Global Gathering 2011 Review

We arrived at the Global Gathering at around 5pm and to my surprise a good crowd was already building in the grounds of Long Marsden Airfied. It is overcast above and there is no sight of the sun, it is warm and the ground is dry and that is all that matters! Walking into the grounds, past the tight security complete with police dogs, I immeditately noticed that the arena’s were now more spread out than in previous years. One thing that will never change is the great array of people that come out to Global each year. The costumes are out again in force this year, we run into some bananas, a large group of tigers, chickens and more!

Heading over to the main stage, we are just in time to see the infamous Jaguar Skills who always performs behind a ninja mask. Little is known about the man behind the mask, but this doesnt take away the fact that Jaguar can rock a crowd with his skills on the decks.

One of my favourite area’s at Global is the outdoor Toolroom Knights arena, there is always a great crowd here and Friday’s lineup was immense. Rocking the decks was Micheal Woods, coming straight off his success with Example’s ‘Changed The Way She Kissed Me’, he had the entire crowd jumping with hands in the air. As we look over from the front of the stage, all we see is a crowd full of smiles, they have a massive weekend of great music ahead and this is the perfect way to start. Special guest Benny Benassi kept the crowd going with his uplifting house set before making way for Toolroom Knights head honcho Mark Knight.

Global Gathering

With Above and Beyond having their ‘Group Therapy’ tent at Global this year, we were expecting nothing but uplifting trance and it was supplied by some of the heavy hitters in the scene, Super8 & Tab, Gabriel and Dresden, Gareth Emery, Sander van Doorn and of course Above and Beyond all graced the decks in this tent. Above and Beyond showcased their Group Therapy show with a spectacular music, video and lighting production and played a blinding set to a full house.

Underworld still promenintely play the festival circuit each year and we catch the trio, Karl Hyde, Rick Smith and Darren Price in the Global tent. With Karl on vocals and Rick and Darren on mixing, the trio certainly know how to whip a crowd into shape. Eric Prydz brough his EP/IC show to the Global tent this year and really only one word can describe it ‘Epic’. With a massive LED wall which curves around the stage and displaying amazing visuals, the show is on another level of production I have never seen before. As a massive fan, I knew that Eric would deliver a brilliant uplifting house and electo set, and that’s exactly what he did!

The main stage at Global is set totally seperate from the rest of the arenas giving plently of space to enjoy the headliners that hit the stage over the weekend. With Professor Green cancelling due to health reasons, and Steve Angello and Pendulum to perform, this was defintely the place to be. As night begins to fall, Steve Angello takes to the stage to huge applause. The crowd are massive Swedish House Mafia fans and Steve takes to the mic, ‘Are you guys having a good time, my names Steve Angello from the Swedish House Mafia, are you guys ready!’ As the bass drops and the pryotechnics blast out from the front of the stage, the crowd is jumping, and Steve drops banging track after banging track, including the massive ‘Save the World Tonight’, ‘Miami to Ibiza’, and ‘One (Your Name)’

Pendulum headline Friday night at Global Gathering and they have a huge stage rig complete with huge LED screens and a pryotechnics setup. Pendulum have featured on the lineup’s of festivals all around the world this year and they have the Global main stage crowd well and truely in the palm of their hands. With the energetic front man Ben Mount on the mic, their set are so full of energy you could actually power half the site with it! Hits like ‘The Island’ and ‘Salt In The Wounds’ have the crowd going insane and you can feel the crowd’s excitment as they plow through hits from their latest album Immersion, and the rest of their back catalouge.

Global Gathering

Although the sun did not come out to play, Global Gathering delivered yet another fine lineup and the crowd was on hand to enjoy every single moment of it.

Catch our interview with Above and Beyond before they took to the stage at Global Gathering 2011.

Click here to see our photos for Global Gathering

Sziget Festival announces more acts

The CEE focus has 3 main attractions on this year’s Sziget: the well known Roma Tent, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and new venues like the Europe Stage and the Central Eastern European Travelling Funfair.
 
Lineup
Pop-Rock Main Stage
 
la rouxAlready announced names for the Pop-Rock Main Stage include Pulp, Kasabian, The Chemical Brothers, Amy Winehouse, Dizzee Rascal, Interpol, Rise Against, Good Charlotte, Smash Mouth, Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Maccabees and so much more. The newest list of confirmations is also a strong selection. It will surely please fans of quality guitar music, as they get to see Great Britain’s trendiest indie band White Lies. Other new additions to the line-up include La Roux – nominated for nearly all prestigious awards – and Manic Street Preachers presenting their 2010 album – Postcards From A Young Man –  and hopefully giving us a taste of their new LP, scheduled for this November. Few people would think that members of a hardcore punk band also have modest and sensitive sides, but that’s exactly the case with Mariachi El Bronx, formed from the members of the uncompromising Californian punk band The Bronx. New-Zealand’s exciting musical export item, Batucada Sound Machine will be here as well, while fans can also meet up with one of the most important aspirants of the future soul-generation, Ben l’Onlce Soul.
 
