Larmer Tree 2013 Review

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Situated in the Rushmore Estate in Cranborne Chase (Dorset), Larmer Tree Gardens Originally an Ancient Hunting ground comes back this year for another wondrous long weekend. This festival actually starts on Wednesday night and goes all the way through to Sunday evening. Main stage and garden acts play each night to give the quirky mix of young and old crowds an excitement they wont forget. 

Larmer Tree has four main areas to go to watch live performances this year the first is of course stunning main stage and included with it the garden stage which is a real gem in its own right. The stage is comprised of a huge wooden slatted painted muriel which is shaped like archway.  The artists play within the arch to a beautiful backdrop. The Second stage is the BigTop where you can find activities like dancing tutorials like Zumba, Flamenco Dance, Bollywood Dance as well as amazing drum and percussion lessons using all sorts of drum types and woodwind instruments. The Arc is Larmer Tree’s third stage and hosts live music from names like Alice Jemima who is known to BBC Radio 1s introducing stage and the well known show hosted by Rob Da Bank. Along side Alice names like Blair Dunlop who as well as a well regarded Folk singer also started in the Tim Burton version of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ as the young Willy Wonker. Finally the fourth stage bringing a social aspect as well as a musical theme to the Larmer Tree ‘s gathering big comedy characters like Alister McGowen best known for his amazing impressions and BBC show ‘The Big Impression’ Dylan Moran and the classic one-liner grouch that is Rich Hall best know for their performances on ‘Mock the Week’ and ‘8 out of 10 cats’

Larmer Tree 2013

This small but very beautiful festival is well known due to the opening night held in previous years by Jools Holland. This year however the great Van Morrison brought his mix of Pop, Blues and Folk to the main stage and Gardens at Larmer Tree. Van Morrison also teamed up with his daughter Shana Morrison to sing ‘God Shines His Light’ in the tranquil surroundings of this truly idyllic place. Evenings at Larmer Tree are a sight to behold and the forest they have created for the younger crowds are lit by hundreds of lights  along with electronic noises of forest dwelling creatures scurrying around the trees . its like you would imagine yourself in the 1965 book Alice and Wonderland, with so many people dressing up with hats and outrageous costumes you would never believe your so close to home. 

The festival has a very broad and mixed age group ranging from very young 3-10yrs all the way up, with so many different activities for all age groups Larmer Tree caters for all. Adults have their own Adult only craft classes to go and spend time chatting to others and enjoying a fine cup of tea or coffee and a beautiful slice of freshly made cake. The young crowds have face painting tents and many different areas all packed with fun toys like Diablos, juggling balls, Hula Hoop and many more.

Dexys (Aka Dexys Midnight Runners) previously performed with Jools holland on his show in 2012 singing ‘Later’ This year performing on the Garden Stage at Larmer Tree. Dexys new wave rock and pop well known for their smash UK 80s hit ‘Come on Eileen’ and ‘Geno’ make them ideal for the crowds at Larmer Tree. 

Festival prices for food and drink were similar to that of most festivals 4-7 pounds for a Burger or dish from one of the many stalls or vans located in the main field. Drinks were around the 2-4  pounds mark for Water bottles then Beer & Larger. There were however nicely positioned vans and shops selling camping accessories and vital food supplies on the outer areas of the festival for those camping in need of forgotten and well used supplies like loo roll and milk. 

Imelda May the Dublin-born rockabilly singer also performed with Jools Holland on his show in 2008 success grew for this vivacious blues & Jazz queen,  voted Best female artist of the year in the Meteor  awards 2009. Imelda hit Saturdays performance hard at this years Larmer Tree, performing in previous years Larmer Tree was not the first time for Imelda. Performing songs from her most recent album ‘No Turning Back’ she always packs a punch. Imelda May is set to play in two weeks time with Bruce Springsteen back in Kilkenny, Ireland 

Sunday bought with it much of the same great vibes as the rest of the weekend with performances from KT Tunstall and Bellowhead the evening was set to be a mix of great vocals and instrumentals from the the classics like ‘Black Horse & The Cherry Tree’ from the Larmer Tree favorite KT Tunstall and Bellowhead’s amazing mix brass and string instruments ranging from violin to Saxophone. Energetic as always songs like 10,000 Miles Away from their acclaimed best selling 2010 album Hedonism hit the Main Stage crowds of kids being lifted above to their parents shoulders to get a better view of this dynamic set which could be heard playing all over the festival. 

