Hay fights, ecstatic dance and skiffle: an interview with Artful Badger

Hay fights, ecstatic dance and skiffle: an interview with Artful Badger

21 May, 2012
by: Lowri

We caught up with Artful Badger ahead of their shiny looking Badgerfest 2012.

The Artful Badger is a collection of people under one furry badger guise. They are a live arts and entertainment company responsible for the Badger Woods at Secret Garden Party  and Glade Festival as well as numerous crazy fancy dressed parties in and around London.

We get the lowdown on feral freakouts and what it takes to make a badger party unreal...

Hello - introduce yourself please!

Hello hello! We are the Artful Badger, Secret Garden Party’s feral party starter!

Tell us about the genesis of the Artful Badger. How did it all come about?

One day we ventured into the woods to get some fruits and as we passed the farmer he said to us… "there be badgers in these here woods". And do you know what? There bloody was.

There are lots of strings to your bow - from club nights to festival stages. Tell us more about what you get up to.

We do just about everything; dance troupes, promo events, walkabout performers, art direction, ecstatic dance, live music, off the wall theatrics. We’ve even provided children’s entertainment! In fact we’ll be at The London Green Fair soon with our friend’s Old Milk Float so if you’ve got kids come down and see us.

Tell us a story - there must have been plenty of crazy moments. What are your resounding memories of days gone by.

There are so many! Take the infamous Badger Pagan Epic in 2010, we played out this scene where a human bride was kidnapped by the Fox Goddess, sparking a battle between the Badgers and The Foxes, which caused the 500 strong audience to start hay fighting. Needless to say the show ran over.

Fancy dress is obviously a big part of what you guys do. Do you find it brings an extra something to the atmosphere?

Yes! People are transformed, I have seen perfectly normal people snuffle in the leaves, swing from the trees and smell each others bums! Everyone at our shows reports feeling their inhibitions and insecurities melting away, and this is just what we want.

Three key ingredients for an amazing party are:

1. Fun, friendly people. They are the source of everything else! Without great people you will never have a great party.
2. Great music that gets everyone dancing, jumping and yelping. We are very fussy about the quality and vibe of our acts and the sound. They are both always a top priority.
3. Inclusiveness - I always say this but it’s true. You don't come to watch the badgers - we are the badgers. Let’s all play together!

Tell us about the Badger's musical leanings. What is your policy at your parties?

Gypsy, Balkan, samba, electro, dub, funk, afro, swing, skiffle, hip hop, dubstep, jungle....or a mash up of all of those! Favourites like Molotov Jukebox, Sam and The Womp, The Egg, Will and the People, Badger Badger and United Vibrations show the range of music we like, the thing they all have in common is an incredible connection with the audience and an ability to make people dance, and really journey on the rhythms.

What has been the most defining musical performance at one of your parties?

During one of our Samba processions (more like break beat and drum and bass) we managed to pick up more than 300 people in over half a mile. Add that to the 200 in the tent already and the sheer power of a crowd drawn into crazy dance by the pulse of live drums under the stars is extraordinary. Since then our samba percussionists play as much as possible!

Who is on your dream line-up in the sky and where's the party?

We are going to be totally gushy now and just say that we are incredibly lucky to be able to book such incredible bands for our events and stages that we pretty much get our dream team every gig! Cheese! But if we could have a fantasy line up... perhaps Lowb (Lamb's side project), Babyhead, King Porter Stomp, The Egg (both with new album out this summer), Slamboree and Severed Limb. Oh hang on. Dream come true. That’s already on our line-up for Secret Garden Party. Psych! Be there.

Can you give us a failsafe dancefloor banger we might hear at the Badgerfest?

Sam and the Womp - Bom Bom. There is no question - this track gets every single living creature dancing like nutters - they are playing at Badgerfest on Friday 25th. It's Sam's birthday too so hope to see you there. Its going to be a killer!

You can check out the Badger antics at Badgerfest 2012: The Birds and The Bees this weekend at Passing Clouds.

Lowri