Anna Hyams

Anna has been a festival fanatic since her first ever outing to Download Festival back in 2001, she's got eclectic tastes and covers everything from metal to EDM and loves a chance to try out new festivals. Anna has covered a few European festivals like Snowbombing and Wacken Open Air, but mainly hits up her UK faves; Download, Bestival and Bloodstock!

Download Festival 2013 – Friday Review

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Avid weather watching and ultimate festival preparation was indeed necessary for this year’s Download Festival at the legendary Donington Racetrack, as the masses were simultaneously sunburnt and soaked, we thank the grand old British climate for a mostly acceptable atmosphere in which to rock. In it’s eleventh year, Download Festival draws in the metal hordes, clad in anything black, denim, ripped and studded, for a weekend of extraordinary music and warm beer.

Heading into the arena on Friday, the familiar sights and smells wash over us (portaloos, expensive burgers, eau de camping) with one particular very obvious addition – the zipline. Even at this time people are queuing up to spend fifteen smackers for thirty seconds of extreme wedgie, it’s baffling. I suppose the view is good from up there though. At the Zippo Encore Stage nearest the arena entrance, legendary hard-rocker heroes Uriah Heep draw an absolutely massive crowd and play a storming set that would have you think you’re at the ’82 heyday Monsters of Rock, not 2013 Download. Screaming “Where were you back in nineteen seventy seven?” frontman Mick Box smiles at the blank stares of all those who weren’t born yet, and pushes on with ‘Gypsy’ and some serious shredding. Despite the very recent and death of bassist Trevor Bolder, the band put on a great show and leave the stage with an outtro of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ just to cement their homegrown status.

Over on the main stage, Yorkshire metalcore kids Asking Alexandria spin damp fans in the rain into a frenzy, whilst London based power metal heavyweights Dragonforce are beset with shoddy sound for the first few songs. Despite this they ride rambunctiously through ‘Through the Fire and Flames’ and new track ‘Cry Thunder’ is punchy enough (and almost ironic enough, in the current conditions) to gain instant earworm status. Herman Li’s frankly beautiful hair blows in the wind as he and Sam Totman shred harmoniously in their distinctive style and the crowd joins in for the chorus. Main stage emotions are running high as Papa Roach create circle-pits and drive the hits ‘… To Be Loved’ and ‘Last Resort’, and the second stage area is awash with Swedish flags for Stockholm rockers Europe. After a hugely entertaining and musically engaging set, the inevitable party-piece ‘The Final Countdown’ is final-ly rolled out, to which the crowd goes wild. It’s more comedy than it is song now, but boy do we Brits love a good cheesy anthem.

Korn, though intensely self-aware and at times quite comical, are actually rather good and manage to draw the largest crowd of the daytime. Head honcho Jonathan Davis’ looks like he’s having a fit whilst dancing/headbanging through ‘Blind’ and ‘Falling Away From Me’, but it’s ‘Coming Undone’ that really gets the audience thrashing. An unnecessary ten minute bagpipe interval (of which Davis really only plays a few notes, it’s like… if Deep Purple went highlander…) leaves a lot of confused faces, and more than a few people groan when the dubstep part hits, however, fan favourite ‘Freak On A Leash’ brings them back.

3 Doors Down do a sterling job making the afternoon light with their particular brand of American Rock, with a fun cover of Megadeth’s ‘Symphony of Destruction’ and Gypsy Punk crazies Gogol Bordello have everyone up and skanking to their weird and wonderful accordion packed sound, also rainbow stripes don’t really make a balaclava any less menacing, but we appreciate the oddity of it.

Second stage headliners Black Stone Cherry, here on merit of a forum-wide plea from fans, play an absolutely stunning set with favourites from the first three albums, and a first ever sneak peek at brand spanking new material from their studio work (see headline review for full details). Main stage masked-bandit headliners Slipknot have ditched the red boiler suits for white (much to the dismay of die hard fans who’ve spend the whole day perfecting their costumes) but other than that, not much is different from their 2009 Download appearance, except that this year they play without late bassist Paul Grey and play ‘Duality’ in tribute to him (the 2009 Download Festival show was his last appearance). Fans are fans though, and twice during the wild night, Corey Taylor called to stop the performance due to crowd surges, yelling “No-one is getting hurt on my watch, I'm not going to let that happen to my family”. Over the two hour set, hits ‘Wait and Bleed’ and ‘Psychosocial’ make for rowdy moshpits and after an extra long pause before the encore, ‘People = Shit’ and ‘Surfacing’ complete the show.

