Reviews

Standon Calling 2013 – Sunday Review

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Having sold out of the 5000 tickets that were on sale for this years Standon Calling, we were pretty excited about seeing what this small little festival based in Hertfordshire had to offer.

It was the first time since its inception that Standon Calling has sold out, and it had good reason to!  The lineup was no short of spectacular with Bastille, Digitialism, De La Soul, Band of Skulls, DJ Yoda and more performing across the stages over the weekend.
On top of that, this years theme was “Running from the Circus” and there was a number of circus based activities taking place through the different arenas.  The wonderful trapeze school provided a number of “ohhhs”, “ahhhs”, “woohooos” and other reactions from the crowd as the punters took their hand at all sorts of acrobatics on the learning Trapeze structure.
Walking around the grounds we could see that a number of people made the effort to dress up in their favourite circus acts.  There were plenty of face painted kids running around, lots of shiny and tight lycra pants and a other circus costumes.
Being quite a small festival, it was no effort walking around to check everything out.  There was plenty of food and drink selection for everyone.  This year Standon Calling implemented a cash less transaction scheme whereby each festival goer was given a wristband on entry which was then topped up via Cash and used to purchase food and drinks.  Personally I thought this was a good system, it saved having to go through wallets for money and it seemed to make the process of buying things quite streamlined.  At the end of your weekend a cash refund was given for any remaining money.
There is a huge family friendly tag associated to Standon Calling and the kids had plenty to keep them entertained.  A swimming pool, arts and crafts and children dedicated area’s like “The Little Den” made sure that there was something for everyone!
Musically, there is plenty to see.  De La Soul closed out the main stage for this year with a smashing performance.  Having being slightly delayed due to some sounds issues, Kelvin, David and Vincent aka De La Soul came out full of energy to a huge crowd which had descended to the main area to catch the hip hop legends.  Getting the crowd involved by asking the audience “Who wants to hear some hip hop” and ripping straight into their massive back catalogue of tunes such as “Take it off“, “Oooh“, “Me Myself and I“, “Stakes is High” and more, they had the crowd waving their hands in the air and bouncing about during the entirety of their set.
One of the most memorable parts of De La Soul’s set was when they requested that everyone (and I mean everyone) put one hand up in the air.  They even had all the photographers and security waving hands up and down whilst they videoed the reaction from their phones on the stage.  Having seen them years ago, De La Soul were a pleasure to watch again bringing to a close what was quite a spectacular year for Standon Calling.
De La Soul @ Standon Calling
Earlier on in the day, we checked out London Grammar whom I had never seen live before and was really impressed.  Hannah Reid has amazing vocals and managed to pack out the Big Top with the crowds running in to catch this new band perform hits from their debut EP ‘Metal & Dust‘.  London Grammar were ecstatic to see just how many people were in the tent, even mentioning very young kids which were up on the shoulders of parents watching.
Alunageorge also took to the Big Top stage to show why they are in so much demand this year after their massive hit ‘Attracting Flies’ smashed the charts around the world.  Having been nominated for the Brit Awards, this musical duo had the crowd shuffling  their feet to their electronic infused sound.
Gentlemen’s Dub Club, Chloe Howl, London Afrobeat Collective and Rotten Hill Gang also performed on Sunday to a crowd which had witnessed a number of great performances over the weekend.
As small festivals in the UK go, Standon Calling has to be one of the best festivals we have ever been to.  Everything from the music, to the facilities, and the organisation of the event was spot on.  It has a little something for everyone and still has that independent festival vibe running through it that just makes it something more special.
Check out more photos from Standon Calling 2013 here

Nozstock 2013 Review

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This was my second year at Nozstock and having just left, I can say that not much has changed since 2012… which is fantastic.

The same warm smiles and friendly faces scatter the green fields, waters and forests of this small but very picturesque festival.  The beer is still cheap (at £3.20 a pint), the entertainment diverse and the toilets clean.  Although one noticeable difference was the presence of rain this year which was heavy at points but this only seemed to cause for more smiles when the sun came out time and time again. What I didn’t notice last year were the sometimes steep slopes dotted around the place, being that the festival is housed in VALLEY truthfully I should have seen this coming but when the rain came down these made for some slippery journeys and treacherous trekking between the campsite and the stages but the organisers were only a stone’s throw away laying down straw and wood chips over night to make it all better.  These little touches are evident throughout the festival and this is what makes it so special.  There was a Human Fruit Machine, which I had to play; archery and belt making – to only name a very few!

Inside the festival there appeared to be a lot for kids to do and plenty for the adults too. The days were easily filled with comedy and music, this year saw Howard ‘Mr Nice’ Marks grace the comedy stage with some trademark tales and bands I’d never heard of owning the main stage (Orchard Stage) such as Tako Lako from Denmark (who I now CANNOT wait to see again next year, I think the lead singer might be a new hero of mine) and The Wytches who had a great sound as well as acts I was looking forward to like The Electric Swing Circus.  The Orchard Stage was also the setting for yet another memorable performance from The Correspondents; ‘Mr Bruce’ never seems to fail the crowd!  It was just as good as last year!

