Starting the year off with a few warm-up gigs to get into the festival spirit, SFG took a trip to Nottingham for the Enter Shikari tour last month. The show was incredible (read our review here) but today we’re focusing on something a little different.
It would be an understatement to say that social media has changed the way we interact with artists and their music; the immersive experience of multi-angled viewpoints, re-living events through the eyes (phones) of thousands of others and even from the band themselves. Enter Shikari for example frequently share backstage snippets of them walking onstage or hanging out in the city that they’re playing in.
The hundred-degree view we’re able to access now as fans, is so normalised that it’s probably quite hard to do something unexpected and new. So you can imagine my delight when I spotted during this gig, that the fun was being captured by drone cameras, racing around above our heads. As I crept up into the bleachers to take some still photos, I noticed drone pilot JR in his VR headset, working hard to avoid crowd surfers and flying shoes with his speedy little drone zooming around the arena.
After the show I had the pleasure of catching up with the Dirty Dishes Productions crew, to get a little insight into what they do, and post-event – JR has kindly answered some questions for us, below.
Tell me about yourself and your company, what do you do?
I’m JR, an FPV Drone Pilot and founder of Dirty Dishes Productions. We’re an aerial production company that believes in defying boundaries, whether it’s capturing footage indoors over crowds, zipping through tight spaces, or even filming underwater – all within the commercial drone world’s rules, of course. From film and TV to sports, live events, and groundbreaking live concerts like Enter Shikari in Nottingham, we aim to put a drone anywhere it can capture the unseen.
How do the drones work/what is it like to pilot them?
Our specialty lies in racing drones equipped with a 4K camera for capturing footage and an FPV camera that feeds directly into my goggles. This setup, resembling a VR headset, immerses me into the drone’s perspective for piloting. It’s a thrilling experience, similar to being in the cockpit, requiring acute awareness and precision, especially since we always operate within sight and in compliance with a drone spotter for safety and legality.
We met while you were covering the Enter Shikari gig in Nottingham, what was your favourite filming moment there?
Nottingham was a landmark event for us, marking the first time drones flew inside the arena for a concert. My favorite moment was the sense of accomplishment post-show, having successfully captured every element of the production, from the lasers and lighting to the pyrotechnics and confetti, in ways never seen before.
Were there any difficult moments to film?
Navigating through confetti showers presented a unique challenge, risking blocked vision and potential collisions. We meticulously assess air quality before flights, especially when lasers are involved, to safeguard against damaging the drone’s cameras.
Do you have any plans for future live music events?
Our experiences with UK Afrobeats band NSG touring with them across venues across Europe, Mike Skinner at Ally Pally and Enter Shikari at Nottingham and Wembley have set a new benchmark for what’s possible in live event filming. The exhilaration of performing live, especially with the innovative step of broadcasting directly from my goggles to the big screens at Wembley, keeps us hungry for more. We’re eager to extend our pioneering FPV drone services to more music tours, continually seeking to elevate the live event experience.
Do you have a bucket-list/wish-list event you’d like to cover?
The dream is to cover the full spectrum of musical genres, adapting our flight style to the unique atmosphere of each concert, from high-energy rock and roll to the serene tones of a Celine Dion performance. Every artist and show offers a new canvas for our creativity.
Where can we see your work?
Our adventures and achievements are documented across all major social platforms, from Instagram and TikTok to LinkedIn, under @JR_DDP and @dirtydishes.tv. We’re passionate about sharing our journey and continuing to push the limits of FPV filming. My YouTube channel @JR DDP also has longer behind the scenes / vlogs showing how we do these operations.
I’m looking forward to potentially featuring in the Summer Festival Guide and sharing our story far and wide! I’ve also attached a video of the big screens at Wembley for you where people could watch the action live.
Having since seen some of the footage shared on Enter Shikari’s own social media, there is such an intimate and interesting quality to the type of footage that drone cameras can capture – something that seems to have been previously reserved for other types of events, for example sports.
Though there are clearly huge challenges with filming music events, as JR points out above, being able to delve into what I see as the personality of gigs – showing the crowd as individuals not just as an undulating swarm, is a move in the direction of the contemporary connection we experience in social media.
Yes we’ve always had flat-on filming of shows, dollies and on-stage cameras to get up close and personal with bands, but the un-intrusive drone footage brings a new element of ‘looking-behind-the-curtain’ that I am absolutely fascinated by. Not having an extra person running around the stage to get the shots also means that the stage show itself remains unblemished, something that seems really important in the type of cinematic show that Enter Shikari put on. I suppose though, the main thing I enjoy about Dirty Dishes’ work at this event is that watching it back – I am transported there immediately, to how it actually felt to be at that gig.
All of us photographers, videographers, writers, artists, musicians alike – we are all just trying to find new ways to capture moments in time, and I think the new horizon of drone videography in music is going to be really interesting to watch.
2024 is emo resurrection year, you can’t convince me otherwise. With a sold out BMTH tour last month, the sneaky reappearance of the skinny jean, and the Download festival line-up stacked with pop-punk, you can sign me up for a summer of giant fringes and sideways stud belts thanks. Tonight we are in Nottingham at the Motorpoint arena to delve further into the early noughties nostalgia with the iconic Enter Shikari.
Up first on the bill is firecracker Noahfinnce, blasting some garage-band style punk rock into our earholes and yelling “Rishi Sunak can suck my sweaty balls” to the unanimous approval of the crowd… obviously. It’s an infectiously fun set, the hooks are catchy enough to sing along and I’m always going to love an anti-tory rhetoric to be honest.
Laughing, Noah claims “Ok now I’m gonna be the big sweary transgender the Conservatives think I am” before ripping into his ‘Impression of Green Day’. Closing with ‘Life’s A Bit’ is proper punk rock simplicity. The lack of over-production brings me back to teenage gig trips to the local dive, and by the end I’m singing along “moral of the story, I’m a bit of a dickhead”, so I hope to see Noah on some future festival stages.
Up next, Cali rock/politipunk band Fever 333 come no holds barred, with opener “Burn It” ringing in our ears from the off. Despite this being the newest iteration of the band after an all-change in members except for lead singer Jason Aalon Butler last year, they sound crispy clean and like they have come to war.
Guitarist Brandon Davis and bassist April Kae are a force to be reckoned with, heavy riffs and oh so much bouncing around. Drummer Thomas Pridgen’s beats are hard hitting and provide Butler the perfect backdrop to his insatiable need to move, and jump. Lyrics depicting inequality, capitalism and anti-fascism are screamed across an arena of nodding heads, and there’s something really comforting about the fact that there are still bands out there doing this.
Activism and music have always gone hand in hand, but Fever 333 are out there unabashedly pushing forward with a flavour reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine and Napalm Death. Above all else, they are undeniably entertaining – how can you not jump around when every member of the band is going absolutely beserk?
Under their Black Panther backdrop, yelling “Free Palestine”, they perform in white boiler-suits covered in black patches, which I now dub ‘Battle-Scrubs’ with the number 333 appearing repeatedly. 333 represents the band’s three core principles of Community, Charity and Change – immediately apparent in their commentary on misogyny in the music world, as Butler calls out “I want to make one thing clear, women should feel safe, respected and honoured in this venue tonight” before dedicating ‘One of Us’ to their “Queen”April.
