Download Festival 2015 Review

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With thousands of die hard rock fans of all ages making the annual piligmage to Donnington on Wednesday, they were met with two days of stunning blue skies over the Castle, leading up to Friday it looked set to be a glorious weekend of sunshine and Metal. But would it be DOWNLOAD Festival without the rain? 
 
Grey clouds formed as MODESTEP warmed up the MainStage at around 4:30pm on friday night, with a weird blend of dubstep and metal, half of their slot appeared to be a DJ set rather than a gig, seemingly out of place considering the rest of the Bill. As the heavens opened, there was still a a huge turn out for the original leaders of new wave of british heavy metal JUDAS PRIEST. Rob Halford may have struggled with some of the high vocals he’s always famous for but with hits like 'breaking the Law' was guaranteed to get older fans rocking, the motorbike and whip for the finale however needed to be left in 1969.
 
The anticipation for SLIPKNOT reached fever pitch, with many crowd members in masks and the boiler suits, and not even the monsoon like rain could dampen the assaulting experience of IOWAs finest export.
Any notions of them being a gimmick band with their masks and image, have been wiped since cementing themselves in Donnington history with their huge performances since 2009. Back with a New album and seemingly re-energised, the band made made their thundering riffs and singalong chorus’ wash over the adoring cult of maggots(sic) with ease and Mick Seven being one of the best guitarists I’ve ever witnessed glaring out over the audience whilst his shredding hands blurred over his guitar neck. A triumphant performance, even if it was there no doubt it would be.
Photo by Gobinder Jitta courtesy of Download Festival
 
With 24 hours of rain, the arena opened on Saturday half an hour later due to safety concerns, sawdust saved the afternoon from a wash out and first catching APOCALYPTA on the Encore stage was an intriguing set of classical strings and metal. 
The surprise performance of the weekend were HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, a mutant child of slipknot and Beastie Boys hailing from Los Angeles, the group stood out with a lively Saturday afternoon slot sending the young audience into a frenzy on the main stage.
Being a Motley Crue fan, watching BLACK VEIL BRIDES seemed to be like viewing a synthetic rip off, but with a fan base bordering on the obsessive and similarities with My Chemical Romance, they seemed to have found their own niche and have to be respected for their gutsy rock and roll attitude.
MARILYN MANSON seemed to be a disappointment, with such a legendary reputation and colourful past, his limp attempts to engage with the audience were not helped by the drifting sounds of MUSE from the MainStage, who’s light show could probably be seen from the moon. Is there anywhere to go for MUSE? with album after album of space rock anthems filling the biggest stadiums around, there were no surprises amongst the bells and whistles in their massive headline performance but undoubtably they still set the bar high for British bands.
Photo by Richard Johnson courtesy of Download Festival
 
Waking up to blazing sunshine on Sunday, the MainStage was set for a superb line up of heavy metal legends, first catching CAVELERA CONSPIRACY sounding to me like a wall of noise, thankfully followed by BLACKBERRY SMOKE with their soothing sounds american southern Rock, like a young ZZ TOP were perfect for a Sunday afternoon and I will definitely be checking out their music again once back to civilisation.
BILLY IDOL never fails to impress, his new album material matches perfectly with his classic hits like 'White wedding' and 'Rebel Yell', and with his tongue in cheek shirtless leather jacket combo, he’s been a born entertainer since the 80s and there is still no stopping him. Followed by SLASH, the Guns N' Roses legend had a packed audience on the MainStage, with a back catalogue of hits from GNR, Velvet Revolver and now with Myles Kennedy on vocals, his blistering live performances of 'Paradise city', ‘Nightrain', and a finale of ‘slither' a highlight of how mad a crowd can go for rock and roll.
They’ve said all Bad things must come to an end, and Motley Crue on their final ever UK festival performance, smashed out their biggest and baddest hits including ‘looks that Kill’ and Girls Girls Girls  with all the vigour of it being 1981. With minimal set design they let the music do the talking and Nikki Sixx as always with the biggest grin of the weekend on his face. True legends and good to see them go out with a bang, the only down point in a faultless performance was the sorely missed ‘Home sweet home’ but you can’t have it all!
 
