Reviews

Beach Break Live 2013 – Thursday & Friday Review

by

Thursday provided the festival with an opening night that was more of a fizzle than a bang. Transport problems, computer issues meaning waiting around two hours to get a wristband, and rain all contributed to that festival nightmare that every festivalgoer has to experience. Although you could hear people chatting away and having a good time if you ever left the tent all you would find was a deserted mound of tents surrounded by mud. Friday however definitely made up for anything that may have gone wrong the night before.

Jumping on the bus with a load of hung-over, tired students for the 20 minute journey into town where a 10 minute walk was waiting for us to get to Fistral beach.  It was most definitely worth it when you talk those last few steps before you see the stage and the view that surrounds it, you start to hear the beat of the drums and you know it’s going to be a good day.  The weather however teased us into thinking it was going to be terrible but the moment Gentleman’s Dub Club jumped on stage the sun came out and it no longer felt like you were just on a beach in Cornwall.

Stand out act of the day had to be Cuban Brothers, recommended for those who like to have a good laugh. The first thing the lead singer did was jump straight out into the crowd; the sea of people parted to form a perfect circle around him as he continued with the song. He danced with as many people as he could, people were jumping on his back, and I believe he got hit in the head with several beach balls and yet never missed a beat. If you search them up and read the bio of their website the first thing you read are the words “They will make you laugh, sing along, cry with joy, shit your pants and shake your booty” and I don’t think I could sum them up any better.

Following on from the Cuban Brothers were Foreign Beggars who weren’t really my cup of tea but they definitely put on a show; providing beats and an overall vibe that their fan base would love. Bouncing around on stage making sure all of the crowd were involved, getting people to put their hands up, sing along and even managed to chuck in a couple of jokes now and then. After Foreign Beggars was Devlin.  His grime collective teased the crowd as they came on one by one over a long period of time; I’m not sure whether this is their usual plan of action but it definitely frustrated the crowd. Once they were all on they did put on a good show; much to the relief of the security guards who really didn’t want to have to control a crowd of hundreds of people. Shock of the day came last; the entirety of the press pit was shocked as the man we all thought was getting the stage ready was actually David Rodigan himself. On came the remixes of original reggae which was an incredibly way to end the night at Fistral beach; they were pieces of music that everyone could admire and have a casual groove to. The crowd that was still standing, even though the sun had gone away and the weather had started to take a turn for the worst, definitely enjoyed David Rodigan and left leaving positive and still dancing.

Beach Break Live 2013

The overall vibe of the day was perfect, you had people walking around in their swim wear with flip flops on as they paraded on the beach section of the festival. There were people dressed up as clowns, pirates, and many other strange combinations of costumes who all provided a source of energy and fun when no one was on stage. To sum up the day in general I would have to say it was a day to remember, and if the rest of the weekend is like this I recommend buying a ticket for 2014. 

Download Festival 2013 – Saturday Review

by

Arriving in the arena to a sudden and torrential downpour, flapping around trying to get crap plastic ponchos on whilst simultaneously attempting to crouch over the tops of your wellies to avoid trench-foot, wasn’t exactly a joyful experience, but thankfully the rain abated as we queued for a bottle (and special edition cup) of Iron Maiden Trooper beer. Saturday is the day of unfortunate overlaps, a lineup of incredible acts spread across stages so wide that you can’t hope to catch them all, so we resign ourselves to the wishlist and hope to catch others another year.

Starting with classic Brit-rock UFO take to the mainstage for some shredding good fun, and Mastodon do a decent job of pepping up the squelchy audience with ‘Blood and Thunder’ and ‘Oblivion’, but it’s Alice In Chains who really power up, touting their signature grunge doom and gloom. ‘Down in a Hole’ and ‘Check My Brain’ stand out, but the whole set is superb and radiates a sort of nonchalant, effortless aura of cool. On the tiny Jagermeister stage, Buffalo Summer’s funked up southern rock ‘Typhoid Mary’ is getting the small but jolly crowd up and jigging about, and Download repeat offenders Motörhead are, well, EXACTLY the same as always. Despite Lemmy’s stuck record “We are Motörhead and we play rock and roll” lead in, and ‘Everything louder than everything else’ tshirts that have only had a colour update, it is a formula that works, and ‘Ace of Spades’ is as good a mosh-pit starter as it always has been.

