With this years NASS festival now being over a week ago, for many people the infamous ‘festival depression’ is slowly starting to sink in with many already looking forward to the next dose of the drum and bass festival next year. We here at Summer Festival Guide had the chance to attend the festival for the second year running, documenting the event through images and words. Attempting to compare the two trips to the festival is almost indescribable, with team NASS stepping up their game so much this year there NASS 2015 will definitely be one of the main highlights of our festival season.
Opening the weekend up on the Friday’s main stage, We Are The Ocean (3.5) started of on a mellow tone trying their best to get the drum and bass lovers to swap their addictions for beats and drops for guitar and drum solos. Managing to draw a few in for the crowd favourite ‘Young Heart’ the band performed a strong set to a very inactive crowd. Moving forward, Modestep (5) got the crowd going from the first tones presented to them. With ‘Sunlight’ and ‘Freedom’ sending the participants into a frenzie, the NASS three day party was well and truly underway. Being one of the controversial headliners, Enter Shikari (4) drew in a medium sizes crowd for their set, however this didn’t stop the band giving it their all to win over the few still sitting at the back of the field. Clearly catering their setlist towards the festivals drum and bass roots, the band moved away from their rock genes with focusing on the more electronic tracks in the bands backlog with ‘Anaesthetist’ generating the most crowd participation.
With ‘The Slammer’ possibly being considered as the outcast stage from the others with the acts originating in the rock genre, many of the bands received a less than deserved minimal crowd. Saturday’s line up including Shvpes, Heck and The One Hundred with each of them putting on a strong set despite the almost empty tent. Many of the bands involved on the stage except the headline act for each day experienced the lacking crowd, and with that we sympathise as had it been any other festival each of them would have had a good sized crowd which the more than deserve with their individual talents.
The Summer Festival Guide favourite Wilkinson (5) returned to NASS Festival for yet another performance at the festival. Playing the crowd favourites ‘Too Close’ and ‘Dirty Love’ to close the set, the crowd reaction alone can easily prove why the festival promoters keep bringing back Wilkinson, with the guaranteed party that he puts on the table for all festival goers. Heading over to Lower Than Atlantis (3.5), the comparison between the two is non existent. Despite having a good sized crowd gathering for their set, the band played a setlist which was far too short for a headlining set, containing only seven songs the band performed an average set which could easily be improved if the sound quality within was controlled. Rebel Sound (4.5) being the side project of Chase and Status left many wondering what the hour would hold with this being their first festival headlining performance. Producing their own remixes on the crowd favourite ‘Stay With Me’ by Sam Smith and a lighting show brighter than any other, Rebel Sound will never be forgotten in the history of NASS.
With the closing day of NASS almost being a complete wash out, many of the festival goes seeked refuge within the covered Southbank and The Slammer stages. Giving everyone a dose of much needed pop punk, ROAM (3.5) brought their usual high energy to the stage hoping to lift everyone's spirits, earning a lot of bobbing heads and even their mini mosh pits. Hactivist (4) also managed to almost fill the tent with their rock infused version of the ever so popular Jay-Z track ‘Paris’. Closing the weekend, the chilled out Public Enemy (3.5) managed to secure a crowd despite many waiting for the highly anticipated set from popular DJ Hannah Wants. With a stage show based performance, the act was one that many would agree should not have closed the festival main stage with the major comparison to the popular Rebel Sound and the crowd pleasing performance that they delivered.
Agreeing that this is the best line up NASS have produced, with a few lineup changes in terms of the closing set at this years event, the festival would be one that more than many would not forget, however ending the festival on a mellow note on the main stage could have improved the overall weekend. Bring on NASS Festival 2016!
Described as urban-based-yet-rural-feeling, multi-dimensional festival, Lovebox’s original dance roots have expanded across a wide variety of musical genres. The festival, which originated as a club night founded by Groove Armada back in 2002, has transformed into the 40 acre two day Victoria Park event it is today.
There was almost too much to see, do, eat and drink. 13 stages supplying a huge selection of music throughout the two days, Mountain Dew’s Live & Loud skateboarding competition, roller disco, a full range of parlours providing clothing and accessories to the festival goers as well as a large array of food and drink stalls which cater for every mouth – more than enough to keep the 50,000 strong crowd busy.
On a sold out Saturday the stages were graced by acts such as Hot Chip, Annie Mac, Jessie Ware, Little Dragon, Danny Brown, Flume, with the veteran rapper Snoop Dogg himself headlining the final evening slot on the main stage.
A special mention must go to Mountain Dew's Live & Loud skateboarding competition. The half pipe treated crowds to stunning highflying performances from skaters around the world leading to an impressive final competition at 7pm.