And so to the finale of KISS, with more anthems than most bands can dream of, pyrotechnics and huge circus like stage show, when confetti cannons exploded it was a perfect end to an epic weekend, for those that stuck it out to the end they were rewarded, the spirit of rock and roll prevailed over rainstorms that threatened to wash away even the most enthusiastic fans.
Photo by Andrew Whitton courtesy of Download Festival
 
Words by
Jack Trace

Standon Calling reveal the off stage fun for 2015

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Known as much more than just a music festival, Standon Calling's tenth year as one of the UK's best-loved festivals will offer its widest array of activities yet for all the family. For the wranglers amongst us pony rides will be on offer at The Wagon Park whilst cowboys and cowgirls can tame their own wild animal at thebuild a grizzly bear workshop. If revellers plan to run away and join the circus the Full of Fire team will be on hand to teach festival-goers the art of juggling, diablo, hooping and (quite literally) clowning around.The Wagon Park will house many of the workshops and activities throughout the weekend. Whether you're on the hunt for gold in Standon's huge sand pit, woodcraft classes, costume making, cake decorating, jewellery design and much more the adventure will not stop throughout the whole weekend. 

While this year will see the return of the much loved trapeze masterclasses, dog show and the outdoor heated open air swimming pool the Standon grounds will be transformed into a world where all is not as it seems. Returning for its 5th year, Autumn Shift who will bring for the first time Dr Jekyll's Hideout  & Dr Franken's Mine to the woodlands of Standon which, much like the Victorian legend, will house two very different personalities. By day the frontier town will house the wildest steam and brass-powered bands, stand-up comedy from the likes of Robin Ince, spoken word and folk acts from the likes of super-talented Grace Petrie, dance, poetry and much more in amongst the Victorian-themed music hall. As day turns to night this is when the figures from beyond the woods descend on the town as many of the performers throughout the day will undergo a dark and mysterious transformation…

Ukelele supergroup The Grand Old Ukes of Yorkshire will bring their u(ke)nique take on classic anthems to the fields of Standon while a classic wild west showdown will take place at the centre of the town square as The Dance Off presents: The Hillbilly Hoedown. For those feeling inspired by the main stage acts then the Rockaoke will be on hand alongside creepy crawlie enthusiasts at The Travelling Menagerie, a place to get up close and personal with wild west wildlife, still life drawing workshop Art Macabre and the high-octane Pandemonium Drummers. Plus the opportunity to tame those tresses at the bespoke on-site pop up hair salon provided by the fashion driven hairdressing brand Blue Tit brining their raw and luxurious independent boutique salon experience to the festival fields.

Fuelling the adventure across the three-day festival will be a selection of the most appetising street food vendors from London and beyond. Whether you're looking for warming pie and mash from Barnaby Sykes, award winning crepes at The Creperie, freshly cooked Neopolitan pizzas at Made of Dough or simply a little pick me up at Carnival Coffee Standon Calling caters for every taste. For the meat lovers American style BBQ'd pulled pork will also be on offer alongside vegan and vegetarian offerings from the Bhangra Bus and Goodness Gracious. Craft beer, cider and spirit enthusiasts are also well catered for with the esteemed Meantime brewery on hand alongside the acclaimed Old Mout Cider and master distillersSipsmith.

As a longstanding friend of the festival the breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel! will be partnering up with the Standon Calling once again. Dedicated to eradicating the late detection of breast cancer the Boob Team will be on hand all weekend, teaching people how to check their boobs in their bright pink boob cube. Worried they won't be spotted them at the festival? Look out for gang dressed as giant boobs…

Gibraltar Music Festival add James Bay, Ella Henderson and more

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With a lineup already fit to burst with huge names including headliners Kings Of Leon and Duran Duran alongside the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Paloma Faith, Madness and Tom Odell Gibraltar Music Festival 2015 are now adding even more names to this year’s lineup. Providing a fitting and appropriately huge end to the summer festival season, GMF provides sun and music in abundance all within the picturesque surroundings of the Rock of Gibraltar.

