BLOODSTOCK GOES GREENER

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Following along from 2018’s ‘Drastic On Plastic’ initiative, this year we’re committing to the ‘BLOODSTOCK Goes Greener’ campaign!  This year we aim to recycle at least 50% of the festival’s waste and send nothing at all to landfill.  We’re encouraging everyone to say a big ‘NO’ to single use tents and plastics on site and we hope to completely eradicate single use plastics atBLOODSTOCK by 2020 as well as lower BLOODSTOCK‘s carbon footprint as a whole by 2021.  Our initial 6-point plan for 2019 runs as follows:

1 – RECYCLABLE BRANDED BLOODSTOCK CUPS ACROSS ALL BARS – BLOODSTOCKers pay a one-off sum of £2 for a recyclable BLOODSTOCK-branded plastic cup which can be used across all bars.  The added bonus is that you’ll have a souvenir to take home too.

2 – RECYCLING POINTS – BLOODSTOCKers to use the clearly signed recycling points in the arena & campsites.

3 – 100% BIODEGRADABLE FOOD PACKAGING – Food traders will only be using 100% biodegradable food packaging and cutlery this year.

4 – RECYCLE PLASTIC BOTTLES ACROSS THE SITE – Coca Cola will collect and recycle your plastic bottles on site and have them back in circulation within weeks of the festival.

5 – SAY NO TO SINGLE USE TENTS – Together with our tent partners Fat Franks Camping Shop and Tangerine Fields, we want to encourage you to either take your tent home with you after the festival or if you don’t want the hassle of bringing a tent with you in the first place, you can either ‘Click and Collect’ a tent and camping equipment from Fat Franks Camping Shop in advance – http://www.fatfrankscampingshop.com/sustainable-camping – or you can simply hire a pre-erected tent, airbed, bedding, etc, from Tangerine Fields –  https://www.tangerinefields.co.uk/events/bloodstock-open-air.html – which will be ready and waiting to move into when you arrive at the festival.  Both Fat Franks Camping Shop and Tangerine Fields are situated in the Midgard Campsite. 


DONATE YOUR TENT & WIN TICKETS TO BLOODSTOCK 2020!  Fat Franks Camping Shop will stay open until 12 Noon on Monday morning after the festival to enable you to take back any unwanted camping equipment (tents, sleeping bags, chairs, bedding, airbeds, etc) whether purchased from Fat Franks or elsewhere.  For those of you that drop off unwanted tents at Fat Franks, we will enter you into a prize draw to win a pair of tickets to Bloodstock 2020 (our 20th Anniversary event)!  Winners will be announced approximately 28 days after the festival.  All donated items will go to Pathways Homeless Charity and a local scout group.

6 – LOWER TRAVEL EMISSIONS – We want to offer low impact ways to travel to the festival so have partnered with Big Green Coach who have 34 pickup locations around the UK.  This creates a huge reduction in carbon emissions, coming by coach rather than car.  For every customer who books travel with Big Green Coach, they sponsor and protect 5 sq ft of Amazonian Rainforest for 10 years.  This has resulted in over 1,200,000 sq ft of Peruvian Rainforest being protected by Big Green Coach for the next 10 years since they began the commitment.  Their target is to protect an area covering 3 million sq ft over the next 5 years.  This is all thanks to you!  For more info click to https://www.biggreencoach.co.uk/why-are-we-green.  To book coach tickets; https://www.biggreencoach.co.uk/events/bloodstock-festival-tickets-coach-travel.  Alternatively, you can travel via Carshare to BLOODSTOCK with GoCarshare.com for the cheapest festival travel prices to site.  GoCarShare connect metal-loving drivers and passengers going in the same direction.  By sharing a spare seat or two, this reduces the number of cars on the road travelling to BLOODSTOCK and subsequently reduces carbon emissions.  Click to https://gocarshare.com/festival/bloodstock for full info.

Let’s work together to make the world a better place for us and our children.

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL DEBUTS MINDFULNESS PROGRAMME – MIND THE DOG

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DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL DEBUTS
MINDFULNESS PROGRAMME – MIND THE DOG

ON SITE IMPROVEMENTS FOR 2019
INCLUDING NEW DAY ENTRANCE, CAR PARKS, AND MORE!

FIVE CONTINENTS OF ROCK TALENT TO DESCEND
ON THE HALLOWED GROUNDS OF DONINGTON PARK

Download Festival, the world’s premiere rock event, has announced that a full mindfulness
programme will be implemented in 2019 for the first time. Announced ahead of Mental Health
Awareness week next month, the Mind The Dog initiative will run morning, afternoon, and evening
sessions where rockers can share a fully immersive, live music and mindfulness experience, from
Thursday 13 – Sunday 16 June. Day and weekend festival tickets available at
www.downloadfestival.co.uk

One in six people in England report experiencing common mental health issues including anxiety and
depression in any given week (1) and by 2030, it’s estimated that two million more adults in the UK will
experience mental health problems than there were in 2013 (2). The recent loss of music legends
including Keith Flint (Prodigy), Chester Bennington (Linkin Park), Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), and
Scott Hutchinson (Frightened Rabbit), calls for action to open up the conversation surrounding mental
health, something Download organisers are committed to.