Photo courtesy of Download Festival

Download Festival 2013 Review – Sunday – Rammstein

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With a stage-wide curtain keeping the set secret, and Sunday’s sunshine dwindling into the night, the excitement in the air is almost palpable for final headliner Rammstein. The Berlin industrial metal heavyweights have been long awaited by Download-goers and tonight the arena is Ramm-packed with eager fans.

The screens turn to black, the curtain drops and Rammstein explode onto the stage, with frontman Till Lindemann being ceremoniously lowered on a firework wreathed platform from the ceiling. Whilst Lindemann’s menacing grin is enough to spark fear in the hearts of many, his pink fluffy jacket (which sort of looks like a bloody Wampa skin…) is just giggle-worthy, but the massive cobweb-like stage set and enormous drum-lights behind make for an impressive backdrop.

Without further ado the band get right down to business, ‘Keine Lust’ and ‘Sehnsucht’ get the crowd warmed up, with the enigmatic frontman maniacally wielding flaming poi, but it’s ‘Feuer Frei!’ that pushes the circle-pits into overdrive with raw firepower, quite literally as the stage lights up with fire cannons. Keyboard-jockey Christian "Flake" Lorenz, in a bejewelled suit, marches along on a rotating treadmill as he plays – which whilst mildly entertaining just doesn’t cut the mustard when you’ve seen *that* OKGO video, but the night is young…

Drawn from real-life events ‘Mein Teil’ (The Meiwes Case) and ‘Wiener Blut’ (The Fritzl case) are peppered with sadomasochistic overtones, and later ‘Buch Dich’ sees Lindemann don S&M gear to roleplay anal sex with an assless-chaps-wearing bondage Lorenze, on a rising platform. From the platform, Lindemann proceeds to spray the crowd with ‘ejaculate’ (clever/gross hose attached to inside of trousers, activated through the platform), screaming girls seen rubbing it into their hair and chests: shame on you – your mothers could see this on tv, *wink*.

A giant cauldron containing Lorenze, set alight by a bloodied-chef-costumed, flamethrower brandishing Lindemann, Bane-esque face cages which also shoot fire, guitars that shoot fire, fire cannons, flaming-spinning fire bow, a man on fire… it’s safe to say the German metallers just bloody love fire, and so do the crowd. ‘2, 3, 4 Links’ and ‘Du Hast’ are yelled simultaneously by the entire arena, with fireworks travelling along cables across the crowd to the sound tent and back to an explosive finale and the stage lighting up in a cloud of sparks. ‘Ich Will’ is the real show-stopper with every hand in the air and Lindemann’s trademark low-growl calling out “Thank you very very, very much. Danke schön, we are RAMMSTEIN” before leaving the stage.

After a brief break and a rather pretty acoustic ‘Mein Herz Brennt’ it’s back into heavy for the epic ‘Sonne’ and the band close out this extraordinary show with the comedic ‘Pussy’. As Lindemann rocks up with a giant penis-shaped foam cannon and sprays it into the crowd, completely covering the front facing security staff (who were doing a sterling job of looking like they weren’t at all bothered about being ceremoniously covered in fake spunk…) the ticker tape bombs detonate, covering the entire stage. Kneeling superman-style, the band show their appreciation for the rowdy Download crowd with a final “You are amazing, we love you, thank you very much”, and it’s over. Rammstein at Download 2013 were definitely a crowning moment in the festival’s history, and it has been more than worth the wait.

Rammstein

Download Festival 2013 – Iron Maiden Review

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If you weren't previously assured of Iron Maiden's God status in the world of metal, there's absolutely no denying it now. Saturday night at Download, we're standing in a soggy field, shoulder to shoulder, shivering in anticipation… as a Spitfire – yes, a SPITFIRE, soars up from behind the main stage. As the metal horns are thrust up to the sky, the aircraft banks and continues the flyby over a stunned crowd, and the band burst on stage for 'Moonchild'. Now THAT's an entrance.

Their ice-berg styled gangways make for Bruce's personal runway as he races about during 'Can I Play With Madness', wearing a sparkly clockwork-covered tailcoat. It's definitely a step up from the swamp-thing outfit we witnessed last time. Despite a bit of wavering sound, 'The Prisoner' (complete with a clip from the 1967 tv series) warmed up for the arena-shaking '2 Minutes To Midnight', with extreme crowd participation.

