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Void in the british dance music festival scene

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Why? Because. Why anything? Because everything.
First of just to say I'm not sure if this belongs here or in electronic dance music discussion.

Anyhow, I've noticed that for the past few years there has been a lack of good (at least what I think is good ;) ) electronic music festivals in the UK. I'm talking festivals with a good vibe and good music selection. Since glade and bloc have stopped doing things, there just doesn't seem to be anything similar around.

I went to park life this year and although some of the acts where very good there was also a load of stuff I don't really want to see at all (Gorgon City, Bastille, Disclosure ect). Not that they are necessarily bad, just certainly not my taste (and I dare say a lot of people would agree). Also the mainstream nature of some of the acts attracted a rather sketchy crowd I thought. A lot of agro (someone was stabbed and another person beaten up) and generally not much love. Also the festival just seemed a bit soulless, like someone had just gone "ok, who are the biggest names in a range of genres? let's put them all in a big field with no where to chill out, people will love that". Sorry if I sound negative (or dare I say it jaded), I hope it's not just me.

Anyway, does anyone else agree, or better yet is there a festival that I have missed!
 
"where is this void, and have they put a fence around it yet? someone could fall in.", Questioned one Mixmag reader's Mum.

Sorry, not taking the piss mate, just couldnt resist.
 
Depends on what you mean by "electronic", but I'd suggest looking at the smaller hippyish festivals, plus ones like Beat-herder, Boomtown, etc. All full of very wasted people and electronic music. There's definitely no void, anyway.
 
Does seem all the best festivals with lineups worth getting worked up about are abroad.. Would kill to go Dimensions sometime.

If you're just into getting fucked up there's plenty to do in the UK. I mainly am, so not too aggrieved.
 
Sweet tips with zoo project and gotwood. I'll be getting my friends together for one of them next year, thanks!

Yeah I know there are loads of good festivals (one of my faves is actually knockengorroch, probably the closest you can to what festivals where like in the 70s - or at least so the old hippies there have told me) - I've been going to boomtown for the last 4 years swampdragon - fucking ace isn't it. Also sgp used to be wicked for tripping and getting fucked up, but now it's overcrowded and there seems to be a large amount of lowest common denominator dance music and not enough space to do the cool little things that made it good. But yeah, thats a whole separate issue.

Anyway, I'm not saying there arn't good festivals with dance music, but no festivals that are all about the dance music. I used to feel going to bloc and glade that everything was at the cutting edge, and I'd go home with a load of djs and producers to check out. Also got to see some amazing djs and acts that I wouldn't otherwise get the chance to. Anyway, really looking forward to checking out the zoo project and gotwood. Tell me if there are any more I have missed.
 
Ooh, and it depends on your music taste but there's things like the Bangface and Ideal weekenders too, if you like raving at holiday camps. And Xstatic is quite fun but that's only a one day jobby but has decent line-ups and is probably only worth it if you live near the midlands.
 
what kinda sounds exactly you into?

check out Balter Festival and Mischief Festival perhaps if you like an underground vibe
 
Yeah I've been to a few bangface nights, never to the weekender. Used to love the bangface takeover in the overkill tent at glade. Maybe I should think about hitting that up. Again ideal weekender looks worth keeping and eye on.

I really want to go to freerotation, but alas it seems to be a bit too exclusive for me to get into (think you need to be recomended by someone who has gone). Some day maybe.
 
ageingpartyfiend said:
what kinda sounds exactly you into?
Click to expand...

Primarily I like house and techno, although I like all kinds of stuff. Getting a bit old for too much drum and bass (just. cant. keep. skanking!!!), and commercial dubstep bores me. But a bit of both is all good. If you want a snapshot then the bloc that got canceled pretty much sums it up.
bloc2012flyer.jpg
 
Me too, until it got closed. To be honest, not too annoyed in retrospect - saw some pretty good acts and managed to stay to about 1 or 2 dancing to scuba, went home and took all our drugs for the weekend 8o8). Then I got a full refund. Such a shame it fucked up, even more so as it's stopped bloc putting stuff on now. Ah well.
 
Anyone ever been to Mint festival before? http://www.mintfestival.co.uk/line-up/ Going down to that in a few weeks time. Good mix of electronic music, a good few DJs I've never seen before that I'm looking forward to and some of my favourites - Loco Dice, Joy Orbison, Art Department, Maceo Plex, Menno de Jong. Quite a mission getting down from Glasgow to Lincolnshire via Leeds though.
 
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