The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Blog...

Facebook... Twitter... Youtube...

Monday 22 October 2012

Sweeties and radio and campfires, OH MY!

Hello Shakers!

So Hippy Horror is less than a week away and boy, oh, boy are we excited??? The marquee is going in tomorrow, the stage will be erected (teehee) on Wednesday and the sound rig is going in on Thursday so we are busy busy bees right about now. And yet, we still thought we'd set aside time to fill you in on our latest updates and man we've really out-done ourselves this time! Here's just a little flavour of what is in store for this weekend...

***

Sweetie Time!


Obviously with it being Halloween (and Halloween being one of our favorite times of  the year...) it would only be fair if we reward those of you Hippy Shakers with a few treats in exchange for dressing up nice and creepy for us. Some of the best sounding costumes include Zombie Barbie, V for Vendetta and even a giant penis (SUPER SCARY). Select bands will be throwing sweeties into the audience so look alive (or dead, depending on your costume) and collect the goods that will rot your teeth :) Furthermore, throughout the weekend, we'll be having different mini-competitions and games in which you can win a variety of sweet snacks. Nomgobble. 

BBC Radio Stoke AND Radical's Rising All At One Festival???


That's right, you heard it! BBC Stoke's BBC Introducing show will be recorded live from Hippy Horror, so if you're lucky (and not too horrifically dog-face wasted) you may be chosen for an interview with the lovely presenter Rob Adcock on the Friday night. As if that isn't good enough, you'll be entertained by Six Towns' own Lee Barber in between bands. The Radical's Rising show will be recorded live from the festival on the Sunday, so practice your radio voice and GET INVOLVED.


The Joe Gilligan Trust Campfire


We're not completely delusional... we know that October evenings are generally a little nippy. Never fear, we've thought ahead and set up a campfire area, complete with acoustic musicians, hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows, which will be ready and waiting for you at 2am when the marquee closes for the night. What do we want in return for this treat? Just a £2 donation which will go straight into the deserving pocket of the Joe Gilligan Trust. If you don't know much about this charity, all you need to know is that it supports youngsters suffering with cancer and young musicians like those who will be performing on our stage all weekend. The Joe Gilligan Trust Campfire will accommodate just 50 people per night and will be burning on Friday and Saturday. To purchase your tickets for the JGTC just ask in the Control Tent when you pick up your wristbands and they'll get you sorted.

***

So those are just three of the most exciting things going on at Hippy Horror...

What are you going as? Which band are you most excited about? How dog-face wasted will you be on a scale of 1 to passedoutbesidethestage?


TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE, HANLEY OR STAFFORD, MUSIC MANIA, OR HARASS THE BANDS AND GET YOURS NOW. £6 FOR FRIDAY NIGHT INCLUDING CAMPING, £14 FOR SATURDAY OR SUNDAY DAY-PASS INCLUDING CAMPING AND JUST £26 FOR A THREE-DAY CAMPING TICKET. 


Love and shakes...
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company
x

Monday 17 September 2012

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... Vellocet!

As ever, in the run up to Hippy Horror, our team have found themselves at a variety of gigs over the past few months. One such gig was that of psychedelic trip rock 'n' roll band, Vellocet at the Underground a few weeks back. Supporting 3's A Riot, the mighty Vellocet were the second band to perform and the crowd went wild for their different sound. As they are playing Hippy Horror on Sunday the 28th October, we absolutely had to grab a couple of minutes to get to know the boys a little better...


***

Vellocet! You guys were brilliant just now, thanks for taking the time to chat with us.
Ash: We're sorry we're such hairy sweaty men... apologies. It just gets really hot on stage.

Ooooh, that's quite alright, we'd probably be sweaty and hairy if we put as much time into something as you obviously do with your music. So where has your bassist rushed off to?
Jordan: It is Louis's birthday so hopefully he's off getting drinks bought for him by pretty girls.

Coming and playing a gig on his birthday, now THAT'S commitment! So tell us about the band...
Ash: Well, we started as a six piece and we were always selling out gigs for about 3 years and were headlining every three weeks.
Dewy: Then the singer quit...
Jordan: Yeah, I wasn't even the original singer!

No way. So how long have you been the band that you are today?
Dewy: Only since June 21st, the day before the Camden gig...
Ash: We saw the legendary Richard Buxton in Camden that day! It was mad we were just walking down the street and we asked if he knew where this pub was and he recognized us, it was weird.

So, if we were only going to see one band at Hippy Horror, why should Vellocet be that band?
Dewy: We're up and coming really. We're getting back on track.
Jordan: We've got quite a dirty dark sound which I don't think you hear that often. Its a different sound. Dirty Rock.
Ash: Every time we do a gig we try to push our limits and top what we did last time. Like our Fatboy Slim cover has been a challenge but it was worth it when it worked tonight. That will stay in our set for this year now.

Yes, it was a real crowd pleaser. Were you guys at Hippy Haze?
Ash: We were going to play but we actually lost our singer and our keyboardist not long before so we were a bit down in the dumps.
Jordan: Yeah, we were all working that weekend. Gutted we missed it though, we've heard such great things about it!

Well, we'll let you off if you perform at Hippy Horror as well as you did tonight... What Halloween costumes are you going to be wearing at Hippy Horror?
Jordan: Well, we usually do Clockwork Orange...
Dewy: Yeah but we might want to try something different... but we want to keep it a surprise.
Jordan: In fairness, us in tight white jeans probably isn't what most people want to see.
Ash: We've done Clockwork Orange twice now so we'll go for a surprise this time.
Jordan: We are mysterious and dark.

