So here’s the thing. Festivals are continually criticised for their headline act choices, it’s always going to be the case. They’re damned for getting big name legends on repeat every few years, but also for giving newer bands the slot when they aren’t established or dramatic enough to be considered headline material. So what to do?
Well, most other festivals stick to the tried and tested, big act = big sales. But where does it end? The top drawer artist pool is rapidly drying due to either retirement or worse, death (2016 really has been a cursed year) and it just can’t go on. New blood has to flow.
This year, Rob Da Bank and co. have taken the far riskier, and frankly braver option of booking Major Lazer as their Friday night headliner. After a stellar daytime performance in 2014 they’ve been bumped into the top spot with good cause. The two year gap has seen Major Lazer release some huge anthems such as Lean On, Light It Up and Powerful (featuring Ellie Goulding), not forgetting the brand new Cold Water with Justin Bieber and All My Love with Ariana Grande. Tonight the rapidly filling arena is more than enough proof that newer bands can and will fill a top spot.
With bursts of streamers, flurries of confetti and smoke cannon blasts it’s unsurprising to see Diplo and pals take to the stage with a bang, Major Lazer are exactly the kind of high energy act that the Bestival crowd deserves. Wearing all-white outfits, flanked by dancers in sparkly black leotards, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire run around throwing tour tshirts out into the crowd to a frenzied crowd, whilst Diplo reminds us that Bestival is home turf for him – Rob booked him for the first time as a DJ back in 2004.
Despite a bit of dodgy sound (we do miss the much bigger speaker stacks of last year’s colossally huge main stage, sorry guys) it’s a great atmosphere and the Skrillex/Damien Marley collab Make It Bun Dem has the whole crowd attempting to wind. We British aren’t renowned for our sexy dancing skills but there are some serious shapes being thrown tonight, good job it’s dark.
Joined by Danish firecracker vocalist MØ, they tear it up with last year’s summer smash Lean On, and there’s something in Light It Up that just feels so… Bestival. Whenever I hear it I think of sundrenched fields of glitter-clad, neon-painted, carefree souls. Accompanied by a toasty array of on stage pyrotechnics and a considerable amount of jumping up and down, this is exactly what we came here for – wild abandon, and freedom from everything else in life.
We join in with the shirt-twirling, the dancehall steps, and duck as Diplo runs above the crowd in his giant hamster ball (okay okay, zorb…). It’s over far too soon. The only slight disappointments were the tiny acapella snippet of Cold Water, knowing that the drop is so good, and come on – for a band named Major Lazer, there were a distinct lack of actual lasers. Hopefully we’ll see Major Lazer back again soon, and kudos to Bestival for a great headline pick.
Wilkestock music festival is the Tardis of the summer event calendar….Small on the outside, big on the inside with a lot to offer. With a theme of 'Wilkestock Wonderland' showcasing artwork of the infamous white rabbit and queen of hearts, the hertfordshire setting looked enchanting. This is an event where all of the proceeds go to charity. This year all of the proceeds were split between Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and also Keswick Mountain Rescue.
The festival was brought to life in 2006 by two brothers Tom and Olly Wilkes. Originally a party for friends, the event just grew bigger each year. Last year's event in 2015 had over 1,500 people in attendance.
The organisers at wilkestock catered for all ages, the site included a bar that was styled like a log cabin, sofa's scattered all around the grounds for a relaxed atmosphere and a 'kids area' which provided two bouncy castles, a cinema with toadstool seating and minature golf. The most important part of the layout was the five music stages: Main stage, Bella Stage (BBC Introducing), Bangorang, Rock up & Rinse and The Doghouse.
I have to mention the variety of food. There may have only been a handful of vendors in the small food court area but there was certainly plenty to sink your teeth into. The traditional choice of burgers, chips and sub rolls from 'The Wingmen', fresh stonebaked pizzas, an ice cream van and something very different from 'Safari' an african themed caterer introducing exotic flavours such as ostritch, crocodile and zebra meats to festival goers.
Onto the main event! The music! The whole weekend provided a really good and varied line up but firstly lets take a trip back to Friday's acts. Early in the afternoon we saw perfomances from Cardinal Kings, Timeless Lizards (who also performed an acoustic set on the BBC Introducing stage on the Saturday) and quite popular acoustic style singer Doug Sure who introduced himself as the guy that people expect to be the soundman for the stage set up who felt like he needed to tell some stories with his songs after previous band's heavy rock music styles. Sure performed oringinal singles such as 'Wishing Well' (which is a song about the grim reaper), 'Darling' and also a song of the audience's choice by a show of hands in the air, their left or their right. From this choice he then sang the classic Craig David single '7 Days'
One of the bands to watch on Friday were four piece indie rock band Paves. Straight out of the Reading and Leeds festivals this year. Great band but I do have to mention how much I loved the lead singers attire. He sported Mick Dundee Chic as I like to call it, in light coloured fitted trousers, a denim jacket and a cowboy hat. And yes I am referring to the character from the Crocodile Dundee films.
Other popular performers included the uniquely vocalled Dinges, JoCee (who sang a fantastic cover of The Spice Girls' single 'Say You'll Be There'), and the headliner warm up act Eliza and the Bear – whose set included their biggest hits such as the one we all know from a particular cider advert on tv as the band themselves referred to. But unfortunately they were interrupted by two young girls climbing up onto the main stage to which was dealt with by the sound crew. This was a major security error and it should have been avoided. Though the band did play on in a professional manner.
Time for Friday's headline act….The Subways! The band is made up of three members Billy Lunn (vocals and guitar), Charlotte Cooper (vocals and guitar) and drummer Josh Morgan. An English rock band from Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire have seen great success since the releases of songs such as 'Rock and Roll Queen' and 'Oh yeah'.
The energetic set from Friday's headliner saw lead singer Billy doing his well known rock and roll leaps and even climbing up to rock out on the drum kit. The band sang other well known hits including 'Dirty Muddy Paws', 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' and 'Good Times'. The audience revelled in rock and roll goodness by singing along to well known lyrics and even creating the stereotypical mosh pit. The band finished their set with their biggest hit 'Rock and Roll Queen' during this, huge confetti cannons were activated, filling the festival grounds with colour and excitement, with both adults and children alike creating confetti angels on the ground.
Saturday
After a great day of festival frolicks that Friday had to offer, the following day had high expectations. The pressure was on! Unfortunately the weather was not ideal for a festival but the show did indeed go on. The place to be on Saturday was inside the enclosed Bella stage hosted by the team from BBC Introducing. A highlight from early on in the day was the performance from husky voiced Tom Grennan. A bedfordshire based artist with his acoustic guitar and soulful-indie sounds. He is certainly an act to look out for as he's already recorded a single with the huge Chase and Status called 'When it All Goes Wrong' and is about to support The Libertines at 02 Brixton academy on the 7th September 2016.
