Month: July 2015

Wu Tang Clan cancel this weekend’s Nozstock appearance, De La Soul added to the linup

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It is with great sadness and shock to Nozstock The Hidden Valley that Wu-Tang Clan have cancelled their forthcoming UK shows this weekend without any explanation as to why.

The organisers have been working around the clock since yesterday to find a suitable replacement, and are now very proud to announce that De La Soul will be joining the party this weekend for the 17th Nozstock in beautiful Bromyard.

For over 20 years they have rocked the world with their De La songs full of inscrutable samplings, whimsically irreverent lyrics, social commentary, light rhythm and laid back rhymes. They have gained huge respect within and outside the hip-hop community with their contributions to rap, as well as jazz, funk, soul and alternative genres. Not only are their musical innovations acclaimed and respected worldwide, but they paved a path for many alternative rap groups to come after them. Classic tracks include The Magic Number, Me, Myself and I and Saturdays. Their debut, the ground-breaking 3 Feet High And Rising, remains a peerless album of immense repute.

Ella Nosworthy, one of Nozstock’s founders, says: “It is with massive regret that we have to announce the cancellation of our Saturday night headliner, Wu-Tang Clan. For many of us it was going to be the highlight of our weekend and we are crestfallen that Wu-Tang Clan are going to be missing out on one of the best audiences they could ever wish for –  you guys! We have received no specific reason for the cancellation and are without control to enforce their attendance at Nozstock, we are told we will receive an official cancellation announcement by the end of this week, which we will share with everyone. In the same breath, we have to say a massive thank you to De La Soul for agreeing to headline the Orchard Stage in their place. We’re really excited to have them here and to have them step up at such very short notice, and we know they are going to put on a brilliant show for everyone. The festival itself is looking ready – the site looks incredible and we can’t wait for it all to start!”

De La Soul join an already amazing lineup which includes Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, Fuse ODG, Neville Staple Band, Beardyman, Hollie Cook, Molotov Jukebox, Will and The People, By The Rivers, The Mouse Outfit ft. Dr Syntax & Sparkz, The Computers, Electric Swing Circus, Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, Beans on Toast and many more.

Beat Herder Festival 2015 – Review

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The Beat Herder prides itself on being a festival like no other and has firmly established itself as one of the best festivals of the summer, constantly evolving and improving. 17 lovingly crafted stages set across the Ribble Valley site in Lancashire catered for all types of music taste.  Each year there’s the promise of new arena to wet your appetite. This year that was Trash Manor, which got an upgrade from a red & yellow stripy tent to a stately manor complete with a roman style fountain and grinding robots.

What I love most about this festival is the attention to detail. It’s in abundance everywhere, from the flower boxes to site signage, to my favourite hangout – Quality Street (a street complete with a sweetshop, barbers, tattooist, garage, hotel and a parish church). The whole site is built from reclamation yards and the organisers positively encourage punters to explore the every nook and cranny, after all it’s not just about the music.

The DIY ethic is also noticeable in the refreshing absence of corporate sponsorship and that’s how fans want to keep it. This year however, heritage drinks brand Jägermeister unveiled their new festival experience ‘Unearthed’.  Jägerhaus comprised four separate spaces that offered festival-goers an immersive experience which differs between night and day to reveal secret rooms and passages. The two story wooden shack had a Germanic mountain lodge feel and complete with hexagonal pool table and funky stags heads. There were notable sets from Raff Daddy (2 bears) and Mike Skinner over the weekend, though the venue never quite set the festival alight in its promise. Is this a sign that Beat Herder losing their independent roots, I sincerely hope not….

Matt Whalley from Blackburn said “Beat Herder was amazing as per usual but no more expansions please. Stay true to your loyal fans and don’t go commercial.”

This years Beat Herder was a special one…. their tenth birthday and they invited some of original line up back to celebrate it with them. It’s hard to believe that only ten years ago that Beat Herder was a little known 1,200 capacity rave in the woods. Those numbers have swelled to 15,000, and it’s the wide range of music, and the lovely Lancashire charm that keeps people coming back year on year. Lifers even dedicate their love with a BH sheep logo tattoo. I was tempted myself…but maybe next year.

The main arena opened at 4pm on Friday, giving punters a chance to set up, acclimatise and get pretty drunk by the time the first acts came on. Over the weekend we saw a good caliber of acts from local bands to well-known international dance artists. Here are my highlights.

