On Sunday 22 August 2004 Happy Mondays will take to the stage for a very special live performance on a lazy, sun-drenched Sunday afternoon on Clapham Common, London. Tickets have just gone on sale and will sell out almost immediately.

Shaun Ryder, June 2004: "For me this is about putting something back in. I've been working with Get Loaded and Kav for some time now and when the lads came up with the idea and said we'd be pushing loads of new bands as well, it just seem only right to be involved. I'm not dealing with corporate's here, I'm dealing with a group of lads who just wanna make something happen!"

Get Loaded In The Park is "as much about supporting new bands, ideas and concepts as it is about putting on The Mondays". Get Loaded promoter Kav explains this philosophy: "It's about giving new talent the chance to shine through - bands that possibly haven't had the opportunities, the money or the backing in the past to showcase their talents to a wider audience. Get Loaded in the Park is the opportunity of a lifetime and we fully intend to make everybody aware of our beliefs and what we stand for. We receive anything up to 100 CDs a day from unsigned bands, so the festival idea was the logical next step."

Special guests including Mike Pickering & Graeme Park (Haçienda), Shaun Ryder & Bez, Arthur Baker (Return to New York), Peter Hook (New Order), Clint Boon (Inspiral Carpets), Mike Joyce & Andy Rourke (The Smiths), Pat Long (NME), Shaun Keaveny (X-FM), Kav, Poss ↦ Aron (Get Loaded), Jonny and Sarah (Ten Benson), Jonny DJ and the All Star DJ Jam will be taking you back to where it all began with exclusive DJs sets, spread over three stages.

The event also features "some of the UK's hottest up-and-coming new bands and unsigned talent" including The Cribs, THE Ludes, THE Stabilisers, Lysakoski, The Violets, Dwarf Orgy, Devil and Miss Jones, Jism, Headland, The Dukes, The Crowd, Intraverse, Art Brut (Acoustic Set), The Broken Dolls, Lender, The Seen, The Faculty, Imperial Leisure, plus surprise acoustic sets on the day!!

Also on stage will be Domino Bones - Bez's new band, who'll be making an exclusive UK debut performance.

More DJs and Special Live Acts are still to be confirmed. For more information check out: www.getloadedinthepark.com. The full site will follow next week, with news, travel details, photos and biogs of all the acts playing.

Ticket news

Tickets are on sale now exclusively through Ticketmaster, priced £20/££25. The first 1500 tickets are priced at only £15. Please go online at or call the "Get Loaded in the Park" 24 Hour Ticketmaster number on 08700 601 801.

Labels: Arthur_Baker, Happy_Mondays, New_Order, Peter_Hook

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