Check out our lovely new friends at Dinohoodie with their amazing range of bespoke dinosaur themed hoodies for both big and little people. Dinohoodie sell customised dinosaur hoodies in all colour combinations and infinite variations and are the perfect partner to a Festival Tails Dinky Dinosaur Tail (that coincidently can also be made in a variety of colours to complement your new Dinohoodie!)
Imagine dinosaurifying yourself, friends and family – becoming scaly, spiked and toothsome so you can terrorise like a ‘Raptor’, roar like ‘Godzilla’, breathe fire like ‘Smaug’ or live by the sea like ‘Puff’ – endless possibilities and almost too good for these words ….
Dinosaur Hoodies and Dinky Dinosaur Tails available from:
www.dinohoodie.com
www.festivaltails.co.uk
Festival Tails has donated £500 to Panthera, a prominent big cat conversation organisation.
December, 19th, 2011Festival Tails has donated £500 to Panthera, a prominent big cat conversation organisation.
Panthera was founded in 2006 with the sole mission of conserving the world’s 36 species of wild cats; it currently focuses its global conservation strategies on the world’s largest, most imperilled cats – tigers, lions, jaguars and snow leopards.
Festival Tails is a small UK specialist clothing enterprise that have created a range of unique clip-on faux-fur animal tails that add a splash of colour and fun to festival and party attire. In 2011 Festival Tails aimed to raise awareness of the Panthera cause at various UK festivals by creating and selling a special edition Panthera Snow Leopard tail.
Festival Tails’ Mary Jephcott said, ‘We love being associated with the Panthera charity and set out to do our bit by raising some funds to support them in their mission to ensure the future of the snow leopard. The Panthera Snow Leopard tail was developed in partnership with the charity to ensure maximum authenticity’ Festival goers supported the idea, resulting in many snow leopard tails being swung in UK festival fields throughout the summer.
The money has gone directly to Panthera’s snow leopard conservation project in Mongolia. Seldom observed in the wild, or at best a fleeting apparition, snow leopards have appropriately earned the title ‘Ghost of the mountains’. Sadly, as few as 3,500 to 7,000 snow leopards remain in the wild and they are listed as “Endangered” on the list of threatened species.
You too can help the Panthera cause by purchasing one of the few remaining limited special edition Panthera Snow Leopard Tails direct from the Festival Tails website by visiting this link: http://festivaltails.com/shop/category/special-tails £5.00 from the sale of each tail will go to Panthera.
After a number of enquiries to the website with regard to the purchasing of festival tails as novelty Christmas gifts, we feel duty-bound to remind potential tail swingers that a ‘tail is for life and not just for Christmas’.
Our long-standing campaign aims to raise awareness of the consequences of treating tails as gifts or toys. Every year hundreds of thousands of grown-up children plead for the latest fad or top toy on the market, only to discard them a few weeks after Christmas when the novelty wears off. Unfortunately, the same can be true of tails. We are continually seeking to change this.
Over the last couple of years there have been an increasing number of sad and moving abuse stories that have caught our attention and we have often been forced to pass our photographic evidence on to the appropriate authorities. For example:
A Buzzing Bee tail painfully neglected and trapped in the boot of a Y-reg white Astra hatchback – the car was later discovered to be owned by a 35-year-old Geordie glue sniffer who mumbled to tail protection officers that he ‘did it for a laugh’.
Another Buzzing Bee tail was discarded in the cold draughty hall of a family suburban semi – dangerously close to live electrical sockets and under the full flow of a substantial letter box. This tail was rescued by chance by a well meaning religious ‘door knocker’ and now sees out its days on the peaceful Isle of Wright.
So please, if you are thinking about gifting a festival tail for Christmas please ensure that you consider your purchase in a responsible manner.There have also been disturbing reports of tail fighting; people ‘egging on’ each other to use one tail to fight another tail in a sadistic spectacle of fluff bashing for the amusement of a jeering, beer gushing crowds – such people can only be described as sick and talentless individuals who deserve nothing.
We will work endlessly to expose and end tail abuse. Our tail protection officers and legal team have worked closely with the police and the CPS to ensure those who misuse tails, illegally distribute tails and encourage their abuse are brought to justice.
