Reviews

Rammstein – Download 2016 Review

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Despite a day of heavy downpours over a now very boggy Donington Park (yes yes, we’ve heard the monikers… Drownload… Downpour Festival…), thousands of expectant faces are turned towards the main stage for tonight’s headliner – German heavy metal powerhouse, Rammstein. There’s nothing quite like a side of S&M or pyrotechnics alongside learning how to count to vier whilst headbanging, and Rammstein promise a whole lot more than just their stage show.

As a cinematic countdown begins, video screens send a message “Enjoy the show, please do not be preoccupied with recording it” and instantly Go-Pro’s are thrust into the air on ridiculous, view-ruining monopods. I mean come on, what the hell are you actually going to do with that footage man?

Regardless of the moronathon, Rammstein smash their way onstage as only they can – with giant showoff billowing clouds of pink smoke, which when combined with the ongoing drizzle turns quickly into a spatter of blood on anyone wearing lighter than black outfits. First up new song Ramm 4 sees giant firework laden platforms lowering guitarists Kruspe and Landers onto the stage and the always enigmatic frontman Till Lindemann emerges in a childcatcher-esque outfit and his patent white painted face.

The stage look for Rammstein has always been industrial but this time steps over into the cyborg realm with giant stage-high light bars which respond to the band’s instruments. Reise, Reise is absolutely gut churningly heavy, and Till sports a very fetching duffel coat over his flash-bang adorned waistcoat which explodes, quite obviously right in his face. How this band have not sustained more serious pyrotechnic related injuries I’ll never know.

The electronic intro bleeps for Feuer Frei raise an enormouse guttural roar from the crowd, and there is no shortage of actual fire alongside the music, their signature flamethrowing face cages are everything Batman’s Bane wishes he was. Keyboardist/freak on a leash Lorenz is hastily shoved into a box after being dragged around the floor, emerging later in an extremely spangly sequined suit to walk off his horrors on a treadmill whilst Till wields a giant flaming arc that sort of looks like a crossbow. You really couldn’t make it up. A crackly speaker on the right side of the stage threatens to dull Mein Hertz Brennt but as Till’s heart (flare) lights up, every single person in the arena is singing their lungs raw. Following up with Links 2, 3, 4 this is shaping up to be a stellar performance from Rammstein.

Guitar flamethrowers, fireballs erupting from the sound tent in the middle of the crowd and zip-wire fireworks streaking back and forth – every time you think you’ve seen it all, Rammstein amp it up a little more. Ich Will has everyone yelling back the required replies ‘Wir hören dich’ and so on, Du Hast is heavier than a heavy thing and Depeche Mode cover Stripped just couldn’t sound more seedy than in a German accent.

For the Encore, we are treated to the completely epic Sonne followed by an acoustic Ohne Dich but it’s Till’s ascension into angel-dom that is the real icing on this weird and wonderful cake. Giant metal wings loaded with white sparking fireworks lift Till into the air above the stage floor for Engel and it is motherlovin’ glorious. Leaving us with a brief “Thank you. Danke schoen, you’re amazing” the stage erupts in a backdrop of massive rocket fireworks and the arena is engulfed in smoke. There’s nothing more to say except that Rammstein are arguably one of the best metal acts of our time and here’s hoping they don’t leave it too long before returning with even more incredible shows.

Found Festival 2016 Review

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Staying south for its second year, Found brings the daytime party alive with a spectacular line up. Arriving early has its benefits, stumbling across some up and coming talent is always a bonus.

Walking through the site I headed towards what can only be described as a secret garden, enclosed by trees was Feelings, a glitter ball decorated van. Playing disco and soulful house to an intimate audience was Daniel Wang, interacting with his crowd for most part of his set and ending with Sunshine After The Rain by Salsoul Orchestra, appropriately timed as the sun began to shine through the trees and lifted the spirit of the revellers.

As I moved across the site the crowds began to flood in, whilst the sounds of deep house waved through Brockwell Park. Theo Parish took to the renowned Secret Sundaze tent playing an array of nu disco with a mellowed out undertone. Whilst the main stage pulled in a decent crowd as Dyed Soundorom electrified the crowd with garage infused deep house shortly followed by British duo Paranoid London and their sleazy mix of up tempo acid house.

Dipping in and out of both the Find Me In The Dark and Friends Of Found, both tents were skewered for the techno fans, with the likes of Zenker Brothers, Yume Records, Flux Showcase, Kassem Mosse and Legowelt closing to a good turnout, however the atmosphere lacked soul in both these tents.

Heading back through the trees and consistently good throughout the day my favourite glitter ball van. Mood II Swing played soulful house including a live PA towards the end of the set, which got everyone in the mood for their finale seminal remix with Ultra Nate's Free, the track that launched them into popularity.

As the day progressed revellers made their way to main stage for the two favourites of the night Derrick May and his sound of balearic prepped the crowd for headlining act Keri Chandler who opened his set with Rain as the heavens opened on Brockwell Park.  Whilst over in the Secret Sundaze tent Secretsundaze played homage to Prince with I Want To Be Your Lover. Overall the sound could have been improved across all tents however the lack of volume didn't deter fans from making the most of it. Found packed in 40 DJ's and with all festivals, clashing set times that will have you moving across a manageable but rainy Brockwell Park.