Snoop Dogg played a shorter set than anticipated but hit an all star set spanning an almost 25-year-old career, performing hits from The Next Episode through to Sweat. He also treated his audiences to covers from B.I.G with a closing show performance of Bob Marley’s Jammin’.
Highlights throughout the day included a chirpy up beat set from Hot Chip on the main stage, which mixed hits new and old with fan favourites Ready For the Floor and Over And Over being highpoints. Jessie Ware who hit all the right notes with the sun blissed crowd, with her 2014 album Tough Love and Annie Mac who picked the crowd up and got them bouncing on the sandy fields of East London.
Festivals are big business, and the last few years have seen many boom with the increasing commercialisation of the smaller festivals and the increase in artist attention through social media. Truck, by contrast, has been going for 18 years, maintaining both its small capacity and indie ethos, providing a platform for local and underground artists to showcase their talents alongside big, well-known artists such as Clean Bandit, The Charlatans, and Basement Jaxx. Truck’s local connections run deeper than just the line-up however, with the local Rotary Club handling the majority of the catering, and one of the most popular stages sat in a concrete barn that held the lingering smell of the cattle that usually reside there.
With an increased crowd capacity of 6,000, this festival was shockingly a sell out once again! The highlights of the two-day event, which came to a head in the early hours of Sunday morning, came in the form of the headliners – indie-rock band The Charlatans, dance act Basement Jaxx and the more mainstream, Clean Bandit – as well as the smaller and lesser known artists – Essex group Rat Boy (who caused rather a stir with security with an audience stage invasion at the end of the set), Joy Division star Peter Hook, and Bedfordshire’s Don Broco.
The low-key nature had its upsides and downsides: lip smacking food and great local acts where balanced by the fact that, with the exception of the main Truck stage, and to some extent the Market stage, the stages were almost all set up inside small tents and buildings such as the Barn, which couldn't hold the capacity of people wanting to watch the amazing bands on offer. For acts such as The Wytches and Slaves, there were queues surrounding the entire field for over half hour before the band were even ready to start, just to try and get into the barn, which was already full to the brim. The capacity of the Barn compared to the popularity of the bands playing was a shame because it hosted so many of my personal festival highlights, as it did for many others.
The weekend vibe was completely laid back and inclusive, once again. It was in no way about wearing the right clothes or being seen, but rather about kicking back and enjoying the unique atmosphere while soaking up the festival sun. There was no fancy VIP area like you'll find at other big festivals; backstage was purely functional. Instead, everyone mingles in the main arena – the artists roam the site, picking up beers at the bar just like everyone else. Truck is clearly about the music and people enjoying themselves, something that feels lacking at the bigger festivals which seem to be just money-spinning corporate beasts.
With every act, bar the headliner’s of each stage, allotted a half-hour performance slot, it’s nothing if not fair. You can power through bands and stick with sets you might otherwise leave, meaning you get a great idea of each carefully edited set list designed by each band to show themselves at their best.
While small, sweet, and harmonious, the weekend did not go without its troubles. On Friday, people arrived at the Market stage to catch the first band of the weekend only to find out that the security fence had not yet been erected, causing the stage to open over an hour late! With similar issues over at the Barn Stage, the first acts at each stage found their sets being cut by 5-10 minutes through no fault of their own, often meaning the crowd missed out on some of their favourite songs. And it wasn’t just the organisation causing problems.
During the set of the popular two piece punk band from Tunbridge Wells, Slaves, two bright red flares went up in the middle of the crowd. As security got hold of the flare and made it back out through the crowd, you could feel the heat of the flame. And just as you thought it was in hand, up went another one from the same troublemaker. Slaves, however, were not phased, even calling for another flare when the song finished and the lights went dim!
With the fabulous line-up, a new site layout and even a new bridge across the stream, alongside the perfect festival weather, this was the festival you’ll be gutted to have missed.
Somerset House has established itself as the perfect summer music venue, with an impressive eighteenth-century courtyard, right by the River Thames in central London. Summer Series always has an impressive and diverse line up every year, with the likes of Adele, Amy Winehouse, Professor Green and Ellie Goulding on their list of past performers, this year was no different. So far Passenger, Nick Mulvey, George Ezra and James Bay to name a few have graced the stage, tonight was Kwabs, Raleigh Ritchie and Zak Abel’s turn to shine.
