Bearded Theory's Spring Gathering, also known as Bearded Theory, is an independent
music festival
A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or h ...
which has no sponsorship or branding that takes place every May on the South Derbyshire, West Midland and Staffordshire border in the National Forest in Britain. The festival is organised by Bearded Theory and was first held in 2008. The festival has nine stages which are the large supernova type Main Stage (similar to the Park or Other Stage at Glastonbury), The Pallet, The Woodland, Magical Sounds, Showcase Stage (introducing stage) The Maui Waui Stage, The Ship, Convoy Cabaret, Something Else Stage, Rogues Hideout and the festival also hosts a Cinema, Craft Village, Healing Area, smaller DJ venues, several public real ale bars, several cocktail or gin bars, Festival School,
Children's Village and a Victorian Funfair. The festival has several campsites and campervan fields, multiple arena areas and are all spread over 250 acres at Catton Park.
On 20 March 2020, it was announced that due to the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
Pandemic, the 2020 Spring Festival would be postponed to 10–13 September.
History
Bearded Theory began life at the Knockerdown Public House, near
Carsington Water
Carsington Water is a reservoir operated by Severn Trent Water located between Wirksworth and Kniveton in Derbyshire, England. The reservoir takes water from the River Derwent at Ambergate during winter months, pumping up to the reservoir by l ...
in 2008. Held over two nights and it overloaded the capacity of the venue. Opening with two acoustic acts (one of whom was also the festival compere known as 'Freedom') the first full band to play the festival were Nottingham rock band Felicity Kicks. Other bands to play included
3 Daft Monkeys
3 Daft Monkeys are a world music-influenced acoustic band from Cornwall, UK, consisting of Tim Ashton, Athene Roberts, Rich Mulryne, and Jamie Graham. The instrumentation consists of vocals, fiddle, twelve-string guitar, bass guitar and percuss ...
,
Dreadzone
Dreadzone are a British electronic music group. They have released eight studio albums, two live albums, and two compilations.
Career
Dreadzone were formed in London, England in 1993 when ex- Big Audio Dynamite drummer Greg Roberts teamed up ...
, Tarantism & Hobo Jones & the Junkyard Dogs.
In 2009, the festival was held at 30-acre Bradley Nook Farm in
Hulland Ward
Hulland Ward is a village and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire roughly 6 miles west of Belper, Derbyshire England on the A517 road. The parish includes the hamlets of Biggin, Nether Biggin and Millington Green. Hulland ...
. The new look festival hosted 4 stages; the Main Stage, Campfire Stage (the stage structure was used in 2015 as the Woodland Stage), the introduction of the Magical Sounds, a large dance big top and remains a key part of the festival and a reggae sound system. During the festival a
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
tore through the festival site, uprooting stalls, tents, and the Main stage and also did damage to the second stage. The situation put the festival in the news headlines. The organisers continued the festival and an alternative stage was erected in the bar and the festival continued, with music from
Goldblade
Goldblade are an English punk rock band from Manchester, England. The band formed in early 1995 when ex Membranes frontman, John Robb, put the band together with Wayne Simmons and former Membranes and A Witness vocalist Keith Curtis on bas ...
,
The Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in the Republic of Ireland including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts fo ...
and
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
, and others.
The 2010 festival was substantially larger, selling out and filling the 30 acres available, and by 2011, a new site had to be found. The organisers arranged with the
National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
for the festival to be held at Kedleston Park within
Kedleston Hall
Kedleston Hall is a neo-classical manor house, and seat of the :Curzon family, Curzon family, located in Kedleston, Derbyshire, approximately 4 miles (6 km) north-west of Derby. The medieval village of Kedleston was moved in 1759 by Nathanie ...
in
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
, an 80-acre parkland. In 2011 Bearded Theory won UK's Best Independent Festival at the
AIM Music Awards.
By 2012 the crowd of festival goers had grown, by now over 600 acts had played at the festival, including
King Blues
The King Blues are a British punk rock band from London credited for fusing punk and hip hop together with influences from ska and spoken word. Tariq Ali described the band's sounds as "rough, radical music that should unsettle the rulers of t ...
,
The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band. Originally based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England, the band's first lineup released four albums and nearly 20 singles and EPs, enjoying considerable chart and live success in the ...
,
New Model Army
The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Th ...
,
The Waterboys
The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...
,
Athlete
An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance.
Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...
,
The Orb
The Orb are an English electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Known for their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Their influential 19 ...
,
Wheatus
Wheatus are an American rock band from Northport, New York, formed in 1995. They are known principally for their 2000 single "Teenage Dirtbag", which appeared in the films '' Loser'' and ''Bully'', as well as the HBO miniseries ''Generation Kil ...
,
Adam Ant
Stuart Leslie Goddard, better known as Adam Ant (born 3 November 1954), is an English singer, musician, and actor. He gained popularity as the lead singer of new wave group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring 10 UK top ten ...
and
the Damned. During 2012 the organizers spent time delivering stage safety seminars to European events industry at
Primavera Sound
Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as simply Primavera) is an annual music festival held in Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain that takes place between the end of May and beginning of June. The first edition took place in 2001 in Poble Espany ...
in Barcelona and various industry conferences in London following the successful implementation of a comprehensive stage safety policy at the festival.
The 2013 line-up included, with
The Levellers
The Levellers were a political movement active during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms who were committed to popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious tolerance. The hallmark of Leveller thought was its popul ...
, Reverend & Makers,
Asian Dub Foundation
Asian Dub Foundation (ADF) is an English electronic music band that combines musical styles including rap rock, dub, dancehall, ragga, and South Asian music. The group also includes traditional rock instruments such as electric bass and gui ...
