Northwest Festival Watch – July 2014

Oh come, all ye faithful

Preview by Laura Swift | 01 Jul 2014

Widely reported as a festival that remembers how to be a festival, i.e. you genuinely feel like you’ve stumbled upon a small wonderland, Lancashire’s Beat-Herder (18-20 Jul) prides itself on its handmade feel – in past years, they’ve knocked up a tattoo parlour, church, and even a castle for the occasion. Its lineup is led by warm, rootsy dance and dub, with forays into folk for the limited windows of time where you may opt to sit down: 2ManyDJs and a live Vitalic show are probably as nasty as it’ll get, with the majority of the lineup belonging to the sunkissed pace of The 2 Bears, Justin Robertson and Mr Scruff. Skip Badly Drawn Boy and Goldie Lookin’ Chain – anyone with three-word names, basically – for Eats Everything, James Lavelle and The Orb, and you’ll be reet.

Looking over to Yorkshire, on the run-up to Beacons the region boasts three top looking fests for differing crowds: Tramlines (25-27 Jul) is Sheffield’s annual mainstay, unfurling across the city centre and offering a stupidly impressive roster for almost no money. This year is its sixth edition: Auntie Flo, Awesome Tapes from Africa, Boddika, Gold Panda, Future of the Left, Katy B, Jimmy Edgar, Lone, Levon Vincent, Maurice Fulton and Menace Beach can all be yours for just £28 a weekend ticket (well, you can’t take them home. But you can watch them for half an hour or so). It even has its own fringe. Quite frankly, we’re jealous.

Those seeking to kick back and enjoy the Grand Depart – ideally from somewhere called Buttertubs Pass – can do so at King of the Mountains (4-6 Jul), a little arts and music event set up by the landlords of a pub in North Yorkshire village Muker, who recognised that not enough was being put in place to accommodate the thousands of visitors set to descend on the area for the first stage of the Tour de France, and so decided to stick a 5000-capacity festival on. Huw Stephens spins tunes, Sky Larkin, Dry the River, Kyla La Grange and Hey Sholay play, and there’ll be proper food.

True folkies, meanwhile, can get their fix at Underneath the Stars Festival (25-27 Jul), showing its credentials by being named for a Kate Rusby song and bringing Tunng, Richard Thompson and more to the lush undulations of Cannon Hall Farm, near Barnsley.

Finally, yer customary instalment of Manchester Jazz Fest (18-27 Jul) allows us to see out the month in style – you are forbidden to miss Ex-Easter Island Head (they play at 1pm on Thu 27th, for free!) or the Arun Ghosh Sextet (8pm, Sat 19th). Both appear at the Festival Pavilion in Albert Square; as usual, many events are gratis, and the ‘mjf introduces’ and ‘mjf originals series’ showcase up-and-coming talent and new commissions respectively. Check the website for full listings.

Beat-Herder, Dockber Farm, Lancashire, 18-20 Jul, adult weekend ticket £120, www.beatherder.co.uk

Tramlines, various venues, Sheffield, 25-27 Jul, £28 weekend, £12 day, www.tramlines.org.uk

King of the Mountains, Muker, Swaledale, 4-6 Jul, various day and weekend tickets available, www.kingofthemountainsfestival.com

Underneath the Stars Festival, Cannon Hall Farm, South Yorkshire, 25-27 Jul, various day and weekend tickets available, www.underthestarsfest.co.uk

Manchester Jazz Festival, various venues, Manchester, 18-27 Jul, www.manchesterjazz.com