Nozstock 2013

It’s so easy to kick back and soak it all up in the sun on the farm but it it’s at night when this one really kicks into gear. The sun goes down, the volume goes up and the masses come out.  Friday night saw, By The Rivers, an original 6-piece reggae band, light up the Garden Stage.  I had never heard of them but had received strong recommendations – I was not disappointed at all as they played a lovely sounding reggae to a packed crowd.  Andy C was the highlight for me, having appeared to enjoy his time at the cubicles (Nozstock’s dedicated dance area) last year so much that he brought his crew this time, with Loadstar and Wilkinson also delivering big beats into the small hours. A late night/early morning trip down to the coppice is a must as there’s nothing quite like a trance skank-out in the forest before bed at dawn.

A great thing about Nozstock is the size, it is one of the smaller festivals but with so much going in really doesn’t feel very small; a problem with larger festivals can be the lack of phone signal, this was not the case but most of the time it was not needed as I always found myself bumping into the same festival goers over the weekend.

Nozstock 2013

The more I go to Nozstock the more I love it. There’s just something remarkable about listening to a huge stacked speaker system in a graffitied barnyard on a weekend afternoon with a pint of locally sourced beer or cider. If you can manage the drawn out trip over to this remote spot I would definitely recommend it.  Just watch out for the slippery slopes.

Review by Sam Walsh 

More Photos by Paul Taylor here

Secret Garden Party Review

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The distinctive theme for the Secret Garden Party was surrounded by the idea of losing and finding yourself. Situated in the rural Abbots Ripton, near Huntingdon, people unite as “gardeners” coming together like free atoms colliding along the way. You leave yourself at the boundaries of reality and enter into an innovative multi-dimensional universe. With contagious vibes radiating from the drones of twentieth century hippies that trudged barefoot towards the gates (seeming to be unphased by the crates of Bulmers and four man tents they carried with them) there was a real sense of something exciting in the air. And we were not to be disappointed.

With the distant mumble of a soft rock solo guiding our way, we stumbled across Z Star at the Where The Wild Things Are stage. The crowd themselves however where not quite as wild as the stages name suggested but what became apparent was that the real hustle and bustle was happening just out of focus.

Men and women alike draped in eccentric fancy dress and showered in glitter led the way, drawing us away from the main attractions to the real heart of this unique festival. Sugar skull armies roamed the fields through vintage door frames that stood precariously, despite having no purpose at all. That’s when it really became apparent, secret garden party wasn’t your average festival. This is something that even virgin gardeners became accustomed to be at one with. One pixie like festival goer described the experience as being “an outer body experience” before being gently swept away into the twilight.

Secret Garden Party

We followed suit and were abruptly woken by the dawn and the dew sweeping into our shoddy single layered tent that meant we were frankly sleeping under the stars. A bacon butty soon fixed all of our problems as we strolled through the sleeping souls of the intoxicated gardeners. A surreal air of stillness captivated the acres of land that had previously been flooded with energy but where now defused. We crossed paths with a Mad Scientist who repeatedly called out to no one in particular, “There’s a pile of experiences somewhere and no one can find them. What happened! What happened?”

The morning soon burst back into light as it didn’t take long before the gardeners were refreshed and eager to experience what the bands on their wrists could allow them. Flooding back to the fields meant that the atmosphere was much more electric. Exercise classes being led by mythical creatures in The Forum riled up the children, teens and adults of all ages that were catching the worms. These small, almost insignificant occurrences are almost magnetic in this environment. Gardeners gathered to admire with curiosity as to what was unravelling before them.

The music may be what you think you’re paying for, but the real experiences come in the surreal. Your own handmade postcards would be delivered to anyone who you could describe. So, your mate in the floral tent, with brown hair, wearing a top hat and fox tail would surely receive her mail. Being handed grasshoppers by workers displayed how this festival is all about being at one with nature and to become a true gardener you have to really run free. The more you open up and allow yourself to roam carelessly, the more of this weird and wonderful universe you will unintentionally discover.

The Labyrinth acted as a winding corridor with unravelling pathways which lead to unique burrows with different purposes. Burrows that acted as living rooms occupied with large restful sofas and dated coffee tables. On your way through, an assortment of books hung from the trees. One titled ‘Reveal your biggest secret’, the pages overflowed with confessions. Mirrors lay and wished to be broken, but no glass was seen scattered amongst the floor. No one gambled to risk the superstition. A fellow explorer explained to me, “the music is the backing track to a whole new realm,” as the hazy music journeyed from deeper within the forest. You wander around like Alice in Wonderland and unearth bands such as The Wytches, Django Django and Dan Crol. This was a mere treat amongst the array of activities such as crafts, sewing and epic mud combat wars. 

Django Django @ Secret Garden Party 2013

A remarkable moment of Secret Garden Party gathered thousands of gardeners together; the paint fight. Waves of figures swarmed around the main stage and back into the far distance. The iconic sounds of House of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’ boomed and the sea of bodies jumped and hurled paint into the air, causing vast clouds of multicolour.

It was a spiritual experience and one band in particular stood out at this festival in a similar way. The Staves’ effortless ethereal aura personified Secret Garden Party, appealing to all ages that basked in the summer sun to soak in this other worldly experience. The Staves called out to the crowd “you all look very sunny” as girls danced about like small pixies, supernaturally moving with fascination to the enchanting guitar strings and the echoing melodies of the three sisters.

