Parklife 2015 Review

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On June 6 and 7, 80,000 people descended on Heaton Park for Parklife 2015, indulging in headline sets from Disclosure on Saturday and Rudimental on Sunday, while Hudson Mohawke, Todd Terje, Jamie XX and the weekend’s highlight, FKA twigs, had Summer Festival Guide darting from stage to stage.

SATURDAY 

Saturday belongs to Jamie XX. Throughout a perfectly-crafted set, 'Girl', 'Gosh' and 'Sleep Sound', along with the soon-to-be defining track of the summer festival season, 'Loud Places', and older percussive house gem 'Far Nearer' pack the Now Wave tent – one overexcited reveler climbing the tent's rigging, becoming barely visible, to an eruption of cheers as he carefully eases back down.

Earlier, in the Big Top, Everything Everything – dressed in matching red suits – belt through new material, their current single 'Regret' achieving anthemic status.

Disclosure's graduation to main stage headliners comes with a plethora of new material from their imminent second album, 'Caracal', along with a host of upcoming vocal talents. 'White Noise', 'F For you' and 'You & Me' gain as incredible a response as expected, but it's Guy and Howard’s newest creations which stand out, as the Lawrence brothers tease, "Parklife, we've got some surprises for you". Lion Babe's leading lady Jillian Hervey – with the longest legs and wildest hair SFG HAs ever seen – comes first, her R&B-orientated vocals perfectly complimenting the slinky synths of an as-yet-unnamed track as she struts across the stage in arm-length silver gloves and nearly knee-high black boots. London-based future R&B vocalist Nao soon follows, her vocals and onstage presence similar to Aluna Francis, before Kwabs’ soulful tones command the crowd from a raised platform throughout two untitled tracks. The arrival of American jazz legend Gregory Porter for an on-point rendition of current single and collab ‘Holding On’ mesmerises the mainly young crowd with his unparalleled ability to hold a note, fusing two musical worlds seamlessly. After a brief stage leave, ‘Help Me Lose My Mind’ and ‘Latch’ – the latter is dedicated to Sam Smith who’s just recovered from vocal surgery – sees friends on shoulders in a moment of hysteria.

Bidding farewell for the evening, the flocks of thousands head for the shuttle bus appropriately chanting the lyrics to Blur's ‘Parklife’.

SUNDAY 

As SFG arrive on Sunday, Ella Eyre is playing to a massive crowd to the main stage despite her early afternoon set placement, launching herself across the stage in a leopard print leotard, belting out 'Deeper' and 'If I Go' along her energetic way.

Later, Labrinth arrives – suit and shades on – blasting through his synth-heavy chart hits 'Earthquake', 'Pass Out' and Sigma-collaboration 'Higher', the latter emptying everyone's lungs.

Meanwhile, in an equally busy Resident Advisor tent, Jimmy Edgar and Machinedrum – together they're known as J.E.T.S – pump out thumping techno as green inflatable aliens and neon balloons are slung around in the air; Ben UFO's back-to-back set with Pearson Sound continuing the bass-heavy electronic onslaught.

Oliver Dollar's back-to-back with Jesse Rose proves an early evening highlight, opting for Dirtybird's booty-house with Claude VonStroke's 'Make A Cake', assuring an up-tempo energy from the off.

Over at the MK Area 10 stage, Ben Pearce – of 'What I Might Do' fame – drops a housier edit of Take That's 'Relight My Fire', completely unexpectedly.

Later, in the Big Top, James Bay proves himself as having the potential to command the main stage in a year’s time; 'Let It Go' and 'Best Fake Smile's infectious chorus inducing a sense of euphoria.

US-based Sango, sporting a Manchester City sports jacket, opens the Kaytranada stage on Sunday with hip-hop and trap-influenced bubbling synths and bass beats in a tucked away Greek coliseum-like vicinity; even the security guards are bouncing along as they make their way through the crowd amidst a sparse edit of Skepta's ‘That's Not Me’ and a Cashmere Cat-sounding remix of Drake's ‘Through The 6’.

Chet Faker, sporting a topknot for the occasion, packs the Sounds of the Near Future stage with his synth-laden sound. Alone at first, he intricately and passionately delivers electronic instrumentals, before he’s joined by a guitarist and drummer. Encouraging us to "use those muscles" before ‘No Diggity’, a sea of phones are hoisted to record the cover, as everyone’s vocal muscles flex while singing along to ‘Drop The Game’.

Bristol duo Blonde meanwhile pack the Drop The Mustard stage with their summery house anthems ‘Foolish’, ‘All Cried Out' and ‘I Loved You’ as part of a new live show, wheeling out guest vocalists – expect them to be as big as Disclosure this time next year.

Todd Terje, with his live band The Olsens, who alternate between saxophone, flute, bongo drum, guitar and keyboard, build into their funky set with zooming laser synths, though it does take a while for the crowd to warm to the sounds. ‘Delorean Dynamite’ and set closer ‘Inspector Norse’ soon get them moving though, as the funky bass line kicks in; one Terje fan who’s celebrating a birthday screams “this is the best day of my life” while his friend, clearly intoxicated, jokes, “is this Lady GaGa?”

Jungle's well-deserved transition to the main stage sees them play to a massive crowd, the summery weather perfect for their almost 70s sound as the seven-piece perform their biggest hits, ‘Julia’ and ‘The Heat’ just as the sun beams down.  