Bellowhead @ Larmer Tree Festival 2013

Overall Larmer tree is a really impressive small festival it holds some really charming and quirky events and sights to see perfect for kids and families as well as adults and teens if your looking for a great get away festival that isn’t too hard on your body with walking and carrying camping equipment this is the one for you. Its also great as an introduction to festival life and what a festival can be like perfect for a first timer or for those who are tired of some of the bigger events round the UK Relaxing in this perfect setting watching the sun set around the garden stage asleep in the sun surrounded by the fruits of the summer is the ultimate way to fill your days. I hope to be heading out to Larmer Tree again next year. 

Photography By James Bride

www.James-Bridle.co.uk

More photos from Larmer Tree 2013 are here

Electric Daisy Carnival London 2013 Review

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It was EDC’s (Electric Daisy Carnival) first appearance in the UK and there was a lot that was expected of the organisers and they didn’t disappoint. From hearing and reading about EDC events from across the globe, the organisers know how to put on a show of epic proportions. The anticipation was already evident on the train journey up from Essex. People dressed in ravey colours and drinking cider at 11 in the morning summed up the excitement. I was to found later that many people from the north of England has travelled down for this event, and even met some people from Brazil who had travelled over just for this event!

A flood of people walking from Stratford train station through the Olympic park was a sight. As you got closer and closer to the main arena, you could start to feel that rumble in your heart when the huge beat kicks in. Straight away you could see there was many ways to enjoy yourself away from the music with a various amount of fairground rides available for those that like an adrenaline rush. The location was ideal; however I found the onsite stages to be a fair bit of a walk away. There was the Kinetic stage located in the main arena area where the likes of Steve Angello, Avicii and Tiesto were playing. Other tent stages across from the Kinectic stage were the Cosmic Meadow, Bass Pod and Neon Garden. Acts such as Chuckie, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike and Sub Focus played across all 3 stages.

EDC London

With the UK seeing the best heat wave it has had since 2006, the overcast weather was something of a surprise. When the sun did appear every so often, it was greeted with a roar of applause from the thousands in attendance. As 2pm came up, and I had stopped being angry at paying £5 a pint, Nervo were second up on the Kinetic Stage, and received a brilliant reception. The Australian pair have lived in London for the last 10 years. This was greatly shown and appreciated when they played ‘Like Home’ in which they got everyone doing all the moves associated with the song. Even though there was some feedback issues towards the end of the set that also affected the start of Hardwells set, it was resolved quickly.

The Kinectic Stage was a very Swedish affair, with the first swede DJ of the day being Alesso. He got the crowd jumping around and clapping when he dropped in the song ‘Years’. By this time, the crowd were many drinks down and this only added to the already dreamy, joyous and the ‘I don’t care about anything, I’m just going to dance’ attitude. Something of which we have in all of us! Up next was 1/3 of Swedish House Mafia Steve Angello. Regretting never seeing the Swedish House Mafia, it was amazing to see Steve Angello. To mine and the crowds enjoyment, he dropped in a few SHM hits, most notably ‘Greyhound’ and ‘Don’t you worry child’. The crowd kicked off when these songs came on.

EDC London Steve Angello

Next up was Avicii, who is currently sitting firmly in the No1 single spot around the world with ‘Wake me up’. The country/dance track that features Aloe Blacc is the perfect combination of beautiful lyrics, a country vibe and then a jumpy dance vibe. These shouldn’t really combine so well but Avicii somehow manages to make this work, and the EDC London crowd was the perfect example of this. Friends arm in arm, singing word for word at the top of their lungs was brilliant, and this was at the end of his set! Avicii really looked like he was enjoying himself to, waving on the crowd more and more with his different looking DJ fist pump. Other hits in the set included ‘Levels’ and ‘Silhouettes. ‘Levels’ is what introduced Avicii to the world, and is a song that will remain amazing forever.

EDC London Avicii

Last but not least was Tiësto who closed the Kinetic Stage in dramatic fashion. The muliple winner of the DJ Magazine Top 100 DJ played hit after hit. ‘Adagio for Strings’ was simply amazing, as well as ‘Maximal Crazy’ which added a hard jumping element. The lighting and visuals were incredible too and added even more to the experience of a Tiësto show. He also dropped in many crowd pleasers such as ‘Pursuit of happiness’ which was mixed in well with last year’s song of the summer ‘Rattle’.  Crowd pleasing tracks 'Lethal Industry', 'Love Comes Again' & 'Suburban Train' where just some of the highlights of the Dutch DJ's set.   The song ‘Mystery Land’ was also played which created a euphoric feeling across the whole of the EDC main stage area as the darkness crawled in at night time.

I definitely recommend EDC if it was to return to London again.  For the cost of a £72 ticket to a one day festival that provides the quality of names available to see and the amazing production, it is well worth spending that money for a really good day of dance music!

