20+ FURTHER ACTS ADDED TO READING & LEEDS 2023 LINE-UP

Reading and Leeds Festivals today announce a total of 20+ artists confirmed to play the festival. In addition to this, the highly-anticipated Late Night Leeds line-up has been shared, alongside Thursday night’s performers. Promising unforgettable performances from the most influential and exciting names in indie, alternative, hip-hop and dance, the three-day festival takes place on 25-27 August 2023, returning to Reading’s famous Richfield Avenue and Leeds’ legendary Bramham Park. Tickets are on sale now, via www.readingfestival.com/tickets and  www.leedsfestival.com/tickets.

Joining the likes of Sam Fender, The Killers, Billie Eilish, Foals, Lewis Capaldi and Imagine Dragons will be some of the most exciting names in global music. From the upbeat drum and bass of breakout TikTok star and viral ‘Messy In Heaven’ songwriter venbee to the hyped Dr. Dre endorsed rapper Cordae, there is an artist for everyone to enjoy at the 2023 instalment of the festival.

Also added to the line-up are viral pop sensation and ‘If We Ever Broke Up’ singer Mae Stephens, heartfelt R&B singer Foushee, energetic Georgia rapper Ken Carson, Nottingham-based rapper skaiwater, progressive afrobeat rapper Artan, candid Tottenham rapper Jordy, tenacious voice Dreya Mac, afro-pop singer Highlyy, R&B extraordinaire Mnelia, raw rap artist Lost Girl and Hertfordshire techno duo Tibasko.

UPSAHL will also be playing an exclusive set at Reading Festival, bringing her up-tempo pop hits to Richfield Avenue.

Stirring up dancefloors with their earworms will be Dublin’s indie songwriter Somebody’s Child, Irish hip-hop innovator Malaki, Essex rock band Bilk, gritty alt pop star Mothica, punk-infused hip-hop stars Joey Valence & Brae, Wrexham festival favourites The Royston Club, anthemic indie pop star Lauran Hibberd, soulful songwriter Mya Craig and the effervescent, eclectic punk of Fat Dog.

Gearing up for the stellar weekend ahead, the Thursday night performers announcement sees social media star come indie breakout act James Marriott joined by refreshing Yorkshire indie trio King No-One, Cardiff’s lovable indie-pop outfit Panic Shack and Baby.

This year’s Late Night Leeds selection promises all the night owls and midnight boogiers a veritable feast of danceable tunes, including appearances from drum and bass pioneer Andy C, feel-good garage anthem king Sammy Virji, BBC Radio 1 DJ Jaguar, Watford-born feel good anthem merchant Silk, DJ and music personality Millie Cotton, energetic Irish DJ duo ObskurHouse DJ Emma Forster and the era-spanning drum and bass DJ Harriet Jaxxon.

DJ’s also promise to deliver the goods throughout the late hours of Leeds Festival. Kicking up a storm on the dancefloor will be all female DJ Collective Girls Don’t Sync, Australian melodic house DJ Dom Dolla, house-meets-disco DJ Airwolf Paradise, uplifiting beatsmith Georgie Riot, Malaysian hip hop DJ Guiltybeatz, house duo Gentlemens Club and finally Radio 1 Xtra’s DJ SEMTEX.

With just four months to go until the celebrated festival’s gates open in Bramham Park and Richfield Avenue, this latest announcement transforms an already outstanding festival line-up into one that will be remembered for years to come. As a standout rite-of-passage festival with hundreds of thrilling acts, Reading & Leeds is set to return as the ultimate festival weekend of the summer – defining and celebrating the sounds of modern ground-breaking music, as well as boasting a world-class comedy line-up.

Fans can be the first to hear further line-up announcements, artist news and much more by signing up to the newsletters at www.readingfestival.com and www.leedsfestival.com

TICKET INFORMATION
www.readingfestival.com/tickets
www.leedsfestival.com/tickets

JUST ANNOUNCED (A-Z)

Artan 
Baby (Thursday)
Bilk
Cordae
Dreya Mac
Fat Dog
Foushee
Highlyy
James Marriott (Thursday)
Joey Valence & Brae
Jordy
Ken Carson
King No-One (Thursday)
Lauran Hibberd
Lost Girl
Mae Stephens
Malaki
Mnelia
Mothica
Mya Craig 
Panic Shack (Thursday)
Sammy Virji
skaiwater 
Somebody’s Child
The Royston Club 
Tibasko
UPSAHL (Reading Only)
venbee

Electric Castle announce lineup additions

Returning to the atmospheric Banffy Castle after the success of its 2019 installment, Electric Castle have announced details of their 8th edition. Proving popular worldwide, over 50,000 festival goers (per day) will be welcomed back to the breathtaking setting of Banffy Castle for a jam packed five days of music, food, yoga, cinema and so much more.

With a wide variety of artists set to perform (including Twenty One Pilots, Foals, Floating Points, Fisher, Amon Tobin, Tycho, The Neighbourhood Rezz , Zhu, Purple Disco Machine, High Contrast, Camo & Krooked, MC Dynamite & Meute) Electric Castle once again deliver a beautifully curated and eclectic line-up that the festival’s name has become synonymous with.

Also boasting some truly mesmerizing art installations at the on-site New Media Castle, EC will continue to push the boundaries with incredible works from Robert Henke, James Clar and Clare Hentschker on display. These include hypnotic shapes, complex feedback loops, modulated effects and virtual archives of broken polygons that feel almost real but not quite.

Electric Castle takes place on the outskirts of Romania’s cultural city of Cluj. The festival is set amongst the beautiful grounds of the dramatic Banffy Castle, often being described as Romania’s answer to Versailles.

A hedonistic and immersive experience, Electric Castle is a truly unique festival with a multitude of musical genres to match. By mixing arts and technology with an eclectic musical line-up, unique architectural concept and the breathtaking scenery of the amazing medieval castle, Electric Castle redefines the way people interact with a music festival, breaking the boundaries between electronic music and reggae, mainstream and subculture.