Heading up this announcement is British singer-songwriter James Bay. Having won this year’s BRIT Awards Critics Choice Award and also as runner up in the BBC Sound of 2015 list his is a talent that is utterly undeniable and not least showcased on this year’s breakthrough album ‘Chaos and the Calm’. His set is not to be missed.

Since gracing the nation’s TV screens on the X Factor back in 2012 Ella Henderson has proven herself to be a true superstar. With both her debut single ‘Ghost’ and debut album ‘Chapter One’ charting at number one; she is undoubtedly one of the UK’s finest pop exports.

It’s been two years since Union J went from talented unknowns to overnight sensations on the 2012 series of The X Factor, andthey have been on quite a journey. Their army of young fans will be delighted to hear the boys' next stop on their path to boy band greatness will be at GMF this September.

Also joining the lineup are Gibraltar via Manchester sibling trio This Side Up who come to the festival hot on the heels of their summer UK tour as well as Dead City Radio and Kharma 13.

Easily accessible, affordable and suitable for the whole family, GMF rolls a holiday and some of the world’s biggest acts into one incredible weekend.

Tickets available at: http://www.gibraltarmusicfestival.com/tickets-and-packages/

Full Lineup So Far:

Kings Of Leon

Duran Duran

Paloma Faith

Madness

Kaiser Chiefs

Estopa

Tom Odell

The Feeling

Lawson

James Bay

Ella Henderson

Rae Morris

Third World

Hudson Taylor

Dub Colossus

Reach

Guy Valarino

Kristian Vinales (DJ Set)

Headwires

Paddy Taylor

Strange Brew

Tim Garcia ft Afterhours

Jeremy Perez with Tom Stott

This Side Up

Dead City Radio

Kharma 13

Best Kept Secret 2015: What we’re looking forward to this year.

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It might be monday, but no need to fret because this weekend is one of the most widely anticipated european festivals of the year. Best Kept Secret is still in its youth, in fact this year will only be it’s third birthday! But that doesn’t stop it from being one of the festival heavyweights. With headliners such as the Libertines, Alt-J and Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds, and set in Hilvarenbeek, in the middle of the Netherlands, the dutch really know how to put on a show. So with the days creeping ever closer, here are some of the acts we’re most looking forward to seeing this weekend. 




Libertines


Now that they’re done making the reunion rounds, they’ve got their hearts set on reclaiming the rock and roll throne. Rumours of a new album leaving fans gripping the edge of their seat, and if their history of stage antics and cult following has anything to go by, we can tell the friday night headliners are not one to be missed. You never know, we might even get some sneak peeks of a new track or two. 
 
A$AP Rocky


Bound to be one of the best shows of the weekend after the much anticipated release of AT.LONG.LAST, A$AP Rocky aka Rakim Meyers is on top form. Not your average hip hop star, the young kid from Harlem continues to break the mould with his interest in fashion, his discontent with his own hype and passion for the art behind the music. The two year gap between his debut LONG.LIVE.A$AP and his new release had some of us reeling with frustration but now that it’s here, we could not have asked for more. Watch him on the main stage saturday night, he won’t disappoint. 


Royal Blood


One of the hottest new acts of the past year, Brighton duo Royal Blood are continuing to blow up, despite still being on their debut. Don’t let their youthfulness deter you, because the matching of heavy drums and perfectly executed riffs in their blues infused rock is enough to make your hair stand on end. Spend a few minutes with them on sunday and you’ll be the newest heir to the royal blood throne. 


Wolf Alice


Often called the ‘lovechild of grunge and folk’, Wolf Alice are kicking off the sunday at the second stage. Originally a duo that hit up the London Open Mic scene, they’ve now beefed up their sound and gained a cult following, making them one of the UK’s ones to watch over the coming year. Bearing in mind they don’t even have an official album yet, they’re doing pretty well for themselves and we can’t see what their show has to offer. 


Vaccines


Gracing the main stage on Saturday is the return of the Vaccines, having matured slightly from their 2011 grunge-rock, strokes inspired anthems, their awaiting release English Graffiti shows their stature and is sure to cement their place in the halls of pop-rock fame. 


