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Amelia’s Magazine | Butterflies, Swans, Stars and Tiaras: An interview with beaded jewellery designer Clara Francis

Clara Francis Necklace by Rebecca May Ilustration

Clara Francis Necklace by Rebecca May Illustration.

Clara Francis and I first spoke about doing an interview when she had just given birth to her youngest and I was pregnant with Snarfle… but somehow life as a new mum got in the way and it’s only now, two years later, that I have finally been able to catch up with this super talented jewellery designer. Clara is self taught in the virtually lost art of beading, producing beautifully intricate but bold pieces that seem to take on a life of their own. Here she talks candidly about the swap from acting to making, how motherhood has changed her life, and her excitement about the production of a new bridal collection. She’s a total inspiration.

Clara Francis by N. Sukandiwirya

Clara Francis by N. Sukandiwirya.

Can you tell us a little about your early life, where did you grow up and what was it like?
I was born in miserable suburb of North West London in a street right next door to Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Spent the majority of my youth there pilfering and gobbing on peoples heads walking on the floor below… went to the local comprehensive where I proceeded to only be interested in art and squandered what little brain I had. Decided pretty early on that I wanted to be an actress and went to The Central School of Speech and Drama and studied there for three years. During my 20′s I worked pretty much solidly as an actress, mainly theatre and a little bit of tv and film. But I found the periods of unemployment deeply depressing and hated that I was solely reliant on other people to give me work. I was too thin skinned to be an actress…

Clara Francis beaded jewellery butterfly headband

All photography of model wearing Clara Francis jewellery by Matilda Hill Jenkins.

Clara Francis BUG_BUTTERFLY_FLOWER bead necklace

What were the first crafts you got involved with as a child in the 80s?
My cousin Marion in Paris has a jewellery business called Françoise Montagne and she would send me over boxes of these beautiful vintage French beads – all the ones lying about in her studio that she didn’t need anymore… how lucky was I? So I would fashion my own jewellery even then. Also my mum was very crafty and taught me to knit and crochet very young. She was always making me clothes and I remember girls laughing at me on the bus on the way to school in my very obvious home knit jumper and scarf combo… this was the 80’s and it was all about the label and the bling!!!

Clara Francis beaded jewellery white butterfly headband

Clara Francis necklace by Lucy Eves

Clara Francis necklace by Lucy Eves.

Where and how did you first discover the art of beadwork?
In the bead shop in Kentish Town I saw racks of tiny japanese glass beads in hundreds of incredible colours and finishes. I enquired as to what one does with them and then went to the library and took out any book I could find on beadweaving and taught myself. Once I had taught myself the basic beading stitches I decided I wanted to created my own rather than work with other peoples’ designs. I absolutely love blending all the colours together… it’s like painting with beads.

Clara Francis by Stella Pong

Clara Francis by Stella Pong.

What experience did you have of market stalls before you set up shop in Spitalfields market?
My step father had market stalls all over London selling make up and cosmetics and often things that fell off the back of a lorry (once we had to sell 3 legged tights and umbrellas that you wore on your head!??) so I would work for him at Wembley Market every Sunday all through my teenage years. I couldn’t have hated it more but in retrospect I feel it taught me loads about how to sell to the public, people skills and even how to dress for cold weather!!! And most importantly I learnt the art of a good display… his mantra was ‘flash means cash‘!!!

Clara Francis beaded jewellery red choker

Clara Francis by Maia Fjord

Clara Francis by Maia Fjord.

How did the switch from acting to jewellery designer happen?
I always carried on crafting and decided that in between acting jobs rather than work in a call centre I would see if I could earn some money making and selling jewellery. I made a small collection and took it to the buyer at Harvey Nichols… and they bought everything I had there and then. I then got my stall at Spitalfields market which I had for about 8 years, and as my jewellery got more popular my acting career got LESS popular so I decided to knock the acting on the head. This was also around the time my partner and I decided to start a family.

