Open’er Festival Review 2014

Set in a military airfield base Open’er Festival is spread across 4 days hosting an array of international artists along with some renowned Polish bands. Uniquely set up, the festival has everything laid out on the edges of the site, leaving plenty of space to relax and explore. Taking full advantage of it’s airfield location, the festival showcases all sorts of entertainment from fashion shows to the silent disco in the elusive bunkers, and if bunkers don’t appeal to you then you can choose between the festivals five stages to listen to your favourite bands. 

The best thing about most European festivals is that they don’t start until later in the day, so if (like me) you’re a tourist from another land, you’ve got time to explore what the city has to offer. The free shuttle bus service runs every few minutes, so no long waits to get you to and from the site! The journey into Gdynia city centre takes around 15 minutes and once in town it’s a 10 minute walk to the beach from where you can explore the town or simply relax on the beach.

Arriving on site I was greeted by a number of food and drinks outlets along with an official merchandise outlet. Sponsored by Heineken the festival has plenty of beer on tap, but if Heineken isn’t your chosen tipple then there are other options including Desperados and Guinness, both on tap along with a wine stall. The downside is that you can’t drink alcohol near the stages. Restricted to the food and drinks court, you can sip on a pint whilst listening to your favourite band from a distance. It’s not all bad as it not only keeps the site clean but also invites you to spend time in other areas of the site.

The main stage, also known as the Open’er stage is where the headliners perform, and to kicks things off on day one was Interpol. Playing to an energetic audience they started things off with Say Hello To The Angels, followed by Evil, C’Mere and finishing their set with Slow Hands. And whilst Interpol were finishing up their set Metronomy were taking to the tent stage. Making my way to the tent I was greeted by I’m Aquarius, followed by Reservoir and The Upsetter

Next up on the Open’er stage were The Black Keys who played a stellar set of songs from all of their albums including their earlier hits Strange Times, The Next Girl, to their latest track Fever. And if that wasn’t enough they came back on stage for an encore and finished with Little Black Submarines and I Got Mine. Closing day one was Haim on the tent stage and Foster the People on Open’er. It wasn’t long into Haim’s set when members of the crowd began shouting out ‘Marry Me’ to which the band members responded with ‘yes, we’ll come to Poland to find our husbands’. Playing all the hits from their debut album they ended with The Wire and Let Me Go. And as the sun settled over the airfield Foster the People ended day one with an hour and a half performance including Best Friend, Coming of Age, Ask Yourself and the much loved summer track Pumped Up Kicks

Photo courtesy of Opener.pl

Day two saw the likes of MGMT, The Afghan Whigs, Jaguar Ma, Rudimental and headliners Pearl Jam take to the stages. Paying tribute to the late Bobby Womack The Afghan Whigs covered the classic Across 110th Street. 

Pearl Jam were by far the highlight of the night with a 23 strong song set list starting with Better Man followed by Even Flow, Jeremy and Alive. Pulling in the biggest crowd Eddie Vedder did not disappoint leaving the crowd hyped up and wanting more.

A tough headliner to follow, the penultimate day saw Jack White headline, but not before Foals played an impressive set which provoked an equally impressive mosh pit. Buzzing from their electric performance I headed straight to the Alter stage to check out newcomers Royal Blood. The duo, aided with just a drum kit and guitar sent the crowd into a frenzy, and if their show is anything to go by then these guys are the ones to watch out for. 

Playing songs from his new album Lazaretto, Jack White kicked off his set with High Ball Stepper, and for anyone wanting to hear some track from The White Stripes then you were in luck as he rocked out to Icky Thump along with Seven Nation Army. The night came to an end when Lykke Li entertained the crowd. Unfortunately her set was suddenly cut short, but not before playing hit single Gunshot and I Never Learn.

Photo courtesy of Opener.pl

The fourth and final day at Open’er did not disappoint. Saving the best headliner to last – Faith No More. But before they took to the stage The Horrors opened the main stage, pulling in the smallest crowd. Unimpressed with their set, revellers flocked to the Here and Now stage to check out Hip Hop artist Pusha T, who delivered a much more energetic performance to a small but content crowd.

Debuting two new songs on a white stage filled with flowers, Faith No More were victorious in their headline set, returning for an encore that included Failing To Pieces, Matador and We Care A Lot. And whilst the rockers had pulled in the largest crowd for the whole weekend Bastille entertained an equally modest crowd on the Here and Now Stage covering TLC’s No Scrubs and ending with Pompeii

And for those that could pull themselves away from Bastille and head to the tent were greeted with an extra long set from Warpaint. Rounding off this years Open’er festival was Phoenix who played an electric set including hits Lasso and Rome.

