Reviews

Isle of Wight Festival 2015 Review

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The Isle of Wight festival has returned for its annual event bringing artist and music lovers together to celebrate 45 years since Jimi Hendrix performed his last ever UK performance in 1970. Where they estimated over 600,000 people turned up to experience his music in the flesh, In celebration of the man himself they have taken the opportunity to name the main stage ‘Electric Church’ This referring to how Jimi Hendrix himself described his music, as though music itself is a religion, away to express, influence and bring positivity to audiences all around the world, through his guitar and vocals. 

45 Years later music is adapting, changing and influencing their audiences, and today i am in Seaclose Park, Newport in the Isle of Wight,  The festival begins, here’s to threes days of music, dancing, paint fighting and food.

FRIDAY 12th JUNE 2015. IOW OFFICIALLY BEGINS

So it is Finally here I am arriving at the Isle of Wight festival 2015.  Gear at the ready, Tent… check, Portable toilet… Check, Clothes… Check and myself… Double check. The crowds are gathering and the atmosphere is captivating, The fashion of the season is floral, and the young female hipster’s seem to favour the hotpant welly combination, this was thriving through the sea of people, they might find that they will be regretting that later. When the monsoon type weather hits the isle of wight. Although this has not dampened their spirits but motivated them to create a buzzing atmosphere and supporting the artists of the festival, with what i would consider rain dancing, glasses of cider and laughter. Myself on the other hand thought after being in the rain for an hour, that is was more sensible to listen to the artists from my tent, in the dry. 

When walking around the event, which you do a lot of you see a variety of people from all walks of life, getting involved in the festival spirit, getting creative with the airbrush tattooing to dancing in the rain to 90’s pop sensations, communities sitting around being social with each other getting involved with the discussion of the moment. Getting the feeling of what the isle of wight festival is about, Families, music and people appreciating and creating that memorable year at the Isle of Wight festival. 

Through out the evening there were bands performing on the ‘Electric Church’ stage. The line up included The Struts, Kodaline, Counting Crows, You me at six, The Black Keys and the prodigy. Even though there was heavy rain Festival goers still went out and supported the bands, The Black Keys alone sounded amazing, you could hear them from the camp site and even hear the audience cheering along with them, you could imagine the audience was their in the rain, rain macs on and arms in the air enjoy the sensational Black Keys and not caring that the rain was lashing down. The headliner of the night The Prodigy I was informed was outstanding, they didn’t falter under the weather conditions, the crowd went wild, raved, danced and enjoyed the electronic music from the 90’s and now. Some people only lasted half of the set but most stayed for the whole gig enjoying the captivating performance from their fellow English brothers. 

Even though the weather was horrendous it was a great way to start the Isle of Wight Festival 2015.  Now the sun should shine the clouds be visible and the weekend should improve for the upcoming bands of 2015.

Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival by Sara Lincoln

 

SATURDAY 13TH JUNE 2015-IOW: DAY TWO 

After the torrential weather from the  previous night, The people at the Isle of Wight Festival were ready and waiting for the music sensations to start tickling their ear drums, no matter how much rain that came down,  it did not dampen their spirits, it just egged them on and made them want more. I can tell you, that day the small stalls around the festival made some money from Welly Purchases and Clothes alone before the food even came in to play. Lucky enough I woke up to slight clouds and a tent that was still standing, I feel this is a proud moment i would like to share with you guys, I Sharron put a tent together and it survived a storm and a half, and i survived sleeping through it, which i am grateful for as there are some outstanding acts that the Isle of Wight festival Goers are going to experience today.

Today was the Day Blur was performing on the 'Electric Stage', Their first ever performance at the Isle of wight festival, For me it was bag of mixed emotions. Damon Albarn the lead singer of Blur had previously lost his voice to illness before the gig, but this did not stop the man from performing with power, passion and giving 110% to his fans. They Did an hour and fifty minutes. Their first section was a mixture of their new album, which i felt didn’t get the crowd moving as much, and i found that it was to much new and not enough of the classics, which finally came towards the middle of the set, when they started playing songs such as Parklife which had guest star Phil Daniels performing with the guys,  this got the crowd jumping around, the atmosphere changed and people started moving and getting involved with the music, they followed this up with Coffee and TV, Girls and Boys, Song 2 and the classic Tender. For me the classic win over all, it got people moving and ended the night with a bang. 

Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival by Sara Lincoln

Previously to Blur we had the one and only Pharell Williams who first performed at the Isle of Wight festival back in 2008 with his band N.E.R.D, Tonight he gave a performance of old and new songs which included his special Guest his band member from N.E.R.D, They performed classics such as Lapdance and She likes to move, which they welcomed fans from the audience to dance on stage with them, a highlight of the night was the women who danced with the band to the song she likes to move. She bought entertainment to the Isle of Wight festival and the audience cheered her on as her performance bought laughter and fun to the event. He took a moment to celebrate Jimi Hendrix 45 years through an instrumental of the song one love, which the audience in turn put one finger in the air to celebrate a legend that stood on the Isle of Wight stage 45 years ago. He then went on to play renditions of songs that he performed with artists such as Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg and many more.  He ended the set with the all time Minon favourite song ‘Happy’ He bought to the stage, the children that the Isle of Wight festival where raising awareness and donations for. To join him and to perform and dance on stage to get the crowd clapping along to the song. 

Between Blur and Pharell Williams we had the sensational DJ Shortee Blitz, Getting the atmosphere and audience ready for the next big act Blur, he played songs from the 80’s and 90’s to get people on their feet, the last two songs were from the legendary Queen, We are the Champions and Bohemian Rhapsody. This got everyone going and ready for the rest of the night, the crowd was singing and the Isle of Wight was in full song. It was a stunning moment to bring on the one and only Blur. 

Through out the day we had performances from bands such as, Ward Thomas, Nothing But Thieves, Jess Glynne, James Bay, Jessie Ware, Kool and the Gang and Dj Shortee Blitz. James Bay created an electric acoustic feel to the festival, He bought his soul and spirit to his music creating a mind blowing set that inspired people and relaxed them, whilst they singing along to the lyrics from hold back the river from his number 1 album and songs such as Let it go and if you ever want to be in love. He was followed by the astonishing Jessie Ware our London goddess, she bought her wonderful voice and performed her electro-pop music, whilst enchanting the audience with songs known as champagne kisses, wildest moments, Say you love me, running and kind of.. sometimes.. maybe which she considered to be her flirtatious song. Jessie ware gave an exceptional performance one of my favourites from this years Isle of Wight festival. 

Over on the 'Big Top' stage we had band such as Twin Wild, New City Kings, La Femme, The Shires, Foxes, Stiff Little Fingers and Paul Oakenfold. Foxes performed on this stage creating a strong and fun atmosphere for their audience, people where coming from other venues such as the Colourena, where they had live Djs performing around the clock with classics from the 70’s 80’s and 90’s they provided Paint fighting with music for people to go and let their hair down in between acts and to burn off those calories added from all the food venders on site. It was a fun way to meet, mingle and to dance your socks off before going to rock out to your favourite artist on stage. 