Festival Republic’s Melvin Benn said:
“Download Festival has gone from strength to strength in its sustainability and accessibility offerings.
We have been awarded 4 star Creative Green Result by Julie’s Bicycle for the second year running, and
level gold from Access Is For Everything last year, which is highest possible award for accessibility, so
it only made sense to offer an on site programme for mental health, as well as physical. By introducing
Mind The Dog this year, we are hoping to provide a mindfulness haven in The Doghouse across the
weekend, with meditation, sound baths, and more. I couldn’t be prouder of how much Download
Festival has accomplished already.”

Fans can channel their zen under ambient lighting and atop woven tapestries, before immersing
themselves in hour long classes under the roof of The Doghouse which will transform into Mind The
Dog by day, offering FREE mindfulness gatherings. Morning meditation will host curated live music
sessions, designed to ready campers for the day, whilst the afternoon offers a healing sound bath, encouraging fans to pause, connect, and tune into themselves, and the evening class brings a calming
focus to elevate fans state of consciousness. Designed with conscious breath work sessions, the
programme aims to bring fans together in the now, becoming closer to themselves, the music, and
each other. Full schedule details can be found in notes to editors.

Recent studies show music can prevent feelings of loneliness and provide social connection (3), whilst
the global heavy metal community provides a strong sense of “belonging and acceptance”(4). In line
with the success and return of on-site DO.OM Yoga (yoga to Doom Metal music), and the thriving
return of Camp Loner, (the campsite dedicated to welcoming individuals attending the festival solo),
organisers are now excited to bring their elevated mindful offerings for Download fans in synergy with
the festival spirit.

In support of the programme, Rou Reynolds from Enter Shikari, who headline The Avalanche Stage at
this year’s festival said: “We often go through life on autopilot, getting caught up in the stressors, the anxieties, the intensity of it all. We’re rarely consciously in control of our turbulent mind. Mindfulness allows us to regain
control as we learn to observe our thoughts instead of getting caught up in them.
It has been an incredible help to me and I couldn’t recommend it more. Not only does it help with
anxiety and depression, but it also improves focus, emotional intelligence, compassion, tolerance and
objectivity and has even been proven to help boost your immune system. Big up Download for
introducing this programme to the festival”

Improved changes for 2019 include a new devoted entrance for day visitors and non-camping
weekend ticket holders, weekend campers will also have their own dedicated car park, plus The Village
is moving close to The Arena meaning festivalgoers can go from mosh to party with ease. The NXT
Arena moves closer to the guest area, where NXT UK will be live taping to broadcast as part of a weekly
show on the WWE Network, and the introduction of Metal Movies, a new open-air cinema with
hammocks and lounge areas, will allow fans to kick back and watch music documentaries including
being a metal band from Nepal with Underside along with a Q&A with the band afterwards, and
Pursuit Of The Vikings with Amon Amarth.

Download continues its commitment to provide the best experience for fans, with accessibility
improvements implemented in 2018, resulting in the awarding of Gold Level status by Access is
Everything ahead of this year’s festival.

Sustainability remains a priority for Download Festival. Car parking donations last year via Energy
Revolution raised £15,811 for Solar to Schools, a project which funds schools with solar roofing panels
across the UK, and the festival continues its zero waste to landfill policy, as recycling points in the
campsites will double in 2019. Last year saw the recycling and composting rate increase to 46% from
2017’s 41%, and single use cups were reduced by a million with reusable alternatives. The Eco
Campsite opened in 2018 which saw zero tents left behind and returns this year with an increased
capacity for a total of 2000 campers, a 33% increase from last year.

Additional water points for 2019 will be introduced across the arena, refillable Download Festival
metal water bottles will be available for purchase the first time, and Co-op are excited to continue
their Deposit and Return Scheme with their reverse vending machine returning to Download, which
proved popular last year with festivalgoers who want to recycle plastic bottles, in return for a coupon to spend in the on site Co-op shop. Since 2016, all single use plastic cutlery, containers, and straws
have been banned from traders, caterers and bars.

Donnington Park, the spiritual home of rock, has always called for international talent to grace its
stages, with 2019 as no exception. With over 100 bands performing across the weekend, hailing from
18 countries including Australia, Canada, England, France, Finland, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Ukraine, United States
and Wales, Download Festival remains the King of rock festivals.

