Making life for festival fans that little bit easier NoMud.com helps you book your ticket, flight (or you can do this separately) and accommodation at a package price to some of Europe’s hottest (literally) festivals.

Check out the current deals on NoMud.com:

Spirit of Burgas, Bulgaria
12 – 14 August 2011
This festival combines great headliners, amazing weather and unbelievable value – it’s a must for your 2011 to-do list! Enjoy amazing nights of live music and long days soaking up the sun. This year, Spirit of Burgas will see over 100 acts perform across 5 different stages on the beautiful city beach in Burgas.
7 night packages including ticket, accommodation, flights and transfers start from £389pp

Twice as Nice, Ibiza
31 August – 7 September 2011
Join the urban super brand TwiceasNice for a week of sexy and stylish parties as they bring the hottest urban music to the clubbing heaven of Ibiza.
7 night packages including ticket, accommodation, flights and transfers start from £399pp

Sun Beatz, Ibiza
7 – 14 September 2011
Sunbeatz is a weeklong festival of hardcore partying at all of Ibiza’s top clubs including Es Paradis, Eden and Kanya. Over 50 artists are playing at this epic drum and bass spectacular.
7 night packages including ticket, accommodation, flights and transfers start from £379pp

Eight hours of motorway driving, counting endless sheep, and mind-numbing attempts at pronouncing the road signs passed by and finally James Drakeford and friends arrive at what could have been mistaken as ‘the arse end of nowhere’…

We had arrived at Pembrey County Park for the fifth instalment of Beach Break Live. The British equivalent of America’s Spring Break. 20,000 students raving it up at the Dragon’s Den endorsed festival which marks the end of the exam period and the start of summer; four glorious days of music, sun and sand in the South of Wales.

Instantly the flaws of this comment came to fruition. It doesn’t take a weatherman to tell you that South Wales is notoriously wet so come Thursday night, it was time to set the tent up in the pouring rain and gloomy darkness. But, like all good festival crowds this did not deter the short-shorts, the beaming smiles, and the late night partying.

As Friday rolled by, the weather remained consistent with its reputation. Regular festival goers were telling me that they felt under-prepared – only packing ‘shorts and summer stuff’ after being led astray by the word ‘beach’. The sports events on the beach remained deserted and the main stage had opened quietly. Not looking promising.

Then comes rising star Maverick Sabre. He did well to wake things up playing hotly tipped single ‘Look What I’ve Done’, and even put his own spin on Oasis anthem ‘Wonderwall’. Speaking to Fused Magazine after his set, he said:

“I played Isle of White festival last week and there were about 8,000 people in the tent and it went crazy. I thought it was going to be really tough for anyone to match that. Then today, I played to a quarter of that, and it went off the hook. They really got into it from the start.”

Ed Sheeran got the crowd singing with his acoustic prowess, and Professor Green followed to get the crowd dancing. All of this was warming up nicely for arguably the biggest act on the bill, Tinie Tempah, who was the first main stage headliner of the festival. If anything was going to dispel the rainy-blues the antidote was always going to be the Brit award winners energetic and charismatic set.

With everyone now well and truly in the party mood it was time to head over to Merlin’s Forest for Zane Lowe’s late night DJ set. It was a very hit and miss set that frustrated the crowd by teasing crowd pleasers only to cut them in favour of songs that didn’t quite gel (to the extent that the crowd continued to sing to the song before long after it was cut). But even still, the day was a success.

Saturday had sunglasses and suntan written all over it (albeit with the odd attempt of rain just to remind you that you’re still in Wales). The masses flocked to the stages nice and early to enjoy Will And The People putting on a fantastic set with highlights including catchy tune ‘Mr Sketchy’, and Pixies cover ‘Where is my Mind?’.

Beardyman created a huge frenzy when he took to the main stage. The crowd began throwing colourful chalk in the air and before long the pit area looked like one massive tie-dye. Thousands of students roared with excitement with the exception of one or two who had greying hair and wearing thick raincoats as they shook their heads with bemusement as they ‘just didn’t get it’.