SUNDAY 14th JUNE 2015 IOW: DAY THREE

Sunday was the lead up to the headliners Fleetwood Mac and Paolo Nutini, through out the day you witnessed more and more people arriving to get a good spot at the main stage known as the ’Electric Stage’ for the evenings events to unfold.  The line up through out the day consisted of The Rainband, Suzanne Vega, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, The Courteeners, and First aid Kit.  Suzanne Vega performed with her Guitarist classics such as Left of centre, known for the Pretty in Pink soundtrack in the 1980’s. 

In the ‘BIG TOP’ stage we had the band Coasts performing songs such as Modern Love and new hits from their upcoming Debut album also known as ‘coasts’ a new number 1 in the mix called Tonight, this Bristol band got the audience jumping around, whilst pulling people in from all around the Isle of Wight festival to enjoy this fresh new sound created by this 5 piece band from the UK.  They where followed up with The View,  Lightening Seeds and the one and only Ash.  

Ash who performed songs such as Burn baby burn and Shining Light, bringing their music to their fans, the audience were bursting at the seems, the 'BIG TOP' stage was packed and people were gathering to watch this captivating performance, Although I only got to witness the first 15 minutes of this i can tell you these guys where rocking this crowd, and keeping the standard of the Isle of Wight festival which was created over the past two days going. 

Even though there was rumours of Fleetwood Mac possibly cancelling the show due to illness and two previous cancellations on their current tour which they have already done 90 shows since last year, they turned up and Gave a performance of a lifetime, Fleetwood Mac Arrived with such grace and presence. The field was full, the Fans where waiting and the night was about to begin, the act that everyone was waiting to see was here, over 50,000 fans filled the Isle of Wight creating an nostalgic atmosphere with the sun setting in the background, creating a perfect evening for an outdoor gig. 

They had previously been warmed up by the ever popular Paolo Nutini, His soulful, gruff voice wowed the audience with such power and grace, he topped this of with his dynamic stage presence it created the perfect show to watch and to get the crowed moving to songs such as Better Man, Jenny don’t be hasty and a beautiful rendition of New Shoes. A stunning performance by an amazing Artist, Thumbs up! 

Fleetwood Mac opened the show with the song The Chains creating the atmosphere for the evening, and not disappointing with their renditions of classics such as, Go your own way, Rhiannon, Gypsy and who can forget Landslide which Stevie Nicks dedicated to her friend and fellow Artist David Grohl, Who has recently broken his leg whilst touring. This  song was written and performed originally in 1974, 41 years prior to Isle of Wight 2015, this did not disappoint but left the audience in ore.  They provided a spectacular end to an amazing weekend with the song ‘Don’t Stop’. Whilst performing, Fireworks where provided the perfect end with the perfect song, the crowd danced, they sang and they didn’t want the night to end wanting more from the legendary Fleetwood Mac who had performed for an outstanding 2 hours, getting better and better with each song, and their individual solos showing us what the music industry is all about.

Once Fleetwood Mac had ended, people departed the ‘Electric Stage’ and went on to other events within the Isle of Wight Festival, In the ‘BIG TOP’ stage The Charlatans where closing down the last gig to be performed on the ‘BiG TOP’ for the Isle of Wight 2015, the fans filled the tent and crowded around the edges to see these guys perform, people still buzzing and enjoying their last night at the Isle of Wight Festival, taking in the music, the atmosphere and their fellow music lovers around them. Joining in with the music and capturing these moments through images and tweets via social medias such as Twitter and Facebook. Truly showing what the Festival season is about, Music, Artists, Fans getting together under one Social weekend to celebrate 45 Years of music inspired by those who performed at the Isle of wight 2015 and those who helped to create the Isle of Wight Festival since 1968. 

Artists known as: Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Supertramp, Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez, Chicago, Procol Harum, The Rolling Stones, The Who, David Bowie, Muse, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Kasabian, Amy Winehouse, Kings of Leon, Jay-Z, The Strokes, Coldplay, The Sex Pistols, The Police, Blondie etc. 

Thank you guys for a wonderful weekend and an oustanding festival…till next year. 

Download Festival 2015 Review

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With thousands of die hard rock fans of all ages making the annual piligmage to Donnington on Wednesday, they were met with two days of stunning blue skies over the Castle, leading up to Friday it looked set to be a glorious weekend of sunshine and Metal. But would it be DOWNLOAD Festival without the rain? 
 
Grey clouds formed as MODESTEP warmed up the MainStage at around 4:30pm on friday night, with a weird blend of dubstep and metal, half of their slot appeared to be a DJ set rather than a gig, seemingly out of place considering the rest of the Bill. As the heavens opened, there was still a a huge turn out for the original leaders of new wave of british heavy metal JUDAS PRIEST. Rob Halford may have struggled with some of the high vocals he’s always famous for but with hits like 'breaking the Law' was guaranteed to get older fans rocking, the motorbike and whip for the finale however needed to be left in 1969.
 
The anticipation for SLIPKNOT reached fever pitch, with many crowd members in masks and the boiler suits, and not even the monsoon like rain could dampen the assaulting experience of IOWAs finest export.
Any notions of them being a gimmick band with their masks and image, have been wiped since cementing themselves in Donnington history with their huge performances since 2009. Back with a New album and seemingly re-energised, the band made made their thundering riffs and singalong chorus’ wash over the adoring cult of maggots(sic) with ease and Mick Seven being one of the best guitarists I’ve ever witnessed glaring out over the audience whilst his shredding hands blurred over his guitar neck. A triumphant performance, even if it was there no doubt it would be.
Photo by Gobinder Jitta courtesy of Download Festival
 
With 24 hours of rain, the arena opened on Saturday half an hour later due to safety concerns, sawdust saved the afternoon from a wash out and first catching APOCALYPTA on the Encore stage was an intriguing set of classical strings and metal. 
The surprise performance of the weekend were HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, a mutant child of slipknot and Beastie Boys hailing from Los Angeles, the group stood out with a lively Saturday afternoon slot sending the young audience into a frenzy on the main stage.
Being a Motley Crue fan, watching BLACK VEIL BRIDES seemed to be like viewing a synthetic rip off, but with a fan base bordering on the obsessive and similarities with My Chemical Romance, they seemed to have found their own niche and have to be respected for their gutsy rock and roll attitude.
MARILYN MANSON seemed to be a disappointment, with such a legendary reputation and colourful past, his limp attempts to engage with the audience were not helped by the drifting sounds of MUSE from the MainStage, who’s light show could probably be seen from the moon. Is there anywhere to go for MUSE? with album after album of space rock anthems filling the biggest stadiums around, there were no surprises amongst the bells and whistles in their massive headline performance but undoubtably they still set the bar high for British bands.
Photo by Richard Johnson courtesy of Download Festival
 
