Sizzling on the hottest day of the year, Victoria Park played host to the biggest eclectic music festival in the capital!
Glitter ridden festival-goers came into their element with outlandish headgear, countless Levi cut offs and a whole lot of bum cheek.
Set up with an air carousel, jelly coconuts and VIP doughnuts, LoveBox brought festival magic and a distinct Coachella vibe to East London.
Kicking off the excitement was an energetic performance from reggae legend David Rodigan MBE. Festival-goers were treated to the classics as well as some new material and modern mix-ups. With coconut water, 30-degree heat and some of the best reggae in the world, Lovebox oozed Jamaican vibe.
Katy B followed with a pop performance to both her loyal fans and new comers alike. Complete with an army of powerful dancers, she owned the stage boosting the festivals artistic reputation with her quirky talent.
London truly showed itself off as the creative capital of the universe with an irrefutably enchanting performance from Chase and Status. The duo came back to their city roots to take on the insatiable British crowds and did not disappoint with a two hour set featuring their most famous hits including Blind Faith and Time with Delilah making an unexpected appearance.
Famous for their spectacular visual performance, they left no heart unmoved by the sheer power of their music, completely dominating the line up.
The night ended in a shower of confetti and fireworks as the grounds were cleared for another day of unforgettable moments!
New to the lineup is hip-hop turntablist and cut and paste pioneer DJ Yoda, explosive Leeds alt-rockers Dinosaur Pile Up, the genre straddling experimental pop of Hot Vestry, 13 piece Latin-Salsa-Boogaloo band Giddy Gringos, elusive duo and AV specialist, Nordic Giants, South Wales indie synth-pop band Man Without Country, Belgian five piece indie-rock group, Balthazar, … Read more
As the weekend starts to shape up as my favourite year at T in the Park the sun makes a re-appearance with 23 degree heat and the line up continues to impress. Starting off my day with Sam Smith, singing the song that he credits for him being signed “Lay Me Down” left me with chills and an uncompromising appreciation for Sam Smith. Not only does that man have a beautiful voice he has such a genuine honesty to him and his song lyrics that make him undeniably likeable.
Jess Glynne who you might know from the Clean Bandit song “Rather Be” performed on the T Break stage, having only ever heard her before I was surprised to see she has an edgier, darker look than I expected. Already having huge success with Clean Bandit and Route 94 she’s starting to propel with her own work which has strong similarities to Katy B’s music, so if you’re a fan of Katy you should definitely look further in to Jess.
Bastille, introduced by the charismatic Greg James from Radio1 were some what of a personal disappointment. Technically they were solid and unblemished but there was a sense of forced enthusiasm from the band which set the foundation for an unatmospheric and dreary set.
Feeling my day was lacking a bit of crazy I went to see King Charles and he didn’t disappoint. Rocking dreadlocks, a thin (verging on creepy) moustache and an all white jumpsuit (Yes girls, the same kind of jumpsuit you where on a night out, get drunk and end up wrestling with when you need to pee) he graced the stage and lifted up the atmosphere in the tent dramatically. King Charles is an upbeat, pop-folk singer/song writer/guitarist/cellist and general mad man who won the International song writing Competition in 2009, who has since released and album and toured with Mumford and Sons. Obviously still enjoying what he’s doing, King Charles is an absolute joy to watch.
After yesterday’s praise of Dundee band Copper Lungs I decided to go see another Scottish band starting to make a name for themselves, Vigo Thieves a band from Wishaw just outside Glasgow are a 5 piece who, last year became the first unsigned band to sell out King Tut’s two nights in a row. Carrying on from this success and supporting The Fratellis earlier this year, Vigo Thieves have a kind of 90’s feel to them with band member Chrus Gorman providing compelling synth/piano hooks and vocalist Stevie Dukes holding on to note after note. With up and coming dates over the UK you don’t have an excuse not to go see them for yourself.
