Agents Of Time return to Afterlife with two heartrending audio expeditions.
Italian act Agents Of Time have established a sterling reputation over the years. Their mesmerising approach to club music blends emotive melodies and transcendent rhythms, with dance floor-centred beats.
The Mirage EP begins with its title cut; enveloping the listener is a swathe of atmospheric synth and pad work from the off. Oscillating frequencies complement the sultry rhythms while a life-affirming riff forms the stirring centrepiece. On the flip ‘Northern Lights’ is a sensitive, emotive composition which gradually increases its emotional impact as it builds and evolves.
Artist(s): Agents Of Time Title: The Mirage Record Label: Afterlife Cat.Number: AL062 Release Date: 18th February 2022
Space 92 is the latest artist to land on the unstoppable Filth on Acid label with his three track “The Door” EP. Stay Filthy on Acid NOW!
This hit producer was Beatport’s top selling artist of 2020 and has already had 2 number 1’s on Filth on Acid in the past, with Atlas, and The Game. Here he shows off his skills and heads into 2022 on another wave of goodness.
The Door opens up with fizzing synths and blisteringly tough drums that will rattle walls. Its got searing synths and an all consuming sense of dynamic groove that never lets up. Luna is a similarly potent track with thunderous claps and epic bass, all driven by more super solid kicks.
Cyberspace then closes down with futuristic synths, searing synth loops straight from a 90s video game, and whooshes of white noise and blasts of bass that bolster the grooves.
This is a vital new EP from Space 92.
Artist(s): Space 92 Title: The Door Record Label: Filth On Acid Cat.Number: FOA107 Release Date: 28th January 2022 [Beatport exclusive (2 weeks)]
Artist: George X Title: Slice Of Life Record Label: Do Not Sit on the Furniture Cat.Number: DNS0TF053 Release Date: 19th November 2021
Tracklisting: 1) Slice Of Life (Original Mix) 2) Slice Of Life (Powel Remix) 3) Closer 4) The City Of A Thousand Colors
We’ve been fans and friends of George X’s refined productions and well executed vocal arrangements, and pleased to welcome him to Do Not Sit with the brilliant 9 minute opus, “Slice Of Life”. Featuring delicate vocals, George naturally crafts the notes and lyrics in perfect harmony.
Two additional singles are included on the EP—the more upbeat tone of “Closer” in contrast to the melancholy mood of “The City Of A Thousand Colors”
Sweetening this already abundant package, Berlin’s Powel returns to Do Not Sit as a remixer by giving the original “Slice of Life” his own treatment, an elegant and rich interpretation from this master producer.
Fontaines DC came on stage at Southampton’s Guildhall with a deserved confident swagger. Commencing with ‘A Hero’s Death’, the song heralded singer Grian Chatten’s anxiety that their follow up album not being able to match the swift instant success of their debut.
With both their debut albums nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, these fears were in vain, and the band certainly warrant their hype. It’s no wonder this show sold out with Dublin’s finest post-punk band having headlined their first festival this summer. Despite the pandemic still raging on, it was great to see the venue full again, with the necessity of covid passes or a negative lateral flow-test to gain entry should you have been lucky enough to get a ticket early.
Comparisons with The Fall would be easy to make, but lazy as they’ve outgrown this as they made clear singing ‘ Don’t Get Stuck In The Past.’ There is more than a hint of The Pogues lyricism mixed in for good measure on tracks such as ‘Roy’s Tune’, mixed with the ferocious energy of Joy Division’s on ‘ Hurricane Laughter’ and ‘Televised Mind.’ In fact, the singer has also perfected late Ian Curtis’ stare as he prowled the stage.
Leaving the stage for the first time to rabble-rousing anthem ‘Boys in the Better Land’, Grian sang ‘If you’re a rock star, porn star, superstar, doesn’t matter who you are/Get yourself a good car and get out of here’.
Hopefully more venues in Southampton will be full again soon, but this will certainly be one of the gigs of the year in the city no matter what.
With the global pandemic bringing the music scene to a hault, this had prevented music venues from opening throughout the majority of 2020 and some of 2021. It made a huge impact on keeping the music scene alive for a lot of places. The National Lottery decided to bring out ‘Revive Live’, a boost for the entertainment industry to bring big bands and artists to play at smaller, grassroot venues in which all have started out at to become who they are today. Venues across the country have seen the likes of Sir Tom Jones, Rag n Bone Man, Twin Atlantic and many more.