Tags: novelty xmas gifts, tail abuse, xmas tails
Tip 1. Camping Location
It is essential that you choose an appropriate site to pitch your tent, avoid a number of elementary schoolboy errors. Unless you are three day x 24-hr Jack McSocial, stay clear from camping right next to the path, all that will result is a incessant stream of people / noise and perhaps even worse, late night / early morning pranksters enjoying urination sessions on your tent and perhaps even ‘borrowing’ your things. Ear plugs are a good buy or perhaps even better use the ipod with some appropriate easy listening. Avoid natural dips and areas that look like they will hold or carry rain water, its better from a drainage perspective to be on the side of a slight hill (sleep with your head up the hill unless you do like feeling light-headed). Shelter in terms of shade and wind protection is good to look for – a cheap pop-up festival tent is a sweaty nylon shelter in direct sunshine and a poorly performing piece of equipment in medium, gusting wind. Use natural windbreaks, fences, vans, other tents, additional pegs / guidelines if the weather looks slightly dodgy. Pitch your tent within sight of landmarks you’ll remember and that will still be visible when you wake up to a field covered in thousands of other tents.
Tip 2. Makeshift Pillow
If you’re camping in the main field, packing your favourite goose down, brilliant white 100% cotton pillow for the festival is not really an option – far too bulky and leaves you well exposed in terms of ridicule from your mates for being a big wuss. Go the makeshift pillow, in the privacy of your own tent, just before sleepy time, stuff your fleece with spare clothes and snuggle down with head resting on soft padded fabric, job done zzzzzzzzzzz.
Tip 3. Sleeping Mat
An absolute essential, a sleeping mat will provide you with insulation from the cold ground at night, helping to give you a good night’s sleep. A must for any festival goer the mat is perhaps even more important than your sleeping bag. You are more likely to lose heat through the ground due to conduction that you are through the air. An important investment to keep you warm, even at the summers festivals.
Tip 4. The Unpopular Toilet
Everyone uses the end toilets on toilet row; go for the one that is the least convenient and the hardest to get to, especially later on in the day and after the turd truck has well finished its round. It’s a simple fact that the most inconvenient toilet in the block is likely to be the cleanest due to least usage. However, this may not always be the case ….. if in doubt, use the one where the person that has just vacated has the least guilty expression!
Tip 5. Personal Hygiene
The use of wet wipes, a supply of your own personal toilet roll, a small mirror, chewing gum, mints and deodorant will keep you feeling human even if the shower queue is into double figures. A three day rotation of sleep, sunbathing, drinking and dancing can make even a babe smell like a polecat by Sunday night – shower or improvise!
Tip 6. Food
Enjoy the culinary delights on offer at the Festival. It’s true; you won’t die from malnutrition through not eating enough ‘proper food’ and surviving the weekend on cider, crisps and chocolate, however, no need. Now at many festivals, the days of the dog burger with greasy chips and the equally greasy hot dog van owner have now long passed. Festival food is big news, with the selection and offerings both culturally diverse and widely appealing. French, Italian, Greek, Thai, Mexican – it’s all on offer. Recommendation after a night on the booze leaving lowered blood sugar levels and a dodgy stomach would be a quality, delicious offering of pie and mash (mashed down with 2 litres of aqua). This is the ultimate festival food for those who know how to recover as quickly as possible for the next night – for evidence, check out the queues for Pieminister.
Tip 7. Utility Belt
If you’re not prepared to lose an item at a festival then don’t take it. Unfortunately, some festivals attract a tiny minority of semi professional sticky fingered weasels that are focused on relieving you of your possessions whilst you’re distracted by having a great time. Anything in the tent, whilst you’re away, is ‘fair game’ for these dregs, so leave them disappointed by taking valuable items with you. Use a utility belt (or equivalent) to ensure that you keep all valuables on you at all times i.e. keys, money, cards, camera, phone, lighter etc
Tip 8. Pace Yourself
A festival is more akin to a marathon than a sprint. It’s likely to be a 3 or 4 day affair, more like a mini holiday than a solitary big night out. You can easily wipe out a whole day and be in a ‘world of horrors’ by really overdoing it the night before. Drink plenty of water, try and drink between two and three litres of water each day and it is especially wise to follow these quantities whilst being at a festival. Get a plastic water bottle and fill it up every time you pass a drinking tap – and make sure you have a good supply back of water back at your tent (first thing in the morning you could be gagging for a drink). This is even more important if you’re on the lash, as the alcohol will dehydrates. Try alternating each alcoholic drink with water – the perfect recipe for happy times during and after.
Tip 9. The Festival Experience
Have a festival ‘experience’ by exploring the periphery, speaking to lots of interesting creative warm people, share and be generous in action and spirit. Get involved and participate in your festival, indulge in the random and bizarre. If your highlight is watching U2 or Coldplay on the main stage then you may have missed out on something slightly more interesting and better that is going on at the same time and somewhere else.
Tip 10. A Furry Festival Tail
In a selection of random, carefully controlled, non-scientific experiments we have probably proven over the last five years and on several different continents that it is a certain fact – Festival Tails are an aid to increased fun, shenanigans and an accelerator down the road of general misbehaviour! We’ve discovered that ‘swinging your tail’ taps into the very essence of festival fun, knocking down social inhibitions and fostering pleasurable interactions between random people. We have personally witnessed examples of tails improving dance technique, increasing the attractiveness of the individual, being used as a tool for deep communication and finally as an exciting aid to love making.