For my choice ‘$wing’ goes so hard the entire crowd was bouncing, and if you’re a Ferris Beuller fan the lyrics are incredibly accessible, it’s going straight on my playlists. ‘Ready Rock’ sees Butler leap into the crowd only to be lifted by the feet above the throng of grasping hands. The mic is fed by a line of techs across the sea of bodies so he can complete the song before spin-jumping into the fray. Miraculously he makes it back to the stage to apologise for stepping on someone’s bonce “I’m sorry, if you go to the merch stand and prove a nine and a half converse stepped on your head, you can get an item for free” he jokes, before thanking everyone for making them feel welcome and shouting out “POC Punks, WE SEE YOU!”. I think I’ve found my new binge listening band in Fever 333, this is action music.
As the lights dim once more, there is a palpable electric energy of anticipation in the room. For many attending tonight, this is a long-lived relationship with a band that has spanned 2 decades of the UK rock scene, and I notice a fair number of kids along for the ride with their thirty-something parents as well. Taking to the stage, lit by a single spotlight, lead vocalist Rou Reynolds begins his spoken word soliloquy of ‘System’ like a professor at a lectern, before the lights come up and Enter Shikari absolutely rip into the electronic power of ‘Meltdown’ under screens of scrolling matrix-style code.
There’s something to be said about the sheer performance factor of this band, being able to smoothly direct the flow and energy of the crowd in this way is actually not too common a talent, but they are masters of it. Seamlessly blending techno, dub and trance into metal and punk rock is not the easiest task either, but it gives Shikari an undeniably unique sound that has a cross-genre appeal that I am absolutely enamoured by. With their politically charged lyrics and open defiance of the status quo, it isn’t hard to see why they chose their touring partners in Fever 333 and Noahfinnce – it’s one of the best curated line-ups I’ve seen in a while.
Screaming “Shall we test out this sound system?” Rou bounces enthusiastically into ‘Anaesthetist’. After a little jazz trumpet interlude, Rou gushes “You know what, I am so fucking grateful to be alive on this stage… I wanna dance with you” before pillar beam lights from the front of the stage pierce the darkness to represent prison bars for ‘Jailbreak’. This time the entire crowd is undulating like the sea and hordes of crowd-surfers take the opportunity to glide over the barrier into the waiting arms of the twenty-strong security team.
Rou then scales a ladder alongside one of the two light towers flanking the stage, only to perch on the edge of it, in the beam of a soft spotlight. Like something out of a movie he reaches his hand into the tower and it is displayed on the screen as a dip into a body of water. Yeah, at this point we kinda know what’s coming as he turns his back towards the ‘water’ but it doesn’t make it any less fun, the circus of him tumbling backwards into the tower and showing up swimming on the screen ignites all those little fires of childhood magic awe.
After his stunt he reappears eating a banana, and the band take a mini break to discuss the useful nutritional properties of said banana, before the hard hitting dubstep intro ‘Sssnakepit’. Laughing “Fucking hell I love this venue! I love Rock City don’t get me wrong, but this is so good” Rou comments on the circle pits which have been swirling all night. As if to up the ante yet again, the band are joined by Jason from Fever 333 for ‘Losing My Grip’ and they both run riot along the gangway slopes to drummer Rob Rolfe.
Returning atop the other stage tower, Rou sits for a couple of chilled solo songs with his guitar ‘The Pressure’s On’ and ‘Juggernauts’ before heading into the second part of the show, held on a mini platform in the middle of the arena. It’s the kind of production I expect of giant bands at festivals not arena tours, but I absolutely love that they’re as focused on the atmosphere and feel of the show as they are the music.
While the band run through ‘Gap In The Fence’ Rou takes to the crowd seating area for ‘The Sights’ where he makes his very best attempt to make it around the stands. “They told me I couldn’t get round the venue in one song and they were right” he laughs as he makes it to the three quarter mark, but still makes sure to fist bump everyone he can reach on his way back round to the stage.
‘It Hurts’ into ‘The Dreamers Hotel’ is joyfully bright, another side of Shikari’s multi-faceted musical personality, along with a side of heavy confetti across the crowd, delaying the progress of the little video drones we’ve seen all around the arena tonight from Dirty Dishes Productions – I can’t wait to see that footage though.
For the real encore ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner’ sees Rou being held back by the pants at the crowds edge, and bassist Chris Batten straight up launching himself into the crowd on his back, still playing. “Christ on a Caribbean cruise” Rou breathlessly says when they make it back out, but he obviously has more to give as he goes hardstyle dancing his way into ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’ to finish up.
Leaving us with “Thank you so fucking much for having us, we’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time” and thanking the security in the pit for keeping everyone safe tonight, is another testament to the ethos and values of Enter Shikari that are alive and present in their music. The sheer number of crowd-surfers over the barrier tonight tells you the impact this band have on a visceral level, the production and the choreography were all almost cinematically brilliant too, but the discourse of the evening, the music – that’s what stays with you.
Roll on Download festival, because the bar is suddenly very high for everyone else.
Most people’s “home festival” is the one near their city. Ours is a modest (30,000 guest) festival in the east of Germany. The weather was warm and muggy as we arrived. It was Friday afternoon, so most people had already arrived and pitched camp. Luckily, we spotted a spot in the corner of the campsite, introduced ourselves to our neighbours and erected our abode for the next three days.
As we headed to the arena for the first time, three-piece punk rock band Montreal was already warming up the crowds. All the way from the security queue to the front of the stage, people were singing along. A solid block of moshers and dancers were enjoying themselves in the first wave while many people sat further back, enjoying the afternoon sunshine. My personal favourite was a cover of “Katharine” by new wave band Steinwolke. Yonas, Montreal’s lead singer, admitted that they had previously got in trouble with the band for covering their song, but figured that a) the crowd wouldn’t tell on them and b) if the crowd sang loud enough the band couldn’t be identified on the tv coverage anyway, so we’re all good to go. The audience upheld their end of the bargain and belted out the chorus with all their might. The band invited two members of the audience on to the stage to hold a large digital clock to time the song “2 minuten”. They searched specifically for a woman and a man, you know, for fairness. However, they did not consider choosing based on height as the chosen man was much taller, leading to a somewhat wonky clock. Despite the diagonal timepiece, they performed the song in two minutes on the dot. The performance was the perfect icebreaker, getting us in the mood for the weekend to come.
The evening program started with the Swedish funk-rock band Royal Republic. The large neon lightning bolt and general Miami casino vibe were promising. What it did not prepare us for was the fact the band would walk on stage in red dinner jackets, white collared shirts and pearl necklaces. The lead singer’s impressive moustache completed the ensemble perfectly. Definitely an up and coming look. It took a single bar to get the whole crowd dancing. Lead singer Adam Grahn moved across the stage with fantastic flamboyance, directing the crowd with a drumstick he stole from the drummer. For the first part of the set, one song chased the other, leaving no chance of recovery. The continued dancing combined with the dry weather meant huge clouds of dust were kicked up, especially when the intro to “Full Steam Space Machine” played and everyone went crazy. In the run-up to the festival, Grahn had given decided on a record we could break together: most circle pits. According to his logic, three is the minimum number of people required for a circle pit. So theoretically, 30,000 people can make 10,000 circle pits. After telling everyone to get acquainted with their neighbours the band was off into “Stop Movin’”. Chaos ensued. Whether we really did break any records I don’t know, but we had a damn good time.
Over on the Blue Stage Von Wegen Lisbeth were getting ready to play. Two years ago, their stage décor could be described as kitsch suburban garden, complete with fake grass everywhere and plastic flamingo. This year, they started off with a dark canvas covering the whole stage. After a few bars of the first song, “Wieso”, the canvas dropped, revealing the band and their more standard tech and lighting set up. Having just released their second full album the set was a split between old and new songs. The older songs were greeted with a chorus from the crowd, almost taking over from the band. The lead singer was clearly overwhelmed by the response, recalling their last time here at two in the afternoon.
