Eclectic lineup set for Africa Oyé

Summer Festival Guide has just had the latest announcement for Africa Oye hit its inbox and we can now let you know all about what is planned for 2014.

Finley Quaye will headline the Sunday night and is joined over the festival weekend by an eclectic mix of artists, detailed below:

The Artists

Rising to fame in the 90’s, Finley Quaye's sound made waves across the globe and he topped the UK charts with hIts like ‘Even After All’ and ‘Sunday Shining’. His debut album Maverick A Strike was an instant success racking up multi platinum record sales. Quaye (whose relatives include Afrobeat purveyor Femi Kuti and trip hop star Tricky) will play a mix of classic and new material when he brings his warm Sunshine sounds to the stage.

Jupiter & Okwess International have a unique story;  Jupiter was born into a family of griots from the Mongo region. His grandmother was a renowned healer and she taught him how to play traditional rhythms to heal the sick at a young age. As a teen his family moved to Berlin, where he collaborated with European musicians before returning to the Congo. A documentary about his musical exploration called “The Dance of Jupiter” was released in 2007 and his album Hotel Universe was released last year to critical acclaim.  Jupiter also collaborated with Damon Albarn to feature on the album “Kinhasa One Two” in 2011.

Also joining the bill are London based Cuban 9-piece band Wara, playing a mix of latin funk, hip hop and rumba. Bending genres with gusto, band members hail from across the globe; from Argentinia to Spain and this unique mix defines them.

Next up on the bill is HAJAmadagascar & The Groovy People who create Afro trance, in a project that gathers musicians from across Africa and the Diaspora. Rooted in Malagasy tradition (the spiritual music of Madagascar) the charismatic groups live show delivers immense energy, and is a must-see education for music lovers!

'Homage To Magool' feat. Farxiya Fiska, brings together some of the leading contemporary Somali singers living in the UK to present the music of their country’s most popular singer, Magool. 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the death of the Somali legend, and this performance will feature Farxiya Fiska – the first Somali artist to have Youtube hits exceeding 1 million – amongst others, paying tribute to her legacy.

Also added to the bill are Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate, one a hip hop extraordinaire from New York and the other a West African maestro. The expression “music is a common language” has never been more apt. US-born Driscoll speaks no French and Kouyate, who hails from the West African country of Guinea, little English. When they were brought together at the Nuit Metis (Mixed Night) festival in Marseille, France in 2010 and given a week to produce a concert, music was the only way they could communicate. They have since formed a band, recorded an album, and performed over 120 concert dates across Europe to rave reviews. Driscoll and Kouyate are mindblowing; blending hip-hop, spoken word, funk, and soulful, accessible rock with Afrobeat, reggae and irrepressible African grooves.

Mose 'Fan Fan' will also grace the stage at Oyé 2014. One of the original purveyors of ‘world music’ in the UK, Mose began his career in the 60s and is one of the ‘grand old men’ of African music in Europe. A central figure in the burgeoning area of 'world music' in the UK in the 80s, it is with great pride that Oye welcomes him to the festival for the first time in 2014.

Afrobeat star Abdoulaye Samb & Minnjiaraby hails from Senegal and brings sunshine sounds to Liverpool this summer. Another sterling addition to the line up includes Abdul Tee-Jay’s Rokoto from Sierra Leone, to truly get the Sefton Park stage rocking under the feet of such globally acclaimed talent.

The Big Feastival add Laura Mvula, De La Soul and more

The Big Feastival has announced soul sensation Laura Mvula is to perform on Saturday 30 August and American hip-hop legends, De La Soul will play on Sunday 31 August. They join headliners Fatboy Slim and Jamie Cullum for a weekend of top music, food and family fun on Alex James’ Farm in The Cotswolds.
 
The music line up so far includes:

 
The Big Feastival also revealed today that chef extraordinaire Mark Hix, Parisian cuisine queen Rachel Khoo, MasterChef 2013 winner Natalie Coleman and celebrity chef Levi Roots have been added to the bill, joining an already stellar programme of chefs appearing on The AEG Big Kitchen stage across the weekend.
 
