Rochdale Feel Good Festival 2014 Programme

Date published: 28 August 2014

Now in its seventh year, the festival is packed with lots of things to do for all ages and backgrounds. There’s live music from top name acts and the finest cookery from some of the world’s best known celebrity chefs, as well as a food village and market. Below is a comprehensive programme of events.

Music on the main stage (Town Hall Square)
Saturday 30 August, from 3pm to 10.30pm

5ft Fez
Rochdale-based three piece, comprising Matt Cummings, Ross Fearns and Joe Leach with their unique sounds and individuality, straddling indie, mod, punk and rock with deft skill and handiwork.

MDNGHT
Manchester based disco-tinged house act MDNGHT released their debut EP ‘Into the Night’ last year, introducing their effortless melodies, catchy choruses and slow burn house rhythms. The collective (J, Will, Ant and Lloyd) have had storming receptions at festivals across the UK, including BBC Radio One’s Big Weekend this year in Glasgow. They draw on influences from Chic and Kool and The Gang, to Claude VonStroke, taking house music and adding a touch of soul.

Fickle Friends
The Brighton synth rockers are tipped for great things; the pop five piece released their first track ‘Swim’ this year and followed it up with the foot stomping ‘PLAY’.

Bird to Beast
Folk-pop duo have a raft of addictive, quirky folk-pop tunes and a captivating stage presence. They released their debut single, the accordion-led ‘To Lips from Lungs’, in September last year as the lead track of a three track introductory EP. The single received national radio play on Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music amongst others and their album was hailed ‘Best album of 2013’ by the MEN.

The Selecter
The ska heroes, still including original members Pauline Black and ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, made their name in the 1980s as part of the Two-Tone movement and this year headlined the Avalon Stage at the Glastonbury Festival. Formed in Coventry in 1979 The Selecter spearheaded the two tone movement along with The Specials and Madness. They first hit the airwaves with 'On My Radio', followed by numerous top 40 singles and a top 10 album. Perfect in front of a live crowd – they’ll gain many new fans in Rochdale this year.

Scouting for Girls
Over the course of three sparkling, life-affirming top 10 albums, Scouting For Girls have made the journey from playing pubs in Harrow to headlining Wembley Arena. Best known for a stack of hits including ‘Heartbeat’, ‘She’s So Lovely’, ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, and ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, they’re also famed for blistering live performances, which makes them a perfect fit for the main stage by the wonderful backdrop of Rochdale Town Hall. One of the biggest pop bands in the game, Scouting for Girls have sold more than two million records and been nominated for four Brit Awards, as well as an Ivor Novello Award. Check out their ‘Greatest Hits’ album from last year, which reached number 8 in the charts, and find out why.

Carillion Celebrity Kitchen
Watch our fantastic line up of Celebrity Chefs in action during the festival. Pick up tips, sample delicious treats and relax whilst absorbing the festival atmosphere.

Ainsley Harriott
Saturday 30 August, 11am, 1pm & 3pm
He’s the master of fresh, fun, accessible cuisine and after 18 years as one of the country’s favourite TV chefs, Ainsley Harriott is something of a national institution.

Aazam Ahmad
Friday 29 August, 11am & 1pm & Saturday 30 August, 2pm
Charismatic BBC Fusion chef, back for his seventh Feel Good Festival.

Andrew Nutter
Friday 29 August,12pm & Saturday 30 August, 12pm
Andrew has won multiple awards, including Lancashire Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, and the Courvoisier Award. He’s a regular on radio and on television and is always a popular guest on shows like ‘This Morning.’ He also hosted his own Channel 5 series ‘Utter Nutter’.

Peter Clough
Friday 29 August, 10am
Head Chef at the popular Norden Arms.

Farooq Ahmed
Friday 29 August: 3pm & Saturday 30 August: 4pm
Local restaurateur from Veenas IndianRestaurant, Heywood.

Justine Forrest
Friday 29 August, 2pm & Saturday 30 August, 10am
Justine won the TV series Michael Winner’s Dining Stars and became a celebrity in her home region where she supplies businesses with her wonderful brownies and cakes.

Feel Good At The Flying Horse
Friday 29 August
Upstairs: The Flying Jokers Comedy Night from 7.30pm
Downstairs: The return of ‘The Reno Corrado Pimps’ from 11.30pm - 1.30am
Saturday 30 August
Upstairs: The Back Door Music Project Feel Good Special from 6pm - 1am
Downstairs: Live Music all day with headliners ‘Flight 49’ from 9am - 2am

Festival Market & Food Village
Friday 29 and Saturday 30 August, 9am - 5pm
A wide range of stalls will be situated around the front of the Town Hall selling gifts and treats for the family, plus a fabulous food village with made to order delicacies from around the world. There’ll also be a large seating area where you can relax, eat and drink and soak up the festival atmosphere.

Link4Life ‘Sensational Seasons’ Creativity Tent
Inspired by the Four Seasons in One Day exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale, families can join in with free, fun craft activities and there’s also balloon modelling from Balloonimals.
Join street theatre company Fair Play for a ramble over to Touchstones too, do the exhibition drawing trail and pick up a freebie.
Fair Play rambles will take place three times a day.
Presented by Link4Life’s Arts & Heritage Service.

Rock Choir
Saturday 30 August, 12.45pm
The singing sensation Rock Choir will add its own unique sparkle to this year’s Rochdale Feel Good Festival. The local Rock Choir will perform a repertoire of specially arranged contemporary songs, conducted by local Rock Choir Leader, Phil Reynolds.

M6 Street Theatre
Friday 29 and Saturday 30 August
Working with Aqueous Humour, members of M6 Youth Theatre have created this highly visual, unique piece of street theatre. The performance has been specially created for the Feel Good Festival 2014, funded by The BBC Performing Arts Fund and The Granada Foundation. Performances will be popping up around the festival on Friday and Saturday so keep your eyes peeled for some weird and wonderful characters.

Vibe Youth Music
All day Friday 29 & Saturday 30 August
Live DJ workshops from the Vibe Youth Music tent in the Festival Market. Come along and have a go at mixing your favourite tunes on the decks.

Skylight Circus Arts
Friday 29 and Saturday 30 August
Rochdale’s own circus school, Skylight Circus Arts, will be performing excerpts from ‘Angel’. Circus and stories, images and spectacle, inspired by the wonderful angel statue that once stood on the corner of Broadfield Park. Aerial escapades, unicyling horses, feathers and flight, stilt statues and globewalking stones. Come and try your hands and feet at a variety of different skills in our circus workshops from juggling to unicyling, diabolo to spinning plates.

Rochdale Town Hall
Saturday 30 August, 10am - 3pm
Regular Town Hall tours will take place on the hour and there will be a range of arts and craft stalls in the Town Hall Exchange. Afternoon Tea will also be served in the Bistro.

Rochdale Online Department Store

And whilst you are in town...

Don't forget you can shop online yet still buy local using your mobile phone or tablet at the Rochdale Online Department Store:

http://store.rochdaleonline.co.uk/

The store brings together a collective of 35 local retailers offering thousands of products to give you the convenience of online shopping but with the benefit of supporting the local economy.