I left Open’er feeling very content that I’d witnessed some of the most amazing acts, consumed enough Heineken to last a life time. This festival is all about quality music and it shows, here’s hoping thats next years line up will be just as good!

Final headliner announced for Latitude Festival 2014

The Summer Festival Guide can reveal that the final headliner announced for this years Latitude Festival will be the American rock duo The Black Keys.  They join the previously announced headliners Damon Albarn and Two Door Cinema Club at this years summer festival.

Also added to the Obelisk Arena lineup are The Editors, James, Crystal Fighters and more.  Joining the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage is Mogwai, Lykke Li, Clean Bandit and more.

For the Comedy Arena, Irish comedian and TV presenter Dara O'Briain will head up proceedings and is joined by a massive cast including Milton Jones, Josh Widdicombe, Al Murray's Saloon Show.

See the full addtions here:

OBELISK ARENA

THE BLACK KEYS

EDITORS | JAMES |CRYSTAL FIGHTERS |KELIS | THE AFGHAN WHIGS | TINARIWEN
 

BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC STAGE

MOGWAI | LYKKE LI

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW | CLEAN BANDIT | THE WAR ON DRUGS

SOHN | TEMPLES | HOZIER | PARQUET COURTS | GEORGE EZRA | CONOR OBERST

 

THE i ARENA

TOM VEK| TEEN | HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER | RY X | JOHN WIZARDS | DAWES

THE ACID | MIGHTY OAKS

 

COMEDY AT LATITUDE

DARA O’BRIAIN

MILTON JONES | AL MURRAY’S SALOON SHOW | JOSH WIDDICOMBE

 MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE & ANDREW MAXWELL | TIM KEY | JOSIE LONG | KATHERINE RYAN

TREVOR NOAH | SEANN WALSH | TOMMY TIERNAN | HENNING WEHN | JEREMY HARDY

MILES JUPP | DOC BROWN | CARDINAL BURNS THE PAJAMA MEN SARA PASCOE | NICK HELM

FELICITY WARD ARTHUR SMITH GLENN WOOL KERRY GODLIMAN JAMES ACASTER

HANNAH GADSBY TIFFANY STEVENSON JARED CHRISTMAS |ROB BECKETT

ROMESH RANGANATHANROISIN CONATY JOE LYCETT MIKE WOZNIAK

JOHN KEARNS LIAM WILLIAMSTOM ROSENTHAL |AISLING BEA|JOHN ROBINS |NISH KUMAR ERIC LAMPAERT CELIA PACQUOLA SUZI RUFFELL JAMIE DEMETRIOU ALFIE BROWN

BOBBY MAIR PAT CAHILL ANGELA BARNESPHIL WANG |IVO GRAHAM TANIA EDWARDS KWAME ASANTE JOSEPH MORPURGO HARRIET KEMSLEYDAVID MORGAN JONNY PELHAM DANE BAPTISTE GABBY BEST SARAH CALLAGHAN|CHORTLE STUDENT COMEDY AWARDS

THE SUNDAY ASSEMBLY WITTANK MCNEIL & PAMPHILON |CLUB SOL | MAX AND IVAN

THE NOISE NEXT DOOR | THE ONLY WAY IS DOWNTONPAPPY'S

CARIAD LLOYD & LOUISE FORD & HOLLY BURN CHARACTER COMEDY SHOW

PLUS FURTHER HEADLINERS TO BE ANNOUNCED

 

LITERATURE

SALON LONDON PRESENTS KERRY DAYNES, JO HEMMINGS, TRISTAN GOOLEY, LLOYD BRADLEY, PROFESSOR B SAHAKIAN, DAVID SPIEGELHALTER, DAVID TONG, ART MACABRE, JULIET RUSSELL

JON RONSON | LAUREN BEUKES | PATRICK BARKHAM | ALEXANDRA HEMINSLEY | DANIEL DAVIS

RACHEL COOKE | NAOMI WOOD | VIV GROSKOP | MARK ELLEN | JP BEAN | ROYAL SECRETS

ROB EVANS JAMES BANNON | LAURA BATES | ZOE PILGER | JOHN OSBORNE

FESTIVAL OF THE SPOKEN NERD | THE READER ORGANISATION | DYLAN’S BOOKBUS

MALCOLM GLUCK WINETASTING

 

