With a line up throughout the day better than many festivals this summer, BST Hyde Park certainly knows how to put on a show.
Kate Nash began the party in style, celebrating her birthday on the same day – she certainly laid good ‘Foundations‘ (excuse the pun) for all the acts which followed.
Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape were on next, and welcomed a large crowd to the Great Oak Stage. Beginning with ‘In The Name of The Father‘ from their iconic It’s Great When You’re Straight album, it’s incredible to still see Ryder & Co still performing to such a high and party atmosphere.
Over on the smaller Birdcage Stage, Davina Michelle showed what a voice she has. With over one million followers on Instagram, she rose to fame after last year’s Hyde Park star P!NK saw her on YouTube covering her hit ‘What About Us‘. Definitely one to watch for the future.
(Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media Shutterstock)
Gaz Coombes followed on the main stage, making reference to England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final match which kicked off at the same time as his set. As well as demonstrating what a strong singer-songwriter he is, he mixed a few classic Supergrass tunes in for good measure, with ‘Moving‘ getting a large part of the crowd on their feet.
Over on the stunning Rainbow Stage, duo Soft Play (formerly known as the iconic Slaves) blew away any clouds from the sky with their short-sharp punk rock. Joking that Robbie Williams asked them to support after stating on Twitter (nee X) that singer Isaac Holman looked like a cross between Robbie himself and Ant McPartlin, they invaded the crowd on multiple occasions, starting their own mini moshpit, playing crowd favourites ‘Sockets‘, ‘The Hunter‘ and of course, ‘Where’s Your Car Debbie‘. One to catch at other festivals this summer if you get chance.
Seal followed, fresh from his appearance the previous night with Andrea Bocelli (our review of that legendary set is available here: https://www.summerfestivalguide.co.uk/reviews/2024/07/08/andrea-bocelli/). As well as his own timeless hits, including ‘Killer‘, ‘Crazy‘ and ‘Kiss From a Rose‘, he admirably covered T-Rex’s ‘20th Century Boy‘.
(Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media Shutterstock)
The crowd were here for one man and one man alone though. Mr Robbie Williams.
He proved why he is one of, if not the best entertainer in the UK after all these years, arriving on stage to a magnificent ‘Let Me Entertain You‘.
Defying his age having recently turned 50, Robbie has clearly been working out, and launched into ‘Land of a Thousand Dances‘, joined by an impressive line up of backing dancers.
After telling the story of his life, from Take That to Glastonbury misadventures, Robbie seamlessly went from ‘Could It Be Magic‘, into a crowd singalong of Oasis classic ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger‘. To ensure other Britpop favourites were not left out, he was joined by Gaz Coombes for a joyful version of their 90’s anthem ‘Alright’, before performing a cover no one knew they needed. Cockney cheeky chap Danny Dyer took over the vocals from Phil Daniels for a cover of Blur’s charming ‘Parklife‘.
(Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media Shutterstock)
Visibly emotional, he declared he is now the happiest he has ever been in his life, thanks to his wife Ayda and his young family positioned on the nearby sound-stage.
Hit after hit followed, with fans enjoying ‘Millenium‘, ‘Kids‘, ‘Feel‘, ‘No Regrets‘ and ‘She’s The One‘, which, as has become part of his repertoire, Robbie serenaded a young Italian lady in the crowd with.
There was only one song Robbie Williams can finish with. The epic anthem ‘Angels‘ which elevated him above many of his peers and demonstrated his ability to write an anthem for the generation closed the evening in style with all of the crowd raising their phone cameras and lights.
Fireworks lit up the sky as the 65,000 strong crowd sung every word in unison.
This is how to perform an entertaining headline show. Nobody does it better.
Despite the heavy rain throughout the day typical of the British summer, spirits remained high on Day 5 of the BST Hyde Park series of concerts.
As host Myleene Klass explained, this was the largest classical concert, not only in Hyde Park, but for the whole of Europe this century.
Andrea Bocelli clearly has a very talented family, with Matteo Bocelli opening proceedings on the main Great Oak Stage.
Playing a mix of classical and contempory songs, Matteo’s voice shone through the clouds, with a mix including ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’, ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’, with his own compositions including the song he wrote for Netflix series ‘Scratch’ – ‘All Because of Love’. A true talent, with the glint of charm from his father in his voice.
(Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media Shutterstock)
Following on from Matteo was Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins – a true national treasure.
She could well be headlining Hyde Park herself one day, mixing classics from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, with an unscheduled if beautiful rendition of ‘Singing In The Rain’. Before finishing with Queen’s classic ‘We Are The Champions’, she delighted fans by putting on her Hunter wellies and showcasing a medley of James Bond themes, including ‘Writings on the Wall’, ‘We Have All the Time in the World’, ‘You Only Live Twice’, ‘Nobody Does It Better’, ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ and of course, Adele’s ‘Skyfall’. Not many people could cover the latter and improve on the original, but Katherine’s voice is truly spectacular.
Again, there are few people who could follow Katherine, but of course, the tenor Andrea Bocelli managed it with his incredible voice, charm and wit.
(Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media Shutterstock)
Celebrating over 30 years in music, Andrea was joined by very special guests throughout his two hour performance, all backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus.
The first half comprised classical and operatic pieces, beginning with ‘La donna e mobile’ – before Andrea continued to demonstrate what a talented family he has, with his daughter Virginia joining him on the huge stage, without any sign of nerves despite being only 12 years old.
