Comic costume call for Kendal Calling Music Festival

By John Freeman on April 23, 2012

Image via Happy Slap Boutique

The massive music event Kendal Calling has just announced its the fancy dress theme for 2012 will be Fairy Tales and Comic Books, a magical all encompassing theme that will see the site transform on Saturday, with the entire congregation encouraged to get involved.

Tickets have been getting snapped up for this year’s festival and a full to bursting line up has already been unveiled that includes Dizzee Rascal, James, Maximo Park, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, We Are Scientists, The View and many more.

For the third year, Kendal Calling reveal a fancy dress theme that has been a huge success in previous years with revellers showing incredible innovation and imagination in designing and donning costumes.

“Getting dressed up for a festival is all about becoming another version of you,” a spokesperson explains. “An exaggerated, bold and colourful character. So this year we are transforming the Deer Park into another world with our theme Fairy Tales and Comic Books.”

With the backdrop of the stunning Lake District, Kendal Calling expects to see everyone from the Pied Piper to Wolverine, Little Red Riding Hood to Catwoman, the Gingerbread to Tin Tin all partying together and this years theme will make the event even more of a surreal wonderland of fun and frolics than ever before.

The fun and frolics continues at Kendal Calling in the crazy world of the Happy Slap Boutique. This area will be like no other and is where anything goes, and is the home of electro swing and eclectic music. A haven to transform into creatures and characters, the Happy Slap face-painting boutique will get revelers ready to be immersed in magical worlds, dazzled by spectacular cabaret shows, wowed by our travelling circus and entertained in ways you never thought possible.

Happy Slap Boutique present a world of fairy tales and mischief full of secrets to explore and discover, keeping the entertainment going all weekend. Bump into Jack Sprat, a narcoleptic Sleeping Beauty or climb up Rapunzel’s hair and witness their take on your classic fairy tales. Performers will be traveling around the festival doing walk-about performance where it’s least expected with music, song, dance and ridiculousness.

As night falls, Happy Slap Boutique will transform into a plethora of circus, fire and glow performances alongside clowning, grotesque burlesque, world famous ‘Rave Aerobics’ and surprise acts that keep buzzing all night.

DJs Ocelus, Tom Excell, Dan The Hat, Wolfie Rassmatazz, Magic Lantern, Vinyl Rights Experience, Mikey J and very special guests will spin a genre defying mix of electro swing, jungle, Balkan, breakbeat, house & electro.

“The only music we can guarantee are upbeat party tunes,” the organisers say. “Check out Happy Slap Radio for exclusive mixes.”

The music and activities in the Kendal Calling meadow span 11 diverse stages and areas, situated in a close-knit site that means you’re never far from your friends.

• Kendal Calling, Friday 27th – Sunday 29th July 2012, Lowther Deer Park, Hackthorpe, The Lake District. Adults £105, £50 11-15 year-olds, under 11’s free. Tickets available at www.ticketline.co.uk.

• More info: www.kendalcalling.com

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.