The Staves ethereal legacy lived on in the days to come, with bands such as Misty Miller serenading the crowds that persevered through the rain. The weather seemed to act as a pivotal point but the crowds persevered through the down pour. It did not dampen the spirits of most of the gardeners, if anything it brought new life to the festival. One wet gardener stated “the vibe- everyone is over it, or way to into it.”

Something else that people were defiantly ‘into’ was the food. Secret Garden Party prides itself on being diverse, and its catering services did the same. Offering up Ostrich burger for the adventurous, or a tamer pepperoni pizza for those with less experimental taste buds, there was something for everyone.

Secret Garden Party acts as an escape to the reality which we all face on a daily basis. People come here for the experiences beyond the music; to lose themselves and act as free spirits among the beautiful surroundings. The green backdrop becomes a present day Neverland, acting as a metaphor for eternal childhood, immortality and escapism for the gardeners. Time is difficult to track in this world. But when time eventually regains itself come Monday morning and we’ve packed up our dew covered tents; we knew we were leaving behind something monumental. As the masses left towards the gates, one content garden smiled and said “until next year, yeah?” 

More Photos by Charlotte Patmore here

Global Gathering 2013 Review

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Global Gathering set at Long Marston airfield in Stratford Upon Avon, Home to biggest UK Electronic music festival. Global Gathering is currently in its 13th year and holds some of the biggest names in both the UK Charts as well as world wide legends; such as the great Paul Oakenfold, Steve Aoki, John Digweed, Sasha, Chase and Status the list is endless, it also perfectly sets up new comers to the electronic world looking to get their big break with such a diverse range of sounds and people it is definitely not one to miss. Global Gathering was ranked best Dance Festival 2012 this year was another chance to let loose and set your energy levels to full power! This years main stage headliners include.. Example, Plan B, Rudimental, Disclosure, Katy B, Afro Jack, NERO, Delilah, NetSky. 

This wholesomely delicious festival starts on Friday and ends Sunday morning so unlike most typical festivals doesn’t run through the whole weekend. The sheer amount of incredible names packed into this event means you hardly stop! going from tent to tent seeing all your favorite artists provides you with an all you can eat buffet of the best the electronic scene has to offer. 

Global Gathering 2013

This years event provided the 35,000 people with some great stages along with some great home made stages like the Global Freight Deport which is made into a corridor of freight containers with a cutout for the DJ in the far end. The Bunker which is just as it sounds is a concrete shelter providing you with acts such as Kidnap Kid from Sheffield and many more. This stage is designed for those up and coming artists looking to project themselves to a perfect target audience with a fruitful mix of House, DnB and Dance.

With such a big crowd turn out, organization of this event is of the upmost importance. This year went very smoothly there were however a few bug bears around marshal presence when arriving and leaving the festival which would have made a lot of peoples journeys much quicker and stress free along with large queues at the water points which lacked signage. Other than that the facilities were very good, lots of toilets and food wagons with vast ranges of different delicacies. Girls with chairs offering massages near the main arena was wonderful idea if your sleeping without an airbed and wake up feeling a little stiff. For those who bought VIP Camping tickets had the option to use showers and had a closer water point. This also meant you are closer to the festival itself so if your not a fan of walking long distances from campsite to arena this is a must for 2014. 

Along with the Global Freight Deport and the Bunker one very important stage I haven’t yet mentioned is the anticipated GodsKitchen Fusion Cube which was one of this years most anticipated of all the 9 Main tents. Covered in LED panels and equipped with all the best party weapons, Multiple CO2 Jets, confetti canons, multi coloured Laser systems it was one of the best places to be! Especially watching the likes of Paul Oakenfold, Markus Schulz, Ferry Corsten and more the atmosphere at stages of every performance was so intense it makes your hair stand on end, and shivers run down your spine. With the beat running hard and fast it will burn the sensation of what it is to take part at Global Gathering into your mind forever. 

Playing peak daytime on Friday only suited to a main stage were Disclosure in full glory of the rare British summer, the young but infinitely talented Brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence smashed an incredible set with a very energetic and endless crowd. Playing their electro-sweet sounds of ‘White Noise’ in current charts this year hitting number 2 UK Singles chart but then in Uk Dance hit number 1.

Friday nights performance from Plan B set the main stage and festival atmosphere to 

an ever electric finale, making the best of the beautiful remains of the sun setting slowly over the hill at Long Marston Airfield illuminating the heads of the thousands gathered to watch the last main stage performance, before making their way to one of the other tents for the after party. Plan B played their Number 1 in 2011 for the R&B Charts UK ‘She Said’ 

Rita Ora performing on the 1Xtra stage Friday night, with some interesting props that included men dressed in what looked like gas masks with make shift ghost buster outfits firing CO2 from their pulse guns showered the crowds with a cool wind. While the beautiful Rita Ora dressed in a Pink leather body suit with a triangle hood singing her chart smashing collision with DJ Fresh who produced ‘Hot Right Now’ which reached number 1 in 2012.

Rita Ora @ Global Gathering 2013

Example hit the stage in poring rain bringing with them an ever impressive light show playing some of the new and some of the original work. Ending beautifully on ‘Changed the way you kiss me’ bringing with the final line a burst of pyrotechnics from the main stage illuminating the pooling field of die hard soaked fans. 

I cannot wait for 2014 Global Gathering rain or shine will always put a smile on your face and give you some amazing memories. There are always such a great number of amazing artists its one of the biggest and best highlights of the year. There are alot of festivals out there that could learn a great deal from Global Gathering! 

