ON THE LAKE

Here's What Happened in 2008 - full 2009 details here soon

In a beautiful lakeside setting sits a stage of discovery and enchantment, characteristics that underpin the whole of Latitude Festival. The Lake Stage , curated by Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens, showcases the freshest and most critical new acts before they begin to bubble in the conscience of the music press. From the poetic ramblings of Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip to the upbeat infectious indie of current favourites Jo e Lean and the Jing Jang Jo ng and a memorable mid afternoon performance from a little known band named Scouting for Girls who recently went to number one with their debut album; 2007 saw plenty of new talent from all sides of the musical spectrum springboard from the Introducing Stage to great success.
Speaking of his involvement with Latitude, Huw Stephens says, “Latitude, as well as being in an idyllic location with so many different things going on, has a huge emphasis on quality new music. It’s to be found on all the stages in different ways, but the Introducing music on the Lake Stage is like the first crop of new music, freshly squeezed and a lot of the time playing a festival for the first time. The emphasis is on quality, ideas, freshness and making sure it is an intriguing mix of the good stuff”
Latitude are delighted to announce a selection of this year’s line up at The Lake Stage .
FRIDAY
Scottish indie-electro group Errors, contrary to the name, seem to be doing a lot right. After releasing debut album ‘It’s Not Something…’ through Mogwai founded label Rock Action Records, Errors have set themselves aside from the post-rock moniker and showed critics and fans alike that a band like this really can drop some jaws. They will be headlining The Lake Stage on the Friday night.
Armed with a laptop and an acoustic guitar, the release of London folktronica artist James Yuill’s second album ‘Turning Down Water For Air’, has seen him break out from the mould created by fellow artists of the genre. Firmly in keeping with the ‘true’ folktronica style he has received high praise from artists such as Chris T-T and Get Cape . Wear Cape . Fly and has found his cross-genre appeal gaining him fans and appreciation across the musical spectrum.
Birmingham’s home-grown Indie pop three piece Jo hnny Foreigner proclaim to make some of the best straightforward guitar songs out there and after hearing what their debut album ‘Waited Up ‘Til It Was Light’ has to offer, you can’t help but agree with them. After a successful tour with Los Campesinos! in February of this year and a string of limited 7” singles now viewed as gold dust by their fans, Jo hnny Foreigner are one of the bands that 2008 will be remembered for.
Manchester based folk/hip artist Gideon Conn is by no means your typical star, the epitome of geek chic, his eclectic style is comparable to everyone from Skee-Lo to Jo hnny Cash. He approaches his music and performance with an unbridled enthusiasm and his live shows will often have you laughing as much as they will dancing. His debut single ‘I Want You Around (For This Melody)’ has become an instant hit on dance floors across the country and after a successful tour of the UK with last year’s Lake Stage stars - Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, he has left many people wanting more.
The sincerity behind the music of Oxford experimentalists Jo nquil is something that cannot be ignored. The charming inclusion of accordion players and violinists on their second LP release ‘Lions’ mixed with the album’s Lo-Fi bedroom production makes for something quite unique and ultimately irresistible. On record the band are enchanting but their live performance is what really brings the diversity of their sound to life; so catch them on The Lake Stage.
SATURDAY
Local Suffolk boys Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds will be headlining The Lake Stage on the Saturday night with their brilliant pop, hook-driven indie. Al ready boasting not only Huw Stephens but also Steve Lamacq as fans, the five piece released underground hit ‘Slow Kids’ in March and have toured with last year’s Lake Stage hits Jo e Lean and the Jing Jang Jo ng. Look out for them in 2008.
With two old friends and one newer one, Sky Larkin are making waves in the ever vibrant Leeds scene. Personally selected by Festival Republic ’s very own Melvin Benn to play on the Unsigned Stage at Leeds Festival last year and now by the guru himself Huw Stephens, Sky Larkin are causing a big stir nationally. They have since released two underground pop-laden singles on the oh-so-cool Dance To The Radio label and played a wealth of gigs with everyone from Broken Social Scene, Gossip, Howling Bells, and fellow Lake Stage performers Johnny Foreigner. Tipped by those in the know as the potential summer breakthrough act – this might be your last opportunity to see them on such an intimate stage!
Brighton rockers This City have been compared to a host of bands including Biffy Clyro, Bloc Party and At The Drive-In. Raw, relentlessly energetic and with one of the most distinctive vocalists in the UK , This City splice indie, pop, hardcore and dance punk into an irresistible package.
Stourbridge’s The Voluntary Butler Scheme, aka Rob Jones, may only be a one man band but is not easily pinned down in the genre department. With witty lyrics and his ability to make a big, big sound all on his lonesome, this is an act that can’t afford to be missed.
Local Norwich outfit The Kabeedies describe themselves as hopping between the genres of indie and punk - and with their rapid and energetic blink-and-you'll-miss-it sets you’d better keep your eyes peeled on The Lake stage! The four piece’s recent single 'Lover Ought To' was described by Artrocker magazine as “insanely catchy and deserves to be a hit”.
Swanton Bombs sound like a male fronted The Ting Tings combined with the indie sensibility of The Moldy Peaches. Hailing from London , Swanton Bombs will be bringing their explosive live set to the sun drenched Suffolk coast on Saturday afternoon.
SUNDAY
Nine years in the making and quite a few line-up changes later, it’s pretty obvious after one listen of The Wave Pictures long awaited debut album ‘Instant Coffee Baby’ that this band have finally cracked it. Formed out of the sheer boredom of growing up in a village in the middle of nowhere and bound by a mutual love of alt-pop and garage rock, the band have made ventures into America and Europe and in 2004 were honoured to perform a duet with Herman Düne on the legendary Jo hn Peel sessions. 2008 has seen The Wave Pictures’ undeniable passion for their music finally begin to pay off and with new material not too far away things can only get better.
Dividing opinion with her bleeping sample-led dance funk and angelic vocals, thecocknbullkid, aka Anita Bray, is a force to be reckoned with. The NME love her saying she is "probably the most interesting thing to come out of London since Klaxons". High accolades indeed, but with her feisty fusion of Madonna, M.I.A and Morrissey she's definitely one to watch on The Lake Stage.
Bringing together the best elements of fiery blues, jagged punk and all out rock ‘n’ roll comes as second nature to Nottingham upstarts Lovvers. With a great love of all things feedback and a sound reminiscent of the Nirvana ‘Bleach’ era, their unique arrangements have been compared to that of the legendary Sonic Youth and the equally influential Melvins. This band is definitely one to watch in 2008.

