Reviews

On Blackheath 2015 Review

by

With the festival season drawing to a close for another year, On Blackheath is a festival for families and music, art and food enthusiasts. Running for its second year, the line up was impressive, with Elbow and Manic Street Preachers performing on Saturday and Madness and Kelis on Sunday.

The festival was based in Dartmouth Field, Blackheath and consisted of 3 music stages as well as a variety of tasty food stalls, bars, street performers and a huge children’s area, with activities and shows families could enjoy as well as the impressive line up.

To kick things off, Saturday saw Kyle Riabko open the main stage, followed by BBC Introducing London winners, Venice Trip who won a spot on the line up this year, playing their first performance on a festival main stage.  Jack Savoretti also gave an amazing performance, with On Blackheath being one of his last UK shows for the year, he sang songs from is latest album ‘Written in Scars’ as well as known hits ‘Take Me Home’ ‘Sweet Hurt’ and ‘Home’.

The smaller stages saw a line up of up and coming artists, from a variety of genres, tailoring to everyone’s tastes; including, Hooton Tennis Club, Temples and 808 State. Summer Camp, Rivrs, Moth Trap, Greg Wilson and Tom Findlay from Groove Armada.

The Chef’s Club Banquet stage featured a number of chefs showcasing their best recipes. Chefs including Daniel Doherty, Natasha Corrett and Hemsley& Hemsley all made appearances and cooked to a small audience.

Manic Street Preachers were the first sub-headliners at this year’s festival and gave a memorable performance that had the whole festival singing to their hearts content. Opening their set with ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’, the band belted classics such as ‘Your Love Alone Is Not Enough’, ‘A Design For Life’, ‘You Stole The Sun From My Heart’ and ‘If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next’. The band did a fantastic job of warming the crowd up for the night’s headliners.

The much-anticipated Elbow closed on the Saturday, announcing that this performance was going to be their last for a while. The band made their last performance count and soon got the crowd going as the sun set and the end of the first day drew to a close. They sang their hits ‘One Day Like This’, ‘Grounds For Divorce’, ‘Lost Worker Bee’ and ‘My Sad Captains’.  The band rounded off the day perfectly and set the bar high for the second day performers.

On Sunday, On Blackheath seemed quieter than the previous day, but never the less people seemed excited and ready for the day’s events.  Ska band Chainska Brassika opened the main stage, followed by the cast of Sunny Afternoon, the hit new musical about the life of The Kinks.  The musical won 4 Olivier awards this year, so expectations were high and the cast really didn’t disappoint.  They played classic hits such as ‘You Really Got Me Going’, ‘Lola’ ‘This Time Tomorrow’ and ‘Sunny Afternoon’.  The audience got an extra special treat when The Kinks front man Ray Davies took to the stage to thank the cast and to introduce the song ‘Waterloo Sunset’.  The cast gave an amazing performance and were a real tribute to The Kinks.  Laura Mvula also gave an exhilarating and soulful set, performing hits such as ‘Green Garden’, ‘Like Morning Due’ and ‘She’.

The much-anticipated Kelis sub-headlined Sunday’s line up, as well as showcasing her culinary skills on the Chef’s Club Banquet stage.  After a late start, she graced the stage and performed all her hits including ‘Milkshake’, ‘Millionaire’, ‘Acapella’ and ‘Trick Me’, with backing jazz band, which gave her songs a unique soulful, jazz edge.  The change to the structure of her songs went down well with the audience, despite the risk and complimented Kelis’ talent well.

Other performances throughout the day included David Rodigan, Giles Peterson, The Reflex, Hannah Holland, The Mighty Cosmics, Brass Roots and Hollie Cook. The Chefs Club Banquet stage saw the likes of Tom and Henry Herbert, Andy McLeish and Calgary Avansino.

To close the day and festival Ska favorites, Madness took to the stage to give an energetic performance that the crowd had been eagerly awaiting all day.  The band performed classic hits ‘Our House’, ‘It Must Be Love’, ‘Embarrassment’, ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘One Step Beyond’ and ‘House Of Fun’.  The crowd couldn’t help but sing along with Madness and dance the night away.

On Blackheath is the perfect family festival as it has something for everyone, with an eclectic line up, chefs showcasing their best recipes, delicious foods and plenty of entertainment for kids.  Although it’s only on its second year, the festival has managed to bag brilliant headliners to round off each day, as well as opportunities for up and coming musicians to showcase their talent.  Can’t wait for 2016!

United Festival 2015 Review

by

Looking for a rave in London, then look no further than United Festival, a dance music festival which brings back the legends of the British rave culture!