(1) Mind
(2) NHS Mental Health Network

(3) Reachout.com
(4) Journal of Community Psychology

PENGSHUi ANNOUNCED FOR DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL WINNERS OF KERRANG! RADIO’S FINDING FRESH BLOOD COMPETITION

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Download Festival the UK’s premier rock event has today announced the winner of Kerrang! Radio’s
Finding Fresh Blood competition as grime-punks PENGSHUi. Crowned by Download Festival promoters
and a panel of Kerrang! Radio presenters, the London trio triumphed over thousands of entries to come
out as champions of the hottest new talent search for the festival. The band are now set to open
The Avalanche Stage and guarantee to bring their unrelenting, raw mix of rap and riffs to the crowds for
an utterly unmissable Download debut.

Download Festival’s Andy Copping said: “A big thanks to everyone that applied, and to the Fresh Blood
team who had to narrow down thousands of bands to the shortlist we were given, but PENGSHUi have
something special with their effortless blend of metal and grime, they are the perfect opener for The
Avalanche Stage this year. Get yourselves down on Friday afternoon, and watch history being made as I
can see big things for them!”

Hailing from London and made up of Illaman on vocals, Fatty on Bass and Pravvy Prav on drums, the trio
have made already made huge waves with their unique sound.

Kerrang! Radio’s Alex Baker said: “Pengshui are without a doubt one of the most exciting bands on planet
earth today and their win is a testament to their unbelievable, powerful, innovative sound! Ultimate vibes.
They are going to light The Avalanche Stage UP!!”

DOWNLOAD REVEALS PROGRAMME OF VILLAGE AND ARENA ACTIVITIES AND ENTERTAINMENT

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Download Festival, the UK’s premier rock event has today announced a plethora of extracurricular
and extra spectacular rock n’ roll activities and entertainment for fans in The Download Village.
Alongside the world’s biggest rock bands; including headliners Def Leppard, Slipknot and Tool and the
high-flying WWE NXT UK, fans will enjoy a stunning array of unique performances, experientials,stalls,
food, drink and more at the three-day rock extravaganza. Day tickets for the festival have also now
been released and are on sale from £79.50 + booking fees from www.downloadfestival.co.uk.

For those looking to get revved up in moshing shape, Download is proud to welcome heavy metal
exercise class RockFit™ to make its festival debut. The classes will see fans throwing shapes and
working out to an energising soundtrack featuring AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica as well as acts
from the bill like Slipknot, Def Leppard, Slash and Rob Zombie and more. The classes are suitable and
adaptable for everyone and fans are invited to take part.

DO.OMYOGA™ is back after an incredibly successful first outing, where fans can perfect their asanas,
practice their downward facing Download Dog, and reconnect to themselves through the ancient
Indian practice of Nada Yoga where music and sound become one. Welcoming all to taking a leap into
the heavier world of wellness and fitness in a slow vinyasa based practice, set to a selection of dark,
‘vibrational’ end of the music, along with up to 250 other Metal Yoga enthusiasts, experts and curious
beginners alike.

The SINDROME Arena will be back this year playing host to a programme of death-defying stunts,
bohemian freaks, mechanical madness, Viking battles and a heavy dose of love, peace and air rock n
roll. Fan favourite, Area 51 and their wandering Caravan of Lost Souls are back with their dark circus
sideshow and human curiosities to hype the crowds. In an Official World Premiere The Thunderdome
comes to Download, where Young Wall of Death stars Luke and Kerri Fox defy death right before your
eyes on a 9m mesh wall in their brand spanking new adrenalin fuelled stunt show. The hugely popular
‘Demolition Download’ from Battle Heritage are making the charge back to Donington for a sixth year
where medieval fighters from all over Europe will gather to take each other on in battle to be crowned
champions in this full force, full contact sport. By popular audience demand, festival goers will be able
to try their hand at this most ancient of sports, at the Demolition Download workshops featuring
Battle Heritage Fighters in the SINDROME.

Fans are invited to make air, not war as the UK Air Guitar Championships makes its grand return to
Download. Festival fans are invited exclusively to enter into this internationally recognized
competition and to gain the chance of becoming the UK’s ultimate 2019 Air Guitar Hero and a shot at
the world title in Finland. DR HAZE the Undead Ringmaster of The Circus of Horrors hosts the
competition and at the end of each heat, performers from the Circus of Horrors will hit the SINDROME
Stage.

The beloved Doghouse features a stacked bill including fan favorites Circus of Horrors, who are back
with two wild new shows ‘Asylum’ and ‘Welcome To The Freak Show’. Each featuring an amazing
amalgamation of bizarre, fantastic circus acts and the darkest of magic. Expect unbelievable sword
swallowers, whirlwind acrobats, flaming limbo twisted contortion, blade walkers, fiery hula hooping
divas and lots, lots more in this roller coaster of a show, hosted by undead ringmaster Dr Haze with a
metal soundscape of devil driven rock n’ roll.

