The End Of The Road Festival
The Best Small Festivals The UK Has To Offer
By Ed Biggs in Music / Festivals on 01 January 2018
Small and boutique festivals have exploded across the UK in recent years - here are five of the very best.
One of the quieter but most significant revolutions in the British music scene this decade has been the explosion of small, or ‘boutique’, festivals across the land.
No longer is the festival circuit the plain old Glastonbury / Reading & Leeds / T In The Park axis. The latter of those has bitten the dust and transformed into TRNSMT; Latitude and Wireless have established themselves over the last 15 years as rivals; while V has become an almost exclusively pop-oriented festival.
But on a smaller tier than those are the galaxy of boutique festivals that have sprouted up at increasing pace. Here’s the six best small festivals the UK has to offer.
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End Of The Road 2017 Comedy Literature Line Up
By James Hopkin in Music / Festivals on 23 May 2017
Nish Kumar and Adam Buxton are both included on the comedy line-up
End Of The Road Festival has announced its eclectic mix of comedy and literary events for this year’s festival at Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset. A variety of comedians, writers, artists and performers will be joining the likes of Bill Callahan, Lucinda Williams, Mac De Marco and Father John Misty at the beginning of September.
Topping the comedy bill is the duo Cardinal Burns, who are fresh off the back of an award-winning sketch show on Channel 4 and a raucous monthly residency at Hackney’s Moth Club. Joining them is the Radio 4 and Have I Got News for You regular Nish Kumar, who is known for his sharp satire and politically topical performances, and will be making his End of the Road debut this September.
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Third Headliner Announced For End Of The Road
By James Hopkin in Music / Festivals on 10 March 2017
Bill Callahan has been announced as the third headliner for this year's End of the Road festival in Dorset.
Bill Callahan, who released the critically acclaimed Dream River in 2013, joins Mac De Marco and Father John Misty at the top of the bill. After starting out in the underground lo-fi rock scene in the late '80s, Callahan signed to Drag City, where he paired his songs with more professional production methods, working with the likes of Jim O'Rourke and Tortoise's John McEntire in the studio. Having released over fifteen records both as Smog and under his own name since 1990, Callahan's performance at Larmer Tree Gardens is set to be a special one. Like Mac De Marco, End of the Road will be his only UK festival appearance this year.
Also joining the roster are shoegaze pioneers Slowdive, who are set to release their first album in 22 years in May and will kick the festival off with a headline slot on the Big Top stage on the Thursday night. They're joined by psychedelic rockers Pond, who return to the festival after their memorable show two years ago; cosmic pop act The Moondlandingz, who have created their own fictional backstory to complement their music; and lauded singer songwriter Aldous Harding, whose debut on 4AD put her firmly on 2017's 'ones to watch' list.
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First Acts Announced For End Of The Road Festival 2017
By James Hopkin in Music / Festivals on 14 February 2017
The Dorset festival returns with a varied mix of americana, folk, indie and psychedelia.
The first acts have been announced for this year's End Of The Road Festival in Dorset. The end of summer bash will host headliners Father John Misty and Mac De Marco, who top an eclectic bill which includes the multi-Grammy award winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, indie troupers Real Estate, Scottish rockers The Jesus And Mary Chain, Malian husband and wife duo Amadou & Mariam, glam rock protégés The Lemon Twigs, and much more.
Mac De Marco's slot will be his only UK festival appearance this year, while Father John Misty is set to make his UK festival headline debut at the event. Both acts are set to release new material this year, with Father John Misty's Pure Comedy set for release in April, and De Marco's This Old Dog due to come out in May. The final headliner is yet to be announced. Last year saw Joanna Newsom, Cat Power and Animal Collective head the event.
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