The Week Ahead

Greetings wanderers, nomads and settlers!

The purpose of this weekly message is to keep you informed of events in Peterborough and the world beyond that you may be interested in attending, as well as updating you on developments that happen within and around Muddy Promotions and the Grassroots Festival.

The Muddy camp is very excited this week. Not only has the weekend of the Equinox Party finally arrived, but full opening of the Muddy Community Centre/Festival HQ can now been seen on the horizon. An update on these things can be found at the very bottom of this mail.

So what's on that's causing all this excitement this week?

Thursday

This week's Unity @ Fidds comes from a guest presenter - Jimmy from Point Seven Pistol. He's booked three top class rock bands who will all be playing unplugged style sets: Acer, Point Seven Pistol and The Cougar Bobs. As always there will also be the Unity Jam for you all to get involved in (8:30 - 9:30). Entrance is free before 9:15 and £3 after.

If you still have energy left after that and need some late partying to help on your weekend warm-up, Urb (System Abuse/Playskool) is running a new late night session at Bar Lisboa (24 Lincoln Road) from 12 midnight till 3am. I don't have any further details right now but keep your eyes peeled, it's bound to be a good one.

Friday

On Friday new promotion Localised is throwing its opening night at Limit (formerly known as the Starlight Suite - POSH ground). The order of the night is Jackin' Deep House and Breaks and DJ's on the bill are Local (Playskool), Vicks (Hot Dog - Leicester), Chopper (Chopper Choons), Benny T (Drip-Dry Productions) and Shaggy (Playskool/Unity). Doors are 9pm till late and tax will be £4 before 10:30 and £5 after.

Also on Friday, the Audio Collective return to Lisboa (24 Lincoln Road) for another session of Hard Dance, Drum & Bass and Breaks. Doors are 8pm till 1am and entrance is free.

Saturday

It's time for the big one!

The second istalment of the Grassroots saga is taking place at Lisboa from 12:30 in the afternoon till 5am next morning. All of this for just £5 (£4 to fully paid up Muddy members).

The line-up is as diverse as you'd anticipate and of top-notch quality - including veterans of festivals all over the UK and Europe. Check this out:

12:30 Chilled out grooves from Lukus/Leigh (Deep Roots/Sunday Skool)
13:30 Simon Leyland (acoustic)
13:50 Jules Morgan (acoustic)
14:15 Scatter (folk/indie)
15:00 Piper (Solo keys set)
15:25 Kulak (hip-hop rock fusion)
16:10 Nick Thompson (acoustic)
16:35 Point Seven Pistols (rock)
17:20 Andy Whittle (acoustic - Folkwit records)
17:45 The Juzzt (ska-funk)
18:30 Colonel Bastard (full band unplugged)
18:55 Tunguska Butterfly (jazz-metal)
19:40 Ivanov (full band acoustic)
20:05 Groove Cartel - formerly known as Soulflower (jazz-funk)
20:50 Karmadillo (full band acoustic)
21:15 Los Guys (funky live/electronic crossover)
22:00 Jinder (acoustic)
22:30 Roldier (DJ - Speed of Sound - Hip-hop)
23:15 Tarantism (Celtic folk-ska-techno)
00:00 Sk9 with visuals by Lukus (DJ Acid Techno - Contact)
01:00 Magic Lamp (Live techno-trance)
02:00 Far Too Loud (DJ duo - Funkatech records - Breaks)
03:00 Scar Red (DJ - System Abuse - Drum & Bass)
04:00 Local (DJ - Playskool - Deep House)

Who out there has got the stamina for that lot then?

You will also be able to purchase your Muddy memberships (£5) and Grassroots Festival Tickets (£20 to members only) at this event. The Grassroots Festival is taking place near Peterborough on 23rd to 25th June 2006. This will be an event for music and the arts the like of which this city has never seen before!

There are only 500 spaces available for the festival - get your tickets quickly as we could well run out during this event!

Everyone is paying the same ticket price for entry - artists, performers, crew, organisers - everyone! This means that when buying a ticket you aren't paying to come to a festival - but to be a part of it. With this in mind please remember to tick the volunteer box on your membership form! If everybody at the festival volunteers for just a couple of hours over the weekend (stewarding, stage crews, cafe workers etc) the workload of this very special event will not fall on the few but will be spread easily over the community that will form on the weekend. We've all complained over the years about how little goes on in this city - this is your chance to make the change!

By the way, if you get hungry during the course of the marathon that is the Equinox Party Lisboa has a cafe downstairs selling homemade food and drinks of good quality for very cheap prices (big homemade omelette, chips, salad and bread only £3!) so if you need to restock on natural energy during the event you needn't wander too far.

....This party is going to become very full as well - please get there early to make sure you get in!

Sunday

If you have any energy left after that lot Sunday Skool are running their Sunday evening of stewed soul and fried funk at Lisboa. Entrance to the event is free - but make sure you bring your dancing shoes cos it might get sweaty in there!

Sunday afternoon at 4pm is doors open time for Fidds on Sunday as well. It's Heat Number 2 of the Fidds Band of the Year competition. The winner of this heat will go through into the semi-final against Heat Number 1 winners Point of Origin. Entrance to the event is £4.

After kicking out from that one, Fidds is reopening at 8pm for a night of comedy and acoustic music (including Folkwit records artists James Chadwick and Andy Whittle).

.....And Finally

Festival HQ/Muddy Community Centre (formerly The Glass Onion on Burghley Road) is taking shape and it's not long before it will be fully operational!

The centre will house rehearsal rooms for bands/musicians, art studios, workshop space for wood and metalwork, a DJ mixing/recording area, a recording studio, an organic garden, the Muddy offices and a Fair Trade Cafe which will host acoustic music events/art exhibitions/film showings. The cafe (which will be called The Butterfly Bar) will eventually serve alcohol though that may be a little further off.

The Butterfly Bar is already available for paid up Muddy Promotions members (& their guests) to come and socialise in - and offers Fair Trade Tea & Coffee for your drinking pleasure. Please feel free to pop by and speak to the people there about what's going on.

Muddy membership and Festival tickets are also available at the Centre.

The other areas of the building will be accessible at an additional subscription or charge out rate. Details of this will follow as final decisions are made - but if you would be interested in rehearsal rooms or art studios please contact us or go and see someone at the Centre.

The Muddy Team are all very excited at the positive links that are forming in Peterborough and the surrounding area, and would like to wish all of you much peace, happiness and fulfillment in the times to come.

Peace love unity and respect.