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Kirstin lnnes heralds Glasgow's annual celebration of
omplis
community
and culture in the city that is the West End Festival
he West End Festival, which has been
going since 1996, is a community
festival in the proper sense of the word, running free workshops and concerts, hosting events that involve local businesses and generally inviting residents to celebrate the various parks, bars, creative outlets, foodie havens, social lives and gosh-damed prettiness of the area commonly known as Glasgow Trendy West End”.
The high point of the festival is usually ‘Scotland’s Mardi Gras‘ (even though it doesn’t happen on a Tuesday), a gigantic parade down Byres Road. However, they’re doing things a bit differently this year, relocating the whole party to Kelvingrove Park for Festival Sunday, and filling it with colour and music, as well as food and drink stalls, face-painting, floats, live gigs and probably the odd local celebrity. The party keeps going, in one form or another, for a whole two weeks after that.
The event incorporates Fete de la Musique, a day of free concerts which originated in France and is now held in over 100 countries on 21
MONARCHY
4 Jul. Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, www.monanchy- Iive.co.uk
Happy Mondays. Supergrass. Reverend And The Makers. Neville Staple. Kid British. My Tiger My Timing. Official Secrets Act.
CNELTENHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL
3-18 Jul. Cheltenham. Gloucestershire. www.cheltenhamtestivals.com Archduke. Birtwistle. Copland. Different Trains. Esterhazy. Felix. Goa. Hoffnung. lsserlis. John Williams.
22 THE LIST 28 May—1 1 Jun 2009
4-5 Jul. Hyde Park. London. www.wirelesstostival.co.uk
Kanye West. Paul Oakentold. The Streets. Basement Jaxx. N’Dubz. Tommy Sparks. Frankmusik. Flo Rida. Lady Sovereign. Daniel Merriwether and N-Dubz offer something for everyone.
June every year. Look out for string quartets, jazz bands. local indie bands (that’ll be half the population of the West End, then) and even a full choir positioned in and around the Ashton Lane bars from lunchtime till late.
Really, though, the West End Festival is about celebrating a community, and one that has evolved its own distinctive outlook and cultural mores. This means that the huge, teeming population of (rather well-known) artists, musicians, DJs and writers who have made this leafy quarter their home will be performing, exhibiting and playing wherever they can find space, while independent shops run fashion shows on pavements, multicultural restaurants open their doors to tasting sessions and local historians guide tours round the hidden gems of the various neighbourhoods. 500 events happening in two weeks, in an area already bursting with life. And most of them are free. And you don’t need a tent. One of the best fests all year.
West End Festival, Sun14 Jun.
STONEHAVEN FOLK FESTIVAL 9-12 Jul. Stonehaven. North East Scotland. www.5tonehavenfolkfestival.co.uk Peatbog Faeries. Ralph McTell. Karine Polwart Trio. Martin Simpson. Cara Dillon and John McCusker showcase their rootsy wares.
SUMMER SERIES 9-18 Jul. Somerset House,
org.uk
London. www.30mersethouse.
Lily Allen. The Enemy. Grace Jones. Pendulum. Super Furry Animals and Athlete are just some of the chart topping lovelies to grace the stage.
FESTIVAL
FASHION
WICKERMAN
At once the most senSibIe and the most utterh out there of festivals You'll get short shiift it \ou turn up Without wellies and a waterproof. but feel pertectly tree to splash the OCCllll all over your t shirts We don't Suggest dressing in homage to the lTlOVIO, though. You'll iust get mud in your velvet coat. and Britt Ekland-y nudists Wlll probany catch a chill
1. Folk multi bott Goodstead as before, 4 5 ms 2. Ponflold Lockwood Wax Jacket 5‘89 95) at Gorxtstead. Rose Street. frliribiirqh WWW._()(X)(l‘3lQ<’l(l (,0 uk 3. Olngham scar! 5‘6. Topman 4. Day of the Dead skull vest. i‘lf), Topshop 5. Claaalc Hunter wallloa. $54 99, Schuh 6. Fat Punk Skate Art t- ahlrt 5‘44 so, www latpunkstixiio com
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T IN THE PARK
10-12 Jul, Balado Airfield. Kinross. www.tinthepark.com
Aw TITR we love you. The Killers. Blur, Kings of Leon. Snow Patrol. Franz Ferdinand. Uly Allen. The View. The Manic Street Preachers. Lady Gaga the top class name dropping can and does go on. Don't miss the List next month for prewews and features of some of the main events.
OUllJ-‘EST
10-12 Jul. Guildford. Surrey. www.guilfest.co.uk Imelda May. The Stranglers. The Charlatans. Will Young, Motorhead and Pendulum afford a surtably eclectic mix.