NIN – The Eden Sessions 2022, REVIEWED!

© Anna Hyams for Summer Festival Guide

It’s one of the hottest days of the year, we’re edging up against the solstice, and we’ve decided to spend the day in a giant greenhouse. Yes, we’ve finally made it back to Eden Project Cornwall, for The Eden Sessions – a series of gigs held in arguably the world’s most beautiful venue. This year so far, Eden has hosted the likes of My Chemical Romance and Noel Gallagher but tonight we’re down for day one of the iconic Nine Inch Nails double-header.

Along with your ticket for one of the Sessions, you are able to visit The Eden Project itself on the day of or the day after your event. Given that standard tickets are around the £30 mark, this is a great way to experience the biomes as an added bonus. We take a tour of the Mediterranean biome first, which is full of citrus, herbs and grapevines – it smells absolutely incredible, but good grief is it hotter than the seventh circle of hell today. There’s so much to see and learn about, but our favourite occupation is lizard spotting.


The bigger Rainforest biome is actually slightly cooler (owing to the canopy and the humidity, we did learn something) and there are water stops all the way around. We took the treetop walk, found some cooling mists and marveled at giant bamboo. Actually, the best bit was all the black-clad gothic types sweating it out, and having a lovely time taking selfies in the daylight for a change. Dipping out of the biomes into the central café, we recharge with burrito wraps and Cornish Cola (yes, it’s a thing) – followed up with ice-cream in the sunshine and a look around the outside garden area. There’s a tipi bar (with special commemorative Sessions cups on offer) and a regular bar, either side of the arena.

Heading into the arena area, a banked-sided perfect bowl amphitheatre, it’s obvious that everyone is going to get a great view from wherever they stand tonight. With around a 6,500 capacity, it’s a smallish venue which definitely makes for an intimate show. Despite the still sizzling heat of the day, the crowd of black tshirts is amassing ready for support act Nitzer Ebb.

 © Anna Hyams for Summer Festival Guide

Nitzer Ebb (sans Doug McCarthy), 80’s Brit-EDM with a very industrial sound, are raucously good fun – and vocalist Bon Harris’ gives a convincing portrayal of dingy-club-basement-rave, in the Cornish sunshine. I think they’ve managed to secure more than a few new fans tonight.

Nine Inch Nails are hailed in with a wall of smoke so dense that it takes half of intro track ‘Somewhat Damaged’ to even see the outline of Trent Reznor, but when we do – an almighty roar goes up from the arena. It is wild that a band who sell out huge stadiums all over the world, are here tonight in the sleepy leg of England, but there are some die-hard fans here who have travelled great distances for it.

Reznor and bandmate Atticus Ross take no time at all to bring the fury, the full force of Reznor as a performer – backed by an incredible line up of talent (Finck, Cortini, Rubin), it’s already everything we were waiting for. Dressed in a beaten leather jacket and a muscle-hugging black tshirt – it’s clear Reznor has left behind the angsty teen pvc-gloves and visible ennui behind, and is giving off big John Wick vibes. The huge lighting rigs behind beat to the heart-stopping wave of sound for ‘The Day The World Went Away’, and the crowd goes absolutely beserk.

© Anna Hyams for Summer Festival Guide

‘Mr. Self Destruct’ and ‘The Frail’ are stunningly epic, and we are treated to a rare outing of ‘Love Is Not Enough’. ‘Wish’ buries itself deep into your soul, but it’s ‘The Perfect Drug’ that just has the entire arena bouncing with wild abandon. There’s a visceral freedom in NIN’s music that allows for chaotic expression, and it’s clear this crowd has come to let it out – the nihilistic need for post-pandemic self-destruction.

Grabbing up a guitar, followed by a saxophone, followed by a tambourine, you get a glimpse of the passion Reznor has for music in all forms – and I can’t help but giggle that he’s basically screaming the iconic lines (you know the ones…) from ‘Closer’ across the sleepy Cornish countryside. I wonder if he finds the juxtaposition as amusing as I do, this certainly isn’t your standard insulated concert venue.

‘Copy of A’ has the whole arena singing/shouting along, and the show is absolutely relentless, with the band taking hardly any breaks between song after heavy song, Reznor is a machine. However he does have time to quip “We love this place, but does the sun ever goddamn go down?! Feeling exposed up here, there’s too much light” – which in retrospect of the following night’s weather, might have been a touch too close to tempting fate.

