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Saturday May 27, The Bowl, Matterley Estate, Winchester
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| Find your way to the Homelands festival |
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Now in its third year and with spin-offs in Ireland (a muddy but jubilant
party a month ago) and Scotland (Straid Farm, Dalleagles on June 3), dance event Homelands traditionally kicks off the UK festival season. This year, its multi-arena format is bigger and bolder than ever, contrasting massive names with up and coming artists, and catering for disparate tastes, with live sets from dance pioneers Leftfield, hip hop heroes Public Enemy and King Monkey Ian Brown, to the fierce drum ’n’ bass of The End arena, and the thoroughly bouncy return of the Slinky/MTV tent. Besides the stormin’ choons, there’s a cinema/chill out tent, a ‘fun arena’, a Strongbow Loafers’ Lounge (where you can play video games and get waited on), and of course, a marketplace - just the spot to purchase those ‘legal highs’ and ‘Hardcore Massive’ bumper stickers!
ATMOSPHERE:
Surrounded by lovely rolling countryside, Homelands attracts a youngish crowd, as varied as its line-up, with a genuinely upbeat feel. Events begin at 1pm, with a laid-back ambience (especially if the sun’s shining), things really start moving after the sun sets, and by the time the festival winds up at 6am on Sunday morning, everyone’s happily tired and emotional. By this point, the place looks like a wasteland, but... it’s so beautiful, y’know?
DON’T MISS:
Basically, you’ll spend much of your time chasing the tantalising club rhythms drifting from each arena. Besides the big-name live sets, there’s usually a funky outdoor party to be found around the rare grooves of the Bud Ice Bus, Armand Van Helden’s appearance (Ericsson @Home Arena) should be triumphantly funky, Ferry Corsten’s DJ set (Slinky/MTV Arena) promises gorgeously melodic grooves, and the Subterain Arena (hosted by The End’s celebrated tech-house club) is the place to immerse yourself in thrilling future music.
HANDY HINTS:
Do pack that warm fleece, because you’ll be freezing after spending all
night sweating. And if you’re taking the shuttle bus, it’s still a lengthy, rubble-strewn walk to the festival
site.
TICKETS:
Tickets are £45 (subject to a max booking fee of £5.50). You can purchase them for face value from Mean Fiddler venues, including the Jazz Café Ticketshop (020 7916 6060), Credit Card Hotline: 08701 500 044. You can also book online with Time Out.
GETTING THERE:
By Road: Traffic using the M25 should take the A3 and A31 and follow the signposts. (NB: There’s no access to the festival from the A272)
By Train: Services from Waterloo to Winchester station, and then one of the regular shuttle buses (£1.50) to the site.
By Coach: Info 08705 808080; www.nationalexpress.co.uk
There is no onsite camping.
INFO:
Phone: 020 8963 0940 (Mon-Sat 10am-6pm)
Web: www.ericsson.homelands.co.uk
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ERICSSON @HOME: LEFTFIELD + IAN BROWN + PUBLIC ENEMY + MOBY + PAUL OAKENFOLD + ARMAND VAN HELDEN + BT (LIVE) + DAN AND JON KAHUNA + SCRATCH PERVERTS + DAVID HOLMES/ARTFUL DODGER + ADAM FREELAND + JOHNNY MOY + MEEKER
ESSENTIAL MIX:
SASHA + PETE TONG + JOHN DIGWEED + SVEN VATH + ALEX WILSON + NICK
TAYLOR + COL HAMILTON + DANNY HOWELL + NICK WARREN + PARKS AND
WILSON + STEWART ROWELL
BACK II BASICS/HIGHRISE/DEEP SOUTH:
DANNY RAMPLING + JON CARTER + STEVE LAWLER + TAYO + JUSTIN ROBERTSON + JAMES HOLROYD + JUNIOR SANCHEZ + JACQUES LU CONT +
JENGAHEADS + ADAM FREELAND + ROMANTHONY
SLINKY/MTV ARENA:
GRAHAM GOLD + GUY ORNADEL + PAUL VAN DYK + JUDGE JULES + LISA
LASHES + BRANDON BLOCK + ALEX P + SCOTT BOND + FERRY CORSTEN + HYBRID FEATURING CHRISSIE HYNDE
SUBTERAIN/ULTIMATE BASE:
LAYO AND BUSHWACKA + MR C+ DARREN EMERSON + DJ SNEAK + CARL COX + TREVOR ROCKLIFFE + SVEN VATH + JIM MASTERSON
THE END:
REPRAZENT + ED RUSH + GROOVERIDER + FABIO + KRUST + DJ DIE + DJ HYPE + OPTICAL + RANDALL + RAZOR + MCs DYNAMITE, RAGE, FATS, MOOSE
MINISTRY HOUSE PARTY:
DARREN EMERSON + DANNY HOWELLS + BARRY ASHWORTH + YOUSEF + LOTTIE + BENT
BUD ICE BUS:
RICHARD FEARLESS + NORMAN JAY + JON CARTER + BOB JONES + JOOLS BUTTERFIELD + FAZE ACTION + ROBERT LURIE (PECUSSIONIST)
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