In complete contrast to the fun, bouncy, xylophone accompanied Von Wegen Lisbeth Feine Sahne Fischfilet kicked off on the Green Stage. Feine Sahne Fischfilet performances are always a dirty, high energy experience. Today’s show was no exception. The immediate, crowd-wide mosh pit made getting to the second row very easy. Within two songs, the band and various locations in the crowd had erupted with smoke flares, making the field look like an ongoing riot. Throughout the set, signal flares were set off in the crowd, keeping the high-octane atmosphere going. Lead singer Monchi had a crate of beer bottles with him at the edge of the walkway and frequently distributed these amongst fans. Famous for passing around a large bottle of peppermint liquor, this year they upgraded to pump dispensers they could spray straight at open mouths. There were two opposing reactions to this. Half the crowd wanted in and rushed forwards, because, you know, free alcohol. The other half backed off due to the combination of very sticky alcohol and the very low accuracy of the pumps. I was part of the latter. The band dedicated many songs to people working for political causes including sea rescue in the Mediterranean and people standing up to far-right groups.
Punters had two styles to pick from for their headliners on Friday night. The chilled rapper Cro, famous for always wearing a panda mask and the jazz-funk-reggae Jan Delay & Disko No.1. On the Blue Stage, Cro started off with the relaxed summer anthem “easy”. The spotlight casting his shadow on the huge, white, low poly version of his panda mask on stage behind him. The majority of the set had a laid-back feeling, with Cro sitting or kneeling on the edge of the stage, bathed in blue light as the full moon rose over the arena. The energy picked up for “Traum” and “Meine Gang”, with people dancing from the front row right back to the food stalls. The set ended with Cro standing on the giant panda head singing “Bye Bye” with galaxies projected behind him.
Straight afterwards, Jan Delay & Disko No.1 were starting on the Green Stage. The stage was covered in leopard print with pink outlines, somewhat reminiscent of Hamburg’s famed red-light district. The band played as Jan Delay introduced them from offstage before finally appearing himself. Dressed in a suit, sunglasses and a trilby, Jan Delay spent the show dance-walking across the stage, firing up the crowd. The band included a brass section and backing singers and worked various riffs into their jazz-funk songs including Red Hot Chili Peppers and Mackelmore’s “Thriftshop”. At one point he taught the crowd a “classic disco move”, two claps, two jumps to the right and the same again to the left. It worked surprisingly well, the crowd moved as one, like an oversized cha cha slide. The whole set was great, people dancing all over the arena, with some impressive moves on show.
As we walked back to our tent the gazebo-rave we had walked past 8 hours earlier was still going, or perhaps going again. We could hear the beach stage playing favourite after favourite and so we drifted to sleep accompanied by the soothing sound of Backstreet Boys “Everybody”.
Saturday
The overcast Saturday morning sky was threatening rain, but it was still very warm. After a decent breakfast of eggs and bacon, we threw ourselves back into the fray. Walking around the arena, the lively trumpet riff of Talco caught my attention. The Italian Ska-punk band had everyone dancing clapping and chanting. They won me over, so I stayed. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one as more and more people danced up and into the crowd during the set. A fun and loud way to start the festival day.
Monsters of Liedermaching provided a new take on the traditional “man with guitar” by going in the “6 men with guitars” direction. The band sat in a row of two benches, any number of them playing acoustic guitar and singing at any given time. What the crowd lacked in physical volume they made up for with vocal volume, singing along with everything. The band encouraged and celebrated audience participation, handing out cups of beer and promptly turning an audience thrown toilet roll into a fashionable scarf.
As we got lunch and sat to watch the Green Stage, Skindred played “Out of Space” as a tribute to The Prodigy who were meant to headline Highfield this year before the tragic passing of Keith Flint.
Die Orsons bought their hyperactive rap to the Blue stage accompanied by a giant inflatable moth-squid (?). The four frontmen had outfits matching the eccentricity of the show: one in a suit jacket, purple leggings and a green open-faced ski mask, one in a red suit and white shirt, one in matching, brightly patterned shorts and shirt and one in a bright pink jumper and tracksuits. The crowd jumped and moshed, fired up by the contagious energy of the band.
All members of Enter Shikari came on stage wearing matching grey-beige shirts and trousers. Within a few songs, lead singer Rou Reynolds was on a small platform at the first crowd dividers. After sitting on the bar while singing “Anaesthetist”, he ran into the crowd to dance with his fans.
On the green stage everyone’s dad, Thees Uhlmann & Band, played a homely, down to earth set peppered with new songs. Wine glass in hand, insisting we all text him when we get home safe, Thees Uhlman put his best Dad moves on show. He dedicated a song to Avicii, for whom he had a lot of love, and was overcome with emotion when the crowd started an impromptu chorus after “Zum Laichen und Sterben ziehen die Lachse den Fluss hinauf”. He even stopped the drummer, who had started paying the next song, to conduct the crowd.
The clouds darkened as we headed over to Bones MC & RAF Camora. The slow countdown on the screens interspersed with images of fast cars, pet alligators, guns and bling neatly summarised the theme of the show going forward. The 60 minutes of gangster rap culminated in fireworks and a giant animatronic alligator with glowing eyes taking up half the stage.
The penultimate band on the Green Stage today were AnnenMayKantertereit. Baby-faced with a voice like 60 years of whisky and cigarettes, lead singer Henning May’s soulful ballads were not what you would expect from the main stage at 9 pm. However, the band had paid their dues, working their way up the line up over the past years. The arena was packed for this mellow, laid-back set. A great warm-up for Thirty Seconds to Mars.
My personal highlight were the headliners of the blue stage, the hip-hop/pop duo SDP. Starting off behind a canvas, a remix of their new album opener (“Übertreiba”) playing, the band gave 110% from the moment the canvas dropped. Running and jumping across the stage, they teased out every last ounce of the crowd’s energy. Giant beach balls were released into the crowd for “Leider Wieder Da” and the set was accompanied by flames and fireworks. Things slowed down for a couple of ballads in the second half, both singers coming down into the crowd to sing “So Schön Kaputt”. The final song finished with sparks flying over the crowd and the band took their customary photo with the audience.
Jared Leto, frontman of Thirty Seconds to Mars came on stage for their headlining slot dressed in sparkly white robes with a long cape. I was expecting a costume change at some point, but he stayed with this “Glam-Jesus” look for the duration of the show. The first wave of the crowd was covered with flags, an unusual sight for a German festival. This was all well and good until a load of large balloons were released during “This Is War”. These promptly got stuck between the flag poles. It was amusing to watch, though probably not the intended effect. The same happened again with the myriad of animal pool inflatables that were thrown into the crowd a short while later during “Rescue Me”. There was a certain dissonance between the vibe of the music and the flamingos, unicorns and dolphins bobbing around in the crowd. At one point, Jared Leto was picking fans from the crowd to join him on stage before getting distracted by a red balloon hovering behind him on stage, presumably caught in the airflows on stage. Leto stood there mesmerised for a moment before returning to picking fans to join him. The show finished with a large group of fans running on to the stage behind him while he sang “Closer To The Edge”.
Sunday
Temperatures reached 30°C on Sunday, so we took a break at the festival beach, complete with ice cream and a swim in the lake.