The World’s Greatest Wall of Death returns to The Download Village providing non-stop high-risk
performances from the legendary Luke and Kerri Fox and team that will leave the Download audience
utterly awe struck and totally exhilarated. Deep in the Woods in the heart of the Village, The Metal
Den can be discovered – where revellers can lay in hammocks and savour Download’s very first
Outdoor Cinema The Metal Screen and its hand curated Cineprogram. From noon to midnight each
day an awesome collection of Arthouse, classic, comedy and documentaries will be screened. As the
witching hour strikes the Metal Screens’ resident metal VJ Harry K will take to the decks spinning
metal & rock classics into the early hours. Download’s revered resident tattooists, Old Sarum are on
hand ready to ink the masses, for those who want a more permanent memento of their weekend.

The Download Village also plays host to delicious food and drink stalls fairground rides and lots of
surprises!

Further lineup additions to Reading and Leeds Festival

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Comedy is an essential part of Reading and Leeds and today the first wave of funny acts have been announced. Panel show favourite Josh Widdicombe will headline the Alternative Stage, entertaining audiences with his quick wit, guaranteed to have festival-goers in stitches. Having found fame as a regular on Channel 4 series The Last Leg, Widdicome has continued his storied career with stellar stand-up shows and rave reviews for his BBC sitcom Josh.

Comedy genius Bridget Christie is ready to take on the Alternative Stage crowds this summer with a headline set. A regular on the comedy scene since 2004 where she won the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award the multi-award winner has since gone on to become a regular favourite on TV and radio.

Further Alternative Stage comics include Abigoliah Schamaun (R), Andrew Maxwell (R), Brennan Reece (L), Carl Donnelly, Dane Baptiste, David Morgan, Ed Gamble, Fin Taylor, Kae Kurd, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Lloyd Griffith, Marcus Brigstocke, Masud Milas, Nick Helm (L), Russell Kane, Shappi Khorsandi and Tom Allen. David Olshanetskyand Naledi Dube will present a live episode of their hit podcast, David’s Out For A Good Time, and spoken-word poet Luke Wright will also be live at Reading Festival. Late night DJs include Hot Dub Time Machine, Buttoned Down Disco (R) and Trangressive Takeover, with special guests to be announced. Festival goers will also be able to take the weight off their feet and settle down to catch film screenings of documentaries including ‘Liam Gallagher: As It Was’ and Frank Sidebottom’s ‘Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story’.

Alongside the Alternative Stage, more names have been added to the remarkable music line up across the festival weekend. British singer-songwriter Mabel joins the BBC Radio One Stage bill ahead of the release of her anticipated debut album ‘High Expectations’ this July. Fans can expect to hear hits including 2017 platinum record ‘Finders Keepers’ and 2019 top 10 single ‘Don’t Call Me Up’. Irish rock band Picture This will thrill fans when they bring their eagerly anticipated new album, MDRN LV to life alongside indie rockers CHILDCARE. Rap-rock morphers The LaFontaines join the BBC Radio One Dance Stage with rising rap star Barny Fletcher and pop queen Kim Petras. Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers will bring songs from their emotionally charged debut album ‘Bought To Rot’, the undisputed kings of ‘fashion-art’ rock Palaye Royale join the Pit Stage bill with Californian punk rockers Plague Vendor. Merseyside crew Queen Zee will not hold back bringing their quirky style to The Pit.

American punk rock band Bleached will head to the festivals off the back of their US tour and siblings Sons Of Raphael will also be crossing the pond to bring their unrelenting energy for performances not to be missed. Oddity Road will deliver their heavy riffs and tight infectious songs, Philadelphia singer-songwriter Pink Sweat$ will bring his soothing R&B jams and Kawala, who are currently making waves within the indie music scene since the release of their first single, ‘Small Death’, will also be joining the Festival Republic Stage.

East London drill rapper Unknown T best known for his breakout hit Homerton B will be making his Reading and Leeds debut on the BBC 1Xtra Stage, as well as rapper and producer NAV who will be bringing his trademark vocals and hypnotic trap beats to the festival following the release of Billboard number one sophomore record ‘Bad Habits’. Elsewhere, US rapper YBN Nahmir is set to deliver an unforgettable performance, while  BiG HEATH, DigDat, Geko and Tyla Yaweh will also be joining the the BBC 1Xtra stage bill.

 If that’s not enough, Relentless After Dark have also announced an eclectic line-up for Leeds Festival including Alma (live), Amy Becker, Charlie Sloth & Friends Presents,Crucast (feat Skepsis, Darksy, Mr Virgo, Bru-C, TS7, Lazcru and Window Kid), DJ Jonezy, DJ Semtex, Hannah Wants, Jaguar, James Organ, Jay1, Jess Bays, L U C Y,Mason Maynard, MIC Righteous, Prospa, Rude Kid, Solardo, Stardom, The Menendez Brothers and Unknown T. Relentless After Dark will provide a late night hangout from Thursday to Sunday evening, keeping Leeds Festival energised till the early hours.