Another strong act of the day was four piece rock band Exit Black from Luton in Bedfordshire. The band performed a stripped back acoustic set with only two members: Tony on vocals and Joe on guitar. The duo performed original songs including: 'Memories' and 'Rise and Fall' encouraging the audience to sing along with them. The boys also performed a cover song requested by the BBC Introducing team which was a rendition of 'Maybe Tomorrow' originally by the Sterophonics.
There were three bands that really (pardon the pun) stood out in the crowd for me, one of which I have already mentioned (Exit Black), the second of those three, are the boys from Alexis Kings. An up and coming rock band from St.Albans in hertfordshire who have already seen success from their debut single 'Squire' which reached the top 10 in the spotify charts. They performed other originals which included the very popular 'Strawberry Blonde'
One of the biggest crowd pleasers of the late afternoon were The Scruff. A quirky guitar pop-rock band. With their crazy, trippy intro to their music and lack of clothing from the topless lead singer they really did bring something different to the stage. I can personally see a likeness to Blur and Madness with these guys.
Saturday's warm up acts for the headliner provided a large variety from the self labelled 'Dirty-pop' act Get Inuit, the glitzy set from The Jenova Collective and the big one before the big one (my third favourite act of the day) The Hunna.
Other than the highly anticipated live set from Mystery Jets, These guys were certainly not to be missed. The Hunna – who have gained over 1.75 million spotify streams, formed in October 2015 and have already made quite the name for themselves. The four piece indie-rock band's upcoming tour of the UK is almost a total sell out. It is clear that these guys are aiming for domination in the music industry. Their cleverly titled debut album '100' went straight into the top 20 of the official UK album charts. Not only did The Hunna provide an amazing warm up show for the headliner on main stage but they also did an acoustic set earlier on in the day with just two of the band members. They provided us with lyrical beauties including 'Bonfire', 'Still Got Blood', 'Brother', 'You and Me' and 'Bad For You'.
Drum roll please…Please welcome to the stage, Saturday's healine act. Mystery Jets! Formed in 2003 and six albums later the band are still going strong and ever popular with their loyal fanbase. Despite the soggy weather, the site was filled great vibes. With a quick adjustment of the microphone stand and a wave to the audience the band kicked things off with 'Telomere' then diving straight into 'Serotonin'. Amoungst the huge crowds of people under the bright lights coming from the main stage were photographers, people recording from their mobile devices, some groovy movers (including the food vendors with drinks in hand) and even a small toddler dancing along in a Captain America costume. How adorable!
Mystery Jets also performed other rocking hits like 'Two Doors Down', their latest single 'Bubblegum' and 'Half in Love With Elizabeth' before then finishing their awesome show with 'Alice Springs'
All in all, I had a great time at this festival and I would highly recommend it to everyone I know. An allrounder with lots to do and see. Bring on Wilkestock 2017!
The Big Feastival is a three day event held during August bank holiday weekend from Friday to Sunday and is held on Alex James (Blur) farm in Kingham– Oxon (Oxfordshire). The Feastival – founded by Jamie Oliver has become a very popular event and is famous for it’s selection of food outlets, live music and celebrity chef’s who do demonstration live cooking for audiences. some of the celebrity chef's that were there were Raymond Blanc, Nadiya hussain, Tom Kerridge, amongst many more.
As well as all the above there are also cooking school events for both adults and children and many activities and workshops throughout the feastival.
Since it’s first year, The Big Feastival has grown and grown and pretty much sells out every year. The line-up of music also seems to Improve yearly- attracting a whole mix of audiences. This year, the line-up included Mark Ronson, Tinie Tempah and Kaiser Chiefs amongst many other great acts.
My family and I have always wanted to visit The Big Feastival and now that we have a son, we thought it was time to check it out, especially as is known not just for food and music but for being very family orientated. My husband, who is a big foodie and a fan of Jamie Oliver was particularly excited to go as watches it on television almost every year.
I, however was mainly there for the food haha. Spending most of my youth at music festivals solely – food festivals have become a guilty pleasure.
As soon as you arrive you are greeted by a huge standing Big Feastival sign and can smell the wondrous foods that fill the air from all over. Right near the entrance was a vintage fair for the kids to have fun from the start. With the old fashioned swings, the fields were filled with excited screams and happy, smiley faces. There were food tents full of various food stalls selling all sorts of goodies from herbs and spices to organic brownies. Shabby Chic wooden signs were scattered throughout the festival to act as your guide, pointing the way to each and every area.
As we walked into the Main Arena, we were delighted to catch the start of Reggie N Bollie, two singers who were on last years X Factor and became fast favourites. The children in the audience loved every minute as did the adults. Reggie N Bollie are so much fun and did not disappoint, they had so much energy and stage presence that they brought life to the festival in a positive and up beat way – it is no wonder the sun shone so brightly for their set because after that, well…the rain came down like nobodies business, in fact, it was a storm as thunder was roaring and loud bangs filled the sky. In a mad dash panic, every guest ran for shelter. Having a buggy, this was hard but we made it into a food tent which of course, prompts impulse buying and Impulse buy we did. We bought two very lovely Organic Brownies from Fair and Square Chocolate Brownies, one Raspberry and one Salted Caramel, yum yum yum! Well what could I do but gorge on them right away? We were stuck after all haha! The rain seemed to subside, for a while anyway as we made our way back to the main arena and queued for some lovely Macaroni Cheese from Anna Mae’s Mac N Cheese whilst my husband had A Big Apple Hot dog with all the toppings. Both were delicious.
As we had the little one, we ventured off into the kids area called Little Dude’s Den. If the weather had not been so bad I would have liked to have explored more than I did. What caught my eye right away was these two huge eyes that were in one of the trees – what a wonderful idea, it looked fantastic! It’s the little details that make all the difference hey?
We went straight to the stalls and I was drawn in by a lovely baby food company named Babease who produce organic vegetable baby food. Babease were giving away samples for donations to Jamie Oliver’s charity The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation – The Charity teaches essential food skills to help people make better food choices for a healthier life and runs a number of successful programmes helping young people overcome disadvantages to create better futures for themselves working in the food industry.
As well as food samples we were kindly given a baby bib and a bag for mummy (me) and some good advice on weaning. If you want to check them out please visit http://www.babease.co
I found myself reverting back to my childhood as I beamed with joy when I saw two large buses from Hasbro, one for Transformers and one for My Little Pony. We did not get a chance to go in as had the buggy and there were big queues but I found out a little more about it here http://www.senselondon.com/hasbros-transformers-tour-hits-road-summer/
I was very pleased to see a small version of Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park where we saw gorgeous geese, delightful donkeys, glorious goats, lovely little lambs, bouncing bunnies, perfect little piglets and cute tiny chicks.