Balthazar


One of Belgium’s hidden gems, Balthazar are back with their third album Thin Walls, and believe me it doesn’t disappoint. Chucked full of witty lyrics, dreamy guitar and a feeling of blues, if you haven’t heard them yet take some time to listen - they’re sure to become your new favourite band. 


Though these are just a few of the bands gracing the stages of Beekse Bergen, but the lineup is even better. It’s sure to be a great weekend ahead.

Relentless Kerrang Awards 2015

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In an awards show with no actual musical performances, Marilyn Manson still managed to steal the show.  The headline from the night has to be not his Lifetime Achievement award but that he actually arrived in person to collect his gong. Such a presence instantly dwarfed the rest of the rock great and good that filled the Troxy for yesterday’s Relentless Kerrang Awards. Even reducing Alice Cooper’s appearance to collect his Legend award to that of a cameo role.

 

This black carpet event tied with a Zombie theme was certainly a resounding success; Relentless cocktails and un-dead bar staff made for a spectacular evening but it’s the attention to the small details that make you realise you’re somewhere special. Zombie hands leap out and grab you from the scenery (presumably from actors hidden behind the scenes), and smoke machines billow out scary Silent Hill mists giving everyone the Heavy Metal chills.

 

Alcohol ran free and everyone was raising a charged glass to the winners, with Bring Me The Horizon getting all the plaudits they deserved for their Best British Band award. I should imagine both their table and Royal Blood’s (Best British Newcomer) will be nursing a sore head this morning but a well deserved one.

 

The only question is, after a night to remember like this, just how will the event organisers top it next year?

 

Tobin James

 

 

Top Artists to see at this years Isle of Wight Festival 2015

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Okay, so it's officially that time of year again the Isle of wight festival 2015 begins. Hope you've got your camping gear and your dancing shoes on to rock out with some of the top artists from around the globe. I can say I am officially exited and looking forward to all the acts this year. If you're starting early and camping on Thursday I recommend you go and check out the one and only Billy Idol, he will be getting you ready and in the mood for what is to come, over this epic weekend. He will be followed up by UB40'S Ali Campbell, Astro and Micky Virtue, so get dancing and ready to party. 

From the 12-14th June 2015 there are going to be some great performerances coming your way, here are my top 10 to look out for at the Isle of Wight Festival this year. 

1. Fleetwood Mac Bringing you Classics such as Dreams, Go your own way, Songbird and Don't stop, performing with Christine McVie after taking 16 years out, but now back to perform on their current tour, check them out on the "Electric Church" stage on Sunday 

2. Blur Bringing their indie-pop music and the original four line up performing classic that rocked the 90's such as Park life, Boys and Girls and Song 2 and songs from their current number 1 album The Magic Whip, performing on the "Electric Church" stage on Saturday

3. Pharrell Williams Who last performed at the Isle of Wight in 2008 performing with his band N.E.R.D, but now soloing with many hits under his belt such as Happy, Get Lucky and GIRL, performing on the "Electric Church" stage on Saturday 

4. Paolo Nutini This Scottish smooth artist will performing songs such as New Shoes, Jenny don't be hasty and Better Man, bringing his soulful rendition and vocals to the "Electric Church" stage on Sunday

5. James Bay This is guy is one to look out for, this guys has been going from strength to strength, bringing his unique and soulful voice and capturing his fans with his individuality, See him performing on the "Electric Church" stage on Saturday.

6. Counting Crows Who last performed at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2003, are back bringing their Californian vibe, These guys will be performing on the 'Electric Church' stage on Friday 

7. Jessie Ware This London sensation, will be bringing her electronic soulful sound to the stage gracing you with songs such as Champaign Kisses, Say you love me and Wildest Moments, she will be performing on the "Electric Stage" on Saturday

8. Prodigy Will be opening the festival bringing their electronic, industrial rave music to you via the "Electronic Church" stage Friday get ready to rave like it's the 1990s 

9. Ash Bringing their alternative rock to the stage with songs such as Shining light, Girls from mars and A life less ordinary you can check these guys out on the "Big Top" stage on Sunday 

10. James Bringing classics such as don't sit down, she's a star and sometimes, bringing the 90's to the stage taking you back to those dancing days he will be performing on the "Electric Church" stage on Saturday

So guys can't wait to see you all there, not long now. Isle of Wight Festival 2015, enjoy and bring your dancing shoes and check out the Isle of Wight lineup and see who will be on your list to see. 