Barn on the Farm sold out

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Barn on the Farm is pleased to announce the final line-up for Intimate Thursday and Behind Barn Doors Friday. Two secret headliners and a whole host of emerging and established artists will be helping to celebrate Barn on the Farm’s 10th birthday this July. Tickets have now sold out for the whole event so for any resales the only official and credible outlet is Twickets – www.twickets.co.uk

INTIMATE THURSDAY:

SECRET HEADLINER – CLEAN CUT KID – DECLAN J DONNOVAN – ORLA GARTLAND – PROSE – CHARLOTTE – IYAMAH – NICK WILSON – S.H.E. 

BEHIND THE BARN DOORS FRIDAY: 

SECRET HEADLINER – AU/RA – OUTLYA – BLOXX – PLESTED – JAMES SMITH – BRUNSWICK – MOSA WILD – HYYTS 

Abbie McCarthy’s Good Karma Club at Barn on the Farm:

Barn on the Farm is delighted to announce that on the Friday it will be teaming up with Abbie McCarthy to co-curate a line-up to be run in the Wooden Barn Stage. Abbie is a TV and Radio presenter for BBC Music Introducing, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music and runs her own club night, Good Karma Club.

HAMZAA – MAE MULLER – MATHILDA HOMER – AERIS ROVES – JNR WILLIAMS – ROSE GRAY – EYELAR – WINNIE RAEDER – MOLLY PAYTON

BIMM on the Farm:

Another exciting partnership will be with BIMM Music College. BIMM and Barn on the Farm will be creating a line-up including BIMM students past and present, showcasing the best in brand-new talent and headlined by the fantastic Ady Suleiman. The BIMM stage will be set in the Tin Barn on Friday.

ADY SULEIMAN (acoustic set) – LUNA BAY – CLARA McHUGH – ALFIE NEALE – MARGO RAATS – JACK HOWARD – MORTEN LAVA – LEYLA FAHM – CLEMENCE

Michelle Humphreys, Head of Artist Development and Events at BIMM London was instrumental in helping the collaboration come to fruition along with the festival’s founder Josh Sanger, who voiced his excitement on the new collaboration.

“This year we’re delighted to be partnering with BIMM Music College to create a stage of fantastic artists who are currently, or have previously, studied at the college. There is nothing more exciting for us to be giving BIMMs students a place to shine and hopefully climb the ladder to headline the festival in years to come! 2019 marks the 10th year of Barn on the Farm and we are extremely pleased to have BIMM celebrating it with us.”

Isle of Wight Festival complete lineup for 2019

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The Isle of Wight Festival today reveals the final names for the 2019 festival, which kicks off British festival season in 3 weeks’ time. Sundara Karma, Ferris & Sylvester, Electric Enemy & Wight Noize competition winners Sub Pacific complete the Main Stage line-up, with the Big Top filled by Heather Small, Sea Girls, Palaye Royale, Bang Bang Romeo, Billy Lockett, The Snuts, Fatherson & Lauran Hibberd. Fans can download the official Isle of Wight Festival 2019 app to be the first to find out stage times and plan which acts they want to see – the app creates a personalised list and offers handy reminders, ensuring fans don’t miss a thing. The free app is available to download now on Apple or Android.

These newly announced acts will join headliners Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, George Ezra, Biffy Clyro, Fatboy Slim and more across 13th – 16th June on the Isle of Wight.

Gender-fluid, playful but built on classic songwriting, Sundara Karma have established themselves as a singular new British rock band. The band set themselves apart with frontman Oscar Pollock’s unabashed lyrics, which delve into the disparities of post-adolescent existence and confront the bigger questions in life. Matched with a blend of up-tempo melodies and heart on your sleeve attitude, it is an irresistible combination.

Ferris & Sylvester are songwriters with clear references in their catchy setup to mid-60s Greenwich Village and, combined with their meatier blues tones, the pair sit somewhere between Jack White and First Aid Kit. In 2018, the duo released their highly anticipated EP Made In Streatham which they self-produced in their South London flat. Released through their own label Archtop Records, the EP has clocked up millions of streams and received widespread praise across the board.

Electric Enemy make music with a message that is as powerful as the guitar-driven sound of Muse, Queens Of The Stoneage and Panic at the Disco.

Sub Pacific are one of the Isle of Wight’s most talented alternative rock bands. Their latest single, Can You, features infectious hooks and captivating lyrics, creating hype since its release on Spotify.  Having won the Wight Noize showcase, the boys are ready to take the UK by storm this summer

As part of M People and thanks to a successful solo career, Heather Small has enjoyed worldwide success and became one of the seminal British voices of the 90s. Hits including Moving On Up, One Night in Heaven, Search for the Hero and Proud will make for special singalongs once she takes to the Big Top stage on 13th June.

