There’s a new one day festival landing in Leicester this May, as Creepy Crawlers Fest comes to The Big Difference on 31 May.
The all day event will celebrate the very best in national upcoming alternative talent, whilst also supporting local artists across the line-up.
The brainchild of local music promoter/manager, Jace, we caught up with her to find out more about the event.
Tell us about Creepy Crawlers Festival and how the idea came about?
I have managed Leicester grunge/alt band Dreamcage for a few years now, after helping put on their show at the Leicester O2 Academy back when I worked there in 2022. It’s been amazing to see them grow and develop, but local festival opportunities are so few and far between for the alternative genres. We decided we wanted to give the Leicester scene a chance to see some amazing new touring bands, as well as some local favourites. We felt Leicester can often get missed out on the touring circuit, as it’s so close to other major cities that take priority, so it was only right we treat the music fans to a great all-dayer!
Who will be performing on the day?
We are stoked to have a lineup of bands from all over the UK. Here is a brief summary of each…
SNAKE EYES – Fresh off tour with You Me At Six & Dune Rats, our headliner Snake Eyes pack gritty and grungey anthems with a true wall of sound feel, despite only being a two piece.
YOU OVER ME – All-female London pop punk & alternative bangers, they are getting known for the consistent sonic superiority in their mixes, and energetic live shows! 100% future Kerrang! cover band, so you definitely wanna catch them now.
DREAMCAGE – Helping to curate this festival lineup with their great taste, they will also be taking to the stage. Their ear worm new single ‘Gone & Stay’ is paving the way for an exciting new EP, with ‘grungey riffs and a sound reminiscent of the Pixies’ – BBC Introducing.
INDIGO – Tearing out of Bristol and to the Midlands for one day only, they are rising stars on the grunge scene in the South West, with extensive radio play and success on their run of singles catching the attention of the alternative scene throughout the UK.
WITCH HOOK – 2/2 of our Bristol acts for the day Witch Hook are currently preparing to play shows supporting BEX and Knives. They will bring their gut wrenching goth-grunge songwriting style to the stage.
SAINT CLAIR – Leeds quarter with a fiercely emotional understanding of what makes great songs, great guitar tones, and great listening. They are stirring up a buzz in cities all over the UK now, and we are so happy they will be joining us.
ANT HILL – Ant Hill are also local, and their debut single ‘Comedown (Another Name)’ blew my mind when I first heard it, and I had to ask them to join the lineup. They have a raw and honest sound, with songwriting abilities way beyond their years.
DUM LANGUAGE – Local legends and That Creep Recorrds returning champs, we are thrilled to welcome Dum Language back to the stage with their alt singalongs and huge choruses.
NEVERUNDER – Camden Grunge Scene connoisseurs, I managed to catch their sold out O2 Academy Islington show last week and was blown away with the energy- we can’t wait to welcome them to the midlands.
DUSKER – Hailing from Leicester, but currently playing nation-wide and winning fans in all corners of the country, Dusker’s brand new debut album ‘Limb Rung Ladder’ is as strange as it is sensational. Live music fans across Leicestershire know that they’re not to be missed.
MIREPOIX – Pronounced ‘meer-phaw’! A fantastic Brighton based band fronted by Angel Harrington, they have an exciting mix of influences in their sound, and their Youtube video ‘Live From Saint Martins’ set is one of my most played!
Who is the festival aimed at?
Live music lovers in Leicester! We are committed to accessibility and want the day to be as inclusive as possible. There will be seating available if needed, carer companion tickets for those who need, and a break at 6pm so everyone can get refreshed ready for more performances. Live music fans are the lifeblood of the grassroots scene, and without everyone getting involved, there are no gigs! If we are committed to stopping the giant soul suckers like LiveNation taking over every gig, venue, and arts space, we need to make sure we are feeding into our local scenes, local venues, local promoters and local bands!
What’s your favourite thing about being involved in the festival?
Knowing we are doing something unique in a great venue. Everyone involved in the management and booking is between 20 and 27- so all under 30! Our lineup is amazingly diverse, and I cannot wait to hear everyone tear up the stage.
What’s your favourite thing about Leicester’s music scene?
The great grassroots music venues you still have! Places like The Big Diff, Firebug, Duffys, The Soundhouse, The International, The Loaded Dog etc. There are a tonne of fantastic venues to put gigs on in, and no shortage of music lovers either. It’s always friendly faces, it would be fantastic to see some new faces at gigs too.
Tell us about That Creep Records and what other projects you work on?
It’s my girlboss dream business, it’s very pink, it’s very punk rock!
I promote nationally (mainly Bristol/ Leicester/ Nottingham) and manage bands I love. I try to keep my work as sustainable as possible, and am really interested in the future of touring and ‘green-touring’! We recently got backed by the Early Career Promoter Fund from PRS Foundation who made this event possible. I was thrilled to be invited to the International Live Music Conference with PRS Foundation earlier this month, and will be speaking on a panel at Bristol Beacon about promoting and finding your feet in the industry as a woman on April 3rd, which is very exciting!
If you are in a band, love to put on shows, or just fancy a chat you can find me on instagram @j_a_c_e_j_a_c_e or @thatcreeprecordsuk. I’ve helped a few other young women in the area get into putting on shows, and am always happy to lend a hand to anyone that wants to get involved in the industry. It is a lot of work, but a lot of fun too, and I’d recommend it to anyone who has the passion.
How can people buy tickets to the event?
I’m thrilled to say we are sold out of early bird tickets, and I don’t think the rest will be far behind! You can buy a full day ticket for £17.50 on The Big Difference website. This money goes to paying the bands, the venue staff, promotional content, crew, rider and all the silly little costs that go along with running great events! Buying an advanced ticket is the best possible way you can support local music and musicians. Thanks, and we hope to see you there and all kick back on a Saturday and enjoy some music!
Find out more about That Creep Records and keep up to date with everything happening with Creepy Crawlers Fest on Instagram @creepycrawlersfest.
Creepy Crawlers Fest takes places at The Big Difference on Saturday 31 May 2025.
Cool As Leicester Weekly Music News is sponsored by PPL PRS.
