The Lake District’s irrepressible festival, Kendal Calling is up for ‘Best Medium Sized Festival’ and ‘Best Headline Performance’ from Dizzee Rascal in the annual UK Festival Awards.
Organisers of the festival are delighted to be nominated, having scooped ‘Best Small Festival’ at the Live UK Awards last year. Dizzee Rascal delivered THE most energised set to date at Kendal Calling, hot off the back of performing at the Olympic Opening Ceremony the night before. Millions around the globe tuned in to see him open the Games, and the showman brought his tour de force energy to Kendal. Having played the festival before in 2008, Dizzee Rascal took to the amphitheatre style main stage this time for a pyrotechnic explosion of big beats, sharp lyrics and a Bonkers atmosphere that the crowd have been calling out to see footage of ever since! Now it can be relived here, video now up online for ‘Bonkers’;
Amidst streamers raining down from the sky, a torrent of fireworks and the vibrations of bass underfoot in the stunning rolling hills of Lowther Deer Park, Dizzee Rascals performance was unparrelled, fusing the buzz of the Olympics with a dynamic live show that raised the proverbial roof.
Voting for the UK Festival Awards is now open and closes on 31st October; voters can enter a draw to win tickets to every winning UK festival in 2013! Details here: http://www.festivalawards.com/2012/10/01/vote-now-win-tickets-to-every-winning-festival/
Other highlights this year included an epic headline performance from one of the biggest Manchester bands in rock history, James, who dropped hits like ‘Sit Down’ and ‘Laid’ as the bands family danced at the side of stage and singer Tim Booth crowd surfed and hugged the audience. A festival-first came from new onsite venue Tim Peak’s Diner, that served up an exclusive breakfast cereal called Totes Amazeballs and damn fine coffee while hosting intimate, surprise sets from Edwyn Collins, Nick Heywood (Aztec Camera), The View and many more musicians, DJs and writers who dropped by.
With hundreds of artists performing across 16 areas, every nook of the site was alive with performance. Other highlights included a unique collaboration from DJ Yoda and the Transiberian March Band on the main stage and folk singer Lucy Rose taking to the Chai Wallahs stage, hot off the plane from LA and welcomed into the lush surrounds of the Eastern tea tent in the Cumbrian hills – it really was a global affair!
BBC 6Music Funk & Soul star Craig Charles closed the festival, in traditional style, with an extended DJ set that saw a packed out audience and the DJs whole family dancing next to him onstage until the wee small hours.
The Riot Jazz stage saw a surprise set from Noon, and drum and bass supremo Andy C played an extended set in the Glow Dance Arena.
Kendal Calling has come a long way since its inception in 2006 when it was a small gathering of 900 people and a two-day event in a park in Kendal. Now festival organisers run ground-breaking events across the UK that have earned them multiple awards as promoters.
Directors of the festival Andy Smith and Ben Robinson have remained true to their ethos of bringing national and internationally recognised artists to Kendal Calling as well as providing a platform for regional talent. The festival prides itself on hosting the most fun and frolics you can have in the fields.
The core team behind Kendal Calling has gone from strength to strength with their projects, whilst the festival has sold out each year.
Watch this space for line up announcements and ticket offers for Kendal Calling 2013 to be announced soon.
Published on 10 October 2012 by Wayne Feltham
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