Back in the Sounds of the Near Future tent, Hudson Mohawke walks onstage with a new live set up, bringing out Redinho on keyboards and Two Door Cinema Club’s Ben Thomas on drums. Drawing on material from his new album ‘Lantern’ and his and Lunice’s collaborative project, TNGHT’s biggest hits, intense bass and red strobes match the maximalist electronica of ‘Acrylics’ and ‘Higher Ground’, sending the crowd into mass hysteria.

An hour later, FKA twigs, visible only through a cloud of smoke, leaves thousands in awe, as her hauntingly ethereal performance remains compelling from start to finish. Easily the largest crowd of the day, there’s a ritualistic sense to her set as she flows through her debut album ‘LP1’ and new material from her imminent third EP, ‘Melissa’. With an incredible vocal from the off, twigs, dressed in double denim with her hair to one side, is joined by a three-piece band who delicately tap their synth pads respectively, producing the intense, almost apocalyptic trip-hop beats of ‘Water Me’, ‘Number’ and ‘Papi Pacify’. How she was once only Jessie J's backing dancer is unbelievable for her unique talent as a vocalist, dancer and performer. Effortlessly charismatic, the entire crowd’s eyes are transfixed on her throughout the hour set as she reaches vocal notes you didn't know existed, all whilst popping her body around the stage. Removing the denim jacket to show off her toned body in a stripped white top, her enigmatic presence is made even more likeable when she speaks, sweetly and humbly. "It’s great to be back in England,” she delights, “I just got back a week ago.” Closing with a faultless rendition of ‘Two Weeks’ and then ‘How’s That’, it’s evident that the summer festival season belongs to FKA Twigs.

Field Day 2015 Review – Sunday

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Field Day Sunday catered to a more rock and alternative following with a mix of new up-and-coming bands to legends including Patti Smith and Ride. Although the day did not sell out, it provided much more overall engagement from the artists which led to some stellar standout performances.
 

Brooklyn shoe-gaze group DIIV (named after a Nirvana song) formed in 2011 and have since released a debut LP. Looking like they just rolled out of bed, DIIV debuted some new unheard material on the Eat Your Own Ears Stage that sounded promising but slightly missed the mark. Fortunately, they redeemed themselves with playing older, more well known tracks including ‘How Long Have you Known’ and ‘Doused’, both of which received a warm reception from the crowd.
 

A quick sprint to the Verity stage left some time to catch up-and-coming London alt-rock trio Happyness who lit up the stage with their humble persona and chilled guitar sequences.
 

Mac DeMarco is known to always put on a good show and he definitely did not disappoint on the last date of their tour. The constant banter between the band-mates and the crowd led to lots of laughter and eventually to Mac crowd surfing over most of the Eat Your Own Ears stage to rapturous applause. The set did get awkward at times, especially when the band’s guitarist, Andy, got hit square in the face with an orange but this did not deter the band from delivering standout tracks including ‘Brother’, ‘Salad Days’ and a spur of the moment rendition of The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ by bassist Pierce (whilst Andy’s guitar was fixed). Love song ‘Together’ and a guitar solo from Andy finished off the set and left the crowd disappointed that it was over.
 

The former frontman of 90s Britpop favourites Supergrass, Gaz Coombes delivered a stellar solo set at the Shacklewell Arms tent. Having released 2 critically acclaimed LPs since going solo, it was of no surprise that Supergrass seemed like a distant memory. Tracks ‘20/20’ and ‘Break The Silence’ were met with strong appreciation and the meaningful and moving track ‘The Girl Who Fell To Earth’ cemented Gaz Coombes as a musician who is capable of anything.

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

Punk-rock legend Patti Smith was a well-received addition to the Field Day line-up. Performing her 1975 album ‘Horses’, the crowd felt every emotion possible – there were smiles, hugs and even tears by the end of the set. The most tear-jerking moment was towards the end of ‘Horses’ when Patti Smith paid tribute to lost musicians including Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed and Brian Jones amongst others including John Nash. To the crowd’s surprise, more tracks were played including a splendid cover of The Who’s ‘My Generation’ to finish and ultimate crowd pleaser ‘Because the Night’.
 

Another up-and-coming indie group, five-piece Londoners Gengahr filled the Verity tent with a smooth, easy listening sound perfect for the summer weather. Echoing vocals and clever time sequences showed the crowd that they are full of surprises and do not hesitate to push the boundaries, however small or large they might be. Gengahr are definitely a band to watch.
 

London’s Savages caused quite a buzz around Field Day as they had not played a UK show for quite some time but they truly stood out. Tearing up the Shacklewell Arms stage to a packed out crowd, front woman Jehnny Beth oozed confidence and cool, crowd surfing through the audience and fuelling the already rowdy crowd to get even rowdier. ‘City’s Full’ kicked off the set with new material quickly following.  Jehnny informed the crowd of a new record in the works and vented her frustration of the current political climate with a short, snappy track – ‘Fucker’ and ended the set with gritty track ‘Husbands’. From what we saw of today’s set, Savages will only keep getting better and better.
 

Dutch 24-year-old Jacco Gardner sounds (and looks) like something straight from the 60s with his echoing high vocals and psych-pop guitar melodies. Playing the Verity tent to a packed out crowd, Jacco Gardner’s vocals sadly got lost at times and therefore did not have the same effect as on record.
 