The latest roll call of culinary stars join leading chefs Jamie Oliver, Gennaro Contaldo,Monica Galetti, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Nathan Outlaw, Valentine Warner, Gizzi Erskine and Martin Morales for an incredible line up of epicurean talent.
 
The Big Feastival offers fun for all the family with the brilliant Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park making a welcome return to the festival and live performances from CBeebies Superstars Justin Fletcher and Ben Faulks a.k.a Mr Bloom.

 

Sportbeat lineup additions for 2014

We are excited to reveal the latest additions to this years SportBeat Festival 2014.  The funki dreds of Soul II Soul have just been announced as headliners for Saturday night and the Main Stage.  We're also excited by the prospect of Jaguar Skills doing a set on Saturday night.  Completing the Main Stage lineup are the energetic, East London 5 piece band, Dexters along with the SportBeat Battle of the Bands winner John Adams, the 

reggae sounds of King Solomon Band and The Tommy Drums.  Link to Main Stage lineup http://sportbeatfest.com/lineup/centre-stage/  
 
The GuildHall Stage headliners are up and coming Canary Swing, second headliner is yet to be announced. Line up for second stage which is packed full of up and coming bands http://sportbeatfest.com/lineup/guildhall-stage/ New this year is the Academy Stage for U18's, it's amazing how many great bands/acts there are around.
 
 

Bestival Unveils Boundary Breaking Acts And The Best New Bands

This years Bestival unveils breaking new acts and some of the hottest bands around including:

Tune-Yards / Factory Floor / Mnek / Wolf Alice / The Amazing Snakeheads / Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats / The Wytches / MØ / Fat White Family / Say Lou Lou / Glass Animals / John Wizards / Ezra Furman / Joel Compass / Woman’S Hour / Pional / Rosie Lowe / Childhood / Kate Tempest / Jessy Lanza / Melt Yourself Down / The Front Bottoms / Hockeysmith / Wild Smiles / Black Orange Juice / Rag N Bone Man / Vaults / Ftse / Tourist / Sivu / God Damn / Happyness / The Correspondents / Bo Saris / Congopunq / Indiana / The Bulletproof Bomb / FÉ / Cousin Marnie

With a cavalcade of big hitters, including OutKast, Foals, Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, Beck, Busta Rhymes, Candi Staton, Sven Vath, Chase & Status and many more already lined up to take Bestival’s Desert Island Disco to stratospheric new heights, Rob da Bank and the Bestival crew have been beavering away behind the scenes, rooting out gleaming talents to ensure we bring you the freshest acts around. With a long history of championing the next big thing, unearthing the incredible and showcasing the best new sounds, both on his Radio 1 show and at Bestival, these are the cream of the acts getting the man like da Bank all hot under the collar. From boundary pushing mavericks to hip young chaps in this year’s slacks, we’re set to announce a ton of the most exciting bands in the world, who will be dropping in to Robin Hill on the Isle of Wight this September 4-7 to blow you away!

Rob da Bank says: “So in our humble opinion these are the breaking acts of 2014 from the worlds of rock, indie, electronics and pretty much any genre – a delve inside the musical brain of Rob da Bank to find the ones to watch, the ones who'll make records you'll love this summer and the ones who'll make you dance ya socks off in September”. 

With her third album Nikki Nack out this week, we’re pretty darn chuffed to announce Merrill Garbus AKA tUnE-yArDs will be heading across the Solent to bring her uniquely kaleidoscopic collision of aural extremes for your collective listening pleasure. Smashing buckled cheerleader chants into punk riffs with razor-sharp melodies and colossal beats, Merrill, alongside long-time cohort Nate Brenner, is a force of nature when it comes to performing live, so don’t miss out.