Waking up to blazing sunshine on Sunday, the MainStage was set for a superb line up of heavy metal legends, first catching CAVELERA CONSPIRACY sounding to me like a wall of noise, thankfully followed by BLACKBERRY SMOKE with their soothing sounds american southern Rock, like a young ZZ TOP were perfect for a Sunday afternoon and I will definitely be checking out their music again once back to civilisation.
BILLY IDOL never fails to impress, his new album material matches perfectly with his classic hits like 'White wedding' and 'Rebel Yell', and with his tongue in cheek shirtless leather jacket combo, he’s been a born entertainer since the 80s and there is still no stopping him. Followed by SLASH, the Guns N' Roses legend had a packed audience on the MainStage, with a back catalogue of hits from GNR, Velvet Revolver and now with Myles Kennedy on vocals, his blistering live performances of 'Paradise city', ‘Nightrain', and a finale of ‘slither' a highlight of how mad a crowd can go for rock and roll.
They’ve said all Bad things must come to an end, and Motley Crue on their final ever UK festival performance, smashed out their biggest and baddest hits including ‘looks that Kill’ and Girls Girls Girls  with all the vigour of it being 1981. With minimal set design they let the music do the talking and Nikki Sixx as always with the biggest grin of the weekend on his face. True legends and good to see them go out with a bang, the only down point in a faultless performance was the sorely missed ‘Home sweet home’ but you can’t have it all!
 
And so to the finale of KISS, with more anthems than most bands can dream of, pyrotechnics and huge circus like stage show, when confetti cannons exploded it was a perfect end to an epic weekend, for those that stuck it out to the end they were rewarded, the spirit of rock and roll prevailed over rainstorms that threatened to wash away even the most enthusiastic fans.
Photo by Andrew Whitton courtesy of Download Festival
 
Words by
Jack Trace

Parklife 2015 Review

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On June 6 and 7, 80,000 people descended on Heaton Park for Parklife 2015, indulging in headline sets from Disclosure on Saturday and Rudimental on Sunday, while Hudson Mohawke, Todd Terje, Jamie XX and the weekend’s highlight, FKA twigs, had Summer Festival Guide darting from stage to stage.

SATURDAY 

Saturday belongs to Jamie XX. Throughout a perfectly-crafted set, 'Girl', 'Gosh' and 'Sleep Sound', along with the soon-to-be defining track of the summer festival season, 'Loud Places', and older percussive house gem 'Far Nearer' pack the Now Wave tent – one overexcited reveler climbing the tent's rigging, becoming barely visible, to an eruption of cheers as he carefully eases back down.

Earlier, in the Big Top, Everything Everything – dressed in matching red suits – belt through new material, their current single 'Regret' achieving anthemic status.

Disclosure's graduation to main stage headliners comes with a plethora of new material from their imminent second album, 'Caracal', along with a host of upcoming vocal talents. 'White Noise', 'F For you' and 'You & Me' gain as incredible a response as expected, but it's Guy and Howard’s newest creations which stand out, as the Lawrence brothers tease, "Parklife, we've got some surprises for you". Lion Babe's leading lady Jillian Hervey – with the longest legs and wildest hair SFG HAs ever seen – comes first, her R&B-orientated vocals perfectly complimenting the slinky synths of an as-yet-unnamed track as she struts across the stage in arm-length silver gloves and nearly knee-high black boots. London-based future R&B vocalist Nao soon follows, her vocals and onstage presence similar to Aluna Francis, before Kwabs’ soulful tones command the crowd from a raised platform throughout two untitled tracks. The arrival of American jazz legend Gregory Porter for an on-point rendition of current single and collab ‘Holding On’ mesmerises the mainly young crowd with his unparalleled ability to hold a note, fusing two musical worlds seamlessly. After a brief stage leave, ‘Help Me Lose My Mind’ and ‘Latch’ – the latter is dedicated to Sam Smith who’s just recovered from vocal surgery – sees friends on shoulders in a moment of hysteria.

Bidding farewell for the evening, the flocks of thousands head for the shuttle bus appropriately chanting the lyrics to Blur's ‘Parklife’.

SUNDAY 

As SFG arrive on Sunday, Ella Eyre is playing to a massive crowd to the main stage despite her early afternoon set placement, launching herself across the stage in a leopard print leotard, belting out 'Deeper' and 'If I Go' along her energetic way.

Later, Labrinth arrives – suit and shades on – blasting through his synth-heavy chart hits 'Earthquake', 'Pass Out' and Sigma-collaboration 'Higher', the latter emptying everyone's lungs.

Meanwhile, in an equally busy Resident Advisor tent, Jimmy Edgar and Machinedrum – together they're known as J.E.T.S – pump out thumping techno as green inflatable aliens and neon balloons are slung around in the air; Ben UFO's back-to-back set with Pearson Sound continuing the bass-heavy electronic onslaught.

Oliver Dollar's back-to-back with Jesse Rose proves an early evening highlight, opting for Dirtybird's booty-house with Claude VonStroke's 'Make A Cake', assuring an up-tempo energy from the off.

Over at the MK Area 10 stage, Ben Pearce – of 'What I Might Do' fame – drops a housier edit of Take That's 'Relight My Fire', completely unexpectedly.

Later, in the Big Top, James Bay proves himself as having the potential to command the main stage in a year’s time; 'Let It Go' and 'Best Fake Smile's infectious chorus inducing a sense of euphoria.

US-based Sango, sporting a Manchester City sports jacket, opens the Kaytranada stage on Sunday with hip-hop and trap-influenced bubbling synths and bass beats in a tucked away Greek coliseum-like vicinity; even the security guards are bouncing along as they make their way through the crowd amidst a sparse edit of Skepta's ‘That's Not Me’ and a Cashmere Cat-sounding remix of Drake's ‘Through The 6’.

Chet Faker, sporting a topknot for the occasion, packs the Sounds of the Near Future stage with his synth-laden sound. Alone at first, he intricately and passionately delivers electronic instrumentals, before he’s joined by a guitarist and drummer. Encouraging us to "use those muscles" before ‘No Diggity’, a sea of phones are hoisted to record the cover, as everyone’s vocal muscles flex while singing along to ‘Drop The Game’.

Bristol duo Blonde meanwhile pack the Drop The Mustard stage with their summery house anthems ‘Foolish’, ‘All Cried Out' and ‘I Loved You’ as part of a new live show, wheeling out guest vocalists – expect them to be as big as Disclosure this time next year.

Todd Terje, with his live band The Olsens, who alternate between saxophone, flute, bongo drum, guitar and keyboard, build into their funky set with zooming laser synths, though it does take a while for the crowd to warm to the sounds. ‘Delorean Dynamite’ and set closer ‘Inspector Norse’ soon get them moving though, as the funky bass line kicks in; one Terje fan who’s celebrating a birthday screams “this is the best day of my life” while his friend, clearly intoxicated, jokes, “is this Lady GaGa?”

