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Slovakian trance star DJ Nifra is once again partnering with Tiede Night’s for a unique new live stream from UNESCO World Heritage Site the Masada National Park.
The first stream shot from the Dead Sea last year was a huge success and the team behind the concept have now taken things up a level as they take over the ancient fortress in southern Israel’s Judean Desert. The set premiered on Nifra’s YouTube channel on Friday 7th July 2023.
Nifra is a global trance titan, globe-trotting DJ and tastemaking producer who has released on the likes of Black Hole Recordings and Coldharbour, hosts her own Rebel Radio show, and gets support from the biggest names in the game for her incredible melodies, future-facing production and energetic anthems. This year she plays the likes of Tomorrowland and Creamfields, has a big run of exciting new releases read to drop and made the #10 spot as the highest ranked female trance artist on Trancepodium.
It was during the pandemic lock downs of 2020 that Nifra found herself embracing the virtual world as an outlet to showcase her love for art and beyond. She shot performances at unique locations such as Landschaftspark in Duisburg, Toren7 in Roermond and Papierfabriek in Nijmegen among others before teaming up with Israel’s Tiede Night’s collective for her first live stream in the country at the Dead Sea and her relationship with the team and country has continued to evolve ever since.
Masada; the location for this new production, is unrivalled in its beauty and history. It is a vast plateau overlooking the Dead Sea, with a cable car and a long, winding path climbing up to the historic fortifications that were built in around 30 B.C. Among the ruins are King Herod’s Palace, which sprawls over three rock terraces, and a Roman-style bathhouse with mosaic floors. The Masada Museum has archaeological exhibits and recreations of historical scenes and it is sure to form a breathtaking setting for this live stream.
Tiede Night’s establishes connections in the global music industry between top nightlife figures and club owners to work on creative projects like no other, and live streams are a crucial part of that. They say, “once again we give fans and viewers a high-quality performance in a stunning setting. We have overcome plenty of challenges to make this happen but that is sure to make it all the more enjoyable and exciting.”
Nifra adds, “after working with Tiede Nights on production of the live set from the Dead Sea last year, I knew I wanted to go back and record something together this year as well. I’ve seen some pictures and footage of Masada and as crazy as this idea was, I got in touch with Lidor from Tiede Night’s. We are talking about a very special location that I can’t even believe we got permission to shoot. After the recording it took me some time to realise what we actually did here and the result is breathtaking. I’m very excited about once again pushing the boundaries with an incredible team of people that worked on this project.”
This is a live stream not to be missed and one that invites you deep into the musical world of Nifra in a stunning setting.
LooseFest is the North East’s largest and most ambitious music festival and it makes a welcome return on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August at the expansive inner-city green space, the Town Moor. This year’s is a bumper offering with the likes of Sean Paul, Chase & Status, Craig David, Patrick Topping, Ben Hemsley, Joel Corry, Andy C, Sub Focus, Dimension, Example, Sigala and Tinie Tempah all playing and now a stage breakdown has been revealed so you can plan your weekend right, but not before you get the last remaining tickets at http://www.loosefest.com.
On Saturday playing the Capital Stage will be the likes of Belters Only, Goodboys, Example, Joel Corry, Nathan Dawe, Sean Paul, Sigala, Tinchy Stryder and more. Trick is headlined by a three hour set from Patrick Topping, plus Ben Hemsley, Kettama and more. What The Funk welcomes A-Trak, Crazy P Soundsystem, Dam Swindle, Fat Tony, Horse Meat Disco and Kenny Dope and Mixtape brings Judge Jules, Artful Dodger, Black Legend, Devlin, DJ Luck & Mc Neat, Kathy Brown and Phats & Small.
On Sunday, Capital brings Chase & Status (DJ), Craig David, Jax Jones, Wes Nelson, Jess Bays, Special Guest Tinie Tempah and more. Lets Get Loose is Airwolf Paradise, Alan Fitzpatrick, Archie Hamilton, East End Dubs, Franky Wah, Hot Since 82, Meg Ward, Sorley and Syreeta and Worried About Henry line up Andy C, Sub Focus & Dimension, Kings of the Rollers, Harriet Jaxxon, My Nu Leng and many more. Utopiar then has sounds from the likes of Andy Whitby, Billy Gillies, Flip & Fill, Ultrabeat and more.
Next to the music across five incredible arenas, LooseFest offers a street food village, funfair, a range of bars and vendors and unique immersive activations, the festival’s very own digital Metaverse as well as excellent transport links and plenty of local accommodation and Air BnBs.
LooseFest has grown at an incredible rate since its debut in Herrington Park in 2021. Last year it set an all new standard for events in the North East and 2023 will be bigger and better than ever. The team behind the festival is made up of experienced industry experts, having created and curated some of the region’s best events, venues, and festivals over the past 10 years. Last year’s event created hundreds of jobs for the local community, working with as many local suppliers as possible, bringing in over £12m to the local economy and delivering an amazing experience to tens of thousands of party goers from across the UK.
Ready for an intro worthy of a year 4 book report? Southside is a medium festival in the south of Germany with 3 big stages and 2 smaller ones. Roughly 65,000 people visit it every year (with the exception of 2020 and 2021) and for the past year, we’re two of them.