With instantaneous, festival ready, euphoric guitar anthems in spades, Sea Girls have set their sights on 2019 as theirs for the taking. Named as one of the BBC’s Sound Of… artists for 2019, they’ve drawn support from Radio X, NME, Time Out, The Independent and more. With their debut album released this year, Sea Girls are bringing to the forefront the pure joy of what a band should be.

Rightfully christened as both “The Hottest Band of 2018” and simply “the” group of the year, by the English music press, Canadian fashion-rock trio Palaye Royale are a shot of adrenaline into the modern musical landscape. Summoning a thrilling spirit, with throwback sonic crunch, visual flair, and reckless live performances, they have quickly earned a legion of obsessive cult-like fans, lovingly dubbed Soldiers of the Royal Council.

Bang Bang Romeo are a force to be reckoned with. The talented UK band, fronted by one of the most remarkable vocalists and performers of recent times – Anastasia “Stars” Walker -, are a young propelling force for female fronted bands and a strong and open voice for the LGBTQ+ community. Frontwoman Stars is hailed by many in the music industry as having a ‘once in 20 years voice’ and the band’s unrivalled larger-than-life performances are driving audiences wild up and down the country.

Piano man Billy Lockett grew up in Northampton and secured early support from Radio 1 which led to tour support slots with Birdy, Lana del Rey and KT Tunstall. Now a few years down the line, he’s added Lewis Capaldi and Electric Light Orchestra to his list of support slots and is heading out on his own tour this year.

Already a cult sensation in their Scottish homeland, THE SNUTS have built their burgeoning reputation on the road, with shows growing in scale and style since they sold-out their first headline date at Glasgow’s King Tut’s in 2017. Spending much of last year spreading their riotous rock ‘n’ roll gospel further afield, with a succession of major festival performances including Reading & Leeds, Benicàssim, TRNSMT and Belladrum, their live shows inspire a frenzied audience reaction and mass singalongs.

The upwards trajectory of Fatherson’s blossoming career serves a heartening reminder that the hype machine is no substitute for talent, authenticity and graft. This is a band afforded no shortcuts to get where they are today, a success story built on word-of-mouth conversions. Attend any Fatherson gig and you’ll find a room echo with lyrics being sung back en masse by adoring fans. They play The Isle of Wight Festival on Sunday 16th June.

Humorous, infectious and charismatic in equal measure, Isle Of Wight’s rising sensation Lauran Hibberd is solidifying her status within the UK’s emerging indie elite. Buzzing across the airwaves with BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, Huw Stephens and Jack Saunders all throwing their support behind the young musician, Lauran’s witty, off-kilter approach continues to attract glowing praise from the online community (The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, The 405) and welcome comparisons to contemporaries including Courtney Barnett and Phoebe Bridgers.

Teleman @ Cambridge Junction 23/04/2019 Review

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There is nothing better than a show at an old school music venue on a school night. We were looking forward to catching the second date in the short Teleman Tour. Kane and myself turned up early to grab an interview with the charismatic four piece, while the support act, Uh, were performing their soundcheck. We were surprised that the usual queues at The Junction were not forming, but put it down to people getting a bite to eat before the show.

The Junction is a great venue for getting close up to the action. It is purpose built on the old cattle market site and holds a capacity of 850 people. The acoustics are always good and it is basically a square space with a small stage against one wall, the mixing desk normally against the opposing wall, and the rest of the dark space for the crowd. Small bars either side mean you can get cold drinks without missing the action. It’s also very well set up for people with disabilities with helpful staff on hand, so it is pretty much all that a music venue should be.

The venue was slowly filling up when the support band, Uh, took to the stage. A male and female duo, Uh announced that they were going to start with meditation. They then went on to play a hypnotic electronica song with spoken lyrics. Their set contained various songs of a similar ilk, which at least got the crowd swaying. It was all in all very ‘Cambridge’.

Once they had completed the stage was bathed in blue with the customary smoke slowly filling the area. We noticed that the venue was now full, and our first fears that it was going to be a quiet night were unfounded. The very eclectic crowd waited patiently until the appearance of the main act was signalled by the stage plunging into darkness and silence from the amps. A heavy bassline signalled a start to the proceedings and the stage was engulfed in a red hue as Teleman took to their positions on the stage. The unmistakable synth intro of ‘Fun Destruction’ rang out as the cheers from the crowd were dying down. The crowd really started grooving to ‘Family Of Aliens’, the title track of Teleman’s new album.