For Cambridge Junction they have had a few of the artists playing there but Wednesday 29th September saw The Vaccines performing at the venue in J1. This show is a very intimate one as the band have just announced they are doing a tour next April which sees them playing places like Wembley Arena which is a lot bigger capacity.
Supporting The Vaccines were two piece Icelandic band called BSI. On drums and vocals is Silla Thorarensen and bass guitar and toe-synths is Julius Pollux Rothlaender. The duo play anti fascist punk music. What stood out for me with them was Silla’s microphone being an old telephone adapted into a microphone and Julius using his toes to play synth and on the neck of his bass was written ‘No Borders’.
Behind the band was a guitar case with BSI painted on it and then a little sign saying refugees welcome. The crowd seemed to enjoy the duo. They wrote their EP during the height of the pandemic and released it back in May. The tour was the first time they had played in the UK. It will be good to see the duo back in the UK again soon.
With a short interval the crowd are eager to see The Vaccines to perform. Around the stage is tall light sabre like lights scattered around the area. When the lights dim on comes the famous Pulp Fiction intro music by Dick Dale. First song to be performed is ‘Wanderlust’ which off their latest album ‘Back In Love City’. Frontman Justin is rocking the whole stage with his glaring eyes into the crowd and reaching out with his hands.
During the night there is new and old music including ‘Post Break Up Sex’, ‘Headphones Baby’ and ‘If You Wanna’. Justin mentioned that the band have not played the Junction since 2011 and the area had changed since then. Also he thanked BSI for supporting them on their tour.
Just before the encore the band perform ‘XCT’ which is apparently their favourite song to perform live in which I found out on a recent Instagram question time.
After the encore drummer Yoann Intonti comes on drumming the beat whilst the rest of the band set up and hit straight into Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra). To finish the night was the performance of ‘All In White’. This will be a night that everyone will remember.
After having to be rescheduled because of covid , the sold out Blossoms show at Cambridge Junction finally happened. The band were supported by Fever and The Lathums. Our photographer Kane Howie was there to document the event. You can see his photos below and also see more photography by him at https://www.instagram.com/kanehowiephotography/
End of the Road is a festival for people passionate about music. Set halfway between Salisbury and Blandford in Dorset, this years festival didn’t disappoint. With such an eclectic mix, it was appropriate that the main tent was sponsored by the ‘Loud and Quiet’ independent publication. No two words at each end of the musical spectrum sum up the performances over the magical weekend.
Stereolab headlined the Thursday night, with their first set since before the pandemic in March 2020. Clearly the bandhad initial stage nerves, but launching their biggest hit, French Disko, they renamed it ‘F**k the Daily Telegraph‘, presumably due to the chorus ‘La Resistance‘. Long gone are the days when festival would be three day affairs beginning on the Friday – such is the power of End of the Road’s attraction that they can attract such talent when people used to be accustomed to setting up their tent and perusing the merch stalls on opening night.
The political messages continued into Saturday morning, with the Mark Jenkin’s film ‘Bait‘ starting proceedings for the day. One of the defining British films of the decade, it portrayed beautifully the war between the local Cornish fishermen and the gentrification of the once-thriving village by rich city folk. Welsh musician Gwenno accompanied the film in person with a mesmerising score.
Later in the day as the sun began setting, Damon Albarn appeared as special guest on the main stage. Clearly enjoying himself and goofing around onstage, he mixed solo material, Gorillaz and The Good, the Bad and the Queen tracks, it was an impressive addition to the bill. Finishing with classic Blur song ‘This is a Low‘, it was a difficult act to follow or compete with. The only downside was that while Damon played the main Woods stage, Arlo Parks was booked to play the Garden stage at the same time – such a crime for there to be a clash pulling fans apart when people still haven’t developed the ability to be in two places at the same time. Still, she was booked over 12 months ago to play in 2020 so it shows the astute ear and crystal ball the organisers have for upcoming talent.
To beat Damon and Arlo Parks, the festival would have to pull out impressive headliners. And they did.