Common People Announces Sean Paul and Pete Tong Plus Many More

But that’s not all, The Common Stage will see sublime dancefloor duo Groove Armada hitting the decks to provide their own inimitable brand of booty shaking brilliance with appearances from Wild Beasts, Foals (DJ set), The Selecter + The Beat, Saint Etienne, Amy MacDonald, House Gospel Choir and Lucy Leave On Saturday in Oxford, while South Park’s Sunday mainstage action will see BRITs Critics’ Choice winner 2017 Rag’n’Bone Man’s staggering vocals and gospel-powered grooves, plus music from Becky Hill, The Cuban Brothers, Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana and Coldredlight.

And in Southampton, The Common Stage will see BRITs Critics’ Choice winner 2013 Tom Odell’s charismatic swagger and rave legends Faithless on the ones & twos, plus there will be appearances from Loyle Carner, Becky Hill, Stefflon Don, Seán McGowan, Kassassin Street, Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana and Black Kat Boppers on Saturday. And Groove Armada, Wild Beasts, British Sea Power, Amy MacDonald, Nadia Rose, Novelist, House Gospel Choir, Signals and The Novatones will appear on Sunday.

Filling your dancing boots throughout the weekend, the Uncontained Stage will be jumping with My Nu Leng & M8s and very special guest Goldie, Novelist, Redlight, GotSome and Klose One, all stepping up to the plates to drop bombs on Saturday in Oxford and Sunday in Southampton, while hands in the air behaviour will come courtesy of Moxie presents On Loop featuring sets from Joy Orbison, Midland, Kornél Kovács, Felix Dickinson and Or:la on Saturday in Southampton and Sunday in Oxford.

Discovering new music is what gets the man like da Bank out of bed in the morning, it’s the very the lifeblood of the Bestival team! So, we’ve teamed up with fellow new music evangelist and Oxford institution Nightshift once again to showcase the best new local bands alongside some of the most exciting acts around on the Uncommon Stage, including ShaoDow, Zaia, The Balkan Wanderers, Jess Hall & Barney Morse Brown, Kanadia, Vienna Ditto, Death of Hi-Fi, Leader, Young Women's Music Project, Rhymeskeemz, The Shapes, Low Island, Desert Storm, The Epstein, Little Red, The Pink Diamond Revue, Catgod and Slate Hearts.

And continuing our long and illustrious partnership with The Joiners in Southampton we are delighted to present Beans on Toast, Black Honey, Natives, Happy Accidents, Cassava, Fever, XOCKHA, Feeble Grandpa, Scarecrow Boat, Nakamarra, Gun Shy and Deltorers.

Oxford will see universal dance adventures at The Pig’s Big Record Club Stage, hosted by the Shellac Collective 78s DJs and ensuring the party always swings, there will be a host of local DJs from Southampton and Oxford across the weekend.

With amazing music keeping your feet moving throughout the bank holiday weekend, we’ll be bringing a little taste of our legendary madness and mayhem ramping up the Bestival antics to transform Common People into an amazing festival wonderland, with plenty of our off-the-wall shenanigans including boss boogying at the Disco Shed in Oxford, and the World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle in Southampton, plus both shows will have the old-time pleasures of Vintage Funfair Rides, surprising Pop-Up Performances, brass-powered Horns of Plenty in Oxford, and Saints Brass in Southampton with the savoury delights of Scrumptious Street Food, decadent drinkies from Cocktail Bars, a fantastic Kids Area with the gymnastic pageantry of Circus, Face Painting, Crazy Inflatables, and much more!

Leeds Festival 2016 Review

Leeds Festival 2016.

Leeds Festival is personally my favourite festival of the year. Having one of the greatest lineups covering every single aspect of music, Reading & Leeds always delivers and still holds the title in my books as the best live music event. This year we had headliners and co. headliners, Fall Out Boy with Biffy Clyro, Foals with Disclosure, with the final day being an American rock classic, Red Hot Chili Peppers.

After the down pour of rain which occurred on the Thursday it meant that the arena could almost have been mistaken for Download Festival. Rivers upon lakes of mud and dirt meant that unless you had wellies then it was likely that your feet would not last the weekend. Still, the weather did very little to less then mood of the people as a majority if them, despite the lack of sunshine still paraded in shorts, vests and occasionally the odd pair of flip flops.

FRIDAY:

To start the day main stage opened with the American Pop Punk band, State Champs who came all the way from Albany, New York to play for their first time at Reading and Leeds. With their most recent album ‘Around The World and Back’ being released in 2015, and their huge growing fanbase, meant that their set drew a relatively large crowd for an opening act. Playing some of their top hits such as ‘Secrets’ and ‘All you are is history’, the loud and energetic music meant that the crowd were on their feet dancing and jumping from the start.

(Above: State Champs)

Another pop rock band which was an act not to miss this Friday at Leeds were Waterparks who again were another band from America, this time Austin Texas. With their quirky charm and sweet talking lead singer, they were definitely a bunch of characters who like to have fun. Having recently finished Warped Tour in America, their popularity has also been on the increase with their frequent media coverage in a lot of the most popular music magazines such as Kerrang and Rock Sound. These guys will definitely be an act to catch, but with no tour dates as of yet in the UK, if you happen to be from American they will be touring with the bands Sleeping with Sirens, Tonight Alive and State Champs, who all played Reading and Leeds this weekend in the End of Madness tour this November in America.

Leading on to Tonight Alive who were noticeably higher on the bill this year on the NME/Radio 1 Stage. Also having been on Warped Tour and recently realising their album ‘Limitless’ earlier this year, the Australian rock band produced an outstanding performance. Their lead singer Jenna McDougall who I had the pleasure of meeting briefly in the press area shortly after their set said it was “amazing to be back” since their previous performance on main stage back in 2014.

 

(Above: Tonight Alive)

As it got to later in the day, the mud was still  holding strong and but luckily the weather was clearing up. One act who has been hugely gaining popularity in the British music scene, known for his huge impact on the Grime scene who I have worked with and become friends with was Big Narstie. Originally known for his comedy and Youtube sketches, Narstie grew in the Grime industry and now with the huge collaboration with Craig David on his single ‘When the Bassline Drops’, it was definitely going to be a huge act.

