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Rochdale Feel Good: Final festival preparations underway

Posted on 03/08/2010

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The Feel Good Festival will be tickling tastebuds and filling the town with live music later this month. Final preparations are underway for this year’s event which organisers say will include the biggest line up of free entertainment ever seen at the festival.

On Friday 13 and Saturday 14 August Rochdale town centre will be coming alive with musicians, star chefs and artists.

Council Leader Irene Davidson said this year’s festival is going to be the biggest yet:

“We’ve put together two packed days of entertainment to celebrate and showcase Rochdale to hopefully thousands of visitors and residents. I hope people come and support it. This event has grown each year, which has got to be good news for everyone. The town has much to be proud of and the Feel Good is our annual festival to share this with a wider audience.”

On Saturday, a big main outdoor stage by Rochdale Town Hall will be headlined by chart toppers ‘The Lightning Seeds.’ One of the most prominent bands of the 90’s best known for a stack of classic pop hits such as ‘Pure’, ‘The Life of Riley’ and ‘Lucky you’ they will be joined by The Herbaliser. The London based festival favourites fuse dance, funk and hip hop creating an uplifting feel good sound that has been delighting live audiences for years.

Also taking to the main stage will be Kirsty Almeida, tipped by the music press as one of the hot names to watch, Kirsty released her first single, ‘Spider’ in June and her first album ‘Pure Blue Green’ will be released in September, produced by Youth, best known for his collaborations with ‘U2’ and ‘The Verve’. The Gibraltar born Middleton resident has been making waves on the live circuit with her seven-piece band and intriguing mix of soul, jazz and folk songs.

The Travelling Band make a welcome return to the main stage Rochdale, and they’ll also play a warm up show on the Friday evening at The Litten Tree from 9pm.

Add 2010 Glastonbury Emerging Talent winners ‘Ellen and the Escapades’, local rockers ‘Dead Kestrels’ and Indie DJ Dave Sweetmore to the mix, and the main stage promises an explosion of musical delights!

But you don’t need to wait until the main stage opens. On Friday evening there’s a night of indie from the Red Deer Club at the Flying Horse. At Mango, music label ‘Fat Northerner’ present two of their acts and DJ’s. On Saturday afternoon from 12pm the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Karima Francis appears at Bar 5 on South Parade. She released her debut album last year, along with the single ‘Again’, which was ‘Single of the Week’ on the iTunes website. Also on Saturday afternoon, singer and new Emmerdale star Catherine Tyldesley will be performing songs from the classics songbook at Touchstones on the Esplanade. She’ll be joined by pupils from Falinge Park High School plus special guests for what promises to be an eclectic afternoon of live music.

Six indoor venues will be hosting live music performances: The Flying Horse Hotel, Town Hall Square, Mango, King Street, Touchstones, The Esplanade, Bar 5, South Parade and The Litten Tree on Fleece Street.

When the musical feast gives you an appetite, three star chefs will be appearing in the festivals ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ celebrity kitchen, located in the food tent on the Butts throughout the event. They’ll be cooking masterclasses from Gino D’Acampo, Aazam Ahmad and Andrew Nutter. No pre-booking required. Places are being allocated on a first come first served basis, so if your chosen session is full you will be offered a free ticket for the next demonstration, subject to availability. Local restaurants will be offering special deals to festival goers. Traditional Flamenco girls from local restaurant ‘La Mancha’ will be dishing out free Tapas and Sangria. There’ll be a quality food market on both days with food, snacks, gifts and treats from across the world.

Expect a few surprises during your visit as the town centre will also be buzzing with unusual and imaginative street theatre. Look out for The Bee Hive Art Trail - artists will be exhibiting their work in the town centre, from paintings and sculpture to textiles. And after proving a big hit in 2009, Skylight Circus Arts will be providing more breathtaking ariel acrobatic displays!

For the festival latest, full line up, maps, venue details, accommodation advice and more visit www.rochdale.gov.uk/events and become a fan at www.facebook.com/feelgoodfestival. Join the conversation on @RochdaleTown

The Feel Good Festival is organised by Rochdale Town Centre Management and Rochdale Borough Council.