The setlist was always going to have a fair share of numbers from their new album, but Teleman mixed it up a bit with tracks from their previous two albums and some from their EPs. As Tom had told us in our interview, they also had some fun with the live numbers, with more instrumental interludes, where all the members of the band could show off their musical skills. They like to keep their shows simple, to let the music do its talking. The lights were subtle and fairly static, except for some elements of strobing during songs like ‘Cactus’ and the interaction with the audience was fairly minimal. In fact it was not until the end of ‘Repeater’, five songs in that Tom said ‘It’s nice to be back in Cambridge.’

It was obvious that the band like to jam in a live environment and like to play with sound. ‘Submarine Life’ was full of distortion, but also had Tom playing a tambourine and the band clearly enjoyed this number, as did the crowd. Pete Cattermole put down his bass at one stage and swapped places with Jonny Saunders. Tom proclaimed that if they were swapping over they were trying something new and said ‘That’s exciting isn’t it?’ The crowd responded with a ‘WOOHOO’. Now Pete and Jonny were on synths, accompanied with Hiro’s simple percussion as they preformed ‘Sea Of Wine’, a song that really showcases Tom’s vocals.

It was after this that we were treated to an insight into the Rock N Roll lifestyle of Teleman on tour. They had, had a nice day at the Botanical Gardens, but being the Rock N Roll Rebels they are they had broken in! Well when I say broken in they said they had just walked in really! This drew a lone ‘Good on Ya’ from one of the fans.

We were treated to a lot of numbers from ‘Family of Aliens’ in the first two thirds of the set, but then Teleman ramped things up with songs from their first album and EPs such as ‘Strange Combination’, ‘Not In Control’ and ‘Cristina’, the latter two being a surprise as they tend to be songs in the encore. The crowd had been moving more and more and by the end of ‘Song For A Seagull’ it was a writhing organic mass from the front of the stage to the back of the venue. This ramped up to a fenzy during the crowd pleasing ‘Not In Control’. This is normally a good time to exit stage left and leave the crowd wanting more, which is exactly what the band did. A drum machine played like the ticking of some unseen clock, and simple white lighting shone on the, now, empty stage.

Tom came onto the stage on his own for the first song of the encore. With a simple spot on him he performed a delightfully stripped down version of ‘Nights On Earth’. The show had seemed to flash by and there was only one song that could now finish off the night. Jonny, Pete and Hiro joined Tom on stage and ‘Dusseldorf’ capped the night. With a heavy drumbeat, hand clapping, everyone signing in unison and the whole place jumping, that is the perfect way to end a cheeky show on a school night.

Review by Tony Creek

Photos by Kane Howie

 

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Interview with Teleman at Cambridge Junction

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Interview by Tony Creek

Photos by Kane Howie

Thomas Sanders, took some time out to talk to us ahead of the Teleman show at The Cambridge Junction on the 23rd April. As their support band, Uh, were running through their souncheck, we adjourned to the salubrious surroundings of the car park, to talk about their latest album, musical direction and the difference between touring in Europe and the UK amongst other things.

Kane stole my first question when he was shooting a few pictures, so this is not your first time in Cambridge then?

No we’ve played here, I do not know how many times. We have played quite a few headline shows over the years and with other bands. In fact I remember playing cricket in this car park with The Maccabees. We have played smaller venues in Cambridge too. We have played the Portland Arms at least twice.

Your latest album is entitled Family of Aliens. Does this represent you as a band?

Yeah, to an extent. I don’t want to speak for everyone in the band, but sometimes it is a kind of feeling of being a bit detached about everything that is going on around you, and you kind of feel, where do you fit in all this? It is often hard to relate to the stuff that is happening in the world, like politically. You assume that the majority of people are on the same planet as you, and then you realise that there are people living on a completely different planet. You start to question where you belong, where they belong, where do you all fit in?

The new album seems to have a different sound to the other two.

Yeah it does have a different flavour. Each time we go into the studio, we try and push the boundaries a bit further and be a bit more playful. As a writer I have moved away from the guitar quite a lot. Just because I got a bit bored playing the guitar all the time. I still love it and play it in the shows. We do not want all our songs to be focused around the guitar. In fact a lot of our new songs,on what will be our fourth record don’t really have any guitar in. We may have gone to far.

So more synth based?

Yeah, and just anything really. I have been writing on the piano a lot which I really enjoy. Trying to not let yourself get tied down to traditional habits. The way I have been writing my whole life has always been the same.

It is a conscious decision to move then?

Yeah it is definitely. I like to challenge myself. I kind of come from an indie and Britpop background. That was the music that I loved when I was a kind. Those are about the verse and the chorus, a very formulaic structure. Then the second chorus a double chorus and then you get your middle 8. For years I thought this is how you have to write a song and it got so ingrained that I really struggled to move away from that formulae. I guess it is the same with anything you do, not just music. In any creative process you can get in this groove of habit that can be difficult to break. So I have been enjoying writing to one groove that doesn’t change.