Alas, came down the rain again and with a vengeance. Of course, this is not the feastivals fault but mother nature. What a shame! Luckily we had a rain cover for our son but sadly, my shoes filled so much that they ended up with holes in them, our clothes were soaked so much so that they clung to our skin and I sneezed so much so that they my nose was running faster than Usain Bolt!
A few main stage acts were cancelled ( Zak Abel and Clean Cut Kid) due to the weather which, despite being a shame, was the safest option for everyone. Things went back to schedule in time for Reverend and The Makers, Reef, The Cuban Brothers, Ella Henderson, DJ Fresh and headliner Tinie Tempah. The crowds did not let the remaining bit of rain put them off as they danced and sang during every act. The children seemed to really enjoy every act. None of the standing area for the artists were crowded in a way you would find at a regular music festival, everyone was respectful of their neighbour and looked out for one another.
Seeing Reef made my day as were a band I saw many times in my teens and brought back many memories.
I highly recommend Big Feastival to anyone, especially if you have a family and want to introduce them to their first festival and for it to be enjoyable and child friendly. There is so much to do for adukts and children, so much we didn't see and so much food we had no room to eat. We passed bars, Alex James Cheese Hub, Crepe stalls, Dumplings, bakery stalls, meat stalls, you think of it – they had it! Arrive with an empty stomach, bring plenty of money and just in case, DO NOT FORGET YOUR WELLIES – I learnt the hard way.
The last bank holiday Monday of the year is known for many things: appalling weather, interspersed with glimpses of sun, a desperation to get the last drops of summer and a powerful desire to forget about work tomorrow and enjoy music for what it is.
For me, this weekend has alway been significant for the Notting Hill Carnival. For years I would spend my bank holiday Sunday and Monday wandering around the street of West London, taking in the sweets sights, smells and sounds of the caribbean. Today was different. Today I found myself heading down to the leafy and spacious surrounds of Clapham Common for the Madness headlined ‘House of Common’.
This appealed to me, for even if I was missing out on my jerk chicken, goat curry and cans of Red Stripe, I would be getting, for the first time, to see a band that has always been one of my guilty pleasures. You see I spent my time at school “smashing up the woodwork tools” while humming along to the catchy notes of ska and new wave that these veterans of the 70s and 80s proudly blared out. Madness was to be supported by a variety of reggae, ska, hip-hop and grime acts.
Four years ago they helped open the London Olympics. They brought the mellow tones of 'our house' to
the assembled audience of the entire world amidst a vision of a welcoming city.
Four years later and the messages of that night continue to hold true. London is still the global capital that is was and music is still what makes us great, but things have changed. Do we still have the heady optimism of 2012 or has it been replaced by something a little darker and realistic? I hoped that perhaps seeing this band that has stuck to the same routine would be comforting, delivering that nostalgic quality that in our dark and dangerous world is ever more appealing.
So what is Madness? Is it just a nostalgic throwback to a simpler time when the multi ethnic tones of a gang of guys from Camden Town, or is it something deeper? A reminder that the Britain we live in is no longer the one they played to, but rather one shaped by that very era. Well I was set to find out, but there were other artists to take in too.
First up, Toots and the Maytals delivered classic reggae to a crowd elevated by the hot sun shining down. The juxtaposition between the setting and the music was noticeable, with the latter closer to Kingston-upon-Thames than Jamaica. There was the weird vibe of a quietness of a crowd unsure of how act. Fans of reggae everywhere, but few willing to let loose. Camera phones and tattoos were on show, but this felt more like a cultural exchange than a happy marriage between audience and artists.
Before I had a chance to ponder this further, we were dashing to the second stage to take in Ms Dynamite.
From the lofty climes of Archway, this world famous singer and entertainer was one of the highlights of the supporting acts – whose names were so small below ‘Madness’ on the billing, that corrective eyewear was needed to read clearly. She blasted off with her eponymous track followed up with an increasingly heavy set bringing in a blend of the urban rhythms of hip-hop, grime and UK garage. A crowd of all ages and personalities were going crazy for the heavy beats.
Next on the stage was Mike Skinner & Murkage. The temperature was rising and this was an indisputably London sound. Echoes of Streets fame, were mixed enthusiastically with a more a more edgy feel. As balloons were punched back between the stage and crowd, everyone was jumping in sweaty unison. We ducked out for chilled cans of cider, and bumped into a very friendly Ms Dynamite backstage.
David Rodigan was the final act before Madness on the main stage. ‘Girl I want to Make You Sweat’ was the first track, with the audience now feeling the love and singing in unison. The Marley classics continued with ‘The Sun is Shining’ appropriately dropped on the crowd as the sun finally went down. Good vibrations were in play and the atmosphere couldn't fit middle class suburbia any better as Rodigan exclaimed that all were welcome "if you love the original sound of Jamaica", this was the intro to Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Wonderful World Beautiful People’ that gave way in seconds to ‘You Can Get it if you Really Want’. The performance was fast food reggae. Loud, plentiful, very quick and really very satisfying. Delivered song by song like reggae reggae sauce in pill form, it gives people from all over the country a taste of something exotic.
Walking out of back-stage we were knocked into by a guy in a West ham shirt screaming "I want to see mike Skinner now"! Only seconds later we heard that at the last moment the Madness team had decided they wanted no photographers (or cider drinking writers) in the enclosure for their headline set. Somewhat shocked and disappointed we were in an Uber not long later.
Tomorrow is a workday and real life resumes. Until then, the laid back rhythms of London Town and its proud Caribbean heritage offer a real escape from the humdrum of life in this very same city. So in truth, I can’t tell you the meaning of madness but I can say that ‘House of Common’ was a fairly good place to get away from it.
Leeds Festival is personally my favourite festival of the year. Having one of the greatest lineups covering every single aspect of music, Reading & Leeds always delivers and still holds the title in my books as the best live music event. This year we had headliners and co. headliners, Fall Out Boy with Biffy Clyro, Foals with Disclosure, with the final day being an American rock classic, Red Hot Chili Peppers.
After the down pour of rain which occurred on the Thursday it meant that the arena could almost have been mistaken for Download Festival. Rivers upon lakes of mud and dirt meant that unless you had wellies then it was likely that your feet would not last the weekend. Still, the weather did very little to less then mood of the people as a majority if them, despite the lack of sunshine still paraded in shorts, vests and occasionally the odd pair of flip flops.
FRIDAY:
To start the day main stage opened with the American Pop Punk band, State Champs who came all the way from Albany, New York to play for their first time at Reading and Leeds. With their most recent album ‘Around The World and Back’ being released in 2015, and their huge growing fanbase, meant that their set drew a relatively large crowd for an opening act. Playing some of their top hits such as ‘Secrets’ and ‘All you are is history’, the loud and energetic music meant that the crowd were on their feet dancing and jumping from the start.
