Jack Johnson, Paloma Faith and more join Calling Festival lineup

This years rebranded Calling Festival will arrive at Clapham Common this June and we can announce that Jack Johnson, Paloma Faith and India Arie join the bill on Sunday 29 June in London’s Clapham Common. Radkey, Heaven’s Basement and more announced for Saturday 28 June.  The two-day event is headlined by Aerosmith and Stevie Wonder. 

Jack Johnson will make a Calling Festival debut this summer. The acclaimed singer-songwriter will perform hits spanning his five studio albums, including three UK Number One albums, such as ‘Better Together’, ‘Sitting Waiting Wishing’ and ‘You and Your Heart’. Paloma Faith also makes a first appearance at Calling Festival. Expect hits including ‘New York’, ‘Picking Up The Pieces’ and ‘Stone Cold Sober’ to be big crowd pleasers. Also joining the Sunday bill is Grammy-Award winning, multi-million selling India Arie.

Saturday’slineup sees hotly tipped Radkey, rockers Heaven’s Basement and Lonely The Brave, Australian indie four-piece The Jezabels, indie-funk band No Hot Ashes, Bristol R&B group Tax The Heat, American singer-songwriter Chantal Claret, power pop band The 3 Dudes and fresh from supporting Status Quo on tour, Toseland all join the bill.

 

Stevie Wonder to headline London’s Calling Festival

This years festival circuit got a great boost as we announce that the iconic Stevie Wonder will headline London's Calling Festival in Clapham Common.

Stevie Wonder will astound crowds in Clapham Common this summer with a live show packed with unequivocally classic songs on Sunday 29 June. Renowned as a live performance tour de force, Stevie Wonder’s unmistakeable music will be a perfect closing headliner to the an amazing weekend of music.

Joining the Saturday 28 June lineup is American rock icon Richie Sambora, known for his raw vocals, indelible songwriting and world-class guitar playing. His performance will feature special guest, Australian singer-songwriter and guitar goddessOrianthi.

Live Nation’s Vice President of Promotions, Toby Leighton-Pope commented:

“We’re thrilled to welcome Stevie Wonder to Calling Festival. His music is timeless and this show will be one of the highlights of the summer! Richie Sambora joins the Saturday billwhich is looking fantastic, it’s going to be an unforgettable event.“

Earlier this month Aerosmith were announced to headline Saturday 28 June at Calling Festival, with Thunder, Joe Bonamassa and Walking Papers also confirmed. Stevie Wonder is the first act to be announced for Sunday 29 June, with many more exciting additions will be announced over the coming weeks.

Hard Rock Calling 2013: Sunshine, plastic grass and no mud!

Saturday 29th June 2013

Hard Rock Calling; the sun shone brightly as we strolled down the wide paths of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park into the open space where the main stage lay in front of us. Crowds were already making themselves at home on the plastic grass, enjoying the sunshine and the catchy rock melodies of Lower than Atlantis. Across the bridge, and when I say bridge, we found the other two music venues crammed right next to each other fighting to be heard. U-turn back to the main stage and Kodaline, were winning over new fans, their mandolin led tune 'Love like this' was an instant hit and unexpected highlight of the festival.

As the day progressed, the crowds began to fill into the main stage where Miles Kane played an electric set, filled with wild solos and sing along moments, the momentum really began to pick up. Paul Weller played through all the classics to a crowd that loved it, ‘That’s entertainment’, ‘What you give is what you get’ and of course, everyone went wild singing ‘Town called Malice’.

Almost an hour later Kasabian were ready to start, the stage transformed from all black to brilliant white, cheers rose from the crowd they walked on stage for their debut at Hard Rock Calling. Tom Meighan screams ‘All humans on the earth, raise your hands to the f***ing hands to the sky!’ The beat drops, with a full LED screen behind them and a string quartet to help out, this it seems, was what we'd all been waiting for. Hit after hit from their 2004 album, heavy beats and rock anthems combined to make a great show, we paused for a quieter moment with 'Everybody's got to learn some time' A few tracks later, cue the unforgettable piano intro to Fatboy slim’s epic tune ‘Praise you like I should’ supported by the sustained and piercing notes of the trumpet, mashed up into L.S.F. It was truly epic. As crowd cheered for the encore the heavy drum and bass sounds of Switchblade Smiles began, but swathes of people reluctantly had to leave, it was a good gig, but not worth missing the last train home.

