Future themed Bestival announce headliners for 2016

The omens are good, The Future is happening. WithBestival 2016’s Future theme unveiled, we can hurtle headlong into the good times, revealing three massive headliners and an incredible cast of musical pioneers, forward thinking funksters and precognitive pop stars, who will be journeying with us into Bestival’s glamourous machine age, where everlasting gobstoppers signal eternal bliss, this September 8-11, disembarking fromRobin Hill on the Isle of Wight.

Future swashbuckler Rob da Bank says: “So, here we go again, but this time we’re going far… far away… into the future. Prepare yourselves for a Bestival unlike any other with futuristic new stages, and as ever it’s a broad church of music from every decade and every genre. Saturday night headliners and one of my favourite bands ever, The Cure, played Bestival five years ago and almost had to be dragged off stage after a three-hour mammoth greatest hits set. Robert Smith popped down last year and we shook hands on it all happening again… bring it on!

“Friday honours go to Major Lazer who have killed it every time they’ve played, on a bigger stage each time – I remember going to see an exhausted, sweating Diplo after his last main stage show for us and he said ‘headline next time?’, so here we are!

“It’s not all about the headliners, as we know, so I’m super-pleased to have acts as diverse as Hot Chip, Years and Years, Animal Collective and Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley, through to the hottest DJs Kurupt FM and the Black Madonna. This is just the start of the trip – see you in The Future!”

The Cure’s Robert Smith said: “We are very very happy to be back at our favourite festival; we can’t wait to play a special set to show the future IS what it used to be…”

Major Lazer commented: "We started at Bestival five years ago, and it was one of our favourite shows to date. Feels like home for us… Rugged and real music fans… Since then we finally impacted in England, and we can’t wait to do our new show and play all the records for the fans at one of the best festivals in the world!!”

 

 

 

One of Bestival HQs favourites and, frankly, one of the greatest bands of all time, The Cure will headline Saturday night when Bestival heads to The Future. From Three Imaginary Boys in 1979 to their most recent album 4:13 Dream, they’ve forged their own path, dragging everyone else in their wake. Covering the gamut of emotions that take in the heady pop of Boys Don’t Cry and Inbetween Days, the heartbreak of Pictures of You and Bloodflowers, the ferociousness of Give Me It and Fascination Street and the dreaminess of Underneath the Stars and Lovesong, their live shows are legendary, taking the crowd on a beautiful rollercoaster ride. So, we really can’t wait to welcome them back to the main stage at Robin Hill this September.

Ensuring that Friday night’s main stage behaviour goes off with the requisite bang that will fire us forward into the unknown, we’re ecstatic that Major Lazer are making their return in 2016. Their last appearance driving willing Bestivalites to the edge of abandon has passed into Bestival lore, making them one of the most incredible live spectacles we’ve ever witnessed. Powered by the inimitable ingenuity of Diplo and Jillionaire, Major Lazer’s Peace Is The Mission album ruled sound systems throughout 2015, producing one of the year’s anthems in Lean On, and launching the band into truly big leagues. Guaranteed to be a mindblower, you don’t want to miss our Friday night headliners.

They’re practically Bestival’s house band, having appeared with us at Robin Hill more times than almost anyone else, so we really couldn’t be happier that the incredible Hot Chip are very much a part of Bestival’s Future headlining Thursday night in the Big Top. From some truly impressive fancy dress action to trailblazing virtual reality band members they always pull out all the stops. Last year’s stripped back Why Make Sense? album was their sixth piece de resistance earning them universal acclaim, add to that their arsenal of kinetic electro-pop bangers and you have a nailed-on guarantee of good times, to help kick of our future adventures in stupendous style.

 With one more headliner still to announce, we have a litany of musical treats, all presented in alphabetical order for your delectation, that will keep you reaching for the stars all weekend long, including Animal Collective, Aurora, Bastille, Beaty Heart, Benjamin Damage, Bicep, The Black Madonna, Bodhi presents ROOTS, Caravan Palace, Craig David’s TS5, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley,and David Rodigan MBE presents Ram Jam.

 Plus, we’ll have Eats Everything, Eskimo Dancefeaturing Wiley, Section Boyz, Chip, Big Narstie, Newham Generals, Frisco, P Money, Elf Kid, AJ Tracey, Jammz, Fekky, Logan Sama & MaximumGhostpoet, and Hospitality Presents: Camo & Krooked, London Elektricity, S.P.Y B2B Nu:Tone, Danny Byrd B2B Brookes BrothersMaduk, Dynamite MC and Wrec. 

There will also be performances from The Human League, Jagwar Ma, Katy B, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Krept & Konan, Kurupt FM’s Champagne Steam Rooms, Loyle Carner, MØ, Petite Meller and techno genius, Richie Hawtin.

 Shoegaze pioneers Ride will be travelling with us into the unknown, and there will be high octane action fromShy FX’s Party On The Moon, Skepta, Skream, Slamboree, Tourist, Wolf Alice and Years & Years.

Stereosonic Sydney: LIVE review

Wow Stereosonic, is all I can really say. The annual electronic-dance festival is held across Australia, cropping up in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne and is currently Australia’s biggest and fasting growing music festival. This year on Saturday 28th November I was off to check out the famous dance festival I had heard so much about. A lot of it had been positive, but many people I met had warned me of the typical ‘Stereosonic crowd’, stating that the festival was notoriously rowdy, full of groups of muscled guys searching for a fight and over-made-up bikini-clad girls seeking attention.

However with a line-up boasting the likes of trance king Armin Van Burren, Swedish dance duo Axwell ^ Ingrosso and electronic music squad Major Lazer, there was no way a few Chinese whispers would sway me from dancing the night away to some of the world’s most impressive dance acts.

