Kimberley-Anne Simmons
During The Hunna’s tour the band stopped off at Cambridge Junction to perform alongside Band Of Silver and Sick Joy. Our photographer popped down to document the show.
There are still more dates left on the tour so make sure you check them out if you can.
The last time I saw Hugo and Felix White was when they were in The Maccabees. Since splitting back in 2017 they have created a new band called 86TV’s with their brother Will who was in indie rock band Talk Taxis and made a few years appearance with The Maccabees and Jamie Morrison who is Stereophonics drummer. With years of musical experience this new band is sure to bring something amazing to the scene. On their first tour aspartof the Music Venue Trust they stopped off at the rock venue The Six Six bar in Cambridge. Its a small music venue with a capacity of 160. The venue is decorated with old NME covers ,a huge Beavertown mural at the back of the stage and a Motorhead shrine. There is a great selection of drinks and a vegan eatery called The Vegan Witch.
The show was completely sold out which was not surprising have these musical icons visiting. Supporting them was singer songwriter Blair Davie who is from Scotland writes slot of songs about bisexuality, loss and heartbreak but also about the beauty that life can offer. With just a guitar and their voice the audience are wowed. The sound was incredible and their voice was so passionate with every word that they sung. Blair is one who everyone should experience.
After Blairs set everyone was eagerly awaiting for 86TVs to come on stage. The room was getting very hot and sweaty. The room was filled with cheers as the band entered. Felix mentioned to the audience that they were really happy for be performing and that the best thing about playing songs that no one knows is that if they mess up no one will notice. The main vocals were shared between Will and Hugo. Sweat was pouring off the band and all they had to wipe down was a tea towel which Felix joked saying he’s used his 5th of the towel and that the others cant use that section. The whole band were thrilled and so happy to be playing to people after working so hard on their music. They played a total of nine songs with their last song being the single ‘Worn Out Buildings’ which everyone was clapping along too.
After the show the band stood chatting to the audience members and selling merchandise. Hugo said its nice to be starting at the bottom again and working their way up in the music scene again. Their debut album should hopefully be dropping next year which we are all eager to hear. These guys are going to explode onto the music scene and it was great to be part of one of their first shows.
Review and photos by Kane Howie
American metal band Trivium are back in the UK for their highly anticipated ‘Goblins & Wizards Tour’. Their first stop is at Cambridge Corn Exchange in where the band have not played the venue since 2007. They also brought along support acts Orbit Culture and Bleed From Within.
Upon arriving the Corn Exchange, the long queue snaked down the side of the venue and right up to the local multi story carpark entrance. The line was filled with plenty of metal heads and rockers. When entering the venue there were two merchandise stands selling various t shirts, hoodies, CDs etc of all three of the nights acts. The bars were full of people eagerly awaiting for the show to start.
First up was Swedish melodic death metal band Orbit Culture. The stage was very dark and hazy and plenty of strobe lighting. The band really got the audience hyped up for more music. The room filled with the roars from Niklas Karlsson who is the frontman of the band.
Next up was Scottish heavy metal band Bleed From Within. The guys were very active on stage jumping around and really getting the crowd going. The lighting was alot more brighter for these guy. There were plenty of mosh pits. The room was steaming up from the heat of the summer time and hot and sweaty people. Security at the front were handing out cups of water to cool the crowd down.
After Bleed From Within had played the stage was getting ready for the band everyone had been waiting for. The huge banner at the back of the stage was revealed with a platform for the drums to be placed on. Two big dragon statues with glowing red eyes were at either side of the stage and then a long platform was all along the front.
With the lights going down Trivium entered and went straight into playing ‘ In The Court Of The Dragon’. Singer Matt Heafy is a brilliant frontman. He is very passionate about his music and also likes to have a lot of fun. Quite often he would stick his tongue out like a devil and head bang. He really stood out with his funky Chinese style jacket and bright yellow trainers. Bassist Paolo unfortunately had to have an operation recently so could not lift anything so he had a bass stand so he could still perform which he must really be thankful for. The band played a variety of songs spanning over their ten albums some even never being played in the UK before so it was a real treat for everyone. There were plenty of mosh pits, death walls, headbanging and jumping during the set. It all ended with the popular song ‘In Waves’ in which Matt got everyone crouched down and then jumping up when the song began. Trivium are a must see band who have so much passion in their music and shows. There is still time to see them at some more UK dates.
Review and Photos by Kane Howie
Truck Festival is a one of our firm favourites on the festival calander and this years did not disappoint at all. Located on Hill Farm in Oxfordshire the festival offered a huge line up with some of the hottest bands around. Headlining the weekend was The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club, Alt-J and Royal Blood. Every band who performed put on a cracking performance and put all their energy into their sets. The festival had plenty to offer including food and drink stalls, kids activities, gameshows, yoga, karaoke and more. Unfortunately the weather was a typical British type for a festival. Saturday was a downpour which made the site into a slippery mud bath but that did not dampen any ones spirits.
Our photographer Kane Howie was at the festival to document the weekend. You can see a selection of his images below.
2024 tickets are on sale now and are selling fast! We will definitely be returning for next year!
