News: Purbeck Folk Festival

Wilkswood Farm,Langton Matravers, Swanage

21st-24th August
Eighties legend Lloyd Cole will make plenty of brand new friends this August bank holiday as he headlines the award-winning Purbeck Folk Festival.

Having come to the fore in 1984 fronting The Commotions and wracking up hits like Perfect Skin, Brand New Friend, Lost Weekend, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? and Jennifer She Said, Lloyd moved to the States five years later to pursue a solo career that has seen him develop his distinctive songwriting across a range of styles from orchestral pop to edgy rock – sometimes on the same record, as with 1991’s Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe.

Through it all the quality of his writing – always literate, peppered with cultural references and laced with humour – has remained beyond question. In 1995 he scored a minor hit with Like Lovers Do from the album Love Story, co-produced by Stephen Street, desk jockey of choice for the likes of The Smiths and Blur.

Lloyd Cole

Since the turn of the century he has explored a largely acoustic setting for increasingly folk-inspired songs, as heard on albums such as Music in a Foreign Language (2003), Antidepressant (2006) and Broken Record (2010). Last year, he released Standards, his tenth solo album and only his second since 1995 to feature a full band of additional musicians, including power pop godhead Matthew Sweet and sometime Lou Reed drummer Fred Maher.

“Getting Lloyd Cole to headline is a real coup for Purbeck Folk Festival” says festival director Michael Callaghan. “He’s genuine indie pop royalty, a cult hero to thousands of fans around the world and a true music aficionado. He fits in perfectly with the festival’s broad approach to folk music and we know heís going to love meeting fans old and new at Purbeck this year.”

Lloyd will be appearing solo at Purbeck Folk Festival on the Long Barn main stage, joining a bill that includes the previously announced Scottish singer songwriter Eddi Reader and, still beautiful after all these years, The South, to top the Festival’s strongest line up to date.

Running over the Bank Holiday weekend, 21-24 August, on a working sheep farm in the heart of the beautiful Isle of Purbeck, the Festival – which recently won the Fatea Music Award for Countryside Festival Of The Year – promises four days of fine music, great food, fancy dress, comedy, film and magic on Dorset’s stunning Jurassic Coastline.

Now in its sixth year, the Festival’s inclusive booking policy ensures an eclectic mix of outstanding, original young folk, established roots, traditional and world music in a fun, family-friendly environment. The four stages are contained in the farm’s ingeniously converted barns and a marquee venue that hosts the Purbeck Rising final and open mic sessions.

But there’s much more than music on offer with a host of additional entertainment that includes a comedy line-up, an on-site cinema programme, art interventions and workshops, a fancy dress parade, a poetry slam, kids activity pen and a beer festival with 40 local real ales, 20 ciders and even a Dorset pils lager!

Until March 31, weekend tickets (Fri-Sun) include free camping are on sale at just £80 (£40 12-17 years, £10 4-11 years, under 4s free). Day camping is available on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at £10 a night on arrival. A limited number of Festival day tickets will also be available.

Located in the village of Langton Matravers between Corfe Castle and Swanage, Wilkswood Farm has 600 acres of land devoted to conservation and environmental protection of a wide range of habitats. Thereís a handy bus to Corfe Castle/Wareham and Swanage every hour both ways; while Harmans Cross station is a 15-minute walk away where you can catch the steam train to Swanage or Corfe Castle.