Jessie J at Cambridge Corn Exchange 19th November 2018

On Monday 19th November, popular live music venue Cambridge Corn Exchange invited ticket holders of all ages to it’s site as they played host to one of the biggest British female pop icons- Jessie J.

After taking some time out of the lime light , Jessie J has paved her back back onto the music scene with the relrease of a new studio album and a brand new live music tour.
The solo artist was first introduced to the world of chart music when she released her debut single ‘ Do It Like A Dude’ back in 2010. The single was a hit as it appealed to a wide audience. From then on she has released hit after hit and has even worked with acts including Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and B.O.B.

Joining Jessie J on her long awaited R.O.S.E tour was London based soul artist Sincerely Wilson. The singer took to the stage alongside a guitarist as they performed a brilliant acoustic set on the night. We got a taste of his music as he sang original tracks ‘Easy To Love’ and ‘Make It Out Alive’ as well as a great way to show case his vocal range by performing covers including Princes ‘Kiss’ , Oasis ‘Wonderwall’  and not forgetting a great take on the Spice Girls ‘Say You’ll Be There’.
After a short break where music was played into the venue, the lights went off and screams from the audience roared in excitement as we were given a brief intro to the show before Jess took to the stage.

The tour is named The R.O.S.E tour relating to the names of Jessie J’s latest studio album. Each letter of ROSE was related to different parts of the show. R- Realisation, O- Obsession, S- Sex and E- Empowerment. The sholo artist made a very strong start to the show as she appeared in a gorgeous ensemble- black pvc looking shorts and a crystal entrusted fish net style over lay. She opened the night with the track ‘Oh Lord’.

For each segment of the performance there were 3-6 songs as well as a costume change and an introduction to each section. I must say Jessie J can appear to wear anything and still look amazing. Her costumes were quite memorable. As well as the black crystal attire at the beginning of the evening we also saw her wearing a pure brilliant white tailored suit and a hat- clearly inspired by the late, great Michael Jackson. As well as an Elizabethian style burgandy dress with ruffles galore. The last outfit of the evening was what made her look like the shining star that she is, as she dazzled in a golden sequin jumpsuit and gold heeled boots.
As expected we got to see Jessie perform some new tracks off of her recent R.O.S.E album, but we also got the chance to sing along to some of her more iconic hits too. For example ‘Do It Like A Dude’,’Bang Bang’ and ‘Nobodys Perfect’.

Earlier i reffered to the artists as a shining star. There is a reason for that Jessie J is one amazing and inspirational woman! She has no end to her talent and has a very impressive vocal range as many already know. However, before the event that evening I only knew Jessie as a woman that comes across as a bold artists with a bit of an attitude. Goodness me the media has portrayed this woman so, so wong.

Since I began writing music reviews around 3 years ago, I have been lucky enough to attend and review many live shows and events. I won’t lie i do have some artists that i favour and absolutely love to watch perform, but never have i seen a performance like I did from Jessie J.

Yes the show and the music was spot on and great fun, but that really was’nt what made the show for me. It was the artist herself that made the night so memorable. She clearly admires her fans and is a hugely compassionate person. I remember a couple of stand out moments to support this. The first was when she stopped her performance to go and speak to a teenage girl stood in front of the stage who was looking a little unwell due to the fact that it was crowded and warm in the room. Jessie knelt down to the young girl’s level to ask her if she was ok and to see if she needed any help. The artist also spoke to all the security in the room to kindly ask that they give out water to the audience that needed it. The second memorable moment was when Jessie had spotted a young tot with her relatives who happened to be wearing golden sequins just as she was. It turned out the tot was just three years old. As it was getting late the little lady was getting sleepy so she decided to completely change her set list by performing huge single ‘Price Tag’  earlier on so that this young girl would not end up falling asleep and missing it. After the popstar had finished performing the song she then serenaded the little girl and another memberof the audience too, by adding their names to the lyrics.

Our photographer and I even got the attention as Jessie J gave our photographer her microphone to sing along with her and shortly after had spotted me with my phone held up in the air recording her show by singing a love heart with her hands at my camera.

The female artist had a lot of time for her fans there that evening. She even spoke about her own personal experiences and shared inspirational words with everyone. She stared “Focus on yourself and loving yourself. Life is way too precious not to enjoy your life.”

Jessie J has to be without a shadow of a doubt one of the most amazing women on the planet. She gave us a performance of her music there that night, but she also displayed affection, her caring nature as well as a cracking sense of humour.

Photos by Kane Howie

Against The Current & The Faim live at The Forum, London 29/09/2018

The O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London has played host to many amazing artists over the years.  Just some worth a mention are: Ellie Goulding, Kasabian, Ed Sheeran and Bastille.

On Saturday 29th September 2018, The Forum welcomed two more great live acts – Against The Current and special guests The FAIM. 

Upon arriving at the venue, there were queues of excited fans that trailed right around towards the back of the building.  When entering the lobby, our photographer, myself and all other attendees were scanned and had bags searched by the security teams on site.  The guidelines regarding security needed to be strict for such an event. So much so that even sweets and packets of gum were confiscated.  For those of you that may not know of The o2 Forum, here is a brief description of the venue.   The building is separated into two tiers, the floor for standing ticket holders and the upstairs balcony for a seated ticket area.  At the back of the room was a merchandise stand for both acts of the night and a bar running down the length of the room on the left hand side.

The Acts

Both Against The Current and The Faim have recently been extremely busy performing live at many locations around the world.

Against The Current are an American pop-rock band from Poughkeepsie, New York.  They originally formed back in 2011 and have grown exponentially popular with fans since their music videos on their YouTube channel became a viral sensation.

Current band members Chrissy Constanza (vocals), guitarist Dan Gow and drummer Will Ferri have all become household names around the world following the success of their early EPs and their debut album “In Our Bones”.  The trio have just celebrated the release of their second album “Past Lives”, which was released on 28th September 2018 – just one day before this live show at The Forum.  Vocalist Chrissy confirmed this by stating on stage “this is our first live show since the release of our second album!”

Playing live at The Forum this past weekend was just one short stop on the band’s busy world tour schedule.

Let’s not forget that the tickets were advertised as Against The Current and Special Guests.  Those special guests were the lovable lads that make up The Faim.

The Australian based band ( formerly known as Small Town Heroes) have seen soaring success under their new name.  Their debut single ‘Saints of the Sinners’ was co-written by the brilliant Pete Wentz of American rock band Fall Out Boy – giving the song a very edgy vibe.  The band have been rocking their way through a very busy 2018! I personally love these guys and have seen them perform live three times.  I have also been fortunate enough to meet them a couple of times too.  Honestly, they are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.  They always have time for their fans and show the highest appreciation for their ongoing support both in person and on social media.

Live Performances

Around 8.15pm, the lighting around the stage dimmed, leaving just a little blue light on show.  Before we knew it, there were some beats coming from the drum kit as we were given a small introductory solo from the band’s drummer Sean Tighe.  As the beats continued in a looping rhythm, each band member came out on stage one by one and picked up their instruments before the final entrance came from the band’s lead vocalist Josh Raven as he ran onto the stage being greeted by a huge roar of excited screams.  One of which came from myself.  The Faim jumped straight into performing their first song of the night ‘My Heart Needs To Breathe’.

Soon after we got to see them perform singles ‘Midland Line’ and ‘When It Comes’. The latter was great to see as I’ve been to a few of their shows before and hadn’t seen this performed live.