 

Photo Credit: Marc Sethi

Common People Southampton 2016 – FULL REVIEW!

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SATURDAY

As one of Bestival's satellite babies, Common People Southampton was always going to be hit and in it's inaugural year 2015 proved you can have all the feel of the festival in the middle of a city, but now round 2 has started on the common and there's a new sense of ownership, like Southampton has taken CP to heart.

Over in Oxford a new dawn rises on a sister festival, but we're getting the kinks-ironed-out experience of a trialled triumph and the site looks incredible. Towering high right inside the main gates is The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle, a Bestival x Something Creative collaboration that looks like it should have been made by Willy Wonka or be home to a herd of unicorns. Apparently it can comfortably hold one hundred people at a time, but we bet the somersault-police couldn’t catch us in that many…

A decent queue is forming already but it’s off to the main stage we go for first band of the day, Wild Front who to be honest look a little scared to be there. After a sort of quiet start, the Hampshire lads get their rhythm and there are some full on dancing fans down the front.

Next on are West End Kids, an energetic musical troupe who buzz through hits from all the biggest stage shows, followed by the legendary kids comedy duo The Chuckle Brothers. Who can resist a bit of to-me-to-you with Paul and Baz (…and Tinchy Stryder)? The massive and rowdy crowd singing along with them is decidedly younger than they should be for long-time fans, I can only assume they’ve been hitting up youtube in preparation for the festival…

Rapper Lady Leshurr gives us a short but energetic set, after being over an hour late due to ‘traffic’ but dressed head to toe in camo and waxing lyrical about her weave and being from Birmingham, hit ‘Brush Your Teeth’ goes down a storm. Though she clearly doesn’t trust us – yelling “Has every single one of you brushed your teeth today?” “I feel like some of you are lying”. The Sugarhill Gang crowd-please with ‘Apache (Jump on It)’ and ‘Rapper’s Delight’ with Hen Dogg sporting epic double-denim and a rather fetching gold tipped cane.

Over on the Uncommon Stage Southampton crew Our Hollow, Our Home have drawn a big crowd, and Chris is jamming on the guitar in The People’s Front Room. Elsewhere the Jam Jar bar is packed with people sipping fancy martinis and the kids area is awash with laughter from the wonky bicycle trials.

Hometown band Signals pack out the Uncommon stage, as mermaid-haired frontwoman Ellie bounces about, we get a taste of the curiously named genre ‘math pop’. Ghostpoet is getting soulful on the main stage to a big crowd, and Gaz Coombes is rocking less of the Supergrass era sideburns and more of his second solo album ‘Matador’.

Public Enemy get the crowd moving with the likes of ‘Don’t Believe The Hype’ but it’s just not the same without clock-toting weirdo Flavor Flav who apparently wasn’t allowed to come for some reason – “F–kin governments. Flava flav can’t be here because of F–kin governments”. The kid in the front row wearing a PE tshirt and a bedside alarm clock around his neck is obviously devastated.

After a tasty dinner at one of CP’s many amazing food outlets (Soft-shell crab burger? Brie and Pear toastie? Truffled mushroom quesadilla?) we are ready to take on the night, and so are Primal Scream. Rocking an eye-offendingly bright pink blazer, frontman Bobby Gillespie lopes about the stage looking every bit the archetypal boho rockstar. It’s a great, powerful set from the band with new album Chaosmosis material hitting the mark. Over on the Uncontained Stage (read: rave station) Kurupt FM are winding up the absolutely rammed arena into a frenzy, there are bodies everywhere – it’s a mostly teenage rampage.

On the main stage, the much anticipated return of Southampton son Craig David has drawn practically everyone from around the site and it’s not without a touch of nostalgia that we’re singing along to hits ‘Fill Me In’ and ‘Re-Wind’. Though the TS5 moniker is largely being ignored, it is fun to hear him mixing in tracks from other artists and sampling some proper legendary stuff, but to be honest – we all just love a bit of him singing his own name over and over again. Ahh memories.

Check out our full Craig David review here!

SUNDAY

Sunday stacks up a bit cooler but everyone still seems to be rocking up in bright festival-attire, and the telltale signs of yesterday’s sunburn are found in every bald head or exposed shoulder today. Shrieks of mayhem are emanating from the behemoth bouncy castle and a quick peek inside is like looking at a candy-coloured warzone. Kids are tombstoning each other, toddlers are being skimmed within millimetres by their falling parents and the flip-police have no hope of stopping the teenagers intent on putting the maximum effort into possible neck-injury. It’s awesome.

Next door on the Uncommon Stage, Arid Wave are rocking everyone’s socks off, but it looks like Hercules Morse on the main stage have fallen foul of the Sunday hangover absentees – there just aren’t that many people here yet. M.E.R.C.Y. – Southampton Urban Collective take over the main stage in the absence of Xylaroo, with two of the most adorable… sorry, SICK, hiphop dancers Jamie and Jamal giving us proper attitude and a heap of up and coming artists alongside.