Ride’s headline set was a big deal – it was a reunion. Their debut album ‘Nowhere’ still holds the status as one of the best shoe-gaze albums (and one you should listen to before you die!). This was their first gig together as a full band in twenty years, which led to a lot of emotional people in the crowd at the Eat Your Own Ears stage. Ride played so tightly together that you never would have guessed they ever broke up. Career-spanning tracks played included ‘Birdman’ and ‘Leave Them All Behind’, which closed this year’s Field Day. 

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

Field Day 2015 Review – Saturday

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Field Day, held in East London’s Victoria Park and now in its eighth year, is a festival that always caters to a wide range of music tastes. This is arguably what puts it ahead of its rivals and cements its status as one of, if not, the best London music festivals of its kind. Saturday’s line up leant slightly towards the electronic but did not fail in providing ticket holders with a first class choice of acts that led to the day selling out.

London’s Benjamin Garrett, who goes by the stage name Fryars, attracted an impressive and attentive crowd during his mid-afternoon set at the Shacklewell Arms stage. A firm favourite with music critics, Fryars set the day’s bar high with his piano pop melodies and sweet, meaningful vocals. Starting his set off slow with tracks including a rather sombre ‘On Your Own’, Fryars finished on a high with ‘Cool Like Me’ – an upbeat track reminiscent of Daft Punk which was the main highlight of the set. It may be true that Fryars sounds better on record and looks like a hipster but the set did not feel out of place on the festival bill.

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

As soon as Kindness hit the stage albeit a bit late, it was clear the crowd were in for a treat, as the whole band seemed in very high spirits. The brainchild of Brit Adam Bainbridge, Kindness were no strangers to the worldwide music scene having played everywhere from South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas to the Sydney Opera House. What was great about this band was there was no hierarchy – each member of the group had their time to shine. We had impressive melodic vocal solos from the chirpy backing singers, various co-ordinated dance moves and a lot of tambourine shaking. There was even a guest performance and a funk inspired cover of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’, which got the whole crowd going. With the qualities of both Jungle and Primal Scream, it was an impressive set that would no doubt keep you grooving. Kindness were definitely the highlight set of the day and very much screamed funk and soul soundtrack of summer.

Scottish art-rock favourite’s Django Django used their Field Day set to play tracks from their recently released new album ‘Born Under Saturn’ which received a great response from the crowd. The track ‘Reflection’ was a particular crowd pleaser.

A sneak peek into the packed Crack Magazine tent uncovers electronica favourite Chet Faker performing a cover of Backstreet’s ‘No Diggity’ for which the crowd go wild.

One of the most hyped artists of this year, FKA Twigs was unapologetically late to start her set at the Crack Magazine stage. It seemed that the crowd forgave all as she appeared, engulfed in mountains of smoke and began flirting with the audience. Almost ethereal in her presence, it seemed that the crowd were admiring her beauty more than admiring her music and this seemed to translate into a somewhat disconnected performance as she tried to keep the mystery alive. The acoustics in the tent were not great but FKA Twigs’s trip hop beats and whispery vocals still managed to mesmerise the overflowing crowd ready in time for Caribou’s headline set. 

Photos by Carolina Faruolo

It may be surprising to some that Caribou headlined Field Day Saturday but Canadian Dan Snaith’s band has established a huge cult following since its inception in 2005. The career spanning set produced not only the best of the electronic and the psychedelic but also included a spectacular visual display, which truly secured their status as an impressive headline act. Highlights included the lead single from 2010 Album ‘Swim’ – ‘Odessa’ and ‘Our Love’.

No Tomorrow Festival Review 2015

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Following a successful first year, No Tomorrow festival returned to Nottingham for a two-day spectacle, showcasing some of the biggest names in EDM and other chart-topping artists such as John Newman and Jessie Ware.

Not your typical large-scale music festival with tens of thousands of party-goers, No Tomorrow was comparatively much smaller; but this made the experience thoroughly more enjoyable.

With the usually unreliable British weather holding up throughout the course of the weekend, punters were able to lie on the grass and soak up the rays whilst listening to their favourite artists. Three well-staffed bars also ensured revellers did not wait long for drinks in the summer heat.

Dominating the park was the main stage which featured a brightly coloured ‘No Tomorrow’ banner with the Stealth stage occupying a gigantic tent in a sub-section of the park.

Stealth was not to be out done by its larger counterpart. A set list consisting of Garage and House well-known names such as DJ EZ, Hannah Wants and Gorgon City arguably made it the highlight of the festival.

Saturday's bill did not disappoint, Hannah Wants well and truly got the proceedings of the weekend underway and set the tone for what was to come with her one and a half hour set.

Fans packed the Stealth stage for DJ EZ and despite technical sound issues he still managed to get the crowd buzzing with a trademark mix of old school Garage anthems, rounding off what was a hugely successful first day.

Sunday built on the success of the previous day, with performances from Justin Martin on Stealth stage and Milky Chance on the main stage meaning that wherever you were there was music worth listening to.

Milky Chance’s hit ‘Stolen Dance’ was met with a great reception as fans joined in singing along with the feel good music. Whilst over on Stealth stage, Gorgon City followed Justin Martin and carried on the upbeat vibe with some well-known House tunes as the sun slowly slipped behind the clouds.

Perhaps the most notable performance of the entire weekend was My Nu Leng who closed the Stealth stage with a combination of Deep House, Grime and Rap beats working to get the crowd hyped, and ending the festival in style.

