The summer season of festivals has well and truly kicked off throughout the world and whilst the larger, more commercially-focused events are happening, there’s a growing collection of intimate, cool and unique festivals across the UK. Voewood Festival, ‘one of the UK’s top Literary and Arts Festivals’ according to The Sunday Times Culture, happens to be just one of those intimate gatherings and runs from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th August in Norfolk.
A superbly varied line-up includes The Elephant Man star John Hurt, famed potter Emma Bridgewater, New Order and Joy Division lead bassist Peter Hook and his band The Light. Not forgetting Ultravox frontman Midge Ure, founding father of Kerrang! Mick Wall, The Sex Pistols co-founder Glen Matlock and even a debate between a UKIP politician and Liberal Democrat MP, the three-day festival offers pretty much something for everyone.
Voewood is a cultural weekend experience in the beautiful setting of Voewood’s House and is an event NOT to be missed.
For the first time, InQuire and CSRfm will be taking the short trip to Norfolk to provide media coverage at the festival – Dave Cocozza gives you the low-down on what’s happening and previews some of the acts, artists and literary geniuses on the schedule. For a full line up, see the programme of events
John Hurt
From John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Caligula in I Claudius to Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and Mr. Ollivander in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows – John Hurt’s career encompasses some of the greatest characters to have been portrayed on screen. Many in roles that have earned him four BAFTA’s, a Golden Globe, two Academy Award nominations and the admiration and respect of colleagues and audiences alike. John Hurt makes his appearance at Voewood Festival to read from Booker nominated author Niall Williams’ Four Letters of Love and reflects on an acting life spanning six decades.
Not just this, but according to our source John Hurt will be giving live, unplanned performances of Jabberwocky at random times and locations on FRIDAY 15TH. Catch him if you can…
Peter Hook and The Light
Peter is one of the most recognisable and original figures in rock with his lead bass playing in bands such as Joy Division (1976 – 1980). famed for songs such as Love Will Tear Us Apart, and New Order (1980 – 2007), known for songs such as Blue Monday. Since May 2010, Peter Hook & The Light has continually toured the world, bringing the music of Joy Division and New Order to both seasoned fans and new audiences alike. Earlier this year, InQuire caught Peter playing at Canterbury’s own Lounge on The Farm, and he promises to be a shining headliner that will be a defining moment of Voewood 2014.
Louisa Young
Midge Ure
Best known as front man of the 80′s chart-topping band Ultravox – famed for their song “Vienna” – and co-organiser of Band Aid, Live Aid and Live 8 alongside Bob Geldoff, Midge makes a headlining appearance at Voewood 2014. Midge has shape-shifted his way through the UK music scene for over 35 years – going from prototype boy band with Slik to rock guitarist with Thin Lizzy to his solo career. He has adapted to the ebb and flow of his career performing with large bands, 3 piece power trio’s, and his solo acoustic shows with which he sticks to his mantra that a good song can be stripped down to its basics and still stand close inspection.
Glen Matlock
Glen co-founded The Sex Pistols in 1975, kicking off a musical and cultural revolution. He co-wrote and performed 10 of the 12 songs that led to debut album Never Mind The Bollocks before leaving in 1977 to form The Rich Kids with Midge Ure. In 1980 he joined Iggy Pop’s band, playing bass on the Soldier album which included Glen’s song Ambition. The Sex Pistols reformed in 1996, the same year that Glen’s solo album Who Does He Think He Is When He’s At Home? was released by Creation Records. He has since released four albums with his band The Philistines. His band for Voewood will comprise of the legendary guitarist from David Bowie’s band, Earl Slick, who has recorded with many influential artists such as John Lennon. InQuire couldn’t be more excited if we tried, to say the least!
During the day, Glen also chats to Katie Puckrick, about about co-founding The Sex Pistols in 1975.
Emma Bridgewater
Emma Bridgewater’s cheerfully distinctive kitchen pottery – manufactured and traditionally hand-decorated in the Staffordshire Potteries, just as it would have been 200 years ago – has found its way onto the dresser shelves and kitchen tables of homes all over Britain and beyond. Her designs are jaunty, friendly and sometimes quietly funny. Emma makes her debut at Voewood Festival to discuss her new memoir Toast and Marmalade in which she tells the stories behind her unique and popular pottery designs, many of them derived from warm memories of her childhood.
Atlantic Machine
A festival debut for Jim Lowe’s Atlantic Machine was created by a chance meeting with festival organiser Simon Finch. The album Atlantic Machine by Atlantic Machine is the debut solo album from producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jim Lowe. As a producer Lowe has eight top 20 albums to his credit, three of them No 1s and he got a Grammy nomination for his work on Herbie Hancock’s 2011 album The Imagine Project.
Voewood House
Speaking earlier last month, event organiser and owner of Voewood, Simon Finch said “It is an extraordinary festival because of its location, the people that perform and its intimacy. People who come say there is nowhere like it.”
Performers at Voewood Festival stay inside the Voewood house itself, whilst boutique camping options are available in the grounds (where the fesitivies take place). This is set to truly be “Decadence at its finest”.
Tickets range from £15 to £165 and more information can be found at www.voewoodfestival.com.
Other acts on the line-up include:
Friday 15th August – Owen Sheers, Sarah Bower, Tom Cox, The Rebelles, Sacha Luffman and Los Pacaminos
Saturday 16th August – Simon Finch, Guy Pratt, Jenny Boyd, Alison Moore, Mike Heron and Nadine Shah
Sunday 17th August – Norman Lamb MP, Emma Bridgewater, Viktor Wynd, She Makes War, Rosa Rankin Gee and Stevey Boye.