Throughout the second half of the set, Andrea was joined by more very special guests, including Zucchero, Seal and one of the greatest film composers of all time, Hans Zimmer. Mixing their own unique talents, each were graced with opportunity of playing their own classic tunes with the incredible backing of the orchestra, with Seal’s own ‘Kiss From A Rose‘ taking on a whole new dimension.
(Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media Shutterstock)
Saving the best for last, Bocelli concluded with his passionate ‘Con Te Partirò’ (Time To Say Goodbye), which never fails to leave goosebumps (and a few tears) with its beautiful lyrics and music. Finally, ‘Nessun Dorma’, possibly the best known tenor arias from opera left the crowd leave with huge smiles over their ponchos.
Here’s hoping Hyde Park will welcome more classical concerts in the coming years.
It’s an overcast but warm Sunday in London town, and we’ve come all the way from Leicestershire to the Olympic Park to attend an extremely rare and exciting event. Once a year, London Stadium (which is now the given home of West Ham) is transformed from a classic football pitch into an enormous baseball stadium. The build itself is truly something to behold, you can watch an incredible time-lapse of it on MLB Europe’s social media, but turning a rectangular pitch into the iconic diamond is no mean feat.
The first MLB London Series was held in 2019 with the original grudge-match of Yankees vs. Red Sox, and was then disrupted by Covid for the next three years. Returning last year with a St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs match it has already cemented itself as a true London summer essential, with fans rushing in from all over the UK as well as from overseas.
Driving to London is nowhere near as chaotic as people make it out to be, especially if you’re heading to one of the Westfield malls (conveniently located outside of the congestion charge zone). We park at Stratford Westfield for a purse-friendly £13 flat day rate, which is incidentally cheaper than parking in our own mall all day in Leicester, and it’s a very short walk from there right into the Stadium grounds. With fuel and parking all in, we’ve probably saved ourselves around £300 for three of us on public transport, as well as a whole lot less stress.
Heading into the arena we are surrounded by baseball jerseys of all kinds, not just the two teams that are playing today. In case you were wondering how a sporting event fits into our ‘Summer Festival Guide’ parameters here, this is truly like walking into a metal fest and seeing a sea of band tshirts – and I’m about to give you all the reasons this stacks up as a must-do Summer Festival.
Outside of the security entrances we spot a decent sized merchandise stall with a hefty queue around it, and there are flags, banners and backdrops for taking photographs everywhere. There are also plenty of stewards with selfie-frames and foam fingers who are there to help you get your perfect game day group shots. It’s a really nice touch, and adds to the atmosphere. To make things go smoothly, they open the gates to the arena area 3 hours before the event and have security entrances on at least two sides. It’s a quick bag check and we’re in!
Around the front of the stadium there are yet more photo opportunities, live entertainment in the form of percussion bands, stilt walkers and more. There are set ‘Fan Zones’ for each team which house have-a-go pitching cages, mini merch stalls and food stands curated from the hometowns of each team. at the Mets Zone you can grab a mouthwatering New York Pastrami sandwich, pizza and fried chicken. Over at the Phillies Zone you can feast on a classic Cheesesteak, Phanatic Fried Chicken (isn’t he meant to be a bird? That’s a bit gauche if you ask me) or some punny ‘Batter Up’ fish and chips.
Now situated at the back of the stadium, the huge MLB superstore has an hour and a half queue to traverse (so said the helpful steward at the entrance) which unfortunately would put us past opening ceremony time so we decided to hit it up later on. This turned out to perhaps be a mistake, as by the time we made it back there – the entire store was bereft of Phillies merchandise. I know the games are over two days but it does seem that if you want your pick – you’re better off going early or even the day before to one of the other outlets. The huge tailgate party at Trafalgar square also has merchandise on offer and it’s free to get in during the weekend, a good strategy for next year.
Heading into the actual arena itself, we are helped to find our seats by another lovely steward and end up parked alongside third base, and in front of a huge contingent of US fans who have travelled over for the games on a tour holiday. Mostly Phillies but with a few Mets mixed in, they’re raucous, flamboyant and funny – shouting and singing along with all the exuberance I expect of an American audience. The view we have is phenomenal, but to be honest it looks like you get a great view from anywhere in this arena, we sat in the nosebleeds in 2019 and still had a magical time.
Pre-show entertainment includes the introduction of the Mascots, the Phillies Phanatic – who according to Wikipedia is meant to be a green flightless bird. Our 4 year old referred to him as “The funny alien” and absolutely fell in love with him. We went hunting for a plushie for her, but alas none on site (at least at this late stage). I must say though that the tongue which protrudes from his… beak… mouth… hole… is more than a little unsettling, but we laughed our heads off at his sassy dancing.
The Mets mascots are well, cute but ultimately less inspiring. They’re just people with giant baseball heads clled Mr. and Mrs. Met. We’re team funny alien. Sorry not sorry. On the VIP green stage, the incredibly talented Jess Glynne warms up the crowd with hits ‘Hold My Hand’, ‘Rather Be’ and ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself’ before giant flags are splayed out on the field for each country’s National Anthem to be sung. First up the USA’s star spangled notes are belted out by Broadway star Marisha Wallace, and then Welsh classical vocalist Katherine Jenkins hitting those insane high notes for God Save The King. It’s still weird to hear King, if I’m honest.