Riding a wave of critical acclaim for their eponymous debut album, released late last year, we’re very pleased to say that Factory Floor will return to Robin Hill with an all out assault of mind-melting sequences, crashing rhythms and twisted vocals, plus there will be sets from Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and sometime Rudimental collaborator MNEK, deliriously unabashed indie-noise merchants Wolf Alice, exhilarating Glasgow trio The Amazing Snakeheads, critically acclaimed psychedelic doom purveyors Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, apocalyptic surf rockers The Wytches, Danish electropop chanteuse , and scuzzy rock n roll six-piece and all-round incendiary live behemoth Fat White Family.

We’re not stopping there though, we’ll have live music from BBC Sound 0f 2014 nominees Say Lou Lou, Paul Epworth protégés Glass Animals, genre-swerving pan-global types John Wizards, gritty rocker Ezra Furman, atmospheric soulster Joel Compass, archetypal indie quartet Woman’s Hour, Spanish vocalist and sometime John Talabot collaborator Pional, twisted R&B nightingale Rosie Lowe and hazy pysch dudes Childhood.

And the new music keeps on coming with appearances from Kate Tempest, Jessy Lanza, Melt Yourself Down, The Front Bottoms, Hockeysmith, Wild Smiles, Black Orange Juice, Rag N Bone Man, Vaults, FTSE, Tourist, Sivu, God Damn, Happyness, The Correspondents, Bo Saris, Congopunq, Indiana, The Bulletproof Bomb, Fé and Cousin Marnie.

There’s still plenty more incredible music, mayhem and madness to announce, so make sure you join us at the Desert Island Disco this September for an escapist weekend of off the chain behaviour!

Over 35 More Acts Join Longitude Line Up

The countdown to this summers Longitude festival is on and over 35 stunning acts have just been added to this years line up alongside the return of the Red Bull Music Academy. Returning for its second year, the Marlay Park weekender already has festival goers excited for the summer with the likes of Ben Howard, Disclosure and Massive Attack as this years headliners.

Joining the line up are:
The Afghan Whigs
Bipolar Sunshine
Broods
Circa Waves
Conor Oberst
Dawes
Elliphant
Hudson Taylor
Joey Badass
Josh Record
Kyla La Grange
New Jackson
NONONO
San Fermin
Snakehips
Talos
The Academic
The Acid
Tourist
Tvvins
We Cut Corners

After an immense weekend last summer, the RBMA stage returns to the open-air festival held in the beautiful grounds of South Dublin’s Marlay Park. Performing on the RBMA stage this summer will be:

Adultrock
Axel Boman
Colin Devine
Colm K
Conor Feeney
Discotekken
Galactic Beat Club
Handsome Paddy
I Am The Cosmos (Live)
Jackmaster
Jonnie Foley
Lasertom (Live)
Mano Le Tough
Solar Bears (Live)
Tome DJ's

The new additions join an already stellar line up which will see some of the best international and homegrown acts perform across the July weekend. Previously announced are:

Massive Attack, Disclosure, Ben Howard, James Vincent McMorrow, Rudimental, Haim, Bastille, Bombay Bicycle Club, Chvrches, The 1975, First Aid Kit, Sam Smith, Hozier, Banks, Bonobo, John Talabot, Cyril Hahn, Le Galaxie, Bondax, Parquet Courts, George Ezra, Eagulls, Koreless, O Emperor, Krystal Klear, Say Lou Lou, Son Lux, Samaris, Josef Salvat and Roosevelt.

Ben Howard

Winner of Best New Festival and Best Medium Festival at the Irish Festival Awards, Longitude returns for its second year and is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the summers festival calendar.

Festibelly announce headliner Hudson Taylor

Festibelly is proud to announce rising Dublin band Hudson Taylor will headline the Saturday night at this year’s festival in The New Forest on 11-12 July.

