Wickerman's Dance Tent curator Rich Dyer looks back over a decade of Wickerman

This year the much loved boutique Wickerman festival celebrates its tenth anniversary.

It's been a colourful decade for the festival, which has grown steadily in size and character over the past ten years while managing to retain its down to earth charm. 

A highlight of The Wickerman Festival is always the Bass Camp dance village, and with Riva Starr and X-Press2 headlining the Skiddle.com tent, this year will be no exception. 

We sat down for a chat with Skiddle.com director Rich Dyer who's responsible for the Skiddle.com tent, to look back over a decade of Wickerman memories and find out what's in store for this year's festival. 

How did you first become involved in The Wickerman Festival?

After visiting in 2003 we literally rang them up and asked if we could put on a dance tent the year after. I borrowed some money off my mum, bought an old party garden marquee off Ryan and hired a sound system off Juan. Called up some local DJs and managed to put it together. It was the worst weather I have ever experienced over any Wickerman weekend and the tent was only big enough to cover the sound system and DJ. The tent ended up blowing away, Ben slept for the entire weekend after accidentally buying some space cake when he was hungry, and the rest, they say, is history.

We took the following year off and then returned in 2006 with two bigger marquees - one which housed what is now the Skiddle tent, and the other was the original Solus tent. Yousef was our first major booking, and we've not looked back since. We still like to where possible involve the people that helped us from day one, for example I wouldn't consider running the tent without putting Ryan or Sonny (Wharton) on the line-up.

This is the festival’s tenth anniversary. You must have seen some changes in that time?

Yes. Lots. From changes to the management team (much needed, now perfected) to infrastructure, to our own ticketing system, I would like to think we have seen a lot - and possibly even influenced some of the changes. Once upon a time the main stage was made out larch trees! Like any event it has developed and matured, and it's been a pleasure to watch - almost like seeing a child turning into a man.

Watch a video tour of The Wickerman Festival below:

You’ve got a pretty impressive line-up in the Skiddle.com tent this year with X-Press 2 and Riva Starr. Is this your biggest line-up yet?

 It depends what you call big to be honest. One year we had Hot Chip on the Friday and Danny Rampling on the Saturday. Both nights were a lock out. I wasn't allowed into the tent it was that busy and well, it went off.

Riva Starr is an artist I've followed for a while and really wanted to include on our line-up, so when we got the opportunity this year it was a simple answer - yes! Xpress2 played for us back in 2008 and literally owned the festival. We'd had a pretty crappy Friday night fraught with problems, stayed up most of the night trying to resolve them, then the whole festival covered over in this eerie fog reducing visibility to about a metre. A lot of us were very tired and very grumpy for the burning of the Wickerman, and then out of nowhere Xpress2 happened. The tent was unbelievably busy, everyone smiling and lots of hands in the air with everyone singing along to 'Lazy'. Pure festival gold.

Now I'm not saying we're going to recreate that this year, but as part of the tenth anniversary I wanted to bring back one of our favourites, and that still makes me smile thinking about it.

What do you look for in acts when booking them for the Skiddle.com tent?

Party. Availability. Price. We don't have a big budget by any means, and I know loads of festivals have much bigger line-ups, in tents with logos all over them, overpriced beers and the rest. Wickerman has never been about that, which in itself creates limitations to booking artists, especially when other festivals are offering ridiculous fees to get exclusive sets and essentially putting us out of the loop. Artists aren't making money from music anymore, so in turn agents and management need to get what they can from events. Some are nicely picky and do what's best for the artist, others go for the biggest fee.

Last year the Bass Camp moved to a new area within the festival site – will it be in the same place this year?

As far as I know, yes. We run 'til 5am and it's about the only place we can be without disturbing the family campsite or the local village. We've improved the Funkademia outdoor stage this year and will have a bar open all day as well.

Which act in the Skiddle.com tent are you most looking forward to seeing this year?

I'm looking forward too all of it, I wouldn't have booked them if i didn't.

What’s in your festival survival kit?

My wife... Energy drinks. Berocca. Stoats porridge. Wet wipes. Earplugs. Layers.  Double decker bus.

What’s your favourite Wickerman memory of the past ten years?

In around 1996 I met a girl called Emma Townley at Carr Hill High school in Kirkham. In 2006 she joined us at The Wickerman and we both finally confessed our feelings for each other. In July 2007 I proposed to Emma in the Skiddle tent, using a video I had made on the projection screens and a tonne of confetti. Sonny Wharton was on the decks. Emma said yes, the confetti turned out to be none bio degradable and I spent the next two days trying to pick it up with a big smile on my face. We got married in April 2009 (all the Wickerman crew came) and Emma will be joining us at this year's event, although taking it extremely easy as we are expecting our first baby this year. I don't think there could ever be a better memory than that.

And there must have been the odd nightmare over the years... any stories you’d care to share?

Never a nightmare, always a challenge.

What are you most looking forward to about the wider festival outside the Bass Camp?

We don't get to see loads of it but when we do it's always the people that make it what it is. I always try and stick my head in the Solus tent to see what to watch out for in the future, and hunt down Jamie and Patsy who essentially own the festival for a drink and a catch-up.

One of my favourite bits is the festival build itself; the whole team is really lovely and there's some good craic to be had. We're always well looked after and Jamie makes a mean Martini!

What is it about Wickerman that keeps people returning year on year?

You will have to ask them that, I am merely a servant to their enjoyment. I love the site, the atmosphere and the burning of a 35ft wicker man. There's never any trouble, and the place and the toilets are spotless!

Anything else you’d like to add?

If you ever see me or Ben at the event I might look like I'm busy and my head might explode, but I've always got time for some banter. A massive thank you to everyone who's involved, I/WE couldn't do it without you whether it be painting stages, driving across Scotland, managing artists or playing records it all counts and we are truly grateful. To the Wickerman for having us and to Conor at designbyhouse.com for this year's wicked artwork and video that's currently circulating. See you on the dance floor!

Find out all about Wickerman 2011, including the full line-up, in our Festivals Guide. 

Tickets for Wickerman 2011 are available below. 

Tickets are no longer available for this event