Reviews

Love Saves the Day Review 2015

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The Bristolian two day event kicked off to a sunny start, bringing in flocks of hipsters from far and wide to Eastville Park. Saturday was a sell-out with queues of up to two hours to get into the festival site and huge lines for both the bar and toilets too. Despite the lack of amenities the curation of the festival was really well done, with all tents hosting an array of sounds for all tastes. With lots of Bristol performers, caterers and exhibitors, Love Saves the day 2015 definitely seemed a joyous celebration of the cool and diverse city.

Established as one of the best and biggest selling electronic acts, Groove Armada was one of the most legendary names to perform at Love Saves the Day this year. The relaxed and chilled vibes of daytime main stage instantly filled into a crowd of avid fans eagerly awaiting the electronic music duo. At the first kick drum the crowd went wild, kicking off the party atmosphere at main stage. Playing samples of 'I see you baby' the duo quickly move on delivering to a sea of raised arms and shoulder riders. Towards the end, the crowds attention began to slant just before teasing us with the legendary party anthem 'Superstylin' then kicking into it in full at the end just in time for sunset.

Cloud 9 presented by Apex proved to be tent for the party atmosphere hosting the likes of Tourist and Gorgon City. Tourist- a Grammy winning artist is certainly grabbing the musics lovers attention and 2015 has been a good year for him. As well as an excellent musician, he proved himself as a phenomenal DJ for Saturday Love Saves the Day. At no point did the crowds attention seem to stray. Gorgon City also provided a high finish to a night for the house/ garage fans.

The London singer/songwriter Jessie Ware, turned out to be a wonderful wind down a predominantly DJ and dance night. With some technical difficulties at the beginning Jessie Ware smoothly brushes it over by greeting the crowd. Her soulful and flawless voice eased us into sways of utter blissful happiness. Right before the end of the set Ware announces to 'slow dance with person you are standing next to' to which we complied singing the heart stopping 'Wildest Moments'. With the stage lights now turned off and heading back through the cold, the atmosphere of sheer satisfaction was upon the crowds face as you could hear passers-by singing Jessie Ware lyrics.

Saturday’s sunshine and atmosphere was the perfect way to really kick off the festival season and although the prior weather reports suggested otherwise, Sunday’s proceedings started in much the same way. Again, queues for the bars and toilets were a slight annoyance, even though tickets were still available on the door but it was nowhere near as bad as the first day. Perhaps the fewer people seeing the entire festival through were really making the most of the penultimate bank holiday before Christmas!

Giant illuminated signs outside the festival gates informed Sunday’s crowd that it was ‘party time’, and if any of the stages at Love Saves the Day lived up to this promise, it was the ‘Shambarber’ stage. Tucked away in the corner of the site, sheltered from the wind by the Paradiso tent and a slightly quieter bar ;) – this place was alive with festival spirit. It was a suntrap, with Dirtytalk and Jethro Binns providing the perfect accompaniment of feel-good house tunes making it really difficult to leave.

After a day outside, it was time to get some shade inside the paradise stage – one of the festival’s two larger tents. Floating Points’ stepped out, accompanied by a familiar face in Kieran Hebden (Four Tet), who must have been getting into the zone for his set later in the night. Floating Points’ impressed with yet another feel-good festival set – something he can be relied on. Whilst scatterings of electro-funk and disco took the premise, it was his own record ‘Nuits Sonores’ which really stood out as being something special.

After this a set by Daniel Avery which was again a lot of fun (although a little tamer than the last time I saw him at Manchester’s Soup Kitchen) it was the turn of Four Tet to take to the stage once again. Four Tet is an artist in the true sense of the word and once again he sculpted the perfect set to close the festival for the Paridiso tent’s crowd. He threw out tunes from every corner of the world, with samplings of African music seamlessly transitioned into deep electronic soundscapes. He treated our ears to some of his own tracks, with the reaction of the crowd to the haunting ‘Angel Echoes’ standing out as a highlight to the whole festival.

The time had come to get ready to round off a really memorable weekend and it was down to Harlem’s own Azealia Banks to close it out in style. Whilst Miss Bank$ has been known for a number of high profile arguments with other certain celebrities in the past, at love saves the day she let her music (and dancing) do the talking. Donning her sparkly purple jacket and white high tops and joined by her backing dancers, she covered and owned every inch of the stage. Singing and rapping along to songs which ducked and dived between hip-hop and popular dance in style, she brought her A-game from in the opening song of ‘Idle Delilah’, continuing to impress through to her arguably most famous track in ‘212’. There was no grand exit from Azealia – a simple ‘Thank you Bristol’ and she was gone.  

Liverpool Sound City Review 2015

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There's something counter-intuitive about standing in a tent when it's daylight & the sun is shining.* Ady Suleiman doesn't seem to mind. Hoodie sleeves pushed up on his forearms, he's tasked with opening the Cargo stage for Sound City 2015 & taking a suitably serious approach. It’s a small but merry crowd, one couple dancing drunkenly to 'So Lost'. Amy Winehouse fans will like Suleiman's soulful ska & straight talking. "I wonder what your body looks like." The tent grooves into the weekend.

*Behind the clouds, we assume. It's a grey day, sure, but better than many. 

