Stop anyone in any street in any town or city in England and ask for Croissant Neuf . . .and you’ll probably get a slap in the face! But, ask at the Glastonbury Festival and the response will be somewhat different - eyes will light up, smiles will break out, heads will begin to nod as people remember the time that they saw the Chilli Peppers, Jimi Hendrix and the Sugarbabes there all on the same night! Of course they would be completely wrong but, such is the power and mystery of the Croissant Neuf Venue, everyone has their own fantastic tale to tell of their visit.
This year is a very special anniversary. 20 years ago, Steve Wade from ‘Wind and Sun’ brought the first wind turbine to the Glastonbury festival and now, two decades later, the entire Green Field zone is powered by renewable energy. The Croissant Neuf is very proud to have been the first venue to run completely on Solar Power and we are continuing this fine tradition again this year by presenting a sound and lighting system so unique that it recently won a prize at a major international unique award ceremony for ‘uniqueism!’
The 10Kw PA and LED Lighting System used in the Croissant Neuf has been developed by the jolly clever boffins at the Green Roadshow. It is a joy to behold and well worth a visit - many people do not believe that all of the things that they see in the Croissant Neuf can be run on Solar Power but it is completely true! - nothing but Sun Power pure, clean and green!
As usual the Croissant Neuf will be showcasing an eclectic assortment of musical tastes and styles from Hardcore Aerobics to a Sixties Soul Nite, Welsh Folk to Tackno Trance and Post Punk Deca-Dance to Flame’n’co!!
But enough of this faintly amusing and whimsical nonsense - suffice to say that a day spent at the Croissant Neuf Solar Powered Venue is definitely not a day spent in Hull.
Situated in the Green Roadshow Field, just above the railway line, the Croissant Neuf Venue brings eleven new bands to play at the festival for the very first time. See Listings below. 'Turning Sunshine into Music'
Another WORLD FIRST from GreenOvation Ltd - a 700 capacity venue run entirely on Solar Power!
Croissant Neuf Stage Line-Up 2004
Friday
11.15am –YOGA - come and start the day with half an hour of this ancient wisdom of exercise. Loosen up, gently stretch and revitalise your energy.
12.15pm – AEROBIC DANCE WORKOUT - now warmed up by Yoga or just turn up and join this high-energy workshop to get that heart pumping!
1.00pm – NIZLOPI – the most exciting and talented 2 man folk hip-hop orchestra going, with double bass, beat box, guitar and vocals they are an inspiring live spectacle to be seen.
2.30pm - DRAGONSFLY - from French and Breton dance to Eastern Europe and beyond, Dragonsfly create a musical landscape across worldly traditions. They play a fusion of celtic instruments including bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, bouzouki and more with high energy and entrancing passion. Come and join in the Breton dance workshop too.
4.00pm – MILLPOND MOON – This Norwegian duo produce beautiful music somewhere between contemporary folk, jazz and blues. The magical sounds of their voices and guitars are acoustic and transparent yet close and gratifying.
5.30pm – OUTSET – A young, talented and energetic group of 16yr olds from Shepton Mallet create their own fusion of nu-metal and melodic rock. Inspired by greats such as Korn and Limpbizkit with a twist of Incubus to Muse they make history by bringing this unique style of music to the Croissant Neuf stage and being the youngest band to ever play on it.
9.30pm – CELLOMAN – Beguiling, sensuous and funky, Celloman’s warm middle eastern vibes blend with a touch of reggae and a hint of classical tones by his 6 piece band of electric cello, electric violin, drums and percussion.
11.00pm – LOONALOOP – With the marriage of organic sounds and instruments Loonaloop craft a sound and live performance that is highly energetic, captivating and globally appealing. They take you on an eclectic excursion through the many genres of electro/dance music ranging from drum ‘n’ bass to house, trance world beats and breaks.
Saturday
11.15am - Yoga
Aerobic Dance Workout
1.00pm – SEIZE THE DAY – are a professional and innovative front-line band whose live performances are exciting, moving and inspirational. They play their own unique brand of contemporary folk music in all corners of the world raising awareness and funds too for environmental organisations, peace movements etc. Come up to the Green Roadshow field to support them and hear their powerful but beautiful music.
