Reviews

Festibelly 2014 Review

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The New Forest was brought to life by Festibelly. Located in one of the most beautiful areas of the South, the breath taking scenery dotted with wildlife makes for a pleasant journey to Lymington. Taking place from the 11th to the 12th of July, this small-scale festival really does cater for all.

On arrival, the short queuing time and onsite camping made for a quick and easy start to the weekend. Once the tent was pitched, I explored the array of stalls. Festibelly offers something for everyone, with children’s entertainment including games and crafts. While the kids were occupied, adults could enjoy the music only a few meters away. However, this festival isn’t just for families, it caters for all ages.

The vibe was chilled on Friday, with musical highlights from Laurel, Amber Run and Lewis Floyd Henry. The atmosphere picked up as Skinny Lister took to the stage, with upbeat sing along songs that got the whole crowd involved. The Cuban Brothers headlined Friday night and had the whole crowd captivated with their dancing and humor. I didn’t know what to expect when watching them, but they defiantly entertained!

Saturday welcomed in more festival goers, with the crowds drawing in to watch Jus Now and DJ David Rodigan. Entertainment was also on offer at the Massive In China and Terrapin Station tents through out the day, with a variety of comedy, music and dance workshops to participate in. Although slightly limited in choice, the food on offer was delicious with produce being sourced or grown locally. Delicious Orange Rooms cocktails were also available to buy from their teepee.

 

The main stage showcased FEMME and Mausi, who brought the pop vibes to the festival with dance beats blasting out in the sun. Hudson Taylor was the perfect end to such a family friendly festival in a beautiful location. I’d highly recommended this festival to anyone!

Photos by Mickey Cole

Electric Daisy Carnival 2014 Review

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Originating from the USA, Electric Daisy Carnival, or EDC as it is more widely known, made its second trip across the pond to the UK this weekend, transforming Milton Keynes outdoor National Bowl into an entertainment spectacle.

Riding on the success of last years London based event, EDC 2014 offered a who's who of chart-topping EDM, (electronic dance music) producers, best known for their knob-twiddling skills and dance music know how.

Aside from the music, one of EDC's unique selling points (persistently featured in the promo videos) was the scale of special effects on offer. Promising the UK's largest ever 360 degree LED light display, pyrotechnics and hundreds of weird and wonderful performers, the organisers clearly aimed to make their event just as visually appealing as the music itself.

Musically, this years EDC boasted a diverse line up of British and European producers, with EDM duo Bassjackers opening the main stage at midday before Avicii's headline set in the late evening, with chart hits 'You Make Me' and 'Wake Me Up' lighting up the bowl.

Earlier in the day, Calvin Harris played a mid-afternoon set, including recent number ones 'Summer' and 'Under Control', with the majority of the crowd on each other's shoulders early on. It was a busy day for Harris, who hurried off to play a main stage set at T in the Park where he was joined and introduced by Will Smith! Not a bad day for Calvin, who achieved eight top-ten hits from his 2012 album, '18 Months'.

Meanwhile, over on the Cosmic Meadow stage, house music was the order of the day if EDM drops became too much for some. Route 94, who scored a number one earlier this year with his piano house track 'My Love' featuring vocals from Jess Glynne, opened the stage at 1pm with a well received set. Later on, Leeds success story Hot Since 82, real name Daley Padley, performed an evening set of deep house drawing on tracks from his album 'Little Black Book'.

Back at the Kinetic Field main stage, 19-year-old Dutch producer Martin Garrix, who topped the chart with the inescapably catchy 'Animals', which is given an outing today, as well as follow-up top-ten track 'Wizard and a remix of Empire of the Sun's 'Alive' drew a large crowd. Mixing Naughty Boy and Sam Smith's number one 'La La La' with his own new single 'Tremor', the chorus bass drops team with confetti and smoke machines going off in unison.

Next up was Steve Aoki, who is currently hosting his Aoki Play House residency in Ibiza, here making a rare UK appearance, dropping bass heavy tracks, 'Boneless' and a new collaboration with Afrojack, before scaling the grand DJ podium set up. While stood high, he threw numerous cakes at the crowd, something which has become synonymous with the 'Beat Down' producers energetic sets.

For only it's second visit to the UK, it's safe to say that Electric Daisy Carnival is here to stay, fulfilling a gap in the British festival market and offering a world class line-up! Next year's event can't come quicker!

Exit Festival Day One 10th July Review

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Any Brits who were hoping the fact they had come to a European festival meant they would escape the incessant rain that sometimes besets those based in the UK had their dreams dramatically shattered as lighting began to strike above the Petrovaradin fortress a few hours before EXIT’s main gates opened. Festival go-oers went wet t-shirted to and fro between the ticket office outside the entrance and the EXIT VILLAGE campsite in a small park nestled between a busy main road and towering suburban apartment blocks. Residents looked out over their balconies possibly bemused as tents sprung up forming a carpet of synthetic canvass.

The reason for the move away from the traditional campsite on the banks of the Danube are unsure, possibly due to excess mess or lack of space in previous years, or perhaps the risk of flooding from the river (the organisers may have somehow predicted the weather). To me it seemed strange to encourage an overflow of tourists closer to the city center, especially as EXIT’s programme goes on late into the evening (the last DJ set starts at 6.30am), meaning there is a steady stream of people making there way back through the city (possibly merry) well into the morning. But then again this may be to bring more money into the city itself and provide campers with more facilities closer to hand, as the campsite is situated next to a mall with cafés, shops, restaurants, a swimming pool and a supermarket, as well as having a small street of food vendors inside the EXIT VILLAGE itself.