The set was void of the beatboxing that was used as a platform for the former UK Beatboxing Champion’s career. Beardyman claimed afterwards that:

“Beatboxing is a load of rubbish, its novelty.” He added: “I didn’t do any today, and I’m sure there will be a couple of purists who will be a little pissed off. But you can’t listen to purists if you have a dream and I have a dream to move forward.” Either way, the move seemed to pay off because the crowd couldn’t get enough of it.

With Ms Dynamite’s flight being delayed; We Are Scientists, Example, and White Lies rounded off the strong line-up on the main stage, before dance acts Nero, Shy FX, and Sub Focus joined Ms Dynamite in Merlin’s Forest to keep the crowd buzzin’ well into the early hours of the morning. It makes you wonder how they can afford to get so much on for just £100 a ticket.

Before you know it, it was already Sunday. We learnt that festival favourite Newton Faulkner enjoys chilling backstage playing guitar hero in the Jagermeister tent, having skipping competitions, and just jamming acoustically for us all to enjoy. A great laugh which was almost as good fun as his solid set on the main stage which included his own acoustic rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Who could’ve guessed that one man and a guitar could grip people’s attention so avidly?

The main stage then went out with a bang as Katy B warmed up the punters before dub-step super band Magnetic Man blew them away. The perfect combination given that the two acts have collaborated so frequently.

And then the big finale, if you’re going to start the festival strong, the key is to end the festival in an equally memorably fashion. Cue Mark Ronson. Following DJ Yoda in Merlin’s Forest, Ronson ensured that everyone would be returning to the real world the following day craving more.

It’s a shame that the weather was so hit and miss because this unique blend of holiday/festival could never reach its true potential. Then again, strolling down to the acres of beach to watch the sunrise in the morning after a heavy night was the perfect way to cap off a remarkable festival. Overall; a fantastic value for money, and I’m definitely looking forward to 2012.

Words: James Drakeford

Kendal Calling
29-31 July
Lowther Deer Park, Hackthorpe, The Lake District
TICKETS: Day prices range from £10, weekend prices range from £95

LINE UP

BLONDIE / CHASE & STATUS / THE CRIBS / ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN / BEARDYMAN  / THE LEVELLERS / MR SCRUFF / THE YOUNG KNIVES / TIM BURGESS & MARK COLLINS FROM THE CHARLATANS ACOUSTIC SET / THE WHIP / MIDDLEMAN

COMPETITION

We have a pair of tickets to KENDAL CALLING.

How to enter: QUESTION – In the festival section of our sister publication Area Culture Guide we mention that THE CURE will be headlining a Saturday Night at one of the festivals. Just tell us which festival….

Send your answer along with: Your name, date of birth, address and telephone number to competitions [@] fusedmagazine.com.
Please put ‘KENDAL’ in the Subject Box.

Deadline for entries is 20th June.

Set in the stunning ground of a 16th century manor house in Hertfordshire this unique small festival is well renowned for punching way above its weight when it comes to headliners. The three-day party includes secret areas that open up at midnight and an on-site nightclub that never seems to close. Headliners include Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, Liars, Etienne de Crecy, Efterklang, These New Puritans, The Magic Numbers, Efterklang, A Hawk & a Hacksaw and Giles Peterson.

We’ve got a pair of tickets to giveaway to one lucky winner.

To enter: Either get on the Twitter and send us the message “@fusedmagazine I want to win tickets to STANDON CALLING with #spotthecube on page….?” and tell us what page in our culture guide here is the little Nissan Cube Car hiding?

Or you can email competitions@fusedmagazine.com putting STANDON CALLING in the Subject box and tell us what page the Nissan Cube is on. Include your name, address, telephone number and date of birth (all comps are open to over 18’s ONLY).

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS 16th July, 2010.

Tickets are now officially on sale for this year’s Supersonic Festival. The annual event is moving from its regular July slot to October this year and sees influental NYC band SWANS headline for a rare live performance.

Birmingham promoters and curators Capsule announced the headline act yesterday with more acts to be revealed in the forthcoming weeks.

