Deer Shed has revealed its third and final wave of music for the family festival’s eleventh edition, including James as Saturday night headliner.
Stellar acts like Johnny Marr, Goldfrapp, John Grant and Richard Hawley, but this summer now promises a performance that could top them all.
Few British bands have been as prolific as James over such a long period since their formation in 1982. The Manchester icons have produced countless seminal guitar singles over the years - ‘Sit Down’, ‘Destiny Calling’, ‘Laid’, ‘Waltzing Along’, ‘Come Home’ and ‘She’s A Star’ to name but a few. Their latest record is 2018’s Living in Extraordinary Times, which led the Guardian to declare, “remarkably, this 15th album might be their best”.
Deer Shed Festival director Oliver Jones said: “There’s no doubt James are one of the biggest bands we’ve ever booked for Deer Shed. Their back catalogue is astonishing, with track after track of excellent guitar anthems, and their most recent album confirmed that they are still at the absolute top of their game. I’m not sure we’ve ever had a band that can pack out Leeds First Direct Arena before!”
“Curating a line-up of artists that we personally love every year is always a source of much pride for our team, and James now sit on top of what we think is both the best and most star-studded music bill we’ve ever put together.”
James join Stereolab and Baxter Dury to complete Deer Shed’s trio of Main Stage headliners for 2020, while the festival has today also revealed a handful of other acts performing this July.
The Soft Cavalry, the new project from Slowdive's Rachel Goswell and her husband, Steve Clarke, will also perform on the Lodge Stage on Saturday, before DIY supergroup Shopping take up the late-night party slot on the same stage. French-Caribbean act Dowdelin, indie-rock band Marthagunn and Hullensian post-punk outfit Low Hummer will all join Deer Shed’s In The Dock stage bill.
Elsewhere, talent from the Yorkshire and North East regions, David Thomas Broughton and Andrew Cushin strengthen the local contingent on the North Yorkshire festival’s line-up, alongside the likes of Marsicans, Life and Ruthie.
Manchester club night DJs Across The Tracks and Leeds-based DJ and production duo Baba&Ganoush join exHappy Mondays member Bez on the late night silent disco line-up.
Deer Shed’s tenth anniversary event in 2019 sold out with record audience numbers and the next decade already looks set to take the festival’s reputation up another level.
Published on 04 March 2020 by Ben Robinson