Jungle's well-deserved transition to the main stage sees them play to a massive crowd, the summery weather perfect for their almost 70s sound as the seven-piece perform their biggest hits, ‘Julia’ and ‘The Heat’ just as the sun beams down.  

Back in the Sounds of the Near Future tent, Hudson Mohawke walks onstage with a new live set up, bringing out Redinho on keyboards and Two Door Cinema Club’s Ben Thomas on drums. Drawing on material from his new album ‘Lantern’ and his and Lunice’s collaborative project, TNGHT’s biggest hits, intense bass and red strobes match the maximalist electronica of ‘Acrylics’ and ‘Higher Ground’, sending the crowd into mass hysteria.

An hour later, FKA twigs, visible only through a cloud of smoke, leaves thousands in awe, as her hauntingly ethereal performance remains compelling from start to finish. Easily the largest crowd of the day, there’s a ritualistic sense to her set as she flows through her debut album ‘LP1’ and new material from her imminent third EP, ‘Melissa’. With an incredible vocal from the off, twigs, dressed in double denim with her hair to one side, is joined by a three-piece band who delicately tap their synth pads respectively, producing the intense, almost apocalyptic trip-hop beats of ‘Water Me’, ‘Number’ and ‘Papi Pacify’. How she was once only Jessie J's backing dancer is unbelievable for her unique talent as a vocalist, dancer and performer. Effortlessly charismatic, the entire crowd’s eyes are transfixed on her throughout the hour set as she reaches vocal notes you didn't know existed, all whilst popping her body around the stage. Removing the denim jacket to show off her toned body in a stripped white top, her enigmatic presence is made even more likeable when she speaks, sweetly and humbly. "It’s great to be back in England,” she delights, “I just got back a week ago.” Closing with a faultless rendition of ‘Two Weeks’ and then ‘How’s That’, it’s evident that the summer festival season belongs to FKA Twigs.

Field Day 2015 Review – Sunday

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Field Day Sunday catered to a more rock and alternative following with a mix of new up-and-coming bands to legends including Patti Smith and Ride. Although the day did not sell out, it provided much more overall engagement from the artists which led to some stellar standout performances.
 

Brooklyn shoe-gaze group DIIV (named after a Nirvana song) formed in 2011 and have since released a debut LP. Looking like they just rolled out of bed, DIIV debuted some new unheard material on the Eat Your Own Ears Stage that sounded promising but slightly missed the mark. Fortunately, they redeemed themselves with playing older, more well known tracks including ‘How Long Have you Known’ and ‘Doused’, both of which received a warm reception from the crowd.
 

A quick sprint to the Verity stage left some time to catch up-and-coming London alt-rock trio Happyness who lit up the stage with their humble persona and chilled guitar sequences.
 

Mac DeMarco is known to always put on a good show and he definitely did not disappoint on the last date of their tour. The constant banter between the band-mates and the crowd led to lots of laughter and eventually to Mac crowd surfing over most of the Eat Your Own Ears stage to rapturous applause. The set did get awkward at times, especially when the band’s guitarist, Andy, got hit square in the face with an orange but this did not deter the band from delivering standout tracks including ‘Brother’, ‘Salad Days’ and a spur of the moment rendition of The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ by bassist Pierce (whilst Andy’s guitar was fixed). Love song ‘Together’ and a guitar solo from Andy finished off the set and left the crowd disappointed that it was over.
 

The former frontman of 90s Britpop favourites Supergrass, Gaz Coombes delivered a stellar solo set at the Shacklewell Arms tent. Having released 2 critically acclaimed LPs since going solo, it was of no surprise that Supergrass seemed like a distant memory. Tracks ‘20/20’ and ‘Break The Silence’ were met with strong appreciation and the meaningful and moving track ‘The Girl Who Fell To Earth’ cemented Gaz Coombes as a musician who is capable of anything.

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

Punk-rock legend Patti Smith was a well-received addition to the Field Day line-up. Performing her 1975 album ‘Horses’, the crowd felt every emotion possible – there were smiles, hugs and even tears by the end of the set. The most tear-jerking moment was towards the end of ‘Horses’ when Patti Smith paid tribute to lost musicians including Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed and Brian Jones amongst others including John Nash. To the crowd’s surprise, more tracks were played including a splendid cover of The Who’s ‘My Generation’ to finish and ultimate crowd pleaser ‘Because the Night’.
 

Another up-and-coming indie group, five-piece Londoners Gengahr filled the Verity tent with a smooth, easy listening sound perfect for the summer weather. Echoing vocals and clever time sequences showed the crowd that they are full of surprises and do not hesitate to push the boundaries, however small or large they might be. Gengahr are definitely a band to watch.
 

London’s Savages caused quite a buzz around Field Day as they had not played a UK show for quite some time but they truly stood out. Tearing up the Shacklewell Arms stage to a packed out crowd, front woman Jehnny Beth oozed confidence and cool, crowd surfing through the audience and fuelling the already rowdy crowd to get even rowdier. ‘City’s Full’ kicked off the set with new material quickly following.  Jehnny informed the crowd of a new record in the works and vented her frustration of the current political climate with a short, snappy track – ‘Fucker’ and ended the set with gritty track ‘Husbands’. From what we saw of today’s set, Savages will only keep getting better and better.
 

Dutch 24-year-old Jacco Gardner sounds (and looks) like something straight from the 60s with his echoing high vocals and psych-pop guitar melodies. Playing the Verity tent to a packed out crowd, Jacco Gardner’s vocals sadly got lost at times and therefore did not have the same effect as on record.
 

Ride’s headline set was a big deal – it was a reunion. Their debut album ‘Nowhere’ still holds the status as one of the best shoe-gaze albums (and one you should listen to before you die!). This was their first gig together as a full band in twenty years, which led to a lot of emotional people in the crowd at the Eat Your Own Ears stage. Ride played so tightly together that you never would have guessed they ever broke up. Career-spanning tracks played included ‘Birdman’ and ‘Leave Them All Behind’, which closed this year’s Field Day. 

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

Field Day 2015 Review – Saturday

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Field Day, held in East London’s Victoria Park and now in its eighth year, is a festival that always caters to a wide range of music tastes. This is arguably what puts it ahead of its rivals and cements its status as one of, if not, the best London music festivals of its kind. Saturday’s line up leant slightly towards the electronic but did not fail in providing ticket holders with a first class choice of acts that led to the day selling out.

London’s Benjamin Garrett, who goes by the stage name Fryars, attracted an impressive and attentive crowd during his mid-afternoon set at the Shacklewell Arms stage. A firm favourite with music critics, Fryars set the day’s bar high with his piano pop melodies and sweet, meaningful vocals. Starting his set off slow with tracks including a rather sombre ‘On Your Own’, Fryars finished on a high with ‘Cool Like Me’ – an upbeat track reminiscent of Daft Punk which was the main highlight of the set. It may be true that Fryars sounds better on record and looks like a hipster but the set did not feel out of place on the festival bill.