The driving wind in the first half of the set was  fairly irritating, and probably worse behind the sound tent, definitely nowhere near as unfortunate as befallen by Metallica in 2012 – but did pick up for 'Afraid To Shoot Strangers' and 'The Trooper' with Bruce donning his traditional red 'Light Brigade' uniform and giant Union Flag. Bruce jokes "Welcome to Monsters of Rock '88" to which the five guys standing next to us yell "We were there!!" and certainly, Maiden are a band that people come back time and time again for. Giggling "…back then we couldn't blow things up, or use fire… Or a Battle of Britain Memorial Spitfire…" Bruce thanks RAF Coningsby for the loan, and takes a swig of signature Trooper Beer.

'The Number of The Beast' (with giant fire canons and a flame-eyed Beast) and 'Run To The Hills' (including frontier Eddie wielding a sword at band-members) are screamed at deafening levels by the crowd around us… Ok ok, it was us too… and a giant grimacing Eddie looming over the stage is revealed for 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'.

After a huge instrumental and some well-timed fireworks, the iconic refrain of 'Fear of the Dark' is played out to a chorus of 'woooaaahhh-ing' fans. Yes it's traditional, Yes we've seen it before. Does it mean that hearing ninety thousand people locked in song with a single string of notes is any less impressive? No. Nothing makes your breath catch like looking back at the sea of lighters waving in the dark, it's the stuff ambitions are forged from, and as Bruce drops "a little anxious, in Donington Park" the young lad in front of us turns to his mum and says "This is the best thing I've ever heard" it brings me right back to the time I first saw Maiden.

An enormous Eddie holding a writhing heart-type-beast for 'Iron Maiden' has his head lit on fire before the band depart for a short break for the encore, where we finally get to hear 'Aces High', 'The Evil That Men Do' and 'Running Free', though Bruce was less 'running-free' than 'skipping-like-a-spring-lamb-free'…

The band thank everyone for a great night, and having tantalised us with the announcement of an O2 show later in the year, it's clear they're leaving everyone on a high. As the glassy eyes of people who've just witnessed something special, turn toward the exits, we are happily singing along with 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life', as only British festival-goers – who've spent two days being sunburnt and rained on, can truly appreciate. Iron Maiden were everything they should be and more, gaining a whole new generation of fans in one night.

Iron Maiden

Download Festival 2013 Friday Review

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After a confused (yet bloody typical) day of showers, blazing sunshine, bare bodies, full waterproofs and teeth-chattering cold, the rain abated for the start of my choice of headliner – Zippo Encore stage's American rock'n'roll heroes, Black Stone Cherry.

As self-proclaimed Download Darlings, this is a fourth return but their first go at a headline slot here at Donington, as requested by the forum-going public. It's a proper Cinderella story, despite not having a new album out or any tours planned (prerequisites for booking festival slots generally) BSC are here on the back of some serious fan-fare. Hailing from the not-so-deep south (read: Kentucky) these good country boys are Lynyrd Skynyrd with better riffs, and less blue-collar/redneck jokes.

With three already stellar albums greedily devoured by UK fans over the last few years, it was inevitable that the bustling arena was going to be a good testing ground for new material and a fun soundboard for old, and as BSC drop right into 'Maybe Someday' the crowd yells right along as if the main stage (and Slipknot) don't even exist. The apt refrain "But for now I've got to rock and roll" sets the tone for the rest of the set, with fan favourite 'Blind Man' and brand-spanking-new (seriously, this is it's first ever outing from the studio) 'Me and Mary Jane' which is an immediate ear-worm.

The unfortunate opening line of 'Rain Wizard' "Here comes the rain" does indeed seem to open the heavens, but a heartfelt 'Things My Father Said', with the crowd singing the entire first verse back to homesick frontman Chris Robertson, who is for the first time away from his baby son, brings a tear to his eye.

'White Trash Millionaire' and 'Soul Creek' go down a storm, almost literally as by now it is widdling it down most ungraciously. Drummer John Fred Young's unruly mane is flapping wildly as he smashes about in a manner not unlike Animal of The Muppets, but his quick solo is a reminder that he's a technical whizz as well as a solid rock beat, and Robertson tells us how they may be four guys from Kentucky, but the heart of this band is in the UK, because "nowhere else in the world would people stand for an hour in the pissing rain to see [them]". No-one had the heart to tell him standing in the pissing rain is practically a national passtime of ours, but we certainly appreciated the compliment.