Later on, Mr. Motivator draws a massive but spacious crowd as young, old and anyone in-between are getting their groove on with the positively ageless Mr. M and his lovely wife. Sporting a dazzlingly terrible-yet-amazing lycra onesie he plugs in his jams and off he goes doing squat technique mixed with curious life coaching “If the grass is greener on the other side, you probably aren’t watering yours. No man's gonna water my grass”. Telling us we’re “Much better than Oxford” only serves to endear this living legend to us more, and with classic moves such as ‘drive the car’ and the possibly slightly inappropriate for a younger audience ‘whip the horse’ – what’s not to love?

Brighton scenesters The Magic Gang look like they’ve stepped right out of Empire Records and give us a good dose of proper melodic indie pop before Chas & Dave take to the stage (flat-cap mandatory) to tell us about those ‘London Girls’.

Now we brace ourselves for the powerhouse of unmentionably bad behaviour that is The Cuban Brothers. The CB’s are of course rocking a new set of crazy patterned suits for the occasion, throwing down headspins, flares and insane flips all over the shop, as Miguel assures parents that all of the rude things he says will go right over the kids’ heads. This would be fine, but there’s no way you can make those kids un-see him pretending to slam his willy into a microphone whilst wearing only a thong, now is there? That right there is seared into some young memories. Newest member One Erection almost smashes his teeth out doing a massive front tuck off the stage into the pit and gets thoroughly told off by security for hopping into the crowd. M.E.R.C.Y lads Jamie and Jamal are invited on stage to dance with the CB’s and their faces are absolutely priceless when the guys hit the stage in their holographic fringed jumpsuits. However they are visibly horrified when Miguel dons a pair of extremely skimpy Bjork-esque swan pants. ‘Mike For President’ is the only song I remember because there was so much happening. He gets my vote though.

Jamie Lawson’s ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ has everyone up and singing in the sunshine – he even managed to get us to do a decent job of harmonizing, but it’s Katy B’s set that really lights the place up. Bathed in the setting sun her sequined dinosaur dress shimmers all over as she dances around the stage with her troupe, and the likes of  ‘Lights On’ and ‘Katy On A Mission’ has the arena jumping – especially when she doubles up the tempo. Chalk up another win for Southampton as Katy yells “Southampton, you are abosolutely smashing oxford right now I have to say”.

As the last of the daylight goes and the Helter Skelter and Big Wheel go neon, there’s just one more act to finish off what has been another amazing Common People festival, and it’s no small fry. Eighties synth-pop legends Duran Duran blow through a hit parade of absolute classics such as ‘Wild Boys’, ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ and ‘Girls on Film’. With tributes to both David Bowie and Prince, it’s a special one and ending with anthem ‘Rio’ couldn’t be more fitting on the costa del Southampton. As the arena clears and the crowd spills out into the streets to head home, it’s obvious that once again CP has been a massive success, and it sounds like Oxford is loving the CP vibe too.

Read our full Duran Duran review here!

Lost Village 2016 Festival Review – a magical paradise

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Mix up a multitude of techno-hungry ravers, a plethora of incredible DJs and artists, a dash of gorgeous woodland surroundings and lashings of the most weird and wonderful experiences you’ll ever come across at a festival. What do you get? Lost Village, of course!

In only its second year, the dreamland of Moda Black’s Jaymo & Andy George took place deep in the Lincolnshire countryside, kicking off festival season in the most enchanting way possible. I’ve been to many a festival in my time, and nothing quite made me as excited as this. With the likes of Ben Klock, Fatboy Slim, Bicep and Eats Everything – to name just a few – it seemed we were in for a hell of a bank holiday weekend. And God, were we right.

As we arrive at Lost Village, we felt a sense of flair and passion for what we all love; a good old fashioned rave. Perfectly honed and crafted in such a magical way, we’re invited to this story book world, where our only worries are to grab a well-priced wine, have a dance and enjoy the experience. Friday’s line-up was bursting at the seams – we arrived early, seeing acts such as Huxley and PBR Streetgang intensely warming up the growing crowds at the smaller stages, whilst Doorly over at the main stage Burial Ground, blasting out tune after tune to a slow-burning crowd who grew bigger and bigger by the minute.

My heart fell to the ground when I realised Fatboy Slim and Ben Klock were on the same night – we all know that clashing panic. Luckily, Lost Village had timings to perfection – at half 9 we were able to see the iconic Fatboy Slim take to the decks – and yes, it was just as epic as you might imagine. You really do forget all the classics that he did – Right here, Right now was one of the most intense dances I have ever seen, with crowds literally bellowing out those four words at the top of their lungs, bursting into a dancing frenzy as it dropped. Crowd-pleaser Eat Sleep Rave Repeat literally saw everyone jump rhythmically in the air, creating a wave of raving fists in its path. It seemed everything – even Praise You, was a lot more electronic than we’d imagine, but everyone lapped it up either way. A brilliant vision and an amazing atmosphere, which left us enough time to run over to the master himself – Ben Klock.