The walk takes about 40 mins but only a 10 to 15 minute bus ride, and for those on a western European budget there were representatives selling fairly cheap weekly bus passes for around 6 Euros at the train station and the campsite. Although the buses tail off around 1am there is a steady flow of taxis after this surrounding the venue which cost around 500 dinar (about 4 euros) for a ride back to the camp.

Fortunately the deluge was short lived and clouds cleared as people began to stream through the gates past the rather heavily armed Serbian security to the sight of a glorious sunset over the city of Novi Sad.

The show was kicked off on the main stage with some smooth reggae from Hornsman Coyote which the gathering crowd seemed to enjoy, followed by the Energy Opening by Balkanopolis. Their set consisted of an engaging performance from Renaiszance who played their single “ I Will Rise” accompanied rather effectively with visuals taken from the graphic novel The Inventor: The Story of Tesla based on the life of famous Serbian inventor NikolaTesla, as well as an uplifting act of semi traditional Serbian music using a variety instruments including a form of local bagpipes made out of the body of the goat. The crowd began to dance around the rather deep puddle that had formed treacherously close to the main stage as the finale including aerial silks came to a close.

When it was finally dark it was the turn of Belgian music maestro Stromae to take to the stage in an arresting and pitch perfect performance that had the Serbian and European crowd singing along in French with gusto.

Stromae used all of his charisma as well as beautifully paletted video backdrops to get the audience below him to raise their hands in the air and bounce around without ever having to request it. He was a fascinating performer to watch live with his cartoon like facial expressions and physical flourishes while managing somehow to make a school boy style of long shorts, socks and cardigans look cool.

This was arguably the busiest point of the evening and as The Pet Shop Boys prepared to take to the stage the crowd thinned out to a more chilled out volume while they strutted and sang through modern classics as well as new mixes. Neil Tenant sported a fascinating variety of head wear including the infamous Disco ball and a post modern metal mask in the shape of the cow’s head, which was complimented by the cow skulls and wigs that both the  live and pre recorded backing dancers sported to creepy effect. As the night progressed and came to a close people spread out to the various other smaller stages dotted around the venue to sip beer and smoke cigarettes while lying in hammocks. The genre of music was varied so that there was something to be found for everyone, and despite being the first night of a major festival the atmosphere was relaxed and happy, the most common sight to be seen was people dancing and smiling with their eyes close, whether that be Dub by Dimension, Heavy metal, or Flamenco dancers at the Latino Stage. EXIT festival had officially begun.

 

 

T in the Park 2014 – Friday Review

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There’s very few things I expected to happen in my lifetime; meet the queen, find the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and for Scotland to be so hot my eyelashes are even sweating (they pay be pity tears for my poor ginger skin). If only the free tap water was free factor 50 and we would all be sorted, unfortunately the only thing someone has thrown my way is a cup of warm pee.

A woman who won’t need to worry about looking like a juicy, home grown tomato by the end of the day is Foxes. The dark haired, golden skinned beauty graced the main stage with her soft voice teamed with a bubbly, flirtatious stage presence made for an enjoyable watch. Going from one extreme to the other I then found myself in front of possibly the three fiercest women I have ever seen. Haim are made up of three sisters from LA with enough attitudes to put any old Rock and Roll band to shame. They’re absolutely and utterly off their rocket. The energy they put in to their live performance means that if you’re going to see them live, you’re definitely getting your money’s worth.

Imagine Dragons aren’t a band I would have paid money to see but after watching them today I’m willing to admit I’m an idiot. Every member is a completely different character, all full of confidence and grabbing your attention, with that much stage presence there’s always something to watch whether it be Daniel’s envy worthy hair, his golden guitar or lead singer Dan Reynolds strong strides across the stage. They played King Tut’s Wah Wah tent last year and this year, rightly so, were promoted to the main stage.

So since Rihanna deleted her Instagram, we’ve all been creeping on Ellie Goulding’s right? (If you’re answer is no, you’re doing Instagram wrong). Seeing her a few years ago, she was a quirky wee blonde; she has now taken on a completely different stage persona on and is now an uncompromising sex symbol, this teamed with her angelic voice makes her an unstoppable force.

Now I’m not going to lie to you, I did do a skip, a hop and an unintentional slip on the way to Ed Sheeran. My excitement was not without reason. Alone on the stage with nothing but a guitar and a loop pedal this man managed to get the crowd pumped up more than all other acts put together. Playing a few new songs from his breathtaking new album “X” Ed is one of the most genuine talents in the music industry today and with quick witted banter with the crowd in between songs this man could also possibly be one of the most likable guys in music.

I ended off the night with Steve Angello and if my sun burn wasn’t keeping me warm, his flame cannons definitely did. Proving he doesn’t need fellow Swedish House Mafia DJ’s he had the sun stroked crowd going crazy.

If you’ve not already got a ticket there are still some left on Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/packages/t_in_the_park_2014.html. Acts for Saturday include Twin Atlantic, Rudimental, Pharrell Williams, John Newman, Elbow, The 1975 and Calvin Harris. Sunday you have Disclosure, Tine Tempah, Sam Smith, Example, Passenger, London Grammer and Bastille to look forward to. Come and join in the fun (remember your sun cream!).

 

Libertines at British Summer time Hyde Park Review

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"The good ship Albion strays off course"

The Libertines at Hyde Park started started as it ended, in chaos. By 3PM, the stitching on the red jackets was already unravelling. The Theatre venue for support acts was full, bursting to capacity, their was no chance for many wolf Alice fans to get a look in and further disruption as both Graham Coxen and Swim Deep sets had to be cancelled. 

The shambolic aura of the libertines seemed to take over the whole event. Which on the previous day for Black Sabbath, ran with military precision, matched with a mature audience there to have a good time and enjoy the heavier side of music.

On the Saturday it was not to be, with bars running out of beers by 6PM, male temperaments were being pushed to their limit having to order £7.50 Cocktails; These were quickly expelled, as any flat upright surface was met with lines of lads urinating up them.

