Mystery Jets, Los Campesinos, Tinchy Stryder play First Days of Freedom Fest

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Billing itself as the ‘Ultimate Party for (student) Leavers’ THE FIRST DAYS OF FREEDOM FESTIVAL makes its debut this July in Hythe. With a bill that includes The Mystery Jets, Wichita indie-popsters Los Campesinos! Zane Lowe on DJ duties and a healthy helping of Urban acts including Tinchy Stryder, SKREAM, BENGA and MS Dynamite. Plus More Acts To Be Announced.


Announcing a brand new festival, The First Days Of Freedom, that is set to change the dynamic between event promoters and their audiences forever. The festival is all about FREEDOM. It marks the beginning of summer and also the beginning of life beyond education. Three nights of amazing parties and celebrations – with an edgy and fresh line-up that has been selected by thousands of school and college leavers – are planned for 15th -17th July, directly after exams finish.

The First Days of Freedom is a unique proposition in the festival calendar that has been facilitated by Facebook. With almost 8,000 people joining their Facebook page since Christmas, people seem genuinely excited by the fresh concept of creating a real life social gathering from the online community and those Facebook numbers are the proof. 364 students from the event’s Facebook community have formed a committee which is integral to the promoters’ decision making process, helping to shape the event from the ground up, allowing committee members to leave their legacy, ensuring that their ideas really mean something. The door to influencing the festival is by no means closed and more people can sign up to get involved through Facebook and the website. www.facebook.com/leaversfestivalhellyeah & www.thefirstdaysoffreedom.com

“The concept for the festival began in Newquay when we were running Leavers parties for thousands of people every summer, but this has evolved 100 times over since then and has taken shape in a way that we never could have imagined possible. We put a Facebook fan page up and started talking to people, and it has just grown from there. With no official announcements and the location still kept as secret people have signed up and are now waiting to see what the line-up is… at time of writing this there are 7,850 people on Facebook clamouring to know who’s playing. That’s an amazing and unexpected place to be for any festival, especially one that has never even run before!” Tarin Heaton-Heather (Partner and co-founder).

The event’s organisers are confident that through the committee they have secured a line-up that will blow minds because they have actively let ‘the people’ decide who they want. The line-up and every aspect of the festival is being curated and created by the people who are going. The festival is about handing it over to the people who care; the people who are going to be enjoying it and that’s what makes this feel so right.

Fuelled by fan-power, names confirmed to play the inaugural First Days of Freedom so far are quintessentially English popsters Mystery Jets, high octane indie upstarts, Los Campesinos! chart-topping Grime kingpin Tinchy Strider, Hackney rap don Professor Green, Dubstep’s leading lights Skream & Benga, the multi-award winning Ms Dynamite, bass warrior Flux Pavillion, and the hotly tipped Ed Sheeran. Other acts playing First Days Of Freedom this year include Zane Lowe (BBC Radio 1), The King Blues, Tempa T, Modestep, Dirtyphonics, Slum Dogz, Millions Like Us, Kaya, Bleech, Blue Lip Feel, The Chutes, Lowkey, Bears Den, Abi Philips & Sam Gray, Samiad, Kid Masive & Joel Xavier, Alpha Beatz DJ Set, Lego Lloyd, Simon Pitt, Robin Parris, Mistajam (BBC Radio 1), BYOB, DJ Proof, Caspa, Drifta, Scorcher, Sneakbo, Encore and Nu Brand

The sense of freedom is expanded by the huge amount of unsigned acts that are playing across the weekend. With over 100 acts signed up and record labels and publishers invited to the gig the promoters are hoping see some fledgling music careers take a positive turn somewhere along the way. First Days Of Freedom say: Find your own path in life – from the conventional to the wild, it matters not, just as long as it’s yours. Once you find it, celebrate –and celebrate the search also, it’s the biggest and best adventure you can have! The First Days of Freedom marks the beginning of a lifelong journey, and it’s a hell of an exciting way to start….!

A message for bands who are only just hearing about First Days of Freedom: There is still a chance that there will be a way for you to play at the festival. The festival’s promoters are looking at doing a drop price ticket for ‘talent’, so if you can prove that you have musical or entertainment talent that can be of value to FDOF festival-goers then you can obtain a half-price ticket. All hopefuls will have to send youtube links or video clips of them playing. It can be super rough recordings, just as long as it shows the band, or solo artist playing live. If you can prove you can play then you make the cut. As an entertainer, once you’re on site you will be expected to set up on acoustic stages and do impromptu shows… The vision is that there will be music and entertainment everywhere you look. This is open for bands, poets, beatboxers, slam poets, jugglers, comedians, clowns, dancers and anyone else who thinks they can entertain! Entries should be sent to: Mmmaybesomethinggoodcancomeofallthismessingaboutallthetime@wildlifeplay.com

Ticket Info:

All Tickets Include 3 Nights Camping

* Weekend Early Bird – £ 55,00
* Weekend Standard – £ 79,00 Includes 3 nights camping and entertainment!
* Weekend VIP – £ 125,00 – Includes: Star Meet & Greet/Access to VIP Bar/ P*O*S*H Breakfast/Q Jump+a very shiney VIP wrist band
* Rep Weekend Early Bird £ 50,00 ***If you know a promoters personal code***
* Rep Weekend Standard £ 74,00 ***If you know a promoters personal code***
* Rep Weekend VIP £ 120,00 ***If you know a promoters personal code***

www.thefirstdaysoffreedom.com

www.facebook.com/leaversfestivalhellyeah
www.seetickets.com

God is in the TV is an online music and culture fanzine founded in Cardiff by the editor Bill Cummings in 2003. GIITTV Bill has developed the site with the aid of a team of sub-editors and writers from across Britain, covering a wide range of music from unsigned and independent artists to major releases.