One of the most anticipated acts of the evening, other than the co headliners, Fall Out Boy and Biffy Clyro, The 1975 were the next biggest band playing that evening. And undoubtably the did not disappoint. With their huge stage presence and beautiful stage setup with digital cityscapes, the band were not one to miss. Performing from their new album ‘I like it when you sleep…’ as well as their 2013 self titled album, the Manchester based band enticed the crowd who were on their feet singing along and dancing like crazy to the overly energetic and charismatic lead singer Matt Healy.

 

(Above: The 1975)

Then it was time for the huge co headlining acts, which personally were my favourite headliners out of the weekend. Fall Out Boy had been on the verge of a split back in 2010 and took a break for several years until their surprise reformation back in 2013 with their album “Save Rock and Roll’. Since then they have produced another huge selling album which meant that they thoroughly deserved that top headliner spot. I could see the love and the energy in the crowd as they performed some of their true classics such as ‘This ain’t a scene, it’s an arms race’ as well as new songs such as ‘Uma Thurman’. I have never seen a crowd be brought closer together by a love for a huge and somewhat nostalgic performance. With some people describing their performance as a resemblance to a ‘Motley Crüe’ set their wild use of dancers and firework displays could be the reasoning behind that. After a number of energetic songs, Patrick Stump chose to use the middle of his set to take it back to some of their slower songs, whilst also using their single ‘Save Rock and Roll’ which originally featured the vocals of Elton John was used to pay tribute to the death of David Bowie.

For the final act of the night, I can honestly say that I have never been moved by such an outstanding and emotionally provoking set from witnessing Biffy Clyro. Whilst I can say I was perviously apprehensive about their performance, I was hugely mistaken to believe there was any hint of doubt as they were one of the best acts I have seen live in my entire life. With their recent release of their new album ‘Ellipsis’ back in July, it was no doubt why they were given the headline slot. With their aggressive and reckless stage presence they played songs from their 2009 album, ‘Only Revolutions’ such as ‘Bubbles’ and ‘Captain’ it was ‘Many Of Horror’ which brought me as well as many of the crowd to tears as their music brought chills. Unbeatably the best act to finish a perfect first day at Leeds Festival.

SATURDAY:

To begin the second day of the festival, main stage opened up to Frank Turner. Now being his 10th consecutive year at Reading and Leeds Festival, it is almost like his second family. Bringing me and a lot of my recently found festival friends who include other photographers, journalists and radio presenters, Frank Turner was a very special act for me to watch. HIs energy and motivation to wake up the crowd with is rock and alternative music meant that it was the perfect way to start the second day at Leeds.

With more acts covering across all genres of the festival, we had comedy from the Russell Howard, dance music from Hannah Wants, the heavier rock music of Asking Alexandria and Crossfaith as well as electronic synth music of acts Crystal Castles, Chvrches and headliner, Disclosure.

 

(Above: Crystal Castles)

Following Frank Turner, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes were next to play the main stage. Considering their angsty reputation and crazy crowds even Frank had himself saying “they probably won’t let [him] play main stage again”. With attempts to create a circle pit around the sound desk and throwing a GoPro into the crowd to film their fans, the Rattlesnakes definitely woke up and quickly removed the lingering hangover everyone had from the night before.
If they weren’t crazy enough, nothing compared to the set of Die Antwoord. If you haven’t head of this crazy duo, they recently appeared in the film Chappie and also accused the new Suicide Squad film for stealing their image. Ninja and Yolandi Visser definitely had the crowd questioning their performance as they had one of the weirdest and strangest sets of the weekend.

 

(Above: Die Antwoord)

Saturday was definitely the day for the more obscure and wacky acts. Heading over to The Pit stage I managed to catch Crossfaith, a Japanese heavy rock act whose heaving bass and eccentric guitar playing meant that mud was being kicked around by the crowd left right and centre in the many mosh pits.

One of the most anticipated acts which were performing on the NME/Radio 1 Stage on Saturday were the multiple chart holders Twenty One Pilots. The american duo have been around for a few years in the alternative rock music scene but recently drew huge popularity by featuring on the new Suicide Squad soundtrack with their song ‘Heathens’. Their performance didn’t fail to impress with their seemingly dark stage presence and heavy bass and drums. There have bee rumours that the dark duo will be returning to the UK soon which will be a gig you do not want to miss.

To follow this already excellent act we had the duo Diplo and Skrillex who performed in their collaborative stage Jack Ü. Never have I seen the tent so full. The crowd were bursting out the sides of the already huge tent desperate to hear the popular act. Performing many of their own individual songs such as ‘Cinema’ by Skrillex, they also played covers as well as hit tracks ‘Where Are you Now’ featuring Justin Bieber, and a new song which will be released soon.

 

Headliners on the Saturday were Foals and Disclosure. Foals brought the rock element to the relatively electronic lineup, once again drawing a huge crowd which only grew bigger for Disclosure. The electronic duo have been playing their fair share of festivals across the world have flown up the bill to reach the headlining spot after gaining increasing popularity over the last few years.

SUNDAY

With the festival on it’s last legs with the amount of mud reaching far above the ankles, the crowds still had high spirits which only grew as the clouds started to disappear and the sun started to shine. Starting off the day with Fatherson, the folk rock band was a warming wake up.

Just like Y Not Festival, if there was one band which I had to see, it was HECK*. Since I reviewed Y Not, Matt Reynolds leg is now fully healed which means their set was ten times as crazy. Scaling the scaffolding, kicking over amps and throwing just about everything that could be found on stage they once again did not disappoint.

After this there was a mysteriously long gap between Heck and the following act Milk Teeth, and this could only mean one thing, a secret set. It was unsure who was going to fill this slot from the start of the weekend but since the news was let out the previous day at Reading Festival, it was announced that the set will be filled by the British rock band, You Me At Six. After just releasing their new single ‘Night People’ only a few days ago, it was a surprise that no one could guess this before. After photographing and watching acts such as Milk Teeth and Vant, to which Vant have been announced to support You Me At Six on their upcoming tour, it was clear that even though the festival was drawing to a close on its last day that spirits were still high.