As Friday evening fell UK base artist Melé & frequent collaborator Slick Don played to young and hyped crowd in Pratty’s Ring. Belting out a host of heavyweight euphoric dance tunes Slick Don urged people to get on shoulders and rise above the crowds. Melé has been steadily rising in the ranks due to his quick mixing style and increasing radio play of his summery anthen Ambience, earning the support of Annie Mac, Mista Jam and Pete Tong.

Securing a huge electronic dance act such as the Basement Jaxx must have been no mean feat for the organisers and what better way to celebrate their 10th anniversary.  The Jaxx did not disappoint as they brought their carnival-esque and energetic show to close Friday’s proceedings on the main stage. They ran through their galaxy of hits from Where’s Your Head At, Good Luck, Red Alert, Do Your Thing, Raindrops, as well as showcasing material from their new album Junto Never Say Never. It seemed as if the whole of beat herder, young and old were bouncing in the air to the finale to Bingo Bango. A job well done.

If you’ve ever seen A. Skillz live you know the man is a wizard on the decks. On Saturday evening the DJ extraordinaire set The Fortress alight with a pounding wave of scratching, sampling and mixing, fusing together, hip-hop, dance, breaks, DnB, soul, funk and disco. We heard mash-ups of everything from Eurhythmics, Nirvana, Damien Marley, The Champs, Route 94, Brookes Brothers. Too many hands-in-the-air moments to mention, and with fire canons lighting up the crowd, this was ASkillz at his very best and it was ridiculously good.

I seem to follow the same pattern each year, and 2015 was no exception; swing dancing on Sunday morning followed by a jerk chicken in the sunshine, then over to the Toil Trees stalwart Mr Scruff’s for one of his legendary 5 hour sets. Accompanied by Mc Kwasi’s cheery infectious nature, his chilled out vibes make you want to smile & dance. He starts off with some more laid back grooves, that build to a more jungle funk to a trip-hop vibe. Towards the end of the set most people are waving their hands in the air and singing along to ‘Hot 8 Brass Band’s – Sexual Healing’. Like A.Skills there are no genres that he won’t touch jazz, motownesque horns, funk, hip hop, ska, reggae, disco and house are all up for his treatment. Sunday’s are made for this.

The sun shone gloriously in the afternoon Crazy P took to the main stage. Championing disco-house vibes lead singer Danielle’s big personality and on stage energy adds a huge amount to their live band performances. She high-kicks the crowd out of their final day sluggish state showcasing their latest offerings from the excellent ‘Walk Dance Talk Sing’ – ‘Cruel Mistress’, Scrap the book, Like a Fool, Hear my Song, The Come On; as well as throwing in some crowd pleasing older favourites ‘Love on the Line and ‘Eruption’.

Caroline Greener from Leeds said “Crying with laughter multiple times, warm crowds, dancing till my feet hurt, being with an amazing group of friends in a magical place where rainbows live and fireworks fill up your eyes. Thanks beatherder!”

This is my fourth year of herding beats in Sawley. I almost don’t want to publish this review for others to see. I want to keep this wonderful festival for the few thousand in the know. When something’s this good it would be rude to share, surely….

Latitude Festival 2015 Review

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Ten years ago, Latitude Festival was born to “rewrite the festival rulebook”; to combine music with culture, inviting guests to discover a curious wonderment of poetry, music, literature and comedy, escaping reality and exploring bewilderment. A decade on, and Latitude continues to master this art. Enticing over 20,000 families, energetic teenagers and middle-aged pear cider consumers alike, Latitude is certainly a festival that stands true to its ethos; to be a multi-arts boutique event set to challenge the festival status quo. And on its tenth birthday, Latitude certainly pulled out all the stops to make this celebration one to remember.

FRIDAY:

The festival kicked off in style on Friday, with a plethora of home-grown talent and hard-hitting headliners ready to entertain the crowds of thousands. As tents were barely even unzipped, funnyman Alan Davies took to the stage of the Comedy Arena for a 45 minute masterclass in worthy stand-up at its finest. The QI team captain created a sea of giggles throughout his set, albeit in a routine that seemed slightly reined in for the younger crowd gazing at him with wide-eyes and confused faces.

After playing a touch of table tennis at the ping-pong thunderdrome at Pandora’s Playground, we saw the incredible Santigold perform hits such as Disparate Youth and Big Mouth at the Obelisk Arena, bringing the enthusiastic crowd up on stage to dance alongside her. However, it was four-piece Kendal indie rock band Wild Beasts who were definitely ones to watch – now in their sixth year playing at Latitude, the band performed intensely and luminously, with tracks such as Wanderlust epitomizing why this band are brought back to the festival year after year.