The Kraken tent cheers six-strong folk act The Sound Poets. Out on the North stage, Delta Rae looks frighteningly cold. It's gusty on the docks, at ground level even. I want to dip the band in hot chocolate & wonder briefly if the Tim Peaks Diner would oblige.

London act Vaults is understated but by no means underdone. Frontwoman Blythe Pepino is unmissable in traffic light red, eyeliner streaming (intentionally, we hope). She is barefoot singing ‘Poison’ & moving from the heart. New single ‘Cry No More’ is a tricky thing, sad & hopeful. Ethereal, electronic, I hear Massive Attack & get those same goodly emotional vibes. The bass at the Atlantic is something else. I spend several minutes watching the stage skirting shudder to the beat.

The Lytics have the Cavern under command, four bright voices in unison. It’s only when the stage empties that I catch sight of one of their number’s leg in a cast. How on earth did he manage all that bouncing? Carnival Youth is perfectly sentimental with numbers like ‘Never Have Enough’ & ‘Brown Eyes & All The Rest’. Before taking the mic, the drummer warns the next is a quiet song. “So yeah, you probably won’t hear anything.” Cute.

Back at North (getting the nautical theme now?), a Jack Sparrow lookalike has one leg up in the air, posed like a plucky pigeon as he strikes the synth.

Spector thrashes out 2012’s Chevy Thunder on the main stage. Lead singer Fred Macpherson has been growing his hair since I saw him last but is no less officious in trademark business attire. New single ‘All The Sad Young Men’ is affecting. “I don’t wanna make love, I don’t want to make plans. I don’t want anyone to want to hold my hand.” It’s a great set, easily as good as later acts Everything Everything & fellow Londoners The Vaccines.

All We Are reign supreme on day two, ‘Keep Me Alive’ an understandable hit. ‘Utmost Good’ is just that, delicious summer listening and even better live. After an obligatory stop at Dogtown & a healthy bout of VIP boat envy, we’re back at base for Dutch Uncles & Duncan Wallis’ enthused vibrato. There’s a video game quality to their sound that I love, playful & rhythmic always.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra is another highlight & way more appealing to this reviewer than headliners The Flaming Lips, though without aid of flashy props. I bet Lonelady kills it too but as happens at a festival, we’re caught up enjoying & miss her completely. 

Bill Ryder-Jones is a discovery, at ease playing very personal tunes to the festival’s biggest stage. Moon King deserves a mention for their undersubscribed set at the Baltic, one of the new venue’s more exciting spaces. C.A.R. looks happy sipping Fosters in the sun & it’s ultimately refreshing to get a band all smiles.

Boys club The Raglans are raucous on the Cargo stage & give the audience an epic drumming break to close their set. Things get rowdier as the festival draws to a close, The Cribs not helping matters with older, better known material like ‘I’m a Realist’ & ‘Men’s Needs ’ stirring up the crowd. Security high-fives the first crowdsurfer to reach the front of the stage but I’m wondering if the joke is a little old the tenth & twelfth time. It’s great to watch, the hippies, mods & rockers, the hatted & bespectacled, all joining in the swell.

It’s hard to determine the ebbs & flows, the tarmac of the main stage emptying & filling in parts ahead of a hotly anticipated set from Belle and Sebastian. I’ll admit new album ‘Girls In Peacetime Want to Dance’ was my first encounter of the hugely popular indie outfit from Scotland, but I’m determined to explore their back catalogue after tonight’s showing.

I’m not sold on the new format. What made Sound City great in previous years was that it wasn’t one single identifiable & homogenous thing. It inhabited the cafes & bars of Liverpool’s cooler quarters & to that end, was supremely easy to access & enjoy. The docklands setting should be a win & there is more than enough music on offer, but I’m missing those laidback communal spaces that can make the in-between moments the best in a weekend (not counting the dodgem cars – they’re ace).

Let’s give it a year & see what’s what on the docks in 2016.

 

 

Common People 2015 Full Review

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Bank holiday weekend in Southampton, all the cool kids are down at the beach right? Wrong. This weekend there’s a new festival on the scene brought to you by the wonderful wizards behind Bestival and Camp Bestival and it’s called Common People. Held on the beautiful Southampton Common smack bang in the middle of town, it’s easy to get to and find places to stay, family friendly and with an eclectic line-up sure to please each and every person in your squad.

Saturday sees the likes of George The Poet energising the main stage whilst the rolling thunder of The Portsmouth Batala band is going strong in the foodie area, and people are soaking up the sunshine and sipping pitchers of cocktails on the grass. Around the corner from the Uncommon stage hides the exciting kids area, featuring a tiny chair-carousel, a massive inflatable slide and a whole host of activities from crafts to stilt walking. A group of dads are also haphazardly trying to one-up each other with their hula-hooping skills.

Over on the main stage The South Sea Alternative Choir are looking decidedly mod but are banging out some classic covers from the likes of The Beatles and Blur. The VIP area is awash with sunbathing bodies on the woven canopy beds and the arena is starting to fill up for the masked Ninja DJ, Jaguar Skills. Jag’s set starts out loud and heavy, mixing in his musical influences and pop culture references, The Prodigy’s ‘Omen’ makes an appearance, as does the festival’s (already much played) namesake tune ‘Common People’ from Pulp. Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ gets a round of applause from the Dad contingent, and everyone loves a bit of Faithless ‘Insomnia’. It’s a powerful set, if a little weird to witness in the daytime, instead of a dark grimy warehouse. 