Awhhh you boys never let anything on! What has been your best ever gig?
Jordan: All the Young, definitely, at the King's Hall.
Dewy: We didn't have a huge crowd but it was just an incredible experience being able to play on a stage that big.
Ash: There was that one where we collaborated with the Rivalry and did a mashup of Baba O'Reilly with the Chemical Brothers over the top of that.
Dewy: We've got quite a few favourite gigs really.

Tell us about your worst gig ever...
Jordan: Fatcats.
Dewy: Fatcats.
Ash: Fatcats.
Jordan: We hadn't played in a while and we were trying to put as much new content into the gig as possible before the songs were even ready.
Ash: We even ended up doing our first song again as an encore because we hadn't prepared a proper one...
Jordan: It was embarrassing.
Ash: Oxjam was bad too. It sounds terrible because it was a charity gig but it was a terrible gig.
Jordan: We try to forget about gigs like that...

Yes, let's move on. So after Hippy Horror, what will be next for Vellocet? Do you have anything fun planned for the festive season?
Jordan: We've got Keele at the end of the year.
Dewy: We're playing a gig at Keele on the 23rd of December. It will have all the biggest bands in Stoke playing so that and Hippy Horror are going to be our two biggest of the year.

Is there anything we should know...
Ash: Look forward to next summer...
Jordan: Yesss we've got our EP out next year.

Well thanks once again for giving us an interview, we can't wait to see you perform.
Jordan: Thanks for having us :)


***

You heard it here first guys! Vellocet have got exciting things in the pipeline, so you'd really better catch them at Hippy Horror on Sunday the 28th before they disappear into a whirl-wind of everything they have planned for the next twelve months. This group of genuine lads work hard to develop with each and every gig they play, so even if you've seen them before you are definitely going to want to see them again at Hippy Horror because each performance is different. We're particularly excited about their cover potential, because the range of songs they've put their own spin on in the past is so varied, you never know what to expect! So buy your ticket, pack your bag, pitch your tent, grab your beer and stake out your spot in what is sure to be a heaving crowd, because Vellocet are ready to rock your socks off.

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE, HANLEY OR STAFFORD, MUSIC MANIA, OR HARASS THE BANDS AND GET YOURS NOW. £6 FOR FRIDAY NIGHT INCLUDING CAMPING, £14 FOR SATURDAY OR SUNDAY DAY-PASS INCLUDING CAMPING AND JUST £26 FOR A THREE-DAY CAMPING TICKET. 

Love and shakes
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Currently Recruiting... Artists Needed!

Right guys, we need y'all to get yo' creative bonnets on!


We (The Hippy Hippy Shake Company) are currently recruiting art nerds in order to get some absolutely INSANE decorations put together in preparation for Hippy Horror. No qualifications required, all you need to do is send a private message via facebook to me (Gabriella Sofia Buxton) or my lovely father (Richard Buxton) and get us to add you to the list. We're hoping to recruit about ten artsy folk and all we ask is that you come to our first meeting (which will hopefully be held within the next couple of weeks) full of ideas and ready to get creative.


So what is in it for you?

Well...


  • We plan on meeting once a week to do our arty-farty thing, and as we'll be meeting in our Newcastle store, it would only be fair if we would give each of you a milkshake for free, now would it?
  • Whatever decorations you create can be kept at the end of Hippy Horror to put towards any art coursework you may need. You're also welcome to keep our creepy work at your own home after the event or give it away to friends.
  • You get to be a big part of the creative process of a local music festival. Sounds clever for your CV doesn't it?
  • You'll get to meet nine other creative-types and all get excited about Hippy Horror together :)
  • This is all about going crazy and being weird and twisted and making stuff that will terrify your mates. It will be a laugh!

So what are you waiting for, creatives? Send us a facebook message as soon as you can because we'd like to have a meeting to discuss your ideas and make a shopping list of materials we will need for the next meeting.

Love and shakes
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company 

Sunday 2 September 2012

Stall-Holder Profile: Andy Gannon of Dirty Slut Clothing

As we all know, The Hippy Hippy Shake Company doesn't just chuck a few bands on stage and call their events 'festivals'. We like to give all you clever people who have invested in tickets a little something extra, to make your spend EVEN MORE worthwhile. So, as at HippyHaze, Hippy Horror will be packed full of mouth-watering food vendors, activity stalls and local clothing and jewellery collections so that if you lose your T-shirt or need some extra nourishment, you can be sure to find a new (much cooler) one and grab a bite to eat.

At the Emilio Pinchi gig we recently attended, imagine our surprise when we bumped into Andy Gannon of Dirty Slut Clothing. If this names means nothing to you just yet, it will soon because Andy's clothing label is about to take Hippy Horror by storm... much like it did at HippyHaze in fact! 



***

Fancy seeing you here, Andy Gannon CEO and Head Honcho of Dirty Slut Clothing!
Well, what can I say, I'm a big Emilio Pinchi fan!

Got to love a bit of bromance! So tell us a little about what you'll be doing at Hippy Horror...
Like at HippyHaze, I've invested in a little store on which to sell my wares... Dirty Slut Clothing is an alternative clothing label which was started in Staffordshire in 2012, inspired by a combination of the unsigned band and skating scenes.

And how did you get into deciding to design your own clothing label?
Well, I've always been into art and the music scene and skate clothes. So I started out designing logos for bands, but then a clothing company came to me and offered me some money to do a few designs for them and it all took off from there really.



Sounds exciting, so who buys your clothes then?
Well, we offer unisex items so both men and women tend to enjoy shopping at Dirty Slut. They are probably for the more casual person as at the moment our main items are T-shirts and vests and we're thinking of soon moving into jackets, hoodies and crew necks.

And your items are quite cheap too aren't they? So all ages and background can afford pieces from your collection.
Yes, I try to keep things as affordable as possible. My shirts are set at about £10 or £15 at the moment although I'm looking into a better quality option which will obviously be a bit more expensive. However, I wouldn't want to become inaccessible to people from less wealthy backgrounds so there will always be an option.