Walking through the venue, it's small and intimate. People are starting to filter through, grabbing beverages and jerk chicken on the way. Zak Abel kicked off first and warmed up the crowd for the night’s following proceedings. The up and coming star, probably best known for his vocals on Gorgon City’s 2014 summer smash ‘Unmissable’, performed to the crowd, his own material from his latest EP ‘Joker Presents’. After a few microphone issues, Abel soon caught the attention of the audience with his edgy but soulful voice as people started to arrive. Songs in his set included, ‘Higher’, ‘Alchemy’ with a Daniel Beddingfield’s ‘Gotta get thru this’ mash up and ‘These are the days’.
Following Zak Abel, was Raleigh Ritchie, who built on the atmosphere and energised the crowd further.. Asking people to dance ‘like no-one’s watching’, the audience didn't hesitate as they started singing along to his set which included hits ‘Stronger than ever’, ‘The Greatest’ and ‘Bloodsport’. Given the short amount of time he was on stage, he gave an explosive performance and left the audience wanting more.
The much anticipated Kwabs didn't disappoint when he graced the stage to headline tonight's event. Full of suave and rhythm, he grooved to the beats of his up and coming debut album ‘Love+War’ which is out this September. He performed known hits such as ‘Walk’, ‘Wrong or Right’ and ‘Pray for Love’, as well a as sneak preview at some album material. If that wasn't enough, Kwabs also threw in an amazing cover of Arctic Monkey’s ‘Do I Wanna Know?’, then sat down and serenaded to a quiet audience, James Blake’s ‘The Wilhelm Scream’ and John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’. It was an intimate moment, and Kwabs really connected with the crowd. The audience then started to dance and sway to ‘Fight for Love’, ‘Saved’ and lit up the whole courtyard with their mobile phone lights to ‘Cheating on me’.
The Summer Series was the perfect way to begin the weekend. The weather was great, the intimate venue meant the sound was enclosed within the courtyard, emphasising the sounds and atmosphere a whole lot more and from tonight's performance, Kwabs debut album sounds amazing – definitely watch this space!
Miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city, in the rolling hills of the secluded Leicestershire countryside, the ground was once again shaking as Noisily returned for its forth year. With a tantalising line up for any electronic dance music fan, this festival brings you the best acts from the UK and abroad, including MC Xander and Whyt Noyz both from the UK, Stephan Bodzin (DE), Grouch (NZ), Parasense (Russia) and The Outsiders (Israel) as well as Brazilian techno giant Victor Ruiz. From Psytrance to techno and glitch-hop to house, Noisily enlightens you on a journey of music.
In Orbit did the décor for the tree house stage, where MC Xander, ODJBox and Specimen A headlined. Most of the décor throughout the festival was done by Liquid Fairies who are highly recognised in the psychedelic festival scene, their attention to detail is second to none including the golden kite bird décor on the crown of the Liquid stage as a nod to the birds which surrounded them during the build. Within an hour of the festival opening, everyone was exploring their new wooden playground that they would call home for the next 3 days – the hammocks in the shaded woodlands area were a popular addition, providing a chilled out vibe.
The main stages are Liquid (from Glade/Liquid records )(Psytrance), Noisily (Techno), and Treehouse (from Glitch & NeuroHop, Mid Tempo to Bassline House and Electro through to Drum and Bass, Dub and other genres). As well as having 3 main stages Noisily also has several sub stages: Nicholas Cage, Yeti Tent and Bassport Gazebo (Bassport takeover the Treehouse stage at 9pm Sunday with Drum and Bass). There are 3 main bars close to the main stages, apart from the cocktail bar which overlooked the festival from the hill.
Psychedelic dream temple was here this year on the first leg of its European tour showcasing 18 international artists, and headed up the list of performance and circus artists.
With what started as a gathering of 500 people back in 2012, has now grown and expanded into Noisily festival as we see it today – which welcomed just under 3000 festival-goers in 2015.
With its high production values, diverse line-up and unique atmosphere, Noisily has already put itself on the map for small festivals.
Although the ground was soggy, the air stayed clear for the majority of T in the Park, Scotland's biggest music festival. There had been a lot of anticipation with the change in venue from the usual Balado sight in Kinross. However it seems with a few “teething problems” set aside, Strathallan did not disappoint. With a promising line up of artists from Avicii to Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds set to headline, there was a very diverse weekend of music in store for Scotalnd’s festival goers.
The Cribs and The Wombats were the first to take to the main stage on Friday, offering a punk-rock vibe to get the crowd warmed up with their infectious energy. Tord Øverland Knudsen from the Wombats living up to his usual playful, crowd pleasing self. Meanwhile acts such as Blossoms and Indiana were pulling out all the stops in the BBC introducing and T Break stage.
Later on Annie Mac took to the Main Stage and had everyone up dancing for her first of two performances over the weekend. After her followed Hozier, performing his debut Album with hit song Take Me To Church amongst the set.