Hudson Taylor

Hudson Taylor, brothers Harry and Alfie, have been honing their stirring folk-pop sound over a series of rapturously-received singles and are on the verge of a big breakthrough, amassing a huge underground following. They’ve toured with Jake Bugg and Kodaline and supported the Rolling Stones at Hyde Park. They are currently finishing their debut album, which will be released in the autumn. Hudson Taylor follow in the steps of Festibelly’s previous breakthrough acts including Bastille, Willie Moon, Ghostpoet, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs to name but a few. This promises to be one of the last chances to catch this band in an intimate festival setting. Harry and Alfie said "We're really looking forward to playing Festibelly and particularly excited for it to be our first festival headline show."Reggae DJ icon David Rodigan is joined on the dub themed Saturday afternoon by Bristol collective Jus Now and ‘Belly favourites Reggae Roast. The line-up also contains hotly tipped Femme and Mighty Oaks and welcomes back raucous folk troubadours Skinny Lister and electronic-soul trio Dems. Festibelly tip MausiWild SmilesGinger & The Ghost and Lexy & The Kill as names you will soon hear a lot more from.

SW4 2014 lineup increases with Mistajam, Mike Skinner and more

We here at the Summer Festival Guide are excited to announce the newest addtions to this years South West Four which include Mistajam, Mike Skinner, MJ Cole, Friction and more!  Read on for more information. 

As one of electronic music’s most instantly recognizable and influential charactersMistaJam will make his way to South West Four for the very first time to host the next edition of his bubbling multi-genre melting potSpeakerbox. His fearless approach of mixing humour and musical risks has propelled him through the ranks of BBC 1Xtra and Radio 1, resulting in him being widely considered as the nation’s ambassador for fresh new music.  As one of theleading pioneers of the UK’s crossover climate, his ear for undiscovered music and rising talent is second to none. Having expressed that musical boundaries are clearly of no interestexpect the unexpected as MistaJam gets ready to host the next episode of Speakerbox at South West Four on Sunday 24th August.

SW4 is pleased to announce one of the finest back-to-back battles in all of our ten year history. As two of the urban scene’s most inspiring figures, we can confirm that Mike Skinner and MJ Cole will go head-to-head for the greatestof festival performances. Through releasing records such as ‘Sincere’MJ Cole’s intricate, heart-wrenching garage productions has kept him at the forefront of a continuously evolving market. Lining up alongside him is the man behind the musical phenomenonThe Streets. Continuing to push boundaries as a musician, Mike’s DJ sets vary from house to old school hip-hop right through to drum and bass, and therefore it is safe to say that Skinner never fails toignite the party spirit. As the perfect festival addition, this is a special one-off performance that you cannot afford to miss.

Oxide & Neutrino are London’s original DJ and MC duo and subsequently form one of 2014’s most eagerly anticipated debut performances. As former members of the infamous So Solid Crew, their relentless energy and on-stage chemistry make them two of the most electrifying live performers of today. With timeless classics ‘Bound 4 Da Reload’ and ‘No Good 4 Me’ sure to bring Clapham Common alive, there is no doubt that the boys from South London are preparing to deliver a very special performance on their home soil. With the dynamic duo bringing it back to where it all began, this marks a landmark occasion and one of the weekend’s standout highlights.

If you were lucky enough to witness the utter carnage created on our main stage by Friction in 2013, then you’ll know exactly why we’ve invited him back for more. As one of the most revered names in the game thanks to hisastonishing three deck wizardry and extraordinary technical ability, we can now confirm the official return of the Shogun Audio boss. Boasting one of the most extensive back catalogues in drum and bassFriction has been associated with every major label imaginable including RAMHospitality and MetalheadzSW4 get ready for anarchy and disorder as we welcome Friction back to Clapham Common.

Hailing from the UK’s electronic music mecca of BristolMy Nu Leng have established themselves as one of the most creative and exciting duos of today. As core members of the Black Butter crew, the pair have mastered a soundthat is simply impossible to pigeonhole by drawing influence from the entire electronic spectrum and constantly shifting between pitch-layered vocals and bass-heavy rumbles. With further remix duties catering for Clean Bandit,Naughty Boy and Rudimental on top of the release of their ‘Masterplan’ EP earlier this year; we cannot wait to hand My Nu Leng their SW4 debut.