We started off strong by not checking if the tent bag did, in fact, contain tent pegs when packing. Turns out tents are much more susceptible to wind when not attached to the floor. So, first order of business was tracking down tent pegs. Good news, they sell those at a stall. Bad news, the stall was on the other side of the main area. After a little hike in the afternoon heat past James Bay and Nina Chuba I got to the other camping area and got hold of the prized cargo. Luckily the security guards let me enter the area again, now in possession of 20 small metal stakes. The tent was finally secured as Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls played behind me. Bit of a bummer to miss them, but I guess that’s one way to learn the importance of checking your stuff when packing.
It was still very warm at 7pm as we grabbed dinner and watched Clueso. It was nice to see someone who’s act has his name on it to be such a hype man for his band. Both band and crowd were clearly so happy to be there, dancing in the evening sun and failing at getting down and standing up as a wave from back to front (but the main thing is they had fun). The set contained several songs that feature other artists on the studio recordings, but they worked well with the band filling in the additional voice parts or Clueso singing the whole song alone.
Queens of the Stone Age were the penultimate act on the main stage. Technically (as in technique, not on a technicality) brilliant, the show had a fantastic sound and interesting stage design. The band was flanked by angled light strips looking a bit like a landing strip. Lead singer Josh Homme had a certain reserved regality (that’s a word now) about his performance, remaining steadfast at the microphone in the centre of the stage. The group in front of me were developing a pretty extravagant choreography during one of the songs that was starting to spread to its neighbours. Sadly, the song finished before the dance got very far. The performance finished with the guitarist leaving the guitar hanging on the mic stand, prompting it to fall over and leaving a piercing ringing sound playing until the speakers were turned off.
Die Ärzte could easily be considered part of the German musical bedrock. The punk rock band from Berlin are known for their antics both in their songs and during live performances and tonight was no different. The banner covering the stage (with a badly cropped image of the band logo on it) fell during the first song to reveal: another banner saying “nearly” before revealing the band a few moments later. What followed was two hours of the band members chatting absolute nonsense, interspersed with a ride through their repertoire from 1982 until 2023. There were semi disco balls covering the stage, there was a fridge disguised as an amp, there were Mexican waves of thumbs up, there were bad jokes and there everybody nodding respectfully in lew of cheering. As the band was essentially a triple comedy act, the drums were at the front in a line with guitar and bass and drummer Bela B frequently walked around while talking before returning to drum standing up. He also went through roughly a bajillion drumsticks, throwing them into the crowd after pretty much every song. Towards the end of the set, he had a full quiver of them on his back for maximum stick to audience transfer efficiency. Also, just for the record: waistcoats without shirts are a vibe.
Placebo were on at 00:30, which was beyond our energy levels since we’ve been travelling all day. We could hear a lot of the set from the tent, including covers of Shout but Tears for Fears and Running up that Hill by Kate Bush.
Saturday
Classic summer weather problems, hot tent in the mornings. We crawled out into the shade and slowly managed to get ourselves to coffee and breakfast. The opening acts across the three stages Domiziana, Kasi and Razz already had very loud, keen crowds. Likely louder than last night despite the size difference. Probably because everyone had something akin to a “good” night’s rest.
Gayle was one of the many female acts on the Blue stage today, the number of which felt like an improvement on past years. Her stage set up was very minimalist, only having the drums and a guitar stand on stage with no backdrop or decoration. The set included a cover of misery business and finished with abcdefu. She announced her songs with the expected punk rock attitude but was humble in her gratitude to the crowd especially at the end, thanking everybody for making it this career possible for her.
Ska punk band and festival regular, Sondaschule, got everybody moving. Not even the most stoic nodder in the crowd could stand still. I saw what was likely the most impressive thing of the weekend in the crowd: a guy wearing nothing but shorts and a half eaten candy necklace, standing barefoot on the searing tarmac of the runway on which the festival is held. Calluses of steel or a heroic level of alcohol are the only likely explanations. The set contained everything you would expect from a punk gig: chanting, clapping, circle pits and all-round good vibes. The final song was dedicated to a friend they lost accompanied by his face on the backdrop banner.
They were followed by the Donots, one of the most energetic and fun punk bands Germany has to offer. Their enthusiasm is always so catchy. From the first tones, smoke flares erupted in the crowd and mosh pits formed. No stranger to joining the audience up close, lead singer Ingo took a photographer with him this year, along with a camera man to record the photographer taking a picture. Both of whom were somewhat apprehensive about the expedition. The crowd courteously parted to let the three walk into the middle before moshing together as the song started up. Singer, photographer and cameraman were carried back to stage. The piece of camera equipment dropped along the way was gently passed along after them. Across the crowd, lost shoes and phones were recovered from the ground and reunited with owners.
Having played the sister festival Hurricane yesterday with the same line up (similar to Reading and Leeds festival in the UK), the Donots told the crowd about having gone for a 2k jog with friend and following act Bosse, only for the latter jumping into a taxi halfway through. This led to the crowd chanting about his lack of physical fitness. A chant they repeated later during Bosse’s own set where he promptly said the record straight that he was saving his energy for his 9k run with tonight’s headliner Kraftklub. After the Donots ran onto the stage during Bosse’s set and started doing push ups he finally admitted to being less fit. Ingo went crowd surfing again and all was well. Bosse’s set was a wonderful performance of positive vibes and hanging out with friends in the summer sun.
During the intervals between acts, tweets mentioning the festival were shown on the screens This had its own entertainment factor as standard tweets, like sending love to people are sharing excitement for an upcoming band, turned into conversations about lost (or stolen) beer pong tables, arranging swaps of airpods for a sack cart or one guy photographing his tweet on the big screen, posting the photo, the photo getting shown on the big screen, the guy taking a photo… round in circles at least 4 times.