Leaving the festival to John Newman’s popular anthem ‘Love Me Again’ echoing from the main stage, party-goers were able to travel back to the city centre from the gates of Woollaton Park for £2 thanks to festival organisers.

Overall a perfect way to start the summer, a well-balanced mixture of intense and laid-back music combining to create a memorable weekend, definitely a festival SFG would recommend for the future.

 

Photos by Mike Ruane

Barn on the Farm 2015 lineup complete

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Selling out in record time, award-winning Barn on the Farm festival today makes its final announcement to this years unstoppable line up. Championing the best in emerging and up-coming artists BOTF’s carefully tailored additions include, for the main stage Saturday, Lake District duo, Aquilo, hotly tipped Charlotte OC and folk singer song writer, Marcus Foster. They are also joined by Cash & David, Apostle Thomas, Ava Lily and Jasper in the Company of Others plus many more. BOTF maintain their strong line up announcements as one of the best independent music festivals in the UK for discovering new talents in their unique intimate space.
 
Heavily renowned for their carefully created line-ups predicating future success, this year’s announcement have been on par, with the final additions as no exception. Leading the additions include the hugely talked about Aquilo who after their sold out show in London and their beautiful second EP, ‘Human’ have received solid support form the likes of Radio One’s Huw Stephens’s, Annie Mac and Zane Lowe.

Joining the line up include Marcus Foster who's tracks have been featured in Twlight and Five Dollar a Day plus the extremely talented Charlotte OC who released her sensational EP ‘Colour my Heart’ earlier this year which has seen her go from strength to strength.

Also revealed today is one of The Guardian’s New Band’s to watch, Cash & David who comprise of an all female-fronted electronic pop trio, London based four piece Apostle Thomas,euphoric folk-pop Jasper in the Company of Others and Ava Lily.
 
The intimate Friday sees additions alongside the very special secret headliner who will be revealed on the night. Line up consists of Mike Dignam that recently supported Lawson on their sell out tour, Ady Suleiman who caught the ears of 1Xtra's Mistajam with his sensational track 'Serious', duo Bright Sparks plus newly emerging Ella Walker, Harry Mundy, Declan Donovan and Lily Rendle- Moore. 

The announcement today joins the already stellar line-up including Brit Award Winning James Bay’s only UK headline performance, The Staves, Jack Garratt, Prides, Rhodes, Amber Run, Little Comets, Foy Vance plus many, many more for what is turning into one of the most exciting Barn on the Farm line ups to date. 
 

Full Weekend Line Up

James Bay / The Staves

 Jack Garratt / Prides / Aqulio / Amber Run / Rhodes

 Little Comets / Foy Vance / Lauren Aquilina / Sunset Sons / Marcus Foster / Rag 'N' Bone Man

Charlotte OC / JP Cooper / Seafret / Chasing Grace / Alex Vargas / Fickle Friends / Port Isla 

The Intermission Project / Meadowlark / Racing Glaciers / Jake Isaac / Kimberly Anne 

Cash & David / Ruen Brothers / Model Aeroplanes / Dan Owen / Freddie Dickson & The Guard 

Martin Luke Brown / Chloe Black / Billie Marten / Hannah Grace / Samm Henshaw 

Matt Woods / Jasper in the Company of Others / Osca / Flo Morrisey / Louis Berry / Nathan Ball 

The Amazons / Prose / HAUS / Apostle Thomas / Ava Lily / Declan Mckenna

 Rothwell / George Cobsy / Amy Yon 

Intimate Friday Line-Up

Secret Headliner

MIke Dignam / Ady Suleiman / Samm Henshaw / Bright Sparks

 Ella Walker / Harry Mundy / Declan Donovan / Lily Rendle-Moore

More additions to this years The Big Feastival

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The summer’s ultimate music, food and family festival, The Big Feastival, has announced two exclusive dining experiences for this year.  The Friday Night Supper Club will take place on Friday 28 August and The Art of Dining’s ‘Gone Camping’ will host daily feasts at the festival.

This year’s Friday Night Supper Club in aid of The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation will be curated by the fantastic team at The Modern Pantry.  The restaurant was opened in 2008 by Anna Hansen MBE, it has won numerous awards including two AA rosettes, and has been listed as a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide.  Head Chef Rob Mcleary is a proud supporter of The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation’s Fifteen Apprenticeship Programme and the restaurant currently employs two former Fifteen Graduates, Joe Kerswell and John Emmerson. Joe and John have designed the mouth-watering Supper Club menu and alongside Rob, will be in charge of service on the night.

The Modern Pantry’s Friday Night Supper Club will take place under the canopy of the AEG Big Kitchen, which will be transformed into an al fresco dining experience from 8 – 10pm.  As the Official Champagne Partner of the festival, Champagne Laurent-Perrier will treat guests to a glass of Champagne Laurent-Perrier NV Brut on arrival and they will also enjoy a specially matched glass of Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé with dessert.  All food and drink is included, with all profits from the evening going to The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation.  Tickets are priced at £75.

The Art of Dining is the brainchild of Moro trained Chef Ellen Parr and accomplished Set Designer Alice Hodge, who have received rave reviews for their incredible pop-up dining experiences since they launched four years ago.  As a UK summer festival exclusive, Ellen and Alice will be inviting visitors to put on their walking boots, pack their torches, fill up their hip flasks and come on an adventure with the The Art of Dining’s ‘Gone Camping’dining experience.  Each of the five courses will encapsulate the fun, experimental, sometimes charcoaled flavours of camping, taking visitors back in time to family holidays of yesteryear.  Tickets are priced at £65.