Tags: festival experience, festival fashion, festival food, festival guide, festival survival, festival tail, festival tale, festival tips, furry tail, top ten festival
Growing in popularity, Electro Swing is a relatively new and exciting pan-European music genre that can be described as a fusion of swing, jazz and electronic dance music. It’s roots trace back at least 25 years to early sampling of 1920s / 30s music within contemporary pieces however, it is only in the last few years that the distinctive sound has ‘solidified’ to provide a strong basis for Electro Swing DJ’s, artists, groups, clubs and compilation albums. Now we are witness to an explosion of Electro Swing energy with an abundance of old swing tracks being mixed and taken in a new direction via electro, drum’n’bass and hip hop. The fresh, cheeky, fun and ‘feel good’ sound usually means that floor crowds find them irresistible to get up and move to. For any proof of the popularity of this distinctive sound just type Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP into YouTube and join the 41 million, yes 41 $%£&’ing million, that have viewed their number one chart topper ‘We No Speak Americano’ a re-mix of the Renato Carosone original ‘Tu Vuo Fa L’Americano’ (You pretend to be American).
Definitely worth checking out is the Electro Swing landmark ‘White Mink : Black Cotton: Electro Swing vs Speakeasy Jazz’ double CD which contains some well known tracks from this new genre and is presented as a retrospective trawl through rare Cotton Club-style tracks on one CD (remastered from original 78′s), alongside modern remixes and 20/30′s influenced dance floor fillers on the other. Or try the ‘Electro Swing 2’ CD, again a combination of some catchy tunes from the 20s/30s mixed together with modern electronic dance beats and edits, each complimenting each other perfectly. This CD captures the sound of the moment – a mix of out-there dance tunes fused with the retro sound of Jazz and early music hall songs.
Riding a current wave of increased popularity Electro Swing has been represented on the UK Summer festival circuit over the last couple of years with artists such as The Correspondents and White Mink enjoying stage time at Glastonbury, Bestival, Secret Garden Party, The Big Chill and others.
For those new to Electro Swing, Festival tails recommends these 5 fun, funky, electro swing numbers to ‘swing your tail’ to in this summer’s Festival sunshine:
1. Kormac ‘Wash my Hands’
2. Parov Stelar ‘Hotel Axos’
3. The Correspondents ‘I Wanna be like you’ (Jungle Book)
4. MOVITS! – ‘Äppelknyckarjazz’
5. Der Dritte Raum ‘Swing Bopp’
Our recommended electro swing tail is the black cat shiny disco tail. Get yours here!
Tags: electro swing, kormac, parov stelar, the correspondents, white mink
1. Tail
A furry tail is our number one festival fashion item. Not only will clipping one of these babies onto the back of your jeans instantly set you apart s a fun-loving, ‘ I don’t take myself too seriously’ festival funkster, it will also serve as comfy padding when sitting on the grass, aid balance and improve dance moves as well as significantly increase you appeal to the opposite sex. Fact.
Check out these bad boys.
2. Utility belt
When you’re moving from one gig to another, stopping for a dance when the mood takes you & manoeuvring through sometimes crowded spaces, it’s best not to burden yourself with a large bag. You could end up having to dance round it which would just look silly. Our tried and tested festival solution is to wear a utility belt. They look great, they’re secure (keeping valuables close to your person) and you’ve always got your cash / lipbalm / lighter on your person. www.earthywear.co.uk have some cool ones.
3. Cool Hat
Cool hats are also essential festival wear. They’ll funk up any outfit, keep the sun off by day or keep you nice and toasty at night. It’s worth taking a selection to accessorize with different outfits. Make sure yours packs small without getting squashed. Make a splash with these little beauties…
4. Sunglasses
With a bit of luck we’ll be in for a sizzling hot summer. Avoid the glare and hide a hangover with an on-trend pair of shades. There are all sorts of shapes and sizes. You could go for the classic aviator look or perhaps experiment with a kooky or coloured pair? The possibilities are endless!
5. Wellies
There’s always a risk of mud when you’re hanging out in the countryside so it’s worth taking your wellies. There are some really funky ones on the market these days so you can look good, keep your feet dry and remain festival fashion forward! Check these out
6. Funky Coat
For those 5am moments when you’re sitting around still chewing the fat – a funky festival coat is irreplaceable. Anything goes, but we particular favour long, faux fur numbers that’ll keep you toasty and double up as an extra blanket when you eventually make it back to your tent for a schnooze. Check out your local charity shops for the best finds! Oxfam might have some good ones.