Sunday 30th June 2013

From early on the next afternoon there was a buzz in the air. The crowds which had been decent the day before, now swelled across the roads and pavements on the way to the park, and everywhere we looked were American flag bandana’s, and Bruce Springsteen t-shirts. If we hadn’t known any better we would have thought we were about to attend the Bruce Springsteen fan-club convention. We could have played Bruce Bingo with the huge variety of fan t-shirts we spotted. Walking to the main stage the soulful tones of Alabama Shakes greeted us, they were a perfect warm-up for the day, and a female vocalist was a welcome break to our ears form the men that dominated the line-up, the day before.

We really enjoyed Josh Doyle’s set in the Hard Rock Rising Tent, though it was a shame when his ballad, 'I figured the world out' was overpowered by the Pepsi Max stage only a stone’s throw away. As the Hard Rock Calling hot air balloon rose a few feet off the ground we chilled out in the Olympic garden, then slowly idled our way towards the main stage once again to watch legends of rock 'n' roll, The Black Crows. It was an hour of guitar solos, and old school rockers singing along to 'Hard to handle', but now everyone was ready for Bruce.

In fact everyone had been ready for Bruce all day.

As usual Bruce did not disappoint, the E-Street band were on top form, from 'Born in the USA' to 'Dancing in the Dark', where his mum joined to dance on stage and his little sister played guitar with him it was the family Springsteen show, pretty much all the essentials were covered. Encore after encore, the e-street band played relentlessly to a crowd that could not get enough until unexpectedly it seemed the band had enough, the show ended, half an hour before the program said. I wonder, did budget cuts mean that Bruce and his band also need to catch the last train home? Or was this just a statement about last year’s catastrophe, when the power was cut before the end of the show guest starring Paul McCartney. Either way, we all walked away happy and caught the last train home.

This years Hard Rock Calling Festival organisers made a bold move by moving the festival into the Olympic grounds, and in some ways it was a great venue, but we couldn’t help but feel the festival was dwarfed by the magnitude of the grounds, with only three venues, and little else to see, there simply wasn’t enough going on to fill out the huge space. On top of this, it seemed like all the attention was put on the main stage bookings and the two smaller stages, which in many festivals provide some of the most memorable gigs were relegated to the back fighting over each other to be heard. Regardless of that, the sun shone, there was some great acts, and absolutely no trace of mud, that's pretty good going for a festival in the UK.

Lower than Atlantis, Passenger and more added to Hard Rock Calling lineup

Hard Rock Calling today announced that Lower Than Atlantis, Jack Savoretti and Passenger will be joining headliners Kasabian and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band in what will be the first shows at this iconic venue since the London 2012 Games. Tickets are available but selling fast – get yours now by visitingwww.hardrockcalling.co.uk.

British alt rockers Lower Than Atlantis and acoustic singer songwriter Jack Savoretti will join headliners Kasabian on Saturday 29th June. Passenger (aka Mike Rosenberg) will be joing headliners Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, as second stage headliner on Sunday 30th June.

HARD ROCK CALLING 2013 LINE UP TO DATE, INCLUDING STAGE SPLITS, BELOW:

SATURDAY 29TH JUNE

SUNDAY 30TH JUNE

 

 

MAIN STAGE

MAIN STAGE

Kasabian

Bruce Springsteen

Paul Weller

The Black Crowes

Miles Kane

Alabama Shakes

Twin Atlantic

Zac Brown Band

Kodaline

Deaf Havana

Lower than Atlantis

The Carnabys

The Weeks

 

 

 

SECOND STAGE

SECOND STAGE

The Cribs

Passenger

Klaxons

Lissie

Tribes

Lawson

The View

Flamin Groovies

The Twang

Mayer Hawthorne

Twin Forks

The Temperance Movement

Dark Horses

Lonely the Brave

NO

 

Vuvuvultures

 

 

 

THIRD STAGE

THIRD STAGE

Gaz Coombes

Negramaro

China Rats

Syd Arthur

Syd Arthur

josh doyle

My Preserver

Cody ChesnuTT

Eliza And The Bear

Josh Record

Steve Cradock

Bruno Major

Jack Savoretti

Crowns

Yellowire

 

 

14 more acts announced for Hard Rock Calling

Hard Rock Calling today announced a further 14 bands to join the weekend lineup. Deaf Havana, Dark Horses, Temperance Movement, Twin Forks, The Weeks and more will all join Kasabian and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band on 29 & 30 June at the festivals brand new iconic home, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.  Paul Weller, Black Crowes, Miles Kane and more will also take to the stage for one incredible weekend of rock. Tickets are available but selling fest – get yours now by visiting www.hardrockcalling.co.uk.