Now a T in the Park favourite, Tinie Tempah, blew up the Radio1 Stage, able to hear the crowd from his set all the way from the main stage I went to take a look closer. I’m sure I lost 3 pounds and gained 4 bruises in that crowd. There is honestly nothing I can say to do his set any justice so here’s a mere 3 minute clip to give you an idea.
I’ve said it time and time again but the atmosphere at T in the Park is nothing but contagious and it has to be one of the best festival crowd experiences in the world.
With Tinie Tempah leaving such an amazing vibe buzzing around the Radio1 stage I decided to stay for Disclosure and if you’ve ever thought they’re “just” DJ’s you should go see them play at one of their 39 festival slots this year. Between them, brothers Guy and Howard can sing, play the drums, guitar, bass and piano, if it’s something these boys are lacking, it definitely isn’t talent. With a stage set up unlike most DJ’s where you can only see their head bopping about, Disclosure had a more casual and intimate set up. Opposite one another and set up with their own decks and chosen instruments, the crowd were able to see everything the boys were doing. Bringing on guest vocalists Eliza Doolittle for “You &Me”, Aluna from AlunaGeorge for “White Noise” and closing the show with Sam Smith and “Latch” Disclosure brought their A-game to T in the Park and gave Balado the best possible send of it could have asked for.
In my opinion T in the Park just keeps getting better and this year especially, had one of the best line ups it’s ever had. With organisers not only securing some of the biggest names in music they also took in to consideration the best of UK’s up and coming acts and it’s this consistency that gives people the confidence to buy early bird tickets for the following year without knowing the line-up. With next year being the first ever year at the new picturesque site of Strathallan Castle everyone’s curiosity is sure to get the better of them and I imagine tickets will go even faster than usual. Loyal to T in the Park or even just curious to see what all the fuss is about, make sure you secure your ticket for next year here. http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/T-in-the-Park-tickets/artist/28658
Three (Main) Stages. Three Days. Plus a few extra if you camp, for the line up and the price you can’t miss this up-and-coming festival!
With an obvious focus on electronic music and art, it brings something unique to the festival scene. From big names on intimate stages, to newer underground DJ’s as well as residents, with a variety of genres; House, Psy-trance, Dub, Glitch-Hop, Techno, and more, there is something for everyone here.
I get on my way with a flurry of activity, as dramatic clothes, camping equipment and festival essentials are crammed into a bag and slung heavily on my back. The ‘far to real’ train journey starts my descent into all things “Noisily”.
When I arrive, the sun is beating down on the festival, which is beautifully situated in Noseley Hall Grounds. People start to intermingle, connect and share snippits of information as a ‘BoomBox BassBin’ (Thanks to Wonkay Records/Duskky) fills the air with music, the mind-expanding vibes are already flying as strangers become friends.
The festival site (and camping area) is compact with showers and plenty of ‘porta-loos’, easy to get from stage to stage and a really nice layout within the site itself, each stage had a definite individual style, however Noisily has its own distinctive ‘theme’.
With easy access to get to the front if you wanted, and usually a seating area around the stage, this gives people of all ages and abilities a chance to enjoy the music. Some festivals you spend most of your time having to fight your way to get to the front and see the DJ you’ve paid for! Noisily gives you the best access to the most current live acts around being able enjoy and discover new artist’s on intimate stages for the price and the line-up.
Noisily’s music goes on until so late that the festival stays open till six am (Food closes at 10am) ! Although a small capacity of 5000, you feel as if you have met everybody and know everybody, there was a real community spirit where people felt as if they had known each other for years. The people are like minded and have travelled from all over the country and some from different part of the world but all brought here by one common love, Electronic music. Mostly veteran festival goers, with a real old school ‘free-party’ feel. A Noisily community is born, strangers become friends, after setting up camp, everyone around me was sharing food, tea, stories and laughs.
Music starts at twelve every day (a great wakeup call) after finishing at six on Friday and Saturday but then finishing early on Sunday at Eleven.