(Above: State Champs)
Another pop rock band which was an act not to miss this Friday at Leeds were Waterparks who again were another band from America, this time Austin Texas. With their quirky charm and sweet talking lead singer, they were definitely a bunch of characters who like to have fun. Having recently finished Warped Tour in America, their popularity has also been on the increase with their frequent media coverage in a lot of the most popular music magazines such as Kerrang and Rock Sound. These guys will definitely be an act to catch, but with no tour dates as of yet in the UK, if you happen to be from American they will be touring with the bands Sleeping with Sirens, Tonight Alive and State Champs, who all played Reading and Leeds this weekend in the End of Madness tour this November in America.
Leading on to Tonight Alive who were noticeably higher on the bill this year on the NME/Radio 1 Stage. Also having been on Warped Tour and recently realising their album ‘Limitless’ earlier this year, the Australian rock band produced an outstanding performance. Their lead singer Jenna McDougall who I had the pleasure of meeting briefly in the press area shortly after their set said it was “amazing to be back” since their previous performance on main stage back in 2014.
(Above: Tonight Alive)
As it got to later in the day, the mud was still holding strong and but luckily the weather was clearing up. One act who has been hugely gaining popularity in the British music scene, known for his huge impact on the Grime scene who I have worked with and become friends with was Big Narstie. Originally known for his comedy and Youtube sketches, Narstie grew in the Grime industry and now with the huge collaboration with Craig David on his single ‘When the Bassline Drops’, it was definitely going to be a huge act.
One of the most anticipated acts of the evening, other than the co headliners, Fall Out Boy and Biffy Clyro, The 1975 were the next biggest band playing that evening. And undoubtably the did not disappoint. With their huge stage presence and beautiful stage setup with digital cityscapes, the band were not one to miss. Performing from their new album ‘I like it when you sleep…’ as well as their 2013 self titled album, the Manchester based band enticed the crowd who were on their feet singing along and dancing like crazy to the overly energetic and charismatic lead singer Matt Healy.
(Above: The 1975)
Then it was time for the huge co headlining acts, which personally were my favourite headliners out of the weekend. Fall Out Boy had been on the verge of a split back in 2010 and took a break for several years until their surprise reformation back in 2013 with their album “Save Rock and Roll’. Since then they have produced another huge selling album which meant that they thoroughly deserved that top headliner spot. I could see the love and the energy in the crowd as they performed some of their true classics such as ‘This ain’t a scene, it’s an arms race’ as well as new songs such as ‘Uma Thurman’. I have never seen a crowd be brought closer together by a love for a huge and somewhat nostalgic performance. With some people describing their performance as a resemblance to a ‘Motley Crüe’ set their wild use of dancers and firework displays could be the reasoning behind that. After a number of energetic songs, Patrick Stump chose to use the middle of his set to take it back to some of their slower songs, whilst also using their single ‘Save Rock and Roll’ which originally featured the vocals of Elton John was used to pay tribute to the death of David Bowie.
For the final act of the night, I can honestly say that I have never been moved by such an outstanding and emotionally provoking set from witnessing Biffy Clyro. Whilst I can say I was perviously apprehensive about their performance, I was hugely mistaken to believe there was any hint of doubt as they were one of the best acts I have seen live in my entire life. With their recent release of their new album ‘Ellipsis’ back in July, it was no doubt why they were given the headline slot. With their aggressive and reckless stage presence they played songs from their 2009 album, ‘Only Revolutions’ such as ‘Bubbles’ and ‘Captain’ it was ‘Many Of Horror’ which brought me as well as many of the crowd to tears as their music brought chills. Unbeatably the best act to finish a perfect first day at Leeds Festival.
SATURDAY:
To begin the second day of the festival, main stage opened up to Frank Turner. Now being his 10th consecutive year at Reading and Leeds Festival, it is almost like his second family. Bringing me and a lot of my recently found festival friends who include other photographers, journalists and radio presenters, Frank Turner was a very special act for me to watch. HIs energy and motivation to wake up the crowd with is rock and alternative music meant that it was the perfect way to start the second day at Leeds.
With more acts covering across all genres of the festival, we had comedy from the Russell Howard, dance music from Hannah Wants, the heavier rock music of Asking Alexandria and Crossfaith as well as electronic synth music of acts Crystal Castles,Chvrches and headliner, Disclosure.
(Above: Crystal Castles)
Following Frank Turner, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes were next to play the main stage. Considering their angsty reputation and crazy crowds even Frank had himself saying “they probably won’t let [him] play main stage again”. With attempts to create a circle pit around the sound desk and throwing a GoPro into the crowd to film their fans, the Rattlesnakes definitely woke up and quickly removed the lingering hangover everyone had from the night before. If they weren’t crazy enough, nothing compared to the set of Die Antwoord. If you haven’t head of this crazy duo, they recently appeared in the film Chappie and also accused the new Suicide Squad film for stealing their image. Ninja and Yolandi Visser definitely had the crowd questioning their performance as they had one of the weirdest and strangest sets of the weekend.
(Above: Die Antwoord)
Saturday was definitely the day for the more obscure and wacky acts. Heading over to The Pit stage I managed to catch Crossfaith, a Japanese heavy rock act whose heaving bass and eccentric guitar playing meant that mud was being kicked around by the crowd left right and centre in the many mosh pits.
One of the most anticipated acts which were performing on the NME/Radio 1 Stage on Saturday were the multiple chart holders Twenty One Pilots. The american duo have been around for a few years in the alternative rock music scene but recently drew huge popularity by featuring on the new Suicide Squad soundtrack with their song ‘Heathens’. Their performance didn’t fail to impress with their seemingly dark stage presence and heavy bass and drums. There have bee rumours that the dark duo will be returning to the UK soon which will be a gig you do not want to miss.
To follow this already excellent act we had the duo Diplo and Skrillex who performed in their collaborative stage Jack Ü. Never have I seen the tent so full. The crowd were bursting out the sides of the already huge tent desperate to hear the popular act. Performing many of their own individual songs such as ‘Cinema’ by Skrillex, they also played covers as well as hit tracks ‘Where Are you Now’ featuring Justin Bieber, and a new song which will be released soon.
Headliners on the Saturday were Foals and Disclosure. Foals brought the rock element to the relatively electronic lineup, once again drawing a huge crowd which only grew bigger for Disclosure. The electronic duo have been playing their fair share of festivals across the world have flown up the bill to reach the headlining spot after gaining increasing popularity over the last few years.