The Modern Pantry’s Friday Night Supper Club menu is as follows:

Aperitif

A glass of Champagne Laurent-Perrier NV Brut

A selection of breads

Sumac lavosh, Potato & rosemary focaccia, Smoked paprika flat bread 

Canapés

Truffled edamame, lemon roast fennel & marinated feta filo tart 

‘Bulgogi’ – garlic, soy & sesame marinated beef sirloin, shredded carrot, crispy shallots

To Start

Cola marinated Denham Estate mutton chops, pineapple ketchup 

Beetroot & liquorice cured H Forman & Son’s salmon

Aubergine dengaku, pickled shimeji mushrooms, Thai basil cress 

Served with fennel, pomegranate & English wasabi slaw

From the BBQ

Char Siu Paddock Farm pork belly, fennel kimchee

Salads

Asparagus, peas, broad beans, marinated feta, mint, quinoa, toasted amchur pumpkin seeds, mustard greens, lemon & manuka honey dressing

Heritage tomato, grilled red & yellow peppers, basil, caraway & hazelnut crumbs, red endive, lemongrass & ginger dressing

Grilled corn on the cob, smoked chilli sambal butter 

Dessert

Passionfruit & yuzu curd tart, tonka bean cream, summer berries

 Served with a glass of Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé

The Art of Dining’s ‘Gone Camping’ menu is as follows: 

Welcome

A glass of Champagne Laurent-Perrier NV Brut 

Snack

Slow braised beef Khao Soi with crispy noodles and pickles

 Breakfast

Moroccan style eggs with date and cumin flat breads

 Lunch

Flageolet bean, sweet herb and avocado salad with Mojama 

Dinner

Thai style BBQ with potato and aubergine salad and grilled gem 

Bedtime

Hazelnut marshmallow and caramelised banana with hot chocolate

The Big Feastival returns with its best line-up yet from 28 – 30 August.  Boasting three days of all round entertainment with music guests includingPaloma Faith, Dizzee Rascal and Groove Armada and top chefs including Raymond Blanc, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Nathan Outlaw and MonicaGaletti all taking to the stage.  This year also marks the debut of The Big Feastival’s Healthy Living Zone, dedicated to healthy eating and well-being, with Deliciously Ella and the Hemsley Sisters heading up a specially curated programme of events. There’s fun for all ages with Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park making a welcome return to the festival and live performances from CBeebies Superstar Justin Fletcher, Swashbuckle’s Cook and Line and Peppa Pig.

Kendal Calling announce family entertainment and cinema lineup

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With the summer on our doorstep and festival season fast approaching, it’s nearly time for festival goers to descend on Lowther Deer Park in the beautiful Lake District for the sold out Kendal Calling 2015!

With the huge music lineup including headliners Elbow, Snoop Dogg, Kaiser Chiefs, The Vaccines and James, the festival is pleased to announce its family and kids programme for the year. With an ever-present focus on fun for all ages this year there is plenty to do for the whole family.

Kids Calling 2015 presents The Little Bugs Hub! The 2015 kid's theme is BUGS and Kendal is buzzing to bring festival goers the biggest and best kid's offering for Kendal Calling's 10th birthday. Kendal kids are invited to the BUG BIRTHDAY BASH and all festival long families can expect a hive of activity including games, creative performance, madcap mayhem, chill out zones and critter craft activities to decorate your little bugs and The Little Bugs Hub!

A huge array of other performance art, theatre and entertainment will be happening over the weekend. Marie Celestial is a very special commissioned performance including a mixture of aerial, circus, acrobatics, dance and theatre where you can explore curiosity with child like wonder. Walkabout pirate crew and all round loveable rogues Desperate Men will also be thrilling festival goers as will the interactive puppetry of Flying Buttresses Present: Hodman Dodmariott and Sally Forth.

Although jam-packed with entertainment, Kids Calling is a welcoming beautiful area for families with children from 0 – 10, shaded by lovely teepees and activity bell-tents for under 3's, where parents and little ones can relax and take time out from the crowds.

Kids’ TV favourite Alex Winters from CBeebies will be hosting the ever-popular kids’ version of Tim Burgess’ on site café, Tiny Tim Peaks. Full of hula hoops, temporary tattoos, giant jenga and face painting too. Other activities include a cartoon workshop with Tony Husband, incredible crafts class ‘Hey Ho, Let’s Sew’ and Andy Hunt’s DJ;ing masterclass for the teenage future DJs on site.

This year the cinema returns by popular demand with its own all day venue for any festival goers looking for a breather or just to enjoy one of their favourites in great company. Film fans of all ages can enjoy music docs, blockbusters, kids favourites and cult classics like Levellers: A Curious Life, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Happy Gilmour, Big Hero 6, The Big Lebowski, Ghostbusters, Mr Nice, Indiana Jones, Aliens, Terminator 2  and The Thing.

Other activities on offer include:

  • Big Fish Little Fish – Kendal Calling's first ever Kids rave.
  • Bug Training
  • Insect Olympics
  • Birthday Cupcake Decorating
  • The Bugs Birthday Bash Party 
  • Fancy Dress Parade
  • Early Evening Family Cabaret Featuring Kids Comedian James Campbell
  • Parkour (the art of freerunning)
  • Mufti Does Games – Huge boardgames including Battleships and Hangman.