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

As soon as Kindness hit the stage albeit a bit late, it was clear the crowd were in for a treat, as the whole band seemed in very high spirits. The brainchild of Brit Adam Bainbridge, Kindness were no strangers to the worldwide music scene having played everywhere from South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas to the Sydney Opera House. What was great about this band was there was no hierarchy – each member of the group had their time to shine. We had impressive melodic vocal solos from the chirpy backing singers, various co-ordinated dance moves and a lot of tambourine shaking. There was even a guest performance and a funk inspired cover of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’, which got the whole crowd going. With the qualities of both Jungle and Primal Scream, it was an impressive set that would no doubt keep you grooving. Kindness were definitely the highlight set of the day and very much screamed funk and soul soundtrack of summer.

Scottish art-rock favourite’s Django Django used their Field Day set to play tracks from their recently released new album ‘Born Under Saturn’ which received a great response from the crowd. The track ‘Reflection’ was a particular crowd pleaser.

A sneak peek into the packed Crack Magazine tent uncovers electronica favourite Chet Faker performing a cover of Backstreet’s ‘No Diggity’ for which the crowd go wild.

One of the most hyped artists of this year, FKA Twigs was unapologetically late to start her set at the Crack Magazine stage. It seemed that the crowd forgave all as she appeared, engulfed in mountains of smoke and began flirting with the audience. Almost ethereal in her presence, it seemed that the crowd were admiring her beauty more than admiring her music and this seemed to translate into a somewhat disconnected performance as she tried to keep the mystery alive. The acoustics in the tent were not great but FKA Twigs’s trip hop beats and whispery vocals still managed to mesmerise the overflowing crowd ready in time for Caribou’s headline set. 

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

It may be surprising to some that Caribou headlined Field Day Saturday but Canadian Dan Snaith’s band has established a huge cult following since its inception in 2005. The career spanning set produced not only the best of the electronic and the psychedelic but also included a spectacular visual display, which truly secured their status as an impressive headline act. Highlights included the lead single from 2010 Album ‘Swim’ – ‘Odessa’ and ‘Our Love’.

No Tomorrow Festival Review 2015

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Following a successful first year, No Tomorrow festival returned to Nottingham for a two-day spectacle, showcasing some of the biggest names in EDM and other chart-topping artists such as John Newman and Jessie Ware.

Not your typical large-scale music festival with tens of thousands of party-goers, No Tomorrow was comparatively much smaller; but this made the experience thoroughly more enjoyable.

With the usually unreliable British weather holding up throughout the course of the weekend, punters were able to lie on the grass and soak up the rays whilst listening to their favourite artists. Three well-staffed bars also ensured revellers did not wait long for drinks in the summer heat.

Dominating the park was the main stage which featured a brightly coloured ‘No Tomorrow’ banner with the Stealth stage occupying a gigantic tent in a sub-section of the park.

Stealth was not to be out done by its larger counterpart. A set list consisting of Garage and House well-known names such as DJ EZ, Hannah Wants and Gorgon City arguably made it the highlight of the festival.

Saturday's bill did not disappoint, Hannah Wants well and truly got the proceedings of the weekend underway and set the tone for what was to come with her one and a half hour set.

Fans packed the Stealth stage for DJ EZ and despite technical sound issues he still managed to get the crowd buzzing with a trademark mix of old school Garage anthems, rounding off what was a hugely successful first day.

Sunday built on the success of the previous day, with performances from Justin Martin on Stealth stage and Milky Chance on the main stage meaning that wherever you were there was music worth listening to.

Milky Chance’s hit ‘Stolen Dance’ was met with a great reception as fans joined in singing along with the feel good music. Whilst over on Stealth stage, Gorgon City followed Justin Martin and carried on the upbeat vibe with some well-known House tunes as the sun slowly slipped behind the clouds.

Perhaps the most notable performance of the entire weekend was My Nu Leng who closed the Stealth stage with a combination of Deep House, Grime and Rap beats working to get the crowd hyped, and ending the festival in style.

Leaving the festival to John Newman’s popular anthem ‘Love Me Again’ echoing from the main stage, party-goers were able to travel back to the city centre from the gates of Woollaton Park for £2 thanks to festival organisers.

Overall a perfect way to start the summer, a well-balanced mixture of intense and laid-back music combining to create a memorable weekend, definitely a festival SFG would recommend for the future.

 

Photos by Mike Ruane

We Are FSTVL 2015 Review

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Essex isn’t the typical location which global-touring DJs and electronic music figureheads Carl Cox, Seth Troxler and Steve Angello are used to playing. Though arguably more familiar with Vegas, Ibiza and European crowds, Upminster-based We Are FSTVL attracts the biggest names in house, techno and on Sunday, EDM.

Now in its third year, We Are FSTVL brings in 30,000 music lovers over its weekend. Think of it as the electronic music equivalent of V Festival. Cleverly targeted at the Essex party-going population, for an extra £40, a VIP ticket allows access to the VIP area – a regular festival feature offering that little bit more; there’s a separate VIP stage (Mark Knight’s Toolroom Records and MK’s Area10 host it respectively), hot tubs, hair salon, glitter and face paint stations and remarkably cleaner toilets, as well as higher viewing platforms back on the main site.

As one of the year’s first proper festivals, Saturday unsurprisingly sold-out in advance, while last remaining Sunday tickets were available on the door. Despite a windy start with grey clouds looming above, the weather stayed dry and summery; rare for a UK festival in late May.

Whilst the generously-sized main stage hosted the likes of Gorgon City and Solomun under sunny skies, Summer Festival Guide found itself at the Used & Abused stage for a great deal of the weekend. Creatively, the industrial design of an aircraft hanger made it seem as though we’d been teleported to an underground club in Europe; fitting for the dark and deep techno acts it showcased. A gargantuan three-hour set from Loco Dice made it near impossible to leave, while Drumcode Records founder Adam Beyer later delivered a set of intense, unrelenting techno. Most notable, its impeccable sound quality, remaining consistent throughout the weekend.

Elsewhere on Saturday’s bill, house sets from Simon Dunmore and Oliver Dollar on the Defected Records stage, and Redlight and Waze & Odyssey in the What Hannah Wants tent, ensured both were permanently filled. Meanwhile, globally-renowned DJ’s Seth Troxler and Carl Cox closed out the opening night on the main stage, respectively, each proving memorable highlights.

Seth’s acidic, techno-heavy set, complete with hypnotic swirling red and black visuals, saw the sun go down, before house music legend Carl Cox took the helm. Opening strongly with Deetron’s piano-house builder ‘Photon’, a sea of mobile phones lit up the night sky. The first person to majorly interact with the crowd, Cox encourages, “Carl Cox is in the house. Who’s ready?” as laser lights scour the audience and confetti explodes from cannons.