After a raucous 'Blame it on the Boom Boom', they close out with first album hit 'Lonely Train' and leave the crowd yelling for more. As the stage lights die, the sound of Slipknot on the main stage floods back into our ears but they could have been a million miles away during Black Stone Cherry's extraordinary set.

New stages announced for Lovebox 2013

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Kelis & Lianne La Havas added to Sunday line up

If there is an artist who embodies the Lovebox spirit like no other, then Kelis is surely top of the list. Well, Sunday just got even more exciting with the return of Kelis to Lovebox in a UK festival exclusive! The Harlem-bred 90's vocalist brings her euphoric dance, spacey electro pop and R&B beats to the main stage and we cannot wait. Pitch perfect Lianne La Havas is the extraordinary, old-school vibrato sensation, and the name on everybodies lips. London girl Lianne's melodic performances present creativity and soul through all her vocals inspired by the likes of Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. We are pround to announce Lianne will be gracing the main stage at Lovebox Sunday.

The Fly Presents

UK's most popular new music magazine is presenting the ultimate intimate session of music discovery at Saturday's Lovebox. Big night for the forward thinking music lovers that will catch Ghostpoet, Splashh, Big Deal, Rainy Milo, Bipolar Sunshine, Josef Salvat, Owlle and Roscious exclusively performing live in their very own Fly arena.

Performance, Sound, Style, Lights & Set Design

Lovebox brings you London's most prolific production of performance, sound, style, lights and set design. You can expect the spectacular and the surprising, and we will be revealing some of the plans in the run up to the festival. Such as…: 25 tonnes of 6 meter bamboo now on it's way from China ready to create a stunning residence for the Red Bull Music Academy at Lovebox; The Flaming Tornado "Burning Man's most impressive art installation"; Jose Cuervo's Margarita Garden, 'making a VIP out of everyone'; The legendary lovebox maypole returns 8 year's after the main stage at Victoria Park's first ever Lovebox taking place on the soon to be announced Terrazo arena; Lords of Lighting harnessing 4 million volts of raw electricity into a mystical flow of oscillating chaos; ….plus MUCH more to be announced, making Lovebox the most unique festival experience in town!

Lovebox Jukebox #31

DJ/producer duo Force of Nature, hailing from Tokyo Japan, are scheduled to play at Harvey's Discoteque (in association with Sarcastic) A tent curated by Harvey for Sunday at this years Lovebox Festival. F.O.N have put together a mix for the latest Lovebox Jukebox. Check it out this deep summertime housey mix exclusively for your listening pleasure courtesy of Force of Nature & Lovebox.

Crack Presents

Underground music and art must-have bible Crack magazine, present a massively diverse and seriously edgy collection of acts on Sunday's buzzing field. Featuring Jon Hopkins, Charli XCX, Fear Of Men, Chlöe Howl, Idles, Moko and The Portillo Moment. The collection of live electro to dream funk synths will be the perfect discovery for the creative heads looking for electronic tinged festival action.

Final line-up for Monegros 2013

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On top of the already confirmed artists such as the live shows of  Underworld, Public Enemy, Vitalic, Bloody Beetroots, Feed me and Djs such as Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Loco Dice, Luciano or the famous Berghain residents Marcel Dettmann & Ben Klock Monegros comes with another release of artists:

 

NERO (UK): Th british electronic music duo composed of members Daniel Stephens, Joe Ray will be added to the headliners of the 2013 edition and show Spain why they are one of the most repected Drum&Bass international group.

THE NEW M-NUS GENERATION: The label from Richie Hawtin has always had an eye for new talents. The Italians from Tale Of Us will distill some of their elegant and sexy tech sounds . They will be joined by the live of Matador which has blown everyone away with his EP “Kingswing”.

 

TECHNO MASTERS : Monegros has always supported techno in its purest form – In addition to the 40 Djs already lined up, the 2013 edition of Monegros will count with the vintage sounds of techno pioneers such as Surgeon, Dave Clarke, Ben Sims with an exclusive live for Monegros as well as Spanish pioneer Oscar Mulero.

 

ELROW PRESENTS ROWSHOW PSYCHEDELIC TRIP WITH  LUCIANO & ELROW RESIDENTS –

Monegros goes back to its roots and reopens for the 3rd year the OPEN AIR Stage. Expect full techno, minimal and house. The Open air will close with a showcase of the infamous Barcelona parties Elrow and its infamous Rowshows  themed parties with the mighty Luciano and all the Elrow residents (De La Swing – Marc Maya – Mario Biani ­– Oscar Aguilera – Raul Mezcolanza – Toni Varga). Expect craziness, toys, inflatables, party costumes – ELROW takes the party wherever they go.