Now, some of the lucky 1,000 Latitude goers were overwhelmingly excited to witness the secret set of Ed Sheeran in the enigmatic, cosy setting of the iArena stage at 11pm. The pin-up ginger apparently wowed fans with an array of acoustic covers; from Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine  to Blackstreet’s No Diggity – I say apparently, as I was one of the unlucky ditherers who missed it, instead smiling giddily at the prospect of just seeing the euphoric set that Alt-J had just performed.

Returning to Latitude for the third time, Alt-J are a band with that touch of originality that has mesmerised many. As the sun set on Henham park, the Leeds three-piece allowed their distinctive sound to drizzle onto the stage with a hauntingly charged performance of Hunger of the Pine, soon detonating the crowd into a frenzy with the epic classic Fitzpleasure. Sullen blue light and thick haze pervaded across the stage throughout the set, with classics such as Left Hand Free and Matilda allowing the mixed audience to transpire into a palpable live adventure fit for the masses. With whispers emerging that Ed Sheeran was in fact dwelling in the woods, the teenage heavy crowd tangibly began to disperse for the forests – but it didn’t take away the shine of Alt-J’s performance, and the rest of us gazed on to witness why this band were fully deserving of their headline spot.

SATURDAY:

We headed off to the comedy tent at the crack of dawn (11am) for a bit of light-hearted laughs to begin the day – in the form of Funz and Gamez, a show with an all singing host, an elf and a dog playing the piano. Sure, it has all the ingredients for a tacky kids act, but this was anything but – it was inappropriate, weird and absolutely hilarious. The songs were awful, the jokes were purely for adults and the kids had absolutely no idea – “Life lesson number six! Don’t get too close to your Grandma.” An unexpectedly hilarious show, an occurrence that happened repeatedly at Latitude.

The picturesque Waterfront Stage, set amidst the beautiful Latitude Lake – where revellers could in fact swim and enjoy a free gondola ride – played host to some fantastic acts over the weekend. Saturday bought Chilly Gonzales and the Kaiser Quartett, a classical music act who impressed the crowd so much they received a standing ovation – which, with a crowd of mainly over 65’s, should not be taken lightly. Sadler’s Wells presented an opulent display of dance acts on the stage; from Roja and Rodriguez’ Titanium to the BBC Young Dancer of the Year finalists, there was an eclectic blend of raw ballet, to hip-hop performances, through to contemporary dance. The routines were breath-taking, awe-inspiring and simply beautiful to watch – whether you understood the concept of dance or did not. It was astounding, and a true celebration of the wonderful cultural diversity that Latitude embraces.

Badly Drawn Boy’s performance at the Obelisk Arena was interesting, yet not memorable; but what we’ll all certainly remember was his sour, arrogant demeanour at his “5k” festival fee. “I’m one of the best artists of the last 20 years.” he told the bewildered crowd. “I deserve more.”

Both José González and Laura Marling charmed their audience with stunning performances at the Obelisk arena, while Manchester indie band The Charlatans brought their wistfully glorious Britpop sound to the BBC Radio 6 Stage. But what so many had been whispering their excitement for was James Blake. Injecting electronic beats with his melodic, soulful voice, he certainly pulled off an impressive and widely diverse set, gaining many a fan in the process.

The night, however, belonged to Portishead. As the majority of the younger audience shot off to see The Vaccines over at the BBC Radio 6 Stage, the rest of us were able to encounter the atmospheric and hypnotic sounds in peace, enhanced with the melancholy, haunting visuals of unnerving surroundings. The set was a cacophony of cinematic splendour, Beth Gibbon’s ghostly and poetic voice hauntingly travelling through songs such as Machine Gun and Glory Box to a crowd lost in a trance-like state. Noone really expected Beth to crowdsurf, but she hurtled into the crowd anyway. Noone really expected Radiohead’s Thom Yorke to join Portishead on stage for the encore, but he did it anyway. Noone really expected Portishead to be so euphoric, sensational and explosive, but they were. And damn it, they were by far the best act at the entire festival.

 

SUNDAY:

With revellers aiding their hangovers with a £8 breakfast roll, Sunday began with the absolutely hilarious Last Leg Live in the comedy tent. Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker brought the Channel 4 hit to the stage, and before long every crowd member was vibrating with laughter, even more so after racing both Alex and Adams’ prosthetic legs through the crowd.

