The National Student Magazine April 2009

April 2009

speech debelle

The doctor is in:

John C McGinley on the future of [Scrubs], working with Oliver Stone and sleeping on stage at New York University

H

e might not be up there on the A-list with Brad Pitt and Russell Crowe, but John C McGinley has starred in more than 70 films and over the past eight years has amused audiences across the world as Dr Perry Cox in medical comedy series [Scrubs].

His wide-ranging career has led him to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in show business, Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise have shared the screen with him, and he has nothing but praise for them: “They’re both tremendous in what they do, Tom’s just a fantastic actor and Keanu one of the greatest guys on the planet, one of the most generous guys you’ll ever meet, he was terrific in Point Break and I see him every once in a blue moon and he’s just a wonderful guy, it’s great to see him, he’s great in Point Break and so is Patrick [Swayze].”

John landed his first major role in Oliver Stone’s Platoon in 1986, where he played hard-ass Sergeant Red O’Neill alongside Willem Dafoe. Many would be daunted by the prospect of such a wide range of different characters, but John admits there’s a knack to nailing a character that isn’t like you: “It’s only a challenge if you’re really going to stretch yourself, like in Platoon that guy is a coward and I don’t really fancy myself a coward and he’s a bully and I know cowards and bullies and so it was a chance to explore around what that would feel like. Red O’Neill was just a guy who wanted to get the hell out, like a rat off a ship, and I just dove into that and tried it on for five months in the Philippines.”

“That’s kind of the thrill of being an actor because every once in a while these roles come along that aren’t you, and you don’t have a college of knowledge to draw from and so you’ve got to exercise some pretty powerful imaginary resources. I just think it’s really hard to lie in front of the lens, because it doesn’t suffer lying well. So you’ve got to find a way of telling the truth, in Sergeant O’Neill’s case, without being a coward and without being scared to death and when you can do that it feels like you’re really getting somewhere.”

John got his big break after Stone himself saw him as understudy in a play in New York’s Times Square called Danny and the

Deep Blue Sea casting him in a run of different films, including Wall Street, Talk Radio, and Any Given Sunday. His film success led to him being cast as Dr Cox in [Scrubs] in 2001, and the show’s final season concludes in May when star Zack Braff and creator Bill Lawrence will move on to other projects, leading to speculation about whether the series could continue on in another form. John thinks it’s unlikely: “Bill Lawrence is too smart and knows the TV landscape too well not to have peppered the eighth season with characters who could be the next generation of [Scrubs], but I don’t see it. The show would have had to have done crazy numbers when it came back on in January and we’re doing the numbers we always do, six or seven million people who are really fanatical. If you watched [Scrubs] for the first seven years, you watched it for this eighth year.” After playing the character for such a long time, with the work schedule running up to 100 hours a week, John feels he’s finally got to grips with the character: “[Scrubs] has been the biggest challenge that I’ve ever had, just because keeping something going and fresh for eight years, grinding that deep is really hard to keep it funny and make it look easy.” “It’s hard to nail down Cox, he’s so damaged, one minute he’s funny and the next minute he’s just a ramrod jackhammer and teaches these kids, do it my way or hit the highway.” Outside of acting, John has been working hard. Currently the spokesman for the National Downs Syndrome Society, since his son Max was diagnosed with Downs Syndrome in 1997, John

attended the Special Olympics World Winter Games as part of an initiative to combat discrimination. “I got to attend a conference of 120 kids in an auditorium from all around the world talking about stuff, most of them about one thing, one topic which really seemed to get under the skin of the young people there was being called a ‘retard’ or ‘retarded’ and so we started a campaign.” “The young people I know who were born with special needs are really all about love and inclusion and so if you pick on them they’re not gonna pick on you back, so when you use unkind language you’ve nailed the perfect target, which is just unacceptable. So we’re taking baby steps here trying to get the ‘r-word’ out of the lexicon.”

