A decade of art rock, doom metal and comfy chalets

Published on Tuesday 20 October 2009 19:01

AFTER ten years of ever-growing cult status, the All Tomorrow's Parties festival has become a thrice-yearly UK event, has expanded into the United States and Australia, and is now the comeback destination of choice for all manner of reformed and long-absent bands.

This is despite largely taking place in out-of-season Butlins resorts.

This month, the weekender for people who hate conventional music festivals made its most unexpected move yet and booked someone the man on the street has actually heard of – Simpsons creator Matt Groening will pick the bands one weekend next May.

Groening might seem an odd choice when the other upcoming ATPs are to be curated by reunited cult favourites My Bloody Valentine and Pavement. If it was up to Homer Simpson it would be Grand Funk Railroad all the way.

But Groening, 55, reportedly has an extensive personal collection of the kind of experimental art rock that causes attendees to lose cardigan buttons with excitement, and has already organised an ATP event in Long Beach California in 2003. Back then he booked the likes of Sonic Youth, the Mars Volta, the Shins and Captain Beefheart's newly reformed Magic Band, so it's in safe hands.

But if you'd rather be at home watching Futurama, you're not alone. ATP's obscure line-ups are more likely to feature instrumental doom metal by terrifying regular participants Sunn O))) than anyone on the A-list at Absolute Radio, and seem calculated to make 99 per cent of the population sprint towards the welcoming arms of the V Festival. It's a strategy that has allowed it to remain sponsorship-free and created a loyal audience that really, really loves it.

Attendees are music's geekiest strain, the types who have elitist music website Pitchfork.com as their homepage if they're not already contributors. They're so passionate that some 200 of them submitted amateur footage to be used in a new film marking ATP's tenth anniversary.

All Tomorrow's Parties the film, out on DVD on 2 November, takes its cue from the classic festival films of the 1960s, focusing as much on the eccentricities of the audience as on the talents of the bands. It features performances by acts including Nick Cave, Belle and Sebastian and Yeah Yeah Yeahs as well as much fan lunacy, interspersed with footage of Butlins attendees of the past enjoying three-legged races.

What the venues lack in cool cachet, they make up for in unheard-of festival luxuries such as roofs and running water. Plus there's the added warm glow you get from knowing your left-field pop idol is staying in exactly the same kind of apartment as you. You may even spot him drying his pants on a balcony.

Most appealingly, the bands book the bands, ensuring the line-up is never dictated by who is decreed hot right now and is always as idiosyncratic as those choosing it. Past curators include Mogwai, Portishead, the Breeders and the Flaming Lips, as well as artists such as Vincent Gallo, the Chapman brothers and, of course, Groening.

Even if you have heard of the headliners, chances are the rest of the bill would make even John Peel raise a mildly confused eyebrow.

It's safest just to give in to ignorance and perhaps discover that you really enjoy abstract noise-rap. If a headache starts brewing, there's always the water park.

&#149 All Tomorrow's Parties is screening at ABC2, Glasgow, this Saturday, with a live set from Les Savy Fav. For more information, and to buy tickets, visit www.atpfestival.com

&149 The next All Tomorrow's Parties events are 4-6 December (curated by My Bloody Valentine); 11-13 December (Ten Years of ATP); 7-9 May 2010 (curated by Matt Groening) and 14-16 May 2010 (curated by Pavement). All are at Butlins Holiday Centre, Minehead. You can book tickets via www.seetickets.com