Photos courtesy of Eric Kabik & Neal Houghton

Y Not Festival lineup update

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Joining The Cribs, The Horrors, The Darkness, The Enemy, Ash and the Mystery Jets and many many more are: Deaf Havana, IsMe, Chapel Club, Temples, The Temperance Movement, Nightworks, Maybeshewill and Chloe Howl. For the full line-up go to www.ynotfestivals.com

The Darkness

Also revealed are the chosen 20 unsigned bands who emerged from Y Not's search for the best of new talent. The festival, found in the heart of the Peak District, has a tradition of supporting emerging artists – stemming back to its birth in a quarry.

Festival organiser, Ralph Broadbent says, "There's been an excellent response this year – we had over 1,700 artists apply".

In addition to Y Not, the judging panel included BBC Introducing, Naim Label and top bands, The Horrors, Mystery Jets, and We are The Ocean. The results are on the Y Not website. BBC Introducing's Dean Jackson said: "I was happy to listen and watch the new artists as, having a long association with Y Not, I know what a fantastic opportunity it is for emerging artists to play."

Dean also explained, "I'm passionate about development of the next generation of bands and musicians so, consistent with what I do every Saturday night on the radio, I jumped at the chance to help new artists get this important early exposure". There's been widespread support through Twitter and Facebook from the bands already playing at Y Not.  

Aled, from Kids in Glass Houses, said " Every band has to start somewhere and while the computer has made it easier than ever for bands and musicians to express themselves and produce professional quality work, they still need that bit of help to get seen and heard – and luck." Their experience, he said was very similar, "We got our breaks as an unsigned band by sending our demos in the post to competitions similar to the Y Not one and magazines as well. I think Britain is very open and eager for new bands so it's great that Y Not recognise that and are actively supporting and seeking new talent. These festivals aren't gonna headline themselves in five years!"

And Y Not meanwhile is ensuring this will be a spectacular of a festival. Between the gaps in the music, there are bars, a drive- in cinema, dodgems, helter skelter, a roller disco and unusual sightings rumoured. Younger families are also being looked after – with expanded family camping and kids activity area. This year the festival runs from 2-4 August, near Matlock, Derbyshire.

Undercover Festival bands announced

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The Undercover Festival are pleased to report that the line up for this new and independent festival is now complete after sifting through emails for 400 plus bands we have finally filled the last few spaces.

Ranging from internationally renowned performers to established acts nationally and a lot of promising local talent

Punk, Ska, Northern, Indie, Alternative, Retro &  Acoustic + all at a bargain price; what more can you ask for?

Dreadzone, The Cockney Rejects, The Skints, The Glitter Band, 999, Stone Foundation, Chelsea, TV Smith, The Bermondsey Joyriders, Louise Distras, New Town Kings, Dirty Revolution, The Brompton Mix + many many more

 “Unfortunately GuilFest is no longer with us and we thought it would be a shame to let the unique atmosphere / buzz that was created in the Vive Le Rock Stage @ Guilfest in 2011 & 2012 go to waste”.

Mick Mc Donagh from the festival team said “ When we set this festival up we looked at what was special about the VLR stage and we think we have recreated and built on that multi genre buzz that was the VLR stage at GuilFest”. 

He added “At this festival we have acts that are internationally and nationally renowned but what will also be special about this festival is the amount of acts we have booked with local links.

Woking, Surrey and the South East have a rich musical heritage (The Jam, The Stranglers, Sham 69 etc), however contemporary music across Surrey and the South East to many is not as ground breaking and vibrant as those days, we believe that musical talent covering many genres and ages is still vibrant today but mostly undiscovered by the wider local community – our message to the community is come on down to the festival and see this rich line up of talent from Woking / Surrey / The South East / South Coast and beyond for yourselves”.

Beats staying in an watching x factor and all that schmaltz on TV!!

Unlike other local music events we will not be charging for parking…

Please note: For the avoidance of any doubt The Undercover Festival is not an open air festival – the festival will be held in 2 rooms and a marquee at the Bisley Pavilion – undercover by nature of the music policy of this festival and undercover – well because it is….

Lineup additions for Bloodstock including Stormbringer and more!

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All set to shred the main stage are Northamptonshire five-piece STORMBRINGER. The band live by their mission statement – “to rock as hard as we can, wherever we can, and have a good time doing it!”  Their debut album ‘MMXIII’ can be picked up on iTunes, via Transcend Music.  Stormbringer are more than ready… “We are really proud to be playing Bloodstock.  It's a great festival and having been there as punters, we are really looking forward to tearing shit up!”

