Woodbridge Festival of Art and Music Announces Two Day Jubilation Festival
Friday 3 June, Kingston Field 12 noon - 17:30pm, Community Hall 17:30 - 23:30pm
Saturday 4 June, Whisstocks Square 12 noon-22:30pm, Community Hall 21:30 - 23:30pm
Acts: Justin Robertson, Les Spaine, Ben Osborne, Jupiter Ray, Latin Heat, Peter Hepworth Band, Auntie L, JS & The Lockerbillies, Jimmy Green, Phil Jackson Rock ’n’ Roll Band, Fete Acomplis, VJ Jim Horsfield, Adrian Wiggins Samba workshop, Bobby Buccys, Hewsin000, Dilly’s Dance, Happy Feet African Dance, Stage Coach and the people’s jubilee messages projected onto the Tide Mill, global street food, a “Pooch Parade” and more to be announced.
Woodbridge Festival of Art and Music starts its 10th anniversary year with genre defining international acts playing the town’s “alternative" Jubilee celebrations, highlighting trends in music and culture over the last 70 years. Acts playing include legendary DJs Justin Robertson, who played the Hacienda during its 1980/90s acid house heyday and will celebrate the venue’s 40th birthday. He’s joined by the equally legendary Les Spaine, original 1970s UK funk DJ and head of Motown Records, who’s worked with stars such as Diana Ross (who headlines the Queen’s London events), Stevie Wonder and Marvin gay. Alongside music the festival will be presenting projections onto the Tide Mill, African and Ukrainian dances, drum workshops, a street food festival and a “pooch parade” - with local people dressing their dogs in a youth culture style from the last 70 years. The festival events are part of the Town Council’s official two day celebrations.
Festival founder, Ben Osborne, who will also DJ the event, says: “Ten years ago the town mayor asked if we could organise an alternative Jubilee event, which kick started the annual Woodbridge Festival. So it’s amazing to be asked to do this weekend on our 10th birthday by the current town council. We’ll be celebrating this alongside other alternative anniversaries, such as Jamaican and Indian independence, the Hacienda opening its doors and The Beatles releasing their first single - as well as the Platinum Jubilee.
“Over the last decade the festival has grown to become a major annual event in Elmhurst Park and other venues, with a regular programme throughout the year. We were one of the few music organisations to keep live music going, with regular monthly events throughout the pandemic. So it’s especially gratifying to be able to celebrate the jubilee having survived the trials of the last two years."
“We have an amazing two day line-up in Kingston Fields, Community Hall and Whisstocks Square, with international and local acts covering everything from acid house to rock-a-billy and reggae - and we’re looking forward to projecting people’s jubilee messages and pictures from the youth culture “Pooch Parade” onto the Tide Mill.
Full details below:
Woodbridge Festival of Art and Music starts its 10th anniversary celebrations with genre defining international acts playing two days of events over the Jubilee Weekend. Organised in collaboration with Woodbridge Town Council and Choose Woodbridge, the events feature live music and DJs, dance, art and projections, with themes reflecting different eras in the Queen’s reign.
Music will cover significant genres over the last 70 years, with original acts playing everything from acid house to jazz funk, reggae and post punk, plus Ukrainian, Polish and African dancers.
Reflecting the youth culture parade being planned for the London event on the Mall, Woodbridge Festival is holding a “Pooch Parade”, with owners dressing their dogs as a youth cult from the last 70 years.
Amongst those playing are acts such as original Hacienda DJ Justin Robertson, original Funk DJ and Motown label boss Les Spaine, Noise of Art founder DJ Ben Osborne, soul act Jupiter Ray, virtuoso jazz funk act Latin Heat, singer songwriter Peter Hepworth Band, East London Jamaican Reggae DJ Auntie L, Jump Jive festival act JS & The Lockerbillies, riotous rockers Phil Jackson Rock ’n’ Roll Band, Folk dance act Fete Accomplis, VJ Jim Horsfield, Adrian Wiggins Samba and African drum workshop, Dilly’s Dance, Happy Feet African Dance, the people’s jubilee messages projected onto the Tide Mill, global street food, the Pooch Parade and more to be announced.
On Friday 3 June daytime events will open midday at Kingston Fields, with headline soul act Jupiter Ray followed by Phil Jackson’s Rock n Roll Band. Peter Hepworth Band will play unheard songs from his forthcoming LP alongside surprises covering music styles from the ’60s to now. Local folk act Fete Accomplis will close the day’s activities with a barn dance in a field. There will be food, craft, bar stalls, vintage fair attractions and a range of performances throughout the day.