Taiwanese metalcore kids Chthonic are as weird as ever, but lady bassist Doris Yeh is definitely gaining a LOT of new fans as the band ramp up the volume and she pulls a very metal pout… however, on the main stage Queens Of The Stone Age aren’t really living up to the hype. The sound is dead, the crowd looks bored and the quips just aren’t that funny – particularly the one about ‘No One Knows’ being a song to get laid to. I’m sure Barry White is turning in his grave. After their departure, the arena heads into instant turmoil as people rush to toilets, bars and food carts whilst the stage is set up for Iron Maiden’s prop heavy show. Bands we’d have liked to see today but missed due to there being TOO MUCH to see were, punk legends Lit, rock royalty Thunder, Norwegians Kvelertak and fellow headliners The Hives and Enter Shikari. *sigh* we just hope Download books them all again. Please.

Iron Maiden begin the evenings shenanigans with an actual Spitfire flyby. Yep, that’s right – they managed to get a Spitfire to thunder up from behind the main stage and fly over a stunned crowd. If you can tell me a band who’ve gone further for their fans, feel free to comment. A stunning set with hits ‘Fear of the Dark, ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’, ‘The Trooper’ and ‘Aces High’ as well as a raft of other Maiden classics and giant moving Eddies, makes for a spectacular night (read the complete Maiden review for more details) that will stick in our memories forever.

Sónar Barcelona, or The Best Festival Yet

by

Sónar’s 20th anniversary reads like a who’s who of electronic music new and, well, more new. From Jurassic 5’s old school hip-hop and the eternally synth-pop Pet Shop Boys, to dance anthem pedlars like 2manydjs and the impossible grace of Natasha Khan aka Bat for Lashes, this was always going to be a big weekend.

The three day festival kicks off Thursday, leaving you Sunday to recover – or carry on the party. We catch Oddisee under the SonarDôme, slick rap between brassy jazz, while outside SónarVillage has exploded with the cheesy 70s hit ‘Love is in the air’. Fun is the aim of the game.

Gold Panda is another of those non-DJ DJs. In black denim and t-shirt, I picture him nursing a book alone in a café somewhere. Today, though, he hits us with playful and animalistic beats, eyes fixed on his fingertips as he bops along to perfectly haphazard breaks. The sound is of a runaway music box, and oddly relaxing.

Beer vendors wind through the crowd under a heavy Spanish sun. I worry for all the hipsters getting hot beneath their beards – at least they have their Wayfarers on. One such beardy man holds a kaleidoscope to his mobile phone to film the set (not the Beardyman, though he plays on Saturday). Lindstroøm and Todd Terje get us to nightfall. It’s the first time I’ve heard Terje’s ‘Inspector Norse’ and I understand immediately why it’s so popular. Have a listen.

Sonar

There’s action aplenty with ‘off Sónar’ events across the city, but we save our feet for the first Sónar de Noche, held in a series of warehouses at the edge of town. Of course Bat for Lashes is wonderful, but we knew she would be. Bristolian DJ Eats Everything plays ahead of Two Door Cinema Club, a sentimental favourite who move seamlessly through their repertoire. “Maybe someday, you’ll be somewhere, talking to me, as if you knew me.”

It’s worth the rush to the outdoor SónarLab to see French DJs C2C perform ’Down the Road‘. They do a Run-DMC cover and manage to hold a sound-off in the crowd, a winner-by-applause deal without spoiling the mood. The 3D Kraftwerk set is all hype and Skrillex becomes the night’s surprise win (although I’d like my ears back, badly). I’m distracted by someone so famous wearing a shirt with his name on the back, but he’s forgiven with Benny Benassi’s ‘Cinema’. I don’t like dubstep; I just love that he’s got us all dancing.

Three hours sleep gets us by, and we’re back at Sónar de Dia for some synth-disco courtesy of US act Chromatics. I warm to their 80s edge and a convincing take on the Kate Bush classic ‘Running up that hill’. We watch AlunaGeorge from faux-grass decking, and catch TNGHT open with a cinematic rendition of Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’. The stop-start set isn’t my thing, and I leave early to give my eardrums a break.

Sonar

The closing night of Sónar is marked with a three-hour Ed Banger tribute. Justice scores easy points with his Simian Mobile Disco mashup ‘We are your friends’, and it’s good-time fare ‘til Laurent Garnier heralds the Sunday dawn. Even with a huge turnout, the warehouses have space to sit and take stock when needed. Revellers don’t seem to overdo it as much as back on the British Isles, and the international crowd adds to Sónar’s world-class festival credentials.

In 2014 Sónar hits five cities, so the next question is Barcelona, Tokyo or Mexico? Life’s tough.

@MirandaAnimated

Check out the photos from Sónar 2013 here.

Download Festival 2013 – Friday Review

by

Avid weather watching and ultimate festival preparation was indeed necessary for this year’s Download Festival at the legendary Donington Racetrack, as the masses were simultaneously sunburnt and soaked, we thank the grand old British climate for a mostly acceptable atmosphere in which to rock. In it’s eleventh year, Download Festival draws in the metal hordes, clad in anything black, denim, ripped and studded, for a weekend of extraordinary music and warm beer.

Heading into the arena on Friday, the familiar sights and smells wash over us (portaloos, expensive burgers, eau de camping) with one particular very obvious addition – the zipline. Even at this time people are queuing up to spend fifteen smackers for thirty seconds of extreme wedgie, it’s baffling. I suppose the view is good from up there though. At the Zippo Encore Stage nearest the arena entrance, legendary hard-rocker heroes Uriah Heep draw an absolutely massive crowd and play a storming set that would have you think you’re at the ’82 heyday Monsters of Rock, not 2013 Download. Screaming “Where were you back in nineteen seventy seven?” frontman Mick Box smiles at the blank stares of all those who weren’t born yet, and pushes on with ‘Gypsy’ and some serious shredding. Despite the very recent and death of bassist Trevor Bolder, the band put on a great show and leave the stage with an outtro of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ just to cement their homegrown status.

Over on the main stage, Yorkshire metalcore kids Asking Alexandria spin damp fans in the rain into a frenzy, whilst London based power metal heavyweights Dragonforce are beset with shoddy sound for the first few songs. Despite this they ride rambunctiously through ‘Through the Fire and Flames’ and new track ‘Cry Thunder’ is punchy enough (and almost ironic enough, in the current conditions) to gain instant earworm status. Herman Li’s frankly beautiful hair blows in the wind as he and Sam Totman shred harmoniously in their distinctive style and the crowd joins in for the chorus. Main stage emotions are running high as Papa Roach create circle-pits and drive the hits ‘… To Be Loved’ and ‘Last Resort’, and the second stage area is awash with Swedish flags for Stockholm rockers Europe. After a hugely entertaining and musically engaging set, the inevitable party-piece ‘The Final Countdown’ is final-ly rolled out, to which the crowd goes wild. It’s more comedy than it is song now, but boy do we Brits love a good cheesy anthem.

Korn, though intensely self-aware and at times quite comical, are actually rather good and manage to draw the largest crowd of the daytime. Head honcho Jonathan Davis’ looks like he’s having a fit whilst dancing/headbanging through ‘Blind’ and ‘Falling Away From Me’, but it’s ‘Coming Undone’ that really gets the audience thrashing. An unnecessary ten minute bagpipe interval (of which Davis really only plays a few notes, it’s like… if Deep Purple went highlander…) leaves a lot of confused faces, and more than a few people groan when the dubstep part hits, however, fan favourite ‘Freak On A Leash’ brings them back.

3 Doors Down do a sterling job making the afternoon light with their particular brand of American Rock, with a fun cover of Megadeth’s ‘Symphony of Destruction’ and Gypsy Punk crazies Gogol Bordello have everyone up and skanking to their weird and wonderful accordion packed sound, also rainbow stripes don’t really make a balaclava any less menacing, but we appreciate the oddity of it.

Second stage headliners Black Stone Cherry, here on merit of a forum-wide plea from fans, play an absolutely stunning set with favourites from the first three albums, and a first ever sneak peek at brand spanking new material from their studio work (see headline review for full details). Main stage masked-bandit headliners Slipknot have ditched the red boiler suits for white (much to the dismay of die hard fans who’ve spend the whole day perfecting their costumes) but other than that, not much is different from their 2009 Download appearance, except that this year they play without late bassist Paul Grey and play ‘Duality’ in tribute to him (the 2009 Download Festival show was his last appearance). Fans are fans though, and twice during the wild night, Corey Taylor called to stop the performance due to crowd surges, yelling “No-one is getting hurt on my watch, I'm not going to let that happen to my family”. Over the two hour set, hits ‘Wait and Bleed’ and ‘Psychosocial’ make for rowdy moshpits and after an extra long pause before the encore, ‘People = Shit’ and ‘Surfacing’ complete the show.

Photo courtesy of Download Festival

Download Festival 2013 Review – Sunday – Rammstein

by

With a stage-wide curtain keeping the set secret, and Sunday’s sunshine dwindling into the night, the excitement in the air is almost palpable for final headliner Rammstein. The Berlin industrial metal heavyweights have been long awaited by Download-goers and tonight the arena is Ramm-packed with eager fans.

The screens turn to black, the curtain drops and Rammstein explode onto the stage, with frontman Till Lindemann being ceremoniously lowered on a firework wreathed platform from the ceiling. Whilst Lindemann’s menacing grin is enough to spark fear in the hearts of many, his pink fluffy jacket (which sort of looks like a bloody Wampa skin…) is just giggle-worthy, but the massive cobweb-like stage set and enormous drum-lights behind make for an impressive backdrop.

Without further ado the band get right down to business, ‘Keine Lust’ and ‘Sehnsucht’ get the crowd warmed up, with the enigmatic frontman maniacally wielding flaming poi, but it’s ‘Feuer Frei!’ that pushes the circle-pits into overdrive with raw firepower, quite literally as the stage lights up with fire cannons. Keyboard-jockey Christian "Flake" Lorenz, in a bejewelled suit, marches along on a rotating treadmill as he plays – which whilst mildly entertaining just doesn’t cut the mustard when you’ve seen *that* OKGO video, but the night is young…

Drawn from real-life events ‘Mein Teil’ (The Meiwes Case) and ‘Wiener Blut’ (The Fritzl case) are peppered with sadomasochistic overtones, and later ‘Buch Dich’ sees Lindemann don S&M gear to roleplay anal sex with an assless-chaps-wearing bondage Lorenze, on a rising platform. From the platform, Lindemann proceeds to spray the crowd with ‘ejaculate’ (clever/gross hose attached to inside of trousers, activated through the platform), screaming girls seen rubbing it into their hair and chests: shame on you – your mothers could see this on tv, *wink*.

A giant cauldron containing Lorenze, set alight by a bloodied-chef-costumed, flamethrower brandishing Lindemann, Bane-esque face cages which also shoot fire, guitars that shoot fire, fire cannons, flaming-spinning fire bow, a man on fire… it’s safe to say the German metallers just bloody love fire, and so do the crowd. ‘2, 3, 4 Links’ and ‘Du Hast’ are yelled simultaneously by the entire arena, with fireworks travelling along cables across the crowd to the sound tent and back to an explosive finale and the stage lighting up in a cloud of sparks. ‘Ich Will’ is the real show-stopper with every hand in the air and Lindemann’s trademark low-growl calling out “Thank you very very, very much. Danke schön, we are RAMMSTEIN” before leaving the stage.

After a brief break and a rather pretty acoustic ‘Mein Herz Brennt’ it’s back into heavy for the epic ‘Sonne’ and the band close out this extraordinary show with the comedic ‘Pussy’. As Lindemann rocks up with a giant penis-shaped foam cannon and sprays it into the crowd, completely covering the front facing security staff (who were doing a sterling job of looking like they weren’t at all bothered about being ceremoniously covered in fake spunk…) the ticker tape bombs detonate, covering the entire stage. Kneeling superman-style, the band show their appreciation for the rowdy Download crowd with a final “You are amazing, we love you, thank you very much”, and it’s over. Rammstein at Download 2013 were definitely a crowning moment in the festival’s history, and it has been more than worth the wait.

Rammstein

Isle of Wight 2013 Review

by

After last years terrible weather this year was set to be different, lets face it… It had to be. A couple of heavy nights of rain meant the campsites started to get soggy and the ground was starting to churn. Fortunately for campers, the areas mostly plagued by damp and muddy environments had temporary road surfaces and plenty of hay to soak but moisture in the ground.

Despite broken and mud-logged trolleys, multiple trips to the car and a little huffing and puffing, we finally managed to get the tent set up and consulted the IOW Festival app to find out where to get our kicks (though, as expected this did indeed rinse the phone battery…). A welcome sunny afternoon broke out so we decided to head into the dance tent… inside… er, well regardless of the lack of sun indoors the lineup had more than enough clout for us to forsake the fresh air. With the likes of Ms Dynamite, GrandMaster Flash and A-Trax pumping out the hits (although Ms Dynamite was extraordinarily late, people were queuing to get in for her set) to a tent full of writhing bodies and beat-matching strobe lights, the old school mixes really went down a treat. Elsewhere, pint-sized popster Ellie Goulding belted out the chart-toppers with a crowd-a-oke of ‘Your Song’ and Delilah’s set started out with a microphone malfunction but eventually settled into a decent set.

Ellie GouldingA-TraxDeliah

Firday headliners The Stone Roses where coming hot off London shows in Finsbury park and showed no sign of slowing down as they headed onto stage to the beat of ‘Stoned Love’.  Ian Brown in his bright yellow jacket got the crowd singing the massive hits ‘Waterfall’ and ‘Made of Stone’.  It was the perfect end of a long and tiring but exciting first day at the Isle of Wight Festival.

Saturday saw strong winds tipping the balance of fun to annoyance, with tents and bins taking off like the Poppins all over the place, but at least it wasn’t raining. After a quick trip to the festival supermarket (brilliant idea thank you IOW organisers), we set off into the arena for The Killers. Crowd-pleasers ‘Mr Brightside’ and ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ went down a storm, with one enthusiastic bod even holding a lit flare out in the crowd. Confetti cannons with red and yellow ticker tape covered wild fans as they screamed for more, closing out with super-anthem ‘When We Were Young’ this was an exceptional show.

After heading to the Eco-Charge for a phone-bump (or a Kinetic bicycle charge if we were feeling fresher on Sunday) and another dousing of rain alongside periods of actual sunburn, we caught the Bedlam Take Over in the BT Infinite Tent where the likes of Zane Lowe, Andy C and SubFocus were absolutely lighting up the night with massive hits and huge helpings of chest pounding bass to a bursting-at-the-seams arena.

Closing out this years festival on the main stage was the hugely popular Bon Jovi.  As the sun began to fall on the majestic Isle of Wight, Jon Bon Jovi took the crowd on a whirlwind journey through the extensive back catalogue and tracks from their new album including ‘Thats What the Water Made Me’, sing-a-long favourite, ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’ and more!  The crowd interaction was impossible to miss and it displayed the continued popularity of the band in the UK.  Saving the best for last was number one hit ‘Living On a Prayer’ which has the entire main stage audience in full vocal swing.  Accompanied by a massive fireworks displayed it brought to the end another fantastic weekend at the Isle of Wight Festival.

Check out the Isle of Wight Festival 2013 photos here

Download Festival 2013 – Iron Maiden Review

by

If you weren't previously assured of Iron Maiden's God status in the world of metal, there's absolutely no denying it now. Saturday night at Download, we're standing in a soggy field, shoulder to shoulder, shivering in anticipation… as a Spitfire – yes, a SPITFIRE, soars up from behind the main stage. As the metal horns are thrust up to the sky, the aircraft banks and continues the flyby over a stunned crowd, and the band burst on stage for 'Moonchild'. Now THAT's an entrance.

Their ice-berg styled gangways make for Bruce's personal runway as he races about during 'Can I Play With Madness', wearing a sparkly clockwork-covered tailcoat. It's definitely a step up from the swamp-thing outfit we witnessed last time. Despite a bit of wavering sound, 'The Prisoner' (complete with a clip from the 1967 tv series) warmed up for the arena-shaking '2 Minutes To Midnight', with extreme crowd participation.

The driving wind in the first half of the set was  fairly irritating, and probably worse behind the sound tent, definitely nowhere near as unfortunate as befallen by Metallica in 2012 – but did pick up for 'Afraid To Shoot Strangers' and 'The Trooper' with Bruce donning his traditional red 'Light Brigade' uniform and giant Union Flag. Bruce jokes "Welcome to Monsters of Rock '88" to which the five guys standing next to us yell "We were there!!" and certainly, Maiden are a band that people come back time and time again for. Giggling "…back then we couldn't blow things up, or use fire… Or a Battle of Britain Memorial Spitfire…" Bruce thanks RAF Coningsby for the loan, and takes a swig of signature Trooper Beer.

'The Number of The Beast' (with giant fire canons and a flame-eyed Beast) and 'Run To The Hills' (including frontier Eddie wielding a sword at band-members) are screamed at deafening levels by the crowd around us… Ok ok, it was us too… and a giant grimacing Eddie looming over the stage is revealed for 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'.

After a huge instrumental and some well-timed fireworks, the iconic refrain of 'Fear of the Dark' is played out to a chorus of 'woooaaahhh-ing' fans. Yes it's traditional, Yes we've seen it before. Does it mean that hearing ninety thousand people locked in song with a single string of notes is any less impressive? No. Nothing makes your breath catch like looking back at the sea of lighters waving in the dark, it's the stuff ambitions are forged from, and as Bruce drops "a little anxious, in Donington Park" the young lad in front of us turns to his mum and says "This is the best thing I've ever heard" it brings me right back to the time I first saw Maiden.

An enormous Eddie holding a writhing heart-type-beast for 'Iron Maiden' has his head lit on fire before the band depart for a short break for the encore, where we finally get to hear 'Aces High', 'The Evil That Men Do' and 'Running Free', though Bruce was less 'running-free' than 'skipping-like-a-spring-lamb-free'…

The band thank everyone for a great night, and having tantalised us with the announcement of an O2 show later in the year, it's clear they're leaving everyone on a high. As the glassy eyes of people who've just witnessed something special, turn toward the exits, we are happily singing along with 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life', as only British festival-goers – who've spent two days being sunburnt and rained on, can truly appreciate. Iron Maiden were everything they should be and more, gaining a whole new generation of fans in one night.

Iron Maiden

Download Festival 2013 Friday Review

by

After a confused (yet bloody typical) day of showers, blazing sunshine, bare bodies, full waterproofs and teeth-chattering cold, the rain abated for the start of my choice of headliner – Zippo Encore stage's American rock'n'roll heroes, Black Stone Cherry.

As self-proclaimed Download Darlings, this is a fourth return but their first go at a headline slot here at Donington, as requested by the forum-going public. It's a proper Cinderella story, despite not having a new album out or any tours planned (prerequisites for booking festival slots generally) BSC are here on the back of some serious fan-fare. Hailing from the not-so-deep south (read: Kentucky) these good country boys are Lynyrd Skynyrd with better riffs, and less blue-collar/redneck jokes.

With three already stellar albums greedily devoured by UK fans over the last few years, it was inevitable that the bustling arena was going to be a good testing ground for new material and a fun soundboard for old, and as BSC drop right into 'Maybe Someday' the crowd yells right along as if the main stage (and Slipknot) don't even exist. The apt refrain "But for now I've got to rock and roll" sets the tone for the rest of the set, with fan favourite 'Blind Man' and brand-spanking-new (seriously, this is it's first ever outing from the studio) 'Me and Mary Jane' which is an immediate ear-worm.

The unfortunate opening line of 'Rain Wizard' "Here comes the rain" does indeed seem to open the heavens, but a heartfelt 'Things My Father Said', with the crowd singing the entire first verse back to homesick frontman Chris Robertson, who is for the first time away from his baby son, brings a tear to his eye.

'White Trash Millionaire' and 'Soul Creek' go down a storm, almost literally as by now it is widdling it down most ungraciously. Drummer John Fred Young's unruly mane is flapping wildly as he smashes about in a manner not unlike Animal of The Muppets, but his quick solo is a reminder that he's a technical whizz as well as a solid rock beat, and Robertson tells us how they may be four guys from Kentucky, but the heart of this band is in the UK, because "nowhere else in the world would people stand for an hour in the pissing rain to see [them]". No-one had the heart to tell him standing in the pissing rain is practically a national passtime of ours, but we certainly appreciated the compliment.

After a raucous 'Blame it on the Boom Boom', they close out with first album hit 'Lonely Train' and leave the crowd yelling for more. As the stage lights die, the sound of Slipknot on the main stage floods back into our ears but they could have been a million miles away during Black Stone Cherry's extraordinary set.

Good music with a good view. RockNess day 3 review.

by

Waking up and starting off Sunday at RockNess like many others – with a handful of after sun. Although, looking around most people could probably do with a few paracetamol and a pint of water.

Fatherson, a Scottish Alt Rock band kicked everything off on the main stage with a slightly smaller but committed crowd. Soothing vocals from Ross Leighton causing girls in the front row to fan girl (actual fanning movements of the hand were seen and squealing was heard). My personal attention was split between the music and the beards but the music eventually prevailed. If you’re interested, their music can be heard via their Bandcamp page here (without the distractions of well groomed beards) http://fathersonuk.bandcamp.com/album/fatherson my personal favourite is “43”but for a more upbeat feel give “Hometown” a listen.

Having been nominated for the BBC’s “sound of 2012” poll and her debut album awarded “iTunes Album of The Year 2012”, Lianne La Havas has been very busy since she came on to the commercial music scene in 2011, and it’s no wonder why. Lianne has such a captivating, gentle voice she was able to tame a tent full of rowdy drunken Scots. When performing she seems to loose herself in the lyrics which only draws the crowd in more. With thought provoking lyrics, spine tingling vocals and a quirky wardrobe, Lianne La Havas is definitely one to keep your eye on this year.

Walking in to the tent Ben Howard was playing in, I was positive I had walked in to a tent of hyperventilating One Direction fans. Filled to the brim of teary eyed, fidgeting females of all ages, actions that were magnified when he came on stage. Ben Howard had a haunting stage set up, hiding amongst shadows on stage, showing everyone he can hold a show with his voice alone and doesn’t need a fancy light show or backing dancers.

Coming out of the tent of Ben Howard and wandering around the main arena the crowd has almost tripled in size since Friday and I have a rough idea as to why. I’ve seen Madness live before and they put on a better show to artists to half their age and yes, there is the whole “experience over age” argument but WHERE do they get their energy from? They know exactly how to please a crowd, using the whole stage, not only interacting with the crowd but interacting with one another for the crowds amusement. They definitely haven’t lost anything over the years (they even still have hairlines to be proud of!). The perfect band for a sunny day at a festival, providing sing along opportunities with their hits such as “Our House” and “Baggy Trousers” suitable for all ages present at the festival, Madness were a joy to photograph and watch live.

It’s now where I get rather emotional and start to evaluate my life choices. At the age of 19 and only a mere month younger than me Madeon took to the stage, blew everyone away while mixing AND controlling his own light show. Having played at major music festivals in New York, California and Miami, playing at Radio 1’s Big Weekend AND supporting Swedish House Mafia, I feel like I need to get off my bum and join him in world domination. Now don’t think because of his age you should expect less from his live sets than other DJ’s on the scene at the moment, if anything, he’s exceeding a lot of them.

Plan B @ Rockness

The headlining act and final act of Sunday was Plan B, someone I wouldn’t personally go see live in concert but someone I definitely would pay money to see again. The soulful voice you hear on his songs is just as good as live but sang with so much more character. Plan B put so much energy in to his performance, shifting his voice from soft and soothing to painfully aggressive, he brings something to his live music which I haven’t seen in any of the other acts over the weekend. I was so surprised with this live performance, nothing was half hearted, the band, vocals, lights, the entire energy of the show has definitely left an impression on me. Plan B unquestionably finished RockNess 2013 with a bang.

Buy your tickets for RockNess 2014 now and don’t miss out on the most beautiful festival in the world.

Check out the Rockness 2013 Sunday photos here

Parklife Weekender 2013 Review

by

The lead-up to this year’s Parklife Weekender came with much trepidation, and not just over what to wear (high-waisted and dangerously short shorts, “obvs”). The move to Heaton Park from a venue much nearer Manchester’s festival-ready student population was a curious one, no doubt intended to minimise disruption to the regular flow of the city.

Officially the event was a success, but I wonder who else left frustrated by some fundamental oversights. Happy or naïve, we arrive at the park mid-afternoon on a picture perfect Saturday. Ambling amid flowered fields and deliciously shady groves, you can’t shake the feeling of summer – least of all when it’s shaking you; a heavy bassline through the trees.

We miss Aussie boys The Temper Trap, on too early. It’s the same story for Alunageorge. You’d be annoyed if you forked out for a programme since the printed set-times have changed. There’s probably a good explanation, and en masse no one seems bothered, but it’s a blow for fans negotiating  crowds in pursuit of their favourite acts.

Jessie Ware lends her sexy breed of soul to the main stage, dedicating ‘Sweet Talk’ to the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson: “Sir Alex, I love you!” she coos. People groove along to the summery track but conversations carry on. Over at Sounds of the Near Future (for the uninitiated, that’s another stage name), Baauer throws a towel over his head to soak up the sweat. Or shut out the lights. He’s allowed since he nails his set.

Despite massive headliners, the draw card of the new venue is a host of carnival attractions that have sprung up for the weekend. The ferris wheel, log flume and bungee jump are daunting, and at £20 a pop are out of this reporter’s meagre budget. We’re suckered in by the dodgem cars instead, & at only £4 the saving warrants another trip to the bar. A shout out here to all the bartenders we encountered, and not just in the lush VIP section. In absence of the friendly volunteers of say Glastonbury, they acted as a much-needed, vibrant face of the festival.

Londoners Gorgeous George make for an irreverent change in pace. Playing the smallest stage in the festival, we figure this is Parklife’s equivalent of the reggae tent. You know, the spot people seem to end up when everything else is winding down. It’s surprising and fresh. The very look of the band cuts through the day’s niggling sameness. The lead singer has that proper cockney edge, sporting an unlikely Adidas jumper.

Ever seen a trumpeter in skinny jeans? That’s not a euphemism either. Just, well, have you? It’s all very fun. The frontman asks that any booze (or worse) that wants sharing be passed to the front. When we leave we wish we’d stayed, or left much earlier. Getting out is a shambles. We’re told to follow the crowd and the rest is guess work. Fearing more of this, I’m less enthusiastic come round two on Sunday.

We race to catch festival royalty Mark Ronson in some kind of DJ battle with equally big-time A-Trak. A note to festival organisers – please, pick a name for each stage and stick with it? Sure, it’s a stand-alone festival on both days. Yes, you’ll be raking it in with sponsors. But it’s sunny, and we’re drinking. Don’t be difficult.

Under the Big Top, British duo Simian Mobile Disco are making something of a comeback. Theirs is an energetic, rhythmic set, competing against the alluring bass of the nearby Red Bull sponsored DJs. Yet again, we’re stuck at the edge of a tent trying desperately to be involved. We keep at it for a while, then allow ourselves a break to sit with burgers in the fading sun.

Everything Everything is sadly undersubscribed, possibly due to competition over at the Warehouse Project tent. I’ve seen them before, and as the action seems elsewhere we move on quickly. It’s not their fault. It’s TEED for the win you see, and after throwing ourselves about to ‘Household Goods’ we’re satisfied with the weekend’s efforts.

I won’t go running back to Parklife next year, but with a little bit of love and the right attitude it could certainly be more.

Check out the Parklife 2013 photos here.