The first pitch is set to be given by Rob McElhenny of Always Sunny and Wrexham fame, Philly born and bred – but he is joined on the field by Kaitlin Olsen (also of Always Sunny fame, also his wife) and Chase Utley (former Phillies player) to instead do a ceremonial ‘First Double Play, roping in Bryce Harper.
We also get a starting line up of players for each team, which included an extremely random set of pyrotechnics – huge flame cannons which weren’t then used at any other time during the game, and then it begins. The first inning is so fast we barely have time to register what’s going on, and though it isn’t an entirely sold out stadium, the sound of the entire ballpark roaring as the Phillies’ Nick Castellanos takes first base is wild.
It’s not a difficult game to get to grips with, which is part of the appeal I think. The native Philly fan behind me is coding all of the game stats into her worksheet from inside the programme though, and that is a step too far down the rabbit hole for me. I’m here for less pure reasons, one of which is to unironically wear my Benchwarmers jersey and see how many people notice. My partner is also wearing a Milwaukee Beers Baseketball jersey and it is niche enough that even amongst baseball fans only a handful of people have picked him up on it.
The game goes a lot faster than I remembered it last time, but these players are not here simply for a jolly weekend. I really love that this is a part of their regular season, so we’re actually getting to see a true unfiltered game day, not just a ceremonial fun game. Having the home fans behind us also really helped with the mood – they were all so animated by every single play, and got our daughter involved in all the clapping/chants/general baseball crowd participation too.
The one thing I will say about US sports is, there are so many breaks during game play! I understand needing re-set time but there’s a lot of mid-game entertainment to cope with it. We loved the Phanatic dressed as a Royal Guard, joined in with the seventh inning stretch, and sung along to ‘Take me out to the ball-game’.
At one point giant baseball shaped beach-balls were thrown into the crowd in a race to get them back to the dugouts, the very strange mascot race which included King Henry VIII, Freddie Mercury, Winston Churchill and Nessie, who cheated bigtime.
We also love the random trivia that comes up with each hitter on the big screen, for example – did you know that Mets’ Jeff McNeil“was a judge at the 2019 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island”? Incidentally, the breaking news in the hot dog community (which obviously runs parallel to the baseball community, 16-time winner Joey Chestnut announced that he has been banned from entering the competition under MLE’s (that’s Major League Eating obviously) new rules. That’s my trivia gift to you today.
The chaotic joy doesn’t stop there, as Phillies’ David Dahl hits the first home run of the game to rapturous applause – the black cab on a plinth in the VIP area explodes in a haze of sparkly fireworks and disco lights, which is apparently now our UK ‘home run tradition’. Love that we’re just making stuff up at this point. I’ll take one Black Cab jersey next year please. It’s hitting close to the end but we make a break for boomstick nachos (that’s a 2 foot box of loaded chilli nachos, that spanned the laps of two adults and one child) which was truly epic. We wanted to grab a cheesesteak but unfortunately they sold out early on, but we did grab one of the very silly and fun baseball bat shaped beer cups. I have no idea what we’re going to do with it… maybe make people who come to our house down pints? But it is a cool souvenir.
Anyway, back to the closing game. The thing that truly baffles me is how anyone hits anything when some of these pitchers are throwing 94mph right at their faces. It is tense and brilliant, as a non-regular baseball watcher, it’s truly engaging and edge-of-your-seat stuff when the bases are loaded. Ultimately after a good fight back, Philly are ousted with a nail biting double play (and a smashed bat!) to end the game 6-5 to the Mets. The entire stadium is up on their feet cheering for what has been a truly spectacular day. With 108,956 people recorded in attendance over the weekend, I think it’s safe to say that MLB has a permanent home in the UK and it can only get better.
Oh, and leaving London at 7.30 on a Sunday is a lovely easy trip and we’re back in the Midlands by around 9.30pm even with a stop. So there’s no excuse, book your tickets next year for a slice of that classic game day atmosphere and a really unique fan festival experience.
2024 seems be the year of the giant arena tours, with the likes of Foo Fighters, Bring Me The Horizon and Taylor Swift busting out the big guns all around the UK, you’d be forgiven for thinking a mock-rock band of humble origins wouldn’t be a huge scene this year. JB would tell us to never underestimate the power of rock, and with over fifteen thousand piling into the Birmingham Resorts World Arena tonight – a completely sellout show – it’s clearly going to be a wild one.
We take a quick gander at the merchandise offerings, but are unsettled to find t-shirts peaking at £50 (ouch) and the cheapest being £35 – half of what a standing ticket cost tonight, which is diabolically expensive when you consider two non-purchases of a tee could get you another ticket to a huge tour show. I do rate their alternative merch choices like tabi/sandal socks, bags of branded plectrums, and crocs charms – they’re much more in the realm of affordability and are something different than yet another black band tee. Here’s my heartfelt plea to bands to push smaller merch offerings that are at the £5-£20 mark, we all wanna participate but… cozzie livs innit.
VIP Nation patrons however, were also able to pick up a Jack Black curated fan gift with their priority seating tickets, comprising of a very fun Tenacious D pizza box, red apron, tea-towel and lanyard – all branded with the Spicy Meatball artwork.
Dave Hill
As the arena begins to fill, we are treated to the very weird but funny musical/comedy stylings of support act Dave Hill. Dressed in a Slipknot-esque boilersuit which is covered in whimsical floral and animal patches, he races onto the stage pretending to… well, fuck shit up, I suppose. He proceeds to play three or four chords on his axe between mumbling, kicking and moshing. I am bemused, but also amused. At one point he even grabs a pair of nunchucks and cavorts wildly about the stage.