 

On the 17th June Monegros announce their final headliner

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL: One week to go! New acts announced

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With ONLY ONE WEEK TO GO, Download Festival announces a further 10 bands for the weekend as well of details of its on site activities and the return of the mighty Download FM powered by TeamRock. There’s still chance to get your ticket for the biggest weekend in the rock and metal calendar, visit www.downloadfestival.co.uk now for more information.

Joining the lineup are I Am I, fronted by former Dragonforce singer ZP Theart, Welsh rockers Falling With Style, three-piece Press To Meco, Leicester locals Surrender The Coast, Essex rockers Searching Alaska, Southampton group Forever Can Wait, Blackburn band Sky Valley Mistress, Scottish rockers Semper Fi and Akord, and energetic four piece rock/punk band New Killer Shoes.

This year’s Download Village entertainment is set to be bigger and better than ever as the Doghouse returns with its club night hosted by Revolution, Liverpool’s biggest rock night.  Revolution’s Doghouse Residency is three nights of crazy, debauched and wild theme parties with a different theme each night. Revolution DJs will be slamming a mix of metal, punk and hardcore into the early hours Friday-Sunday, joined by some very special guests. Themes include Hawaiian Beach Party, Pirates of The Doghouse Party and the Download Zombie Apocalypse Party. Further information can be found at facebook.com/revolutionrocksliverpool.

The comedy tent also returns on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 June, with the Silent Arena taking over the tent for weekend activities from Friday 14-16 June. If villagers aren’t too busy buying some vintage merch or limited edition t-shirts, they can snuggle up at the Download Cinema, located in a Village corner.

For the first time Download Festival will this year have a zip line in the arena. Festival goers can zip across the sky taking in an adrenalin filled aerial view of the Donignton site. The first 12 people in the queue each day will receive a discounted price of £10 instead of the usual £15.  

Download Festival are also excited to announce the return of the ever rocking Download Radio powered by TeamRock, broadcasting on 87.7FM across the Donington site, and online at www.DownloadFM.co.uk. Requests can be made via twitter @DOWNLOADFM & by email to [email protected].

TeamRock Radio will launch at Download Festival on Sunday 16 June at the unconventional time of 11.58pm, with Iron Maiden’s iconic song from the band’s fifth album, ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’ reinforcing its very different approach to broadcasting.  Once the festival ends, TeamRock Radio will be born and directly after spinning the Iron Maiden classic to open the station they will broadcast The Best Of Download 2013, a retrospective show that tells the story of their years festival from the moment the gates open until the final act play their last chord.

Vodafone VIP is once again giving all our UK customers unrivalled experiences at some of Britain’s best festivals this summer, along with other great events. The Vodafone VIP Recharge Truck will return to Download Festival in 2013, helping customers ensure their mobile phone is charged throughout the festival weekend. Customers can also enjoy an unrivalled view of all the performances on the main stage by visiting the Vodafone VIP Viewing Platform. Also, don’t forget to download the official 2013 Download Festival app – powered by Vodafone.

Pepsi Max is proud to be the Official Cola partner of Download. Follow them on Twitter @PepsiMaxUK to find out about the Pepsi MAX stage and how they’ll be Maxing your festival experience. #maxmusic

The Red Bull Studios Live stage focuses on showcasing new and emerging talent. Eight unsigned bands also join the diverse line-up having earned their spot through the Red Bull Studios Live stage at Download opportunity.

Zippo are also ready to rock Download for a 3rd year. Head over to the Zippo Encore Area for competitions like the hugely popular ‘Zippo Custom’ that allows you to design your own Zippo lighter, side-of-stage tickets up for grabs, face painting and lots more. You will also be able to purchase Zippo lighters, including the cool Download limited edition, perfect to hold up high during your favourite performances to create the ultimate Zippo Encore moment with your mates.

Jägermeister is bringing its brand new ‘Deep Freeze’ interactive bar experience to Download this summer. This unique activation is 50 square metres and boasts a 10 metre bar, maze, interactive photo wall, VIP area, free Wi-Fi and an incredible ‘Ice Bar’ which is chilled down to -10°C. The Jägermeister stage will also feature as the acoustic stage at Download.

 

A limited amount of tickets are still available for Download 2013. Visit www.downloadfestival.co.uk now to purchase yours.