Clara Francis beaded jewellery butterfly necklace

How does each design evolve?
I’m always ALWAYS thinking about jewellery and beads and all the possibilities that go with them. When I get an idea I sit in my studio and just play around with beads and various stitches (flat and three dimensional) until I get the effect I had pictured in my head. Some pieces will take weeks to get right as the beading process itself is so slow. I can spend an entire week making something and it’s only when I finish it and take a step back that I realise it hasn’t worked, so I have to start all over again.

Clara Francis wedding portrait

Wedding tiara bessie funny face

I believe you recently made your own bridal headpiece, what did it look like and where did the inspiration come from?
Yes, I got married a couple of months ago. I knew that I wanted to make my own headpiece and five more for my little bridesmaids. I based my entire wedding on these incredible gold glitter brogues I found for all the bridesmaids AND the film Paper Moon which I’m currently obsessed with. So a celestial theme appeared quite organically. I beaded with 24 carat gold plated beads to make 3D stars for my headdress and flat stars for the girls’ ones. I also beaded wedding favours for all my female guests; a beaded butterfly ring or brooch or forget-me-not flower. It was a massive labour of love but worth it whan I saw everyone wildly dancing and butterflies and bees sparkling on everyones fingers and lapels. (A: what a beautiful beautiful idea!)

Clara Francis by Melissa Angelik

Clara Francis by Melissa Angelik.

How did the experience of becoming a mother affect your business?
I had my two girls, Bessie and Maude very close together and continued to build my business whilst changing nappies and breastfeeding, doing lots of wholesale. I exhibited at LFW, selling all over the world particularly in the US, Japan and Korea… plus I was working freelance for Topshop and River Island making jewellery ranges for them. I collaborated with Tracey Boyd for a season plus I did a collaboration with the V&A museum.

In January 2011 Maude died very suddenly from a flu virus and my whole life changed in that instant. I couldn’t work for a long time. Simply couldn’t concentrate on anything. My perspective on life changed completely, and when I did tentatively start working again after many months it was in a very different way to the way I worked before. The creation of two collections a year and everything that went with it was too demanding… I live more simply now. I want to keep my business small and manageable and not travel too much. I want to take and collect my daughter from school most days. I’m so much less ambitious. I have also had another child since losing Maude: my son Gilbert who has just turned 2. It is such a joy to be with him everyday and watch him grow, and I want to savour every second of him as before I know it he will be at school…

Clara Francis stars

How do you run your business now and what designs do you have in the pipeline for 2014?
I currently have 3 beaders who work from home and I send them patterns and beads and they do piecework for me. All of their work gets sent back to me and Fiona (who works with me part time) and we sew everything together and finish pieces off in my studio, which is at the bottom of my garden. It is very hard juggling young children with running your own business and I am constantly berating myself for not having enough time to do anything properly (parent or business) but I am doing the best that I can and that is all I can do at present. I often have to work into the night when everyone else is asleep as that is the only way things will get finished, it’s not ideal but not forever… I’m definitely going to bring out a bespoke bridal collection in the near future as there is a definite gap in the market for the more quirky bride and I enjoyed the whole process of making mine for my wedding so much I want to share it with the world!

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday March 27th, 2014 3:17 pm

Categories ,80s, ,Beading, ,Bridal, ,Butterflies, ,Clara Francis, ,Françoise Montagne, ,Harvey Nichols, ,interview, ,japan, ,jewellery, ,Kentish Town, ,korea, ,Lucy Eves, ,Maia Fjord, ,Matilda Hill Jenkins, ,Melissa Angelik, ,N. Sukandiwirya, ,Paper Moon, ,Rebecca May Illustration, ,River Island, ,Snarfle, ,stars, ,Stella Pong, ,swans, ,The Central School of Speech and Drama, ,Tiaras, ,topshop, ,Tracey Boyd, ,US, ,Wedding, ,Wembley Market, ,Wholesale

