An update on what’s going down with Truck: a Truckdate, if you will. The shining jewel in their crown, Truck Festival, is expanding in capacity this year, from 5,000 to 8,000. For the first time, it’ll be a full three-day event, running from Friday 22 July to Sunday 24 July. There will be improvements to the camping areas, a brand new major stage and a larger site for the whole event. We’re promised that there will be ‘exciting line-up news soon’. Weekend tickets are now on sale for £99 (if you’re an adult) or £79 (if you’re aged 13 to 17). If you’re under twelve, you get in free. Under eighteens must be accompanied by an adult, though.
In other news, it can’t have escaped your attention that the Truck Store is now open at 101 Cowley Road. The independent record shop is a partnership between Truck and Rapture Records. Truck have also been supporting and curating events at The Old Bookbinders on Oxford’s Green Street, which most recently hosted the Blessing Force BF#1 weekender. The venue will, unfortunately, be demolished after the end of March, to make space for new flats. The silver lining to this pitch-black cloud, though, is that Ed Vaizey, the Minister for Communication, Culture and the Creative Industries (and Wantage & Didcot Conservative MP), visited the venue recently, and having been very impressed with what was going on there, promised to look into the possibility of relaxing rules and regulations to allow more derelict or empty buildings to be opened for similar short term arts and cultural projects.