 

The next act which really stood out was Jack Garratt. The solo artist had the stage presence of twenty men, with his huge drum setup and almost spider-like lighting setup surrounding him, he performed with huge confidence and drew a crowd which echoed his songs almost just as loud right back to him. You could see by the look on his face that it was an incredible experience for him as well as the crowd which stood in front of him.

Headlining on the final day of Leeds festival was the classic rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Whilst their setlist seemed to be more of a great ‘Californiacation’ and ‘By The Way’.

With an amazing end to the weekend, Red Hot Chili Peppers definitely energised the crowd. However, i’m sure Reading Festival had an even crazier Sunday with the closing set of Biffy Clyro. The Chili Peppers were an act which every generation could enjoy. We had teenagers climbing the ice cream van to get a better view of the miraculous stage design and the slightly older generation rocking out. It has definitely been an incredible weekend which a lot of people will remember, and the memories and stories from the weekend will be taken back home with them along with copious amounts of mud stains on just about every item of clothing they own. 

Photos and review by Jade Hill.

 

 

Disclosure and Foals to co-headline Reading and Leeds Festival 2016

Reading & Leeds Festivals are delighted to announce Foals and Disclosure as co- headliners for this year’s festival taking place across Bank Holiday Weekend 26-28 August 2016. In a Reading & Leeds first, two bastions of modern British music will be making the step up to the largest festival stages of their careers, bringing together two defining acts of a generation.
 
Returning after their festival-stopping surprise set last year, 2016 will see Foals in their debut headline performance at Reading & Leeds. Unafraid of genre limitations, their endless creativity and ferocious live shows have seen the Oxford five-piece rise through the ranks, positioning themselves as one of the most unmissable live acts in the world.
 
Joining Foals as co-headliners of Reading & Leeds 2016 is the dance phenomenon Disclosure, in their very first Major UK Festival headlining set. Their chart topping dance anthems sound-tracked the worldwide explosion of UK dance. Their 2014 performance saw crowds overflowing the NME/Radio 1 Stage, so their return to headline in 2016 is one not to be missed.
 
Melvin Benn commented: “I couldn’t be more excited about this announcement. A co -headline with two of the most promising British acts out there; Foals secret set last year was a highlight for me, as I’m sure their debut headline slot will be, coupled with the phenomenal Disclosure – we’re very proud to be able to give these acts the recognition they deserve.”
 
Foals commented: “We're absolutely buzzing to be headlining Reading & Leeds this year. It's a dream come true. I used to watch Nirvana live at Reading '92, on vhs, repeatedly while dying my hair blue & learning how to play guitar, badly. We've worked our way up on our own terms & to be given the chance to headline one of the world’s most iconic festivals is a huge achievement for us & hopefully a sign for all bands, that, if you stick to your guns & focus on what matters, you'll get there & smash it. Onwards & upwards friends. Long live the guitar band”
 
Disclosure commented: " We’re incredibly excited to be co-headlining Reading and Leeds with our good friends Foals. We've been going to Reading festival since we were kids and have played at both festivals several times, but never in a million years did we think we'd be at the top of the line-up, especially considering there hasn't been an electronic headliner since The Prodigy in 2002! Truly honoured" 
 
 
Dance super group Jack Ü have shifted the face of modern dance, with worldwide smash ‘Where Are U Now’ dominating the airwaves and music libraries of millions. Bringing together electronic dance icons Skrillex and Diplo, their live shows at Reading & Leeds 2016 will be a summer extravaganza like no other. 
 
In a European Festival Exclusive, Imagine Dragons will be returning to Reading & Leeds; with a catalogue of chart hits including ‘Radioactive’, ‘It’s Time’ and ‘Demons’ that are destined to whip the capacity crowds into frenzy. Reading & Leeds 2016 will be the only place to catch them in Europe over the summer. 
 
Commenting on their appearance at Reading & Leeds this year, the band say:
“Reading and Leeds is one of the best festivals in the world. We look forward to the wonderful people. The music. And even the mud. See you soon."
 
Two Door Cinema Club joins the impressive line up at Reading & Leeds this year in a UK Festival Exclusiveperformance. Expect old favourites and new tracks galore, as the Northern Irish trio smash yet another festival crowd on their way to indie immortality.
 
The hottest name in hip-hop, Fetty Wap will make his debut UK Live Appearance at this year’s Reading and Leeds, in yet another UK Festival Exclusive. Shaking up the hip-hop scene with his dark tales of modern life, the underground king has remained an untouchable enigma since his rise to stardom. The master behind 2015 hit ‘Trap Queen’, Fetty also made Billboard history when his first four singles – ‘Trap Queen’, ‘Again’, ‘My Way’ and ‘679’ – charted simultaneously on the Hot Rap Songs chart.
 
A true breakthrough success story, the soaring vocals from Nothing But Thieves will be returning to Reading & Leeds bringing their unique brand of rock, and hits from their eponymous debut album released late last year. They’ll be sharing the bill with pulsating electro pioneers Crystal Castles fresh from a new line up and sound, expect a barrage of synthesised distortion and a visceral live show like no other.
 
Nothing But Thieves said on their Reading & Leeds return:
"Last year’s Reading & Leeds was one of our highlights of 2015, it was an honour to play a stage that we've seen so many bands at since we were kids, cannot wait to be playing Reading & Leeds again this year."
 
Parkway Drive are set to bring their angry metalcore cocktail to Reading & Leeds 2016 with their only UK Festival appearance of the summer, whilst The Internet will be gripping the crowds with their modern take on neo-soul and trip-hop in yet another UK Festival Exclusive.
 
Securing Reading & Leeds 2016 as the go-to festival for global dance superstars, co-headliners Disclosure will be joined on the line-up by ‘Gecko (Overdrive)’ chart supremo Oliver Heldens and the undisputed queen of UK danceHannah Wants for bursts of unrelenting electronic gold.
 
Hannah Wants: "2015 was my very first experience playing Reading & Leeds and wow I was impressed! The crowds were absolutely insaaaaaane! I’m so hyped to returning again this year!”
 
Oliver Heldens says: “I’m really looking forward to play at Reading and Leeds this August. I like the fact that there is a very diverse line up and I hope to see some cool acts when I’m at the festival. I can’t wait to be back in the UK and hope to see you all there!”
 