Roughly half way through their performance, the lights dimmed once more and the high energy had eased.  Lead singer Josh introduced a song of theirs with a heartwarming message for everyone there that night.  He had said that at some point in our lives we have all been through times or periods where we have had to face situations and “negative vibes” so the song he was introducing was about learning to face our fears and deal with them to move on.  The song he was referring to was ‘Make Believe’.  It is a song that contains very relatable lyrics for so many people.  So this is one that always seems to resonate well with fans at their live shows.

Of course, the band had picked up the pace again to continue to perform.  There was so much energy both on and off of the stage.  I say off of the stage as during ‘Saints Of The Sinners’ the band’s front man came down to perform in the crowd.

The Faim even personalised one of their songs for the venue’s location.  As they played their latest release, ‘A Million Stars’, the lyrics were altered.  There is a line in the song which is as follows: “Last I heard, she was spotted in Portland, Been two years, haven’t seen her again”.  “Portland” was changed to “London” which worked really well and was a nice little tribute to all of us there.

They ended their set with the song that is also the title of their current EP, ‘Summer Is A Curse’.

One last thing to add about The Faim‘s live show in Kentish Town. The award for most amusing moment goes to the band’s bassist and keyboard player Stephen Beerkens who picked up his keyboard, whizzed around and rocked out on it hard like a guitar. It certainly made me chuckle.

After the show, both Josh and Stephen were situated at the back of the room by their merch stand to greet their fans, pose for photos and sign autographs.  I also managed to speak to Stephen to ask about what’s next for The Faim.  He said that they have had a very busy 2018, but they’ve all had the best time! They will continue to tour with Against The Current on their European tour and will also be heading to America to write and record new material. Exciting stuff!

After a short interval, a buzzing atmosphere filled the room as the night’s main act were about to take centre stage.

Will Ferri (Drummer) and Dan Gow (Guitarist) from the band were first to make an entrance, quickly followed by vocalist Chrissy Constanza. As she walked out, she was greeted by huge screams from her fans. There was one particular fan standing quite close to me in the crowd, he was appearing to be having the best night of his life as he sang along, swayed and danced.  This man even approached me to say “Chrissy has the appearance and the voice of an angel”.  The petite, but energetic vocalist was often seen performing whilst standing on a platform at the front of the stage as she showcased the band’s songs.

Against The Current opened their London show with their single ‘Strangers Again’. The song proved extremely popular with the audience as vocals from the band could barely be heard over the vocals coming from the audience as they sang along. This was also the case as they performed well known hit ‘Gravity’ where Chrissy also made a request to everyone in the room saying “If you have a light on your phone, lets light those flashlights up!”.  The room was quickly filled with hundreds of bright white twinkling lights as they swayed in the air.

As the act wowed us with performances of older songs, putting on quite the visual display under pink and blue lighting, they continued to knock it out of the park as they gave us a taste of some material from their new album.  One of the new singles played from this new album, was the band’s latest release, ‘Voices’.  This track, along with ‘Almost Forgot’ gives their latest material less of an edgy, but more of a pop sound.  I quite like that Against The Current is a band who can easily showcase such a wide range of musical styles.

The trio also appear to have a really great connection with their fans. Early into their show, Constanza noticed a fan in the crowd waving a piece of artwork, and asked the fan if she could take it from them. It wasn’t long before she was off the stage and down into the crowd to collect the picture from her fan.

As expected by the enthusiastic fans, it was clear that they weren’t ready to go home as the act ‘finished’ their set with ‘Demons’.  I’m actually quite surprised that The Forum still has a roof on its building, as all that could be heard was loud chanting demanding more.

Members of Against The Current did indeed return to give their fans more for an encore that included the acoustic song ‘In Our Bones’ before then closing with ‘Wasteland’ and a blast from confetti canons from either side of the stage.

Against The Current and The Faim gave us a night to remember, leaving us with fond memories and looking forward to future material and shows.

Both artists are continuing their current UK/European tour.  Against The Current’s 2nd studio album ‘Past Lives’ and The Faim‘s current EP ‘Summer Is A Curse’ are available to purchase and download now!  If you love your pop/rock music then go and get them now! I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

All photos byKane Howie

To view more photos click here

  • AgainstTheCurrent1_KaneHowie
  • AgainstTheCurrent2_KaneHowie
  • AgainstTheCurrent3_KaneHowie
  • AgainstTheCurrent4_KaneHowie
  • AgainstTheCurrent5_KaneHowie
  • AgainstTheCurrent6_KaneHowie
  • AgainstTheCurrent7_KaneHowie
  • AgainstTheCurrent8_KaneHowie
  • AgainstTheCurrent9_KaneHowie
  • AgainstTheCurrent10_KaneHowie
  • TheFaim1_KaneHowie
  • TheFaim2_KaneHowie
  • TheFaim3_KaneHowie
  • TheFaim4_KaneHowie
  • TheFaim5_KaneHowie
  • TheFaim6_KaneHowie

Indoor Pets at Bedford Esquires-22nd September 2018

Saturday 22nd September 2018 saw the return of Indoor Pets (formerly known as Get Inuit) to the small loft like venue that is Bedford Esquires.  The band had previously played at the venue back in 2016 when they supported Spring King.

Upon walking into the venue – on arrival, our photographer and I could already hear the loud bass beats at the beginning of the first act’s set for the evening.  The act to kickstart the night of live music was Indie/Alternative band Luna Rosa. 

Luna Rosa are a band that originally formed in 2015 and have since seen great musical success.  They have played shows up and down the country and have even racked up an impressive run of playing over 200 gigs in just a few short years! Quite the achievment.  They released their debut EP in November 2015 and their single “This One (High On The Groove)” was aired on many radio stations and was well supported by the team behind BBC Introducing.

Their music style is somewhat unique and is accompanied by the gruff husky vocals of the band’s front man.  Although at this early point in the evening there wasn’t many people in the room, the band were still well received as people watched on with their drinks in their hands and their feet tapping on the floor.

From Luna Rosa we saw them perform original songs including “Fever” and their latest single “Fear, Filth, Dirt & Death”. They finished their set at exactly 9pm, leaving time for a short interval to allow their follow up act to set up their equipment on stage.

The second act of the evening was Indie/Rock band Monarchs.  The trio performed in a very eccentric manner and gave us quite an energetic show.  All three band members were very happy to play up to the photographers and expressed they were excited to be back performing in Bedford Town.  Although Monarchs are currently an unsigned act, they are well known on the music scene as they have supported other artists such as Spring King, The Amazons, Honey Lung and The Wytches just to name a few.

Monarchs have also played to a sold out crowd on home turf in Northampton as they wowed at their own headline gig.

During their live set at Bedford Esquires, they performed singles “Darker Shade Of Black”“Adjectives and Similies” and even latest single “You Got Me”.  By this time in the evening, the amount of people in the room had more than doubled.  They, along with the event’s main act had appeared to be very popular with the townsfolk of Bedford.

As expected, the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as people of all ages were waiting for the night’s main act to enter the stage.  Upon walking on stage and briefly introducing themselves, the band members of Indoor Pets jumped straight into their performance.  Although, quite early into the first song of their set they faced some technical difficulties, causing their performance to come to a halt.  Despite the hiccup, band memebrs JamieOllieJames and Rob were happy to talk the crowd through their technical hitch and were able to fill the time with jokes and laughter.  It wasn’t long (maybe about a minute) before they were back on track to give us a great energetic performance.