Peter Fox released his first album in 2008 and is therefore firmly baked into German millennial consciousness. Now in 2023 he’s back with his second album. The split between the two albums could be felt through the set, the older one’s clearly getting the crowd going more. The new songs were good too but didn’t feel like they had the same impact. The stage had a large split level set up with an urban graffiti vibe. The upper levels were full of backing dancers for most of the show, giving the whole thing a street party vibe. The band looked like they were wearing pyjamas or at least loungewear. Peter Fox did make the cardinal faux pas of addressing us as Hurricane Festival but didn’t seem to register the booing that ensued. The show drew a massive crowd, securities needed to tape off the sides of the crowd to keep access free in case paramedics needed access.
Tash Sultana performed on the Blue stage starting off alone on stage and building up songs through a loop pedal and an impressive range of instruments. They were later joined by some additional musicians, but the core of the performance remained the loop pedal process. At the start of the show, they proudly declared “to all those who thought it was fake, it’s real” (but with more expletives). Musically very interesting and a really nice ambience.
Doing a bit of a sprint over to the Red stage, we managed to catch the first few songs from Enter Shikari, complete with fireworks and pyrotechnics. Two block towers of screens flanked the stage with a big screen behind. The crowd was relatively small but committed. Unfortunately, there was a lot of sound bleeding over from the Blue stage, so unless the Red stage was really going for it, there was a bit of a muddle sound wise. The British band introduced themselves as being European in German, which still feels like a statement worth making. One song was accompanied by a slow build-up of lines across the screen representing temperatures alongside the year number ticking up. It was a solid start to a set, but unfortunately the schedule meant we had to rush off to Billy Talent on the Green stage.
Billy Talent was delayed coming on stage, so we could have stayed longer for Enter Shikari, but sadly I lacked the gift of premonition to know that at the time. While stage crew was rushing around with tape, the crowd was being entertained by having the cameras pointed at them. People were starting to leave by the time the set started, but it was definitely worth the wait. The band was on top form, the sound was fantastic, and the crowd bought the energy. Loved the church aesthetics of the opener Devil in a Midnight Mass. There was a little exodus after Rusted from the Rain as the Blue Stage headliner loomed. Unfortunately, we had to head off as well, as much as it hurt to hear the rest of the set from afar as we waited for the final act of the night.
The thing is though, it was worth it. Kraftklub are one of the best live bands Germany has to offer. It was high energy from the start, streamers flying with the first chorus. The stage was initially split in half by a grid of lights, being reminiscent of the side off a cargo train carriage. For a later song, the guitarist was standing on the platform while the singer was below, the blue and red light respectively gave the whole thing a heaven/hell vibe. The grid moved throughout the show which made for a cool visual. Right near the beginning the band made a clear statement about moshing rules: pick each other up, everyone should feel welcome (not just massive dudes) and zero tolerance towards any sort of harassment. Later in show there were clear statements against racism, homophobia and transphobia along with massive pride flags being waved. The mosh pits, while a great vibe, were incredibly dusty, so much so that I couldn’t stay there for long. A few others had thought ahead and given left over COVID masks a new lease of life. The band played a few songs in the middle of the crowd, instruments and all, parting the audience like the red sea. One song in the set is often decided by a wheel of fortune spun by a fan. This time someone was holding a sign asking to be chosen, he came up, spun, and then asked to perform the song with the band. There was obvious apprehension both by the band and the crowd, as these things can often be a little cringey. Luckily the band agreed, and the palpable reservations evaporated as soon as the song started. This dude nailed it. Perfectly duetting with the lead singer, mannerisms down to a T, great stage presence. The crowd went wild and you could see the amazement on the bands face. This felt like one of those concert moments to remember. Incredible show start to finish.
Sunday
Sunday was expected to be the hottest day of the weekend, so first stop was refilling all the water bottles at the free taps in the arena. Others had the same idea, filling up water pistols and soaking hats and shirts. Today’s headliners Muse had bought a walkway to the Green stage, so the area in front was split in half, meaning both sides became entrances and exits simultaneously. That meant the logistics of the day had to be adjusted slightly to account for the fact the front area might fill up quicker.
Two Door Cinema Club attracted a full crowd to the blue stage for this time of day. The stage consisted of a large screen behind the band and all microphone stands were bright red, clashing a little with e lead singers light mauve suit. The band clearly really enjoyed playing in the sunshine and the crowd had a great time dancing along. A water fight broke out next to me as the band started, pulling in the surrounding crowd. The clouds overhead briefly became denser and bought a refreshing breeze which left behind a muggy feeling as they passed.
Bukahara was wonderful in the afternoon sun with their folky indie pop with violin, brass and double bass. The drummer was simultaneously singing, playing guitar and playing the bass drum for some of the songs, which he did in such a chill manner it felt strangely intimate. Like a living room even though we were in a field with thousands of people. The crowd were swaying along and joined in with the Arabic part of one of the songs that the band taught them. They finished ahead of time, so played a genuine encore, decided on by the calls of the audience.
Chvrches came out with fantastic metallic blue eye makeup with gems. I was just thinking how cool her outfit was, a long black shirt that revealed silver sparkly shorts whenever she lifted her arms, when she revealed that the dress she was actually planning to wear got stolen as it was drying backstage. If true, that’s a real douche move. She assured us that her planned dress would have had way more ruffles and petticoats. Her powerful voice rang out across the field, and you could tell she was really feeling it. The performance was really nice, great to watch while resting our feet for the evening ahead.