Latitude’s stunning floating stage on the site’s beautiful winding lake will be the home to some of the country’s most exciting and thrilling dances and performances. Featuring everything from flamenco dancing to a 12-strong orchestra, On The Lake is an exciting new addition to Latitude’s already wide spectrum of art.
Latitude is delighted to announce the wonderfully varied and ground breaking performances Sadler’s Wells will be bringing to this year’s festival. For the first time Sadler’s Wells will be presenting three acts on a specially designed stage at sunset On The Lake at Latitude. In keeping with the range of work currently flowing through the theatre’s programme, the mixed line up includes European hip hop, classical Indian Kathak, and UK contemporary dance in a rare slice of modern choreographic life.
Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, will perform ‘Entitiy’.
The multi award-winning Wayne McGregor who is notorious for his ground-breaking collaborations and breathtaking choreography, provides a rare must see treat with ‘Entity’, his first production in two years. After the success of Olivier Award winning show ‘Chroma’ that was created for the Royal Ballet in 2006, McGregor returns with a diptych of two contrasting works performed by ten dancers. ‘Entity’ is sure to be a dazzling spectacle with the performance accompanied by live music in the shape of the impossibly talented and contrasting composers Nico Muhly and Jon Hopkins, performed against a multi-screen set.
Boy Blue is reaching an ever expanding audience fascinated with hip hop culture and dance in general. Established in 2001 by dancer/choreographer Kenrick “H2O” Sandy and music producer Michael Asante, Boy Blue has gone from strength to strength, performing at every Breakin’ Convention since it was launched by Jonzi D in 2003, and recently being awarded an Olivier Award for their production of ‘Pied Piper’. They are creating a piece especially for Latitude, featuring their trade-mark ensemble energy and dynamism, overlaid with a deceptively easy and fluid technique.
‘Waqt – Time’, a dance production choreographed and directed by Gauri Sharma Tripathi is partly inspired by Javed Akhtar's poem of the same name, which explores the rich resonance of the classical Indian style Kathak in its most raw forms. The performance features not only the mesmerising Gauri Sharma Tripathi herself, but two formidable fellow performers Seema Patel and Payal Patel with a musical score by Niraj Chag. Tripathi’s choreographic style is distinguished by its complexity and grace, steeped in the rich traditions of the Indian musical language and it’s relationship to dance. Other recent works include choreographing the acclaimed solo-piece for Akram Kahan in Sacred Monsters in 2006 and Sadler’s Well’s Mahabarata written by Olivier Award winning Stephen Clark and composed by Nitin Sawhney.
Speaking about Sadler’s Wells presentation of dance On The Lake at Latitude, Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and Chief Executive says: “I am really delighted for Sadler’s Wells to be able to take a leap out of the theatre and into the wild outdoors at Latitude. It’s absolutely the right time for these dynamic dance artists to be part of such a rich festival, especially in such a setting. All the dancers will have swimming proficiency badges….’
An incredible fusion of contemporary dance, comedy and rock / pop music is what The Blank Album is all about. With energy levels at an all time high these performers burst onto the stage not only playing their instruments but dancing with them too. The show features live guitars, fiddle, cello, percussion, voice and a cast of talented dance musicians all brought together with the experience of music director Quee MacArthur and choreographer Natasha Gilmore. Combining the imagery of elaborate air guitar with a fast paced comedy dance theatre piece has created a distinctive and utterly unique experience and when placed on Latitude’s stage On The Lake this July it promises to be quite the spectacle.
Also On The Lake will be, the hot sultry flamenco of Rafael Amargo, strong lines of contemporary dance drawn by Riccardo Meneghini, the theatrical and moving Helix Dance and the orchestral brilliance of The Irrepressibles.