The 1234 Shoreditch Festival

The 1234 Shoreditch Festival

16 July, 2010
by: Spoonfed Festivals

Line-ups, updates and news for the 1234 Shoreditch Festival

When: 24th July
Where: Shoreditch Park
How Much: £20

With the summer now in full swing, Shoreditch park plays host to the 1234 festival, a recent regular addition to the music calendar. The Shoreditch area is a hotbed for new music in London and the festival gives a platform for breakthrough acts and old favourites.

Last year saw the likes of Patrick Wolf, The Rakes and Tim Burgess of The Charlatans turn up, while this year’s line up is equally as vibrant. Local regulars such as Dum Dum Girls, Veronica Falls and Spectrals are just a sample of the highlights along with Joy Division and New Order legend, Peter Hook. The iconic bassist will be accompanied by his new band The Light, giving nostalgic ticket holders one hell of a treat by performing Joy Division debut album ‘Unknown Pleasures.’ “The only time and only place I will be playing it in England,” said Hook.

Joining them is San Francisco lo-fi beach punk, Wavves, Sheffield metalheads Rolo Tomassi, These New Puritans and Fucked Up. Band name of the festival surely has to go to east London natives No Bra, a dangerously sarcastic synth based duo. They did have competition from the likes of Maria and the Mirrors and The Tamborines. Provided of course that these are either shameless, unapologetic rip offs of, or the downtrodden and undiscovered inspirations for, Marina and the Diamonds and The Drums respectively.

It may be one of the smaller events but over 10,000 people engulfed three stages and the streets of Shoreditch and Hoxton in 2009. Rather than being in direct competition with the larger isolated festivals 1234 offers a cheaper alternative, making full use of the surrounding town.

So to plan your day, things start off in Shoreditch Park in the afternoon, then off to numerous local venues for some raucous and hopefully savage after party action, where bands continue to play into the night.  Local musical landmarks such as The Old Blue Last, Cocomo and The Hobby Horse will have live music and plenty of beer induced summer time fun.

Part of what makes 1234 a worthy addition to any festival calendar is the philosophy behind it, which is fully intact three years since its inception. The relative youthfulness of the day long event means the variety of music hasn’t been stifled by corporate interference, add this to 1234 founder, Sean Mcklusky’s, dedication to supporting lesser known acts and you have yourself one serious contender to Camden Crawl.

Check out more about the UK and London's 2010 festivals

Spoonfed Festivals