Up bright and early, Schmutzki played a wake-up gig on the campsite at 11 am, which is as good as 6 am by festival standards. There were no amps but the gathered crowd sang everything, including the guitar riffs. They even managed to get a crowd surfer all the way around the little platform the band was on. That afternoon, Schmutzki returned to the Blue Stage, as did the crowd, which had now doubled in size. I did not expect to see the biggest circle pit of the weekend in the last 20 seconds of a show at four in the afternoon on a Sunday, but there you go. The backdrop was a small, red banner with the band logo, hanging at a jaunty angle behind the stage, perfectly encapsulating the band’s scrappy attitude.
After a brief afternoon downpour, the sun was back for Frank Turner & Sleeping Souls. The smartly dressed British folk-punk band addressed the crowd in near-perfect German and encouraged them to join in by jumping and clapping along. Turner explained that at past festivals he had the issue of explaining what mandolins were to punk crowds and what circle pits were to folk crowds. Luckily, the Highfield crowd were familiar with both and duly formed the latter. As per Turner’s instructions, everyone walked slowly at first before speeding up as the song got going. Very Fun.
Old punk favourites The Offspring attracted a huge crowd as the weather darkened. They played a couple of new songs including “It Won’t Get Better” and turned the arena into a field of stars during “Gone Away” as fans held up lighters and phones. As the set moved on to fan favourites such as “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)” and “The Kids Aren’t Alright”, lightning forked in the distance. The organisers declared a weather warning, but the party went on. Due to the slight overlap between acts on the two stages, a large section of the crowd started moving towards the Blue Stage during “You’re Gonna Go Far Kid”, dancing and singing along the whole way.
Just as Blue Stage headliners Fettes Brot began playing the thunderstorm arrived and the heavens opened. The performance was temporarily suspended, and the arena evacuated. The storm passed and the show was back on the row within 45 minutes. Fettes Brot put on a fun, high-energy hip-hop show backdropped by a selection of large neon signs. Like many other performers of the weekend, the band encouraged everyone to vote in the upcoming state election as well as join the upcoming Friday’s for Future event. In general, the festival had a very pro-democracy message, with large banners encouraging punters to vote and get involved with politics.
Sunday night headliner Steve Aoki’s stage design was simply a screen across the whole stage, continued across the front his decks. After the intro, he popped up in the centre of the stage and kicked off with “Bella Ciao”. Thanking everyone for staying through the rain he set off into a visually intense set including streamers and pyrotechnics. The screens created a seamless image across the whole stage with him in the middle and showed a concoction of weird and wonderful video clips. Alongside various 3d rendered visuals, he also sampled clips from Game of Thrones, Pokemon and Lion King. For the latter, he used the circle of life scene but with his face on Simba’s face. Aoki was visibly having a great time on stage, climbing on his decks and inciting a lot of audience hand waving. The show was a rollercoaster of emotions, with moving tributes to Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Avicii as well as Aoki throwing giant cakes into the audiences face during “Cakeface”. The rave EDM style was unusual for the Highfield festival, and the crowd was a little thinner than you would expect for a headliner. But those that stayed were treated to a psychedelic party to see off the weekend in exuberant style.
Highfield Festival is a perfect little festival with a huge range of acts. The lakeside setting and the international mix of bands make it a gem in the festival calendar, and one not to be missed.
This years Slam Dunk see’s hordes of new and returning acts, picking out the artists to watch is a task and obviously every band are ones to watch, however, there isn’t enough time in the day and as with all festivals, there are bound to be clashes so we’ve come up with some of our main ones we think you should go and see
Madina Lake’s reformation and first performances in the UK since the reformation, Enter Shikari’s headline set, the pop-punk kings of the old generation Bowling For Soup are definitely acts you should be going over to the stages to see.
WE ARE THE OCEAN
Sadly, this year’s Slam Dunk festival will see We Are The Ocean take to the main stage for their last ever performance before parting ways. Although the band have pulled out of the Hatfield date, those of you attending the North and The Midlands dates are in for a treat; as the band have said ‘this is one last chance to celebrate the past, the present and the future’. So, if you want to scream your lungs out to songs from Cutting Our Teeth, Go Now And Live, Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow, Ark and the Self-Titled EP one last time and celebrate their farewell you know where you need to be.
VUKOVI
This year’s line-up is full of pop-rock heavyweights and it’d be easy to forget about the exciting new acts gracing the smaller stages around the venue and one of those being Vukovi. Who have made themselves unavoidable after dropping their riotous debut album earlier this year!. The Glasgow bunch have been making quite a racket on and off the record. Armed with their heavy riffs, super-charged tempo and front woman Janine Shilstone’s sizzling vocals, the four-piece have been tearing up the UK’s live scene, setting a precedent for their first ever Slam Dunk set so make sure you’re there to witness it.
DEAF HAVANA
Deaf Havana have had it rough in the last few years. In the wake of their Old Souls record, the band were dropped from their record label, fell into debt, and even fell out of love with their craft.
Miraculously, the band have made their return with an momentous new album, All These Countless Nights, which was unveiled earlier this year. If their recent headline shows across the UK are anything to go by its proved the band have found a new lease of life both in their material, and in their live show.
Slam Dunk Festival line up is starting to fill up with even more acts annouced…..Now where do we start?!!
Firstly We Are The Ocean who haved been playing the festival more times than anyone else, will say their goodbyes as they will be making these SDF dates their final ever shows.
Slam Dunk Festival announce thier headliner for 2017; Enter Shikari will be headliner at the festival with an exclusive celebration of 10 years since the release of their groundbreaking debut album "Take To The Skies".
Tickets now on sale so make sure you grab yours. Ticket links will be listed at www.slamdunkmusic.com
With even more artists yet to be announced across the NME/Radio 1, BBC Radio 1 Dance, Lock Up/Rock, Festival Republic, BBC Radio 1Xtra Alternative and BBC Introducing Stages, the line-up just keeps getting bigger and better for 2013!
NEW NAMES ADDED TO THE MAIN STAGE
Already announced on the Main Stage are UK festival exclusive headliners Green Day, Eminem, and Biffy Clyro, plus UK festival exclusive performances from Fall Out Boy, System Of A Down andDeftones. Nine Inch Nails will return to Reading & Leeds for the first time since 2007 to perform a 2013 UK exclusive show.
Also playing the Main Stage are legends of UK drum and bass, Chase and Status, bringing a world-class live show to Reading & Leeds and Frank Turner, who returns to play the Festivals which “hold a special place in his heart” for the seventh consecutive year; his set will be a triumphant showstopper.
READING FRIDAY 23RD / LEEDS SATURDAY 24TH
The Main Stage will welcome the unique musical stylings of quintessentially British band Skindred, whose blend of heavy metal, dub, reggae and drum ‘n’ bass, or ‘ragga metal’, has landed them legions of fans and numerous awards.
READING SATURDAY 24TH / LEEDS SUNDAY 25TH
British punkrock band Lower Than Atlantis will be returning to the Festivals on the Main Stage after an incredible set on the Festival Republic Stage last year. Expect to hear the crowd singing along to hits from their entire catalogue, including current album ‘Changing Tune’.
READING SUNDAY 25TH / LEEDS FRIDAY 23RD
Joining the line-up are New York punk band We Are The In Crowd, currently touring the UK and Europe with their latest album ‘Best Intentions’, as well as Southampton based five-piece Bury Tomorrow who will be offering their unique blend of melodic metalcore and bringing songs from their anticipated second album ‘The Union of Crowns’.
NME/RADIO 1 STAGE LINE-UP EXPANDS
The NME/Radio 1 Stage gets even hotter with new names joining headliners Skrillex, Alt-J and Phoenix, plus others already announced including Jake Bugg, Imagine Dragons, Major Lazer,A$AP Rocky and Haim.