ROCK WERCHTER: NO FOR MODEST MOUSE, BUT YES FOR THE VAN JETS

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NO FOR MODEST MOUSE, BUT YES FOR THE VAN JETS

No Modest Mouse at Rock Werchter. The group is working feverishly on their upcoming album, due for release in 2014, and have decided to cancel their scheduled European dates. The Americans were booked to open the day’s Main Stage performances on Saturday, but will now be replaced by the brilliant The Van Jets from Ostend.

Rock Werchter 2013 will be taking place from Thursday 4 July to Sunday 7 July in Werchter (Belgium). Over four days in the festival grounds you will be able to see music's finest on three stages. As always, established names, legends old and new and the biggest acts will take their place on the Main Stage. KluB C will focus on electronic music in all its danceable forms on Friday and Saturday. On Thursday and Sunday it will be the place to listen to up-and-coming new talent, (more) intimate performances and dance beats into the early hours. In The Barn we welcome back familiar names, but it is also thé spot to discover tomorrow’s heroes. The better concert hall on a festival. Rock Werchter is a firm believer of programming across genres, which people like. During the four festival days in 2012 somewhat 140,000 (unique) festival-goers from all over the world found their way to the festival that was sold out in advance. Rock Werchter is an international hit and has been awarded multiple prizes. Early March, the festival won the prestigious ILMC Arthur Award for ‘Best Festival’ for the 5th time.

TICKET INFO

Tickets for Rock Werchter 2013 are available from proximusgoformusic.be. Only day tickets for Thursday 4 July are still on sale.

Click here for detailed ticket info.

FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.ROCKWERCHTER.BE
TWITTER: #RW13
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

BBC Introducing: New acts for T in the Park

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With just 5 weeks to go until T in the Park opens its gates to tens of thousands of Thursday campers and the biggest weekend of the summer gets underway, festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager have added yet more hotly tipped, under the radar acts to the 20th year bill. The Recovery!, Roman Nose, The LaFontaines, Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun, PAWS, Baby Strange, Fat Goth, Discopolis, Departures, Saint Max and the Fanatics, Animal Noise, Astroid Boys, Story Books, Propellers, The Adelines, Emily Burns, Model Aeroplanes, Big Beat Bronson, Steel Trees and The Lake Poets will all take to the BBC Introducing stage over the weekend of 12th – 14th July.
 
Glasgow five-piece The Recovery! fuse noise and attitude to create an energetic, heavy rock ‘n’ roll sound. Bringing some dark electro beats to the festival this year are Roman Nose, who have supported the likes of The Glitch Mob and 2manydjs. Combining Hip-Hop, Rock and Pop into one genre mash-up of brilliant noise, The LaFontaines have just played their biggest sell-out headline show to date at Glasgow’s Classic Grand and have supported the likes of Example and Twin Atlantic, plus their track Under The Storm featured as the soundtrack to T in the Park’s 20th year line-up announcement video.  
 
Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun played a rapturously received set at SXSW and have smashed through two UK headline tours. PAWS’ punchy pop punk tracks took off in 2010, and their infectious sound was showcased on their debut LP Cokefloat! in 2012.
 
Baby Strange have been the talk of 2013, storming the stage and packing out the venues around their home-town of Glasgow including their appearance at Tenement Trail in March. Dundee’s Fat Goth recently released their second album Stud to a slew of outstanding reviews from the likes of Rock Sound, Kerrang! and Drowned in Sound. Edinburgh electronic four-piece Discopolis made their T in the Park debut on the T Break Stage in 2011, and were hailed by NME as one of the top new bands to watch shortly after. With two EP’s and studio albums under their belt, Glasgow band Departures have developed a fanbase for their melodic hard core rock.
 
Purveyors of offbeat, catchy pop gems, Saint Max and the Fanatics have won support from luminaries including Steve Lamacq and Vic Galloway since forming a year ago. Essex-based trio Animal Noise create energetic acoustic dance music with fast guitar picking and soulful vocals. Cardiff’s grime collective Astroid Boys impressively entwine hard core beats and impressive rapping with street-wise, captivating lyrics. Story Books released their debut EP Too Much a Hunter in May on Communion, the label co-founded by Ben Lovett from Friday headliners Mumford & Sons.
 
Propellers infuse their classic indie tracks with a disco-inspired twist, and are set to share the line-up with the likes of Jake Bugg and Tom Odell at The Rolling Stones’ forthcoming Hyde Park gig. The Adelines are a guitar-driven quartet who have captured the attention of fans and industry alike with their jangly reverb-guitars and pop sensibilities. Emily Burns oozes dreamy pop with her acoustic sound and Dundee’s Model Aeroplanes are set to own the stage with their energetic indie rock music.
 
Big Beat Bronson is Newcastle’s answer to a hip-hop super-group, with stunning musical rhymes and vocals. Steel Trees showcase themselves as ‘punk misfits’ with their loud and proud grunge music. The Lake Poets put on an enchanting show with beautiful songs centered around lead Martin’s acoustic guitar.
 
Over 85,000 festival-goers per day will descend on Kinross over 12th – 14th July for the 20th year of T in the Park, which will feature performances by some of the hottest acts on the planet, including headliners Mumford & Sons, Rihanna and The Killers, plus The Script, Stereophonics, Beady Eye, Kraftwerk, alt-J, Foals, The Lumineers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoenix, My Bloody Valentine, Two Door Cinema Club, The Courteeners, Frightened Rabbit, Jake Bugg, Of Monsters and Men, Twin Atlantic, Editors, Hurts, Travis, Frank Turner, The View, Noah and the Whale, Ocean Colour Scene, Haim, Imagine Dragons, The Fratellis, Johnny Marr, James Skelly & the Intenders, Villagers, Local Natives, Chvrches, Tribes, FIDLAR, Palma Violets, Kodaline, The 1975, Peace, The Strypes, British Sea Power, The Heavy, Deap Vally, Swim Deep, Trash Talk, Brooke Candy,  The Virginmarys and Josephine, plus many more still to be announced. 
 
 
Fans can guarantee they’re part of the 20th year of T in the Park by getting their tickets now from www.tinthepark.com or www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling 08444 999 990. Experience the 20th year of T in the Park and join 85,000 music lovers per day as part of the greatest audience in the world this July. Boutique camping options in The Residence are also available for those looking for luxury living at T in the Park – check out www.theresidenceexperience.co.uk
 
For regular T in the Park news, check out www.facebook.com/tinthepark and follow us on Twitter @Tinthepark

One Love Festival announce new acts

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One Love Festival announce KING JAMMY (live set), and STONE LOVE (featuring Rory) MEETS SAXON

King Jammy

Lloyd James (born 1947, Montego Bay, Jamaica[1]), better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy, is a dub mixer and record producer. He began his musical career as a dub master at King Tubby's recording studio. His dubs were known for their clear sound and use of effects.

He became one of the most influential producers of dancehall music. His biggest hit was 1985's "Under Me Sleng Teng" by Wayne Smith, with an entirely-digital rhythm hook. Many credit this song as being the first "Digital rhythm" in reggae, leading to the modern dancehall era. Jammy's productions and sound system dominated reggae music for the remainder of the 1980s and into the 1990s.He continues to work as a producer, working with some of today's top Jamaican artists,

 

Stone Love

Based in Kingston, Winston "Wee Pow" Powell built the Stone Love sound system in 1973. It became one of Jamaica's most popular sound systems, known for its superior sound quality, and maintained this position into the 21st century. It has also played overseas in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Stone Love is renowned for its exclusive dubplates, which have included sides by many of the artists which it helped to establish, including Buju Banton and Wayne Wonder, and Johnny Osbourne and Shabba Ranks, Sanchez, and Beenie Man.

In the 1990s, rivalry with the Killamanjaro sound system led to a series of 'sound clashes' being staged.

Rory is Stone Love’s longest serving member selector Rory has a musical knowledge that is unmatched, and his versatility takes him around the world. Still after 30 years with Stone Love, he stays current with the latest riddims, the “big tunes,” and the hype that surrounds the dancehall. He no longer spins records—everything is now on CD (“It makes the flight easier,” he says)—but when it comes to music, there is a certifiable fire in his eyes.

 

Headliners:

U-Roy
 
U-Roy revolutionized the musical style of Reggae in 1969 through Toasting. "toasting" rapping over "versions" of popular songs remixed by King Tubby. Considered one of Jamaica's first Deejay stars, "U-Roy raised the art of toasting to new heights. He didn't just spit a few phrases here and there, he rode the riddim from the starting gate to the last furlong". The instigator Rap in the world!! U-Roy working with Duke Reid created a "version" of the Paragons' "Wear You to the Ball" which became the first ever "toast" record to make an impact back in 1969!!  The Jamaican reggae living legend is back on the worldwide stage with a brand new album: Pray Fi Di People after 10 years of absence in the studios! This album confirms again the Jamaican toaster’s talent with a roots sound which followed his time and which is claiming peace respect and music’s universality.
 
Black Uhuru
 
Black Uhuru ft Iqualah Rastafari with Duckie Simpson , Andrew Bees and Kay Stahr. Black Uhuru is a probably best known for their hits “Shine Eye Gal”, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “Sinsemilla,” “Solidarity,” and “What Is Life?”. They were the first group to win a Grammy in the reggae category when it was introduced in 1985. They originally formed as ‘Black Sounds Uhuru’ (the Kiswahili word for freedom).
 
 

 Full 2013 A/Z Line Up To Date:
 
 1EYE, 3 Lions Sound, Adam Prescott, ABA SHANTI SOUNDSYSTEM, AL CAMPBELL, ALPHA STEPPA, ANTHONEY JOHNSON,  ARKITAL SOUND,  Arfur B, Bag e, Baby’oul and the One Drops, Ben Russell and The Charmers, Bionic Rats, Big Topp,  BLACK UHURU, Black Symbol,  BUCKEY RANKS, CHANNEL ONE SOUNDSYSTEM, Chris Culture, CONGO NATTY, CONSCIOUS SOUNDS feat KING GENERAL & CULTURE FREEMAN, Cosmic Fevah, ChainSka Brassika, Chickenwing Allstars,  CHOPSTICK DUBPLATE feat ARIES & JACKY MURDA, COXSONE SOUND SYSTEM, CREOLE ft THE DUB MASTER, Daddy Morse, David Judah, Defcon One, Dialect, DIRECT IMPACT, DIGITALDUBS, Digikal roots, DON LETTS, Dubforce,Dub Theatre,  DJ Arcane, DJ As-If, DJ KING SPINNER,  EARL GATESHEAD, East Court, ECCLETON JARRETT, ENOS MCLEOD, Extra Love, FATMAN INTERNATIONAL SOUND. Friendly Fire Band, FORATA SOUNDS, GENRAL LEVY, Gregory Fabulous, HEARTICAL SOUND, INSTRUMENT OF JAH SOUND SYSTEM, IJAHMAN LEVI, IRATION STEPPAS, Inasound, Inspirational Sounds,  IQULAH RASTAFARI, JAH TUBBY SOUND SYSTEM ft ERROLL BELLOT, DIXIE PEACH, GREGORY FABULOUS et le,  ifoundation, J-Project, JAH SCRACHY ft KRIS KHEMIST, Jaylarno, JIDEH HIGH ELEMENTS & BUNNINGTON JUDAH,  JOSEPH COTTON, JOSHUA MOSES, Junglettes, Jungle Rollerz ft Rumble, kalichakra, KENNI WENNA, kernow vibratiow, Kingston Allstars,  KING TUBBYS HI FI, Kotch,  Lady Jane, LION DUB,  LIONSOUND,  LORD GELLYS SOUND SYSTEM ft – MG Lord Gellys, Lotskee, H-Bom Lord Gellys, DJ Glamour, Andrew Fresh, Naffi I , NICK MANASSEH, Marshall D, Mikel Ameen, MR Quest, MINIMAN Feat EARL 16, MIXMASTER MORRIS, Mostec, Mr Horsewell, OVER PROOF SOUND SYSTEM, Patrick IOJ,  Platinum Sound, Psychic-Robot, RADIO RODDLER,RANKING JOE, RDK Hi-Fi,  Ras Terry Gad, RAGGA TWINS, REMARC, ROBBO RANX, ROD TAYLOR,  Sammy Dread,  SAXON SOUND SYSTEM marquee full sound system full crew all weekend long, SERIAL KILLAZ, Smiley, SISTER NANCY, SIR DAVID RODIGAN MBE, SLO DOWN, SKAMANIANS , SMITH & MIGHTY, Sniffa Ranks, SUBSLAYERS ft JAY CUNNING, Spydah, KING YOOF, GOLD DUBS (UB40 Tour),  feat MOOSE, TAILISMAN, The Crooked Beat, THE RENEGADE Live feat. Ray Keith, THE ORB SOUND SYSTEM, TWILIGHT CIRCUS DUB SOUND SYSTEM, U ROY, UNITY HI-FI, We the, Undersigned, VIBRATION LAB,  Voytek, YOUTHMAN PROMOTION SOUND,  X-Nation,, Zion Inna Vision Soundsystem, ZION TRAIN,