Amelia’s Magazine | George Pringle at the Social: Live Review

George Pringle by Maria Montiel

George Pringle by Maria Montiel

It seems strange to think that it’s been three whole years since George Pringle last graced a stage. I’d seen her a few times at various venues around town, a resolutely awkward presence usually at complete odds (musically, anyway) with the other bands she was on the bill with. Describing herself as a “diseuse”, her vaguely autobiographical spoken-word delivery, set to GarageBand beats from a Mac laptop, earned column inches, even before the appearance of her first album, the self released Salon Des Refusés. She also managed to bag a support spot with Air on a European tour, before seeming to disappear from view.

And yet here we are at the Social, in a narrow basement in a narrow bar tucked away from the bustle of a West End Saturday night. Antonioni’s L’Eclisse is projected soundlessly onto a screen behind the tiny stage, with the accompaniment of what sounds like 1970s and 1980s Italian pop tunes playing over the PA. The lighting is low, and a crowd (including friends and family) gathers, awaiting what is described as a “recital” of the long awaited new album.

George Pringle by Sam Parr

George Pringle by Sam Parr

Golfo Dei Poeti (or the Gulf of Poets, apparently a colloquial name for La Spezia, in northern Italy), is Pringle’s first musical work since Salon Des Refusés. Described as “music for lonely cowgirls”, it embraces the same DIY ethic as its predecessor, but it’s a much more sophisticated affair. With the glitchy beats of the first album reined in, Golfo Dei Poeti is both fragile and lush – an electro-pop soundtrack for a late night taxi ride home. Pringle’s delivery has also changed, with her lyrics more spare, and she actually sings now!

As she stepped on to the stage, another difference from the George Pringle of old was clearly evident – instead of solely being accompanied by her trusty laptop, tonight she was the musician, with a keyboard and bass guitar arranged around her.

The set opened with Golfo Dei Poeti itself, the album title track (also, perversely, the final track), a simple repeated phrase bathed in echo and set to a sprightly drum beat and a looping synth line, before a complete change of mood and pace with London, My Lonely Smoke Ring – Pringle’s delicate vocal over a bare, mournful organ (though the crowd got a bit carried away and started cheering during the long pause before the song’s big finish). She picked up a melodica for To Augustus With Love, and returned to it for La Notte, adding textures over the latter’s cascading keyboard melody. The second half of the set featured Pringle on the bass guitar, a highlight being Real As Sound, which built up from a sparse, ominously wailing soundwave, with simple, repeated verses, to a pulsing lo-fi floor filler.

George Pringle by Gabriel Ayala

George Pringle by Gabriel Ayala

Pringle seemed much more confident as a performer than I remember, and there was a fair bit of banter between songs, including reminiscences of people thinking that injuries obtained falling off stage at the Luminaire were all part of the act.

George Pringle by Maria Montiel

George Pringle by Maria Montiel

The set closed with Physical Education (Part 1), the night’s sole representative from Salon Des Refusés, with frantic electro beats and cheeky hints of I Feel Love, before Pringle’s brother took on DJ duties.

It was a welcome return for George Pringle, and I just hope that it’s not such a long wait before we get to see her again.

Written by Richard Pearmain on Tuesday June 25th, 2013 11:46 am

Categories ,Air, ,Electro Pop, ,Gabriel Ayala, ,GarageBand, ,George Pringle, ,Golfo Dei Poeti, ,Maria Montiel, ,Michelangelo Antonioni, ,Salon Des Refusés, ,Sam Parr, ,the Luminaire, ,The Social