Kaffkiez was over on the Red Stage and way busier than I expected. They jumped in for a band at Highfield festival last year and clearly proved themselves to have moved into an evening slot this year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them work their way up the stages in coming years. The stage was set up like a provincial bus stop, complete with bench, bin, cigarette dispenser and picket fence. Having to cut their set short at Hurricane festival the day before due to thunderstorms it was great to see the crowd welcoming them with tons of enthusiasm. Three mosh pits grew and grew until they joined into one huge one, one group achieved a triple shoulder stack and during one of the odes to friendships, groups and couples were singing along arm in arm. It was one of those shows where you felt like the band was sharing genuine and relatable emotions through their songs and performance and they crowd shared the experience with them.
In order to make sure we got good positions for Muse, we had to give The Lumineers a miss on the Blue Stage as we headed over to the Green Stage, but we heard Ho Hey on the way past. Madsen were up next on the Green stage but were running a little late. The soundcheck guy was entertaining crowds by playing little snippets of famous songs until he came out, grabbed a guitar and straight up said “I’ve been told to entertain you guys a little longer, so here’s some songs from my own band”. The songs were good fun and the crowd even cheered for an encore. Madsen’s show was great, they really enjoyed the walkway Muse had bought, saying it made them feel like proper rock stars. They also called for Ladies only circle pits, which was great and the women around me were super psyched to party together. One song was announced with “this song was never in the charts”, to which a guy behind me shouted “doesn’t matter!”. While Madsen songs are fun, they do have a habit of dragging them out a bit live, having an instrumental interval and then playing the chorus over and over again. I imagine it’s great if you’re REALLY into them, sadly I don’t share that.
While waiting for Marteria, the front row got some medical attention in the form of asking the securities for a plaster which resulted in the summoning of two paramedics with their extensive supplies. Plaster applied, a spare one given just in case, and we were ready for Marteria. For the first time this weekend I could feel the bass vibrate my skull (through earplugs of course, protect your ears kids). The stage filled with smoke and Materia slowly emerged. The set contained songs from across his discography, all enthralling the crowd. The song about street riots covered the stage in smoke and lights as he held a red flare aloft. His alter ego Marsimoto made an appearance on the screens, announcing his last album but not performing any songs. The rain finally came towards the end of the set, but the hype and energy in the crowd and the pyrotechnics on stage negated any drops that actually reached us. We were hoping that Casper would come on stage to perform some of their joint material together as he was due on the Blue Stage afterwards, sadly that didn’t happen. Having not seen Marteria since before the pandemic it was great to see he was on as good a form as ever. Highly recommend.
Finally, it was time for Muse to take to the stage. Wearing silver masks and revealing a huge burning logo from the new album the show started with theatrics that accurately set the vibe for the whole show. The opener Will of the People went straight into Hysteria, the bassist walking out along the walkway with a lit-up bass, with the expected response from the crowd. The show was interspersed with clips on the screen telling the story of the invasion by and subsequence resistance against demonic aliens. Later, a giant version of the silver masked men took over the back of the stage, rotating round to look at the crowd. For You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween, lead singer Matt Belamy came on stage in a sparkly silver jacket played Toccata and Fugue in D Minor on the organ as an intro. The intro to Uprising was played on a cyber glove by Matt wearing a light up jacket with swirling lights on it. It was a non-stop show of set-pieces and dramatic performances. All the classics were played and still went as hard as they did when I first heard them in middle school. A fantastic way to close out this weekend.
The weather held solid for the weekend, last years water issues were resolved, and the line-up had a great combination of international and German acts. The venue on an airfield meant that half the area is on solid ground, so less susceptible to dust or rain. Southside is a great festival that doesn’t overwhelm with too much with endless stages and a really solid line up on all of them. Can’t wait for next year.
The Prodigy have been confirmed as special guests for Boomtown festival’s 15 year anniversary – on Sunday, August 13, 2023.
Like many other festivals, Boomtown has been seeking The Prodigy for over a decade. Unfortunately, Keith Flint is no longer with us, but Maxim and Liam Howlett still have the energy to get any party started. Last night they played the Mad Cool festival in Madrid, with giant screens projecting their late icon for all to remember.
Mark our words, if you’ve never seen the Prodigy live, this is one not to miss. They will churn up Winchester like no others.
Boomtown co-founder, Luke Mitchell said: “The Prodigy’s energy, immense production value, and influence in the rave scene make them the perfect match for Boomtown, and I’m over the moon that we’ve been able to finally get this nailed down and can now share the exciting news. The Prodigy are the most Boomtown band on the planet.”
If you’re lucky, you may still be able to find some tickets here.
After this announcement, we don’t expect them to hang around for long.
Back to Hyde Park again this sunny Saturday for some true British treasure in the form of Take That – the band that broke the nation’s heart when they broke up, and then came back as the ultimate zaddies of pop to woo all the mums again.
Before we all get too hot under the collar, Will Young is giving everyone at the main stage a huge wholesome hug. Not my usual fayre by any means but his voice is excellent, the vibes are funky, and I really like his frilly shirt and braces. Though he’s battled through extreme anxiety and more than his fair share of difficult times, Will is possibly one of the nicest men in pop music today. It’s hard not to smile through this performance, particularly when he goes over to hug the Great Oak stage tree, and then says “Hope you’re all hydrating yourselves, it’s hot today!”. Yes Will Young, I will do as you say because I think you’re darling.
Doors cover ‘Light My Fire’ has the whole arena singing along (and I must say it’s a very respectable crowd for this time of day) but ‘Leave Right Now’ and ‘Evergreen’ are the hits everyone came for, and he delivers.
