The first Bank Holiday weekend of the year is almost upon us and here at Passing Clouds we've been rubbing our little hands together with sheer GLEE at the really fun selection of things that we're busy organising for you. In case you haven't heard about it already, the Fiestival is the first of what we hope to be many Bank Holiday weekenders, where we put on an absolutely stonking Saturday night line-up, then welcome you back with warm bosomy fluffy loveliness on Sunday when you're feeeling a teeny bit erm, fragile. Once you're feeling back on top it'll be time for another dance your heart out session as we party once again to some of our favourite festival bands till late!
Day one kicks off from 7pm like a traditional Saturday at Clouds, only with a particularly badass lineup chosen by the Passing Clouds team, and with extra tropical vibes! We're working on some awesome decor involving tasteful features like giant inflatable fruit and blinged up pinatas, plus some exotic mashup cocktails that will make you feel like you're at Carnival in Rio.
Nothing quite says Fiestival like a bit of chap-hop, so Steampunk star Professor Elemental will be entertaining you with songs about tea ("A Cup of Brown Joy") and ankle flashing! Our headliner Backbeat Soundsystem will enthrall you with a funky take on traditional reggae, while support bands Ma'Grass and Kieran & The Iguanas play eclectic mixes of Latin and tropical influenced songs, bringing definite sunny festival vibes to the stage!
The dancing will continue till the early hours with Ghost Writerz - pioneers of "Sound System music" and crazy dub junglists - plus some of our favourite resident DJs including carnival partystarters Urgent Union and Ghetto Lounge founder Koichi Sakai. Some of our Beatroots regulars are back too - it's Selecta Mad Max and The Sultan spinning everything from future bass to dancehall to hip hop on the Passing Clouds decks.
If on Sunday you are feeling a little bit worse for wear and looking for some TLC, we are here to nurture you and make you feel all lovely again. Join us from 1pm as we kick off the day with some amazing workshops from some of our favourite crafters and performers. Downstairs, our very own Austin Cooper (Yoshke & the Wolves, Brass Knuckles) will be teaching you how to fashion an instrument out of a vegetable... a nice, easy gentle way to ease you back into a world of activities! After you've created your instrument, the amazing Alice Rose will show how to work the hoop (just Google "Alice Rose Hooping" and prepare to have your jaw hit the floor) and then it's juggling regular Arthur Hyam who will teach you the mystical ways of the diabolo!
Upstairs, activities and workshops will be kicking off from 1pm, with acoustic sessions going on till the evening. Good friends like the shockingly talented Charlie Hinchcliff (Dear Pariah) and folk goddess Katherine Abbott, plus Mario Lottari, Nick Brown, and Horatio James will be serenading you all day Sunday, and our resident artist Spike Zephaniah will be drawing the audience as he recites poetry to them - mind boggling stuff!
Sit back on something comfy and enjoy all this entertainment with a Bloody Mary, Screwdriver or Mimosa in hand if hair of the dog is your thing. If you're feeling guilty from overindulging we'll have a range of smoothies and juices available too, plus healthy veggie snacks. We're working on the unhealthy snacks, finding the perfect pizza oven and chef to crank out amazingly tasty vegetarian pizzas in our outdoor space! Our interior designer Ella will also be chilling upstairs with tonnes of art supplies and ideas, helping you to create your perfect head dress. Rock the Frida Kahlo floral look, or try something with antlers... all you need now is facepaint to match!
Once you're feeling yourself again and ready to stomp your heart our on the dancefloor, it's time to let loose once more! Downstairs has an incredibly killer line up, headed up by the amazing Ushti Baba, who describe their insanely fun sound as Gypsy Jungle Turbo Folkstep! Expect a BIG Klezmer/Gypsy sound from huge group The Trans Siberian March Band and thigh slappingly great hoe down tunes from Dr. Bluegrass and the Illbilly 8. The Joe Fleming Band will be kicking off the night with African breaks and a sunny reggae vibe. Ohhh yes!!
We are truly excited to be holding this Fiestival weekender and hope that you can come and enjoy this 2 day extravaganza of tropical madness with us. If you'd like to nab a special wristband for the whole weekend then just follow this link here and get them before they sell out to guarantee the best Bank Holiday Weekend ever right in the middle of Dalston!
Find out more about the Fiestival here: http://ow.ly/KMw19
And here's the link to get your wristband: http://ow.ly/KMwms