Taking over North London's Finsbury Park, a day after hosting Ceremony Festival, this single day festival returned in 2015 on a bigger scale with 8 arenas and over 150 artists.  Heading to the festival, there is a sense of old skool rave culture as we hit Finsbury Park station with festival goers dressed ready to dance.  Out of the wardbrobes have come the fluro coloured tops and pants, glitter makeup and sneakers, all accompanied with the lazer light protecting shades!

Bringing Drum & Bass, Old Skool, Jungle, Uk Garage, House Classics, Hard House, Trance and Hardcore, there was something for everyone.  Our first stop is the Frantic arena to check out a good friend of ours, Masif head honcho Steve Hill, who has flown all the way from Sydney, Australia.  With smoke pouring out of the tent, it was obvious that the Frantic arena was full of energy as 100's filled the tent to bounce to Steve's notorious hard trance sound.  Hosting the likes of Andy Farley, Lisa Pin Up and more, the hard house / trance lovers had plenty to keep them going all day.

The main stage is the place to be for Drum and Bass lovers.  Sunday brought together the best of old skool with Fabio & Grooverider, Baby D, Ratpack, DJ Hype & DJ Marky keeping the tent packed the entire day.  Complete with a massive l.e.d screen and lasers, the tent illuminated up as the sun fell down over Finsbury Park.  

One of the other highlights of our day was the TwiceasNice arena where DJ Luck & MC Neat, Ironik, Pied Piper and more of UK Garages finest lined up.  It was great to see these legends take to the stage all in one place. Luck & Neat's performance of one of the biggest known garage tunes With a Little Bit Luck had the crowd going crazy!

Elsewhere at United Festival 10,000 people had arenas like Promised Land which hosted old skool house with Brandon Block, Arkoss, Philgood & Ram and more, Mental Asylum Records where you could put your hands in the air to Trance, One Nation and Moondance which shared mixture of rave, drum and bass and more ensured that all your musical tastes were satisfied.
 

Duran Duran Bestival 2015 Review

by
It's Friday night, the sun has set over the Bestivalley and the crowd is a sea of sequins and glowsticks…‎ 80's kings Duran Duran make a spot-lit dramatic entrance dressed in monochrome leather, and the packed arena roars in anticipation of some straight up ‎guilty pleasure. 
 
Starting strong with stage pyrotechnics and huge AV backdrops, this is power pop turned up a notch and 'Hungry Like the Wolf' is met with howls of appreciation around the arena. There are more than a few drunken impersonations of wolfiness.
 
Bond theme 'View to a Kill' is special for Bestival regulars as it's also the film another Bestival diva‎ Grace Jones (2008) was in. Calling out to the crowd"Looking out at all of your happy faces… we just realised this is the most important gig of our career" the band touch on something we hear quite often here, that special atmosphere you only get at this festival is picked up by artists every year.‎ With the new album being released today, 'Out In The City' is all new, techno and modern, it probably is the most important gig for their new album – an arena full of new ears and fans alike.
 
Photo courtesty of Bestival
 
As lead vocalist Simon LeBon tootles along on an electronic ocarina, the crowd joins I'm singing along to 'Reflex'. Offering the mic to keyboard wizard Nick Rhodes, who deadpans "there are far too many people here". In fairness, this might be the biggest and youngest crowd Duran Duran have seen in a while, UK festivals get bigger every year and it's far more faces than any arena tour could be.
 
Following on with a Duran Duran classic, "We relased our first song in 1981… we're here thirty years later, playing it to you… this is Ordinary World"‎ and the B.I.G appropriated refrain 'Notorius' has everyone yelling along. New single 'Pressure Off' is suitably promoted with a huge explosion of pink and white ticker tape, it's funky and completely unlike the other new song, setting up the album to be a fairly varied affair.
 
As the first spits of rain come down, 'Girls on Film' picks everyone up, and there isn't a single person who isn't attempting to sassy Vogue along with them.
 
Coming back on for a encore with a 1978 Summer of Love ringer tshirt, 'White Lights'‎ shows the days of lighters is well and truly over "If you have a mobile phone, get it out and hold it up, we're filming this, we want it to look like the stars". Finishing up with hits 'Save a Prayer' and 'Rio' have the entire arena bouncing, after a thoroughly brilliant set. Even the rain can't dampen the spirits of this crowd.
Photo by Robin Ball for Summer Festival Guide

Sundown Festival 2015 Review

by

FRIDAY

Sundown Festival returned this weekend for three days of pop, drum and bass and house music, offering, as one girl gushed on the first night, "great value and a great line up." Kicking off with an exclusive 'campers only' opening party from 5pm hosted by SubSoul, house music belted out of the Big Top tent throughout the evening. With one-hour sets from upcoming producers including Après – who has just graduated from university, DJ S.K.T who reached the top ten of the charts with 'Take Me Away', Friend Within (of Renegade Master fame), GotSome and Icarus, who closed the night with a grimier, bassier vibe. But it was Toyboy & Robin's set, from start to finish – with a perfect opening of Bicep's 'Just' mixed into Format:B's Ibiza smash 'Chunky' and ending with their own massive hit 'Jaded' – which gained the biggest reaction. With the music switched off dead on 11pm, the hundreds if not thousands of revellers were able to catch a good night’s sleep in preparation for nearly 20 hours of live music.

