Boardmasters 2016 Review

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BOARDMASTERS 2016.

 

Boardmasters is undoubtably Cornwall’s biggest festival. Much like it’s partner, Nass, Boardmasters thrives off its love for music and sport. This year I had the pleasure to head down to the beautiful coastline of Newquay to soak in the sun, the surf and the music.

For anyone who has yet to go to the festival, it is located over two main beaches, Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay. Surfing competitions including Men’s and Women’s Open and Men’s and Women’s Longboard (LQS1000) located at Fistral and the music located at Watergate, with this year’s headliners being Chase & Status, Deadmau5 and James Bay. Other sports include BMX and Skateboarding which took place over the course of the weekend at Fistral as well as music ranging from Eliza & The Bear to Rat Boy at Watergate.

Walking into the festival arena on Friday, it was clear that it was something special. With the main stage to my right and the never ending sea on the horizon to my left, the atmosphere and energy was a completely different level to that of a city based festival. The air was fresh, the sun was out and the music was loud. With a buzz of people heading down from all over the country to go and embrace the popular festival, the diversity of families, students and children meant this festival was welcoming for all. One of the first acts which caught my attention was Nahko and Medicine for the People who really captured the alternative melodic music scene which is ever increasing down in Cornwall. Having played London’s KOKO in Camden a few days prior, the Oregon-native and percussion heavy artist drew a surprisingly huge crowd for such an early time slot.
Another up and coming band which caught my attention were the blues rock ’n’ roll trio Smokin’ Durrys. All three bands members spent their university lives down in Cornwall and where brought together by their love of classic rock and blues music. After their performance at Boardmasters, they are hoping that because of the positive reaction from their set that they are in the hopes of securing a slot in next years Truck, Y Not and 2000 Trees Festival.
As the day drew on all I could hear around the arena was the anticipation for Catfish and The Botttlemen. Having played Truck and Y Not Festival this year, they have definitely been one of my favourite acts of the summer and their crowds do not disappoint. Having been announced for Lollapalooza, Berlin as well as touring USA with Mumford & Sons, it is clear that they could easily be headlining festivals next year.
Chase & Status however proved that they deserved that headline slot. Drawing the biggest crowd of the day making the perfect end to the first day of the festival by playing some of their most classic and popular tunes.

I headed down to Fistral Beach for the majority of Saturday to witness the Surfing Men’s Open competition. As you walk down to the beach the paths are crowded with stalls selling all kinds of food and surf related clothing and merchandise. The sun and the clear blue sky, the clear water and the plan trees made Newquay look like California.
The beach was packed with spectators, photographers, and families, all soaking up the beautiful weather proving why Cornwall is one of my favourite places in the UK. The men’s open consisted of over 50 surfers battling it out for the grand prize. The semi-final consisted of Heat 1 between Shane Campbell and Tomas Fernandes and Heat 2 between Angelo Bonomelli and Bruce Mackie. With 0.57 difference Bonomelli managed to take lead in his heat taking him to the final alongside Campbell. However when it came to the final, an interference on Bonomelli’s second wave meant that Shane Campbell with a final score of 13.50 took the winning title of Boardmasters Men’s Open 2016. All scores from the other surfing events as well as video highlights from the 5 days at Fistral can be found on the official Boardmasters website. (http://www.boardmasters.co.uk/surfing/results)

 

By the evening I had made it back to the arena at Watergate to continue with the music, starting with Gabrielle Aplin. Famous for her feature in the 2012 John Lewis advert with her Frankie Goes to Hollywood cover of ‘The Power Of Love’. Her music is a lot more relaxed than the rock headliners of the Land of Saints stage, Maximo Park, but none the less her music brought a beautiful innocence and relaxation to the festival. Her voice so pure and strong for a 23 year old, drawing a huge crowd and performing songs for her first 2012 EP Home and her 2015 Album Light up the Dark.
Kaiser Chiefs undoubtably had a staggering, if not bigger crowd than Chase & Status. They are a band who have been around for many years but have proven they can bounce back with strong force. Bringing all kinds of characters together to enjoy the classic Brit-pop band, they played songs such as Ruby which drove the crowd wild.
Headlining on the Saturday of Boardmasters was Deadmau5. (I have never heard so many people pronounce his name incorrectly at a festival). His electronic dance music brought a beach rave element to the Newquay Festival. Having been a fan of his music for a long time, his set did not disappoint with a spectacular light show which took you into a trance with his melodic tracks. With many waiting impatiently for Craig David’s set after, it was much to his disappointment that he had to cancel his appearance due to a flight cancellation which left his fans upset. Nevertheless, Example performed his heart out to make up for this over at the Land of Saints stage.

