Bestival Unveils Boundary Breaking Acts And The Best New Bands

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This years Bestival unveils breaking new acts and some of the hottest bands around including:

Tune-Yards / Factory Floor / Mnek / Wolf Alice / The Amazing Snakeheads / Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats / The Wytches / MØ / Fat White Family / Say Lou Lou / Glass Animals / John Wizards / Ezra Furman / Joel Compass / Woman’S Hour / Pional / Rosie Lowe / Childhood / Kate Tempest / Jessy Lanza / Melt Yourself Down / The Front Bottoms / Hockeysmith / Wild Smiles / Black Orange Juice / Rag N Bone Man / Vaults / Ftse / Tourist / Sivu / God Damn / Happyness / The Correspondents / Bo Saris / Congopunq / Indiana / The Bulletproof Bomb / FÉ / Cousin Marnie

With a cavalcade of big hitters, including OutKast, Foals, Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, Beck, Busta Rhymes, Candi Staton, Sven Vath, Chase & Status and many more already lined up to take Bestival’s Desert Island Disco to stratospheric new heights, Rob da Bank and the Bestival crew have been beavering away behind the scenes, rooting out gleaming talents to ensure we bring you the freshest acts around. With a long history of championing the next big thing, unearthing the incredible and showcasing the best new sounds, both on his Radio 1 show and at Bestival, these are the cream of the acts getting the man like da Bank all hot under the collar. From boundary pushing mavericks to hip young chaps in this year’s slacks, we’re set to announce a ton of the most exciting bands in the world, who will be dropping in to Robin Hill on the Isle of Wight this September 4-7 to blow you away!

Rob da Bank says: “So in our humble opinion these are the breaking acts of 2014 from the worlds of rock, indie, electronics and pretty much any genre – a delve inside the musical brain of Rob da Bank to find the ones to watch, the ones who'll make records you'll love this summer and the ones who'll make you dance ya socks off in September”. 

With her third album Nikki Nack out this week, we’re pretty darn chuffed to announce Merrill Garbus AKA tUnE-yArDs will be heading across the Solent to bring her uniquely kaleidoscopic collision of aural extremes for your collective listening pleasure. Smashing buckled cheerleader chants into punk riffs with razor-sharp melodies and colossal beats, Merrill, alongside long-time cohort Nate Brenner, is a force of nature when it comes to performing live, so don’t miss out.

Riding a wave of critical acclaim for their eponymous debut album, released late last year, we’re very pleased to say that Factory Floor will return to Robin Hill with an all out assault of mind-melting sequences, crashing rhythms and twisted vocals, plus there will be sets from Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and sometime Rudimental collaborator MNEK, deliriously unabashed indie-noise merchants Wolf Alice, exhilarating Glasgow trio The Amazing Snakeheads, critically acclaimed psychedelic doom purveyors Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, apocalyptic surf rockers The Wytches, Danish electropop chanteuse Mø, and scuzzy rock n roll six-piece and all-round incendiary live behemoth Fat White Family.

We’re not stopping there though, we’ll have live music from BBC Sound 0f 2014 nominees Say Lou Lou, Paul Epworth protégés Glass Animals, genre-swerving pan-global types John Wizards, gritty rocker Ezra Furman, atmospheric soulster Joel Compass, archetypal indie quartet Woman’s Hour, Spanish vocalist and sometime John Talabot collaborator Pional, twisted R&B nightingale Rosie Lowe and hazy pysch dudes Childhood.

And the new music keeps on coming with appearances from Kate Tempest, Jessy Lanza, Melt Yourself Down, The Front Bottoms, Hockeysmith, Wild Smiles, Black Orange Juice, Rag N Bone Man, Vaults, FTSE, Tourist, Sivu, God Damn, Happyness, The Correspondents, Bo Saris, Congopunq, Indiana, The Bulletproof Bomb, Fé and Cousin Marnie.

There’s still plenty more incredible music, mayhem and madness to announce, so make sure you join us at the Desert Island Disco this September for an escapist weekend of off the chain behaviour!

Over 35 More Acts Join Longitude Line Up

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The countdown to this summers Longitude festival is on and over 35 stunning acts have just been added to this years line up alongside the return of the Red Bull Music Academy. Returning for its second year, the Marlay Park weekender already has festival goers excited for the summer with the likes of Ben Howard, Disclosure and Massive Attack as this years headliners.