Over on the Cuban Garage stage we witness the joyful beats of South London Samba, and some frankly incredible rainbow feathered moves from the carnival dancers (two of whom can jump drop into a split, amazing) before we grab some much needed dinner. There are a ridiculous amount of options here for a festival this size, but we try out a Buffalo chicken bowl (way spicier than I’d anticipated) and some ginger tofu Bao (faaaancy) – both great.
Sugababes hit the main stage with a set that surprised me, for the simple reason that I had no idea I knew *that* many of their songs. Starting strong with Adina Howard cover ‘Freak Like Me’ they come out looking every bit the pop princesses they always did, and are absolutely owning the stage for ‘Red Dress’. ‘Hole in the Head’ is fantastic, but if you’re a certain kind of person – even hearing the intro to ‘Too Lost In You’ will both make you think of Christmas AND make you irrationally angry… if you know you know.
“It’s an absolute honour to be here! Look at the weather, the sun is coming out!” they yell, before hitting us with classic trio ‘Push The Button’, ‘Round Round’ and ‘About You Now’. It’s a very clean and precise set, I think I’d like to see them loosen up a little but musically – it’s great, and I appreciate their long battle to reclaim their name and their lost music, to get here.
Ireland’s The Script are fun, and there’s a nice roundness to the fact that they used to tour with Take That back in the day too, but I can’t get by the cringeworthy bit that took a full ten minutes out of their set time to orchestrate. “I wanna call someone’s ex! Who right now is crazy enough to give me their phone?” yells frontman Danny O’Donoghue before grabbing one passed up by security. He proceeds to phone someone’s unsuspecting ex-boyfriend, tells them who he is and lets the crowd scream at them before singing ‘Before The Worst’ at him. Following the serenade, he has the whole arena yell “Goodbye Asshole” at the phone, which is just… not that funny and kinda gauche. ‘If You Could See Me Now’ is dedicated to the memory of their guitarist Mark Sheehan, it’s a great song, but they’ve kinda lost me with the stunt if I’m honest.
Heading into the final event, the arena has now swelled with people to the point of bursting. The toilet queues are out of control and stretch halfway around the arena, the bars are all loaded and the merch stalls are still going strong. We catch The Cuban Brothers doing another brilliant set on the Cuban Garage stage, but when heading over to grab a tshirt we find that the BST have racked the price up by a tenner since yesterday. Price gouging isn’t a good look for an event – especially when The Cubans themselves just said the tees were £20 on stage and would be when they hit the online shop. Not cool.
Heading down to the Golden Circle area to find a good place to watch Take That, we are immediately pulled into the throng alongside an excited lady wielding a giant face cut out of Gary Barlow (a little disconcerting) and we can see another woman in a Take That patch jacket down the front. This particular person was spotted last night, camping out in Hyde Park ready to be right there today, the dedication is on point.
As intros go, this one is pretty epic. A hoarde of dancers enter the stage seemingly from everywhere, and set themselves up all over the giant lighted staircase that runs from the backdrop right down to the main floor, in front of which a giant runway ending in a second smaller stage area has been set. The band emerge to ear-bleeding levels of frenetic fan screams all around us. The cacophony of the mums knows no bounds. Include me in that, because I cannot get enough of their fashion ensembles tonight. Howard is wearing something that I can only describe as… Newscaster-school-football-kit-in-the-seventies. It is ochre, striped and flared, and I want it. Gary has decided to come as Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty, and Mark is… well Mark is wearing an ostrich. A whole one.
There might only be three of them now (no sign of Robbie despite him also being on tour… boooo) but right out of the gates ‘The Flood’ sounds absolutely brilliant, seems like they’re going to be on top form tonight. Yelling “Good evening Hyde Paaaaaark!” the trio head down the long runway to the middle of the pulsing crowd, “…this is gonna be an amazing night tonight, we want you to sing along and dance along!” and huge blasts of ticker-tape confetti erupt from around them as fireworks go off along the front of the stage. It’s pretty clear they’ve come here to party and I’m instantly all-in.
‘Could It Be Magic’ brings glittery screens and their OG boyband dance moves, and I am shooketh to my core as I myself (ten years their junior) have injured myself getting out of bed, why only this morning. Special guest Calum Scott of Britain’s Got Talent fame, joins the band for ‘Greatest Day’ as he had been part of the reworked song for their film which was released last month, before taking the stage to himself for his cover of Robyn’s ‘Dancing On My Own’.
BeeGees cover ‘How Deep is Your Love’ and ‘A Million Love Songs’ are the catalyst for a whole lot of overwhelmed fangirl sobbing, and my sister who had nipped to the loos at an opportune moment belted back to us to sing “AND HERE I AAAAAAM” in our faces. ‘Shine’ heralds a delightful outfit change, including a fancy white top-hat (which is later thrown out into the crowd, what an excellent bit of memorabilia for some lucky person) for Mark, a green velvet biker jacket for Gary (I would also like to own this) and a tux jacket with golden-winged lapels for Howard. They are taking this photo opportunity very seriously and I love it. Despite the air of professionalism, they joke “We might miss a few of our cues tonight, the runway is way longer than we thought… it takes ages to get back up there” and then mention how appreciative they are of everyone coming back to gigs after some weird years during the pandemic.
