Caister is many things to many people. For some, it’s a sleepy seaside town, perfect for rest and relaxation, while for others it’s home to one of the country’s most dedicated lifeboat teams. But for many, it’s DJ Chris Hill, impresario of the legendary Caister Soul Weekender parties who leaves the biggest mark.

If you have fond memories of staying up till dawn to the sounds of soul legends like James Brown, Rhythm Factory and Black Science Orchestra, then you’ll love Get This Party Started: Chris Hill’s New School Caister Anthems.

This incredible anthology collects the original superstar DJ’s favourite cuts into one incredible collection, and makes the perfect soundtrack to any party.

So if you want to relive your glory years, or pass on a collection of musical jewels to the next generation, make sure you get your hands on a copy of Chris Hill’s incredible legacy, and see for yourself how well these funk and soul classics have stood up to the test of time.

It’s festival season once again, and this summer looks to be a real sizzler. Thankfully, PlayFest is here to see in the season in style, with an incredible bill that includes everything from indie-rock legends Ash and Feeder to drum’n'bass hero Sub Focus. What’s more, PlayFest is right on your doorstep, in the glorious grounds of Eccles Hall, just outside Norwich. So if you’re in the mood for the best fest of your life, what are you waiting for?

Thanks to its incredible line up and stunning setting, PlayFest just keeps on getting bigger! The latest additions to the bill are UK Garage legend and Kiss FM stalwart DJ EZ on Saturday, and drum’n’bass supremo Sub Focus on Sunday. This pair of superstar DJs join an already full to bursting bill of acts that includes Ash, The Pigeon Detectives, Reverend and the Makers, Roots Manuva, The Correspondents, Shy FX, Zinc, Toddla T, and Jaymo & Andy George. This means the full line ups for Saturday and Sunday have now been revealed, so it’s nearly time to don the Play-suits, dust off the wellies and get on down to Play Fest!

Kickstarting Saturday night in the POW! Dance Arena is a DJ widely considered to be one of UK Garage’s greatest talents: DJ EZ! Honing his craft on London’s pirate radio stations in the early 90s, DJ EZ rose to prominence in the late 1990’s when he was offered a permanent show on Kiss 100. Over the years, DJ EZ has hosted a variety of different radio shows, mixed a bucket load of Pure Garage compilation albums that have sold over 1.7 million copies, and won a sack full of accolades and awards; including ‘Best Radio Show’, ‘Best Old Skool DJ’ and ‘Best DJ’ at the People’s Choice Awards. Play Fest revellers will be taken on a trip through the archives of UK Garage by one the best tour guides there is!

Sunday in the POW! Dance Arena welcomes even more shining lights of the electronic scene and Play Fest can now reveal that supporting Toddla T at the top of the bill for Sunday night will be Sub Focus. Having been on the scene for nearly a decade, Sub Focus is somewhat of a boy wonder of drum’n’bass. He became one of the leading practitioners within only two years of his emergence whilst his debut single ‘X-Ray’ was awarded Single of the Week on Zane Lowe’s Radio One show. In 2010 he produced the track “Kickstarts” for British singer/rapper Example, which peaked at number three on the U.K. singles chart, and last year he signed a deal with Mercury and has a new album due for release at the end of 2012. With so many strings to his bow and a sack full of heavy tunes to delight the party animals out there, Play Fest are ecstatic to have such a D’n’B heavyweight overseeing the run up to the final hours of this year’s festival!

Other additions to the Sunday POW! Dance Arena include: the musical knowledge and surefire selections of Numbers co-founder Spencer, the contrasting styles of Foamo and Bondax, while Oli D.A.B and Robin will be on hand with their particular breed of house. Rounding off the bill will be hometown hero Joshua Roberts and the techno and house vibes of Josh 2084 and BoaBoa & Fazhands.

Over in the Asylum Stage additions include the mega brass extravaganza of Gypsy Hill and Norwich home-grown reggae talent Jah Head, with Murphys Lore on Sunday and Saturday welcomes Kodeta and Woodland Creatures to the lunatic bill of the Asylum Stage!