The Mid afternoon set from Spiritualized, an odd choice for such an indie focused bill, wasn't enough of a distraction as time passed and more alcohol was consumed. A cheery Pogues did lighten the mood, although it still got rowdy enough for their set to be cut short due to crowd pushing.

The stage at 9pm was lit up with flickering montages of old photos and clips from the Libertines glory days, this set anticipation even higher amongst the restless audience.

Finally the Libertines were on stage, Pete and Carl sharing microphones all grudges forgotten breaking into 'Vertigo.' It only took the second song 'boys in the band', for the music to be halted due to crushing at the front. Doherty and drummer Gary Powell had to calm the audience down with a odd rendition of 'fill me Up buttercup'. This stop and start seemed to drain the momentum from the group, and the rhythm section probably suffered the most. I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. They were and have always been the bands the safety net during live gigs and John Hassel's ashen face said it all.

With the shaky start out the way, the rest of the set continued in typical Libertines fashion. Appearing pub drunk and sloppy may go down well in small clubs, but even with the bounty of sing along songs the band have, they seemed to lose grip over such a large audience (even if everyone did know all the words). 

For the adoring fans at the barrier, who would gladly suffer being saved from the crowd by security just to be closer to their heroes, it was most likely a great night and one they won't forget. For others it was a memorable let down, with a greying Doherty now telling his audience to behave themselves when they climbed up the on the lighting platforms, his days of debauchery long forgotten. It is a blessing that with two more gigs announced for Alexander Palace, this wasn't the final voyage for the Libertines.

HD Festival 2014 Review

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Into its fourth year, High Definition moved to a new venue to deliver its biggest line-up to date. On 5 July 2014 a short bus ride from Tunbridge Wells’ train station lead to the stately Eridge Park which seemed more befitting to a Jane Austen Period drama than an all-out dance fuelled Saturday festival.

A surprisingly slow queue opened out into a large grassed space circled by various tents and surrounded by some truly impressive views of the countryside. Heading straight to the bar following instructions to purchase drink tokens for all liquid transactions we found the £5 beers quite reasonable.  There was also a wide range of beverages available if beer wasn’t your thing.

The festival was well put together with two bars, one at either side of the site, two large tents and a few smaller tents, with some fairground rides you would have found at an old-school rave situated at the center. The main stage was tucked away at the back of the field which worked well in delivering minimal through traffic for the crowd who were there to see Carl Cox, Marco Carola and Jon Rundell.

The sound systems were solid and the DJs looked like they were having a lot of fun across the board. Carl Cox delivered a classic set late in the afternoon in the bright sunshine sun to everyone’s surprise because of the forecast of rain. Oneman, as usual did not disappoint in the evening playing to the packed out Digital Arena before Gorgon City stepped up and played their recent hits, as well as Ten Walls’ Walking with Elephants, a personal favorite of mine and what seemed to be everyone else’s too.

An apparent no-show from Ms Dynamite disappointed a few people but there was plenty to make up for it; Huxley, Midland and Bicep had the crowds firmly in their grasp throughout their sets and delivered beat after beat to warm receptions.

If you wanted to up the tempo with a trip to the Epidemik rave tent it was best to get in there early and experience a stand out display from Eksman and Logan-D taking us through the late and great years of DnB, one rewind at a time.

High Definition provided a great day out with big acts and a vibe I would be happy to return for.

Review by Sam Walsh

 


Created with flickr slideshow.

 

Wireless Festival 2014 Review: The Bruno Mars Storm!

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Summer Festival Guide parties alongside Salt-N-Pepa, Outkast, Sean Paul, Clean Bandit, Bruno Mars and over 50,000 people at Wireless Festival last Sunday. It is probably one of the biggest festivals in London and the UK in July 2014. Each year the line-up never disappoints. Summer Festival Guide headed to Finsbury Park to check out over 30 acts across three stages including Ellie Goulding, Naughty Boy, Rixton, Clean Bandit, Outkast or the headline for Sunday Bruno Mars.

Created in 2005, set across three days in two different locations (Birmingham and Finsbury Park), the Wireless festival organized and managed by Livenation attracts HUGE names, different genres and all sorts of audience. One stage you’re jumping along with Raileigh Christie, and the next you’re skaking and waving with Salt-n-pepa. The choice is great and yours.

I start my journey from the Pepsimax Stage looking forward to Raleigh Ritchie. DJ Westwood is doing an amazing job with the warm up. Raleigh Ritchie arrives like a storm directing at the audience “Today, we’re gonna do a lot of jumping” and we do. I left after the crowd pleaser track “Stronger than ever”.  Raleigh Ritchie has lots of energy and great interaction with the audience, mainly due to his acting career (Acting name: Jacob Anderson). I meet him later for a chat in the Wireless VIP office. Leaving the Pepsimax Stage, I noticed one of the grossest things|: the urinals are next to the stage as if guys need to hear live music to pee. This is very unpractical, gross and quite disgusting as long as the day progresses. I can’t understand why Livenation agreed to have two major spots of urinals near stages as families walk around and young girls walk around to navigate from stage to stage. Stopping by the Main Stage, Alexa Goddard is singing “Marilyn” The singer signed to Jay Z’s Roc Nation record later earlier this year.

Photo courtesy of Wireless Festival – Andrew Whitton

In the VIP area, Rixton, John Newman, Neon Jungle and Dominique Young Unique were interviewed and photographed in the dedicated Wireless area. The place is quite buzzing with new and fresh acts.

