Egg-citement builds for city music fest as co-op announces Kanteena takeover

Two of Lancaster’s most feted bands from ‘now and then’ will bring the curtain down on the city’s popular music festival at the end of next week.

The Lovely Eggs will headline a Lancaster Music Co-op takeover of Kanteena on Sunday 13 October – supported by reunited 90s favourites The Milltown Brothers and a host of other live acts as part of a packed day of free music from 2pm in support of the co-op.

As well as the action on the main stage, there will be an electronic theme in the upstairs room, where a host of talented electronic artists curated by Hymns for Robots will perform.

It’s all part of the 14th Lancaster Music Festival, which runs from Thursday 10 October – Sunday 13 October. Thousands of music lovers descend on pubs and other venues and open spaces across the city to enjoy live music by artists from near and far during the festival.

Hot on the heels of their latest album, Eggsistentialism, the Lovely Eggs – married couple Holly Ross and David Blackwell – will round off the festival in style at Kanteena on Brewery Lane.

The duo serve-up frenetic slices of psychedelic punk-rock and are favourites of BBC 6Music.

They are both directors of event curator the Lancaster Music Co-op, a non-profit rehearsal facility, recording studio and music space for the music community on Lodge Street in Lancaster.

The co-op is set to re-open next year after being closed for several years pending vital structural repairs, which are now well underway after a long-term lease was finally agreed with Lancaster City Council last year.

Also performing on the main stage at Kanteena will be long-time Co-op users and recently reformed celebrated 90s legends, Milltown Brothers - best known for their top 40 singles Which Way Should I Jump and Here I Stand. The band will perform classic indie hits alongside new material.

An appearance by another artist who has enjoyed national acclaim, Hayden Thorpe, represents another coup for the takeover event. Thorpe, who was frontman of Kendal alt-rock band Wild Beasts - once Mercury Prize nominees - will be performing tracks from his new solo album, Ness. The LP brings to life the book of the same name by best-selling author Robert Macfarlane.

Others on the bill include local surf-tinged punk upstarts, Morton Betts, performing bangers from their upcoming debut album; Chorley-based Krautrock post-punks, Hauspoints, who are celebrating the release of their critically-acclaimed debut album, Eel Feeling; synth-laden Lancaster rockers, Vex Message, who will be previewing songs from their forthcoming self-titled debut album; and last but not least, psyched-out riff masters and Lancaster live-scene regulars Rice, who will be spreading their Hendrix via Tame Impala chilled-out rock vibe.

The upstairs room bill is topped by Subordinate Clause. One half of celebrated electronic duo Throbject, Mark Nellis’s solo work continues his blend of synth, beats and classic electro.

Also featured will be the cinematic ambient sounds of Afternaut, back after a long hiatus; and Go Mercy, described as something ‘for fans of Jean-Michele Jarre, Moby and the Chemical Brothers’.

Kicking off proceedings upstairs will be Guerrilla Biscuits’ glitchy beats and sweet grooves, mixed & mashed in real time.

As well as the music, there will be merch and donation points to help raise funds to invest in Lancaster Music Co-op when it re-opens, merch from the artists performing, street food, and local business stalls.

Lovely Eggs singer and co-op director, Holly Ross, said: “"It's fantastic to be part of what will be a great day to celebrate Lancaster Music Co-op.

“It's nice to get the whole community together for a weekend that is very special in Lancaster's live music calendar.

“Without places like Lancaster Music Co-op and Lancaster Music Festival, live music would be dead in Lancaster. And this is about bringing everyone together for a great day of quality bands as well as raising awareness about Lancaster Music Co-op for those out there who might not know about what we do.

“The last two Eggs shows at Lancaster Music Fest were rammed so we're really looking forward to another amazing home town show for our beloved music co-op! And it's all free!"