In a career focused on giving out focused impressions of yourself, it’s easy for people to jump to conclusions about what you are really like, John admits what reaction he gets from people depends on their age: “People still come up to me and quote Wall Street and quote Platoon and quote stuff from Office Space.” “I’ve been very fortunate to have a pretty diverse body of work, so you can respond to different elements of it and not be pinned down to McGinley being a bad guy or McGinley being funny guy or McGinley being next door neighbour co-worker guy, I’ve been able to go in a lot of different directions, which is just the greatest gift of all time.” But John hasn’t always been a seasoned vet of the acting trade, and has had his fair share of embarrassment along the way: “I was shooting the film Wall Street in downtown Manhattan and at night I was doing a play over at the Shakespeare Festival. You’re supposed to be there at 7.00 or 7.30 for an 8 o’clock curtain and we went over shooting Wall Street that day and as a result I got to the theatre very late, and my understudy was in my wardrobe and so I thought it was horrible bad luck to ever let your understudy go on and so I made a bit of a ruckus.” “I went on stage and about 20 minutes into the play I had this wonderful ten minute monologue, it’s the stuff you die for in New York, and I got about a minute or two into this ten minute monologue I couldn’t remember the next word, I couldn’t pick up anything but Oliver [Stone] yelling at Charlie Sheen that day and what had gone wrong shooting Wall Street and my mind was not in

the theatre. “I wanted to just start crying and bawl up and be like a little boy on stage and just to beg the audience for forgiveness and after standing there, and I’m sure it was very compelling theatre to have this person dying in front of you. I finally turned around and walked back to my seat where I am on stage and the play continued and I missed the next nights show (laughs), because I was late again and I thought forget it, forget it, he can go on for me! That was the biggest nightmare ever.” Despite his achievements, John still has things left to accomplish; name-checking Danny Boyle, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson as people he’d still like to work with, as well as Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro (“I just think he’s a great storyteller”). John also has a lot of respect for his acting peers, “I thought what Daniel Day Lewis did in There Will Be Blood was just set him apart from every other actor on the planet.” and he admits his biggest hero, Anthony Hopkins, “could read the phone book and I’d be riveted!” After being an actor for over 20 years, John has adopted his own philosophy to his work: “John Malkovich once said that there’s two schools of acting, there’s a Robert De Niro school where people try to become the character, and there’s the Malkovich school, and that’s where actors let the characters become themselves and Malkovich said there’s no one he knows better than himself and he let’s the character become him, and I agree with John. “I don’t think either approach is any less valid, but I don’t know anybody better than John McGinley so I let Perry Cox become me.” Despite having no firm plans of what to do now [Scrubs] is finished, John does still have some goals to achieve: “I’m eight weeks away from finishing the completion of demolishing and re-building a house, which we’ve been doing for the past few months, and I have a one year old daughter and I’m looking forward to her starting to sleep at some point in her life and if those two things happen here in the next month or so, my life will be very good.” by James Parry

The summer starts here... It’s that time of year again where we at magazine gear up for another summer of musical fun and frolics. Over the next two issues we will take a look at the pick of this year’s festival action.

WYCHWOOD FESTIVAL by Rob Stares

April Ether Festival

Southbank Centre, London April 9-24 Returning for its sixth year, Southbank will again host an eclectic mix of music from classical to crass electro-pop. Mixed with a high-brow line-up of entertainers and industry speakers, this is one for serious music fans. Line-up: Royksopp, David Byrne, Plaid, Peaches, Squarepusher, J Spaceman (Spiritualized), Tim Exile.

myspace.com/etherfestival

Status, Shy FX.

eastbournefestivallive.com

Camden Crawl 2009

Venues across Camden, London April 24-25 If you can avoid the Nathan Barley-alikes when stumbling around Camden, you could find yourself immersed in a mixture of white-hot talent, legendary artists and surprise special guests in the capital’s equivalent of Texas’ South By Southwest. Line-up: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The View, Echo and the Bunnymen, Future of The Left, Little Boots, 808 State, Idlewild, Filthy Dukes, The Maccabees.

thecamdencrawl.com

Give It A Name Incoming 2009 Hammerfest 2009 Brixton, London and Academy, Manchester April 17-19 Expect a plethora of idiots with glowsticks at the downsized GIAN this year, with Enter Shikari headlining alongside Taking Back Sunday. Smaller venues and a strong bill should hopefully see this indoor festival reclaim some of its former glory. Line-up: Enter Shikari, Taking Back Sunday, The Blackout, Thursday, Underoath, The Academy Is, The King Blues, Innerpartysystem.