On the Alternative Stage we’re thrilled to announce headliners Kurupt FM will present Champagne Steam Rooms, bringing the pure vibes of champagne era UKG to Reading & Leeds 2016, with special guest DJ Barely Legal, one of the best bass DJs around. On release, the BBC mockumentary pilot, People Just Do Nothing, became the most popular programme of the month. Following the MCs behind West London’s finest pirate radio station, the show developed a cult following, and with Series 3 airing in 2016 they’re now revelling in success. They’re the biggest thing to come out of Brentford since the football club and they’re taking over Reading & Leeds
 
Joining Kurupt FM on the Alternative Stage at Reading and Leeds 2016 are Cassetteboy. Their most popular videos, Cassetteboy vs The Bloody Apprentice, and David Cameron’s Conference Rap, have both been watched over 6 million times.  They’ve enlisted the help of their shouty friend DJ Rubbish to create a comedy disco. He’ll be hyping up the crowd while Cassetteboy caper around behind him. The resulting show looks like your Tivo box went out clubbing and got hammered.  Dot Cotton and Gregg Wallace are mashed up with Rihanna and The Human League in the weirdest party you’ve ever been to.  It will be a stupid, messy, funny festival highlight.
 
Standing as the only place to catch the biggest and most influential acts of modern times, Reading & Leeds 2016 is destined to be the epicentre of the 2016 music calendar, full of exclusive moments that will define the year in modern music. 
 
Newly announced additions:
 
Foals (Co-Headliner)
Disclosure (Co-Headliner)
Jack Ü
Imagine Dragons (European Festival Exclusive)
Two Door Cinema Club (UK Festival Exclusive)
Fetty Wap (UK Festival Exclusive)
Crystal Castles
Parkway Drive (UK Festival Exclusive)
Nothing But Thieves
The Internet (UK Festival Exclusive)
Oliver Heldens
Hannah Wants
Kurupt FM Presents: Champagne Steam Rooms
CassetteBoy vs DJ Rubbish
 
Previously announced:
Red Hot Chili Peppers (Headliner: Festival Exclusive)
The 1975
Courteeners
Boy Better Know
Twenty One Pilots
Eagles Of Death Metal (UK Festival Exclusive)
Slaves
Hinds
Rat Boy
DJ EZ

Bestival 2014 Full Review

There is nothing like the utter glee of throwing off the shackles of work and life for one final splurge of hedonism at the festival season’s last hurrah – Bestival. Seasoned Besti-goers have sat back and watched the Glastovians, Creamfielders, V-lovers and Reading-heads toddle off for weekends of muddy silliness, and smirked a wry smile at the thousands of Moss-alikes in their tedious wellies-with-knicker-shorts combos. Now, the waiting game is over and Bestivites the country, nay world over, are flocking to the Isle of Wight for four uninterrupted days of pure high summer mayhem in the beautiful setting of Robin Hill, by hook or by crook (well, by ferry, hovercraft or swimming really…) they are chasing their bit of paradise.

Thursday saw campsites being opened early due to the large number of eager beavers waiting at the gates, and better parking organisation around the Yellow parking area meant that everything ran super smoothly getting in. With an array of campsites to choose from there’s a home-turf for everyone, and tribes are picking their areas, giggling with memories of campground legends from years past. The sun is already out as tents pop up, and the arena is beginning to buzz. Heading up to Peace Hill, sun-soakers are taking in a lively performance from Juke and The All Drunk Orchestra, with glittery hippy types up and dancing like loons immediately. 

Many Bestivites count snacking on delicious butter-slathered corn-on-the-cob a rite of passage up on Peace Hill, but there’s also stunning Lobster and chips brought in from local Vetnor, fabulously flavoured ice creams (honey and ginger anyone?) and the very acceptable Bestivale available for the discerning gourmand. If you’re looking for a mental challenge, there are talks at Bestiversity all weekend, and the Science tent has many interesting experiments to try out with the help of some extremely knowledgeable scientists. Heading for a wander up the hill, Tiny Town is a giddy little exercise in hiding in kids playhouses to scare the living daylights out of each other, and the wooden Maze is surprisingly complicated, good for a race around and it’s always comical to bump into someone dressed as a Panda or Palm Tree, at speed.

Despite the woods and Bollywood/Port area being closed for Thursday, there are lights and sounds everywhere, with a million things going on. Caravanserai is a little wonderland through a magic door, you can sit in the sawn-halves of gaudily decorated proper caravans to drink your cocktails, have a boogie on the Carousel dancefloor or cuddle up with your mates in the Wurlitzer seats for a while. Next door is The Feast Collective, a new addition to the Bestival family. The big tent hosts a myriad of incredible food outlets to satisfy any craving – handmade maki rolls, raclette oozing over… everything, baked camembert, hearty goulash, Indian street food, great British pies, American loaded hotdogs and even incredible soft-shell crab burgers. The quality of food around the Bestival site always amazes, but this is truly a step into the weird and wonderful. To compliment all this, there are heaps more benches and tables out than in previous years and the music coming from the newly housed Polka Stage in the Travelling Barn is excellent. If none of that is quite enough, watching the sun shimmer on the record-breaking and truly incredible gigantic Disco Ball installation, or getting an eyeful of ‘Christina’ at The Grand Palace of Entertainment, or maybe some first night music like the odd brilliance of The Correspondents, or classic Beck to tip you over the edge into your Bestival adventure. 

Friday sees the opening of Bollywood and The Port, the dance/electronic capital of Bestival. The Port is a huge ocean liner type installation where DJ’s play from the roof along with dancers, firebreathers, a couple of giant mermaids and arial acrobats suspended from a crane above the crowd, it’s like everything that could be hilariously weird to the terminally trippy has come together in one heart-pounding bass heavy place. The Sunday Best shop and cocktail lounge is selling jam jars full of icy mojitos, Bollywood is violently bright and brilliant, with people draped over the box seats underneath shimmering coin-laden umbrellas and the Helter Skelter/Wall of Death/toboggan run combo downfield is a big kids dream. 