DJ Yoda is up next, a Bestival stalwart who usually has an incredible AV show, which was advertised but doesn’t seem to have materialised. Nonetheless, Yoda’s mixes are seamless and the guy just looks permanently happy. From Macklemore to The Sugar Hill Gang, Chic to the Sesame Street theme, DJ Yoda just knows how to deliver a great set.

Following Yoda comes De La Soul, who spend the first few minutes of their show joking with the crowd and calling “Can all the photographers, all the journalists down here, just put their cameras down for a second and put one hand up in the air… and get down” as well as teasing the VIP area saying “VIP? We don’t do that bullshit”. Their no-nonsense style brings out the gangsta in the crowd, and there are random gang signs being thrown up all over. 

Around 8pm appears to be dinner time in the south, as the queues stretch out in front of each food outlet, but the offerings are better than your average city festival. No dodgy burgers or disappointing noodles to be had here – it’s gourmet grilled cheese for us (brie, pear and walnut) from a little independent trader, washed down with a cocktail from the Day of the Dead Cocktail Bus.

Big Top headliners Waze & Odyssey are going off and the stripy tent is bouncing as the sun goes down. The Main stage welcomes firm festival favourite and long time Rob-da-Bank pal Norman Cook, also known as the epic Fatboy Slim. Bringing out a choir to intro ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ is a touch of genius and something completely special, even to those who have had the pleasure of seeing a Fatboy Slim show before. With his creepy white mask torn off, and signature Hawaiian shirt out and proud, Norm hypes up the packed arena with a host of hits and mixes at ear-bleeding levels, and everyone loves it. There’s something pretty exciting about seeing parents and teens raving alongside each other, covered in neon paint and totally lost in the music together. Giant inflatable balls are thrown out for ‘Right Here, Right Now’ and the crowd is going absolutely mental. Finishing up with lasers and another choral rendition of ‘Praise You’, it’s clear that Fatboy Slim has made Common People his own, and to top it off a barrage of fireworks breaks out as the sitewide exodus into town begins.

 

 

Read our Fatboy Slim review here

Sunday starts out a little cooler and there are decidedly less people in early, though judging by the state of some of last night’s revellers, that may be down to hangover recovery in nearby hotels and homes. Over on The Uncommon Stage a decent crowd has gathered for young bid-winners The Costellos who thank everyone for coming out to see them, before diving headlong into a fun and energetic set.

People are dancing on benches and drinking cocktails out of hollowed out watermelons over at the Day of The Dead bus, whilst the West End Kids put on a great main stage show. It’s a pretty clever and creative idea for the early slot at a festival actually, something that is lively and entertaining but can be sat and watched, it’s a wonder more festivals haven’t yet tried it. DJ Craig Charles wants everyone to know that his alter egos from Red Dwarf, Coronation Street, Takeshi’s Castle and Robot Wars are ‘not him’, and that he’s just a DJ who loves to play funk and soul. Despite a bit of a mishap repeating ‘Uptown Funk’ at the beginning, it’s a set that dragged the masses from their bums to the front for a good old boogie.

Following on comes the unstoppable and lewd force of The Cuban Brothers. For those who’ve never seen them before, it is a life-lesson in exactly what the watershed exists for. The cheeky chaps bounce around the stage break dancing and throwing shapes like there’s no tomorrow, with a couple of big jumps and lifts from One-Erection and Kengo-San, some head-spinning and of course an almost-nude run around the gangway by Miguel. Archerio in a lycra fringed onesie is an image which could haunt a child, but luckily his moves are memorable and there are more than a few kids worryingly trying to imitate his twerking. Miguel carries a kids-only chant for “Kenny… the bastard” before making up his own little ditty about touching husbands’ wives whilst they go to the bar… #miguelitomumtouch. Yelling “I’ve had five punnets of nose-whisky” to explain why he can’t run for Mayor of Southampton, Miguel drops into ‘Mike for President’ and the crowd is loving it.

Next up, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis are joined onstage by enough equipment to power the London Philharmonic, which they swap and change frequently. They do a good job and play some truly beautiful music, but in terms of atmosphere, it is a bit of a comedown after the wild abandon of The Cubans. Hot band of the moment, neo-punk rockers Slaves strut onstage and launch into an aural assault of drums and riffs that would be right at home with Vyvyan and Rick from The Young Ones. Gurning like bosses they get everyone amped up, but it might be a bit more of a style over substance situation. At least ‘Cheer Up London’ is an anthem for those who’ve travelled down from the city.

Stand out performance of the day goes to BBC Sound of 2015 winners Years and Years. The unassuming electro-popsters take to their first ever festival main stage and completely blow everyone away with their mix of soulful style of house beats and beautiful vocals. ‘Titus’ and ‘Eyes Shut’ have the (extremely young and female) front row screaming at the highest pitch, and when lead singer Olly really gets into it and winds down to the stage – the mood is electric. New single ‘Shine’ is a surefire hit, and their already fan-favourites ‘Real’ and ‘Kings’ are standalone incredible. 

