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The Bath Festival Finale Weekend 2021 is GOING AHEAD

The show will go on, with McFly, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, Billy Ocean and a host of other stars playing Bath Rec in August.

Get your dancing shoes on and be prepared to party as The Bath Festival’s long-awaited Finale Weekend on the Rec in the heart of beautiful Bath WILL go ahead over the weekend of Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 August.

Bath Festivals and music promoters Orchard Live are delighted to announce the re-scheduling of this two-day music festival following its postponement due to Covid-19 last summer. Festival headliners McFly, Scouting for Girls, Billy Ocean and UB40, will be joined on the Main Stage by a strong line-up that includes, Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Seth Lakeman. There will be live music to appeal to all ages, from the infectious smash hits of chart-toppers McFly to the New York City vibes of the Fun Lovin’ Criminals and the sunshine disco hits of Billy Ocean.

Returning stronger than ever after the success in 2020 of their first studio album in ten years, Young Dumb Thrills, McFly will top the bill on the Saturday night, bringing their own brand of festival Happiness to Bath, and they will be supported by Scouting for Girls, who have built their reputation as a party band. Joining the Saturday line-up is Irish singer-songwriter Orla Gartland and British/American rising star George Pelham.

Also playing on Saturday are rising stars solo artists Lauran Hibberd and Josh Gray and London four-piece outfit Novacub. Dessie Magee with his band, winner of last year’s Bath Introduces competition, and Bath band Luna Lake will take to the Big Top stage.

On Sunday 8 August legendary reggae band UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro headline. Ahead of them will be British soul singer Billy Ocean who will be performing some of his classics, such as Caribbean Queen and When the Going Gets Tough.

Acclaimed west country folk musician Seth Lakeman, who last played the Finale Weekend in 2018, will bring his band to the main stage for a high energy set. The Sunday sessions will also include a set from English singer-songwriter and actress Twinnie.

Adding to the party atmosphere on the Sunday will be BLOCO B samba troupe from Bristol. The musicians and dancers take part in St Paul Carnival in Bristol, Notting Hill Carnival and the Rio Carnival itself. Honouring the musical traditions of this amazing music BLOCO B challenge you not to move and be moved.

New York’s trio Fun Lovin’ Criminals, featuring Bath-based frontman Huey Morgan, will bring their unique style and sense of fun to Bath Rec. Also on the line-up are solo artists Hannah Grace and Casey Lowry, Wiltshire based indie trio Port Erin and grunge influenced Life in Mono fronted by Sarah Clayton.

Huey Morgan of the Fun Lovin’ Criminals, who is also a BBC Radio 6 Music presenter, says he is really looking forward to playing to the Bath crowd: “My new hometown gets my first new hometown show! Can’t wait.”

The west country music scene will be well represented with some of the finest local acts appearing on the Main Stage and in The Big Top, which will feature a combination of local talent and rising stars from across the UK.

The good news for existing ticket holders is that their tickets will be automatically transferred to the new date. Many of the big name acts are including the Bath gig as part of their long-anticipated UK tours, which will be a real treat for local fans.

Bath Festivals’ chief executive Ian Stockley, said: “With all UK adults having been offered the vaccine by the end of July and in line with government guidelines Bath Festivals, in partnership with Orchard Live, is delighted to welcome you all back to Bath Rec for a true celebration with this weekend of live music. Our award-winning Finale Weekend has become a popular fixture on the Bath social calendar and promises to be another real treat for music fans of all ages.”

The Feelgood Festival

The two-day Finale Weekend is the ideal introduction to the festival experience for the whole family. You can buy tickets for one day or for the whole weekend. This beautiful green field site lies in the heart of historic Bath, just a ten-minute walk from the train and bus stations and park and ride bus stops. With the coloured banners fluttering in the breeze, the main stage set up and the various stalls selling all kinds of enticing food, you and your kids will be excited as soon as you arrive on site.

The Finale Weekend has a dedicated Kids Zone with equipment to play on and a team of professional entertainers to keep even the tiniest children happy. Older kids will enjoy the chance to check out the rising stars playing in the Big Top, enjoy the acts on the City Stage or interact with the street theatre performers on site – there are loads of opportunities for selfies! When it comes to food, you’re spoilt for choice with a range of artisan food and drink catering for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans. There will also be professionally run bars offering a range of drinks, including beer and cider plus you’re never far from a decent cup of coffee.

There will be a covered seating area where you can meet up with friends and enjoy your festival food.

The Finale Weekend is supported by sponsors Bath Ales, Novia, Bath BID and Agriframes.

THE FULL LINE-UP

McFLY

British rock band McFly was founded in 2003, with a line-up of Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd. The band holds the record for the youngest band ever to have its debut album reach No1. McFly has had seven singles at No1 in the charts and hits include 5 Colours In Her Hair, All About You, Star Girl and Room on The 3rd Floor. The band enjoyed success in 2020 with their first album in ten years Young Dumb Thrills and their single Happiness was a feel-good chart success at a time when the nation needing cheering up.