Indoor Pets have gained a huge following since forming and have only got better with each live show.  I have seen them live once before at Wilkestock Festival under their previous name.  I was impressed by their self labelled “Dirty Pop” style of music and heaps of enthusiasm back then.  Now I’m an even bigger fan after hearing both older and new music from the Kent based act on Saturday evening.  Their new material is a little edgier, but it hasn’t strayed too much from their original sound, which to be honest is great to see.  Their set list included singles “Being Strange” and new track “Heavy Thoughts”.  After a fun and rather bonkers set, the band exited to the left of the stage as crowds of people were left loudly chanting “Encore! Encore!”.

Less than a couple of minutes later, the lads walked back onto the stage while stating “We don’t usually do encores.  No one ever asks for them”.  They played one last song for the excited audience that stood before them.  They began to play their well known single “Cutie Pie, I’m Bloated” when once again, they endured more technical problems.  The band members appeared to find this situation rather amusing as they commented “we messed up the first song, and now we’ve messed up the last one!”  Again they were able to resolve their issues very quickly and professionally to give us all a great end to our Saturday night.

Indoor Pets’ latest single “Hi” is out now and is available to purchase on Spotify and Apple Music.  They are also continuing to play more shows in various locations over the UK until the end of 2018.

Photos by Kane Howie

For more photos click here.

Wilkestock Festival 2018

Wilkestock is one of the best annual events in the small festival scene. Returning for it’s 11th year, the festival provided possibly the best line up that it has ever had.  For those who aren’t aware, Wilkestock is situated at Frogmore Hill just on the outskirts of Stevenage in Hertfordshire.  The tiny  festival consists of a main arena scattered with recycled sofas, two bars, and also several other stages around the outline of the main arena, all constructed from straw bales. No bricks and mortar needed! Wilkestock even introduced a brand new addition for 2018, the “Home Grown” stage.

This years’ event basked in glorious British sunshine for the whole weekend which was perfect to lie back, relax and enjoy a cold brew to watch the huge array of bands on the multiple stages. On arrival to the site and after picking up my press passes for the weekend, security had ensured to do a full bag search to ensure everyone’s safety.  Wilkestock, unfortunately have had security problems in the past, although for this year’s fun filled weekend, they appeared to have stepped up their game.

Of course aside from the stage points, the festival also provided appropriate bathroom facitlies, a camping area- with a fancy shower block making it’s debut this year, a childrens area including crazy golf and inflatables to play on, also stalls including sales of traditional festival attire and accessories and also a glitter tent where everyone could treat themselves to a sparkly makeover (this small tent was run by some very jolly people and artists). Surprisingly this small sparkle filled tent often filled with men. It was great to see them walking around with crystals on their faces and glitter filled beards. One thing that stood out for the glitter stall was that all the glitter that was used was biodegradable and is made from plant sources.  Very eco friendly. And I can’t leave out the food court! Oh my goodness, there were some simple, yet amazing food on offer at this festival.  I sampled many, many seasoned sweet potato fries, a pizza (which in my opinion was a little over priced at £8 for a simple cheese and tomato stone baked pizza so there isn’t much to them, although still tasty), and also noodles. The Chinese/oriental cuisine vender served some delicious meals and even though I opted for the simplest most plain option on the menu – I think it was even called plain and simple noodles (which was also a vegan option), but it was big in flavour! So Wilkestock provides ticket holders with three days of great live music variety.  The whole weekend just kept giving, with brilliant performances from all.  Although I have chosen to highlight my top acts for each day of the event.

Friday 31st August 

Day one of Wilkestock 2018 was opened by grunge/rock band Tigress.  The five piece from Chelmsford took to the Main Stage to perform their edgy tracks including, “Paranoid”, “Hangman” and more. Unfortunately during their set, they were faced with a few techicnal difficulties so there were occasionally left in silent pauses while not much happened on stage to fill the silence.  Although the band did make light of the teething problems and were able to continue with their set fully, with no further hiccups.

Continuing with a heavier style of rock music, Defences put on an unusual performance. I can kind of liken their music to a combination of Evanescence meets Linkin Park perhaps.  Roaring male vocals and softer female vocals to assist.  The band released their debut album last year and appear to be doing well in the music scene.

Later in the afternoon the Bella stage opened and also had a great variety of artists. One I particularly enjoyed was Bedfordshire based all male pop/punk band Behind The Lines. Not only did they perform some awesome tracks, they also packed out the tent for the duration of their entire set!  If you like music from acts such as Bowling For Soup, Sum 41 or maybe even Blink 182, then this band will probably be one for you to check out.

Later in the day, I also got to see a great set performed by Radio 1 favourite, Fizzy Blood. A rock/alternative band who are currently making their way up into the music world. They also actually sound far better live than recorded in my opinion.  So if you get the chance to see them live, then I reccomend you buy a ticket.

The most stand out act for me on friday was Glasgow based rockers The Lafontaines.  Taking to the Main Stage, their set included mostly upbeat feel good catchy music, which got many people up off of their rather comfortable sofas.  At one point the band’s front man even leapt down from the stage to take a walk around the main arena.  He also decided to literally couch surf before leaping off of one of the recycled furniture pieces. Thanks to our photographer, there is an epic jump shot of this exact moment.  We managed to catch up with band after their set backstage and their singer was rather impressed with this photo that we had managed to capture.

Friday evening also saw another big techincal problem. Unfortunately the festival was left in darkness and almost silent as the main generator had failed (rumour had it).  This had affected almost the entire site, including the food vendors appliances. In total this issue lasted for around half an hour, although during this time the Bella Stage at the back of the site was still able to generate power. So even though the poor Main Stage was hung out to dry, the feel good party vibes continued in the Bella Stage.  Despite the rather large technical hitch, people really weren’t too bothered.  Everyone was still in high spirits and were happy to chug down their drinks from their refillable plastic cups.

Thankfully with the efforts of the organisers, volunteers and production teams, the generator was back up and running.  The site was once again lit up with light and a buzzing electric energy. Everyone was more than ready to welcome the evening’s headline act, Mallory Knox.

The Cambridge based alternative rock band were anticipated by many.  I for one, was very much looking forward to seeing them perform live.  They have had a lot of airplay over the years, particularly from the very popular BBC Radio 1.  As expected, they put on a brilliant show for us all to see, although there wasn’t too much movement on stage from the band, there was an array impressive laser light shows accompanied by smoke machines and performances of all of their well known hits including, “Black Holes”, “Ghost In The Mirror” and personal favourite of mine “Shout At The Moon”. 

Saturday 1st September

Although a little tired from Friday night’s frivolities, myself and our photographer headed back for day two of Wilkestock!  Saturday was opened by this year’s local Battle Of The Bands winners Slap.

Slap were shortly followed by the band Fiende Fatale.  Their set was just a tad eccentric and I won’t lie, the singer’s appearance was somewhat different to say the least.  With smeared bright red lipstick (putting The Joker to shame) and a vest covered in hot dogs, the vocalist dominated the space he had with his on stage antics and interesting lyrics in the band’s music including a song titled “Vegan Cocaine”. An unusual act, but it totally works, they seemed to be quite popular there that day.

Another act worth mentioning is Wilkestock veterans The Scruff.  The band have been very well recieved in previous years while performing at the festival.  The band’s lead singer Adam, opened their set with probably the most amusing statement of the weekend “I’ve had a stella for breakfast and a hash in the van on the way here, but who cares? The sun’s out!”. The Scruff have returned to the festival fresh from playing at this year’s Reading and Leeds Festival. During their set we heard songs including the band’s current single “White Flag” and the very emotional “Her”.  They ended their set with a brilliant instrumental piece before exiting the stage.

