Natural Rhythm Festival

Ely's first electronic music festival!

Lauren O'Carroll
localsecrets.com Tuesday, 29 May 2012

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A bit different from the rest, Cambridgeshire’s newest festival Natural Rhythm will showcase the best of the region’s underground talent alongside internationally acclaimed headliner DJ Marky. The two-day festival will see four arenas covering every aspect of the electronic music spectrum, and a great deal besides.

 

 

The Tree House, atmospherically situated within East Cambridgeshire’s woodland, will feature Crosstown Rebel’s and DC10 leading man Clive Henry among many others. There will also be DJ showcases from East London favourites Lo*kee and Spilt Milk.

 

Out of the woodland and into the Labyrinth, bass fiends will plunge head first into the world of dubstep, drum n bass and reggae, where DJ Marky, MC LowQui, Serum, Bladerunner, Mungo’s Hi Fi, Killawatt, Sleeper and Thelem will be found blasting or spitting to reverberating basslines and cavorting drum loops.

 

The other arenas have more of a local feel with The Rubik pooling the region’s most happening parties. Krafty Kuts and A-Skills will be headlining with support from Ghetto Funk’s Will Streetwise, Pow! Party Boys, Get Low Cartel and White Noise DJs, to name a few.

 

Last but far from least is the Tipi which will be featuring the best of East Anglia’s up-and-coming unsigned bands. The Colour Movement will lead the way for Ursa Minor, The Brass Funkeys and The Soft. DJ Pete Moore of Fat Poppadaddys/Let’s Kill Disco will be hosting alongside DJ Lord Fothersgill of Kent, who, I’m led to believe, is a 1930’s turntablist!

 


Not quite satisfied with the abundance of local talent, however, Natural Rhythm are going one step further and searching for two more local DJs to join their festival line up by way of a DJ competition. Potential DJs have been asked to focus on delivering the ultimate festival set. Their slots will be during the daytime and are not to be missed. If you can’t get to the festival itself you can still catch them on the upcoming festival podcast

 

Clearly it’s going to be tough for festival goers to decide how best to divide their time between the four arenas, but it’s about to get tougher.

 

The festival organisers’ promise of “extraordinary encounters, entertainment and an inspiring world of creativity and adventure” is not an exaggeration. An alternative Olympic Games is on the agenda for the 55% of people unsuccessful in their bid for tickets to London 2012 (or indeed for those who would simply much rather watch an alternative version in the East Anglian sun). A traditional Ferris Wheel and Helter Skelter will be there for the young at heart and, for the hungry artistic souls; interactive art, a live street art exhibition and a charity auction have been promised. Shoppers will also be satisfied to hear that there will be hair, makeup and dress stalls.

 

And when those red bulls wear off and the legs just won’t play anymore, festival goers don’t have to call it a night. They can retire to the acoustic camp fire to chill out and get ready for round two.

 

For a first festival I am astounded at how ambitious it all is. Two days of electric music, art, sport, funfair rides, stalls and auctions are all attainable for the remarkably low price of between £35.40 - £63.00. And the best bit – camping is free! Tickets can still be bought here

 

Dear readers, I implore you to think carefully about who you tell. Let’s keep this our little secret for a little while longer – before the prices skyrocket to equal the staggering line up!