Amelia’s Magazine | Team Ghost – You Never Did Anything Wrong To Me – Album Review

team ghost review
Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010

Alternative Fashion Week is a funny old beast, viagra order one that I’ve been getting to know rather well over the past week. And really getting to become rather fond of. Every day I rock up at 1.15pm with no idea of what the day’s catwalk show would bring. Generally I come skidding to a halt on my bike just as the stout lady with the microphone finishes giving her daily spiel to the audience, order which is a funny old mixture of family, stuff friends, industry pundits (apparently, though I didn’t seen anybody I know) and interested city boys and labourers.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010

On Tuesday I was still a novice, so I asked the lady at the back with a clipboard if I could sit down – being as I was press and that’s what it said on my ticket. “No.” She told me bluntly. “Not if you haven’t reserved a seat.” Oh alright then.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Don’t hassle this lady. She’s very busy. She ensures that everyone gets out on the catwalk on time.

One major issue with this event is the lack of surrounding information – Alternative Fashion Week doesn’t have much of an online presence and the bumpf that I got sent in the post was basic to say the least. It certainly didn’t warn me that I needed to RSVP or go fuck myself. I always find it amusing how, because of the way I dress and the fact that I carry a big professional camera with me (photographers generally being the scum of the earth and all that), I am treated in a certain way. Oh world of fashion, you do make me larf. Still, I like to travel incognito, so it suits me.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Some of the audience really aren’t going to help you get ahead in fashion – bemused city workers look on.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
The band. They’re quite naff.

Now I actually think that the lack of a seat was a blessing in disguise – I spent about ten minutes on day one attempting to watch the catwalk shows front stage before realising that there was far more fun to be had hanging around the back, where a big old melange of models, designers, city workers, pervy middle aged male photographers and screaming organisers raced about like mad things – it made for far more interesting photos, and I got to boss the girls around when they come off stage. (Something none of the other photographers seemed to do. It must be something to do with my background as a fashion photographer because I have no qualms with telling a model how to pose. Though of course the rest of the cameras descended in front of me like locusts once I’d arranged a shot.) So whilst I can report generally on the outfits, I have no idea what any of the catwalk presentations were like. Not that I think that matters – it’s the clothes that are important, right?

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
“Hello young lady, can I take a photo of you because you don’t appear to have a bra on.” Believe me, there was only a pair of nipple tassles under that jacket.

The standard at Alternative Fashion Week is massively variable but amongst the huge quantity of stuff there are some really interesting designers to be found – ones that I would wager money on becoming successful. So it’s important to give into the undeniable exuberance of the occasion: everyone is quite simply having a ball. Some of the “models” may be slightly ropey, some of the designs outstandingly bad, but the fact that such an event exists to promote up and coming talent is a good thing. It’s just a shame they don’t have more resources to make sure that each designer gets as much promotion as possible: I had real trouble trying to figure out which was which. And that I at least had the choice of a seat if I had wanted.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Model or mum? You decide. Perhaps both. There are all comers here.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010 Alex Seroge
Alex Seroge showed a very strong collection.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Great styling from Hayley Trezise.

Over the week I have got better at making a note of who all the designers are, no mean feat when juggling camera, iphone and twitter updates. So if you see your work on my website and it hasn’t been properly credited do drop me a note and let me know. I’ve also learnt a lot about what you should and shouldn’t do at Alternative Fashion Week if you want to make an impression – and that shall be the subject of another post.

Alternative Fashion Week Spitalfields 2010
Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010

Kimberley Startup.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Havering College get ready to go on stage.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Adel Andic.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Maartje de Man.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
It’s tough when your bum is hanging out in the street.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010
Checking through the running order backstage.

Alternative Fashion Week Day Spitalfields 2010

For those of you unfamiliar with the loud, sales scattershot-shoegazing electronic noise group M83, approved then perhaps it might make sense to take a quick break here and catch up. Anything will do, though it seems to be generally accepted that their 2003 record Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts is their high point; shortly after its release Nicolas Fromageau left the band to pursue his own projects, and I (like many others) had assumed that by now he had simply dropped away into the ether. Not the case at all, as it turns it – he’s back with Team Ghost, a new project with multi-instrumentalist Christophe Guerin, and with it taking the M83 project in a new direction, towards the realms of krautrock and synth-pop. The album cover (although technically this is an EP) should make it clear that this is cut from a decidedly darker and ruder cloth than the work of M83 – Team Ghost aren’t afraid to flash a bit of tit.