Joining the line up are:
The Afghan Whigs
Bipolar Sunshine
Broods
Circa Waves
Conor Oberst
Dawes
Elliphant
Hudson Taylor
Joey Badass
Josh Record
Kyla La Grange
New Jackson
NONONO
San Fermin
Snakehips
Talos
The Academic
The Acid
Tourist
Tvvins
We Cut Corners

After an immense weekend last summer, the RBMA stage returns to the open-air festival held in the beautiful grounds of South Dublin’s Marlay Park. Performing on the RBMA stage this summer will be:

Adultrock
Axel Boman
Colin Devine
Colm K
Conor Feeney
Discotekken
Galactic Beat Club
Handsome Paddy
I Am The Cosmos (Live)
Jackmaster
Jonnie Foley
Lasertom (Live)
Mano Le Tough
Solar Bears (Live)
Tome DJ's

The new additions join an already stellar line up which will see some of the best international and homegrown acts perform across the July weekend. Previously announced are:

Massive Attack, Disclosure, Ben Howard, James Vincent McMorrow, Rudimental, Haim, Bastille, Bombay Bicycle Club, Chvrches, The 1975, First Aid Kit, Sam Smith, Hozier, Banks, Bonobo, John Talabot, Cyril Hahn, Le Galaxie, Bondax, Parquet Courts, George Ezra, Eagulls, Koreless, O Emperor, Krystal Klear, Say Lou Lou, Son Lux, Samaris, Josef Salvat and Roosevelt.

Ben Howard

Winner of Best New Festival and Best Medium Festival at the Irish Festival Awards, Longitude returns for its second year and is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the summers festival calendar.

Festibelly announce headliner Hudson Taylor

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Festibelly is proud to announce rising Dublin band Hudson Taylor will headline the Saturday night at this year’s festival in The New Forest on 11-12 July.

Hudson Taylor

Hudson Taylor, brothers Harry and Alfie, have been honing their stirring folk-pop sound over a series of rapturously-received singles and are on the verge of a big breakthrough, amassing a huge underground following. They’ve toured with Jake Bugg and Kodaline and supported the Rolling Stones at Hyde Park. They are currently finishing their debut album, which will be released in the autumn. Hudson Taylor follow in the steps of Festibelly’s previous breakthrough acts including Bastille, Willie Moon, Ghostpoet, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs to name but a few. This promises to be one of the last chances to catch this band in an intimate festival setting. Harry and Alfie said "We're really looking forward to playing Festibelly and particularly excited for it to be our first festival headline show."Reggae DJ icon David Rodigan is joined on the dub themed Saturday afternoon by Bristol collective Jus Now and ‘Belly favourites Reggae Roast. The line-up also contains hotly tipped Femme and Mighty Oaks and welcomes back raucous folk troubadours Skinny Lister and electronic-soul trio Dems. Festibelly tip Mausi, Wild Smiles, Ginger & The Ghost and Lexy & The Kill as names you will soon hear a lot more from.

SW4 2014 lineup increases with Mistajam, Mike Skinner and more

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We here at the Summer Festival Guide are excited to announce the newest addtions to this years South West Four which include Mistajam, Mike Skinner, MJ Cole, Friction and more!  Read on for more information. 

As one of electronic music’s most instantly recognizable and influential characters, MistaJam will make his way to South West Four for the very first time to host the next edition of his bubbling multi-genre melting pot, Speakerbox. His fearless approach of mixing humour and musical risks has propelled him through the ranks of BBC 1Xtra and Radio 1, resulting in him being widely considered as the nation’s ambassador for fresh new music.  As one of theleading pioneers of the UK’s crossover climate, his ear for undiscovered music and rising talent is second to none. Having expressed that musical boundaries are clearly of no interest, expect the unexpected as MistaJam gets ready to host the next episode of Speakerbox at South West Four on Sunday 24th August.