With a record 39 skull-crushing bands performing on the New Blood Stage this year, you can be assured that Bloodstock has scoured the length and breadth of the country via the Metal 2 The Masses roadshow to find your new favourite band. The competition has just 4 dates remaining (Bristol, Bournemouth, Plymouth, and Cardiff) so if you don’t have a ticket yet, don’t delay, as most of the dates have sold out upfront!

The second wave of Metal 2 The Masses bands added to Friday’s New Blood bill are Cheshire tech-metallers, THIS IS TURIN who fuse extreme metal and hardcore with their acclaimed live show, East Midlands band CRUEL HUMANITY who blend death, black and doom metal with melody, electronics and aggression to create their own epic sound, and Glasgow five-piece, MAIR, who meld their Pantera, Sabbath, and Zeppelin influences with simple groove, tight rhythms, and soaring solos.  Also added to Friday is the very first Irish winner of Metal 2 The Masses heats.  Hailing from the beer soaked streets of Dublin, WARPATH claim the reputation as Death Metal’s ultimate party machine.  Their ‘Warparties’ are renowned in Ireland as carnage-filled episodes that have been known to last for days.  Their energetic live shows have been described as “ripping through venues like a drunken bull in a liquor store”.  The band are getting ready to bring their craziest live show to Bloodstock this year, so grab a beer and get ready for the Warparty!!

Cruel Humanity @ Bloodstock

Saturday inductees to the New Blood stage include forward-thinking Inverness four-piece, FALLEN RIOT, featuring big riffs and heavy hooks, plus GETHIKA, whose unique style of theatrical madness combined with extreme metal won themselves the Birmingham M2TM show, and Leicester brawlers INTERNAL CONFLICT, declared champions of the Nuneaton M2TM heat following their explosive live performance.

Showcasing their tunes on Sunday’s New Blood bill are Liverpool M2TM winners OCEANIS, who promise to bludgeon and soothe you at the same time, drawing their influences from Lamb of God, Textures, Opeth, Gojira, and Mastodon.  Joining them are Nottingham M2TM champions, LINE OF FIRE, who bring their own brand of southern Stoner Metal to Catton Park.  Featuring Lawnmower Deth’s Paddy, the band boast big riffs and bigger choruses, with just a hint of the blues.  Getting in on Sunday’s New Blood action too are West Yorkshire’s BLUDGER.  Their music is an homage to the progression of metal, blending old school hardcore vocals, the politics of anti-fascist punk, the savage riffs of bands like Anthrax and Pantera, with the polyrhythmic grooves of bands like Helmet and Meshuggah.

Boardmasters Beach Sessions lineup complete

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The Beach Sessions line up is completed! 

There is plenty on offer at Fistral in the evenings with the popular Marley Presents Beach Sessions taking place in the surf shack bar.

Music, beach and festival lovers can gather from 7.30-12am on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th to hear the harmonious sounds of some of the world’s favourite bands and artists.

On the bill this year The 1975, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Steve Smyth, The Lake Poets with The Bots and These Reigning Days completing the line up.

Tickets are selling fast so miss them and miss out! www.boardmasters.co.uk

Camp Bestival Day by Day lineup

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This year’s festival season is well and truly rocking and there are just a few short weeks until the kids are on school holidays and we all head to Lulworth Castle on Dorset’s stunning Jurassic coast for our sixth Camp Bestival. From the 1st to the 4th of August we have a wonderland of festi-holiday shenanigans planned to kick off the summer holidays in style, including amazing music from the best new bands to 80s legends and 100s of things for kids to do from catching Camp Bestival colossus Mr Tumble and cheeky Castle stage hosts Dick n Dom, to petting the pre-historic creatures from Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo and joining in the workshops at the brilliant new Dance Space. 

Due to popular local demand from the brilliantly supportive people of Dorset we once again have a very limited number of day tickets on sale now and we’re revealing the day by day line-ups, so you can plan ahead and get the most of your festi-holiday fun. 

The entertainment kicks off on Friday 2nd August with music from our headliner Richard Hawley, plus Ash, The Proclaimers, Billy Bragg, I Am Kloot, DJ Yoda and many more. There will be DJ sets from David Rodigan MBE’s Ram Jam, Coldcut’s Jon More, John Kennedy and many more. Plus shows, talks and comedy from the Brit School, Black Eagles Circus, Matthew Bourne New Adventures Dance Workshops, Royal Albert Hall Ginormous Percussion Orchestra, Gloria, Timmy And The Superdoopa Skateboard, London Lucumi Choir, Jo Whiley, Bestselling Woman’s Hour and Boothby Graffoe.