So tell me exactly what you do for Dirty Slut, since it is a one-man-band (so to speak) we expect you're often very busy?
I try to involve myself in the process as much as possible. I design the artwork, choose the products which they are printed onto, run the online shop and facebook account. It is really mad, being busy all the time but I like being involved in all areas because that way I can keep an eye on everything and make sure everything is going as it should. If you trust other people things can work out differently than you imagined them, and sometimes other people don't always have your best interests at heart.


Jeez. That sound like all your energy goes into the brand then?
Definitely. Pretty much any free time I have is spent on Dirty Slut Clothing. I'm always drawing designs even though I don't use them all because its nice having a band of work I can go to and choose what I like and don't like and keep improving. 

Not that we'd understand how you find time, but do you have a day job as well as the label?
I actually go to Keele University. I'm in my second year in September and I study Philosophy and Music. I'm also in a band but we're mostly working on writing stuff at the moment.

Its good to know that you're into the music scene because obviously the whole HippyHaze and Hippy Horror thing is right up your alley!
It is!

And how has business been received since you first started out?
At first it didn't get off the ground at all. We only had two designs and it was hard to get people to look at them because people tend to prefer mainstream retailers. But since HippyHaze business has been amazing. After HippyHaze we went up to 600 likes on facebook which was incredible! I'm always getting bands calling me now asking to work with me which is really cool. I'm working with Emilio Pinchi and Moral Panics at the moment, but hopefully even more will hop on board soon!


We bet you'll meet loads of people who will be interested after Hippy Horror. Now, I've got to ask. What do you imagine a Dirty Slut shopper to look like?
*Laughs* I try not to pigeon-hole people because anyone that wants to wear my clothes is fine by me. I know at the moment there are some people who deliberately WON'T buy my clothes purely because they say 'Dirty Slut' all over them, so I'm adapting to that and working on some designs which aren't so clearly branded. Some people might like my designs but might not like the name so it is all about supply and demand. If they demand clothes without the word 'slut' on them, I'll consider supplying that.

Ok, we like that you're not super-stubborn about that! So just out of interest, why did you call the brand Dirty Slut?
Well, at the end of the day there are tonnes of clothing labels out there and the branding is going to be what stands out. Having something controversial works for the scene which I'm mostly selling to, so I called it Dirty Slut to catch people's eyes and show them that this is one label that doesn't mind breaking the rules. I did once get told I was going to hell by a Christian because of my label's name...

Hopefully not... Are you looking forward to Hippy Horror?
Of course! It will actually be my birthday on the Saturday so I'm very excited. I haven't decided what Halloween costume to wear just yet though...

Ahh we'll be sure to give you a shout-out on the Saturday and hopefully everyone will buy you a drink or ten!
That would be very cool.

Well thank you Andy, we look forward to seeing your designs at Halloween!
Thank you :)

***

We can't wait to pick up a couple of Dirty Slut T-shirts at Hippy Horror, which design will you get? Are there any requests for stalls we should have? What are you looking forward to most at Hippy Horror apart from the music?

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY, MUSIC MANIA, OR HARASS THE BANDS AND GET YOURS NOW. £6 FOR FRIDAY NIGHT INCLUDING CAMPING, £14 FOR SATURDAY OR SUNDAY DAY-PASS INCLUDING CAMPING AND JUST £26 FOR A THREE-DAY CAMPING TICKET. 

Love and milkshakes
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company


Monday 27 August 2012

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... Emilio Pinchi!

That's right. The Hippy Hippy Shake Company got to interview the handsome, talented, and (if his recent A-Level results are anything to go by) intelligent local acoustic genius, Emilio Pinchi. And what's better, he's agreed to open the show on Saturday the 27th at our Hippy Horror Halloween festival! After his fab performance at HippyHaze over Easter and recent acceptance into Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (informally known as LIPA) we felt ever so slightly star-struck watching Emilio perform effortlessly for a room full of eagerly listening fans. We felt even more fantastic when he agreed to a quick interview not five minutes after he came off the Sugarmill stage on the 17th August in spite of the fact everyone was pulling him in about a million different directions...


***

Emilio! Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. What's the name, what's the deal, where are you from, what are you about?
I'm half Italian, hence the name... Then what is Emilio Pinchi about? Haha, well I've been in bands since I was about fifteen so for three years. But then when I was between bands, I decided to start playing some acoustic stuff, writing my own music, booking gigs and it took off from there really.

Wow, our very own Italian stallion! So how much time do you actually invest into your music?
Pretty much all I do is writing music, playing, thinking up ideas. Like I'll be out and I'll have an idea and have to put it into my phone. I'm like, 'Everybody stop. I've had an idea.' So really most of my time goes into my music and producing it, promoting it and performing it.

And you've just finished your A-Levels right?
Yes... I did music, music tech, geography and media and I got one A and three B's. I'm amazed about media... I was not confident coming out of that exam. I've never sat an exam before and thought, 'I've failed' before but I did with that. Can't believe it! And now I'm heading off to Paul McCartney's LIPA in September. I move in around the start of September and it all starts from there. I'm so excited to be moving to the centre of Liverpool.

But we're going to lose you! 
Don't worry, I'm coming back to play Hippy Horror remember, so don't worry!

Phew. Thank God for that, eh? Are you going to wear a Halloween costume for Hippy Horror. You have to.
I think I do have to don't I? Well, I'm performing on the Saturday and I think that is Dead Celebrities day so I've got something up my sleeve but its a secret. Its one of my heroes. You'll just have to wait and see...

Keeping us in suspense. It had better be worth it! Tell me who some of your heroes are then.
Radiohead are my biggest influence really. Elliot Smith is really good. I always write better when I've just been listening to Radiohead. It puts me in the mood for it. I love Nirvana too. I don't write many happy songs... those guys inspire me to write dark songs. Who wants to listen to happy songs anyway?

