Rhythm Festival line-up announced

Big Star, Jefferson Starship, The Saw Doctors, and loads more

By Scott Williams | Published: Thu 13th Mar 2008

Rhythm Festival 2008 - Richie Havens
Photo credit: Neil Greenway

Rhythm Festival 2008

Friday 29th to Sunday 31st August 2008
Twinwood Arena, Clapham, nr Bedford, Bedfordshire, England MAP
adult early bird prices from £75 to £90 (dependant on availability). Camping extra.
Daily capacity: 5,000

Rhythm Festival which takes place at Twinwood Arena, Clapham, Bedford over the weekend after the August Bank Holiday from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st August has announced the line-up for this year.

Big Star, Jefferson Starship, The Saw Doctors, Richie Havens, Michelle Shocked, Dave & Ansell Collins, The Zombies, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Pretty Things, Nine Below Zero, Roy Young Band, and Neville Staples Band are the latest acts heading for the festival.

Other acts confirmed today include Chas Hodges Rock & Roll Trio, The Toasters, Stackridge, Juicy Lucy, Mike Sanchez Band, Diz & The Doormen, Delroy Williams & The Junction Band, Ricky Cool & The Hoola Boola Boys, Number 1 Station, Dani Wilde, The Malchicks, Tiny Tin Lady, Smashing Time, Shedload of Love, The Foxes, Bruise, Fastlane Roogalator, and Chris Mayfield Band.

They join the acts already announced to appear Steve Cropper, The Animals, Jah Wobble with a 'Special Event', Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, and US band Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Wilko Johnson and his band, Mike Sanchez, Chas & Dave, and Man.

Rhythm Festival - which started in 2006 - aims to be different from other outdoor music festivals, by being smaller (a capacity of under 5,000), friendlier and geared towards the customer. Rhythm offers three days of classic and modern acts on three stages plus a host of 'fringe events'. A bigger kid's field (including mini olympics, workshops, entertainers and dodgems), a virtual funfair, a traditional funfair, a Healing/Alternative Culture field, a Comedy stage, a Folk Club stage (organised by local clubs) and a solar-powered cinema featuring an old-style kid's morning, mini-seasons of classic comedies, gangster movies and a raft of more cutting edge movies.

The festival has a general store, as well as offering a large variety of high quality food at sensible prices. Plus, some delicious real ales, beers & lagers from Wells & Young's of Bedford as well as guest ales, and real ciders.

The festival site is semi-permanent, and includes some flush toilets (augmented by portaloos), and proper roads and paths. The arena is a drained grassy amphitheatre and many attractions are housed indoors. Showers have been hired for the (supervised) campsites and there'll be free car parking adjacent to the festival site, plus a shuttle bus from Bedford train station and a a supervised campsite.

'Early bird' tickets are on sale, priced from £75 to £90 for adults for the weekend (price dependant on availability of these early bird tickets). Youths (16-17) are £69 for the weekend. Children (16 years old and under): free. Up to 2 free children per adult weekend ticket holder. Additional children are £35.00 each.

To buy tickets click here.

There are two areas for camping. The 'gold' area is the quiet campsite with a midnight until 7:30am noise curfew, costing £20 per tent for up to 5 people per tent (including youths & children). The 'bronze' area is nearer the arena, and cost £25 per tent for up to 5 people per tent (including youths & children). Each campsite has Showers, plenty of toilets and water points.

Campervans and caravans use the 'silver' area, which promises firmer ground, water-points, toilet-emptying facilities, and a short (5 minute) walk to the showers in the bronze campsite. The cost is £35 per campervan/caravan.

Richie Havens


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