Saturday 3rd August fun includes music from Levellers, our very special guest Mark Owen, Gabrielle Aplin, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, The Cuban Brothers, Musical Youth, Valerie June and many more, plus DJ sets from Grandmaster Flash, Sasha and Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston’s A Love From Outer Space, amongst many others. There will also be shows from Horrible Histories Barmy Britain, Mr Tumble, Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure, Little Sunshine Little Rainfall, Black Eagles Circus, Candoco Dance Workshops plus more from the Royal Albert Hall Ginormous Percussion Orchestra, Tate Workshops and talks from Charlie Brooks, Trevor Phillips and lots more.

And wrapping things up on Sunday 4th August we will have music from Labrinth, DJ Fresh (Live), Heaven 17, The Polyphonic Spree, Nik Kershaw, dan le sac v Scroobius Pip, Beardyman, The Wurzels and many more. DJ sets from Fabio + Grooverider, Craig Charles, Rob da Bank, Dick & Dom and more. Plus there will be shows, spoken word and comedy from Horrible Histories, Dick & Dom Hosting Castle Stage, BRIT School, Trinity Laban Dance Workshops, Alice In Wonderland Summer Panto, Gloria, Timmy And The Superdoopa Skateboard, Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards, Scroobius Pip, Kate Tempest, Kerry Godliman, Ian Stone and our comedy headliner Alan Davies.

Camp Bestival 2013 Lineup

In2actIon’s Experience Adventure and more added to Camp Bestival

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The summer has arrived and team CB are under starter’s orders ready to unleash, Camp Bestival, the greatest family Festi-holiday known to man at Lulworth Castle on Dorset’s stunning Jurassic Coast from August 1st – 4th. With a veritable smorgasbord of live acts, DJs, comedy, theatre & shows, attractions, activities, poets, authors, talks, hundreds of things for kids to do and glorious food, you’d already be spoilt for choice but now adding to our Outdoor Pursuits for kids of all ages we have In2actIon’s Experience Adventure, plus brand new Arena hostsSkylanders SWAP Force and The Surplus Supper Club joining us for Camp Bestival 2013.

Rob da Bank said, "Just over 2 weeks to go until we open the gates, it's hotter than the sun outside and we've got 3 brand new things to announce for Camp Bestival! If action and adventure is your thing then make sure your kids head to in2action's Experience Adventure programme where they can try out  aeroballing, body zorbing and have a go at firing mini crossbows. Kids love them and so do we – SkyLanders are coming to Camp B with a new arena where you can be one of the first ever people to try out their new Skylander SWAP Force game. And, if your tummies are rumbling then make sure you book a table for The Surplus Supper Club for a festival feast like no other – see you there for a slap-up Sunday Roast!!"

We’re over the moon that In2action, an exciting, innovative company providing action packed activities all over the world in over 50 holiday centres, will be with us this year. At Camp BestivalIn2action will be running some super-exciting activities with their Experience Adventure programme! Have you tried trampolining, volleyball and basketball?  Well, put them all together and you have the unique and exhilarating game of Aeroball, plus there will be Body Zorbing, which is exhausting fun for anyone aged 7 upwards. Climb into a huge inflatable ball and roll around, flip over, crash into each other and play a number of hilarious games. And you can test your hand/eye coordination shooting safe play plastic sucker darts at our customized targets, with Mini Crossbows & Junior Archery, or challenge your head for heights by tackling our 7 metre Climbing Wall. So make sure you come and join the fun!!

"The In2action team are really looking forward to being part of Camp Bestival in August.  We hope we can help make this another memorable August at Lulworth Castle. We’re looking forward to seeing you all there." George Ross, In2action.
 
We're so excited that the mega BAFTA award winning Skylanders will be coming to Camp Bestival this summer! Hosting a new arena you can expect to be among the first people in the country to play Skylanders SWAP Force before it hits the shops in October!

Skylanders SWAP Force introduces a whole new way of playing with the introduction of character swapability, welcoming 16 new characters, whose top and bottom halves can be swapped, providing players with more than 250 unique character combinations! Amazing! This new arena will be the place to hang out for gaming fans and families that want to get involved with all sorts of Skylanders activity including Skylanders themed dress up, face painting and puzzles. Not to be missed!

Finally, for now, we're very pleased to announce we will be bringing you a fresh, new dining experience this year. FareShare South West and their team of award winning chefs will be hosting The Surplus Supper Club restaurant, serving luscious breakfasts, three course dinners, wine, fine cheeses and an unmissable Sunday roast, all on proper plates inside a funky Indian marquee. Is there anything more decadent then eating at a table with china, silverware and a good glass of bubby in a field with your wellies on?! We advise that you book a table for you and your group in advance as their restaurants are very popular!

