One of the biggest music events of the year, Kendal Calling, has launched a brand new game to help promote environmental awareness ahead of the upcoming festival: it’s called ‘Flappy Tent’.
I wonder where they came up with that one…
On a more serious note, Kendal Calling 2023 runs from Thursday, 27 July and until Sunday, 30 July and while we love gig-goers and the festival culture, in general — it’s something we’ve all grown up privileged enough to be a part of — we all know they can have some bad habits.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems festivals face every single year is waste; in particular, tent wastage which seems to be a prevailing bug-bear for most big music events where camping is involved. That’s where ‘Flappy Tent’ comes in.
Obviously based on the old, retro-style and highly-addictive mobile game Flappy Bird from 2013 (yes, a whole decade ago), Kendal Calling’s spin on it is essentially the same premise, only you get points for picking your rubbish as well doing obstacles.
The idea was drummed up after the festival organisers and staff helping clean up the day after last year’s festival counted 284 tents left behind, many more of which could have simply come loose and blown away to litter the surrounding area.
However, not only does the game help promote environmental awareness and remind people to tidy up after themselves, but there’s also an added incentive for one lucky sod: Kendal Calling is offering a £200 bar tab at this year’s festival to the first person who reaches a score of 50,000 on Flappy Tent.
If only there was this added incentive at festivals in real life, they’d be left spotless every single time!
Flappy Tent might be a fun little game, but it’s also a reminder that we have a duty to look after the North West and Cumbria’s landscape.
The average festival tent ends typically ends up in landfill and will take up to 500 years to decompose and even though the number left behind was a staggering 91.4% decrease on the amount abandoned in 2019, Kendal Calling is rightly looking to eradicate this problem altogether.
Helping lead the charge to make festivals greener and eco-conscious, Kendal Calling has come up with a straightforward pledge they’re asking everyone to stick to as best they can:
LEAVE NOTHING BUT MEMORIES — Leave your camp tidy and take your tent home!
PROTECT THE WILDLIFE — Throw your rubbish in the bin
CONSIDER YOUR TRAVEL — Use public transport where possible!
ONLY BRING WHAT YOU NEED — Use resources consciously
MAKE ECO-CONSCIOUS CHOICES — Keep your green impact in mind when at the festival
To help those attending, the organisers themselves have also installed a number of new measures to try and reduce carbon footprint, wastage and improve the Kendal Calling experience:
Festival-goers will be encouraged to tidy their camps before heading into the arena and new Campsite Crew on hand to help festivalgoers keep the Campsites as clean as possible.
Waste and recycling points have increased by 200% to make it even easier to recycle and reduce the amount of waste taken to landfill this year.
The decor team are reusing and recycling prior festival materials rather than using brand-new products; where new materials are required, goods are rented as close to the festival site as possible, utilising local artisans and sustainable materials wherever possible.
The festival has an overall goal of reducing fuel usage from 2022 by 15-20%, using a Power Manager to actively work with stakeholders in advance and onsite to ensure they are being as efficient as possible with energy use.
Increased use of solar, battery and load-on-demand solutions, especially during longer build and break periods, as well as LED lighting solutions wherever possible across the site.
Single-use plastic is BANNED on site so all drinks will be served in recycled or compostable cups, saving on a whole tonne of carbon emissions with every 10,000 cups saved.
Local produce and more vegetarian meals where possible are contributing to 2.5x less carbon emissions than those with meat and a significant reduction on last year’s figures.
Open Kitchen MCR are putting wasted/uneaten food to good use and helping stop it going in landfill.
Kendall Calling’s ‘Leave Nothing But Memories’ campaign
Last but not least, Kendal is supporting industry schemes to improve sustainability all across the festival sector, including carbon reduction with ecolibrium+, partnering with Vision2025 Citizen-Science Festival Waste Data Project ans raising money for Earth Percent, founded by music legend Brian Eno, to help fund environmental charities. Quality stuff.
You can play Kendal Calling’s ‘Flappy Tent’ game HERE but, be warned, you’re about to waste hours upon hours on this thing.
Better still, there are still tickets left for this year’s festival so grab yours now if you don’t want miss out on headliners like Kasabian, Royal Blood, Stockport’s very own Blossoms, Wigan lads The Lathums, Rick Astley and many more.
In fact, whilst you’re at it, you can read our interview with the one and only Rick Astley ahead of his Kendal Calling 2023 show on Saturday, 29 July down below.
Beloved British boy band Five are BACK in FULL for the first time in 25 years
Danny Jones
No, your eyes don’t deceive you: all five members of the beloved British boy band Five are set to reunite for the first time in a quarter of a century.
Formed way back in 1997 and dominating the charts throughout the period in and around the millennium, the iconic pop group was the UK’s answer to the Backstreet Boys and NSNYC, as well as a much-needed replacement for Take That just after their split.
And they did exactly that for a number of years, with hit tracks like ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Keep On Movin”, ‘Everybody Get Up’, ‘If Ya Gettin’ Down’ and more still firmly stuck in our memories.