myspace.com/giveitanameofficial

Homegame ‘09

Various venues across Anstruther, Fife, Scotland April 17-19 Non-festival campers and tourist haters rejoice! Homegame is strategically placed to avoid both of those horrors. It’s also set in a fishing town, so if you like fish, you’ve found heaven, my friend… Line-up: King Creosote, Malcolm Middleton, Eagleowl, Slow Club, Rob St John, Burns Unit.

fencerecords.com

Eastbourne Festival

Various venues across Eastbourne, East Sussex April 24-25 Held annually to showcase the town’s “history and identity”, this years’ festival looks hell-bent on destroying the credo under a tide of genre cross-breeding. Rock and indie groups rule over the first day, whilst day two brings drum’n’bass, electro and dubstep. Line-up: The Maccabees, Friendly Fires, Zane Lowe (DJ set), Andy C, Chase &

Prestatyn, North Wales April 24-25 Although Bullet For My Valentine had to pull out, there’s still plenty for metal fans to get excited about at Pontins Holiday Camp. Saxon are there too, but don’t let that sway you from a great-looking line-up. Line-up: Opeth, Saxon, Paradise Lost, Sepultura, Skindred, Cathedral, Hammerfall, Sabbat, Architects.

hammerfest.co.uk

Hinterland 2009

Various venues across Glasgow April 30 – May 1 With Mark E. Smith’s indie-legends The Fall headlining, it’s another chance to see the seemingly indestructible bloke and another set of merry musicians. Roughly 50% of the final groups will be Scottish, so expect plenty of local talent. Line-up: The Fall, Metronomy, Dan Black, I Like Trains, Micachu, Simian Mobile Disco (DJ Set), Brigade.

hinterlandfestival.com

Cheltenham Jazz Festival

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire April 28 - May 4 Love jazz? Love contemporary artists? Love the BBC Concert Orchestra? Love that one who presented ‘What Not To Wear’ for a bit? No, the other one. The one that sings. Yeah, Mica Paris. If so, then Cheltenham is the place for you. Line-up: Lizzy Parks, Imelda May, Beardyman, The Ruach Mass Choir with guests, featuring: Mica Paris.

cheltenhamfestivals.com Continued on page 6

Supergrass

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire May 29-31 Now entering its fifth year Wychwood Festival has firmly established itself as one of the best and most eclectic festivals in the UK. Held on Cheltenham Racecourse between May 29 and 31 this year’s line-up looks set to win the event further kudos with the event securing some indie big-guns to fill their headline slots. Friday’s festivities will be put to bed with a set from psychedelic indie Welshmen Super Furry Animals, with Britpop-heroes turned rock-group-extraordinaire Supergrass headlining the Saturday. Pumping up the party are legendary skaband The Beat who are bound to get the place going with their 2-tone sounds. Early 90s indie-faves The Wonderstuff will be bringing the hits including their 1991 smash ‘Dizzy’. Elsewhere music fans can enjoy uplifting psychedelic folk from Danny & The Champi-

ons of the World, anti-folk from White Stripes support artist Alice Gun, Asian fusion act Kissmet, Queens English hip hopper Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, folk artist Kathryn Edwards and much more. A great comedy line-up including Arthur Smith and Mundo Jazz, alongside a widerange of workshops and a cinema completes what is bound to be an interesting weekend. Whilst not offering many of the names big on the student music scene, what Wychwood offers is an eclectic and mind-expanding mix of world-wide sounds with a laid-back atmosphere – sounds like a good thing to us. Line up: Supergrass, Super Furry Animals, The Beat, The Wonderstuff, Danny & The Champions of the World, Kissmet, Adrian Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds, Alice Gun, Bellowhead, Oysterband, Dub Colossus.

wychwoodfestival.com

Check out our exclusive By:Larm festival blog for audio and video content from the hottest acts from Scandanavia’s premier new music event

thenationalstudentatbylarm.blogspot.com

Chris Marks chats to the brightest new light in UK hip hop............

