Best Kept Secret, the food and music lovers dream festival that takes place in Hilvarenbeek each year has finally released their full Line Up, with Daphni, PalbomenII and Joost van Bellen making their appearance on dj stage FOUR.
These are additions to an already overwhelming Line Up. Headliners Beck, Editors and Jamie XX will be joined by an array of different genres of artists, hailing from all continents. Two Door Cinema Club, Wilco, Mount Kimbe, Beach Slang, Yeasayer, Band Of Horses, Bloc Party, Fat White Family and many more will be taking the five stages at Beekse Bergen Safari Park over the weekender. We can't wait to see what the fourth installment of the festival has to offer, see you in June!
To read the review of last year's festival, click here.
FOLD Festival are thrilled to announce that multi-platinum, global superstar Beck, pop phenomenon Labrinth and fast rising, electronic / soul sensation Anne Marie are joining the bill for the inaugural London festival. Curated by NileRodgers, FOLD takes place at the historic Fulham Palace on the banks of the River Thames.
One of the most creative and influential artists of a generation, Beck’s eclectic fusion of rock, indie, folk and soul has cemented his position as one of the planets most revered artists. Winning ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Best Rock Album’ at the 57th Grammy Awards, Beck is peerless in his style, energy, and pure showmanship. His performance at FOLD is a rare chance to catch this genius at work performing a career spanning set.
Acclaimed British producer and singer Labrinth will bring his huge catalogue of credible pop hits to FOLD. Expect anthems such as ‘Pass Out’, ‘Earthquake’ and ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’ alongside tracks from his upcoming album, ‘Take Me To The Truth’, co-written with Ed Sheeran. As a seriously electrifying live performer Labrinth will light up the stage at this iconic London landmark.
The recent award winner of MTV's Brand New for 2016 and frequent Rudimental collaborator, Anne Marie will showcase her fresh brand of soulful pop. She joins previously announced acts including one of the greatest UK vocalists of all time, Alison Moyet, modern soul man John Newman, soul diva Angie Stone, The Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, rising Australian singer Grace, Acid Jazz heroes Incognito and Russian superstar Emin.
Jesse Rose was raised on Motown soul, jazz and eighties funk in London and his particular blend of Chicago house and early Detroit techno has ensured he regularly plays Europe’s most respected clubs including Fabric, Basics, WMF and Panorama Bar. Lebanese-Nigerian producerNicole Moudaber, once described by Carl Cox as “the most underrated DJ”, will be bringing her unique blend of dance classics to the decks on the Saturday. Delving into the treasure chest of 80s electronica and body-jacking pulsations, Irish supremo Krystal Klear is set to soundtrack the Sunday night celebrations with an unrivalled journey celebrating the past whilst embracing the present.
FOLD Festival is a unique event that will feature Rodgers and his multi-platinum band CHIC sharing the stage with music legends and contemporary trailblazers who have personally been invited by Nile to perform. Nile’s musical career has spanned 4 decades in which he has constantly traversing new musical terrain and successfully expanding the boundaries of popular music and his contact book reads like a who’s who of the most important musical innovators to the last 4 decades. Expect more artists and many surprises across the weekend.
“Listen to your mother, kids. Aim low. Aim so low no one will even care if you succeed.” Marge Simpson was just down on her pretzels, but I was more or less headed to Helsinki expecting nothing and open to the very real possibility of having an above-average weekend.
As good an excuse as any to visit a summery Lapland, Flow Festival boasts a smattering of the hottest international acts performing at a disused power station dipping toes in the Baltic Sea. CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers is a highlight. The denizens of disco have mastered the art of the organised hand clap; it’s good, clean fun for legitimately old-school hits ‘Everybody Dance’ & 'I want your love'. Nile intros Daft Punk track ‘Get Lucky’ with a few words about his own cancer, explaining how he threw himself into making more new music because “If I die, I wanna die living!” Cue bass. This reviewer finds herself ushered on stage with a clutch of other revellers to finish the set grooving to ‘Good Times’. It’s a gimmick the band is known for but hey, for fifteen seconds of fame I play along.
There’s a no-drinks policy at the front of the main stage & it’s a winning strategy to eliminate a heap of tension. Still, the dancing is thirsty work & the Bulleit cocktail bar has its work cut out come nightfall. We quickly decide this is the best drink option going but at €12 a pop, it’s a one-time treat. Happy Joe's is Helsinki’s cider of choice, in abundance at Flow. Add cans of Lapin Kulta beer & the very retro Hartwall Original Long Drink & you’ve got yourselves a proper Scandi party.
Flow puts on a mean spread – when stomachs rumble, it’s real corn soft tacos, bright beef phở & Pok Pok Farang, crispy palm sugar caramel pork on limey green mango salad. It’s so good we go back for seconds. There’s more veggie & vegan options than meats, too. Did I mention you’ll be broke after this weekend? Major Lazer shuts down the Friday main stage sampling Yeah Yeah Yeahs along with everything else. It’s flippant & exciting, though I’m put off when the ladies in the crowd are counselled to take their shirts off & throw them in the air. New single ‘Powerful’ is just that; everyone leaves on a high.