READING FRIDAY 23RD / LEEDS SATURDAY 24TH
Joining the line-up will be Scottish five-piece Frightened Rabbit, armed with songs from their critically acclaimed Top 10 album ‘Pedestrian Verse’, the band’s arena-rock arrangements promise a thrilling live show. Hedonistic punks FIDLAR, whose melodic twists and turns have earned them plaudits from critics on both sides of the Atlantic also take to the stage.
Tipped by the likes of Radio 1 and MTV, Dublin-based Kodaline will be making their Reading & Leeds debut. The alternative rock quartet will be playing the best from their new album ‘In A Perfect World’ and more.
READING SUNDAY 25TH / LEEDS FRIDAY 23RD
North London band Tribes are revered as breathing life back into guitar music. The band’s second album ‘Wish To Scream’ is out in May, preceded by the single ‘Dancehall’ on 20th May, which follows the instant anthem of first single ‘How The Other Half Live’. Released just 11 months after their well-received debut album ‘Baby’, the Festival crowds will see them flying the flag for British Indie.
Hotly tipped as ones to watch on the 'BBC Sound of 2013’ list, experimental electronic duo AlunaGeorge will be proving exactly why they’ve been enjoying chart success this year, with their unique brand of sensual vocals and pop sensibilities.
BBC RADIO 1 DANCE STAGE ADDS A WHOLE HOST OF ARTISTS
Headliners Sub Focus Live, Magnetic Man and Knife Party, plusBaauer and Iggy Azalea, will be joined by a raft of amazing artists on the newly expanded three day BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage.
READING FRIDAY 23RD / LEEDS SATURDAY 24TH
British electro-pop comes courtesy of Fenech-Soler, signed to Warner Records and championed by Radio 1’s Annie Mac and Greg James, the four-piece have received attention from a legion of music bloggers. They will be joined on the line-up by Radio 1 DJ and drum‘n’bass multi-award winner Friction, for the heaviest bass on the Dance Stage. Also confirmed are London based collective Clean Bandit who work with a variety of vocalists to create their eccentric brand of electronica.
London electronic outfit Is Tropical rose to success after the release of their ‘Native To’ album, which also won ‘Best Animation Video’ and ‘Best Indie Rock Video’ at the UK Music Video Awards. Also joining will be Lancaster duo Bondax with their blend of garage-inspired electronica championed by the likes of Annie Mac and gaining increasing popularity in the blogosphere and LA polymath Robert DeLong, whose unique mash-up of indie and electronica has earned him nominations as a 2013 ‘Artist to Watch’ for MTV US, Billboard and Vibe Magazine.
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Trendsetting DJ, Fool's Gold label head and turntablist A-Trak graces the Dance Stage with a wealth of critical acclaim behind him. Performing at the Grammy’s, sharing a Billboard cover with Diplo and Skrillex and winning a ‘DMC World DJ Championship’ when he was just 15, his performance is sure to be an unforgettable one. Also added is one of the hottest commodities in dance music right now, dubstep heavyweight, Flux Pavillion.
Bristol DJ Redlight has been a staple in club culture for many years, mixing and taking on bass music from dubstep to drum ‘n’ bass and even grime, and it is with pleasure that he joins the Dance Stage this year. Searching out talent from across the hemisphere, Sydney-based duo Jagwar Ma will be acclimatising to the British festival season and warming up the crowds in the Dance Stage. Fresh from supporting The xx, and headlining the NME Awards show, they are gearing up to bring their brand of psychedelic electronica and sunshine bass lines to festival goers.
Also confirmed is rockabilly inspired Willy Moon, hailing from New Zealand, now based in London, Moon promises a mix of hip-hop and 50’s inspired dance music, plus there will be fantasy-laden electro from the former Mellowdrone frontman Big Black Delta and mysterious soulful R ‘n’ B from Night Works.
READING SUNDAY 25TH / LEEDS FRIDAY 23RD
Confirmed for this day is LA Moombahton Dillon Francis fusing the genres of reggaeton, moombahton and house music for a truly thrilling bass explosion, fresh from collaborating with Major Lazer, a slew of sell out shows and riotous praise, he will be offering up the best of his distinctive basslines and wobbles. 90’s garage and pop inspired electronica comes courtesy of futuristic pop princess Charli XCX.
Joining them will be drum‘n’bass titans Fred V & Grafix as they gear up for a set that promises bone thudding bass and the best in contemporary and classic drum ‘n’ bass, plus high-octane dance music from Jacob Plant ft. Majestic.
THE LINE-UP FOR THE LOCK UP STAGE GROWS
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The Lock Up Stage this year welcomes Alkaline Trio as headliners for this day. The renowned Illinois punk band will be playing the best of their music, from the punk beginnings of their first albums to the more pop-punk offerings seen on their most recent album ‘My Shame Is True’. Promising to excite their legions of fans, expect an electrifying atmosphere and more than a little bit of moshing.
Joining the Stage will be Australian punk rock/psychobilly band The Living End and Californian metaphoric rock group RX Bandits. For a ferocious dose of post hardcore stylings, catch legendary special guests, New York four-piece Quicksand, one of the most influential bands of their genre in the early to mid-90’s.
Also on the bill are Exeter based rock n rollers The Computers who are about to embark on their highly anticipated UK tour, warming up for our festival crowd!
New York punk rockers Cerebral Ballzy return to Reading & Leeds Festivals after an amazing set on the Festival Republic Stage in 2011; the 80’s punk-inspired skater boys are sure to deliver a memorable live show for the Lock Up crowds.
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Joining Tomahawk on this day will be legendary New York hardcore band Sick Of It All with a punk offering, and for a heavy dose of volume, Reading & Leeds favourites, LA hardcore punk band The Bronx will be on hand. Legendary British ska/punk band King Prawn are back after a 10 year hiatus. The band will bring their unique blend of reggae and hardcore to the Festivals for an unforgettable show.
FIRST NAMES FOR THE NEW ROCK STAGE ANNOUNCED
With the expanded Dance line-up covering three whole days, Reading & Leeds are adding a Rock Stage day to each site, with the first names just announced.
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Enter Shikari unveil..Shikari Sound System. At this year's Reading & Leeds Festivals, Shikari Sound System will make its world debut headlining the Rock Stage.
Shikari Sound System is the electronic alter-ego of the British band Enter Shikari, famous for blurring the lines between musical genres across three (thus far) UK chart Top 5 albums since they hit the wider public consciousness in 2006. Having DJ’d and produced in various side projects over the years they finally decided to fully elope with live dance music, and so was born the Shikari Sound System.
For further explanation, let's hear it from the horse's mouth: "Expect re-worked Enter Shikari tracks along with classic remixes and new surprises. Expect eerie live electronics and tent-peg-dislodging baselines. Expect a tour through many dance tempos and electronic genres that have been a constant inspiration to our band's sound. Combining both live instruments and percussion with dub-plate wizardry, this is one for the skankers, the steppers, the movers and the shakers."
Enter Shikari have a deep history with the Reading & Leeds Festivals – attending as teenagers, and having played the festival five times in the past seven years – and so embraced the opportunity to return once again, albeit in 'disguise'. The band's latest single, a 1min16sec blast of a track, has this week been added to the BBC Radio 1 playlist.
Described as "one of the best British bands of the last decade" by Zane Lowe, Welsh hardcore band Funeral For A Friend will also be playing the Rock Stage this year. The award-winning band are veterans of rock performances, playing alongside Guns N’ Roses, supporting Linkin Park and countless others for over a decade. Hardcore Punk band Gallows return to Reading & Leeds for their seventh consecutive year, bringing their electric live show and guaranteed carnage to the Rock Stage, plus Northern Irish band And So I Watch You From Afar will be playing following on from their recently sold out UK shows and release of their critically acclaimed album.