Photo courtesy of Sundown Festival

SATURDAY

After filling up on a Sainsbury's big breakfast – the handy thing about Norfolk Showground is that there's a McDonald's, Costa and Sainsbury's within a short five minute walk – SFG made their way to the main arena for the first time, after mingling with Kiss FM breakfast presenters Rikki and Melvin and Facebook famous Jack Jones.

Following a last minute cancellation from Jess Glynne due to recent vocal surgery, Becky Hill – who gave a standout performance last year – was left to foot the bill, a task she took on with ease; her new collaboration All My Love, produced by Watermat and Tai showing off her seemingly endless vocal range to the booming house beat. Once the growing crowd realise how many of this year's chart hits she's put her voice too; Wilkinson's 'Afterglow', Oliver Heldens and 'Gecko (Overdrive)' to name just two more, everyone's lungs are given a real workout as she makes way for Karen Harding.

Similarly a go-to-vocalist for house producers, the glamorous singer shines brightest throughout her top-ten track 'Say Something' and new Blonde-collab 'Feel Good (It's Alright)' – the latter with a strong and catchy enough hook and chorus to top the charts when it's released. "Up next we've got the man that gave us the tunes Pow and Oi" proclaims Rickie and Melvin of Kiss FM fame as they ensure the crowd are suitably hyped up before introducing each act over the weekend. And the phrase 'hyped up' barely describes the atmosphere when Lethal Bizzle arrived onstage … gliding accords on a Segway no less. Sporting one of his own 'DENCH' t-shirts, the likes of Rari Workout and Flashing Lights descend into his request of numerous circles of mosh pits. "This is the last festival I'm doing this year. Let's make it the best one" he beckons, launching into The Drop and Fester Skank.

Contrastingly, MNEK, backed by two powerful female vocalists take things down a more smooth R&B/pop route during Take You To A Place and Ready For Your Love. Meanwhile in the Big Top it's a Defected Records take over. Returning for their second year, label boss Simon Dunmore, leading lady Sam Devine (cue crowd surfer) and relatively new Low Steppa keep the thousands of house lovers satisfied as they bring Ibiza vibes to Norwich. But, expectedly, the biggest draws come from Gorgon City and then Hannah Wants – the latter who's had a whirlwind year, with a Mixmag cover shoot and story last month.

Leading the evening's talent is Sigma, arguably the breakout drum & bass act of the year. Performing tracks from their soon-to-be-released album Life,  Labrinth-collab Higher, which sees girls on shoulders and a building d'n'b edit of Rhianna's Diamonds as well as Lighters with its Chase & Status-like beat, keep the crowd's energy up.

Although, the highlight comes from Ella Henderson's appearance as she belts out Glitterball, faultlessly, along with all the girls – and guys – in the audience, proving herself as one of The X Factor's finest exports.

With flares in hand, it was down to London collective and Sundown first-timers Rudimental to headline. Flanked by live instrumentalists and numerous guest vocalists including Will Heard and Anne Marie who feature heavily on second album We The Generation, the hits everyone knows prove memorable, and the newer as-yet-unheard songs fares nearly as well. With ten members onstage, Right Here, Never Gonna Let You Go and Waiting All Night, the latter dedicated to a passed friend, certify their headlining credentials with ease; the drum & bass + live instruments set up clearly a well honed success.

Sundown 2015, all photos by Kath Sansom

Photo by Kath Sansom

SUNDAY

Following a failed attempt to get into the DJ EZ after-party on Saturday night, everyone was left clueless as to why, until a member of the merchandise team told SFG the following morning that, allegedly, police were called to shut down the warehouse event due to mass over capacity. Catching Zak Abel, whom SFG later caught up to chat with, the young Londoner's performance was a case of great voice, potentially massive songs, minimal crowd – most likely down to his post-lunchtime set time. Running From Myself and the Kaytranada-produced Say Something, from his brilliant new seven-track EP, One Hand on the Future, are given soul-filled, emotive outings and deserve to gather a lot of attention in the very near future; as does his somewhat brave cover of Daniel Bedingfield's Gotta Get Thru This…

"This young girl actually went to school with Zayn Malik. I would love to have her kisses for breakfast" says Melvin (Kiss FM) as he welcomes Melissa Steel. With slick black hair and vibrant trousers, she bounces onstage, along with two impressive backing dancer. The crowd are quick to pick up on all the tracks she's provided vocals to this year; from the reggae vibes of Drunk and Incapable to her top-ten pop breakthrough Kisses for Breakfast. Ending with Kove's D&B hit The Way That We Are and an acepella version of Blonde-collab I Loved You, Melissa's a pop star to keep an eye on; especially with her new single You Love Me (featuring Wretch 32 – who performs next) coming out this week.

