Livestock Festival

Livestock Festival Livestock Festival - Established 2001, Jez's Field, Ivybridge, Devon Livestock is a free live music/DJ event, taking place on a farm near Ivybridge, Devon.

Originating in 2001 as a bunch of mates throwing a wild party in a field, the good times and crazy entertainment have become the stuff of local legend over the years, and the event has gathered a lively gang of dedicated followers, whilst retaining all the grass-roots authenticity of its founding fellowship, devoted fans, and enigmatic musical performances. Attendance is by invitation, so please a

sk one of your organising/attending friends for an event invite to come join the fun! The gathering has traditionally been kept to between 50-150 people, and over the years this has allowed us to build a very special fanbase of helpful, turstworthy, fun-loving, and generally awesome Livestock rockers n ravers! But if you don't know any of the Livestock gang, and would like to enquire about attending (or performing) at Livestock, then please feel free to send us a message. There'll be parking and portaloo facilities, aside from that it's just like a normal camping trip, we may well have some provisions on sale, along with our legendary merchandise, and the town is 5 mins drive away to stock up on food+drink supplies :-)

..THE ORIGINS OF LIVESTOCK...

The humble beginnings of the now legendary Livestock Music Festival go way back to 2001...

A bunch of lads were planning to go camping on the moors, when Jez offered the use of one of his farm fields instead. They wanted some music and needed some light, but a handful of torches and a portable CD player from Argos just weren’t doing the business. They joked about hooking up car jump leads to mixing decks, and maybe even a TV for the England v Germany game that weekend…

Then, they came up with the idea of renting a generator… And all the other things that could be powered with it… Before they knew it, the lads had a gazebo and DJ desk, disco lights, and a smoke machine. They hired some suitably massive speakers, adorned the front of the DJ area with banners and flags, and got some local bands to come and play. All they needed was a name for their little event… Like the famous Woodstock festival… But in a farmer’s field… And so, from some serious down-the-pub-brainstorming came the now legendary name… LIVESTOCK! Everyone invited all their mates along, showed the local girls some warm Devonshire hospitality, and partied late into the night. And the next day, England even beat Germany 5-1! The Devon boys knew that they had started something special… It was now their glorious destiny to host the greatest, wildest, craziest cider-fuelled rock-n-rave party-in-a-field that the world had ever seen!
..And so began The Legend Of Livestock…

09/30/2012

Wow, what an amazing Livestock 2012! Thanks to everyone for making it such a great party, we hope you all enjoyed yourselves :-) And a special well done to all the performers – Live Acts, DJs, Opening Ceremony Actors +Actresses, Livestock’s Got Talent Comedians +Jugglers +Air Guitar Legends, and Superstars of the Livestock Wresting Federation!! You were all awesome, I’m sure everyone will agree that this year was the best crazy carnival of entertainment in Livestock history!

There will be some compilation collages of photos put together for this page and also some special ones of the Live Acts, DJs, Entertainment (and maybe some wild partying ones too!)

So if you have some photos from the event, and would like to see yourselves and your mates immortalised as “LEGENDS OF LIVESTOCK!”, please send a message to this page with the Facebook web address link to your photo album (maybe you could set it to ‘public’ for us just for a day if you normally just share them with friends?), and you can also attach your best pics in messages sent through to this Livestock page. Apparently there are some very proud families out there who would love to see the best highlights put together of what their rock stars and entertainers have been up to, so maybe if we can get enough high quality images we’ll look at doing some posters too :-)

Well done everyone on a legendary Livestock 2012, can’t wait for the next one!! :-D

09/13/2012

3PM SATURDAY – LIVESTOCK 2012 OPENING CEREMONY!
Bring national flags and any other patriotic paraphernalia for absolutely any country you’d like to represent!! There will be a Livestockaletes Parade within the Opening Ceremony, which will probably be like some kind of hybrid-love-child-offspring-disaster of an amateur theatrics group / Blue Peter arts and crafts session / certain other recent sporting event ceremony… Errr, anyway...! We have quite a growing number of participating nations, and everyone is very welcome to jump in with the existing or new nations in the international parade and wildly wave your flags around like loony Livestockaletes!! ;-)

09/10/2012

LIVESTOCK 2012 LINE-UP PREVIEW: HEADLINE LIVE ACT!
*** UKEJAM ***
This crazy carnival of ukulele fun is triumphantly rounding off a huge summer tour of gigs and festivals, by singing and dancing and strumming their way down to Devon to headline Livestock 2012!

UkeJam have shared a stage with the likes of Mungo Jerry, Hugh Cornwell (The Stranglers), Hayseed Dixie, Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, UK No1 star Josh Kumra, and have even featured a few cameo drum performances from comedian Al Murray!

Expect plenty of sing-along favourites, amusing banter, and the instantly loveable charm of the enthusiastic bouncy uke-strumming gang, who always put a big grin on the fans’ faces :-)
..And don’t forget, the ‘Four String Revolution’ always brings a world of warm friendly musical fun with them wherever they go, so there will no doubt be opportunity for some sing-and-play-along sessions at Livestock 2012… So bring your instruments and heartiest singing voices, and come join the party!!

09/10/2012

LIVESTOCK 2012 LINE-UP PREVIEW:
THE RUBBER BAND BANNED
The original Livestock legends are reforming to rock the ‘stock, with classic hits such as the inspirationally suggestive “Both Ways” and guaranteed crowd-pleaser “Looking At Yer Girlfriend’s Tits”. A number of lesser-known artists such as John Lennon and Jesus have frequently been mistaken for wild-haired lead singer and rock n roll messiah Matt Skelley, but all of them failed to live up to his deviant rock star behaviour, and now spend their days hiding out in a darkened corner of Rodney’s garage listening to The Rubber Band Banned’s limited edition “Cloakroom Raffle” E.P., wishing that they too could one day be that awesome.

