Wednesday 10 March 2010

Geek Pop 2010

This year’s Geek Pop festival launches on 12 March. Previously an online-only event, the festival is in its third year and is now adding live music to the programme, with gigs in Bristol and London.

Geek Pop is a celebration of science-inspired music and geek culture, featuring artists from around the globe. More than 30 artists are signed up to perform across its virtual and physical stages in 2010, with music from every set available to download for free.

Sponsored by Computer Geeks and the British Science Association, the Bristol live gig at Cube Microplex will kick off proceedings on 11 March, just ahead of the virtual launch. Geek Pop crew member Jim Bell is organising the Bristol event. “It’s been a huge undertaking this year,” he says. “But we’ve got some great geeky acts booked and there’s no doubt that adding live gigs to the programme has really helped get the word around.”

Many artists involved this year have been writing and recording new material specifically for the festival. Canadian hip-hop artist Baba Brinkman, known for his unique fusion of rap and evolution (or all things...), will be unveiling his rationalist anthem “Off That” at Geek Pop. And returning for the second year in a row, UK-based Spirit of Play will be performing brand new and specially tailored science songs at both the online event and London gig at The Miller on 18 March.

According to Festival Organiser, Hayley Birch, the festival has evolved rapidly since 2008. “In the first year, we only had about ten artists and none of the music was specifically written for us,” she says. “It’s great to see we’re establishing ourselves as an annual event and especially that we’re giving creative inspiration to musicians to make music about science.”

Previous years saw musicians perform online across the Tetrahedron and Reproductive stages, and Tesla Tent. This year, organisers commissioned Bristol-based illustrator Sam Church to re-design the site and have added another stage, The Comical Flask, where acts will be entertaining audiences with nerdy, science-based comedy.

From 12 March, festival-goers can experience the virtual festival from the comfort of their own homes by typing visiting the geekpop homepage. Further details of the Bristol and London live gigs, including how to buy tickets, are available. Given March 14th is pi day, I think the festival's timing is apt!

I spoke to Hayley Birch in 2008 about their inaugural festival - check out that interview in Ep 94: The Geek Pop Virtual Music Festival.

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