Finally he settles down slightly, and jokes “Great to be back here in Birmingham… The Paris of the Midlands. I’ve not been back here in ten years! For legal reasons…” before taking requests, for what turns out to be the first 5 seconds of any song yelled out. Yes, it was Freebird.
What follows is a very strange rant about Poundland – “Poundland, we sell everything but dignity” and then some pick-up lines that “will only work in Birmingham”. Dave smiles slightly, betraying his persona “Are you the west midland metro making stops between Birmingham and Wolverhampton? If you are I’d like to ride you all the way free of charge”. I don’t really know what I make of it all to be honest, he’s definitely not a traditional opener, but he gets the laughs and is actually a more than decent guitartist. Oh and I will always appreciate someone who exits the stage on a BMX for no discernable reason whatsoever.
The stage lights dim to the mightiest roar from the packed arena, as the choral opening music from Tenacious D’s ‘The Pick of Destiny’ movie, sets the scene.
Strutting calmly on stage the duo, Kyle Gass and Jack Black revel in the full force thunder of the crowd. Taking their places in front of two red devil-hand mic stands they steal a quick nod to each other before launching into story-setting memoir song Kickapoo. Despite knowing the words myself, I don’t think I was really prepared for how much of tonight would feel like a Rocky Horror singalong – EVERYONE and their rockin’ mother was giving it a ruddy good go.
With his signature wry smile, Jack laughs “So Birmingham… Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin. There must be something in the water here, Rock. Rock is in the water. This might be the rock capital of the world” before sweeping his sweaty hair out of his face and catching a helpful fan’s scrunchie from the crowd, to tie it up.
Low Hangin’ Fruit and Rize of the Fenix come with a side of “Any of you seen our film ‘Pick of Destiny’? NOT AT THE CINEMA YOU DIDN’T” referencing the flop that almost scuppered the band, and requesting pyrotechnics which never materialised. “When we planned this tour, we had to rock a bit harder, be a bit spicier, we had to have pyro!” they yell as a very underwhelming single flame spurts from the stage.
Wonderboy rolls on to arguably the most anticipated song of the night, whose opening chords draw a huge cheer from the fans. A huge inflatable Satan at the back of the stage heralds the iconic
Tribute, and at one point the band are almost drowned out by everyone singing. Coming up from their bows, both adopt a slight stagger, joking “We’re getting too old for this shit.” before Jack snaps a quick high kick and a toe touch jump and shouts “Nope, still got it” to tremendous applause.
Next up is Video Games, followed by The Metal – in which a very Iron-Maiden-esque stage walker robot (that looks a bit like one of the goblin suits from Labyrinth with David Bowie) stomps his way across the stage to dance, rock, and at one point pretend to slam Jack doggy style. Then, as a treat “I need a palette cleanser… Sax-a-Boom please!” Jack shouts, and the now infamous children’s toy is ferried to the stage.
The Sax-a-Boom solo is summarily upstaged when KG brings out a ‘Max-a-Boom’, a giant version which plays funnily enough like a real sax, and the iconic Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty solo. Miffed, Jack calls for a Max-a-Boom removal, “Oh my fucking god, that’s Dana! She’s best roadie in the business right there” and a nice segue into Roadie, with the pronouns thoughtfully changed to ‘she’ throughout the song.
There’s a fun little skit of a silent argument “Hey Kyle can we talk by the drums, no mics please?” and KG pretending to quit, which lines up the lament Dude (I Totally Miss You) and the whole arena using their phone torch lights to join in. Kyle returns, there’s a joyful screened video of the pair leaping through the waves on a beach, and we get a rendition of Chris Issak’s Wicked Game before we come to another iconic D song. “KG… I think there’s something wrong with our electric guitar player… I think he’s possessed… BY SATAN”.Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown) is everything you want from Tenacious D, kinda camp, slightly ridiculous, and heaps of fun. We even get a double recorder solo from KG – which in the UK is everyone’s starter instrument at school, and every parent’s worst nightmare.
A traditional band intro/solo section is absolutely gratuitous but in keeping with their classic metal pastiche, they thank the sound crew and the lighting crew (who also get to do a lighting solo, love that) before Jack Black takes his own solo starting with the opening of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs. 10/10 very topical and locational, absolutely every voice in this place is joining in.
After a brief encore, Good Times Bad Times (a Led Zeppelin cover) is chased up by the excellent Master Exploder. “We don’t often perform this one because it’s too hard to perform live. This is The Spicy Meatball Tour though… are you ready KG?”… “Hahahaha I’m not ready, it’s too hard!” they joke. There’s a moment where Jack finally produces the Pick of Destiny and holds it aloft “God that would have been a good time for pyro. I even cued it up! BIFFY PYRO TO THE STAGE NOW”. It is a very kitschy skit with a bumbling pyro guy and a big red button, but it’s part of the charm and comedy. The Spicy Meatball Song (to the tune of Indiana Jones) is very funny, but we close with Fuck Her Gently and the entire crowd singing along again. Finally, we get the big stage fireworks and flame cannons, and the band triumphantly leave the stage with their arms in the air. Biffy Pyro is left alone, grinning smugly.
It’s hard to categorise Tenacious D, because ultimately they are a comedy show – and all the skits drive the narrative of the night, but I think it’s really important to note that underneath all of that, they’re just damn good songwriters and musicians. Tonight was a blast, a well deserved sell-out tour.