There is one act that cannot be forgotten wherever they go.  They always leave their mark. The act I’m talking about is the very bonkers Strange Bones.  There is no other place to be for this band except on the main stage.  The band, from Blackpool, brought in some impressive crowds to surround the main stage as they performed.  Before this band had even entered the arena to perform, our photographer had said to me “The singer is known for jumping into the crowds”.  Low and behold, he was spot on!  The singer leapt from the stage numerous times, not only to perform and just be part of the crowds of people but also to just lie back and crowd surf too.  As their segment went on they were still pulling in new onlookers to join the masses in the main arena.  There is only one way to describe a live music set from Strange Bones, and that is loud, lary, madness!

All female rock band PINS brought a different vibe to the day. It was a performance to showcase girl power. I heard many people infront of me using that phrase over and over again. With two band members looking like love children of Sia and Lady Gaga, they certainly brought something different with their style of music, including heavy guitar riffs. Halfway through their set the bands drummer gave us an impressive intrumental solo. The main vocalist had great onstage presence and was often seen standing up on the drumkit platform to perform.

After a fantastic performance just two short years ago, the festival welcome back Eliza And The Bear. They have just finished a tour to promote their newest album “Group Therapy” which is due for realease in October this year. As anticipated just as they did two years ago they proved to be a very popluar act within the Wilkestock community. As far as the eye could see people could be seen up on their feet dancing, even on platforms and props scattered around the grounds. We got to hear performances of their singles “Lions Heart”, “It Gets Cold”, the almighty anthem that is “Friends” and not forgetting an awesome cover of Earth Wind and Fire’s well known hit “September”.

Saturday evening was brought to a close after a performance from headline act The Fratellis.

Sunday 2nd September

Althought their was a variety of performances on the Sunday the atmostphere was far quieter and much more relaxed. Performances included sets from Minnie Birch, Didi, Zoe Phillips, Crystal Tides and more. The final act on main stage came from Oh My God! It,s the Church! What a way to end an awesome weekend!

Throughout the entire weekend inbetween each act there were also DJ sets from DJ Adam O and Matt Crawley which encouraged giant, not necessarily pitch perfect sing-a-longs.

Wilkestock Festival is an event that you will unlikely be dissapointed by, with affordable ticket prices and alot to offer as there is something there for everyone, no matter what your taste in music may be.

Don’t forget to check out the Wilkestock site for more information and next years tickets here!

For more photos by Kane Howie check out our flickr page here!

 

Bedford Park Concerts 2018!

The first weekend of August 2018 saw the return of the brilliant Bedford Park Concerts. I had an absolute blast last year, so I was excited to attend
again. For those of you who are not already award, this is a three day event that begins on the Friday evening and comes to a close on the Sunday. The
organisers have never failed to provide a fantastic line up. Previously they have given us performances from Jason Donavon, Tom Jones, UB40, Dizzee
Rascal, Kaiser Chiefs and more. Once more for 2018, ticketholders were able to make memories with friends and family whilst watching yet another
handful of brilliant acts.

Upon entering the site at Bedford Park, I could see a wide variety of food vendors, ranging from fish and chips and pizza to vegan street food and
sweets. Also there was an abundance of bathroom facilities and access to a couple of different bars serving everyones favourite beverages. Also importantly, the teams from the brilliant St Johns Ambulance were placed in their own gazebo at the back of the park and also stationed on patrol at various locations around the site. As previous
years the event was sponsored by BMW Barons Bedford, so there was also an array of automotive beauties on display and test drive booking options.

Friday

Friday 3rd August i had the weekend kicking off to a great start. The entier evening was filled with chilled reggae and soulful vibes. At times I even
felt like I was being transported to a beautiful  beach covered in white sand with crystal clear waters in my mind. It was one of the most chilled out gigs I have ever been to.
Which was really quite nice and very enjoyable. During this relaxed segment of the evening we got to see performances from British Reggae band ASWAD,
who are best known for their infectious hit singles ‘Don’t Turn Around’ and ‘Shine’. To which were the final two songs of their set.

Also Friday evening brought us a brilliant segment from The Christians, the band had celebrated the achievement of 30 years together just last year. The band from
Liverpool have also seen huge success in their debut album which sold over a million copies. Their set included  their first single ‘Forgotten Town’
which turned out to be quite apt as they had to ask the audience exactly where they were performing which was quite amusing.  We also got to see them
perform their cover of ‘Here Comes The Sun’ which was originally performed by The Beatles after the song was written by George Harrison.

The next act certainly took it up a notch as she ramped up the energy while she dominated the stage.That lady was the sensational Jaki Graham. She
stood out in her eyecatching fringed attire while wowing us with her vocals. It was clear to see she could not wait for her turn to be on the stage.
Graham appeared to be so genuinely happy to perform, she even stated “I came out feeling like Jaki no mates,but here you all are, I love you” which was
followed by plenty of air kisses to the crowds of people before her. From Jaki, we heard hits including ‘Could It Be Im Falling In Love?’,  ‘Ain’t
Nobody’
  and even new music including the title track of her new album, ‘When A Woman Loves‘.

Of course, this night belonged to one man, the legend that is Mr Billy Ocean. The Trinidadian-English recording artist is  well known for his catchy
R&B pop hits, predomintally in the 1970s and 1980s. I was born in the late 1980s but even I can appreciate his amazing talent and infamous hits.
People of all ages were so excited to see this man perform live.  Billy’s set was clean cut while he showcased his smooth moves as he dazzled in a
brilliant white suit.  Billy Ocean may not be as young as he once was, but this performance proved that age certainly is just a number.  His
performance was one of nostalgia and high emotion as he serenaded us with singles including ‘Caribbean Queen’, ‘When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough
Gets Going’, ‘Suddenly’ 
and the huge ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’.

Saturday

On Saturday 4th August, we got to see a very different line up compared to the previous evening.  The evening was filled with pop and dance tunes.  We
saw performances from up and coming solo act Hannah Jane Lewis, DJ sets in between main acts, male solo artist Sam Willis, who was sat for most of his
set behind a keyboard playing beautiful music and gracing us with vocals that could closely be likened to international pop star Bruno Mars.  So if
you’re looking for musical “Treasure” be sure to check out Sam’s music.  Also there was a very lively set from the band that gave birth to Harry Styles’
music career.  White Eskimo.  The quartet rock-pop band were all smartly dressed in fitted black suits and slim ties around their necks as they gave us
quite the show.  They certainly knew how to work their magic on the audience, especially impressionable girls within their teenage years.  Although,
some did try to cause a stir by chanting “Harry!, Harry!, Harry!”, the lads remained focused and professional as they were seen laughing off the little
stunt and carried on with a brilliant display of musical genuis.  The down to earth band members clearly loved to play up to the cameras and also took
time out after their set for a meet and greet with their fans at the VW Campervan style photobooth on site.

What impressed me most about these performances weren’t actually anything to do with the acts at all. I can’t continue with this review without mentioning some of the best talent that I saw all weekend.  Just to the leftof the stage as the acts were live, also live were some people communicating in British Sign Language.  These talented people were performing songs along with the acts on stage. What a phenominal idea! I’ve been to a lot of gigs and festivals since becoming a writer for such events and never once had I seen this at any other event before.  Bedford Park Concerts are one of the small handful of events that actually include this thoughtful feature to their line up.