Saturday brings even bigger, brighter skies. Anyone doing this city festival thing right is busy picnicking, lazing at the beach or otherwise celebrating Helsinki’s historic sights & the fact it’s again cracked 20 degrees. Belle + Sebastian give new track ‘Perfect Couples’ a run, joking over a false start: "It's because we're near the magnetic pole." I’m convinced most of Flow is Finnish, young & attractive. "Is anybody old enough to remember that one?" Singer Stuart Murdoch has also noticed the teens.
O Samuli A is making the titular ‘other sound’ over on that stage & it's impossible to get within 70 foot of Reino Nordin lighting up the fantastical Bright Balloon. Marsen Jules sounds a little churchy, dark too. Like, literally. I'm not wholly sure there's even anyone on the decks.
I'll jinx it now, but everyone at Flow is out for a good time. People are calm, casual. Years & Years pack out the Blue Tent. I’m not expecting Olly Alexander’s dungaree & Harley Davidson tee combo, or his cover of Blu Cantrell’s ‘Breathe’, but the whole vibe is perfectly chill & the set is one of Flow’s best. Catchy ‘King’ comes last, Alexander dancing as he sings with a rainbow flag borrowed from the crowd.
I’m star struck by Baltimore’s Future Islands, or really lead singer Samuel T. Herring. His vocals are reminisce of Pantera at moments but interpret that as feeling & any apprehension melts away. There’s a glittery drum kit & all the guys are in patterned shirts. Herring booty-shakes like Beyoncé, beats his chest like Tarzan & sweats like, well, like a man. In front of a slower song Herring explains, "We're not s'posed to do this at a festival but we don't give a fuck." You can imagine the cheers. When finally ‘Seasons’ plays to hard applause, his roar is returned. He skips across the stage, invisible bowling ball in hand. "Thank you so much Flow, you guys are fuckin' beautiful.” We must be.
We’re in denial about Sunday. Unlike camping festivals where you're itching for a shower, actual sleep & a decent pour of coffee to head the day, it's hard to tire of sleeping late, brunching out & a spot of vintage shopping or water sports before rolling along to spot some of the world's best musical talent. We've hit peak Helsinki when Todd Terje & The Olsens grace the Black Tent with their easy 70s spy-theme dulcets. There are shirts off everywhere for their efforts, people dancing hard in the evening heat. Delorean Dynamite is unmissable, then it's like their just jamming along with a wailing sax & big samba sounds.
The most impressive kind of mass-clap is one that starts itself, uninitiated by the band; a pure & unadulterated response of sound to sound. These guys get it, a second time when the crowd tries for an encore after Inspector Norse & a final bow. Beck draws one of Flow’s biggest crowds. "Somebody threw a banana peel on stage!" Indeed. I’m not a fan but it’s hard to fault the classics and ‘Where It's At’ is one of the 90s’ better earworms. Florence + the Machine’s namesake is a fan, a vision in white peasant blouse & heavy cream flares. She’s barefoot too, throwing loose locks here and there while beating her drum (tambourine) in Ship to Wreck. She twirls everywhere & I'm sure she's going to fall, but her balance is the greater force & somehow she avoids disaster.
I haven't seen Florence since 2010 after she missed Benicàssim with vocal strain. She gives it absolutely everything at all times. For ‘Raise It Up’ she shouts, "Put your girlfriend on your shoulders, put your boyfriend on your shoulders. We want everybody to get as high as they can!" ‘Shake It Out’ gives me goosebumps & I have them again when Alt-J close the weekend. Marmite of the music world, I never got the appeal before seeing these guys live. There’s huge love for the boys from Leeds, even if nobody understands what they’re singing.
Blissing out to the country/rock/folk/blues/jazz/grime/electro weirdness of it all, it’s clear people are enjoying in very different ways. There's a real range of reactions but everyone joins to applaud what is undeniably interesting music made with heart. The Finns aren't too cool to care about their hearing either. We saw earplugs on sale from day one & should really have sprung for a couple.
Flow is undoubtedly the blondest, tallest, tastiest festival yet in a seriously fun setting. Start saving now for the next one.
THE STROKES, one of indie rock’s defining and most influential bands are the fifth headliner announced for Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park2015.
Since their 2001 debut, THE STROKES have been a musical inspiration for the UK’s best and brightest. They have been cited as triggering a sea change of mainstream culture. It is a testament to their influence that the likes of the Arctic Monkeys, Adele, The Killers and many others have covered their work.
THE STROKES will be playing their first London show in five years on the Great Oak Stage in London’s beautiful Hyde Park on Thursday 18th June
They have sold over 5 million albums. The Strokes’ debut album, Is This It, met wide critical acclaim, and was ranked #5 on NME's 500 greatest albums of all time, #8 on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time, and #2 on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the 2000s.
Very special guest is the Grammy Award winningBECK. Since his worldwide smash ‘Loser’ in 1994, Beck has gone on to release 12 albums and is now considered to be one of the greatest modern songwriters of his generation. In addition to recording his solo work, Beck is also producer and collaborator to a wealth of artists as diverse as his songwriting, including: Childish Gambino, Sia, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Bat For Lashes. Last year saw him release his latest album ‘Morning Phase’, to widespread critical acclaim, and was crowned Album of the Year and Rock Album of the Year at this year’s Grammy Awards.
