Fat Out Fest 2020 (online)
Johnny James, Managing Editor
On Halloween weekend, Fat Out Fest 2020 will celebrate alternative and queer culture with a host of experimental performances, films, and panel talks to be broadcast online.
The festival will kick off with a new commission from Birmingham-based trio of noisemakers, Pretty Grim. Together with queer experimental music and art platform Queef, they’ve developed an immersive AV experience, which will be streamed on Friday 30th October, ahead of an after show beamed from The White Hotel, soundtracked by Glasgow DJ duo, Optimo.
The Saturday is a celebration of the North, with a regional line-up featuring Lone Taxidermist‘s new show Marra, which presents a deep interrogation into the dialect and ceremonies of West Cumbria. Iceboy Violet, meanwhile, will be twisting grime and trap into lush and warped ambient melodies, whilst violinist and loop pedal artist Rebekah Reid will combine classical string techniques with electronics and jazz.
In the evening, there’ll be another afterparty streamed from The White Hotel, this time co-curated by Bollox, Body Horror & Creatures of Catharsis. Expect queer magic, exotic go-go dancers, drag, gore and Halloween mayhem soundtracked by a live performance from Adult Entertainment plus High Hoops, Bleaching Agent and more.
On Sunday, Fat Out Fest invites you to nurse your Halloween hangover with stories of joy, unification and queer power. The day’s broadcast includes a screening of Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story. There will also be panel discussions, debates & Q&A’s including a panel talk curated by Decolonise Festival and a presentation of the short film Queer All About It: HIV 30+ Years of Change.
Speaking about the festival, Fat Out Director Emma Thompson says: “We invite you to join our Halloween ritual and together we can ward off 2020 gloom, praying for a time when we can all reunite to push each other round the dance floor whilst listening to ear bleeding riffs. But until then, you can turn your home into your personal venue and join us on a sonic journey as we navigate the unknown.”
Fat Out Fest 2020 will be free to watch online, with tickets for the screening of Keyboard Fantasies available on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Parts of the music programme will be performed to a socially distanced audience with a very limited amount of tickets available. The shows will strictly follow government guidelines to ensure the safest experience for the audience, artists and crew. Keep your eye on Fat Out’s website for the latest information about these socially-distanced shows, tickets for which will be released soon.
