Fat Tuesday takes centre stage

The Fat Tuesday festival is upon us! A long weekend of music and fun running from Friday 24 to Tuesday 28 February. Full details are available on the Fat Tuesday website, from which Nick Terdre has culled the following essential details. Photos (mostly) from Fat Tuesday.

In New Orleans and Rio they call it Mardi Gras, in Venice it’s known as Carnivale and Hastings has Fat Tuesday (English for Mardi Gras).

Traditionally occurring on Shrove Tuesday which is the last day before Ash Wednesday, Fat Tuesday is a chance for people to let their hair down before (in theory) observing the restrictions of Lent. Our Festival borrows heavily from the New Orleans take on Mardi Gras, combining the enjoyment of good music, a flair for dressing up and partying. All things Hastings excels at!

From its conception in 2009, Hastings Fat Tuesday has become the largest Mardi Gras celebration in the UK, benefiting and drawing from the incredibly diverse and well-developed music scene locally to become one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the town’s cultural calendar.

Friday 24
Fat Friday
The Albion, 33 George Street, 9-11pm

The festival kicks off with 20-year-old Marie White and her band. She will be playing 10 gigs across the festival and this is a great chance to see her perform her full show.
Fringe events featuring live music from local favourites also take place across the town.

Saturday 25 February
Unplugged Saturday
Various venues, 1-6pm

Bars and restaurants over Hastings Old Town come alive for an afternoon of acoustic music, as 40 acts play 15-minute sets at 16 venues (Stag, Filo, Porters, Jenny Lind, Dolphin, Royal Standard, Anchor, Crown, Albion, Lord Nelson, Pumphouse, Seed, Whistle Trago, Dragon Bar, Abion Sea Front, Lathams). Unplugged Saturday truly showcases the eclectic nature of the music scene in Hastings – expect everything from acoustic rock to Irish folk, a capella, blues, brass, shanties and world music.

After-Show Party
The Palace, 37 White Rock, America Ground, 8pm-midnight

Music courtesy of Balearic Assassins of Love.

Sunday 26 February
Umbrella Parade, starts 11.30am

Lead by the much-loved Savage Second Line Band, the Umbrella Parade is fun for all the family – an explosion of colour and fun that marches from the Chess Square on George Street, into town via the underpass, through the Trinity Triangle and on to the Pier before heading to The Palace for Preservation Sunday!

All you need to take part is a decorated umbrella. Children must be accompanied.

Preservation Sunday
The Palace, midday-6pm

Classic New Orleans rhythm & blues from Gypsy John plus the Taste of New Orleans food fest.

Thee Sunday Sonics
Borough Wines Building, 34 Robertson Street, midday-4pm
Wow and Flutter, 8 Trinity Street, 4.30-5.30pm
The Printworks, 6pm-late

A one-day celebration of avant garde art in the Trinity Triangle. Hastings and St Leonards have long been an established melting pot of visual art, music, film and performance. Here we present a supreme selection of visual and sonic innovators from across the UK. Artists and performers will occupy the basement floor of the Borough Wines Building from midday to 4pm with video art, performance, music and spoken word. Then the event will move to the Wow and Flutter record shop for the launch of the Looking At You Pagebreak Fanzine, and finally to the Printworks for an evening of sonic entertainment. Free. More info here.

Savage Second Line Band
The Albion, 5-7pm. Free

Join Dr Savage and much-loved Second Line band for a roaring show at the Albion, the spirit of Fat Tuesday!

Off Axis
Flairz (56-57 Havelock Road), Brass Monkey (18 Havelock Road), Union Bar (57 Cambridge Road), Carlisle (24 Pelhan Crescent), 1-9.30pm. Free

Featuring the best unsigned bands from across the country – all on the brink of greatness. Curated by The Stinger magazine, Off Axis, ACM and the Joe Strummer Foundation. This is an opportunity for some of the finest emerging artists to showcase themselves to a wider audience and for agents and promoters to discover new talent.

 

Off Axis After-Show Party
The Fountain, 93 Queen’s Road. Free

The after-show party features Hastings folk punk band Matilda’s Scoundrels.

Monday 27 February
Unconvention
The Palace, morning and afternoon sessions. Free entry but registration required.

A one-day music conference aimed at the grassroots of the industry. Panel discussions and workshops about the future of the music industry, with tips and talks about how to get into it and achieve success.

Un-Convention is a UK-based global music network and development agency. Their events and projects bring together artists and practitioners to share knowledge and expertise. Through this they develop new and innovative approaches to building sustainable careers and alternative models for the music industries.

The official launch of Hastings & Rother as a Music City will also take place at the end of the first session. Declaring ourselves a music city is a statement of intent by the music community, local authorities and others to work together to support and develop the music sector and music economy in Hastings and Rother.

Slim Monday
The Palace, 7pm onwards.

A King Size Slim special, with guests Rufus Stone, Jimmy Gulliver and George ‘G-mac’ McDonald. Also a chance to meet the Fat Tuesday musicians “off duty” and the team behind the festival. Slim Monday is when everyone takes a collective breath before the madness of The Fat Tuesday Tour commences.

Tuesday 28 February
Fat Tuesday Tour
Various venues, 8-11pm.

The main event: a night of fancy dress, fabulous feathers, beads, masks and music!  Twelve venues host the Fat Tuesday Tour on which 24 bands play 20-minute sets at 12 venues (Jenny Lind, Lord Nelson, Royal Standard, London Trader, Dragon Bar, Albion, Old Market, The Carlisle, Filo, Porters, The Dolphin, the Anchor). Headline act is UK Britpop trio, give or take a musician or two, Dodgy.

Fat Tuesday After-Party
Brass Monkey, 11pm-late

WE-ARE-Z lead proceedings, supported by high-calibre guest musicians and DJs, all ensuring the festival goes out on a high. Admission £10 + £1.21 fee.

And don’t forget the Fat Tuesday Fringe! Outside the main tour a healthy fringe has started to build which all adds to the fun of the night. Check the FB page for more info.

 

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