World Music Main Stage
 
Some of the names already announced for the World Music Main Stage are AfroCubism, Gotan Project, Goran Bregovic Wedding And Funeral Band, Ojos de Brujo and Rotfront. Besides them, Oi Va Voi is also happy to return to Sziget, while psychedelic rock-country-blues band Cowboy Junkies will play in Hungary for the first time. The line-up will include Sly & Robbie feat. Jr. Reid and Slovenian Magnifico and Shtetl Superstars – only gaining popularity this year, but strong contenders to become one of the big shots of the decade. LaBrassBanda appeared three years ago in Munich and the leather-pants combo immediately made the Bavarian beer festival atmosphere their trademark. Ska Cubano is already considered to be a frequent player of prestigious world music festivals, so it is almost needless to say that they must visit Sziget, too. And we shouldn’t forget about world class Hungarian acts: Csík Zenekar, Lajkó Félix and Muzsikás will once again present their unique shows in front of a passionate world music fanbase.
 
Rock-Metal Main Stage
 
lost prophetsA great new open-air venue is ready to welcome fans of harder genres. Rock-Metal Main Stage will be, among many others, a home to legends like Judas Priest and Motörhead, but also Within Temptation, Deftones, Lostprophets and Sonata Arctica will make those heads bang in the moshpit. More to come soon.
 
 
 
A38-Wan2 Stage
 
It has already been announced that Christal Castle, Peter Bjorn and John, Marina and the Diamonds and Hurts will play at A38-Wan2 Stage. Among the new names a strong British presence is evident: Bomb The Bass, Kode9, Digital Mystikz and Gaslamp Killer will give their best for Sziget fans. Suicidal Tendencies and Xiu Xiu will be representatives of the United States and there are also three Dutch artists in the line-up: De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, DeWolff and Kees van Hondt. Besides them A38-Wan2 Stage will be happy to host Mitch & Mitch (PL), Selah Sue (B), Terry Poison (ISR) and Buraka Som Systema Live (P), too.
 
Party Arena
 
above & beyondSome of the names performing at Party Arena have already been announced: The Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 and Kid Cudi will definitely come to do a set. New additions include Trentemoller and Zombie Nation and finally there are also news on the late evening acts. 2manydjs led by the Dawaele brothers is planning to give all fans a spectacular and crazy night at Party Arena. The coolest trance-collective of Great Britain, Above & Beyond will not only focus on their classic tracks, but will also make you dance like crazy with their new album Group Therapy, to be released in June. The most popular and versatile techno-musician of Spain, Cristian Varela will be here and the oustanding dj, producer and remixer Dubfire will also arrive to this year’s Sziget in the company of Carlo Lio. Another guest of the Party Arena will be Richie Hawtin, one of the most outstanding features of the minimal techno scene, living in Berlin for a long time. And Technasia will play again for party faces open for a special and exotic techno experience.
 
Europe Stage
 
Europe Stage is fresh and open-air, a venue where bands from several European countries present their skills. These bands are all extremely popular in their home countries, but still waiting for an international breakthrough. Now they have the chance to prove in front of an enthusiastic Sziget crowd. The already confirmed Europe Stage line-up includes Go Back To The Zoo from Holland, Triggerfinger and Wallace Vanborn from Belgium, Verdena from Italy, Söhne Mannheims from Germany, Ismo Alanko & Teho from Finland, For a Minor Reflection from Iceland, Elvis Jackson from Slovenia, Puding Pani Elvisovej from Slovakia, Skyline from the Czech Republic, Gravity Co. from Bulgaria, Francis International Airport from Austria, and The Mono Jacks from Romania.
 
Ticket information
 
Sziget Festival early bird weekly tickets (including camping) are available for 170 Euros till 30 April and if you are not the camper type, you can buy a non-camping weekly for 140 Euros. The prices will go up 30 Euros each after the early bird period is over, so it does make sense to think ahead. Daily tickets will be available from May for 45 Euros.
 

Beware of ticket fraud! In the past few weeks, dozens of fake tickets have appeared on the festival market. Serial numbers of counterfeit tickets have been banned, so these are invalid. Sziget Festival puts great efforts into the extension of its official ticketing network, so check the list of our distribution partners on our website and be sure you only deal with them.