09/10/2012

LIVESTOCK 2012 LINE-UP PREVIEW:
JIM DAHL
Having made his Livestock debut in 2011, folk-rock-raconteur Jim Dahl was an instant hit, expertly projecting the charismatic sound of his banjo and rich storytelling vocals across the fields of Devon. His origins remain a mystery – in the run-up to last year’s event, rumours spread like wildfire that a travelling banjo player had been seen and heard playing in the local area, then like a fluttering folk-minstrel moth he was drawn to the light of the Livestock campfire, whereupon we threw him up on stage and away he went. Cows and sheep were soon seen putting their differences behind them, holding hooves and swaying together in unison to the harmonious magic that their ears were experiencing.

09/10/2012

LIVESTOCK 2012 LINE-UP PREVIEW:
THE LOCKSMITHS
All the way from Belfast, and emerging from the glory of some roaring rock anthem sing-alongs in their Livestock solo performances last year, these Irish firestarters are now combining their noisy superpowers in one kick-ass collective. They plan to feature between 2 and 6 band members, but if last year’s stage entourage was anything to go by, it could be anything up to 20. The band name is rumoured to have originated from them repeatedly losing their keys when drunk. If this band was a racehorse it’d be the one bucking wildly as it approaches the start line, before hurtling off down the track either destined for victory or about to go galloping off into the sunset in search of a sexy filly and a bottle of Bucky.

09/09/2012

LIVESTOCK 2012 LINE-UP PREVIEW:
!PoWeLLo!
2011’s headline act returns with a rampant collection of original songwriting insanity and outrageous covers. Notorious for chaotic collaborations and crowd involvement, last year’s set inspired a rather wild rock n roll barndance and plenty of crowdsurfing. Who knows what comedy musical madness will be unleashed upon the Devonshire masses this time around. Or what choice of crazy hat and outfit, for that matter. Powello has rocked the ‘stock since 2005, and performed at student unions, open mics, various bars/restaurants/travellers’ hostels across Australasia, Asia, USA, Central & South America, and once even staged a particularly triumphant performance accompanied by a bunch of bongo-playing hippies in a psychedelically-decorated tent full of grinning happy wasted folk at Glastonbury Festival.

09/09/2012

LIVESTOCK 2012 LINE-UP PREVIEW:
THE NEFARIOUS PICAROONS
These wayward musical buccaneers were drawn together by the hands of destiny itself, a constantly evolving arrangement of guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, harmonica, saxophone, tambourine, rhythm sticks, and shaky-egg-things. This eagerly anticipated Livestock debut will see the Picaroons throw open their melodic treasure chest and fill the ears of all present with an adventurous collection of rare and classic gems. The Devonshire ladyfolk should be warned that the deep and funky vibrations produced by the band’s infamously nefarious bassist Johnny Lurvepants have been know to instantaneously shake the undergarments off every female in the audience. You have been warned.

09/09/2012

LIVESTOCK 2012 LINE-UP PREVIEW:
ONE HIT BLUNDER
The band with more former names (including “Janner’s Handbag” and “The Ting Tongs”) than songs on their planned setlist, this fun-loving bunch have been warmly embraced by the Livestock brethren for their crazy comedy lyrics and eccentric song inspirations. Rumours that the annual name change is used to escape the attention of the authorities due to unspecified animal-related incidents are completely denied by the band, although they were apprehended for questioning following Livestock 2009 after harrassing some sheep whilst wearing £20 beige Primark suits with wellies. Whilst the name may seem to hint at their intended set length, make sure you demand an encore! Loudly and repeatedly!

09/08/2012

LIVESTOCK 2012 LINE-UP PREVIEW:
NICK NACK PADDY WHACK & THE CHEAP GIMMICKS
Previously, these boisterous lads have performed in Mexican sombreros and wrestling masks, got sisters and mother up on stage singing with them, and last year eponymous band legend Paddy even appeared in Livestock’s Got Talent juggling multi-coloured reels of duct tape whilst dressed as a monk. This time round they claim to have enrolled ‘new talent’ into the band, although we have no idea yet if that’s another alternative circus act in a religious outfit or somebody’s auntie being forced to poledance. Latest speculation suggests it could be another Livestock performer armed with an instrument and not afraid to use it.

09/08/2012

LIVESTOCK 2012 LINE-UP PREVIEW:
SI PURSE
Destined to become part of Livestock folklore, Si displays a humble natural affinity with the countryside, and is often seen arriving in the field looking like a kind of David Attenborough / Pied Piper character, being followed by all sorts of farm animals and birdlife which are drawn in by the mesmerising sounds emerging from his beautiful guitar-playing and pleasing vocals, and of course also the overwhelming awesomeness of his dreadlocks. Last year’s acoustic delights from this worldly traveller led to several members of the crowd becoming temporarily overwhelmed by good vibes and involuntarily performing trance-like interpretive dance routines in front of the stage.

09/08/2012

LIVESTOCK 2012 LINE-UP PREVIEW...
A) WOOD PIGEON
No-one ever really knows what’s coming next from this mysterious but charismatic wildman. In the past we’ve been treated to everything from intricately cryptic heartfelt poetry recitals, to beardy scrumpy-drinking sing-songs and retro rock n roll classics. We managed to get him to come and play by simply laying a trail of breadcrumbs to the field, and we’re hoping that one day he’ll actually walk out on stage wearing a giant wood pigeon costume.

Address

Jez's Field, Ivybridge
Devon

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