WIN! tickets to Willowman
THIS SUMMER MARKS THE NINTH YEAR OF WILLOWMAN FESTIVAL The Guide checks out the line-up and gives you the chance to win tickets
Sunderland singer songwriter Barry Hyde will make a rare outdoor live appearance next month at the Willowman Festival in North Yorkshire.
Barry Hyde was the frontman behind The Futureheads who enjoyed success in the noughties with five critically acclaimed albums and an epic cover of Kate Bush’s hit Hounds of Love.
After a period off the road Barry returned with his first solo album Malody last year which received widespread acclaim.
Other local talent appearing at the Willowman Festival, alongside headliners New Model Army, include South Tyneside’s punk veterans Angelic Upstarts and soul funksters Smoove and Turrell.
DJ Smoove hails from Sunderland and was part of the early ’90s Ashbrooke Collective that produced the top 40 hit Dubbing up the Pieces and the band Opus 3 which topped the charts with Fine Day in 1992.
Smoove and Turrell are now playing to sold out audiences across the UK and Europe and are set to release their fifth album Mount Pleasant next month.
Popular South Tyneside band Bessie and the Zinc Buckets will also be returning to Willowman Festival with their crowd pleasing and energetic show.
Other acts joining the line up this year include festival favourites Eat Static, legendary 90s dance outfit N Trance, Jamaican reggae artist Little Roy, acoustic anarchic punk poet Captain Hotknives, The Dub Pistols, singer songwriter Nerina Pallot and funk soul band Groove Train.
The Secret Sub Rosa Dance Tent will also be making a welcome return with quality curated live dance and electronica alongside exclusive DJ sets and there’s a new and extended children and family area.
Now in its ninth year, the three-day family friendly festival will take place at the Hillside Rural Activities Park, in Knayton, near Thirsk, from Friday, June 15, to Sunday, June 17.
Billing itself as the UK’s best value music festival early bird tickets start from £69, while the bar stocks a range of real ales.
Festival director Steve Williams said: “Year on year this festival has grown and Willowman is now firmly established on the festival calendar.
“We have welcomed people from across the country and Europe and it’s great to see so many people returning each year.
“All visitors are guaranteed a warm Yorkshire welcome as well as a good dose of fun, friendliness and above all, great music.
“We have also been very lucky with the weather in previous years too – what’s not to like! “Ticket sales are going strong again this year, with a range of options available, and we are hoping that this year is going to be the biggest and best yet.”
Visit www.willowman. co.uk for more information tickets.
We have a pair of weekend tickets, including camping and parking, to give away to this year’s Willowman Festival. To be in with a chance of winning, answer this question: which band did Barry Hyde used to front?
Email your answer and contact details to Katy.Wheeler@jpress.co.uk by Wednesday, May 23.
The festival takes place from June 15 to 17.