Photos by James Bridle from Global Gathering 2013 here

Kendal Calling 2013 Review

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Penrith, home to Kendal Calling, in its 8th year this small boutique festival transports you into a fantasy playground. Expect house parties, fancy dress, entertainers and an array of hidden gems that will brighten up the beautiful surronding’s that is Cumbria, the Lake District.

Spread across 8 areas – main stage, glow tent, calling out, chai wallah, house party, riot jazz, woodlands, jagermesiter, and songsmith solar, there is plenty of music and activities to chose from.
The site itself is conveniently laid out, and considering the size of the small size of the festival, it offers a wide varitey of activities to chose from. For families with young children, there is a ladybird kids area where parenets can relax whilst the kids have fun, and if ale is your chosen tipple, head straight to the ale tent where you will find a selection of local ales.
The main stage on Friday saw the likes of Clean Bandit, Willy Moon, Public Enemy and Basement Jaxx take to the stage whilst The Lightning Seeds played an acoustic set in the calling out tent, shortly followed by Theme Park. And if dance music is more your thing then head straight to the glow tent, where you were treated to music by Artwork, Jackmaster, Bondax, Oneman and Dismantle spinning tunes into the early hours of the morning.
Public Enemy provided an energetic performance that had the crowd jumping in unison. Flava Flav was last to make an appearance onto the 10 strong band line up, and he’s energy and stage presence was worth the wait. Working the crowd and jumping around, he entertained and the crowd followed pursuit. At one point he asked the photographers to stay for an extra song as he didn’t want them to miss out on the next performance. A hard act to follow, but Basement Jaxx were next on the bill, closing the main stage on friday, The brightly colourful dance duo walked onto the stage and blew the audience away. Playing an array of feel good anthems such as Romeo, Where’s Your Head At, Oh My Gosh and Rendevous along with special guests Vula Malinga and lisa Kekaula, a perfect ending to a sun kissed evening.
Public Enemy @ Kendal Calling
Saturday’s line up included Mickey P Kerr, Dutch Uncles, The Twang, The D.O.T, Ash, I am Kloot, The Charlatans, Dub Pistols and British Sea Power gracing the stages in the heavy down poor. Mickey P Kerr provided the audience with an entertaining set, including a track called Banned from Morrisons that had everyone joining in with the chorus and it wasn’t long before everyone was in fits of laughter.
Ash @ Kendal Calling
Ash played a mixture of old classics and some tracks from their latest album that got everyone in the mood for the evenings headliner, The Charlatans. Playing a string of hits including The Only One I Know, One to Another, My Beautiful Friend, Tellin’ Stories and North Country Boy. An impressive set from a legendary band who proved why the main stage belonged to them and rocked the crowd into a frenzy.
By Sunday a lot of revellers had left the site due to the heavy rain, but the majority of people stuck it out in anticipation for seeing some iconic artists including the legendary Primal Scream. But before the nights headliners, a great selection of bands were on offer, including the witty Beans on Toast, who sang about sex, drugs, Tesco’s and politics. Entertaining the crowd, he had everyone in fits of laughter. Irish newcomers Kodaline took to the main stage to provide audiences with a selection of songs including High Hopes, to be shortly followed by The Mystery Jets.
The iconic and infamous Johnny Marr made an entrance onto the main stage and second song in he sang The Smiths classic Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before, followed by I Fought the Law and Bigmouth Strikes Again.
The amazing bluesman Seasick Steve wowed the crowds with his personalised guitars and soulful voice, whilst The 1975 had the teenage girls screaming for more. And as the sun settled over Lowther Deer Park Primal Scream made a late entrance onto the main stage. Singing their classic hits including Movin’ On Up, Loaded, Jailbird and Rocks, they entertained and closed the festival in style.
If you’re looking for a small family friendly festival then head to Kendal Calling, it offers everything you can expect from a festival with a fancy dress theme on Saturday. Let your fun side out and join in the fun!
Photos by Olivia Frayman from Kendal Calling are here

Lounge on the Farm 2013 Review

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LOTF is your typical local festival and the title of the festival explains it all, you lounge on Merton farm and enjoy great music!  So much so, there were sofas dotted around the farm for festival fans to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.  As well as this, a variety of street food stalls from Indian, Mexican, Thai and even local Merton burgers from the farm were available.  Not only was there music to enjoy over five stages, there was also a family funfair and craft stalls where  sewing classes and craft classes were available should you wish to partake.

To kick Friday off, the line-up included, amongst others Coco and The Butterfields, who gave a quirky performance with their mix of hip-hop and folk sound; Beans on Toast, who sings about sex, drugs and politics… nevertheless, you cannot ignore the man’s witty song writing abilities which had the crowd both laughing and singing along at the same time and Lucy Rose who gave a chilled out performance, which captivated the audience and certainly had everyone excited for Friday’s headliner.

Whilst waiting for Seasick Steve to arrive on stage the crowd were surprised suddenly by a flash mob style brass band who started playing amongst them.  The band played contemporary hits, with their own twist.  They made several appearances over the weekend popping up all over the festival in various places to play their set to the festival go-ers.

