HI this is Gemma Dempsey and welcome to another edition of The Global Gig Guide from KCRW.com.
We’ll be heading to the state of Georgia to check out the inaugural Echo Project then to two events in the UK – to Bristol for the maiden voyage of the Lazarette festival and then to Whitby in Yorkshire for their annual world music event.
KCRW is proud to be a media sponsor for The Echo Project which takes place in Atlanta this month. Its called an ‘eco responsible music and arts festival’ and aims to revolutionize the way such events are held and how they impact on the environment. I’ve talked about a lot of festivals this year that were going green with various recycling or carbon offset programs. The Echo Project aims to take this ethos to another level. The organizers have integrated numerous sustainable and ecological elements into to the event, from having a solar powered stage to donating 15 cents of every ticket sold to Trees for The Future. Festival goers can also opt to pay a bit more for a ‘Be Green Ticket’ which will provide renewable energy via The Green Mountain Energy company, so you can enjoy the festival with a clear and sustainable conscience. And enjoy it you will given the excellent line up that includes The Killers, Cat Power, Brazilian Girls, Michael Franti and Spearhead, The Flaming Lips, Spoon and Thievery Corporation.
We’d love to hear back from you if you go – please send us comments or photos to Global@KCRW.com.
From the south of the United States to Bristol in the UK home to Massive Attack, and the comedy brains behind Shaun of the Dead and Little Britain. The first Lazarette music festival will take place in two of Bristol’s historic landmarks – one is a boat called the Thekla, previously owned by the famed British eccentric Vivian Stanshall, known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band as well as appearances on John Peels Radio 1 show. The other venue has been entertaining people for over 100 years –its called The Louisiana and has had the likes of Coldplay, The Strokes and Amy Winehouse perform in its hallowed walls. So combined with the colourful history of the venues and a line up that includes lots of stars on the rise such as Good Shoes, Vedeveer and The Haze, the Lazarette could well become an established event on the UK festival circuit. And if you are wondering about its name, the word Lazarette is a special hatch on a boat, so in keeping with the general nautical theme of the festival.
(For tickets) visit:
www.alt-tickets.com
www.gigantictickets.com
www.seetickets.com
And finally a quick mention of Whitby’s Musicport Festival. Thanks to its success over the last eight years, this world music festival has grown too big for the venue and next year it will head to Bridlington Spa. So expect a bit of a special event this year as they bid a fond farewell to Whitby . The line up is excellent and includes Algeria’s Rachid Taha, Congo’s rhumba group Kekele, UK jazz artist Courtney Pine and The Sex Patels –according to Musicport’s website the band includes the drummer from Chumbawumba and their music is a mixture of tabla based versions of punk rock classics.
That’s all for this weeks edition of The global gig Guide. If you want to send us an email with questions or comments, write to Global@kcrw.org. Otherwise check back with us next week for more information on Global Gigging.
The GGG is produced for KCRW.com by JC Swiatek and the theme music is composed by The Plush Interiors.