Although a small site, there is plenty of different food with vegetarian options as well; Piri Piri Chicken, Wood-fire Pizza, Curry, Cake, Smoothies, Game and more. Plenty of Bars on every corner, which means small queues! The cost of booze is average festival prices, as is the food, varying from £1.50-£10, however you can bring your own food and drink (don’t forget to decant into plastic bottles though!) but always nice to get some hot food in you at some point!
Hallucinatory eye’s erupt around me as the décor appears from the woods, this festival definitely has a psychedelic feel, with UV lights, jellyfish, UFO's, sculptures and ‘holographic’ art. As you walk around the site and start to look at the finer detail, you realize that a lot of creative ideas and work have gone into the décor itself. The crew have worked hard to construct seating areas within the site, from cute wooden benches, to sofa seating, the decorations are unique and create a great vibe, however the site really comes alive at night, with lasers and smoke machines creating the essence of the ‘rave’. Paths are well lit but some more light in the camping areas wouldn't go amiss!
Stalls are dotted around, selling some of the most beautifully unique handmade crafts ever! From textiles, to jewelry, juggling equipment and face paint! A real shame they were not on the main path, but plenty of people exploring their wares! By talking to a few stall owners, if you’re new to the festival scene there is definitely money to be made. Noisily stall prices are reasonable and with the right crafts you could make some decent money.
The systems are all Function One, except one Opus Audio sound system, however they all have achieved the highest quality sound possible. A lot of thought has gone into creating the perfect sound, on all the stages. Function One monitors for all the DJ’s shows the high quality professionalism taken towards the quality of the sound.. A variation of technological hardware used by DJ’s creating unique sets, and live performances, enhanced by their own unique mixing style and equipment, you not only see some of your favorite DJ’s but some of the newest and unique equipment available on the market.
There is a focus on Art as you see things develop around you over the weekend, you can defiantly feel the creative souls and ideas put into the decoration of the festival.
I really enjoyed seeing the graffiti work progress during the festival and I think they should get some more people to do more graffiti work, however the art work I saw around the festival was beautiful. All you artists out there should get in contact next year if you think you could participate, this will definitely give you some great exposure.
The Stages
Noisily Stage
The Noisily stage’s music floods the campsite and keeps the party fuelled all day long, it has a large dance floor and easy access to get to the front with a big bar at the back, as well as an awesome lighting rig. This stage is definitely one to watch, also, as it is the first stage you see, it makes an impact as well with the light show which cascades through the trees at night.
Liquid Stage
Liquid stage is fuelled by psychedelic flowers and patterns reaching high into the sky, this is also the Opus Audio sound system, however it again had a great light show that took over the stage, easy dancing access to get to the front or back and a great little sloping seating area on the right hand side of the stage, a real ‘free’ vibe up here, as well as lots of juggling dancers.
Tree House Stage
Tree-house stage was up in the woods – a great stage – with a disco-ball in the center as well as Urban shamans laser box. Also nice seating areas to relax in! It’s a hidden Gem at the top of a wood chip path, however it was obvious from the line-up most people came for the psy-trance artists, however all weekend the Tree-house stage had some awesome beats pumping out.
In addition there was also two mini stages, one was the ‘Boombox’ and one was the ‘Taurus’
The Boom Box was a great idea, submerging the DJ in the box itself, and when it lit up at night it looked awesome. There were also some great DJs playing on it at random times.
Taurus Stage
Taurus stage was a mechanical bull – it reminded me of the Midas bull story where they put a human inside a metal bull and heated it up! The DJ was encased in the metal – it must be an awesome stage to play on! The Taurus spat flames and had an unfinished but amazing feel as the flames pump hard into the night.
The Line up had some time changes etc so you had to keep checking on the information boards, however they were updated regularly and festival was small enough that if you needed to run to a stage, or from the campsite, you could.