So since your songs are so dark and twisty, where do you come up with the inspiration to write them?
The usual stuff. I have a couple of songs which I've written for people. There is one actually which I've written for someone and I've never played it live because it would just be too hard.

Awh! Is it for a girl?
It is! I'm between girlfriends like I'm between bands...

That's sad. But I've noticed that most of your fans are girls so maybe you could just pick one...
Haha, this is true my fanbase is mostly girls. I don't know why! I've never really thought about who my fanbase is made up of before. I just want anyone that gets me to come to my show and enjoy the music. It makes me happy, But I don't know why they are mostly girls.

Oh yeah, we wonder too (*insert sarcastic stare*)... What has been the best gig that you remember playing?
I really enjoyed tonight, that was good. During one of my songs there was like, TOTAL SILENCE which was really eerie but cool. Its nice seeing people listening so intently at a gig. At one of my gigs a lady gave me £20 for my EP and wouldn't take change from me! I guess she really enjoyed the performance but that was so generous of her. That was one of my best gigs. 

How about the worst gig? Have you ever done anything embarrassing on stage?
I'm dead clumsy in real life so I've tripped over on stage when I've been in bands so many times. Worst gig ever was quite recently when I showed up to play and there was literally not a single person there. I played to the bar staff. Having said that I don't mind playing to an empty room because gigging is all about practice as well as getting your sound out there. Getting to hear yourself through a PA rather than just in your bedroom is worth it. Plus, bar staff are still people aren't they?

They are! So finally, what's your favorite The Hippy Hippy Shake Company milkshake?
The one named after me. One of the specials at the moment is called the 'Emilio Pinchi' and it has Jaffa Cake, Fruit and Nut, Toffee Sauce and Whipped Cream. It is so good! Everyone should get one!

They should! Well thank you for the interview Mr Pinchi, we thoroughly enjoyed your performance tonight.
Thank you for coming :D



***

And with that, Emilio breezed back into his friendship group as if he isn't one of the most promising musicians that Stoke-on-Trent has to offer. As if it wasn't nice enough that Emilio used his post-performance buzz to provide us with a fun and energetic interview, he also handed us a complementary copy of his current EP. It's all we've been listening to for the past couple of days and we can honestly say that we can't wait to be swaying along in the Hippy Horror tent to Slow Down and Sunday Night. He's like our very own version of an Ed Sheeran/Noel Gallagher combo, but better and we absolutely love it. Check out his SoundCloud page and send him a Tweet for a copy of the EP at @@EmilioPinchi This guy is going places. See him at Hippy Horror on the 27th October at 11am before he blows up into a world-wide super-star...

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY, MUSIC MANIA, OR HARASS THE BANDS AND GET YOURS NOW. £6 FOR FRIDAY NIGHT INCLUDING CAMPING, £14 FOR SATURDAY OR SUNDAY DAY-PASS INCLUDING CAMPING AND JUST £26 FOR A THREE-DAY CAMPING TICKET. 

Love and milkshakes
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

Wednesday 22 August 2012

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... Sea Based Turtles!

On the 17th August, The Hippy Hippy Shake Company checked out who would be playing at the Sugarmill and we were pleasantly surprised to see that one of our favorite Stafford-based bands was headlining the night. We are of course talking about Sea Based Turtles. We discovered this band for the first time a few months back and were automatically hooked. We were super happy to have them agree to perform at HippyHaze back in Easter and after their fantastic performance (which included two broken guitar strings, a big old bunch of energy and a cover of the Gorillaz Clint Eastwood) we were just dying to ask them to perform for us again.


It may please you HippyHazers to know that Sea Based Turtles have agreed to return and play for us at our Hippy Horror Halloween event! So we moseyed on down to their Sugarmill gig the other night and grabbed five minutes with the Joe S (bassist), Joe R (Drummer) and Sam (Guitarist) pre-performance. Here's what we found out...

***

Thanks for giving us a few minutes before you perform! Where are the others?
Sam: Missing.
Joe R: They're not here. They've nipped off... They've gone somewhere. *Slightly nervous look*
Sam: They should really be here. We're performing in ten minutes and we are two band members down. Standard.

Oh... ok, well I'm sure they'll get here in time. Meanwhile, let's find out a little about Sea Based Turtles, eh? Let's start with a simple question. Where did you guys come from? Bar 'the sea.' Obviously.
Sam: We started at university. We just started jamming together and before we knew it, Sea Based Turtles were born. It was Joe S that came up with the random name... We're still not sure why. It was interesting when we started out really because we all have such different influences that we weren't sure for a while how our music would sound. Eventually we found our voice though.

Ok, so speaking of influences, who are your biggest?
Joe R: Block Party, Foals and Chilli Peppers for me.
Sam: Anything funky. Jimi Hendrix.
Joe S: James Brown.

Did you enjoy performing at HippyHaze?
Joe R: We loved it.
Sam: We wish we'd stayed and camped for the whole thing. We've just heard so many rave reviews about it.
Joe S: It's just so nice seeing so many local bands getting together with different types of music.
Sam: We were suprised at having such a big crowd because we're from a bit out of the area as we're all Stafford uni students. We had a great time. We can't wait for Hippy Horror!


Speaking of Hippy Horror, as it is a Halloween event, you MUST dress in Halloween costumes...
Joe R: Yes definitely. I want to go as V for Vendetta.
Joe S: Well, we did a music video a while back called Dracula where we were all dressed like vampires so we might have to crack those back out again...

Oooh, like on Twilight?
Sam: NO. My skin will not be sparkling, I'll tell you that right now.