Seasick Steve @ Lounge on the Farm

Seasick Steve was the first headliner to perform on the main stage at LOFT.  Performing with his many customised guitars and accompanied by his drummer, he gave an intimate and relaxed performance.  His set included hits ‘Self-Sufficient Man’, ‘Don’t Know Why She Loves Me But She Do’ and ‘Started Out With Nothin’, which rounded off a great first day on the main stage.

However the festival still carried on until the early hours of the morning, so I checked out DJ legend David Rodigan’s performance in the Hoe Down tent.  The tent was packed with people of all ages raving out to Rodigan’s selection of Reggae and Dancehall hits.

Saturday arrived and with it euphoric indie band, Eliza and The Bear, Tribes who rocked out the main stage, Willy Moon who gave a classy performance, which involved his hit ‘Yeah Yeah’, which most people would recognise from the Apple iPod advert.  By the time Man Like Me took to the stage, the heavens opened and Lounge on the Farm was flooded with torrential down pour and thunderstorms.  However this didn’t stop the crowd enjoying Man like Me’s energetic performance.

Although the wellies had to come out, by the time Jessie Ware graced the stage the rain eventually stopped, which topped off her performance.  The up and coming star sang all her hits from her debut album ‘Devotion’ including ‘Wildest Moments’, ‘Imagine It Was Us’ and ‘If You’re Never Gonna Move’.  Ware mentioned that LOTF was the first festival that she has headlined, with this in mind, I though she gave an excellent performance and was one of the highlights of the whole weekend.

Lounge on the Farm

After Jessie Ware’s performance and for a change of scenery I checked out the Boom and Bang Circus feat. Kitty Bang Bang.  The show consisted of eccentric and show-stopping acts, including burlesque dancing, comedy acts and fire-eaters to name a few.  It certainly was a different style of entertainment to see at a festival, but nevertheless extremely entertaining.

The last day of the festival arrived all too quickly and I must admit, I was a little sad by this point but excited at the same time as the last day consisted of a few musical legends.  The day’s line-up included indie/rock band Siblings, Art Ferguson’s Big Blues Band, who gave an amazing show that had the crowd dancing merrily, Reggae legends, Aswad who gave a jammin’ performance and Dub Pistols, a lively show that had the crowd jumping and dancing throughout their entire set.

Soul II Soul feat. Caron Wheeler closed the festival.  Despite the late start, the group gave a performance worthy of their closing spot and rounded off the end of the festival nicely.  Their set including their renowned hits ‘Keep on Movin’ and ‘Back to Life’ which had the older members of crowd dancing and singing along to their heart’s content.

It was hard to fault LOTF, it has the whole package for a small festival.  I particularly liked the real local festival vibe, which some big festivals sometimes lack due to their size and the size of the attending crowd.  Despite this year’s headliners not being as ‘renowned’ as the festival’s past headliners (Ellie Goulding, Emelie Sande, The Streets), I still feel the headliners this year gave top-notch performances all round and were worthy of their spots.  The only criticism I could possibly give the festival, is the distance between the main stage and the crowd was unnecessarily wide, so much so Jessie Ware and Seasick Steve to name a few even complained at how far away they were from the crowd.  This almost defeated the point of the intimate feel small festivals are meant to give, so let’s hope this is an improvement that is made for LOTF 2014!

For images of Lounge on the Farm 2013 please click here.

Larmer Tree 2013 Review

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Situated in the Rushmore Estate in Cranborne Chase (Dorset), Larmer Tree Gardens Originally an Ancient Hunting ground comes back this year for another wondrous long weekend. This festival actually starts on Wednesday night and goes all the way through to Sunday evening. Main stage and garden acts play each night to give the quirky mix of young and old crowds an excitement they wont forget. 

Larmer Tree has four main areas to go to watch live performances this year the first is of course stunning main stage and included with it the garden stage which is a real gem in its own right. The stage is comprised of a huge wooden slatted painted muriel which is shaped like archway.  The artists play within the arch to a beautiful backdrop. The Second stage is the BigTop where you can find activities like dancing tutorials like Zumba, Flamenco Dance, Bollywood Dance as well as amazing drum and percussion lessons using all sorts of drum types and woodwind instruments. The Arc is Larmer Tree’s third stage and hosts live music from names like Alice Jemima who is known to BBC Radio 1s introducing stage and the well known show hosted by Rob Da Bank. Along side Alice names like Blair Dunlop who as well as a well regarded Folk singer also started in the Tim Burton version of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ as the young Willy Wonker. Finally the fourth stage bringing a social aspect as well as a musical theme to the Larmer Tree ‘s gathering big comedy characters like Alister McGowen best known for his amazing impressions and BBC show ‘The Big Impression’ Dylan Moran and the classic one-liner grouch that is Rich Hall best know for their performances on ‘Mock the Week’ and ‘8 out of 10 cats’

Larmer Tree 2013

This small but very beautiful festival is well known due to the opening night held in previous years by Jools Holland. This year however the great Van Morrison brought his mix of Pop, Blues and Folk to the main stage and Gardens at Larmer Tree. Van Morrison also teamed up with his daughter Shana Morrison to sing ‘God Shines His Light’ in the tranquil surroundings of this truly idyllic place. Evenings at Larmer Tree are a sight to behold and the forest they have created for the younger crowds are lit by hundreds of lights  along with electronic noises of forest dwelling creatures scurrying around the trees . its like you would imagine yourself in the 1965 book Alice and Wonderland, with so many people dressing up with hats and outrageous costumes you would never believe your so close to home. 