Sporting a new, almost unrecognisable head of hair, Wretch 32 tells the story of Blackout with humble intent; "I started out having to in to the shop to get electric", he says, adding that there is a "hope for life for everyone". A heartfelt version of Six Words stays in the audience's heads, as does Don't Go. Trekking over to the RAM Records stage, it's a drum and bass lovers paradise; Culture Shock, DC Breaks, Mind Vortex, Sub Focus and label head honcho Andy C each rattling out energetic heart racing beats throughout the day. Back at the sunny main stage, Maverick Sabre, who it seems has been away for years now, is asking the question, "can you be my Sundown choir?" The reason? An impeccable cover of Chaka Khan's Ain't Nobody, led by his, as ever, individualistic vocal style. Airing his new single Come Fly Away, the soulful lyrics are bound to score him a hit, and just as he reveals to SFG later during an interview that a new album is imminent as well as a UK tour, he's set for a big return.

Headlining on Sunday evening, Tinie Tempah, whom performing at his last festival of the summer ("lets make it the best one" he shouts) ran through his biggest hits; Pass Out, Frisky and Miami 2 "Norwich", the collabs; RIP, Not Letting Go and Tsunami; and  new single "which i've not performed anywhere else" Turn Up The Music – which is bound to go to number one with a Katy B feature and a cheeky, infectious house sample of KDA's track, Rumble – it was a crowd-pleasing set for sure, and one that left everyone with smiles on their faces before leaving to go back to school/college/work.

Photo courtesy of Sundown Festival

For SFG and friends though, it was Nero's live set which smashed it most. From the intense ground rattling opening bass right to the trio bowing at the end, it was easily the best hour of the weekend, possibly the year in terms of this festival season (closely behind seeing Faithless at Balaton Sound). Having wanted to see Nero for countless years now, it was refreshing for the anticipation to be fulfilled. Alana Watson, who would stalk the stage in a lace dress ensemble, appearing and disappearing between songs,  provided transfixing, almost haunting vocals, to Guilt, Me and You, Innocence and Satisfy among others, while the guys took charge of the drops and beats – all aided by an insane light show onstage. With a new album imminent, Nero's grip on dance music will soon re-tighten.

Photos by Kath Sansom

Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church Review

by

Compiled from undeveloped film that lay untouched in a barn for 30 years, this documentary surrounds Jimi Hendrix‘s performance at the Atlanta Pop Festival on 4th July 1970.

From early on it is clear that this isn’t your average Hendrix documentary. Whilst the first half of the production features interviews with fellow musicians Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox as well as Paul McCartney, Derek Trucks and Steve Winwood amongst others, all praising the late and great – the actual focus of the storytelling is the Atlanta Pop Festival itself, of which there were only two; 1969 and 1970.

With not even a year passing since the legendary 3 days of peace and music that was Woodstock, temperatures soared to 40 degrees Celcius and 500,000 people from all corners of the United States descended on a soybean farm in the quaint town of Byron, Georgia for this spectacle. A lineup boasting names including B. B. King, Bob Seger and Grand Funk Railroad amongst others, this festival was the first of its kind – one with an international recording artist as a headliner. The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Interviews with the locals of Byron, GA give an amusing insight into the impact the event had on the community. With many having never even seen a hippie or listened to rock and roll before this moment, the sudden social shift saw many embrace the counter-culture of the late sixties who would otherwise remain in the dark. A reminder that change in society is not only inevitable, but imperative.

The second half of the film provides footage from the legendary performance followed by more conclusionary interviews. This was the last festival of its kind for a long time; the land was trashed and the blatant disregard for state laws were swiftly clamped down upon, and like every other budding industry, heavily regulated.

At just under 90 minutes, it isn’t too long and gets into a decent amount of detail regarding the social and historical context of the event.

Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival is available on mp3, double CD and Vinyl. Track listing below.

Disc 1:
1. Fire
2. Lover Man
3. Spanish Castle Magic
4. Red House
5. Room Full of Mirrors
6. Hear My Train a Comin’
7. Message to Love

Disc 2:
1. All Along the Watchtower
2. Freedom
3. Foxey Lady
4. Purple Haze
5. Hey Joe
6. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
7. Stone Free
8. Star Spangled Banner
9. Straight Ahead

Whilst his revolutionary guitar style may sound primitive in comparison to modern standards, this footage showcases Hendrix at perhaps past the peak of his career and enthusiasm as a pop artist, but not past his peak of creativity. Sadly, he made the transition to rock artist to idol only months later when he passed away in London.