Band of Skulls bring a rock and roll edge to the proceedings with ‘Hoochie Coochie’ and tell the crowd “We’re so proud to be here for the first Common People, thanks to Rob for inviting us, we hope this goes on for a very long time”. ‘Sweet Sour’ is raw and brilliant, but ‘The Devil Takes Care of His Own’ is the standout song of their set.

Up next Clean Bandit clearly have a following as a slight delay sees people chanting for them to come on, and ‘Come Over’ gets a warm welcome as we say goodbye to the last snippet of sun-sun-sun-sunshine for today. Jess Glynne collaboration ‘Rather Be’ is the final song of an amazing set, and seems like a perfect sentiment for a Sunday afternoon of revelry, especially considering it’s a bank holiday tomorrow. 

As a black curtain is raised over the main stage, it’s time for the final act of the first ever Common People. The ever bonkers Grace Jones is a breath of fabulousness that comes from years of not giving a single eff what anyone thinks of her. Striding on in an ensemble that can only be attributed to the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes, and high heels, Jones proves that she is the ultimate performer, gadding about the two layer stage and winding with an extremely buff male pole dancer. Hits ‘La Vie En Rose’ and ‘Pull up to the Bumper’ go down well, but it’s her combination of ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ and her mad hula-hooping skills that set the night alight. Grace Jones has been there, done it, got the tshirt and discarded it for a thong. As the fireworks explode over the Common, it’s clear that Rob-da-Bank and crew are onto another winner. With Bestival, Camp Bestival and Bestival Toronto all still to come this year, Southampton has had the first tasty smackerel of this summers’ winning formula, and it is spectacular.

Read our review of Grace Jones here

 

 

Grace Jones headlines Common People 2015, in her undercrackers

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Some people just don’t give a solitary shit what you think of them. Those people make the best entertainers. A giant black screen is dropped to reveal Grace Jones slinking out from behind her backing singers who are wearing giant fru-fru net headpieces. Jones herself, never to be outdone in the mad fashion stakes, is sporting nothing more than a waspie, thong, heels and some body paint. Oh, and a giant gold skull mask with feather headdress.

As the chilly crowd look on in awe, Grace says what we’re all thinking “I was planning on it being summer when I came out naked, well, at least spring-time! Don’t tell anyone I’m naked…” much to the awe of the small boy on the front row, who is just dawning on the idea that those are really bare breasts.

Creeping around the elevated stage set wearing what looks like a painted bin-liner is certainly one of the weirder sights we’ve seen this weekend, but Grace just keeps one-upping herself in the style stakes with a host of other outfits throughout the night. ‘Walking in the Rain’ has the crowd dancing along with her but the biggest whoops are reserved for her extremely lithe male pole dancer who shows off his moves and muscles. With a glass of wine held aloft, Grace asks “To love, l’amour. How many of you guys are in love tonight?” before launching into ‘La Vie En Rose’. 

Photo courtesy of Common People

Rowdy favourite ‘Pull up to the Bumper’ goes down well, and Grace, now sporting white plumage in the style of show-horses, dramatically discards her heels yelling “Damn I just nearly broke my ankle, I should not be wearing these high heels!” and hops onto the back of a roadie for a tour around the front row fans.  

Back on stage she sports an incredible mirrored hat which turns into a live disco-ball when lasers are shone onto it, but it is the fact that at 67 years old Jones completes ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ in its entirety whilst hula hooping amid spraying confetti cannons, that really brings it home. Though the younger crowd might have been there for the likes of Clean Bandit and Years and Years, Grace Jones did more than uphold her legacy in front of them tonight. What Common People got was the kind of show you can’t take your eyes away from, and that’s what makes the memories.

BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend Norwich Sunday Review

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Despite the rain falling hard and fast onsite at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Norwich, the second day of the festival was one full of anticipation ahead of the arrival of Taylor Swift to Norwich. Perhaps perfectly timed by the universe, the clouds cleared and the sun emerged to beam down upon the incredibly large crowd just in time for Swift's performance that cemented her dominance as the biggest and best popstar in the world right now.

Having conquered the charts, Clean Bandit made sure everyone was dancing as if there were no tomorrow, playing tracks from their debut album 'New Eyes' as well as bringing out the incredibly talented Rae Morris to perform collaboration 'Up Again'. Violinist Neil Milan brought out his trademark dance moves as he bounded about the stage like he was headlining.

Rae Morris performing onstage with Clean Bandit at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. Image from the BBC

Gaining exposure at such an early stage of an artists' career brings with it an incredible weight of exepctation, and Irish singer-songwriter SOAK showed signs of nerves as the usually chatty performer kept talking to a minimum as they delivered heartbreakingly beautiful odes that would have you think she was much older than her young years. Channelling the raw emotion of legends such as Tom Waits. 'Be A Nobody' and 'Blud' brought the In New Music We Trust stage to a stunned silence, as the audience became visibly introspective about what these songs that many had perhaps never heard before made them feel. 

SOAK bringing the In New Music We Trust Stage to a standstill 

As a self confessed pop music sceptic, it was with trepidation that Rita Ora's set was approached. But such scpeticism was unfounded, as Ora delivered one of the highlights of the weekend. However you may want to criticise artists who perhaps don't have total creative input when making music, there is no denying that Rita Ora can sing. Really sing. Her set was heavy with hits from across her already impressive career and tracks such as 'Doing It' and 'RIP' went down an absolute storm with the age spanning crowd. Pop music at it's finest.

