The Go.Go Festival 2011

This was the website for the 2011 Go.Go Festival. The festival was held for the first time at The Secret Bunker, Kelvedon Hatch, in Essex before moving in 2011 to Headcorn Aerodrome, near Maidstone, in Kent. It was canceled in 2012 and hasn't been revived. The content below is from the site's 2011 archived pages.

GOGO Festival is Europe’s biggest outdoor women’s weekender
Date: Friday 17th – Monday 20thh June 2011
Venue: Headcorn Aerodrome, Headcorn, Kent, England, TN27 9HX
Location: 1 hour from London, 10 minutes from Eurostar Ashford
Tickets: Early Bird (limited availability) £85.00 + booking fee; standard £95.00 + booking fee.

Wow, what an amazing lineup for the 2011 GO.GO Festival! As the data developer behind the scenes, I can't tell you how excited I am to be working on this project. Music festivals are a true passion of mine, and getting to dive into the details of an event like this is a dream come true.

Seeing all the talented artists - from international superstars like UH HUH HER and BETTY to up-and-coming acts like JOAN OV ARC and HEADS.HEARTS - really gets my musical juices flowing. I love being able to pore over the promotional materials and discover new sounds that I might not have stumbled upon otherwise. The festival's eclectic mix of rock, pop, folk, and dance is right up my alley.

Of course, the technical side of things hasn't been without its challenges. The festival organizers have been using legacy Filemaker Pro software for their data management, which has required me to get a bit creative with my integrations. But I'm proud to say I was able to find some clever workarounds to ensure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.

I'll admit, I had to do a bit of convincing to get my bosses on board with migrating to a more modern Filemaker alternative before the next festival. But I'm confident we can get everything synced up seamlessly and make the 2012 event an even bigger success. In the meantime, I'll be counting down the days until June 17-20, when I can experience the electric atmosphere of GO.GO Festival firsthand. See you there!

PRESS RELEASES 2011

Uh Huh Her to Headline GOGO Festival (formerly Lez Go Camping)
Europe’s biggest open air women’s weekender, Lez Go Camping, has been rebranded, to become GOGO Festival. The brilliant 3 day extravaganza, held between June 17-20 at Headcorn Aerodrome, Kent, features some of the top international female artists around.
The weekend kicks off with the ultimate girl party, with top DJ’s spinning the decks for hours of pure partying. Headliners Uh Huh Her (featuring the L Word’s Leisha Hailey and Camilla Grey) and BETTY take centre stage over the weekend, with more acts announced in the lead up to the event.
Thousands of women are expected to attend the festival, which has been heralded as ‘The Glastonbury of the lez scene’ and recommended by Time Out Magazine.
GOGO Festival fuses a traditional British festival with an outstanding array of performances, adrenaline pumping activities, top international DJ’s and an audience made up entirely of women.
New for 2011 is luxury camping, or ‘Glamping’ with Camel Camp, which includes room service.
There is also an exclusive VIP area which allows VIP ticket holders to mingle with the performers, presenters and press and gain unrivalled access to some of the stars.

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Heralded as ‘The Glastonbury of the lez scene’ and recommended by Time Out Magazine, GOGO Festival is the fastest growing women’s festival in the UK, and the biggest outdoor women’s weekender in Europe. Boasting fantastic live acts, internationally renowned DJ’s, three nights of parties, hilarious comedy, extreme sports, and of course, camping in the great outdoors amongst thousands of like minded women over a fun fuelled weekend, GOGO Festival is set to become a staple event in every gay woman’s calendar. The 3 day extravaganza, held between June 17-20 at Headcorn Aerodrome, Kent, England, fuses a traditional British festival with a unique women’s only event.
World class female performers take to the stage, featuring Uh Huh Her, (with Leisha Hailey who
plays Alice in the L Word), Heather Peace (who plays D.I Sam in the hit British lesbian series ‘Lip
Service’) and BETTY (singers of the L Word theme tune), who are joined by plenty of other amazing performers, including Joan ov Ark (finalists at the O2s ‘Live and Unsigned’), Christina Novelli, Terry Poison and European favourites Greymatter. Many of the performers will be meeting and greeting fans and signing merchandise.