Japanese metalcore band Crossfaith will be bringing their blend of industrial metal and electronica from Osaka to Reading & Leeds’ very own Rock Stage, as well as alternative rockers Arcane Roots, the three-piece from Surrey are influenced by progressive, experimental and pop-tinged rock which can be heard in their music. For a dose of hard rock, don’t miss British four-piece Heaven’s Basement who have gone from strength to strength since they formed over four years ago and have played alongside the likes of Papa Roach and Black Stone Cherry.
FESTIVAL REPUBLIC STAGE WELCOMES NEW ADDITIONS
The Festival Republic Stage showcases the hottest upcoming bands as well as established names, with the first bands for 2013 already confirmed including The Strypes, The 1975, Temples and Swim Deep, Reading & Leeds can now announce many more artists.
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Crystal Fighters take to the headline position with their distinctive mix of acoustic guitar and percussive electronica, as the celebrated British/Spanish dance outfit gear up to release their new album ‘Cave Rave’, with current single ‘You & I’ featured as Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record this week.
Glasgow's Chvrches come fresh from a stellar run at SXSW that saw them collect the festival's inauguaral Grulke Prize for ‘Best International Newcomers’. The prize is just the latest in an ever-increasing list of plaudits for a band championed by Pitchfork and NME, and who came fifth in the BBC ‘Sound of 2013’. Their accessible yet ambitious synth angles, pitched somewhere between Robyn and The Knife, mean Chvrches are equally at home atop the Hypemachine blog chart as supporting Depeche Mode in European arenas.
US alternative rock outfit Surfer Blood join the line-up, the band have been gaining momentum since their appearance on ‘Late Night With Jimmy Fallon’ back in January. Kate Nash is back, after a hiatus, with her new punk direction. Her musical stylings have taken a shift in direction this year with the release of her feminist punk-influenced album ‘Girl Talk’ and recent sold out tour. Also confirmed is soulful Scandinavian electronica courtesy of Karen Marie Ørsted, or MØ. Her sultry vocals have been likened to Grimes and Lou Rhodes and have made her a critics’ favourite.
New York duo MS MR are set to capitalize on their ‘No. 1 on Hype Machine’ status and are tipped to be the first superstars of Chill Wave. This boy/girl duo's singles caused a huge buzz on all the coolest music blogs last year and their debut album ‘Secondhand Rapture’ is set for release in May.
For a dose of Canadian indie, Half Moon Run will be performing for the first time at the festival, after a period opening for Mumford and Sons, the band has been slowly creeping on the radar of Indie fans. The stage also sees talent from Mancunian newcomer Findlay, whose stylish mix of glam-blues vocals and pop production have put her firmly on the critics’ radar this year and Oxford four-piece MMX, who have been hotly tipped after their debut release ‘Cold World’ last year, will be first on.
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Headlining the Festival Republic stage this year is one of Britain's most enigmatic bands, British Sea Power. It's been 10 years since their debut album; expect to hear old favourites as well as tracks from recently released masterpiece ‘Machineries of Joy’. Their sweeping, epic, angular guitar pop has established British Sea Power as a classic alternative act and this headline set will be a euphoric affair.
Post-folk funk groover Lucy Rose made her name as a vocalist in Bombay Bicycle Club before branching out on her own. The singer-songwriter from Warwickshire will be returning to the Festivals after a show-stopping full band set last year and now in receipt of a critically acclaimed debut album ‘Like I Used To’, Lucy will bring her haunting vocal talents to the Festival Republic Stage.
Reading & Leeds are thrilled to announce Tim Burgess, it’s been 10 years since the lead singer of The Charlatans released a solo album, and his blend of Northern soul and Americana will be one of many highlights across the weekend. The Charlatans previously headlined Reading & Leeds in 1999, the first year that Leeds Festival ever took place.
Tampa, Florida trio Merchandise have transcended the punk and hardcore scene and now carry a more thrilling post-punk menace taking their cue from early 90's alternative acts such as Dinosaur JR and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Fuzzy four-piece London based psychedelic band Splashh have been steadily building momentum since last year with rave reviews from The Guardian, NME and a slew of underground blogs. Also on the line-up is punky blues-rock from Drenge, a duo from the Peak District who serve up catchy percussive guitar songs, NY punk garage rockers SKATERS with their unique pop-punk offerings and Belgian pop/rock band Balthazar who have received international acclaim after winning ‘Best Album’ at the Music Industry awards last year with ‘Rats’.
Also added are British folk/rock band To Kill A King who will be playing their unique brand of folk melodies and melancholic indie.
READING SUNDAY 25TH / LEEDS FRIDAY 23RD
Headlining the Festival Republic Stage this day are five-piece Indie rockers Spector who have enjoyed rave reviews from the likes of NME, The Guardian and Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, and have gone on to achieve mammoth musical success since their performance at the Reading & Leeds BBC Introducing Stage back in 2011. They return to top the Festival Republic Stage bill with their synth laden guitar riffs and contagious tracks including ‘Chevy Thunder’ for fans to sing-along to.
Ferocious English/American rock band Pure Love, featuring former Gallows frontman Frank Carter and ex-The Hope Conspiracy guitarist Jim Carroll, will perform and expect guitar shredding from UK garage rock The Jim Jones Revue, as they play their distorted blend of bluesy rock. Responsible for one of the year’s most talked-about guitar albums, Parquet Courts will be joining the Festival Republic Stage. The New York punk rockers are hailed for their witty brand of super sharp lyrics and fresh indie sonics and will be bringing the energy to Reading & Leeds this summer.
Excitingly, punk rock garage outfit California X will be making their debut UK performance at the Festivals, English synth-pop outfit Chapel Club return with their distinctive moody indie electronica and US indie electronica duo twenty one pilots join the growing bill. The Family Rain's full on live shows are high octane affairs and these three siblings’ unique brand of hip-hop inspired, dirty blues infused rock 'n' roll has marked them out a band to watch in 2013.
This year’s line-up includes some of the most innovative names in contemporary music including recent number 1 album act Bastille, one of the UK’s most ferocious rock bands, Enter Shikari, Manchester’s band of the moment, Everything Everything, the psychedelic garage rock of Thee Oh Sees and the futuristic indie pop of fellow American Darwin Deez.
Pioneering electronic artists include Mount Kimbie, Darkstar and Oneohtrix Point Never whilst hotly tipped performances come from the likes of AlunaGeorge, King Krule, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Drenge, Pins, The 1975 and Melody’s EchoChamber.
On each of the three nights of Sound City there will be a very special show at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral and confirmed to headline are Noah and theWhale, Dexys and The Walkmen.
The music programme features over 360 artists in over 25 venues over 3 days and today Sound City announce 150 brand new artists to perform in Liverpool in May.
London based five-piece Eliza And The Bear make a charming blend of indie pop and folk, laced with warm harmonies and uplifting melodies. Receiving a great response from their debut double A side single “Upon The North / The Southern Wild”, the band are set to embark on their first support tour with Athlete in May.
Sun Glitters is the guise of Luxemburg based electronic / experimental musician; Victor Ferreira. Mixing an array of lush melodies, pitch-shifted vocals with down tempo beatwork, Sun Glitters have drawn comparisons to the likes of Burial, HolyOther and Gold Panda.
Middlesbrough band Collectors Club have shown in their debut singles “Wanna Be You” and “First To Know” an ability to write infectious indie pop tracks. After a successful 2012 and being shortlisted as BBC Introducing’s Ones To Watch for 2013, the band are currently working on their debut with Paddy Jordan (Young Rebel Set).