Now, I’ve seen Ben Klock a fair few times, and he will never fail to amaze me. The fact Lost Village had this incredible act in such an enchanting setting was one of the most surreal experiences. The Abandoned Chapel (a quaint, church-like outdoor zone) was closed, so Klock was moved to the more intimate setting of the Forgotten Cabin – a techno haven, surrounding by trees, lamps and shed load of ravers. Klock is well-acquainted with commanding any crowd he comes across; his deep, dark and ruthless techno echoing into the woods with crowds begging for more. The music couldn’t go on much past 1am – after an unreal final set at The Lookout stage with Bicep – but the crowds back at the campsite didn’t let the party end until deep into the morning. A perfect close to an incredible first day.

Saturday brought an eclectic mix of acts to the forest; Artwork took over the Abandoned Chapel at 3pm, delivering a disco set with none-stop movement from the crowd – a nice change from the techno we’d be hearing everywhere else. The sun was beaming as Heidi took to the stage – you only have to experience one of her Jackathon events to know that she always delivers. It was wild, lively, and what can only be described as almost tropical, emphasising her place as one of the greatest female DJs we’ve had the pleasure of seeing.

The beauty of Lost Village isn’t just the music; it’s the experiences. One minute we’re in a comedy tent, the next we’re doing Yoga near a lake, the next we’re getting our face thwarted with glitter at the Illamasqua tent (a delightful addition). You wander through the woodland at 1am and meet people from all across the country, the festival empowering its ‘Good Vibes Only’ stance and bringing together people who are here purely to have the greatest time ever. There were characters at every corner, a haunting parade of old-fashioned, torch-grasping woodland dwellers marching through the forest, two life-size rats nibbling at people’s food and even a stunning contemporary dance of fairies by the Lake of Tranquility. Not to mention the food stalls from around the world, and quite frankly the greatest pulled pork burger I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. For a boutique festival, the experiences were larger than life.

As DC10 resident Jackmaster finished a happy yet hardcore set at the Burial Ground, we got to see the big man himself. Introduced as “One of the greatest DJs in the world”, Eats Everything played “absolute bangers” as the guy behind me screamed – and he was right. He knew how to get people on their feet, dancing, singing, blasting our crowd-pleasers and putting on insane build-up tunes that mad everyone lower to the ground and jump up at all once. Huge fireworks were blasting over at the lake, and it was a completely surreal time to be alive – just none-stop, perfect, fun times. This was something special.

As the hangovers started to kick in, Sunday’s vibe was a lot more relaxed; bands such as Vitamin and Formation provided a calm and enjoyable atmosphere at the Lookout to rival the thumping beats from Enzo Siragusa at the Forgotten Cabin, while ex-Coronation Street and Red Dwarf legend Craig Charles put on a soul-filled and funky set to a surprisingly massive crowd.

Roman Flugel played a calm, deep and dark techno set at the Cabin – naturally accompanied by a girl in the crowd climbing up to the top of a huge pole, sliding down to a crowd of screaming ravers. It was surreal and intense, but we wanted something a bit different – and we found it in the form of headliner Jack Garratt over at the main stage. For those who don’t know, Garratt is a multi-instrumentalist and singer, who plays live sets in the most incredible way. Everything was recorded then and there, his music completely enthralling the entire crowd who had left the techno behind to see him play. The talent this guy has is absolutely unbelievable, and such an incredible sight to see. It was a bit different, a bit dreamlike, and a bit unbelievable – and that definitely sums up Lost Village to a tee.  

I can’t begin to put into words what Lost Village was like – it was an experience you have to see to believe. Magical, mystical and everything but normal, it’s an adventure like no other – next year, anyone?

Slam Dunk 2016 Midlands Review

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On 29th May the Genting Arena in Birmingham opened up the doors for Slam Dunk Festival. Each year the SDF team promises to make the event bigger and better than before and with the Midlands venue being shifted from Wolverhampton Civic Halls following their refurbishment, to the far larger Genting Arena it’s set to be bigger and better for their 10th Anniversary.   

Initially, when entering the main arena it is jam-packed full of fans, various traders, band merchandise stalls and eateries. Once you finally managed to gather your bearings, there’s lots of talent on offer across the eight stages. 

Early starters Coldrain were set to take to the stage at 1:20pm but after waiting around it was announced that they wouldn’t be performing due to technical issues beyond their control so they had to cancel their performance and quite a crowd had gather to watch the band open up the Atlas stage.  

Next up on the Atlas stage were the boys in The Word Alive

Set list: 
Dreamer
Face To Face
Made This Way
Lighthouse
Grunge
Trapped
Life Cycles

 

Then it was a mad dash over to the Main Stage for Young Guns lucky enough I made it with five minutes to spare before they took to the stage.  They kicked things off with “ Daughter Of The Sea” followed by “Speaking In Tongues” which had the arena in one massive sing-a-long. Their set was full of high energy and you could see why they were part of the main stage bill.

Set list: 
Daughter Of The Sea
Speaking In Tongues
Bulletproof
Rising Up
Winter Kiss
Brother In Arms
Bones
I Want Out

Next were indie rockers Mayday Parade, their set offered uplifting speeches and infectious energy contrasting with the songs we all had featured on our MySpace pages back in the day. The band set nostalgic memories across the room as the fans dance and sang along to every word. 