SUNDAY
With the festival on it’s last legs with the amount of mud reaching far above the ankles, the crowds still had high spirits which only grew as the clouds started to disappear and the sun started to shine. Starting off the day with Fatherson, the folk rock band was a warming wake up.
Just like Y Not Festival, if there was one band which I had to see, it was HECK*. Since I reviewed Y Not, Matt Reynolds leg is now fully healed which means their set was ten times as crazy. Scaling the scaffolding, kicking over amps and throwing just about everything that could be found on stage they once again did not disappoint.
After this there was a mysteriously long gap between Heck and the following act Milk Teeth, and this could only mean one thing, a secret set. It was unsure who was going to fill this slot from the start of the weekend but since the news was let out the previous day at Reading Festival, it was announced that the set will be filled by the British rock band, You Me At Six. After just releasing their new single ‘Night People’ only a few days ago, it was a surprise that no one could guess this before. After photographing and watching acts such as Milk Teeth and Vant, to which Vant have been announced to support You Me At Six on their upcoming tour, it was clear that even though the festival was drawing to a close on its last day that spirits were still high.
The next act which really stood out was Jack Garratt. The solo artist had the stage presence of twenty men, with his huge drum setup and almost spider-like lighting setup surrounding him, he performed with huge confidence and drew a crowd which echoed his songs almost just as loud right back to him. You could see by the look on his face that it was an incredible experience for him as well as the crowd which stood in front of him.
Headlining on the final day of Leeds festival was the classic rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Whilst their setlist seemed to be more of a great ‘Californiacation’ and ‘By The Way’.
With an amazing end to the weekend, Red Hot Chili Peppers definitely energised the crowd. However, i’m sure Reading Festival had an even crazier Sunday with the closing set of Biffy Clyro. The Chili Peppers were an act which every generation could enjoy. We had teenagers climbing the ice cream van to get a better view of the miraculous stage design and the slightly older generation rocking out. It has definitely been an incredible weekend which a lot of people will remember, and the memories and stories from the weekend will be taken back home with them along with copious amounts of mud stains on just about every item of clothing they own.
This summer has been something of a festival adventure for me. From the Valencian coast to the Garden of England, I’ve experienced a whole mixture of music, workshops, performers, and events, but V Festival is by far the biggest festival yet, and definitely the most commercial. The style of the festival has definitely changed since it’s conception 21 years ago. Although Kaiser Chiefs took the MTV stage, and Jake Bugg played a beautifully executed set of Country Rock and Roll on Sunday, the presence of typical rock, indie bands or simple singer-songwriters seemed almost banished from the premises, different from the days when Kasabian, Paul Weller and the Courteeners would take the stage. The festival this year boasted iconic pop headliners instead, with Justin Bieber taking the Saturday slot in Hylands park and Rihanna closing the Chelmsford site on Sunday, their 90,000 people capacity can definitely be seen packed across the various stages.
V Festival is one of the main chapters of the British festival season. It’s increasingly popular, features a lot of various stalls from sponsors, and a tonne of fairground rides. For a festival this size there are only two campsites, which though both incredibly large, are meticulously separated at ticket purchasing. When buying a V festival ticket You can choose to camp in either red or yellow, and if you have friends in another campsite or make some there who happen to have chosen differently, too bad, the security will probably bite your head off for suggesting you pay them a visit. This being said, the campsites themselves are pretty well organised, lit and have their own food vendors to satisfy their chosen ones, not to mention your fellow neighbours are friendly enough. Contrary to many rumours of tent burning, I saw absolutely no mindless violence or foul behaviour, but maybe that's because they were all in yellow camp, so I guess I’ll never know.
V is technically only a two-day festival, but with the vast majority of punters arriving on the Friday, the Arena is open, which at this point fairly clean, and the Radio 1/MTV stage showcased the likes of the incredible DJ EZ and Eric Prydz, who although had an incredible light show, played a set perhaps a bit too house inspired, and the silent disco is open until 1am to subdue the crowds and simultaneously adhere to the residential sound level of the Chelmsford area.
Smirnoff House
Saturday rolled around, and boasted a whole load of dance acts, such as the Smirnoff house stage, where Tinie Tempah’s DJ (if you could call him that) somehow wowed the crowds with his repetitive mix of hits. On the live music front, however, Rick Astley made a comeback with an incredible live performance. A big turnout and lots of fun, he threw in a cover of Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk before ending his set with his beloved classic Never Gonna Give You Up, he certainly didn’t let us down. Also on the MTV stage, John Newman blew away expectations with new track Olé, as well as some classics and his Rudimental beginnings, also throwing in a surprising lone acoustic song written only a week previous, and performed for the first time on that stage. Emotional messages for loved ones graced the lyrics of the song, and although widely unexpected, it was a touching moment in an otherwise jam-packed show. Saturday also saw the likes of pop princesses Jess Glynne and Zara Larsson play, as well as the actual Tinie Tempah, and the elusive Sia’s strangely captivating stage show, which although fifteen minutes late was incredibly entertaining.
Performers at Sia
But really we need to talk about Justin. Rumours about a cancelled set were floating around on the Friday, and when he took the stage Saturday evening it was clear to see why. Looking desperately hungover, and clinging onto signs of life in his various backup dancers, any energy was almost non-existent and he’s half-hearted miming to about half the set was not fully appreciated by the crowd. This, paired with the fact he kept treating the whole show as another stop on the Purpose world tour; and calling the crowd ‘London’ over and over again, made for a pretty disappointing set, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, advise him to take an Alka-Seltzer next time and put it down to illness.
Justin Bieber
One thing that V festival has upped it’s game on is the food vendors around and inside the arena. After some freshly ground coffee, a chicken Caesar Salad with soft poached eggs and (my favourite) a four-cheese Mac N Cheese topped with Jerk Chicken, I can safely conclude you will be able to find something amazing to eat, which you’re going to need to keep you going as you power walking through the absolutely massive festival site.
Sunday came around even quicker than expected and brought with it a lot of more guilty pleasures. All Saints made their reunion on the main stage, and my childhood was made in the few minutes it took them to perform Never Ever and Pure Shores. Following on the Girl Band theme of the day, Little Mix also took the main stage, though opening with Salute and rocking khaki leotards, took a very Destiny’s Child turn, which, alongside a bubbly, high energy stage presence, worked for them massively, as well as bringing Lethal Bizzle on stage with them, driving their fans wild. The main stage also saw the likes of Travis, which though nostalgically fun, didn’t really fit with the other artists, and Example, who seemed to be experiencing some technological issues around his sound, but was fun to watch all the same.