Sir Bob Geldof and co caused a hurricane of festival-goers to race to the front of the main stage, as Irish punk act the Boomtown Rats performed hits such as Someones looking at You and I don’t like Monday’s to a crowd of thousands. It wasn’t a favourite for the children, as the majority seemed to be doing cartwheels and handstands. But the parents, lager in hand, seemed to be absolutely lapping up every second of it.  

The beauty of Latitude is the pure fortuitous run-ins with a diverse assortment of weird and wonderful happenings in each corner of the festival; from a live mime performance, to book signings, to a herd of pink sheep, to an early morning yoga session, there’s so much for you to witness and discover – at one point, we walked through the forest to see snow white in a coffin, who then stood up – fully naked – for us all to draw her. Only at Latitude.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds brought the festival to a blissful close on Sunday. With an impressive band behind him, Gallagher delivered crowd-pleasers and unknown songs alike, not least prompting mass sing-a-longs with Oasis classics like Don’t Look Back in Anger. And who can blame him? Although not one to live up to the phenomenal performance by Portishead last night, it was a well-received by the ‘crowd of Guardian readers’ he assumes goes to Latitude, and a perfect way to end the festival.

The past decade has proved Latitude as an unconventional, yet magical adventure for all those who attend. Though clearly designed as a family-friendly festival, its sublime diverse culture allows anyone – of any age – to experience something different, something new, and something that can spark inspiration. To read about it is one thing – to experience it is another. Latitude is one of the most magnificent festivals I have had the pleasure of attending, and one I will surely wish to return to in future.

 

ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015

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ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015

18TH SEPTEMBER 2015 – 20TH SEPTEMBER 2015
LINCOLNSHIRE LN4 4PD

ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015 is being held in the lush surroundings of a wildlife reserve in Lincolnshire.
It is a non-corporate, non-sponsored, and non-commercial event ,organised byapassionate group of people.
The festival is run on GREEN ETHICS, and they boast 1 out of 8 stages that is solar powered and also another which is pedal powered.

ALCHEMY FESTIVAL is held close to the AUTUMN EQUINOX this fitting in with the ethos of ALCHEMY.

ALCHEMY FESTIVAL has also be described as an OLD STYLE FESTIVAL.
It is a Family Friendly Weekend Festival offering a long weekend of FUN aand ENTERTAINMENT, from the Workshops for all ages, Circus Performers, Fire Shows, Walkabout Entertainers, Live Music, Stalls selling crafted wares and festival merchandise, and lots lots more some FREE and some at a small cost.
There are many different food stalls catering to all tastes, festival goers can bring theirown food and drink but they do ask that NO GLASS BOTTLES be taken onto the site.

The 8 stages hold host to over 100 bands, DJs and entertainers.
,RDF,AOS3, ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION, BACK TO THE PLANET, DUB THE EARTH, FIREPIT COLLECTIVE AND DEFEKTERS just to name a few.
A FULL LINE UP of bands can be seen on the ALCHEMY FESTIVAL WEBSITE at
www.alchemyfestival.co.uk.

ADULT WEEKEND TICKETS -£90
UNDER 5s – FREE
UNDER 16s MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult ticket holder, this proof will be given to you.
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED FROM THE ALCHEMY FESTIVAL WEBSITE at
www.alchemyfestival.co.uk/tickets.html
DOGS are allowed on site although a small fee is asked for and DOGS MUST BE KEPT ON LEADS AT ALL TIMES.
IF you havent been to this festival its one not to be missed!The hard work that has been put into making it the amazing event it is, creating an old style festival feel of fun friendliness and happiness reflects on the organisers who have put thier heart and SOULS into making this a FESTIVAL you wont forget.
And also their commitment to keeping it a GREEN event with SOLAR POWER, PEDAL POWER, RECYCLING AND UPCYCLING to be acknowledged.

For a Great weekend of OLD SCHOOL FESTIVAL FUN, IN A FRIENDLY AND HAPPY AND BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENT -HEAD TO ALCHEMY FESTIVAL!!!

FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ANS PURCHASING OF TICKETS PLEASE GO TO www.alchemyfestival.co.uk.

Bloodstock Open Air – Two weeks to go, final bands announced!

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It’s fever pitch over at BLOODSTOCK HQ with just over two weeks to go!  That doesn’t stop one last HUGE announcement of bands who’ll be joining the Catton Park bill!

Picking up the last Ronnie James Dio main stage slot on Saturday are Brit metal merauders, SAVAGE MESSIAH.  Get a taster of their sound with the video for ‘Hellblazer’, taken from current Earache Records album, ‘The Fateful Dark’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMLgbl7yU98.