Hot Chip and John Grant would later be booked at competing stages as headliners on the same evening. Having chosen to see Hot Chip, it would have taken an unreal performance to have stolen the show from them. They were simply on fire with arguably the best headline show of the summer at any festival. This may sound like over-the-top praise, but in addition to their own classic pop and funk, they mixed in the mosh-pit frenzy of Beastie Boys classic ‘Sabotage‘ and finished appropriately with Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark‘.
Saturday began again with another Welsh six-piece, Melin Melyn – with catchy eccentric pop with a country twang. Joined by Dr Sausage onstage with a fake wig, beard and easel, they felt like a fresh new Super Furry Animals.
Later on Saturday, Anna Meredith dazzled the crowd with her self-defacing charm. Her music straddled so many different genres it would be unwise to categorise her, but she is a must-see on any lineup. Finishing with an unbelievable cover of ‘Enter Sandman’ which Metallica would have been proud of, it’s clear why she was even awarded an MBE on the Queen’s honours list in 2019.
Making a rare solo performance, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood followed on the Garden Stage. Introducing a number of classical songs from soundtracks to There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread, and You Were Never Really Here it was a unique concert experience. He’ll be playing a number of cathedrals and concert halls throughout 2022 and the acoustics in such venues will make this an exceptional experience.
Sunday began with a had a hard rock feel with Oldboy and John taking to the Big Top. Ear-splittingly loud, the two-piece (both appropriately called John), highlight how many exciting bands are currently out there, from Slaves, Royal Blood and IDLES.
Later, Porridge Radio took to the same stage, with singer and lead guitarist Dana Margolin rinsing her head under the tap multiple times before taking to the stage due to the sheer heat on the festival site.
Clearly it was a beautiful weekend on the festival site, and the peacocks rummaging around the grounds added to the beauty of the weekend. Simon Amstell’s comedy performance even described the crowd as the ‘forest people’ which was apt due to the magical transformation Larmer Tree gardens took for the weekend.
Heckled by sheep in the field behind, it was hard not to laugh at many of the comedy performances throughout the weekend.
Finishing off the weekend were Black Country New Road, with someone in the crowd shouting ‘you’re the best band in the world’ – not quite yet, but watch this space.
Little Simz followed and arguably the rapper should have been booked as a headliner, such was the power of her performance. Her album is entitled ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert‘, but that personality was not on show today – she was here to party in style and show the world, or at least Dorset, what a star she will be.
After Little Simz, watching Arab Strap showed the contrast of the festival. Aidan Moffat’s very dark but humorous lyrics painted him as a grumpy old Father Christmas, and it was clear many in the crowd didn’t see the comedic elements of the Scottish legends.
With many bands booked throughout the weekend having to cancel either due to Covid or travel restrictions, 2022 at End of the Road cannot come soon enough. With legends and Bowie favourites Pixies expected to headline, the next twelve months can’t pass quick enough so we can all head back to this incredible unique festival.
‘Victorious’ – /vɪkˈtɔːrɪəs/ – adjective – having won a victory; triumphant.
Based on this definition, the name is definitely appropriate to this years festival, returning to the coast at Southsea in style, with an impressive line up and glorious sunshine.
The Lottery Winners kicked off the proceedings and it was good to see they don’t take themselves too seriously. Ferociously catchy songs were the perfect starter to get the crowd warmed up. On a similar note, Terrorvision followed and it was pop-rock all the way, culminating in the crowd singalong ‘Tequila‘.
Criminally, Peter Hook and the Light only had a 40 minute slot, and the legendary bass player shone. Playing Joy Division and New Order classics arguably better than their singer Bernard Sumner two years’ prior in their headline slot in 2019, Hooky certainly had more stage presence, bravado and crowd engagement.
Despite equipment problems, Feeder returned to Victorious with a blistering set. The Kooks followed and it’s amazing to think it has been 15 years since their debut album – their feel good songs still sounded just as fresh. Ending with hit Naive, there was no lack of experience in their set.
Madness clearly have a huge loyal fan base, with the crowd sporting more fez than a Moroccan wedding. The nutty boys came on stage smoking, but played hit after hit to their adoring fans. Questioning how many old Etonians have led the country on ‘Bullingdon Boys’, Suggs brought the politics and it’s good to see they still have a message to make. Finishing with ‘Always Look on the bright side of life‘, the crowd went home happy on Friday night.
