News

Bass Camp Announces Friday Night Dance Action At The Wickerman Festival

• 20th May 2010

With the summer fast approaching – and it’s hoped the current sunshine is a good indicator it will be a hot one – Skiddle & Simon Jackson have just announced something else to salivate over. After being asked back to programme part of Bass Camp at Scotland’s inspired Wickerman Festival, the team have been busily beavering away to up the ante somewhat and top last year’s huge success.

Skiddle Arena

It’s cap-doffing time as Skiddle present their riotous Friday night action, which is taking the Bass Camp area into a fresh and dynamic new direction, along with U&A Recordings also bringing an inspiring new sound to the festival. Encapsulating drum and bass, dubstep and grime, the first day of the Wickerman Festival will largely feature ground-shaking basslines, tree-wobbling reverbs and some of the biggest tracks around from a who’s who of scene-stealing talent.

Rich Dyer from Skiddle says that, “We wanted to go with a new take for this year’s Wickerman so we have booked in some really strong artists to take over on the Friday. There are so many amazing artists out there right now and we feel we have picked some of the very best. We’ve also launched our huge Skiddle Resident DJ of the Year comp too and the finalists will be playing on Friday and Saturday – go to link for more info on how to enter.”

Kicking off Friday’s Dance Arena action at The Wickerman Festival is Radio 1 and Fabric’s drum and bass legend Fabio headlines, a man with many years behind him and someone who remains right at the front of the pack, continually pushing the boundaries of the scene. Fabio is supported by Utah Jazz, an original liquid funskter and a party-bringer like no other who fuses together one-off dubplates, three-deck mixes and old-skool razzle-dazzle bursting from his bag of tricks.

The 13-strong chaos-creating Murkage Cartel bring together everything from drum and bass to garage to R&B and party tunes and youngster Bail offers forward-thinking Dubstep. Finally Mr Chipp from Bass Militia completes Friday’s lineup with a further rinsing of drum and bass and jungle.
Two of Carlisle’s unsung hero’s Tim Forrester and Mr Chipp bring a local element to the festival on a musical adventure of epic proportions that’s set to get the fields rumbling, whilst Preston’s bearded hero the Filth Wizard kicks off proceedings and warms the tent for the night’s heavyweight activities.

Skiddle’s Friday In Full…
Fabio (Radio 1/1Xtra)
Utah Jazz
Murkage Cartel
Tim Forrester
Mr Chipp (Bass Militia)
Filth Wizard
Bail
U & A Recordings Arena

U & A Recordings have taken over the Wickerman’s long standing breaks tent and offer some of the freshest and stand-out acts on the scene. The tent will feature some of the best in underground and up and coming artists from across the country and beyond. Featuring Zodiac Cartel, who has been in hot demand recently remixing for Moby, along with Lee Coombs and Circuit Freq, there’s a simple ethos of “Jackin house with a techno soul” to entrance the masses. Birmingham’s bass driven house-meister Calvertron, whose sets cannot be pigeonholed into one genre, also plays alongside Australia’s now hotly in demand The Loops of Fury with a stunning live set as they tour the UK's summer festival circuit. Along with Lot 49 label techno stalwart Vandal and U & A's new promising upstart, Rektchords – and Manchester’s Mike Hulme playing what can only be described as perfectly techy – there’s plenty of rolling and hypnotic beats that will make people’s heads spin. Alongside U & A artists are Wickerman residents Simon Jackson and Ray McKinney playing Tech-funk and Electro house. Also playing will be residents DJ's from some of Edinburgh’s finest clubs nights including Sugarbeat, Split, Az-Tech and Dirt, playing prolific bass heavy party music.

Simon Jackson from U&A explains that; “Basically we had such a great success last year with Meat Katie and Dylan Rhymes’ label LOT 49 hosting the marquee that I decided to look at something similar again this year with a similar music policy and U & A were the only obvious choice. Playing Tech-Funk which encompasses a brilliant and inspired cross genre of breaks, techno, electro, house and anything inbetween, there’s plenty to look forward to. Also this year we have pulled the stops out for the tent decoration, lighting and live VJs to create a visual wonderland for the festival punters, to hopefully create the now legendary Wickerman vibe.”

The full spine-tingling U&A Recordings lineup over the weekend features Zodiac Cartel, Calvertron, The Loops Of Fury (Live), Vandal, Rektchords, Mike Hulme, Simon Jackson, Believe, Silver Storic, Ray McKinney, Al Majik, Re-tox, Siern, Ingen, Pyz, Stephen Allen, DD, VJ Simone, Bandit, B-Sides and Sunosis.

With two huge marquees, an outdoor funk stage, chill out space and bar – not to mention the Skiddle Bus debut – The Wickerman Festival is a great event for those after some all night dance action, away from the corporate sponsorships and cattle market treatment the larger dance events offer.
Rich concludes by saying, “Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more info around the Dance Arena – we have got loads more planned. Saturday is taking shape rather well too – watch this space.”

Playing live at this year’s Wickerman…

Main Stage

Ocean Colour Scene
The Charlatans
The Futureheads
The Saw Doctors
Goldie Lookin Chain
Tony Christie
Sons & Daughters
Codeine Velvet Club
The Raw Kings
808 State Djs
Erland & The Carnival
Fenech Soler
Glasgow Gospel Choir
The Grass Mountain Hobos
Polarsets

Acoustic Village

The String Contingent
Blueflint
Emmet Scanlan
Leila and I
Beth Fouracre
Chris Bradley
Rachel Sermanni
Jill Jackson
Andi Neate
Mark Wilson
Some Boy
Lo Fi Lung
David Gibb
Lee Mottram
Bedsit Cabaret

Scooter Tent

The Undertones
The Buzzcocks
Pama International
Orange
Back to The Planet
The Sex Pistols Experience
Ed Tudorpole
Amphetameanies
Doll & the Kicks
Strawberry Blondes
Monkeyrush
Root System
The Counterfeit Clash

Solus Stage

Unicorn Kid
Django Django
Black International
Conquering Animal Sound
Found
Galleries
GoGoBot
Kitty The Lion
The Lost Todorovs
Maeve O'Boyle
Make Sparks
Midnight Lion
Mitchell Museum
The OK Social Club
Panda Su
There Will Be Fireworks
United Fruit
Withered Hand