All Saints
Little Mix
Over on the MTV stage, Big Sean brought the fire and got the crowd going, ending with his signature ‘I don’t F**k with you’ – a big favourite among the Adidas, flower garland-wearing crowd. Katy B also hit the MTV stage, performing a few of her old tracks, as well as some new ones. Jake Bugg played the MTV stage shortly after, which although backed up by only a band, some simple lights and a colourful backdrop, blew the smaller crowd away with his faultless voice and mesmerising lyrics. David Guetta was the second to last act on the mainstage, just before Bad Gal RiRi herself closed the festival, taking inspiration from the art deco style of the 80’s with her stage show, and seemingly channelling Michael Jackson from beyond the grave, she gave a show-stopping performance. A set which combined the Dirty Diana/ Billie Jean styled tunes of ANTI – Desperado and Love on the Brain amongst my favourites, alongside a lot of fan favourites, including a medley of Run This Town, Live Your Life, and Love The Way You Lie. Although the mass amount of crowd around us were rather uninteresting and seemed content at watching the show through a smartphone, her voice, performance and crowd-pleasing setlist was enough to make us move and put the biggest, guiltiest smile on my face.
Big Sean
The crowd and general atmosphere of the whole festival was pretty boring, a lot of the festival goers seemed a lot more interested in their image than the acts, which was a bit of a first for me. Because the Lineup at V is so commercial, you don’t really get to stumble across many new bands or acts, as I’ve been lucky enough to do at other, smaller festivals. The smaller stages boost either DJs, already established artists or other acts such as comedy – which although enjoyable – doesn’t scream the festival atmosphere I enjoy. Where I appreciate that V is one of the most expensive of the British festivals and therefore needs to pack in a crowd-pleasing list, it's lineup is actually pretty small, and doesn’t hold nearly as many artists as one of its main rivals, say Reading + Leeds, who still manage to support and showcase new bands.
I knew from the get-go that V wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, and with this in mind, I did still have a great time. It’s sheer size and sponsorship means that they get some big names, and they know how to accommodate them, the stage show for each performance fairly mesmerising and well planned. There’s also a fair amount of things to see and do (provided you’re willing to pay) but if as long as you like the music, walking, camping, and are adamant that you want to be surrounded by like-minded Instagram happy crowds, then V is the one for you, and you will definitely have fun.
It’s that special last month before Autumn sets in, the high summer sun shines down on the most inappropriately weather-attired crowd of the entire year, yes, It’s Bloodstock Open Air. I will never stop being equally amused and proud that the metal community rocks black tshirts, heavy denim, sticky leather and a mass of metalware regardless of temperature, or indeed comfort.
Though this year’s Bloodstock line-up has been the topic of much forum debate and there are some rather under-represented groups (female musicians on the main stage anyone?) this year, you can’t deny there is first-class metal on offer this weekend. Friday sees a beautiful site-wide crab-athon (Crabulon) with Evil Scarecrow, and Corrosion of Conformity tear up the Ronnie James Dio stage with their gritty bluesy metal, to a decent crowd having overcome some mishaps on the route here. “In case you guys don’t know, we lost our guitars in fucking Paris… we’re kind of winging it” the guys let us know, before a calling Donald Trump a dickhead and dedicating the beautifully relevant ‘Vote With A Bullet’ to him.
Over on the Sophie Lancaster stage, the comedically named Foetal Juice hailing from Manchester, sound pretty much exactly as you’d expect – extreme but a little bit silly. Everyone in the tent seems to love them though, which is pretty good going for group of mates who started this for fun.
Heading over to the Kraken Rum garden for a spot of black ice-cream (good work guys, you know this is exactly the crowd to appreciate a gothic dessert) we take the opportunity to check out the merch stall and pop into Lemmy’s Bar to raise a glass (well, plastic cup) to the man, the legend. Back on the Sophie stage XII Boar are absolutely killing it, yelling out “You’re here! You’ve made it to the party” to us latecomers joining them mid-set. It’s a bit of a shame about the noise-pollution next door, the music on the fairground rides is offensively loud and unnecessary. No-one needs to hear Sweet Child O’Mine more than once in half an hour.
Home grown heroes Venom are a massive Friday highlight with their thrashy, wild child behaviour and obvious love of what they do. Calling out “It’s great to see the fucking UK legions” to a roaring crowd, it’s nice to see a proper homecoming. Demon-faced Behemoth are kind of a BOA staple now right? The band are over from Poland, presumably to promote Satanism and murder… *snigger* and for a band who’ve done every trick in the goth manual to seem dark and gloomy, they look like they’re having a pretty amazing time.
Last up is the final ever (yes really, EVER) UK Twisted Sister show on their ‘Forty & Fuck It’ tour, and it’s an absolute blinder. Playing 15 minutes over the curfew, with every single hit you wanted to hear, and a gigantic crowd singing alongside them – Twisted Sister go out with a bang. Like the music or not, you can’t deny they’ve got amazing showmanship and the ability to engage with a crowd on a funny and personal level. They will be hugely missed.
Saturday sees the likes of The Raven Age, off the back of their supporting role in Iron Maiden’s Book of Souls world tour, carving out a name for themselves on the Sophie stage, and Rotting Christ have the main stage under a veil of darkness with their unique melodic metal and some synchronized headbanging. Fear Factory pull in a huge crowd and those 90’s sounds are just so nostalgic it makes us want to buy some of those huge jeans again, you know the kind with safety pins all up the seam and one of those giant ball-chains attached to your wallet.
Grabbing some grub is much more difficult than we had anticipated, this festival has come a long way on the food front since it’s early days of scary burger vs. scary hotdog options. We opt for a Bi-ella (It’s not sexual, it’s just both kinds of paella – meat and veggie. Actually I take it back, that is pretty sexual.) and chilli-inna-bun, which is much less Dibbler than it sounds. Both were awesome and actually worthy of high price tag we’ve come to expect from UK festivals.
Paradise Lost playing in the late evening sun is an absolute treat, but the stunningly beautiful guitars ring out across a sleepy crowd, there are a lot more people sitting down in a post-dinner sun-drenched haze. Only the astoundingly tall Kraken diver is dancing around like a lunatic, presumably taking an in-suit bath in his own sweat.
Over on the Sophie stage One Machine are throwing down hard, their sound is interesting and fresh and there’s a pretty decent crowd in there enjoying it. In the Hobgoblin New Blood tent, Warwickshire band The Face of Ruin have In Flames vibes and we are loving their rowdy set. Let’s hope they return to BOA soon… next year even… on a bigger stage…
On the main stage it’s time for the truly incredible Gojira, and judging by the sheer size of the crowd that has turned out to see them, they could just have well bumped Mastodon from tonight’s top spot. There’s something so strangely hypnotic about Gojira, it’s hard to put your finger on it, but as the sun sets on day two of BOA it’s clear they’re one of the true highlights of the festival already, and ‘L’Enfant Sauvage’ is the anthem. Shouting out “Are you having a great day at the festival? Are you drinking enough beer? Are you happy?” It’s kind of adorable that they care about our festival welfare, and everyone is more than appreciative of the brand new tracks from Magma.