As Rudimental hit the main stage the crowd multiplied. Well known for their high energy live performances, drum and base group Rudimental put on a spectacular show, opening with Not Giving In. DJ Locksmith could not stop moving and his infection energy really rubbed off on the crowd. The DJ also pulled on the crowds heart-strings by dedicating a song to his son. Waiting All Night was a huge crowd pleaser and had everyone dancing and singing along.
When Sam Smith took to the main stage, you could hear a pin drop over at the BBC introducing stage. The crowd were hung on his every word. He delivered a very sincere performance and stated how happy he is now he creates music true to himself. He thanked the crowd for helping this happen. Some reckon they even seen Sam Smith shed a tear during his performance.
Kasabian wrapped things up on Friday night headlining the main stage. As the countdown clock displayed on stage got lower and lower the energy in the crowd lifted higher and higher. With Bumblebee and Underdog being amongst the opening songs the atmosphere was electric from the beginning of the set right through to the end. Songs from Kasabian’s No.1 UK album Empire went down a treat and it was clear to see both the crowd and the band were having a great time. People headed back to their tents with Kasabian's bass line resinating in their bones.
There were a number of early risers on Saturday morning who turned out to see acts such as The Lafontaines and The Strypes play. Later on pop-rock group Lawson took to the stage, getting the whole crowd singing along to songs such as When She Was Mine.
Jungle were a real crowd pleaser in King Tut’s Wah Wah Tent. A young boy took to the stage mid set and break danced which had the crowd going wild. Also performing in King Tut’s was St Vincent who delivered an intense and captivating performances. The set was accompanied by some spectacular lighting to add to the intensity of the performance. After St Vincent came Scotland’s pride and joy, The Proclaimers who attracted the widest age range. Delivering hits such as Letter From America and 500 Miles the Tent was full of good vibes and nostalgia.
A lot of young excited festival goers gathered to watch The Script on the Main Stage on Saturday Night. Well known for his tendency to leave the stage and come down to the crowd, Danny O'Donoghue did not disappoint the die hard front row spectators. Girls were screaming and crying and doing everything they could just to touch the Irishman’s leather coat. Danny stated he loved to play gigs in Scotland as it was close to home and had the Celts in the audience raise their hand. Performing all of the classics alongside the more recent hits, The Script attracted an enthusiastic crowd.
The Libertines, the first of the headliners to be announced when T in The Park released 2015’s line up, took over the main stage. The Libertines attracted a slightly different crowd, many excited to see the band play for the first time after their reformation. The band opened with hits such as Time For Heroes and Can’t Stand Me Now and played an encore including Up the Bracket and closing with Don’t Look Back Into The Sun. There seemed to be a great relationship between Pete Doherty and Carl Barât throughout the set which pleased the crowd.
Some of Scotland’s finest talent was on display throughout the weekend with acts like The Proclaimers, Admiral Fallow and headliners Twin Atlantic playing across the stages. Many people faced a tough decision on Saturday with Avicii and Twin Atlantic playing at the same time on separate stages. However it was safe to say whichever act was chosen would not have disappointed. Both acts offered an energetic, all singing, all dancing performance that not even the rain could hinder. The Swedish DJ, Avicii, offered a visually captivating performance with smoke, streamers and a spectacular lighting display. There was a rave taking place in Strathallan with people dancing and singing along to hit songs Hey Brother and Wake Me Up.
On the Radio One Stage, Twin Atlantic were offering heart filled seventh T in the Park performance. Amongst speaking of the honour and emotion the band were feeling to be headlining on a Saturday night, lead vocalist sam McTrusty also had the crowd sit on the ground and on his count stand up and go wild. With a wide range of new and old songs from what What is Light? Where is Laughter? to I Am An Animal, Twin Atlantic invested their hear and soul in the performance and had the audience captivated from start to finish.
The third and final day of T in the Park was kicked off by acts such as Saint Raymond, The Parsonage Choir and Ella Eyre. The View followed James Bay, whose good looks and great tunes both attracted many goey eyed females. It was great to see the amount of people out to see the opening acts on the final morning of the festival.
The Main Stage and Radio 1 Stage were both displaying tough competition on Sunday evening. Catfish And The Bottlemen, Kodaline and Jamie T all offered an indie/alternative rock performance Radio 1 Stage. In tandem on the Main Stage there was a slightly different vibe, with the soul singing group Alabama Shakes giving a spectacular performance and had people in the crowed shouting ‘We love you Brittany!’.
