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See www.seanclark.org and www.interactdigitalarts.uk for information about Sean Clark's current artwork and projects.

Summer Sundae Fringe Festival / Fringe Thursday 2006 - 2012

The Summer Sundae Fringe Festival (website archived at http://summersundae.cuttlefish.com) emerged from Leicester's Pinapster music community in 2006. Pineapster member Andy Black had been running regular Pineapster gigs featuring local bands and suggested to the Summer Sundae Weekender organisers that Pineapster hold a festival 'warm-up' party at The Firebug on the Thursday before their festival. It would give the festival goers a good reason to come to Leicester a day early, would showcase local bands and could act as a fundraiser for local hospice LOROS. The Summer Sundae organisers liked the idea, and I was more than happy to support it - especially since it also marked the five year anniversary of the Pineapster community itself. Over the next five years the Summer Sundae Fringe Festival grew from this single venue to nine venues on Fringe Thursday and many other events in the week before.

With changes in the Summer Sundae management in 2011 it was debated whether or not the Fringe should continue. However, genuine 'popular demand' and renewed support from main festival ensured that it did. Co-organiser, and long-time Pineapster member, Steve Jones and Rav Kaur took took over the running of the event as part of the new Leicester Fringe non-profit organisation. The 2011 and 2012 Fringe Thursdays ended up being amongst the most successful ever.

Throughout the Fringe's history Cuttlefish (who ran Pineapster) financially underwrote the festival and managed the cash flow. Thanks to the volunteers on the ground - and the generosity of the venues - the cost of running the events was kept low and it has always made money for charity. As of the 2012 event over £25,000 has been raised.

Summer Sundae did not run in 2013 and hence there was no Fringe Thursday. However, the Leicester Fringe organisation remains active. To see where they take it next keep an eye on their website at www.leicesterfringe.co.uk.

What follows is an incomplete collection of materials from the various Summer Sundae Fringe events held over the years. If you want to add anything, or need a credit for any of your work featured, please let me know.

Sean Clark
seanc@cuttlefish.com
July 2013

2006 - Firebug

Thursday 10th August 2006

Firebug

Misterlee

Love Ends Disaster!

The Dirty Backbeats

2007 - Four Venues..

Thursday 9th August 2007

Firebug

The Musician

The Charlotte

DMH Comedy Tent

The Dirty Backbeats

Redcarsgofaster

Fatal Star

Just Norris

My Drug Hell

Harper

Ambrose Tompkins

The Displacements

Assembly Now

The Elite

Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue

Scott Hall

Gary Delaney

2008

Thursday 7th August 2008

Firebug

The Musician

The Charlotte

The Donkey

Helsinki

Tired Irie

Pacific Ocean Fire

Love Ends Disaster!

The Chairmen

Ugly Pop Stars

The Legion

Greg Gent

Herra Hidro

The Dandilions

The Parlotones

The Elite

The Utopians

M48

Project Notion

James Maddock

Swaggar

Lisa Lashes

Neil Appeal

J-Luv

Glen Randall

2009 - Nine Venues!

The Fringe really came together well in 2009 with a strong visual brand and much more interest from the local press. A bigger team volunteer organisers led to even more venues on Fringe Thursday and plenty of events in the week before. Pineapster also put together a compilation album of artists playing at the Fringe and made it available for free on CD and for download. As well as music venues, there was spoken word at The Hind organised by Phrased and Confused and comedy at Kayal organised by Leicester Comedy Festival. Despite the open-topped buses running around the city, I only managed to get to four venues on the night!

Thursday 13th August 2009

Firebug

The Musician

The Donkey

The Lansdowne

The Hind (Spoken Word)

Minnaars

Maybeshewill

Charlie Jones & The Martyrs

Jersey Budd

Dumbfound

Jose Klann

The Beautiful South

The Deap People

David Wyatt

You Fellows of All Souls

Ambrose Tompkins

Penfold Gate

Mark & Mixy

Salenna Godden

Book Club Boutique

Mr Plow Band

Sound of Rum

New Road Inn

Kayal (Comedy)

The Shed

Helsinki

The Falling Leaves

Pacific Ocean Fire

Tony Law

Gary Delaney

Jim Smallman

Autohype

The Heroes

Fists

Mega Dub

DJSI

2010

Thursday 12th August 2010

Firebug

The Musican

The Donkey

The Lansdowne

The Pub

Autohype

These Furrows

Kids In Cars

The Pennyhangers

The Lysergic Suite

Charlie Jones & The Martyrs

The James Lewis Band

Cantaloop

Bobby Sunshine Band

By The Rivers

Yellowbelly

Fists

Acid Pony

We Three & The Death Rattle

Hewick, Haynes & James

The Jazz Butcher

Christine

Fabrika

Y Theatre (Comedy)

The Shed

DMH Gardens

Free Control

Mellow Baku

The Gadjo's

Roger Wilson

David Wyatt

Ashdowne

Snez Naik

Ben Hutchinson

Jim Smallman

Ben Ennis

David Morgan

David Longley

Andy Robinson

Vikki Stone & The Flashbacks

The Screening

Little Night Terrors

Superevolver

The Boobytraps

Family Entertainment

Phoenix Square Cinema Tent

2011 - Life's a Riot at Leicester Fringe

2011 saw the organisation of Fringe Thursday, and the events leading up to it, pass to the Leicester Fringe organisation. Continuity was maintained, however, with many of the same people involved in the organisation of the previous years' events involved in this year's too. Things were thrown into potential disarray by the UK riots of 2011. On the Wednesday night a group of people went on the rampage around parts of Leicester city centre, leading to the cancellation of a number of events. Luckily things were quieter on the Thursday and there were no cancellations. The venues in the city centre did suffer from smaller-than-usual audiences, although the ones further out made up for this and a good amount was raised for charity on the night.

Thursday 11th August 2011

Firebug

The Musician

The Donkey

The Lansdowne

Fabrika

The Shed

Codex Leicester

Sisterland

We Three and The Death Rattle

Dark Dark Horse

Grace Petrie

The Lysergic Suite

The Pennyhangers

Daylight Frequencies

Sha-Boom

The Paradimes

Great Imitation

I Am In Love

The Screening

Dumbfound

Thee Ludds

Joel Owen + The Antoine Band

Outwoods Country Riders

Grace and the Magic Roots

The Ramshakle Parade

Arms of Atlas

Without Fire

We're Not Worthy

Some May Run

Crumblin' Cookie (Comedy)

The Soundhouse

Chris Stokes

Taylor Glenn

+Special Guests

Kyte

Little Night Terrors

Yunioshi

Navajo Youth

2012

Thursday 16th August 2012

Firebug

The Musician

The Donkey

The Lansdown

The Shed

These Furrows

Little Night Terrors

Buenos Aires

Uncle Frank (Party Set)

These Furrows (DJ Set)

Martin Luke Brown

Park Bench Society

Indiana

Izzy Marie Hill

Free Control

Peyote

The Paradimes

Yee Haas

Move

Dead Slow

The Cream Tangerines

Panda Youth

Midnight Wire

The Furies

Leaving Party

The Accidents

Fabrika

The Soundhouse

The Cookie Jar

Muted Fnord, ASMO, MSB, Sally Hossack + VJs and Art Installations

Dark Dark Horse

Sisterland

Speaking in Italics

Laser Beast

The Daydream Club

Peter Wyeth

Elizabeth Cornish

Natalie Squance

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