 

A wealth of successful ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ winners also line up for the New Blood stage.  On Friday, you can bang your head to the Bristol final winners, MORTISHEAD (www.facebook.com/mortishead), Nottingham’s winners, FORGOTTEN REMAINS (www.facebook.com/forgottenremainsband) and KRYOCELL (www.facebook.com/kryocell). On Saturday, we have the victors from the Manchester, Wales, Burnley and Corby finals; AMETHYST (www.facebook.com/aovuk), CHAOS TRIGGER (www.facebook.com/chaostrigger), BLOODYARD (www.facebook.com/bloodyard666) and FROM EDEN TO EXILE (www.facebook.com/fromedenttoexile).  Sunday’s bill swells with the inclusion of Oxford’s winners, HELLS GAZELLES (www.facebook.com/hellsgazelles), Birmingham’s victors, BURDEN OF THE NOOSE (www.facebook.com/burdenofthenoose666), plus Nottingham’s SPIRYTUS and the Black Country’s LEFT FOR RED (www.facebook.com/leftforreduk).

 

Joining the Jagermeister stage bill on Friday are Leicester death metallers, FOUL BODY AUTOPSY , Brum heavy metal beasts THE MIGHTY WRAITH and Notts stoner grunge squad, WITCHTRIPPER.  Saturday sees the addition of Kettering’s symphonic metal outfit, DIVINE SOLACE and Blackpool death metal machine, CIRCLE SPECTRE HAUNTING.  Also added on Sunday are Bristol prog metallers ENDEAVOUR, Norwich thrashers KILLER HURTS and Wigan hard rockers, BIG FOOT.

 

BLOODSTOCK is also pleased to announce its partnership with TEENAGE CANCER TRUST for the fifth year in a row.  Since kicking off a relationship in 2011, over £21,000 has been raised for the charity, with the money going to help the UK’s teenagers & young adults with cancer.  To celebrate hitting the £20k mark and this special anniversary, this year we’ve set a fundraising target of £12,500 so we need your help to shatter that!  Once again the charity will have a stall in the market area, where you can purchase Teenage Cancer Trust merchandise and join in the popular ‘T-Shirt Amnesty’ (clear some drawer space and bring your unwanted band t-shirts to donate or swap).  There are also three very special raffle prizes up for grabs.  On Friday, you could meet headliners TRIVIUM and watch their first three songs side of stage, while on Saturday, WITHIN TEMPTATION offer the same prize. On Sunday, one lucky winner could be taking home a black gloss BC Rich Warlock Edge guitar, signed by 2014 BLOODSTOCK headliners, DOWN. To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is purchase a raffle ticket for £1 at the charity stand, so stop by, pick up a ticket and be in with a chance of winning.

NASS Festival 2015 – Our Festival Round Up

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With this years NASS festival now being over a week ago, for many people the infamous ‘festival depression’ is slowly starting to sink in with many already looking forward to the next dose of the drum and bass festival next year.  We here at Summer Festival Guide had the chance to attend the festival for the second year running, documenting the event through images and words. Attempting to compare the two trips to the festival is almost indescribable, with team NASS stepping up their game so much this year there NASS 2015 will definitely be one of the main highlights of our festival season.

 

 

Opening the weekend up on the Friday’s main stage, We Are The Ocean (3.5) started of on a mellow tone trying their best to get the drum and bass lovers to swap their addictions for beats and drops for guitar and drum solos. Managing to draw a few in for the crowd favourite ‘Young Heart’ the band performed a strong set to a very inactive crowd. Moving forward, Modestep (5) got the crowd going from the first tones presented to them. With ‘Sunlight’ and ‘Freedom’ sending the participants into a frenzie, the NASS three day party was well and truly underway. Being one of the controversial headliners, Enter Shikari (4) drew in a medium sizes crowd for their set, however this didn’t stop the band giving it their all to win over the few still sitting at the back of the field. Clearly catering their setlist towards the festivals drum and bass roots, the band moved away from their rock genes with focusing on the more electronic tracks in the bands backlog with ‘Anaesthetist’ generating the most crowd participation.

With ‘The Slammer’ possibly being considered as the outcast stage from the others with the acts originating in the rock genre, many of the bands received a less than deserved minimal crowd. Saturday’s line up including Shvpes, Heck and The One Hundred with each of them putting on a strong set despite the almost empty tent. Many of the bands involved on the stage except the headline act for each day experienced the lacking crowd, and with that we sympathise as had it been any other festival each of them would have had a good sized crowd which the more than deserve with their individual talents.