Featuring band members Michael Gira, Norman Westberg, Christoph Hahn, Phil Puelo, Thor Harris and Chris Pravdica, SWANS will be performing songs from their early brutal, growling noise albums, with an emphasis on the most heavy Swans material and extreme volume levels that they have become most infamous for. They will also play a selection of new songs which feature on their new full-length album, to be released later in 2010.

Moving from its previous July weekend date to 22-24 October, Supersonic will once again take place in and around the Custard Factory in the heart of Eastside of Birmingham, utilising converted factory warehouses and art galleries and offering up-close, intimate settings to showcase some of the most exciting music out there.

In recent years Supersonic Festival has attracted such names as Italian horror movie soundtrack legends Goblin, Mogwai, Sunn 0))) and Krautrock forefathers Harmonia, early performances by Battles, LCD Sound System and OM, and the first UK shows for many international artists including Harvey Milk (USA), Corrupted (Japan) and Goblin (Italy).

Tickets can be purchased from: The Ticket Sellers and See Tickets.

Previously known as Unleashed this year the event will feature three stages with an increased capacity. The music festival will feature something for all music lovers including Roots Manuva, Super Furry Animals and the Noisettes while the Beach Sessions will provide a platform for the best in new and established music acts to the 800 capacity Beach Bar overlooking Fistral Beach.

If its nail-biting action you are after then Vans will be shaking up the Boardmasters village and Newquay’s Wooden Waves Skatepark. Plus you’ll be able to take in the best moves shown off by the surfers competing in the 5 star WQS International surfing event.

The Relentless Boardmasters in association with Vans is the complete event for lovers of music, surf and skateboarding and bmx and we have …. to giveaway plus the flights to get you there from Birmingham so you don’t even have to face the queues down the M5.

To be in for a chance of winning just tell us: What is the name of The Streets singer?

Send your answer along with your name, address and date of birth to competitions@fusedmagazine.com.

Deadline for entries is 24th July at 12noon.

bmibaby fly from Birmingham International Airport to Newquay on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which is perfect for a weekend break or a longer summer holiday. With flights starting from just £18.99 one way including taxes and charges, there has never been a better time to experience Cornwall and the British coastline at its best. To book visit www.bmibaby.com.

Terms & Conditions Flights:
1. The winner is entitled to return travel for 2 passengers with bmibaby from Birmingham International airport to Newquay on the bmibaby network.
2. Route may vary due to timetable changes.
3. Prizes are non-transferable, non-refundable and non-changeable. Flight details, dates and times cannot be varied once they are booked. Cash or credit alternatives will not be offered. bmibaby reserves the right to provide substitute prizes of similar value should the specified prizes become unavailable.
4. bmibaby reserves the right to change its flight schedules without prior notice.
5. Travel must be taken by 22 September 2009.
6. Travel must be booked 14 days in advance of outbound travel date.
7. Flights are subject to availability. Availability is more restrictive during peak periods. Greater promotional seat availability is offered on off-peak and high frequency services.
8. The winner will be responsible for supplying valid passports and visa. It is strongly recommended that travellers take out adequate travel insurance.
9. All flights are subject to the terms and conditions under which they are issued including bmibaby’s general conditions of carriage for passengers and baggage.
10. bmibaby reserves the right to cancel or amend the terms of this prize promotion and without notice in the unlikely event of major catastrophe, war, earthquake, or any actual, anticipated or alleged breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other similar event.
11. By participating in this prize promotion, you grant the promoters permission to use your name and likeness for advertising and future promotional purposes without additional compensations (except where prohibited).
12. Winners are liable for any tax liability accruing as a result of this promotion.
13. This promotion is governed by English Law.
14. The judges decision is final.

Terms & Conditions Boardmasters:
1. The Boardmasters tickets can only be used on the weekend of 7th, 8th and 9th of August.
2. The tickets are only valid for 2 people.

Capsule the brains behind Supersonic Festival are curators, promoters and fans of the finest music, revealing the otherwise indescribable connections between contemporary music and art, crafting extraordinary events for adventurous audiences. Now in it’s 7th year, the event will once again take place at the Custard Factory in the heart of Digbeth utilising a number of spaces for music, art, film and cake.