© Anna Hyams for Summer Festival Guide

Referencing our dear friend the global pandemonium, Reznor confides “It’s been disorienting to come out and play shows, but it’s also been fucking great” hitting on the nerve I think many are feeling tonight, before going full grunge cover in homage to late friend and mentor David Bowie, with ‘I’m Afraid of Americans’ and ‘Fashion’.

The night finally descends over Eden, in time for ‘Head Like A Hole’ to absolute bury us in the ecstasy of pure live music joy. The biomes are lit in time with the music, rippling through blues and purples to pure white matching the stage lights. The encore, ‘Everything’ and ‘March of the Pigs’ are amazing, but there may be nothing that comes as close to a perfect concert moment as closer ‘Hurt’ does tonight. The air is vibrating with anticipation as Reznor lines up those opening lyrics, and then it becomes the most gut punching dirge outro you can imagine. We wish there was more, we will there to be more, but it’s over. This one goes down in my personal history of one of the most iconic shows I’ve ever seen. Both the venue and the music, will be hard to live up to.

© Anna Hyams for Summer Festival Guide

Wireless Festival announce 2018 lineup

The highlight of the summer calendar, Wireless Festival, is returning to London’s Finsbury Park from the 6th – 8th July 2018 to bring together a host of home-grown and internationally renowned artists. The three-day urban music event will see headline performances from global superstars J. Cole, Stormzy and DJ Khaled and Friends, and many more of the biggest names in hip-hop, grime and rap music. Weekend and day tickets are available here.

Now in its thirteenth year, Wireless Festival has cemented itself as the home of urban music – the go-to event for fans of the world’s most talked about rappers, artists and DJs. This year sees UK festival exclusive performances by J. Cole, Stormzy, DJ Khaled and Friends, Rae Sremmurd, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Giggs, Lil Uzi Vert, Rick Ross, Migos, GoldLink, French Montana, 6LACK, Ski Mask The Slump God and Smokepurpp.

FRIDAY

J. COLE

POST MALONE, PARTYNEXTDOOR

SPECIAL GUEST: BIG SEAN

GOLDLINK, WILEY, WRETCH 32, MABEL, KOJO FUNDS

BELLY SQUAD, BAS, DONAE’O

 

SATURDAY

STORMZY

MIGOS

J HUS, FRENCH MONTANA

6LACK, A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE, BELLY

MOSTACK, FREDO, HARDY CAPRIO, RAMZ

 

SUNDAY

DJ KHALED AND FRIENDS

SPECIAL GUEST: GIGGS

 RAE SREMMURD

LIL UZI VERT, CARDI B, RICK ROSS

PLAYBOI CARTI, LIL PUMP, MIST, NOT3S

 TRIPPIE REDD, SKI MASK THE SLUMP GOD

67, SMOKEPURPP, JAYKAE, LISA MERCEDEZ

Headlining Friday and setting the tempo for an unforgettable weekend is iconic rapper J. Cole. Revered as one of the greatest rappers of his generation and needing no features to go platinum, J. Cole quickly established himself as a pioneer within his genre. With four studio albums, five EPs and four mixtapes to his name, J. Cole’s latest album ‘4 Your Eyez Only’ was certified platinum in April 2017, with all ten tracks debuting in the Top 40 of the Hot 100 US Charts and he is sure to kick things off in style at Wireless 2018.

Musical superstar Stormzy will take over the Main Stage on Saturday as he returns to Wireless for what is set to be a landmark show.  With the success of 2017 and release of his critically acclaimed No.1 debut album ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’, Stormzy became the first grime artist to reach Number 1 on the UK album charts. With MOBO's, a GQ Man Of The Year award and two BRIT Award nominations under his belt – as well as over 100 million combined views on YouTube for his singles including ‘Big For Your Boots’ and ‘Blinded By Your Grace Pt.2' – Stormzy is set to give an unmissable headline performance.

For what will be his first performance outside North America and the only place to see him in the UK this year, hip-hop legend, record producer and internet sensation DJ Khaled will close Wireless on Sunday joined by an unannounced host of guests and collaborators. The US superstar has ten studio albums to his name as well as a huge repertoire with some of the world’s biggest stars, including the smash-hit ‘Wild Thoughts’ with Rihanna and Bryson Tiller. DJ Khaled’s Wireless debut is not to be missed.

One of the most successful names in modern hip-hop, Post Malone returns to Wireless on Friday. His massive single ‘Rockstar’ broke Apple Music streaming records with over 25 million streams upon its release in September 2017. With the imminent release of Culture 2 – Wireless will exclusively bring Migos and their unique blend of hip-hop and trap to the London crowds.