The only downside with We Are FSTVL though, is the non-camping policy, meaning that thousands of people need to be transported from the site back to wherever they may be staying. According to social media comments, people were reportedly left for hours on the roadside as shuttle buses and taxis struggled to cope with the number of attendees, though by Sunday this was far less of an issue.

As Sunday morning falls, so does the rain; but luckily only on SFG’s commute to the site. Once on-site, the ground is mostly dry as the sun steadily rears its head. The day’s first highlight comes from Dirtybird boss Claude VonStroke who, rare that he comes to the UK, delivers a crowd-pleasing set on the Paradise stage, dropping his own ‘Make A Cake’, ‘Barrump’ and Jesse Rose-collaboration ‘Bare Mountain’, proving Dirtybird as one of the finest electronic labels around; their forward-thinking, unique sound a clear hit with the Essex punters. Later, another Dirtybird affiliate, J Phlip, goes back-to-back with Huxley over in the VIP village, each dropping bass-heavy productions to a growing crowd.

Back at SFG’s favourite stage, the aircraft hanger, now hosted by Cocoon, Ten Walls and Sven Vath each deliver building techno sets; Sven’s hard-hitting sound complimented by female dancers spread across the stage.

At the complete other end of the electronic music spectrum, the main stage welcomes Radio 1 DJ Danny Howard before Oliver Heldens takes over, delivering an unexpectedly stand-out set. Mixing his own ‘deep house’ tracks ‘Gecko’, ‘This’ and ‘You Know’ with tracks from EDM’s biggest names the young producer’s clearly having a great time as he bopps around and shuffles in front of the DJ decks. It’s like watching a child in a sweet shop. “Let me see your hands Essex”, he shouts excitedly, before closing with an EDM remix of Ellie Goulding’s Love Me Like You Do. Unpretentious and heaps of fun, Heldens’ set is a great warm-up for the bombastic sounds of Knife Party.

Older fan –favourites ‘Bonfire’ and ‘Internet Friends’ mix well with a newer track which we are told is “for the UK family”; it sounds somewhat influenced by Major Laser. 15 minutes late, Steve Angello’s set begins with dramatic orchestral sounds and visuals as the former Swedish House Mafia member reveals that he’s travelled all the way from Sweden. Appearing like a silhouette throughout the show because of the strobe lights, he works the crowd with Robin S’ ‘Show Me Love’ and later, new single ‘Children of the Wild’ impresses.

Over in the Paradise tent, the sound parallels as Jamie Jones lays down chunky tech-house rollers by the dozen, whilst Mele’ closes out the Hospitality stage, leaving Shadow Child and DJ S.K.T to continue the party for VIP ticket-holders only in the Area 10 tent.

As We Are FSTVL comes to a close nearing 1am, luckily there’s a London-located after-party being taking the festivities through until 6am Monday!

We Are FSTVL continues to thrive as one of the UK’s best medium-sized festivals, offering a diverse range of electronic music over a usually sunny weekend. Here’s to 2016!

Wychwood Festival 2015 Review

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Wychwood festival returned for its 11th year in the beautiful Prestbury Hills of Cheltenham. Set on the famous Cheltenham Racecourse, the location boasts great transport and parking facilities, while still being on acres of well maintained luscious land. The friendly atmosphere brings in a mix of all ages with its main priority focusing on a family feel. With activities including arts and crafts workshops and improvised comedy, as well as an eclectic range of music on offer it is easy to keep every member of the family happy. Although it is family friendly Wychwood does not compromise on the festival experience. With headliners from the funk and soul Craig Charles to the legendary UB40 there is music for all tastes.

Friday kicked off to a dreary start, but the rain and grey clouds soon settled into a delightful afternoon of blue skies with the occasional cold wind. This gave people a chance to seek shelter in the smaller tents which hosted a range of entertainment from acoustic sets to clay modelling classes and comedy. The biggest bar of the festival was inside the Hobgoblin tent, where americana/ folk band, Loud Mountains gave a stellar performance on the Friday afternoon. With awesome guitar riffs, catchy rhythms and clever harmonies, Loud Mountains gave the crowd a heartwarming performance which all ages could sing along to and enjoy.

With a huge selection of drinks, local ales and food stalls on offer- there was plenty of choice for all tastes. Tasty pulled pork, nutella smothered crepes, ostrich burgers and Mr Whippy ice creams were a few of the many popular choices that Wychwood had to offer. Despite the festival being well tailored for families, the Pimms and Real Ale was also flowing, with adults enjoying themselves as much as the children.

After the impressive set from Loud Mountains, it was over to the main stage for ‘The Undertones’ who played a set made up of more songs than many bands write throughout their entire career. It was a punk rock treat with the Derry band choosing to let their music do the talking as they treated crowd to songs like ‘Jimmy Jimmy’ and ‘Teenage Kicks’. The latter of the two songs brought almost a sense of relief throughout the crowd, as they played that ever recognisable riff. Once they had finished, it was time to prep the stage for the headline act, which left just enough time inbetween to check out ‘Darlia’ over on the second largest of Wychwood’s stages. 

Darlia– the Blackpool based 3-piece were really impressive. Walking around between the crowd, the words ‘Nirvana’ and ‘Kurt Cobain’ were mentioned so many times by onlookers, it gives a good picture of their sound. Sadly this somewhat draws away from the fact that the band actually have their own nailed-on balance of gritty guitars and catchy melody lines, which is almost an evolution of the Seattle grunge sound of old, without being at all tacky or cliché. Their set was really impressive with the song ‘Candyman’ being a stand out favourite.

It was now time for the headline act for the Friday and much like the range of people who attended this fantastic little festival – it could not have been any more different! It was time for the crowd to go wild for ‘Boney M’. With their back catalogue of disco tracks, they entertained the masses with the likes of ‘Daddy cool’, ‘rasputin’ and ‘brown girl in the ring’ and at one point even played a rendition of Bob Marley’s ‘No Woman No Cry’. Boney M were 110% fun from the word go and played with the professionalism of a group that has been together for just short of 40 years. Maizie Williams  was the only original member who performed in this line-up, her star quality such that she stood out like a diamond. A great choice of headliner from the festival and a job well done from Boney M.

The weekend’s sun continued to shine down on Wychwood festival as the family-friendly vibes started up for the second day. The afternoon crowd which gathered at main stage for the Electric Swing Circus was a mixture of all ages and the band was the perfect fit for a such a varied audience. The vocal double act of Laura Louise and Bridget Walsh’s energy was infectious, and Guitarist Tom Hyland entertained the kids with his ringmaster attire and killer dance moves. But the band were not all about the visuals, as their ‘Electro-Swing’ music was Saturday’s real show-starter; a sound to match the diversity of the crowd with heavily sample based tunes backed up by solid double-bass lines and swing rhythms – it worked really well.