We’re raring to go but keep an eye on www.campbestival.net and our Facebook and Twitter for more news coming soon!

LINE UP SO FAR:

ACROSS THE WEEKEND
ERTH'S DINOSAUR ZOO /  BFI FILM CLUB /  DANCE SPACE /  FREESTYLE SPORTS PARK /  WALL OF DEATH /  ART TOWN /  INSECT CIRCUS /  SCIENCE TENT /  GUARDIAN LITERARY INSTITUTE /  STORY DEN IN THE DINGLY DELL / KIDS DISCOS IN BOLLYWOOD / FOLK IDOL /  COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDS

FRIDAY 2ND AUGUST
LIVE: RICHARD HAWLEY / ASH / THE PROCLAIMERS / BILLY BRAGG / I AM KLOOT / DJ YODA (LIVE AV SHOW) FEAT. THE TOOTSIE ROLLERS / JOHN COOPER CLARKE / THE FARM / THE CORRESPONDENTS / LONDON GRAMMAR / MIKILL PANE / FILTHY BOY / FAKE BUSH / MR B THE GENTLEMAN RHYMER / HUDSON TAYLOR / LLOYD YATES / JAWS / RED RIVER HOGS / CHERISHPORT / SKIMMITY HITCHERS

DJs: DAVID RODIGAN'S RAM JAM FEAT. ROB DA BANK / THE NEXTMEN /  MC WREC /  VENUM SOUND / 
JON MORE (COLDCUT) / JOHN KENNEDY / FEELING GLOOMY / COLEY FROM LUV*JAM / JSTAR / DICK KURTAINE / MIX IT UP KRU

SHOWS, TALKS AND COMEDY: THE BRIT SCHOOL /  BLACK EAGLES CIRCUS /  MATTHEW BOURNE NEW ADVENTURES DANCE WORKSHOPS /  ROYAL ALBERT HALL GINORMOUS PERCUSSION ORCHESTRA /  GLORIA /  TIMMY AND THE SUPERDOOPA SKATEBOARD /  LONDON LUCUMI CHOIR /  HOW TO BE A PRESENTER JO WHILEY /  BESTSELLING WOMAN’S HOUR /  BOOTHBY GRAFFOE

SATURDAY 3RD AUGUST
LIVE: LEVELLERS / VERY SPECIAL GUEST MARK OWEN / GABRIELLE APLIN / KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS / THE CUBAN BROTHERS / LISSIE / MUSICAL YOUTH / MAD PROFESSOR / CLEAN BANDIT / HOWARD MARKS / VALERIE JUNE / ADY SULEIMAN / MOLOTOV JUKEBOX / BEN WATERS / MOULETTES / LEWIS WATSON / J-CATS / PHIL & TILLEY

DJ: GRANDMASTER FLASH / SASHA / A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE / BALEARIC BROTHERS / DAPPER DAN / REV MILO / ROWAN CHERNIN (CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD SURF) / SHEPDOG

SHOWS, TALKS AND COMEDY: HORRIBLE HISTORIES / MR TUMBLE / SHLOMO BEATBOX ADVENTURE / LITTLE SUNSHINE LITTLE RAINFALL  / BLACK EAGLES CIRCUS  / ROYAL ALBERT HALL GINORMOUS PERCUSSION ORCHESTRA / CANDOCO DANCE WORKSHOPS / HOW TO PLAY A BADDIE WITH CHARLIE BROOKS / HOW TO HANDLE A RIOT WITH TREVOR PHILLIPS / BOOTHBY GRAFFOE

SUNDAY 4TH AUGUST
LIVE: LABRINTH / DJ FRESH (LIVE) / HEAVEN 17 / THE POLYPHONIC SPREE / NIK KERSHAW / DAN LE SAC V SCROOBIUS PIP / BEARDYMAN / SAM LEE & FRIENDS / THE WURZELS / SKINNY LISTER / THE  1975 / FLEETWOOD BAC / 'INTRODUCING' RECREATE 'DISCOVERY' LIVE / LUCKY ELEPHANT / SEXY SUSHI / ISAIAH DREADS

DJ: FABIO + GROOVERIDER / CRAIG CHARLES DJ SET / ROB DA BANK / DICK & DOM / BARRY ASHWORTH / SUNDAY BEST FORUM ALLSTARS / TYTHE / IN LIGHT OF AQUARIUS