Activities:

Hot Air Balloon rides
Helictopter rides
Skydiving
Pleasure flights
Wing Walking
Bungee Trampoline
Rock Climbing
Funfair

Quotes:

‘Recommended’ Time Out Magazine
‘The Glastonbury of the Lez Scene’ Cindy Armstrong, Freedom Friends, trader
‘Definitely the best lesbian event I have ever been to. Phenomenal...’ Louie Loodle Hale, Camper
‘This is the only thing like this in this country, so tell all your friends and come back next year!’
Horse McDonald, performer
“One of the best weekends I have EVER had!! I am a 40 year old lesbian and have been to all
number of Prides and Lesbian events all over the world and I can safely say that GOGO Festival
was the best one I've ever been to!!!” Stacey Stockwell, BSL Interpreter.
“Just got home from GOGO Festival! EPIC! EPIC! Can't wait for next year!” DJ Lil’ Jo

The 2011 GO.GO Festival is all about getting what you want. Hot women. Top tunes. Great DJs and Amazing Live performances.

THE LINE-UP

2 Stages. 50 performers. 1 massive weekend. Rock, pop, folk, hip hop, acoustic, dance, country and comedy share two stages over the GO.GO Festival weekend to bring an incredible eclectic mix of inspirational talent. Both universally established and up and coming artists share the stages to showcase their superb sounds and sets over a 3 day extravaganza. International stars Uh Huh Her, BETTY and Terry Poison rub shoulders with home grown talent Heather Peace, Horse and Heads.Hearts, to produce the most fantastic women’s show on earth. 

The Line-Up 2011

BETTY- USA
BETTY is a five-piece pop rock alternative band from New York City. Fronted by three full-on females, the band's unique sound is based on the "spine-tingling harmonies" (Billboard) of songwriters Amy Ziff, Alyson Palmer and Elizabeth Ziff layered over propulsive guitars and a fat-bottomed rhythm section. Add to that mix BETTY's "superb songcrafting" (KALX Radio), lyrics with "a Fellini-esque flair for combining the surreal and the everyday" (The Washington Post) and unpredictable onstage antics and you wind up with what National Public Radio calls "a fun, sexy romp through a musical freak show"

HEATHER PEACE- UNITED KINGDOM
Having hung up her uniform until series 2 of BBC3’s hit TV series ‘Lip Service’, Heather Peace has amazed fans with her talented vocals and song writing. Having had a sell out success with small intimate venues last year, Heather is due to embark on her first full UK tour this Spring. Heather, aka DS Sam Murray, has always had a passion for music and was once signed to Simon Cowell’s label BMG. In 2010, she was placed in the Top 40 of the Independent on Sunday’s annual Pink List and was besieged by fans asking her to do more tour dates and make an album. She duly recorded an acoustic taster album for fans called “This Is Me” which has now sold thousands of copies;

UH HUH HER- CANCELLED
With much regret, The GO.GO team have been informed that UH HUH HER's lead singer, Camila Grey, would be too unwell to fly to the UK, so unfortunately the band has had to pull out of GO.GO Festival this year. We knows this will be disappointing news to some festival goers, and we're as disappointed as you are, but we wish Camila Grey a speedy recovery.

UH HUH HER have released the following statement:
“Due to unforeseen circumstances and illness, UH HUH HER will not be able to perform at GO.GO Festival, Saturday June 18th. The band offer their sincerest apologies to the fans and look forward to returning to the UK for future shows.”

TERRY POISON- ISRAEL
Terry Poison, often described as the “Tarantino of Pop”, has risen from the sweaty underground to become Israel’s largest Rocktronica band. A true love child of samplers, guitar riffs, analogue synths and apocalyptic beats, Terry Poison’s sound is unique and completely contagious;
Terry Poison recently had three hits that reached number one on all Israeli National Radio charts, and their remixes have been released on compilations on labels such as Ministry of Sound. Terry Poison has shared stages with acts such as Calvin Harris and opening for Depeche Mode, as well as performing at LA Fashion Week. Not to be missed;