The festival is shaping up to boast their best line up yet, with unique performances from such influential artists as Italian legends, GOBLIN -  their first show in the UK in 20 years. The reformation of the original line up of Black Country industrialists HEAD OF DAVID, who bring their driving bombast to proceedings for the first time in 23 years. The notorious Japanese band CORRUPTED who have yet to play on UK soil as well the reawakening of Greg Anderson & Stephen O’Malley of Sunn 0))) maiden voyage into darkeness: the cult  black doom act THORR’S HAMMER.

Not to forget splatter rock band THE ACCUSED, unruly trio MONOTONIX, the expansive drone-noise of GROWING; Brighton’s prog adventure, DIAGONAL; the wild avant futuristic jazz of ZU; the stoned pysch of EARTHLESS, the Virginian sludge rock of PONTIAK, the industrial experiments of 65 DAYS OF STATIC, the immense duo that is FLOWER/CORSANO DUO, occult noise act SKULLFLOWER, also joining the line up is SCORN aka Mick Harris (king of the blast beat)  and the new project combining Russell McEwan of Black Sun &  the electronic-vocal attack of Lea Cummings (Kylie Minoise) in the form of ATOMIZED, added to this are the power violence duo IRON LUNG  and one of the finest folk vocalists NANCY WALLACE will be featured in the line-up, once again highlighting the highly eclectic booking policy of the festival.

Tickets for Supersonic 2009 are on sale NOW via http://www.theticketsellers.co.uk

Available via Rough Trade East in London
Polar Bear & Swordfish in Birmingham + Plugd Records in Cork

CONFIRMED LINE UP
Friday: Army Of Flying Robots / Atomized / Drum Eyes / Kylie Minoise / PCM / Scorn / Taint / Venetian Snares

Saturday: Bobby Previte / Corrupted / Diaganol / Flower/Corsano Duo / Growing / Iron Lung / Kim Hiorthoy / Light Trap / Marnie Stern / Master Musicians Of Bukkake / Monotonix / Nisenenmondai / Remember Remember / Rose Kemp / Skullflower / Tartufi / The Accused / Thought Forms / Thorr’s Hammer / Tweak Bird / Zu

Sunday: 65 Days Of Static / Arbouretum / Caribou / Chris Herbert / Earthless / Goblin / Head Of David / Jarboe / Khyam Allami  / Nancy Wallace / Pontiak / Pram / Pre / Theo / The Memory Band / ZzZ

Further info: http://www.supersonicfestival.com

Moseley Park in Birmingham has seen some sell out performances in the past three years including Jose Gonzales, Seth Lakeman and Morcheeba and this year it should feel no less honoured to have playing on its grass Saint Etienne, Beth Orton and Jethro Tull. Other acts include BBC Radio 2’s Folk Awards Best Live Act, The Demon Barber Roadshow and Adrian Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds who perform punk classics in a folk style. Returning after a 35 year abscence are cult folk band Comus, and critically acclaimed relative new comer Jim Moray.

Clearly the organisers of the festival are making sure not just one type of folk is catered for including traditional, contemporary, psychedelic and completely experimental folk acts over the weekend, going as far as to spread them beyond the park into the local pubs of Moseley. Food and drink is just as diverse, with Purity Brewery supplying the bar with their award winning ales and after the success of last year’s there’ll be a pig roast, fresh falafels, Jamaican cuisine and to change it up, German sausages.

The festival isn’t just about bringing popular acts to the park, but being an enjoyable experience in every way for anyone. This year they’ve added a second bar, a new healing and workshop area and the return of the notorious storytelling pirates for the kids. Fairground rides are back, hand powered by Andy Hamilton and are free on Saturday and Sunday. If they feel like making music themselves there are workshops, and should they want to express themselves in a different way the ever popular face painting will be available. Covering all bases of entertainment Moseley Folk Festival intends to not just be a standard music festival but an all encompassing folk experience for new or returning fans.

Weekend Ticket £65, Family Packages and Day Tickets also available.

Can be purchased at www.moseleyfolk.co.uk or the following Birmingham outlets: Swordfish Records, Birmingham; Polar Bear Records, Kings Heath; Marcus Galleries, Moseley.