This film truly gives any Hendrix fan a new insight into the musician’s personality and genius at such a crucial time in his life – a man who didn’t see the world in black and white, but rather in the sense of the obsolete and the new. His profound visions of the future – which don’t seem too far from fiction, are perhaps not too far from the reality we experience today.

Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church will be available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD from 30th October 2015. Preorder your copy now!

Roger Waters – The Wall Review

by

Whilst the point of The Wall as an album was to bring to life Waters' experiences growing up having never met his father in austere post-war Britain, achieving world fame as a rockstar and his eventual isolation, the angle of this revitalised production appears to be Roger sharing with the audience his journey of closure.

The movie follows the recent world tour of The Wall, showcasing precisely what the fathers of the Azimuth Co-ordinator have always done best – incredibly well-structured concept albums brought to life with state-of-the-art technology in the world's finest arenas. This tour was no exception.

Anyway, enough about the marvel that was Pink Floyd. You can buy me a pint if you want to hear me ramble on about how great they were together. This concept is dedicated to fallen loved ones.

Co-directed by tour production manager Sean Evans, the beautifully injected cinematography follows Waters on a personal drive through Thiepval, memorial to the missing of the Somme, to a memorial for his father's heroic actions in a war cemetery in Cassino, south of Rome.

With stellar supporting musicianship from veteran rockers Snowy White (Thin Lizzy), G. E. Smith (Hall&Oates) and Dave Kilminster (Keith Emerson/Steven Wilson), the feeling of being at the show is not lost from the footage. Beautifully mastered live recordings in Dolby Surround Sound certainly bring Robbie Wyckoff's supporting vocals to life alongside soaring bombers and the classic sounds of Floyd.

This effort certainly gives a sense of closure to the whole "The Wall" saga. With almost 35 years passing since the album's recording and roughly 25 years since the psychedelic Gerald Scarfe infused film, this production truly marks a milestone in Waters' career.

Ultimately, every end product from this franchise is an outlet for Waters' self obsessive quest to conquer his inner demons, whilst being determined to succeed more than his former band mates and to do his father proud. I'm of the ilk who agrees that the popular, standardised tracks off The Wall are the ones co-written by The rest of Pink Floyd, though these have never drawn attention away from the rest of the lyrics on the album, which must be one of the most socially relevant and hard-hitting musical concepts in history.

Achieving Gold, Platinum and Diamond sales across the world to date, The Wall continues to force-feed the audience with Waters' commentary on capitalism, fascism and a whole bunch of other 'isms' purporting to Fairbairn's Object Relations Theory, a possibly undeveloped Oedipus complex and the Fathers of Modern Psychology.

Nice one Rog! Now maybe you can finally write some new, equally inspirational and hard-hitting music!

You can check out Roger Waters The Wall in cinemas across the globe from Tuesday September 29th at 8pm for ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Get your tickets from http://rogerwatersthewall.com/

Reading Festival 2015 Review

by

It's bank holiday weekend in August which means one thing, READING FESTIVAL! With 8 stages in the arena, there is something for everyone. 

The Main Stage saw headlining sets from Mumford & Sons, to heavy metal band Metallica and closing the show on Sunday, The Libertines. Each night saw three different audiences, a lot of hardcore Metallica fans arrived on Saturday which drew one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. During their set Metallica released hundreds of black bouncy balls with their logo on and the fans went wild, all trying to catch one to keep. Unfortunetly The Libertines seemed to lack a powerful performance and struggled to keep a full crowd for the whole set, being Sunday night a few people like to leave and beat the traffic but this seemed more than usual. However Mumford & Sons really captivated the audience attention with sing along songs from their first and second album. Other bands that caught my attention on the Main Stage were Marmozets, Bastille, Bring Me The Horizon, All Time Low and Panic At The Disco.

The BBC hosted 3 stages at Reading where you could see acts like Lethal Bizzle on the 1XTRA stage, Boy Better Know on the Radio 1 Dance Stage to Slaves and Limp Bizkit on the NME Stage where there was also a secret set from Foals. They also support growing talent in the music industry and brought back the BBC Introducing stage for another year. I got to see The Big Moon, Clean Cut Kid and Georgia. I was very impressed with all three and they are names to look out for in the future. 

I soon realised I’d be spending most of my time at The Lock Up/The Pit stage when I saw the line up. There were so many bands worth mentioning the list could go on forever, but these were some of my favourites; While She Sleeps, Bury Tomorrow, PVRIS, Moose Blood, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and definelty a band to keep an eye on ho99o9. I’m pretty sure a lot of these acts will be on the main stage next year at Reading which is exciting for 2016.

