First GG 2018 bands announced

Festival Crowd Header

Exciting. It's time to announce our first booked bands for GG 2018...

First up, GG favourites 3 Daft Monkeys will be with us next summer.

Celtic and Eastern influences, enchanting melodies with catchy choruses and virtuoso fiddle, 3 Daft Monkeys’ wildly infectious dancing rhythms will lead us once more on breathless, exhilarating journeys. Their new album Year of the Clown mixes traditional folk with whimsical comment and righteous rage focused on modern social dilemmas; it’s been attracting 5* reviews while making audiences laugh, dance and cry.

3DM have supported and played alongside bands as diverse as Hawkwind, Bellowhead, Show of Hands, The Levellers and Dreadzone, as well as headlining festivals and their own packed-out tours. We love that they love our festival and will enjoy welcoming them back!

 


Smiley and the Underclass are next up on the GG 2018 bill: expect dub, sweat and truth; a rebel shout in a world on fire; a message of hope in a time of political confusion. With catchy tunes, skanks, and mind-blowing garage guitars their new album, Rebels Out There, transmits an urgent climate conscious message, a powerful soundtrack for revolution.

One Eyed God played a storming set on Soundscape Solar Stage this year and will be back with more bouncy psychedelic ska punk in 2018. Their raucous walls of sound, sax melodies, balkan bouzouki and rousing anti-establishment lyrics wrapped in a ramshackle carnival vibe are irresistable.

FESTIVAL NETWORKS

Showmen, solidarity and sustainability...

This autumn has been a time for meeting other festival folk and working collectively to improve our festivals in important ways.

Some of us visited The Showmen's Show, a trade show where you can find everything from wristbands to funfairs to stadium seating; this year the Show joined A Greener Festival and is working on improving its own sustainability. We hope this will encourage the exhibiting suppliers to green up too, with a potential knock-on effect to bigger festivals and audiences.

While at The Showman's Show we took part in a Festival Vision 2025 gathering; these are out-of-season meetings where participating festival organisers and suppliers share ideas about reducing our festival-related greenhouse gas emissions by 50% over the next eight years. Being part of a long line of Green Gatherings, off grid and with an environmental and ethical focus from the outset, it makes sense to share our experiences with newer events and those coming from a more commercial background who now want to become more sustainable.

With a view to making connections and sharing knowledge and support more widely, last year GG joined the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF). At the AIF Congress we heard about the relaunch of Eighth Plate, a service organising redistribution of edible 'waste' food from festivals to those who need it. The Green Gathering produces minimal food waste but larger and more commercial festivals can produce a lot, so it's fab to see this project really taking off. 

Published on 01 December 2017 by Ben Robinson

Recent News More news

  • Margate Summer Series 2025: A Summer of Music Extravaganza at Dreamla

    The Margate Summer Series 2025 at Dreamland promises an unforgettable summer with a star-studded lineup including Billy Ocean, McFly, Sugababes, Basement Jaxx, and more. Get ready for a music-filled experience like never before!

  • Green Man Festival Unveils Full Line-Up and Day Splits

    Green Man Festival in Wales announces the diverse music lineup and day splits for its highly anticipated 2025 edition, featuring acclaimed artists such as Cymande, KOKOROKO, Cass McCombs, and more.

  • Duran Duran Announce Headline Show at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena,

    Duran Duran, the legendary British band, will headline a show at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena on October 26, 2025, marking their final UK performance of the year. This exclusive event precedes their Halloween extravaganza in Manchester on October 31, promising a night of essential hits and rare tra

  • Idlewild Announces First Album in Six Years

    Scottish band Idlewild is back with their self-titled album, marking their first release since 2019. The album, 'Idlewild', will be released on October 3rd through V2 Records. They have also unveiled the single 'Stay Out Of Place', promising a blend of warmth and melodic charm that fans have come to

Upcoming Festivals Browse all

  • Alsager Music Festival

    12 July - 13 July 2025

    Started in 2009 as a way of giving the young local people of Alsager and surrounding Cheshire the chance to enjoy a summer event that breaks up the long holidays, Alsager Music Festival has grown in p...

  • Kubix Festival

    12 July 2025

    Kubix Festival is a huge music event taking place in the North East and bringing globally successful and homegrown talent to the stage to celebrate their illustrious careers.

  • Lost Minds

    12 July 2025

    Lost Minds Festival returns in 2025 for another wild live dance music event featuring many of the biggest and best artists. The action will occur during the In The Park Newcastle event during the May ...