Stopping for a quick break to read some of the signs being held up in the front rows, we are treated to the truest representation of the British wit… “This song is older than us” Gary reads as two kids scream holding the sign, and another “I think of you when I shag my husband” with (presumably) the husband standing alongside the woman laughing. “I left my husband in hospital to be here” has the entire crowd in agreement on the state of her morals, but the best one by far was “Today is MY Greatest Day – I made it! F U Cancer!”. Having an arena full of thousands of people cheer you on and celebrate with you must be phenomenal in itself, but when the band dedicate the next song to Laura, holder of the sign, she looks absolutely beside herself with joy. It’s a lovely heartfelt moment.
Telling everyone this is the “Song that brought us back”, we are treated to a little acoustic guitar for ‘Patience’ before a huge singalong for ‘Pray’ and the most incredible original video dance moves, an absolute highlight. ‘Back For Good’ is also brilliant, and I can’t help but dance to Sigma cover ‘Cry’ under an obscene amount of ticker-tape spewing into the air above us.
Another quick outfit change into the most ridiculous giant white furry coats and it’s time for ‘Relight My Fire’ with the actual for-real LuLu, who is sporting some excellent sparkly flared trousers. ‘Hold Up A Light’ sees the crowd holding up phone torches across the arena, but ‘Never Forget’ is the true epitome of Take That-ness and every single person has their hands up for it. “You know the choreography, join in!” hardly needs to be said because we are all totally invested at this point of the proceedings.
Going out in style with ‘Rule The World’ leaves me in no doubt that Take That are making yet another triumphant return, following their performance at the Corrie-Nache earlier this year. Looking over to see my sister and her sister-in-law doing a little cry and singing along, I reckon they’ve gained another confirmed fan in me tonight, it was a bloody brilliant show, so Take That.
Friday in London town, slightly overcast, a bit windy, a bit drizzly. On our way here we witness about fifty variations on the Appetite for Destruction tshirt and a lot of red bandanas… it’s time for the momentous occasion of Guns ‘N Roses at BST Hyde Park.
Making our way through the arena gates, we are met with the sight of thousands of black tshirts – such a contrast to last weekend’s extremely P!nk crowd. Taking a stroll over to the merchandise stall, we find a decent selection of fun stuff up for grabs (I really wish I’d bought the Appetite trucker hat) but the prices are pretty eye-watering in most cases. It seems we aren’t the only ones who think so, as a guy yells to his friend “Seventy notes for a hoodie? Nah, I could have knitted you one mate”. I do also find it a little funny that the BST tshirts clearly haven’t been signed off for using the G’n’R fonts or logo, making their event tshirt kinda flat for £40. I get that prices are rising everywhere but, this seems extraordinary – doesn’t it?
Heading over to the Great Oak stage we witness Justin Hawkins of The Darkness jokingly calling out a fan down the front for hoarding keepsakes… “How many plectrums you got, you cheeky bastard?” before launching into ‘Japanese Prisoner of Love’. It’s a short 9 song set ending up with the customary ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’, and there’s some stage pyro going on sure, but I’m not convinced this is them at their best – the crowd response is notably flat.
Taking a turn around the arena to look at a few things, we come up to the House of Peroni – a giant beer garden deck designed to look as if you’re on holiday in Italy of course. White shuttered faux houses above the bars are tipped with royal blue accents, the tables are full of people enjoying cold beers and watching the chaotic chair swing fairground ride off to the side.
Around the back of the stadium, you can get a full face of glitter done at the Aperol lounge, or ‘festival hair’ braiding next to one of the AmEx trucks. If you’re an AmEx customer you can claim all sorts of things at this event, like free water bottles and access to a special balcony overlooking the festival. Even British Airways are getting in on the action, with a very cute lounge area where you can grab a drink and sit in birdcage style seating areas, but the best bit is obviously their GlamCam moving camera photobooth. A little leafy-walled backdrop gives you the perfect space to do whatever weird thing you can think of in 3 seconds of a camera flying at your face, then you can email the monstrosity to yourself to upload onto socials.
Over at the Rainbow Stage we soak up some classic rock; “We are a band from sunny South Wales calledJames and The Cold Gun” (named from a Kate Bush song) who are dressed in a joyful array of flared trousers and velvet shirts. They are quick to note that their bassist’s Dad had a heart attack yesterday and was in hospital “…she had the courage to come and do this despite all that going on” and thanked her for being there with them to the huge applause of the rather big crowd they’ve gathered. It’s a solid set and I’ll be adding some of their tracks to my playlist after this.
Over on the Garage stage BST house band The Cuban Brothers, are up to their usual antics – inciting the crowd to lewd behaviour. If you don’t love it, you’re wrong. “They say you are what you eat, but I don’t remember eating a fucking legend today” yells frontman Miguel (aka Mike) dressed as a camp Axl Rose. The Cubans are joined on stage today by DJ duo Shaka Music “on the ones and two’s” as Miguel puts it, and they’re all sporting new Cuban merch featuring ‘The Swan’. If you know you know, and yes it is rude. Shouting out in a cockney accent that the tshirts can be bought at the Flat Iron for twenty quid, before a small rendition of Welcome to the Jungle, Miguel cheekily says “Ladies and gents, I’m gonna be honest. We are definitely going to be infinitely more entertaining than anything else you see tonight…” and tells us he’s been ‘hanging with Duff last night’.