 

 A small break on the main stage was enough time for the crowd to multiply ten-fold for one of the most recognisable acts of the past 30 years – both visually and sonically! It was the turn of the Proclaimers to take to the Wychwood stage. Identical twins Charlie and Craig Reid played through their back catalogue as well as throwing in a few songs from their latest album. Their set was hugely entertaining and was a singalong from the beginning to the end. At one point, Charlie read out a dedication they had received before bursting into ‘Let’s get married’ – The dedication proved to set the scene for a marriage proposal on the front row and she said yes! The duo completed the song and wished the happy couple the best of luck before Charlie said (tongue firmly in cheek) ‘ Just the one time, I’d like someone to say no and for there to be a little fight in the corner.’ After many a classic, they courteously wrapped their set up with ‘I’m gonna be (500 Miles)’ before making way for the headline act – UB40’S Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue.

 

 UB40 Hoodies seemed to be the clothing of choice for many throughout the day and this was reflected by the size of the crowd for the headline act. Accompanied by a saxophonist, trumpet player and trombonist, the band stormed through a set of their classics, whilst also throwing in some songs from their latest albums. Starting the proceedings with ‘Here I Am (Come and take me)’ they flew through a hugely entertaining set including ‘Red Red Wine’ and even an Elvis Presley cover!

Sunday brought with it a tiredness to the crowds, but this was in no way reflected in the music with stellar performances from DJ Craig Charles and Rusty Shackle. Justin Fletcher also made an appearance on mainstage for the children and was received with much jubilation by the crowd.

The highlight though for Sunday, possibly even the entire festival, was the South African male choir group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Formed in 1960, this band certainly lived up to its platinum disc honoured status. With the ravishing harmonies and joyful atmosphere- every child to every adult danced in awe as the sun set amongst the Prestbury Hills. Gleeful children on parents shoulders waved their arms in time to the flawless rhythms of the choir. The uplifting experience worth watching in the flesh was definitely the best way to end a brilliant weekend. Despite the bitter cold of night, Ladysmith Black Mambazo had defiantly left a warm mark of Africa on Wychwood Festival 2015.

 

 

Lost Village 2015 Review

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Buried in the Lincolnshire countryside, 5,000 party-goers descend upon the idyllic woodland setting of Lost Village festival. Taking place over the May bank-holiday weekend in an “ancient abandoned village”, the festival’s motto is to “join the tribe”. Set up by Moda’s Jaymo & Andy George – who later play a sparkling set on Saturday afternoon – the location is perfect for the acts performing; eclectic electronica from Die Vogel and Four Tet, crowd-pleasing sets from Ben Pearce and Annie Mac, and heavier techno-based sounds from Tale of Us, Jasper James and Gardens of God.

Aside from one shower, the usually temperamental English weather holds up, offering sun throughout the whole weekend – Summer Festival Guide even returns home with a tan! Transport-wise, there is a free shuttle bus; impressive for a first-time festival. SFG meets people who have travelled up from the Midlands, London, and one electronic music lover who has travelled four hours from Brighton.

Set behind a lakeside family campsite, it’s like a whole other realm. Attracting a multitude of types of people; when setting up camp, one middle-aged man sporting a Blasé Boys Club t-shirt is drinking with those who could be his children. Everyone who SFG meets is friendly and really here for the music.

Reasonably priced Vodka and cokes begin to flow throughout Grandmaster Flash’s charismatic old-school set, declaring the festival open on Friday evening at Basecamp. Though licensing requires music to finish at midnight each night, back in camp there’s no sign of sleeping until the early hours.

[Special mention to Diamond Dogs, who provided the best post-drinking cure with their Chilli Cheese Dogs and Tater Tots]

It’s Saturday morning, the sun is shining through the campsite and anticipation is high to see Lost Village’s main stages; the Abandoned Chapel, Forgotten Cabin and The Ruins, each with impeccable sound-systems and impressive set-design. At midday, Citizenn opens the Cabin with a groove-laden house set before Jackmaster’s housemate Jasper James – a personal highlight – delivers hard-hitting tech-house, and as one Villager suggests, “its 3 in the morning vibes at 1 in the afternoon”, another gushing, “I feel like I’m in Berghain!”

 

Later, Erol Alkan delivers an acidic electro set like a true professional, looking suave in a leather jacket, before Denmark’s Kolsch plays what everyone wants to hear; Huxley’s ‘I Want You’ and Adesse Versions’ ‘Pride’ make much-appreciated appearances as well as his own euphoric piano-led ‘Cassiopeia’. Over at The Ruins, Lost Village’s mud-filled main stage, Dusky’s ‘Yoohoo’ is blasting through the industrial-sized speakers to the packed crowd as one partyer holds up an LED lit ‘TUNE’ sign. Back at the Cabin, Four Tet closes the first night in magical, enchanted fashion; his Martyn-collaboration ‘Glassbeadgames’ becoming a highlight as the vibrant strobes light up the darkness.

Come Sunday morning, Ejeca’s defying the traditional day of rest, delivering tech-house at the Abandoned Chapel, as one guy dressed like Fryar Tuck with a massive tribal stick urges the crowd on. Theo Kottis, Moda Black’s newest signing, continues on a similar vibe at the Cabin as glittered faces – old and young – tribal hennas and selfie sticks are visible at every turn, watching the darkly uplifting set; Guy Gerber’s remix of Art Department’s ‘Catch You By Surprise’ really goes off.

Tourist attracts a massive crowd to the ruins, performing with synth pads and keyboards; Pretend, Trust In You and I Can’t Keep Up translate effortlessly in Lost Village’s mud-covered main stage The Ruins.  With a massive ‘U’ behind him, the co-writer to Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’ introduces Anywhere, a new track from his debut album, appropriately titled ‘U’.

“How great is this festival?” asks William Phillips aka Tourist. It’s a statement which becomes heavily echoed over the course of the first ever Lost Village. Considering this is its debut year, Lost Village has the potential to rival the likes of Secret Garden Party in the not so distant future.

Later, after stumbling across a fake marriage – Lost Village has a plethora of spooky actors waiting at every turn – Tale Of Us deliver an intense techno set as the Forgotten Cabin’s strobes light up one of the weekend’s biggest audiences.

Jackmaster, sporting a ‘We Love Detroit’ t-shirt, follows, playing a typically eclectic set of house, techno and everything in between. Meanwhile, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs aka Orlando Higginbottom seems on a completely different trip in The Ruins; dropping drum & bass and jungle tracks, it’s a refreshing break from the weekend’s house/techno sound, before Annie Mac closes out the first ever Lost Village with on-point house tracks.

Over the course of the weekend, SFG have brushed shoulders – and taken selfies with – Annie Mac, Richy Ahmed and Tourist. It’s not often that such big names are within arms length walking through the woodland setting.

Post-festival, Lost Village’s founders Jaymo & Andy George have commented: “We never in our wildest dreams expected it to go this well! The crowd were 10/10, every stage was constantly busy, all the artists who played have said amazingly positive things and all those little elements we planned came together just how we hoped. The feedback we’ve been getting since has been unreal… we can’t wait to start planning the next one now.”

