Chepstow Raceourse
Fri 2-Sun 4 June
For a rather noisy event – jungle, gabber and hardcore all get a look-in – Balter Festival has rather quietly gone about becoming one of the weirder events in the Welsh festival calendar since launching at Baskerville Hall near Hay-On-Wye in 2014.
Partygoers are in for a bevy of skanktastic treats over the weekend. From the drum’n’bass of Sam Binga [pictured], Rico Tubbs’ newfound bass house sound, the face-melting gabber and hardcore of Deathchant Records’ DJ Producer – not to mention the rabble-rousing political ska-punk of the reformed King Prawn. As if that’s not enough, there’s promise of a Balkan jazz stage as well as – and you’ll like this – ‘Buckyham Palace’, for fans of the fortified tonic wine to groove late into the early hours of the morning.
At just £105, with an agreeably compact festival site and 10 stages of hair-raising fun to be had, it’s one worth making a weekend of. Stories of the festival’s friendly community vibes are legion, and we’ve read tales of people stepping into the car park and being on pally terms with their neighbours within 10 minutes of arriving.
Oh yes, and in case you were wondering (we certainly were) who or what a ‘balter’ is, here’s how the organisers define it: “to dance artlessly, without particular skill or grace, but always with great contended enjoyment.” Sounds good to us.
Tickets: £105. Info: www.balterfestival.com (KD)