At Victorious, organisers cunningly book a special guest early who may be found headlining other festivals to draw the crowd on site early. Saturday kicked off in style with Craig David and TS5 this year – fortunately he was delayed by an hour due to the sheer traffic trying to get on site to see him. For those who haven’t seen his TS5 sets, Craig combines his ability to sing, MC and work the crowd while DJing. Mixing his own songs with the likes of Whitney Houston and TLC, everyone was on their feet dancing, including the security.
Stereo MC’s followed stepping it up, looking like a mix between Steptoe & Son and a long lost Chuckle Brother, while Morcheeba brought class and elegance to Portsmouth. Singer Skye made her own luscious dress and aptly played their hit ‘The Sea‘ next to the coast.
Local legend Frank Turner was up next, lamenting how he had memories of coming to Portsmouth to play and leaving with a stinking hangover. Having a shot of spirits, it was great to see him live in the flesh, so to speak, after he’s done so many zoom charity gigs for local venues closed due to covid lockdown.
Festival crowd pleasers Blossoms took to the main Common Stage while Reef blew down the walls at the Castle Stage with a blistering set.
Rag’n’Bone man truly was a giant on before the headliner. Arguably, based on the size of the crowds, Rory aka Rag should have taken the slot at the top of the bill – his voice was so strong even when belting out his ballads. The crowd repeatedly requested Human and he didn’t disappoint.
Richard Ashcroft was due to headline the Saturday night at the castle stage, but was replaced by welsh legends Manic Street Preachers. Arguably this was an upgrade for the crowd and anyone questioning a simple lateral flow test to gain entry shouldn’t be booked for these events – hopefully Mr Ashcroft’s sound engineers won’t bother earthing his guitar next time he complains about basic safety measures in place.
The Streets played the main stage after Rag’n’Bone donated his champagne to the headliners and clearly the crowd weren’t quite ready for what followed. Mike Skinner was clearly in the mood for a party – encouraging women to show the blokes how to crowd surf in exchange for a bottle of bubbly, he ended up spraying the Moet over everyone. Comically, he pitted the Portsmouth locals against the Southampton visitors, stoking the local south-coast rivalry, and encouraged everyone to jump in the sea after his set…maybe a swim would have been less painful than leaving the full car park after the fireworks.
Sunday began with positive vibes when legendary Annie Mac took the legends guest slot early afternoon. Mixing Balearic beats in the sun was the perfect start to get the day going. Liverpool legends Cast followed with the first classic version of ‘Alright’ of the day with singer John Power in his glasses and long hair increasingly turning into another Liverpudlian, Lennon.
Miles Kane brought an adoring audience to the stage, but like the churros sold nearby, it felt slightly more style over substance with fairly forgettable treats lacking any real memorability. Over on the Castle Stage, sporty Melanie C really got the crowd jumping. As well as her own solo material, she ably made up for her missing Spice Girls, singing 2BecomeOne and Who Do You Think You Are. It’s clear who the one with the talent was, especially when she also covered Touch Me In The Morning…
It was so good to see Supergrass back together on the main stage, with their own version of ‘Alright‘. With so many great songs, it was so much more enjoyable than Gaz Coombes solo performance years prior.
Bringing the show to a close were two strong headliners (well three if you include Clean Bandit’s DJ set on the Seaside Stage.) Two piece Royal Blood, with their unique sound were back strong for their first festival performance since the band’s third album ‘Typhoons’ became their third successive UK Number One. Blasting out bass solos and the occasional drum solo, the band finished with ‘Figure It Out.’
Talking of figuring it out, the only person who could rival Royal Blood was Nile Rodgers on the Castle Stage at the same time. The word legend is often used freely, but it truly applies to this man. As well as classic Chic songs, Nile mixed in his other work, including Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky‘ and Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance‘
After a two year absence, Cornwall saw the Boardmasters festival return in style. Set at the stunning location of Watergate Bay in Newquay, over 50,000 people descended to the coast for a mix of sun, surf and superb music.
On Friday, Foals took the main stage by force with their headline slot. Playing their biggest hits, including Mountain at my Gates, What Went Down, My Number and finishing with singer Yannis Philippakis joining the crowd for a thrilling finale of What Went Down and Two Steps, Twice.
