Reviews - Page 26 of 52 - Summer Festival Guide

T In The Park 2015 Review

November 8, 2018July 15, 2015 by Caroline McQuistin

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.

Heart And Soul Of T In The Park – Twin Atlantic Review

November 8, 2018July 15, 2015 by Caroline McQuistin

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.

Electric Daisy Carnival UK 2015 Review

June 10, 2020July 14, 2015 by Leanne Haynes

The world renowned Electric Daisy Carnival returned to the UK on 11 July for its 3^rd 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!

Cocoon in the Park 2015 Review

November 8, 2018July 13, 2015 by Nicole Douglas

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.

2000Trees 2015 – Full Review

April 17, 2019July 12, 2015 by Alex Mackworth-Praed

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.

Henley Festival Review 2015

June 10, 2020July 10, 2015 by Thomas Reed

Taking place over five days in the quintessential Oxfordshire town of Henley On Thames, Henley Festival is an event like no other. With a focus on fine dining, high end art and a carefully selected line-up of musical acts it offers a very unique experience to a certain audience who otherwise might not attend your typical ‘music festival’. With a strictly black tie dress code the event oozed sophistication with absolutely no wellies in sight- in fact, people may complain about rain at glasto but if it rained here it wouldn’t just be spirits that are dampened but some serious designer clobber.

With the sophistication of the BBC Proms and the boozy clientele of any festival there was a real party atmosphere from the off set, the only difference being, instead of swigging from cans of warm strongbow, attendees quaff from champagne flutes and pints of Pimms. The sophisticated nature of the festival was probably best represented in its art agenda. Although nearly all UK festivals promote themselves as offering a certain degree of ‘art’ at their events, the Henley Festival really steps this up a gear. There are numerous temporary art galleries set up throughout the site all offering pieces for sale with a pretty hefty price tag.

Although there was other musical performances put on during the night, the main focus was quite clearly Jessie J’s headline set on the iconic floating stage- literally a stage that sits floating on the water of the Thames. From the offset Jessie faced a challenge playing to a completely seated crowd- that was of course until she bounded on stage and threw herself straight into an explosive set that gradually had everyone up on their feet dancing by winning over the crowd with her cockney charm and relentless enthusiasm.

Photo courtesy of Henley Festival

Throughout her set she played all her biggest hits, with short interludes where she would engage with the crowd, at some points even offering motivational tips on how best to pursue their life. Although this might have been partially lost on some of the older members of the crowd, as she pointed out even if she positively affects one person with her set she would be happy. This was a fun addition to this headline set instead of simply walking on stage, belting out the hits and scurrying off.

An obvious highlight for the crowd and also for Jessie was her first ever hit Do It Like a Dude, which pleased and confused the masses in equal measures at its time of release. No matter how people felt about the song in the past however, it went down a storm with the Henley crowd who embraced the dancing encouraged by Jessie and got even the most stand offish audience member swinging their hips from side to side.

Jessie J is clearly a well practiced performer who knew exactly how to win the crowd over to her way of thinking, including adapting the lyrics of her hit song Bang Bang (which she ended on) to “You need a girl from Henley to blow you mind”. Jessie was certainly a great choice to kick off this years festival.

Blissfields 2015 Review

November 8, 2018July 8, 2015 by Mickey Cole

Rural Hampshire is an unlikely location for a lively, music filled party, yet Blissfields Festival proved once again that it’s the perfect setting for this festival for all ages. With over 4000 attendees, Blissfields manages to retain the charm of a small festival, yet provides musical acts that rival much larger and longer running events. Friday 3rd was packed full of musical highlights, including Dub Pistols who have become a resident act since playing in 2013. Drawing in a huge crowd, their upbeat fusion of sounds was a perfect accompaniment to the summer sun. Other stand out acts included Ghostpoet who’s spoken word-esque tracks provided something extremely unique. Rhodes, due to release his highly anticipated album in September, also received a great reception, with powerful tracks such as ‘Breathe’ providing the crowd with an excuse to sing along. The main stage closed with The Horrors, which was a thoroughly enjoyable way to end the night. The Den, a smaller stage, hosted an array of emerging artists, with my firm favourite being Leader whose charisma and catchy songs were contagious.