7. Scarf
A summer scarf is another festival fashion essential. It’ll keep you warm, keep sunstroke at bay or cover up greasy locks. Joe Browns are one of many retailers with some nice ones.
8. Fairy Wings
Stand out from the crowd and get into the festival spirit by adding a pair of wings to your festival wear – a lovely addition to any festival outfit! Our friends at Fairylove have the best selection on the net!
9. Hooded Top
When the evening chill sets in but you’re heading for the dancefloor, a hoodie is just the thing. It’ll keep you warm en route and you can tie it round your waist when you feel like a boogie. Check out this wicked storm trooper one from Craziest Gadgets.
10. Flip Flops
Fingers crossed the weather’s on your side and the sun comes out to play! Sling a pair of flip flops in your rucksack just in case. They don’t take up much room and will keep your feet cool should you be lucky enough to end up lying contentedly in the sunshine listening to nice tunes. Havianas are still the best.
Festival tails are proud and excited to announce their new partnership with Panthera, a prominent global big cat conversation organisation and the team behind the acclaimed BBC documentary series ‘Lost Land of the Tiger’.
Festival Tails will be promoting Panthera on the UK festival circuit and will be donating a percentage of tail sales to the charity as well as developing a special Panthera one off tail! We are excited to be involved with the charity and supporting their mission to ensure the future of wild cats through scientific leadership and global conservation action.
Panthera was founded in 2006 with the sole mission of conserving the world’s 36 species of wild cats; it currently focuses its range-wide conservation strategies on the world’s largest, most imperiled cats – tigers, lions, jaguars and snow leopards – and is planning conservation strategies for cheetahs, leopards and mountain lions.
Utilizing the knowledge and expertise of the world’s top cat biologists, and working in partnership with local and international NGO’s, scientific institutions, and government agencies, Panthera develops, implements, and oversees range-wide species conservation strategies.
Thank you for a fantastic 2010 Festival season – we’ve had immense fun meeting so many lovely people at some of the best festivals in the UK. It gives us a really warm feeling to see lots of people wearing their tails and having fun with friends in the sunshine.
We’ve also had numerous sightings of tails in the ‘real world’ too – one coming down the Pyg Track on Snowdon, another going into the Reptile House at London Zoo and we even got a mention by a well known DJ on Radio 1!
Our tail making ladies in Birmingham have kept pace, with every one of your tails having been lovingly made in their textile workshop. We already have some fantastic new tails in development for next year and we intend to keep our social enterprise busy.
Again thank you all so much for your support of Festival Tails; The flexible festival organisers who accommodated us at last minute, the DJs who played at our venues, the people who carried the ‘staff of tails’, ‘the tentists’ who gave us cover and shade, the ladies who made each individual tail and finally – all the people who swung their tails with pride!
We’ll keep you posted over the next few months as to our events for next year and our new 2011 range.
If you haven’t done so already, please support us by liking us on Facebook – it’s the easiest way for us to keep in touch with our growing global community of tail wearers!
Big tail love and hugs from, Mary x
Festival Tails will be winding up an fantastic festival season at Trystonbury, on 25th and 26th September.
Trystonbury is an intimate exclusive, compact festival for 300 people taking place in magical, ancient woodland in Windsor, Berkshire. The event is in its 6th year and 2010 is the first year that the event has been offered to a wider audience.
Trystonbury is a not-for-profit festival for people who work in the UK’s vibrant festival, music and creative industries. It’s designed to showcase performers in a magical setting, allow them to relax and enjoy themselves and promote their crafts to an up for it crowd. Festival tails are privileged to have been invited to take part!
Come and swing you tail with us under the 1000 year old trees! Trystonbury is an invite only event however we’ve struck a deal with the organisers to enable festival tail wearers to attend. Tickets £15 in advance – with the invite code ‘herne’. Make sure you wear your tail! http://www.trystonbury.com/tickets-2
It was Festival Tails first visit to Shambala and what a fantastic surprise. This ‘right sized’ and independent event certainly lived up to its reputation for being a warm, friendly, creative and family-friendly festival with a wild side.
We offer big congratulations to Shambala for its inclusive, participatory feel. Throughout the whole weekend we met colourful people wearing wonderful costumes with Saturday being the official fancy dress day building to a huge procession – many a tail was seen swinging in the biggest, liveliest most colourful carnival procession we saw during our 2010 festival tour. There must have been a least 3,000+ costume wearing festival goers in the procession which was a super spectacle of colour and noise.
Once again, thanks to the people who have created something special at Shambala and to all the hard working organisers and crew who delivered a great festival despite the bad weather leading up to the event. The mud dried up, the sun came out and the perfect weekend was had by all. We hope to see you all next year.
