tell.

So the dates have been set for a 4 day long orgy of everything that is right to celebrate the festival's belated 15th birthday. And to be honest I can't wait.