A limited number of tickets are still on sale via the Play Fest website: www.playfest.co.uk

LINE UP SO FAR:

MAIN STAGE:

Saturday: Ash, The Pigeon Detectives, Reverend and the Makers, The Big Pink, Little Comets, Tellison, Tripwires, Solko

Sunday: Feeder, Delilah, Scroobius Pip, Natty, Spector, Lonsdale Boys Club, Ria Ritchie, Dumbfoundus, Lee Vann

Big Top:

Saturday: Roots Manuva, Sonic Boom Six, Killamonjambo, Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun, Alloy Ark, Kamilla Lovett, The B Goodes, Eyes, Under The Influence, Dingus Khan

Sunday: The Correspondents, Federation of the Disco Pimp, Juan Zelada, Boat To Row, Deers, Rory Mcvicar, Model Staggs, The Soft, Underline The Sky, Ill Murray

POW! Presents: Dance Arena

Saturday: Zinc, Shy FX, Melé, DJ EZ, B.Traits, Urban Nerds, DJ Cable, Get Low Cartel, POW! Party Boys

Sunday: Toddla T, Sub Focus, Jaymo & Andy George, Spencer (Numbers), Foamo, Bondax, POW! Party Boys, Joshua Roberts, Oli DAB & Robin, Josh 2084, Boa Boa & Fazhands,

Asylum Stage:

Friday: Double Drop, Cabaret show – Chantelles Wedding

Saturday: Sam & the Womp, The Vagabond, New Town Kings, Swingball, Kodeta, Feral Mouth, Woodland Creatures, The Harvs, Mc chrome + Illinspired, Cielo, Gael, Julia Jenkins, Inlay.

Sunday: Gypsy Hill, Jah Head, Nimmo and the Gauntlets, Murphys Lore, Project Multivitamin, Eliza Shaddad, Josh Doughty, Askala Selasse, Slightly Off Steve, The Proposition, Scott Wright, Andy Kirkham

ADDITIONAL INFO:

TICKETS

Early Bird Full Weekend Camping – £65 – SOLD OUT!

Full Weekend Camping – £80

Student Player ticket – Weekend camping with FREE travel from UEA, Cambridge University & Ipswich College – £80 – LIMITED

Day Tickets – £35

Car Park – £2.50 per vehicle per day, £5.00 weekend

Children – 1 child 12 or under free per supervising adult / £40 full weekend / £20 day ticket

STAGE TIMES:

Main Stage: 12:30pm – 11:30pm

Big Top: 12:00 noon – 10:30pm

Dance Stage & Asylum Stage: 12:00 noon – 01:00am

Tipi Tent: 11am – 01:00am

CAMPING
The campsite opens at 4pm on Friday 1st June 2012, and must be vacated by 2pm Monday 4th June 2012.  The campsite provides toilets and the option to use showers.

Caister has a long and varied history, from its Roman origins up to its current life as a charming tourist destination. In the meantime, it has seen some epic events, many linked to its volunteer lifeboat crew, which was first instituted in 1791.

The lifeboats gave Caister its’ motto: “Never Turn Back” although if you’re interested in local history, you may want to ignore that suggestion, as by turning back through time you may learn some incredible local stories.

There are so many heroic tales attached to the Caister lifeboat that it’s no surprise that our top pick is Colin Tooke’s Caister: Beach Boats and Beachmen which offers a fascinating insight into generations of incidents off and on the coast of Caister.

Continuing the lifeboat theme, Nicholas Leach’s Never Turn Back: An Illustrated History of Caister Lifeboats is an incredible recounting of centuries of lifeboat history. This is a truly excellent book, and makes a great gift for local history buffs.

David Collin Higgins’ book, Caister: The Sea Story is an incredible overview of the history of Caister, and one of the best Caister books available. Great as a gift, or just to satisfy your own curiosity, this is a book to be treasured.