Set list:

One Of Them Will Destroy The Other
Jamie All Over
When You See My Friends
Keep In Mind, Transmogrification Is A New Technology
Three Cheers For Five Years
Hallow
Oh Well, Oh Well
Black Cat
Jersey

We Came As Romans came out strong on to the Atlas stage with heavy riffs and even seen Kyle Pavone get in with the crowd to mix things up abit.
Once again another mad dash over to The Key Club Stage to see As It Is. I’ve seen this band previously and they never fail to put on a good performance with high energy and antics. The room was full and so was the photo pit, it was all very tight squeeze. From the word GO! The room was bouncing and people were crowd surfing their little pop-punk hearts out, we even got to see Alex Costello of Roam join the lads on stage for “Cheap Shots & Set Backs”.

Set list: 

Concrete
Cheap Shots & Set Backs (with Alex Costello of Roam)
Can’t Save Myself
Horoscopes
Silence (Pretending’s So Comfortable)
Winter’s Weather
Speak Soft
Sorry
Dial Tones

Another nostalgic moment was up next on the Main Stage with Yellowcard playing their album Ocean Avenue in full but not with minor set backs with equipment not working, it seemed a few bands were having technical difficulties over the weekend but lucky enough stand in drummer Rib Chianelli from We Are The In Crowd managed to fix the issue and get the show on the road with the crowd erupting from start to finish while the band bounces from side to side like ping pong balls on stage.

The Amity Affliction

Set list:
I Bring The Weather With Me (Live Debut)
Open Letter
Lost & Fading 
The Weigh Down
Death’s Hand
Pittsburgh
Don’t Lean On Me

Mallory Knox never seen to disappoint their fans. The stage lighting was dark tonal shades of blue and green, highlighted with the well know MK logo creating atmospheric silhouettes.

Set list: 

Beggars
Wolves
Wake Up
Hello
1949
Ghost In The Mirror
Death Rattle
Creeper / Oceans
Lighthouse

New Found Glory were set to take to the main stage next and I’ve got to say no matter what venue they play they always get the crowd hyped up with there influential back catalogue showcasing that Pop-Punk is not dead. 

Set list:

Hit Or Miss
Understatement
Selfless
All Downhill from here
Truth Of My Youth
Resurrection
Listen To Your Friends
Ready, Aim, Fire!
Ready & Willing
Kiss Me (cover)
Situations
Dressed To Kill
Vicious Love
The Promise – (requested by a fan)
Forget My Name
Head On Collision
Sonny
My Friend’s Over You

Finally the one of the main bands people were waiting to see where finally about to take to the stage. Panic! At The Disco for me stole the show, being easily the best of the night. You wouldn’t of thought that the band had already played a show earlier that day in Exeter with the amount of energy and showmanship on display even though Brendan announced to the room he was “totally fucked” before lying down on the floor. Urie is one of the world’s true showmen as he changes his attitude, persona throughout the set to fit the tracks he’s playing. He also showed off his vocal range and high-notes with a mind-blowing cover of Bohemian Rhapsody and fire erupts from cannons and a confetti explosion ends the event in style.

Happy 10th Anniversary to Slam Dunk Festival"

Bearded Theory Festival 2016 Review

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This Spring bank holiday I was delighted to attend my first Bearded Theory Festival at Catton Hall, South Derbyshire in the heart of the National Forest. 

I was impressed with this festival from the off.  The festival staff were extremely friendly and helpful and the chilled out, relaxed vibes were apparent immediately.  It’s clear that the organisers care about the festival experience for the punters and strive year and year to make improvements on previous editions.  I was hit by the colour and beauty of the surroundings and it was clear a lot of effort had gone into making this a special weekend. 

The diverse musical lineup included some household names such as the Bearded Theory favourites the Levellers who played to a packed crowd on the Friday.

My personal Friday highlight was ska/reggae band New Town Kings who had the Woodlands crowd in the palm of their hands with their perfect party tunes. 

It’s not just the headline acts that define a festival, the many important supporting acts are often the hidden gems that really make it a great experience.  The Something Else Tea Tent was a perfect example of this.  The curator of this solar powered tent had put on a line-up of established and up and coming artists and lots of festival goers I spoke to thought this was the best tent at the festival. 

In the tea tent on the Saturday Chantelle Barrow played her first ever festival slot.  Chantelle is an established singer and guitarist but she didn’t often get the chance to play out her own material.  From the reaction of the crowd I think she should play her own stuff more often.

Next up in the Tea Tent was Maelor Hughes who charmed the crowd with his Northern wit and singalong tunes.

Saturday’s Pallet Stage headliners were Public Image Ltd who put on a commanding and attention grabbing performance.

Over in the Woodlands Jack Savoretti closed the night with a heartfelt performance of songs from his ten year career. 

This family friendly festival has with lots to keep children and adults busy and even has an Ofsted registered school which 100s of children attended on the Friday. 

Another venue I enjoyed was the Magical Sounds tent reminiscent of a psychedelic rave where revellers of all ages dance until the early hours.

Sunday headliners Squeeze finished the weekend of in style. 

Whether you want to relax or go wild and dance the night away you will find something here to please you.  See you next year Bearded Theory.