S

peech Debelle is a contradictory force; her voice is fragile but direct, she is youthful but speaks with wisdom and her music is beautiful whilst reflecting the harshness of urban life – heads will spin trying to work the South London hip-hop poet out. In the world of hip-hop Debelle is a true one-off and, after she drops her debut long-player Speech Therapy in June she should be clogging up iPods everywhere. The album has been a long-time coming, she first played her tunes to hip hop heads at Big Dada five years ago, and now at the age of 25 it is the reflection of her youth, a therapeutic outlet as she takes stock of what has gone before. From a middle-class Jamaican family, at 19 Debelle was asked by her mother to leave home. Written between the ages of 19 and 23, whilst living in a hostel, the words here reflect a coming of age in difficult circumstances. “When I wrote most of this album I was in a hostel with very little help financially or emotionally so writing became my healing. I would sometimes write a song and then put it down and not pick it again or look at it for months

because I didn’t need to. Once it was out it felt better” “It [the album] means I might make some money by doing music, that wasn’t a reality to me before. It’s the end of a chapter in my youth.” Heads turned at Big Dada, whose interest put Debelle in touch with the

tracks in Oz, on her return to London Debelle’s genre-spanning approach saw her make connections that would elevate Speech Therapy to new heights. Big Dada label mate and UK hip-hop legend Roots Manuva agreed to write and sing on “Wheels in Motion”, whilst 2009 hottip Micachu added a different flavour to

‘I’m not Jesus or Allah or Jah or Hotep or none of them folks so I couldn’t tell you what’s wrong with the world or how to fix it. I’m not gonna act like I have those type of answers. Humans have free will, we should use to figure things out for ourselves shouldn’t we?’ collaborators who have contributed to her albums rich, and diverse tapestry of sound. One day in the labels offices she hooked up with Wayne Lotek, who aside from his own Lotek Hi Fi project has produced for Root Manuva. Debelle flew out to Australia to record with Lotek, a bunch of live musicians and additional producer Plutonic Lab and lay down most of what would become Speech Therapy – it might be the location which gives it a much more sunny-disposition than the usual urban-grit of UK hip-hop, The union with Lotek added to the musical template for Speech’s musings, as she explains, “I write music and songs that are hip hop based but are heavily influenced by jazz, soul, classical, folk.” As Lotek worked on finishing and mixing the

the awesomely optimistic “Better Days”. Speech knows that the collaborations upped the profile of her debut, “Collabs are good because if someone has a bigger name and you work with them it helps raise your profile which is something I wanted to do. I’m not a singer so working with singers is something I love to do as well. I’m a fan of singers.” Adding further to the musical meltingpot Mike Lyndsay from experimental folk maestros Tunng heard some demos and insisted he be involved. Working with Speech over a number of sessions the duo came up with the introspective “Live & Learn” and the summery avant-pop of “Spinnin” which has the potential to be this year’s big summer pop hit, but a hit with a message. Other people Speech would like to jam with further reflects her ambitions to be drawn out of her comfort zone to find new backdrops for her rhymes. Her wish-list includes Lily Allen, Bashy, Kings of Leon, Lauren Hill and Prince. Despite the array of talent working on the record Speech was hands on with production process, “[I had] most of the input I guess. There are three songs on the album that I wasn’t in the studio for when they were being made. The other tracks I either co-wrote or co-produced.” For all the great music on offer, it is the words that make the record stand out – poetic, realistic and believable, Speech narrates with a straight-forwardness