Joining The Strokes and Beck are FUTURE ISLANDS. With their stand out track ‘Seasons (Waiting On You)’ topping NME, Pitchfork, Spin, Consequence Of Sound and Guardian’s ‘Track Of 2014’ list, they make a triumphant return to the main stage, following their spellbinding performance at last year’s Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park.
The full supporting line up also includes: Temples, Public Service Broadcasting, The Wytches, Hinds, Gengahr, Yak and Kieran Leonard.
Other headliners already announced for Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park are Blur on June 20th, Kylie Minogue joined by Grace Jones and Chic feat Nile Rodgers on June 21st, The Who, with Paul Weller, Kaiser Chiefs and Johnny Marr on June 26thand Taylor Swift, joined by Ellie Goulding and John Newman on June 27th.
Wales premier boutique music and arts festival, Festival No 6 reveals its headliners for 2014 which include Beck and London Grammar.
Festival No 6 also announced Martha & the Vandellas, Bonobo, Neneh Cherry, Jimi Goodwin, Temples, Steve Mason, James Holden, John Wizards, Cherry Ghost, Los Campesinos!, Radiophonic Workshop, The Rails, All We Are, Arthur Beatrice, Childhood, The Brythoniaid Welsh Male Voice Choir, East India Youth, Alexis Taylor, The Rails and Telegram.
Headlining the electronic side of things is house maestro Julio Bashmore who will join the the newely confirmed Andrew Weatherall, Danny Krivit, Michael Mayer, Justin Robertson, Ewan Pearson, Prosumer, Ashley Beedle, Unabombers, Low Life, Aficionado, Joe Boyd and the wonderful Awesome Tapes From Africa.
Hot off the back of releasing his highly anticipated twelfth studio album ‘Morning Phase’, Beck will headline Festival No.6 on Saturday night. The album has received rave reviews across the board, with The Times giving it five stars and declaring it “A work of art" and Q magazine declaring “Beck has properly re-acquired his mojo”. Festival No.6 are delighted to host him to play one of just two festival performances across the season.
The past year has been nothing short of monumental for home grown success story London Grammar. Since the trio performed at last year’s No.6 and filled the main stage tent, the band have released a lauded Platinum selling album, been nominated for a BRIT and sold out gigs from Brixton to Brooklyn.
London Grammar says:
“It’s a real honour to play Festival No.6 again. Portmeirion is a beautiful and somewhat surreal location. We can't wait to perform there again!”
Commenting on their headline set Foals said: “We couldn't be more excited & honoured to be part of Bestival this year; it's the perfect end to our touring for Holy Fire. We promise a night of madness, mayhem & good times!”
Topping the bill on Thursday 4th September is the exalted Beck! With Morning Phase, his first album in six years, just about to drop and another one rumoured to be already done and dusted, Beck has a wealth of fantastic new material, as well as a treasure trove of favourites spanning R&B, hip-hop and folk at his command but no matter what he unleashes on us, you know it’s going to be a perfect start to our Desert Island Disco. A mercurial talent with an uncanny knack of pulling at the heartstrings, Beck is guaranteed to get Bestival 2014 off to a flyer!
Dynamic sibling duo, Disclosure, have gone about this conquering the world malarkey in breathtakingly swift fashion and their return to Bestival is a reflection of their meteoric rise. Playing our Main Stage on Friday night before OutKast, the brothers will, no doubt, take the crowd to fever pitch and beyond with their already overflowing armouring of big hitters and dancefloor detonators, lifted from their number one album, Settle. One of the biggest attractions aboard HMS Bestival last year, you can bet that Disclosure are going to get our Desert Island Disco bouncing. Don’t miss them.
Also guaranteed to send the Main Stage crowd into total frenzy, but this time on Sunday evening, will be the incomparable Major Lazer! Playing before our as yet to be revealed Sunday night headliner, Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire will be bringing the big cannons, firing off lashings of dutty dancehall and bountiful booty shaking bass. With their Apocalypse Soon EP due to drop later this month, you can expect plenty of super fresh and upfront behaviour to get you Pon De Floor from one of dance music’s most adventurous live acts.
We’re not stopping there though; this Desert Island Disco is just getting started! Joining in the throng of cool castaways will be the perfectly transfixing London Grammar, whose life-affirming brilliance really needs to be seen by absolutely everyone; Cumbrian four-piece Wild Beasts, whose imminent fourth album is already getting those in the know very hot under the collar; BBC Sound of 2014 winner Sam Smith, who will be returning to Bestival following a sensational set aboard HMS Bestival last year; genre-dodging sonic adventurers Caribou, whose main man Dan Snaith is in the form of his life; chart toppers Clean Bandit, whose electro-classical fusion is making them one of the most talked about bands around; synthpop trio Chvrches, whose beguiling pop hooks will captivate all our island’s tribes and delectable chanteuse Laura Mvula, whose psychedelic tinged soul has already made her one of the UK’s brightest new stars.
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