After their set we head over to take a look at the Flat Iron, which has a cool looking private balcony on the front of it (who gets to go up there?) and buy ourselves a tshirt. Next up on the main stage are The Pretenders, as the rain begins to fall in earnest. It’s a solid rock and roll set but, I can’t pretend I don’t find it a weird booking choice as the set up for G’n’R. Chrissie Hynde is a legend, and the set is technically good, I just want something more upbeat to set us up for tonight and this feels a little too niche and out of the zone. “This one is called ‘I’ll Stand By You’, there you go Axl” Chrissie calls out, and don’t get me wrong – it’s iconic, it’s just not pushing my buttons.
As if to prove themselves entirely correct, The Cuban Brothers return to the stage and are in fact, much more entertaining, with Dominic providing breakdancing and flips and Kenny on rollerskates or doing a hauntingly beautiful dance to Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’. They note that they’ve been doing this for 10 years, and that this was their 56th Hyde Park show – living legends indeed.
Onto the main event, and billed at a very early 7.30pm start time, we ready ourselves for Guns ‘N Roses. Just off the back of their Glastonbury pyramid stage headline set, and some fairly unfavourable reviews, will this be the redemption arc or confirmation that this is the end of the road? As a lifelong fan (thanks to my sister acquiescing to playing me ‘Paradise City’ on repeat as a toddler) I’m hoping for something special tonight.
Opening with Axl Rose’s patented “You know where you are?” high pitched scream, and some Stranger Things-esque graphics on the screens (don’t tell Metallica), they explode onto the stage with all the force and energy I had wished fore. Slash is rocking leather pants and a denim shirt, along with his signature tophat and Axl has some very shiny trousers on as he runs across the stage for ‘It’s So Easy’. Lo and behold, he sounds good. Not just ok, really good.
“Look at all these people! God bless you!” Axl yells, before taking a tumble on the slippery rain covered stage. Now, in previous iterations of Guns ‘n Roses shows that I’ve been to, this honestly could have spelled the end of the set. I once watched Axl throw a full fit and leave the stage after a fall at Download festival – he didn’t return for the best part of 45 minutes. This time he jumps up, grins and keeps on spinning and singing. It feels playful and fun, a return to the style of chaotic show they were known for in the old days; “I don’t wanna jinx it but hopefully I got all that slip sliding out of the way” he laughs.
Velvet Revolver track ‘Slither’ followed by ‘Mr Brownstone’ really showcase Slash’s skills as a master guitarist – I will never not be humbled getting to hear something like that live and in person, the man is a true icon.
Now dressed in a croc-textured biker jacket, the band let us have ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ to which all 65k people here are positively YELLING along with. I particularly love to note that when Axl sings “my serpentine” and winds his body in that well known snake-like motion, we are in fact in the land of The Serpentine – Hyde Park’s lake which is around the corner from here.
Briefly looking into the crowd, Axl says “She’s holding a sign that says we saved her life, but I don’t know about that” before neon ‘G’N’R Was Here’ neon graffiti lights up the stage side screens for ‘Reckless Life’. In a cheekily clipped British accent Axl jokes “What a lovely gathering, all the best people are here” as they roll into “…the 50th anniversary of a little ditty by one of your fellow countrymen….” Wings cover ‘Live and Let Die’.
Other highlights of this epic 29 song set included ‘Rocket Queen’, UK Subs cover ‘Down on the Farm’ (albeit with graphics clearly designed for Glasto) and a super high energy ‘Anything Goes’. Axl’s voice may not hit those high notes quite as strongly occasionally but damn does he still sound good.
‘Civil War’ sees the screens plastered with the Ukrainian flag, as Axl sports one on his tshirt underneath a camouflage biker jacket, and Slash swaps to a double necked guitar. This will put them at around the same number of tshirt to guitar changes so far. ‘Sweet Child o’Mine’ is absolutely perfect, and again – Axl’s voice is wildly better than last time I saw them perform. Unfortunately as the screens turn to grey for ‘November Rain’ in a cruel twist of fate – it is actually beginning to rain for real, which doesn’t seem to bother Axl who is now gussied up in a sparkly metallic leopard print tux jacket, sitting at the piano.
After yet another outfit change (white studded leather jacket) we get ‘Patience’, “I think I could have got a couple more yayas in there, dug a little deeper” Axl jokes at the end, which seems a little bit like a ‘fuck you’ to everyone bashing his Glasto vocal performance the week before. ‘Knockin on Heaven’s Door’ has the whole arena singing along and waving phone torches, but ‘Nightrain’ is just bloody epic and the standout highlight of the whole set.
“We’re not gonna do that leaving the stage showbiz stuff, we’re just gonna do songs so we don’t get cut off” he says pulling his thumb across his neck and making a ‘crrrrkk’ sound “It’s like an insurance policy so we’re playing them now”. Honestly, having watched Bruce Springsteen get cut off here once before, and the whole Lana Del Rey saga at Glasto – we’re appreciative, and we get to see ‘Don’t Cry’ and closer ‘Paradise City’ in unhurried completion finishing bang on the dot of curfew. Oh, and I’d really like to own Axl’s Union Jack tophat.
For me, this was without a doubt the best showing of Guns ‘N Roses I’ve ever seen, being too young to have hit up their original peak gigs. Hyde Park is an epic setting and they absolutely lived up to their status as the OG kings of rock and fucking roll tonight. Long live the G’N’F’N’R Jungle.
Music is curated by the Gardens of Babylon collective with internationally renowned electronic music artists all bring their A-game. There are all sorts of nice sounds from across the spectrum with standout shows form Magit Cacoon and Patrice Baumel providing the soundtrack amongst others.
The Extras
As well as the sounds, there is also plenty more to explore at Wellnergy including a Wellness Stage, Mindfulness Tent and more such as comedy, exhibitors, traders, pop up food and well curated bars that mean there is always something great to do and learn and explore.
