HAMMERDOWN FESTIVAL 2023
A behind the scenes preview
A behind the scenes preview
Hammerdown Festival chief, Harry White, at the venue for the 2023 event... The Factory Live, Worthing.
I recently had the pleasure of being invited along to the new venue for Hammerdown Festival 2023, The Factory Live, while festival chief Harry White and the team toured the space in readiness for this Summer's much anticipated event. The two day Rock and Metal festival is back on Sat 29th and Sun 30th July.
All sorts of logistical details were tackled by the team... artist dressing rooms / green rooms, van parking and gear loading areas / storage spaces, areas for merch stands, and so on. Incidentally, I'm told there will be absolutely NO merch cuts / fees to bands for selling their goods at Hammerdown . This year there's also a hot food stand on site too, so festival goers should be well catered for.
Aside from touring the venue, another important part of the day was to decide two more bands to complete the festival's line-up. Bands had submitted live videos online and from those a shortlist of ten was created. These ten videos were played before a final selection panel that featured Harry White, Dan Hicks (Hammerdown Creative Director), Olly Simmons (The Qemists), Gareth Endean (ERB - Emerging Rock Bands), and Stephen Sheldrake (The Factory Live).
James Dawson of JMD Creative was on hand to video the panel's deliberations. He had also spent much of the day with Harry recording video for Hammerdown's social media channels. By now, the two of them have done this many times before, and it's an efficient process with just a couple of takes for each set-up. It always interests me to see first hand how these aspects of the festival's promotional content take shape.
Of course, I took the opportunity to make a few photographs, mostly while Harry and James were creating content, and also from my position in the room during the selection panel session. Despite showing only a mere glimpse behind the scenes, hopefully they will nevertheless offer some interesting insight...
As James Dawson (JMD Creative) makes preparations, Harry White studies his script on his mobile phone. Stephen Sheldrake (The Factory Live) is on hand to check all is well.
Fun times... an amusing moment out of frame.
Recording outside the venue. The Factory Live was created in the warehouse space of Soundhouse Rehearsal and Dance Studios, now a hub of the music scene in Worthing and the surrounding areas.
Inside the venue, lighting is set up and more lines written for the next piece to camera.
Thinking about a change to the script.
In position, face lit by the screen's glow, and memorising lines for the next take.
Speaking to camera.
A new setting by the bar, and new discussions about the next scene.
At the bar of The Factory Live, recording more promotional content.
James Dawson (JMD Creative) at work.
Harry White arriving for the Hammerdown Festival selection panel meeting to choose the remaining two bands to join the 2023 line-up.
James Dawson (JMD Creative) recording footage of the selection panel meeting.
James
Dawson (JMD Creative) at work.
The Hammerdown Festival selection panel to decide the remaining two bands to join the 2023 line-up. Left to Right: Stephen Sheldrake, Dan Hicks, Gareth Endean, Olly Simmons, Harry White.
A fun moment during a break from the serious duties of the selection panel meeting.
And finally...
While sitting in on the selection panel meeting I decided I wanted to create an image that portrayed something of the discussions, the thinking, the vibe in the room during the whole selection process.
From a position in the corner of the room I photographed many moments during their deliberations... members of the panel talking about the videos they had watched projected on the far wall, and making points about what they liked about each band.
However, I felt that a single image couldn't really capture the full spirit of the session on its own, so I decided to take inspiration from David Hockney's "joiner" photographs (in my own way of course) and created this image from many individual photos overlaid. I think it tells more of a story of the whole process.
Many thanks to Harry, Dan, Stephen, Gareth, Olly, and James, too, for happily allowing me to make a few photos while I was there.
The 2022 event was much loved and I'm sure the 2023 event will be even more so. The line-up sees some favourites return again alongside the best new bands on the up, too. The Factory Live is a great venue that has become the heart of a brilliant music community and will no doubt be a fantastic host for the festival. I'm certainly looking forward to it!
Hammerdown Festival will be held at The Factory Live, Worthing,
on Sat 29th and Sun 30th July 2023. Buy tickets.
Follow Hammerdown at facebook.com/HammerdownFestival.
(Published 16/03/2023. Edited 31/03/2023 to include full line-up poster)