JILL JACKSON- SCOTLAND
Rock chick come alternative country girl Jill Jackson, the “Scottish Songbird”, is a singer songwriter from Paisley who brings her own unique style to the contemporary country music genre. Jill scored two top ten hits in 2004 with her band Speedway, and in 2005 embarked on a solo career. Her mix of brilliantly crafted lyrics and beautiful melodies has caught the attention of many, and her achievements include performing at 'T In The Park' and tours with Natalie Imbruglia and Heather Peace. She also completed a “50 States in 50 Days” tour of the USA, and had her song ‘Just Not Myself’ featured in the penultimate episode of BBC Three’s Lip Service. This Spring, Jill is set to release her much-anticipated solo album “Back To Zero”

NEVER THE BRIDE- UNITED KINGDOM
Never The Bride are an amazing world class act who have performed live and recorded with some of the world’s top musicians, including The Who, ZZ TOP, Alice Cooper and The Pretenders. They have stunned the rich and famous and performed privately for Cher, and their performance of Robert Plants song “Going To California”. Never The Bride are made up of lead singer Nikki Lambourn and Catherine Feeney on keyboards, guitar and vocals. At The Royal Albert Hall, Roger Daltrey held up Nikki’s hand and shouted out, “Nikki Lamborn has the best female rock voice since Janis Joplin and I know what I’m talking about, I knew Janis.”

GREYMATTER- UNITED KINGDOM
Having taken the scene by storm, Greymatter – who have played at London, Nottingham and Brighton Prides, The International Women’s Festival in Lesbos-Greece, eurOut-Germany, The Isle of Wight Festival, The Fete De La Musique - France and many more. Greymatter are a 5 piece eye-candy band who have been likened to the Indigo Girls, Sarah Maclachlan and Melissa Etheridge all in one! An all queer band with their 3rd album due for release this summer, the Greymatter Girls are a must see addition to the Go.Go line up 2011.

HEADS.HEARTS- UNITED KINGDOM
Soul vocals, kicking bass and some heavy ass synths come together to give you Heads.Hearts. It’s a sound that has seen them open for Hot Chip DJs, play on bills with Chew Lips and Eric Hassle, open BB6 Music’s “Introducing…” show and drive crowds wild at Brighton Pride. New lesbian flick, “L is for Lala”, features a few of their songs including their forthcoming single ‘’In My Blood’ and between them they’ve worked with Peaches and appeared on the soundtracks of numerous indie films.
The live show is rife with rough-edged energy, driving drums and soul-shaking bass, all dominated by Amber’s raw, powerful vocals. Ladies, this is electronic soul.

VINYL BLACK STILETTOS- UNITED KINGDOM
Vinyl Black Stilettos – The new sound of all L-Word hooked lesbians and naughty girls! Forget about the ladies shredding melancholy music on dusty, out of tune acoustic guitars - we know it’s boring! Try something new, try sexy electric guitars, strip tape on your nipples, try Vinyl Black Stilettos
Not the sexy shoes, but the band – It's Glam, Electro-Punk.

I AM HARLEQUIN- UNITED KINGDOM
I am Harlequin is female-fronted epic electro indie pop at its finest, straight from London. The music is defined by progressive structures, and innovative arrangements, and appeals with a complexity that doesn't conform to standard commerciality.
Influences range from classical music, particularly the Russians of the 20th century (Prokofiev, Rimski-Korsakow, Rachmaninoff), to the advanced choir arrangements in Stephen Sondheim musicals, as well as Kate Bush, Rickie Lee Jones and Grace Slick

KARIMA FRANCIS- UNITED KINGDOM
There are debut singers whose tender years and inexperience clearly inform their early recordings – you can almost hear the tentativeness and reserve in their vocal performances. And then there are those who clear this hurdle in one bound, who hurl themselves over the precipice, who go straight for the blood and guts of a song. Nobody who has heard Karima Francis, live or on disc, can be in any doubt as to which category the Blackpool-born, Manchester-based musician belongs to. Listening to the 21-year-old grab a melody and lyric by the throat is to experience the sound of a singer whose pent-up expressiveness was hidden away for too long, and is now exploding into glorious colour.