I am not talking about more recent contemporary music that is lute based. Songs like Iggy Pop’s The Passenger, doesn’t change, its just one riff for the whole song and it just gets better and better. You don’t get bored, and it is not until someone points out that you realise there are no chord changes. Some Fleetwood Mac songs are the same. A couple of their songs only have a couple of chords, and they are such great songs, that you don’t even notice.

There is beauty in the simplicity then?

Yeah and it can be so hypnotic about hearing the same thing again and again, and if you are loving it for 4 minutes, why change?

What are your influences, you mentioned Britpop?

Britpop is what I grew up on, but I would never call it an influence or a conscious influence on what I am doing now. I am not really aware of anything that is influencing me. I have been listening to some New Order recently and I really admire the way they interweave guitar into music where you wouldn’t really expect guitar to come in. Like music driven by drum machines and synths, it’s quite a fine art. It often sounds quite awkward when you try and fit in a guitar into music that is focussed around electronic music. So that’s quite a good lesson to be learnt from those guys.

You have just got back from Europe. What were the crowds like there?

Europe is very different. It is a very different experience touring Europe. On some levels it is much more enjoyable. The hospitality is great and you are looked after better. A lot of the time the people in the towns you play in genuinely appreciate that you have come to their town. They are really made up. In the UK we have an over saturated music scene. I do not mean that in a negative way. Any band you want to see, you know that they will playing in a town near you soon. The competition is high, and the standard in venues is often very low. There is no government funding, or very little that I know of.

A lot of smaller venues, are shutting down aren’t they?

Yeah exactly, for various reasons. But when you play in France, or you play in Holland, the government is putting money into venues across the country and they are astounding, like beautiful places too play in and there is definitely a difference. There is something about playing to a UK crowd that is very special though. It’s much more raw and there is a higher level of energy in the room, I have never really found that in Europe.

So what can we expect from one of your shows?

There’s going to be a lot of energy and there will be material from all of our albums. We kind of rework some of our songs to give them a more interesting twist for live. We don’t really like our songs to sound like they do on the record. I am always a bit disappointed when I go and see a band and it sounds like I have just put a CD on. I could just that at home. It is really nice when you get another angle at a live show I think. We try and make sure that everyone has a unique experience whether they know our songs or not and that everyone has a great time.

Bears Den @ Shepherds Bush Empire 24/04/2019 Review

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London based band Bears Den stopped off on their ‘So That You Might Hear Me’ tour at the legendary venue Sheperd’s Bush Empire, in which is a very important place for them as noted during the show as one member was formerly an employee at a local pub just along the same road as the venue. Both London shows were sold out and it was their last UK show before jetting off to play all over Europe.

Arriving at the venue with a capacity of 2000, the room is filled with excitement from the crowd. Whilst patiently waiting for the first act Tusks to arrive on stage, people were sipping at their beverages , chatting amongst themselves with many also observing the merch stall.

The stage was lit with blue lighting with a gentle haze of smoke while two vintage styled rugs were seen covering the floor. Around 8:00pm, the lights began to dim and support act Tusks took to the stage. Tusks is actually the stage name for performer Emily Underhill. Her style of music is most suited to an electronic indie pop genre. Her sound can be likened to that of London Grammar. The artist expressed that she was very grateful to be supporting Bears Den and especially for two consecutive nights as it is a venue she has always dreamed of performing in. Her set showcased a total of six songs including the single ‘Be Mine’, which is featured on her new album that is due for release in June. She was well received with the crowd who were now really looking forward to the headliners.

The stage was cleared quite quickly and was all set up for Bears Den. With guitars all ready and also a little wooden piano. As the lights dimmed they had the most nostalgic sci-fi style intro as the Terminator theme tune played them in. The duo walked on with four supporting musicians. It was still pretty dark with just a few white lights that focused on the band from below as they played their first song ‘Fuel On The Fire’. Shortly after, their second song of the evening saw singer Andrew Davie said how great it was to play the venue again and that we do have more songs to play.
The crowd swayed and danced during the performance. When playing ‘Sophie’ the band turned off all equipment and came to the front of the stage and asked for complete silence and kept it simple with an acoustic rendition of the song. They also performed an unplugged song in the crowd later on in the show which was ‘Blankets Of Sorrow’.

When performing, ticket holders enjoyed singing the lyrics along with the band. Bears Den played a wide range of new and classic songs which included music from their latest album which was only released this month (April 2019). The album is due for release just a few short days after this gig at Sheperd’s Bush. Band member Andrew toasted the show with a shot and expressed a huge thank you to everyone who has supported them over the years.

At the end of the evening the band brought their show to a close with probably one of their biggest hits to date. ‘Agape’. It was the perfect way to end the evening.
You can catch the band on their European tour and also at Citadel Festival in London on 14th July 2019.

Review and Photos by Kane Howie

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