Calling Festival announce flash ticket sale

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Calling Festival, the Capital’s premier festival for music lovers, today announced a one-off flash sale to celebrate the tenth successful year of the event. As a thank you to its loyal fans and in celebration of ten years of Calling, a limited amount of tickets will be sold at special rates, starting with a price band of just £21 with no booking fee. The tickets will then incrementally rise up through ten price brackets until they again reach normal 2015 pricing. These tickets are sold on a strictly first come first serve basis, so get in early to grab yourself a bargain! Calling Festival takes place in Clapham Common on Saturday 4 July and is headlined by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The flash sale starts at 6pm on Tuesday 9 Juneand is available at www.livenation.co.uk (all tickets are subject to an order processing fee).

This year’s Calling Festival will see huge names and the hottest up-and-coming acts descend upon Clapham Common. Headlined by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, alongside Ryan Adams and the Shining, Modest Mouse, Echo and the Bunnymen and festival favourites The Hives. Calling Festival will also play host to a stellar range of the hottest new talent, including Wolf Alice who headline the second stage, Bleachers, led by Jack Antonoff of Grammy-Award winners ‘Fun’,Sunset Sons, nominees of BBC Sound of 2015, Deaf Havana frontman James Veck Gillodi, Sundara Karma, Osca, White Room and Vant have been announced to electrify the stage at this year’s event.

This one-off flash sale is only available from 6pm on Tuesday 9 June. It will kick-off with a limited run of tickets sold at £21 with no booking fee. The ten price tiers to celebrate the 10th Calling Festival, a price drop for each year, include the following prices:  £21, £25, £29, £33, £37, £41, £45, £49, £53 and £57 (all tickets are subject to an order processing fee). There will be a strictly limited amount of tickets available at each price, so the quicker you buy the cheaper the ticket! 

Parklife 2015 Review

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On June 6 and 7, 80,000 people descended on Heaton Park for Parklife 2015, indulging in headline sets from Disclosure on Saturday and Rudimental on Sunday, while Hudson Mohawke, Todd Terje, Jamie XX and the weekend’s highlight, FKA twigs, had Summer Festival Guide darting from stage to stage.

SATURDAY 

Saturday belongs to Jamie XX. Throughout a perfectly-crafted set, 'Girl', 'Gosh' and 'Sleep Sound', along with the soon-to-be defining track of the summer festival season, 'Loud Places', and older percussive house gem 'Far Nearer' pack the Now Wave tent – one overexcited reveler climbing the tent's rigging, becoming barely visible, to an eruption of cheers as he carefully eases back down.

Earlier, in the Big Top, Everything Everything – dressed in matching red suits – belt through new material, their current single 'Regret' achieving anthemic status.

Disclosure's graduation to main stage headliners comes with a plethora of new material from their imminent second album, 'Caracal', along with a host of upcoming vocal talents. 'White Noise', 'F For you' and 'You & Me' gain as incredible a response as expected, but it's Guy and Howard’s newest creations which stand out, as the Lawrence brothers tease, "Parklife, we've got some surprises for you". Lion Babe's leading lady Jillian Hervey – with the longest legs and wildest hair SFG HAs ever seen – comes first, her R&B-orientated vocals perfectly complimenting the slinky synths of an as-yet-unnamed track as she struts across the stage in arm-length silver gloves and nearly knee-high black boots. London-based future R&B vocalist Nao soon follows, her vocals and onstage presence similar to Aluna Francis, before Kwabs’ soulful tones command the crowd from a raised platform throughout two untitled tracks. The arrival of American jazz legend Gregory Porter for an on-point rendition of current single and collab ‘Holding On’ mesmerises the mainly young crowd with his unparalleled ability to hold a note, fusing two musical worlds seamlessly. After a brief stage leave, ‘Help Me Lose My Mind’ and ‘Latch’ – the latter is dedicated to Sam Smith who’s just recovered from vocal surgery – sees friends on shoulders in a moment of hysteria.