‘Lonely, Lonely, Lonely’ is the longest track. Fromageau’s choice, opening his own group’s first record effort with a song that’s surprisingly close to M83 in spirit, seems a strange one at first. It’s tempting to write this off immediately as merely a pastiche of his last band, and already as the music builds up I’m thinking of ways to describe this record as merely one man’s way to satisfy his own ego… and then it ends. I’m going to go out on a limb here and call this predictable instrumental track tongue-in-cheek. Just a hunch.

‘A Glorious Time’, though, kicks in with a huge wall of guitar feedback, sounding like some poppier indie band discovering a distortion pedal. Fromageau sings, “leave it all behind you… leave it all behind you,” over and over the guitar’s swirl. It’s a straight-up shoegaze track, and whilst not hugely original it’s already a sign of a more diverse lineup to come. It’s followed by ‘Sur Nous Les Étincelles Du Soleil’, a dreamy, twinkling song with some sultry French chanteuse breathing sweet nothings down in the mix. It’s halfway through before it’s clear that this is more post-rock than shoegaze, but of a very nocturnal sort.

Raising us from our slumbers comes ‘Echoes’, followed by ‘Only You Can Break My Heart’, which both fight it out for the distinction of being labelled the best track on here. The former is a pulsing tribute to Neu! and early-80s new wave – it’s surprisingly groovy for an artist like Fromageau, but not unexpected considering the influences being chucked about here. It’s the kind of thing that makes me excited to see what Team Ghost might do next; so too can this be applied to ‘Only You Can Break My Heart’, a pounding track that sounds not unlike No Age trying to beat the bloody hell out of a synthesiser. Totally instrumental, but completely bracing.

‘Colours In Time’ sounds eerily like an Air track remixed by Crystal Catles; Fromageau’s French lilt, crooning over a song that sounds not dissimilar to what you’d have found pumping out of an arcade game’s speaker system circa 1994. Then there’s ‘Deaf’, another bout of semi-shoegaze but this time more in the style of the recent Horrors album – it’s a shimmering track, and a satisfying closer to the album.

It may have taken him nigh-on seven years to finally find his feet, but Fromageau has clearly found a music partner with a clearly similar outlook and vibe. Where this EP really comes into its own is where it departs from the M83 formula, strikes out on its own with its own new influences. If they can maintain, hell, even improve upon the kind of collages they have here in songs like ‘Echoes’ then it will be fascinating to see where Team Ghost go to next.

Written by Ian Steadman on Friday April 23rd, 2010 4:56 pm

Categories ,80s, ,Air, ,Crystal Castles, ,Dead Cities Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, ,feedback, ,ian steadman, ,M83, ,neu!, ,new wave, ,No Age, ,post-rock, ,shoegaze, ,Synth-Pop, ,Team Ghost, ,You Never Did Anything To Break My Heart

Amelia’s Magazine | Festival Preview: the Eden Sessions

kyla la grange
Glastonbury-June-2009-Climate Camp
Can it really be a year since the last Glastonbury? Last year, this web for the first time, Climate Camp was given it’s very own space in the Dragon Field just above the Craft Field as you wend your way down to Shangri La. This year we’re back to once again educate and entertain festival goers at our beautiful site only a few minutes walk from the Old Railway Line.

Glastonbury-June-2009-Climate Camp workshop

Glastonbury-June-2009-First Aid Kit
Workshops, at play, and First Aid Kit playing at the Climate Camp Tripod Stage in 2009.