In comparison it’s hard to watch Mastodon’s entrance onto the main stage, with dodgy sound and a do-the-job attitude, the magic dwindles a little. Sure, they’re musically strong but there’s less of the awe and more of the ought about them. However, as the night pulls on Mastodon appear to get comfortable and the last half an hour is considerably, thankfully better.
As the hungover masses drag their butts outta bed (well, sleeping bag) for one last day of metal mayhem, the Sunday lineup sees the likes of Satyricon, complete with forked mic stand and altogether too much white face powder – makeover the main stage with their black metal in the rather overcast afternoon. It’s sort of appropriate. On the Sophie stage, Derange deserve a bigger crowd than they’ve got – I mean, no their sound is nothing exactly new, but they execute well and vocalist Cat Pereira is commanding centre stage.
Outside after a bloody (literally, one guy had his head cut open) battle reenactment, it’s time for the final challenges of the Bloodstock’s Strongest Man competition, and get this… the trophy is Thor’s Hammer! Amazing. After a lot of grunting, sweating and swearing, a little crowd participation and some free tshirts being thrown about, a champion is crowned. It’s been a brilliant little event, hope to see it back bigger for next year.
On the main stage there’s a kicking of heels as we wait patiently for Dragonforce to appear. Technical difficulties are blamed and it’s a blistering, albeit short show from the power-metal heroes. Despite the crowd chanting ‘Herman Lee’ rather than Dragonforce before they came on, it really doesn’t seem to have phased the rest of the band, and frontman Marc Hudson yells “We are Dragonforce from London England, and it’s nice to fucking play at home for once”. ‘Cry Thunder’ and ‘Through The Fire And Flames’ have the entire crowd wailing along as crowd surfers flail overhead, which is pretty great considering that’s all we got. Five songs seems hardly enough.
Symphony X are somewhat underwhelming but New Blood’s Valous, immediately followed by amusingly named Footprints in the Custard – are anything but. Both bands are energetic and enthusiastic, an atmosphere that spills over into their rowdy crowds who are loving it.
As the many… many Judges circle the site telling you not to take photos of them, or pretending to terminate delinquents, they can only herald one band. Anthrax hit the stage with all the raw power you’d expect from a band twenty years their junior, they just make it look easy. ‘Antisocial‘ has the entire arena thrashing, and as they close out with ‘Indians’ shouting “This is the war dance, bang your fucking heads! Everyone move ok?” it’s unsurprising to see the BOA crowd comply, hard.
Following up with another of the ‘Big Four’ thrash metal bands, Slayer are here to re-conquer Bloodstock and with a stage top to bottom bathed in real actual fire (how they sustained playing in that direct heat, I have no idea) it’s almost as if they’ve come out to prove they’re children of the underworld. Last time Slayer topped the BOA bill was just after the death of Jeff Hanneman, three years later we see a fresher, stronger Slayer with a giant Hanneman tribute flag, and something to prove. With the massive and iconic riffs of ‘South of Heaven’ and ‘Raining Blood’ reverberating around Catton Park, it’s hard to imagine a better way to close Bloodstock 2016. Here’s to 2016, and wondering what the next lineup will bring…
Boardmasters is undoubtably Cornwall’s biggest festival. Much like it’s partner, Nass, Boardmasters thrives off its love for music and sport. This year I had the pleasure to head down to the beautiful coastline of Newquay to soak in the sun, the surf and the music.
For anyone who has yet to go to the festival, it is located over two main beaches, Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay. Surfing competitions including Men’s and Women’s Open and Men’s and Women’s Longboard (LQS1000) located at Fistral and the music located at Watergate, with this year’s headliners being Chase & Status, Deadmau5 and James Bay. Other sports include BMX and Skateboarding which took place over the course of the weekend at Fistral as well as music ranging from Eliza & The Bear to Rat Boy at Watergate.
Walking into the festival arena on Friday, it was clear that it was something special. With the main stage to my right and the never ending sea on the horizon to my left, the atmosphere and energy was a completely different level to that of a city based festival. The air was fresh, the sun was out and the music was loud. With a buzz of people heading down from all over the country to go and embrace the popular festival, the diversity of families, students and children meant this festival was welcoming for all. One of the first acts which caught my attention was Nahko and Medicine for the People who really captured the alternative melodic music scene which is ever increasing down in Cornwall. Having played London’s KOKO in Camden a few days prior, the Oregon-native and percussion heavy artist drew a surprisingly huge crowd for such an early time slot. Another up and coming band which caught my attention were the blues rock ’n’ roll trio Smokin’ Durrys. All three bands members spent their university lives down in Cornwall and where brought together by their love of classic rock and blues music. After their performance at Boardmasters, they are hoping that because of the positive reaction from their set that they are in the hopes of securing a slot in next years Truck, Y Not and 2000 Trees Festival. As the day drew on all I could hear around the arena was the anticipation for Catfish and The Botttlemen. Having played Truck and Y Not Festival this year, they have definitely been one of my favourite acts of the summer and their crowds do not disappoint. Having been announced for Lollapalooza, Berlin as well as touring USA with Mumford & Sons, it is clear that they could easily be headlining festivals next year. Chase & Status however proved that they deserved that headline slot. Drawing the biggest crowd of the day making the perfect end to the first day of the festival by playing some of their most classic and popular tunes.
I headed down to Fistral Beach for the majority of Saturday to witness the Surfing Men’s Open competition. As you walk down to the beach the paths are crowded with stalls selling all kinds of food and surf related clothing and merchandise. The sun and the clear blue sky, the clear water and the plan trees made Newquay look like California. The beach was packed with spectators, photographers, and families, all soaking up the beautiful weather proving why Cornwall is one of my favourite places in the UK. The men’s open consisted of over 50 surfers battling it out for the grand prize. The semi-final consisted of Heat 1 between Shane Campbell and Tomas Fernandes and Heat 2 between Angelo Bonomelli and Bruce Mackie. With 0.57 difference Bonomelli managed to take lead in his heat taking him to the final alongside Campbell. However when it came to the final, an interference on Bonomelli’s second wave meant that Shane Campbell with a final score of 13.50 took the winning title of Boardmasters Men’s Open 2016. All scores from the other surfing events as well as video highlights from the 5 days at Fistral can be found on the official Boardmasters website. (http://www.boardmasters.co.uk/surfing/results)
By the evening I had made it back to the arena at Watergate to continue with the music, starting with Gabrielle Aplin. Famous for her feature in the 2012 John Lewis advert with her Frankie Goes to Hollywood cover of ‘The Power Of Love’. Her music is a lot more relaxed than the rock headliners of the Land of Saints stage, Maximo Park, but none the less her music brought a beautiful innocence and relaxation to the festival. Her voice so pure and strong for a 23 year old, drawing a huge crowd and performing songs for her first 2012 EP Home and her 2015 Album Light up the Dark. Kaiser Chiefs undoubtably had a staggering, if not bigger crowd than Chase & Status. They are a band who have been around for many years but have proven they can bounce back with strong force. Bringing all kinds of characters together to enjoy the classic Brit-pop band, they played songs such as Ruby which drove the crowd wild. Headlining on the Saturday of Boardmasters was Deadmau5. (I have never heard so many people pronounce his name incorrectly at a festival). His electronic dance music brought a beach rave element to the Newquay Festival. Having been a fan of his music for a long time, his set did not disappoint with a spectacular light show which took you into a trance with his melodic tracks. With many waiting impatiently for Craig David’s set after, it was much to his disappointment that he had to cancel his appearance due to a flight cancellation which left his fans upset. Nevertheless, Example performed his heart out to make up for this over at the Land of Saints stage.
