Image from Lizzy Parks website

We’d like to wish a happy 10th birthday to everyone at Tru Thoughts!

2009 is the 10th year since the label was formed in Brighton, and to celebrate they will be holding a few extra special parties around the UK. On May the 17th it’s Brighton’s turn – they are set to host the Speigeltent during the Brighton Festival. Featuring live performances from Belleruche, Natural Self and Lizzy Parks, backed by a killer DJ line up of Tru Thoughts A&R man Robert Luis alongside the man they call Hint and Tru Thoughts’ proud re-signing for 2009: Flevans. This is a stunning showcase of what has kept Tru Thoughts independent and in the business for the last decade.

Belleruche can be perfectly described as handmade hip hop blues soul, like Sarah Vaughan, Django Reinhardt and Cut Chemist stuck in a lift with Russian beer and a sampler.

Laurent Garnier:

Absolutely stunning

www.myspace.com/belleruche

Natural Self, aka Nathaniel Pearn, recently gathered up some of the best vocalists and most in-demand session players around to transfer his heavy funk meets twisted hip hop sound to an astounding live performance. Aimed straight at the dancefloor it flows like a DJ set but flips original versions of tracks with the input of horns, percussion and MC Mystro. Expect big things.

IDJ Magazine:

Kooky chants, dirty brass and all kinds of wonky beats

www.myspace.com/naturalself

Lizzy Parks first came to Tru Thoughts’ attention via her work with Ben Lamdin on the N77 & N77 Octet albums. Her debut album, Raise The Roof, gained support from Gilles Peterson, Mark Lamarr, Craig Charles & Laurent Garnier, blending the female singer songwriter tradition with influences from the cutting edge of Björk to the soaring jazz melodies of Ella Fitzgerald.

JellyJazz.com:

One of those voices that signal inner beauty and unbridled musical passion

www.myspace.com/lizzyparksmusic

Tickets: £12, available from here and here. Tel: 0844 8007114

17/05/09

Photo by Eliot Gill

It’s time to start buying festival tickets again and this year we are spoilt for choice. The early bird ticket offers are flying out with even large established festivals such as Sonar extending their lower rate pass sales by one month. Glastonbury has sold out already so don’t take the chance and get stocked up on tickets now. There is nothing worse than delaying buying a ticket only to find the event has sold out and your only choice left is the risky world of online auctions. Brighton’s own answer to Glastonbury, alright maybe on a much MUCH smaller scale is the Beachdown festival.

Set in the beautiful designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty site of the South Downs just north of Brighton – Beachdown offers comfortable, secure camping including a quiet family camping area and a guarantee of having the driest underfoot site of anywhere in the UK due to the chalk base of the South Downs – rainwater simply seeps straight away. So sorry – no mud-baths here.

It’s only the second time Beachdown will be coming to our Downs but with a license that spans a few years to come, it should be a regular fixture. That means people if it sounds like the festival for you then get buying tickets. Early bird tickets are currently available for £85 with a £8.50 booking fee online. Normal adult tickets for the 2009 event are priced at £97.50 plus booking fee.

Friday 28th – Monday 31st August

Devil’s Dyke, Brighton

The near complete line up:

Laurent Garnier, Grace Jones, Super Furry Animals, The Zutons,  Saint Etienne, Grandmaster Flash, The Fall, James Taylor Quartet, Dreadzone, The Blockheads, Secret Affair, The Sunburst Band, Acid House Brass Band by The Williams Fairey Brass Ensemble, The Apples, Nostalgia 77 Octet, Lack of Afro, Snowboy & The Latin Section, The New Mastersounds, Jazz Cotech Dancers, The Fantastics!, Prince Buster, Sugarhill Gang, Norman Jay Good Times, Joey Negro, Gilles Peterson, Jazzanova, Tru Thoughts, Rebel Control, 4 or 5 Magicians, Mean Poppa Lean, Ocean Reid, The Beautiful Word, Chris Simmons, Seeker, Sweet Sweet Lies, Gloria Cycles, Los Albertos, Portslade, Cordelia Fellowes’ Gypsy Squat Pop Project, Drookit Dogs, The Perils, Transformer, Two Spot Gobi, Saw Gang Buzz, Jah Shaka Sound System – 4 day residency, Favela Chic – 4 day residency

Click here to buy tickets