UB40 FEATURING ALI CAMPBELL AND ASTRO

Founded 40 years ago British reggae band UB40 is in the middle of an anniversary tour and has recently released a new album, A Real Labour of Love. Fronted by singers Ali Campbell and Astro, UB40 has a vast army of fans, having sold more than 70 million records worldwide. The band is planning to play the best reggae, dub and ska festivals in the UK this year.

BILLY OCEAN

Trinidad-born singer-songwriter Billy Ocean who made his home in London’s East End when he was just seven years old has more than 35 years of global success. This soul singer’s greatest hits include Red Light Spells Danger, Suddenly, Love Really Hurts Without You, When The Going Gets Tough, Love On Delivery, and many more. He released the album One World in 2020, his first of original songs in a decade, with the single We Gotta Find Love and played the legend slot on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing show in November, where he showed himself in fine voice.

SCOUTING FOR GIRLS

The three-piece indie rock band founded in 2005, comprises Pete Ellard, Greg Churchouse and Roy Stride. Popular with festival crowds, the trio’s sing-a-long hits include Elvis Ain’t

Dead, I Wish I was James Bond and She’s So Lovely. Their Bath gig will be part of their much-awaited UK tour.

Roy Stride, Scouting for Girls’ frontman, said: “Touring is our very favourite aspect of being in this band and to go out longer and harder than ever is a dream come true. We’re going to put 2020 behind us and put two years of pent-up energy into every night of this tour – we can’t wait to give people the most fun night out of 2021.”

FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS

The world’s finest (and only) purveyors of cinematic hip hop, rock ‘n roll, blues-jazz, Latino soul vibes are a three-piece established in New York City in 1993. Their hits include King of New York and Scooby Snacks and they’ve built a massive following for their high octane live shows.

SETH LAKEMAN

The Devonian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist last won the hearts and minds of Bath Festival Finale Weekend audiences back in 2018 where he played a solo spot before joining Robert Plant and his Sensational Shape Shifters. The west country favourite returns to the Finale weekend on the Main Stage with his electrifying full band. His latest album, A Pilgrim’s Tale, is inspired by the 400th anniversary of the historic Mayflower voyage. Seth has played for numerous festival crowds, including Glastonbury.

ORLA GARTLAND

Orla Gartland is an Irish singer-songwriter from Dublin known for her quirky folk pop, bursting with personality and catchy melodies. Her songs are all tied together by her distinctive, celtic-infused vocal and trademark animated live performance. Following 11.5 million hits on youtube and almost 80k likes on Facebook, Gartland independently released her first single in 2011 which reached top 10 iTunes placement in over 17 countries. Since then, 2 EPs have followed.

LAURAN HIBBERD

The Isle of Wight raised indie/rock artist was picked as One to Watch by Radio 1’s Huw Stephens and played the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury last year. Her debut EP is Everything is Dogs.

BLOCO B BLOCO B

Born out of Bristol’s Bloco dos Sujos (directed by Paul Baxter) in 2018, continues to teach, perform and celebrate Rio de Janeiro Carnival style samba under the new leadership of Terry Moore. Emphasis is on creating authentic versions of Rio samba tunes using rhythm, song, melody and dance. They blend percussion and drumming (bateria) with singers, cavaquinho players and dancers.

GEORGE PELHAM

Introducing George Pelham, a British/American singer-songwriter with a distinctively emotive, soulful voice. Someone To Love Again is George’s latest single, which showcases his smooth and soaring vocals and expresses the art of letting go through his hopeful lyrics. Born and raised in London, George is a prolific live performer, including a four-month residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and several sold out headline shows. His first single What A Time To Be Alive was streamed over 100,000 times within the first six weeks of its release. He is rapidly approaching nearly 1,000,000 million streams combined after only a handful of releases, with much more to come.

HANNAH GRACE

Hannah Grace has a voice that sounds as if it comes another era. The Welsh singer’s voice encompasses the breadth of popular music history – jazz, gospel, blues and folk. She came to mainstream attention after her version of Praise You was a TV and radio staple in summer 2017. Hozier took her on tour as his support, Lady Gaga tweeted a video of Hannah singing and Gabrielle Aplin, Hannah's label mate is a frequent collaborator. Hannah’s debut album Remedy came out in September 2020.

JOSH GRAY

Josh Gray is a compelling emerging artist from Wicklow, Ireland. Gray’s artistry has been shaped by a lifelong love of music and performing.?2018 proved a formative year for Gray, as he self-released his debut single and picked up significant radio and streaming support. Fan support grew promptly too, with Josh’s music positioning him as a promising young pop sensation. Flawlessly crafted pop songs befitting of his musical influences (Bieber, Timberlake, Mendes to name a few) define Josh Gray’s sound. His ability to marry groovy melodic riffs to a signature high falsetto sound makes his tracks uniquely energetic.

