Somewhat melancholy news reaches the Quietus offices this morning in the form of an email informing us that long-running festival hosts All Tomorrow’s Parties are "calling time" on the holiday camp editions of the festival. The aim, they say, is to "allow ATP to focus on their growing schedule of city and international based events in 2014 and beyond."
Since 2000, following on from 1999’s Bowlie Weekender, ATP have been hosting festivals each year in British holiday camps – first at Pontin’s Camber Sands, then for a period of several years at Butlin’s in Minehead, before recently moving back to the more intimate surrounds of Camber again. In 2011 and 2012 they also hosted two-day events under the name I’ll Be Your Mirror at London’s Alexandra Palace.
So in addition to the two upcoming summer editions of ATP – hosted by Deerhunter and TV On The Radio – they have announced that the final Camber Sands ATP festivals will be taking place in November and December this year, under the heading End Of An Era. From the acts announced so far, they look set to contain some of the most interesting and varied line-ups the festival has booked for some time: a range of darker, electronic and industrial/post-punk rooted music, as well as ATP stalwarts such as Thurston Moore (with Chelsea Light Moving), Dinosaur Jr and Les Savy Fav.
Says ATP founder Barry Hogan of the decision to cease operations at Camber: "When we started all this fourteen years ago, we had no idea how a festival curated by a single artist and based in a family holiday camp would play out. It was a mad idea that somehow came to fruition, helped by the fact that people were looking for something different from the overpriced conveyor belt corporate rock sponsor-fests that populate the British summer. Looking back we have so many great memories – where else would you find Iggy Pop, Matt Groening, Patti Smith or Nick Cave holed up in a basic chalet at a Pontins’ Holiday Camp? The support from the artists and festival-goers alike has been incredible but it’s time to move on and look towards the future, it may also be time to let Camber Sands rest in peace!"
The first weekend – titled, unsurprisingly, End Of An Era Part 1 – takes place from 22nd-24th November in partnership with Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival. It’s headined by much-loved New York post-punk crew Television, who will be performing their album Marquee Moon in full (in the spirit of ATP’s Don’t Look Back events which have taken place over the years of the festival’s operation). They’ll be joined by a range of artists: Thurston Moore’s Chelsea Light Moving, Dinosaur Jr, Dinos Chapman, Les Savy Fav, múm, Oneohtrix Point Never, Hebronix, Mike Watt, Forest Swords, The Haxan Cloak, Demdike Stare, Wolf Eyes, BEAK> and Eraas – with more to be announced.
The second weekend – no prizes for guessing what that one’s titled – takes place the following weekend, 29th November-1st December. As we announced this morning with much excitement from Quietus editor John Doran, Robert Hampson’s crew Loop have re-formed – they will be headlining and curating End Of An Era Part 2. Thus far they’re bringing The Pop Group, 23 Skidoo, Fennesz, Edan (DJ set), The KVB, Dirty Beaches, Eaux, Hookworms and Thought Forms along for the ride, though expect more to be announced soon enough.
Says Hampson: "Who else would offer the chance not only to play but also curate some of the bands alongside Loop on the day? It’s quite special to be able to do this and make it happen. Besides, Barry Hogan has pestered me for so long about this, it would seem rather unfair not to let him have his 5 minutes of fame getting Loop to play again."
Tickets and more information will be available from the ATP website.