Bidding farewell for the evening, the flocks of thousands head for the shuttle bus appropriately chanting the lyrics to Blur's ‘Parklife’.

SUNDAY 

As SFG arrive on Sunday, Ella Eyre is playing to a massive crowd to the main stage despite her early afternoon set placement, launching herself across the stage in a leopard print leotard, belting out 'Deeper' and 'If I Go' along her energetic way.

Later, Labrinth arrives – suit and shades on – blasting through his synth-heavy chart hits 'Earthquake', 'Pass Out' and Sigma-collaboration 'Higher', the latter emptying everyone's lungs.

Meanwhile, in an equally busy Resident Advisor tent, Jimmy Edgar and Machinedrum – together they're known as J.E.T.S – pump out thumping techno as green inflatable aliens and neon balloons are slung around in the air; Ben UFO's back-to-back set with Pearson Sound continuing the bass-heavy electronic onslaught.

Oliver Dollar's back-to-back with Jesse Rose proves an early evening highlight, opting for Dirtybird's booty-house with Claude VonStroke's 'Make A Cake', assuring an up-tempo energy from the off.

Over at the MK Area 10 stage, Ben Pearce – of 'What I Might Do' fame – drops a housier edit of Take That's 'Relight My Fire', completely unexpectedly.

Later, in the Big Top, James Bay proves himself as having the potential to command the main stage in a year’s time; 'Let It Go' and 'Best Fake Smile's infectious chorus inducing a sense of euphoria.

US-based Sango, sporting a Manchester City sports jacket, opens the Kaytranada stage on Sunday with hip-hop and trap-influenced bubbling synths and bass beats in a tucked away Greek coliseum-like vicinity; even the security guards are bouncing along as they make their way through the crowd amidst a sparse edit of Skepta's ‘That's Not Me’ and a Cashmere Cat-sounding remix of Drake's ‘Through The 6’.

Chet Faker, sporting a topknot for the occasion, packs the Sounds of the Near Future stage with his synth-laden sound. Alone at first, he intricately and passionately delivers electronic instrumentals, before he’s joined by a guitarist and drummer. Encouraging us to "use those muscles" before ‘No Diggity’, a sea of phones are hoisted to record the cover, as everyone’s vocal muscles flex while singing along to ‘Drop The Game’.

Bristol duo Blonde meanwhile pack the Drop The Mustard stage with their summery house anthems ‘Foolish’, ‘All Cried Out' and ‘I Loved You’ as part of a new live show, wheeling out guest vocalists – expect them to be as big as Disclosure this time next year.

Todd Terje, with his live band The Olsens, who alternate between saxophone, flute, bongo drum, guitar and keyboard, build into their funky set with zooming laser synths, though it does take a while for the crowd to warm to the sounds. ‘Delorean Dynamite’ and set closer ‘Inspector Norse’ soon get them moving though, as the funky bass line kicks in; one Terje fan who’s celebrating a birthday screams “this is the best day of my life” while his friend, clearly intoxicated, jokes, “is this Lady GaGa?”

Jungle's well-deserved transition to the main stage sees them play to a massive crowd, the summery weather perfect for their almost 70s sound as the seven-piece perform their biggest hits, ‘Julia’ and ‘The Heat’ just as the sun beams down.  

Back in the Sounds of the Near Future tent, Hudson Mohawke walks onstage with a new live set up, bringing out Redinho on keyboards and Two Door Cinema Club’s Ben Thomas on drums. Drawing on material from his new album ‘Lantern’ and his and Lunice’s collaborative project, TNGHT’s biggest hits, intense bass and red strobes match the maximalist electronica of ‘Acrylics’ and ‘Higher Ground’, sending the crowd into mass hysteria.