2.30pm – BIGGLES Wartime Band, – Big, bold loud and fun – that’s our Biggles, back again this year by much popular demand. This ultimate party jugband play a concoction of blues, ragtime, swing, pop, folk, almost anything. But don’t let their antics fool you though; their exuberant music is the result of skilfully conceived arrangements, unusual instrumentation and unique vocal harmonies.
4.00pm – FLAME ‘N’ CO – this amazingly talented trio bring the delights of Spain here to Croissant Neuf with the utmost professional Spanish guitar playing you have ever heard in England. Nick Wilkinson, received private tuition by world famous guitarist Paco Pena and now teaches himself at the Spanish Iinstitute in Manchester. Here he teams up with powerful dancer Raquel Alvasey with her own unique style of flamenco fusion dance and violin player Olivia Moore, who recently studied with an Indian violinist, bringing an exciting new dimension to Flamenco. They hope to have a guest appearance by singer Alberto Jimenez.
5.30pm – ENGINE ROOM – Frenetic, energetic and wildly entertaining, this young 7 piece band fuse contemporary beats with traditional Trinidadian steelband percussion to create rhythmical melodies that invite you to do one thing…Dance!
9.30pm – THE CRACKED ACTORS – a 9 piece Ska Punk Reggae band who deliver their own material with a few choice covers in a fun and energetic way. The songs range from mellow numbers to rowdy punk arms in the air punch-a-longs. This lovable bunch of nutters from Birmingham will have you dancing yer booties off and guarantee a good night out!
11.00pm – BANCO De GAIA –2004 sees Banco back with his first new album in 4 years, “You Are Here” critically acclaimed already by many as a new classic. The new live show features live live video mixing featuring footage gathered from all corners of the earth to compliment his culturally diverse and rhythmically insistent sound. Great to watch, even better to dance to, expect an uplifting and thought provoking ride.
Sunday
11.15am – Yoga
Aerobic Dance workout
1.00pm – TOGMOR – Togmor’s music is carefully crafted to combine a vibrant mix of powerful modern rhythms with a traditional Celtic feel. Their blazing bursts of jigs and reels with evocative acoustic songs and fast moving electric set will appeal to fans of both Celtic Roots and Contemporary Folk Rock.
2.30pm – EMBER - is a fresh young trio with a love of music ranging from Celtic to Medieval to American-style Western Folk. With a repertoire of melodic love songs and quirky upbeat tunes these girls lyrics are funny, poignant, clever and startlingly mature.
4.00pm – MANKALA – a 5 piece multicultural band that plays rhythmic and energetic original music, with lots of African, Caribbean and Latin elements. With a fresh uplifting sound, inflected with a variety of eclectic styles such as zouk, calypso, soca, reggae, a touch of afro-beat and a hint of salsa, Mankala is definitely a live band that will get any audience on their feet.
5.30pm – NEW GRAND SMOKING PALACE – despite having been in existence for just a matter of months, New Grand Smoking Palace are not a band you could merely ignore. The extent of their diverse forays into muso territory is evident, as they fuse Rockabilly, New Wave and a hint of Blues into a toothy beast that purrs and roars. Energetic, enigmatic, exciting and championed by John Peel as one to watch…………..so be there!
9.30pm – THE F.O.S BROTHERS – forge ahead with their original brand of Celtic Roots music. Twin acoustic guitars, violin, mandolin and powerful vocals set in an ambient backdrop of drums and percussion. The F.O.S Brothers fuse their inherited Celtic traditions with passionate original songs awash with fire and vitality. Solid unpretentious stuff from a band who are out to enjoy themselves with the audience.
11.00pm – BAKA BEYOND – Musicians from 6 countries in the Celtic fringes of Europe and the west coast of Africa join together to play the most original live world fusion sound around. Strong African beats underpin Celtic and Gaelic melodies producing fast yet gentle rhythms that are totally infectious. The musicianship and improvisational skills of the band combines with a sensitivity learned from the Baka in the African rainforest.