Heading into the deep dark woods there’s a noticeable increase in the number of giant net hammocks hiding amongst the trees, where naptime is a genuinely acceptable event for grown ups in the middle of the day. Glittering lights, waterfalls, playparks,  hidden pools and a massive synthesiser installation to play with are just some of the things you can see in The Ambient Forest, before you burst into a clearing at The Amphitheatre. Spoken word artist/rapper Kate Tempest’s pre-show interview is witty, intelligent and truly captivating, hearing her talk about her work and life is a real insight to a genuinely talented individual. Back at the Main Stage, secret act Lethal Bizzle is hyping up the crowd with an attempt at a mosh pit and The Harlem Shake. Up next Laura Mvula’s beautiful vocals soar across the arena but there’s not much of a crowd, whilst over at The Bandstand, Motif are playing to a sun-baked audience and getting jazzy.

Back at The Amphitheatre, Scroobius Pip’s Satin Lizard Lounge is kicking off with spoken word artists Harry Baker (with a hilarious rendition of Ed Sheeran’s A-team based on desserts), the nervous ball of energy that is Tim Clare (we loved ‘Noah’s Ark and Grill’) and the raw, honest words of Kate Tempest.The evening sees the main stage light up for Disclosure, and a guest appearances from Eliza Doolittle for ‘Me & You’ and Sam Smith for ‘Latch’, gets the arena bouncing, but headliner Outkast come across a bit flat in some places. Hits ‘Ms Jackson’ and ‘Hey Ya’ have everyone up and screaming but more rap-based songs don’t quite hit the mark. Heading over to The Big Top, newly reinvented La Roux (with her band who are performing at a big UK festival for the first time) draws a huge crowd for her soaring vocals, and both new and old tracks go down a storm, particularly ‘Bulletproof’ – one of those perfect hazy Bestival night moments that everyone will remember.

Fancy dress Saturday is sort of a misnomer at Bestival now, everyone dresses up all weekend anyway, but Desert Island Disco is the theme and everyone seems to have embraced the sparkles, sequins, rainbow and afro combination with wild abandon. Though the theme isn’t as clear as previous years and there aren’t as many ‘big’ costumes as we’ve seen before, everyone is joining in, and there’s a pleasingly distinct minority of the sort of people who buy “Festival Fashion” that seem to come in droves at other festivals. An early start and crazy booking for Welsh Reggae-Metal band Skindred, who usually hit up festivals like Download at Donington Park and have a distinctly black-tshirt wearing fanbase. They absolutely tear it up on the main stage, gaining many new fans with current album tracks such as ‘Ninja’ and anthem ‘Warning’ – getting the crowd to join in for some t-shirt whirling for their ‘Newport Helicopter’. Despite a sparse and lazily sunbathing crowd, pop princess Sophie Ellis Bextor surprise all with a solid set featuring hits and covers, notably Moloko’s ‘Sing It Back’, as well as ditching her red-ridinghood dress halfway through for a theme appropriate saucy grass skirt costume. Joking “If the giant disco ball were to fall on me and kill me, it would of course be… Murder on the Dancefloor” she ends the set with a giggle. Bestival stalwarts and kings of comedy The Cuban Brothers are always the funniest thing you’re going to see all weekend and this is no exception. Lewdness, rudeness, downright dirtiness, nothing is out of bounds for Miguel and co. but the music and the dancing holds up, Archerio, Kengo and Dominico one up each other with B-boy and breaking moves whilst Miguel takes his keks off and gets busted by security whilst quipping that he used to “do too much nose-whiskey” and telling everyone to “touch each other in the correct manner”. Kengo/Kenny (“the bastard”!) comes out in a white jumpsuit to do a touching rendition of Whitnney’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ and the finale of three Cubans doing a press-up tower with Dom barrel-flipping over the top is truly impressive.

Over in The Big Top, a very special event is the final show of Dan le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip, before they head off to pursue their own individual projects. Personally introduced by Bestival curator Rob Da Bank himself, the duo come busting in with ‘The Beat That My Heart Skipped’ Dan and Pip show why their three album collaboration has been so successful, as the crowd go mental. Pip laments “The first time that we played was here in this tent. We weren’t even allowed on the stage, we were in a DJ booth on the front and it was really late”. ‘Sick Tonight’ is powerful and has everyone singing along despite the speed of Pip’s verse and the pair joke “Can they jump and clap? Yeah! This is Bestival it ain’t no fucking Reading or Leeds crowd!”. ‘Get Better’ is a fan favourite and their first ever song ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’ (with a little addition of ‘Thou shalt not question Rob Da Bank’) is perfectly executed. Sharing a hug and final photo on stage, Dan and Pip go out with a bang. It’s the end of an era and Bestivites who’ve been with them from the beginning are right there with them.

After a recharge up at The Solace Tent, and an open-mouthed stare at the sheer size of Bestival from the hill-top, it’s down to the main stage for the ambient and soulful London Grammar, followed by headliner Foals, whose sound gets a bit lost in the noise of the surrounding tents. The grassy area outside The Polka Club is ambushed by the tartan clad New York Brass Band playing a rousing rendition of ‘Happy’ and The Big Top is packed from the inside of the tent right out to the food outlets surrounding for Basement Jaxx. Many are questioning the decision to put Foals on the main stage and Jaxx in the tent, as the sound is severely dampened from the outside, and from the view that Foals did not hold a particularly dense headline crowd earlier compared to the thousands who are trying to get into the Big Top. ‘Good Luck’ and ‘Red Alert’ almost lift the roof off the tent and security try in vain to get those who’ve shinned the poles for a better view, to get down.

The final day at Bestival has come, and Sunday’s vast lineup of music, poetry and activities is no less full or impressive than the last few days. Clean Bandit take to the main stage for an amazing sunshine filled electronic set with the crowning jewel ‘Rather Be’ belting out across the arena and proving to be the perfectly apt lyrics for the Bestival crowd who are hugging each other close; “We’re a thousand miles from comfort, we have travelled land and sea, but as long as you are with me, there’s no place I’d rather be”. Due to the cancellation of Busta Rhymes, the main stage crowd is instead treated to another member of the Bestival family, DJ Yoda – whose hilarious AV show and samples from movies and TV are played on the giant stage screen, along with a flashing line of text proclaiming “I am not Busta Rhymes’.