From the electronic breeding ground that is CanadaB.Traits boasts one of the most original sounds on the scene. By incorporating the key elements of breakbeatjungledubstepdrum & bassreggaehousegarage and everything in between, B.Traits is the ultimate festival performer. With her weekly Tuesday night radio show on Radio 1 showcasing the finest emerging UK bass music, her sets are always bursting with vibrantforward-thinking future music. Adopting a mix and match approach that would normally spell disaster for the lesser skilled hands, the female half of Digital Soundboy is undoubtedly one of the world’s most exciting female talents making this one up-front performance one you can’t afford to miss.

Miami based hip-hop leaning duo GTA have certified themselves as one of today’s most interesting and unique electronic acts. Made up of Matt and Julio, the duo is armed with endless creativity, a tireless work ethic and a fierce dedication to their craft. Refusing to be held to a particular sound, the boundary-breakers have taken USA by storm and are well on their way to conquering Europe. This has led to a permanent queue of support and in-turn remix requests from the highest orderDeadmau5Wolfgang GartnerMichael Woods and Clockwork to name a few. SW4 get ready for GTA.

As one of the freshest young talents currently rising through the electronic ranksKarma Kid has quickly become one of the most promising prospects in UK bass music. From bursting onto the scene with a series of original releases on Just UsRoche Music and L2S Recordings to a stellar remix of Ben Pearce’s ‘What I Might Do’, Kidnap Kid is clearly one of the leading innovators of the new school. Playing South West Four for what is sure to be thefirst of many times, 2014 looks set to be a dominating year for the 19 year old. You can find out exactly why as he lands at SW4 on Sunday 24th August.

Red Bull Music Academy lineup announced for Field Day 2014

The Summer Festival Guide has the latest announcement from Field Day HQ, the lineup for this years Red Bull Music Academy has now been announced.

We are excited to welcome back our long-standing partner Red Bull Music Academy to Field Day 2014, who will bring a taster of its global carousel of alumni and affiliates to Victoria Park. 

“Consistently presenting a roster of white-hot up-and-comers, Field Day remains one of the capital’s best showcases for new music.  Red Bull Music Academy, with its own worldwide agenda nurturing the next generation of musicians, makes for the perfect partner.”, Red Bull Music Academy

On Field Day Saturday, LuckyMe livewire and 2010 Academy alumnus Lunice tops the bill, bringing his signature dynamism and fancy footwork to the stage. Fellow Canadian Ryan Hemsworth joins the bill, offering up some sonic sunshine with his emotive blend of R&B, trap and pop, alongside G.O.O.D. beatsmith/Kanye collaborator Evian Christ, and Dutch deep-house heroine SOPHIE.  Rinse/NTS regular Slackk goes b2b with Pelican Fly’s Samename for some body-twitching raw grime/UKF, while elsewhere bass turbo DJ Barely Legal, Tri Angle affiliate Vessel, BBC Radio 1 ‘In New DJs We Trust’ cohort Moxie and Jamie Isaac, south-London’s nocturnal, electronic balladeer, weigh in.  

Field Day Sunday sees master of melodic, glitchy electronics and WhoMadeWho former glory Tomas Barfod headline, while voodoo bass outfit Nguzunguzu and genre-bending future-rap artiste Mickey Lightfoot step in. Panes, the band that sees singer Tyson McVey turn up the heat with Flesh & Bone’s Shaun Savage, join the roster alongside mysterious London-based producer and warp artist patten, who’s kept his identity masked in the shadows as his music seeks out the light, leaving soulful singer-songwriter and RBMA alumnus Louis Baker to complete the roll-call.

