London Popfest

This is what the schedule for popfest is going to look like this year. Things might change, so do please keep checking the website for updates:

Friday 1 March at the Grosvenor

Young Romance 8:15
Burning Hearts 9:00
English Singles 9:45
Milky Wimpshake 10:30

(How Does It Feel to Be Loved? at the Canterbury Arms in Brixton for post-gig dancing!)

Saturday 2 March at 100 Club

Big Wave 4:00
The Tuts 4:50
The Garlands 5:40
Martha 6:30
September Girls 7:20
This Many Boyfriends 8:10
Speedmarket Avenue 9:00
Standard Fare 10:00

(dancing until very late!)

Sunday 3 March at the Lexington (please note early start!)

Hong Kong in the 60s 3:45
Flowers 4:30
Cocoanut Groove 5:15
The Orchids 6:15

We are very excited to announce that the last addition to this year’s popfest line-up are the remarkable Cocoanut Groove from Sweden!

Cocoanut Groove are from Umeå, in the north of Sweden. The band was originally the solo project of Olov Antonsson (ex-The Tidy-Ups) but they are now a four-piece consisting of Antonsson (guitars and vocals), William Andersson (drums), Josef Ringkvist (bass guitar) and Gunnar Lantz (violin and piano). The band released their debut single ‘The End of the Summer on Bookbinder Road’ in 2007. It was followed by the highly acclaimed LP Madeleine Street, in 2008, and a 10″ EP on Fraction Discs called Colours. They are currently preparing their second album.

Drawing their influences from the lush orchestral pop of the Zombies, Love and The Left Banke, and folk singers like Donovan and Vashti Bunyan, and reminiscent of the drowsy, sleek indiepop of The Clientele, this is the first time they appear in the UK as a band and we are truly delighted to have them.

The full line-up is now:

Big Wave
Burning Hearts (Finland)
Cocoanut Groove (Sweden)
The English Singles (US)
Flowers
Hong Kong in the 60s
Martha
Milky Wimpshake
September Girls
Speedmarket Avenue (Sweden)
Standard Fare
The Garlands (Sweden)
The Orchids
The Tuts
This Many Boyfriends
Young Romance

And tickets are still available here!

Here is what the schedule looks like:

Friday:
Young Romance
Burning Hearts
English Singles
Milky Wimpshake

Saturday (all-dayer):
Big Wave
The Garlands
The Tuts
Martha
September Girls
This Many Boyfriends
Speedmarket Avenue
Standard Fare

Sunday (early show):

Hong Kong in the 60s
Flowers
Cocoanut Groove
The Orchids

Nothing is black and white. We are, of course, absolutely delighted to announce that modern indiepop heroes Standard Fare are getting their much-deserved headline spot on the Popfest all-dayer on Saturday 2 March at the 100 Club. But we are also gutted that this is going to be their last ever show. Talk about going out on a high! They released a statement yesterday announcing their demise. We are thankful they were ever around and left us two fantastic albums and unforgettable live moments.

Hi everyone,

We are sad to announce that after nine years of playing together, we are finishing Standard Fare on a high. We part on friendly terms and will all continue to make music in various guises.

It’s been amazing to be able to release two albums, several singles, to travel and play in so many places, and to meet so many fantastic people.

We want to express our gratitude to our labels Melodic, Thee SPC, and Bar None, all the promoters who’ve put us on, anyone who’s written nice things about us,  Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens, Tom Robinson, and other radio DJ’s who’ve played us, Alan at 2Fly for recording nearly everything we’ve released and finally all of you who have listened, come to gigs, said hi! Thank you – we’ve had a fantastic time.

To say farewell we’re doing two final gigs, Sheffield Feb 16th and London Popfest March 2nd so do come and say goodbye! Details to follow.

Lots of love from us, Andy, Dan, and Emma

Hello! Happy new year, all. Hope it’s a great one, this.

The latest news from London Popfest are good and bad. Shall we start with the bad? Bitchtape are no more and therefore not playing. Told you it was sad. But the good news is, the ever so brilliant Flowers have stepped in and are now playing instead of Bitchtape on the Friday. Hooray!

We have a couple more bands to announce but here is the schedule as it stands. Please see the tickets page for details on what types are available. There are only a few 3-day passes left so be quick if you want to be there on all three days, and especially if you want to make sure you are there on Friday as the venue is small and only 3-day pass holders are guaranteed entry.

We’ve also joined up with the lovely How Does It Feel To Be Loved? on the Friday night – the club is down the road from the Grosvenor and all popfest ticket holders will get reduced entry, so the fun can continue on the dancefloor. How ace is that?