THEATRE AND DANCE

FORCED ENTERTAINMENT | RSC | ROYAL EXCHANGE MANCHESTER

SADLER’S WELLS PRESENT  NATIONAL YOUTH DANCE COMPANY, JAMES COUSINS COMPANY, ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET

DIRTY DANCING (HIGHLIGHTS)

BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE PRESENTS JOHN BERKAVITCH ANDWILL DICKIE

LYRIC HAMMERSMITH, GREENWICH+DOCKLANDS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, WATFORD PALACE THEATRE ANDLATITUDE PRESENT BUCKET CLUB, LIGHT THE FUSE, FLIPPING THE BIRDAND PAGE ONE THEATRE

MARK THOMAS | LUKE JERMAY | DRYWRITE | CLEAN BREAK

FOREST FRINGE PRESENT GREG WOHEAD, LOUISE ORWIN, BRIAN LOBEL, CHRISTOPHER BRETT BAILEY, CHRIS THORPE, ABIGAIL CONWAY, SARAH JANE NORMAN, VERITY STANDEN, JAMES STENHOUSE & SAM HALMARACK, TALES OF WHATEVER

GAGGLEBABBLE THE LETTER ROOM | FLANAGAN COLLECTIVE | AWRC | DASH ARTS

PLUS MANY MORE COMPANIES TO BE ANNOUNCED

 

ARTISTS

BOB AND ROBERTA SMITH |FILM PREVIEW: THE ART PARTY!

THE WRONG CROWD | DAVID SHILLINGLAW

 

FILM AND MUSIC

ESBEN & THE WITCH SCORE LA ANTENA

PLUS MANY MORE ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED

 

POETRY ARENA

LUKE WRIGHT | LEMN SISSAY | DIZRAELI | TIM CLARE

SABRINA MAHFOUZ | HANNAH JANE WALKER | SALENA GODDEN | KATIE BONNA

REBECCA GOSS | MOLLY NAYLOR | ROSY CARRICK | JOHN OSBORNE

 HELEN MORT | ALEXIS DUBUS | THE PRAM IN THE HALL

 

CABARET/LIVE ART

DUCKIE | MISS BEHAVE’S GAMESHOW | QUEENS OF POP

MARGARET THATCHER QUEEN OF SOHO | EASTEND CABARET | OPHELIA BITZ | THE GOLDEN BOYS

PLUS MORE NAMES TO BE ANNOUNCED

 

LATE NIGHT DJ’S

GUILTY PLEASURES | BUTTONED DOWN DISCO | DISCO SHED |JESS INDEEDY

 

ACROSS THE FESTIVAL

THE LAVISH BIG SCREEN | LATE JUNCTION | THE KIDS AREA | THE INBETWEENERS TEEN AREA

Lykke Li added to Latitude 2011 lineup

lykke liSwedish pop maestro Lykke Li has been a maverick musical presence since her 2007 EP ‘Little Bit’. Squeezing dramatic percussion, haunting organs and infectious soul-pop refrains into her music, her eloquent vocals fill the spacious arrangements. Her second album ‘Wounded Rhymes’, produced by one third of Peter, Bjorn & John, brings this intoxicating concoction to an even headier listen. Having hit the Top 40 album charts in 11 countries, including Number Two in her home country, Lykke Li’s latest is proving to be a bigger hit than the critically lauded debut ‘Youth Novels’. She’s currently playing sold out venues across Europe, including Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London and with a date at the prestigious Roundhouse booked for November her popularity shows no sign of abating. She will be performing penultimately in The Word Arena before headliners Eels on the Sunday night at Latitude 2011 which will be another eclectic triumph for the young rising star.

Latitude’s music arena line-up to date:
– OBELISK ARENA –

FRIDAY
~ The National ~
~ Paloma Faith ~ Bright Eyes ~ KT Tunstall ~

SATURDAY
– Paolo Nutini –
~ My Morning Jacket ~ The Cribs ~ Seasick Steve ~ Rumer ~

SUNDAY
– Suede –
~ Hurts ~ Glasvegas ~ Iron & Wine ~ The Waterboys ~

– THE WORD ARENA –

FRIDAY
~ Bombay Bicycle Club ~
~ The Vaccines ~ Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group ~
~ Caribou ~

SATURDAY
~ Foals ~
~ Echo and The Bunnymen ~ I Am Kloot ~

SUNDAY
~ Eels ~
~ Lykke Li ~ OMD ~

Playing across all the music arenas over the course of the weekend are:

FRIDAY
~ Avi Buffalo ~ Crocodiles ~
~ Glasser ~ Jenny and Johnny ~

SATURDAY
~ Bellowhead ~ Villagers ~

SUNDAY
~ Anna Calvi ~ Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros ~
~ Foster The People ~ Gold Panda ~ Kele ~ The Leisure Society ~
~ Marques Toliver ~ The Naked and Famous ~

Also appearing

~ The Bees ~ British Sea Power ~ Caitlin Rose ~ Chapel Club ~
~ Crystal Fighters ~ C.W. Stoneking ~ Deerhunter ~
~ Dog Is Dead ~ The Duke And The King ~
~ Edwyn Collins ~ Esben and the Witch ~
~ Everything Everything ~ Fight Like Apes ~ Graffiti 6 ~
~ Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan ~
~ The Lloyd Cole Small Ensemble ~ Phildel ~
~ The Raghu Dixit Project ~ Thea Gilmore ~ Tripwires ~
~ Trophy Wife ~ Violens ~ Wanda Jackson ~ Yann Tiersen ~

Elsewhere throughout the weekend, festival goers can enjoy readings from leading poets and authors including Linton Kwesi Johnson, Esther Freud, Jo Shapcott, Simon Armitage, Sarah Dunant, Dave Gorman and Alexei Sayle; top comics Alan Carr, Omid Djalili, Jason Byrne and a festival debut of Never Mind The Buzzcocks; exciting theatre and dance productions presented by The Gate, Bush Theatre, Sadler’s Wells and English National Ballet to name but a few, cabaret performances from David Schneider & Friends, Will Adamsdale, Bourgeois and Maurice; and BAFTA return to the Film & Music Arena with a fantastic programme of Q&A’s, discussions and workshops including comedy stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon discussing their hilarious work on Michael Winterbottom’s ‘The Trip’.

With DJ’s, The Winter’s Ball and late night parties found throughout the site, it is a unique and special weekend of fun, culture and entertainment. An intimate world away from reality waiting to be explored and enjoyed.

Kanye West, Lykke Li and more for Flow Festival 2011

The eight edition of the festival sees the festival site expanding thanks to the new Kayam tent stage. The three-day Flow tickets will go on sale on April 11 at Tiketti outlets.

kanye westThe diverse cast of Flow artists thus far includes Kanye West, the king of new pop music, whose recent album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ranks among the most celebrated of the past couple of years.Q-Tip, the legendary MC from the pioneering hiphop group A Tribe Called Quest, makes his first appearance in Finland, the Swedish songstress Lykke Li showcases material from her career-boosting new album “Wounded Rhymes”, and the “Nordic Daft Punk”, Röyksopp, display their party-starting electro akin to last year’s successful release “Senior”.

Other Flow acts include post rock heroes Mogwai, sporting an audivisual stage spectacle, Iron & Wine, one of the most original acts in the contemporary folk/indie scene, futuristic pop wunderkind James Blake, and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, authors of the Year’s Best list topping album “Before Today”.

The new wave of indie rock is well represented at Flow by the likes of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart,MidlakeWarpaintTwin ShadowThe Dø and DestroyerJanelle MonáeMayer Hawthorne & The County and The Budos Band keep the Afro-American musical tradition well in place, whereas Sly & Robbie with Junior Reid are one of the most legendary reggae combos around. The traditionally strong club lineup at Flow this year includes Matthew DearHercules & Love AffairTensnakeJoy Orbison,Martyn, and Oni Ayhun, among others.

Finnish Flow acts include soul sensation Jo Stance, upcoming indie rock outfit French Films, electropop prospects Shine 2009, the internationally noted band Rubik, and solid Finnish jazz combo Jukka Eskola Quintet, debuting their expanded stage setup with strings. Teeth aka Matti Pentikäinen, gaining fast momentum in the UK club scene performs at the festival and has also composed the Flow Festival theme heard at radio spots.

The atmospheric Flow Festival area expands significantly with the new 5000 capacity Nokia Blue Tent. The total capacity of visitors, however, grows only slightly in order to make the Flow experience even more pleasant for the visitors. Another addition to the venues at Flow will be the centre for new circus hosting the experimental music bill to be announced later.

Flow Festival three-day tickets will go on sale on Monday 11 April at 9 am (GMT +2) at Tiketti outlets. More acts will be released in May, as will the tickets for individual days and two-day combinations.