that will connect with everyone on many levels. There is an outpouring of emotion, dwelling on bad memories offset by humorous anecdotes and razor sharp observations. Speech explained the ease with which she is able to slip her real-life experiences into her rhymes, “That’s the easiest for me, I don’t have to think about what I’m writing. If i do a song that’s a story that I’ve made up it’s the biggest challenge. I can talk about my feelings and experiences a lot easier than someone else’s. So a song like ‘Bad Boy’ was more difficult because although I knew the person who that song is about I really don’t know how he feels because I can’t, I ain’t him.” But how much of her inner-self did Speech pour onto the record? “A lot although I stopped shy of making any courtroom confessions or mentioning names of people who I was talking about. Some things I haven’t mentioned because if I tell you everything what do I have left for myself!” Her attempts at writing about other people and problems are no less insightful, take the aforementioned ‘Bad Boy’ which looks unflinchingly, but non-judgementally at the way the youths she grew up with are living their lives. The album takes a look at love, life, and politics with stark honesty that gives Speech a trustworthy authority. Despite this she does not aim to preach, or even teach, “I’m not Jesus or Allah or Jah or Hotep or none of them folks so I couldn’t tell you what’s wrong with the world or how to fix it. I’m not gonna act like I have those type of answers. Humans have free will, we should use to figure things out for ourselves shouldn’t we?” “I was watching an interview with Lil Wayne and the interviewer asked him if he thought he was a good role model for how people should live there life and said “if people need me to show them how to live their life then their life ain’t worth living.” Regardless Speech Debelle has something to say, and it is worth a listen. If a thoughtful, fresh slice of UK hip hop is what you’re after, seek out Speech Therapy and introduce yourself to the most interesting new talent on the scene.

speechdebelle.com

Squeeze headlining haven’t materialised yet, so no distant 70s-80s ‘when they were good’ nostalgia for some. Line-up: Mr Scruff, The Bays, Aim, Bomb The Bass, Frederick Stanley Starr, Vinyl Junkies, Beardyman, Osibisa, The Qemists.

May

meadowlandsfestival.com

Homecoming ‘09

Irvine Beach Park, Ayrshire, Scotland May 2-3 A new festival that claims to be filling a gap in the market geographically, Homecoming has a five-year plan to become a high-flying festival for Ayrshire to be proud of. This year’s line-up shows promise, although a look further down the bill will provide a few raised eyebrows for some. Line-up: Armin Van Buuren, Reverend and the Makers, Lisa Lashes, Taio Cruz, Soul II Soul Sound System.

Strummercamp ‘09

Manchester Rugby Club, Cheadle, Cheshire May 22-24 It’s an event organised by friends of the late (and incredibly great) Joe Strummer, hence the name. If you loved the man (or were inspired by him), the music on show is likely to appeal. For others, the names below may mean little – but if you wanted to find a festival with a heart, then you could do a lot worse than give this a go. Line-up: Billy Bragg, The Mahones, Golty Farabeau, The Damned, The Alarm, The Clashed, Rasta 4 Eyes.

homecomingfestival.com

strummercamp.co.uk

The Gathering

Tapeley Park, Instow, North Devon May 2-3 If you love didgeridoo’s, then you’re in luck. The Gathering provides a festival for enthusiasts and novices to come together and enjoy one of Australia’s best creations. Insert your own mind-numbing joke about Neighbours, Fosters or Rolf Harris here, if you must… Line-up: Kev Howard, Rob Mantz, Gavin Blench, Jonny Cope, Stephen Heath, John Brice.

Acoustic Festival of Britain

Catton Hall Park, South Derbyshire May 22-25 Probably suited more to the ‘mature students’ (or to those who live purely for music of past decades), Acoustic Festival slams together names that have divided opinion and been known commonly for ‘one hit pop wonders’. Even The Animals are performing. Well, kind of - It’s nearly a tribute act. Line-up: Roger Hodgson (Supertramp), Deacon Blue, Imelda May, The Animals, Chris Difford, Mungo Jerry.

anticearthworks.co.uk

All Tomorrow’s Parties: The Fans Strike Back

Butlins Resort, Minehead, Somerset May 9-11 As the name suggests, fans of the ATP festival have been voting online for their favourite headliners, and boy do fans of this festival have good taste! With artists like !!! turning up after disappearing from the UK for too long, alongside the amazing Devo, Spiritualized and M83 this is a must-attend. As Waynes World said: Book them, and they will come. Line-up: Devo, Spiritualized, Beirut, The Jesus Lizard, Sleep, M83, Antipop Consortium, The Cave Singers, Errors, Jeffery Lewis, Killing Joke, Young Marble Giants.