Duran Duran headline Common People Southampton 2016

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A roll of simulated thunder with flashes of lightning tear across the huge stage screens in the dark of Southampton Common… Duran Duran are here and they mean business. Thousands have turned out to see the eighties synthpop legends and as Simon LeBon emerges from a raised stairway centre-stage rocking tight white jeans and a leather jacket, the crowd goes wild.

Paper Gods kicks things off, a statement of intent that they won’t just stick to the hits, that they have something much more current to say. With the likes of Keisza, Lindsay Lohan and Janelle Monáe on the album collaboration bill, it’s clear Duran Duran are marking their territory in modern music, and it’s hardly surprising with all the electronic emphasis in the charts at the moment and eighties style resurgence, that the younger contingent at CP seem to be enjoying themselves as much as the original fanbase.

Wild Boys features fire effects on the backdrops and a fair amount of stamping around from the band members, and Hungry Like The Wolf keeps the party going, with LeBon, head thrown back howling into the night sky.

James Bond track A View To A Kill gets the signature aperture and gun treatment on the big screens and even the teenage boys in the back seem appreciative of this one, whilst huge confetti explosions herald funky Notorius and LeBon yelling “Does everyone love the music of the eighties?”

A tribute to the late great David Bowie sees a huge projection of the singer’s face during a quick rendition of Space Oddity, and after some saucy moves for Girls on Film, Duran Duran also ask for the crowd to raise their phone lights for Save a Prayer to pay respect to another recently lost music hero – Prince. There’s not a dry eye in the house as LeBon shouts “He’s a man who really changed music and gave fans like us a kick up the arse” and the stage is lit purple.

Finishing up with classic summer smash Rio is the only way to go, with twinkly city lights in the background and a load of inflatable beach balls bouncing around the crowd, Southampton steals a little bit of the Caribbean tonight. Oh and if there are any yacht and suit related thefts reported tomorrow… well frankly, we have no idea what you’re talking about. What an epic ending to Common People 2016!

All photos © A. Hyams  – Do not use without permission.

Craig David’s TS5 headlines Common People Southampton

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You know him from banging 90’s/noughties garage and R&B hits with Artful Dodger, cool club classics for the shell-toed, bucket-hatted nation, but how the melee of under 18’s in the front know his entire back catalogue is a mystery. There are hundreds of screaming girls causing themselves airflow restriction as the legendary CD takes to the Common People stage as the Saturday headliner in his hometown of Southampton. It’s clear he’s happy to be home as he drops straight in with original mega-hit ‘Re-wind’ and he’s lost none of his showmanship or vocal range in his haitus from the mainstream.

I’m sure more than a few of us are still baffled as to what Bo Selecta actually means, or why we should be saying it in a crowd, and it doesn’t help that the entire show predicated on Leigh Francis’ lampooning of the song and Craig David himself is being acted out all over the arena.

From behind his stacked mixing desk, the tell tale sounds of ‘Fill Me In’ elicit a huge roar from the crowd and it seems everyone still knows the words, for a mass rendition. Mixing in his own stuff with samples from other hits seems to be the raison d’être of TS5 (glad to find out, had no clue what that meant) as Whitney Houston’s ‘It’s not right but it’s ok’ is woven into the story and his energetic bouncing has everyone throwing shapes alongside him.

Yelling “You can take the boy outta Southampton, but you can’t take Southampton outta the boy!” CD scores big with a site-wide roar of appreciation – Common People is smack in the middle of the city, so this really is a home crowd reception.

‘Walking Away’ gets a new backing track from ‘Still Dre’ and a ‘No Scrubs’ excerpt leads way to a massive Bieber singalong for ‘Sorry’. CD might have the better voice of the two actually…

With a bit of Beyonce’s ‘Run The World’ and Robin S’s ‘Show Me Love’ CD really knows how to hook this crowd before busting out a bit of his own smooth classic ‘7 Days’, and calling out “It’s been an incredible journey… from the garage days of the 90’s to now” endears him to the over 30’s in the audience, who remember them fondly, or at least, shamefully. With one last Biebs sample (apparently his momma don’t like you, and that’s bad) and a heartfelt “I’m incredibly proud to be from Southampton” Craig David more than proves he’s worthy of Common People’s headline slot.

All photos © A. Hyams  – Do not use without permission.

The Great Escape Brighton 2016 Review

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We all know how most UK festivals work- you show up, you camp somewhere, usually muddy and wet, you sneak a few bottles under your shirt/short/hat/combination and you head to the arena for some musical action. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive festival fan, but the Great Escape is a different kind of festival altogether. It’s almost completely focused on ‘new music’, and with that tagline comes a whole new era of ‘festival’ in general. Although it is a brilliant collection of new music, with everything from up-and-coming indie bands to an underground grime scene, whether it’s festival status is truly deserved, is debatable. You don’t have the same camaraderie as camping in a field and getting wasted with your friends, it’s a completely urban environment and I can imagine for a non-brighton dweller can be quite hard to navigate.

 

For those of you who are unaware of what the Great Escape is, it’s a four day extravaganza in which various venues around Brighton host gigs and events under the same umbrella.