2016s Lost Village couldn’t roll around any quicker!

 

Slam Dunk 2015 Wolverhampton Review

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Saturday 23rd May seen the start of the bank holiday weekend, with a three day traveling circus thats known as Slam Dunk Festival bringing its fun and lively antics across Leeds, Hertfordshire and Wolverhampton. We went along to Wolverhampton to see what the Slam Dunk team had inshore for us this year. This year it housed seven stages, each of which held a collaboration of six to seven different bands of similar musical output. It was a surreal experience to walk no more than a few metres and be kicked in the face with a completely different genre of music and with Slam Dunk ever expanding this year provided us with a pick of 53 bands to see.

Trash Boat
After winning the fresh blood competition against 9 other bands they opened up the Kerrang! Fresh Blood stage at the festival. The band were highly anticipated and had a pretty big turn-out especially for that time of day. They performed well and put the crowd in a fantastic mood for the rest of the day.

PVRIS
had the room at full capacity nearly twenty minutes before their set, Lynn Gunn kick started the Civic Hall’s atmosphere by opening with the debut single St Patrik. The trio from Lowell, Massachusetts blew the roof off with a six song setlist, completing it with a rendition of ‘My House’ featuring You Me At Six front man Josh Franceschi. Lynn Gunn being the Iconic front woman that she is wooed the crowd and it was a huge turnout for the band which was well received by all. Seriously this band are taking over!.

Neck Deep
The infamous Neck Deep have recently had a lot of hype after news broke out that their new studio album ‘Life’s Not Out To Get You’ to due to be released soon. So with that in mind we were excited to see what these boys from Wales would have to offer. After the lads had attended the Kerrang! signing tent they proceeded to play a 35 minute set at Slam Dunk’s main stage, featuring songs from their first EP Rain in July. They also played hits from their first studio album and more recently their brand new single ‘Can’t Kick Up The Roots’ which went down a treat. The pop-punk five piece didn’t stop there and busted out the classic ‘A Part Of Me ‘ which left most of us teary eyed.

Zebrahead
Now surprisingly this band had the best sound of the day it was mostly clean and raw, which we would considered this band to be, it was such an unexpected highlight of our day. Stewards had to stop letting people in as the Desperados stage was at full capacity and it’s no wonder, they were so tight for such a large band. Amazing clean vocals, arguably the sharpest sound of the day.

While She Sleeps
The Sheffield five piece smashed out a nine song setlist,  which was well doctored if we might add for SlamDunk. Hardcore Sleeps fans were around, displaying flags of honour and affection which for a band that has had very few years, they have gained an army of loyal fans. After releasing their latest album Brainwashed, While She Sleeps have become an ever expanding name, not too big to emphasize their egos as they stuck around the festival to meet the fans.

Bury Tomorrow
After seeing front man Dani and Davyd knocking around merch tables meeting the fans, then playing an extensive DJ set on Uprawr stage, we were ecstatic to see what the very special guests BURY TOMORROW had to throw at us at 5pm on the Monster Energy Stage. As soon as they erupted out on stage there were massive circle pits from the get go this being said the band never have and never will settle for anything less. Their set consisted of mostly new material,playing half of their new album ‘RUNES’ as well as classic tracks from previous albums.

Don Broco
After witnessing the huge line for the meet and greet this was a  highly anticipated band to see. After such a hype and with them being on the main stage Don Broco didn't live up to my expectation and were the most disappointing band of the day. Overly confident lead singer "Rob Damiani"  kept the crowd waiting well into what would have been their 45 minute set. They attracted a boisterous crowd which proved to be to many members of the audience being problematic as it aggravated and distressed what should have been a fairly calm slot of the day. Overall a poor performance.

Mellincolin
have just released their latest album "True Brew" which is there first bit of material in over seven years. The four piece from Örebro, Sweden played a set consisting of mainly new material but didn’t fail to deliver absolute classics from their earlier discography "Penguins and Polarbears" with them warming the crowd up to end with arguably the one song everyone came to see "NO CIGAR"  a classic most people will remember from the days of playing old school Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. Not only did they entertain with their music but their on stage humour kept the fans in a bright mood. 10/10 for performance.

Architects 
were without a doubt one of the most hyped up bands of the day to check out and it’s with no surprise with them Headlining the Monster Energy Stage. They played a set combined with old classics such as "Early Grave" and "Follow The Water" amongst a vast collection of their new material from their latest album "Lost Together Lost Forever". Vocalist Sam Carter was insanely grateful for the sheer amount of people that turned up to see their set as it was a  slot clash with surrey boys You Me At Six. Always promoting a good message Architects stomped home probably the heaviest set of the day.

You Me At Six
After their performance at Hatfield having to be delayed due to an injured fan, they ended Slam Dunk’s three day weekend with a bang. Stomping out old classics from their first studio album ‘Take Off Your Colours’.  Surprisingly the material, which is nearly seven years old got an amazing welcome as they opened with "The Truth Is A Terrible Thing" immediately followed by "Save It For The Bedroom". Josh Franceschi’s five piece galore seemed to take the commitment of headlining the whole festival as something on the chin and boy did they deliver. 

We caught up with a few fans who gave their appraisals in a few short words

Heather Thomson

“IT WAS RAD! Being As An Ocean were surprisingly my favourite pick of the litter. It was my first hard-core festival and it seems like I’ll be coming again next year. It was pretty cool to have loads of my favourite bands playing within a few metres of each other, my legs hurt now but it was so worth it!”

 

Josh English 

“Gloriously sunny drunk fun, big d and the kids table were f***ing fantastic and While She Sleeps smashed it as always, they never let you down just a lot of likeminded nice people all in one place, a proper friendly atmosphere.”

 

Leanda Skragg 

“Possibly the best line up I’ve ever seen at the festival. Was an absolutely sick day and I wasn’t disappointed with a single band I saw.”

Overall to sum up SLAMDUNK 2015, it was incredible and such a surreal experience. You could meet almost anyone you wanted throughout the day without having to queue for the meet and greets, it seemed the bands just like knocking around to meet fans and even catch other bands sets. The crowd to band relationships were intimate.

There was a huge variety of food and drink and very happy and helpful members of staff to serve it. There were plenty of offers from sponsors such as Desperados and Impericon giving away free goodies. The general atmosphere however was average. Maybe it’s due to the long weekend or the poor weather.

Due to the layout of the venue some of the stages would sound leak from one into the other, you'd be stood in the middle of the Monster Stage and still hear Impericon. The whole sound quality of the festival was below average, too much bass and echo for the size of the venues. It left little room for melodic instruments which had an adverse effect on everyone's performance. Despite this, the crowd seemed happy and the bands even happier.

Overall a good day and we highly recommend it, 2 thumbs up!

Arcticle By Ashley Beresford

Photographs from Sophie Jones