Heading back to the Main Stage, Salt-N-Pepa is now performing and what a performance. If the American hip hop trio from New York is in the UK every 10 years, please let me sign right now. The sun is shining in Finsbury but they definitely bring the heat! They are engaging, sexy, funny and very happy to be there. They start thanking their 70s babies, 90s babies and the ladies singing a cover Arrested Development “Everyday People”. Everyone is bouncing, waving and singing. Next, it is a tribute to old school hip hop mixing new tunes like Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love”, “Shoop” and “Shake your thang”. They continue with the Ultimate classic “Let’s talk about”. Cheryl James a.k.a Salt is wearing a clear skater skirt and a Salt-n-Pepa T-shirt with a gold belt whereas Sandra Denton a.k.a Pepa is wearing sexy black trousers withSalt-n-Pepa t-shirt with a tight ponytail. Deidra Roper or DJ Spinderella is in the back all in black.

Photo courtesy of Wireless Fesitval – Jenna Foxton

DJ Spinderella is in da house and is working the next dance session tracks starting with Montell Jordan “This is how we do it”. The two dancers on stage with Salt-N-Pepa are amazing: wearing red caps, Adidas tracksuits and Salt-n-Pepa t-shirts, they really interact the audience and show us some great moves. Asking all the ladies to “Shake their booties” on Sugarhill Gang Apache’s “Jump On It”. The next track starts with old school hard rock songs like: “Smells like a teen spirit” by Nirvana, “Sweet Child of Mine” of Guns N’ Roses with everyone going crazy on air guitar! “What a Man” is next for all the good men in the world. The last song had Beyonce’s “Run the World” as an intro but as soon as Salt-N-Pepa put their American Football jacket on, the crowd knew it was time for “Push It”.

After a really great time dancing and bouncing with Salt, Pepa and DJ Spinderella, I am heading back to the food section for a late lunch. Once again there is a great choice, from Lebanese Street food to Hot Chocolate station: Everything is set for to please all pallets and wallets. The Fresh Lemonade stand is having amazing success. My advice is to follow the queue! Water points are also available and in abundance. There is 2 tobacco shops with rainbow benches and a Medicine man truck where you can find sun cream, Anadin, paracetamol, cough medicine, sunglasses and even condoms.

By the time I am the VIP section to meet with Clean Bandit, John Newman is singing, “Love me again”.  The Cirque du Soir entertainment is in full swing and the fire pizza stall has great success. It also smells Churros and Ben and Jerries’ van is popular as well. Heading to the Boombox Stage for Rixton: They are performing “Make out” and the crowd is very excited with lots of girl fans screaming. After Jake Roche wished a Happy Birthday to a fan they finished the show with their star main song “Me and my Broken Heart” – the ultimate crowd pleaser. The four-member Mancunian band is charming, cheeky and full of energy on stage.

On the way to Pepsi Max Stage, J. Cole is rapping “Crooked Smile” on the Main Stage. Dj Westwood is entertaining the crowd and asks to “scream for Clean Bandit”. Everyone is waiting for Clean Bandit now: Grace Chatto, all dressed in white is coming first playing cello. Followed by Milan Neil Amin-Smith playing the Violin and Luke and Jack Patterson on the drums and keyboard. Jess Glyne arrives first for “A+E” joined soon by guest Elisabeth Troy for “Heart on fire”. Another guest, Florence Rawlings comes on stage for “Extraordinary”. I had to leave before they performed by favourite track “Rather Be” but I really don’t want to miss Ellie Goulding concert. I arrive just in time for the last song of her show “Burn”. She is playing the guitar, wearing a flowery short and a crop top. Her performance is sincere, emotional and strong.

Going back to the VIP section, Le Cirque du Soir is still there entertaining the crowd and the food stalls are busy. John Newman and Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule from Rizzle Kicks are chatting. I am now getting ready for Sean Paul back in the Pepsimax Stage. In front row, a group of ladies are waving Jamaican flags and DJ Westwoodis getting everyone hysterical. The show starts with two dancers wearing ethnic print latex jumpsuits. Followed by Diplo and Major Lazers, the tone is set. Sean Paul, proud with his Mohawk hairstyle,starts the show with “Temperature” and “Get Busy”. Bouncing, Jumping and dancing with a towel flying in the air, he gets the crowd crazy. After 30mns: direction the Boombox Stage to catch the end ofIndiana’s performance. The twenty five year old singer-songwriter Indiana has a very fragile and emotional voice, with interesting arrangements and lyrics. Unfortunately, It is quite quiet and the venue is nearly empty because people are gathering around the Main Stage for Outkast. They are reuniting to celebrate their 20th anniversary and they have not performed in the UK since 2002 and fans have been waiting for the gig! Andre 3000 is wearing a white wig beany, a black t-shirt with “I’ve never been to Africa” and Big Boi is wearing a cap, a gold chain and a black tracksuit. They performed their biggest hits like “Roses”, Mrs Jackson” and “Hey Ya”. One of the main disappointments is the lack or organization and aggression from Livenation security team. They seem to be more obsessed about the badge color to get to VIP areas rather than the actual safety of people. A group of young people notices a gap in the barriers and manages to get in the premises without passes. Security paid attention to the issue after 30 minutes. In the “In Da Zone” section, some celebrities like Tristan Wilds get the access denied and watch the show with the rest of us. Jade Thirwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock from Little Mix snubbed fans to get their own seats in the pitch area as they only have “in da zone” passes.

Photo courtesy of Wireless Festival – Rachael Wright

On my way to Pepsimax stage, I stopped by the main Wireless Bar, the entire staff is singing and dancing on “Hey Ya” and really enjoying the show.The gig is disturbed by the heavy rain so everyone tries to find shelter and umbrellas. Before Bruno Mars, Robin Thicke is playing the piano for bluesy version of “Too Little, too late” inPepsiMax Stage. After each song, he is claiming his love to his wife Paula Patton, which is quite boring and intense. The next song is “Lock the door” showing his powerful and amazing vocal range.Robin Thicke is a great surprise as most of the crowd appreciates his talents as a songwriter, musician and singer. The blues and soul band behind him and the two back up singers really bring his songs to live giving a new dimension to the lyrics. The last song “Get her back” is dedicated, with no surprise, to his wife.

