³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

A stately home nestled in rolling Norfolk countryside probably conjures up an image of serenity - but pile in more than 60 bands, acts and DJs on behalf of Tales Of The Jackalope - and you get an entirely different, louder picture.

Fans and bands ventured to the picturesque setting of Kimberley Hall, near Wymondham, for the 24-hour party, showcasing some of the freshest new talent in the country.

New talent

Tales Of The Jackalope is recognised as ground for breaking new music. At last year's debut event the line-up included bands such as Klaxons and The Horrors, both are now established in music's mainstream.

Among the gig-goers there were spots of celebrity A-listers including singer-songwriter Lisa Moorish.

"I'm just really excited to be here, last year produced some really good bands, I'm just hoping to catch some of the more interesting acts," she said.

Dev, formerly of Test Icicles, and performing as new act Lightspeed Champion said: "It's like being in Hoxton Square." No doubt due to the large crowd of Londoners who'd made the trip to the event.

He went on to say that he really "Loved the genuine sounds of band Conan and The Moccasins," who performed on the main stage early on Saturday afternoon.

Bigger acts delivered

It was a scorching afternoon, but being the hardcore festival type, I stuck it out until the early hours to make sure of catching some the bigger acts on the bill and they definitely delivered.

Chromeo performed their first UK show since releasing their new record Fancy Footwork, and provided funk and soul to the evening, getting the main stage crowd bouncing and two-stepping along to new tracks Tendoroni and Bonafied Lovin.

He played songs from his latest album including Sirens and Pussyole, which proved to be a fans' favourite.

Too violent

Over on the other stage, aggressive hardcore punk band F*cked Up took to the limelight, but had to be stopped after just four songs.

The lead singer, who came on stage in a black wrestling mask, soon put himself through a plastic table and organisers decided that the band were too violent and therefore had to be stopped.

Change of plan

Tales Of The Jackalope is a popular event for showcasing new music, but with just a week to go the event was made strictly over 18s leaving underage ticket holders disappointed.

"It [Tales Of The Jackalope] wasn't intended to be a money-making event, we just wanted people to have fun," said Andy Capper of Vice Magazine, co-organiser of the event.

With acts performing until 6am, this 24-hour event offered up something for everyone.

After the indie bands had completed their stint, it was the turn of the MCs and DJs such as Uffie and Feadz. They were now in charge of carrying the event through the night and towards the dawn, and took the partying to new levels.

Flight problems

Unfortunately not all the billed acts could make it. ESG had problems with their flights forcing them to pull out.

It wasn't until the early hours of Sunday morning that Foals, another hotly-tipped band for 2007, were able to play as they'd been performing at a Electric Gardens festival in Kent earlier on Saturday.

Despite a few issues around water provision for the campers, over-priced beer and an overwhelming feeling that there was a distinct lack of organisation - those in charge still managed to pull off a great summer party, providing an intimate setting in which to sample some fantastic new acts.

Tales Of The Jackalope took place at Kimberly Hall, near Wymondham on Saturday, 4 and Sunday, 5 August, 2007.

_{Photo credits: Lee Allen}