The crowd were extatic to watch Paloma Faith perform. She played a variety of songs, from her first ever single, Stone Cold Sober to the more recent chart topping single Changing. Although there was much controversy over Paloma’s revealing outfit, the singer-songwriter put on a great visual performance with her quirky stage set up, opposed to the black back drop the crowd had gotten used to across the weekend. This performance was not the first time the crowd has got a glimpse of Paloma. The brit appeared at the front of the stage the previous day to watch her “idol” Labrinth play and later stated he made her cry “actual tears”.
Stereophonics opened with Catacomb and a small flame display and continued to wow the crowd with all-time favourites such as Graffiti On The Train, Mr Writer and Maybe Tomorrow. Stereophonic are no strangers to T in the Park and have developed a reputation that is certain to attract a large crowd every time. Just when it seemed the energy could not be elevated any higher, Stereophonic kicked it up a notch and played finished the set with 2005 No.1 hit, Dakota.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds were the grand finale on Sunday night. The band’s own songs got the crowd going, however it was the old Oasis classics that got the crowd going wild. People of all ages showed up to absorb the atmosphere and sing their hearts out. There was many an emotional Oasis T-shirt wearer when they played songs such as Champagne Supernova and The Masterplan. Noel communicated with the audience throughout the set and offered a more sincere performance many may be used to. The band closed with Don’t Look Back in Anger. A very fitting end to both the set and T in The Park, 2015.
No strangers to T in the Park, Twin Atlantic took to the stage for the seventh time on Saturday night. It is a well established fact that the band will never disappoint with their performance.However, Twin Atlantic take it in their stride to up their game every time. From BBC introducing, to the Main Stage, the band have grown with T in the Park and now represent everything the festival stands for. With Avicii on the main stage as a tough competitor, it was incredible to see the sheer mass of people that turned up in the pouring rain to watch Sam, Barry, Ross and Craig. The band started with a bang, firing canons of confetti into the crowd and opened with Edit Me.
Being local Glasgow lads, Twin Atlantic could empathise with the crowd enduring the heavy rain. Lead vocalist Sam McTrusty expressed his gratitude that so many people had showed up to watch the band play and shouted to the crowd "We’re from Scotland, the rain doesn’t faze us, bring on the snow!"
Sam then decided, whilst performing I Am An Animal, that given everybody was already wet with the rain and dirty with mud he encouraged the crowd to sit on the ground and on his count, stand up and ‘go wild’. When this happened more confetti and streamers were blasted into the arena and the atmosphere in the crowd was one like no other.
After an energetic start with songs such as Make A Beast of Myself, Fall into the Party and Free, Twin Atlantic slowed tempo. Addressing the crowd, Sam spoke of the "honour” it was to headline the Radio 1 Stage on a Saturday night at T in the Park. He told the crowd he felt “so emotional” and thanked everyone for making the band feel as though they belong and for making T in the Park a “second home”. Tears were streaming in the crowd as they begun to play Crash Land.
The band then picked up the pace playing old classics such as What Is Light? Where Is Laughter? – a song they performed for the first time at T in the park. The energy carried on to the end of the set and the atmosphere was electric. The band finished on the recent hit, Heart and Soul. It would be fair to say that the heart and soul of both Twin Atlantic and the Saturday night crowd was invested in the performance from start to finish.
The world renowned Electric Daisy Carnival returned to the UK on 11 July for its 3rd edition.
One week before the festival excitement on social media was reaching its peak. Around this time I stumbled across a group on Facebook for people going solo to EDC. By the day of the festival there were over a 100 people in this group from not only all corners of the UK but from further afield too.
A number of us decided to meet up at Lake Furzton, Milton Keynes, close to the festival site, the morning of a festival. The sun was shining and we were all in good spirits. A short while after the gates opened we made the short walk over to the north entrance of the National Bowl where entry was dealt with quickly and efficiently.
I soon hit the KineticFIELD, a lush green and wooded area which is set in a gigantic bowl meaning no matter where you stood in the arena you had a great view of the stunning KineticCATHEDRAL main stage. With a glowing neon pipe organ bookended by gigantic, 45 foot tall twin owls, the stage played host to a full stage show incorporating dozens of performers, and of course DJs including Steve Aoki and Hardwell, that unfolded throughout the day. The 90 feet high and 240 feet wide structure weighs more than 200 tons. It featured 20 multi-coloured lasers and multiple massive LED screens, giving the illusion of detailed stained-glass windows to match the cathedral theme.
I took a break from the KineticFIELD to check out the rest of the site. It was a very hot day but at the chill tent the wellbeing crew were on hand giving out water and sun cream to festivalgoers (or Headliners as EDC prefers to call us). This was a nice touch.