In 2010 Climate Camp is targeting the Royal Bank of Scotland, which has been bailed out with £50 billion of public money that is now being used to finance the extraction of fossil fuels across the world, with no regard for climate change or the destruction of communities that it causes. We will be camping near the RBS global headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland, between 19th-25th August, but in the meantime to find out more about why we decided to focus on RBS this year come along and take a look at our exhibition at Glastonbury, then pick up a copy of our Never Mind The Bankers newspaper to peruse over a cup of tea or share with friends. We will be running DIY screenprinting workshops where you can learn how to screenprint your clothing with an anti RBS slogan. Simply bring your own or print onto one of our tshirts or bags. A great activity for kids! There will also be a chance to take part in Tripod Training: Tripods are used to blockade and secure a space on a direct action protest; come find out how to put them up and climb them safely. Good fun, and no previous experience or skills required.

Glastonbury-June-2009-tripod training

Tripod Training.

Then of course there is our fabulous music, poetry and comedy line up, put together by yours truly. Read on to find out who will be gracing our Tripod Stage…. Pyramid Stage eat your heart out, this is where the real talent is.

Green-Kite-Midnight
Green Kite Midnight.

When I wrote up about the Climate Camp presence at Glastonbury in 2009 in my blog I talked about my hope that my band Green Kite Midnight would be able to play as the Climate Camp house band in 2010, so I’m very excited to report that we will be doing daily gigs this year. Five years ago I co-founded the barndance troupe Cutashine out of a desire to make traditional collective dancing more fun: after all, what’s better than a dance where you get to meet other people and really work up a sweat?

With Cutashine I played at gigs all over Glastonbury for several years, then left to start Green Kite Midnight through my contacts in Climate Camp; a band that supports and plays at direct action protests. Our first gig was at the Climate Camp in Bishopsgate during the G20 in April last year, we played to 800 people at the Blackheath Climate Camp in August 2009, and more recently we went on a 10 day solidarity bike ride together to play gigs to support the struggle against the Shell gas pipeline at Rossport in Ireland. With myself as emcee (I’m a gobby shite, so turn your mind away from those boring barn dances you might have attended as a child) we can teach anyone how to barn dance, so please come and join us.

And now for the rest of our fabulous line-up:

Kirsty Almeida

My Luminaries

On Thursday Kirsty Almeida opens for us with her bass heavy soulful Bayou blues; a very exciting start to four days of renewably powered music. She is followed by another folky female. Anna Log – singer with pop folk band We Aeronauts – will be doing a solo set accompanied by her trusty uke. Glastonbury Emerging Talent winners My Luminaries round the evening off with a special semi-acoustic set of their epic indie rock.

Danny and the Champions of the World

On Friday we’re pleased to welcome the epic musical dreamscapes of Newislands, described as Pink Floyd meets Depeche Mode. Then it’s time for some other Climate Camp regulars, Danny Chivers, Claire Fauset and Merrick, to grace the stage with their “triple-headed tag team political poetry extravaganza”. They’re all friends of mine that I’ve seen perform before so I highly recommend their set, which will be repeated on Sunday afternoon. As a closer we have the country-tinged big band folk of Danny and the Champions of the World.

Patch William

Dry the River

To kick the day off on Saturday we welcome Patch William – the dreamy lovechild of Nick Drake and Jimi Hendrix. They are followed by the scuzzy rock sound of York boys The Federals, described as a cross between the White Stripes and The Beatles. Then, time for a very special guest. Following my interview with Robin Ince a few weeks he very kindly promised to come by and do us a special secret set, which will be a must see for all comedy fans at the festival. Tell all your friends! And come on by for a very intimate set from this well known comedian. Dry the River end the day with their beautiful melodic folk, singing songs of religion, history and community to rival those of Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons.

