TRIBAL GATHERING & PLAYING ALIVE NEEDS YOU TO DANCE IN AID OF TRIBAL PEOPLE’S IN SUDAN !!

“The biggest humanitarian drama of our time and age is Sudan and, at the moment, Darfur in western Sudan. There is no place in the world where such a drama is being played out. We are now faced with a race against the clock. If we fail, hundreds of thousands of people will perish.”
Jan Egeland, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs

Even 20 years after the historic Live Aid concert, politically induced starvation and suffering continues to ravage the Sudanese people. Diseases such as meningitis threaten thousands every day and because there are no antibiotics or vaccinations, the sufferers remain defenceless. For as long as the fighting continues, and it shows no real signs of ceasing, this desperation will continue.

After a whole winter and spring of preperation, Tribal Gathering step up to the outdoor stage for the first time in almost a decade. Finally they return to the fields in order to set alight a dance party like no other. This is officially, the most important rave of your life… This time we’re not just dancing for ourselves; we are dancing for those people suffering 1000’s of miles away. You’ve never met them, chances are you never will… But even though they will never get to know you’re name or even see your face, but by just simply coming out dancing and at this unique event, you have the power to change the lives of not only people who are alive today, but generations to come.

Originally pioneering the multi-arena festival format back in 1993, Tribal Gathering first appeared on the scene in a blaze of glory. These festival style dance events soon became legendary across the UK and indeed, the world. Whilst many copycats soon jumped on this formula, none of them have ever come close to capturing the mesmerising spirit of those first outdoor spiritual adventures. Returning to the heart of the countryside will be an epic journey for Tribal Gathering. After all, we had thought that to produce a big outdoor event again would be rather meaningless; even a waste of time… After all it was eight years ago that Tribal first set out this stall. How wrong we were…

In order to raise the amount of money they need, they want 20,000 beautiful tribalists who are ready to change the world to attend this once in a lifetime party. Returning to the fields is not a decision made purely out of desire, it is one of necessity for the future of the Sudanese people. You will all have heard about the urban Tribal rumblings in warehouses and underground car-parks over the last three or four years, and while they searched, they simply could not find a suitable venue, with enough space and enough rooms to house an event of this magnitude. So, the decision was made. Tribal will step out from the underground dwellings, that have been her home, and return to a magical realm, where five awesome arenas lie within a sun-drenched clearing of enchanted woodland. This sleeping giant now lies waiting, for the most important crowd of people ever to gather, at what will be the most historic dance event ever to take place.

These five zones will each be creatively stunning…mind altering psychedelic production and huge Funktion 1 sound will feature in all, but apart from this, each will be special in its own way. These amazing structures will host Live acts and DJs who have shown love and belief in this event, those who have dedicated their art for no money, so we can raise as much as possible. For this event to be the fantastic success it can be, everyone has a role to play, the promoters, the authorities, the sponsors, the artists and most importantly you. Without you, there is no event at all, and this event is about your money saving people’s lives.

TRIBAL GATHERING VENUE CHANGE:
DANCE FESTIVAL RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS

DANCE-ROCK NEWCOMER JULIET, HIP-HOP EXTRAORDINAIRES SCRATCH PERVERTS AND SEMINAL PRODUCER DERRICK MAY ADDED TO OUTSTANDING LINE-UP

Tribal Gathering announced this week that this year’s event, which takes place Saturday 16th July 2005, will move from its initial location in Leeds, to Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire.

The move to Luton Hoo has been prompted by the overwhelming support that Dance artists have shown for Tribal Gathering and the Playing Alive Foundation, particularly with the additions of new girl on the scene Juliet, hip-hop DJs Scratch Perverts and Detroit pioneer Derrick May. They join the already impressive line-up of celebrated acts such as Groove Armada, Audio Bully’s and the recently confirmed Derek Carter, DJ Zinc, A-SKILLS, Mylo and Tiga.

As the festival is returning after eight years for the sole purpose of bringing global awareness and to fundraise for the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Tribal Gathering is delighted to make this change, in order to accommodate for a higher number of attendees at the event and to raise as much money as possible.

Luton Hoo will not be an unfamiliar site for those who have followed Tribal Gathering throughout the years – and it also has the honour of being the last site that an outdoor event by Tribal Gathering was held. The first time Luton Hoo was visited by Tribal Gathering was in 1996, when over 30,000 people attended the event. The line-up was as good then as it is this year, with acts such as Black Grape, Chemical Brothers and Goldie. The following year, again at Luton Hoo, saw Kraftwerk emerging from retirement to play after a 15-year absence, to an even bigger crowd of 40,000.

Riding high on the success of her first single ‘Avalon’ Juliet will be performing a hybrid of melodic electronica and 1980’s influenced new wave, with songs taken from her debut album ‘Random Order’, which is out July 4th. Having been hooked up with Stuart Price, aka celebrated producer Jacques Lu Cont of Les Rhythm Digitales, Juliet has been able to work with an impressive array of producers and arrangers such as Guy Sigsworth (Bjork, Madonna) and Mark ‘Spike’ Kent (Depeche Mode, Massive Attack) and grown into a style that incorporates the current interest in 80s inspired music with a progressive and contemporary take on electronica. Juliet is expected to join Groove Armada and Mylo in the Starship Universe Arena.

Scheduled to appear in the Planet of the Bass Punks arena alongside Bugz in the Attic and DJ Yoda, will be the progressive and hugely successful Scratch Perverts, who will be demonstrating their creative energy and enthusiasm to win over the Tribal Gatherers. Famous for their battle DJing, which garnered them various titles such as two World DMC Team titles, they have now moved into a more eclectic area of hip-hop, incorporating influences from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Aphex Twin.

The addition of Derrick May to the line-up will undoubtedly light up the faces of all who find themselves in the Tribal Sessions arena, due to his incredible reputation as one of the early Detroit producers that changed the face and scope of electronic dance music. One of the first American techno artists to tour England, May’s single ‘Strings of Life’ was central to the 1987/ 1988 house explosion, and his label Transmat is widely recognised as one of the most respected techno labels world-wide.

Over 30 acts have been confirmed so far, which include, Groove Armada, Audio Bully’s, Danny Rampling, Mike Pickering, El Presidente, Infadels, Krysko, Layo and Bushwacka, Zero 7, Francois K, Plump DJs, Krafty Kuts, Victor Calderone, X-Press 2, Chicken Lips, Joey Negro, Norman Jay, Unabombers, Bugz in the Attic, DJ Yoda, Dave Beer and Bez, 20:20 Soundsystem, Stanton Warriors and more.

Exactly 20 years after the legendary Live Aid concert, Tribal Gathering returns for the first time in eight years in a huge fund-raising venture organised by David Vincent and the Playing Alive Foundation. All profits from the event will go to the Playing Alive Foundation, an organisation that will then pass it on to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) in aid of the massive humanitarian disaster in Sudan.

Tribal Gathering will be held in Luton Hoo on 16th July 2005. Tickets for the event can be purchased from www.ticketline.co.uk or by phoning the Tribal Gathering hotline on 0161 832 1111. For more detail about the event, or about the Playing Alive Foundation, please visit www.tribalgathering.co.uk, or www.playing-alive.org. Galaxy FM have been appointed as radio partner for the event, for more details about the network please visit www.galaxyfm.co.uk