Passing by the tobacco shop near Boombox Stage, Naughty Boy is playing their last track “La La La”. By that time the rain just stops for Bruno Mars amazing performance. What a performer! He just does not disappoint. He even gets better with time! Arriving on stage wearing a white hat with a red flower, ethnic shirt and tight black trousers, he is followed by the Hooligans.

Phillip Lawrence from the Hooligans is next. Wearing round glasses, a black hat and red animal print shirt and black trousers.The Hooligans, they just mean business and start with the “Lazy song” with a ska twist. We are here for a great show. Bruno Mars starts talking to the impatient audience “London how you feel? London can we see your dance?” They sing, “Treasure” encouraging people to clap and bounce while displaying some serious foot action and choreography. We are on our feet!! Bruno definitely brings back the sun in London. Playing now the guitar for a “Money Medley”, he is singing “Money, that’s what I want” which brings us back to the cool 50s rock years for a few moments before switching to “I want to be a billionaire” with a reggae edge mixed up with “I need a dollar” of Aloe Blacc. At the end of the song, he finishes acapella twisting the lyrics with an English accent “I want to be a billionaire, so bloody bad” which the crowd absolutely loved. 

Photo courtesy of Wireless Festival – Danny North

Asking the audience to move our bodies side to side slowly on “Out first time”. His vocal range reminds us of Michael Jackson. A beautiful rainbow is surrounding the Main Stage, which adds to the performance and mood. It is the calm before the storm as the crowd scream on the first notes of “Marry you” followed a cover of “Walk with you” of Michael Jackson before an emotional and genuine interpretation of “When I was your man”.  After a long and amazing piano intro from Phredley Brown, Bruno Mars sings a rock version of “Grenade” followed by “Just the way you are”. Bruno Mars is now playing drums before “ Locked out of Heaven” which put an end with fireworks to the show. Bruno Mars is always praised for his retro showman and generosity on stage. With the help of the Hooligans and choreographed dancing arrangements, mellow and soft interludes, fantastic, fancy and slick footwork inspired by James Brown, we had a fantastic time. What an end of this three-day festival. See you next year Wireless!

Sonisphere Review 2014

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Sonisphere made a triumphant return after being cancelled for the past two years, due to a mix of financial problems, getting the right line up and bad luck. So this year it was time for Sonisphere to pick back up and the people of Sonisphere to finally reunite. A weekend of The Prodigy, Iron Maiden, Metallica from fist pumping to moshing, circle pits to expensive beer, dam good burritos, disgusting toilets and pretty good weather these past few days have been incredible. 

The layout of this years main arena was a fantastic and cleaver set up with the two main stages (Apollo stage and Saturn stage) opposite each other, being such a small festival fans could easily move from one to another within a few minutes. If stood in between the two stages there were some spots which you could see both stages from a reasonable distance. I believed this helped promote the bands on the second stage (Saturn stage) more as it wasn't any effort to switch between the two stages. To walk around the whole festival aswell has having a cheeky look into some of the market stalls it would take around ten minutes. 

The market and food stalls have an excellent selection to choose from. The market stalls include festival clothes, festival gear, temporary tattoos, face paint, shoe stalls, as well as tones more. Food wise, Sonisphere went a little on the gourmet/ bohemian style food, with the desert bar, the Hippy chippy, I <3 Ostrich and Milkshake bars. However there has been an uproar on the expense of the beer. Being at £4.90 a pint and allowing no alcohol of your own into the main area this proved to be a disappointment to the people of Sonisphere. 

Friday
Tents up and the sun shining Defiled kicking off this years main stage, this wasn't there only slot, they also performed Nivarna covers on the Bohemia stage later on in the weekend. Next up Anti Flag, who enticed the audience by making them sing back, clap their hands, and of course start circle pits. Without a doubt Anti Flags audience participation was defiantly there. As well as getting the crowd involved witty banter from lead singer Chris Baker shouts "the mother fucking pink power ranger wasn't singing, don't you dare fuck this up for the rest of us." Their last song 'Power to the Peaceful' was performed with Chris surrounded by the crowd. HIM singing behind their signature brand image, I believe there could of been more enthusiasm from the band it's self as there was very little audience participation which let there performance down. Limp Bizkit started out by saying "Now you know what time it really fucking is? Limp Bizkit in the house, you ready for this" 'Rollin' starting their set everyone stood up and began moshing and head banging. A lot of toilet roll was thrown around the crowd, was this a sign of a bad performance or just typical festival discourse? Awkwardly saying it was Saturday when in fact it was Friday, there were a few other blips throughout the set. "You guys ready to get you're Saturday night on?" Left the crowd a little silent and confused. But this was styled out with a cover of George Michael's Faith. To finish was the first headliner of the weekend, The Prodigy. Lights and smoke filled the stage, building the suspense for the fans. The atmosphere was electrifying, hands were in the air, everyone was dancing, and when it begin to rain during the second song this was a massive relief (especially to the sunburnt people) after the insanely hot weather that whole day. Thunder was slowed down and changed to fit the crowd which was good as it was a metal festival but made Prodigy loose abit of its originality.  