The festival has a very broad and mixed age group ranging from very young 3-10yrs all the way up, with so many different activities for all age groups Larmer Tree caters for all. Adults have their own Adult only craft classes to go and spend time chatting to others and enjoying a fine cup of tea or coffee and a beautiful slice of freshly made cake. The young crowds have face painting tents and many different areas all packed with fun toys like Diablos, juggling balls, Hula Hoop and many more.

Dexys (Aka Dexys Midnight Runners) previously performed with Jools holland on his show in 2012 singing ‘Later’ This year performing on the Garden Stage at Larmer Tree. Dexys new wave rock and pop well known for their smash UK 80s hit ‘Come on Eileen’ and ‘Geno’ make them ideal for the crowds at Larmer Tree. 

Festival prices for food and drink were similar to that of most festivals 4-7 pounds for a Burger or dish from one of the many stalls or vans located in the main field. Drinks were around the 2-4  pounds mark for Water bottles then Beer & Larger. There were however nicely positioned vans and shops selling camping accessories and vital food supplies on the outer areas of the festival for those camping in need of forgotten and well used supplies like loo roll and milk. 

Imelda May the Dublin-born rockabilly singer also performed with Jools Holland on his show in 2008 success grew for this vivacious blues & Jazz queen,  voted Best female artist of the year in the Meteor  awards 2009. Imelda hit Saturdays performance hard at this years Larmer Tree, performing in previous years Larmer Tree was not the first time for Imelda. Performing songs from her most recent album ‘No Turning Back’ she always packs a punch. Imelda May is set to play in two weeks time with Bruce Springsteen back in Kilkenny, Ireland 

Sunday bought with it much of the same great vibes as the rest of the weekend with performances from KT Tunstall and Bellowhead the evening was set to be a mix of great vocals and instrumentals from the the classics like ‘Black Horse & The Cherry Tree’ from the Larmer Tree favorite KT Tunstall and Bellowhead’s amazing mix brass and string instruments ranging from violin to Saxophone. Energetic as always songs like 10,000 Miles Away from their acclaimed best selling 2010 album Hedonism hit the Main Stage crowds of kids being lifted above to their parents shoulders to get a better view of this dynamic set which could be heard playing all over the festival. 

Bellowhead @ Larmer Tree Festival 2013

Overall Larmer tree is a really impressive small festival it holds some really charming and quirky events and sights to see perfect for kids and families as well as adults and teens if your looking for a great get away festival that isn’t too hard on your body with walking and carrying camping equipment this is the one for you. Its also great as an introduction to festival life and what a festival can be like perfect for a first timer or for those who are tired of some of the bigger events round the UK Relaxing in this perfect setting watching the sun set around the garden stage asleep in the sun surrounded by the fruits of the summer is the ultimate way to fill your days. I hope to be heading out to Larmer Tree again next year. 

Photography By James Bride

www.James-Bridle.co.uk

More photos from Larmer Tree 2013 are here

Electric Daisy Carnival London 2013 Review

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It was EDC’s (Electric Daisy Carnival) first appearance in the UK and there was a lot that was expected of the organisers and they didn’t disappoint. From hearing and reading about EDC events from across the globe, the organisers know how to put on a show of epic proportions. The anticipation was already evident on the train journey up from Essex. People dressed in ravey colours and drinking cider at 11 in the morning summed up the excitement. I was to found later that many people from the north of England has travelled down for this event, and even met some people from Brazil who had travelled over just for this event!

A flood of people walking from Stratford train station through the Olympic park was a sight. As you got closer and closer to the main arena, you could start to feel that rumble in your heart when the huge beat kicks in. Straight away you could see there was many ways to enjoy yourself away from the music with a various amount of fairground rides available for those that like an adrenaline rush. The location was ideal; however I found the onsite stages to be a fair bit of a walk away. There was the Kinetic stage located in the main arena area where the likes of Steve Angello, Avicii and Tiesto were playing. Other tent stages across from the Kinectic stage were the Cosmic Meadow, Bass Pod and Neon Garden. Acts such as Chuckie, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike and Sub Focus played across all 3 stages.

EDC London

With the UK seeing the best heat wave it has had since 2006, the overcast weather was something of a surprise. When the sun did appear every so often, it was greeted with a roar of applause from the thousands in attendance. As 2pm came up, and I had stopped being angry at paying £5 a pint, Nervo were second up on the Kinetic Stage, and received a brilliant reception. The Australian pair have lived in London for the last 10 years. This was greatly shown and appreciated when they played ‘Like Home’ in which they got everyone doing all the moves associated with the song. Even though there was some feedback issues towards the end of the set that also affected the start of Hardwells set, it was resolved quickly.

The Kinectic Stage was a very Swedish affair, with the first swede DJ of the day being Alesso. He got the crowd jumping around and clapping when he dropped in the song ‘Years’. By this time, the crowd were many drinks down and this only added to the already dreamy, joyous and the ‘I don’t care about anything, I’m just going to dance’ attitude. Something of which we have in all of us! Up next was 1/3 of Swedish House Mafia Steve Angello. Regretting never seeing the Swedish House Mafia, it was amazing to see Steve Angello. To mine and the crowds enjoyment, he dropped in a few SHM hits, most notably ‘Greyhound’ and ‘Don’t you worry child’. The crowd kicked off when these songs came on.

