With the bank holiday fast approaching I want something different enter Ravelength Festival a three day festival at Retro Bar, we caught up with Ste the organiser.
Hi Ste, you’ve been running great nights all around the North for a while, but have you ever taken on anything like this before?
Ste-This will be the first time I’ve done a three day weekender/festival, in the past when I was part of OMG! A Cow! Promotions we ran an all dayer at Satan’s Hollow with 2 stages and managed to pull in sponsors such as Vans, Marshall, Greggs & more. Really looking forward to being involved with 3 days of live music!
Ha sounds good so how did the idea come about for Ravelength Festival and do you see it as a one off or just going to wait and see?
Ste- I was asked by Retro Bar if I wanted to run a weekender over the August Bank Holiday weekend and immediately jumped at the chance! After looking at the line-up for the Reading/Leeds Festival, although there’s some great bands playing, the running orders of them are a bit too mixed (e.g. Bullet For My Valentine before Kaiser Chiefs & Paramore before The Cure) which personally put me off going and after speaking to other people it wasn’t just me. I’m hoping I can do this again next year, hopefully with more than one venue and slowly build it up, but that will all depend on the success of this years!
Like the fact you’ve had support not enough people get it sure you’ll be here next year bud. Has this been a solo effort or have you had help putting it all together?
Ste- This has been purely a solo effort, all artwork, tickets, bookings etc have all been done myself, I’ve put so much time and effort into this I know it’s going to be a great weekend! Although I run New Revolution purely by myself I’d still like to thank the people who help me along the way for example my girlfriend Stacey Sewell who has been a massive help and inspiration, as well as Alisha Haughey & Graham Dunn who have been a great help as well at live shows!
For people wanting to attend what should they expect from the days they go to the festival?
Ste- I’ve split up the days into 3 main genres so the day will flow well and people won’t leave because the next band on is a completely different genre, I’m hoping this will be a great opportunity for the bands playing to make some new fans! The Friday is an Indie/Indie-Pop day, Saturday is Rock & Sunday is Metal/Hardcore.
That’s pretty sensible man sometimes people try to over-complicate things and just doesn’t work simply put, so you’ve had a great relationship with Retro Bar for a while now as well did they have any in put with the festival?
Ste- Retro Bar have been great business partners as well as great friends! Without the help from them I would be no where near where I am now. They offered me the weekender slot, offered a space for a big A0 posters to be put up outside and are listing it in local papers for me.
Cool, So what are the main genres of music that will be on show over the bank holiday weekend?
Ste- Friday will be a range of Indie & Pop music ranging between all the sub-genres with headliners I Am Austin playing dance/electro/punk. Saturday will be a range of Rock genres with headliners I Am Giant from New Zealand & Sunday will be the heavier Metal & Hardcore music.
Big fan of all these musicians you’ve mentioned it’s going to be great, also what are the line up unsigned or signed musicians?
Ste- The line-up is mainly unsigned musicians although we have managed to pull in I Am Giant who are signed to Sony in New Zealand, I Am Austin who are signed to Chorus vs Verse Records, Dakota who are signed to Southern Music Collective & Chasing The Legion who are signed to Heads&Tails Records.
As well as the bigger signed artists we’ve got lots of local unsigned musicians who are brilliant as well as some of the best national unsigned bands we can find, giving them the opportunity to get into the Manchester scene which can be really hard for an ‘out of town’ band, trust me I’m in a band myself so I know what it’s like!
That’s cracking thanks for your time on this one Ste, seems like a cracking weekend in the making finally where can people go to find out more about the event?
Ste- No problem, thanks for getting involved! People can buy tickets online (£7 per day or £15 for the weekend) via See Tickets here:
More information and updates will be posted in the Facebook event page as well as links to check out the bands playing here: https://www.facebook.com/events/199424043518544/
Interview by Danni Skerritt with Ste Managing Director of New Revolution Music Group
Discussion
No comments for “Bank Holiday at Ravelength Festival”