Saturday 
Alestorm took the Saturn stage early this morning and with pirate metal being such a niche market the turn out was pretty big. Fans embraced the music and danced to fit the genre. Alestorms advice to the crowd was "Let's drink a lot of shit." Baby Metal blew everyone away at this years festival, if they were to receive a on award from the crowds feedback, it would defiantly be most upcoming band of the year. The three sweet Japanese young looking trio contrasted with the hard metal instrumental but it worked and was a fantastic performance that everyone couldn't stop talking about and was singing the whole weekend. The bands visuals spoke of no bullying and not hurting one another this may have been contradictory after the trio then told the crowd to do the wall of death. Ghost gave out a passionate performance and excelled on there on stage presence which the band is recognised for. Lead singer Papa Emeritus mimics the Roman Catholic Pope although the greatest difference is the anti Christ symbol on his head piece, the image representing the worship of Satan. The guitarist were also dressed mimicking Priest. Anthrax turn out was pretty much the same as an a headliner maybe this is a hint for Sonisphere in the future, but this wasn't there only set, on Friday they played their 'Playing Among the Living' on the Bohemia Stage but the tent was packed full the security had to monitor people going in and out of the tent. Their main stage performance, the crowd was really going for it. Sonisphere sure did love Anthrax. Deftones and Slayer both had similar audience engagement, everyone was moshing, circle pits were forming and head banging was taken place which concluded these two bands really pulled it off. If you weren't in an Iron Maiden top for today then you would stick out like a saw thumb because literally everyone had them on. Overhearing a lot of people talking about Bruce Dickinson and were jokes going round that every plane that flew past, it was Bruce flying it, (even if it was an easy jet plane.) To end the day of this crazy line up, Iron Maiden took the stage and completely ripped it apart. The visuals were continuously changed throughout the set, with Eddie in his few forms. "It's you that's makes it real" Bruce proposes to the crowd. Lights, fire, sparks, everything and more in a performance you could wish for, this was by far the performance that completely owned this years Sonisphere.
 
Sunday
Sadly the last day of Sonisphere, but the wait for Metallica tonight was sure to hold the crowd up from their hangovers. After Gojira noticed the crowds half hearted dancing (as this was an early set,) they soon got the crowd back up, by shouting, "Still a little sleepy, let's makes some noise," which woke the crowd up and circle pits started appearing and more fist pumping was taking place. Devin Townsend Project was all about the love at this years Sonisphere as he told the crowd, "Group hug everybody, it's all about the love." Devin pulled off a fantastic performance and even hinted he may be back next year. "Maybe see you next year, love you all, see you and have a good night." Airbourne hitting the stage next and we all know this is going to be an exciting performance after the expectations of Joel O'Keefee goings on, on stage. Airbourne completely took the stage and had everyone gripped. "Even though the toilets are leaking, you lot still having a good time…You lot look great, you are rock and roll." As of tradition Joel did start climbing the scaffolding of the main stage and began to swing his guitar about whilst up in the air. At the end of the set Joel kindly threw a few beers into the crowd. Reel Big Fish on next, the crowd did experience about a minute worth of sound missing from the main speakers but the bands humour and charm pulled this off. The song 'Fuck You', resulted in "47 fucks in a row." Everyone was soon up singing and dancing when they played a cover of Ah Ha's Take On Me. Alice in Chains on before the final headliner of Soniphere was another kickass performance. "How you doing Knebworth?" got the crowd buzzing and was a consistent performance from start to finish. Wrapping up this years Sonisphere Metallica held the fans waiting a eager 15 minutes after their scheduled time. This really built up the climax to the final big performance. Typically some great facial expressions from James Hetfield as they played fans request for the set list. The bands classics were played along with their new songs Lords of Summer which seems a little strange that this was requested, but the bands performance was truly astonishing. The visuals and props were a little disappointing at the beginning but this got better as balloons and lasers appeared later on in the set. 

This years Sonisphere was a thrilling return and a complete success. Lets hope Sonisphere lives up to its amazing weekends like this one for the future. 

Blissfields 2014 festival review

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If you’re more into smaller festivals than the larger, more commercial events then Blissfields festival, set in the heart of rural Hampshire is a definite a must-visit. This year’s festival took place on 3rd July to the 5th and it certainly didn’t disappoint, with a line-up including headline acts from American pop-punk band Sleigh bells and hit-spinning brothers 2manydjs.

With only 4,000 people attending, the atmosphere at the festival was extremely chilled out and family-friendly. When we arrived, we were impressed with the laid-back, hippy atmosphere and how much was on offer, especially considering how tiny the festival was. Wandering around the small site, we soon realised that the festival wasn’t completely all about the music, although the line-up was pretty impressive for such a small get-up. There was so much to do and even if you wanted to come for the day and didn’t end up watching any music at all, you still wouldn’t get bored. Whilst exploring over the weekend we managed to fit in playing a free game of golf, staring in wonder at the several birds of prey that were on display (you could pay a few quid to hold them), watched a mesmerizing fire-show, sat in the audience of a wood-sawing show (the end product ended up being a carefully carved owl) and wandered through the many tiny vintage shops that were selling a large variety of trinkets and embroidered goods.

On Friday afternoon, whilst we munched on Jamaican jerk chicken from one of the many small food stalls available, we sat and enjoyed the soothing vocals from singer-song writer Nick Mulvey on the main stage. He finished off his enjoyable set with a warm, grateful departure, bidding to the audience ‘See you soon, see you at another festival!’. Next up was a vibrant performance from Tune-Yards who impressed with their drummy, electric-bass fuelled set.

Nick Mulvey

As the afternoon rolled into evening, we enjoyed a performance from British singer-song writer Dan Croll whose relaxing vocals were perfect for the chilled-out crowd who were by now swaying in time to the music in the early evening. One song that stood out particularly was the soothing ‘Maway’ from his debut album ‘Sweet Disarray’.

Next up on the main stage was indie quartet band Spector who livened up the crowd with hits from their first album ‘Enjoy it while it lasts’ including ‘Twenty-nothing’ and finished off with an emotional performance of their single ‘Never fade away’, prompting synchronised clapping and swaying from the audience.

