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Great LezBritain: 10 Reasons to GoGo

“Great LezBritian” is a fortnightly stroll through the very best of British lesbo-centric entertainment and culture. Plus there will be some jolly good interviews with the top ladies who are waving the flag for gay UK.

It’s British summertime. If you live or have ever been in the UK during the summer, then you’ll have noticed we’re a bit rubbish at it. It’s a season we’re suspicious of, and with ruddy good reason. For when we’ve just plucked up the courage to finally unveil our milk bottle pins to the sunshine, it’s already over. We’ve had our five days and our souvenir is some patchy sunburn. But there is one summer activity that we’re really rather good at, and that’s throwing a summer festival.

Glastonbury, T in the Park, V, Isle Of Wight, Bestival – for decades, old Blighty has led the way in making sure hundreds of thousands of people have a fracking, almighty weekend listening to live music whilst knee-deep in mud in a field. Shamefully — and we’re not going to let the Brits take all the blame for this because it is a world-wide epidemic — the overwhelming majority of the bands and the performers at these festivals, year after year, have one thing in common — and that’s a penis.

So what an utter delight GOGO Festival is. A new UK Festival run by women, for women taking place on the 17-20 June in Kent. Three days of live performances from brilliant female musicians, adrenaline sports, dirty discos, markets and glamping. Here are the ten things you have to do at this year’s festival (in no particular order).

1. Try speed dating

In Lip Service when Tess admits she can’t flirt with girls so instead she just stares at them hungrily from across the room, did you sit nodding at the realisation that for you, this may also be true? Well, Speed dating at GOGO could well be the answer to your flirting woes. Just go along, take your a place and start chatting. If you are very lucky, it will lead to number two on our list:

2. Have sexy times in tents

There’s not a lot more to say here than a two-lady tent and a double sleeping bag in full occupancy makes for a very nice time indeed. Tip: Don’t erect your tent too close to anyone else. It’s awkward. You’re welcome.

3. Indulge in extreme activities

When you and your new girlfriend emerge from your two-lady tent on day two, what better way to show your trust and commitment to each other than indulging in some extreme activities? You could throw yourselves out of a plane, enjoy a spot of wing walking, or even hold hands on a romantic hot air balloon ride. For the less adventurous, there is a funfair and a climbing wall.

4. Watch TV stars and their guitars

Arguably the two favourite characters in The L Word and Lip Service are Alice Pieszecki (played by Leisha Hailey) and DS Sam Murray (played by Heather Peace). But as well as being a hot gossip and a hot cop, both ladies are also hot musicians. Uh Huh Her, Leisha’s band with Camila Grey will seduce the audience with their indie-pop electro hybrid on Saturday night, while Heather’s trademark Gretsch guitar, sultry vocals and piano led torch-songs will be a splendid way to see the sun setting on Sunday evening.

5. See a legend

BETTY is a band that divides opinion. But love them or loathe them, the fact remains that they’ve been trailblazing a path for all-female bands for more than a decade with their tough, rompy pop songs and that is to be applauded. And despite, what you may like to believe about yourself, we guarantee that when you’re drunk by 10:30 p.m. feeling emotional because it’s the last day of the festival and you and your new girlfriend won’t see each other for a whole week before you move in – you will sing along to every single word of that infamous L Word theme tune. You think that you won’t, but you most definitely will. We say this from experience.

Another trailblazer on the bill is Scotland’s Horse MacDonald. A bluesy singer-songwriter, once described by Q Magazine as “the finest in the UK,” she is a live act that will whip the crowd into a dancing frenzy with more albums and hit songs in her repertoire than anyone else on the bill. (We’re not good at checking facts, so there’s a chance that this isn’t definitely true, but the point is you shouldn’t miss her.)

6. Meet the stars

After watching your favourite bands on stage, you can go and meet them – in actual real life – at the signing tent. Here is a little thing you might not know: Asking to have your breasts signed is not that cool. CDs, T-Shirts, even arms are perfectly fine. Breasts are best left for your new girlfriend rather than thrust into a musician’s unsuspecting hand, however arousing the thought might be.

7. Laugh at ladies

A year ago, we tried to write a column about 10 of the best out comedians in the UK but it turned we could only find three on the circuit at that point so our column was far shorter than expected. In one year however it has been a joy to see many more new out female comics arrive on the scene — and they are pretty much all playing at GOGO. Our absolute must-sees are Zoe Lyons, one of the best stand-ups in the UK, bar none, Jen Brister, who will be previewing parts of her Edinburgh Fringe show and Suzi Ruffell who was once told she’s pretty enough to not mention she’s gay — she choose not to listen and it turns out she’s still pretty, still funny and still gay.

8. Discover your new favourite artist

There are numerous new, emerging artists worthy of your attention over the weekend. We’d especially recommend you take a look at post-rock quintet Midas Fall, pop-rock starlet Christina Novelli, pop-soul purveyor Zemmy, acoustic singer-songwriter Jasmine Kennedy and melodic rockers JOANovARC.

9. Stay up late and party

When at a music festival, our mantra is: Sleepin’s Cheatin’. On Friday, the Opening Night Launch Party will kick off with the Freemasons and Katharine Ellis on the Main Stage, while the GOGO Big Top will play host to late night parties on Saturday and Sunday with sets from some of the country’s best female DJs including DJ Lil Jo and DJ Lady Bex. We’ll see you on the dancefloor til we drop lesbians.

10. Buy a ticket

Obviously to have all this fun, you first need a ticket to go and they are running in fairly short supply, so don’t miss out. You can buy them at www.gogofestival.com, where you can also find the full line-up and travel information.

“Great LezBritain” authors Sarah, a Londoner, and Lee, a Glaswegian, met in a gay discotheque one bleak mid winter, eight years ago and have been shacked up together ever since. When not watching Tipping The Velvet, they find time to write, run a PR company, DJ at their own club nights and love a bit of jam on toast. Follow them on Twitter at greatlezbritain.

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