 

 

 

Boardmasters had a range of different stages including Unleashed which centred around DJ and dance music, The View which turned an old metal camper into an acoustic stage and the forever famous Keg and Pasty Stage, which essentially summed up the Cornish atmosphere brilliantly.
The final day of the festival had a more rock and alternative lineup with Primal Scream performing main stage and James Bay finishing the night. With the previous headliners bringing electronic music to festival, having the folk-pop style of James Bay on the final night proved to be an excellent finale. Boardmasters is one of the most beautifully located festivals in the UK, and it is definitely worth the travel to far ends of the UK to visit.

 

 

 

Reviewed: Slayer’s firey finale at Bloodstock Open Air

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A packed arena tentatively awaits the dropping of the giant white screen across the front of the BOA stage, as we prepare to close out Bloodstock Open Air 2016 with one of the biggest metal bands of all time, the almighty Slayer.

As the curtain drops the thrash legends throw down hard, opening with titular track of their most recent album ‘Repentless’ amidst a stage almost sagging with the weight of the insane pyrotechnics they’ve rigged. Flanked by two humongous inverted crosses made from amps, which are actually there to shoot massive bursts of flame out onto the stage, it’s frankly amazing that drummer Paul Bostaph still has eyebrows.

When the flame cannons aren’t firing the back of the stage is alight with flame runners behind the band and the backdrop depicting an artistically creepy Christ image is reminder that Slayer one hundred percent do not give a fuck about offending anyone. Hell, the multiple law suits brought against the band have merely become a woven part of their society-defying history, so it’s pretty much par for course.

Kerry King, wielding his fork-headed axe and a belt of swinging chains shreds through the likes of ‘Disciple’, ‘When The Stillness Comes’ and ‘Mandatory Suicide’. Yelling out “You guys having fun today? Another year at this bloodfest!” it’s clear the guys are enjoying this one, and the thousands of windmilling heads in the crowd seem to agree.

King calls out “Thank you very much for coming today, cause we’re all here to have some fucking fun right?” before introducing ‘Die By The Sword’ with a quick quip on recent terror events around the world “The words are kinda fitting with all this crazy shit going on. I believe in karma, what comes around, goes around”. This is a band with such presence and power, you could bottle and sell it. As the Christ curtain drops to reveal the band’s famous eagle logo, an almighty roar goes up in the crowd before the band smash through ‘Seasons in the Abyss’ and they joke “You guys are here because you love music right? So we’re gonna do a love song…” for ‘Dead Skin Mask’.

After a short cut of the lights, Slayer pull out the big guns for the encore. ‘South of Heaven’ has one of the most memorable refrains of all time but it’s ‘Raining Blood’ that gets every single one of our little black hearts beating, and you just don’t know whiplash unless you’ve headbanged to Slayer.

A final banner drop shows a giant Heineken style logo with the words ‘Hanneman, still reigning’ to commemorate Slayer’s late founding member and guitarist, Jeff Hanneman who passed away in 2013. Going out with enough pyro to feel the warmth from the sound desk Slayer hit hard with ‘Angel of Death’ and it’s all over too soon. There is often much dispute over which bands could or should headline Bloodstock and to some extent it all comes down to preference, but Slayer are and have always been one of those bands you just can’t argue with. Tonight, they proved once again why they are metal royalty.

All photos © A. Hyams 2016. Do not use without permission.

Reviewed: Mastodon headline Bloodstock Open Air 2016

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With a UK legacy of great shows already behind them and a fanbase that can be measured in the sheer number of their tshirts on display in the crowd today, Mastodon have stake their claim on Bloodstock’s Ronnie James Dio Stage as headliners.

Throwing down with moody opener ‘Tread Lightly’ Mastodon come out strong, unfortunately the sound does not. Luckily it’s quickly remedied and the melodic guitars of ‘Feast Your Eyes’, ‘Blasteroid’ and ‘Oblivion’ shine through. The crowd density of last night isn’t quite replicated tonight, you can pretty much wriggle to the front with relative ease, but Mastodon’s lighter sections seem to conjure a sort of sombre reverence where everyone is just appreciating the music.

Amusingly (albeit for those who are old enough to remember…. Sigh…) the five giant light panel installations behind the band, appear to be playing the entire Windows 98 screensaver catalogue. You know, the one with neon electricity or trippy tie-dye patterns that everyone thought they were super edgy and cool for having instead of the standard windows one your Dad used.

In a rare moment of crowd-interaction in Mastodon’s twenty-song onslaught, bassist Troy Sanders yells out “You guys are music hungry lovers, thank you” before the band swing into the harmonic vocals of ‘High Road’. However on a few of the others the words seem to be coming out so distorted you could almost swear the band are fluent in whale.

As the stage lights up in yellows and reds for ‘Ember City’ and the band call out “Are you fucking alive?” to the headbanging crowd, Mastodon seem to relax slightly into the show. Speaking of their first UK gig sixteen years ago at Camden Underworld, the band want us to know that they love us… “We knew we were going to have a special relationship with this country, you metalheads. When we’re home or on vacation… we talk about you guys! You nice British people”. Aww, isn’t that adorable?

Finishing up with ‘Megalodon’, ‘Colony of Birchmen’ and to an almighty roar of appreciation from the BOA arena, the huge ‘Blood and Thunder’ – Mastodon close the RJD stage for Saturday night with style. “Thank you for an unforgettable experience, we’re Mastodon, we love you”.

With their own unique brand of slowed down psychedelic sounds vs. hyper and heavy eardrum challenging metal, you could be forgiven for being on the fence about Mastodon, but tonight’s extremely tightly rehearsed set does everything to prove that above all else this band cares about music.

With a set that sounds almost identical to their album tracks (bar some vocal blurring from a production point of view) you almost with they’d break character a bit, interact in a less forced way. There’s a grittiness missing for sure, but Mastodon make up for it by being, well, precisely beautiful.

All photos © A. Hyams 2016. Do not use without permission.

All photos © A. Hyams 2016. Do not use without permission.

Reviewed: Twisted Sister’s final UK show at BOA 2016!

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Over the years, Bloodstock Open Air has been the stage for some seriously special and one-off performances, but this surely takes the win. For the last time ever on UK soil, playing their farewell tour ‘Forty and Fuck It’, glam metal heroes Twisted Sister are here to melt our faces off, fifteen minutes fashionably late of course. A photo montage of old tour memories plays over AC/DC’s ‘It’s a long way to the top (if you wanna rock and roll)’ and the tightly packed arena is already clapping along in anticipation.

Taking to the stage with his signature permed silver mane, ferociously pink mic stand and a flowing denim tailcoat, Dee Snider hasn’t lost a single bit of that performance quality that we’ve come to expect from those original great frontmen, and the band power up with ‘Stay Hungry’ and ‘The Kids Are Back’.

Lying on his back at the edge of the stage, Dee lets his hair dangle towards the crowd before racing around amidst giant flame cannons for ‘Burn in Hell’. Yelling out to the crowd “Bloodstock! The only true metal festival in the whole fucking UK… not those fucking assholes at Download…” to a mighty roar of appreciation from the crowd, Dee strikes gold. There’s always been a bit of banter (and backlash) between the two festivals so team BOA is suitably rowdy in response.

Looking out at the stage-lit sea of faces (and questioning the gustatory offerings at BOA – “Mexican doughnuts sounds delicious, is that not one thing?”) Dee’s easy going patter has everyone on side, it’s hard not to like a band who don’t take themselves too seriously. ‘Destroyer’ and ‘Like a Knife in the Back’ go down a treat but it’s ‘You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll’ that really gets the arena jumping, in the words of Dee – “hashtag fuck yeah”.

Speaking of their late drummer AJ Pero who sadly died last year, the band introduce Dream Theatre legend Mike Portnoy, who came on board because AJ reportedly said “If anything ever happens to me… I want Mike to do it”. Sailing into classic hit ‘I am (I’m me)’ Twisted Sister are as loud, proud and rowdy as they ought to be, especially as they were subjected to being on Top of the Pops the first time round for this song in the UK. However, ‘I Wanna Rock’ – the anthem of rock fans on road trips the world-over is what we’ve been waiting for. There’s nothing quite like a whole arena full of people throwing horns up and yelling their little black hearts out.

Promising this is a real ‘final tour’ Dee jokes “…this is no Scorpions, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne last tour… who’s got a final tour tshirt? I know I do… Twisted Sister is saying goodbye FOR REAL” and as the crowd, trained in the very British tradition of pantomime reply booo’s in response, the band laugh and say “Yes! That’s the appropriate reaction! Sometimes people clap!”.

Likening their farewell to an Irish funeral instead of a sad affair and lamenting on the greats we’ve lost in the last couple of years, Twisted Sister pay tribute to Dio, AJ and Lemmy “It doesn’t feel like festival season without Lemmy and Motorhead doing shows” and dedicate ‘The Price’ to all of them, asking the crowd to light up the arena with phone screens and lighters.

‘I Believe in Rock and Roll’ and ‘Under the Blade’ sees the band engage in a bit of synchronized headbanging, we approve, we’re traditionalists, and after a quick statement on the recent events in Orlando and Paris “There are people out there trying to stop us having a good time… Twisted Sister says fuck them!” it’s onto the next huge hit ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’. Finishing up with Rolling Stones cover ‘It’s Only Rock n’Roll (But I like It)’. The crowd participation element of screaming ‘but I like it’ “kinda death metally” has Dee and the band in stitches (clearly Bloodstock is the only place this would work) and they return triumphantly for an encore of ‘Come Out and Play’, ‘Shoot Em Down' and their swan song ‘SMF’.

Going out in a wave of on stage sparks and toasty pyro, it’s the perfect farewell show, Forty and Fuck It is right – this is a band who sound so good they could probably have gone on forever. After Forty years of metal mayhem, maybe it’s time they went and did whatever the hell they want, knowing that their last tour was probably one of their best. Thanks for the music and the memories Twisted Sister, you sick motherfuckers.

All photos © A. Hyams 2016. Do not use without permission.

All photos © A. Hyams 2016. Do not use without permission.

Soundwave Festival Review 2016

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With an array of Croatian festivals on offer, we were hard pushed to choose which one was right for us, especially as we were trying to combine a festival with a holiday. Researching into Soundwave Festival, it seemed to have everything we were looking for; an eclectic range of music from hip hop, DnB, dub, jazz, house, afro-beat, reggae, funk and soul, chilled vibes, glistening blue seas, boat parties and oodles of relentless sunshine.

We arrived at Split airport in blistering heat on the morning the festival. With just over an hours taxi transfer to the historic old town of Tisno, we dumped our bags and walked along the scenic Dalmatian coastline to the site. After the naff British summertime and a bunch of soggy festivals so far this year, we were banking on this one to be ‘the festival of the 2016’.

Soundwave Festival

Now in its 8th year, Soundwave is spread over five days and three stages. Hosted by The Garden resort, this idyllic slice of paradise with a natural beach cove provides an intimate festival setting for 3,000 like-minded partygoers. Crystal clear waters lap around the beach stage while DJs play laid-back beats as people splash around on inflatables in the afternoon sun. As the sun blazed down the way to keep cool was to dip in and out of the water and sip on slush cocktails.

Seminal Soundwave attendee Craig Charles was always going to bring the party vibes to the island, and it was evident from the swelling crowd that this was one of the highly anticipated DJs of the weekend. Bringing the sounds of the summer in his record box, his set featured the very best funk and soul grooves. We danced the night away under the enormous glitter ball to D-lite, Earth, Wind and Fire, Rick James, 6ix Toys, Grandmaster Flash, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye. Craig’s 13-year-old daughter Nellie Rose stole the show when invited onto the stage to sing an incredible rendition of Michael Jackson's classic ‘Loving you’.

Craig Charles

Famished from dancing, we ate a late night pizza at the on-site restaurant Magnolia’s before heading back to the main stage to catch American rapper Pharoahe Monch. This is raw; no nonsense hip hop at it’s best, and he pleased the crowd by pulling out favourites ‘Simon Says’ ‘ ‘Oh no’, ‘My Life’ and ‘Clap’.

Friday daytime was more of the same, frolicking in the sea, lazing on the beach, craft ales, champagne corks popping, smells of smoked ribs from the House of Ribs and beats provided by French D.J, Russ Ryan, and Harri Pepper. Through the day we saw the live art program taking shape as street artists Artez, and Fat Heat created murals. More graffiti sprung over the weekend from the caliber of Smack184, Lunar, and Sebastian Velasco.

The sunset created stunning lens flares, and it was hard to pull ourselves away from the beach. We proceeded to the main stage to catch Eglo Records soul diva Fatima and the Eglo Live Band, followed by a powerful set by Akala who urged the crowd the jump to Double XL. He pounded out ‘Absolute’, ‘Another Reason’ and ‘Fire in the Booth.'  The main stage was closed by with the tribal beats of Clap Clap. Soon after the skies gave way to the most epic thunderstorm I've ever witnessed. The lightning flashes and sonic booms felt like we were caught in a war zone. 

Fatima and the eglo

No trip to Soundwave is complete without a trip on the good ship the Argonauty, and we were fortunate enough to bag tickets to the hip-hop boat party. Saturday lunchtime arrived and like many, we were giddy with excitement. In our eagerness showed as we queued up early to get a good spot on the authentic vessel. Punters climbed aboard with sailor hats and glittered faces. As soon as we set sail the champagne corks began popping, and the party got going. Beats provided by the DJs Menendez Brothers, DJ Mylz, TwoGood and beat boxers Bloxxed Beats. We sailed around the Adriatic coastline for four hours partying to hip hop classics from Kanye, Jay-Z, Pharoahe Monch, Nelly, Public Enemy, Snoop, Dr Dre, NWA, and Missy Elliot.  As the boat docked we partied harder, refusing to get off until everyone on the beach realised they had missed out on an unforgettable party. Friends were made, and hugs exchanged. This was undeniably the best festival boat we had been on and a sure fire festival highlight.

Later that day we caught a perfectly crafted sunset house set from LTJ Bukem on the Beach Stage, along with liquid drum and bass DJ Calibre. MC DRS urged revellers to jump up on shoulders in a bid to break Croatian records. I reckon he did a pretty good job.

LTJ Bukem

Sunday was even more laid back than previous days. Punters arose later after a night of hedonism in Barbarella’s Discotheque after party. The order of the day was chilled vibes provided by Kid Gorgeous and then picking up the pace Emerald and Shut the Front Door.

Sunday’s main stage action was provided by Eglo record beatmakers Henry Wu, Chunky and Alexander Nut, who’s sets crossed soul, jazz and hip-hop influenced joy. The generator packed up, and the site was plunged into darkness just before Gentleman’s Dub Club headlined. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait too long before it was back up. Leeds based Gentleman’s Dub Club have been steadily carving out a solid reputation as one of the UK’s foremost reggae bands fusing ska and dub influences. Lead vocalist Jonathan Scratchley bounced onto the stage to deliver the most exciting live performance we witnessed all weekend. The whole audience jumped in unison singing along to crowed pleasers ‘Music is the girl I love,' ‘Emergency,' ‘Fire’ and catchy chorus number ‘High grade.'

Gentleman's Dub Club

The final day we jumped aboard the Argonaughty for one last boat party. Riot Jazz, Taste The Diff'rence DJs, Chunky, and Rich Reason provided the perfect sound track to a blisteringly hot Monday. As we set sail on the sun-kissed waters DJ Cutterz, Stu Morley, and Misc Jockey span break beats, hip hop, soul & funk. Next up were Manchester based Riot Jazz, a nine barrelled Balkan to Brooklyn brass band who made the whole boat bounce up and down to their barnstorming, raw energy renditions of Britney Spears – ‘Toxicated’, Aha’s -‘Take on Me’, Human League’s – ‘Don't you want me baby. It was a perfect end to an incredible festival.

It's the balance of art, music and holiday is what makes Soundwave an idyllic and enchanting festival. It’s undoubtedly one of the most beautiful locations in the whole of Europe, and with so many special memory-making moments with like-minded kindred souls, you can see why punters return year on year.

Corey Fox-Fardell Interview at Leefest 2016

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Backstage at Leefest, Ella caught up with Corey Fox-Fardell, who fresh after playing a set on the mainstage was ready to discuss his new musical direction, Brit school and what would have happened if he hadn’t have pursued music.

 

Ella: So you just played a set on the mainstage, how do you think it went?

 

Corey: yeah great, quite a few people there, yeah loads of people, people moving, it was like a mad rush before I went on, my drummer said he didn’t have a click in his headphones and I didn’t have a lead, so I had to run backstage to get one, then the stage manager was like you have 30 seconds to get on, and I hadn’t even touched my guitar yet, but I think we got through it.

 

Well, I was there and I really enjoyed it! So you’ve been playing music for quite a long time, what made you want to be a musician?

 

I’ve always been playing the guitar, since a young age, I was in school bands and that kind of stuff, then I went and studied music for a couple of years at Brit school.

 

How did you find Brit school?

 

It was amazing! It was two years, full-on music, every day, which was great. It was just such an amazing experience and I met so many amazing people, musicians that I still, that come and play with me today. It was a crazy couple of years actually.

 

Was there a time where you wanted to be anything else?

 

Yeah actually, I was homeschooled for a couple of years when I was about 13, and in those years I did a lot of guitar playing, but also I really got into magic! I used to love, and still do, Derren Brown, David Blaine, all those magicians, so I started to really want to be a magician, then I really got into filmmaking, and wanted to make films, but then I got into Brit school, and that was a big thing, so if I didn’t get into Brit maybe I would have done film, but that was it- you get into Brit, it’s gotta be music.

 

You said this is one of the biggest stages you’ve played on,  have you been doing any other festival touring this summer and do you plan to?

 

Yeah, I did a tour with Hannah Trigwell, early summer; we did a mini UK tour where I was supporting her, I also did a festival a few weeks back in Kent which also had a Neverland theme, so that was a bit confusing!

 

Maybe there’s something about Kent and Peter Pan!

 

Yeah maybe! I’ve actually been doing mainly London shows, playing a lot of venues.

 

Are you local to London?

 

No, actually I live on the south coast. – But I spend so much time in London, so I kind of spend half my time in London and half down there.

 

I guess if you want to be a musician then you’ve got to spend a lot of time in London!

 

Yeah, well there’s just so many places to gig there, there’s a lot of stuff happening, it’s exciting. But Brighton’s a real ‘hubby’ place as well, for music.

 

Do you have a favourite place to play?

 

Corey: Yeah, at least I used to! I think my sounds changed a lot since then. I used to be a lot more acoustic and folky, so I used to play in smaller venues, there was one venue called the troubadour, that was such an intimate, beautiful venue.

 

Anywhere in Brighton that you played that you really liked?

 

Well I played the Great Escape this year, at the Fiddlers Elbow, which is a great place, I’ve played the Hope and Ruin as well, I haven’t actually played many venues down in Brighton, just every year at the Great Escape really.

 

How would you describe your sound now?

 

I describe it as half electronic and half natural, it’s got elements of soul and hip hop. You know, I'm influenced by so many styles of music, but within using those different elements, I try to put my stamp on each track so it feels like me.

 

Do you have any strong artist influences?

 

There’s so many, again, if I had to choose maybe one, I used to love Eminem when I was younger, he was my biggest idol. He got me into the lyrics, I used to rap as well.

 

Really! Would you ever incorporate rap into your new music?

 

No, no, I used to, but no.

 

Why not?

 

Ah well, you never know, maybe one day. There’s so many other people I’m inspired by, Prince, D’Angelo, Alabama Shakes. I’m loving Jack Garrett at the minute, Kanye West. Such a mix! At the minute actually I’m actually loving older, more funky stuff, George Benson, the brothers Johnson, Stevie Wonder, Al Jerome, I’m loving all that.

 

I think that comes through, if you listen to a lot of different styles, you’re able to create your own personal take on everything. Have you got any new music coming out?

 

Yeah, actually I do have some new music coming out, I’ve been in the studio recording, producing, we’re putting out a new single next month, it’s been a couple of years since I released anything. It hasn’t actually got a release date yet, but it will be out end of August.

 

So everyone’s going to have to stay tuned otherwise they’ll miss it

 

Yeah exactly, I meant there’s some big changes, new music, new name.

 

Well we’ll definitely be looking forward to that, have fun and enjoy the rest of Leefest,

 

Yeah, I’m really excited, and I will, thanks!

Corey Fox-Fardell will be releasing new music at the end of August, stay updated with him and his music via his website http://www.coreyfoxfardell.co.uk/

Standon Calling 2016 Review

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The ever-popular annual music festival Standon Calling is back. With its biggest number of attendees on record, this lively garden party turned festival drew the crowds to Hertfordshire for a weekend of sun soaked fun. Running from the 29th-31st of July, this boutique festival is set in an idyllic location, with easy access from both Cambridge and London. 'Legend of the Lost Seas' was this years theme, and from the moment I entered I was transported into founder Alex's imagination.

It is my 3rd time at Standon Calling, and once again they have provided a knock out line up that rivals that of larger festivals. Suede closed Friday night, whilst Jess Glynne and Kelis headlined over the course of the weekend, providing something for all age groups. Jess Glynne was my particular favourite, belting out hit after hit whilst maintaining a down to earth, grounded persona as she chatted between songs. Blossoms, Clean Cut Kid and Everything Everything also took to the main stage, The Hives rivalled the headline slot on Friday night, sorry Suede. Standon Calling has always championed up and coming music, proving to be a great source of discovering musicians, or genres that you may not think about listening to. The Hot 8 Brass Band came in to that category; fresh from New Orleans, their hip-hop, jazz and funk filled sound brought something completely new to Standon, proving to be a crowd favourite. A multitude of smaller stages showcased a variety of musicians, personal highlights being Flyte, Nadia Nair and Blood Red Shoes.

Alongside the music, Standon put on a variety of extra activities to pass time between acts.Rockakoke and Gospeloke at the Old Mout Kiwi Camp was the perfect opportunity for an out of tune sing along, whilst the Clock Tower hosted a 2 hour dance off. A music quiz brought out revellers competitive side, culminating in a 'show us your dance moves' round which got everyone young and old off their seats. Sunday began with the notorious dog show, which saw the return of the legendary Nigel, a beautiful and rather photogenic pooch who earned a respectable 3rd place in best dressed! Fairground rides proved popular with the younger generation, offering a spectacular view over the festival by night. Standon is not only renowned for its music; it provides an excellent array of comedy acts too, from stand up to improv.

Plenty of food stalls across the festival ensured no one went hungry, ranging from delicious macaroni cheese from the Mac Factory to headline act Kelis' Le Bun pop up restaurant, which offered mouth watering burgers for a bargain price. Pizzas, Nachos and Beef topped fries were a plenty, but no meal was complete without a slice of cake from Kitty's Cake Emporium. Bars offering beer, wine and cocktails kept the adults happy, and although at times the queues were vast, cheerful staff did their best to keep punters happy offering a large selection of drinks at reasonable prices, my favourite being a Gin Fizz from The Flaming Lips Bloody Mary Bar.

I will definitely be returning to Standon Calling; there are few festivals which manage to give you that same buzz you get from the first time you visit 3 years on, yet Standon does just that. Remarkably, it manages to appeal to everyone without trying too hard; an outdoor pool for the youngsters keeps children busy, late night music in the Cow Shed after festival face painting means teenagers can dance the night away, and music spanning all ages followed by a soak in the Soulful Sanctuary and Hot Tubs means the adults are pretty happy too. Families are well catered for when travelling as a group too; a baby and toddler area in the Kids Area keeps children occupied, and family camping area guarantees a good nights sleep. I will certainly be purchasing an early bird ticket to secure my spot for next year, as this hotly anticipated festival continues to grow in popularity. Be sure to get your tickets soon, you certainly don't want to miss out!

BLOODSTOCK reveal comedy bill and RAM Gallery plans

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BLOODSTOCK HQ is at fever pitch with just 10 days to go ‘til the gates swing open at Catton Park!  There are a last few things to announce before everyone packs their bags and heads to the UK’s biggest and best heavy metal party!

One of the things that sets BLOODSTOCK apart from other events is festival founder, Paul Raymond Gregory’s on-site RAM Gallery.   This year, Paul has paid tribute to MOTORHEAD’s Lemmy Kilmister with a stunning new portrait exhibited in a custom, hand-carved frame, as well as other choice installations from his world-renowned portfolio of work.  Regular RAM Gallery contributor and luthier Cynosure, creator of hand-made guitars as art, will be exhibiting two new instruments also inspired by Lemmy.  Other artists also exhibiting work are Orange County artist, Christian Sloan Hall, who has created work for the likes of AMON AMARTH and TESTAMENT, plus abstract artist and GOJIRA drummer, Mario Duplantier, who has contributed two original paintings.  Also expect to view featured art-focussed books from Lariyah Hayes (Darkadya: The Book of Art From Below) and Ramon Martos (And Justice For Art, revised edition), plus rock-themed photography from Peter Nahum and Alison Richards.

When the metal finishes in the Hobgoblin New Blood tent each evening, a different set of howls take centre stage with BLOODSTOCK’s comedy bill.  Friday’s gag-filled line up includes David Jordan’s edgy songs and stand-up, Chris Brooker’s hilarious improvisation, the award-winning newcomer Ingrid Dahle, all compere’d by everyone’s favourite heavy metal comedian, Andrew O’Neill.   Saturday evening’s bill features compere and all-round funny man, Jim Smallman, plus laffs-a-plenty from Jonathan Mayor and Perrier comedy Award-winner Wil Hodgson.  Sunday ushers in a full ‘History of Heavy Metal’ set from Andrew O’Neill, combining stand-up comedy with live music played on his customised Flying V guitar.  Andrew will be supported by thrash metal beasts, REPRISAL.

Over on the Sophie Lancaster stage, once the bands have finished for the night, the DJ squad steps in to take you through ‘til 2am.  Expect a guest slot on the decks from EVIL SCARECROW’s ringmaster Monty Blitzfist and Kraven Morrdeth on Friday, the DJs from London’s VooDoo Rocks on Saturday and Total Rock’s Anna Dumpe on Sunday, plus BOA’s resident 4 DJ’s Of The Apocalypse doing their regular 12 Midnight-2am slot.  

The always popular Friday fancy dress competition is returning!  This year the theme is ‘Twisted’, so dress up in whatever you fancy, the more extreme and creative, the better!  To enter the competition, just find BOA’s official photographer (between the Serpents Lair VIP area and the EMP Tent entrance) between 12pm and 6pm on the Friday to have your photo taken (the photographer will wear a Fancy Dress Photographer t-shirt).  Then check BLOODSTOCK’s Facebook page for the photo gallery the week after the festival and tag the fancy dress photo of yourself for the chance to win a pair of tickets to BLOODSTOCK 2017!

Got your tent ready?!  This year, our campsite partner is Miss Daisy’s Camping Store.  If you don’t want to tow a ton of camping gear to site, order online and collect your stuff from the Miss Daisy tent in the main Midgard campsite at Catton Park.  Saves a lot of hassle and achy shoulders!  Place your order or just see what’s available via their ‘click & collect’ service here – http://www.missdaisyscampingstore.co.uk/.

Want to check out the 2016 merch range?  BLOODSTOCK's online 'click & collect' service allows you to pre-order your favourites for on site collection.  Festival attendees can snap up their choice of t-shirt or grab the 2016 beer mug or hip flask without fear of their size or design being already sold out on site.  Simply pre-order at https://bmerch.com/store/bloodstock/collect-on-site and collect at the merch stall in the arena at any point over the weekend, knowing your item is guaranteed and paid for.  Maybe you want that BOA hoodie for when the sun goes down, so just collect it from the merch stall then to save a trip back to your tent!

How to get to BLOODSTOCK?  Ditch the hassle of parking, trains & transfers and let our official coach partner, Big Green Coach take you and your camping gear straight to the festival from 21 UK cities.  To book your return seat and see where to catch the coach, check: http://www.biggreencoach.co.uk/events/bloodstock-festival-tickets-coach-travel.  If you’re coming by train to Catton Park, don’t forget to pre-book Big Green Coach’s shuttle bus from Lichfield City rail station to save yourself a wad of cash.  Return tickets are priced at £10, one way at £8 (it costs more to pay on the day, so pre-booking wins)!  Book tickets at the link.  Car-sharing with GoCarShare is another option (and participating could even win you a pair of tickets for 2017)!  Full details and to post up a car space/look for a car ride from your town, visit: http://gocarshare.com/festival/bloodstock.   

Our three headliners for 2016 are TWISTED SISTER (in their last ever UK show), MASTODON and SLAYER, plus special guests BEHEMOTH, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.  Also on the bill are FEAR FACTORY, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SYMPHONY X, SATYRICON, PARADISE LOST, DRAGONFORCE, METAL ALLEGIANCE, STUCK MOJO, ROTTING CHRIST, MISERY LOVES CO, GHOST BATH, VENOM, UNEARTH, DIAMOND HEAD, GOATWHORE, ACID REIGN and many more.