Overall I had a really good experience at Reading Festival. The weather turned out to be pretty great, considering forecasts were set for downpours on Saturday and Sunday, there was minimal rain and hardly any mud (apart from in the campsite). The food was average festival food and there was a fair that went on into the night to keep you entertained when the music stopped. I’m really looking forward to what they have to offer for Reading Festival 2016!

Garden Party Leeds Review

by

The Garden Party is a two-day inner city festival in Leeds, set within the grounds of the Tetley Brewery. Taking place over the august bank holiday weekend the event showcased some of the finest music, food and art. Celebrating its 10th birthday (previously known as the Faversham Garden Party) the organisers teamed up with promoters Canal Mills, Chibuku, Warehouse Project, Now Wave and East Year Own Ears to curate this special edition.

Appealing to a broader spectrum of music fans the line up covered dance, electronica, disco, funk, garage and bass. Live acts included Roisin Murphy, Little Dragon, Todd Terje and Soul II Soul, alongside DJ sets from Bicep, Kerri Chandler, Heidi, Julio Bashmore, Black Coffee, Patrick Topping, Joy Orbison, B-Traits, Redlight, Preditah and the legendary Craig Charles.

There were five stages set across the Tetley site and each a stone’s throw from one another. Brightly covered bales of hay provided areas in which to socialise and soak up the atmosphere at the heat of the site. Food and drink was hosted by Leeds Indie Food Fest and offered punters an exceptionally high standard of delicious street food, craft ales and cocktails. Affordable and tasty local treats were provided by from Chicken Bang Bang, Boozy BBQ, Bánh Mì Booth, Pizza Fella, Rola Wala and the ice-cream from the coolest looking van around Northern BloC. Much to my delight it was a very mixed crowd with a range of ages, proving that the lure of good grub and without the muddy fields seems to be the way that many people want to spend their weekend. Complimenting the food and music bill was colourful temporary art installations and live drawing by local artists throughout the weekend.

Here are some of my highlights from the weekend:

Black Coffee

Black Coffee seemed to be the hot tip on every ones lips, so we headed over to The Fact stage to see what all the hype was about. Black Coffee (known as Nathi to his friends) is a multi award winning producer and superstar DJ hailing from Durban. He’s been active on the South African music scene for over a decade now, but it’s only been recently that his meteoric rise has seen him play at some of the top clubs and festivals globally.

His set was laced with tantalising tribal beats and flavoursome house, mixing up a smooth set of expertly blended tunes like Ian Pooley – Compurhythm, Mr.V – Jus Dance, Culoe De Song – Y.O.U.D and ending on the epic Chew Fu’s Purple Rain (Mousse T mix). I don’t usually hang around for a full DJ set but we couldn’t pull ourselves away for the full two hours, it was completely mesmerising and he certainly lived up the hype.

Craig Charles

On Sunday afternoon Craig Charles brought his funk soul sound to the Just A Little stage.  Such a high profile DJ was always bound to draw a big crowd and once again the tent was packed to the rafters with everyone ready to groove and shake. There were a whole host of familiar classics from rare groove and snippets of funk and soul packed into his energetic set.  He doesn’t do dj’ing by halves; the man was completely going for it, working up a sweat and working the crowd like a dream. My feet were aching from bouncing up and down at the side of the stage with the hugest of grins – the good vibes were totally infectious and everyone there was fully in on this blissful groovefest.

Preditah

Saturday afternoon saw Birmingham’s finest Preditah play to hyped crowd that spilled outside the Metropolis tent. His grimy and bassy set featured his hits Selecta, Circles, Supernaturally as well dropping 90’s and garage-influenced set of songs. We caught up with Jordan & Jamie from Leeds “Preditah was absolutely nuts, especially the first hour. It was so up-tempo and bassy and he really knows how to play the crowd.”

Todd Terje

As Sunday evening fell the main stage numbers started to swell and Norwegian disco deity Todd Terje took to the stage. His continuous live instrumental set featured his well-known songs Dolorean Dynamite, Strandbar, Swing Star and Svensk Sås. It was clear that most people in the crowd were eagerly awaiting Inspector Norse, which rightly the crowd went berserk to when he went into the extended intro. My only disappointment was that he had got rid of his amazing beard. Please Todd grow it back or at the very least breakout the sequins.

All in all this was a beautifully crafted metropolitan festival, offering an array of music, feasts and culture, making it a perfect way to spend a bank holiday weekend – well done Garden Party Leeds, you definitely know how to throw a party.

Leeds Festival 2015 Review

by

Leeds Festival kicked off on Thursday night with the introduction of comedy acts to a growing line up. These guys were around last year as well so it was nothing new for the Leeds fest veterans to warm up the weekend with some giggles. I felt there was something a little lack luster about squeezing into a tent to watch comedy at a music festival so opted for some camp fire drinks instead.  Once feeling merry there was no option but to hit the relentless stage, firmly squeezed between the trees of red and orange camp. Dj’s were set to headline there all weekend and Thursday was no exception with electronic music duo Bondax gracing us with a glorious welcome set.