So what's a typical Sea Based Turtles fan like... only, we've noticed there are a lot of girls in your crowd?
Sam: A dancer!
Joe R: A nutter.
Joe S: Anyone really, anyone. We don't want to pigeon-hole things too much because we think anyone can like our music really.

What have you been working on since HippyHaze?
Sam: Our album will be out in time Hippy Horror so we've just been working on getting that finished up.


What has been you best ever gig? Apart from HippyHaze of course!
Joe S: The best gig we probably did was a small gig at the Grapes in Stafford and it was absolutely rammed. It was a really good gig, so packed!



Have you ever had a terrible terrible terrible gig?
Joe R: Well, Hippy Haze was amazing, but Sam broke TWO strings on stage which was a bit of a nightmare.
Joe S: Oh and at one gig, both me and Sam forgot our guitar straps so we had to sit on chairs and play the whole set like that.


Oh no! So square. Aside from your Twilight-directed animosity, you guys are cool. Like really cool. I bet you get lots of attention from the ladies. Would you ever snog a fan?

Joe R: Ooooh that's a difficult one...
Joe S: Which fan?
Joe R: Yeah, it totally depends on the fan really!


So, you wouldn't rule it out? Just checking... Anyway, let's wrap this up with what your favorite The Hippy Hippy Shake Company milkshakes are...
Joe R: I had a Kinder Bueno once. *Pulls an 'Oh-yes-it-was-well-peng' face*
Sam: I had our Sea Based Turtles special back at HippyHaze as well which was so cool. It tasted so good. I might have to ask Rich to bring it back for Hippy Horror, especially for me...

Well, I'd better let you go and get on stage! Thanks for giving me the time of day :) Good luck!
Sam: Thanks :) *Rushes off with the rest of the band*


***

Let us tell you, Sea Based Turtles aren't just an extremely likeable group of boys but they are extremely talented entertainers too. Think a cross between Reel Big Fish, Gorillaz and nothing you've ever heard before and you have Sea Based Turtles. There's no doubt about it, we'll be dancing away in front of the stage. Make sure you join us on the Sunday at Hippy Horror because its going to be a performance you're not going to want to miss! Meanwhile, hit up Sea Based Turtles's Soundcloud. Our favourite song is Real Resonation. What is yours?

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT FAST SO MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY, MUSIC MANIA, OR HARASS THE BANDS AND GET YOURS NOW. £6 FOR FRIDAY NIGHT INCLUDING CAMPING, £14 FOR SATURDAY OR SUNDAY DAY-PASS INCLUDING CAMPING AND JUST £26 FOR A THREE-DAY CAMPING TICKET. 

Love and milkshakes
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

Thursday 16 August 2012

We Couldn't Wait Until Next Easter... Our Next Event is Halloween!

That's right, The Hippy Hippy Shake Company is so addicted to putting on events following the success of HippyHaze over Easter and the Summer Nights this summer, that we couldn't possibly wait until next Easter to organize another biggie! So, Halloween it is.

We're calling it HippyHorror and the event will be quite as jam-packed with fantastic local bands as HippyHaze, if you don't believe us, just check out the provisional event flyer...


So those are the initial details! As you can see, back by popular demand, The Get Alongs will be headlining the first night, so once you've finished school, college, uni, work and just generally dossing around for half-term, head straight over to Foxfields Railway to enjoy our three-day-long Halloween party. 

The second night we have The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Events virgins, The Control topping the bill which is very exciting... Wrapping us up on the Sunday night will be The Rivalry, yet another fantastic local group. With such talented headliners, we're spoiling you guys big-time by having a huge group of brilliant supporting acts from returners such as 3's A Riot, Jo-Ee-T and Moral Panics, plus a variety of first-timers including Dirt Box Disco, Twinkle and the Sluts and Troops of the Mafeking, ready to pop their The Hippy Hippy Shake Company  Events cherries.

So please come along and support your local music scene and you absolutely won't be disappointed. As it will be Halloween, we have a few well-planned tricks up our sleeves which will be worth the bargain-a-licious £26 weekend ticket fee alone. Plus, don't forget, although this is a three-day-Halloween-party, you are more than welcome to camp in the field for the duration of the event. This means you don't have to watch how much you drink because you know you'll be heading home to your disapproving parents. You don't have to pay for a taxi back home after the bands have finished. You don't have to miss out on the after-band excitement because you and your tent will be right in the middle of all the fun. 

And don't forget, since we're going the whole hog with Halloween theming, we want you guys to get into the spirit too! This means costumes, pumpkin carving, alcoholic bobbing for apples, ghost story drinking games and fighting over sweets and treats which will be available at various locations over the weekend. Can you commit to that?

Do you have any other Halloween ideas we should include? Who are you most excited about seeing? What costume ideas do you have so far?

Love and shakes
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company
x

Saturday 2 June 2012

Finally Recovered...

Well hello there strangers!

It has been a while since our fantastic HippyHaze festival over Easter weekend, and this poor blog has been somewhat neglected. The reasons for this are as follows:

1) We were recovering from the exceptionally fun yet exceptionally exhausting weekend. A handful of The Hippy Hippy Shake Company staff spent the whole weekend working from dawn to... well, the dead of night, stewarding, making shakes, stage managing and just basically helping to pull off the event. We couldn't have done it without them.
2) We've had loads of brilliant local press coverage reviewing the event and the bands also, so we figured we could sit back here at the blog and bask in the luxury of having a bit of time off. If you're interested in seeing some of the great publicity we've had, check out the links at the bottom of this post.
3) We have been planning more fun things! Most of them are TOP SECRET at this point, but expect a blog post over the next couple of days regarding the one plan which we actually are allowed to share with you. And between us, you're going to want to be at this event because we once again have some fab performers lined up in an ideal venue for a very reasonable price. Exciting, right?