CHRISTINA NOVELLI- UNITED KINGDOM
Christina Novelli is an up-coming artist in the world of pop rock. She has amazed crowds all over the world with her powerful infectious voice and has an amazing ability to engage the audience. Christina has played countless venues in and around London, including Barfly Camden, KoKo Camden and The Proud Galleries, to name but a few. She has also sung at various venues in the USA; Whiskey a Go Go (Hollywood) and The House of Blues (California). She was asked to play at The Midlands Music Festival (supporting The Sugababes) and also Whitehaven Music Festival where she supported Belinda Carlisle and N-Dubz.

SUSIE CLARKE COLLECTIVE- UNITED KINGDOM
From a late start in her music career, Susie Clarke has been making up for lost time. When MTV launched their search for the nation's 'next big thing' via their unsigned show 'Get Seen Get Heard', she emerged from over 40,000 as the number one female artist.
Susie Clarke Collective is an amalgamation of talented musicians, producers and creatives, all with broadly diverse roots and influences. The music delicately fuses soul, blues, hip hop, and reggae flavours to accompany Susie’s expressive vocals and fresh writing style, perfectly complementing a sound best described as “modern pop soul.’

ZEMMY- UNITED KINGDOM
Zemmy puts her own unique twist on the pop genre, writing songs that are relatable and catchy but full of depth and emotion. Influenced by artists such as Sade, Lauryn Hill, Sia, Dido and Beyonce, she creates intelligent pop songs which span across the wide spectrum of the genre.
Her fantastic live band provide the perfect backing for her to display her distinct vocal style and commanding stage presence. They play regularly on the London circuit and it is well worth going along to a show and experiencing the music live

MIDAS FALL- UNITED KINGDOM

Having recently signed with UK independent Monotreme Records (Jeniferever, Nedry, 65daysofstatic), Manchester-based post rock quintet Midas Fall have been quietly building a loyal fanbase since their inception just a couple of short years ago.

2009 saw the group self release debut EP 'Century' and gain national airplay from (amongst others) BBC Introducing's Tom Robinson and the Best of Myspace podcast, whilst 2010 saw them play a support slot with Japanese post-rock legends Mono and secure a coveted synch for their track 'MovieScreens' on BBC3's Lip Service soundtrack.

BOY- UNITED KINGDOM

With influences based in Pop sensibilities mixed with the message of Riot Grrl, Boy are an emerging talent causing a stir in the London music scene. With songs about love and loss and a raw, melodic and hard-hitting sound, Boy place themselves somewhere between the urgency of Arcade Fire and the edge of The Pixies. Influenced by the androgyny of Bowie, and with an Art House attitude, this music is independent, thought provoking but intensely catchy, still retaining a grip on the mainstream pop they are heavily influenced by.

Planning to release their first record early 2011, Boy are something exciting, raw and untamed and certainly something not to be missed.

NEON CHOIR- UNITED KINGDOM
Neon Choir is almost everything except a choir. This female-fronted four-piece takes the genres of folk, country, rock, pop and electronica and crafts them together to make your heart ache as much as your feet stomp. The accomplished bunch were nominated for Best New UK Act at the Balcony TV Awards 2009 for their single ‘Hallelujah’, and this year you can get your hands on a copy of their latest album ‘Animal’ featuring summer favourite ‘Ice Cream Float’.

RED N PINK- UNITED KINGDOM
“Two punk soul bitches with energy off the hook, if you want controversy take a second look, we wont give it away, you’ll find out someday, but in the lyrics to our songs, our story hides away”
Red N Pink are a Electro, Hip Hop, Soul duo with an edge. Combine the commercial style/sound of Lady GaGa with the raw edge of M.I.A and you have Red N Pink.The pair have been work with London based Hip Hop/Dubstep producer Nutty P and Electro mastermind Mr Soundz on the debut album ‘Black N White’. Currently showcasing new material in and around London.

MIRI- UNITED KINGDOM
Singing sensation Miri started pursuing her vocal visions aged just 16, before going on to produce beats and sound arrangements for MCs and other soloists. This now-experienced songwriter and singer has been making her way up in today’s music industry for over a decade, not only producing her own music, but co-writing, performing with and supporting many other well-known music artists. Miri’s distinctive appeal lies not only in her beautiful and edgy appearance, but also in her voice and songs which are a mixture of alternative pop, soul and indie music.

