All Tomorrow’s Parties are, as far as festivals go, totally unique. There isn’t another festival concept or ethos like it…for now at least.
ATP stands apart from the conventional-summer-gathering-in-a-field in a couple of big ways.
First off, unlike most festivals the line-ups aren’t selected by promoters who pick massive headliners and bands of the zeitgeist. Instead, ATP invites one ‘legendary’ or ‘influential’ act to ‘curate’ the line-up. The curator (who headlines) typically selects a mix of artists that have inspired them in the past, as well as up-and-coming performers on their radar. The result is often an intriguing and uncommon mix of disparate genres.
Barry Hogan, the guy who came up with the concept, describes the festival as being like a mixtape. And you can see why. Each line-up is like a snapshot of the curator’s record collection. Artists like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, Matt Groening, Sonic Youth and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have all been curated ATP festivals.
Naturally, these festivals draw a crowd that’s pretty serious about the music. The great thing is the vibe really flows from their knowledge of, and appreciation for, the artists playing.
ATP events also stand out for being distinctly non-corporate. Where many a festival site assaults the mind with endless corporate messages, ATP is venues are completely sponsorship free.
Originally set up in the UK, ATP festivals now take place in the UK and US two or three times a year. Check out the ATP website to see upcoming events.
Oh, and for anybody who wonders what the name’s all about, it’s comes from the name of a song on The Velvet Underground & Nico’s eponymously titled and revered 1967 debut album – the one with the Andy Warhol banana on the cover.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Image: AndYaDontStop)