Woodbridge Festival’s night time events on Friday take place at the Community Hall, featuring music from the eras that shape today’s club scene; including funk, acid house, disco, post punk, hip hop and break beats.
Acts include godfather of UK funk DJs Les Spaine, who worked in the 1970s and 1980s with such as icons as Marvin Gay, Stevie Wonder, The Jacksons, Diana Ross and other members of the funk and soul royalty.
Joining him is yet another cultural legend, Justin Robertson. A veteran acid house DJ, he played the near mythical Hacienda - frequently cited as the most important club in UK history - which is 40 years old this year. Justin also hit the charts with his act Lion Rock and has remixed everyone from Noel Gallagher to Grace Jones. He is cited by the Chemical Brothers as the DJ that inspired them to make music.
Joining the journey through contemporary club music is local hip hop DJ Jimmy Green, who’s supported acts such as Grandmaster Flash, Masta Ace, Maseo (De La Soul), Akil (Jurassic 5), Jeru The Damaja, Jazzie B (Soul II Soul) and Mr Thing. He regularly produces Hip Hop and sample mixtapes and recently released a producer album, “Amazon Women On The Moon” through ReeVolt Records.
Woodbridge Festival and Noise of Art founder DJ Ben Osborne completes Friday’s line-up, bringing his connections with such things as French touch, Nu-Disco, Berlin electro, punk funk, Hoxton sound and Sunday scenes into the mix. Ben is also behind Noise of Art, which helped start late night music events in galleries in London with Late Lounge at the National Theatre, 20 yeaers ago this year. Ben went on to start BFI, Tate, National Portrait Gallery and other gallery lates. He's worked with people as diverse as Jazzie B, Groove Armada, Booka Shade, Aluna (George), The Beatles and Ricky Gervais.
On Saturday 4th June Woodbridge Festival’s daytime activity shifts at midday to the Tide Mill and Whisstocks Square, which will be surrounded by street food, music, dance and projections - including projecting messages to the queen, which will be collected by Choose Woodbridge during the day and projected onto the Tide Mill by Woodbridge Festival of Art and Music.
Street Food in Whisstocks square will take on a global theme with food from India, the Caribbean, Italy and artisan Southern Sutton Fried Chicken, plus a bar on the square and dinning in the Boathouse Restaurant and terrace, and ship building demonstrations in the Longshed.
Dilly’s Dance School will start the performances with Ukrainian and Polish folk dances, followed by DJ Auntie L, veteran London-based reggae DJ who will play a set marking 60 years of Jamaican independence. Happy Feet African Dance will perform a traditional African dance, marking the queen’s accession to the throne in Africa. Adrian Wiggins, who festival goers may recognise from Campo Sancho festival, will be giving Samba and African drum workshops.
Red hot Latin, jazz and funk band Latin Heat will keep the grooves flowing with their vituoso musicianship from 3pm, while festival hopping rock-a-billy band JS & The Lockerbillies will take us into the early evening.
Further DJs will include Balearic vinyl DJ Bobby Buccys, Latin and DJ come producer Hewsin000. Woodbridge Festival co-founder, DJ Ben Osborne, adds funky flavours as night time arrives, when he’s joined by renown VJ Jim Horsfield, who’s worked with everyone from Fatboy Slim to John Hopkins, to illuminate the Tide Mill with music and visuals - including projections of people’s messages on the Queen’s Jubilee.
Saturday 4 June will also see a “Pooch Parade”, with he festival inviting local dog lovers to celebrate the last 70 years of youth cultures by dressing (humanely) their four legged friend in youth culture style; whether that's a Mod Mutt, Disco Dog, Pedigree Punk, Funky Fox, Raving Retriever, Barking B-Boys or Hippie Hound.
The events will close with a night of DJs in the Community Hall - line up to be announced (tickets via Eventbrite).
Meanwhile Choose Woodbridge will be filling the Thoroughfare and Market Hill with stalls, music and performers throughout the day until 5pm. Members of the public will be able to submit their jubilee messages, to be projected onto the town’s iconic Tide Mill, thoughout the day through at the stalls set up by Choose Woodbridge.
For more information on Woodbridge Festival of Art and Music and Jubilee events see www.woodbridgefestival.com