Sonisphere Festival 2011

ORGANISERS of the 2011 Sonisphere Festival are promising yet more surprises for this summer’s rock spectacular at Knebworth House.

Former Never Mind The Buzzcocks team captain Bill Bailey will headline the Saturn stage at the 2011 Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth Park [Picture: Sukey Parnell]

The pioneering music event returns to the grounds of the Hertfordshire stately home from Friday, July 8 to Sunday, July 10.

Promoters have already secured the services of thrash metal’s Big 4 – Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth – performing on the same bill for the first time in Britain.

Organisers also pulled off a major coup by getting American metallers Slipknot to return to the stage for the first time following the death of founding member and bass player Paul Gray.

Festival creator Stuart Galbraith has gambled on promoting Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro to headline status for the first time in this country – a move met with criticism at the time but now appearing a masterstroke.

And this week award-winning comedian and multi-instrumentalist Bill Bailey was confirmed as the shock headliner of the huge Saturn open air stage, as the first batch of comedy acts for Knebworth were announced.

This will be the biggest live comedy show ever at a British rock festival, with 50,000-plus metalheads in the arena ahead of what promises to be a showstopping performance from Slipknot on the main Apollo stage.

A statement from the festival said: “With this announcement, Sonisphere 2011 is truly coming into its own, and has a few more surprises to come which will show just what a forward-thinking festival this is.”

Acts on the Apollo and Saturn main stages alternate, to ensure no clashes, and an extended break is planned between the end of Bailey’s historic set before masked American metallers Slipknot take the stage to close the festival.

Comedian Bill Bailey, who will headline the Saturn stage at the 2011 Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth [Picture: Andy Hollingworth]

Elevating a surrealist stand-up comedian to headline status at an outdoor rock festival would appear to be another huge gamble, but Sonisphere creators have pushed the boundaries before.

As Europe’s first international touring festival, Sonisphere put Abba tribute act Bjorn Again alongside the top names in rock and metal in its first year.

Last summer saw comedy introduced to the Bohemia tent, with the Knebworth line-up boasting the likes of Tim Minchin, who has since gone on to become a household name.

Speaking to the Welwyn Hatfield Times last summer, festival founder Stuart Galbraith hinted at introducing more entertainment for full weekend campers on the Thursday.

Metallica on stage at Knebworth's first Sonisphere Festival in 2009

He said: “Based on the success of this year, I think we will stick with three days and we will accelerate the activities we also have on the Thursday to get more people here on the Thursday – not necessarily bands though.”

To this end, the comedy element at Sonisphere this summer will feature an extra day, with Bohemia hosting stand-ups from the Thursday through to Sunday.

A festival statement said: “Comedy is becoming increasingly more popular at music festivals and Sonisphere is proud to be leading the charge by delivering the biggest names and most exciting new talent ever to be seen at a rock festival.”

Jackass superstar Steve-O – famed for his pain-inflicting stunts – will make his UK stand-up debut at Sonisphere, where he will headline the day’s comedy in Bohemia.

Comedian Jarred Christmas on stage in the Bohemia tent at Sonisphere

A hugely successful stand-up in his own right, Kiwi comedian Jarred Christmas returns to Knebworth to compere the comedy on Saturday.

His impressive list of credits include appearances on Mock The Week, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, BBC2 sitcom The Persuasionists and Dave Channel’s Argumental, as well as dancing like Madonna for Comic Relief.

Having scooped a ‘Best Compere’ gong from last year’s Chortle Awards, Jarred’s dynamic on-stage persona, coupled with his ability to improvise and roll with anything that’s thrown at him, make him the perfect MC for a lively festival crowd – and they don’t come much livelier than at a rock festival.

A host of other comedians were also confirmed for the Knebworth leg of the European touring festival this week.

A close friend of Friday night headliners Metallica, comedian, actor and radio host Jim Breuer – who is a regular guest on the Howard Stern show – will show why he is one of the biggest names in American comedy as he flies in for his UK debut at Sonisphere.

Returning to Knebworth, Portsmouth-born vegan, anarchist, transvestite and occult heavy metal comedian extraordinaire Andrew O’Neill will have fans in Bohemia in stitches again.

Also on the bill is oddball Canadian stand-up Jason Rouse, who is described by Metal Hammer magazine as “the most metal comedian on the planet”.

Others added to the comedy line-up so far include Bob Slayer, who was tour manager of The Bloodhound Gang, and Jason John Whitehead with his deadpan observational humour.

On the music side of things, the likes of Weezer, Limp Bizkit, Gallows, The Sisters of Mercy, The Mars Volta, You Me At Six, Motörhead and Sum 41 will join the headliners at Knebworth.

* For Sonisphere weekend tickets and more info go to www.sonispherefestivals.com (see the Sonisphere ticket link above).