Deaf Havana

Hard Rock Calling will kick off what will be the first show at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park since the London 2012 Games. Olympic Gold Medalist Bradley Wiggins commented: "Having the Olympics in London last summer was incredible, and it's great to hear that the Olympic Park will be hosting such a high profile music event this year.  Having some of the world's greatest artists including Bruce Springsteen, Kasabian and Paul Weller perform there is a great way to show the versatility of this brilliantly designed space.  It will be a fantastic event.”

Many more acts and details still to be unveiled. For further information please visit www.hardrockcalling.co.uk.

HARD ROCK CALLING FESTIVAL LINEUP SO FAR (NEW ADDITIONS IN BOLD)

SATURDAY 29 JUNE 2013

KASABIAN, PAUL WELLER, MILES KANE, KODALINE, THE CRIBS, KLAXONS, TRIBES, DARK HORSES, TWIN FORKS, THE WEEKS, ELIZA AND THE BEAR, SYD ARTHUR, MY PRESERVER, STEVE CRADDOCK

SUNDAY 30 JUNE 2013

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND, THE BLACK CROWES, ALABAMA SHAKES, DEAF HAVANA, TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT, NEGRAMARO, JOSH DOYLA, CODY CHESNUTT, JOSH RECORD, CROWNS

Hard Rock Definitely Rises!

Taking place in one of the most iconic venues in London The Hard Rock Café, Hard Rock Rising: the global battle of the bands 2013 was an event not to be missed! Over 3 nights, 9 bands voted for by the general public battled it out each night to be chosen the winners of their heat. After some fierce rock and roll, only 3 bands will make it through to the live final on Wednesday 27th March to battle it out once more for a unbelievable prize of a record contract that will seal the bands bright future and a whole heap of travelling to go with it. But with all this amazing talent, who will remain to be the last band standing!

Monday night went off with an almighty bang, with the history of rock and roll plastered all over the walls; it was hard not to be amazed by the venue, its warm and cosy atmosphere. The 3 bands that were taking to the stage were Alexa De Strange, Crystal x and Snap Out.

Alexa De Strange totally rocked the stage and immediately captured everyone’s attention. They played a 3 song set each one louder than the previous and with an amazing operatic lead female singer, it was clear they’d earned their spot on stage. Their image resembled that of a true rock and roll and they had the audience (and myself) head banging almost immediately. When it came to the judges Absolute Radio’s James Curran, Jemma Dowley from Live Nation and James Walsh from Star sailor, it was clear how awesome their performance was. Described as “an amazing way to kick-start the night” and reminiscent of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, they certainly made a lasting impression on everyone in that room

After a 5 minute changeover where the drinks and conversation were flowing, we welcomed the 2nd band of the night Crystal X. Somewhat younger, with the age of all their members totally just 19 years, they soon showed me age matters not and rocked the house in true style. With a lot more audience interaction and variation of emotions in their set, they raised the energy and definitely hotted up the competition. With the judges agreeing that they showcased a more serious side with a youthful image that would be highly marketable, they played their best to score a place in the final.
The last band of the night was the only all male trio Snap out. Described as the “Wild Card” of the evening, they were fast, furious and rocking the audience with their electric guitar solos and on stage banter made them stand out from the crowd. The judges declared them “the most fully formed band of the night” and they showed a genuine, natural relationship on stage that shined through.

Then it was the tense results moment, with such unique talent, I don’t know how the judges decided but the crowd went crazy when Alexa De Strange was named Winner of Heat 1! They will be back for the live final, one step closer to the amazing prize!

Come Tuesday night, I was ready and excited for Round 2 and the night did not disappoint. The 3 next bands to take to the stage were The Carnabys, Echo Park and The Nevertones. It was another night full of great music and a great atmosphere.