It was refreshing to see so many female artists on the bill at this festival – take note mainstream festivals such as Reading and Leeds with their continuous dirge of male dominated line-ups – there was a wealth of female talent throughout the lineup here. Earlier on Friday, Lianne La Havas delighted the crowd dressed in sunflowers, playing a mix of her soulful tunes, with a cover of Radiohead’s Weird Fishes chucked in the mix for good measure. Elsewhere, Holly Humberstone gave off early Avril Lavigne vibes, while Jade Bird delighted the crowd crossing so many genres with a fine mix of pop, americana and country.
To make the point that women can fill any festival bill, Georgia blew away the Land of the Saints stage single-handedly with her solo drumming and singing combo, while Mahalia filled the tent with her mix of R&B and soul.
As well as music, as the name suggests, the beauty of Boardmasters is its surfing connections. During the day, if musically nothing floats your boat (or board), Fistral Beach is a stone throw (or skim) away. Hosting the UK’s biggest surf competition, the BFGoodrich Longboard-open and Animal-open were exhilarating to watch, with the pro’s catching awe-inspiring air on the waves, and the occasional wipeout for pushing it to the limit.
The sun shown again on Saturday morning. Maisie Peters was a little ray of light encouraging the crowd to shout names of ex’s in anger in cathartic fashion. Fresh from her headline slot at Camp Bestival two weeks’ prior, Becky Hill demonstrated the power of Boardmasters that she could only make it to late-afternoon on this bill. Shamelessly plugging her new album continuously, it was clear many fans would be lapping it up when it is released the following week.
Mercilessly, the crowd surged for Loyle Carner, before Damon Albarn and his Gorillaz made their Cornish debut as headliners on the main stage. Playing hit after hit, with majority of songs coming from their acclaimed Demon Days album, it was incredible to think this is no longer a side project for Damon after over 20 years’ since their debut song, Clint Eastwood.
The Kooks clashed on the Land of Saints stage with their indie pop. With the sun set for the day, dance lovers headed to the stunning The Point overlooking the coast, where Basement Jaxx drew a huge crowd for their DJ set.
On Sunday after dancing ‘til early hours, Sunday’s mix was even more eclectic. Gentleman’s Dub Club began proceedings in style (despite being a headliner at upcoming Mucky Weekender festival). Sharply dressed in a suit and bow tie, the singer opted for no shoes or socks, presumably off for a dip afterwards.
Local Cornish royalty Katy J Pearson drew a loyal audience in the nearby tent. Later, Goat Girl (with appropriately named lead singer Clottie Cream) are surely a future headline act in the making with their grunge guitar band.
Mercury Music Prize nominee Arlo Parks followed. A definite highlight of the weekend with a huge crowd filling the tent. With so many memorable songs, from Hope, Black Dog and Collapsed in Sunbeams, Arlo truly deserves to win – singing ‘We all have scars, I know it’s hard, you’re not alone’, her songs uplift but contain powerful messages for us all.
So, as if Maisie Peters, Becky Hill, Lianne La Havas, Katy J Pearson, and Arlo Parks powerfully lighting up the bill wasn’t enough, Jorja Smith showed that Queen Bee Beyonce better hold on tight to her crown – Jorja is a worthy contender and an incredibly inspired headline booking to close the festival.
Stunningly mesmerising the crowd, it’s truly evident she has been writing songs since she was 11. With so many catchy songs, it was a true festival closing performance, sending everyone home. Be honest, we need more of this elsewhere in summer festivals.
This weekend, in North London’s Trent Park was the scene of what was supposed to be a day of winding back the clock and enjoying some of the world’s finest RnB and HipHop musicians. The lineup read like a who’s who from back in the day; Fat Joe, Blackstreet, Mya, Horace Brown, Bobby V, Eve, Jon B, Tony Touch & Fatman Scoop were all set to perform at Metrofest.
With lockdown rules lifting across the country and various restrictions for international travel still in place, there was always a risk that an international artist may not make it into the country or fall ill and test positive for COVID. This is the risk one takes with organising a festival during these times. Did this have an impact on Metrofest? Read on and find out.