An hour later, FKA twigs, visible only through a cloud of smoke, leaves thousands in awe, as her hauntingly ethereal performance remains compelling from start to finish. Easily the largest crowd of the day, there’s a ritualistic sense to her set as she flows through her debut album ‘LP1’ and new material from her imminent third EP, ‘Melissa’. With an incredible vocal from the off, twigs, dressed in double denim with her hair to one side, is joined by a three-piece band who delicately tap their synth pads respectively, producing the intense, almost apocalyptic trip-hop beats of ‘Water Me’, ‘Number’ and ‘Papi Pacify’. How she was once only Jessie J's backing dancer is unbelievable for her unique talent as a vocalist, dancer and performer. Effortlessly charismatic, the entire crowd’s eyes are transfixed on her throughout the hour set as she reaches vocal notes you didn't know existed, all whilst popping her body around the stage. Removing the denim jacket to show off her toned body in a stripped white top, her enigmatic presence is made even more likeable when she speaks, sweetly and humbly. "It’s great to be back in England,” she delights, “I just got back a week ago.” Closing with a faultless rendition of ‘Two Weeks’ and then ‘How’s That’, it’s evident that the summer festival season belongs to FKA Twigs.

Field Day 2015 Review – Sunday

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Field Day Sunday catered to a more rock and alternative following with a mix of new up-and-coming bands to legends including Patti Smith and Ride. Although the day did not sell out, it provided much more overall engagement from the artists which led to some stellar standout performances.
 

Brooklyn shoe-gaze group DIIV (named after a Nirvana song) formed in 2011 and have since released a debut LP. Looking like they just rolled out of bed, DIIV debuted some new unheard material on the Eat Your Own Ears Stage that sounded promising but slightly missed the mark. Fortunately, they redeemed themselves with playing older, more well known tracks including ‘How Long Have you Known’ and ‘Doused’, both of which received a warm reception from the crowd.
 

A quick sprint to the Verity stage left some time to catch up-and-coming London alt-rock trio Happyness who lit up the stage with their humble persona and chilled guitar sequences.
 

Mac DeMarco is known to always put on a good show and he definitely did not disappoint on the last date of their tour. The constant banter between the band-mates and the crowd led to lots of laughter and eventually to Mac crowd surfing over most of the Eat Your Own Ears stage to rapturous applause. The set did get awkward at times, especially when the band’s guitarist, Andy, got hit square in the face with an orange but this did not deter the band from delivering standout tracks including ‘Brother’, ‘Salad Days’ and a spur of the moment rendition of The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ by bassist Pierce (whilst Andy’s guitar was fixed). Love song ‘Together’ and a guitar solo from Andy finished off the set and left the crowd disappointed that it was over.
 

The former frontman of 90s Britpop favourites Supergrass, Gaz Coombes delivered a stellar solo set at the Shacklewell Arms tent. Having released 2 critically acclaimed LPs since going solo, it was of no surprise that Supergrass seemed like a distant memory. Tracks ‘20/20’ and ‘Break The Silence’ were met with strong appreciation and the meaningful and moving track ‘The Girl Who Fell To Earth’ cemented Gaz Coombes as a musician who is capable of anything.

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

Punk-rock legend Patti Smith was a well-received addition to the Field Day line-up. Performing her 1975 album ‘Horses’, the crowd felt every emotion possible – there were smiles, hugs and even tears by the end of the set. The most tear-jerking moment was towards the end of ‘Horses’ when Patti Smith paid tribute to lost musicians including Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed and Brian Jones amongst others including John Nash. To the crowd’s surprise, more tracks were played including a splendid cover of The Who’s ‘My Generation’ to finish and ultimate crowd pleaser ‘Because the Night’.
 

Another up-and-coming indie group, five-piece Londoners Gengahr filled the Verity tent with a smooth, easy listening sound perfect for the summer weather. Echoing vocals and clever time sequences showed the crowd that they are full of surprises and do not hesitate to push the boundaries, however small or large they might be. Gengahr are definitely a band to watch.
 

London’s Savages caused quite a buzz around Field Day as they had not played a UK show for quite some time but they truly stood out. Tearing up the Shacklewell Arms stage to a packed out crowd, front woman Jehnny Beth oozed confidence and cool, crowd surfing through the audience and fuelling the already rowdy crowd to get even rowdier. ‘City’s Full’ kicked off the set with new material quickly following.  Jehnny informed the crowd of a new record in the works and vented her frustration of the current political climate with a short, snappy track – ‘Fucker’ and ended the set with gritty track ‘Husbands’. From what we saw of today’s set, Savages will only keep getting better and better.
 

