First West Coast Tent Announcements

This year the festival is very excited to introduce the West Coast Tent, a brand new venue situated on the lawns of Y Plas. It will be free to all and have events programmed throughout the weekend as well as containing a bar, food stalls, the box office and a BBC broadcasting area.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be releasing details of who will be appearing in the West Coat Tent over the weekend with the full programme being published in time for the festival. We’re proud to be working with Mary Bijou Cabaret and Swn Festival to programme the space as well as some of our own additions.

So, the first two acts we’d like to tell you about that will be appearing in the West Coast Tent…

Hackney Colliery Band

Formed in 2008 out of a desire to play music that appealed to the feet as much as to the ears, the Hackney Colliery Band is east London’s unique take on the brass band.

Featuring trumpets, trombones, saxes, sousaphone and marching percussion, the band are totally acoustic and yet able to blow the roof off any room.

Hackney Colliery Band’s members have hugely diverse musical backgrounds, ranging from work with cutting edge jazz groups to the Royal Opera House, and from Jarvis Cocker to major international orchestras.

The Hackney Colliery Band features Steve Pretty on trumpet and melodica who appears on Saturday at 1pm in the Bowling Club.

The Hackney Colliery Band will play the West Coast Tent on the Sunday.

Gavin Osborn

Gavin recently supported Belle & Sebastian on their UK Tour. Admittedly, this was alongside the award-winning Daniel Kitson, but nevertheless it was big news for the Bedfordian troubadour, and made some people that had come to the venue early go “woah!” and “crikey, what this all about?” Visibly shaken from the barrage of disinterest that followed, Gavin retreated to his West Country life, made a son and wrote an album entitled ‘Come On Folks, Settle Down’, which has gone stratospheric (i.e. online). Gavin is delighted to be coming to the Machynlleth Comedy Festival for the first time.

Fans of chords will love it. Fans of lyrics will love it. As will people who have seen Gavin at Latitude, End of the Road, Edinburgh, and alongside Kitson, Ince, Suttie and various other far more recognisable names.

“Funny and touching. Osborn walks a similar tightrope to Loudon Wainwright III, but remains perfectly balanced” – Stewart Lee, Sunday Times Culture

Gavin Osborn will play the West Coast Tent on the Saturday.

The West Coast Tent has been made possible by sponsorship from West Coast Energy Ltd and funding from the Welsh Government, Powys County Council and Arts and Business.