SHOWS, TALKS AND COMEDY: HORRIBLE HISTORIES / DICK & DOM HOSTING CASTLE STAGE  / BRIT SCHOOL  / TRINITY LABAN DANCE WORKSHOPS / ALICE IN WONDERLAND SUMMER PANTO / GLORIA, TIMMY AND THE SUPERDOOPA SKATEBOARD / HOW TO FLY WITH EDDIE ‘THE EAGLE’ EDWARDS / SCROOBIUS PIP / KATE TEMPEST / ALAN DAVIES / IAN STONE / KERRY GODLIMAN

Bilbao BBK Live 2013 Review

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Bilbao festival, in its eighth year takes place on top of the Kobetamendi mountains just north of Bilbao. For those that aren't camping be prepared to wait up to 40mins to jump on the free shuttle bus that takes you up most part of the mountain. Unfortunately the buses don't drive to the top so be prepared to walk for another 20 minutes. Once on site the festival is conveniently laid out. In total you have a choice of 4 stages- Bilbao stage, Heineken, Live and the Vodafone stage. All within easy walking distance and no clashes, which is rare at any festival. 
 
If you're looking to feed your stomach then I would suggest eating out in the city centre to avoid disappointment. Unfortunately the food options and quality lacked in choice and flavours. The bar however had a great choice of drinks, most of which are served in litres! One of the drinks on offer was a local drink called kalimotxo, also known as cocavino. Half a litre of red wine, half coke and some ice, which surprisingly tasted good!
 
On Thursdays line up saw the likes of Alt-J, Toy, Billy Talent, Editors, Biffy Clyro, Depeche Mode and closing were Two Door Cinema Club. Like most of the crowd I thought that the main stage closing act should have been the Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro. And when the Irish pop rockers concluded their set, there was very little to chose from unless you headed to the Vodafone stage, which hosted an array of European DJ's spinning their acclaimed tracks that had the spaniards jumping up and down with joy.
 
On Friday the audience were looking forward to seeing Spector, The Vaccines, Klaxons, Kings of Leon and Public Image Ltd, but half way into The Vaccines set the heavens opened and thunder and lightening struck which led to the band walking off stage. There was an uproar from the crowd but before long everyone hurried into what little shelter they could find, myself included. At one point the rain was so bad that a majority fled the site to find shelter whilst others resumed to finding solice in a portaloo. The crowd were uneasy and unsure of the festival continuing, but through sheer determination the majority stuck around with the hope that the festival would go on. And after 2hrs of heavy down poor the Klaxons made an entrance onto the Heineken stage and the festival goers disended to watch a money well spent set. They played all the classics including Echoes, Golden Skans and Gravity's Rainbow. And whilst the hardcore Klaxons fans watched a faultless performance the Kings of Leon were re-opening the Bilbao stage, pulling in the biggest crowd they had a soaked audience singing along to all their hits ending on Sex on Fire. And shortly after their set the anticipated Public Image Ltd took to the same stage. Working the crowd was legendary and ex Sex Pistol John Lydon. It was a shame that they didn't have a big audience but they were an outfit worth seeing.
 
By day three the site was looking a lot more crowded The Hives entered the stage looking equally as eccentric as each other. The great thing about these guys was their striking outfits. The swedes hyped up the crowd with their impressive Spanish, and had the crowd cheering for more as they finished their set. A difficult act to follow but next on the bill were Green Day, they played a two hour set including some favourites from Dookie, along with American Idiot. Half way threw the set saw Billie Joe Armstrong pull an audience member from the crowd onto the stage, to which he had to dive bomb into the crowd, one of the most spectacular dives off a stage that I have ever seen!
 
And finishing up the festival was Fatboy Slim. The got the crowd pumped and played a faultless set to a very satisfied audience.
 
All in all I found Bilbao Festival a lot of hard work, the long waits for the bus plus the climbing up the mountain were challenging, especially in the heat. But once on site the chilled out vibe made the festival worth going to.

 

NASS Festival 2013 Review

by

Unlike a lot of music festivals; such as Reading or Download, NASS festival doesn’t entirely revolve around the bands or artists that are performing. A large base of its popularity comes from its Extreme Sports involvement, with competitions for skateboarders and BMXer’s taking place throughout both Friday and Saturday. Additionally, freestyle motocross demonstrations along with rollerblading were being eagerly watched by many at different venues scattered around the site.

Friday

As the first full day of the festival started, the intense heat brought out everyone from their tents and caravans onto the walk paths of the festival, the streets were packed with teenagers dressed in vests and shorts trying to resist the extreme heat of the day.

The first highly popular act for Friday’s line-up where the English four piece rock band from Essex: We Are The Ocean. The band put forward a confident performance involving such popular songs as ‘Bleed’ and ‘Follow What You Need’. Lead singer, Liam Cromby, engaged well with the audience; which despite not being huge in numbers seemed impressed and entertained throughout the set.