 

Major Lazer play a raft of current mixed up current hits such as Oliver Helden’s ‘Gecko (Overdrive)’ and Keisza’s ‘Hideaway’ whilst club dancers thrash about on the stage and Diplo pretty much steals stage gimmicks from everyone (Skindred’s Newport helicopter as seen earlier in the day, neon ticker tape canons, even the Zorbing ball a la The Flaming Lips and a frankly embarrassing attempt at a circle pit…). In the Big Top one of the most incredible shows of the weekend – Chvrches completely makes up for the aural assault of Major Lazer, with swooningly beautiful vocals and the kind of electronic wizardry that makes you feel like your heart is trying to get out of your mouth. The tent wasn’t full, but the people who made it in there can count themselves lucky to have caught an absolutely stunning set from the Scottish band.

Sunday headliner Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers was beset by a band tragedy – guitar tech and long time friend Terry Brauer having died just before the show began, and Nile broke into tears a number of times during the set. Despite this, it was the great disco showdown that we had been promised by Bestival, Nile’s incredible discography speaks for itself and the sheer quality of Chic shone through. Hits a plenty had everyone pulling out their best Saturday Night Fever style moves and winding up Bestival in the best way possible, pure unadulterated party. The closing ceremony saw the giant disco-ball hoisted into the air via crane, glittering in the spotlights, and a barrage of incredible fireworks lighting up the arena over Peace Hill, and anyone who grabbed a pair of shimmery glasses from the physics area of the Science tent got an extra special psychedelic show on top of it all.

Of course, nothing’s ever really the end at Bestival… The woods are calling with secret parties and DJ sets, The Port is aflame and going strong, The Grand Palace of Entertainment is still as indecent as ever, and ‘Almost Famous’ is being screened in The Amphitheatre… we’re going wherever the night takes us, for one last time this year…


Photos by James Bridle

Bestival Unveils Boundary Breaking Acts And The Best New Bands

This years Bestival unveils breaking new acts and some of the hottest bands around including:

Tune-Yards / Factory Floor / Mnek / Wolf Alice / The Amazing Snakeheads / Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats / The Wytches / MØ / Fat White Family / Say Lou Lou / Glass Animals / John Wizards / Ezra Furman / Joel Compass / Woman’S Hour / Pional / Rosie Lowe / Childhood / Kate Tempest / Jessy Lanza / Melt Yourself Down / The Front Bottoms / Hockeysmith / Wild Smiles / Black Orange Juice / Rag N Bone Man / Vaults / Ftse / Tourist / Sivu / God Damn / Happyness / The Correspondents / Bo Saris / Congopunq / Indiana / The Bulletproof Bomb / FÉ / Cousin Marnie

With a cavalcade of big hitters, including OutKast, Foals, Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, Beck, Busta Rhymes, Candi Staton, Sven Vath, Chase & Status and many more already lined up to take Bestival’s Desert Island Disco to stratospheric new heights, Rob da Bank and the Bestival crew have been beavering away behind the scenes, rooting out gleaming talents to ensure we bring you the freshest acts around. With a long history of championing the next big thing, unearthing the incredible and showcasing the best new sounds, both on his Radio 1 show and at Bestival, these are the cream of the acts getting the man like da Bank all hot under the collar. From boundary pushing mavericks to hip young chaps in this year’s slacks, we’re set to announce a ton of the most exciting bands in the world, who will be dropping in to Robin Hill on the Isle of Wight this September 4-7 to blow you away!

Rob da Bank says: “So in our humble opinion these are the breaking acts of 2014 from the worlds of rock, indie, electronics and pretty much any genre – a delve inside the musical brain of Rob da Bank to find the ones to watch, the ones who'll make records you'll love this summer and the ones who'll make you dance ya socks off in September”. 

With her third album Nikki Nack out this week, we’re pretty darn chuffed to announce Merrill Garbus AKA tUnE-yArDs will be heading across the Solent to bring her uniquely kaleidoscopic collision of aural extremes for your collective listening pleasure. Smashing buckled cheerleader chants into punk riffs with razor-sharp melodies and colossal beats, Merrill, alongside long-time cohort Nate Brenner, is a force of nature when it comes to performing live, so don’t miss out.

Riding a wave of critical acclaim for their eponymous debut album, released late last year, we’re very pleased to say that Factory Floor will return to Robin Hill with an all out assault of mind-melting sequences, crashing rhythms and twisted vocals, plus there will be sets from Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and sometime Rudimental collaborator MNEK, deliriously unabashed indie-noise merchants Wolf Alice, exhilarating Glasgow trio The Amazing Snakeheads, critically acclaimed psychedelic doom purveyors Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, apocalyptic surf rockers The Wytches, Danish electropop chanteuse , and scuzzy rock n roll six-piece and all-round incendiary live behemoth Fat White Family.

We’re not stopping there though, we’ll have live music from BBC Sound 0f 2014 nominees Say Lou Lou, Paul Epworth protégés Glass Animals, genre-swerving pan-global types John Wizards, gritty rocker Ezra Furman, atmospheric soulster Joel Compass, archetypal indie quartet Woman’s Hour, Spanish vocalist and sometime John Talabot collaborator Pional, twisted R&B nightingale Rosie Lowe and hazy pysch dudes Childhood.

And the new music keeps on coming with appearances from Kate Tempest, Jessy Lanza, Melt Yourself Down, The Front Bottoms, Hockeysmith, Wild Smiles, Black Orange Juice, Rag N Bone Man, Vaults, FTSE, Tourist, Sivu, God Damn, Happyness, The Correspondents, Bo Saris, Congopunq, Indiana, The Bulletproof Bomb, Fé and Cousin Marnie.

There’s still plenty more incredible music, mayhem and madness to announce, so make sure you join us at the Desert Island Disco this September for an escapist weekend of off the chain behaviour!

Foals and Beck to headline Bestival 2014

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.