, New Model Army,
A Guy Called Gerald
Gerald Rydel Simpson (born 16 February 1967), better known as A Guy Called Gerald, is a British record producer and musician. He was an early member of the electronic group 808 State, contributing to their debut LP '' Newbuild'' (1988) and hit ...
, The Farm, Maroon Town, The Destroyers, The Jive Aces and Gallon Drunk across six stages. There was also an "Unsigned Bands Contest". Bearded Theory won Best Small Festival at the
UK Festival Awards
The UK Festival Awards are awarded annually, with various categories for all aspects of festivals that have taken place in the UK, and one category for European festivals. The Awards were first established in 2004 by Steve Jenner and his team a ...
.
In 2014, the festival had to move once again after citing issues with landowner the National Trust following draconian measures being implemented and lack of contractual security. The festival decided to locate to the independently owned 250-acre estate Catton Park in South Derbyshire, a venue the organizers had looked at before deciding to locate to Kedleston Hall. Bearded Theory attracted a capacity crowd. Performing bands included
Carter USM
Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (also known as Carter USM or simply Carter) were an English indie rock band formed in 1987 by singer Jim "Jim Bob" Morrison and guitarist Les "Fruitbat" Carter. They made their name with a distinctive style o ...
,
UB40
UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...
,
Stranglers
The Stranglers are an English rock band who emerged via the punk rock scene. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 19 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have origina ...
,
Peter Hook
Peter Hook (born Woodhead; 13 February 1956) is an English musician, best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Joy Division and New Order. Hook often used the bass as a lead instrument, playing melodies on the high strings wi ...
,
Wonderstuff,
Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a grebo act, they changed style to incorpor ...
,
Reverend & the Makers. The festival's organizers won the Promoter of the Year award at the UK Festival Awards for their industry work with stage safety. In 2015 the festival agreed to a 5-year contract to remain at
Catton Hall
Catton Hall is a country house near the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, within the civil parish of Catton. It gives its postal address as Walton-on-Trent although there was a village of Catton at one time. It is a Grade II* listed ...
and implemented substantial land improvements including access roads, installing a permanent water supply and drainage.
Bands that appeared included
The Mission,
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
,
Afro Celt Sound System
Afro Celt Sound System is a British musical group who fuse electronic music with traditional Gaelic and West African music. Afro Celt Sound System was formed in 1995 by producer-guitarist Simon Emmerson, and feature a wide range of guest artists. ...
, Lab 4,
Cara Dillon
Cara Elizabeth Dillon (born 21 July 1975, in Dungiven, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish folk singer. In 1995, she joined the folk supergroup Equation and signed a record deal with Warners Music Group. After leaving t ...
,
Neville Staple
Neville Eugenton Staple (born 11 April 1955), sometimes credited as Neville Staples, is a Jamaican-born English singer, known for his work with the 2 Tone ska band the Specials, as well as with his own group, the Neville Staple Band. He also per ...
,
Alabama 3
Alabama 3 are a British/English musical group founded in Brixton, London in 1995. They are best known for their track "Woke Up This Morning", which was used for the opening credits of the TV series ''The Sopranos''. In the United States, the ...
,
Gun
A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, pr ...
,
Hugh Cornwell
Hugh Alan Cornwell (born 28 August 1949) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and writer, best known for being the lead vocalist and lead guitarist for the punk rock and new wave band the Stranglers from 1974 to 1990. Since leaving the ...
,
British Sea Power
Command of the sea (also called control of the sea or sea control) is a naval military concept regarding the strength of a particular navy to a specific naval area it controls. A navy has command of the sea when it is so strong that its rivals ...
,
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto. They are regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independen ...
,
Misty in Roots
Misty in Roots are a British roots reggae band formed in Southall, London, in the mid 1970s. Their first album was 1979's ''Live at the Counter Eurovision'', a record full of Rastafarian songs. It was championed by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, help ...
and
The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican
The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican are a British comedy folk and parody band from Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Formed in 2006, they claim to be the hardest working comedy band in the UK, having played over 1200 shows throughout the UK. They ...
. The festival sold out and was cited as the organizers best festival to date. The festival made history when they announced the plans to operate an onsite school on the Friday of the festival. The school met key learning criteria at each age level and classes included Science, Home Economics, Math's, English, History and lots more. The P.E classes were operated by Derby County FC. The school assisted parents taking children out of school without being fined and was a festival first.
In 2016 the festival sold out and produced a universally well received festival. The festival went onto win Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards and gig of the year for the performance by Wilko Johnson in Stand Out Magazine. Bands who performed included Killing Joke, Squeeze, Jack Savoretti, Levellers, The Jam, Black Uhuru and Stiff Little Fingers.
2017 featured over 150 bands and DJ's with Madness, Skunk Anansie, The Fall, Seasick Steve, Vintage Trouble, CJ Bolland, Foy Vance, Sugarhill Gang. The festival sold out a month in advance and received various good reviews from Festivals for All, BBC 6 Music, Radio 2, Efestivals, Gourmet Gigs, Louder than War Magazine, The Guardian, The Independent and Festival Kidz.
Bearded Theory has won 7 awards. 2016 UK's Best Family Festival, 2014 Promoter of the Year at the UK Festival Awards and Silver Award Festival Kidz Awards, 2013 UK's Best Small Festival at the UK Festival Awards and Gold Award at the Festival Kidz Awards. In 2011 UK's Best Independent Festival at the AIM Awards.
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.beardedtheory.co.uk
Music festivals in Derbyshire