Returning for its 11th year, Scotland’s Wickerman Festival must sport one of the UK’s most eclectic and characteristic celebrations of live music.
Welcoming its biggest lineup yet this year, with NY camp-pop mainstays Scissor Sisters competing against Glaswegian legends Texas for mainstage headliner bragging rights, the festival will be looking to buck the British summer to draw in some sun and several thousand more punters for another successful outing.
Peppering the undercard we find Dundee’s hottest young guns The View, and English rockers The Levellers mingling with Belfast’s favourite alternative songwriter Duke Special and Surrey’s slap-guitar hero Newton Faulkner.
Further down, the Scooter Tent resurrects some classic punk and ska with the fantastic Blockheads and Bad Manners headlining over up and coming youngsters like transatlantic Technicolor punks Orange and Leamington Spa’s working-class heroes in Sharks.
Dance heads will be good to go too, with a variety of top-notch DJs getting set to take over the Bass Camp. The legendary Darren Emerson and creative phenomenon Steve Lawler will be heading be heading proceedings up. Meanwhile, ready to whip festival goers into a techno spin, legendary clubbing talent Steve Lawler will bring his trademark style to the Wickerman crowd for the first time, as he headlines the Skiddle: ‘2012 – A Bass Odyssey’ Tent on Friday 20th July.
Other fresh additions for the day are high energy female DJ Ginny Koppenhol and Uber resident DJ Ki Creighton, while DanceLadyDance vs Disco Dom, house DJ Matt Hinde and the phenomenal Kid Blast have been announced as new additions to the accessible Saturday line up.
Other activities include storytelling by bestselling children’s author, Aiken Drum, cinema (including showings of Rosemary’s Baby, Alien, The Birds, and The Wicker Man), festival golf, Laser Quest, the all-embracing Barabajagal Jamming Yurt.
For festival goers seeking an adrenaline rush there is fire walking, grass sledging and segway riding, dance workshops, beach volleyball and even a mobile ski slope offering 30 minute lessons.
And, finally, the star attraction As the gates to the campsite open on Thursday 19th July, festival goers will also get a first glimpse of this year’s towering Wickerman statue – featuring a unique pose for 2012! The 40ft structure will be set alight on Saturday evening, bringing the festival to an unforgettable close.
For more info visit www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk
Photo by Ian Sloan