Preview: Bugged Out Weekender

Approaching their 20^th anniversary, the impact of Bugged Out is hard to overstate. Existing from the days of putting on the likes of Daft Punk and The Chemicals Brothers at Sankeys for a fiver, they’ve become a mainstay of the UK dance music scene through their long standing commitment to hosting parties of the best dance music there is.

This is epitomised by the forthcoming Bugged Out Weekender, their very own festival, which marks the celebration of  their 20^th year. The festival sees Bugged Out return to their spiritual home in the north of England. It boasts an absolutely massive line-up featuring some of the biggest and most important acts who have played at Bugged Out parties in the last two decades, as well as some of the hottest new talents on the scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35A155_vWdk
Footage from the 2013 event

The Bugged Out Weekender takes place at Pontins in Southport, near Liverpool, on March 7^th to March 9^th. The location of a holiday park means this is a festival without the inconvenience and discomfort of tents and outdoor sleeping as all attendees stay in the chalets available inside Pontins. This also means that before the music starts at night there are plenty of activities on in the day ranging from go karts to arcade games to crazy golf, and best of all – pool parties, sound tracked by special guest DJs.

Onto the main attraction, the music – what a line-up it is.

Student favourites are well represented with the likes of Dusky, Boddika, Julio Bashmore, Jackmaster and George Fitzgerald appearing across the weekend. Let’s hope Jackmaster makes a tweak-a-holic appearance at a pool party, jumping up and down in a wave machine whilst disco classics from Whitney Houston and pop bangers from Carly Rae Jepsen ring out through the room sounds pretty ideal to me. Jack also shares his name with a terrific genre, of which no one is closer associated than Heidi. Her Jackathon parties never fail to make people jack their bodies.

Another DJ you can guarantee will get the room pumping whatever the location is the legendary DJ EZ, you’ve all seen the boiler room so you all know what this man can do. Experiencing it live has got to be a no-brainer. Also performing is Resident Advisor’s Number 1 DJ in the world for 2013, Dixon. He’s one of those DJs that takes you on a journey of blissful house and techno, with every set feeling truly special. There’s a reason he’s the top dog in the game right now.

A host of legends are on the bill, including Carl Craig, Dave Clarke, Kerri Chandler, Andrew Weatherall and Justin Robertson. With the pace that music evolves and moves at, only the very best stick around prominently for as long as these artists have. At the Bugged Out Weekender, they’ll show you why they remain so popular to this day.

Long term Bugged Out partner Erol Alkan plays, having performed 10 hour long sets for Bugged Out before, it’s clear this is a man you can trust to deliver near perfection. Alkan’s label signee Daniel Avery is also playing, producer of one of the best albums of 2013.

Also performing live across the weekend are Kölsch, Ten Walls and Todd Terje. The latter is making his UK live debut. He comes boasting a back catalogue of songs as euphoric as ‘Inspector Norse’ and ‘Strandbar’, his set is sure be a truly special event.

Tickets are on sale now at www.buggedoutweekender.net and are priced from £159pp, which includes accommodation.

Day tickets and tickets without accomodation are also available, priced at:
Friday 7th March:
Entry times 9pm-6am
£39.50 + bf

Saturday 8th March
Entry times 6pm-6am
£45.00 + bf

Sunday 9th March
Entry times: 5pm-3.30am
£29.50 + bf

Friday + Saturday + Sunday Weekend ticket without accommodation
£99.00 + bf