Pete the Temp

Pete Lawrie

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

On Sunday we’ve got another packed day to end the festival. Pete the Temp returns to wow us with his comedic eco-political music and spoken word, then we look forward to hearing the bittersweet gospel blues of latecomer Pete Lawrie, who confirmed just as our flyer had gone to print. I am particularly pleased to welcome Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. the official moniker of singer songwriter Sam Duckworth. He will be showcasing music from his new album due for release later this year, and I’ve got a soft spot for him because he appeared in the print version of Amelia’s Magazine. Robinson will play a gypsy cajun folk set before we round off the festival with our GRAND RAFFLE. If you see our outreach team out and about please give generously to support Climate Camp and come along to our grand prize giving, which will be hosted by the inimitable Danny Chivers.

Glastonbury-June-2009-Grand Raffle presented by Danny Chivers
The Grand Raffle presented by Danny Chivers in 2009.

Don’t forget to follow myself and Climate Camp on twitter to find out how the festival is going; we can always live in hope that 3G reception will be better than it was last year! But most of all, don’t forget to come and visit us! And bring your friends along with you. I will of course write up a full report on my return. For a reminder of what to expect read my blog from last year here:

Glastonbury-June-2009-Climate Camp
Can it really be a year since the last Glastonbury? Last year, stomach for the first time, shop Climate Camp was given it’s very own space in the Dragon Field just above the Craft Field as you wend your way down to Shangri La. This year we’re back to once again educate and entertain festival goers at our beautiful site only a few minutes walk from the Old Railway Line.

Glastonbury-June-2009-Climate Camp workshop

Glastonbury-June-2009-First Aid Kit
Workshops, cure at play, and First Aid Kit playing at the Climate Camp Tripod Stage in 2009.

Glastonbury-June-2009-tripod training

Tripod Training.

Green-Kite-Midnight
Green Kite Midnight.

And now for the rest of our fabulous line-up:

Kirsty Almeida

My Luminaries

Danny and the Champions of the World

Kyla la Grange

Patch William

Dry the River

To kick the day off on Saturday we welcome an exclusive Glastonbury appearance from talented newcomer Kyla La Grange, who creates soaring melodies with her stunning voice. Then comes Patch William – the dreamy lovechild of Nick Drake and Jimi Hendrix, who are followed by the scuzzy rock sound of York boys The Federals, described as a cross between the White Stripes and The Beatles. Then, time for a very special guest. Following my interview with Robin Ince a few weeks he very kindly promised to come by and do us a special secret set, which will be a must see for all comedy fans at the festival. Tell all your friends! And come on by for a very intimate set from this well known comedian. Dry the River end the day with their beautiful melodic folk, singing songs of religion, history and community to rival those of Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons.

Pete the Temp

Pete Lawrie

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

Glastonbury-June-2009-Grand Raffle presented by Danny Chivers
The Grand Raffle presented by Danny Chivers in 2009.

Glastonbury-June-2009-Climate Camp
Can it really be a year since the last Glastonbury? Last year, medicine for the first time, Climate Camp was given it’s very own space in the Dragon Field just above the Craft Field as you wend your way down to Shangri La. This year we’re back to once again educate and entertain festival goers at our beautiful site only a few minutes walk from the Old Railway Line.

Glastonbury-June-2009-Climate Camp workshop

Glastonbury-June-2009-First Aid Kit
Workshops, at play, and First Aid Kit playing at the Climate Camp Tripod Stage in 2009.

Glastonbury-June-2009-tripod training

Tripod Training.

Green-Kite-Midnight
Green Kite Midnight.

And now for the rest of our fabulous line-up:

Kirsty Almeida

My Luminaries

Danny and the Champions of the World

Kyla la Grange

Patch William

Dry the River

Pete the Temp

Pete Lawrie

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

Glastonbury-June-2009-Grand Raffle presented by Danny Chivers
The Grand Raffle presented by Danny Chivers in 2009.

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, page but bio-domes. One of the most advanced bio-domes on this earth, viagra 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

Written by Cari Steel on Tuesday June 22nd, 2010 6:37 pm

Categories ,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

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