EDC London Steve Angello

Next up was Avicii, who is currently sitting firmly in the No1 single spot around the world with ‘Wake me up’. The country/dance track that features Aloe Blacc is the perfect combination of beautiful lyrics, a country vibe and then a jumpy dance vibe. These shouldn’t really combine so well but Avicii somehow manages to make this work, and the EDC London crowd was the perfect example of this. Friends arm in arm, singing word for word at the top of their lungs was brilliant, and this was at the end of his set! Avicii really looked like he was enjoying himself to, waving on the crowd more and more with his different looking DJ fist pump. Other hits in the set included ‘Levels’ and ‘Silhouettes. ‘Levels’ is what introduced Avicii to the world, and is a song that will remain amazing forever.

EDC London Avicii

Last but not least was Tiësto who closed the Kinetic Stage in dramatic fashion. The muliple winner of the DJ Magazine Top 100 DJ played hit after hit. ‘Adagio for Strings’ was simply amazing, as well as ‘Maximal Crazy’ which added a hard jumping element. The lighting and visuals were incredible too and added even more to the experience of a Tiësto show. He also dropped in many crowd pleasers such as ‘Pursuit of happiness’ which was mixed in well with last year’s song of the summer ‘Rattle’.  Crowd pleasing tracks 'Lethal Industry', 'Love Comes Again' & 'Suburban Train' where just some of the highlights of the Dutch DJ's set.   The song ‘Mystery Land’ was also played which created a euphoric feeling across the whole of the EDC main stage area as the darkness crawled in at night time.

I definitely recommend EDC if it was to return to London again.  For the cost of a £72 ticket to a one day festival that provides the quality of names available to see and the amazing production, it is well worth spending that money for a really good day of dance music!

Photos courtesy of Eric Kabik & Neal Houghton

Bilbao BBK Live 2013 Review

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Bilbao festival, in its eighth year takes place on top of the Kobetamendi mountains just north of Bilbao. For those that aren't camping be prepared to wait up to 40mins to jump on the free shuttle bus that takes you up most part of the mountain. Unfortunately the buses don't drive to the top so be prepared to walk for another 20 minutes. Once on site the festival is conveniently laid out. In total you have a choice of 4 stages- Bilbao stage, Heineken, Live and the Vodafone stage. All within easy walking distance and no clashes, which is rare at any festival. 
 
If you're looking to feed your stomach then I would suggest eating out in the city centre to avoid disappointment. Unfortunately the food options and quality lacked in choice and flavours. The bar however had a great choice of drinks, most of which are served in litres! One of the drinks on offer was a local drink called kalimotxo, also known as cocavino. Half a litre of red wine, half coke and some ice, which surprisingly tasted good!
 
On Thursdays line up saw the likes of Alt-J, Toy, Billy Talent, Editors, Biffy Clyro, Depeche Mode and closing were Two Door Cinema Club. Like most of the crowd I thought that the main stage closing act should have been the Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro. And when the Irish pop rockers concluded their set, there was very little to chose from unless you headed to the Vodafone stage, which hosted an array of European DJ's spinning their acclaimed tracks that had the spaniards jumping up and down with joy.
 
On Friday the audience were looking forward to seeing Spector, The Vaccines, Klaxons, Kings of Leon and Public Image Ltd, but half way into The Vaccines set the heavens opened and thunder and lightening struck which led to the band walking off stage. There was an uproar from the crowd but before long everyone hurried into what little shelter they could find, myself included. At one point the rain was so bad that a majority fled the site to find shelter whilst others resumed to finding solice in a portaloo. The crowd were uneasy and unsure of the festival continuing, but through sheer determination the majority stuck around with the hope that the festival would go on. And after 2hrs of heavy down poor the Klaxons made an entrance onto the Heineken stage and the festival goers disended to watch a money well spent set. They played all the classics including Echoes, Golden Skans and Gravity's Rainbow. And whilst the hardcore Klaxons fans watched a faultless performance the Kings of Leon were re-opening the Bilbao stage, pulling in the biggest crowd they had a soaked audience singing along to all their hits ending on Sex on Fire. And shortly after their set the anticipated Public Image Ltd took to the same stage. Working the crowd was legendary and ex Sex Pistol John Lydon. It was a shame that they didn't have a big audience but they were an outfit worth seeing.
 
By day three the site was looking a lot more crowded The Hives entered the stage looking equally as eccentric as each other. The great thing about these guys was their striking outfits. The swedes hyped up the crowd with their impressive Spanish, and had the crowd cheering for more as they finished their set. A difficult act to follow but next on the bill were Green Day, they played a two hour set including some favourites from Dookie, along with American Idiot. Half way threw the set saw Billie Joe Armstrong pull an audience member from the crowd onto the stage, to which he had to dive bomb into the crowd, one of the most spectacular dives off a stage that I have ever seen!
 
And finishing up the festival was Fatboy Slim. The got the crowd pumped and played a faultless set to a very satisfied audience.
 
All in all I found Bilbao Festival a lot of hard work, the long waits for the bus plus the climbing up the mountain were challenging, especially in the heat. But once on site the chilled out vibe made the festival worth going to.