atpfestival.com

The Great Escape

Venues across Brighton May 14-16 Claiming to be ‘Europe’s leading festival for new music’, TGE pulls out the stops this year to back up their debateable tagline. Over 300 artists will perform over three days, with the main draw being a sold-out set from Kasabian - who aren’t new at all. Line-up: Kasabian, Lightspeed Champion, Noah and The Whale, The Maccabees, White Denim, Black Lips, VV Brown.

escapegreat.com

All Tomorrow’s Parties: Curated by The Breeders

Butlins Resort, Minehead, Somerset May 15-17 This year ATP’s line-up is picked by The Breeders and is bound to be awesome. Including sets from newer hip acts such as The Bronx (and their ‘El-Mariachi Bronx’ alter-ego), CSS, Foals and Blood Red Shoes, alongside classic bands such as Throwing Muses, Shellac and Gang of Four there’s plenty to get excited about. Line-up: The Breeders, Bon Iver, CSS, Foals, Throwing Muses, Teenage Fanclub, Gang of Four.

atpfestival.com

acousticfestival.co.uk

Run To The Sun ‘09 Cage The Elephant

Andrew Wetherall (Subject to change per city).

Bearded Theory

Bradley Nook Farm, Hulland Ward, Ashbourne, Derbyshire May 15-17 People who love beards and fancy dress, rejoice! Run as a non-profit organisation, Bearded Theory are trying to get into the record books by having the most amount of false-bearded people in one place, at one time. Sounds like a right laugh. This years’ fancy dress theme is Medieval. Line-up: Headliner confirmed APRIL 1, Subgiant, The Saw Doctors, Beetroot Kings, Neville Staples, Bayer.

beardedtheory.co.uk Liverpool Sound City

Venues across Liverpool May 20-23 Following on from the ‘Capital of Culture’ tag, Liverpool continues to pull out the stops with a festival full of buzz-word bands. The main headliners are mainly culled from the lazily labelled ‘indie’ pool, but there are other stages and acts for fans of different genres to enjoy. Line-up: White Lies, Cage The Elephant, Mongrel, Johnny Foreigner, Red Light Company, Datarock, You Me At Six.

liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk

Stag and Dagger 2009

Venues across East London, Leeds and Glasgow May 21 (London), 22 (Leeds), 23 (Glasgow) See: ‘Camden Crawl’, except situated in East London, and still in its infancy. Also to be found in Leeds and Glasgow, although (inevitably) the line-up may vary from city to city. Line-up: Cold War Kids, Maps, James Yuill, Rusko, Casper C, Young Turks, Filthy Dukes,

staganddagger.com

Knockengorroch World Ceilidh

Knockengorroch Farm, Carsphairn, Kirkubrightshire, Scotland May 21-24 Using phrases such as ‘world-music’ and ‘diversity and fusion’ in describing itself, it gives you a pretty good idea of what’s in store. Adding in to the fact that it’s in the middle of nowhere, and you’ve got a recipe for some serious Celtic/ hippy-esque vibes. Line-up: The Orb, Roni Size (with MC Jakes), Terrafolk, Schlomo, Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara.

knockengorroch.org.uk

Glastonbudget

Turnpost Farm, Wymeswold, Leicestershire May 22-24 The only thing linking this festival to Glastonbury is the shrewd name, and is best suited to those with a slight sense of humour, with the bulk of bands on show coming in the form of tribute acts. For some, the idea of people pretending to be Johnny Borrell or Bono is probably too much to bear. Line-up: Blurb, Who’s Who, Four Fighters, Razorlike, The Fillers, Kins Of Leon, MimXS, Us4U2, Stereotonics.

glastonbudget.net

Meadowlands Music Festival

Glynde Place, East Sussex May 22-24 Featuring a four-hour set from Mr Scruff complete with AV visuals (no, me neither...) and a promise to try and get the festival’s carbon footprint down to minimal amounts, Meadowlands is a festival high on promise. Rumours of

Trevelgue Holiday Park, Porth, Newquay, Cornwall May 22-25 Run alongside the VW and Custom Car event in Newquay, RTTS has taken a gap in the market that many festivals could only dream of. If they liked cars, of course. Its main aim is to provide high-profile DJ’s for the hordes of car loving individuals on site, and this year sees a blend of dance and drum’n’bass for all. Line-up: Pendulum (DJ Set), Grooverider, Judge Jules, Dave Pearce, Hed Kandi: Phil Faversham, Dean Rigg, Sam Cannon.

