Just one week away from a whole lot of fun. Once again you will find our stage (and bar) in the quarry, overlooking the estuary, but this year with added friends. Our artist pal Matt Sewell has built and decorated a ‘bird hide’ for the occasion. This will live on the riverbank beside the boathouse providing the perfect opportunity to view the wildlife. As well as serving it’s practical purpose the hide will be the base for all sorts of kids competitions and activities. These include a prize winning painting comp and a bird spotting comp. Also look out for face-painting of a different kind as psychedelic pop-artist Pete Fowler opens up his box of magic and turns your child into a character from Monsterism Island.
Also in the area will be a Rough Trade Record stall which as well as selling brilliant music all weekend will also be hosting signings by the artists performing at the festival.
Friday 23rd
So we plan to open the bar and start playing music from noon on Friday. This afternoon the music will be selected by a bunch of guys who go by the name ‘The Heavenly Jukebox’ (“What’s this? A super spangly dynamite disco brimming with rock ‘n’ roll, psychedelic soul, disco, hip hop, reggae, house and techno in west London? Trust that tip top collective The Heavenly Jukebox, whose DJs boast the most bulging record sacks this side of Notting Hill. – don’t miss!” Time Out) then at 7pm it’s time to launch the programme;
7pm DJ Pete Reilly on a Southern / country rock tip . Pete is better known for his reggae and soul sets as part of the 100% Dynamite and Soul Jazz Sound Systems. He’ll be playing from that box tomorrow night but here Pete goes down south for some country rock and southern fried.
9pm Cherry Ghost. Live.
10 – 12 Seahawks DJ set
12 – bed The Heavenly Jukebox
Saturday 24th
11.00 DJ Stephen Parker. Many flavours of quality music from the man behind the Freerange Music Show.
12.00 Treecreeper. Live.
12.30 Stephen Parker.
13.00 Kathryn Williams. Live
14.00 Jude Rogers: ‘Lines Made by Walking’. Guardian and The Word writer Jude Rogers talks walks. As featured in her weekly column for Caught by the River.
15.00 – 18.00 The Bird Effect. Hosted by Ceri Levy. For full details on this mammoth session of birdery click HERE.
18.00 DJ Danny Wilson (as in Danny from Danny and The Champions of The World)
19.00 Hanna Lou & Trevor Moss. Live.
followed by DJ Danny Wilson
20.00 The Tailors. Live.
21.00 Danny and The Champions of the World. Live
21.45 Heavenly Jukebox DJs
23.30 Fionn Regan. Live. This is unmissable. Fionn backed with the Champs has made for some of the best rock ‘n’ roll shows I’ve seen this year.
00.15 – bed DJ Pete Reilly in a ‘Dynamite’ style
Sunday 25th
11.00 Stephen Parker
11.50 A Caught by the River Nature Book Reader hosted by Laura Barton. Chris Watson and ‘Pollard’ author Laura Beatty discuss – and read from – their favourite books of nature writing.
12.50 “The official launch of the British Landscape Club” Ian Vince cuts the ribbon for a new society whose motto is “Enjoy the view”.
13.30 Chris Watson’s Nature Disco (the welcome return of last years festival highlight. Britain’s premier wildlife sound recordist digs deep into his library for a river themed 90 minutes. Sounds from Port Eliot to The Antarctic.)
15.15 Ralfe Band. Performing their soundtrack to the film Bunny & The Bull
16.15 The Leisure Society. Live.
We call it a day after the Leisure Society but the festival continues elsewhere. You can download the programme from the Port Eliot website. Looking forward to seeing you.