Daily Break-Down
Friday
Friday was all about Noisily stage which was also broadcasting on Bassport.Fm (http://bassport.fm/) which I thought was a great idea to not only get more people aware of Noisily but give the DJ’s more promotion. This should defiantly be adopted at every stage next year! Bringing the music community together in a bigger way this means it can reach a big audience etc and promote underground radio stations.
Starting off the day with M.O.M, Bunkle & Dusky, Terrorbyte, Krymes, William Breakspeare, Your Niece, Head of State,Tom Bull, and others vibes were flying as the dance floor fills up although other artists were playing today’s line up was all about Noisily
The evening kicks off with Skope, Joe Ford, Gaudi, Far Too Loud, Atomic Drop, Free Fall Collective. This stage kicked off as the dance floor went mental the first night was a raging successes. With curt de solely girls spitting fire to Joe Ford you couldn’t miss this stage it defiantly started noisily off with a bang.
Joe Ford’s set and Gaudi’s set were my favorite of the night however Far Too Loud knows how to get everybody moving.
This stage captivated me on the first night and I think a lot of people felt the same!
However on Liquid stage on Friday was Alex Story, Renegade DJ, Neuroplasm and more. So depending on your personal preference their was plenty to see!
Renegade DJ played a wicked set and was nice to see a female DJ giving the boys a run for their money!
However I have to say the Treehouse stage was a secret Gem on Friday every time I went up their some awesome beats were flying, when Groove Assassin, Ben Mccabe and Seascape celebrated (seascapes) birthday in style!
Saturday
Saturday was all about Liquid this stage had a huge following every time I went up their the same smiling faces, dancing to the beat of trance, with Brainiac, Avalon, Lucas, Master Blasters, Antispin, Scorb, Beardy, EVP, Psymmetrix, Sasha.
Avalon’s set stood out much like the shiny blazer he was wearing! However the mixing was spot on at liquid every time I was there and as the night drew in people continued to stomp into the night.
As the sun beat down the skin started to show as people enjoyed and relaxed in the summer heat! However the heavens opened at midnight but this did not dampen spirits as people made a quick change and continued to party in the rain. A euphoric moment at the psy-trance stage when the heavens opened and the tribal dance continued.
Although the site became very wet the crew had pre planned plenty of straw to make it safer but again more couldn’t of gone a miss!
The Mud added another angle of fun as people danced barefoot and became one with nature.
Saturday evening on Noisily had with Nanoplex, James Monro, Neurodriver.
Neurodrivers set was talked about by most of the people I spoke to and was defiantly another big hit.
Tree-house stage had: Elphino, 2562/AMUS Low Steppa, Kashi, however big shout out to Want More who played on Saturday they played an awesome set when I was up at the stage, although I was only their briefly they deserve a mention.
Sunday
Although it had dried out quiet a lot the mud was hear to stay but to be honest most people didn’t care. The Tree-house stage needed more straw to say one thing however you could still enjoy the music on Sunday. People put it all into Sunday I could feel the anticipation of not wanting to go home, as people continued to party hard to the music all day long.
On liquid stage you were blessed with : Monk3ylogic,Hedflux,Bad Tango,OOOD,Lurker,Dexter, 2CBEEBIES, to be honest it finished off the night with a bang. Noisily stage finishing off with SYMPHONIX and PHAXE Treehouse finishing off with PANDA and TEED however I am not sure what time TEED played as I think they did not get on until later than planned!
As I pack up my gear and head off I feel sad to say goodbye to Noisily and the people I have met this is definitely a festival to watch this is only going to snow ball with bigger names, more people, more stalls, I can see this becoming a gem in any electronic music lovers festival crown. I cant wait to see what they plan to do and how they plan to expand next year.
After pottering about the arena to see some of the other sites (mainly the dressed up festival goers, including Mario Kart), Decade played the Slammer to an unfortunately empty crowd of about 30 people. However, this didn’t mean that they didn’t give it their all as they asked the crowd who had seen them before, or even heard of them, to which 3 people responded. Should the crowd of been bigger, then the atmosphere would have been incredible. Unfortunately, this was completely the wrong festival for them to play.