We Are FSTVL 2015 Review

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Essex isn’t the typical location which global-touring DJs and electronic music figureheads Carl Cox, Seth Troxler and Steve Angello are used to playing. Though arguably more familiar with Vegas, Ibiza and European crowds, Upminster-based We Are FSTVL attracts the biggest names in house, techno and on Sunday, EDM.

Now in its third year, We Are FSTVL brings in 30,000 music lovers over its weekend. Think of it as the electronic music equivalent of V Festival. Cleverly targeted at the Essex party-going population, for an extra £40, a VIP ticket allows access to the VIP area – a regular festival feature offering that little bit more; there’s a separate VIP stage (Mark Knight’s Toolroom Records and MK’s Area10 host it respectively), hot tubs, hair salon, glitter and face paint stations and remarkably cleaner toilets, as well as higher viewing platforms back on the main site.

As one of the year’s first proper festivals, Saturday unsurprisingly sold-out in advance, while last remaining Sunday tickets were available on the door. Despite a windy start with grey clouds looming above, the weather stayed dry and summery; rare for a UK festival in late May.

Whilst the generously-sized main stage hosted the likes of Gorgon City and Solomun under sunny skies, Summer Festival Guide found itself at the Used & Abused stage for a great deal of the weekend. Creatively, the industrial design of an aircraft hanger made it seem as though we’d been teleported to an underground club in Europe; fitting for the dark and deep techno acts it showcased. A gargantuan three-hour set from Loco Dice made it near impossible to leave, while Drumcode Records founder Adam Beyer later delivered a set of intense, unrelenting techno. Most notable, its impeccable sound quality, remaining consistent throughout the weekend.

Elsewhere on Saturday’s bill, house sets from Simon Dunmore and Oliver Dollar on the Defected Records stage, and Redlight and Waze & Odyssey in the What Hannah Wants tent, ensured both were permanently filled. Meanwhile, globally-renowned DJ’s Seth Troxler and Carl Cox closed out the opening night on the main stage, respectively, each proving memorable highlights.

Seth’s acidic, techno-heavy set, complete with hypnotic swirling red and black visuals, saw the sun go down, before house music legend Carl Cox took the helm. Opening strongly with Deetron’s piano-house builder ‘Photon’, a sea of mobile phones lit up the night sky. The first person to majorly interact with the crowd, Cox encourages, “Carl Cox is in the house. Who’s ready?” as laser lights scour the audience and confetti explodes from cannons.

The only downside with We Are FSTVL though, is the non-camping policy, meaning that thousands of people need to be transported from the site back to wherever they may be staying. According to social media comments, people were reportedly left for hours on the roadside as shuttle buses and taxis struggled to cope with the number of attendees, though by Sunday this was far less of an issue.

As Sunday morning falls, so does the rain; but luckily only on SFG’s commute to the site. Once on-site, the ground is mostly dry as the sun steadily rears its head. The day’s first highlight comes from Dirtybird boss Claude VonStroke who, rare that he comes to the UK, delivers a crowd-pleasing set on the Paradise stage, dropping his own ‘Make A Cake’, ‘Barrump’ and Jesse Rose-collaboration ‘Bare Mountain’, proving Dirtybird as one of the finest electronic labels around; their forward-thinking, unique sound a clear hit with the Essex punters. Later, another Dirtybird affiliate, J Phlip, goes back-to-back with Huxley over in the VIP village, each dropping bass-heavy productions to a growing crowd.

Back at SFG’s favourite stage, the aircraft hanger, now hosted by Cocoon, Ten Walls and Sven Vath each deliver building techno sets; Sven’s hard-hitting sound complimented by female dancers spread across the stage.

At the complete other end of the electronic music spectrum, the main stage welcomes Radio 1 DJ Danny Howard before Oliver Heldens takes over, delivering an unexpectedly stand-out set. Mixing his own ‘deep house’ tracks ‘Gecko’, ‘This’ and ‘You Know’ with tracks from EDM’s biggest names the young producer’s clearly having a great time as he bopps around and shuffles in front of the DJ decks. It’s like watching a child in a sweet shop. “Let me see your hands Essex”, he shouts excitedly, before closing with an EDM remix of Ellie Goulding’s Love Me Like You Do. Unpretentious and heaps of fun, Heldens’ set is a great warm-up for the bombastic sounds of Knife Party.

Older fan –favourites ‘Bonfire’ and ‘Internet Friends’ mix well with a newer track which we are told is “for the UK family”; it sounds somewhat influenced by Major Laser. 15 minutes late, Steve Angello’s set begins with dramatic orchestral sounds and visuals as the former Swedish House Mafia member reveals that he’s travelled all the way from Sweden. Appearing like a silhouette throughout the show because of the strobe lights, he works the crowd with Robin S’ ‘Show Me Love’ and later, new single ‘Children of the Wild’ impresses.

Over in the Paradise tent, the sound parallels as Jamie Jones lays down chunky tech-house rollers by the dozen, whilst Mele’ closes out the Hospitality stage, leaving Shadow Child and DJ S.K.T to continue the party for VIP ticket-holders only in the Area 10 tent.

As We Are FSTVL comes to a close nearing 1am, luckily there’s a London-located after-party being taking the festivities through until 6am Monday!