Saturday was equally as fun filled, with Karen Harding lighting up the stage with her chart topper ‘Say Something’. Grandmaster Flash was as amazing as expected, being a strong contender for the biggest crowd. Simian Mobile Disco closed the final day on a high, with their electronic beats gathering the crowds for one last time.

Blissfields is the epitome of a broad appeal festival. For the young ones, a hungry hippo popping out tennis balls kept many entertained for hours! When the sun became too much, many resided to the indoor cinema, showing classics such as Wall-E. There is also areas to try out hula hoops, bubbles and diablos. Teens are also well catered for as it’s the perfect first festival, with plenty going on late in to the night yet. Adults of all ages were well catered for, with a stag and hen party being put to the test in the main arena in a battle involving lots of water and flour! The Blisscotheque proved popular with all, providing a non stop torrent of DJ’s blasting out hits, supplying the revellers with plenty of dancing material. The Hidden Hedge was also popular with those staying out after dark, featuring obscure art installations, light shows and dj’s – what more could you want! Families were made welcome with separate camping areas away from the noise which proved very popular. Blissfields offers much more than just music, with stalls such as Far Out Studios selling beautifully hand screen printed posters created commissioned by a selection of musicians. A ‘give it a go’ tent allowed you to try out circus acts too. When the sun became too much, lounging in the hammocks was an extremely popular choice. Plenty of trees also provided some much needed shade whilst still being in earshot of the main stage.

Food stalls were not in short supply, with delicious dishes on offer ranging from packed chicken burritos, to vegetarian sushi rolls. Dessert came in all shapes and sizes, with my favourite being the a huge nutella pancake, a steal at £4. No summer day is complete without a glass of Pimms which was readily available from the main bar.

Overall, this really was a great weekend for numerous reasons. It's rare to find a festival this small that still packs a punch. I will definitely be returning next year, and as early bird tickets are currently on sale, so can you!

Wireless Festival 2015 Full Review

November 8, 2018July 7, 2015 by Kya Esnard

Thousands flocked to Finsbury Park this weekend for popular festival – Wireless. Each year the festivals line up is spectacular, Summer Festival Guide headed over to check things out. With over 40 acts on both Saturday and Sunday; including Ciara, Jessie J, David Guetta, Nicki Minaj, Avicci and Kendrick Lamar, Wireless was sure to be a festival not to be forgotten.

With the sun beating down on Finsbury Park Saturday's sold-out show, started to fill out almost immediately. As the crowd flooded through the gates of Finsbury Park, they were greeted by a high-spirited Conor Maynard who kicked started Saturday on the main stage, whilst KStewart and Ady Sulieman took to the other two stages.

Raleigh Ritchie and Tinashe later took to the main stage and both performed equally good sets. Raleigh got the crowd jumping around and seemed to genuinely enjoy it just as much as they were enjoying him. Tinashe performed a great up beat set from her latest album Aquarius. Summer Festival Guide caught up with Raleigh Ritchie back stage where he told us about his love for performing, festivals and Game of Thrones.

Indiana took to the Pepsi Max Arena where she slowed things down a bit and performed a very mellow set. Fans swayed as the singer performed tracks from her latest album – ‘No Romeo’ and she drew in the crowd however the singer sped things up a bit towards the end of her set and the crowd loved it.

Whilst waiting for Mary J Blige crowds flocked to numerous food vans to refuel. Ranging from Chinese to Mexican, Vegan to Steak Grills and Lebanese to Caribbean food the crowd were definitely spoilt for choice. Mary J Blige dived straight in to her set list starting with her hit song ‘Just Fine’. The crowd immediately jumped to their feet and started dancing. Mary J had the crowd dancing for the whole 45 minutes of her set. With a great set list and her high-spirit Mary J had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hands.

Gorgon City and Childish Gambino later took to the main stage. Whilst Stormzy took to the RE: WIRED stage. Gorgon City's up beat set had the crowd dancing with range of hits including 'Stronger', 'Rather Be' & 'Real Love'.

The mult-talented Childish Gambino ran out onto the main stage next and it wasn't long before he was shirtless and belting out 'Crawl', 'Worldstar' and more from his back cataloge of albums.

Stormzy had a huge crowd for his highly anticipated set performing his latest tracks to a very appreciative crowd who sung their hearts out word for word.

