Common People Southampton 2016 – FULL REVIEW!

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SATURDAY

As one of Bestival's satellite babies, Common People Southampton was always going to be hit and in it's inaugural year 2015 proved you can have all the feel of the festival in the middle of a city, but now round 2 has started on the common and there's a new sense of ownership, like Southampton has taken CP to heart.

Over in Oxford a new dawn rises on a sister festival, but we're getting the kinks-ironed-out experience of a trialled triumph and the site looks incredible. Towering high right inside the main gates is The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle, a Bestival x Something Creative collaboration that looks like it should have been made by Willy Wonka or be home to a herd of unicorns. Apparently it can comfortably hold one hundred people at a time, but we bet the somersault-police couldn’t catch us in that many…

A decent queue is forming already but it’s off to the main stage we go for first band of the day, Wild Front who to be honest look a little scared to be there. After a sort of quiet start, the Hampshire lads get their rhythm and there are some full on dancing fans down the front.

Next on are West End Kids, an energetic musical troupe who buzz through hits from all the biggest stage shows, followed by the legendary kids comedy duo The Chuckle Brothers. Who can resist a bit of to-me-to-you with Paul and Baz (…and Tinchy Stryder)? The massive and rowdy crowd singing along with them is decidedly younger than they should be for long-time fans, I can only assume they’ve been hitting up youtube in preparation for the festival…

Rapper Lady Leshurr gives us a short but energetic set, after being over an hour late due to ‘traffic’ but dressed head to toe in camo and waxing lyrical about her weave and being from Birmingham, hit ‘Brush Your Teeth’ goes down a storm. Though she clearly doesn’t trust us – yelling “Has every single one of you brushed your teeth today?” “I feel like some of you are lying”. The Sugarhill Gang crowd-please with ‘Apache (Jump on It)’ and ‘Rapper’s Delight’ with Hen Dogg sporting epic double-denim and a rather fetching gold tipped cane.

Over on the Uncommon Stage Southampton crew Our Hollow, Our Home have drawn a big crowd, and Chris is jamming on the guitar in The People’s Front Room. Elsewhere the Jam Jar bar is packed with people sipping fancy martinis and the kids area is awash with laughter from the wonky bicycle trials.

Hometown band Signals pack out the Uncommon stage, as mermaid-haired frontwoman Ellie bounces about, we get a taste of the curiously named genre ‘math pop’. Ghostpoet is getting soulful on the main stage to a big crowd, and Gaz Coombes is rocking less of the Supergrass era sideburns and more of his second solo album ‘Matador’.

Public Enemy get the crowd moving with the likes of ‘Don’t Believe The Hype’ but it’s just not the same without clock-toting weirdo Flavor Flav who apparently wasn’t allowed to come for some reason – “F–kin governments. Flava flav can’t be here because of F–kin governments”. The kid in the front row wearing a PE tshirt and a bedside alarm clock around his neck is obviously devastated.

After a tasty dinner at one of CP’s many amazing food outlets (Soft-shell crab burger? Brie and Pear toastie? Truffled mushroom quesadilla?) we are ready to take on the night, and so are Primal Scream. Rocking an eye-offendingly bright pink blazer, frontman Bobby Gillespie lopes about the stage looking every bit the archetypal boho rockstar. It’s a great, powerful set from the band with new album Chaosmosis material hitting the mark. Over on the Uncontained Stage (read: rave station) Kurupt FM are winding up the absolutely rammed arena into a frenzy, there are bodies everywhere – it’s a mostly teenage rampage.

On the main stage, the much anticipated return of Southampton son Craig David has drawn practically everyone from around the site and it’s not without a touch of nostalgia that we’re singing along to hits ‘Fill Me In’ and ‘Re-Wind’. Though the TS5 moniker is largely being ignored, it is fun to hear him mixing in tracks from other artists and sampling some proper legendary stuff, but to be honest – we all just love a bit of him singing his own name over and over again. Ahh memories.

Check out our full Craig David review here!

SUNDAY

Sunday stacks up a bit cooler but everyone still seems to be rocking up in bright festival-attire, and the telltale signs of yesterday’s sunburn are found in every bald head or exposed shoulder today. Shrieks of mayhem are emanating from the behemoth bouncy castle and a quick peek inside is like looking at a candy-coloured warzone. Kids are tombstoning each other, toddlers are being skimmed within millimetres by their falling parents and the flip-police have no hope of stopping the teenagers intent on putting the maximum effort into possible neck-injury. It’s awesome.

Next door on the Uncommon Stage, Arid Wave are rocking everyone’s socks off, but it looks like Hercules Morse on the main stage have fallen foul of the Sunday hangover absentees – there just aren’t that many people here yet. M.E.R.C.Y. – Southampton Urban Collective take over the main stage in the absence of Xylaroo, with two of the most adorable… sorry, SICK, hiphop dancers Jamie and Jamal giving us proper attitude and a heap of up and coming artists alongside.

Later on, Mr. Motivator draws a massive but spacious crowd as young, old and anyone in-between are getting their groove on with the positively ageless Mr. M and his lovely wife. Sporting a dazzlingly terrible-yet-amazing lycra onesie he plugs in his jams and off he goes doing squat technique mixed with curious life coaching “If the grass is greener on the other side, you probably aren’t watering yours. No man's gonna water my grass”. Telling us we’re “Much better than Oxford” only serves to endear this living legend to us more, and with classic moves such as ‘drive the car’ and the possibly slightly inappropriate for a younger audience ‘whip the horse’ – what’s not to love?

Brighton scenesters The Magic Gang look like they’ve stepped right out of Empire Records and give us a good dose of proper melodic indie pop before Chas & Dave take to the stage (flat-cap mandatory) to tell us about those ‘London Girls’.

Now we brace ourselves for the powerhouse of unmentionably bad behaviour that is The Cuban Brothers. The CB’s are of course rocking a new set of crazy patterned suits for the occasion, throwing down headspins, flares and insane flips all over the shop, as Miguel assures parents that all of the rude things he says will go right over the kids’ heads. This would be fine, but there’s no way you can make those kids un-see him pretending to slam his willy into a microphone whilst wearing only a thong, now is there? That right there is seared into some young memories. Newest member One Erection almost smashes his teeth out doing a massive front tuck off the stage into the pit and gets thoroughly told off by security for hopping into the crowd. M.E.R.C.Y lads Jamie and Jamal are invited on stage to dance with the CB’s and their faces are absolutely priceless when the guys hit the stage in their holographic fringed jumpsuits. However they are visibly horrified when Miguel dons a pair of extremely skimpy Bjork-esque swan pants. ‘Mike For President’ is the only song I remember because there was so much happening. He gets my vote though.

Jamie Lawson’s ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ has everyone up and singing in the sunshine – he even managed to get us to do a decent job of harmonizing, but it’s Katy B’s set that really lights the place up. Bathed in the setting sun her sequined dinosaur dress shimmers all over as she dances around the stage with her troupe, and the likes of  ‘Lights On’ and ‘Katy On A Mission’ has the arena jumping – especially when she doubles up the tempo. Chalk up another win for Southampton as Katy yells “Southampton, you are abosolutely smashing oxford right now I have to say”.

As the last of the daylight goes and the Helter Skelter and Big Wheel go neon, there’s just one more act to finish off what has been another amazing Common People festival, and it’s no small fry. Eighties synth-pop legends Duran Duran blow through a hit parade of absolute classics such as ‘Wild Boys’, ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ and ‘Girls on Film’. With tributes to both David Bowie and Prince, it’s a special one and ending with anthem ‘Rio’ couldn’t be more fitting on the costa del Southampton. As the arena clears and the crowd spills out into the streets to head home, it’s obvious that once again CP has been a massive success, and it sounds like Oxford is loving the CP vibe too.

Read our full Duran Duran review here!

Just for Laughs Festival comes to London

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Just For Laughs London is a brand new festival experience, brought to you by the creators of the world's most famous comedy festival Just For Laughs in Montreal; the largest multi-venue comedy event in the world, attracting the greatest names and crème de la crème of comedy talent.

The original festival is both a desirable launch pad (kick-starting the careers of Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Louis CK and so many more), and a place for the globe's greatest joke slingers to flex their comedic muscles. With an eye firmly on the prize JFL are planning to take over the world with laughter and London is no exception; starting with Russell Square, destined to be the funniest place on the planet for 12 days in July. 

The centre of Russell Square will be open daily as a free festival of street performers, magicians and art installations. The Paradiso Spiegeltent and the UK's hottest new venue The Mix will play host to our festival hub ticketed shows and 900 capacity venue Logan Hall is just 2 minutes away, where our biggest names will be holding court.

JFL London is proud to announce Jim Jefferies as one of the amazing headliners. Jim is one of most sort after cult comedy tickets on the globe – with sell out arena shows over 4 continents.  Make sure you’re quick to get tickets as you can expect the ‘Bad Boy of Comedy’ to sell out within just hours of going on sale.

Jim is just one of many phenomenal comics making their way to JFL London. Bethnal Green's very own Gina Yashere is still making waves over in New York & LA; America’s Got Talent ‘loser’ Piff The Magic Dragon, now a nightly resident of The Flamingo Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, will be wowing us with his comedy, magic and levitating Chihuahua. And whilst on the subject of magic we welcome the Champions of Magic, a HUGE illusion show that will blow your mind and probably a few of the venue's light bulbs (NO SPOILERS).

 
Eddie The Eagle will only be performing in London this year at Just For Laughs festival on 22nd and 23rd July at The Mix, Russell Square. Eddie The Eagle Edwards is a unique British sporting hero. Expect a blizzard of hilarious anecdotes and a succession of soaring highs and bumpy landings: from worldwide fame to bankruptcy, through facial reconstruction and heartbreak, to being acclaimed as a National treasure and immortalised on the silver screen in a major feature film. His unique story of flying against-all-odds and turning failure into success shows what’s possible when you dare to follow your dream.
 
We're very excited for a WORLD EXCLUSIVE from Whose Line Is It Anyway? star Colin Mochrie. The most intriguing and craziest show at the festival: HYPROV. A brand new concept morphing hypnosis and improv where the unconscious inhibitions of a chosen few audience members (and Colin himself) will create a different and guaranteed hysterical show every night. Not to be missed. Add to all this a juggernaut of the best comedians, cabaret shows and kids activities – a huge first year to celebrate and the chance to meet the festival's pesky mascot Victor.

Throughout the 12 days you can also catch a brand new show from Milton Jones and see Marcus Brigstocke's topical news show The Early Edition. 

Alongside the comedy there is a plethora of musical shows taking place in our surrounding venues, just a chassé away.Sing along to the purely brilliant and uplifting A Night at The Musicals starring Le Gâteaux Chocolat & Johnny Woo or sing even louder to another set of legends: The Brand New Heavies. If you’d prefer a ‘quiet night in’ you can dance all night at the ORIGINAL Silent Disco.  Whatever you do, do not miss The Church who are destined for great things, it’s written in the scriptures!

There’s even more… with the always hilarious and topical Andrew Maxwell, the simply sublime Sammy J and Randy and kids shows including Annabelle's Skirting Board Adventure. So much to mention, so little time! With many more surprise guests and exclusive one off shows to be announced we hope this has whet your appetite.

The opening night Gala will be held at the Spiegeltent on Wednesday 13thJuly with proceeds from ticket sales donated to Great Ormond Street.

The line up includes; Miss Behave, Piff The Magic Dragon, Marcus Brigstocke, Andrew Maxwell, and more acts still to be announced
 
“With a smile and a laugh you can change the world”
Gilbert Rozon, CEO Just for Laughs

LISTINGS (MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED) 

Logan Hall – 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL
13-15                                    Jim Jefferies               2 shows each day
16                                         Gina Yashere              2 shows
17–24                                   Champions of Magic    
17                                         Milton Jones
18-22                                    Special JFL Guests TBA
23                                         The Brand New Heavies        
24                                         JFL London Closing Gala
 
Spiegeltent– Russell Square
13 JFL LONDON OPENING GALA (not to be published)
14-17, 20-21                         HYPROV
14-17                                    Special JFL Guests TBA
15                                         Funz & Gamez
16                                         Funz & Gamez II
22-23                                    Special JFL Guests TBA
23                                         Andrew Maxwell
23-24                                    Early Edition with Marcus Brigstocke
 
The Mix – Russell Square
14                                         Keith Farnan
20-24                                    Sammy J and Randy
22-23                                    Eddie The Eagle
22                                         Glenn Wool
14-17 & 20/21 – 8.40pm       Piff The Magic Dragon
23                                         TBA
16/17/23 – 3pm                     Annabelle's Skirting Board Adventure
 
The Camden Centre– Euston Road, Kings Cross, WC1H 9JE
15/16         – 8pm                   The Church
18/19         – 7pm                   HYPROV
18/19         – 8.40pm              Piff the Magic Dragon
22-23                                     Night at the Musicals
15/16 & 22/23 – 10pm           Silent Disco

Lost Village 2016 Festival Review – a magical paradise

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Mix up a multitude of techno-hungry ravers, a plethora of incredible DJs and artists, a dash of gorgeous woodland surroundings and lashings of the most weird and wonderful experiences you’ll ever come across at a festival. What do you get? Lost Village, of course!

In only its second year, the dreamland of Moda Black’s Jaymo & Andy George took place deep in the Lincolnshire countryside, kicking off festival season in the most enchanting way possible. I’ve been to many a festival in my time, and nothing quite made me as excited as this. With the likes of Ben Klock, Fatboy Slim, Bicep and Eats Everything – to name just a few – it seemed we were in for a hell of a bank holiday weekend. And God, were we right.

As we arrive at Lost Village, we felt a sense of flair and passion for what we all love; a good old fashioned rave. Perfectly honed and crafted in such a magical way, we’re invited to this story book world, where our only worries are to grab a well-priced wine, have a dance and enjoy the experience. Friday’s line-up was bursting at the seams – we arrived early, seeing acts such as Huxley and PBR Streetgang intensely warming up the growing crowds at the smaller stages, whilst Doorly over at the main stage Burial Ground, blasting out tune after tune to a slow-burning crowd who grew bigger and bigger by the minute.

My heart fell to the ground when I realised Fatboy Slim and Ben Klock were on the same night – we all know that clashing panic. Luckily, Lost Village had timings to perfection – at half 9 we were able to see the iconic Fatboy Slim take to the decks – and yes, it was just as epic as you might imagine. You really do forget all the classics that he did – Right here, Right now was one of the most intense dances I have ever seen, with crowds literally bellowing out those four words at the top of their lungs, bursting into a dancing frenzy as it dropped. Crowd-pleaser Eat Sleep Rave Repeat literally saw everyone jump rhythmically in the air, creating a wave of raving fists in its path. It seemed everything – even Praise You, was a lot more electronic than we’d imagine, but everyone lapped it up either way. A brilliant vision and an amazing atmosphere, which left us enough time to run over to the master himself – Ben Klock.

Now, I’ve seen Ben Klock a fair few times, and he will never fail to amaze me. The fact Lost Village had this incredible act in such an enchanting setting was one of the most surreal experiences. The Abandoned Chapel (a quaint, church-like outdoor zone) was closed, so Klock was moved to the more intimate setting of the Forgotten Cabin – a techno haven, surrounding by trees, lamps and shed load of ravers. Klock is well-acquainted with commanding any crowd he comes across; his deep, dark and ruthless techno echoing into the woods with crowds begging for more. The music couldn’t go on much past 1am – after an unreal final set at The Lookout stage with Bicep – but the crowds back at the campsite didn’t let the party end until deep into the morning. A perfect close to an incredible first day.

Saturday brought an eclectic mix of acts to the forest; Artwork took over the Abandoned Chapel at 3pm, delivering a disco set with none-stop movement from the crowd – a nice change from the techno we’d be hearing everywhere else. The sun was beaming as Heidi took to the stage – you only have to experience one of her Jackathon events to know that she always delivers. It was wild, lively, and what can only be described as almost tropical, emphasising her place as one of the greatest female DJs we’ve had the pleasure of seeing.

The beauty of Lost Village isn’t just the music; it’s the experiences. One minute we’re in a comedy tent, the next we’re doing Yoga near a lake, the next we’re getting our face thwarted with glitter at the Illamasqua tent (a delightful addition). You wander through the woodland at 1am and meet people from all across the country, the festival empowering its ‘Good Vibes Only’ stance and bringing together people who are here purely to have the greatest time ever. There were characters at every corner, a haunting parade of old-fashioned, torch-grasping woodland dwellers marching through the forest, two life-size rats nibbling at people’s food and even a stunning contemporary dance of fairies by the Lake of Tranquility. Not to mention the food stalls from around the world, and quite frankly the greatest pulled pork burger I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. For a boutique festival, the experiences were larger than life.

As DC10 resident Jackmaster finished a happy yet hardcore set at the Burial Ground, we got to see the big man himself. Introduced as “One of the greatest DJs in the world”, Eats Everything played “absolute bangers” as the guy behind me screamed – and he was right. He knew how to get people on their feet, dancing, singing, blasting our crowd-pleasers and putting on insane build-up tunes that mad everyone lower to the ground and jump up at all once. Huge fireworks were blasting over at the lake, and it was a completely surreal time to be alive – just none-stop, perfect, fun times. This was something special.

As the hangovers started to kick in, Sunday’s vibe was a lot more relaxed; bands such as Vitamin and Formation provided a calm and enjoyable atmosphere at the Lookout to rival the thumping beats from Enzo Siragusa at the Forgotten Cabin, while ex-Coronation Street and Red Dwarf legend Craig Charles put on a soul-filled and funky set to a surprisingly massive crowd.

Roman Flugel played a calm, deep and dark techno set at the Cabin – naturally accompanied by a girl in the crowd climbing up to the top of a huge pole, sliding down to a crowd of screaming ravers. It was surreal and intense, but we wanted something a bit different – and we found it in the form of headliner Jack Garratt over at the main stage. For those who don’t know, Garratt is a multi-instrumentalist and singer, who plays live sets in the most incredible way. Everything was recorded then and there, his music completely enthralling the entire crowd who had left the techno behind to see him play. The talent this guy has is absolutely unbelievable, and such an incredible sight to see. It was a bit different, a bit dreamlike, and a bit unbelievable – and that definitely sums up Lost Village to a tee.  

I can’t begin to put into words what Lost Village was like – it was an experience you have to see to believe. Magical, mystical and everything but normal, it’s an adventure like no other – next year, anyone?

Slam Dunk 2016 Midlands Review

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On 29th May the Genting Arena in Birmingham opened up the doors for Slam Dunk Festival. Each year the SDF team promises to make the event bigger and better than before and with the Midlands venue being shifted from Wolverhampton Civic Halls following their refurbishment, to the far larger Genting Arena it’s set to be bigger and better for their 10th Anniversary.   

Initially, when entering the main arena it is jam-packed full of fans, various traders, band merchandise stalls and eateries. Once you finally managed to gather your bearings, there’s lots of talent on offer across the eight stages. 

Early starters Coldrain were set to take to the stage at 1:20pm but after waiting around it was announced that they wouldn’t be performing due to technical issues beyond their control so they had to cancel their performance and quite a crowd had gather to watch the band open up the Atlas stage.  

Next up on the Atlas stage were the boys in The Word Alive

Set list: 
Dreamer
Face To Face
Made This Way
Lighthouse
Grunge
Trapped
Life Cycles

 

Then it was a mad dash over to the Main Stage for Young Guns lucky enough I made it with five minutes to spare before they took to the stage.  They kicked things off with “ Daughter Of The Sea” followed by “Speaking In Tongues” which had the arena in one massive sing-a-long. Their set was full of high energy and you could see why they were part of the main stage bill.

Set list: 
Daughter Of The Sea
Speaking In Tongues
Bulletproof
Rising Up
Winter Kiss
Brother In Arms
Bones
I Want Out

Next were indie rockers Mayday Parade, their set offered uplifting speeches and infectious energy contrasting with the songs we all had featured on our MySpace pages back in the day. The band set nostalgic memories across the room as the fans dance and sang along to every word. 

Set list:

One Of Them Will Destroy The Other
Jamie All Over
When You See My Friends
Keep In Mind, Transmogrification Is A New Technology
Three Cheers For Five Years
Hallow
Oh Well, Oh Well
Black Cat
Jersey

We Came As Romans came out strong on to the Atlas stage with heavy riffs and even seen Kyle Pavone get in with the crowd to mix things up abit.
Once again another mad dash over to The Key Club Stage to see As It Is. I’ve seen this band previously and they never fail to put on a good performance with high energy and antics. The room was full and so was the photo pit, it was all very tight squeeze. From the word GO! The room was bouncing and people were crowd surfing their little pop-punk hearts out, we even got to see Alex Costello of Roam join the lads on stage for “Cheap Shots & Set Backs”.

Set list: 

Concrete
Cheap Shots & Set Backs (with Alex Costello of Roam)
Can’t Save Myself
Horoscopes
Silence (Pretending’s So Comfortable)
Winter’s Weather
Speak Soft
Sorry
Dial Tones

Another nostalgic moment was up next on the Main Stage with Yellowcard playing their album Ocean Avenue in full but not with minor set backs with equipment not working, it seemed a few bands were having technical difficulties over the weekend but lucky enough stand in drummer Rib Chianelli from We Are The In Crowd managed to fix the issue and get the show on the road with the crowd erupting from start to finish while the band bounces from side to side like ping pong balls on stage.

The Amity Affliction

Set list:
I Bring The Weather With Me (Live Debut)
Open Letter
Lost & Fading 
The Weigh Down
Death’s Hand
Pittsburgh
Don’t Lean On Me

Mallory Knox never seen to disappoint their fans. The stage lighting was dark tonal shades of blue and green, highlighted with the well know MK logo creating atmospheric silhouettes.

Set list: 

Beggars
Wolves
Wake Up
Hello
1949
Ghost In The Mirror
Death Rattle
Creeper / Oceans
Lighthouse

New Found Glory were set to take to the main stage next and I’ve got to say no matter what venue they play they always get the crowd hyped up with there influential back catalogue showcasing that Pop-Punk is not dead. 

Set list:

Hit Or Miss
Understatement
Selfless
All Downhill from here
Truth Of My Youth
Resurrection
Listen To Your Friends
Ready, Aim, Fire!
Ready & Willing
Kiss Me (cover)
Situations
Dressed To Kill
Vicious Love
The Promise – (requested by a fan)
Forget My Name
Head On Collision
Sonny
My Friend’s Over You

Finally the one of the main bands people were waiting to see where finally about to take to the stage. Panic! At The Disco for me stole the show, being easily the best of the night. You wouldn’t of thought that the band had already played a show earlier that day in Exeter with the amount of energy and showmanship on display even though Brendan announced to the room he was “totally fucked” before lying down on the floor. Urie is one of the world’s true showmen as he changes his attitude, persona throughout the set to fit the tracks he’s playing. He also showed off his vocal range and high-notes with a mind-blowing cover of Bohemian Rhapsody and fire erupts from cannons and a confetti explosion ends the event in style.

Happy 10th Anniversary to Slam Dunk Festival"

T in the Park announce stage splits for 2016

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With just over 5 weeks to go until the biggest party of the summer, T in the Parkfestival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager today revealed the stage splits ahead of this year’s festival, to help T in the Parkers prepare for a weekend of enjoying the best music around, creating memories with friends old and new, and experiencing the magic of T in the Park.
 
 
Also announced today were the exciting additions of Izzy Bizu, The Telermen, The Lapelles and Hey! Hello! to the T in the Park bill, joining headliners The Stone Roses, Calvin Harris, Red Hot Chili Peppers plus Disclosure, Courteeners, The 1975, Chase & Status, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Jess Glynne amongst many others at Strathallan Castle across 8th – 10th July.
 
Singer-songwriter, Izzy Bizu can count Sam Smith, Rudimental, Foxes and Jamie Cullum amongst fans, having supported said artists on UK tours as well as securing a coveted spot on the Brits Critics’ Choice award shortlist and the BBC Sound of… 2016 longlist. Her soul, funk, jazz and pop fusion is sure to go down a treat when she performs on the T Break Stage at T in the Park.
 
Glasgow-bred, indie-rock quartet, The Telermen, recently released their debut EP, “Organic”. The band features Dillon Squire (lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar) whose father, guitarist John Squire, will headline T in the Park on Friday 8th July with The Stone Roses. With festival-worthy tunes including “I’m a Liar”, “Lonely Mind” and “Trust You” they will rock the T Break Stage this summer.
 
Having supported fellow T in the Park act The Last Shadow Puppets last night in Newcastle, and also joining Turner and Kane this evening for their Leicester show, Scottish five-piece The Lapelles are on the rise. Recently released track, “Grab Life By” was hailed by NME as possessing the “youthful swagger of Catfish and the Bottlemen”, with national airplay also secured from Radio X – catch them on the T Break Stage on Sunday 10th July.
 
Hey! Hello! are an international power-pop band formed by English singer-songwriter Ginger Wildheart. The band’s single “How I Survived The Punk Wars” was championed by Guns ‘n’ Roses’ Duff McKagan who commented in his Seattle weekly blog that the track was “perhaps the best and most real punk rock song in a long, long time. It actually stunned me”. They’ll bring their melodic tunes to T in the Park this summer.
 
Tickets for T in the Park 2016 are on sale now from www.tinthepark.com and remain at the same price for a fourth year running. T in the Park’s home Strathallan Castle is centrally located in the heart of the beautiful Perthshire countryside, approximately one hour away from both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Lying on an estate sprawling a massive 1000 acres, surrounded by beautiful woodland, the site has expanded for 2016 with the Main Arena now a quarter bigger in size and the campsite increasing by a larger amount.

Bearded Theory Festival 2016 Review

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This Spring bank holiday I was delighted to attend my first Bearded Theory Festival at Catton Hall, South Derbyshire in the heart of the National Forest. 

I was impressed with this festival from the off.  The festival staff were extremely friendly and helpful and the chilled out, relaxed vibes were apparent immediately.  It’s clear that the organisers care about the festival experience for the punters and strive year and year to make improvements on previous editions.  I was hit by the colour and beauty of the surroundings and it was clear a lot of effort had gone into making this a special weekend. 

The diverse musical lineup included some household names such as the Bearded Theory favourites the Levellers who played to a packed crowd on the Friday.

My personal Friday highlight was ska/reggae band New Town Kings who had the Woodlands crowd in the palm of their hands with their perfect party tunes. 

It’s not just the headline acts that define a festival, the many important supporting acts are often the hidden gems that really make it a great experience.  The Something Else Tea Tent was a perfect example of this.  The curator of this solar powered tent had put on a line-up of established and up and coming artists and lots of festival goers I spoke to thought this was the best tent at the festival. 

In the tea tent on the Saturday Chantelle Barrow played her first ever festival slot.  Chantelle is an established singer and guitarist but she didn’t often get the chance to play out her own material.  From the reaction of the crowd I think she should play her own stuff more often.

Next up in the Tea Tent was Maelor Hughes who charmed the crowd with his Northern wit and singalong tunes.

Saturday’s Pallet Stage headliners were Public Image Ltd who put on a commanding and attention grabbing performance.

Over in the Woodlands Jack Savoretti closed the night with a heartfelt performance of songs from his ten year career. 

This family friendly festival has with lots to keep children and adults busy and even has an Ofsted registered school which 100s of children attended on the Friday. 

Another venue I enjoyed was the Magical Sounds tent reminiscent of a psychedelic rave where revellers of all ages dance until the early hours.

Sunday headliners Squeeze finished the weekend of in style. 

Whether you want to relax or go wild and dance the night away you will find something here to please you.  See you next year Bearded Theory.

Bestival unveils even more acts for The Future!

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As Bestival’s luminous dream world draws ever nearer, we have news of a host of amazing new live acts and DJs who will be dropping future sounds among the cosmic campfires, mindful escapism, intergalactic raves and Mexican wrestling when Bestival heads into The Future this coming 8-11 September at Robin Hill on the Isle of Wight.  

Rob da Bank says: “As ever we aim to please at Bestival and cover all bases at our insane island party. So let’s head into The Future with one of my favourite electronic acts ever Leftfield, a-song-a-month sensation Oh Wonder and newbies Honne and Anne-Marie, plus jungle and house legend DJ Zinc and hardcore heroes Slipmatt, Billy Daniel Bunter and Altern-8!”

They’re one of the biggest and best live dance music acts ever, so we’re over the moon to announce that Leftfield will be tearing up the Big Top on Saturday night. Famed for their speaker smashing bass, and a truckload of anthems from Phat Planet and Release the Pressure to Swords and Universal Everything, they never fail to give the dancefloor a proper spanking. You don’t want to miss this one.

But that’s not all as we’ll have breathy synth duo Oh Wonder, electronic soul from Honne, Rudimental collaborator and winner of MTV’s Brand New list Anne-Marie, hotly tipped rapper Tiggs da Author. acoustic trance from The ShowHawk Duo, and post punk three-piece and Robert Smith faves The Twilight Sad.

There will be even more live music from London Music Awards’ Rising Star Espa, widescreen indie types New Desert Blues, Sunday Best’s own Alice Jemima and Xylaroo, high octane rhymesters Too Many T’s, and the incredible winner of our Isle of Wight bands competition Lauran Hibberd. 

Joining our future perfect fun on the ones and twos we have a host of forward-thinking crate diggers who’ll keep you dancing all night long including super sharp shooter DJ Zinc, the World of Rave & Music Mondays crew with History of Rave action from DJ Slipmatt going b2b with Billy Daniel Bunter and a DJ set from Altern-8, plus grime selector Sir Spyro, Radio 1’s Clara Amfo, freestyle femme fatale Amy Becker and woozy, psychedelic wunderkind Roosevelt.

We’ll also have pleasingly repetitive beats from Junk: Not Your Thing featuring Luca Pilato & Jordan Mckinlay, Bestival FM co-host and all round party phenomenon Goldierocks hosting the main stage, and dancefloor devastation from Ghettospheric, K2rah, Dr DJ, Joe Roberts Presents Ecstasy Garage Disco, Suspiciously Delicious, Bitr8 and Isle of Wight DJ competition winner Just Eden. 

Plus, there will be energetic pursuits from the amazing Reggaerobics who will be helping us blow away the cobwebs with some stirring morning manoeuvres.

There are still plenty of treats to be revealed for our Future paradise, including our Sunday night main stage headliners and much more, so head to www.Bestival.net, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram / Tumblr

Duran Duran headline Common People Southampton 2016

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A roll of simulated thunder with flashes of lightning tear across the huge stage screens in the dark of Southampton Common… Duran Duran are here and they mean business. Thousands have turned out to see the eighties synthpop legends and as Simon LeBon emerges from a raised stairway centre-stage rocking tight white jeans and a leather jacket, the crowd goes wild.

Paper Gods kicks things off, a statement of intent that they won’t just stick to the hits, that they have something much more current to say. With the likes of Keisza, Lindsay Lohan and Janelle Monáe on the album collaboration bill, it’s clear Duran Duran are marking their territory in modern music, and it’s hardly surprising with all the electronic emphasis in the charts at the moment and eighties style resurgence, that the younger contingent at CP seem to be enjoying themselves as much as the original fanbase.

Wild Boys features fire effects on the backdrops and a fair amount of stamping around from the band members, and Hungry Like The Wolf keeps the party going, with LeBon, head thrown back howling into the night sky.

James Bond track A View To A Kill gets the signature aperture and gun treatment on the big screens and even the teenage boys in the back seem appreciative of this one, whilst huge confetti explosions herald funky Notorius and LeBon yelling “Does everyone love the music of the eighties?”

A tribute to the late great David Bowie sees a huge projection of the singer’s face during a quick rendition of Space Oddity, and after some saucy moves for Girls on Film, Duran Duran also ask for the crowd to raise their phone lights for Save a Prayer to pay respect to another recently lost music hero – Prince. There’s not a dry eye in the house as LeBon shouts “He’s a man who really changed music and gave fans like us a kick up the arse” and the stage is lit purple.

Finishing up with classic summer smash Rio is the only way to go, with twinkly city lights in the background and a load of inflatable beach balls bouncing around the crowd, Southampton steals a little bit of the Caribbean tonight. Oh and if there are any yacht and suit related thefts reported tomorrow… well frankly, we have no idea what you’re talking about. What an epic ending to Common People 2016!

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

Jason Manford to headline Kendal Calling’s Soapbox Comedy stage

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Last year’s sold out Kendal Calling saw the return of the festival’s celebrated Soapbox Comedy Stage and this year the stage presents its biggest lineup to date. With Main Stage headliners Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Rudimental, Madness and The Charlatans on hand as some of the biggest names in the world of music, Kendal will also proudly host some of the finest names in the UK’s always-flourishing comedy scene including headliner Jason Manford.

As one of the country’s best-loved comedians and an undisputed household name, Jason Manford has one of the most recognizable faces in British comedy. From humble beginnings as a glass collector at Manchester’s Buzz Comedy Club to starring on Live at the Apollo, QI and 8 Out Of Cats as well as successful theatre stints in The Producers, Sweeney Todd and his recent run in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, his career has seen him become what the BBC describe as ‘a true master of observational comedy’. Kendal couldn’t be happier to welcome another huge Manchester talent to the festival.

He’ll be joined by some of the finest comedic talent that the UK and beyond has to offer in the shape of frequent Peter Kay collaborator Justin Moorhouse, Channel 4's Friday Night Project host Rob Rouse, prolific American comic Russel Hicks, the elegant rants of Phil Jerrod, Time Out ‘One To Watch’ Sarah Callaghan, Edinburgh Fringe regular John Hastings and the unique musical comedy of Vince Atta. Familiar face of E4’s ‘Cucumber, Tofu, Banana’ series Bethany Black, Holsten Pils’ Comedian of the year Steve Shanyaski, the whip smart Kiri Pritchard-Mclean, the BBC New Comedy Award shortlisted Laura Lexx and ‘The Funnygirl Podcast’ host Katie Mulgrew.

Set in what is widely regarded as the most beautiful festival site in the UK, this award winning, independent festival is renowned for more than just music and comedy. Festival lovers will also enjoy 4 days of arts installations, gourmet food, kid’s entertainment, a real ale festival and the incredible Arts Council funded Lost Eden area all within the surrounds of the Lake District’s incredible Lowther Deer Park.

Tickets sold out in record time last year and for the first time Kendal Calling is not increasing it's capacity so grab one of the final tickets now and see you in the fields!

Full Soapbox Comedy Lineup:

JASON MANFORD

JUSTIN MOORHOUSE

ROB ROUSE

RUSSELL HICKS

PHIL JERROD

SARAH CALLAGHAN

JOHN HASTINGS

VINCE ATTA

BETHANY BLACK

STEVE SHANYASKI

KIRI PRITCHARD-MCLEAN

LAURA LEXX

KATIE MULGREW

Craig David’s TS5 headlines Common People Southampton

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You know him from banging 90’s/noughties garage and R&B hits with Artful Dodger, cool club classics for the shell-toed, bucket-hatted nation, but how the melee of under 18’s in the front know his entire back catalogue is a mystery. There are hundreds of screaming girls causing themselves airflow restriction as the legendary CD takes to the Common People stage as the Saturday headliner in his hometown of Southampton. It’s clear he’s happy to be home as he drops straight in with original mega-hit ‘Re-wind’ and he’s lost none of his showmanship or vocal range in his haitus from the mainstream.

I’m sure more than a few of us are still baffled as to what Bo Selecta actually means, or why we should be saying it in a crowd, and it doesn’t help that the entire show predicated on Leigh Francis’ lampooning of the song and Craig David himself is being acted out all over the arena.

From behind his stacked mixing desk, the tell tale sounds of ‘Fill Me In’ elicit a huge roar from the crowd and it seems everyone still knows the words, for a mass rendition. Mixing in his own stuff with samples from other hits seems to be the raison d’être of TS5 (glad to find out, had no clue what that meant) as Whitney Houston’s ‘It’s not right but it’s ok’ is woven into the story and his energetic bouncing has everyone throwing shapes alongside him.

Yelling “You can take the boy outta Southampton, but you can’t take Southampton outta the boy!” CD scores big with a site-wide roar of appreciation – Common People is smack in the middle of the city, so this really is a home crowd reception.

‘Walking Away’ gets a new backing track from ‘Still Dre’ and a ‘No Scrubs’ excerpt leads way to a massive Bieber singalong for ‘Sorry’. CD might have the better voice of the two actually…

With a bit of Beyonce’s ‘Run The World’ and Robin S’s ‘Show Me Love’ CD really knows how to hook this crowd before busting out a bit of his own smooth classic ‘7 Days’, and calling out “It’s been an incredible journey… from the garage days of the 90’s to now” endears him to the over 30’s in the audience, who remember them fondly, or at least, shamefully. With one last Biebs sample (apparently his momma don’t like you, and that’s bad) and a heartfelt “I’m incredibly proud to be from Southampton” Craig David more than proves he’s worthy of Common People’s headline slot.

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