With dreary eyes and achey legs it was up and adam for Friday, when the festival really begins. It was a much needed lie in on Friday morning before heading out in the – fairly sunny – weather to the BBC 1Xtra stage. Lady Leshurr made famous by her straight to point musical stylings almost filled out the tent and had everyone in good spirits when she handed out toothbrushes during her famous ‘Queens Speech Episode 4’. Then it was off for some food before Jamie T’s main stage set.

The food at Leeds fest this year left a lot to be desired, you were much better off money wise and sometimes quality wise if you bought a disposable BBQ and kicked it back at your campsite. Although I must commend noodle king for providing 10 spring rolls for £3, that was the stuff dreams are made of.

So back to the music and it was the turn of Jamie T, an act I had been eagerly anticipating before arriving at Leeds fest, and I must say I was a little on the disappointed side. It wasn’t Jamie himself, he went for it singing classics like Sheila, and If you got the money, but I couldn’t help thinking his set would have worked better on a smaller stage. The sound wasn’t amazing and you couldn’t see him unless you were more or less on the stage with him, his name deserves the main stage but his set needed something more intimate.

After that it was the turn of Kendrick Lamar, who brought in a huge crowd and got everyone at the front going mosh pit crazy. Kendrick sung his big hits ‘I love bad Bitches’ and ‘King Kunta’ and pressed on about how so many of his fans had been there from the start and he was so pleased to see them in the crowd. I’m not entirely sure how many of his true fans he could really see in the crowd but he killed it nevertheless and I’m sure nobody left feeling disappointed.

Then onto the Friday night headliner – The Libertines. The Libertines are now onto their second reform as a band and was it for the best, I’m still on the fence about that one. Pete Doherty has been through the wars and it showed on his face and in his voice, I didn’t feel like they had the power for the main stage and clearly neither did the audience as the area was nowhere near as full as it should have been for a headline act.

With the Libertines lack luster performance dampening my mood a little it was time to up the anti and head back to the 1Xtra stage for Boy Better Know. The main trio made up of Skepta, Jme and Wiley filled out the tent and sent the crowd into a wild frenzy that perfectly finished off Friday night.

Onto Saturday and it was the main stage hosting all the action. A wonderful set by Leeds veterans Panic at the Disco who broke out into an impromptu version of Bohemian Rhapsody to get the whole crowd on their feet. They were followed up by Baltimore pop punk band All Time Low, who dragged members of the crowd onto stage to go crazy with them and joked about the wonders of tent sex. All Time Low brought a brilliant vibe to the main stage with hits like ‘Weightless’ and ‘Dear Maria’.

Then it was Bastille's turn, and they rocked up with one of the biggest crowds of the festival, everyone eager to sing along to their easy to please hits. A nice cheery set from them that could be enjoyed while sitting on the grass mellowing down with some food. Many Leeds goers seemed to be a celebrating GCSE age and that was clear from the audience range at Bastille especially when they played hits from their first album including ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘Pompeii’. It was then on to Leeds formed electronic band Alt J who reminisced about their time at Leeds Uni and the pleasure of being back home again. Their set was filed with jazzy lights and the screens showed edgy video editing of their faces as they played hits like ‘Fitzpleasure’ and ‘Breezeblocks’.

Saturdays headline act was the mighty Mumford and Sons, who played a mix of songs from their first and second albums which the crowd definitely appreciated. It’s often tough to watch a headliner who you don’t know so well when they just sing new music nobody has heard yet. They went in with the crowd pleasing claiming we were better than Reading Festival and northerner’s were prettier, it seemed to work as they drew in one of the biggest crowds of the weekend with plenty of couples drunkenly swaying in each other’s arms to tunes such as ‘I will wait for you’ and ‘Little lion man’.

I cut the Mumford and Sons set short as we dived over to watch Knife Party close the day in the NME Stage. The set was interrupted by a girl who climbed up one of the metal poles holding the tent up, and Knife Party claiming they would halt all the music until she climbed down. But that didn’t dampen the spirits of the partygoers who chanted at her to climb down and carried on going when she did.

Onto the final day and the Foals managed to sneak in a secret set in the NME stage, I sadly wasn’t even out of my tent at the time of their performance but I imagine it was as magical as they always are. The first act of the day for me was a bit later on with Tempa T in the 1 Xtra stage, it was a good start to the day and plenty of other people seemed to enjoy it as well. Then it was back across to the NME stage for Manchester based band Everything Everything who did not disappoint with a set that made you want to skip around and sing into the night. They played hits like ‘Regret’ and ‘Distant past’ and didn’t even flinch when lead singer Jonathan Higgs ‘effed up the words’.