SW4 is pleased to announce one of the finest back-to-back battles in all of our ten year history. As two of the urban scene’s most inspiring figures, we can confirm that Mike Skinner and MJ Cole will go head-to-head for the greatestof festival performances. Through releasing records such as ‘Sincere’, MJ Cole’s intricate, heart-wrenching garage productions has kept him at the forefront of a continuously evolving market. Lining up alongside him is the man behind the musical phenomenon, The Streets. Continuing to push boundaries as a musician, Mike’s DJ sets vary from house to old school hip-hop right through to drum and bass, and therefore it is safe to say that Skinner never fails toignite the party spirit. As the perfect festival addition, this is a special one-off performance that you cannot afford to miss.

Oxide & Neutrino are London’s original DJ and MC duo and subsequently form one of 2014’s most eagerly anticipated debut performances. As former members of the infamous So Solid Crew, their relentless energy and on-stage chemistry make them two of the most electrifying live performers of today. With timeless classics ‘Bound 4 Da Reload’ and ‘No Good 4 Me’ sure to bring Clapham Common alive, there is no doubt that the boys from South London are preparing to deliver a very special performance on their home soil. With the dynamic duo bringing it back to where it all began, this marks a landmark occasion and one of the weekend’s standout highlights.

If you were lucky enough to witness the utter carnage created on our main stage by Friction in 2013, then you’ll know exactly why we’ve invited him back for more. As one of the most revered names in the game thanks to hisastonishing three deck wizardry and extraordinary technical ability, we can now confirm the official return of the Shogun Audio boss. Boasting one of the most extensive back catalogues in drum and bass, Friction has been associated with every major label imaginable including RAM, Hospitality and Metalheadz. SW4 get ready for anarchy and disorder as we welcome Friction back to Clapham Common.

Hailing from the UK’s electronic music mecca of Bristol, My Nu Leng have established themselves as one of the most creative and exciting duos of today. As core members of the Black Butter crew, the pair have mastered a soundthat is simply impossible to pigeonhole by drawing influence from the entire electronic spectrum and constantly shifting between pitch-layered vocals and bass-heavy rumbles. With further remix duties catering for Clean Bandit,Naughty Boy and Rudimental on top of the release of their ‘Masterplan’ EP earlier this year; we cannot wait to hand My Nu Leng their SW4 debut.

From the electronic breeding ground that is Canada, B.Traits boasts one of the most original sounds on the scene. By incorporating the key elements of breakbeat, jungle, dubstep, drum & bass, reggae, house, garage and everything in between, B.Traits is the ultimate festival performer. With her weekly Tuesday night radio show on Radio 1 showcasing the finest emerging UK bass music, her sets are always bursting with vibrant, forward-thinking future music. Adopting a mix and match approach that would normally spell disaster for the lesser skilled hands, the female half of Digital Soundboy is undoubtedly one of the world’s most exciting female talents making this one up-front performance one you can’t afford to miss.

Miami based hip-hop leaning duo GTA have certified themselves as one of today’s most interesting and unique electronic acts. Made up of Matt and Julio, the duo is armed with endless creativity, a tireless work ethic and a fierce dedication to their craft. Refusing to be held to a particular sound, the boundary-breakers have taken USA by storm and are well on their way to conquering Europe. This has led to a permanent queue of support and in-turn remix requests from the highest order; Deadmau5, Wolfgang Gartner, Michael Woods and Clockwork to name a few. SW4 get ready for GTA.

As one of the freshest young talents currently rising through the electronic ranks, Karma Kid has quickly become one of the most promising prospects in UK bass music. From bursting onto the scene with a series of original releases on Just Us, Roche Music and L2S Recordings to a stellar remix of Ben Pearce’s ‘What I Might Do’, Kidnap Kid is clearly one of the leading innovators of the new school. Playing South West Four for what is sure to be thefirst of many times, 2014 looks set to be a dominating year for the 19 year old. You can find out exactly why as he lands at SW4 on Sunday 24th August.

Red Bull Music Academy lineup announced for Field Day 2014

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The Summer Festival Guide has the latest announcement from Field Day HQ, the lineup for this years Red Bull Music Academy has now been announced.

We are excited to welcome back our long-standing partner Red Bull Music Academy to Field Day 2014, who will bring a taster of its global carousel of alumni and affiliates to Victoria Park. 

“Consistently presenting a roster of white-hot up-and-comers, Field Day remains one of the capital’s best showcases for new music.  Red Bull Music Academy, with its own worldwide agenda nurturing the next generation of musicians, makes for the perfect partner.”, Red Bull Music Academy

On Field Day Saturday, LuckyMe livewire and 2010 Academy alumnus Lunice tops the bill, bringing his signature dynamism and fancy footwork to the stage. Fellow Canadian Ryan Hemsworth joins the bill, offering up some sonic sunshine with his emotive blend of R&B, trap and pop, alongside G.O.O.D. beatsmith/Kanye collaborator Evian Christ, and Dutch deep-house heroine SOPHIE.  Rinse/NTS regular Slackk goes b2b with Pelican Fly’s Samename for some body-twitching raw grime/UKF, while elsewhere bass turbo DJ Barely Legal, Tri Angle affiliate Vessel, BBC Radio 1 ‘In New DJs We Trust’ cohort Moxie and Jamie Isaac, south-London’s nocturnal, electronic balladeer, weigh in.  

Field Day Sunday sees master of melodic, glitchy electronics and WhoMadeWho former glory Tomas Barfod headline, while voodoo bass outfit Nguzunguzu and genre-bending future-rap artiste Mickey Lightfoot step in. Panes, the band that sees singer Tyson McVey turn up the heat with Flesh & Bone’s Shaun Savage, join the roster alongside mysterious London-based producer and warp artist patten, who’s kept his identity masked in the shadows as his music seeks out the light, leaving soulful singer-songwriter and RBMA alumnus Louis Baker to complete the roll-call.

RBMA stage confirmed:

Lunice, Ryan Hemsworth, Evian Christ (DJ), Jamie Isaac, SOPHIE, Vessel (Live), Slackk b2b Samename, Barely Legal, Moxie

SUNDAY 8TH JUNE 2014

RBMA stage announced:

Tomas Barfod, Nguzunguzu, Louis Baker, patten (DJ), Mickey Lightfoot, Panes

"I am very pleased to have RBMA with us again this year. With a similar mentality and love for discovering great new music and talent, Red Bull Music Academy are the perfect partner for Field Day and it has been great to work with them over the years!",

Field Day co-founder Tom Baker

Handmade Festival 2014 Review

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For its second year, the burgeoning Handmade Festival, situated in a number of venues across the inner-city landscape of Leicester, brought in a diverse range of acts once again.

Headliners for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday amounted to Irish experimentalists And So I Watch You From Afar, Japanese pop-rock girl-band Shonen Knife and the rousing acoustics of Dry the River, a pretty eclectic mixture, I'm sure you'll agree! Throw in some top comedic acts interspersed throughout local talent and smaller acts, aswell as photography and art installations at some interesting venues, a great combination of entertainment all for just £30.

For me, it began on Friday evening with Matt Henshaw  at the Cookie. Henshaw had pre-empted his slot with a selection of photos featuring him alongside Leicester landmarks like the Clock Tower and the King Power Stadiumon on his Facebook page. It was a nice way to kick-off the festival as his soulful style was soothing, after a long week for the majority of the audience! Henshaw is appearing back at the Cookie in a month's time to launch his new EP, so the city obviously means a lot to him, something he pointed out inbetween songs.

I jumped over to the Firebug pub to check out MJ Hibbett & the Validators set upstairs. They attracted a sparse, yet involved crowd upstairs, as they rattled through a relatively short 30-minute set. The leader of the group, Hibbett has a great history with the music industry, creating his own music label 'Artists Against Success' and peppered with a few viral hits, including he claims, the first ever viral video. I liked the tight drumming and the use of a violin, shaking things up a bit, and the lyricism of Hibbett was subtle yet effect, in a similar vein to Melvyn Bragg.

From Firebug, it was then over to the exquisite Hansome Hall, my third venue of the night for the backend of Three Trapped Tigers' set. I emerged into the ex-theatre venue to see a room full of bouncing fans, as TTT had the crowd in the palm of their hand. From the brief end of the set, it was clear to see they were on fine form, a fact confirmed as I discussed with a fellow fan who'd seen the entirity of the set.

But it was undoubtedly obvious what the majoirty of said fans were there for, the experimental stylings of Irish band And So I Watch You From Afar. Having listened to some of their work beforehand, I was anticipating their arrival greatly, and I wasn't left disappointed. The three-pronged guitars were backed up brilliantly by their drummer and some choice cuts from last year's 'All Hail Bright Future's' LP went down a storm, 'Big Things Do Remarkable' and 'Eunoia' amongst them. Their second record has progressed them higher up the musical spectrum, so it was great to see them in such an intimate environment, where they filled the room brilliantly with their sound. What was great about the band was that they controlled the room with very little vocalisation, but when that did kick in, you felt the effect fully. It was a great ending to the first evening of fun, as the band told their ecstatic audience just how much they loved playing in Leicester, a city that has been great to them.

Saturday began with a set from locals Juniors. They played at Firebug, which again showed its impressive use of space for a live music venue. It was brash, loud start to the day as the alternative-rock the band plays throws in some ragged, raw riffs to create a pacy, head-pounding sound. 'Sharman's Rug' was the pick of the bunch, as Leicester's eclectic music production line looks to have created a new batch of stars.

Brawlers followed Juniors, and kept up the relentless pace. It was almost as if the two bands were in direct competition for who could be as fast as possible. Nonetheless, the quality didn't dip either, as they impressed immensely. I got a Dinosaur Pile-Up vibe from the foursome, whilst there were also shades of the Strokes too. Handmade did well to deliver two such exciting bands so early in the day. 

After settling down, I was ready for the calming acoustics of Katie Malco at the Bishop St Methodist Centre. It was a much different affair from the back-to-back rockers of earlier in the day, but it's clear to see Malco is just as talented, as her haunting vocals put her in the bracket of fellow songstress Emmy the Great. The use of a piano on 'September' elevated her gig even moreso, making me delighted I'd picked to see this rising starlet. Go YouTube her now and prepare to be excited!

The exciting thing about this festival is the sheer variety, for this you just have to go for Shonen Knife. A band who toured with Nirvana and taken influences from the likes of the Ramones and the Beach Boys are never going to be boring! They followed on from ASIWYFA the previous evening to take on the headline status at Hansome Hall, and they lived up to the high standards set on Friday night, with their range of tunes that delighted a passionate crowd. After seeing a lot of up-and-comers it was refreshing to see band who'd toured the world over and still had such love for the art, most bands should look at Shonen Knife as a great template to follow.

For me, Sunday was a quieter affair, beginning in the surroundings of the comedy basecamp, St Martin's Coffee Shop. I took my place in the terrfically decorated venue ready for a slice of comedy from 'Never Mind the Buzzcocks' panellist and Pete Docherty lookalike Joey Page. Possibly the first observation from Page was of his passing resembelance to the Libertines frontman, as his eccentric show took in some Noel Fielding-esque stories of fantasy encounters with Eric Cantona in the five-item queue in Tesco Express…a ramble that began after thanking a guy called Stan for attending his show. Granted it might not be to everyone's comedic taste, but Page, admitting that the show was a smorgasboard of new and old material, had everyone roaring with laughter, especially with his discussion of just what has gone wrong with ITV's very own 'Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway'. A great diversion from the excellent music I had seen up to that point.

Speaking in Italics followed up a show the other side of Leicester (the O2 Academy) the previous evening to entertain the citizens of Firebug with a half-hour set of progressive rock, that strayed into a more hardcore area at times. I enjoyed the vocals quite a lot, as they clashed with the instrumentation, but in a good way! No, SiI were placed well, offering a nice slice of entertainment ahead of their quieter counterparts.

Next up for me were Cut Ribbons, another interesting mixture of sounds. A lighter offering of indie-pop with male and female vocals, the sound was fresh and crisp as I got poppy-vibes, alongside something like early Kings of Leon. The vocals are hard to place though, given their originality. I enjoyed single 'Damascus' a lot, and they are supporting Thumpers on a UK tour, so watch out for more from this original group.

Possibly the most famous act at the minute on the entire bill came last, Dry the River, were an act a lot of people had been waiting for and a little bit later than advertised, the moment they took to the Firebug stage was a great one. The bar was slowly filling up throughout the evening and was almost to capacity when the foursome came on. Every song was greeted with rapturous applause, as songs from 2012's 'Shallow Bed' LP were sung from the rafters with some new material cheekily thrown in for good measure. They played for just under an hour, but it was a great experience, seeing such a hot band in such tight circumstances, made for memorable moments, such as 'Shield Your Eyes' and 'Weights & Measures' a rousing tune. The band themselves appeared to be loving every moment too, thanking the crowd for their patience and support throughout.

So there you have it, Handmade Festival is an exciting event that is growing with each annual edition. It was my first proper metropolitan city festival, and an experience I thoroughly enjoyed, allowing me to take in a wealth of different arenas, picking out some hidden musical gems in the process.

Live At Leeds Festival Review

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The first event on the festival calendar saw a multitude of British and international bands and artists descend to a number of venues across a sunny Leeds on Saturday, with an expansion of sounds fitting the bill – from chart topping electronic with strings quartet, Clean Bandit to two-man rock duo, Royal Blood, both drawing massive crowds.

“Aren't there a lot of bands that sound like the toilet music”, says a man commenting on Nation of Shopkeepers choice of bathroom music, saying “I’m into my experimental electronic music but this just sounds like Fuck Buttons”.

Three-piece ‘NME Radar’ guitar band, Blaenavon, drew an unexpectedly busy crowd to cool bar-come-gig-venue, Nation of Shopkeepers, with an early 1pm set. Performing tracks from their Koso E.P, the young and impressive trio sound like a mix of Maccabees-esque gliding riffs in Prague, which are contrasted with the emotive Wu Lyf-like atmosphere in tracks, Gods, and Wunderkind. With just a handful of songs under their belt, an album is surely in the pipeline for the talented Hampshire trio.

Swiftly pacing across the city to catch Wet’s debut visit to the UK at cool underground venue, The Hifi Club, the Brooklyn trio supply futuristic dream-pop for the Soundcloud and Apple Mac generation. Performing the entirety of their debut Dreams E.P, they mix the electronic synths of Chvrches with the chilled out melancholic storytelling of The XX. Set opener, "Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl" and new track "Bad Idea" showcase singer, Kelly Zutrau’s effortless crystal vocals before she explains to the music-savvy crowd: “This is out first time in Leeds and in the UK – we’re having a lot of fun." Dreams and No Lie, also of the E.P, create a swaying, breezy fantasy atmosphere before penultimate single, You’re The Best, which is currently receiving daytime support on Radio One from Fearne Cotton and Zane Lowe. With added house synths, it receives an impressive reaction with most of the crowd singing along – it’s sure to be a future hit, especially with the major label bidding war which is currently engulfing Wet’s futuristic R&B productions.

Next up, London based Gengahr performed to a busy crowd at the Belgrave Centre. With pitch-shifted vocals sounding similar to Unknown Mortal Orchestra, this is one of their first live shows. Summery foot-tapper, She's A Witch is a perfect indie track which sees the floppy haired young singer bop on the spot. Huw Stephens supported single, Fill My Gums With Blood, sounds sweet and soft despite the grizzly connotations of the tracks title. Clocking in at just 20 minutes, it’s a short-but-sweet set of endearing and exciting tracks – hopefully we’ll hear more from Gengahr in time for the summer.

SFG take an hour break to recharge batteries (physical and phones) before arriving back at the Hifi club to see electronic producer, Tourist who has recently toured with Disclosure play a late afternoon set. His blend of chill-wave house and electronica translates well to a packed, mixed-age crowd. William Philips aka Tourist introduces himself, saying: "I'm Tourist, I haven’t been here for a while, and it’s nice to be back”, before building electronic synths silence whispered murmurs in the crowd. Opening with Lies, a crowd pleasing remix of popular Glasgow synth-poppers, Chvrches, it’s a clever start. It could be expected that Tourist’s house beats and bass popping grooves are more night time friendly but the crowd still seem to still love it. Meanwhile, William energetically bops around behind his synth touch-pad and laptop. Later, I Can't Keep Up and Together from the new Patterns E.P bring him the biggest crowd of the day so far, with people still piling in during the last song. The penultimate track, a remix of Haim’s, The Wire, which featured on the LA sisters deluxe album ignites a carnival like energy with Jamie XX-like percussion beats soaring through the room before final E.P title track, Patterns ends the impressive set. With impressive sets like this one, Tourist’s atmospheric, forward-thinking sound will sit perfectly at outdoor festivals this summer. Make sure to catch him at one.

Darlia, who perform to a busy Cockpit crowd at the other end of the city, are three young lads from Blackpool making Nirvana influenced 90’s rock revival – lead singer Nathan Day, even looks like Kurt Cobain. Pronounced by Radio 1’s Playlist boss Nigel Harding, as “the most exciting new guitar band in the UK”, it’s difficult to argue against the statement. Playing a 30-minute set of heavy guitars and drums, they sound a lot heavier live than on record. Animal Kingdom and the infectious Queen of Hearts, the latter harkening to the sound of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Later, the audience revel in joining in for the chorus of current single Candyman, which translates far rawer, grittier and scuzzier in a live environment. The sweaty and loud, Cockpit is the perfect venue for their rock ‘n’ roll barrage to really make you take notice before they hit the big-time with a slot booked at Leeds Festival in August.

Two-piece rock outfit, Royal Blood, who have just announced a support slot on The Pixies US tour, attracted the biggest crowd of the day, with the queue stretching far beyond the confines of Leeds Metropolitan Univeristy, where the duo were unleashing their faultless energy. SFG were even lucky to get in, with press restricted to a one-in-one-out rule. New single, Come On Over’s heavy riffs make it sound as though there at least four band members before the singles Little Monster and Out of the Black encourage a circle pit in the crowd centre. Royal Blood really are the next big thing, ever since their NME Award Show and SXSW slots, they've multiplied in fans wanting to see them.

Running over half hour late due to technical problems, R&B crooner/ rapper Raleigh Ritchie, says they must keep the set quite short but doesn't let that dampen his spirit. He bounces across the stage telling engaging stories of growing up and gaining independence in Stronger Than Ever and Freefall, the latter about being sad in a cit. Later, before Keep It Simple, Raleigh tells his debut album will be out by the end of the year. Ending with set highlight, 2013 single, Bloodsport, the technical problems have been forgotten and he’s managed to captivate the crowd with an emotive, ‘give it your all’ vocal performance.

Later, Circa Waves expectedly pack out The Cockpit with a circle pit ensuing ten minutes in to the set during popular single Good For Me. Catch My Breath sounds like if The Vaccines stamping choruses met Vampire Weekend’s catchy indie riffs. The upbeat indie-pop of Stuck in My Teeth and Fossils quickly follow, before frontman Keiran Shuddall teases the crowd saying: "It's been very special for us – anyone going to Leeds festival? Well see you there.”

Chart-topping electronic with classical strings quartet Clean Bandit, headlined the 02 Academy with an important hour set, justifying their soon-to-be big name festival headlining status. Chilled openers, Rihanna and A&E impress with effortless guest vocals. It’s been a long time coming for them, but the success of Rather Be, which stole the top of the charts for a month is set to be followed up by new single, Extraordinary – both of which get an outing tonight. The Cambridge-graduates fit the large stage perfectly with colourful visuals of their EP covers placed neatly behind the set while pulsing house beats move the crowd throughout new track, Heart on Fire. Older tech-house track, Mozart’s House asks the question whether electronic music is boring? Certainly not, judging from tonight’s crowd who lap up every chart ready track. Later, Nightingale is mixed into the deep-house Gorgon City remix before they mix things up with their own rendition of Show Me Love. Clean Bandit are impossible to dislike, fusing every genre of music into their own concoction of strings, house, pop and R&B, their live shows have become a phenomenal spectacle.

Catering for the masses with a range of acts across a multitude of genres and a friendly atmosphere throughout, Live At Leeds, showcased new bands in their prime, most of which will be playing big-player, Reading & Leeds Festival – be sure to catch them there!

Photos by Heather Berrisford

Slam Dunk Festival 2014

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Slam Dunk Festival, the UK’s favourite and biggest independent touring festival is back for a 9th year. The 7 stage event kicks off at Leeds University followed by The Forum, Hertfordshire then finally tearing it up on the last date at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Monday 26th May.

The festival uses a combination of indoor and outdoor stages to create a totally unique festival experience with a variety of performances across The Main Stage, Acoustic Stage, Dance Stage and many more.

Headlining the main stage this year is none other then The All American Rejects.  No Doubt they will be playing all the classics including ‘Dirty Little Secret’, ‘Gives You Hell’, ‘Swing Swing’ and many more. Recently Goldfinger who were also performing along side The All American Rejects have had to announce there withdrawal from the festival due to one of the members has had to have some routine minor surgery and the recovery process has taken a little longer than expected. Meanwhile It was recently announced that another pop punk heavy weight is joining the line up in the shape of The Ataris!.

Total Uprawr will host this year’s dance stage. Headlined by one of the biggest party DJs in the UK DJ Yoda. Plus Tek-One will return to promote his new album, Sleep Equals Myth.

The line-up has been announced but there will be LOADS more to come and as usual, a few surprises.

The All American Rejects

Canterbury
Letlive
Bury Tomorrow
The Devil Wears Prada

I Killed The Prom Queen

We Are The In Crowd
We The Kings
Kids In Glass Houses
Zebrahead

Tek-One

Are just FEW artists to name

For a full list of ticket outlets for all events, please go to www.slamdunkmusic.com

Tickets are priced at £35 & £39 with Afterparty across all sites.
Tickets for Slam Dunk Festival will be onsale Friday 14th February

Big Top 2014 Review

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After a week of rain I was prepared with my wellies and raincoat, but on the morning of Big Top the sun was shining and it was time to get the sunglasses out. Before doors had even opened at 11am, hundreds of people were at Stoneham Park in Hampshire ready to party for 12 hours. Junk Department’s first year of putting on this festival attracted nearly 5000 party goers, with attendees travelling from up and down the country for this unique event.

Luca Pilato kept the crowd lively, whilst dance floor thumping sets came from electronic music’s finest talent including Dyed Soundorom, Laura Jones and Maya Jane Coles. The vibe of the Big Top was insane, with the crowd constantly dancing.  The VIP section had a separate stage headlined by Flashmob. It also had a free bar which ran out of cups and mixers half way through the day, but the festival goers were kept happy with shots of vodka until more supply arrived. As the sun came down, Jamie Jones hit the Big Top to a capacity filled tent ending the day on a high. The sound system and lighting production was phenomenal, with fire pyrotechnics adding to the intensity of the Big Top. There could have been a wider selection of food options around the festival; however the fairground rides provided some outside entertainment. There is definitely lots of potential for Big Top to expand next year and become an annual party on the South coast. With early-bird tickets selling at £25, it was well and truly worth the money and is definitely one to look out for next year.

 

Photos by Mickey Cole

Parklife Weekender Official Afterparties announced

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The Summer Festival Guide is excited to announce the afterparty lineup's for this years Parklife Weekender which features Hot Creations and more!

Today the Parklife Weekender release the long awaited line-up for Afterlife, the official series of after parties from Manchester's premier festival taking place on 7th & 8th June. Over 30 events will take place, making it the biggest Afterlife announcement in the history of the Parklife Weekender. Crosstown Rebels, FACT Magazine and Hot Creations to name a few, will take on hosting duties for two nights along with DJs such as Dixon, Tensnake, and chart-toppers Breach and Route 94. Local clubbing mecca The Warehouse Project will also return to curate a very special event, giving those who missed out on tickets to the sold out weekender the chance to be a part of the festivities.

While The Parklife Weekender can easily boast one of the most exciting and eagerly anticipated line-ups of the festival season, today they announce their biggest series of after parties yet. Afterlife, which every year brings some of the most popular acts in electronic music to the venues of Manchester, will once again collaborate with some of the most prominent clubbing brands and institutions for two nights of unbelievable parties on a grand scale. For those who don't want the night to end, the breathtaking and iconic Albert Hall will be the place to catch Hot Creations founders Jamie Jones and Lee Foss, while Damian Lazarus, Dixon and Art Department will all take part in the 'Rebel Rave' for Crosstown Rebels on the Sunday night. 

As the go-to place for music news, FACT Magazine will join forces with local icons Now Wave to welcome Oneman and Ryan Hemsworth to the Deaf Institute, while the newly reborn and globally infamous Sankeys bring Nina Kraviz, Eats Everything, Route 94, Catz 'N Dogz and Hannah Wants to the former soap factory.

Scuba will celebrate over 10 years as Hotflush boss with a headline performance for Drop The Mustard's Afterlife outing, while recent Essential Mix alumni Ben UFO will play a very rare B2B set with Midland. Recent Mixmag cover star Hot Since 82, Innervisions co-founders Ame and respective OBE awardees David Rodigan and Soul II Soul's Jazzy B will also feature on what is the greatest and most diverse Afterlife announcement in the history of The Parklife Weekender.