Astroid Boys played on the Main Stage attracting a decently sized crowd with the warehouse being a third full. However, although it wasn’t full, when the crowd were asked to chant the other half to “Olly Olly Olly”, to which the sound of the crowd chanting “oi oi oi” filled the venue. The vocals of the band were extremely on point, with the two vocalists both bouncing off of each other with tremendous results. The crowd seemed ever so pleased to have them play as most people who attended were fans, singing along to all of the words and cheering with roars at the end of each song.
Blitz Kids received a disappointing crowd in The Slammer with only 20 people turning up to their show. Whether it was because they didn’t fit into the line-up well as most people playing on that stage didn’t, or they just wasn’t known too well to many, they deserved a lot more than what they were given. Playing songs from their new album ‘The Good Youth’ they did lure in a few more people as the set went on. However, guitarist Jono Yates didn’t let this phase them as he bantered about there being “thousands” of people out there, but the tent being too “dark and poorly lit” for them to see all of the crowd. Nevertheless, they performed to their full potential and created a brilliant show to people who may not of heard of them before, therefore hopefully creating a name for themselves to the people who hadn’t heard of them before. With dedicating songs to the drink Hooch, they clearly weren’t affected by the lack of turn out as they later went on about how they were getting free beer for performing, although it was Carlsberg, so it may as well of been piss. Finishing with On My Own, they clearly felt the wrath of the small crowd as the song is normally one to attract a lot of audience interaction with the crowd singing along, this didn’t happen. Frontman Joe James didn’t let this phase him as he was still more than content to give it his all and climb and hang off the pole that was directly in front of him, and sing passionately to it.
On the Main Stage Skindred collected a rather large crowd with their set being incredibly interactive with the audience as they ridiculed the crowd for being like the French as frontman Benji Webbe shouted to the crowd “Is this NASS? ‘Cause you’re acting like a bunch of French cunts” before thanking everyone for attending with “I wanna see your fucking horns. Rock and Roll isn’t about Youtube, so thanks for coming to the concert and supporting live music, rather than sitting behind your computer screens sitting on your own.” The Reggae Nu Metal band lifted the roof with their incredible iconic songs to which the audience responded immensely too, with fists pumping, moshes breaking out and a lot of singing occurring. A phenomenal addition to the Line-Up, who really set the standards for the people following that night.
Reel Big Fish followed on the Main Stage where their Ska Punk sound half-filled the warehouse where they sang about everyone else besides the crowd being Assholes, to which the audience roared the lyrics back to them. The Brass instruments in the band really brought forward the performance as it was something that wasn’t going to be seen anywhere else at the festival. With the whole performance being incredibly laid back and banter-filled, it fitted in quite nicely with the whole atmosphere of the festival.
Gallows headlined The Slammer, and there couldn’t have been a better way to close that tent for the weekend. Vocalist Wade MacNeil started the set with jumping over the barrier to join the crowd and bring them closer together. Joining in with the mosh and circle pits and encouraging the ‘skinhead’ to sing into the microphone with him. After 5 songs he joined the rest of the band on stage and shouted down the microphone for everyone to draw in and go closer even though “the big skinhead looks scary, he won’t bite, he’s clearly just a big teddy bear” to which the audience chanted “We love you Gallows, We do” which showed that during the festival there was definitely some metal heads which were looking forward to the set, even if the tent was still only half full. As previously stated, to get a crowd at NASS when part of the Rock/Metal scene was quite an achievement, therefore when MacNeil thanked the crowd for turning up and enjoying the music with them, you could tell that it was sincere.
Wilkinson headlined the Main Stage and it was the greatest end to the weekend. The lightshow, crowd and general atmosphere really showed that the weekend went off with complete success. Wilkinson played his new song “Dirty Love” which received such a great response with the crowd as everyone was dancing and going absolutely mental. Even the security guards (who were the best security I’ve ever seen at a festival) were tapping their feet and really enjoying the set and atmosphere. With the crowd growing, but still not filling the warehouse, it was clear that they were an act that people were excited to see.