A few days out from the event, Eve cancelled citing ‘unforeseen circumstances’. Cancellations happen, it’s just a part of the industry. Other artists that travelled to London from USA had arrived days earlier and were quarantining in various hotels in London (as far as we know).
Fast forward to Sunday, the weather was holding out, the ground was soft and not too much of a mud fest and the crowd was building after the event opened 90 minutes later than it was supposed to, with very little warning to those already arriving on site at the original 11am opening time.
As I arrived mid afternoon, there was still a fairly sized line of people waiting to get in via the General Admission entrance. As I entered the festival grounds, Horace Brown hit the stage and belted out his big tracks like ‘One for the Money’ & ‘Things we do for Love’. Horace is pretty chill and was great live, his soulful voice played out over the sound system and pulled in a huge crowd. Next up was Mya, whom a good number in the crowd came to see.
We waited patiently for the transition but the minutes turned to hours and there was no sight of Mya, a DJ was playing music on the main stage trying to keep a nervous and anxious crowd entertained. During this time, there was no official message or comms from the organisers that anything was changing.
Jon B was supposed to be on at around 5pm, but that time came and went. Bobby V and Blackstreet were up next but again, there was no sight of these artists on the main stage. Fatman Scoop was supposed to be hosting the main stage for most of the afternoon, but he also was not seen until late into the evening.
You could sense the frustration of the crowd, some who had travelled from various parts of the country, drove hundreds of miles, spent money on trains and accommodation to see their favourite old school artists. With just a DJ on the main stage for a large part of the afternoon, the noise from the restless crowd grew louder.
Eventually Fatman Scoop turned up and hit the stage to bring the crowd back to life as he got the crowd to join in on tracks like ‘Be Faithful’, before Jon B then arrived, almost 3 hours after he was scheduled to perform. Performing a short set full of classics including ‘Are U Still Down’, ‘Someone to Love’ & ‘Dont Talk’, he quickly left the stage before the nights headliner Fat Joe took over.
Walking out to his classic collaboration hit ‘New York’, the crowd piled into the main stage area to see the Brooklyn rapper in his first UK live event. Taking us through his hits from his vast back catalog, he played ‘Whats Luv’, ‘All the Way Up’, ‘Lean Back’ and this years big hit, ‘Sunshine’.
Cut short from what was supposed to be an hour’s performance, Fat Joe left the stage, only then for Bobby V to come out and perform. With a tight cut off time at 9pm, the Atlanta singer performed for less than 10 minutes before the sound cut his performance off and the crowds were informed to leave.
Meanwhile, as Fat Joe was performing, Blackstreet released a video on their Facebook page apologising to fans for not performing at Metrofest due to a number of organisational issues. You can see their video here:
After the event, social media was brimming with unhappy festival goers who felt cheated and wanted their refunds back due to a number of high profile artist no shows and their inability to cash out the remaining money from their wristbands. The cash out system started working after a day of technical glitches & three days after the event finished, Metrofest posted on their Instagram the following statement:
As a reviewer, I must be transparent and fair and my honest view of Metrofest is summarised here:
It’s important to remember, logistically running a festival in these unprecedented times is extremely difficult and risky and it has reflected as such at Metrofest.
There was a great crowd in attendance!
The main stage lineup promised so much yet failed to deliver with a number of no shows.
The transparency and comms from the organisers needed to be much better, especially as the afternoon went on and immediately after the event.
As a member of the press, the press area wasn’t fit for purpose, one portaloo for some 50+ people which by 3pm was not a pretty sight.
Exiting the festival was problematic if you were in the VIP area. You needed to exit through the general admission exit, but it meant heading out into the main stage crowd which was pushed up against the VIP entrance. It was dangerous with people being pushed up and squashed against the temporary fencing. I feared someone would get seriously hurt and eventually security opened another exit.
As a member of the press, I was issued a press pass, only to have it confiscated off me mid-festival due to too many people backstage. This was extremely embarrassing for me and uncalled for.
The above issue stems from either a lack of security and people without the correct passes being allowed backstage. Two security guards mentioned to me they were understaffed at the event.
Do I hope that Metrofest will return again next year, absolutely. The idea of an old school RnB music festival has a wide appeal, but there are some fundamental things that need to be sorted before the organisers gain the trust back in those that attended!