We Are FSTVL continues to thrive as one of the UK’s best medium-sized festivals, offering a diverse range of electronic music over a usually sunny weekend. Here’s to 2016!

Bestival announces Invaders of the Future stage lineup

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The very lifeblood of Bestival is new music. A passion that runs deep within the entire Bestival team, our head honcho Rob da Bank’s knack for spotting the most exciting new bands known to humanity is legendary, and has seen Bestival history littered with debut, or very early, festival appearances by some of what are now the world’s biggest acts. These days cunningly entitled the Invaders of the Future Stage, our new music mecca is where you need to be this September 10-13 at Robin Hill, if you want to see the next big thing before they become stadium-filling mega-stars.

A very modern Rob da Bank says: “OK, so this has to be my favourite stage at Bestival. It’s the beating heart of what Bestival is about – breaking new talent and exposing the undercard. It takes me about six months to book, on and off, wondering who the next wave of breaking bands are going to be, and trying to get the right mix of electronic, folk, soul and indie, dub and grime… and already I can see loads of these acts being on much bigger stages next year. Everyone from Ed Sheeran and Alt-J to Kate Tempest have played early gigs on this stage. So, from the wildly different sounds of Ratboy and Lion Babe, to The Skints, Clarence Clarity and the Island’s very own Plastic Mermaids, I promise you, this is the sound of the future”.

 

 

Currently causing a stir for those in the know there will be music from West London’s forward thinking alt. rockers All This Noise, our BBC Introducing twin Bearcubs, quirky funkers Boxed In, Ventnor duo Champs, singer-songwriter Clarence Clarity, Leeds five-piece Eagulls, folky grunger Eaves, gothabillys Eighteen Nightmares at the Lux, funk-inspired twosome Ekkah and sibling double act Formation.

We’ll also have punk rockers Girlpool, Norwich’s own Graceland, Glasgow pair Honeyblood, future-soulsters Honne, North London sisterly trio Jagaara, Manchester folky JJ Hodari, synth classicists Kate Simko & London Electronic Orchestra, rude boy Kiko Bun, BRIT school alumni Kimberly Anne and erstwhile Late of the Pier dude LA Priest.

Don’t miss out on fiery electro-ravers LIA:Life Imitates Art, singing cellist Laura Moody, Pharrell Williams collaborators Lion Babe, beat slayer Mura Musa, the woozy, bluesy Palace, Isle of Wight sons Plastic Mermaids, and Polar Maps, NYCs Ratboy, soulful popsters Real Lies, the super-seductive Secaina Hudson and intricately melodic people Shelter Point.

And be sure to catch those down-to-Mars girls Skinny Girl Diet, Bridie Monds-Watson AKA SOAK, Grime MC Stormzy, ambitious rockers The Bohicas, reggae-ska-dub-punk-hip-hoppers The Skints, indie troubadours The Slow Show, alt. popster Thomston, stratospheric-folk five-piece To Kill A King, Irish pop-rockers Walking on Cars and south coast psyche-surfers Wild Smiles. Giving a leg-up to the stars of tomorrow, the Invaders of the Future stage is where you might just discover your new favourite band.

Creamfields 2015 announce more acts and a new arena

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First up is 3 Are Legend aka Dimitri Vegas, Steve Aoki and Like Mike.   Following their spine tingling Friday night headline performance last year this triple threat super-group which was organically born at Creamfields return on Sunday 30th August to take their electrifying live show to the next level. Commenting on their return “We’re so pleased to be back at Creamfields, it’s a unique festival and the place where the idea for 3 Are Legend was born!  Last year was off the scale, the crowd, the energy and the atmosphere is like nothing else and we can’t wait to be back in the thick of it”. 

Following overwhelming demand from fans Protocol Recordings chief Nicky Romero joins the line-up, celebrated the world over for countless chart topping records and his electrifying performances this Dutch DJ/Producer has carved himself an international reputation as one of the most exciting and industrious artists of his generation.   Another new addition to the already monstrous line up is one of the house scenes most influential forces Fedde Le Grand, with solo success from club anthems such as ‘Put your hands up for Detroit’ catapulting him to global stardom, other tracks from his repertoire such as ‘The Creeps’ and ‘Let Me Think About It’ prove his powerhouse versatility in the global dance arena.   Other acts joining the bill include Bontan, Jack Eye Jones, Eli & Fur, North Base, Sem Vox, and Zawdi MC.

As if all of that doesn’t whet your appetite Creamfields welcomes an all new arena, following their ambitious debut at the world’s largest club Privilege in Ibiza a couple of years ago and their huge sell out show in Manchester last month, global party trailblazersDon’t Let Daddy Know will be hosting their own arena for this very special UK festival debut headlined by Nicky Romero.  Famed for their off the scale production and mayhem, their attention to detail has catapulted the DLDK clubbing experience to the next level and taken the world by storm staging events from Amsterdam, Antwerp and beyond.  Sunday 30th August sees them rolling their party wagon into town, the perfect taster ahead of a very special as yet unannounced show coming to the UK in 2016!