It was then back to the 1 Xtra tent for Miss Dynamite – who doesn’t look a day over 22 by the way – her set was not up there with the greats as she was continually talking and chanting throughout and barely sung anything but there were come catchy covers in there and she brought some random kids on stage which is always fun.

Next up it was back to the NME stage again for my festival highlight  –Twin Atlantic. They are a lovely bunch of Scottish guys who out performed anyone else that weekend for me. With big strings of confetti and multi-coloured beach balls they sung out the crowd with ‘Heart and Soul’ and claimed they were so glad they got to sing out the festival and were thankful to everyone who had stuck by them in their 5 year Leeds fest battle to get a bigger stage. Twin Atlantic I love you, and I’m sorry that was my first time watching you, I swear it won’t be my last.

Finally The Wombats ended the evening with a superb crowd pleasing set of their biggest hits, they filled out the rather mini festival republic stage and were truly a wonderful way to end. 

As for the evenings after the music was over when the festival revellers were let loose on the campsite there was only one place to get your night properly started – Cocktail Cocktail. The now infamous cocktail bar had its first appearance at Leeds fest this year and did not let us down with DJ Jamie Hartley taking the decks each night pumping out classics till 3am. The relentless trees were great as well and we can’t forget Piccadilly party taking everyone in till the light hours of the morning.

Leeds Fest you were amazing and I will see you again next year x

Creamfields 2015 Review

by

This August Bank Holiday Weekend 2015 I returned to Creamfields for the first time in over a decade to see the “cream” of international DJs perform to tens of thousands of revellers a day.

I arrived fashionably late on the Friday evening and was pleased to see the hospitality campsite still had plenty of space for me to pitch my tent.

I soon made my way out into the festival arena.  Not every arena was open on the Friday but the ones that were were very busy.

Rebel Sound (also known as David Rodigan, Chase & Status, Shy FX and MC Rage) headlined one of the numerous big top arenas that night.  The predominantly young and very lively crowd lapped up the old skool jungle vibes.

Over in the Mega Arena trance God Armin Van Buuren headlined with his first set of the weekend (he was playing on Saturday too).  He played a mix of new and old tracks, closing the night with his new tune featuring Mr Probz, Another You.

Photo courtesy of Creamfields

Saturday for me was all about the Chemical Brothers, in my opinion the greatest live dance act on the circuit.  They headlined the North Stage with a sound and vision extravaganza featuring amongst other things a giant robot and big bouncy balls.

Photo courtesy of Creamfields

Earlier in the day I’d spent some time in the Smirnoff House for Ben Pearce’s disco set which included Todd Terje’s Inspector Norse.  Mistajam played a garage classics set and the young ravers enjoyed being up close and personal with the Radio 1Xtra star.  A party set from him followed which started with Ghostbusters (yes really!).

Photo courtesy of Creamfields

The highlight of Sunday for me came very early when I, a few hundred others and Fatboy Slim met up at the South Stage at 9am.  We were all given black caps and rain ponchos and were instructed to lie on the pre-drawn white lines on the grass in the shape of a smiley face in an attempt to break a UK record.  Now this might sound like an easy task but when you take into account that most of the group were a little worse for wear and hadn’t been to sleep all night you might get an idea of what really went down.

Fatboy Slim was extremely friendly and hung around for photos, hugs and kisses with anyone who wanted them after the helicopter had passed overhead to take photos.  It was a lot of fun and well worth getting up early for.

Sunday ended up as clash central for me with legendary DJs in almost every tent including Paul Oakenfold, Sasha and Paul Van Dyk.  Along with the slightly older DJs came the slightly older crowd.

The Pepsi Max Arena on the Sunday became the trance tent where Ferry Corsten pleased the arms aloft crowd with gems such as Rank 1’s Airwave.

Photo courtesy of Creamfields

It was a tough choice deciding which DJ to end the festival with with big names such as Axwell and Ingrosso, Hardwell, Fatboy Slim and Tiesto all playing at the same time.

Fatboy Slim played a crowd pleasing set which was slightly more commercial than the set I’d seen him play at Bugged Out Weekender earlier this year.  This suited the Creamfields crowd well as they stomped along to favourites such as Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat.

Over on the South Stage Tiesto headlined with big tunes including the infamous Adagio for Strings.

When 11pm came around it was time for the fireworks and the last tunes to ring out.  The young ravers were sad it was all coming to an end but were already making plans for next year.

Photos by:
Alex Lonsdale
Anthony Mooney
Geoffrey Hubbel
Katy Davies
Marc de Groot
Nathan Damour
Toyin Oshodi
Warren Simmens
Howard Hill