With a move to East London’s Victoria Park, this year Groove Armada are joined on both days by The Plant Life.

Whilst the funk that is Plant Life has let slip a radio mix of their forthcoming release on Gut Instinct, ‘Luv Me (Til It Hurts)’. The release is due to coincide with Lovebox and it’s got them in Salsa dip hop chilli funk pop mode that could be the one that takes them into the Outkast stratosphere that’s been predicted. “Lookin’ hot with my Volkswagon 72… We could drive to the beach or the sky, whichever one’s more blue, yeah… Shake it while it works” (Ouch!). Essential summer groove. I’m expecting some serious remix action similar to ‘The Last Song’; Paul Murphy or Spiritual South could seriously hurt this one.

Whatch out for a Plant Life appearance on Jools Holland’s Later on BBC2.

Plant Life will also be a Montreaux (will they meet up with Dwight Trible and the Heritage Orchestra?) but I hear Jack Splash is looking to do further collaborations with Sa—Ra and Bugz In The Attic.

Well he won’t have to go far to find them as Bugz in the Attic are at Lovebox on Saturday whilst old Afro Artist Ashley Beedle, Marky & Patife (hear them at the EXIT fetival on GP’s show this week) and Gilles Peterson join Norman Jay’s Good Times on the Sunday line—up (see full listings below).

Groove Amarda (who are Andy Cato and Tom Findlay) are not doing the closing slot on Saturday night as Mylo will round off the main stage. They say, “This is about more than GA. We’re trying to create a festival in town, not just dance music in the park. There’s going to be so much to see and do here”.

I’d expect a cool line up as Groove Armada have proved they can certainly pick some tracks for a compilation, see last year’s Mixmag ‘Essential Summer Groove’ CD with Paul Murphy’s ‘Soul Call’, Chicken Lips ‘He Not In’ and Spirtual South’s remix of Max Sedgley’s ‘Happy’.

Lovebox was planned as Groove Armada’s only live performances in 2005, but they have just agreed to appear at the Tribal Gathering at Luton Hoo on 16th July which is an event raising money to relieve the suffering of the people of Darfur which is also being supported by Mylo (DJ Set) and Chicken Lips. See links below.

Reviewed: Plant Life — Luv Me (Til It Hurts) Cat.No. PR12GUTIN04 Released 25th July, 2005
Track Listing: A1 Linus Loves Remix, A2 Original Radio Mix, B1 RSL Remix, B2 RSL Instrumental

Links:
Lovebox www.loveboxweekender.com
Groove Armada www.groove—armada.com
Tribal Gathering announcement on XFM
Tribal Gathering www.tribalgathering.co.uk “all money raised going to help the humanitarian crisis in the Sudan”
Afro Art www.afroartrecords.com
Gilles Peterson : Tracklisting 10/07/05 live from Exit Festival, Serbia (1) Plantlife - ‘Luv Me (Til It Hurts) (RSL Remix) (Gut Records)

Main Stage
Saturday 23 July
Mylo — Groove Armada (live) — Plantlife — Killa Kela & The Spit Kingdom Sound System — Idjut Boys — Lovebox Allstars
Sunday 24 July
Groove Armada (live) — Plantlife — Marky & Patife — Crazy P (live) —
Umami presents Talvin Singh (live) — Idjut Boys — Lovebox Allstars —
Lovebox Arena
Saturday 23 July
Cash Money — Unabombers — Bugz In The Attic — Insignificant Others — Lovebox Allstars
Strongbow Rooms
Saturday 23 July
D.I.Y — Joey Negro — Breakin’ Bread — Runaways — Lovebox Allstars
Sunday 24 July
Ashley Beedle — Joey Negro - Gilles Peterson — Cosmo — Lovebox Allstars
Secret Sundaze Arena
Saturday 23 July
Booka Shade (live) — Mr C — Damian Lazarus — James Priestley — Giles Smith
Lost Vagueness Arena
Saturday 23 July
The Fairey’s Brass Band — DJ Nino — Can Booty Can — Los Albertos —
The Zen Hussies — Empress Stah — Empty Heads — The Beat — The Swinging Elvises — Sweetbeat — The Hat Orchestra — Can Booty Can — Backini — DJ Nelson Dilation
Sunday 24 July
The Bays — Cuban Brothers — Can Booty Can —