runtothesun.co.uk

Dot to Dot Festival

Bristol, May 23 Nottingham May 24 The uber-hip, multi-venue shindig returns for a fifth year, reduced in length at just one day for each city we don’t expect any reduction in the amount of quality acts on offer. No big-hitters have been announced as yet but with last year boasting the likes of the Cribs, Klaxons, Kate Nash and Santogold expect some massive announcements soon. Line up: Friendly Fires, Cage the Elephant, Ladyhawke, Patrick Wolf, Annie Mac, Crystal Stilts, Tommy Reilly, Little Boots, Vivian Girls, 65 Days of Static

dottodotfestival.co.uk

Eurocultured

New Wakefield Street, Manchester May 24-25 They’re keeping their cards to their chest at the moment as to who will be performing, but the last few years have seen some tasty artists turn up. It’s also free, so even if you don’t like it, it’s difficult to complain. Sister festivals are also held in Bratislava and Dublin. Line-up: (In previous years): Datarock, Yelle, Buraka Som Sistema, Fight Like Apes, Jon Kennedy.

eurocultured.com

Follow our festival coverage online: thenationalstudent.co.uk/festivals09

June Hampton Court Palace Festival

Hampton Court Palace, Surrey June 2-13 It’s been going seventeen years, and with this year’s line-up goes some way to proving why. Whilst the list of artists – ranging from James Morrison, Level 42 and José Carreras – are a varied bunch, they’re also safe ‘family friendly’ acts to choose. Line-up: José Carreras, Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Russell Watson, Level 42, The Four Seasons, Beverley Knight and Lemar, James Morrison, RPO’s Best of Broadway. Beethoven Festival Finale.

hamptoncourtfestival.com

Beachbreak Live

North Cornwall June 16-19 It’s a festival just for students (that’s you that is), so the artists performing have been lovingly picked to match current trends. Long-time festival stalwarts (and the band often accused of, wrongly, covering Amy Winehouse) The Zutons are headlining, alongside a bill that is predictable, but nonetheless quite exciting. Line-up: Dizzee Rascal, The Zutons, Mystery Jets, Friendly Fires, Ladyhawke, DJ Yoda, Caspa & Rusko.

beachbreaklive.com

Sellindge Music Festival

Hope Farm, Ashford, Kent June 5-7 Sellindge Music Festival isn’t re-inventing the wheel with its set-up (Main stage, dance stage, acoustic stage, ‘introducing’ stage), but why break with convention? Supergrass make another summer appearance on a fairly no-nonsense bill, with Emmy The Great being a stand-out name from the ‘emerging’ crop. Line-up: Supergrass, Thomas Tantrum, Red Light Company, Eddy Temple-Morris, Brandon Block, Emmy The Great.

sellindgemusicfestival.co.uk

Middlesbrough Music Live

Cleveland, Middlesbrough June 7 The line-up for this years’ ‘Boro Music Live

Faith No More

has yet to be announced, but with the festival celebrating its 10th birthday this year, expect it to be special. A hot ticket for music aficionados and pop lovers alike - just look at 2008’s bill below. Line-up: (2008) Ash, Black Kids, Ladyhawke, Florence And The Machine, You Me At Six, Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip.

middlesbroughmusiclive.co.uk

Download Festival

Donington Park, Leicestershire June 12-14 Struggling to maintain its title as the premier rock and metal event with other events stealing the metal big-guns, this year’s nostalgia-fest isn’t likely to make it the place to be for younger rock fans. Still, an exclusive performance from a reformed Faith No More makes this a smoking-hot festival ticket. Line-up: Faith No More, SlipKnot, Def Leppard, ZZ Top, Whitesnake, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Limp Bizkit, Prodigy, Motley Crue, Pendulum, Trivium, Down, Chris Cornell

downloadfestival.co.uk

Rock Ness

Loch Ness, Scotland June 12-14 The strong line-up announced for Rock Ness provides at least one thing that the average person would enjoy. There’s a wide-ranging bill from older rock acts (Placebo, Flaming Lips, Super Furry Animals) to newer favs (Biffy Clyro, Wombats) and a fine array of dance acts both old (Prodigy, Orbital, Basement Jazz) and new. Line-up: The Flaming Lips, Basement Jaxx, Orbital, Dizzee Rascal, Placebo, Biffy Clyro, The Prodigy, Crookers, Super Furry Animals, The Wombats.

