Fab Festival
When it comes to music festivals there are some biggies of the annual calendar, Glastonbury very much setting the scene in June, while Radio One have their say right across the country throughout the summer, a firm favourite of Londoner’s being SW4, which for the last two years, we have found virtually on our doorstep, being a resident of Clapham. But while all these events tip the scales for many, there is one that seems to have gathered recent momentum & following since its launch back in 2004, Lovebox very much capturing the imagination and attracting some massive names in the music & entertainment industry in a three day festival that has grown into something quite special. And, whilst the Friday & Saturday are superb in their own rights, it is Sunday that has created a pretty gigantic gay following, this year seemingly bigger than ever, meaning we simply had to mark the occasion with our own look at this third of three days of prolific music making, entertainment extravaganza’s & outdoor offerings that will see the cream of the partying scene head for East London & a liaison with Lovebox.
Circus Creation
So, what sets Sunday aside from the other two day? And what can you expect by way of star players & gay tainted treats? Well, first & foremost, Sunday has the terrific title of “Out & Fierce” the added tagline of “Not Shady Just Fierce” hinting towards the offer & not the weather, that latter looking to dominates people’s minds as the day approaches, as the famed British summer seems to be rearing its ugly head. However when you consider the fabulous line up right across this third day in Victoria Park, even torrential rain doesn’t look like deterring the faithful from flocking to see the likes of The Scissor Sisters, Robyn, Blondie, Kelis, Beth Ditto, & gay crowd favourite, Marc Almond perform on the Lovebox main stage, while a host of peripheral parties will also see a gay swarm of scene faces who will care not if they get a soaking, more wanting to soak up the shows. And with some of the best alternative brands on offer, there will be plenty of choice, Jodie Harsh’s “Circus” probably one of the best fits for this third day, co-promoter Kris Di Angelis having planned a prolific stage show performance, we suspect including a sea of extravert entertainers, headlined by a special appearance by Boy George along with Mel Blatt, while Jim Warboy, Erol Sabadosh, Filthy Dukes & Fred Falke will be charging up the Circus inspired tunes, so a stage not to miss.
Afterparty Antics
However, the gay interest continues with Horse Meat Disco taking a significant slice of the action, Jim Stanton & James Hillard pulling in some of their big named D.J.’s to delight, including Severino & Luke Howard (aka filthy Luka – say no more), while they will be continuing the partying afterwards too, celebrating the conclusion of what is surely to be a fourth year of superb showings at Lovebox, with an afterparty back in Vauxhall, welcoming dynamic duo, Opitmo, to the Disco decks, the duo of JD Twitch and JG Wilkes being quoted as “…renowned and highly respected for their memorable and ecstatic sets. “…exhibiting a unique disregard for genres and musical restrictions in their craft, creating a nightclub experience that strikes out into territories far beyond the accepted boundaries of club music..” so should be a showing to see. But back to Lovebox itself and amazing alternative, Trailer Trash, will also be making an appearance, along with other East end alternative gay/metrosexual meets, Hot Boy Dancing & Disco Bloodbath, the latter taking up a spot in the VIP arena along with Dirtbox, the likes of Tom Stephan, Dan Beaumont, Hannah Holland, Mikki Most, Jonny Woo, Tensnake, & The Lovely Jonjo, flying the gay flag, while a special set D.J. from none other than Peaches, will surely be a main stage draw.
Line-up Look
So with the tremendously tempting prospect of catching all those terrific talents in action, added to which there will be scores of stages, cabaret & entertainment arena’s, circus spots and vintage bazaar banks, together with street theatre & art installation attractions , there is much on offer at this latest Lovebox festival. So, what if you haven’t yet booked and want to head out to Victoria Park tomorrow (Sun 17th July), well, while its pretty much last minute in terms of grabbing a ticket, having just glanced at the official Lovebox website (http://lovebox.net/), there are still advanced purchases available, although, having booked, you will need to take your confirmation & relevant ID along with you, in order to pick up the tickets on the gate, while entrance on the day will be strictly limited, so we recommend booking in advance. As for further details, http://lovebox.net is the place to go, while to confirm, gates open at 12.30 p.m. with this third day of the festival running through until 10 p.m.
Now, it goes without saying that we will be there to review & report on it all and having kept a close eye on that all important weather, it looks like showers will dominate the day, so we will definitely be armed with an umbrella & maybe some sturdy boots as it is likely to be damp under foot. So, if you see us sliding or running around, no doubt screaming “…GET OFF ME!!…” as a gregarious girl chases us shouting “…I WANT MY PORDDIGE!!…” then stop us in our tracks & say hi, but moreover make sure you “Go There! Be There!” (DISCO MATT)