Thousands set to attend Stradisphere
Thousands are set to descend on Stradroke this weekend as its musical festival, Stradisphere, attracts its first mainstream acts.
Mercury Music Prize winner Badly Drawn Boy will play on Friday, July 6, along with Hannah Paris, before the festival continues on Saturday with acts including Sam and the Womp and Morganway.
Badly Drawn Boy, aka Damon Gough, shot to fame in the late 1990s with his album, The Hour of Bewilderbeast, before going on to write the soundtrack for the screen adaptation of About a Boy, starring Hugh Grant, in 2002.
The indie singer-songwriter chose his stage name from the title character in the show Sam and his Magic Ball, which he saw on TV at a party in Trafford, Manchester, in 1995.
A chance meeting with Andy Votel at the Generation X bar in Manchester led to the foundation of Twisted Nerve Records through which he first released a series of EPs.
In 2002, Q music magazine named Badly Drawn Boy in their list of 50 Bands to See Before You Die.
“Most people’s reaction when we tell them we have Badly Drawn Boy coming along ask ‘The real Badly Drawn Boy?’ Until now, the acts at the festival have mostly been tribute acts,” said Brett Baber, who founded the festival with wife, Jo, in 2014.
“We also have Sam and the Womp, a British group experimenting by mixing different genres from dub, and drum and bass, to big brass-fuelled Balkan funk and beyond.”
For event details,visit www.stradisphere.co.uk.
Some words from the organisers:
"The Stradisphere Music Festival in Stradbroke, reaches a milestone with its 5th year, and it promises to be bigger and better than ever before. Securing a headline act like Mercury Music Prize winner Badly Drawn Boy is a major coup, illustrating its ambition to be a premier family music festival. BDB will feature on Friday July 6, supported by Essex Country star Hannah Paris, fresh from the Isle Of Wight Festival, indie rock band Rigo Jancsi from Norwich, The High Points and Scare Taxi, both with local connections. The evening opens with recently crowned Best Original Artist from the South East Entertainment Awards, Breeze Redwine from Starston. She will be accompanied by Lisa Redford, described by no less than Radio 2's Bob Harris as 'One of our finest singer/songwriters'. The family aspect of Stradisphere is on display on Saturday 7, starting with three local primary schools performing their Summer shows, followed by the 4th year of 'Stradbrokes Got Talent', showcasing local talent of all ages. Norfolk based roots band 'Skipyard' will complement the sunshine, along with returning local rock bands 'Hurricane Wolves' & 'Red Glass'. Reading based indie act Talk In Code have recently supported Catfish and The Bottlemen, on tour, while great things are predicted for Morganway, as a prelude to 90 minutes of mayhem from Norwich act Das Fenster and The Alibis and Red Mecca, straight 'outta' Harleston. The festival closes with million selling No.1 act Sam & The Womp. There are licensed bars, food court, craft stalls, childrens' entertainment. Radio Stradbroke are the host broadcaster, Park Radio will also be present. For details on all the above, and to buy tickets visit www.stradisphere.co.uk . Children under 11 are admitted free"