Scuttling into the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, we arrive into a deep softly illuminated world of chirping crickets and the trills of minibeasts, and take our seats facing… the giant egg. The circus has finally come back to town, in the form of Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Ovo’.
Before the show starts I got the lowdown on some of the incredible things that have to go on behind the scenes to make it work. The mammoth effort involved in the costume department cannot go un-written – their touring vehicles house six washing machines and three dryers, to cope with the sixty loads of washing that were required for tonight’s performances, and they have an entire in-house tailoring team on hand for quick fixes as well.
The cast and crew comprise of a whopping 100 people of 25 different nationalities, 52 artists, and 23 huge semi-trucks to cart everything around in. The stage is fantastic, and the herculean effort it must take to organise and do this type of show is absolutely phenomenal.
The show opens with our host/ringmaster the Scarab Beetle ‘Master Flipo’, dressed in a very comic book Joker-esque ensemble, and his friend The Ladybird witnessing the arrival of ‘The Foreigner’ (who I can’t help but see more as a Covid-19 spike protein than a bluebottle fly – but that’s the trauma speaking) who is carrying a giant egg on his back. Immediately all of the characters are endearing and interesting, but the star is definitely Coccinella (Ladybird) – portrayed by the wonderful Neiva Nascimento. Clad in a cute latex outfit she totters around the stage chirruping and making complete sense, with almost no actual dialogue at all. In fact that is the part I find most charming about all of this, we get a complete theatrical story conveyed almost exclusively visually. It’s powerful stuff.
The skit where the insects steal the egg and The Foreigner sadly calls out “Ovoooo” are very funny, but when the Red Ants take to the stage on the vertical parallel bars I am immediately overcome with wonder, exactly as I was, seeing circus skills for the first time as a child. Spinning and jumping between the poles, or sliding down them at death defying speeds and then freezing into impossible human-flag shapes is what circus is all about – the suspension of your innate belief in how gravity works.
Next up, the Gracious Dragonfly gives an absolutely beautiful hand-balancing performance atop a vibrant green spiral that is reminiscent of plant-stamens, or coiled corkscrew rushes on the surface of a lake. The clever costuming of iridescent wings spanning the length of the artist’s legs, allows for some stunning shapes as he deftly moves from one delicate position to another.
During stage setting and the continuing escapades of The Foreigner, Coccinelle, and Master Flipo – the back wall of the stage, covered in wall climbing rocks, is subtly used as an outlook for sly Spiders. The three of them take turns to scale and pose themselves as portraits across the background before The Black Spider takes to the stage for an aerial hoop performance, one of the most breathtaking parts of the show.
The sleek red and black suit, coupled with the stark ghostly face-paint of The Black Spider invites you to view him as something otherworldly, and he certainly lives up to the idea as he soars across the smoke-covered stage on his hoop-web. Unbelievable feats of strength and flexibility are bolstered by his powerfully emotive dance elements, all undeniably spider-like in feeling.
The high-flying Beetles navigating the three Korean-frame stations set high in the rafters, bring the first half of the show to an end with a sizzle. There’s nothing like looking around a crowd while aerial performers are on, and seeing every mouth agape, young and old alike. The frames are stacked with muscular Beetles banging chalk between their hands, before swinging the lithe flying Beetles through the air to one another. The tricks are incredible, tucks and spins – even one that flew a complete circle around the centre post, look inches away from death, but this is a party of replete professionals and the set is perfect. Touching down onto the trampoline net to finish, they garner the biggest cheer of the night so far.
After the Intermission, we see White Spider drop down to centre stage to show us some of her stunning contortion techniques, bending gracefully into inconceivable positions. The Red and Black spiders join her for some partner balancing, and then she takes to a very unique piece of equipment which allows her to spin and contort whilst balanced on… well… her mouth. There is a small part of me that was initially revulsed, but I think that’s because I know the damage I would inflict upon myself were I ever to drunkenly try this. The sheer strength of mouth and neck muscles it must require is frankly mindblowing.
Following this, we are treated to another classic circus skill – Firefly, with his diablo. Now, I expect that most of you reading this, and the majority of the people in the audience, have probably had a go with a diablo once in your life. Maybe at a kids party, a summer event, or a school fair. So you know how bloody hard work it is to even keep one of those things balanced never mind actually spinning. Firefly wowed us with one, then two, then three, then four diablos bouncing off the same string. While he turned. While he shot them up in between the lighting rigs high above the stage. I think he may have been a lot of people’s unexpected favourite of the night, and that diablo sales on Amazon probably rose immediately following the show.
As in a proper circus environment, a little audience participation to fill a gap can be fun, and the two people brought on stage to play unwitting romantic interests for The Foreigner and Coccinelle, were very good sports about it. However, what came next was a true highlight of the night – a crackle textured bug, attached via her hair to a ceiling rope and pulled skyward like a marionette. This whole scene was gorgeous, from the music and the lighting, to her elegant and nimble body positions as she swept and spun across the stage.
The final big act of the night was down to the bright green Crickets, displaying wall-climbing and trampoline skills across the backdrop of the stage. Two giant concealed trampolines provided the power for the artists to run up the wall and land on top, before pelting themselves back down for tucks and tricks, even jumping over one another in a waterfall presentation, but also taking the time to perform and show their cheeky side (literally, they shook their bums at the audience at one point). The air-track between the two trampolines also provided a runway of layouts, twists and double back tucks that came in waves towards the audience, a plethora of skills shown in quick succession.