As the sun peered out from behind the clouds, Jungle took to the In New Music We Trust Stage to kickstart the carnival atmosphere ready for the night ahead. 'Busy Earnin' 'Time' and 'Julia' amongst many others had the tent bursting at the seems with people dancing and partying their way through a set that felt very much like a victory lap for a band that experienced runaway success across last year's festival circuit.

How does one describe James Bay? Well according to more than a few people poised to see him, he falls somewhere between "the most beautiful man in the world" and "his face was carved by angels" which when coupled with his amazing voice and melodies shows exactly why he was deserving of this year's BRIT Awards Critics Choice Award. 'Hold Back The River' and 'Let It Go' erupt massive crowd singalongs that are almost loud enough to drown out Bay's own voice. 

One name has been synonomous with this year's Big Weekend. You might have heard of her before? She likes to shake it off with fellas with hella good hair and recently she unveiled an already iconic video seeing her army of powerful ladies do battle against the forces of evil. Still unsure who it is? It can only be Taylor Swift.

Introduced by a BBC Radio 1 listener who won the opportunity to welcome Swiftie to Norwich, Taylor was greeted by screams of 'TAYLOR! TAYLOR!' as she emerged in a decadent sparkly outfit to reminds us all what a star she is. Opening with 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together', the next 40 minutes passed like some sort of euphoric chorus direct from the heavens. There were lifelong Swifites rubbing shoulders with recent converts following the release of '1989'. Strangers became friends over a shared love of shaking it off and that is exactly the kind of slap in the face that any present music snobs needed because in case you didn't get the memo; life's too short to be hating on someone as perfectly brilliant aas Taylor Swift. Ya hear?!

The beauty of BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend, is that you don't get just one globe conquering act in a day. Oh no, you get TWO! Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters never thought he'd get to say Taylor Swift was his opening act which was greeted with thunderous cheers from a crowd who have grown up with his mighty powerhouse of a band.

Playing to a crowd of die hard Taylor Swift fans was never going to be an easy for a band who fall on the total opposite side of the music spectrum. But the appeal of the Foos is twofold – first you have the anthem after anthem back catologue of tracks such as 'Walk' and 'Congregation' and then secondly you have the heart warming personality of Dave Grohl that feels like you and he have been friends for decades. 

The euphoria washing over Earlham Park throughout 'Times Like These' induces a swelling of happiness and warmth in the heart of everybody onsite. Closing with a spectacular firework display, Big Weekend closed it's doors for another year and as the crowds poured away from the site in Norwich, there really was a collective consensus that this was without a doubt the biggest Big Weekend there has ever been.

 

 

BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend Norwich Review

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After Radio 1 announced in Febuary that the fine city of Norwich had been chosen to host it's annual Big Weekend, the
often overlooked city became abuzz with excitement of the hotly-anticipated event, Europe's largest free ticketed festival.
The local paper reguarly ran articles leading up to the weekend, transport timetables were altered, and there was a furore
on social media over gaining tickets for the most in-demand weekend of the year in Norwich. When the day came, it was a roaring 
success. 
 
Performing infront of an elaborate stage set of a dark red velvet curtain and an array of lined up lights with a harpist in tow,
you could sense that Florence and the Machine's set was going to be special, despite the usually theatrical singer's mobility being
affected by a broken foot. Singing infront of a big blue Norwich sky, Florence voiced her appreciation of doing so while singing the very
fitting new track 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.' Her crowd interaction was very personable and endearing, clearly displaying a genuine
affection to the crowd. Florence belted out hits including 'Dog Days Are Over' and 'Sweet Nothing', her incredible voice showing no signs of
slowing down during the exceptionally inpressive long notes- drifting out the the crowd and probably beyond. Her heavy band only marginally
supported the already strong and sturdy voice of Florence that showed so much stamina, even overhearing a festival-goer 'getting goosebumps'
to then doing so when being encouraged to 'jump as high as you can' by Florence because she couldn't. A mesmerizing performance by the hugely-talented and remarkably humble and grounded Florence and her very impressive Machine. 
Photo courtesy of BBC Radio 1 website
 
After her performance, the crowd had an hour wait till headliners Muse made their appearance. It was easy to pass this time
looking at the big screens beside the stage seeing music revellers reactions to being spotted, some more amusing than others.
On they came, to a rousing welcome from the 50,000 strong crowd. They created a visually spectacular performance, with thunderous 
guitar riffs and use of bolts of lighting and flames firing out of the stage. Muse are known to use their music to display political views,
and their use of stage graphics depcited this by use of an authoritive and purposeful looking US military official shouting
orders at the captivated and at times on-edge looking audience. Lead singer Matt Bellamy played his signature unmistakable opening bars
to opening news songs Psycho and Reapers, followed by classics Suppermassive Black hole, Time is Running Out and Starlight. The band's
dark undertones intensified in the highlight of the set, Knights of Cydonia. By use a harmonica, bassist Chris Wolstenholme had the whole
audience on tenderhooks, with words like 'haunting' even being heard. Suddenly, that perilous sound was cut like a knife with Matt Bellamy's
piercing rythm guitar chords and riffs, proving his hype of being considered one of the best guitarists of the 21st century. With that
magnificent ending song, it was time for the crowd to head home, some coming back for the next day and some others seemingly happy with just
the Saturday's long stretch of excellent performances.
Photo courtesy of BBC Radio 1 website