Around the back of the main arena I came across the NeonGARDEN. The stand out set here came from headliner Jamie Jones.
I walked a little further and hit the CircuitGROUNDS, a playground for lovers of bass heavy beats. This large tent was very busy all day and Pendulum and Sub Focus went down a storm.
My favourite of the smaller arenas was the CosmicMEADOW where the sweet sounds of trance and electronic rang out. Cosmic Gate put in an awesome performance in the afternoon. Later in the evening trance legend Ferry Corsten showcased his new track Anahera under his alias Gouryella. Paul Van Dyk headlined this stage to a smaller than usual crowd due to his clash with Tiesto in the KineticFIELD.
At 9.30pm most of the 35,000+ ravers descended on the KineticFIELD to see the aforementioned legend that is Tiesto close the show. He was accompanied by a full on stage show including fireworks, waterfalls and streamers. It was a sight to behold from up on the hill. His set included my personal favourite, his iconic remix of Adagio for Strings.
Photo courtesy of Insomniac
EDC UK is a very well organised festival in a wonderland setting. It has excellent production values not only on the main stage but in all four arenas. EDC UK has established itself as a festival big boy so the others had better watch out!
Hidden in the depths of a 500 year old mansion, Cocoon in the Park is a complete techno playground which draws in thousands of house-hungry revellers year after year. With an intense lineup dripping with talent, the festival is a small yet uniquely incredible, never failing to entice a crowd. 6 DJs, one stage, and a whole lot of music fans – this is the beauty of Cocoon in the Park. And we could barely wait for it to begin.
The faint sound of heavy house beats could be heard from miles away as we walked with a parade of techno-ready souls in procession to the event. Upon arrival, Enzo Siragusa and Seb Zito were nicely warming up the crowd, with powerhouse Dixon following shortly after. All three were lively, exciting and intense, and the atmosphere of the crowd was well and truly ready for the day ahead.
‘Carl Cox’, a name recognised by music fanatics, and simply any DJ with high aspirations. Cox’s hardcore and rave roots provided the basis for his own musical evolution, never losing his unique style and etiquette that has made him a living legend today, and why so many still swarm to see him at every possibility. He has undoubtedly honed his natural talent over his years in the industry – and that is building pure, dance-inducing parties. The drizzling rain began to fall on King Cox’s set; but that didn’t stop anyone. Rain macs at the ready, we partied on, following his every move, every beat, with every reveller so lost in the music that the consideration of a bit of rain was almost refreshing. Cox is renowned for filling the place up with his residency at Space in Ibiza, so to see him in full-force in an outdoor venue such as this is something I’d never witnessed before, and something that made a superb change. With an array of scantily clad women holding up the letters to spell out ‘Cocoon’, we were well and truly in the full swing of the festival.
It’s always been known that Ricardo Villalobos is somewhat of an acquired taste, but his time at Cocoon has seen what can only be described as a mass backlash from fans claiming it was a ‘car crash’ of a set. The comparison between the lively, fun and exhilarating set just witnessed by King Cox is definitely almost the polar opposite of what we saw with Villalobos – it was dark, minimalist, at times quite weird, and seem to feel quite slow. It would almost definitely been better had he been scheduled earlier in the day, but the vibe from major highs to deep, dark lows just didn’t connect with the crowd, and we welcomed the entrance of Sven Väth with open arms.
Until Cocoon, I’d never had the opportunity to experience a Sven Väth set live; I’d heard nothing but good things about the German legend from friends who’ve seen him previously, but this was truly something else. Many refer to him as ‘Papa Sven’, a man who guides his children into a euphoric trance with just two decks and a mixer at his forefront. The crowd were literally pulsating as soon as he entered the stage, a man in front of me fist-pumping his beer in the air with an almighty roar of excitement; Papa Sven had certainly arrived, and his children were ready for a night of blazing techno to begin.
The almighty Sven layed down nothing but pure, solid techno beats to a perfectly filled field, with revellers making the most of having so much space to fist pump, twirl and do whatever the hell you like at such an event. The expert veteran continued to blend between intense melodies to the clearly impressed crowd, with confetti guns and a Sven impersonator blasting us with a smoke gun on stage only adding to the euphoria. This guy is literally an enigma, knowing precisely what to play at every turn, much to the ostensible ecstasy of the crowd. Villalobos’ minimalism long forgotten, we see what we came to see; a world class DJ play a world class set. Unforgettable.
