The Pogues and Badly Drawn Boy are some of the friends and fans of Joe Strummer confirmed to perform at Strummer of Love festival this summer.
Joining the line-up will be folk-punk songsmith Frank Turner, dance music pioneers Basement Jaxx, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, UK urban music stalwart Roots Manuva and leading light of protest rock Billy Bragg.
Mirroring Joe Strummer’s own eclectic musical tastes, the bill is rounded off by a diverse selection of exciting performers including Emmy the Great, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Alabama 3, Don Letts, Kitty Daisy and Lewis, David Rodigan, Slow Club, Dog is Dead, Dub Pistols, Dreadzone, Fionn Regan, Channel One, Mr C, and many others.
Taking place on the weekend of 17-19 August, the one-off festival will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of iconic Clash frontman Joe Strummer and will be held at a beautiful, secret location in the middle of the Somerset countryside.
Strummer was a tireless community activist and remains a powerful and inspirational force whose art, convictions and energy spans the decades and unites generations.
In honour of Strummer’s worldviews, proceeds from the festival will benefit the work of the charity Strummerville: The Joe Strummer New Music Foundation, which was set up in the singer’s memory by his friends and family following his untimely death.
In the spirit of the DIY ethos that Joe Strummer stood for Strummer of Love will be the only major UK festival to handle its own ticket sales, bypassing the typically hefty booking fees associated with festivals. Strummerville will also have a forum for re-sale of tickets so that they won’t be on sale via so-called “fan-to-fan” websites.
Charity Director Trish Whelan said: “It’s very exciting for us to be presenting this special one-off event to mark Joe’s 10th anniversary. We really felt a festival was the most fitting tribute and have been blessed with an incredibly positive reaction from so many great artists. The site is truly beautiful and we will be burning our big campfire from Thursday to Sunday. Also, handling all the ticket sales ourselves in true Strummer DIY fashion felt important - so no big booking fees. We look forward to seeing you all in the fields!”
The festival will accommodate 5,000 visitors and endeavour to re-connect with the original concept of a festival - a joyous celebration in the fields. With spontaneous performances and exclusive spectaculars, Strummer Of Love will be one of the most distinctive, enchanting and inclusive experiences in the UK festival itinerary.
The wealth of live music on offer will be complemented by stalls selling ethically sourced fair trade food and outlets highlighting a range of arts, crafts, Strummer memorabilia, alternative therapies, healing and community activism.
Since its 2003 inception, Strummerville has stayed true to Joe’s reputation as a rallying point and motivational icon by driving a host of projects that provide invaluable opportunities for musical creativity to thrive.
Strummerville's work comes in many forms, from helping bands to record and release music to providing rehearsal spaces for aspiring artists. Strummerville studios can be found at the roundhouse and under the Westway in London, in Belfast and in Bogotá. The main aim of the charity is to give opportunities to people through music who wouldn’t usually have access to such opportunities.
Strummer of Love is a natural extension of their infamous campfire sessions at festivals such as Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party and Endorse It In Dorset.
Faithful to the spirit of Strummer’s diverse life and career - as hippy era festivalgoer, folk troubadour, family man, globally feted punk icon and world music explorer - it will be an occasion to savour, leaving behind a plan of action after the partying is over
Published on 18 April 2012 by Ben Robinson