It doesn’t matter how long it’s been, we still remember all the words and the dance moves to go along with them – and we’ll be able to prove it when the Five UK reunion tour comes to Manchester.
Although the London-formed group has reformed every now and again in different configurations over the years for special occasions, anniversary events, etc., this is the first time that the original lineup has been together for 25 whole years.
That’s right, Abz Love, J Brown, Ritchie Neville, Scott Robinson and Sean Conlon will all be reuniting on stage for a limited UK arena tour – because anything less simply wouldn’t be enough to mark this throwback celebration.
More importantly, if you don’t think every single one of these massive rooms is going to sell out in a flash, then you clearly can’t count to five.
As for the Manchester crowd, fans will be welcomed inside the equally legendary AO Arena for the ‘KEEP ON MOVIN’ 2025’ Tour later this year and we can’t wait.
Fellow domestic DJ and producer Naughty Boy will also be joining them as the main support act. We’re rolling back all the memories this autumn.
You can see the rest of the tour dates below, including equally massive shows at The O2 in London, the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, a First Direct Arena date in Leeds and more.
We really can't wait to get back on stage together and see you all in person, it's gonna go OFF!! Let's goooooo! International fans, make sure to sign up there so we know where in the world you are too 👀
Scott says: “This has been a long time coming and it really does feel right for all of us now – 25 years on and we’re so ready for it. Reconnecting as a 5 over the last year has been special and I know I speak for all the boys when I say we can’t wait to do this all over again. Hope you’re ready!”
Another fifth of the throwback boy band, Abz, added: “We really can’t wait to get back on stage together & see the fans, it’s gonna go OFF! Buzzing to have Naughty Boy on tour with us too… 5 bad boys and a naughty boy, that sounds like a lot of fun. Let’s gooooo!”
General admission for Five’s 2025 UK reunion tour goes live on Friday, 7 March from 10am but die-hards can access the exclusive pre-sale window on Wednesday, 5 March by signing up for the mailing list.
2000s indie rock icons The Enemy continue comeback trail with must-not-miss UK tour
Danny Jones
For fans of old-school indie and noughties contemporary rock, you do not want to miss the one because The Enemy are not just back making music but they’re heading out on a pretty big UK tour and, of course, they’ll be stopping right here in Manchester.
The Enemy first reformed back in 2022 for a limited run of shows, but it turns out the Coventry-formed trio were satisfied with a one-off reunion and a fifth studio album officially being worked on, the fierce Brit rock throwbacks have announced a series of pretty large UK tour dates.
Following on from some hugely successful comeback performances at TRNSMT, Isle Of Wightand a headline slot at Godiva Festival 2023, not to mention the instantly hit ‘Indie Til I Die’ shows last year – including an absolute stormer at Victoria Warehouse – they returning for more.
One of the few bands to make their way back to the live music circuit fully intact, with all three members still performing together, nothing has changed other than a few more grey hairs.
If you weren’t there at the outset, The Enemy’s debut LP We’ll Live And Die In These Towns (2007) was one of the most seminal domestic releases of its time, with songs like ‘You’re Not Alone’ going on to become indie anthems of the era.
To be honest, we’d argue their sophomore outing Music For The People just two years later is the better album, with tracks such as ‘Be Somebody’, ‘Elephant Song’ and ‘No Time for Tears’ still in plenty of our playlists to this day – but, you know, each to their own.
The point is, we’re very glad these lads are back and having played with everyone from Oasis and The Killers to even The Rolling Stones, we’d wager lots of other music lovers are too.
Set to play New Century Hall in Manchester as well as the legendary Leadmill in Sheffield, Beckett Students’ Union in Leeds, Rock City in Nottingham and more, it’s going to be a big tour.
We're absolutely buzzing to be back on tour & in some of our all time favourite venues.
We'll be trying out new material for the first time in years ahead of the new album we're making, we're all really excited to try some new tunes and see what you think whilst we finish it!
Frontman Tom Clarke, who has put out two solo records of his own in past years, said of the announcement: “We’ve been working long days in the studio recording new material, so we’re really excited to get out on the road again.
“The plan is to experiment with some of the new tunes, maybe different ones on different shows to see how the crowds react and which ones connect with fans, and let that guide the track listing on the record which is nearing completion.”
Co-songwriter and bass player, Andy Hopkins, added: talking about the upcoming tour: “My favourite part of being in a band is having those nights with the fans where the atmosphere is electric – I think this tour is going to be really special for the 3 of us.
“It’ll be the first time we’ve been back to some of these cities in a long time, in venues we absolutely love and have been really important to us on the way up – Electric Ballroom was the first venue we ever played in London supporting The Fratellis, I drove us there with all the amps & guitars in my Fiesta!”
The Enemy come to New Century, one of our favourite live music venues in all of Greater Manchester, on Saturday, 1 November.
Pre-sale has already been snapped up in the blink of an eye, which is no surprise whatsoever, but general admission will go live from 10am this Friday, 28 February.
Danny Jones -
14th July 2023 
