Holidays in The Sun

Holidays in The Sun

21 July, 2008
by: Domzig

The problem with turning 25 is that you become hopelessly attached to your creature comforts. My shower broke recently and even after a few days I had reverted to eating cold beans from cans and generally being bummed-out by my stinking filth.

Obviously, this makes the prospect of going to a festival where you are basically asked to live like a medieval army for 3 days, as appealing as a visit from your landlord. But those guys over at ATP have created the ultimate get-out clause, a series of festivals based in those Butlin’s camps where you used to endure shitty beach holidays with your gran, where you can party-out all day, and then sleep in a warm, well turned down bed.

Not only are the line up filled to the brim with some kick-ass bands, there are showers, beds, pubs, bowling, karaoke, arcade games, water slides, Costa Coffee, football pitches, climbing frames and Pizza Hut, allowing you to concentrate on partying with your fellow campers and necking all the booze you bought in Reading Tesco.

ATP: The Fans Strike Back
Butlins Holiday Resort Minehead
8th May- 10th May

The first of 2009's festivals sees ATP going toe-to-toe with the fans in a massive choose-your-own festival voted for by anyone who bought a ticket.

They've excelled themselves this year - with headline sets from avant garde post punks Devo and the Killing Joke, abrasive and atonal noise pioneers The Jesus Lizard, incredible New York dance act !!! and Sleep performing 'Holy Moutain' in its entirity.

Also well worth checking out are crazy LA punks The Mae Shi, who make music which can literally rattle the teeth out your gums, and Health, whose new album is so good it makes me want to have sex with it.

ATP Curated by The Breeders
Butlins Holiday Resort Minehead
15th May- 17th May

Always one of the most frustrating bands,  it's good to see that The Breeders certainly don't mess around when it comes to picking acts for a festival. The bands that they have chosen are enough to make you sit down and cry with joy, with the likes of Bon Iver, CSS, Foals, and Wire all sharing the jam packed stages.

It gets better though, and over the weekend you'll have a chance to catch Blood Red Shoes, The Soft Pack, Deerhunter, The Bronx and Times New Viking, all bands I've seen recently and can readily testify to their amazingness.

Nightmare Before Christmas
Butlins Holiday Resort Minehead
4th - 6th December

If a summer of festival fun wasn't enough, then ATP have just the thing - a great big festival on the eve of Christmas. This year curated by My Bloody Valentine, the line-up is still a little sketchy, but does include Sonic Youth. Yep, that's right Sonic Youth.

If this wasn’t enough, the whole venue is like a giant fun-house where you can cure hang-overs with a dip in a massive swimming pool, take in a few frames of ten pin bowling in the on site Megadome, and even party to the wee small hours in a club that looks like a ski lodge. Even the fact that the main stage is located in the middle of the food-court is cool, making a weirdly surreal setting where you can be watching a band one minute and eating a Burger King the next.

ATP Tickets include chalet accommodation, access to the site and a pass to all the shows, but you will have to bring spare underwear. You should also definitely buy a stock of food and booze off site to save money. For more info, directions and updated line-ups check out ATP’s website, and we’ll try and keep you updated on the guys' excellent London shows

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Domzig