TWINNIE

Yorkshire-born, Nashville-hearted singer-songwriter Twinnie has just released her debut album Hollywood Gypsy. Now it’s time for the rest of the musical world to catch up with what country music-watchers have known for a while: this Brit is a future international star. On irresistible country-pop belters Better When I’m Drunk and Social Babies, Twinnie’s engaging, entertaining personality is at the forefront – as are the earworm hooks, whipsmart lyrics and full-force vocals that recall the glory years of what we might call Peak Shania, when Ms Twain was releasing bangers like Man, I Feel A Woman and That Don’t Impress Me Much.

CASEY LOWRY

Singer and guitarist, Casey Lowry grew up in Chesterfield before moving to London to pursue a career in music, He’s fast becoming one of the most talked-about and promising indie names in guitar pop. Pulling in crowds with his upbeat bops about misfortunes in love and rich odes to wanderlust, he’s made brilliant use of his support slots for Jack & Jack and LANY, as well as his own solo jaunt, to showcase his killer knack for live performance. He broke through with his debut single Trampoline, a winking nod to young love that clocked up over 500,000 streams and earned Casey a place on Radio 1’s playlist.

NOVACUB

Louise Bartle has been drumming since childhood. After cutting her teeth as a session player with stars like Selena Gomez and Eliza Doolittle, she landed the gig playing drums for Bloc Party in 2015. It was around that time that she began writing her own songs. Bloc Party guitarist Russell Lissack was impressed by Louise’s writing skills. Once off the road, Louise and Russell enlisted fellow Londoners, Iona Thomas and Tony Alda to form NOVACUB. NOVACUB is based in London and signed to Lab Records. Their debut single was I Still Need It.

DESSIE MAGEE

Brighton based folk/rock singer-songwriter Dessie Magee, hails from Belfast, where his career began within the heavy underground music scene. With a diverse musical background, Dessie’s music has recently taken a softer approach, drawing influences from the likes of Hozier, Ben Howard, Nathaniel Rateliff and Fink, though not leaving his heavy roots behind. Dessie has sold out headline shows in Brighton, London and Northern Ireland. His debut single Maze was picked as BBC Radio 1’s Track of The Day, The Unsigned Guide’s Track Of The Month which spent over a month in the top five of the French charts and racked up over 100,000 video views. Dessie was the winner of Bath Introduces in 2019.

LUNA LAKE

This four-piece indie band from Bath are popular regulars on the live circuit, playing gigs in their home city, Bristol and London as well as at Glastonbury in 2019. The line-up consists of Bren Dowling, Toby Goldsmith, Cassidy Jones and Flynn Tovey-Ashforth. Luna Lake’s music has been described as engaging, thoughtful and clever, as well as incredibly catchy.

LIFE IN MONO

Life In Mono have been refining their sound, a blend of 90's grunge, heavy rock topped with a stunning vocal. Life In Mono's sound combines thrashy guitars reminiscent of Placebo's early records, the darkness of Mazzy Star and lyrical sophistication of PJ Harvey. With their debut album scheduled for 2020 Life In Mono adhere to the Jack White approach of analogue, old guitars, vintage amps and home-made guitar pedals, creating a wild, live energy. Fronted by Sarah Clayton, theirs isn't a story of being chewed up and spat out by the music industry, drug addiction and expensive rehab. This is the story of a girl making sense of her world through her music, of 27 years and five hazy hospital admissions, a voice of unwavering talent and a story of resilience.

PORT ERIN

Port Erin are an alt-indie trio from Wiltshire. Their prolific recorded output, inspired by trailblazing icons such as Morphine, Talk Talk and Julian Cope, has been championed by the likes of Clash Music, The Guardian, The Times and BBC Radio 6 Music. Since their formation in 2007 they’ve toured extensively - headlining at venues such as O2 Academy (Bristol), Komedia (Bath), CCA (Glagsow), The 100 Club (London) and in Luxembourg, Denmark and Italy.? They’ve supported Robert Plant, The Soft Moon, Syd Arthur, Liima and Penelope Isles, and have played at major UK festivals and international showcase events including Liverpool Sound City, Glastonbury and FOCUS Wales.

PREVIOUS FINALE WEEKENDS

The first Bath Festivals’ Finale Weekend was in 2018, in a partnership of Bath Festivals and award-winning Orchard Live music promoters and designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences. The line-up over 2018 and 2019 provided a mixture of current chart-toppers and heritage acts, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Paloma Faith, Robert Plant, Midge Ure, Mabel, Clean Bandit, Van Morrison and Corinne Bailey-Rae.

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