As the night drew to an end, many chose to go on and see the likes of Richie Hawtin play at the afterparty nearby – with a line-up just as fantastic as the main event, Cocoon in the Park never fails for those who never want the euphoria to end. But for us, for once, we found we’d been defeated – but with a festival as phenomenal as this, we know it won’t be the last time we grace the land of Temple Newsam. Bravo, Cocoon.
If I was going to tell you that I knew anything about the 2000Trees festival as I was stuck on a hellish drive down from London on Thursday, it would be an outright lie- the small festival on the outskirts of Chelt enham has managed to evade my personal radar for 8 years since it’s inception and having learnt about it last year, I can count myself lucky enough to have attended this year. Still, besides all of the hype from previous years’ attendants, I had not entirely decided on what I should expect.
The modest capacity festival is hidden deep in the Gloucestershire countryside, complete with rolling hills, bleating flocks of sheep, and and an idyllic river running around the edge of the site, and even though we were lucky with the weather (A welcome change from the usual rain of the UK festival scene) the scenery would have stood up and still looked beautiful regardless.
Unfortunately arriving later than anticipated, and due to the lack of advertising for Thursday’s acts, we missed some of the earlier performances. However, Thursday night saw the Indie rock and rollers, THE SUBWAYS draw close to the day’s music with their explosively energetic performance at ‘The Cave’ while ANDREW O’NEIL headed up ‘The Croft’ with his Schadenfreude style of comedy, somewhat appropriately referencing to the late Bill Hicks in his set, to warm reception.
FRIDAY
I kicked off Friday’s music with a punt on a completely new band to me – BITE THE BUFFALO, and how glad I was that I did. Comparing the 2 piece from Bath, England; to Royal Blood would be short sighted, as the Blues outfit brought filthy riffs, bluesy overdrive, and confident ballsy attitude and stagemanship, yet an honest humility that cemented them as my favourite act of the weekend. ALLUSONDRUGS treated a modest crowd to their blend of Indie rock and acid infused prog, switching seamlessly from one to the other. Heading up to ‘The Croft’ I had planned to catch some of SAM RUSSO’s set whilst escaping the peaking sun- the Singer-songwriter providing a nice contrast from Allusondrugs, allowing those who chose to get respite from the sweltering sun with a calm background of songs about love, friendship and moving on. Having only intended to catch a bit of his set, I ended up staying for the whole thing. Back on the main stage, TAX ON HEAT continued the stage’s bluesfest with sweaty and groovy 70’s era licks, with a stage presence that wouldn’t be out of place on a bigger stage, with a bigger crowd. Catching a bit of DEAD HARTS set over lunch at the Cave Stage, a welcomed heavy and tight performance was only dampened by the Sheffield rockers insistence on perpetually insulting the crowd, and trying to goad them into movement. NOTHING BUT THIEVES brought a massive crowd to ‘The Axiom’, the first act of the day to pack out the tent, fans sprawling around outside singing along to their set.
The main convenience of 2000trees scheduling is that most of the line up is staggered over the stages, meaning you only ever have to choose between 2 acts to see or easily catch half of both sets enabling whole days of tent hopping and the potential to (talking in extremes here) see every act (or if you realise that you are in the wrong place entirely, to avoid every act.) I spent a bit of time in the hidden ‘Room No.7’ to sit down and chill out on a sofa, with the sounds of ACOLLECTIVE bouncing across the site.
Back to the Main Stage, and YOUNG GUNS had already seized control of their crowd, with frontman Gustav Wood commanding their crowd with professional bravado that one would expect of a band of this caliber, while the band behind ran a tight ship, as the stadium filling hits kept coming. Headliners DEAF HAVANA, making a welcome return after a self realised absence kicked off their set with ‘The Past 6 Years’, before packing out their set with most of their more recent hits, with the whole crowd throwing back the lyrics right back at them. Humbled by the crowd’s staggering response, an emotional James Veck-Gilodi apologised for their recent absence and with the promise of a new album, a headline tour and new drive and enthusiasm for Deaf Havana, before closing off their night with nostalgic anthem, Hunstanton Pier.
The night didn’t end there for the people of 2000Trees, however. Silent discos then kicked off across the site at the Main Stage and The Cave, whilst The Axiom provided silent cinema until 3am, and acoustic sets around the site on the various busk stops and down at The Forest kept those who missed out on headphones for the silent activities entertained until around 1am, or until they staggered off into the night.
SATURDAY
Saturday’s music kicked off with an unusual act on the Main Stage, HUMAN PYRAMIDS. Described as Neo-Classical meets Post-Punk, Axe’s Paul Russell’s brainchild soothingly eased everyone into the day’s music, starting with a melodic introduction from their String quartet and horns section, before gradually coming to a crescendo with roaring guitars and heavy bass. Opening up ‘The Cave’ at 12:25 were Blackpool’s BOSTON MANOR (check out the interview HERE), who didn’t see fit to spare audiences hangovers, and bust straight into a flurry of fast paced punk hits from the go, not relenting until their time was up, having been a fan of BOSTON MANOR for a while, I am glad to have caught their set, before interviewing them later in the day.
