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home » festivals » Bearded Theory » Bearded Theory 2010
Bearded Theory's Rich Bryan talks to eFestivalsfestival organiser discusses this year, moving site, and moreTuesday 23rd March 2010 Festival organiser Rich Bryan talks about this year's Bearded Theory which takes place from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th May 2010. How are plans going for this year's Bearded Theory? Really well, we're in a better position than we've ever been. It's a lot more structured, the office is run a lot more professionally, and we've filled some gaps in the team as well, so we're really positive going into this year. We are much more positive than we have been in previous years. Any big changes anticipated for this year? More to do with the company, and the way, and who, operates it. We've brought more people in, we're using professional stewards because of problems we had last year. We've put more covered areas on site, we've brought in a much stronger stage. So, even if we get a tornado, we've now got back up plans to cope with it. You're not all that likely to get hit by a tornado again though are you? No, probably not, but you never know lightning might strike twice. What lessons have you learnt in putting on Bearded theory for the last couple of years? I think this last year we've learnt more than ever before. Before last year our health and safety processes were praised but the way we've gone into this year from soil scientists looking at soil to structural engineers looking at where we are going to place the stage, and had landscapers plan the site out for us. People don't actually realise that that is the level of planning that goes into an event, and we didn't at the time, but now we know that's the kind of detail that's needed to ensure that every aspect of it is correct and safe. It's cost a lot of money, but when some crisis like that (the tornado) happens you've got two options you either investigate into it or you don't put the event on again. We decided to sit down after the event and investigate into it and bring in professionals to ensure that even if it did happen again we would be in the best position possible to deal with it. What do you think Bearded Theory offers festival goers that makes it unique? The main thing is value for money, we are half the price of other festivals that have similar acts. We've always managed to bag decent acts over the last couple of years and we've done our best line-up ever with this year in terms of the way it's structured on the other stages away from the main stage. We've got much more quality in there. There's also the children's area that offers so much that's predominantly free, plus on site facilities like free showers. Basically, we're offering a cost effective alternative to the other festivals. Do you plan to make Bearded Theory a bigger event each year? We won't be expanding this year, well we've increased by 200 people, because we haven't actually had a successful festival yet, in our opinion, at this size. We want to get this one right this year. Only once it's working the best it can, is it good to expand. Although we are moving sites next year, we are moving to a new home within a 10 mile radius. It's a lot more equipped to deal with a festival, and they don't have any other festivals there at the moment which is another huge bonus for going there, and they have been very supportive. How are ticket sales going this year? A lot better than last year, we're almost sold out now we've only got a couple of hundred tickets left. So, we're quite happy. You are trying to break the record for the most people wearing beards in one place, surely no one has broken it after the last time you did it? We didn't do it unfortunately because of the weather. It was due to happen on the main stage on Sunday, but it got scrapped because we didn't have one (a main stage) at that point. I think it will be a brand new record as I can't imagine there's many other people who have tried it before. Do you have any surprises left to announce on the bill? We've got a special guest on the Saturday on the 2nd Stage at half past midnight. It's not a major band but it is special to Bearded Theory that they're there. That's pretty much it. Of the acts you have booked who are you most looking forward to seeing? It varies actually, The King Blues I think out of the majority because I've seen nearly everyone else, and Banco De Gaia, you can't go wrong with him either. He's did a fantastic benefit gig for us and he never even played last year. How is the financial side of things going? We had a knock on effect, because of the cost of what happened which was £25,000 that it cost us, with the stage going down, and the investigation and everything else. We have since put on four benefit shows and paid off whatever was left personally amongst the three directors. Basically, we're now debt free which is quite good for us. Our biggest thing is to never use another year's money to pay for the year before, if that is the case then you are not doing your job very successfully. How do you think festivals like your have held up under the recession? To be fair, we were really concerned about it last year because we had grown massively. We invested quite heavily in marketing, and we've done the same again this year. We had a budget, and it was ten times more than what we wanted to spend, but we definitely needed to invest in marketing. We wouldn't have sold the tickets we had without that. I think unlike other festivals we don't rely on the line-up to sell the tickets. That I think is the biggest mistake of some festivals, they spend £20,000 on a band and think that will sell them out, it generally doesn't. It's important to get your name out there and get the event tickets sold on the name. This year Bearded Theory's line-up includes The King Blues, New Model Army and Dreadzone, plus Pama International, Neville Staple, Dodgy, Banco De Gaia, Kangaroo Moon, Inner Terrestrials, The Men They Couldn't Hang, Senser, Blyth Power, Goldblade, Tragic Roundabout, Rev Hammer, Back to the Planet, Pronghorn, Boot Hill All Stars, Subgiant, Doctor and The Medics, Hobo Jones & The Junkyard Dogs, and more. There are more acts still to be announced including the Friday headliner. For the line-up details, day and stage splits, as available please click here. Tickets for the festival which happens at Bradley Nook Farm, Hulland Ward, Ashbourne, in Derbyshire are priced as follows: adult weekend tickets are priced at £65, under 16s weekend tickets are priced at £15, weekend tickets for under 12s are priced at £10, and children under 5s are free. A Family Ticket (2 Adults & 2 Children) is priced at £140. Campervan and family tickets have sold out. Day tickets will not be available this year. Car parking is priced at £5 (No car parking charge will be applicable to anyone that lift shares or has 4 people in the car. The driver will also be given a small gift as an appreciation of thanks from the festival. Please note you will be charged £10 at the gate if you do not have a ticket.) Live in vehicle passes are priced at £15. To buy tickets click here. interview by Scott Williams
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