Shortly after 8pm, hundreds of people were seen moving as close to the front of the stage as they could possibly get, as something exciting was about
to take place in the park.  All over the site I could hear chanting demanding “We want Jess!, We Want Jess!” Everyone was stood waiting in ancitipation
for female solo artist Jess Glynne. The music scene first intriduced us to the female soloist back in 2014 upon the UK release of Clean Bandit’s
mammoth single ‘Rather Be’.  Jess‘ vocals shone on the track.

Although a little later than expected, Jess walked out onto the stage, gave everyone a quick “hello” and got straight down to business to perform the
first song of her set, ‘Ain’t Got Far To Go’. The chart topper also included her well known string of hits such as ‘Right Here’, ‘Don’t Be So Hard On
Yourself’ 
and ‘Hold My Hand’ before then slowing things down to what I can only state was a very emotional segment of her time on stage at Bedford
Park
.  Glynne stood quietly at the front of the stage to introduce her next song of the evening and then dedicated it to a young girl and her mother.
She continued to say “before I came on stage tonight, I got to meet a very special young girl, she’s so special and deserves some love”.  The singer
then continued to sing her balled ‘Home’.  Many sang along as they swayed their hands gently through the air.  It was rather difficult to hold back the
tears during this stage to be honest.  It wasa beautiful and heartfelt few moments.  Jess Glynne is well known for her upbeat pop
tracks, so the pace was picked up once again, getting everyone into the party mood they came to experience.  This performance brought so much to the
weekend’s event. Fun, emotion and pure pop brilliance!

To close saturday night, the organisers of the concerts had the perfect plan.  To end the night on a huge party! Woo Hoo! Bring on Felix Buxton and
Simon Ratcliffe, aka Basement Jaxx! The duo hit the stage and took their place behind a huge DJ deck as they pumped out some ravetastic tunes.  As they
played remixed of their own hits including the mighty ‘Red Alert‘, crowds of people were jumping around like hyper school children without a care in
the world.  All under a fantastic laser light show.  What a way to end the night!

Sunday 

As with previous years, the final day of frivolities at Bedford Park brought the most pompous yet patriotic day of my festival season calendar. The
Bedford Park Proms. Proms day has always been known to feature performances showcasing a variety of renditions of songs from musicals and film
soundtracks.  Before attending the event that day, I had said to my partner (to quote myself) “I guaruntee that we will hear music probably the biggest
film sountrack of the last year, The Greatest Showman”.  Yes,I was pleasantly 100% right! It’s a soundtrack that I personally love to listen to very
regularly, so I was excited to witness the children of the Pilgrims School Choir sing ‘A Million Dreams’ followed by the Bedford Girls School Choir
singing their version of  ‘The Greatest Show’ – which had a brilliant foot tapping routine to go with it.  Parents, teachers and pupils from both school choirs should
feel incredibly proud of their efforts during their performances.

What was fresh to see was a a brilliant set from the very talented Joe Bygraves.  It was like watching a protege of Ed Sheeran’s standing on stage with
an acoustic guitar and soft vocals.  He and his music were definitely a bighighlight of the day in my opinion.  Not only did he perform his own
versions of songs including Ed Sheeran’s ‘Galway Girl’ and Wheatus’ ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, he also had a great range of original songs to offer too, including ‘Childhood Sweetheart‘ and another, which was inspired by the fiesty fictitious character Daenarys Targaryen from the popular TV series Game Of Thrones.  Joe’s music can currently be found on both Spotify and itunes.  I highly recommend you check him out – especially if you’re a big fan of a certain red headed guitar playing male
solo artist.

The official start to the Proms begins now! The Bedford Town Band kicked things off with a pretty impressive feature.  All of their music was taken
from the 1996 film ‘Brassed Off’ which starred Ewan McGregor.

Of course, the Bedford Park Proms wouldn’t be the same without the return of the mesmerising talents that make up the London Gala Orchestra.  I’m no
classical music buff, but I didn’t need to be to appreciate just how magical their symphonies can be. They even had me singing rather loudly “Just One
Cornetto!”
(Some of you will know what I am referring to there) haha. During some performances the orchestra were also joined by other guests including
the Bedford Choral Society and of course the evening’s operatic soloists. Tenor Jeff Stewart and the nation’s musical sweetheart Lesley Garrett.  Both
were intruguing and enchanting to watch as they performed both alone and together.  The pair even at one point sang a beautiful duet while drinking a
glass of tipple and dancing as if they were ready for the wow at the ballroom.

 

Lastly in true proms style to end the evening and the weekend long event, the site was filled with sea of red, white and blue flags and costumes during
a very british and patriotic segment before the big finale! A very spectacular firework display that filled the air with colour and sparkle and
contentment in our hearts.

There is no doubt about it that the organisers of this annual event deserve a huge round of applause and a pat on the back for yet another job well
done and a successful 2018 weekend event.  I loved every minute of last year, I had so much fun this year, and preparations for next year’s weekend are
already underway.  I only hope I will be lucky enough to attend as a reviewer for a third time in 2019.

For more photos click below

Friday    Saturday   Sunday

All photos by  Kane Howie www.kanehowiephotography.co.uk

Truck Festival 2018 Photo Blog

Truck Festival the Godfather of the small festival scene is back for 2018. The four day sold out event was mostly bathed in glorious British sunshine, a huge improvement on the torrential downpours and mud baths from last year.  In my opinion it has been one of the best yet.   With an fantastic lineup on offer, it was one I couldn't miss. For the first time and fresh for 2018 the organisers introduced an early Thursday entry ticket which meant you could be one of the first to see the site and grab the best camping pitches.  It also meant that that ticket holders for this date would be able to view some additional acts.

2018 saw a more compact layout for the site, compared to previous years, which actually worked out great for myself as it meant it was much easier and quicker to move from stage to stage. There were a wide selection of food vendors around the site, including a food tent which was run by the Faringdon District and Rotary Club with all proceeds going straight to charity. The Rotary Club is a great addition to the festival as it includes people from the local community.

The festival was headlined by Peace, Friendly Fires, George Ezra and The Courteeners.

The weekend was quite the scorcher with high temperatures and the sun beaming down on us all.  Although Friday evening brought a short downpour of rain, it certainly didn't dampen anyone's spirits. People wanted to party!

There were a huge number of bands and artists performing over the weekend on different stages. The Apple Tree was new this year which was hosted by Magners, in which there were acts playing on their stage and DJ sets by bands too.

Also on the site there were kids activities, water stations, fairground rides, food vendors, bars and a selection of stalls selling clothes, glasses, hats and more.

Our photographer Kane Howie was there to document the weekend. Check out some of his work below.

Anteros on Truck Stage

 

Dream Wife on Market Stage

 

Friendly Fires on Truck Stage

 

George Ezra on Truck Stage

 

Goat Girl on Market Stage

 

I Cried Wolf on The Nest

 

Pale Waves on Market Stage

 

The Courteeners on Truck Stage

 

Paint Fight at Truck Stage

 

Sumo Wrestling at Truck Festival

 

Swing Carousel at Truck Festival

 

Crowd at Truck Stage

Magners, The Apple Tree at Truck Festival

We cant wait to see whats in store for next year. You can now purchase early bird tickets HERE!!

Fore more photos visit our flickr page HERE!!

All photos by KANE HOWIE

 

Bedford Park 2018 Preview

Last year, I had a great time spending a weekend at Bedford Park Concerts.  It was certainly a weekend that I won’t likely forget.  So, of course, I am very excited to be able to attend again this year.  I also have no doubt that it will be another great weekend for all, jam packed with entertainment for all ages.

Friday 3rd August 2018

To begin the weekend’s event Bedford Park will be welcoming headline act, the legendary Billy Ocean.  The legend himself has sold over 30 million records all over the world in his career to date.