 

NASS Festival 2013 Review

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Unlike a lot of music festivals; such as Reading or Download, NASS festival doesn’t entirely revolve around the bands or artists that are performing. A large base of its popularity comes from its Extreme Sports involvement, with competitions for skateboarders and BMXer’s taking place throughout both Friday and Saturday. Additionally, freestyle motocross demonstrations along with rollerblading were being eagerly watched by many at different venues scattered around the site.

Friday

As the first full day of the festival started, the intense heat brought out everyone from their tents and caravans onto the walk paths of the festival, the streets were packed with teenagers dressed in vests and shorts trying to resist the extreme heat of the day.

The first highly popular act for Friday’s line-up where the English four piece rock band from Essex: We Are The Ocean. The band put forward a confident performance involving such popular songs as ‘Bleed’ and ‘Follow What You Need’. Lead singer, Liam Cromby, engaged well with the audience; which despite not being huge in numbers seemed impressed and entertained throughout the set.

Next up, the Youtube originated sensation George Watsky, best known through his video ‘Pale kid raps fast’ took the stage. He displayed confidence and talent through his remarkably fast paced rapping which wowed the audience, arriving in numbers slightly larger than those who attended We Are The Ocean. As Watsky’s performance went on, he later decided to interact with one particular member of the audience by singing Happy Birthday to them, this gesture was received well as the crowd cheered and encouraged him on. George then went on to perform a deeply emotional song of his known as ‘Tiny Growing Screens Part 2’ which seemed to connect with the audience immensely, the use of Watsky’s rapping mixed with the powerful singing of his female partner fused well together to create a highly entertaining performance.

After a short break, the well-received DJ’s MONSTA took the stage, exciting the audience with their blend of dubstep and electronic dance-like music. Their performance was heard throughout NASS with their overwhelming bassy music which succeeded in attracting a relatively large crowd. As their performance went on, hundreds of supporters turned up, highlighting on the popularity of their performance.

After a lengthy performance by MONSTA, perhaps the second most anticipated act of the night were about to perform. Hadouken! With no great surprise, attracted a huge crowd, the largest so far, performing with extreme confidence and class. The lead singer, James Smith alongside his girlfriend and the other three members of the band created an intensely exciting atmosphere through their music, which everyone seemed to enjoy! As the act went on, James ordered the main crowd to form the ‘wall of death’ which the crowd obliged into doing, only adding to the craze of the moment.

As the crowd gathered in anticipation of the Headliner of Fridays events, Katy B took the stage; she undoubtedly brought in the largest crowd out of all of Fridays acts and definitely gave a performance worthy of applause, which the audience did, many times. With the involvement of the backup dancers being introduced by Katy, the crowd felt more connected with her, as well as her shout out to ‘all the ladies in here’ generating a huge bombardment of screams from the crowd. Her performance seemed to not only keep the audience on their toes, but also up in the air as multiple giant inflatable balls where launched across the crowd. She closed her set with her most recognised song, also her first single: ‘Katy On A Mission’ which got the whole crowd singing along. Needless to say, the atmosphere was amazing and every member of the audience involved seemed to have a brilliant time.

Katy B @ Nass

Saturday

Saturday started much the same as Friday did…with an intense amount of Heat. In fact the weather for the entire festival was superb as there wasn’t a drop in the sky, although I’m sure by the end of a rave with Skepta or Zane Lowe some people would have been begging for a cold shower to come down from the sky.

The hugely popular English rapper Skepta kicked off the evening with an intense and powerful performance, dressed in his all white clothing he stood out from the background, creating an illuminating appearance. Skepta’s voice was clear and powerful as he shook the ground of NASS getting everyone up on their feet and involved.

Next up, the British rock band from Cardiff Kids In Glass Houses rocked the stage with such popular tunes as ‘Sunshine’ ‘Undercover Lover’ and ‘Matters At All’. Their supporters came together to create a great atmosphere as Aled and his band rocked on through the evening.

The extremely popular Radio one presenter from New Zealand Zane Lowe came on and immediately summoned everyone to their feet as he shouted ‘If you’re sitting in a tent then what the F#*k are you doing?!’. As his set began, a huge crowd gathered, one of a similar size to Hadouken! His performance included his own DJ set as well as remix’s of club classics, for example he did a cover of one of Pendulums songs, which brought a huge cheer of recognition from the crowd. It seemed that all those involved in this experience had an exciting and unforgettable time.

Finally, as the darkness started to loom around the site, the concluding headlining act was about to hit the stage, who, by extreme measures, attracted the largest crowd as the main stage was packed with people. Before he made is appearance, the DJ paid tribute to such other rappers as 2 Pac and biggie smalls; demanding that everyone put ‘one finger in the air’ and then ‘turn them ones into two’s’ in tribute of 2 Pac. As the night went on and Nas made it to the stage there was a huge eruption from the crowd as he entered. The atmosphere was intense and full of supporters eagerly cheering him on. Once again, as during Katy B, huge inflatable balls bounced across the top of the crowd, just to add to the already intensely exciting atmosphere. The performance could be heard throughout the entire site, it was safe to say that Nas gave the people of NASS what they wanted, an incredible performance.

Nas

To sum up, the performances at NASS, whether they be from a skateboarder, BMXer or whether they’re headlining on the main stage; the quality and enjoyment you get from each and every performer creates an environment which you don’t ever want to leave, the effort of these performers this year made NASS 2013 a festival to remember, so don’t miss it next year!

Photos by Ed Adams

FRIDAY

SATURDAY