Buzzin Music

Latitude Festival 2010

This year the Latitude Festival will include a one-off special performance on Thursday night at midnight deep in the woods by none other than the legendary Tom Jones.

The late addition to this year’s line-up will see Tom Jones performing songs from his forthcoming album ‘Praise & Blame‘.

This landmark album comes in the singer’s 70th year, a glowing achievement in what has been a ground-breaking, unpredictable roller-coaster of a 45-year career.  The songs from ‘Praise & Blame’ (released 26th July on Island Records), are from a repertoire that includes American traditional, gospel and country, seeing Tom going back to his roots and creating a truly evocative musical work, aided and abetted by producer/musician Ethan Johns.

Tom Jones says of ‘Praise & Blame’: “It’s food for thought, it’s real, it’s natural, and in that sense it’s truly me.”

This performance by Tom Jones will quite possibly be blowing the leaves off the trees when he takes to the secluded and magical stage In The Woods at midnight.

Warming up for Tom Jones are Les Clochards who began in 2005 when accordionist Karen Cleave and singer Ian Nixon decided that the chanson tradition is a deeper, wider seam than many had realised, linking Jacques Brel to Southern Soul via Gene Vincent. Fellow travellers and drinking partners Peter Momtchiloff, Gary Neville and Dean Ryan joined along the route, as French standards gave way to imperfectly beautiful original compositions. Their first LP ‘Sweet Tableaux’ was released on Big Red Sky Records in July 2009, following two well-received singles, and has attracted excellent reviews. That’s because it’s really, really good.

Other additions to this year’s Latitude Festival line-up also include David Ford, The Lost Levels, I Blame Coco, Gentleman’s Dub Club, Boycott Monday, Clare Maguire, Spectrals, The Quails and Aaron Wright.

Comedians  Stephen K Amos, Kevin Eldon and Dominic Holland join the vast array of talent to appear in the Comedy Tent, while DJs John Rostron, DJ Felson and Jen Long also join the weekend festival.

Other musical highlights over the weekend include Obelisk Arena headliners Florence + the Machine, Belle and Sebastian and Vampire Weekend as well as The National, The xx, Empire Of The Sun, Laura Marling, Frank Turner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Spoon, Crystal Castles and Mumford & Sons amongst so many other.

Elsewhere throughout the weekend, festival goers can enjoy the comedy stylings of Emo Philips, Phill Jupitus & Friends Improv Show, Richard Herring; literary musings from the ever-popular Robin Ince’s Book Club with Kevin Eldon, Jo Neary, Robyn Hitchcock, Josie Long & Gavin Osborn; leftfield poetry from Eddie Argos; and dramatic performances courtesy of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Opera House and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse in association with Paines Plough.

Latitude Festival returns to the beautiful countryside of Henham Park Estate on Suffolk’s Sunrise Coast on Thursday 15th – 18th July 2010.

Latitude Festival tickets have already sold out.