The Carnabys took to the stage with a 5 piece boy band image; their music was a mixture of rock, soul and funk that went down amazingly. From London, they displayed a large amount of energy and charisma, with different moods attached to each song; they proved popular to everyone present. Compared as “the best boy band since the Who”, they certainly played well and showcased a unique form of rock and roll.

Echo Park, the second 5 piece rock band from Surrey had a more rock mixed with pop vibe and reminded me of a younger Westlife. They definitely knew how to play their instruments with an amazing drummer and awesome singing they captured my attention. Their lyrics somewhat more emotional than others had true feeling and they showed a soft tender side to rock and roll.

Lastly, we had The Nevertones. A chaotic rock band formed in July 2012 that mix indie, rock and punk to create some unforgettable songs such as Do The Monkfish. They created a blues vibe that differed from the others and with an excellent guitarist, and bucket loads of energy they did a great set. I would describe them as soft rock and roll but nevertheless, they showed their talents to fight off the competition.

Yet more nervous for these 3 bands, The Carnabys were crowned the winners of Heat 2 and will join Alexa De Strange in the live final on the 27th March.
Wednesday night, there was a touch of sadness in the air with it being the last fighting round. The Kut, Tequila Mockingbird and Wild Honey were the last bands to battle it out. It was a night full of excitement, anticipation and full on rocking . The last results revealed that Tequila Mockingbird were the third and final band to make it through.

So Hard Rock Rising 2013, the battles have been done and the heats have taken place. The three finalists Alexa De Strange, The Carnabys and Tequila Mockingbird will return at the Hard Rock Cafe, London on Wednesday 27th March for the live final but who has what it takes to be crowned winner of Hard Rock Rising : Battle of the Bands 2013!
 

Kasabian & Bruce Springsteen to headline Hard Rock Calling

Paul Weller, Miles Kane, Kodaline, The Black Crowes, Alabama Shakes, The Cribs, Klaxons and Tribes are all confirmed in what is set to be one of the biggest Hard Rock Callings to date. Tickets are on sale at 9am on Friday 8 March 2013.

Kicking off what will be the first show at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London since the London 2012 Games, one of Britain’s biggest and most contemporary bands Kasabian are announced in a UK festival exclusive, making their debut appearance at Hard Rock Calling on Saturday 29 June. The multi-million selling BRIT award-winning band are ready to get crowds rocking with hits including ‘Processed Beats’, ‘Club Foot’, ‘L.S.F’, ‘Empire’, ‘Shoot The Runner’, ‘Fire’, ‘Underdog’, ‘Days Are Forgotten and festival favourite ‘Velociraptor’ spanning their four studio albums.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band are confirmed for Sunday 30 June in what marks a third epic headline performance at the festival. Back for some unfinished business, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band will bring The Wrecking Ball Tour to Hard Rock Calling. Expect a high energy all out rock performance that goes down in history with some of their biggest and most loved hits plus a few surprises and special guests. 

Bruce Springsteen

Modfather Paul Weller joins Kasabian as special guest on Saturday 29 June, while US rockers the The Black Crowes and Alabama Shakes both join the Sunday 30 June bill. Some of the best of British indie, Miles KaneKodalineThe CribsKlaxons and Tribes are all confirmed for Saturday 29 June, with many more additions still to be announced across the weekend.

“Last year, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band made international news and history when their Hard Rock Calling encore with Sir Paul McCartney was unceremoniously cut short due to a noise curfew at Hyde Park. This summer we are giving Bruce and the band the opportunity to finish what they started and make history again with celebrated performance at Hard Rock Calling,” said CEO of Hard Rock International, Hamish Dodds. “Additionally, we are looking forward to christening Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with a Saturday lineup of some of Britain’s hottest talent, including headliner Kasabian, Paul Weller and more.”

Earlier this year it was announced that Hard Rock Calling will be held at a brand new home, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London providing a dazzling open-air live music experience this summer. It offers a chance to experience the excitement of watching the best in popular music at one of London’s most iconic sites.

Dennis Hone, Chief Executive, London Legacy Development Corporation said:

“Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is proving to be a fantastic draw for big names and we are delighted to be adding legends like Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band and Kasabian to this summer’s line up. We are on track to deliver a great summer, a top visitor destination and a great legacy for east London.”