Common People – Fatboy Slim Saturday headliner Review

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Over the almost two decades of Fatboy Slim, Norman Cook has been leader of the bucket-hatted masses, spaced out neon lovers with glowsticks and an assortment of psychotropic treats. So when Common People festival-goers were faced with a choral arrangement from a very serious looking but talented bunch of vocalists, more than a few confused looks were exchanged. However, the hums and notes gathered momentum into an absolutely brilliant (mad but brilliant) mashup of Norm’s super hits, from ‘Right Here, Right Now’ to ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’.

As the choir wound up to a crescendo, the man himself hit the stage wearing a fairly creepy white mask and hood, looking a bit Detroit clown-gang, but tearing it off theatrically as the bass dropped for his own ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’. Common People might be a brand new festival, but it’s clear some of it’s forefathers’ Bestival/Camp Bestival vibes are present, the glow-paint covered crowd are going absolutely mental already, and Norman throws off his hoody to reveal a loud Hawaiian shirt and some very suggestive hip wiggling.  

Throughout the set Norman mixes tracks from various artists, but it’s Zombie Nation’s ‘Kernkraft 400’ that gets the front row bouncing. The big screen shows computer generated graphics of his face with visable musculature and day of the dead style facepaint and when the well known ‘Samba De Janeiro’ is mixed in, giant acid-smiley inflata-balls are thrown out into the crowd.  

Talking Heads’ ‘Psycho Killer’ rolls into a mashup of ‘Right Here, Right Now’ and Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’ as rippling blue lasers bathe the site in an otherworldly glow. Salt-N-Pepa ‘Push It’ has the rowdier (drunk) sorts attempting to push each other over. A clip showing Cook being slapped with a wet fish somehow leads us into what is understandably this festival’s herald – Pulp’s ‘Common People’.

Photo courtesy of Common People

For the finale, the choir, now in white gowns float back on stage to help with fan favourite ‘Praise You’ which has the entire crowd, even the guy inexplicably waving his crutches in the air – dancing in the traditional circle formation and singing along. As a massive array of fireworks light up the sky and mark the end of the night, it’s safe to say that Common People festival has picked a pretty epic first ever headliner. It’s amazing that one man behind a mixing desk can be such a presence, but that is exactly what Fatboy Slim does with an ease that says ‘I can do this in my sleep’ or maybe ‘I’d rather do this than sleep’.

Live at Leeds 2015 Review

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Awarded 'Best Metropolitan Festival 2014' and due to celebrate its 10th birthday next year things are going pretty well for Live at Leeds currently. One of a growing number of urban music festivals, there are some distinct advantages to be had from avoiding the expense and mud of the established camping festivals, and you get to sleep in a bed at the end of the day! Crucially though, there is a huge range of acts across multiple stages – and all at a very reasonable price tag of £27.50.

Based on an ethos of promoting up and coming bands, particularly local ones, the festival has given early career appearances in recent years for the likes of Jake Bugg, Rudimental and Royal Blood. However, a smattering of established acts are always on hand for those less adventurous punters with The Cribs, Gaz Coombs and experimental-punk-rock legend Thurston Moore all on the bill this year.

Legendary status comes in all forms and for the Leeds music scene it's a venue – in this case the Brudenell Social Club where things kicked off for me in impressive style with St. Petersburg's Pinkshinyultrablast doing their very best to revive the early 1990's British shoegaze sound. Fresh from a Radio 6 session earlier in the week their wall of sound comprising effects heavy guitar, synth and driving drum beat is well constructed and pleasingly reminiscent of their forebearers: Ride, My Bloody Valentine etc with perhaps even some Cocteau Twins thrown in for good measure. Next door on the smaller games room stage is Lancaster's Lake Komo offering up sweet pop melodies echoing somewhat The Magic Numbers. Back on the Brudenell main stage the fabulous Broncho from Oklahoma are in full swing. A raggle taggle bunch of skinny scruffs with ripped jeans, their twitchy, urgent Americana-punk is Ramones / Stooges inspired and has the afternoon audience bouncing joyously at the front.

In town at one of the bigger venues, Leeds Beckett University main stage I caught local band Hookworms' set of synth-led droning psychedelic rock. It's clearly a sound these boys take very seriously – powerful and confident; undoubtedly a band to watch for the future. Over the road Palma Violets open as they mean to go on with their driving, heavy blues rock sing-along anthems, sending a packed Leeds Town Hall into euphoria. Fans sitting on shoulders, jumping up and down, fists in the air: this is rock'n'roll as it should be – inspirational and ecstatic. On leaving the venue the queue for The Cribs was round the block leaving me questioning whether I would be able to get back in for the headliners but I was determined to catch Eagulls back at the student union, and was glad I made the effort. In the home of goth these Leeds locals are doing an admirable job of keeping the genre alive. The influence of Sisters of Mercy and The Mission is evident here using many conventions we have come to associate with that often, but unfairly, derided sound – scything guitar, walls of screechy feedback and a fabulously gaunt, waily voiced front man, complete with black over-coat.