I grew up in Brighton, and seeing the Great Escape flourish every year has been a real beauty to behold. It puts the city in a good mood, there are loads of artists wandering around, I get to go to venues I’ve never been to before or wouldn’t go to without reason. It’s nice to promote new talent and isn’t massively overpriced for what it is. There’s a lot of nice little treats that come with your wristband, like a couple of free drinks at certain places or discounts on food and fringe events. It makes the city way more lively and you look at Brighton through rose tinted glasses, it brings a bucket load of atmosphere to my friendly city.

The long weekend itself was hectic, Some of the acts were unrefined, some were okay and some to be quite frank, some were pretty dreadful – with new music comes it’s fair share of risk – but when you get the one show that gives you the ‘I’m going to be able to brag about seeing these guys before they were famous’ feeling, it gives you goose bumps and an air of cockiness that lasts all evening, and that’s what GE is all about.

The festival is well known for its urban music vibes, with patterns showcasing Lady LeShurr in a packed out, madly energetic gig, however even with Stormzy playing a ‘spotlight show’ and music from Craig David’s new DJ act TS5, there was a very melancholic, Scandi-Pop, indie vibe to the majority of the festival, but that might be tailored to maybe the shows I happened to catch. A few favourites to call out were HER and SISKA, both French and both very different. The first was oozing sex all over the hope and ruin and had powerful vocals with highly sensual lyrics. The latter was a soulful, almost folky, bass filled vibe with some of the best vocals I heard all weekend.

Alongside all the lesser known artists, there were still some heavyweights pulling crowds to bigger venues, with Jake Bugg bringing the energy to Wagner Hall, which in itself is a masterpiece, even if a little hard to find. An amazing tucked away venue behind Saint Peters church- outdoors, fairy lights, and a cute little bar with a stage surrounded by foliage. It’s the type of place you had to stay at all day to see the one act you were actually interested in at 21:30. Mystery Jets also played a lively set, with a more prog-influenced feel than anything we’ve seen from them before at the Corn Exchange, a venue more central, capable of holding bigger crowds, and one of the best organised throughout the festival. The newly rejuvenated ‘Old Market’ also saw its fair share of action, with The Temper Trap playing a beautiful Amazon Live: Front Row gig, bringing a fresh lease of life to the venue.

 

 

Alongside the full blown Great Escape, is its rebellious little sibling that crops up all over the shop, The Alternative Escape. Although technically still a branch from the same tree, the Alternative Escape boasts something a little different, showcasing newer acts from specific labels and the Black Lion pub even hosting a few more learned events and East Street Tap remaining a hot spot for music and some definite refreshment throughout the evening.

It’s been over ten years since its humble beginnings in 2006, and although it’s continuing to bloom into a must-see of the summer, I do feel it needs to be slightly refined. They’ve got some great ideas and concepts, but the venues need to be stronger, maybe a few more outdoors stages, a few more quirky events, and just that little bit extra on top of the music. The music is great, but when you hit a three hour lull in the middle of a saturday afternoon, I can imagine those of us not from Brighton would feel quite irritable, which is the last thing you want in a crowd. But I say this from the perspective of a mum wanting to see it’s baby do well. The focus is on the music and the bands, and that’s something that gives it an edge, which can be lacking from the larger, more mainstream festivals these days. Things are only going to get better, and I for one can’t wait till next year.

 

Kip Moore, making ‘Wild Ones’ out of The Institute Birmingham crowd, April 25th 2016

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Kip Moore Birmingham Institute April 25th 2016

By Hannah Compton

So, firstly I am going to say if Kip is touring near you and you haven’t quite got tickets yet, then my goodness GET THEM! The only regret you will have is not going. If you have not heard Kip’s music, then go listen to it – you will not be sorry. If you are not a Country Music fan then don’t worry, as Kip is so much more; he brings a rocky edge to Country, almost creating his own genre. His current album 'Wild Ones', has quickly become one of my favourite albums of all time. His voice is unique – he does not have the stereotypical sound or style that you would often expect to find in a Country musician.

As a fan of Kip Moore for some time, I had actually given up hope of ever seeing him live in the UK. I had a friend in the US who saw him regularly and kept telling me how amazing he was live. The only experience I had ever had of seeing him live at that point was outside the CMT Awards in Nashville in 2014, doing a sound check of Beer Money about four times. Going back to 2015, when it was announced that Kip was playing in UK’s biggest Country Music Festival C2C, I was beyond excited – especially as it made a line up that I was not particularly fussed about, become appealing. Now I mention C2C, not just because it was Kip’s first time playing in the UK, but because for me and many, many others, he stole the show for the whole weekend – despite being first on the billing, and being up against huge names such as Jason Aldean and Lady Antebellum. That night Kip made a promise to return and, thank god, he actually kept that promise – as many others haven’t or have, but left it a long time before returning.

Kip Moore’s UK tour was announced around the time of this year’s Country 2 Country (C2C) Festival which, in marketing terms, was a very good move, especially when he was covering quite a bit of ground over the UK – and at a more than reasonable price of around £14 a ticket. Not only did Kip sell out his London date but also some of the original venues he was playing at, in places such as Manchester, had to be upgraded to a bigger site as the ticket sales were that good. Good going Kip! As a regular attendee of London gigs, I actually chose to go to Birmingham this time, as it was just more practical in terms of travel.

