Hop Farm booker Bev Burton interview

eFestivals spoke to Bev Burton, the person who books the bands for The Hop Farm Festival, to find out a little more about being a festival band booker.

How did you get the job booking bands for Hop Farm?
I came on board with Vince (Power) about a year and a half ago. I work for another company called Nashi Media Group and my boss of that co ran the Mean Fiddler with Vince. Vince needed someone to give him a hand with booking the bands for Hop Farm, and Mighty Boosh festival, so I came on board as his kind of right hand lady when it comes to the artists. He'd already booked Neil young and The Mighty Boosh, so we put the rest of the bill together.

And you're doing it again this year, is it a full time job?
Yeah it is, I'm setting up a new festival in Greece with Nashi, and then of course Vince's festivals I've got Hop Farm and Benicassim. I'm also doing my bit for charity and booking the bands for the Macmillan Cancer Event – the Brick Lane Takeover on the 13th August. So, yes very busy, with booking at the moment, and it's long hours with this job, because I have to go to a lot of shows as well.

How do you go about picking the bands book?
You just have to know who is out there, who is planning tour, you speak to to agents. That's one of the most important aspects of my job is to keep good relationships with the agents. I need to know who is going to coming out next year, who is on tour, who is in the studio. Keeping my finger on the pulse, knowing which bands are hot, which aren't. Then using that to get the line-ups together, and making sure it flows well, and then straight into negotiations.

Sounds like a constant process, are you working on next year's line-up already?
We're thinking about next year, big plans are afoot for next year. We've got big plans for The Hop Farm, and we're already thinking about potentials next year. We already have bands in mind. We need to get in quickly - especially for the big bands.

Do you try to get these bands on exclusives?
Yes, we do. It's always good if we can get a band on an exclusivity, because then, obviously, they're not going to be playing everywhere else. The potential bands that we will look at for an exclusivity if we can for the UK, or if it's something for Benicassim for Spain. But that tends to come out during the negotiation process.

What's it like to work for Vince Power?
It's great, it's really good. I think a lot of people have an impression of Vince, but he's really good. The way he runs his team and his staff, is very much hands on, but at the same time he lets you breathe in your role as well. He's taught me so much over the last year and a half, to look at music in yet another completely different dimension. But then he's been doing it for about 25 years, and he's one of the biggest promoters in the world, and there's so much to learn from him. He's really good at imparting his knowledge, and gives out great advice. Working with him day in and day out is really good, he's a great boss.

And if you had to impart your advice to someone who wanted to become a festival booker what advice would you give them?
I would say to them, listen to a lot of music, listen to as much music as you can, go to as many shows as you possibly can. Get out there and network, and meet the agents, managers, the bands. If you wanted to get into it, if you wanted to work as for a promoter, then go in as an intern, something like that, start at the bottom, and learn the trade, and work your way up.

Has there been any challenges for you, putting together the line-up for Hop Farm this year?
We were quite late out of the blocks this year, because of licensing issues with The Hop Farm. Usually we would have had bands booked by the end of last year, but because of the licensing issues we weren't able to start making offers on bands until the start of January which is really late. But, I think against all the odds we've actually got a great bill together, and it's going to be a great festival, so I'm very excited. We've got a lot of great up and coming bands on the bill, a really good Dance Stage. The Dance Tent is going to be amazing with Etienne De Crecy with that nice big 25ft cube that he plays in, and 2manydjs headlining. That's going to be spectacular if you're a dance fan.

How do you answer criticism that Sunday's line-up is much stronger than Saturday's?
Quite a few people are of that opinion, but Saturday's bill is great as well, we've got Ash, Echo & The Bunnymen, Florence & The Machine, Howling Bells, and The Fratellis headlining with the only show they are doing this year. If you love your indie we've got The Pigeon Detectives, The View, a perfect line-up.

Presumably, your job means that you have to a lot of festivals?
I try to go as many as possible, I've just been to Download which is really good. I try to get to as many festivals as possible, and my passion is music, it's my first love, and festivals are a great place to network and have a few meetings while you're there.