Billy is known for his hits “Love Really Hurts Without You”, “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Gets Going” and “Caribbean Queen”. So warm up those vocal chords to a huge sing-a-long!

Also on the first night of the weekend (Friday 3rd August 2018) Billy will also be joined on stage by supporting acts including:

Jaki Graham

A soul singer with a powerful voice who is known to put on quite a visual show.  You can expect to hear hits “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” and also “Round and Round”.

ASWAD

ASWAD has spent two decades on the music scene and have also released an impressive fifteen albums! They also remain to be one of the best love British Reggae bands and are known for their singles “Don’t Turn Around” and “Shine”.

Loose Ends ft Carl Mcintosh

They will get you moving and grooving with unique take on the British soul sound.  They are expected to perform hits including “Hangin’ On A String” and “Slow Down”.

Last but not least of Fridays night’s support acts is The Christians.  A band that stormed their way into the British pop scene in the 80s and early 90s with singles including “World”, “Born Again” and “When The Fingers Point”. Their version is “Harvest For The World” also raised millions for well known charity Unicef.

Saturday 4th August

This date is probably the most anticipated date of the entire weekend.  Bedford Park Concerts have continued to provide us with another amazing line up to to reel us all in.  The evening will see support acts including rising pop star Hannah Jane Lewis which will be a first for the singer. Also Sam Wills will be performing too.

But of course this night will focus on the evening’s well known acts Basement Jaxx and headline act, the almighty Jess Glynne!

Basement Jaxx

Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton aka Basement Jaxx began their career as underground producers and event promoters in back in 1995.  The pair have seen huge success and have known sales of more than three million albums!  Their infamous debut album “Remedy” and their collection “The Singles” took the world by storm.  They also received a Grammy for their third album “Kish Kash” and are double BRIT award winners for the title of Best Dance Act.  They are known for their huge hits “Where’s Your Head At?”, “Romeo” and the bonkers dance anthem “Red Alert”.  Basement Jaxx are continuing to work on new projects for 2018 including working on music for a TV show which will feature on ITV.  I have no doubt that their DJ set will get everyone in a great mood.

Jess Glynne

Glynne was introduced to the music world back in 2014 as she featured as a vocalist on Clean Bandit’s Grammy Award winning “Rather Be”. Since then she has given us hit after glorious hit!  She has in her own right become one of the biggest female breakthrough artists of the UK in recent years.  Other singles fans will recognise include “Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself”, “Right Here”, the more sombre “Take Me Home”. She is also now back in the charts once more while providing vocals for Rudimental’s newest single “These Days”.  I personally guarantee you will be in for an amazing set from this artist. I have seen her perform live once before and she completely dominated the event she was playing at.  

Sunday 5th August 2018

Sunday sees the return of the very popular Bedford Park Proms.  This year’s event will feature the soloist known as the one and only English Soprano Lesley Garrett.  Not only is she an incredible musician but she is also known as a broadcaster and general media personality.  Leslie has an impressive cross-over repertoire that stretches from Mozart to Meat Loaf while performing in numerous West End Musicals.  Alongside Lesley will also be Tenor Jeff Stewert, his dramatic voice means that he is always in demand not only in opera but other musical platforms too.  The Bedford Park Proms is self described as “an evening of pomp and patriotism that the whole family can enjoy”.  With over 120 performers on stage this will surely be quite a magnificent event. We will also see the return of the extraordinary London Gala Orchestra who will be conducted by Stephen Bell as they take to the stage to perform pieces including Handel’s Zadok The Priest.

On this date the organisers encourage you to bring picnics and your own drinks along too.  There is a VIP option available as well as general admission to the site.  So dust off those candelabras and get out the best plastic silverware you can buy! Because it’s Proms night!

For more infortmation and tickets visit https://www.bedfordparkconcerts.co.uk/

Geronimo Festival 2018 Review (Knebworth Park)

It's the ultimate family festival in the UK and The Sunday Mirror have labelled it as "Glastonbury for kids!"  Yes, this review will feature the brilliant Geronimo Festival.  For 2018 Geronimo was brought to ticket holders at two different locations.  The first being at Cheshire's Arley Hall and the second being Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire.  I was lucky enough to be able to attend the two day event at Knebworth Park on the weekend of 30th June – 1st July.  

With Geronimo being the ultimate family festival, I made the most out of the event by taking my three year old son along with me.  The line up was jam packed with well known CBeebies presenters, characters and many other recognisable faces that my son believes to be his idols, so there was no way I could leave him at home with the grandparents for this one.  

The site was easy to find, although we did have to queue in a lot of heavy traffic outside of the park at the top end of Stevenage.  I believe we sat in our car and waited for around 20 minutes.  The organisers of the festival had hired traffic control teams and stationed them outside of the park to help to manage traffic levels in a more effective manner.  On Saturday morning, the workers that were taking on this role, actually appeared to struggle with the amount of cars building up, as traffic could be seen queuing onto the A1.  Although by Sunday the problems had been resolved and it was far easier to enter the site straight away without any problems at all.  

Walking into the actual festival site was like walking into a wonderland. There was so much to see and do.  At the entrance there were dancing trees, a clown on stilts, floating bubbles, balloons, brightly coloured flags, music and more. This was a festival that had it all.  At the back of the site there was access to an inflatable village, a fun fair with a large Ferris wheel, Helter Skelters, smaller rides, traditional fairground stalls and games.  There was also a climbing wall, a real life arcade where children and parents alike could be part of games like Whack-a-mole, giant Jenga and Tetris. It felt like everyone was able to be a character from the blockbuster Ready Player one.  I won't forget to mention there were also plenty of access to toilet facilities, water stations, nappy changing and breastfeeding tents as well smaller live shows including stunts, imaginative plays and a brilliant live Dino show which my son watched numerous times.  Children were asked to volunteer to meet a 'real' baby T-Rex, aptly named Rex in a fun and interactive segment.  

The whole weekend was presented by former CBeebies presenter Alex Winters. What a brilliant choice.  Not only did he introduce acts on stage, he also entertained the audiences in between set times, he was also casually walking around the site meeting everyone and would cover all of the site to promote other events going on around the site that weren't featured on the main (Castle) stage.  As the weekend event fell in the middle of a heatwave, what was also great about Alex was that he was there to be an assistance to parents to advise children to put on their sun creams, wear protective clothing like hats and drink plenty of water.  This worked very well. Also regarding the heatwave –  Winters was often seen on stage throwing out water balloons and buckets of water to the crowds of people in front of the main stage to keep everyone cool, which actually was really helpful in the scorching temperatures.  

There was also a great variety of food provided by vendors at the event.  On offer were ice-creams, deluxe milkshakes (at a whopping £8 each!), stone baked pizzas, the traditional burgers and fries, sushi, vegan and oriental street food and plenty of sugary treats for the little ones.  

Before I get to the performers that were featured at the weekend event, I would like to share with you all just how much there was to do on site.   We never once got bored as there was always something else to take part in or see.  My son was able to part in a wide variety of craft activities, which was actually really lovely as it meant taking something home.  All craft activities were FREE, but were happy to receive donations should ticket holders want to offer to support their organisations.  An example of just some of the crafts included making bug bling and pine cone insects by the lovely people from The Fairyland Trust, wicker craft which meant shaping and decorating either balloons, wings or baskets, wooden staff carving – so ideal to bring out your inner explorer or wizard. Also clay modelling, soap carving, ceramic tile decorating inside the Messy Kids workshop tent. 