One man who needs no introduction is undisputed godfather of grime Wiley. With another new album on the horizon, no other artist in the scene has had the impact or lasting power of this true architect of the genre.

Returning to his hometown for what is set to be a huge performance, Giggs will be on the Main Stage on Sunday. His most recent EP ‘Wamp 2 Dem’ flew into the Number 2 position on the UK album charts and collaborations with Drake saw him solidify his status as the ‘Landlord’ of British hip-hop in 2017. Undeniably one of the UK’s best lyricists and a true icon of UK hip hop, North London’s Wretch 32 will be on home turf this summer at Wireless 2018 joining the Friday line-up, while triple BRIT Award nominee, J Hus will play on Saturday. A master of fusing Afro-beats, dancehall, grime and hip-hop, he released his massive debut album ‘Common Sense’ in 2017 to rave reviews. The lead single ‘Did You See’ has more than 56 million Spotify streams and combined with his well-renowned, energetic live performances, J Hus has one of the most anticipated sets of the Wireless weekend.

Since bursting onto the scene and into the public's consciousness, self-proclaimed rockstar and 'XO Tour Lif3' hitmaker Lil Uzi Vert has truly shaken up modern hip hop. Known for his high energy live show, his set is not to be missed at this year’s festival. With breakthrough single 'Magnolia' gaining him worldwide recognition and props from hip hop legend Jay Z, Playboi Carti has become one of the key players in the incredible new wave of American rap and his long-awaited debut mixtape proved that there's much more to him than one hit.

Joining the bill for London’s most anticipated summer party is French Montana performing for the Wireless crowd on Saturday. Within the top 40 most listened to artists in the world, his 2017 smash hit ‘Unforgettable’ reached the top 10 in 15 countries world-wide and has achieved over 679 million streams. PARTYNEXTDOOR also joins the line-up. The Canadian born R&B star has collaborated in the studio with the likes of Drake, Rihanna and Major Lazer, with his single ‘Come and See Me’ raking up over 200 million streams on Spotify. Detroit-bred rapper Big Sean, famous for his huge hip-hop anthems ‘I Don’t F*** With You’ and ‘Bounce Back’ will make a special guest appearance on Friday.

Following on from their performance in 2017, Rae Sremmurd return to the Wireless stage on Sunday, as well as hip hop royalty Rick Ross. Joining them is the new Queen of hip-hop and record breaker Cardi B. Her summer hit ‘Bodak Yellow’ topped the Billboard 100 charts for three weeks, making her the second ever rapper to hit the top spot since Lauryn Hill in 1998.

Wireless is also pleased to announce the addition of Canadian multiplatinum-certified rapper Belly to Saturday’s line-up.  The prolific MC just served up the explosive and critically acclaimed ‘Mumble Rap’ mixtape last year. Not only is he a musical force to be reckoned with, but he also stands out as an in-demand songwriter with an Academy® Award nod for “Best Original Song” and a GRAMMY® Award win for “Best R&B Performance” to his credit. Performing to his home crowd is North London rapper MoStack who has collaborated with the likes of J Hus and Krept & Konan and recently worked on Steel Banglez huge hit ‘Bad’ and smash hit ‘No Words' with Dave, as well as UK rapper Ramz who joins the line-up following the success of recent smash hit ‘Barking’.

Forever championing the burgeoning UK scene, Wireless 2018 will play host to some of the hottest talent that the country has to offer. 'Finders Keepers' future R&B queen Mabel will be performing as will her collaborator Kojo Funds. Elsewhere Not3s joins the line-up fresh from his BBC Sound Of List nod as well as street rap don Fredo and Birmingham's finest Mist. Hardy Caprio, Belly Squad, Donae’o, Lisa Mercedez and Jaykae will also play across the weekend.

Lil Pump joins the bill for Sunday. His 2017 self-titled record peaked at Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, with his world-wide smash ‘Gucci Gang’ pulling in over 161 million views on YouTube. On Friday Washington based MC GoldLink will take to the stage. Famed for his innovate hip-hop style combined with indie rhythms and deep danceable beats, his 2017 hit ‘Crew’ has been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify and YouTube. Other acts taking to the stage across the weekend include XXL Freshman A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, drill crew 67, 6LACK, Trippie Redd, Ski Mask The Slump God, Smokepurpp and BAS, with more still to be announced.