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Bang Face

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Bang Face
GenreElectronic music
Location(s)United Kingdom Netherlands Belgium
Years active2003–present
FoundersJames Gurney aka Saint Acid
WebsiteOfficial website

Bang Face (sometimes written as Bangface[1]) is an electronic dance music event that has been taking place at various venues across the UK and Europe since 2003.[2] Referring to itself as a Neo-Rave Explosion, Beatport announced on 18 April 2024 that its newest genre was Neo Rave - "Coined by BangFace, Neo Rave encompasses the harder styles of dance music".[3] Starting as a monthly club night in London, it has grown to include an annual weekender, a boat party on the River Thames, as well as guest shows at festivals such as Glastonbury.[4] In 2013 Bang Face celebrated its 10th birthday with DJ Mag stating Bang Face [maintains] "the perfect blend of old skool rave and the finest contemporary leftfield sounds".[5] In March 2015 Bang Face reached the milestone of 100 events by hosting the Weekender at Southport Holiday Park. Resident Advisor asked the question "Is Bangface the most unique rave out there?" and described it as a "Neo-rave utopia".[6] In 2023 Bang Face celebrated 20 years of events with the 2023 Weekender headlined by Orbital.[7]

Description

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Bang Face is known for its fun and creative party atmosphere featuring inflatables being bounced above the crowd, banners bearing comedic slogans and fancy dress themes. A photo feature illustrating this appeared in the Observer Magazine.[8] It is this atmosphere that has become Bang Face’s unique signature with Time Out London claiming that the 2009 Weekender would “make Bestival look like f***ing ‘Question Time’".[2] Bang Face hosts a wide range of electronic dance music.[9]

Bang Face normally themes its events using historical references to significant events falling on the same day, for example, a James Bond-themed fancy dress code for an event coinciding with Roger Moore's birthday party.[10]

London events

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Bang Face began as a monthly club night in London and quickly became increasing popular with a resurgence in electronic dance music. Event organiser, James Gurney, was interviewed by The New York Times in 2007 and said the dance-music scene has been “snowballing” and the crowd is “getting younger and younger.”[11] It gained attention early on with a video endorsement from Ozzy Osbourne who described it as "the Punk Rave Place". Whilst supporting mainly new and upcoming artists, Bang Face began to gain attention in the media. It appeared top of the recommended club features in publications such as NME’s ‘Top clubs to get your rocks off’ and The Guardian Guide: “Bang Face celebrates with luminaries Venetian Snares, A Guy Called Gerald and Hellfish to unleash all manner of mayhem”.[12][13] Timeout said “There’s a line most club nights stop at, for fear of being too silly. Bangface crossed that line on its very first night, and hasn’t looked back since. What started in 2003 as a one-off party has become a cultish hub for London's ravers.”[14] Event organiser, James Gurney, was interviewed by The New York Times Bang Face also holds an annual boat party on the River Thames.

Weekenders

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After five years of monthly club nights, Bang Face launched the first Weekender in 2008, held over three days at Pontins in Camber Sands. Following the success of this event it has now become an annual event.[2][8] A fly poster for the first Weekender appeared in Channel 4's Shameless as a stage prop.[15][16] In 2012 the Bang Face Weekender was held at Trevelgue Holiday Park, Newquay, Cornwall and headlined by Aphex Twin.[17]

The Bang Face Weekender returned in 2015 to Pontins Holiday Park Southport for the 100th event and continued there annually until 2023.[6] Following their performance at the 2023 Weekender, Atlanta-based producer and DJ Nikki Nair said "Bang Face, oddly enough, was one of the most beautiful festivals I’ve ever attended; a celebration of rave as a culture and language, done in a very genuine and wholesome way, with no punches pulled or expense spared to make it feel like, well, the raviest possible rave."[18]

In January 2024, Pontins in Southport closed down permanently following damage from Storm Henk.[19] On 29 March 2024, it was announced that Bang Face Weekender 2024 would now be held at Butlin's Skegness on 4-7 October.[20]

Festivals and European events

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Bang Face began to host showcase events at UK festivals, starting with The Glade in 2006.[21] In 2010 it hosted a night at the Glastonbury Festival for the first time, which was ranked ninth in a Daily Telegraph columnist's Top 10 highlights of the festival.[4] BangFace returned to Glastonbury in June 2011.[22] In 2013 - 2014 Bang Face organised events in Belgium and Holland where they have a strong fanbase. This included a takeover at Dour Festival in 2014.[23] In 2016 Bang Face was invited to talk at a panel at ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event).[24] From 2017 - 2019 Bang Face held an annual event in Amsterdam, known as Amsterbang at the famous Melkweg venue.[25] In 2019 Bang Face hosted a stage at Boomtown Festival in the UK.[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Bang Face". Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Lawrence, Eddy (13 November 2008). "Bang Face". Time Out London.
  3. ^ "Get Hard Dance / Hardcore / Neo Rave Tracks on Beatport | Music Downloads & Streaming". Beatport.
  4. ^ a b Jones, Lucy (29 June 2010). "Top ten highlights of Glastonbury 2010". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 July 2010.
  5. ^ "BANGFACE: A DECADE OF BANGING". DJMag.com. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Bangface: Neo-rave utopia · Feature ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  7. ^ Bang Face Weekender announces full line-up for 20th-anniversary edition
  8. ^ a b Sturrock, Alex (May 2008). "Street Life". The Observer.
  9. ^ McGrath, Allan (January 2007). "Bangface". DJ Mag.
  10. ^ "Bang Face's Eighth Birthday Party". Time Out London. 17 September 2011.
  11. ^ Knight, Sam (21 January 2007). "Bang Face". The New York Times.
  12. ^ "The Clubs". NME. June 2006.
  13. ^ "Pick of the week". The Guardian. 7 October 2006.
  14. ^ Timeout: In pictures: the eternal comic genius of Bangface
  15. ^ "Shameface! : BangFace". Ravetalk.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  16. ^ Company Pictures (March 2008). "Shameless TV Series". Channel 4. 5.
  17. ^ "Bangface Weekender 2012 at Trevelgue Holiday Park (Newquay) on 14 Sep 2012". Last.fm. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  18. ^ Crack Magazine: This is Signing Off, our year-end series with the artists who defined 2023
  19. ^ Ross, Gemma. "Southport Pontins, Home of Bang Face Weekender, has closed with immediate effect". Mixmag. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Bang Face Weekender reveals new date and location · News ⟋ RA".
  21. ^ "Glade Get Bang Face". Clash Magazine. 18 June 2006.
  22. ^ "Glastonbury Festivals - 2011 Line-ups". Archived from the original on 2007-12-23.
  23. ^ "BangFace voor het eerst op Dour Festival". Frontview-magazine.be. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  24. ^ "James Gurney —".
  25. ^ RA PICK - Glow sticks, inflatables, smileys, 303s, whistles, horns, breakbeats, neon, Venetian Snares and fancy dress. Get sucked into the neo-rave wormhole that is Bangface.
  26. ^ Boomtown Source
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