Next up is Thurston Moore and his roots in experimentation and pushing the boundaries of New York's 1980's hard-core punk scene with his band Sonic Youth are very much on display in an elongated minimal Phillip Glass like intro plucked out on his guitar. However, this gives way to a catchy garage-punk chugging guitar groove which sustains his 15 minute opening track admirably. His vocals relatively quite in the mix, this is an altogether lighter, more melodic and easier on the ear sound than much of Sonic Youth's often challenging hard-core. Perhaps a little phased by the sparse turn out in the venue – packed to the gills for the previous set by Eagulls – Moore is initially rather taciturn but visibly perks up after a “We love you Thurston!” emanates from the audience, and finally breaks his between songs silence with a “Thank you” and introduction of his band as “Slade”!

Happily I am able to gain access to the town hall again for the second half of The Cribs set despite there still being a queue, albeit a diminished one. There is little that can go wrong here: the band are local boys made good (strictly speaking from nearby Wakefield rather than Leeds itself), now internationally famous rock stars playing a suitably rapturous homecoming gig. They belt out their catalogue of pop-punk anthems to an adoring crowd, surpassing the response, even, gained by Palma Violets. As has become customary in these parts at major homecoming gigs, the chants of “Yorkshire, Yorkshire” go up at the end and the band politely thank the audience before duly smashing up their instruments, denoting their now fully fledged rock star status.

To finish the day I can't resist making my way back to the Brudenell, which is at the fullest and sweatiest I have ever seen the venue, to catch the end of Slaves set. Keeping the DIY spirit of punk alive this is a primal and energetic two man drum and guitar assault, a Sleaford Mods / Rage Against the Machine hybrid perhaps. The security are kept busy by multiple stage invasions while band members Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent repay the compliment by jumping into the crowd themselves and completing the final song held aloft before embracing and leaving the stage – the gig clearly a powerful experience for them as well as us, and a great way to end Live at Leeds 2015.

 

Photos by Paul Jones

Everywhere festival 2015 review!

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An indoor playground for electronic enthusiasts, Everywhere Festival, the largest multi-venue dance 

event in the East Midlands returned to the clubs of Nottingham for its third successive year on May 3rd. 

With an eclectic selection of artists and DJs, the tastes of many were catered for with dollop 

presenting acts to satisfy the most passionate of electronic, house, techno, grime and garage lovers. 

Alongside hardened veterans of the electronic and dance scene such as chart-topper Route 94 and 

Leeds’ Hot Since 82 performing at Forum, came newcomers such as garage and grime goddess Flava 

D adding a sense of rhythmic bass to Rescue Rooms.

International talent came from Cyril Hahn at Rock City and Motor City Drum Ensemble at Stealth.

Rescue Rooms set off Everywhere 2015 with a day party from 2pm, switching at night to a line-up 

with an urban edge, with Melé concluding the evening with a bass-fuelled set, contrasting the 

infectious house and techno pumping throughout the other venues. 

It was Rock City’s main hall that attracted the largest crowds of the evening, as the masses crammed 

themselves onto the dance floor and along the balcony. 

Redlight gave a sterling performance, driving anthemic beats throughout with popular hits such as 

Gold Teeth & 9TS ensuring the crowd continued to beat the air throughout his set. 

“Notts was sick,” he said upon posting a picture of the audience after his set to his Instagram 

account. 

Followed by highlight of the evening Hannah Wants, who kept the masses of 20-somethings 

shuffling on their feet with her cleverly driven DJ set, a seamless mix of renowned original work such 

as Rhymes and clever remixes of old-school classics such as Renegade Master. 

Her bold determination towards the end of the night left many a sweltering and heaving mess. 

Aggravated bar staff and bouncers tried to stay optimistic as dawn approached and sweat began to 

drip from the booming speakers upon the waning crowds.

Stealth offered a wind down from the smoke machines, flashing lights and visuals, as the survivors 

swayed to the beats of Chunky, Paleman and Loefah, proving a more calming finish to the evening.  

With bass pumping through the mind, bodies and souls of revellers for eight hours straight, most will 

still have a ringing in their ears today. 

 

For the partygoers of the Midlands, it is a good thing that it is a bank holiday weekend.

Lost and Found Festival 2015 Review

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Annie Mac has become nothing short of an inspirational, ground-breaking tour de force over the past few years. When we heard that she would be taking the AMP team out to the Mediterranean island of Malta over the Easter weekend to launch their very own Lost And Found Festival, we knew we had to be there.  With a line-up that reads like a who’s-who of the music scene right now, the promise of sun, boat parties and beats, no wonder it enticed an abundance of clubbers and DJs alike.

You can get to Malta from most of the major UK airports, in comparison to other European dance festivals getting to Lost and Found festival was relatively easy.

We stayed in one of the main hotels recommended from the festival website, just a stones throw from the daytime party location Café Del Mar at St Paul’s Bay. Being held so early in the season it was apparent that this sleepy island wasn't ready for what was about to hit it – 7,000 British partygoers were joining us, imminently.