Sadly the time is over far too soon, but a happy ending with The Foreigner winning the hand of the Ladybird (and kissing quite a lot) and the return of his ‘Ovo’, to the stunning vocals of Bossa N’Ovo – The Cockroach. As she sang, the cast emerged to rapturous applause and made their farewells after an incredible night. As the stage darkened one last time, Ladybird is left alone to witness, the cracking of the Ovo…
Ending on a comedic cliffhanger really seals the tone of this brilliant show. It was funny and beautiful in equal measure, turning adults into awe-struck children seems to be the modus operandi of Cirque, and we loved every second of it.
Berlin based talent Inox Traxx has experienced a significant growth in recent years, thanks to her rapidly evolving, hypnotic, and distinctive sound, releasing Two EPs last year on Ben Sims’ labels (Hardgroove and Symbolism) as well as making regular appearances at Berghain.
She now brings her stylish techno sounds with a new EP that again stands her apart on Charlotte De Witte’s Sub label RPM, now available to listen via KNTXT. The EP consists of 3 tracks:
In My Darkness kicks off with heavy, rock solid drums that are peppered with whipping snares and dark synth lines, and is about facing your fears and pushing through.
Close then gets more kinetic and stripped back, with brilliant hits skating over the drums and a distant vocal luring your attention into the shadows. A track about a distant love.
Titles is about big changes and believing in a bright future. The track shuts down with a crisp tech feel and howling solar winds that bring mood and menace to the high functioning drums.
Starting the year off with a few warm-up gigs to get into the festival spirit, SFG took a trip to Nottingham for the Enter Shikari tour last month. The show was incredible (read our review here) but today we’re focusing on something a little different.
It would be an understatement to say that social media has changed the way we interact with artists and their music; the immersive experience of multi-angled viewpoints, re-living events through the eyes (phones) of thousands of others and even from the band themselves. Enter Shikari for example frequently share backstage snippets of them walking onstage or hanging out in the city that they’re playing in.
The hundred-degree view we’re able to access now as fans, is so normalised that it’s probably quite hard to do something unexpected and new. So you can imagine my delight when I spotted during this gig, that the fun was being captured by drone cameras, racing around above our heads. As I crept up into the bleachers to take some still photos, I noticed drone pilot JR in his VR headset, working hard to avoid crowd surfers and flying shoes with his speedy little drone zooming around the arena.
After the show I had the pleasure of catching up with the Dirty Dishes Productions crew, to get a little insight into what they do, and post-event – JR has kindly answered some questions for us, below.
Tell me about yourself and your company, what do you do?
I’m JR, an FPV Drone Pilot and founder of Dirty Dishes Productions. We’re an aerial production company that believes in defying boundaries, whether it’s capturing footage indoors over crowds, zipping through tight spaces, or even filming underwater – all within the commercial drone world’s rules, of course. From film and TV to sports, live events, and groundbreaking live concerts like Enter Shikari in Nottingham, we aim to put a drone anywhere it can capture the unseen.
How do the drones work/what is it like to pilot them?
Our specialty lies in racing drones equipped with a 4K camera for capturing footage and an FPV camera that feeds directly into my goggles. This setup, resembling a VR headset, immerses me into the drone’s perspective for piloting. It’s a thrilling experience, similar to being in the cockpit, requiring acute awareness and precision, especially since we always operate within sight and in compliance with a drone spotter for safety and legality.
We met while you were covering the Enter Shikari gig in Nottingham, what was your favourite filming moment there?
Nottingham was a landmark event for us, marking the first time drones flew inside the arena for a concert. My favorite moment was the sense of accomplishment post-show, having successfully captured every element of the production, from the lasers and lighting to the pyrotechnics and confetti, in ways never seen before.
Were there any difficult moments to film?
Navigating through confetti showers presented a unique challenge, risking blocked vision and potential collisions. We meticulously assess air quality before flights, especially when lasers are involved, to safeguard against damaging the drone’s cameras.
Do you have any plans for future live music events?
Our experiences with UK Afrobeats band NSG touring with them across venues across Europe, Mike Skinner at Ally Pally and Enter Shikari at Nottingham and Wembley have set a new benchmark for what’s possible in live event filming. The exhilaration of performing live, especially with the innovative step of broadcasting directly from my goggles to the big screens at Wembley, keeps us hungry for more. We’re eager to extend our pioneering FPV drone services to more music tours, continually seeking to elevate the live event experience.
Do you have a bucket-list/wish-list event you’d like to cover?
The dream is to cover the full spectrum of musical genres, adapting our flight style to the unique atmosphere of each concert, from high-energy rock and roll to the serene tones of a Celine Dion performance. Every artist and show offers a new canvas for our creativity.
Where can we see your work?
Our adventures and achievements are documented across all major social platforms, from Instagram and TikTok to LinkedIn, under @JR_DDP and @dirtydishes.tv. We’re passionate about sharing our journey and continuing to push the limits of FPV filming. My YouTube channel @JR DDP also has longer behind the scenes / vlogs showing how we do these operations.
I’m looking forward to potentially featuring in the Summer Festival Guide and sharing our story far and wide! I’ve also attached a video of the big screens at Wembley for you where people could watch the action live.
Having since seen some of the footage shared on Enter Shikari’s own social media, there is such an intimate and interesting quality to the type of footage that drone cameras can capture – something that seems to have been previously reserved for other types of events, for example sports.