Hard Rock Calling Weather Forecast

Check out the weather forecast for this years Hard Rock Calling at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

This London Olympic Park South weather forecast is generated by the Met Office Weather Widget

 

Hugh Masekela to reunite with Paul Simon at Hard Rock Calling

 

Twenty-five years ago Hugh Masekela put forth an idea to Paul Simon to tour the ‘Graceland’ album with an array of South African musicians, including Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba and 10-man vocal team Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Now for the first time in 25 years, Paul Simon will be joined by original ‘Graceland’ musicians to bring the show back to the UK at Hard Rock Calling in London’s Hyde Park.

The groundbreaking world-pop masterpiece ‘Graceland’ generated three hit singles, a five-year tour, Grammy Awards for best album and best record andsales of over 14 million copies.

18 news acts for Hard Rock Calling 2012

Black Stone Cherry will jet in fresh from their US tour to join the Friday 13 July bill. Also confirmed for this year’s rock spectacular are Welsh rockers Kids in Glass HousesSkindred, combining reggae and dancehall with searing thrash and punk, and indie rockers Life In Film.

Black Stone Cherry

Saturday 14 July sees Scotland’s Amy MacDonald return to Hard Rock Calling. She shot to fame in 2007 with the release of This Is The Life, an album which sold over three million copies. Following a storming performance at this year’s Coachella, Dawes have been added to the bill, as well as the acclaimed savior of blues, Gary Clark Jr, South Carolina’s NEEDTOBREATHE, rockers The Night and American singer/songwriter Jonathan Wilson.

Christina Perri, American songstress and ‘Jar of Hearts’ hitmaker, is back on UK shores and joins the Sunday 15 July lineup. She has recently been on tour with James Blunt and her album lovestrongdebuted in UK Top Ten. Following their 2010 reformation, internationally renowned Scottish rockers Big Country founding members Bruce Watson, Tony Butler and Mark Brzezick will play their first Hard Rock Calling.

Other exciting Sunday 15 July additions include BRIT-nominated indie band Guillemots, progressive bluegrass band Punch Brothers and virtuoso on the pedal steel guitar, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, who were chosen by none other than Eric Clapton to join him on tour. US acoustic country/folk singer songwriter Robert Ellis and London born musician Marlon Roudetten and Marcus Foster also join the bill.

This year Hard Rock gave fans a chance to have a say in who plays on the Hard Rock Calling 2012 main stage through the Hard Rock Rising global battle of the bands competition. A competition like no other, Hard Rock Rising had more than 12,000 band participants from 86 HardRock Cafe cities across the globe, more than 275,000 fan votes cast and celebrity judges including Hard Rock Calling 2012 performers Steven Van Zandt of the E-Street Band and Fyfe Dangerfield ofGuillemots. The Hard Rock Rising winner will be given the opportunity of a lifetime – a spot on the bill with rock icons at one of the world’s most anticipated music festivals.  Visit www.hardrock.com for winner announcements.

Committed to supporting music and emerging artists around the globe, Hard Rock International hosted more than 17,000 live music events worldwide in 2011.  The brand continues its dedication to live music and support of up-and-coming artists in 2012 with the Hard Rock Rising Battle of the Bands, providing a forum for today’s hottest new talent.  

"The Hard Rock Rising competition is a great opportunity for bands to be seen and heard – you get to end up playing on the same bill as Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band for a start!, said Fyfe Dangerfield And it's great that it's international – a band from pretty much anywhere in the world could win this. I'm really looking forward to watching the winners play their slot at Hard Rock Calling, whoever they may end up being!"

Complimenting a star-packed main stage will be the Hard Rock Rising stage. New to this year’s festival, the Hard Rock Rising stage showcases Hard Rock International’s connection to the new music scene and commitment to new bands. To bring fans the hottest new artists, Hard Rock again tapped into veteran rockers Van Zandt from The E-Street Band and Dangerfield of Guillemots, who will each curate the Hard Rock Rising stage for a day of the festival.

“It’s great to play a role in giving new artists valuable new exposure and the experience of a lifetime at Hard RockCalling.” said Steven Van Zandt. “As someone who has played the festival before, I know there’s no stage like it!”

Hard Rock Calling takes place 13-15 July 2012. The 2011 shows saw over 150,000 music fans flock to Hyde Park for an unforgettable weekend of live music.