Creamfields Lineup 2015

FRIDAY 28th AUGUST

REBEL SOUND ARENA

Rebel Sound

Sub Focus       

Sigma ft. Justyce        

Maverick Sabre          

Tempa T

Craze  

Dimension B2B Kove

North Base (JUST ADDED)

           

ARMADA

Armin van Buuren        

Andrew Rayel               

Cosmic Gate     

Ørjan Nilsen     

MarRLo            

Mark Sixma      

Jochen Miller               

           

REVEALED      

Hardwell        

W&W

Headhunterz  

Dannic            

Dyro   

Sick Individuals           

Thomas Newson         

Kill The Buzz   

Julian Calor    

           

PARADISE

Jamie Jones      

The Martinez Brothers          

Eats Everything            

Richy Ahmed    

Mark Jenkyns B2B Russ Yallop

           

PEPSI MAX ARENA (SILENT DISCO)

Danny Avila    

Deniz Koyo     

Tujamo

           

 

CREAM HOSPITALITY (SILENT DISCO)         

George Kafetzis

Rob Casson

Adam Wilson

Paul Nunn & James Glover

Aaron Amihere

Ricochet Musica

           

SATURDAY 29TH AUGUST  

 

SOUTH STAGE           

Avicii  

Armin van Buuren      

Martin Garrix

Cazzette

Arty 

John Dahlbäck & Albin Myers (Myback)

 

NORTH STAGE           

The Chemical Brothers          

Above & Beyond        

Annie Mac

+

North Stage

Tropical Party

Kygo

Thomas Jack

 

CREAM           

Knife Party     

Alesso 

Laidback Luke              

Tommy Trash 

Dillon Francis

Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano      

Danny Howard

Kryder              

Anton Powers  

           

SIZE    

Steve Angello

Don Diablo

AN21

Max Vangeli

Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman

Third Party

Sebjak 
Grum

Promise Land

Adrian Hour

 

ALL GONE PETE TONG

Gorgon City      

Pete Tong       

Hot Since 82     

Joris Voorn

Skream           

Andhim

Ejeca

Icarus

Bontan (JUST ADDED) 

Special Guest:  Ten Walls (Live)          

           

ANTS  

Seth Troxler     

Maya Jane Coles          

George Fitzgerald        

Kölsch (DJ Set)

Jackmaster

Ben Pearce     

Los Suruba        

Eli & Fur (JUST ADDED)

Special Guest:  Andrea Oliva  

           

MISTAJAM PRESENTS SPEAKERBOX           

Andy C

High Contrast ft. Stamina MC

Shift K3Y

Blonde

MistaJam

Preditah 

Logan Sama B2B Slimzee ft. Riko Dan, Flowdan, P Money & Stormzy

Kurupt FM

99 Souls

WiDE AWAKE

Apexape

Special Guest: Chris Lorenzo

 

PEPSI MAX ARENA

Wilkinson       

Philip George

Mike Mago    

Redondo         

CamelPhat     

TCTS   

DJ SKT

Jack Eye Jones (JUST ADDED)

LilRockit         

           

TIDY    

Tidy Boys        

Signum           

Andy Whitby   

Andy Farley    

Maddox & Townend  

Rob Tissera    

Cally Gage

Trap Two

Max Mozart

           

CREAM HOSPITALITY            

Jemmy

Sean Hughes

James Dutton

Josh Demello

Ed Mackie

Alan Hartley

Sean Dougherty

Gussy  

           

SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST

 

SOUTH STAGE           

Tiësto 

Afrojack

DVBBS

Oliver Heldens             

MOTi  

Dzeko & Torres          

           

NORTH STAGE           

Hardwell        

Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike    

Steve Aoki

NERVO

Carnage         

R3hab

Gareth Wyn

Special Guest: 3 Are Legend (JUST ADDED)  

           

CREAM

Axwell & Ingrosso      

Robin Schulz

Tchami             

Otto Knows     

Michael Calfan

NEW_ID          

Sam Feldt       

Lucas & Steve

Tobtok

 

FATBOY SLIM PRESENTS SMILE HIGH CLUB

Fatboy Slim    

Duke Dumont 

Breach B2B Paul Woolford    

The Magician 

Destructo       

Alex Adair      

 

           

DON’T LET DADDY KNOW (JUST ADDED)

Nicky Romero (JUST ADDED)

Blasterjaxx     

Sander van Doorn      

Ummet Ozcan            

Firebeatz

Bassjackers    

Julian Jordan  

Sem Vox (JUST ADDED)

Hardman & Deavall   

Zawdi MC (JUST ADDED)

Special Guest:   Fedde Le Grand (JUST ADDED)

 

MK AREA 10  

MK

Cajmere vs Oliver Dollar

Hannah Wants

Lee Foss

Kevin Saunderson

Shadow Child

Toyboy & Robin

Dantiez Saunderson 

Beckwith

Live:  Pleasure State

 

PRYDA

Eric Prydz

Maceo Plex    

Adam Beyer   

Claude VonStroke      

Jeremy Olander         

Special Guest: Sasha  

 

PEPSI MAX ARENA

Paul van Dyk  

Ferry Corsten 

Aly & Fila        

John O'Callaghan         

Simon Patterson

Bryan Kearney             

Rob Harnetty    

Special Guest:  Paul Oakenfold          

           

GOODGREEF XTRA HARD

Lab 4 Live       

Audiofreq vs Kutski

Audiofreq

Kutski

Mark E.G        

Joey Riot         

JP & Jukesy

Argy    

Energy Syndicate

Shaun T B2B Tone      

Phil Mackintosh         

Unit 13

 

CREAM HOSPITALITY

Andy Mac

Junior J

Sam Rice

Adam Cartwright

Bernie Lee

Paul Dolphin