As the crowd waited for Kendrick Lamar yet again they headed for the food vans and the bars to refuel and rehydrate. Kendrick took to the stage performing many tracks both old and new including 'Backstreet Freestyle', 'Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe' and 'Swimming Pools (Drank). The crowd loved Kendrick and Kendrick loved the crowd. Avicii wowed crowds when he later took to the stage and saw what had been an amazing day off with an equally amazing set and a spectacular light and firework display.

Sunday afternoon saw Wretch 32 kick start the day off on the main stage with an impressive performance. Also kicking off the day around the park was Samm Henshaw on the Re: WIRED stage and Kiko Bun in the Pepsi Max Arena. Summer Festival Guide caught up with Samm Henshaw backstage and he was just as happy and full of energy off stage as he was on.

Charlie XCX, August Alsina and Clean Bandit were the main stage line up for the afternoon. Whilst Arrested Development, Ciara, Pusha T and Rae Sremmurd took to the Pepsi Max Arena. Leaving Damage, Jacob Plant, Tove Stryke, Jaden & Willow Smith, Elliphant and Shakka to entertain those at the RE: WIRED stage.

Charli XCX with her trademark Sucker heart prop and full band on stage rocked the crowd with her hits 'Sucker', 'Breaking Up', 'I Love It'. Full of energy and with the sun pelting down on Finsbury Park, Charli had the crowd singing with her throughout her entire set!

Ciara was off to a rocky start with her mic being switched off for the first 15 minutes of her set. However that did not stop the crowd from singing along to the popular singer's songs and enjoying the show Ciara provided. Jaden and Willow left the crowd slightly befuddled with a rather unusual performance. However the crowd soon perked up when willow performed popular hit 'Whip my Hair' and Jaden shared a new track with the Wireless crowd. The sibling duo were full of energy and provided a good performance, aiding each other throughout.

As night began to fall, crowds were left disheartened when the festival organisers shamefully admitted that Nicki Minaj was running late due to travel complications and that they had lost touch with the award winning female rapper. It was later announced that Nicki and David Guetta had mutually agreed to share the set time which crowd's responded to with boos.

When David Guetta took to the stage half an hour after the announcement crowds went wild as he started his set. The light show Guetta provided was spectacular and he managed to win back the crowd with popular tracks, smoke, confetti and fireworks. David Guetta continued for a further 40 minutes before Nicki Minaj finally made her entrance and crowds seemed to have forgiven the female rapper within an instance.

Nicki continued to work the crowd and performed popular songs including 'Truffle Butter', 'Only', 'Moment for Life' and 'Anaconda'. Adoring fans sang and danced the night away enjoying the all-round amazing show Nicki delivered. Nicki Minaj was the perfect act to round off the Wireless weekend she left the crowd on a positive high and closed the show with a tremendously great performance.

Photos from Saturday at Wireless Festival

Photos from Sunday at Wireless Festival

David Guetta and Nicki Minaj Headline Wireless 2015

November 8, 2018July 6, 2015 by Kya Esnard

French born DJ David Guetta and Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj took to the stage of Wireless Festival last night and did not disappoint. Due to travel issues Nicki had missed her spot but had mutually agreed with David that they would share the set. David Guetta started on stage with a number of classics including dance and hip hop tubes which got the crowd dancing and singing along. David constantly remind the crowd of his love for for London and wasted no time in letting off the fireworks, smoke and even confetti. Throughout his performance David engaged with the crowd, hyping them up for both his performance and for what was up to come.

About 20 minutes into his set David teased the crowd with a song he and Nicki had recorded together. However it wasn't for a further 20 minutes that Nicki Minaj finally graced the adoring crowd with her presence. Nicki wasted no time in getting started and had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hands. David and Nicki performed one song together and then Nicki was left to take over. Nicki jumped straight into songs off of her latest album The Pink Print. Including only and anaconda. Both of which she performed with backing dancers both male and female which sent the crowd wild. Nicki moved on to older songs from previous albums including Pink Friday.

Nicki continued to engage with the crowd asking her 'fellow West Indians' if they had prepared any Ox tail soup or Curried Goat for her. She continued on to joke with the crowd and fully engage with them throughout her set, whilst continuing with songs both old and new.

All in all it is safe to say that although Nicki had missed her own set, she made up for it with the performance she provided for her fans. She did not fail to deliver an amazing set, with amazing song choices and a positive vibe despite the complications she had finished. It is safe to say that Nicki Minaj was a perfect way to end the weekend and Wireless Festival 2015.