The Five Pillars
With the day split into two halves, Wellnergy offers the best of both musical and wellness worlds. The first half of the day focuses on fitness, mindfulness, talks and positive development, with the second half focus being more music led with upbeat, loving and vibey energy.
The Experts
Guest health and wellness experts Dr Alex George, Grace Beverly, Maude Hirst, Alice Liveing and Dilly Carter all feature at Wellnergy and share a vast wealth of knowledge that is unlike anything else you will be able to experience. It means you truly leave feeling better than when you arrive.
Neurodiverse
Wellnergy Festival was one of the most inclusive festivals in the UK as it partnered with Spectrum First to create the first ever neuro-inclusivity festival safe space which catered for all neurotypes. Attending events involving large groups of people or crowds can be difficult for neurodivergent people so this place to go and chill out and restore calm is invaluable.
The wait is finally over and the timing couldn’t be any better. Following the club focused track “Afloat”Matchy is unveiling his long-awaited single “Be there”: A deeper and emotionally touching festival hymn, which features the beautiful voice of Johanson.
Emotive chords and textures merge with catchy vocals, engaging the listener on a yearning journey throughout the song. By creating a dreamy yet uplifting vibe that oscillates between a melancholic mood and euphoria “Be There” will certainly be one of the most played tracks this summer.
Gender representation on the festival billing has been a big topic in the music Industry for the past few years, and every year, EXIT is working closer towards gender equity in their lineup.
The colossal Dance Arena will kick-start with an awe-inspiring, all-female lineup, mixing the best and the brightest local female artists with the mighty queens of the international electronic music scene. The famous trench in the medieval Petrovaradin Fortress, dubbed by many as the best dance floor in the world, will welcome Nina Kraviz, Amelie Lens, Indira Paganotto, Vylana, Tijana T, Miju, and Lanna on July 6th.
Along with the all-female day electronic concept on Dance Arena, EXIT’s Gorski List Main Stage will bring all-female hip hop day on Saturday July 8th, led by the powerful women of the Balkan scene – Senidah, Sajsi MC, Mimi Mercedez, and Kejt.
Many slots on various festival’s stages will feature female artists or bands led by females. Main stage will feature fabulous Charlie Tee, Soki Tukker, Lady Lee/iLee as well as local heavy metal act Jenner and world famous Epica. Dance Arena will also present supertalented Layla Benitez and Gioli & Assia live. Fusion stage is bringing regional stars such as Zoe Kida, Bojana Vunturišević, Freekind and Dina Jashari, while alternative electronic oasis NSNS stage will feature acts such as Anetha, Avalon Emerson, Carlita, Desiree, Raven, Cici, Katalina, Asari and Jovana Takač. One of EXIT’s emerging stages, Gang Beats, dedicated to regional trap scene will feature perfomances by MC’s and vocalists Macha Ravel, tam, Jymenik, Mlada Beba, Thea, Bejbi Motorola, Micka Lifa, Zevin and Pachamama stage will present amazing Vylana Marcus, Hearts Liberated, Laura Escude, Shi Cu, Julija Castellucci, Dragana Balić (Sarasvati Druna Bend) and Klo Klo.
In the world where women are “far less likely to be picked by A&R, far less likely to invest in”, EXIT once again leads the change by signing festival’s youngest ever performer, Lanna, as the first artist of newly launched Music & Talent Office – EXIT Echosystem. Lanna’s journey to stardom began when she first performed at EXIT at the age of 13, as the youngest-ever act to take the stage at the multiple European festival champion, and she has already performed alongside the most prominent global music stars, including Paul Kalkbrenner and Indira Paganotto. Her ascent will continue as part of the unique all-female concept on Dance Arena on July 6, alongside with the most powerful women of the global electronic music scene – Nina Kraviz, Indira Paganotto, and Amelie Lens!
This years’s edition of EXIT Festival is taking place at Petrovaradin fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia from July 6th to 9th.
Indo Warehouse makes their way to London with a special showcase at London’s Outernet
After taking the US by storm with a series of sold out showcases, all new house collective Indo Warehouse is heading to the UK for its first ever event show in London. HERE at Outernet is the location on Friday, September 22nd with the Indo Warehouse roster Kahani, Kunal Merchant, Ethyr, Areublue and Payal Jay all performing.
South Asian house and techno label Indo Warehouse is the hottest new underground movement in the States. It has hosted parties at iconic clubs across North America including Sound in LA and Brooklyn Mirage in NY. They are about to embark on a global tour with dates in DC, Portland, San Francisco, Brooklyn, Toronto, Seattle and Vancouver; then they visit London; and in October, they perform at their official ADE showcase at Melkweg. As a label, Indo Warehouse has released 17 records in less than a year, with 10 more set to come the next several months. The label’s artists include DJs, producers, singers, song-writers and an extended collective that lives across the world. During their DJ sets, each artist presents a unique perspective into house music, absorbing South Asian-inspired sounds, vocals, textures, and culture with hypnotic, emotive, and percussive grooves.
For this party – their long awaited London debut – Indo Warehouse’s artists will create a provocative score sure to include original music and rousing edits, which will compliment their powerful visuals that will dance across Outernet’s screens, transporting clubbers into an Indo-futuristic world. This is fitting as the venue was designed to create an immersive entertainment experience in the heart of London, where communities come together to enjoy culture in breathtaking new ways.
London, expect to step into a new world with Indo Warehouse!