What's been the most memorable one you've been to over the years?
Reading Festival 2007 was really good. But work wise last year, The Hop Farm, has to be the highlight. Working at a festival, that you're responsible for having the bands booked that was just amazing. Working with The Mighty Boosh, and having people like Neil Young, and Primal Scream, that was great. As a punter going to festivals that was great, but actually when it's one of your own, and seeing the mass of people, 30,000 singing along with Neil Young, it doesn't get much better than that.

You said you have to look after the bands whilst they are at the festival, are there any that have caused you any problems?
It went really, really well, I was really surprised. We're really lucky that every band we've worked with so far has been really great, professional, their tour managers, their production teams, agents, press people, have all been really great. I've not had one band to moan about, not one. So, really lucky so far, we'll see what this year turns up with.

Do the dressing room riders for festivals vary much compared to gigs?
They have dressing room riders, but for Hop Farm, as well as Benicassim, we like to treat all our artists really well, and they get someone assigned to them, to look after them for the whole day. So that they're where they need to be when they need to be there. If they need anything they just have to shout, and somebody gets it for them. Their dressing rooms are really nice, and they can bring their families as well.

With the Hop Farm there's no VIP areas, so it's a lot more relaxed for the artists, because we only have an artists garden, which is strictly for the friends and the family. So last year Supergrass brought all of their kids down, and their parents down, to look after the kids, and everyone had a great day because there was no hangers on backstage, and no press. Well we had press there, but they were handled professionally, so people were taken for interviews, but the artists had their own area, where it was just them, and their friends, and family. It was great, they had such a great time. We'll be repeating that again this year, to keep everybody really happy.

Nearly every tour manager made a point of finding me to say they'd been looked after really well, no complaints whatsoever. Praise on the day was brilliant. Bands aren't great fans of playing festivals at the best of times. They have a bit of a production line feeling, because it's not their own show which is fair enough. So, making them feel a little bit more special whilst they are with us, is very helpful for them and the people that they bring with them.

Who are the hidden gems on the line-up at Hop Farm you recommend they go and see?
There's loads, Florence & The Machine are amazing, she played two nights at our ballroom a couple of weeks ago, and just a phenomenal set, she's amazing. Ladyhawke as well absolutely brilliant. Bands like The Joy Formidable, The Twilight Sad are going to be huge in the next year. Fight Like Apes, The Chapman Family are really great. There's a band called The Good The Bad who are opening the third stage on the Saturday, they're a three piece from Denmark, and you don't even notice they haven't got a singer it's real sexy rock, the way they play instruments is like watching music porn, they are just brilliant, surf flamenco rock. The Third Stage has some great new up and coming bands playing on that stage, I would recommend anything from the Third Stage, take your pick. There's such a good scene springing up around those bands at the moment.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing?
Of all the acts? I've seen most of them already, obviously I have to check them out, I'd say I'm looking forward to seeing White Denim, who are a personal favourite of mine. Sunshine Underground will be great.

If you could offer festival goers one piece of advice what would it be?
Wear good footwear, comfy shoes, all the way, and comfy pants, and take and loads of suncream, because I got a bit sunburnt at Download.

The event held at the Hop Farm Country Park, Kent will happen on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July with a line-up that includes The Fratellis, The Pigeon Detectives, The View, Ash, Echo and the Bunnymen, Florence And The Machine, Paul Weller, Editors, Doves, 2manydjs, Super Furry Animals, The Twang, Mystery Jets, Ladyhawke, and more. For the full line-up details to date including stage splits click here.

Hop Farm is set in 400 acres of unspoilt Kent countryside, and was once a working and now one of Kent's most popular tourist attractions in the Garden of England. This event organised by Vince Power has no VIP area, so everyone has the same experience, there's no registration, no sponsorship, and no branding.

Tickets are priced at £125 for a weekend ticket including camping and parking, day tickets are priced at £65 for either day. Career tickets are also available at half price but must be purchased in pairs.

To buy tickets, click here.

For more about The Hop Farm, see the website, here.

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