Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Splendour In The Grass 2013 Lineup – The People React

After this morning’s highly anticipated Splendour In The Grass lineup announcement, social media has gone crazy with opinions. And the verdict is… *drumrooooollll* MIXED! What’s the deal, Splendour lineup? Can’t you please 100% of the people 100% of the time?

Many people are absolutely loving the announcement, and to be honest so are we. The massive list of 77 bands, set to play over 3 days in July, contains some absolute gems, especially further down the list – HAIM, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Surfer Blood, Wavves and Laura Marling are all acts we’re super keen to catch in Byron Bay.

Others, however, are noting what they see as a lack of headlining acts, though with bands like Mumford & Sons, Frank Ocean, The National and TV On The Radio, we’re not sure what more people need. Many are lamenting the fact that larger names like Phoenix and Kanye West are missing from the bill, despite many being discounted in our final countdown wrap-up.

There’s a lot of interest in certain buzz bands this year, with English guitar band Palma Violets sure to win over some Australian fans and prove worthy of the hype, and triple j darlings Everything Everything and Fidlar coming to live up to the constant plugging from our national broadcaster.

Many have been disappointed in the number of recent return trips to Australia, with acts like Of Monsters And Men and Ms Mr returning to Australia having just played Laneway Festival at the beginning of the year. The same goes for James Blake and Deap Vally, who both came out for 2-date promo tours in March and April.

One thing most people can agree on is that The Polyphonic Spree performing The Rocky Horror Picture Show is going to be something worth catching, and definitely a refreshing twist on the well-trodden grounds of festival performances. Can you see 30,000 mud-splattered punters dancing The Time Warp led by Tim DeLaughter in fishnets? Epic!

What are your thoughts? Opinions? Gripes, rants, exclamations? Let us know on social. For now, we wait – general release ticket details should be coming very soon, so get ready to spend those pennies you’ve been saving. The full Splendour lineup and ticketing details are on our announcement page, and under the very frothy tweets below.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Bridgnorth drinkers turn down Chancellor’s beer saving

Punters asked for the cost to go up after the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave drinkers an extra penny in their pocket in his recent budget.

Mr Ireland, 59, said he was keen to pass on the 1p saving to his customers but was amazed when they turned it down.

But Mr Ireland said: “The customers are revolting and say they do not know what to do with the 1p change,” he said.

“We have three charity boxes and they are already nearly full and have filled up quite quickly with the extra pennies.”

The pub is collecting for the Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival, Bridgnorth Hospital League of Friends and spinal research.

Mr Ireland, who stepped in to run the Bell and Talbot, in Salop Street, last month after the previous licensee left the premises, said he had never known anything like it in his 17 years in the pub industry.

“I have never known any customers complain before about a price reduction. It is unprecedented in all my years as a pub landlord but we have now put the price back up.

“We are trying to boost trade after the licensee left but we thought if Mr Osborne was kind enough to reduce the duty we would not be accused of profiteering and reduced the price the day after.”

Mr Ireland is a director of Odley Inns Limited, which also owns Odfellows Wine Bar in Shifnal, and the Coach and Horses in Swan Hill, Shrewsbury.

Last month Chancellor George Osborne scrapped a planned 3p rise in beer duty and replaced it with a 1p cut in the price of a pint.

He also said the alcohol duty escalator - which adds inflation plus two per cent to the price - would be abolished for beer completely.

The brewing industry and real ale drinkers’ group Camra welcomed the news as brilliant’ and ‘momentous’.

The escalator will remain for wine and spirits.