Boardmasters had a range of different stages including Unleashed which centred around DJ and dance music, The View which turned an old metal camper into an acoustic stage and the forever famous Keg and Pasty Stage, which essentially summed up the Cornish atmosphere brilliantly. The final day of the festival had a more rock and alternative lineup with Primal Scream performing main stage and James Bay finishing the night. With the previous headliners bringing electronic music to festival, having the folk-pop style of James Bay on the final night proved to be an excellent finale. Boardmasters is one of the most beautifully located festivals in the UK, and it is definitely worth the travel to far ends of the UK to visit.
A packed arena tentatively awaits the dropping of the giant white screen across the front of the BOA stage, as we prepare to close out Bloodstock Open Air 2016 with one of the biggest metal bands of all time, the almighty Slayer.
As the curtain drops the thrash legends throw down hard, opening with titular track of their most recent album ‘Repentless’ amidst a stage almost sagging with the weight of the insane pyrotechnics they’ve rigged. Flanked by two humongous inverted crosses made from amps, which are actually there to shoot massive bursts of flame out onto the stage, it’s frankly amazing that drummer Paul Bostaph still has eyebrows.
When the flame cannons aren’t firing the back of the stage is alight with flame runners behind the band and the backdrop depicting an artistically creepy Christ image is reminder that Slayer one hundred percent do not give a fuck about offending anyone. Hell, the multiple law suits brought against the band have merely become a woven part of their society-defying history, so it’s pretty much par for course.
Kerry King, wielding his fork-headed axe and a belt of swinging chains shreds through the likes of ‘Disciple’, ‘When The Stillness Comes’ and ‘Mandatory Suicide’. Yelling out “You guys having fun today? Another year at this bloodfest!” it’s clear the guys are enjoying this one, and the thousands of windmilling heads in the crowd seem to agree.
King calls out “Thank you very much for coming today, cause we’re all here to have some fucking fun right?” before introducing ‘Die By The Sword’ with a quick quip on recent terror events around the world “The words are kinda fitting with all this crazy shit going on. I believe in karma, what comes around, goes around”. This is a band with such presence and power, you could bottle and sell it. As the Christ curtain drops to reveal the band’s famous eagle logo, an almighty roar goes up in the crowd before the band smash through ‘Seasons in the Abyss’ and they joke “You guys are here because you love music right? So we’re gonna do a love song…” for ‘Dead Skin Mask’.
After a short cut of the lights, Slayer pull out the big guns for the encore. ‘South of Heaven’ has one of the most memorable refrains of all time but it’s ‘Raining Blood’ that gets every single one of our little black hearts beating, and you just don’t know whiplash unless you’ve headbanged to Slayer.
A final banner drop shows a giant Heineken style logo with the words ‘Hanneman, still reigning’ to commemorate Slayer’s late founding member and guitarist, Jeff Hanneman who passed away in 2013. Going out with enough pyro to feel the warmth from the sound desk Slayer hit hard with ‘Angel of Death’ and it’s all over too soon. There is often much dispute over which bands could or should headline Bloodstock and to some extent it all comes down to preference, but Slayer are and have always been one of those bands you just can’t argue with. Tonight, they proved once again why they are metal royalty.
With a UK legacy of great shows already behind them and a fanbase that can be measured in the sheer number of their tshirts on display in the crowd today, Mastodon have stake their claim on Bloodstock’s Ronnie James Dio Stage as headliners.
Throwing down with moody opener ‘Tread Lightly’ Mastodon come out strong, unfortunately the sound does not. Luckily it’s quickly remedied and the melodic guitars of ‘Feast Your Eyes’, ‘Blasteroid’ and ‘Oblivion’ shine through. The crowd density of last night isn’t quite replicated tonight, you can pretty much wriggle to the front with relative ease, but Mastodon’s lighter sections seem to conjure a sort of sombre reverence where everyone is just appreciating the music.
Amusingly (albeit for those who are old enough to remember…. Sigh…) the five giant light panel installations behind the band, appear to be playing the entire Windows 98 screensaver catalogue. You know, the one with neon electricity or trippy tie-dye patterns that everyone thought they were super edgy and cool for having instead of the standard windows one your Dad used.
In a rare moment of crowd-interaction in Mastodon’s twenty-song onslaught, bassist Troy Sanders yells out “You guys are music hungry lovers, thank you” before the band swing into the harmonic vocals of ‘High Road’. However on a few of the others the words seem to be coming out so distorted you could almost swear the band are fluent in whale.
As the stage lights up in yellows and reds for ‘Ember City’ and the band call out “Are you fucking alive?” to the headbanging crowd, Mastodon seem to relax slightly into the show. Speaking of their first UK gig sixteen years ago at Camden Underworld, the band want us to know that they love us… “We knew we were going to have a special relationship with this country, you metalheads. When we’re home or on vacation… we talk about you guys! You nice British people”. Aww, isn’t that adorable?
Finishing up with ‘Megalodon’, ‘Colony of Birchmen’ and to an almighty roar of appreciation from the BOA arena, the huge ‘Blood and Thunder’ – Mastodon close the RJD stage for Saturday night with style. “Thank you for an unforgettable experience, we’re Mastodon, we love you”.
With their own unique brand of slowed down psychedelic sounds vs. hyper and heavy eardrum challenging metal, you could be forgiven for being on the fence about Mastodon, but tonight’s extremely tightly rehearsed set does everything to prove that above all else this band cares about music.
With a set that sounds almost identical to their album tracks (bar some vocal blurring from a production point of view) you almost with they’d break character a bit, interact in a less forced way. There’s a grittiness missing for sure, but Mastodon make up for it by being, well, precisely beautiful.