Friday

Café Del Mar seemed to be the windiest bit of the island, even in the sunshine. None the less that did not stop the ravers who were ready to party at all costs.  Friday kicked off with a pretty wild pool party hosted by Toddla T. North Base, DRS, Jamz Supernova and Mele joined Toddla on the decks. Between them they pounded out sounds of house, DnB, grime and bass. Toddla took things up a notch, giving the crowd a pure injection of energy-induced dirty beats. Cisk time (local Maltese beer) was flowing nicely as the hazy sun set in the early evening. If this pool party was anything to go by, then the rest of the weekend was bound to be pretty spectacular.

We caught the festival shuttle service, which took around 20 minutes to get from St Pauls to Ta’ Qali. We arrived at the main festival site around 10pm, which was far too early, at least it gave us the chance to get our bearings and mooch around the festival site. Numero Uno is a small site which resembled Ibiza’s zoo project, a warren of stages, VIP viewing platforms and bars. Palm trees, pink flamingos and neon lights created quite a magical atmosphere.  The chill out area provided the masses a space to recharge their batteries and get some nourishment. 

As night fell, it turned quite cold and us unprepared Brits got caught out in vest and shorts. Fortunately the hoodies at the merchandise tent provided us with some much needed warmth. The evenings were a more serious affair with a calibre of DJs to match. Neon cocktail glasses flanked the Tropicana stage, which saw a line up of Oneman, Julio Bashmore, and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Rising geordie star Patrick Topping opened proceedings on the Palace stage, followed by Hot Since 82, the Martinez Brothers and finally closing with Hot Creations Heavy weight Jamie Jones.

Julio Bashmore

As we caught the shuttle bus back to our accommodation we chatted to a few of the partygoers. It seemed most peoples highlight from the evening was a storming set UKG legend DJ EZ. EZ opened with Sticky & Ms Dynamite’s infamous Booo!, with a surprise that not only got the crowd wild, but also made Annie herself go nuts. Most commented on how well the event was organised, which one would expect from the team that run WHP.

Saturday

Early Saturday morning we headed down to the Annie Mac All Stars boat party, all aboard for the rave on the waves. Most of the crowd were surprised to see their favourite artists in such a close proximity, and Annie was hounded for non-stop selfies. Redlight was the surprise guest, who went B2B with Annie, Monki, Melé and Toddla T, they blasted us with track after track on the three-hour boat ride.

It was great to see the Maltese bar staff letting their hair down and joining in with the merriment. Toby Tea (the white tiger mascot) who appeared all over the festival over the weekend, getting fist pumped into the air by the crowd.  The boat party even witnessed an engagement, as reveler Ian got down on one knee in front of everyone and proposed to his girlfriend Victoria. Of course she said yes… #theloveboat

Annie Mac and Today Tea

Better prepared and wrapped in several layers, we were ready for whatever Saturday night had to throw at us. Torn between the four stages we caught sets from Barely Legal, My Nu Leng, Doorly, Ten Walls, Skream, Artwork, Jackmaster, Duke Dumont, Cajmere, with MK nicely closing the palace stage with an immense set. Redlight was one the standout set for us, already a fan of his music, he dropped house classics as well as his own 9TS, Lost in your love and new track Gold Teeth.

Sunday

The crowds didn’t start filtering in until much later in the day, which meant that Monki, Shadow Child, B-traits didn’t get the crowds they deserved.

Taking the main stage just before sunset was base-heavy house DJ Hannah Wants. Her set at Lost and Found was unsurprisingly a hit; mixing classic ‘90s garage tunes with her own contemporary bass and house beats. The crowd went berserk when she dropped Faithless’ Insomnia. Her hit Rhymes went down just as well with raised hands to the sky for the track's bass heavy drop.

Hannah Wants

Over the course of the night we saw sets from Catz n’Dogs, Paul Woolford, Kerri Chandler, Flat White, Tiga, Green Velvet and Haitian-Canadian electronic musician, producer and DJ Kaytranada. Leading on to the penultimate act of the day Heidi that set the crowds ready for the headline act.

Annie entered the booth and greeted chanting crowds with a croaky voice. The weekend had clearly taken its toll. She didn’t care; the Annie Mac party faithful was here to dance. She opened with a belter Après Chicago, followed by a plethora of electronic bassy bangers. Her set contained highlights from Waze & Odyssey, Grum, Ten Walls, Adam F (Eats Everything Remix) and stand out track of the weekend for myself and others was Melé’s superb drum-ladden Ambience.

Annie hyped her audience into a frenzy as she jumped on the speakers draped in an Irish flag to Dumont’s The Giver, the crowd chanting “Annie, Annie, Annie F**cking Mac” their hands illuminated and a sea of phones recording the moment. Confetti cannons exploded for the grand finale and she played out to Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody, the crowd lapping up every minute of the loved-up vibes. Annie put on an immense performance with dance-floor hit after hit, showing us exactly why she is the UK’s premiere live, and radio DJ.

Annie Mac

We’ve been to quite a few festivals, but this definitely felt like a game changer. We felt incredibly lucky to be part of something so special, and to be welcomed with open arms by the Maltese. Lost and found far outweighed my expectations. It was beguiling, bewitching, brilliant and proved an unforgettable experience. Not a bad way to spend an Easter, is it!

See our full photoshoot here: