Reviews

Good music with a good view. Rockness Day 1 Review.

by

Having never been to Rockness, I didn’t have any idea of what to expect, putting aside the fact I’m positive I drove through The Shire on the way here and the 2 hour wait just to pick up my parking ticket from the box office (handsome boy but only capable of serving one customer every 20 minutes) you walk through the entrance to a beautiful landscape. It’s magical, breathtaking, no other words can describe it. You have the main stage lit up with lights and lasers from every direction, an explosion of light and in the background sits the Loch Ness, still, untouched by the noise and a complete contrast to the foreground (I’m now talking about the couple that walked in front of me groping one another and slowly destroying any innocence I once had).

Ellie Goulding, she has such control over her voice it doesn’t differ that much from her recordings. Although something you don’t get to see listening to her songs on the radio/television etc is this awkward bopping thing she does, with a foot stomp here and there. It gives us mere mortal girls a hope that maybe, if we too embrace our inner awkward we can roll about a bed with Calvin Harris like she does in her latest video for “I Need Your Love”.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the Vaccines, I’ve never really given much time to listen to their music but their live performance did sway me, or maybe it was the drunken Loch Ness monster jumping up and down with his cider next to me that changed my mind, I really don’t know BUT I did enjoy their performance thoroughly.

My main highlight of Friday has to be Basement Jaxx, although slightly envious that I will never be able to pull off such colourful hair as the two women who joined them on stage to sing or the fact I’ll never be able to dance like them (I did attempt. Unfortunate to all standing behind me.) I could easily say after seeing Basement Jaxx live I would much rather pay to see one of their concerts than ANY big DJ at the moment. Nobody has the groove that these guys have. I said groove, my Mum doesn’t even say groove. I apologise. I can’t even find an appropriate word I’m still in such a trance. Please go see these guys live and you’ll understand.

The atmosphere at Rockness goes from chilled out (or passed out if you’re next to the Jagermeister van), to people climbing on sweaty, soggy shoulders and screaming as loud as they possibly can. There are people of all different ages, older couples lounging on the grass hill with their Ice Cream taking in the breathtaking view of the Loch Ness then groups of young friends bouncing around and singing with sheer joy. The site isn’t too large, so you can’t loose anyone for more than five minutes but it’s big enough you can go to one stage without the other stage’s music interfering. This festival has the perfect balance. If the thought of coming to Rockness, tomorrow (Saturday 8th) or Sunday has crossed your mind then you need to stop thinking and GET HERE NOW! The weather forecast for the next two days is meant to be phenomenal. See the link.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/iv2

Check out the photos here

Wychwood, Beer, Cheer and Bubbles.

by

This is the 9th Wychwood festival to take place, which is a tragedy for me as it means I have missed 8 years of this fun filled, family friendly, yet modest event, that gently launches you into the summer festival period.  Set in the grounds of Cheltenham race course and overlooked by the Cotswold Hills, this venue is used to horseplay of a four-legged nature, but with neigh a nag in sight, Prestbury Park comes alive with a wide spectrum of characters.

The first days sound track set the pace for what would shape up to be quite the eclectic mix.  Early evening The Beat proved how they secured their rightful place high up the Ska tree. With Rankin Roger & Son getting the crowd stomping to the ever popular Ska beats. Toploader followed with their breezy, sing a long songs, that keep the crowd on a high.  Friday night headliners Soul II Soul with their blend of R&B, Soul and Electronica, surprised many who thought them a one song band (Back to life). With each song played you couldn’t help regret not paying more attention 25 years ago. But better late than never!! They exit the stage, leaving the crowd craving for more.

Saturday sees the music shift to a broader range. Unfortunately the delectable Kate Nash pulls out poorly. The Wedding Present are a crowd pleaser as they work through some of their phenomenal body of work. A French twist next from festival favourites The Caravan Palace, who’s zany Gypsy Jazz, Electro swing, is a sight and sound to behold, a big band wall of music fronted by the mesmerising stage presence that is Zoé Colotis a must see. The night’s headliners are 80’s Electro New Wave sensation The Human League and with a catalogue of hits, the crowd were on their feet from the opening “Mirror Man” to the ever popular “Don’t You Want Me” ending another great night with “Together in Electric Dreams”. The set and backdrop pay homage to the futuristic approach of the 80’s, that seem just as futuristic and relevant today, Little wonder so many artists since, have voiced this Flamboyant and eccentric group as an influence.

Sunday becomes a field of laughter with the humorous yet skilful take on classical and popular songs by the Ukele Orchestra of Great Britain.  Smiles a plenty but with admiration from this musically talented troop.  The laughter continues as Bill Bailey and his side splitting comedy take over.  Nobody being prepared for the music, jokes and insanity of this middle-aged madman. This massive force could have easily have been the finale for the main stage, but the organisers decided to bring the evening to a close by treating an appreciative crowd to the Dub Powerhouse that is Dreadzone.  This reggae tinged set was the perfect end to a fabulous weekend, having the crowd bounce and groove out the evening.

 A couple of standout performances on the smaller but no lesser stages included Becky Rose, with her one gal, synth based beats and Craig Charles funk and soul show, where the crowd were whipped up in to a frenzy to match that of the energetic, multi-talented showman.

When the main attractions have finished and the majority of the crowd have turned in for the night, one stage is determined to party on regardless. As I approach the big top tent with strobes escaping from the entrance I can’t help but think that there is something missing?   Upon entry I am handed a pair of wireless headphones and as I walk on through to a sea of crazy revellers it is apparent that I have entered a nut house.  This is the silent disco, a room full of clubbers and two DJ’s but no music through the loud speakers.  I put the headphones on and find myself instantly condemned to the madhouse as I flick between the two DJ’s and adjust my dancing style accordingly.

Music for all genres means that young or old you will at some point find your dancing shoes and at the very least discover new and exciting sounds.  There are over 100 workshops to choose from, complimented with cuisine from the four corners of the world.

A lasting memory of the festival will be that of a  man releasing  another wave of bubbles they glisten like the northern lights as they pass over the light filled stage.  Wychwood really captures the essence of what a festival is about with a great energy and atmosphere.

 

Evolution Festival 26 & 27 May 2013

by

Since 2002 Evolution Festival, known locally as “Evo” has changed format several times starting as a multi venue event and moving locations around the Quayside.

Evolution is now a two stage event based around the Spillers Wharf area of the Quayside next to the River Tyne.  This means everything is closer together and there is less walking time between the Spillers Wharf stage and the Ballast Hills stage which is great when there are so many acts to enjoy!

Arriving in Newcastle on Sunday, the festival location was easy to find as there were large groups of people wearing UV paint to follow!  The weather set the scene for a beautiful and rare sunny Bank holiday Sunday in the UK and helped make a brilliant atmosphere even better!

After walking through the main entrance, the first thing I noticed was the lively atmosphere, the fun vibe and smiling faces.  There were plenty of places to eat and drink, we headed straight for the pork and stuffing batches and then found an area amongst the revellers to enjoy our food and check out what was going on around us before deciding it was time for the bar.  The main bar served a selection of wine, beer and cider and the Keglevich Cocktail tent was next door if you fancied a fruity alternative.  The bar service was excellent and there were no large queues like you would normally experience, this remained the same whenever I went to get a drink during the two day festival.   

Opposite these, was the Red Bull tent where DJ’s spinning some great sets in between bands stopped people in their tracks and created an impromptu dance floor!

We then made our way to the Ballast Hill stage to enjoy Loadstar, the atmosphere at this stage was really lively with dancing and moshing, everyone was there to enjoy themselves and make the most of the music.  Other acts we enjoyed at the Ballast Hills stage on Sunday were Lethal Bizzle and Modestep who if possible, got the crowd going even more!  I couldn’t help but smile being around all these people having such a good time.

As we moved to the Spillers Wharf stage, the crowd were slightly older and there was no moshing but still an amazing atmosphere.  We enjoyed Rudimental who played all of the best songs from their album and surprised the crowd with a brilliant cover of the Fugees “Ready Or Not” halfway through their set.

Next up was Ellie Goulding who, playing at the festival for the second time opened her set with 'Figure 8' and sang her rendition of Elton John’s 'Your Song'.  Ellie finished her set with some more of her well known songs: Lights, Starry Eyed and I Need Your Love accompanied by the majority of the crowd singing every word with her.

Headliners The Vaccines who recently performed to a sell-out crowd at Newcastle’s O2 Academy were extremely popular, it seemed as though the majority of people who sang along and danced throughout had come specifically to see them.

When we left the festival at around 11pm the atmosphere was still buzzing with everyone still wanting to dance, probably heading to Digital in Times Square where the official after party was held.

The weather not quite as sunny on the Monday but that didn’t dampen anyone’s sprits as we enjoyed a breakfast on the Quayside and watched the UV painted crowds of people heading towards the festival site. 

We arrived in time to see Gorgon City on the Ballast Hills stage and the atmosphere today seemed to be even crazier than it was on Sunday!

We switched between the Spillers Wharf and Ballast Hills stages a lot on Monday as there were so many acts we wanted to see, this was made possible due to the great layout and organisation of the festival.

Considering I hadn’t heard of Lulu James, I thought she was one of the best acts at the festival.  She enjoyed a great reception from the crowd and looked amazing in a legless black leather body suit and an enormous collar.

AlunaGeorge, made up of Aluna Francis on vocals and George Reid on the decs were probably less well known than other acts on the Spillers Wharf stage but they still played to a good sized crowd who really came to life when they performed White Noise, recognising their most well-known track.

Zinc and Mista Jam were both brilliant acts to have on the Ballast Hills stage as they played exactly what the crowd had come to enjoy with almost everyone singing along to all the tracks they played.  Mista Jam filmed the crowd doing the Newcastle version of the Harlem Shake, even getting an eager young lad on stage to dance alone until the beat dropped.  It was great to be part of the crowd for this one and I will be watching it back on You Tube.

Bastille drew a large crowd and finished their enjoyable set with a cover of 90s dance classic 'Rhythm is a Dancer'.

Jake Bugg followed, playing almost everything from his debut album. Jake really knew how to work the crowd alternating his slow and lively songs.

We just made it in to the Ballast Hills area for Sub Focus just before it reached capacity, their set was energetic and despite the fact most of this crowd had been dancing all day they still went crazy

Paloma Faith’s headline performance on the Spillers Wharf stage was a delight to watch and listen to.  She had great stage presence and chatted easily between songs, at one point stopping for a cuppa, commenting on the cold and the amount of denim knicker wearers in the crowd!  Also performing a cover, Paloma sang her version of INXS 'Never Tear us Apart'.

Overall, Evolution Festival was well organised with good security and police presence.  Despite the festival attracting a slightly younger audience than others I’ve been to, it is still an enjoyable place to be with a friendly vibe, plenty of big names to watch and brilliant music to dance to!

Slamdunk Slam-dunks!

by

With so many festivals spread over whole weekends, Slamdunk offers something a little different. With seven stages, both indoor and out, and bands playing throughout the day, Slamdunk Wolverhampton offers the younger generation a chance to experience the excitement of a punk rock festival without the hassle of camping.

The crowd immediately gravitated towards the Monster Energy stage at the far end of the arena, a­s it boasted the first act of the day, Heart in Hand. The British hardcore act kicked off the festival with a bang, exhibiting the spirit that set the precedence for all the bands that followed them.

After exploring outside through all the assorted merchandise tents, the flow of the crowd swept me inside in time to see what the main stage had to offer. With bands such as Tonight Alive and Sleeping with Sirens on throughout the day, there was constantly a lively crowd leading up to the big headliners, the fantastic All Time Low. I don’t think I’ve ever heard screams like those leading up to the entrance of the US four piece. As the lights went out after the final sound checks, the screams were beyond deafening and many of those ladies had their bras at the ready to throw. And throw them they did! Lead guitarist, Jack Barakat, had quite the extensive collection hanging from his mic stand by the time the first song peaked. And with their bright, energetic performance, they didn’t disappoint, with crowds spilling into the hallways straining to get a glimpse of the famous foursome.

If you preferred a closer encounter with your favourite bands and were willing to explore the more hidden stages, you were rewarded with two more stages, each offering their own unique take of the festival experience. The Tiger stage alone offered a more intimate setting, giving bands like Yashin and Cancer Bats, a chance of a far more personal performance. In fact Harry Redford, one of the two lead singers of Yashin, couldn’t keep himself away from the crowd.

It wasn’t exclusively for the younger generation of punk rockers though. Heading back outside to the Vans stage, there was an impressive  line-up of 90s punk bands to greet the more old school punk in the crowd. Throughout the day there was a gathering of brightly coloured mohawks to be seen, and as soon as the bands announced their arrival the ‘hawks made their way forward, like shark fins heading towards their next victim.

With the likes of [Spunge] proclaiming “We are not dead!” and MC Lars stating out loud to the crowd that skanking is still cool, with his post-punk laptop rap inviting members of the crowd onto the stage to get down and dance.  There were even brass instruments, some more steampunk than others, making an appearance with the likes of Streetlight Manifesto and the recently reformed King Prawn.

All in all, beers, bands, bras and some bloody scary 10ft aliens walking around. This bank holiday Monday, Slamdunk Wolverhampton was the place to be!

Check out the photos here

OsFest 2013 Shropshire’s biggest Music Festival

by

OsFest is now in its 3rd year, with previous acts like Goldie Looking Chain, Tinnie Tempah, Razorlight and many more this up and coming festival always delivers. This year for May bank holiday we had another great line up. JLS were to headline along with James Arthur, The Enemy, Lawson, The Pigeon Detectives, Lucy Spraggan and many more to come. 

*With short notice James Arthur had to drop out with commitments made in the US which regrettably meant he couldn’t be at Osfest this year. To fill the main stage spotlights  Britain’s got talent finalists  – The Lovable Rogues took up the arena. Fridays DJ set from Monki Radio 1’s 1XTRA DJ set the crowd right from the start. The crowd at this point was only small due to most people arriving Saturday, as with the crowds the weather was the same. When waking up Saturday I was amazed to see perfect blue sky and sunshine! unlike previous years where the weather had dominated this set up the weekend perfectly and added so much atmosphere to the main arena. 

Leading to Saturdays main acts I was delighted to see TICH and A*M*E perform who gave a great performance and with the amazing lighting setup on the main stage. This gave me the opportunity to snap away and get some really amazing images. With the crowd starting to really build heading into the afternoon, along with the drinks flowing and the sounds of the Mega Spin and bumper cars in the background Wiley took the stage. With Wiley’s great line up of songs such as ‘Rolex‘ and ‘Can You Hear Me?‘ the crowd were so reactive to his words, jumping down from the stage at one point to meet his fans security had to pull him back from being eaten by the front rows of the crowd. The side of the area had a cut-out section for people to walk in and out, near the side of the main stage and the with the sun starting to set projected beams of orange and amber light hit the crowds hands as they sang along to Wiley’s chants; This really highlighted the incredible success of this festival and was a very euphoric experience!

As the sun was about to set, the next performance was from Lawson, a true success in the music industry over the past few years their fan and crowd numbers have shot up with their success and great vocals performed by Andy Brown. Singing songs from their very popular  2012 album Chapman Square, the crowds were at their peak! My favorite song performed by them I think had to be their Swedish House Mafia cover of ‘Don’t You Worry Child’ the crowds reacting singing along with them Andy really pushed the crowd to sing their hearts out. 

OsFest

With a short break it was time for the undoubtably the crowds number one act at this point, JLS had arrived and were backstage waiting to come on. Peoples camera phones were out and the crowd from the back of the arena was a sea of mobile LCD screens. I think I even saw an iPad involved! Starting their performance with ‘Beat Again’ you could hear the younger girls screaming! I thought that Wiley’s performance would be hard to beat due to his off stage performance and energy with the crowds, I think by the end of JLS performance it was a level pegging. The lights from the main stage were being hammered and the strobes and house lights were being switched around to illuminate the crowds. I know many of the younger crowds had gone to sleep easy that night after having such an exciting hot day in Oswestry. 

Sunday

Another sunny day to come at OsFest 2013 acts the Enemy, Pigeon Detectives, The Lovable Rogues and Lucy Spraggan to play main stage along with many more, with the sun shining the main arena area was the only shade the amusements surrounding the main tent became busy once again. Lucy Spraggan was a great favorite of mine from the  Sunday at OsFest, she had risen from the Live and unsigned category at the age of 20 to being a very good competitor in X-Factor and due to illness she didn’t get chance to perform all the way through the show as she was forced to quit the X-Factor due to illness. 

She references all of her songs from real world experiences and it was like listening to her telling multiple stories as she sang, her song about Jeremy Kyle as she wakes up was a great one for me, the crowds again loving her great on stage performance of singing and story telling. 

With the Lovable Rogues performance, the crowd really started to get involved and more and more people from the surrounding amusements started to make their way into the tent area. Performing their great new single ‘What a Night’ the main arena was pounding! The speakers and acoustics from the main tent were really impressive! wherever you were inside the tent you got a great sound and even form the back of the crowd you could still enjoy the performance of any of the acts due to the high stage and great lighting setup, perfect for the little ones who found them selves being hoisted onto their parents shoulders to get the perfect view. I saw a grown women on someones shoulders who wanted an even better view from the back of the arena area. 

Though the day different acts performing at OsFest had been interviewing in the Specialized Media Tent and were scattered around the VIP area for those with the right wrist bands was a perfect way to see some of the acts up close. I saw The Pigeon Detectives interviewing along with The Enemy and Lewis Watson who performed in between Lucy Spraggan and The Lovable Rogues. 

Heading towards the close of the festival this year, we were just waiting on The Pigeon Detectives and The Enemy I have to say OsFest ended on such a high after watching The Pigeon Detectives perform. The lead singer for The Detectives Matt Bowman had more energy and control of the crowd than I had ever seen from an artist on stage before! His command of the crowd due to his energy was presented as pure respect from the crowds in the main arena. He was poring water of his head while performing ‘Im Not Sorry’ from their 2007 album ‘Wait For Me’ I think they set the mark for the entire festival at that point. Matt was squirting water all over the front of the crowd, jumping from the drum kits and bouncing around in the press pit! I think these guys should have been last on at OsFest as it was very difficult for The Enemy to top such an energetic performance. They did very well and I really enjoyed their performance! I got some great shots and while watching them interview they really seemed to be a really down to earth group of guys. While performing they played my all time favorite cover ‘sit down’ and ‘Away From Here’ They were great to see live and some of their guitar work was awesome! I remember being below Tom Clark (Lead Singer) as he thrust his guitar up with one hand and slammed down a chord on a few areas of the stage. 

OsFest

Overall I had a great great time this year and will be heading back up next year with no  doubt in my mind. With the great reception from all staff, security and for the line up this year. Im hoping with the continued publicity of this little (Big) festival they will grow and grow on the map. 

SATURDAY PHOTOS

SUNDAY PHOTOS

Hurricane and Southside Festival Preview 2013

by

In recent years more and more Brits are heading out to European Festivals. Sometimes it's for the experience of visiting different country, often for the (usually) better weather and line-ups, but surely the major reason is most European festivals are much better value, with tickets often half the cost of their UK counterparts.

Hurricane/Southside festivals are twin three day music festivals and takes part from Friday 21-23rd June. Hurricane is a long established fixture on the European Festival calendar and his has been held near the picturesque town of Scheeßel in Northern Germany since 1997. It's slightly smaller sister festival Southside, located in Neuhausen ob Eck in the very south of Germany, has been held since 2000. Reading and Leeds festivals would be the obvious UK comparison, with the line up being shared between the two twin festivals, their size, the variety of bands playing and the fact they're all about the music.

Hurricane is a cheap festival to get to from the UK. Although located in a rural area, Hurricane is located near the cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Hannover which makes getting to the festival relatively easy thanks to Germany's super efficient train system, and also means you can extend your trip with a visit to one of the cities before/after the festival.

Whereas many European Festivals don't get going until the evening and run right through the night, Hurricane/Southside's timings are more similar to the British festivals and start at midday, running throughout the day, with the head liners (This year The Arctic Monkeys, Sigur Ros and QOTSA) playing from 10pm until midnight.

The line up is quite possibly the best in Europe this summer and features many UK and international bands, as well as local German bands and includes:

Arctic Monkeys/ Queens of The Stone Age/ Sigur Ros/ Smashing Pumpkins,/The National/ Kasabian/ Bloc Party, Alt J/ Portishead/ NOFX/ Rammstein/ The Gaslight Anthem/ The Vaccines/ Editors/ Tame Impala/ Peace/ I am Kloot/ The Hives/ Modest Mouse/ Frightened Rabbit/ Frank Turner/ Chase and Status/ Darwin Deez/ Of Monsters and Men/ Gogol Bordello/ The Maccabees/ British Sea Power/ Miles Kane/ Ska-P and Steven Wilson..

The full 4 stage clashfinder for it's 4 stages has been published at http://www.hurricane.de/de/line-up/#!programmation=timeline$ to allow you to plan your weekend already, though with so many great bands playing, clashes are inevitable.

Weather:

Hurricane being situated in Northern Germany, has suffered from the odd downpour in previous years so wellies, and waterproofs are recommended, just like with UK festivals. Southside being situated near the Swiss border, usually has slightly warmer, drier weather.

Bars/toilets:

Friends who have frequently attended Hurricane in previous years report minimal queues for the bars, toilets etc and the whole festival run with German efficiency! It's not a gourmet boutique festival but the usual festival grub of noodles, burgers, falafel etc is available.

Transport

Both Hamburg and Bremen are relatively close to Hurricane Festival with Easy Jet and Ryanair having cheap flights to Hamburg and Bremen from many UK cities. (My Manchester to Bremen return flight has cost less than £50 !). It's slightly more expensive to fly to Hannover but is well served by Flybe and German Wings. Train-wise advance group tickets are available (Länder-Ticket) for transport on all transport systems for up to 5 people anywhere in the region for a day for a bargain 22 to 38 euros)

Tickets:

Hurricane Festival's tickets were priced at a great value 137 euro (around £117). Reading and Leeds's weekend tickets by comparison are £202 this year. Both Hurricane and Southside's tickets have sold out already, which is testament to their fantastic line up and reputation.

 

 

Beer, breakdowns and body odour. Welcome to Slam Dunk Scotland.

by

            Although only having a fraction of the Slam Dunk South line up, Slam Dunk Scotland was a huge success. I don't think I've been that excited (or sweaty) at a gig in a long time. Not one band disappointed, every member of every band had explosive energy, jumping around the stage which only had a rub off effect on the audience who were simply brutal. I lost count of how many people were dragged over the barriers by security, even once over the barriers security were struggling to control them, resulting in a few of the security landing flat out on the ground (much to my amusement).

            The stand out bands for me were definitely Woe Is Me, Memphis May Fire, Pierce The Veil and Four Year Strong. Having not listened to Woe Is Me or Pierce The Veil their live performances definitely converted me in to a fan. If you get a chance you should definitely YouTube Woe Is Me, my words will do nothing for their music. Their songs contain everything you could possibly ever want, from gorgeous clean vocals from Hance Alligood to some heavy bass from Brain Medley.         

            As for Pierce The Veil, if their stage set up wasn't impressive enough (have a look through the Slam Dunk Scotland photos) their interaction with the crowd was something that needs to be seen, they have such a strong fan base over here in Scotland which you could hear when they played "Hell Above", the crowd was singing along so loudly that you heard them far better than you could hear the band.

            Finally, Four Year Strong – with beards almost as impressive as their music – completely blew away all expectations I had for them as a live act. With raging energy, the guys got the crowd so excited that I was told by security I had to stop taking photographs and move out of the photo pit because so many people were crowd surfing and having to be pulled over the barriers.

            This having been my first Slam Dunk experience, I can without a doubt in my mind, say that I will definitely be attending next year. If you haven't got a ticket for any up and coming Slam Dunk dates, then I suggest you do. You can find what venue is closest to you here http://www.slamdunkmusic.com/slam-dunk-festival . Even if it sounds a bit too rough for you, I suggest you buy a ticket (ranging from £15 – £38, depending on the venue) and stand peacefully at the bar, watching the madness from a safe distance because Slam Dunk won't be like any other festival you're attending this year.

Preview: Dot to Dot Festival

by

Like Camden Crawl, Live at Leeds and Brighton's Great Escape. Dot to Dot is a city centre based festival.  Since forming in 2005 initially in Nottingham, Dot to Dot festival has expanded to three cities and now runs on three sucessive days over the Whit bank holiday weekend. Dot to Dot kicks off in Manchester on Friday 24th May, travels to Bristol on the Saturday before closing at Nottingham on the Sunday 26th.

Manchester's day, is centred around 8 venues in the the Oxford Road area from Witworth Street to Grosvenor Street. Your wristband entitles you into any of the featured venues (capacity permitting) and ranges from the 1,500 capacity Ritz, The brilliantly wallpapered Deaf Institute which is a favourite for many bands and fans,  long established student favourite The Thirsty Scolar, new cool venue in town Gorilla,  and my personal favourite Sound control which is hosting 3 rooms of music from 3pm to 3am
 
At many of these city centre festivals, visiting every venue is an impossible task due to the long walk and distance between venues.  However, with the exception of the SSI (which is still very walkable), every featured venue at Manchester's leg of Dot to Dot is within about 5 minutes walk of each other, meaning it's quite possible, to check out and visit every venue if you so wish.
 
Unlike most of the muddy field based festivals which force you to pay for a program for the privelidge of finding out stage times, the full venue listings and timings for all three cities have been announced and can be found at: http://dottodotfestival.co.uk/times meaning you can plan your day and check out the band's playing in advance.
 
The impressive line up features several acts playing at all three cities including Hottly tipped acoustic singer songwriters Tom Odell and Lucy Rose. Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Dry the River also play all days. The Manchester leg features many local must see bands who are producing music a million miles away from the old Oasis and Madchester stereotypes, and include the ambienat trippy beats and haunting vocals of From The Kites of San Quentin, fun, post- rocky insturmentals from Tribal fighters with party poppers almost guaranteed. If you can last until 2am then Manchester's Mount Fabric will be your new favourite band with their acomplised, complex, math-rock with astonishingly good vocals.
 
The key to these city centre festivals is adhering to any plan too strictly and allowing yourself to stumble across some new bands who you have not encountered before, and hopefully leave with a new favourite band for the summer.
 
Tickets are still available at a good value £20 from Alt Tickets: http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/alttickets/home_dot_to_dot_festival_2013.html

YO1 Festival 2013 Review

by

“This is the drunkest I’ve been at a gig for a long time!” The drifting garbles of a wobbly frontman on the rockabilly Please Please You stage may be as off-putting as those hearing it from the queue to get in- particularly if you're not happy with treating the outdoor festival just as an extension of the University of York's out-on-the-lash experience. The heavy influence of the nearby uni- exhibited by the second stage being named after campus music mag Circulation- might be enough to make one fear the day will be packed with struggling student pet projects and their supportive (rowdy) mates. But with such big-name acts as Rudimental and AlunaGeorge, YO1's lineup is a mix of the chart-topping with the uni-bopping. And with the promise of York's first taste of summer sun comes the promise of a diverse crowd; families rub elbows with locals, students and lovers of house, rock and reggae at the one day dance and indie event.

Holding up the baton for pleasant acoustic sentimentality is Bison Coffee Stage starter Travels By Telephone, whose haunting guitar stops short of the mawkish. His guitar sticker, happily proclaiming “you're doing better than you know”, provokes an unorthodox response from an onlooker: Wrong. a) I have syphilis. b) I don't like Talking Heads.

Meanwhile over on the main, Dub Barn Collective's white beards, tans and suits are giving off a distinctively Alabama 3 vibe, while being just as funky. It's a shame their 12pm slot means they can't gather the sort of numbers New York Brass Band draw in. Brass instrumented pop covers of 'Forget You' and a shaky rendition of 'Never Gonna Give You Up' appeal to the wider university crowd, despite the fact that the tartan-clad 7-piece don't capture of the soul of its New Orleans inspired roots.

The ripening summer rays pose an issue for sunbathing enthusiasts, as the lack of an entirely outdoor stage is particularly problematic for The Marzec Group, who find most of their fanbase prefer sitting outside the tented main stage, rather than in its musty depths. Perhaps this is why their usually enlivening multi-instrumentalist performance is somewhat muted.

One cannot be blamed for not trusting a dry day in Yorkshire spring time considering recent snowstorms, but other signs of YO1's greenness come across in its portaloo policies. By 4pm, the portaloo queues would have given the toilet lines racked up at major festivals a run for their money, leaving desperate punters squatting in nearby fields.

Other problems involving YO1's crowd numbers surfaced among the bars, as they were soon experiencing influxes of epic proportions. London's Tusk Wax suffer over on Circulation due to a significant clot; that is, a clot made up of bar goers encroaching upon the less than ample dance space for Tusk's bangin' tunes as the tent can't hold both. And, despite the fact that a £3.60 pint of cider is relatively unheard of in the cheap and cheerful pubs of York, this didn't prevent the good selection from selling out before the evening properly took hold.

Luckily this clears the way for Medlar, whose fast-paced house attracts dancers who begin to monopolise the tent area. However, choices have to be made on where to next move your feet. Fox North Coalition provide a cheery southern American vibe to the festival, with great big hats, crooning and an effective utilisation of a mouth organ. Radio One sweetheart AlunaGeorge pulls such a crowd over on the main that its too difficult to huddle in and hear her sugary sweet tones.

With food running out as well as drink, ducking into the Irie Vibes tent is never a bad idea. The darkening skies give an extra energy boost to Cojo of Bushrock Hifi's set, as the reggae dub begins to transform into ragga jungle. A patter over to main stage headliner Rudimental is a perfect complement, as the relatively new drum and bass collective exhibit the pizazz that drove them to fame so rapidly. Hit “Waiting All Night” cause an uproar but it's “Feel The Love” that add an electric quality to the air.

Once their set has finished at the seemingly early time of 10pm, only the Irie Vibes Soundsystem is of any merit. The sampling of such great artists as Panda Dub a highlight to more disappointing sets over on the other stages, though unfortunately the lack of basic amenities and food stuffs prompts early removal from the festival for many. For a festival in its second year and only just moved to a big site, it's somewhat understandable. However, if YO1 wants to pull in such a crowd next year, more foresight and preparation is essential to allow everyone to enjoy the event to its fullest..

Make Believe Festival … Anything can happen!

by

London, a place where some of the best and most widely known festivals are held drawing in millions but deep within the heart of Islington, an alternative festival is stirring and let me tell you, quirky and unique are just the start!

It began on Friday 3rd May as I approach the doors with club like bouncers, I cannot help but wonder what is going to be behind the doors and without a doubt, it was indeed different to any festival that I have encountered before.

Located in Islington Metal works, North London, the festival ran for 3 short days only and I can honestly say that without a doubt, it was a truly remarkable experience.

Walking through the doors, I instantly felt that I had time warped , surrounded by people in Victorian gear, it felt somewhat surreal yet comfortable at the same time to completely distance myself from modern day life.

The main room (although slightly small) was cramped full of people 100% engrossed and enjoying the atmosphere. A good job was done with the space they had, with ruby red curtains reminiscent of Aladdin’s cave and seating areas to chill out to the music.

Not only was Make Believe a 3 day excuse for childhood dress up, it also showcased some amazing bands with a banging head for music. With the main headliners including The men that will not be blamed for nothing, Sunday driver, Beatrix Players and The hall of mirrors to name but a few . The music although not what I would instantly listen to, surprised me by plenty of unique instrument playing and high note hitting. I found myself humming along and having them going around repeatedly in my mind for the rest of the night.

As well as live music, the festival also offered theatrical performances in the style of theatre, circus, art and puppetry so there was something for everyone to get stuck into.

The best part of the whole experience was the atmosphere of the room. As soon as you stepped over the threshold, it was like escaping 2013 and entering a new magical world where everything is possible and the possibilities are endless.

That simply sums up their title: Make Believe… Over those 3 days, you can be anyone!