By the time Sleigh bells were headlining the main stage, the earlier sunny weather had turned into drizzly rain. This however, didn’t appear to bother the crowds, and the noise-pop duo brought in a sizeable crowd who danced their way throughout the energetic set. Vocalist Alexis Krauss was most humble, exclaiming several times what a great audience the crowd were, and how they had no idea what to expect. They gave a great performance mingling and interacting with the crowd, with Alexis even joining an ecstatic audience in the crowd, putting on a fantastic show and proving their worthy title as Friday’s headline act.

Sleigh bells

With music from the main stage finished for the evening, we decided to explore many of the other stages. We enjoyed the electric atmosphere and performances in several tents that were open late-night, such as The Hustle Den and the Hidden Hedge, which was open to 4am for the party animals out there. However the artists that really impressed from the smaller venues was the exceptionally quirky Electric Swing Circus in The Larch, an intimate tent venue slightly more closed off from the rest of the festival. The six-piece electric swing band excited the crowd with their lively set, encouraging pretty much every person in the tent to dance along, many even attempting to swing-dance with both friends and strangers alike. When they played childhood classic ‘Everybody wants to be a cat’ featured in Disney’s aristocrats, the crowd really let loose, with many singing along to the old classic.  

Feeling slightly worse for wear on the Saturday, we headed straight to the main stage to listen to an early set from DJ Little Chief as we sat on the grass lining our stomachs for the day with bacon rolls from a quirky café stall. Next we enjoyed a set from London-based band Famy who kicked start the afternoon, impressing with their hammering rock tunes.

Famy

The rest of the day was spent more fairly laid back than the Friday, soaking up the hippy atmosphere, people watching and getting involved in many of the daytime activities on offer. However, there was one act we were sure not to miss and that was 2manydjs incredible headline set on the main stage. Brothers David and Stephen Dewaele set the place alight, mixing up hits from the likes of MGMT, causing the huge crowd to go absolutely mental, and finishing off our experience at Blissfields on a fantastic high.

2manydjs

Written by Ellie Swain

 


Created with flickr slideshow.

 

Photos by Heather Berrisford

Hideout Festival 2014 Croatia Review

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Hideout Festival; a sun-drizzled Croatian exploit that welcomes an influx of avid music lovers to its beaches annually, the promise of sun, boat parties and beats enticing a plethora of clubbers and DJs alike. Croatia is now home to an abundance of festivals, including both Dimensions and Outlook, yet Hideout is one of the first to see the strobe lights, decks and welcome ravers to the country. Held over Zcre beach, the four day festival promises an unforgettable time – and this year? It couldn’t have got any better.

Now in its 4th year, 2014 played host to over 60 world class DJs, providing a fantastic line-up for any raver; from Maceo Plex to MK to David Rodigan, there was a different vibe at every set. The huge stages of Papaya, Calypso and Aquarius provided immense pool parties in the day, to deep and exotic raves during the night, playing right up until sunrise – and even then, the crowd would keep chanting for one more song, never once wanting the night to end; this is Hideout Festival, after all.

Monday:

From wherever you leave from in the UK, it’s a long distance to travel – be it by coach or plane, it’s a bit of a tricky location, and everyone we spoke to seemed to have had a similar problem. However, arriving on the Thursday in Zagreb gave us a little time to really explore the beauty of Croatia, and with pre-parties in abundance, we were never short on things to do. We headed to the Doorly boat party Sunday evening, who blasted track after track on a four hour boat ride; if this was anything to go by, then the rest of the week was bound to be spectacular.

Opening day saw a realm of acts ready to build up the festival; the likes of Cassy and Apollonia provided a chasm of deep house interludes, alongside an atmospherically rich display of beats that certainly got fists pumping throughout the day. A surprising highlight came from Berlin based duo Tale of Us; the pair eased the crowd into their day-closing set, playing a mix of slow, deep tech that paved the way for a more up-tempo sound. We stood at the front of the pool, the sun beaming down in an incredible atmosphere that validated the duo as a superb and intense pair that evoked the crowd into a truly euphoric wave. As they entailed Josh Winks ‘Are you there’ within their set, their versatile range and combination of tech house and pure techno worked wonderfully, and the crowd was certainly warmed up and ready for the evening ahead.

As night fell, it was London based quartet Rudimental that were first to take the headline spot. You couldn’t help but feel they were the odd ones out at this festival; their mainstream, chart-topping genre ranges from soft drum and bass to garage – much different in contrast to many of the other tech/house acts present. There were whispers of disappointment amidst the crowd that this was a DJ set rather than a live performance, but as soon as they stormed onto the heaving stage of Aquarius at a peak time of 3am, this was all forgotten. From a previously solemn crowd, it was incredible to see the transformation the arena had undergone; an atmospheric buzz of hysteria and excitement drove the crowd into a frenzy as classics such as ‘Not Giving In’ and ‘Waiting all night’ were performed, with a sudden blend of jungle breakbeats and even a hint of motown validating them as one of the UK’s greatest breakthrough acts of recent years. Their stage presence and energy was automatically intense from the word go, and they showed a real passion for their music throughout the set. The climax of the event was when ‘Feel the love’ began to play, and a saxophone player hit the stage to play to the revel of waiting and enthusiastic fans simply lapping up every minute; Rudimental had certainly put on a hard act to follow, and I highly recommend anyone to see them if they get the chance.