Through other people’s suggestion, I headed over to check out MILK TEETH (on ‘The Axiom’), but was unable to get closer than the side of the tent, due to their massive pull for their time slot. The Stroud based group cranked out grungy punk, often showing their very heavy Nirvana influence, but unfortunately failed to capture my attention for all that long, as their (maybe purposefully, and fitting with the grunge genre) set sounded unpolished and loose. I caught a bit of BOY JUMPS SHIP’s set back on ‘The Axiom’, which keeping in the ‘Pop-Punk’ theme of the stage going, managed to play their faster, more intricate set than the preceding band with a lot more technical proficiency and enthusiasm, creating a more enjoyable experience for the casual music fans loitered in between stages for their lunch.
On the subject of lunch, 2000trees has a modest selection of food vendors dotted around the site, by each of the 3 main stages. Festival food for me seems like it has a bad rep, but the team at 2000trees only seem to have booked vendors who would offer a fair service for non-extortionate prices. Grilled Halloumi burgers and sweet potato fries kept me sustained throughout Friday, while a chunky bacon butty and fresh scotch eggs kept me alive Saturday. Monmouth Coffee being served as well was a really big surprise, and you’d get change from a tenner for a meal, which when coming from London is a rarity.
After lunch, songstress ALICE PHEOBE LOU dazzled the crowd with her beautiful voice, serenading the crowd with angelic highs with a bit of Sia-esque grit hidden behind. Forgetting lyrics aside, as she bonded with the crowd over the weather, and treated us all to a chilled, eerie set. As the day edged to an end, and after an outstanding genre spanning set from THE SKINTS, I found myself back up at ‘The Croft’ for THE BIG SIXES, only due to the fact they had spent the day attaching terrible posters to everything across the site advertising their set, and not knowing what to expect initially, my doubts were swept away by a tide of harmonies, expertly crafted songwriting, and top notch inter-song conversation, before their encore consisting of a couple of songs in the crowd, surrounded by a mass of singing fans. THE BIG SIXES managed to work up a predominantly neutral audience into a hyped crowd, a feat that would be natural for an established fast paced Pop-Punk band, but not for a slow and groovy act such as The Big Sixes.
Saturday’s headliners ALKALINE TRIO took to the stage at 21:45 just as the clouds began to burst, having held out -threatening rain- for the latter half of the day. The initial swell of excitement quickly died out, as those who were not diehard fans were let down by what was a lethargic performance, frontman Matt Skiba giving an uncomfortable appearance, whilst he murmured out lyrics to songs with little emotion. Bassist Dan Andriano however was giving a lot more to the crowd, interacting well with drummer Derek Grant and moving around the stage between swapping vocal priorities with Matt. Unfortunately for ALKALINE TRIO, and what may have be exacerbated by a disappointing lack of crowd compared to their stateside presence, or what Matt Skiba may now be used to playing for Blink 182, a more instant degree of stagemanship is necessary to win over a crowd that may not only be there to see you, as not to fade into the background.
So what would I say about my first experience at 2000Trees?
I’m going to be bold with this statement, the attitude at 2000Trees reminds me of that at Glastonbury, albeit on a tiny scale. You get the real feeling that the people around you haven’t just come to see their favourite band, and will spend the rest of their time getting into as much trouble as possible, but more that it’s an annual tradition for them. The nine year old festival caters for everyone, and whilst running about the site this weekend, the amount of friendly faces I would bump into at each act astounded me, only to bump into them 20 minutes later at a different tent.
The site itself is relatively tiny, but not cramped. Even those arriving half way through Friday were finding spots to camp up with ease, with enough room for stoves, barbecues or extra gazebos to sleep under when their tents got too hot.
I’m not sure what my favourite part of this weekend has been- whether it’s the terrific atmosphere from the punters in the know and relish the intimacy of this little festival, the picturesque surroundings that the festival is lucky enough to have, the fantastically located Forest stage or what has been a fantastic line up, bringing some names such as Deaf Havana, We Are The Ocean, MClusky* and Alkaline Trio, and providing emerging and underground UK music a proving ground on the UK festival scene. This weekend at 2000Trees has been one that shall be remembered, relished, and hopefully repeated in the coming years.
Tickets for 2000Trees 10th year are now on Sale, and can be picked up on their site.