rockness.co.uk

Isle of Wight Festival 2009

Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight June 12-14 Again there are plenty of crowd-pullers at IOW this year. The Prodigy and Neil Young will polarise punters, while bands like Razorlight continue their ‘groups that are everysodding-where’ theme. Line-up: The Prodigy, Stereophonics, Razorlight, Pixies, White Lies, The View

isleofwightfestival.com

Continued over leaf

Escape Into The Park

Singleton Park, Swansea June 13 Massive dance party in a park!! Non-stop bangin’ tunes from some of the biggest and best names in the business. Line-up: Eric Prydz, Norman Jay, Judge Jules, Lisa Lashes, Andy C, Friction, Hype, Tidy Boys.

escapefestival.com

Lexapalooza Festival 2009

The Gaff, Holloway Road, London June 20 Lexapalooza has a duel purpose. Not only does it showcase emerging underground artists on its roster, it also raises money for Breast Cancer Campaign. Even if you find yourself saying “who?!” to most on the lineup, there are far worse ways to spend your money. Line-up: Armed Response Unit, Ben Marwood, Blind Havoc, General Bovine & The Justice Force 5, Jim Lockey, Kill Chaos, Oxygen Thief, The Xcerts, Chris T-T & The Hoodrats

lexapalooza.wordpress.com

3 Wishes Faery Fest

Colliford Lake Park, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall June 19-21 Yes, you read correctly. It’s a festival for (and about) faeries. It’s safe to say that this festival won’t feature A-list musical acts, but it is completely different to a conventional music festival. Potential fun for people who love psychedelic drugs. Line-up: Daemonia Nymphe, Astralasia, The Dolmen, Kangaroo Moon, Faeries Wear Boots, Brocc.

3wishesfaeryfest.co.uk

Gold Coast Oceanfest

Croyde Bay, North Devon June 19-21 At the moment, only Jason Mraz has been announced for this festival, but with two other days to fill yet, don’t expect it to stay like that for long. Surfer rock, ska, blues and jazz have all been represented in the past, so expect a level of diversity – but ultimately if you’re into ocean sports, this is a nobrainer. Line-up: Jason Mraz (More to be announced)

goldcoastoceanfest.co.uk

Africa Oyé Festival

Sefton Park, Liverpool June 20-21 Performers from Africa, South America and The Caribbean will unite for a weekend of family-fun in Liverpool. Details are still slightly sketchy in regards to the events planned, but if you enjoy henna art, puppet making and remedial massages, then you’re already in luck. Line-up: Les Frères Guissé, Gordon Masiala & NKA Musica, Kanda Bongo Man, Freddie McGregor with Chino, Laden & The Millenium Band

africaoye.com

Glastonbury 2009

Worthy Farm, Pilton, Shepton Mallet, Somerset June 24-28 After courting controversy (if you’re Noel Gallagher) last year with Jay-Z as a headliner, Glasto play it safer with ‘The Boss’, Neil Young and Blur this year. With the Brit-Pop quartet returning for the summer, it’s a safe

Blur

bet that Oasis will again loom large over the choice of the Eavis family this year. Line-up: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Blur, Neil Young, Franz Ferdinand, Fleet Foxes, Doves, Echo and the Bunnymen, Emiliana Torrini, Florence & The Machine, Lily Allen, The Ting Tings.

glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

Hard Rock Calling Hyde Park, London June 27-28

If you missed out on getting tickets to Sunday’s headliner (Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen, no less), then you could do worse than settling for Saturday. Going to see Neil Young isn’t at all unfashionable, especially when cult hero Seasick Steve is in support. Line-up: Saturday 27: Neil Young, Fleet Foxes, Ben Harper, Seasick Steve, The Pretenders.

hardrockcalling.co.uk Continued next month