Snoop Dogg & Foals to headline Parklife Weekender

US West Coast hip hop megastar Snoop Dogg and UK homegrown indie rockers Foals will headline the fifth edition of the Parklife Weekender in Manchester.

Also joining them is West Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar with a UK Festival exclusive show, club legends Soul II Soul, UK favourites Disclosure, Nero, Moderat, Bondax, Rudimental, Maya Jane Coles, Duke Dumont, High Contrast, Julio Bashmore, Redlight, SBTRKT, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (DJ), Cyril Hahn and Seth Troxler and more!

Crossing the Atlantic this summer is one of hip hop's greats Snoop Dogg, who will make his Parklife debut on Saturday 7th June 2014. Having sold over 30 million albums worldwide Snoop 'Doggy' Dogg will no doubt have festival-goers jumping with hits from his incredible back catalogue as well as tracks from his Snoop Lion alter ego. 

One of the UK's top performers and winners of the Q Award's Best Live Act 2013, Foals, will take to the Parklife main stage on Sunday 8th June. Innovative and ambitious, the Oxford quintet have three stunning albums under their belt and are a rock force to be reckoned with.

Foals

The weekend festival has an eclectic line-up that spans dance, indie, pop, and hip hop, and is a true testament to Parklife's dedication to new and established artists. Giving a nod to Manchester's deep dance heritage, club legends Soul II Soul will be delivering the old school sounds that launched the group to critical acclaim at the tail end of the 80s. With a finger firmly on the pulse of modern day dance culture, Parklife's offering of electronic acts is unrivalled and features the likes of Brit nominees Disclosure who have been the biggest thing to happen to dance in recent years. Plus heavyweights such as NeroModeratBondaxRudimentalMaya Jane ColesDuke DumontHigh ContrastJulio BashmoreRedlightSBTRKTTotally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (DJ), Cyril Hahn and Seth Troxler will also be at this years Parklife Weekender. 

Parklife's hip hop offering has grown year-on-year and this year the festival is proud to welcome one of the genre's recent success stories, Kendrick Lamar. Set to cause a stir in 2014 with his raw lyrical delivery is one of rap's most original artists, Danny Brown, who will no doubt have Parklife roaring from the infectious energy of his live show. Pusha T performs over the weekend and Flying Lotus will appear not once but twice as he brings the elusive Captain Murphy to a Parklife stage.

Returning to Parklife is one of the country's most forward thinking female pop stars, Katy B, who'll be showcasing tracks from her highly anticipated sophomore album 'Little Red'. Current number one band in the UK Clean Bandit also join the bill in addition to B-TraitsGold PandaJamie xx, funk duo Chromeo and master bassist Thundercat.

Parklife 2014 returns to the legendary Heaton Park which has played host to some of the most iconic performances of the decade, including Oasis, the seminal Stone Roses and now one of the greatest and best value for money festivals in the UK. 2014 will see new stage installations including a 20,000 capacity outdoor dance stage known as The Temple. 

Today's news follows a string of announcements that saw Jon HopkinsAnnie Mac,MKBastilleSam SmithBen UFO & Pearson Sound and Warpaint revealed as acts for Parklife 2014 and as if the line-up could get any better, the festival are set to announce even more artists over the coming months. Having sold out every year, The Parklife Weekender is the fastest growing festival in the world. Launched in 2010 by heavyweight dance music promoters The Warehouse Project, the festival continues to push boundaries and keeps the illustrious music heritage of Manchester alive.

MGMT, Foals, Rudimental and more join Open’er lineup

Joining the Open'er line-up are the ever exciting, live champions Foals and the UK’s premier live dance act  – Rudimental. The new electronic Beat Stage will also have its inaugural year, hosting only the best in international talent with Julio Bashmore as the first DJ/producer for the lineup. 

Foals

A sold-out concert and their reputation for an ever exciting live show meant that Foals simply had to return to Open’er festival. The band came onto the UK musical scene in 2007, when they met David Sitek, the founder member of TV On The Radio, which led to him producing their debut album “Antidotes". On 2010’s “Total Life Forever”, the band moved in a different direction, this also marks the first occasion that they brought their tunes to their Polish fans at Open&'er 2011, playing a show so intense that the guitarist's fingers started to bleed. In October 2012, Yannis Philippakis, Jack Bevan, Jimmy Smith, Walter Gervers and Edwin Congreave announed the title of their following release.  "Holy Fire” which was released early last year. With its release, NME announced that  "the Oxford art-rockers cast off their spiky, mathletic shackles and head for the big league", and The Line of Best Fit simply called it Foals' "masterpiece".
Foals
 
Rudimental
There's a strong history of the studio pioneers of British dance music becoming household names in Poland; from Basement Jaxx to Groove Armada, Massive Attack to Chase & Status. The hottest new collective making their mark are the East London quartet Rudimental. With support coming from the likes of Zane Lowe, The XX, Mistajam and Fearne Cotton, they're set to dominate dancefloors and airwaves in the coming months. Adding to that, Rudimental have been nominated for three awards at this year’s Brit Awards: Mastercard British Album of the Year, British Single – „Waiting All Night” feat. Ella Eyre, and British Group. Their debut “Home” went platinum in the UK. It comprises songwriters and producers Piers Agget, Kesi Dryden and Amir Amor, together with DJ Locksmith. Rudimental play the newly founded Here and Now Stage.
 
Julio Bashmore
Julio may have appeared to have burst onto the scene in late 2009, but the lead up to his eponymous EP for Claude VonStroke's highly influential Dirtybird label was essentially a lifetime in the making. Over the next three years, he rounded off a string of stellar EPs and singles on an array of labels. His vital eclecticism was showcased in his mighty contribution to the Essential Mix series on BBC Radio 1 at the end of the year. Bounce to blissed-out Garage of "Footsteppin", lose your mind to his Mosca remix, or turn out the lights for "Batak Groove" and you'll realise, simply, that it's just something you feel. He did 3 cuts on Jessie Ware’s debut album, including ‘Running’ and ‘110%’, and Ware returned the favour with guest vocals on a version of “Peppermint”. With fresh music for his newly imprinted label Broadwalk Records and a debut album coming in the next months, this might be the most incredible year for him.