I rocked up to the Birmingham Institute at around 3.30pm, after foolishly turning up at The 02 Academy first – ha! I later discovered at least one other lady made the same mistake, so I wasn’t alone! A queue full of die-hard Kip fans, some going to more than one show, made the time pass really quickly, as we had a lot in common and also conversation never runs dry amongst Country fans.

The support act was Max Milner, who auditioned on the UK Voice a few years back and made it quite far on the show, but did not win. He is not a Country artist so I was a bit concerned that I might not enjoy his music and shamefully assumed, without doing any research, that he was going to be awful dried up pop! Well…out he came, on his own, no band – just him and his guitar – and as soon as he started to sing, he blew the crowd away. Max has a very soulful voice and in part reminded me of Ray Lamontagne. He also sounded vocally and musically similar to early Jason Mraz songs, back around the time when Jason performed live at Java Joe’s. Personality and wit as well as being musically flawless, Max was someone I was going to remember – and what a great warm up for a very promising night.

At the front row barrier, the excitement and atmosphere around me was heaving. When the lights went down and the crowd cheered, Kip’s band, The Slow Hearts, took to the stage and played the intro to Wild Ones, from his current album with the same title. I guessed he would start with this song, just because it is so atmospheric and fitting to start the gig with – and definitely had the crowd going and singing along.

I was fangirling throughout the whole gig. What can I say? Kip just brings it out of you. Now I have read in an interview that Kip likes to stare into the eyes of women in the front row when he is singing, just to see their reaction and see who can engage in to his look. Well, they weren’t lying. He did this a lot, much to every woman’s joy – including my own. I actually felt like I was special just for that brief moment – ha! This is something I usually cringe at, but he almost had me screaming like the girls at a Justin Bieber concert – oh, the shame! But I managed to hold back, thankfully.

Playing every song on the Wild Ones album, apart from two (Lipstick and Come Back Kid), he also did a fair amount from his previous album Up All Night, as well as the unreleased in the UK song Dirt Road – a fan favourite, which I was so pleased that he sang. it was obvious Kip wanted to give his fans more than they’d paid for, not only with a longer than usual set list but also giving one hell of a performance throughout, not giving the audience even one second to lose interest and check their phones. Pretty much every song, in particular songs such as Beer Money, Come And Get It, I’m To Blame, Somethin’ ‘bout A Truck, What Ya Got On Tonight and Dirt Road, had the crowd fist pumping the air and jumping around. The crowd interaction during Heart’s Desire was a moment that I don’t think Kip will ever forget. He genuinely seemed surprised at the fact the crowd knew every word to every song.

We were also treated with new songs, one being a song called Guitar Man. Kip tells us the inspiration behind this song was from a young guy he saw playing in Nashville airport for tips and how he remembers doing the same at his age. We were also told the story of the woman he left behind years back, because she had no faith in his making it in the industry – so a verse was dedicated to her in very much a “screw you, look at me now” way.

Guitar man was part of the acoustic section of the night, where the band left just Kip and his guitar on stage to sing a few songs. He sat on a stool, addressing the crowd on several occasions including stating that “his people” tried to push back a UK tour by one year as he did not have the fan base yet – but he knew he did and argued it and won. We are so glad he persisted and – let this be a lesson to you management and labels – do your research; the UK is heaving with Country Music fans – just look at the size of C2C.

The only thing to disrupt the night was that, during this acoustic set, there was a woman up in the top seats yelling “Take your shirt off” during his song Complicated. OK, it was funny once, but she must have said it about ten times, not only annoying the audience, who ended up booing her, but annoying Kip too. I must add he handled the situation gracefully and even made up a verse for her on the spot about not taking off his shirt but she can take off hers. The acoustic set was a really special moment for me. It was so nice to hear some of Kip’s rocky, raw songs stripped down – such as Girl Of The Summer, which was acoustically beautiful. It completely changed the song making the lyrics stand out a lot more than on the studio version as you really paid attention to them during the acoustic version.

The band returned to the stage and Kip explained how a lot of artists change their band regularly but how he has kept the same band for eight years. It really showed actually – Kip Moore and The Slow Hearts play well together and you can tell they are also good friends. There was a lot of interaction and respect for each other during their performance and so much talent as a band – and individually too.

On his tour stops so far, Kip had done an after-show outside the venue singing a few songs on the street. However, this was not the case for us in Birmingham, as I later found out he was shooting a music video straight after, which many fans got to witness, although, unfortunately I could not stay. Kip also went to the merchandise booth straight after the show to sign for every single fan who wanted an autograph, which was amazing – how many artists can you say would actually do that? It’s nice to see how grateful Kip is to his fan base. He also did this at the C2C festival and was reportedly signing for around three hours. Now that’s commitment!

This was only the second gig I have ever been to alone and I had so much fun. I really got to let go and fully enjoy myself and it was lovely meeting new people too. I hope Kip comes back soon, he is such a revelation live and quite frankly..makes Country look cool – which it is, of course!

More Kip Moore, please!