Over the weekend there were so many amazing performances including shows from Sohan Bollywood – pretty self explanatory, but it was a colourful, fun and interactive Bollywood dance show where parents and children were invited up onto the stage to dance along.  Also Junior Frood – a teen dancer who has amazing talent at such a young age. He does all of his own choreography, has already danced alongside pop star Justin Bieber and is soon on his way to Hollywood to work with celebrity choreographer Brian Friedman.  Other very amusing and interactive shows came from CBeebies presenters Sid & Rebecca (who are well known for their imaginative TV programme "Let's Play") and also the very funny and cheeky pirates Cook & Line from the very popular children's television  programme "Swashbuckle".  

 

Here is some information of some of the most standout performances of the weekend:

Andy and The Oddsocks – Saturday

Andy Day is probably one of, if not the most famous of the CBeebies presenters.  He is easily recognisable for his height, big hair and his smiley, jolly nature. Andy is well known for his many adventures on CBeebies shows including "Andy's Wild Adventures", "Andy's dinosaur Adventures", "Andy's Prehistoric Adventures" and most recently his "Safari Adventures" on the pre-school aged television channel.  Now he will be known for something completely different. For being in a band!  Andy and The Oddsocks have recently recorded and released their debut album, titled "Who Invited This Lot?" which is solely aimed at young children.  At the beginning of the set, we got to meet The Oddsocks (Blu, Moxy and Mac) first as they entered the main stage.  Of course there was a big build up to introduce the main man himself (Andy Day) as band member Mac worked the audience to encourage everyone to chant "Andy! Andy! Andy!" 

Day ran onto the stage to greet the crowds of screaming pre-schoolers and some very enthusiastic mothers. Haha! The set was highly energetic and involved a lot of audience participation including bouncing giant inflatable footballs around the arena.  The band told the stories behind each one of their very catchy songs that they performed including:"Aliens", "Ninja Pig",  "Groover Hoover" – which saw the introduction of Hetty The Highland Hoover, "Dinosaur Football Legend Mega Match" and the song with a heartfelt meaning "Unique". 

I was also lucky enough to meet Andy Day backstage for a chat before they were due to grace the main stage to discuss more about Andy and The Oddsocks.  He was just as everyone imagines him to be, so down to earth and just lovely.  My son was also clearly very star struck when he got to meet his hero. Thank you to Andy for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet  with me.  

To find out what's next for Andy and The Oddsocks and to check out my interview with Andy click on the video link below:

Katy Ashworth – Saturday and Sunday

Katy is best known for her presenting role on children's television programmes "I Can Cook!" and "I Can Cook With You".  The presenter is currently heavily pregnant, but this certainly wasn't going to hold her back from putting on some amazing shows.  How she had that much energy I do not know. She is a role model for not only children but mothers alike. She sang a couple of traditional children's songs, one of them being the very popular  "Wheels On The Bus" and also songs from "I Can Cook" which I even ended up singing along to, but there was a lot of amusing puns and innuendo within her show aimed at parents so that it was certainly something that we could all genuinely really enjoy too.  I remember at one point she asked parents "Who out there eats the children's left overs?"many people admitted to this so she continued with "Oh yes, a lovely soggy fish finger on a Wednesday night after Brownies!" Katy also had the audience interacting by playing a giant game of "Fruit Bowl" which is a game where children, mums and dads all had to impersonate and represent a piece of fruit whenever she called out it's name.  Towards the end of her segment she also invited three dads up onto the stage to help her 'cook' were they helped her make a banana milkshake and the winner was presented with a wooden spatula with her name on it and the runners up being given wooden spoons with the same inscription. 

Mr Bloom & His Band – Sunday

Mr Bloom is a very popular CBeebies character played by Cornish actor Ben Faulks. He is a keen gardener and has been involved in programmes including "Mr Bloom's Nursery" and "Here And There" where he teaches children about nature, the importance of gardening and also goes on day trips with children (or as he calls them 'Tiddlers') and their families.  The famous gardener strolled out onto a stage that was surrounded by giant inflatable fruit and vegetables as he introduced everyone to his band before shortly bursting into song while playing his ukulele as they performed the well known theme tune for his programme "Here And There".  The show included a fruit and vegetable guessing game to which children in the audience won whatever food item Mr Bloom was showing on stage.  I've never known young children to be so excited over a piece of fruit or a vegetable. Many families could do with their own Mr Bloom in their households at mealtimes if that's what it takes to get children to eat their 5-a-day.  Like Katy Ashworth's set there was also a lot of innuendo filled humour for the grown ups too. Even a discussion about the possibility of the band playing music by Metallica

 

Justin Fletcher – Sunday

Justin Fletcher, MBE, is the man behind many lovable children's characters.  He is most famously known for his TV show "Something Special" where he appears as a clown like character named Mr Tumble. He teaches children how to use Makaton in their daily lives.  This form of sign language makes Mr Tumble a firm favourite in many family households and he is held dear to the hearts of families with children who may have physical or learning difficulties.  His show started in the most spectacular way possible, he was supported by backing dancers as he came out singing original single, the infectious "Just Party" while confetti cannons were released and filled the grounds in front of the Castle stage with bright colours.  He soon went on to sing "Happy Birthday" in case anyone at the event were celebrating a birthday around the time of the festival.  Fletcher also went on to announce that his TV show "Something Special" is 15 years old this year and that he has been in the business for  an impressive 20 years! He followed the announcement with a huge thank you to everyone for their support over those years.  There was also a further announcement that the presenter had to share with his fans, he told everyone that there will be a new series of "Gigglebiz" on it's way and that there's only 2 more weeks of filming.  Exciting stuff.  As "Gigglebiz" was mentioned he went on to bring some other well known characters of his to life including Arthur Sleep, Keith Fit and Gail Force.  His show also included a the biggest "Hokey Cokey" with the whole arena getting involved and other songs including "Let's Go Fly A Kite", "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", and "Wibble and Wobble". There was also a chance for both parents and children to show him their Makaton skills before he closed his set by singing "The Goodbye Song"Justin Fletcher not only put on an amazing show, but he clearly had an amazing time himself too.  

My little family had the best time at Geronimo Festival, it really is a festival like no other and is perfect for the whole family to enjoy.  This is a festival that I highly recommend to everyone and one that I hope to return to in 2019.  Some details for the 2019 weekend have already been put into place including the line up. For more information about what Geronimo has in store for all of the Geronimites in 2019 check out their website.

Photos by Kane Howie

For more photos CLICK HERE!!

 

 

Amprocks Festival 2018 Review

This weekend saw the return of Amp Rocks! The live music concert is part of the annual three day event, Ampthill Festival.  Amp Rocks is known for taking ticket holders back in time to hear music that we may not have heard for decades.  This year was no different.  The organisers of the festival also have a tradition of supporting local music by inviting the latest local Battle Of The Bands winners to perform on stage to open the weekend event. The band that kicked off the event this year was The Kazoos. The battle of the bands winner took over the stage by performing covers of hits including Florence and The Machine's "Kiss With A Fist" and the hugely popular "Valerie" – made famous by the unforgettable, late Amy Winehouse.  

