There are some places on this planet that I can’t believe I haven’t been to yet. On this occasion I’m not talking about far flung exotic hideaways, but bio-domes. One of the most advanced bio-domes on this earth, to be exact. This accolade goes to the Eden Project in Cornwall, home to tropical and mediterranean environments; a hub of creative and sustainable activities. But wait, this is the music section, so why am I harping on about a greenhouse? The answer lies in a series of one day music festivals, otherwise known as the Eden Sessions, spanning across the last week of June and onto the second week of July that take place nestled within the greenery of the Project. The calibre of singers and bands who play at Eden surpass expectation, and seriously rival big name festivals.
Florence and the Machine performing at 2009 Eden Session
Now running for nine years, the Eden Sessions hit the ground running in 2002 with performances from Pulp, Spiritualized, Doves and Beth Orton and continued strong over the next few years, giving us headliners such as Air, Supergrass, Primal Scream, Goldfrapp, Vampire Weekend, Florence and the Machine and Kasabian. Given the setting, it is only natural (in all senses of the word) that there would be an active and encouraged link between the performances and the environmental ethos that Eden is built on. The organisers are keen to encourage audiences to think about the actions that they can take to modify their impact upon the environment, adding that all profits from the Eden Sessions go towards supporting their educational charity and programmes.
Mumford & Sons, performing at this years Eden Sessions.
This year was due to open on June 24th with a much anticipated performance by Vampire Weekend and Broken Bells, but unfortunately, both bands cancelled very close to the time of their gig (a reason has not been given). Nonetheless, the other nights have so much to offer that hopefully everyone will forget this little blip of a cancellation. While tickets for Jack Johnson/Mojave 3 and Doves/Mumford & Sons have sold out (but we will be down to cover the Doves night, so expect full coverage!) there are still tickets and special offers available for the night of Mika/Diana Vickers (playing on Sunday, 27th June) and Calvin Harris, Annie Mac, Audio Bullys and Zero 7 (DJs) who are all performing on Saturday 3rd July. Check the website for the listed offers. What’s extra special about the Session ticket is that it gives you access to the Eden Project on both the day and the day after, which conveniently gives you an excuse for a thorough exploration of the domes when you come down for the gigs. The setting is glorious; the acts will be phenomenal and the West Country cider will be on hand throughout. So really, is there any reason not to go?
The Eden Project at night
Tags:
Air, Annie Mac, Audio Bullys, broken bells, Calvin Harris, Cornwall, doves, Eden Project, festival, Florence and The Machine, goldfrapp, Greenhouse, Mumford and Sons, pulp, Spiritualized, Vampire Weekend, Zero 7