Swimming Lessons is the recording project of multi-instrumentalist Ben Lewis (Of Leeds Indie Poppers Blood Oranges), creating psych-pop taking in influences from the likes of Talking Heads, Animal Collective, Arthur Russell, Broken Social Scene and many more.
Drawing upon the eerie sounds of the Northern hemisphere and musically influenced by acts such as Feist, Nico and Anthony and the Johnsons, Copenhagen based Broken Twin’s simple setup of bass, piano, guitar, vocals and percussion intertwines in a whirlwind of creaking piano, floating vocals and cantankerous guitars.
New Additions
16 Hole Boots / Abandon Silence DJs / Acrobat / Aeroplane Flies High / Alex Hulme / Ali Ingle / Allie Bradley / Alpha Male Tea Party / Anna Corcoran / Apollo 18 / Astroid Boys / Bad Guys / Bad Meds / Baltic Fleet / Bantam Lions / Best Friends / Black Moth / Blacklisters / Blank Maps / Bleech / Blizzard / Boats / Brave Young Red / Broken Twin / Brown Bear & The Bandits / Brown Brogues / CANDIDATE23 / Cats Park / Chloe Howl / Christine and the Queens / Clang Boom Steam / Clock Work Of The Moon / CMWMSMDM / Cold Shoulder / Collectors Club / Common Tongues / Cub Scouts / Cut / D'lyfa Reilly / Dead Rabbit / DJ DKHT / Dominoes / Echo / Ed Black / Eden Royals / Eliza and the Bear / Eric Fuentes / Fire Beneath The Sea / Fist City / Franco & His Dreadnaught / French Films / Galaxy Express / Gate Flowers / Gatsby's Green Light / Ghostchant / GlassCaves / Goonamguayeoridingstella / Hands / Highfields / Ilona / Iron Witch / Iyes / Jazzhands / Jethro Fox / Johnnie Selfish and The Worried Man / Johnny Sands / Kamp! / Karpia / Kepla / Killaflaw / Kof / Korda Marshall / Last Days of 1984 / Laura J Martin / Leanne Robinson / Lewis Berry / Liberty Vessles / Lolito / Lunar Modular / Mara and the Inner Strangeness / Mark Magill / Matzka / Memory Men / Mercury 13 / Mickey 9's / Mise en Scene / Miss Stylie / Mitzi / Moats / Mono LP's / Moulettes / Muto Leo / Nadine Carina / Natalie McCool / Natasha Haws / Nately’s Whores Kid Sister / Ninetails / Noble Thiefs / Ofeliadorme / Owls* / Oxygen Thieves / Palm Reader / Persian Pelican / Police Squad / Popstrangers / Rachael Wright & the Good Sons / Red House Glory / Redolent / Richard Walters / Rob Vincent / Ruby Ann Patterson / Sankofa / Sansa / Say Yes Dog / Sea Of Keys / Secret Rivals / Serious Sam Barrett / Sheepy / Sienna / Skubas / Sonny Green / Splintered Ukes / Spring Offensive / Springtime Anchorage / Stafrænn Hakon / Stereo Virgins / Sugarmen / Sun Glitters / Sunfields / Sweet Jane / Swimming Lessons / Taylor Fowlis / TearTalk / The Bazaars / The Blaconies / The Boy Royal / The Chapman Family / The Cheap Thrills / The City Walls / The Cold One Hundred / The Dirty Rivers / The Excitements / The Flamin ' Mamies / The Formby Band / The Kill Van Kulls / The Lines / The Mono LP's / The Not Amused / The Oreoh!s / The Penelopes / The Ramona Flowers / The Red Suns / The Science of the Lamps / The Thespians / The Tom Waitresses / The Tribute Band / The Troubadours / The Trouble With Templeton / The Wild Eyes / These Monsters / These Reigning Days / Tibi & Her Cello / Tizzy Bac / Towns / Tripwires / Two Hours Traffic / Tying Tiffany / Vasco Da Gamma / Voo / Whales In Cubicles / Witch Hunt
LINE UP TO DATE
Noah and the Whale / The Walkmen / Dexys / Bastille / Everything Everything / Enter Shikari / Thee Oh Sees / Darwin Deez / Delphic / Mount Kimbie / Reverend and the Makers / AlunaGeorge / Dutch Uncles / King Krule / Oneohtrix Point Never / Future Of The Left / Toy / Wave Machines / Egyptian Hip Hop / Stealing Sheep / Drenge / Savages / Melody’s Echo Chamber / Unknown Mortal Orchestra / Ian Prowse & Amsterdam / Darkstar / Outfit / Swim Deep / Alessi’s Ark / The 1975 / PINS / Wolf People / Theme Park / Jetta / Hawk Eyes / Bipolar Sunshine / Loom / Deep Sea / Arcade / The Family Rain / Blackeye / Skaters / Splashh / Charlie Boyer & The Voyeurs / Dan Croll / Soley / Lulu James / Arcane Roots / Still Corners / Luls / Hands / Wild Smiles / Mikill Pane / Bebe Black / Jacob Banks / Murkage / Bo Ningen / Big Deal / Amateur Best / Night Engine / Fossil Collective / Marmozets / Hacktivist / Brolin / Mind Enterprises / Golden Fable / Neck Deep / Likely Lads / On An On / Temples / The Tea Street Band / Duologue / Loved Ones / By The Sea / All We Are / Broken Men / Bird / Nadine Carina / Ady Suleiman / Concrete Knives / Sun Glitters / Mutiny On The Bounty / Afternaut / Silent Sleep / 16 Hole Boots / Abandon Silence DJs / Acrobat / Aeroplane Flies High / Alex Hulme / Ali Ingle / Allie Bradley / Alpha Male Tea Party / Anna Corcoran / Apollo 18 / Astroid Boys / Bad Guys / Bad Meds / Baltic Fleet / Bantam Lions / Best Friends / Black Moth / Blacklisters / Blank Maps / Bleech / Blizzard / Boats / Brave Young Red / Broken Twin / Brown Bear & The Bandits / Brown Brogues / CANDIDATE23 / Cats Park / Chloe Howl / Christine and the Queens / Clang Boom Steam / Clock Work Of The Moon / CMWMSMDM / Cold Shoulder / Collectors Club / Common Tongues / Cub Scouts / Cut / D'lyfa Reilly / Dead Rabbit / DJ DKHT / Dominoes / Echo / Ed Black / Eden Royals / Eliza and the Bear / Eric Fuentes / Fire Beneath The Sea / Fist City / Franco & His Dreadnaught / French Films / Galaxy Express / Gate Flowers / Gatsby's Green Light / Ghostchant / GlassCaves / Goonamguayeoridingstella / Hands / Highfields / Ilona / Iron Witch / Iyes / Jazzhands / Jethro Fox / Johnnie Selfish and The Worried Man / Johnny Sands / Kamp! / Karpia / Kepla / Killaflaw / Kof / Korda Marshall / Last Days of 1984 / Laura J Martin / Leanne Robinson / Lewis Berry / Liberty Vessles / Lolito / Lunar Modular / Mara and the Inner Strangeness / Mark Magill / Matzka / Memory Men / Mercury 13 / Mickey 9's / Mise en Scene / Miss Stylie / Mitzi / Moats / Mono LP's / Moulettes / Muto Leo / Nadine Carina / Natalie McCool / Natasha Haws / Nately’s Whores Kid Sister / Ninetails / Noble Thiefs / Ofeliadorme / Owls* / Oxygen Thieves / Palm Reader / Persian Pelican / Police Squad / Popstrangers / Rachael Wright & the Good Sons / Red House Glory / Redolent / Richard Walters / Rob Vincent / Ruby Ann Patterson / Sankofa / Sansa / Say Yes Dog / Sea Of Keys / Secret Rivals / Serious Sam Barrett / Sheepy / Sienna / Skubas / Sonny Green / Splintered Ukes / Spring Offensive / Springtime Anchorage / Stafrænn Hakon / Stereo Virgins / Sugarmen / Sun Glitters / Sunfields / Sweet Jane / Swimming Lessons / Taylor Fowlis / TearTalk / The Bazaars / The Blaconies / The Boy Royal / The Chapman Family / The Cheap Thrills / The City Walls / The Cold One Hundred / The Dirty Rivers / The Excitements / The Flamin ' Mamies / The Formby Band / The Kill Van Kulls / The Lines / The Mono LP's / The Not Amused / The Oreoh!s / The Penelopes / The Ramona Flowers / The Red Suns / The Science of the Lamps / The Thespians / The Tom Waitresses / The Tribute Band / The Troubadours / The Trouble With Templeton / The Wild Eyes / These Monsters / These Reigning Days / Tibi & Her Cello / Tizzy Bac / Towns / Tripwires / Two Hours Traffic / Tying Tiffany / Vasco Da Gamma / Voo / Whales In Cubicles / Witch Hunt
Among the newly announced names we can find performers at the afternoon and early night slots of the Main Stage. Ska-P had their most memorable gig at Sziget in 2005 when the Spanish band rocked the stage in Bush-masks and on stilts; however they have called off their 10-year long music revolution for an unknown time. Fortunately, this was their only announcement that was untrue. They are back.