So anyway, as we say, we've had a lot of great press coverage and Lee and Dan from Radical's Rising at Six Towns local radio station took some super photos of the bands as they performed, so go check out their Saturday, Sunday and Monday pictures. Plus, they also managed to snap some great shots of the Silent Disco which feature a big old bunch of our festival goers, so go see if you can find yourself in the pics if you came! We at The Hippy Hippy Shake Company know how nice it is to piece together drunken nights, and thanks to Lee and Dan you may be able to do just that through their meticulous photographic documentation :)

Here are just a few of our favorite shots taken by a collection of people...


*Campsite filling up*


*We're just so effing happy to be here!!!*


*Silent disco antics*


*Girlsssss*


*Spot the local celebs...*


*Jo-Ee-T... 'nuff said*


*Love how orange-jumper-guy is kind of cuddling stripey-sweater-guy*


*Just a few of The Hippy Hippy Shake Company staff, blowing off some steam at the end of a sleepless weekend*


*Lead singer of Headgames decides he wants to dance with his partner... during his performance. Metal barrier? No problemo, Brother.*


*Pretty ladies taking shelter from the cold*


*We're going camping...*


*Playing cards in between bands, lapping up campsite-life*


*A literal knees-up during our only bluegrass band, The Slippery Hill Boys*


*Crowd, loving life.*


*Definitely one too many... you can't hide behind your clenched fist, Drunkard!*

So there you have it! 3 days, hundreds of guests, 42 acts, 15 The Hippy Shake Company staff and stewards, 4 fab photographers, 2 sound men, 1 team of security, 1 Foxfields Railway, a handful of stall holders, first aid volunteers and some very helpful local media people managed to make the first ever HippyHaze 2012 the benchmark for any future events we might be planning. Regardless of the fact that the weather was absolutely atrocious, our guests made the most of the weekend ensuring they had their beer jackets and smiles on at all times. In fact, some of our guests seemed to enjoy the event BECAUSE of the horrendous rain, as they decided mud-sliding was definitely the way to go... genius!


Thank you very much to everyone who was involved in the event, we're really grateful. If you want to check out any of the great review write ups, here are just three of the links we've been sent since:




If you have written a review of the event or done any kind of press coverage from HippyHaze 2012 that you think we should know about, then make sure you let us know on The Hippy Hippy Shake Company facebook page so we can big you up as much as you've hopefully done for us! Also, if you were a guest at HippyHaze who took some great photos, tag the group in your photos because we'd love to see them. Finally, if you are a band, stall-holder or media person who would like to work with us in the future, get in touch, we'll be nice, promise!

Keep an eye out for upcoming blog-posts revealing a very exciting new event which we're working on throwing together for you all now... Ooh the suspense!

What was the best thing about HippyHaze in your opinion? Who was your favorite band? HOW did you manage to stay alive and smiling during the icy temperatures?

Love and shakes
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company
x

Thursday 5 April 2012

Band Profile: Swim into Scarlet

So it's crunch time... The marquee has gone up, our toilets have arrived and it's time for our last Band Profile for this HippyHaze! We can honestly say we've had a fantastic time watching bands, interviewing them and (ahem) drinking with them too and it's been great to learn what the Staffordshire music scene really has to offer. For our last Band Profile, we have Swim into Scarlet who will be playing on the Monday of HippyHaze. These boys were recruited not long ago in order to replace another band who were unable to perform... We can honestly say it was a huge error on our part not to ask them to perform in the first place as they really are one of a kind! Swim into Scarlet is all about talent, fun and most importantly working hard on their music and that's why we love them. Check out what they had to say about themselves...



***

Who is Swim into Scarlet? 
Swim into Scarlet is me, Aidan Razzall and I'm on guitar,keys and vocals. Then there's Zachary Thomas on guitar and vocals, Matthew Vaughan on bass, synth and vocals and David Nash on drums and vocals. We also have an occasional live member Sam Robertson, who plays saxophone. 




Wow, you're a very vocal group! And what do you get up to when you're not gigging and practicing? 
We are all college students and have varying degrees of part-time work including everything from bar jobs to working at printing firms in our native Nantwich.

Busy bees. So did you meet at college? How did you get started?
Well, we formed in the autumn of 2009 after spending the summer deliberating over whether our primitive jams from the summer prior to that were worth honing into songs. None of us can actually really remember why we decided to become a band, but it seemed to be natural progression from our experimentation in practise rooms in the latter of half of that year.

Like, fate conspired to make you into a band? Haha, so who writes the lyrics and what are the words inspired by?
I write the lyrics for the most part, but some songs have contributions from other members, the chorus of ‘Trophy’, for example. I suppose my lyrics are inspired by glimpses of moments, observations and thievery from conversation. I try to create lyrics which are cinematic and visual and present a place within a song, as if it’s a snow globe to be peered into. I admire Matt Berninger from The National's lyrics, the simplicity is effortless. I like Keats, too, he chooses such vivid language to create his microcosmic worlds yet conveyed his poetry in a very direct way.

Wow, I'm an English student and even I don't know the meanings of a big bunch of those words! You must be really clever! Who are your biggest influences?
In terms of music our tastes vary in the band from ambient house to 70’s prog and psychadelia, to contemporary alternative music and heavier stuff. We find that when we write, what comes naturally through experimentation is the material that works, rather than consciously deciding on how we can integrate our influences into a song. A lot of the music we listen to also doesn’t actually reflect in our work itself, our latest single ‘The Promised Land’ for example, doesn’t sound like anything we normally enjoy!