Tuesday:

After a stuffy and rowdy shuttle bus, we arrived at Zcre beach early to take in most acts of the day. Hot Creation’s wAFF was one of the first to open Papaya; only in his early 20’s, he certainly proved to have talent beyond his years as he played track after track of up-tempo beats that kept a clearly hung-over crowd alive and excited. I stood alone at the front of the stage, and was amazed to see within minutes that crowds began to surplus forward and join me in excitement, ultimately awakening as Infinity Ink hit the stage. The duo put on a fantastic performance, the sunlight and visuals surrounding the stage being perfectly in sync with the beats, adding yet another dimension to an experience you can’t get anywhere else but a festival like Hideout.  Guti and tINI similarly put on a flawless performance over at the Aquarius pool, which is nothing unexpected from the Desolat artists. They thoroughly dominated the stage, providing a non-stop combination of Guti’s Latin tech side with tINI’s deep indulging sounds, both making use of vinyls in a dynamic, exciting and fluid set that most DJs strive to achieve.

As day became night, and another sterling appearance from Tale of Us, It was Maceo Plex who closed the Papaya stage at an ideal 4am slot. Maceo immediately launched into lavishly layered beats as his main synth developed slowly, experimenting into a more tribal style that echoed intensely throughout the coliseum-like stage. Known for his dark material, the audience certainly lapped up the set with ease. There was a slight air of disappointment that like many DJs present, Maceo chose not to play any of his own productions within his set, to which I overheard a few mumbles of frustration. However, with a stellar and liberating set such as this, it wasn’t too much of an issue for the Ellum Audio boss, and the focus on the quality of the set was certainly not lost.

Wednesday:

As day 3 of the festival arrived, we chose to go on a boat party; as many party-goers said to us, this is certainly the best way to see your favourite artists in such a close proximity. We opted to go on the Digital Soundboy boat. Shy FX, Stamina MC / B-Traits and Dismantle all played back to back, playing an absolutely brilliant and colourful drum and bass set with favourites such as Golddust, Somebody New and My Bassline, and finishing off with Celebration by Kool and the Gang – not something you’d expect from Digital Soundboy, but the masses absolutely lapped it up and it was ultimately one of the highlights of the week.  

Back on the beach, and the pioneer of ska, reggae and dancehall sounds took to the Aquarius Pool to show the crowd that even after four decades, he still knows how it’s done; this was David Rodigan MBE, an icon in his own right. He unleashed his long-anticipated reggae magic to an awaiting crowd, with songs such as Toots & They Maytals ’54-56 was my number’ echoing in the arena, Rodigan stopping swiftly to say: “GIMME SOME SIGNAL!’ to a crowd that most definitely responded. It was a bizzare change of pace to the festival, but the crowd were simply amalgamated by Rodigan’s pure passion, extenuating why he is such a figurehead within the reggae scene today.

After a swift and exciting ride on a jet ski – just one of the great activities available on Zcre beach – we saw a plethora of artists that certainly secured their place on the lineup. Justin Martin and Waifs and Strays delivered a delicious house set at Kalypso, with Dense and Pika nicely closing the Papaya pool for the day. But as night came, it certainly belonged to one man. As Loco Dice took to the Papaya stage at 3am, the Desolat guru proved to be the highlight of the evening. With a warm progression of deep beats bellowing through the crowd, the German maesto blended an abundance of deep and dark sounds, including Radio Slave ‘The Clone Wars’ and Jimmy Edgars ‘Strike’ to perfection. The set staggered primarily between tech house and pure techno, with impressive and ambitious build-ups that are unparalleled by any DJ that I’ve witnessed throughout the week.

Thursday:

The final day of the festival saw a sea of hangovers attempting one last final push as the sunny week drew to a close; house giant MK took to the Papaya stage at 5pm, Hideout being one of many on his list of festivals through the year. Ever the crowd pleaser, MK made sure to mix his own songs such as Burning and Look Right Through to a screaming, wild and absolutely heaving crowd. It was a certainly a different scene at the pool today; underwear was thrown. A home made banner was held up. Screams could be heard for miles. MK was certainly making his mark on the festival, in a much different way than anyone else had this week. But oddly enough, the set made for an incredible time, and everyone I spoke to said it was one of the best they’d seen all week.

After a plethora of fantastic acts, it was time for Surrey dance duo Disclosure to take the main stage at Papaya. The queue reached far beyond the arena, with hundreds of moaning and disgruntled fans having to turn away and opt for another venue. But inside, the towering projections of the glorious Disclosure signature were morphing into animation, as the pairs set effortlessly took off, much to the pleasure of the fans that had queued for so long to see them. Across the previous year, Disclosure have cemented their name firmly within the charts, and it’s easy to appreciate why; effortless songs such as ‘Latch’ and ‘You and Me’ are pure lyrical gems, and when played cause an eclipse of singing voices hitting a hollow of incomparable intensity. The crowd were full of smiles as hit after hit was played, blended with upbeat dancefloor hits that proved the pinnacle of Disclosure’s success; the boys certainly put on a fantastic show, and one that was certainly worth the wait.

Berlin based DJ Scuba played the final set of the weekend at Kalypso, a much darker contrast to previous acts across the day. With deep emphatic songs such as Dense and Pika’s ‘Black Deep’ and Pele & Shawnecy  ‘You And Me’ mixed with ease, Scuba certainly bid the crowd a good morning as the sun began to rise in the distance in an irresistible environment of a rave. Scuba’s distinctive vibes combined with drum sounds was almost euphoric, and the sunrise revealing the realities of everyone’s weird faces around us was almost brushed aside. He was certainly leading the pack, and closing down what had been one of the most unforgettable, intense and impressive festivals we had the pleasure of attending.

All in all, it’s certainly been a prosperous journey for Hideout; celebrating its 4th anniversary, this year’s line-up was essentially a who’s who of the most relevant house and bass acts all over the world. With a bungee jump, a clear sea, a revel of party goers and DJ’s to match, it certainly delivered an experience above and beyond my expectations, and one that has proved to be absolutely unforgettable.