To celebrate 2013 BAS can now reveal Heaven 17 will be making a special appearance at the 2013 Festival. BASI and BASII were a huge success and they want you to join them for a huge party to celebrate where the story began over 30 years ago!
Who could have imagined when 4 young boys from Basildon New Town got together 33 yearsago, that they would go on to be one of the most successful bands in the world with over 100 million album sales? Those boys were of course Depeche Mode and are still going from strength to strength with a new album and worldwide tour to look forward to this year.
Not to mention Vince Clarke, after establishing Depeche mode, who went on to form Yazoo selling 10 million albums in the year they were together, then Erasure who had 5 uk No1’s selling 25 million albums worldwide and 18 top 10 singles. And Last but not least, in her sol ocareer Alison Moyet sold over 20 million records and has a new album this year “the minutes”.
Who could believe all these people grew up together, all living within a 2 mile radius in Basildon. The audience comes from all over the globe...from as far afield as New Zealand, the USA, Japan,Russia and Europe expecting to see statues in honour of their heroes, but instead they find no sign of their Basildon idols anywhere.
This is where Bas Productions enter the scene...making a trip to Basildon an unforgettable experience with a celebration of its most famous off spring and even boasts a bus tour of the significant sights in Basildon’'s music history.
This years event celebrates not only Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Alison Moyet, but also provides young new bands with an opportunity to play live to a large audience.
At the end of May’s second Bank Holiday weekend May 25th - May27th, all roads will lead to Basildon for BAS 2013. Now in its third year, Bas has grown from a gathering of DEPECHEMODE fans visiting their spiritual hometown into a full-blown festival featuring the best of electronic music past and present.
BAS II was undoubtedly one of the highlights of 2012, with musicians, DJs and enthusiasts coming together in a convivial atmosphere for a weekend of love and dancing. The event received glowing reviews and presented the organisers with something of a problem – how totop it this year?
Bas Productions have come up with not one answer, but three. Firstly, it will be longer. BAS2013 will take place over three nights and across multiple venues. Secondly, the line-up isdiverse, exciting and features some of the best new talent on the electronic scene alongside some truly stellar names. And thirdly, it arrives on the eve of the return of Basildon’s most famous sons, DEPECHE MODE themselves, playing two nights at London’s 02 Arena. So this is more than a party.
The action starts on Saturday 25th May with a warm up night at Basildon’s The Edge, a former drinking haunt of the young Vince Clarke and co under its previous moniker of The Highway.Live entertainment will be provided by Basildon's own ELECTRO KILL MACHINE and Glaswegian electro legends ANALOG ANGEL, as well as Essex trio WEIRDGEAR...complemented by club DJ duo DPPLGNGRS and Steve Thorogood from the Swag Club .
Sunday afternoon offers a contemporary and futuristic lounge experience in the lavish surroundings of Basildon’s Katz Club. Berlin-based DJ Dr Atmo will set the atmosphere before CULT WITH NO NAME take to the stage for a live set. Visitors will also have the opportunity to view an exhibition of memorabilia and artwork and cult movies based around the magic of Depeche Mode .
Sunday night brings temptation of a different kind, with a spectacular line-up. Included areenigmatic duo AUTOMATIC WRITING, who dazzled at the Christmas Box event in December;Punktronic Dance act KLOQ, punchy electro / rock fusion outfit SINESTAR; the much laudedsynth-noir trio STRANGERS; and following their triumphant set at BAS II, the return of the mighty TENEK. As if that wasn’t enough, bringing the evening to a close are none other than synth pop legends HEAVEN 17. This is, quite simply, a night that any self respecting fan of the genre can’t afford to miss. DJ's for this night will be Dave Charles from Harborough FM, and Rob Harvey from Phoenix FM.
On Monday, it’s all about Basildon. In the afternoon the excesses of the night before will be soothed away with a rooftop barbeque and ambient sounds provided by chillout DJ Mixmaster Morris. Into the evening, and as the countdown to the DEPECHE MODE gigs nears itsconclusion, the suave two piece MODOVAR will be playing an exclusive set of DM and YAZOO covers. This will be followed by the return of SPEAK & SPELL, the premier DM tribute band,closing the festival and bringing excitement of the masses to fever pitch. DJ 's for this night willbe Steve Gray from online electronic music magazine The Electricity Club, playing a Special Basildon influenced set, alongside an Essex legend of old... Russell the original DJ from Crocs playing music that he played over 30 years ago when Depeche Mode and the likes of Soft Cellwere regulars at Crocs glamour club nights.
The mc for the weekend event will be hosted by Robert Marlow another established musician,actor who grew up with Martin Gore, Vince Clarke, Andy Fletcher and Alison Moyet in their various early bands, and no stranger to the Top 40 charts himself.
May 25th-27th Early bird tickets now on sale here
