A change of scenery for Yard Life.

It was looking as dodgy as a Derek Trotter promise, but back from the flames, Jen Lloyd has discovered a stunning new venue that could even be better than the last. Don't worry, it's nowhere near the Nelson Mandela Estate, Peckham, but at the breathtaking scenery of St John at Hackney Church on Lower Clapton Road.

It may have been pushed back a week to the fifth of May, but that gets us past the April showers and into a bank holiday weekend where we have a Monday to rest our aching heads.

Yard Life has been moved from the Hackney Downs Studios due to behind the scenes shenanigans that aren't worth getting into, but don't cry into your computer screens, the news is good and the festival is still on!



The artists are still twiddling their brushes, Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair has packed their best tweed and lace for your pickings, the cakes are being iced, the tea brewed, the incredible musicians are stringing their guitars, and perhaps most importantly, Mr Peter Doherty has booked his seat on the Eurostar. We've heard he's even having an early night on the Friday just for you lucky ticket holders.

Doors open at 11am, and believe me, you won't have to pray for an action filled day. Come and stroll around the gardens and the concept stores. Ladies, and the long haired pretty boys in the band, get your faces put on in the powder room.

Get a cup of rosy, buy a vintage posy, have a nosy at the fine art, and then chill, drink until the music starts.

Yard Life is dedicated to making as much money as it can for an incredibly worthy charity close to its heart. It's not all about egos, backstage passes, VIPs posing in their Hunter wellies and the battle of the RayBans. It's about passion, a love for music and most importantly having a good time.

The line up is worth its weight in gold. Up and coming artists, musicians who are no stranger to the London scene playing for kicks and beer, but musicians who are worth paying to see, the Yard Life DJs spinning 50s Rock and Roll, Electro and party classics, and of course, the original Libertine, Billy Bilo.

Guys, the venue may have changed, the date may have changed, but the message hasn't.

'London Loves Yard Life'

Check out all the latest news at yardlifefestival.co.uk

The Lauriston Loves Yard Life

A string of warm up gigs that get the mouth watering,

Talented musicians that get the ears ringing,

Tireless DJs spinning timeless classics that get the crowd singing.

It's Spring 2012, it's Hackney E9, but it feels like the 60s, and a fun loving time.

Tight jeans, tuned guitars, and loud amps in a packed East London bar.

The Cockney trendset spend their hard earned cash,

On hard earned spritzers at this free music bash.

Yard Life at the Lauriston fuses music and dance,

Up and coming artists looking for a chance,

A chance to prove their worth and their unrivalled passion,

To mix catchy tunes in a vibrant London fashion.

The lights are dim and the eye shadow dark,

Long haired lovers and musicians trying to make their mark,

On a crowd of faces, on a music loving room,

As the red lipped girls listen and the young lads swoon,

At the boys in the band, with G and T in hand,

As they tap their feet to the beat, those Yard Life bands,

Eliza, Pablo, and the NCG, plug in their guitars for a glimpse of what will be,

On April 28th, down in Hackney Town, where it's not about the money,

But about discovering new sounds.

Acoustic songs, a folk inspired drone, an Indie feeling with a Rock overtone.

I watched from the rafters like some sheepskin tearaway,

Took off my hat to hear the acts play,

To hear them sing, to watch them sway.

Taken back to a decade of pioneers,

When young guitarists were loved and always cheered,

Wherever they roamed, wherever they played,

And it seemed at the Lauriston this wouldn't fade.

It was a night to let the music do the talking, let the DJs do their work,

Let the records keep on coming, and let the bands flirt,

With the 1960s, with the dawn of Rock and Roll,

When London Town was swinging, and music was in our soul.

So with a tilt of the hat to Dylan, Hendrix and the Stones,

We check our emails daily, we check our 21st century phones,

For a ticket from Yard Life;

So just sit, wait, and smoke your cigarette to the bone.

An invite should be coming to the fresh new music event of the year

And I heard that a certain Peter Doherty might be there...........

So Let's hope for a warm and gentle summer breeze, and hopefully,

You'll meet me in London Town for music and tea.

Check out all the latest news on this brand new festival coming to Hackney Downs Studios on April 28th, at yardlifefestival.co.uk

Photographs by Kate Ford