The Summer Festival Guide favourite Wilkinson (5) returned to NASS Festival for yet another performance at the festival. Playing the crowd favourites ‘Too Close’ and ‘Dirty Love’ to close the set, the crowd reaction alone can easily prove why the festival promoters keep bringing back Wilkinson, with the guaranteed party that he puts on the table for all festival goers. Heading over to Lower Than Atlantis (3.5), the comparison between the two is non existent. Despite having a good sized crowd gathering for their set, the band played a setlist which was far too short for a headlining set, containing only seven songs the band performed an average set which could easily be improved if the sound quality within was controlled. Rebel Sound (4.5) being the side project of Chase and Status left many wondering what the hour would hold with this being their first festival headlining performance. Producing their own remixes on the crowd favourite ‘Stay With Me’ by Sam Smith and a lighting show brighter than any other, Rebel Sound will never be forgotten in the history of NASS.

With the closing day of NASS almost being a complete wash out, many of the festival goes seeked refuge within the covered Southbank and The Slammer stages. Giving everyone a dose of much needed pop punk, ROAM (3.5) brought their usual high energy to the stage hoping to lift everyone's spirits, earning a lot of bobbing heads and even their mini mosh pits. Hactivist (4) also managed to almost fill the tent with their rock infused version of the ever so popular Jay-Z track ‘Paris’. Closing the weekend, the chilled out Public Enemy (3.5) managed to secure a crowd despite many waiting for the highly anticipated set from popular DJ Hannah Wants. With a stage show based performance, the act was one that many would agree should not have closed the festival main stage with the major comparison to the popular Rebel Sound and the crowd pleasing performance that they delivered.

 

Agreeing that this is the best line up NASS have produced, with a few lineup changes in terms of the closing set at this years event, the festival would be one that more than many would not forget, however ending the festival on a mellow note on the main stage could have improved the overall weekend. Bring on NASS Festival 2016!   

Lovebox 2015 Saturday at Victoria Park

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Described as urban-based-yet-rural-feeling, multi-dimensional festival, Lovebox’s original dance roots have expanded across a wide variety of musical genres. The festival, which originated as a club night founded by Groove Armada back in 2002, has transformed into the 40 acre two day Victoria Park event it is today.

There was almost too much to see, do, eat and drink. 13 stages supplying a huge selection of music throughout the two days, Mountain Dew’s Live & Loud skateboarding competition, roller disco, a full range of parlours providing clothing and accessories to the festival goers as well as a large array of food and drink stalls which cater for every mouth – more than enough to keep the 50,000 strong crowd busy.

On a sold out Saturday the stages were graced by acts such as Hot Chip, Annie Mac, Jessie Ware, Little Dragon, Danny Brown, Flume, with the veteran rapper Snoop Dogg himself headlining the final evening slot on the main stage.

A special mention must go to Mountain Dew's Live & Loud skateboarding competition. The half pipe treated crowds to stunning highflying performances from skaters around the world leading to an impressive final competition at 7pm.

Snoop Dogg played a shorter set than anticipated but hit an all star set spanning an almost 25-year-old career, performing hits from The Next Episode through to Sweat. He also treated his audiences to covers from B.I.G with a closing show performance of Bob Marley’s Jammin’.

Highlights throughout the day included a chirpy up beat set from Hot Chip on the main stage, which mixed hits new and old with fan favourites Ready For the Floor and Over And Over being highpoints. Jessie Ware who hit all the right notes with the sun blissed crowd, with her 2014 album Tough Love and Annie Mac who picked the crowd up and got them bouncing on the sandy fields of East London.

 

 

Truck Festival 2015 Review

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Festivals are big business, and the last few years have seen many boom with the increasing commercialisation of the smaller festivals and the increase in artist attention through social media. Truck, by contrast, has been going for 18 years, maintaining both its small capacity and indie ethos, providing a platform for local and underground artists to showcase their talents alongside big, well-known artists such as Clean Bandit, The Charlatans, and Basement Jaxx. Truck’s local connections run deeper than just the line-up however, with the local Rotary Club handling the majority of the catering, and one of the most popular stages sat in a concrete barn that held the lingering smell of the cattle that usually reside there. 