That's cool, like you want to be inspired but not a copy-cat. What's been your best gig so far? Or best rock star moment...
Our best gig so far has probably been the Stoke Sounds Festival last year, it was our first time on an outdoor stage and we relished the opportunity. It’s a strange one to choose because we have had some brilliant gigs in Manchester and London, but we played one of our best sets and felt a brilliant connection with the crowd. Our best rock star moment has probably been when our drummer David clambered off the stage to place one of our t shirts in between a wall of death at one of our shows, inducing mass gladiatorial combat. You can see it here...


Oh wow, that looks pretty crazy! So what's been your worst band moment?
Being described as a female fronted pop punk outfit on a gig flyer in Camden.

Ouchey... let's not dwell on that, eh? Who are you excited about seeing at HippyHaze?
We are friends with Sian Matthews and have enjoyed her work with Faux Feet and Heritage, so catching their opening set on the Monday will be great. Unfortunately we’re missing Aaron Mobberley’s performance, but we’ve definitely planned to drink with him after our set.

We like it when the performers are all friends :) What's next for Swim into Scarlet after HippyHaze?
We are playing The Dirty Dozen Festival on April 21st, and continuing recording our new single in Leeds in preparation for its release later on this year!

Sounds great! Well, good luck with it and we can't wait to see you perform!

***

We told you they're lovely! And how clever does Aidan sound??? Haha, they're on of our most promising acts so if you want a taster of the excitement to come, head over to youtube to see a couple of Swim into Scarlet's recent gigs. Looks like a lot of fun! They'll be playing on the Monday at HippyHaze so make sure you get yourself in the marquee in time... it should be packed out for these lads.

If you haven't grabbed your tickets yet, then you'd better beg, steal and borrow the money to buy one because they're flying out! 

HEAD INTO MUSIC MANIA OR THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. A COUPLE OF THE BANDS ARE STILL FLOGGING TICKETS, BUT THEY'RE RAPIDLY RUNNING OUT NOW SO GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN! £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. See you there :)

Love and milkshakes
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

Tuesday 3 April 2012

The Hippy Hippy Shake Company Sits Down With... Jo-Ee-T!

This time in a couple of days we are likely to be running around like headless chickens, trying hard to put the finishing touches to HippyHaze 2012 in time for the next morning when our gates shall open bright and early. However, this week the pressure isn't on quite as much, so drinks and dinner at Frankie and Benny's with a certain Jo-Ee-T was definitely on the agenda! If you're not yet aware of the talent which is Joey, you're in for a real treat. Specializing in house music, this local DJ offers a breath of fresh air to the Stoke-on-Trent music scene. His laptop and a microphone is all this guy needs to blow our HippyHaze audience away big-time. Drinks ordered, pleasantries and greetings taken care of, and tushes planted firmly on the bar stools, we experienced the down-to-earth Jo-Ee-T for the first time in a none-performance setting. He didn't disappoint...

***



It's so nice to finally meet the famous Jo-Ee-T I've heard so much about!
Argghhh don't, I'm just Joey. Haha.

Awhh I'm going to tease you throughout now like you're a huge rock-star because I know it bugs you :) Let's get on shall we? Do you work Joey?
I do have a job in Newcastle but really I spend most of my time mixing tracks. I'm really passionate about it, so nothing really distracts me. Like, I prefer to go mix rather than watch the telly even!


As if! I love the telly. Although it's great that you're so passionate about what you do. So, tell us about Jo-Ee-T as an act...
Well, basically it's just me all on my own! At HippyHaze I'm playing a two and a half hour set, some of it will be DJ-ing and some just me live so it should be good. I make the music myself although sometimes I feature other artists like Sian Matthews (of Heritage and Faux Feet, also playing HippyHaze). I spend lots of time on my mixes and then I just use my laptop and beach balls when I'm performing them!

Beach balls?
Yeah, at Rugfest I brought beach balls for the audience to play with.

Amazing! How did you get into DJ-ing then? It's not really something they teach in school...
No it isn't. Well, my dad and my uncle have been DJ-ing for ages so I've grown up around it really. They're my idols to be honest.

Ok, so do they inspire your music?
Definitely. My dad is my biggest inspiration. He's my hero! But there are so many artists who I love too. In my own genre I think Daft Punk is fantastic. Then I also have a handful of other influences who are completely different. Like, I think Stevie Wonder is awesome and Prince is my ultimate favorite. 

They're legends. Have you ever performed with your dad?
Actually, one of my best experiences was performing with my dad a little while ago at The Basement in Hanley on one of their maGic nights. There were hundreds of people in there and it was amazing to be handing the decks over once I'd done to my hero. My other favorite gig would have to be when I performed at Mark Askew's last gig at The Underground. 

That sounds amazing, bet you were chuffed to get that gig!
Well, yeah it was a huge honour to be invited along. Obviously the room was packed out with about 350 people, then on top of that there were people trying to sneak into the venue from the smoking area. I'll never forget it. The lights were dim so I could set up, then once I was done the lights clicked on and the audience screamed. At the end of the performance I put my hands in the air as if to say, 'That's it... I'm done' and the audience went nuts screaming and shouting. I loved it.

I bet the adrenalin is amazing at a gig like that! Do you ever get nervous?
Oh God, once my nerves were so bad. It was a gig at The Full Moon in Newcastle and for some bizarre reason my confidence just plummeted when I was on stage. It was weird. I started panicking and doing everything wrong. I mean, after the gig different people in the audience came and told me they'd enjoyed the set but I was just in shock. It was a very weird experience...

No way! Well, there'll be no need for that at HippyHaze as you'll be performing for friends :) That's how we like to look at it as we'll be cheering you on the whole time. Who will you be cheering of at the festival?
Oh I can't wait to see Sea-Based Turtles and The Get Alongs. Also, it will be nice to see Heritage and Faux Feet because I've worked with their singer, Sian, on quite a few different projects. 