Next up, the Youtube originated sensation George Watsky, best known through his video ‘Pale kid raps fast’ took the stage. He displayed confidence and talent through his remarkably fast paced rapping which wowed the audience, arriving in numbers slightly larger than those who attended We Are The Ocean. As Watsky’s performance went on, he later decided to interact with one particular member of the audience by singing Happy Birthday to them, this gesture was received well as the crowd cheered and encouraged him on. George then went on to perform a deeply emotional song of his known as ‘Tiny Growing Screens Part 2’ which seemed to connect with the audience immensely, the use of Watsky’s rapping mixed with the powerful singing of his female partner fused well together to create a highly entertaining performance.

After a short break, the well-received DJ’s MONSTA took the stage, exciting the audience with their blend of dubstep and electronic dance-like music. Their performance was heard throughout NASS with their overwhelming bassy music which succeeded in attracting a relatively large crowd. As their performance went on, hundreds of supporters turned up, highlighting on the popularity of their performance.

After a lengthy performance by MONSTA, perhaps the second most anticipated act of the night were about to perform. Hadouken! With no great surprise, attracted a huge crowd, the largest so far, performing with extreme confidence and class. The lead singer, James Smith alongside his girlfriend and the other three members of the band created an intensely exciting atmosphere through their music, which everyone seemed to enjoy! As the act went on, James ordered the main crowd to form the ‘wall of death’ which the crowd obliged into doing, only adding to the craze of the moment.

As the crowd gathered in anticipation of the Headliner of Fridays events, Katy B took the stage; she undoubtedly brought in the largest crowd out of all of Fridays acts and definitely gave a performance worthy of applause, which the audience did, many times. With the involvement of the backup dancers being introduced by Katy, the crowd felt more connected with her, as well as her shout out to ‘all the ladies in here’ generating a huge bombardment of screams from the crowd. Her performance seemed to not only keep the audience on their toes, but also up in the air as multiple giant inflatable balls where launched across the crowd. She closed her set with her most recognised song, also her first single: ‘Katy On A Mission’ which got the whole crowd singing along. Needless to say, the atmosphere was amazing and every member of the audience involved seemed to have a brilliant time.

Katy B @ Nass

Saturday

Saturday started much the same as Friday did…with an intense amount of Heat. In fact the weather for the entire festival was superb as there wasn’t a drop in the sky, although I’m sure by the end of a rave with Skepta or Zane Lowe some people would have been begging for a cold shower to come down from the sky.

The hugely popular English rapper Skepta kicked off the evening with an intense and powerful performance, dressed in his all white clothing he stood out from the background, creating an illuminating appearance. Skepta’s voice was clear and powerful as he shook the ground of NASS getting everyone up on their feet and involved.

Next up, the British rock band from Cardiff Kids In Glass Houses rocked the stage with such popular tunes as ‘Sunshine’ ‘Undercover Lover’ and ‘Matters At All’. Their supporters came together to create a great atmosphere as Aled and his band rocked on through the evening.

The extremely popular Radio one presenter from New Zealand Zane Lowe came on and immediately summoned everyone to their feet as he shouted ‘If you’re sitting in a tent then what the F#*k are you doing?!’. As his set began, a huge crowd gathered, one of a similar size to Hadouken! His performance included his own DJ set as well as remix’s of club classics, for example he did a cover of one of Pendulums songs, which brought a huge cheer of recognition from the crowd. It seemed that all those involved in this experience had an exciting and unforgettable time.

Finally, as the darkness started to loom around the site, the concluding headlining act was about to hit the stage, who, by extreme measures, attracted the largest crowd as the main stage was packed with people. Before he made is appearance, the DJ paid tribute to such other rappers as 2 Pac and biggie smalls; demanding that everyone put ‘one finger in the air’ and then ‘turn them ones into two’s’ in tribute of 2 Pac. As the night went on and Nas made it to the stage there was a huge eruption from the crowd as he entered. The atmosphere was intense and full of supporters eagerly cheering him on. Once again, as during Katy B, huge inflatable balls bounced across the top of the crowd, just to add to the already intensely exciting atmosphere. The performance could be heard throughout the entire site, it was safe to say that Nas gave the people of NASS what they wanted, an incredible performance.

Nas

To sum up, the performances at NASS, whether they be from a skateboarder, BMXer or whether they’re headlining on the main stage; the quality and enjoyment you get from each and every performer creates an environment which you don’t ever want to leave, the effort of these performers this year made NASS 2013 a festival to remember, so don’t miss it next year!

Photos by Ed Adams

FRIDAY

SATURDAY