Singer Deborah ’Skin’ Dyer of Skunk Anansie stepped on the shoulders of her fans at her last concert in 2011 at Sziget. This might happen this year as well!
King and main figure of the grime movement, British rapper, Dizzee Rascal is the guest of this year’s festival. He is over four incredibly successful albums – certified gold and platinum without exception – and a memorable performance at the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games.
The Editors is a very popular and characteristic icon of the post-punk movement of the 2000s. They will prove this on the Main Stage at an early afternoon slot!
British singer, Brit Awards nominee, Alex Clare has many popular and cool songs merging the most popular music trends of today. He uses electronic genres, like dubstep and new wave drum’n’bass, mixing it with suggestive guitar sounds and a hint of soul.
Enter Shikari plays hardcore music, mixing electronic, metal and rock. They have conquered the world with their album last year and now they are ready for Sziget!
A38 Stage
One of the most beloved venues of Sziget is following the trend of the previous years: the huge tent will be the home of diverse and exciting productions, proved by the upcoming names as well.
For a start, here is the exceptional talent from North-London, Michael Kiwanuka, a refined and sentimental singer-songwriter who plays his guitar with a sense of folk and jazz. His first album hit the charts in many countries and has become gold.
True inspiration for punk-rock bands, Bad Religion, reached the peak of their career with their 16th album ’True North’ in 2012: it was listed in the top 20 of the American Billboard 200. Now the crowd of Sziget can congratulate them!
Melodramatic, downtempo and chilled pop songs are the identifiers of the music of Woodkid, a French musician, who is arriving to Sziget with his new album, to be released this year.
Peter Bjorn & John are vivid and colorful icons of the indie world. Their “whistling” song is such a success that it is reaching 36 million views on the largest video sharing service. They are nicely merging mainstream popular sounds with some underground melodies.
A real 21st century London-girl, who makes her dreams come true by her talent, Katy B, is the new face of British dubstep. She recently received an NME award and now she brings her special style to Sziget.
Netsky is the exporter of Belgium’s most wanted, premium category drum’n’bass productions. After his singles he introduced himself on the Belgian charts and his second album was in the top 20 in the United Kingdom. The 24-year-old guy from Edegem is coming to Budapest with his live show.
Tame Impala plays psychedelic rock with hypnotic and melodic tunes. The Australian band has not only impressed the younger generation with their album in 2012 but the critics as well. Their second album ‘Lonerism’ has been awarded Best Album of the Year by Rolling Stone Australia, NME and Filter.
It is high time that Orlando Higginbottom, known as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, after several gigs at the biggest European and Northern-American festivals, plays at Sziget. His live set will definitely be a visual adventure with a range of weird instruments.
Everything Everything plays a nice and easy guitar pop that is sometimes inspired by a melancholic and solid atmosphere. We can see them at A38 this year.
Wax Tailor is opening his magical world of rare musical treasures to Sziget. Be aware that you might become an addict!
Isabelle Geffroy is a beloved French chanson singer. Her band, Zaz, winner at Victoires de la muisque – the most important music gala in France – in 2011, and performer of probably the most well-known French song ‘Je Veux’ , plays now at Sziget. She also received a European Border Breakers Award, representing that that her talent and popularity is without borders.
Cata.Pirata and Crypto.Jori plus three musicians from Amsterdam have formed SKIP&DIE, a very extravagant and brave production. Their big multicultural project merges everything that means ‘world citizen’. They are using traditional African, Arabic and Indian instruments mixed with contemporary Western hip-hop and modern electronics. They are inviting the fans to dance in Zulu, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Afrikaans and Xhosa languages.
Arena
New names have also arrived for the line-up of the mega-tent, the Arena as well. This is the venue where the early afternoon hours are taken by the so called “European Slots”, presenting live bands from the old continent, but later on it hosts huge parties with great performers.
Empire of the Sun has been to Sziget two years ago, making a party at a completely full venue. They play romantic electro-pop and probably even the world-known Cirque du Soleil group could not beat them when it comes to stage production.
For years now it’s hard to find a more exciting, louder and successful drum’n’bass act in the United Kingdom than Chase & Status Live. The well-known electro-musician and producer duo of Will Kennard and Saul Milton are coming this year to party up the Sziget crowd.
A revolutionary and innovative techno musician, Chris Liebing, has remixed many popular songs and also wrote his own ones that we will hear now in the Arena. His style has been mastered with the development of electronic music, but he has never stopped playing his massive techno basics.
DJ and producer, Sebastian Ingrosso, is one of the main figures of today’s Scandinavian electronic music scene together with Axwell and Steve Angello, forming the popular house-group, the Swedish House Mafia. His dynamic and energetic house music is played in the biggest international parties and e-music events, bringing out the most of his ten thousand fans.
Two bands will definitely play in the European Slots of the Arena. First of all, Afterhours, one of the most well-known Italian rock bands. They play passionate tunes and rock ballades, based on nice guitar.
Also playing in a European Slot is Left Boy, a very talented Austrian singer-producer in his twenties. His sexy lyrics are played on a massive electro and dubstep base. Last year he had several sold-out gigs in Europe and he just came out with his new EP.
Whether it rains or not, I am expecting the Scottish crowd to be out in full force, having been to T in the Park before I am more than familiar with the enthusiastic atmosphere consistent through all weather conditions! I'm almost as excited to see the festival goers that choose to slide face down through the mud as I am to see the numerous artists confirmed over the three days.
Having looked through the line-up I hope to see (as long as stage times don't clash) Snow Patrol, Florence and the Machine, Professor Green, The Blackout and Tinie Tempah on the Friday. On the Saturday I'll hope to catch The Stone Roses, David Guetta, Jessie J, Enter Shikari, Rizzle Kicks, and Fake Blood. On the Sunday, Kasabian, Nicki Minaj, Swedish House Mafia, Chase and Status, Skrillex, Twin Atlantic, Rita Ora and The Subways!