Just to round off the interview, I want to know, what's next for Jo-Ee-T?
Dancing and cuddles. Plus me and my dad are hoping to do some more gigs at The Basement like maGic because it was just the best. And then I'm working on a very exciting project with The Sugarmill at the moment although it may be a secret, so I can't tell you anymore... You'll just have to wait and see! All will be revealed this summer...

Oh Jo-Ee-T, you are a man of many mysteries and I love it. I speak on behalf of HippyHaze and we couldn't be happier to have you on board :)

***

If a more genuine guy than Joey exists, we'd love to meet him. We probably never will though, because it's physically impossible to be more laid-back, down-to-earth and lovely than him. If you like throwing your body around pulling wild-dance shapes then you're not going to want to miss his set. In the meantime, if you'd like to treat your ears to some real musical candy, head over to his facebook page and have a wee listen. You won't be disappointed. Jo-Ee-T will be playing on the evening of Easter Sunday just after The Get Alongs, yet another must-see act at HippyHaze. 

If you haven't grabbed your tickets yet, then you'd better beg, steal and borrow the money to buy one because they're flying out! 

HEAD INTO MUSIC MANIA OR THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. A COUPLE OF THE BANDS ARE STILL FLOGGING TICKETS, BUT THEY'RE RAPIDLY RUNNING OUT NOW SO GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN! £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. See you there :)

Love and milkshakes
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company

Monday 2 April 2012

The Silent Disco, Weather Warnings and Open-Mic Busking...

Hey HippyHazers!

With less than a week to go, the adrenalin is pumping and we're just working on putting the finishing touches to what is sure to be one of the best Easter weekends ever. This is just a quick blog-post to give you an update as to what we've been up to over the past week or so, and give you a couple of bits of insider info :)

***

The Silent Disco


There are a lot of people out there who don't quite understand the idea of a silent disco, so we're going to break it down for you... Once upon a time in a land far far away, a certain gentleman decided to start a local music festival and call it HippyHaze. He had big plans of playing loud music on into the early hours of the mornings for each night. However, the evil Law got involved and decided to impose a rule which said that loud music could only be played until 12am. The kind gentleman pondered for hours and hours over how he could make sure that each guest who attended the festival would be able to continue dancing until 3am. Eventually, his lovely princess daughter suggested a Silent Disco. Soon after, the headphones were ordered, the DJ's were hired and the venue was built. And they all lived happily ever after.


Nice story huh? So basically, once the bands have finished performing on the Saturday night and maybe the next two nights also if you guys are up for it, our guests will have the opportunity to join us in our VIP Silent Disco Party! Upon arrival, each VIP will be handed a set of headphones, and then for the next couple of hours they'll be able to choose one of our live Sub Faction DJ's to tune into and dance the night away! Entry to the VIP party costs just £3 per person and all of the proceeds will be donated to a cause close to our hearts, The Joe Gilligan Trust, which supports youngsters fighting cancer and young musicians. Our DJ's are top-notch and the Silent Disco should be a really cool and exclusive event at HippyHaze as there will only be 150 headsets. Make sure you sign up for your headset as early in the day as you can to avoid disappointment. You can sign up in the Band Merch, Joe Gilligan Trust and The Hippy Hippy Shake Giftwares tent.

Open-Mic Busking

This is an idea which the organizer came up with since there is quite clearly more local musical talent than performance spaces at HippyHaze. Basically we'd like to encourage anyone who can perform acoustically to bring along their instruments and voices and get involved. This is one of the only elements of the festival which will be 'weather permitting' as the Open-Mic Busking will be taking place outdoors in the Market area where food, drinks, clothes and jewelry will be sold, in order to ensure that the buskers get the 'in-between bands' crowd. If you're interested in playing, each morning of HippyHaze just head over to the Band Merch, Joe Gilligan Trust and The Hippy Hippy Shake Giftwares tent and let them know that you'd like to perform. They'll soon find you a slot in between the other bands. Who knows, HippyHaze 2012 may be where we scout new talent for HippyHaze 2013 so bring your best game!

Weather Warnings

Finally, as expected, the Great British weather is proving to be as unpredictable as we expected it might... With snow warnings, heat-waves, heavy winds and drizzles all gracing the Stoke area in the past week or so, it really is very important to make sure you pack for all occasions! Luckily, we have organized for the performances and Silent Disco to take place in a marquee, so when we're watching the bands and boogie-ing away we will be plenty warm and protected from winds, rains and snow. However, you will need to wrap up nice and warm for the nights inside your tents! Don't forget hoodies, thick joggers, cosy socks, all-weather sleeping bags and warm duvets. By the same token, make sure you remember your sun-tan lotion because when you're grabbing a bite to eat you don't want to be caught in the baking sun.

  


Just to confirm, HippyHaze will not be cancelled due to weather. Unless there's a hurricane or an avalanche. Which is highly unlikely.

***

As usual we'll keep you updated on all things Hippy and we definitely have at least another couple of band profiles and interviews scheduled too so be sure to keep an eye out!

TICKETS ARE SELLING OUT RAPIDLY NOW. MAKE SURE YOU HEAD INTO MUSIC MANIA OR THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE COMPANY IN NEWCASTLE OR HANLEY AND GET YOURS NOW. A COUPLE OF THE BANDS ARE STILL FLOGGING TICKETS, BUT THEY'RE RAPIDLY RUNNING OUT NOW SO GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN! THERE WILL BE A HANDFUL OF TICKETS KEPT ON THE GATE BUT WE CAN'T CONFIRM JUST HOW MANY, SO BUY YOUR TICKETS BEFORE IF YOU CAN. £14 FOR A DAY PASS INCLUDING ONE NIGHT CAMPING AND JUST £33 FOR A THREE-NIGHT CAMPING TICKET. See you there :)

Love and milkshakes
The Hippy Hippy Shake Company