Visiting acts for the VEF
We are very excited to officially announce many more acts who will be keeping you entertained and dancing all day and all night at the Vale Castle. Here are the visiting acts you can expect to enjoy this year…
Of course, you know that Bob Vylan are the huge headliners we have this year. Having formed around 4 years ago, the Bob Vylan sound is ever evolving and crosses genres and sonic dimensions. They incorporate these multiple styles in their music in an attempt to bridge genres and fuse subcultures together. Bob Vylan have now announced their biggest headline tour to date which will see them play across the UK throughout November, and kicked off festival season in style at Download a couple of weeks ago. They are not to be missed.
Bob Vylan (by Robin Laananen)
Influenced by the sounds of Jamaican Roots, Dub, Rocksteady and Boom Bap, Kiko Bun on the Castle Stage is sure to be…super fun (sorry couldn’t resist). Hailing from North-West London, Kiko offers a contemporary voice for his generation over music that feels timeless. His sounds are a reflection of his laidback lifestyle which has attracted a passionate fan-base following performances across the festival circuit such as Glastonbury, Boomtown, Reading & Leeds, and receiving radio support from the likes of David Rodigan and Don Letts. Although regularly working with the likes of The Nextmen, Gentleman’s Dub Club and Mungo’s Hi Fi, his appearance at the Vale Earth Fair sees him performing with his own backing band, so are in for a special treat. His reggae sound is sure to get you dancing and feeling in the summer spirit!
Kiko Bun
But before Kiko Bun, we are delighted to bring you the funky sounds of Mr Tea and the Minions on the Castle Stage. These guys have been unleashing their colourful explosion of musical mayhem on unsuspecting audiences since 2013. Their raucous Ska Folk blended with full-fat Balkan beats and a squeeze of tangy dub has made them party-starting festival favourites – and has inspired frenzied dancing all over the UK (and on a number of forays into continental Europe), with over 100 festival appearances including Glastonbury, Boomtown and WOMAD to name just a few. Expect high energy, melodic and exciting original songs which are sure to get you dancing.
The Electric Shakes are also popping over from Bournemouth for a set on the Castle Stage. Fronted by the prolific Steve Lynch (Teaspoonriverneck, Thee Jenerators, Remainder 3, etc.), this four piece will provide some high energy garage rock and roll to start the evening off, and Perchard’s Wall from Jersey will provide some music for the mind that they are sure you’ll dig earlier in the afternoon.
Headlining the NexT Up stage we have a real treat for you. Back in Guernsey once again are the phenomenal Volleyball. Since they last played over here, they have released a new album “Mush” which is their first album-length release. The whole thing was recorded in just one weekend at Hackney Road Studios and was improvised to keep the music raw and unfiltered. What they created that weekend was all captured in a series of videos which can be found on their YouTube channel. Everytime Volleyball play a show, we know to expect psychedelic tunes mixed with haunting and melodic vocals in a beautiful and incredibly engaging way.
Vollyball in the studio
Also appearing on the NexT-Up stage are alternative noise punks Swajen making the trip all the way from Trinity in Jersey.
Heading up the Magic Moustache stage, we have the pleasure of introducing Karma Sheen. Hailing from cosmopolitan London, the music of Karma Sheen merges Hindustani Classical, fuzzy 60s Rock à la Jimi Hendrix and Sufi inspired lyricism, deeply rooted in cultural heritage. By daring to embrace the Hindustani format while drinking from retro aesthetics and resignifying it all with the avant-gardism of neo-psych, they create something both recognizable and new. Set to release their debut album in 2023, the group became known for their captivating performances fuelled by a plethora of electrified folk instruments.
Karma Sheen
Also appearing on the Magic Moustache stage are Brighton-based self-proclaimed “Twang-Pop Post Yacht-Rock Soft Psychers” Hutch. Since releasing three singles in the last year, they’ve picked up a strong organic following, hit the festival circuit, received BBC and international radio attention, made the Glastonbury longlist in 2022 and sold out both of their headline shows. They’ve been described as “a band as good as ‘Rumors’-era Fleetwood Mac” which is high praise!
Hutch
The Sneakaway Stage will this year see the return of some familiar folk from across the sea, who will be bringing along a whole bunch of friends. We are particularly excited to see the return of the extraterrestrial rhyme masters, Runchtacular with their puppetry. Alongside this, expect to see UK spoken word artists and poets such as Kid Anansi, Morgan Clark, Iris Colomb, Tyger Soul and Nat Nye the Lyrical Alchemist. Local acts include: Borderline Ramblings, Aeva Joy and Yves Le Marquand with more to be announced soon. All this can be found at the bottom of the hill, as well as a chat about local queer art.
Runchtacular (interstella DJ's, apparently)
It wouldn’t be the Vale Earth Fair without some incredible local acts, so this year we are pleased to announce: the return of Dave and their funky tunes, the groovy global beats of Le Beaubo, folk rock from the Space Pirates of Rocquaine, the ever-energetic The Bensons and a special one-off performance from garage rockers Thee Jenerators. Many, many more great live acts and DJs will be accompanying them across six stages from midday to midnight.
Tickets for the festival are on sale now through the Vale Earth Fair website: https://www.valeearthfair.org/tickets
Proceeds from the Vale Earth Fair are split between humanitarian organisations Safer, the Linda Norgrove Foundation and the Burma Campaign UK.
If you would like to find out more about volunteering with the Vale Earth Fair, please contact info@valeearthfair.org or message us on Facebook.