After the performance from the local group there was a short interval, this gave me some time to take a wonder around the site.Just as the previous year had seen, there was plenty of facilities on the grounds. An abundance of port-a-loos, two bars and a lot of food vendors.  When in the food court area, I could see burgers, fries, hot dogs, an ice-cream van, a sweet stall and stone baked pizzas.  Although the range was good, I do have two little niggles regarding the food court.  Firstly, which actually surprised me, there did not appear to be any vegan food options other than perhaps a portion of chips, which cost £5. One food vendor even decided to charge another £1.50 on top of that if you wanted sauce on those chips/fries so if you were in the mood for cheesy chips it would have cost you £6.50. Although, I have since been informed by one of the organisers of the event that there were indeed some vegan food options, including tacos . This may have just been something that may not have been advertised as loudly as it was expected to have been.  Regarding food prices, I understand that the food vendors need to cover the cost of being at the event and they also need to make a profit, also food at events such as this one tend to be on the expensive side, but the prices these vendors were charging were verging on extortion. In this present time, Veganism is taking over the world. More and more people are choosing to live a vegan lifestyle, particularly when it comes to their diet.  So having no vegan food options was quite unusual to see at a festival scene nowadays.  The other problem that I had with the food court was where it was situated.  Last year, food vendors were set up just behind the main stage. On level ground.  This year, the carts, vans and stalls were set up at the top of a steep grassy hill with no ease of access for people who are less able.  This meant that it was quite unlikely for someone who may be wheelchair bound to be able to buy food on site.  There also appeared to be a lot of people wondering round the grounds on crutches, I saw one person on crutches struggling to climb up that hill.  

The intervals between acts were fairly short, so for the rest of the evening, I was stationed right in front of the stage to make sure I had a great view of the artists.  By this point the arena was becoming a little densely populated as more attendees filled the stage area to see the next act perform. That of course was British indie rockers, Reef.  The band are well known for their hit "Place Your Hands" and were a big deal in the 90s music scene. They have also previously played gigs at the almighty Glastonbury and Reading Festivals.  Reef are back and are currently on tour to promote their fifth studio album, titled "Revelation" which was released back in May this year.  The band were known to be rather energetic on stage in their classic years and nothing is any different now. They still have plenty of energy and charisma while performing live. Front man Gary Stringer, along with his fellow band members performed classic Reef singles including "Consideration", well known anthem "Place Your Hands" and a little preview of their new music from their current album including the titular song "Revelation" and new single "My Sweet Love"

 

For me and I'm sure many other people that attended Amp Rocks on Friday evening, the night's next act was by far the biggest set of the entire gig.  That set was brought to us by Example & DJ Wire. The London rapper and DJ pair have played for audiences all over the world and wowed them all! They have previously played at the infamous Glastonbury Festival with singles including "Changed The Way You Kissed Me" and "Stay Awake". This set provided ticket holders with plenty of anticipation as DJ Wire first took to the stage alone to take his place at the decks.  While going 'solo' he mixed a variety of well known releases including "Sweet Dreams" by The Eurythmics, Skrillex's "Bangarang", The Prodigy's bonkers "Firestarter" and Bastille's huge hit "Pompeii".  People in front of the stage, including myself loved every minute of this extended and nostalgic intro. There were hands in the air, people up on the shoulders of their friends and relatives and a lot of dodgy dance moves.  Around 10 minutes in, on walked British rapper Example.  As he walked to the front of the stage he was singing the lyrics to his single "Say Nothing" which of course everyone else was also singing along to also.  He then went on to perform another single "Stay With Me" before then bringing the show to a brief pause to introduce himself by going on to say "Hi, I'm Example and I'm an up and coming artist from London".  Yea sure, he's not already famous at all. Haha! The bonkers set continued with performances of other well known singles including "We'll Be Coming Back" which was a Calvin Harris hit that he had featured on, also "Kickstarts" and his debut hit "Changed The Way You Kissed Me" DJ Wire and Example put on one of the best live performances that I've seen to date. Despite Example looking a little tired (understandably) half way through his performance, he still gave us 110% to wow us all right until the close of the set. There were a lot of people there that evening all agreeing on one thing. DJ Wire and Example should have been the night's headline act.

The evening's headline act was female 80s pop trio Bananarama.  This is the first time that the band's original line up of Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodwood has been seen performing live since the 1980s.  So this really was quite something to see.  Their performance at Amp Rocks was a first for the three ladies of the band as they have never performed live at a festival event before.  The band are very well known for their hit "Venus"

 

Before the ladies made their appearance, the stage was filled with warm lighting, pink and red in colour.  The band were given a lengthy instrumental intro by the musicians who also accompanied them on the stage.  The Bananarama ladies all looked stunning in their fitted black sequinned attire.  Their set really was a giant step back in time.  With a performance that included their classic catchy pop hits "Cruel Summer", "Rough Justice" and "Robert De Niro's Waiting".  During their show, the ladies were so perfectly in sync with their moves. While showcasing vintage choreography, it was like watching an Olympic synchronised swimming team, so easily breezing through their segment.  As much as I enjoy listening to the old Bananarama pop songs and they always put me in a great mood, but I must admit, the ladies are actually far better live and worth a watch.  

On multiple occasions throughout the evening, there were random outbursts of people going into full on karaoke mode to sing the infamous "Three Lions" in homage to the current football world cup event.  Both, Example and Bananarama sang along with crowds to show their support for England. It was quite the memorable moment during both sets.  

 

The organisers of Ampthill Festival have once again, put on an amazing Amp Rocks for us all. I had a great night there.  I cannot wait to see what they will have in store for us next year.  

Photos by Kane Howie

For more photos click here!

Truck Festival 2018 Preview

The self acclaimed 'Godfather of the small festival scene' is back!  This annual music festival takes place in Steventon, Oxfordshire and with 2018 being the festival's 21st year it plans to dominate with yet another cracking line up.  For the first time, organisers have introduced an early entry ticket for Thursday the19th July before the main festival weekend begins. Upon purchasing early entry admission, ticketholders will be able to see performances from bands and artists including Peace, Jaws, Kandia and Little Brother Eli to kickstart the weekeend.

As always there will also be a wide variety of food to cater for all and also family friendly activities for those with children.  

This years lineup includes headliners: Friendly Fires on Friday, George Ezra on Saturday and The Courteeners on closing night which will be Sunday 22nd July.  

Also featured, will be performances from Everything Everything, Circa Waves, Jake Bugg and many more. There are several stages on site with a huge selection of all genres of bands and artists. Here are just a handful of acts that are worth checking out

Hellions – A hard core punk band from Sydney,Australia.  Their music can be likened to that of American pop-punk band Good Charlotte. They will be on stage at The Nest on Friday.  

Goldrush – An English 5 piece rock band. Band members Robin and Joe aka The Bennett brothers are also the founders Truck Festival and will be performing in their band for an exclusive one off set.  What better way to pay homage to the people that made this awesome festival a reality.  This special set can be seen at the Veterans and Virgins stage on Friday.  

Anteros – This dream-pop band quartet from London have previously played alongside Two Door Cinema Club, White Lies and Blaenavon (who are also playing at Truck this year) Anteros also played sets at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds.  Their single "Breakfast" is quite a catchy, happy go lucky kind of pop song.  These will be seen on the Main Stage on Saturday.  ]

Lady Bird – The trio can easily be likened to last year's performers Slaves.  Their music style is heavy rock with agressive riffs, their songs also have a literary vibe to them while narrating stories with their straight to the point lyrics. We will be seeing them at The Nest on Saturday.  

Hey Charlie – a three piece all girl pop punk band. Their vibe overflows with girl power while playing their sugary pop songs. They have previously been on tour with All Time Low.  These punktastic ladies will be performing on the Market Stage on Sunday.  

So whether you fancy riding "Shotgun" with George Ezra or want to enjoy "Junk Food Forever" with The Amazons, Truck Festival will no doubt keep you entertained all weekend long!