Dutch 24-year-old Jacco Gardner sounds (and looks) like something straight from the 60s with his echoing high vocals and psych-pop guitar melodies. Playing the Verity tent to a packed out crowd, Jacco Gardner’s vocals sadly got lost at times and therefore did not have the same effect as on record.
 

Ride’s headline set was a big deal – it was a reunion. Their debut album ‘Nowhere’ still holds the status as one of the best shoe-gaze albums (and one you should listen to before you die!). This was their first gig together as a full band in twenty years, which led to a lot of emotional people in the crowd at the Eat Your Own Ears stage. Ride played so tightly together that you never would have guessed they ever broke up. Career-spanning tracks played included ‘Birdman’ and ‘Leave Them All Behind’, which closed this year’s Field Day. 

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

Field Day 2015 Review – Saturday

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Field Day, held in East London’s Victoria Park and now in its eighth year, is a festival that always caters to a wide range of music tastes. This is arguably what puts it ahead of its rivals and cements its status as one of, if not, the best London music festivals of its kind. Saturday’s line up leant slightly towards the electronic but did not fail in providing ticket holders with a first class choice of acts that led to the day selling out.

London’s Benjamin Garrett, who goes by the stage name Fryars, attracted an impressive and attentive crowd during his mid-afternoon set at the Shacklewell Arms stage. A firm favourite with music critics, Fryars set the day’s bar high with his piano pop melodies and sweet, meaningful vocals. Starting his set off slow with tracks including a rather sombre ‘On Your Own’, Fryars finished on a high with ‘Cool Like Me’ – an upbeat track reminiscent of Daft Punk which was the main highlight of the set. It may be true that Fryars sounds better on record and looks like a hipster but the set did not feel out of place on the festival bill.

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

As soon as Kindness hit the stage albeit a bit late, it was clear the crowd were in for a treat, as the whole band seemed in very high spirits. The brainchild of Brit Adam Bainbridge, Kindness were no strangers to the worldwide music scene having played everywhere from South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas to the Sydney Opera House. What was great about this band was there was no hierarchy – each member of the group had their time to shine. We had impressive melodic vocal solos from the chirpy backing singers, various co-ordinated dance moves and a lot of tambourine shaking. There was even a guest performance and a funk inspired cover of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’, which got the whole crowd going. With the qualities of both Jungle and Primal Scream, it was an impressive set that would no doubt keep you grooving. Kindness were definitely the highlight set of the day and very much screamed funk and soul soundtrack of summer.

Scottish art-rock favourite’s Django Django used their Field Day set to play tracks from their recently released new album ‘Born Under Saturn’ which received a great response from the crowd. The track ‘Reflection’ was a particular crowd pleaser.

A sneak peek into the packed Crack Magazine tent uncovers electronica favourite Chet Faker performing a cover of Backstreet’s ‘No Diggity’ for which the crowd go wild.

One of the most hyped artists of this year, FKA Twigs was unapologetically late to start her set at the Crack Magazine stage. It seemed that the crowd forgave all as she appeared, engulfed in mountains of smoke and began flirting with the audience. Almost ethereal in her presence, it seemed that the crowd were admiring her beauty more than admiring her music and this seemed to translate into a somewhat disconnected performance as she tried to keep the mystery alive. The acoustics in the tent were not great but FKA Twigs’s trip hop beats and whispery vocals still managed to mesmerise the overflowing crowd ready in time for Caribou’s headline set. 

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

It may be surprising to some that Caribou headlined Field Day Saturday but Canadian Dan Snaith’s band has established a huge cult following since its inception in 2005. The career spanning set produced not only the best of the electronic and the psychedelic but also included a spectacular visual display, which truly secured their status as an impressive headline act. Highlights included the lead single from 2010 Album ‘Swim’ – ‘Odessa’ and ‘Our Love’.