RBMA stage confirmed:

Lunice, Ryan Hemsworth, Evian Christ (DJ), Jamie Isaac, SOPHIE, Vessel (Live), Slackk b2b Samename, Barely Legal, Moxie

SUNDAY 8TH JUNE 2014

RBMA stage announced:

Tomas Barfod, Nguzunguzu, Louis Baker, patten (DJ), Mickey Lightfoot, Panes

"I am very pleased to have RBMA with us again this year. With a similar mentality and love for discovering great new music and talent, Red Bull Music Academy are the perfect partner for Field Day and it has been great to work with them over the years!",

Field Day co-founder Tom Baker

Slam Dunk Festival 2014

Slam Dunk Festival, the UK’s favourite and biggest independent touring festival is back for a 9th year. The 7 stage event kicks off at Leeds University followed by The Forum, Hertfordshire then finally tearing it up on the last date at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Monday 26th May.

The festival uses a combination of indoor and outdoor stages to create a totally unique festival experience with a variety of performances across The Main Stage, Acoustic Stage, Dance Stage and many more.

Headlining the main stage this year is none other then The All American Rejects.  No Doubt they will be playing all the classics including ‘Dirty Little Secret’, ‘Gives You Hell’, ‘Swing Swing’ and many more. Recently Goldfinger who were also performing along side The All American Rejects have had to announce there withdrawal from the festival due to one of the members has had to have some routine minor surgery and the recovery process has taken a little longer than expected. Meanwhile It was recently announced that another pop punk heavy weight is joining the line up in the shape of The Ataris!.

Total Uprawr will host this year’s dance stage. Headlined by one of the biggest party DJs in the UK DJ Yoda. Plus Tek-One will return to promote his new album, Sleep Equals Myth.

The line-up has been announced but there will be LOADS more to come and as usual, a few surprises.

The All American Rejects

Canterbury
Letlive
Bury Tomorrow
The Devil Wears Prada

I Killed The Prom Queen

We Are The In Crowd
We The Kings
Kids In Glass Houses
Zebrahead

Tek-One

Are just FEW artists to name

For a full list of ticket outlets for all events, please go to www.slamdunkmusic.com

Tickets are priced at £35 & £39 with Afterparty across all sites.
Tickets for Slam Dunk Festival will be onsale Friday 14th February

Parklife Weekender Official Afterparties announced

The Summer Festival Guide is excited to announce the afterparty lineup's for this years Parklife Weekender which features Hot Creations and more!

Today the Parklife Weekender release the long awaited line-up for Afterlife, the official series of after parties from Manchester's premier festival taking place on 7th & 8th June. Over 30 events will take place, making it the biggest Afterlife announcement in the history of the Parklife Weekender. Crosstown Rebels, FACT Magazine and Hot Creations to name a few, will take on hosting duties for two nights along with DJs such as Dixon, Tensnake, and chart-toppers Breach and Route 94. Local clubbing mecca The Warehouse Project will also return to curate a very special event, giving those who missed out on tickets to the sold out weekender the chance to be a part of the festivities.

While The Parklife Weekender can easily boast one of the most exciting and eagerly anticipated line-ups of the festival season, today they announce their biggest series of after parties yet. Afterlife, which every year brings some of the most popular acts in electronic music to the venues of Manchester, will once again collaborate with some of the most prominent clubbing brands and institutions for two nights of unbelievable parties on a grand scale. For those who don't want the night to end, the breathtaking and iconic Albert Hall will be the place to catch Hot Creations founders Jamie Jones and Lee Foss, while Damian Lazarus, Dixon and Art Department will all take part in the 'Rebel Rave' for Crosstown Rebels on the Sunday night. 

As the go-to place for music news, FACT Magazine will join forces with local icons Now Wave to welcome Oneman and Ryan Hemsworth to the Deaf Institute, while the newly reborn and globally infamous Sankeys bring Nina KravizEats EverythingRoute 94Catz 'N Dogz and Hannah Wants to the former soap factory.

Scuba will celebrate over 10 years as Hotflush boss with a headline performance for Drop The Mustard's Afterlife outing, while recent Essential Mix alumni Ben UFO will play a very rare B2B set with Midland. Recent Mixmag cover star Hot Since 82, Innervisions co-founders Ame and respective OBE awardees David Rodigan and Soul II Soul's Jazzy B will also feature on what is the greatest and most diverse Afterlife announcement in the history of The Parklife Weekender.