Overall the weekend was such a success. Everyone seemed to enjoy the festival and although police and medics were scattered about every couple of hundred feet, it meant that major accidents didn’t occur and everyone was safe, besides the incredible drug intake of most there.
As the sweltering heat filled the whole of the site, everyone was eager to get into the showers which were scattered throughout the site, which one festival goer seemed especially happy when walking out of one of the blocks and seeing the hairdryer and straighteners stall situated next to it as she excitedly told all of her peers.
With most acts not starting until late, the first band to play that caught peoples eye was Slaves on ‘The Slammer’ stage. With the two piece Royal Blood alike band, glided onto the stage with pride and with one in an interesting outfit, which resembled pyjamas. With the festival predominantly being an EDM/Dubstep festival, the Rock bands weren’t receiving a great reception, as there was a crowd of possibly 40 people in the tent, if that. However, this didn’t stump their performance as the quirky duo still entertained the crowd with their questioning of what NASS means, which lead onto ‘Nescafart’ and ‘Farty coffees’ which pleased the crowd as a few chuckles spread here and there. Should the crowd of been larger, then the atmosphere would have been incredible, as they carried out a performance to the greatest of their potential, despite receiving little from the minute crowd there.
Sonic Boom Six played The Slammer next, and with the gum-chewing female vocalist bouncing onto the stage in a bra-let and patterned leggings. As the crowd was filling up about a third of the tent, it was a shock to still see people joining the band in there as it wasn’t expected. The energetic front woman was punching the air between her outstanding vocals which formed excellent harmonies with the male vocalist of the band. An excellent set from an extremely underestimated band.
Despite the glorious weather earlier on in the day, once it hit 6pm the rain was flooding down, causing the outdoor skateboarding qualifiers to be postponed until Sunday.
As the rain was still coming down a little bit, The Bronx came on to the Main Stage, with a decently sized crowd welcoming them. Despite not entirely fitting into the line-up, it didn’t mean that they didn’t give it their all, even with bassist troubles at the beginning of their set. With an extremely energetic photographer almost egging on the crowd who could see him, the band was excellently received as there didn’t seem to be one person who didn’t enjoy it!
Cypress Hill received an overwhelming response by the whole of the festival, with the Main Stage filling out causing the queue to get in being over an hour long and ultimately being closed off. With the act definitely being lower down on the line-up as they should have been, they created an insane atmosphere throughout the whole of the crowd. The crowd joined in with the chant of “if I say Cypress you say Hill” to an extraordinary volume which overpowered the backing track.
Funeral For A Friend received a full crowd for their headlining set in The Slammer as everyone headed over to see them due to the queue to see Cypress Hill and the rain. An unfortunate reason to have a crowd, but nonetheless, they still welcomed everyone there and potentially gained some new fans outside of their genre. At the start of the set Frontman matt Davies-Kreyes vocals seemed to be weak, however as the crowd grew and the set went on, his vocals dramatically improved. The thankful frontman threw out a speech thanking the crowd for spending time with “the granddads of the emo movement” rather than Cypress Hill, to which a failed crowd surf followed. The alcohol fuelled mosh and circle pits were continuous throughout the whole set, which unfortunately, included crowd killing as well. However, although everyone was out of their face, it didn’t stop everyone looking after each other if someone fell on the floor, which unfortunately did include myself as a result of a group of guys crowd killing, yet six people helped me to get back up, which restored the faith of everyone in the crowd. With the frontman asking everyone to sing because “I’ve got a fucking stitch”, everyone seemed more than happy to help. Interestingly and absolutely brilliantly, at the end of their last song, a 50+ woman who had been moshing all night, jumped the barrier and joined the band on stage before being escorted off by the security that had jolted to remove her from the stage.
