Ivor Novello Award winner Lily Allen, Paloma Faith, The Magic Numbers and more added to this year’s line-up!
May 20th, 2010 by sparky
The festival season is about to begin and we’ll be back in our favourite corner of the Herefordshire countryside before we know it! This year’s Big Chill just keeps on growing and we’ve got even more stellar additions to make to an already outrageous line-up…
Lily Allen
A lot has happened to Lily Allen since she first appeared at The Big Chill back in 2006, when she began her rise to international stardom with the hugely infectious ‘Smile’, a song which came to define the sound of that summer. Since then, Lily has undeniably become one of Britain’s most influential female singer-songwriters and has just won three Ivor Novello Awards, and it’s with great excitement that we welcome Lily back to the festival this year!
The Magic Numbers
The Magic Numbers are a four-piece band comprised of two brother and sister pairs who, back in 2005, made people smile with the jingle-jangle guitar melodies of their critically acclaimed, eponymous debut album and the single ‘Love Me Like You Do’. Their follow-up album, ‘Those the Brokes’ was released in late 2006 and they’re all set to return with a third album later this year.
Paloma Faith
An ex magician’s assistant, trained contemporary dancer, St Martin’s alumni with an MA in theatre direction, a performer in burlesque shows and an actress, Paloma Faith has been mixing artistic media throughout her short adult life. A few years ago she introduced music, her primary love, into the equation. Known for her unique taste in fashion, Paloma is sure to bring an unmistakable carnival atmosphere to the Deer Park Stage.
Martina Topley Bird
Martina Topley Bird is one of British pop’s great mavericks. When she first cast strange and exhilarating shadows over contemporary music on Tricky’s ‘Maxinquaye’ in 1995 no one was expecting the arrival of such a precocious young talent. Martina has guested on a who’s who of contemporary music, including David Holmes, Gorillaz, Diplo and more recently, on Massive Attacks new album, Heligoland, developing her craft as both a singer and songwriter along the way.
The Heavy
Musically schizophrenic, The Heavy continually cross genres – from country to rhythm and blues, garage punk to rock n’ roll and Studio One to the slums of Shaolin. You’ll find that The Heavy are indeed like a pack of chemists with the way that genres get cooked up, blended, stirred and then mixed, to create their own unique style of rock and roll.
Hus
ky Rescue
Husky Rescue are a six-piece band from Helsinki, Finland, with their own special blend of fragile folk, cinematic moods and up-tempo rock you can tap your feet to. Unlike the current vogue for singer-songwriters who tell stories about things happening that start and end in the real world, they love musical tales that open doors to other worlds with no specific destination or conclusion in mind.
Chrome Hoof
When doom metal, disco, acid house and Donna Summer had a car crash, Chrome Hoof emerged from the wreckage…grooving and dressed like Obi-Wan Kenobi at Studio 54. With somewhere between 10 and 14 members (depending on who turns up), each bringing not only their musical skills but also their character to the stage, the result is a futuristic party.
Randy & Earl’s Old Record Club
Randy and Earl have found themselves a niche playing to the comedown kids, the hungover, the bedraggled and the confused. A soothing mix of gospel, soul, jazz, country, r&b, folk and the like helps to ease away the aches and pains of the night before and set people up for another day of drunken excess. But it’s not all mellow gold – when called upon to get a dancefloor moving, the Old Record Club boys can mix it up with the best of them!
DJ Ritu
East London born DJ Ritu began her career as a ‘pop’ music DJ in 1986. She attracted the attention of new ‘global beats’ club ‘ASIA’ in Islington and this propelled her into the ‘world music’ scene. In 1994, she co-founded Outcaste Records, and signed Nitin Sawhney and Badmarsh (&Shri). She instigated ‘Club Outcaste’ and compiled the label’s first two compilation CDs.
Phantom Limb
Phantom Limb go beyond the famous adage that ‘less is more’ with the simple and often forgotten principle that great music is about playing the right things at the right time. A seamless amalgam of classic, southern soul, country blues and gospel, this is intelligent music-making with impeccably high standards. Phantom Limb will restore your faith in contemporary music with their enigmatic song writing and raw elegance.
Swap-A-Rama
Swap-A-Rama started life as a frivolous experiment – a handful of bizarrely dressed acquaintances crammed into a tiny front room with a case of wine and a whistle. The concept – every time the klaxon sounds each reveller must swap an item of clothing with someone next to them. Attendees are advised to wear clothes they don’t mind never seeing again. Expect – ridiculous clothes, confusion, elation, grown men fighting over frocks, sweating, a hangover…
Hoochie Coochie
A night out to Hoochie Coochie is many things; the glamour of a trip to the theatre, as well as the thrill of a trip to the circus, with beautiful, bizarre and even shocking cabaret acts. Above all Hoochie Coochie is incredibly entertaining and a wonderful night out with top national and international cabaret performers.