Though there are clearly huge challenges with filming music events, as JR points out above, being able to delve into what I see as the personality of gigs – showing the crowd as individuals not just as an undulating swarm, is a move in the direction of the contemporary connection we experience in social media.
Yes we’ve always had flat-on filming of shows, dollies and on-stage cameras to get up close and personal with bands, but the un-intrusive drone footage brings a new element of ‘looking-behind-the-curtain’ that I am absolutely fascinated by. Not having an extra person running around the stage to get the shots also means that the stage show itself remains unblemished, something that seems really important in the type of cinematic show that Enter Shikari put on. I suppose though, the main thing I enjoy about Dirty Dishes’ work at this event is that watching it back – I am transported there immediately, to how it actually felt to be at that gig.
All of us photographers, videographers, writers, artists, musicians alike – we are all just trying to find new ways to capture moments in time, and I think the new horizon of drone videography in music is going to be really interesting to watch.
Back in 2008 at The Roundhouse in Camden on a Saturday afternoon at Artrocker’s all ages club was the first time that I witnessed the amazing indie rock band Bombay Bicycle Club. I always remember it being a great show and have seen the band grow over the years with becoming more successful in the music industry. They were also the first band that I got to photograph for Artrocker Magazine so they have a special place in my life.
As part of their UK tour they stopped off at Cambridge Corn Exchange on a Saturday night for a sold out show. When attending the show it was great to find refuge from the rain and to see everyone eagerly awaiting for the music. Throughout the night was DJ Chux playing music to entertain the crowd between bands.
Supporting act was Lime Garden who are an indie rock band from Brighton, consisting of members Chloe Howard, Leila Deeley, Tippi Morgan and Annabel Whittle. The band were stood across the front of the stage and performed a selection of songs. Their debut album ‘One More Thing’ is out on the 24th February across all platforms. They are also doing a UK tour in February/March.
The stage was decorated with colourful streamers (like the old ones you hang in doors to stop the flies coming in), balloons and big 3D lights saying ‘MY BIG DAY’.
When Bombay Bicycle Club hit the stage the members entered the stage and frontman Jack came out holding two confetti cannons which he shot out over the audience. First up was ‘Just a Little More Time’ which really got the crowd going. The four members were joined with other musicians playing saxophone, trumpets etc. They were also joined by Olive Jones who was vocalist for songs such as ‘Tekken 2’ and a cover of Selena Gomez’s ‘Lose You To Love You’.
Throughout the evening the band played songs from the new album and back catalogue and also ‘Fantasneeze’ which is a song from their upcoming EP.
Later in the performance the band disappeared leaving Jack to do a solo acoustic version of ‘Dust On The Ground’. The band finish with ‘Shuffle’ which is a fan favourite. Then there is an encore which they come back on stage to finish with two more songs including their most loved song ‘Always Like This’.
Its clear to see that the band love playing music and have really nailed their live sets. It will be great to hopefully see the band again in the near future and look forward to hearing their new EP.
2024 is emo resurrection year, you can’t convince me otherwise. With a sold out BMTH tour last month, the sneaky reappearance of the skinny jean, and the Download festival line-up stacked with pop-punk, you can sign me up for a summer of giant fringes and sideways stud belts thanks. Tonight we are in Nottingham at the Motorpoint arena to delve further into the early noughties nostalgia with the iconic Enter Shikari.
Up first on the bill is firecracker Noahfinnce, blasting some garage-band style punk rock into our earholes and yelling “Rishi Sunak can suck my sweaty balls” to the unanimous approval of the crowd… obviously. It’s an infectiously fun set, the hooks are catchy enough to sing along and I’m always going to love an anti-tory rhetoric to be honest.
Laughing, Noah claims “Ok now I’m gonna be the big sweary transgender the Conservatives think I am” before ripping into his ‘Impression of Green Day’. Closing with ‘Life’s A Bit’ is proper punk rock simplicity. The lack of over-production brings me back to teenage gig trips to the local dive, and by the end I’m singing along “moral of the story, I’m a bit of a dickhead”, so I hope to see Noah on some future festival stages.
Up next, Cali rock/politipunk band Fever 333 come no holds barred, with opener “Burn It” ringing in our ears from the off. Despite this being the newest iteration of the band after an all-change in members except for lead singer Jason Aalon Butler last year, they sound crispy clean and like they have come to war.
Guitarist Brandon Davis and bassist April Kae are a force to be reckoned with, heavy riffs and oh so much bouncing around. Drummer Thomas Pridgen’s beats are hard hitting and provide Butler the perfect backdrop to his insatiable need to move, and jump. Lyrics depicting inequality, capitalism and anti-fascism are screamed across an arena of nodding heads, and there’s something really comforting about the fact that there are still bands out there doing this.
Activism and music have always gone hand in hand, but Fever 333 are out there unabashedly pushing forward with a flavour reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine and Napalm Death. Above all else, they are undeniably entertaining – how can you not jump around when every member of the band is going absolutely beserk?
Under their Black Panther backdrop, yelling “Free Palestine”, they perform in white boiler-suits covered in black patches, which I now dub ‘Battle-Scrubs’ with the number 333 appearing repeatedly. 333 represents the band’s three core principles of Community, Charity and Change – immediately apparent in their commentary on misogyny in the music world, as Butler calls out “I want to make one thing clear, women should feel safe, respected and honoured in this venue tonight” before dedicating ‘One of Us’ to their “Queen”April.