The picturesque grounds of Hatfield Park welcomed home one of it’s best events of the calendar year. A festival known as ‘Folk By The Oak’. It which showcases some of the best of of the Folk music genre.
The all day Sunday event was packed full of amazing activities for all the family to enjoy.
The Willow Foundation had a stall selling preloved clothes and items which you could grab a bargain from. In one area of the park it featured a large children’s activity space with a climbing wall, story telling, games and even a stall about looking after bees, what a great idea to teach little ones about looking after all inhabitants of our world, no matter what their size.
There were tents filled with handmade crafts with demonstrations in how to make certain things like pot painting, leather work etc. Ideal for anyone who loves a hobby in crafting.
The scents of the huge array of food & beverage vendors filled the air which aromas to suit everyone’s tastebuds.
The site itself had two stages, the Main stage and the Acorn stage showcasing the very best in music.
The first act I was able to see was The Wilderness Yet who performed music full of well written lyrics and showed a very keen interest on wildlife. The band had mentioned they had also worked with a charity to help save the bees who are a vital part of the environment.
On the mainstage were The Longest John’s who sang a lot of folk and sea shanties. They were also very humorous which earned a lot of laughter from audiences.
Back to the Acorn stage which featured Nick Hart, an  award-winning singer and multi-instrumentalist. He is becoming one of the most acclaimed performers of his generation with his music. On stage was the man himself and a guitar. He really knew how to captivate the audience with his songs.
One of the best acts of the day was This Is The Kit. They had performed twice in the day once of the main stage where they had technical difficulties with some of the instruments but carried on through which was entertaining to watch. They then stepped in to headline the Acorn stage with a different set of songs. It was such a delight to witness both of their sets.
Sona Jobarteh graced us with her set bringing her cultural Gambian sounds. She played the Kora which is a 21 stringed instrument that combines the harp and the lute sound. This was definitely fascinating to watch and the audience participated with the language in the songs and danced along.
Unfortunately the artist most well known for his hit “Cucurucu”, Nick Mulvey had to cancel his set on the main stage due to illness (get well soon Nick!), so the Acorn Stage headliners Cut Capers moved onto the mainstage and put on one hell of a show! The band were displayed so much energy on stage and with a big selection of different instruments. The crowd loved to party to them! They are now a new favourite of mine.
Headlining the night was Folk rock band The Waterboys who put on a great performance which ended with a glittering firework display.
This year’s Folk By The Oak festival was a lot of fun, but yet just so mellow. Perfect for a Sunday out!I very much look forward to attending Folk By The Oak in 2024!
Photos and Review by Kane Howie
In just a few weeks time the mighty Truck Festival returns with a cracking lineup! Headlining the weekend is The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club, Alt-J and Royal Blood. Other bands performing the weekend are Mae Muller, The Vaccines, Self Esteem, DMA’s, The Lathums and 100s more!!
Here at Summer Festival Guide we like to tell you some of the hottest bands that we think you should check out over the weekend which you can see below.
Low Island-Friday-V&V
Opus Kink-Friday-The Nest
Crystal Tides-Friday-The Market Stage
Gaffa Tape Sandy -Friday-The Nest
BILK-Saturday-The Nest
Courting-Saturday-The Market Stage
The Last Dinner Party-Sunday-The Market Stage
Chappaqua Wrestling-Sunday-Main Stage
There is still time to grab the last remaining tickets and all other information on the Truck Festival website https://truckfestival.com/
See you there!!
After three years the amazing Truck Festival came back too Hill Farm in Steventon, Oxfordshire. The past 3 years had been affected by COVID which meant the event could not take place. This year also celebrated its 25th Anniversary so the organisers had to make sure it was the best!! The three and a half day event had a huge lineup with Blossoms headlining the Thursday night. Bombay Bicycle Club on Friday, Sam Fender and The Kooks co-headlining on the Saturday and the weekend ended with Kasabian and a firework display on the Sunday night. Bands, Artists, Comedians etc all performed on several stages across the site. There was the Main Stage, Market Stage hosted by So Young Magazine, Thie Feeling, The Nest, Virgins and Veterans, The Rockin Chair and The Tap Room.
Across the site had a wide variety of all cuisines for everyone. The local community also have a big food tent with their homecooked food which they have served there for several years and all profits got to charity.
There was plenty for everyone to do. Familys with young children could go to the childrens area which had activities and shows on for them all to enjoy. There were stalls with makeup, clothes, accessories and more for everyone to dress up in their proper festival gear.
Our photographer Kane Howie was at the festival to document the weekend. You can check out his photos below.
Tickets for next years event are available at https://truckfestival.com/ the festival will take place at the same location on July 21st-23rd.
With the past few years being affected by covid its great to know that in just a few weeks time Truck Festival is going to be back again for the weekend with a huge lineup for its 25th anniversary!
This year’s lineup is being headlined by Bombay Bicycle Club, The Kooks, Sam Fender and Kasabian. Over the weekend there are a huge amount of great acts performing aswell on various stages.
Summer Festival Guide have been covering the festival for many years and are always on the lookout for the best acts to check out. Below is a few of the acts that we think you should try and see.
YARD ACT
ALFIE TEMPLEMAN
THE MURDER CAPITAL
GRANDMAS HOUSE
TOM LUMLEY & THE BRAVE LIASION
SAM RYDER
PHOEBE GREEN
CRYSTAL TIDES
For all information on the festival you can visit their website https://truckfestival.com/
Also if you download the official Truck Festival App you can get more information and stage times for the whole weekend. We hope you have a great weekend and will see you there!
Below is some photos from previous years by Kane Howie Photography
Monday evenings are usually fairly quiet but not for Cambridge. Bowling For Soups Jaret and Rob are at the Junction for a seated sing-a-long show with support acts Lacey and Tom Felicetti of Don’t Panic.
Walking into J1 was very different for the show as its the first time I had been in there for a seated event. There was something nice about it though so you could relax with your favourite drink and enjoy the music. On stage there were banners with edited family photos with Jaret and Robs faces on and a table and chairs.
First up are Josh, Dave and Graz from the UK Alt-rock band Lacey. The trio played a stripped back acoustic set and also mentioned its a sing-a-long show so played some well known clips from songs such as Im Not okay, Sugar Were Going Down, The Middle, Teenage Dirtbag and more. The band closed their set of their set with a song that the audience could sing to aswell The lyrics were ‘We’re still young just older now’.
The second support act is Tom Feliicetti from Don’t Panic who was joined by members of Lacey to back him. He is also the brother of Bowling For Soups bassist Rob Felicetti. This was Toms second ever time playing a show in the UK and he said he found it weird playing acoustically. Tom made the audience really laugh as he was learning things about the UK. He asked everyone what ‘Dogging’ means and mentioned if it was fun and if anyone wanted to take him. It would be great to see him play with his whole band someday.
After a short interval the two members of Bowling For Soup entered the stage and sat on their chairs with drinks on the table. Later on we found out that Jaret was drinking loads of vodka but not Russian as they Rush it which was one of his many jokes of the night. The first song was Trucker Hat which was taken well by the audience. During the evening there were facts about the band and jokes as well. Jaret mentioned that ‘The Bitch Song’ was written about an ex and that it saved the bands career. ‘Stacey’s Mum’ which was originally sung by Fountains Of Wayne also made them a lot of money as they covered it and everyone thought they were the original band to release the song.
Throughout the night one of the crew members named Daniel kept bringing out drinks for Jaret and Rob and got the hugest applause. The duo played many songs including the big hits. It was overall a great evening of live music from three fantastic acts and I would recommend seeing them all if you get a chance.
Bowling For Soup are due to {Jaret told us] play the UK again later this year on their next tour!!
Photos By Kane Howie Photography
With the global pandemic bringing the music scene to a hault, this had prevented music venues from opening throughout the majority of 2020 and some of 2021. It made a huge impact on keeping the music scene alive for a lot of places. The National Lottery decided to bring out ‘Revive Live’, a boost for the entertainment industry to bring big bands and artists to play at smaller, grassroot venues in which all have started out at to become who they are today. Venues across the country have seen the likes of Sir Tom Jones, Rag n Bone Man, Twin Atlantic and many more.
For Cambridge Junction they have had a few of the artists playing there but Wednesday 29th September saw The Vaccines performing at the venue in J1. This show is a very intimate one as the band have just announced they are doing a tour next April which sees them playing places like Wembley Arena which is a lot bigger capacity.
Supporting The Vaccines were two piece Icelandic band called BSI. On drums and vocals is Silla Thorarensen and bass guitar and toe-synths is Julius Pollux Rothlaender. The duo play anti fascist punk music. What stood out for me with them was Silla’s microphone being an old telephone adapted into a microphone and Julius using his toes to play synth and on the neck of his bass was written ‘No Borders’.
Behind the band was a guitar case with BSI painted on it and then a little sign saying refugees welcome. The crowd seemed to enjoy the duo. They wrote their EP during the height of the pandemic and released it back in May. The tour was the first time they had played in the UK. It will be good to see the duo back in the UK again soon.
With a short interval the crowd are eager to see The Vaccines to perform. Around the stage is tall light sabre like lights scattered around the area. When the lights dim on comes the famous Pulp Fiction intro music by Dick Dale. First song to be performed is ‘Wanderlust’ which off their latest album ‘Back In Love City’. Frontman Justin is rocking the whole stage with his glaring eyes into the crowd and reaching out with his hands.
During the night there is new and old music including ‘Post Break Up Sex’, ‘Headphones Baby’ and ‘If You Wanna’. Justin mentioned that the band have not played the Junction since 2011 and the area had changed since then. Also he thanked BSI for supporting them on their tour.
Just before the encore the band perform ‘XCT’ which is apparently their favourite song to perform live in which I found out on a recent Instagram question time.
After the encore drummer Yoann Intonti comes on drumming the beat whilst the rest of the band set up and hit straight into Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra). To finish the night was the performance of ‘All In White’. This will be a night that everyone will remember.
Photos by Kane Howie Photography