With an increased crowd capacity of 6,000, this festival was shockingly a sell out once again! The highlights of the two-day event, which came to a head in the early hours of Sunday morning, came in the form of the headliners – indie-rock band The Charlatans, dance act Basement Jaxx and the more mainstream, Clean Bandit – as well as the smaller and lesser known artists – Essex group Rat Boy (who caused rather a stir with security with an audience stage invasion at the end of the set), Joy Division star Peter Hook, and Bedfordshire’s Don Broco. 

The low-key nature had its upsides and downsides: lip smacking food and great local acts where balanced by the fact that, with the exception of the main Truck stage, and to some extent the Market stage, the stages were almost all set up inside small tents and buildings such as the Barn, which couldn't hold the capacity of people wanting to watch the amazing bands on offer. For acts such as The Wytches and Slaves, there were queues surrounding the entire field for over half hour before the band were even ready to start, just to try and get into the barn, which was already full to the brim. The capacity of the Barn compared to the popularity of the bands playing was a shame because it hosted so many of my personal festival highlights, as it did for many others. 

The weekend vibe was completely laid back and inclusive, once again. It was in no way about wearing the right clothes or being seen, but rather about kicking back and enjoying the unique atmosphere while soaking up the festival sun. There was no fancy VIP area like you'll find at other big festivals; backstage was purely functional. Instead, everyone mingles in the main arena – the artists roam the site, picking up beers at the bar just like everyone else. Truck is clearly about the music and people enjoying themselves, something that feels lacking at the bigger festivals which seem to be just money-spinning corporate beasts.

With every act, bar the headliner’s of each stage, allotted a half-hour performance slot, it’s nothing if not fair. You can power through bands and stick with sets you might otherwise leave, meaning you get a great idea of each carefully edited set list designed by each band to show themselves at their best. 

While small, sweet, and harmonious, the weekend did not go without its troubles. On Friday, people arrived at the Market stage to catch the first band of the weekend only to find out that the security fence had not yet been erected, causing the stage to open over an hour late! With similar issues over at the Barn Stage, the first acts at each stage found their sets being cut by 5-10 minutes through no fault of their own, often meaning the crowd missed out on some of their favourite songs. And it wasn’t just the organisation causing problems.

During the set of the popular two piece punk band from Tunbridge Wells, Slaves, two bright red flares went up in the middle of the crowd. As security got hold of the flare and made it back out through the crowd, you could feel the heat of the flame. And just as you thought it was in hand, up went another one from the same troublemaker. Slaves, however, were not phased, even calling for another flare when the song finished and the lights went dim!

With the fabulous line-up, a new site layout and even a new bridge across the stream, alongside the perfect festival weather, this was the festival you’ll be gutted to have missed.

 

 

One Love Festival complete 2015 lineup

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One Love Festival are proud to announce their 8th Annual festival with a great line up for 2015 set in a new location at Popham Airport in Coxford Down Winchester Hampshire. The lush green fields provide more space for UK's only Dub and Reggae Music camping festival over the weekend of Friday 4th to Sunday 6th September and brings together culture and roots music.

UK’s love for reggae is growing stronger so the organizers have found it necessary to expand to a larger location in Winchester Hampshire which includes more space for this ever growing audience. With a loyal and dedicated fan base, Early Bird Sale tickets are selling out fast.

The One Love Festival encourages peace, love and unity that was championed by the great Bob Marley. With these messages in mind, they aim to surpass our European Reggae counterparts and hold the largest Reggae festival right here in the UK!

One Love Festival 2015 line up:

THIRD WORLD* MYKAL ROSE* TWINKLE BROTHERS* ETANA* THE MAYTONES* STONE LOVE MEETS SAXON *DAWN PENN *EARL 16* DENNIS BOVELL & DUB NATTY SESSIONS *ECHO MINOTT* MACKA B* TRISTAN PALMER* LITTLE ROY* MAD PROFESSOR* DUBBLESTANDART* IQULAH* VIVIAN JONES* DON CAMPBELL* NUCLEUS ROOTS* EARL GATESHEAD* FRANK AIRD* EDGE MICHAEL* MARLA BROWN* ATOMIC SPLIFF* DUBMATIX* JAH TUBBYS *DON LETTS* JAH FREE* JAH WARRIORS* TEDDY DAN* DIRECT IMPACT* HORSEMAN & THE UPPER CUT BAND* NORRIS MAN *DONETTE FORTE’S URBAN LIONS* SMITH & MIGHTY* RANDY VALENTINE* SUBAJAH *MIXMASTER MORRIS AMBIENT DUB SESSIONS *TWILIGHT  CIRCUS *NICK MANASSEH *DUBVERZION SOUND* ERIN BARDWELL COLLECTIVE* KING TUTS REVENGE* HERITAGE SURVIVAL* REGGAE ICONS *BOBO EL NUMERO UNO *RAMON JUDAH AND DIVERSE COLLECTIVE *THE DEFEKTERS *INSTRUMENT OF JAH *TRINITY LO FI*TROY ELLIS *ARUBA RED *ELISHA HOWE* ROOTS QUEEN* SAXON SOUND MARQUEE * JAH LION SOUND MOVEMENT* SPARKY RIOT *DOJO *ARKHAM KARVERS* BEAM UP *FORLEIGH* TALAWA ROOTS *THE OBJECTORS *STICKY RHYTHMS BAND *THE OHMZ *ELEKTRIC *DASHA FYAH* INDICA DUBS  feat. Shelly Ravid  *REALITY SOULJAHS* SVAHA SOUNDS* UNITARY AND DACKINC *NATTYLYN JEFFERS* REAL ROOTS* KING OF EYE *STEREOCHEMIST *ROOTS SENSATION *JUNGALICE* MISS MITTEN* LIONESS IZASHA* THE DUBLINGS *ZURI AURA *AFRESH *AVALON  ROOTS *MAYA DUB FLUTE *KALYAN*PRINCESS AYOLAH *2 KINGS FT HENRY & LOUIS FEAT PETER CULTURE* FRESHLY  BAKED *HOOTCHIE ROOTS *JIM SYTE* TITAN SOUNDS* EASY DREAD *KING SOLOMOn BAND *I JAY & THE REGGAE REVIVAL* PANGANI* DISORDA *BAMALAM *SISTAH SARAH* BLISS ZION *DINAH SAW *LADY FYAH* SOPHIA VIBING KING* ALEIGHCIA SCOTT* MADDY CARTY *LADY LIVE WIRE *ZEENA BANKS *FREDERICKA TIBBS* BIANKA JAGWAR* CELIA* DIALECT & KOSINE *ROOF TOP SOUNDS *DJ AS-IF *RUMBLE *UNITY HI FI* 3 LIONS SOUND FT  DIGITAL DIGSY *MISFIT* VOYTEK *ARCANE *KEEZEE *X NATION* DARREN HOY *BEN HARPER DUB DRIFTERS* HIROSHI TAMAMURA

Make Noise stage comes to OnBlackheath

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A whole host of artists and DJs have been added to the bill for OnBlackheath 2015, in partnership with John Lewis, which will take place in South East London on Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 September. European Recycling Platform will be bringing the first ever stage for Make Noise (the UK's only electronic recycling club night) to the festival across the weekend with a special DJ set from Erol Alkan and Tom Findlay (Groove Armada). OnBlackheath are also very excited to announce the launch of the Meantime Sessions Stage which will feature the likes of Chris Holland All Stars ft. Roland Gift, The Rude Vandals plus PlayOnBlackheath 2014 competition winner Rhys Lewis.

South East London 9-piece band Chainska Brassika have also been announced to open the Main Stage on the Sunday of the festival with Tropical Dope DJ-ing in-between each artist on the day. Tickets on sale NOW and available from www.onblackheath.com.

Make Noise, the UK's only electronic recycling club night, are proud to announce their first ever-festival stage at this year’s OnBlackheath. The stage will feature their biggest ever line up with Tom Findlay(Groove Armada), Greg Wilson and Moxie who will be performing on the Saturday with Erol Alkan, Justin Robertson, Hannah Holland and DJ AntZ on the Sunday, with more acts still to be announced soon.

On Saturday, The Meantime Sessions will also feature artists including Summer Camp, RIVRS, CROWS, MOTH TRAP, The Pearl Hearts, Bad For Lazarus and DJ Boris McNab. Alongside Chris Holland All Stars ft. Roland Gift, The Rude Vandals, Hollie Cook, Brassroots and Rhys Lewis the Sunday will also feature The Mighty Cosmics, Bruise plus DJs Diaz Brothers.

These artists join already announced headliners Elbow (Saturday) and Madness (Sunday) plus Manic Street Preachers, Kelis, Laura Mvula, Anna Calvi, Jack Savoretti and the cast from ‘Sunny Afternoon: The Kinks Musical’. Heavenly & Friends Stage will feature Temples, 808 State and Stealing Sheep. The Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Stage will have the likes of Clap! Clap!, Seun Kuti, Eska and many more on the Sunday.