For my choice ‘$wing’ goes so hard the entire crowd was bouncing, and if you’re a Ferris Beuller fan the lyrics are incredibly accessible, it’s going straight on my playlists. ‘Ready Rock’ sees Butler leap into the crowd only to be lifted by the feet above the throng of grasping hands. The mic is fed by a line of techs across the sea of bodies so he can complete the song before spin-jumping into the fray. Miraculously he makes it back to the stage to apologise for stepping on someone’s bonce “I’m sorry, if you go to the merch stand and prove a nine and a half converse stepped on your head, you can get an item for free” he jokes, before thanking everyone for making them feel welcome and shouting out “POC Punks, WE SEE YOU!”. I think I’ve found my new binge listening band in Fever 333, this is action music.
As the lights dim once more, there is a palpable electric energy of anticipation in the room. For many attending tonight, this is a long-lived relationship with a band that has spanned 2 decades of the UK rock scene, and I notice a fair number of kids along for the ride with their thirty-something parents as well. Taking to the stage, lit by a single spotlight, lead vocalist Rou Reynolds begins his spoken word soliloquy of ‘System’ like a professor at a lectern, before the lights come up and Enter Shikari absolutely rip into the electronic power of ‘Meltdown’ under screens of scrolling matrix-style code.
There’s something to be said about the sheer performance factor of this band, being able to smoothly direct the flow and energy of the crowd in this way is actually not too common a talent, but they are masters of it. Seamlessly blending techno, dub and trance into metal and punk rock is not the easiest task either, but it gives Shikari an undeniably unique sound that has a cross-genre appeal that I am absolutely enamoured by. With their politically charged lyrics and open defiance of the status quo, it isn’t hard to see why they chose their touring partners in Fever 333 and Noahfinnce – it’s one of the best curated line-ups I’ve seen in a while.
Screaming “Shall we test out this sound system?” Rou bounces enthusiastically into ‘Anaesthetist’. After a little jazz trumpet interlude, Rou gushes “You know what, I am so fucking grateful to be alive on this stage… I wanna dance with you” before pillar beam lights from the front of the stage pierce the darkness to represent prison bars for ‘Jailbreak’. This time the entire crowd is undulating like the sea and hordes of crowd-surfers take the opportunity to glide over the barrier into the waiting arms of the twenty-strong security team.
Rou then scales a ladder alongside one of the two light towers flanking the stage, only to perch on the edge of it, in the beam of a soft spotlight. Like something out of a movie he reaches his hand into the tower and it is displayed on the screen as a dip into a body of water. Yeah, at this point we kinda know what’s coming as he turns his back towards the ‘water’ but it doesn’t make it any less fun, the circus of him tumbling backwards into the tower and showing up swimming on the screen ignites all those little fires of childhood magic awe.
After his stunt he reappears eating a banana, and the band take a mini break to discuss the useful nutritional properties of said banana, before the hard hitting dubstep intro ‘Sssnakepit’. Laughing “Fucking hell I love this venue! I love Rock City don’t get me wrong, but this is so good” Rou comments on the circle pits which have been swirling all night. As if to up the ante yet again, the band are joined by Jason from Fever 333 for ‘Losing My Grip’ and they both run riot along the gangway slopes to drummer Rob Rolfe.
Returning atop the other stage tower, Rou sits for a couple of chilled solo songs with his guitar ‘The Pressure’s On’ and ‘Juggernauts’ before heading into the second part of the show, held on a mini platform in the middle of the arena. It’s the kind of production I expect of giant bands at festivals not arena tours, but I absolutely love that they’re as focused on the atmosphere and feel of the show as they are the music.
While the band run through ‘Gap In The Fence’ Rou takes to the crowd seating area for ‘The Sights’ where he makes his very best attempt to make it around the stands. “They told me I couldn’t get round the venue in one song and they were right” he laughs as he makes it to the three quarter mark, but still makes sure to fist bump everyone he can reach on his way back round to the stage.
‘It Hurts’ into ‘The Dreamers Hotel’ is joyfully bright, another side of Shikari’s multi-faceted musical personality, along with a side of heavy confetti across the crowd, delaying the progress of the little video drones we’ve seen all around the arena tonight from Dirty Dishes Productions – I can’t wait to see that footage though.
For the real encore ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner’ sees Rou being held back by the pants at the crowds edge, and bassist Chris Batten straight up launching himself into the crowd on his back, still playing. “Christ on a Caribbean cruise” Rou breathlessly says when they make it back out, but he obviously has more to give as he goes hardstyle dancing his way into ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’ to finish up.
Leaving us with “Thank you so fucking much for having us, we’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time” and thanking the security in the pit for keeping everyone safe tonight, is another testament to the ethos and values of Enter Shikari that are alive and present in their music. The sheer number of crowd-surfers over the barrier tonight tells you the impact this band have on a visceral level, the production and the choreography were all almost cinematically brilliant too, but the discourse of the evening, the music – that’s what stays with you.
Roll on Download festival, because the bar is suddenly very high for everyone else.
After a reschedule of an October 2023 tour Circa Waves finally kicked off their Underplay UK tour where they played at intimate venues across the country. One of the nights was at legendary Bedford Esquires which is host to hundreds of bands each year showcasing some of the hottest upcoming bands. Circa Waves were supported by rock band Cusp. For each show on the tour the band included a foodbank in which you could donate items too. The show was sold out and was a great night.