CHRISTINA CORONEL- UNITED KINGDOM
Christina Coronel is a superb musician with an incredible voice; having played the flute and piano as a child, she later picked up the guitar and has been gigging ever since. At 16, Christina entered the British Arts Awards competition and won, and was quickly discovered by an agent. She has performed for BBC 3, The Ritz, The National Portrait Gallery, Kettners, Forty winks hotel, The Rex Cinema, The Milestone and The Waldorf hotel, to name but a few.

AMITY- UNITED KINGDOM
Wolverhampton born Amy Forrester is the latest acoustic hit to meet the south east. Self-described as the love child of nick cave + a happy PJ Harvey, the girl aims high and totally succeeds.
Unlike many acoustic style performers, amity combines vocals with a guitar, a snare drum, a sampler + whatever else is lying around to create music that makes you want to know everything about her and listen to her unbashful lyrics. It's music that would make many female acoustic artists jealous due to its creative and exciting new edge.

JUEY- UNITED KINGDOM
Juey has been playing solo for a few years and has played live from Salcombe to Pitlochry with oodles of gigs inbetween. 2010 has seen the launch of her debut EP Before the Devil Catches Me, interviews with BBC Gloucestershire radio and a good EP review. Playing ole time country with a folk twist and a squeeze of bluegrass, Juey has captured the attention of many an audience and intends to keep on doing so.

ALEXIA CHELLUN- UNITED KINGDOM
Half Mauritian, half Cypriot and born in England, Alexia sings in a cocktail of styles and languages. She has performed around the country at many Festivals including Big Sessions, Brighton Pride, supported Po'girl and performed at Brighton live on many occasions. Alexia’s music is a sensual blend of folk guitar with illustrative lyrics and a soaring voice to leave you feeling relaxed and joyful.

JOAN OV ARC- UNITED KINGDOM
JOANovARC are an all-female 5 piece Melodic Rock Band, who recently got through to the Final of Live and Unsigned 2010, after competing against 10,000 bands in the UK. The girls performed at the London O2 in July 2010 and made a big impression on radio 1 DJ Annie Nightingale. Founded in 2005 and gained support and respect from the legendary Bruce Dickinson from ‘Iron maiden’ who said "these girls can shred"!
They have toured up and down Europe, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean with explosive shows. Their live show is exciting, electrifying and will knock you off your feet!

THE LOCALS- USA
The Locals are an alt-pop, indie-rock trio from Chicago, IL USA who are steadily winning fans and devotees with their latest EP "SALT"
The Locals' fifth studio effort, delivers guitar heavy, sumptuous alt-pop at every turn. Fans of The Pixies, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Silver Sun Pickups and The Breeders will love The Locals. Doll's distinct and powerful vocals cut confidently through the band, becoming the perfect compliment to the always solid, sometimes frenzied rhythm section of Nunes and Snedeker.

HOOKER- UNITED KINGDOM
Hookerare a gloriously brash based femme-dance-punk outfit from Manchester. Creating sounds that oscillate between delicate and bruised, and fiercely raw and dynamic; (hooker) are emotive, dirty, beautiful. Recently returned from a successful two-week German tour, Hooker are one of Manchester's most engaging and powerful live acts. They have supported bands such as The Slits, The Gossip, Le Tigre, 50ft Wave, Uh Huh Her, Katastrophy Wife, Brassy, Television and The Donnas, as well as playing a string of gigs and festivals across Europe.

PINK HEARSE- UNITED KINGDOM
PINK HEARSE are a four piece horrorpunkesque band from Blackpool North UK. Since Pink Hearse formed in late 2005 they have built up a solid live reputation with high energy stage performances. They have created and moulded their own sound which draws inspiration from the Oldschool Punk sounds of Siouxie and the Bansheesand X-Ray Spex as well as their own individual tastes. Many people compare them to modern outfits The Horrorpop and The Distillers. Pink Hearse fuse horror lyrics with thrashy guitars and vocals whilst injecting a high dose of sex and attitude in to their performance and look.