And as we flitted through the entry gates, donning clichéd neon paint and flower headbands, I wasn’t worried at all. Sure, there was a lot of bare skin on show, but isn’t there always at a festival? And besides, it is the start of one of Australia’s (hopefully?) super-scorching summers.

After grabbing an (extremely over-priced) can of cider, we made a beeline for the main stage to catch Swedish electronic music duo Galantis set. It was early on in the day and already the mood was electric, with the crowd dancing along to the beat rampantly. Their catchy 2014 hit single ‘Runaway (U & I) caused the whole mob of fans to sing (or scream) along to the lyrics and we all danced along ridiculously to the tune. The atmospheric was euphoric, and I couldn’t help but feel really, really happy. So far so good!

Dutch brothers Showtek took to the main stage next and they sure managed to carry the crowd along with their thumping rhythms and blinding neon visuals. Their impressive hit single ‘Bad’, produced with EDM legend David Guetta, really hit the crowd running, prompting insane amounts of rapid arm waving and extremely vigorous jumping. The music paired with the enthusiasm of the crowd, the colourful showering confetti and the rather humorous inflatables being chucked around (there was a ‘naked woman’ floating through the crowd at one point) made the scene feel absolutely surreal (no, really). Another fantastic set.

It was soon time for Australian electronic duo Peking Duk, and I was eager to have a listen. They were a pair I had only really heard about since arriving in Australia but their name had risen up a fair few times in conversation. I was quickly impressed – the music was exhilarating, feeling like the beat was running tingling through your body. Their single ‘High’ proved to be very popular, with the crowds clapping and singing along to the catchy vocals and bopping along in time. My favourite part of the set involved an incredibly interesting remix of The Lion King’s ‘Circle of life’. I honestly hadn’t heard anything like it before!

Next up was a big one – the notoriously wild EDM group Major Lazer. Having seen them live before, I mentally prepared myself for a crazy performance that may involve me being hurled through the crowd. We certainly weren’t disappointed and were treated to a concoction of exciting interactions including the likes of lead member Diplo crowd surfing across the masses in a zorb ball (!!), scantily-clad dancers dancing vigorously in time to the music and strict instructions for the men of the crowd to whip off their shirts and chuck them high, high into in the air. Ending their set with everyone’s favourite chart-topper ‘Lean on’, I felt satisfied that once again Major Lazer had proven they are one of the most fun and exciting dance acts out there – their continuous interaction with the crowd really is something else.­­

Utterly hooked into the main stage (who can blame us really with that line up), it was Axwell Λ Ingrosso (Swedish House Mafia reformed without Steve Angelo) up next. In all honestly, I was absolutely captivated from the start and their set proved to be my favourite of the whole festival. ‘Barricade’ engrossed the crowd with a long and tantalizing lead up, along with crowd favourites such as ‘On my way’ and ‘Something’. The atmosphere made me feel completely and utterly encompassed in the music and their feel-good hit single ‘Sun is shining’, teamed with fantastic visuals and sky-high flames was a highlight of the set.

Finally, it was time for trance royalty Armin Van Buuren to take to the stage. As usual he was absolutely phenomenal, treating his dedicated supporters to crowd favourites such as the catchy ‘Another you’ along with hidden gems such as the Dan Stone rework of ‘See the sun’. With eye-blindingly amazing visuals, countless bursts of confetti and insane lighting it was an absolutely amazing show to be part of, and crowds and crowds of fans had gathered to dance away to the dance legend. A suprise appearance from singer/songwriter/producter Mr Probz was also hugely welcomed and he joined Armin to treat the crowd to his massive 2013 hit 'Waves'.

Towards the end of the set we were shaken up with the psychedelic and fast-thudding ‘Vini vici’ by The Tribe, before an emotional W&W remix of ‘This is what it feels like’, arguably Armin’s most commercial and most popular hit. I found the slow and dramatic version of the hit rather mushy and melodramatic but didn’t mind too much at all. The whole crowd was singing along zealously, hands clapping and arms waving and it really did feel like the end of something truly amazing. The song concluded with fantastic flashing lights, thumping drops and a spectacle of colourful fireworks. A fantastic end to an incredibly memorable day and night.

Stereosonic – I am utterly impressed and you exceeded my expectations fully. There will always be some rough crowds at music festivals but personally I didn’t even experience that at all and to me, it seemed all about the music.

Australian dance music festival Stereosonic’s international line-up for November 2015

The incredible bill consists of hugely successful electronic artists that have dominated music, radio and streaming charts across the globe. The artists featured in this year’s festival include Grammy, Billboard and ARIA Award winners who have performed on major international stages throughout the world, and at the most prestigious clubs and festivals.

Major Lazer was the first artist announced on Sunday, 12 July 2015 as one of the headlining acts this year. Major Lazer is arguably the biggest act in electronic music, and with their incredible track ‘Lean On’ receiving over 2.5 million streams on Spotify daily and achieving a #1 chart position in Australia, they are looking forward to bringing their energetic live show to Stereosonic this year.

Joining Major Lazer on the international line-up is Armin Van Buuren, Axwell^Ingrosso, DJ Snake, Duke Dumont (live), Galantis, Clean Bandit and more.

Armin van Buuren, the five-time winner of DJ Mag’s Top 100 artist DJ poll eagerly awaits his return to Australia, remarking, “I can’t wait to be back in one of the countries I love the most in the world! I’m really looking forward to seeing all my Australian fans again at Stereosonic!

 

                                 

 

Billboard Award winning artist, DJ Snake has taken the world by storm in the last 18 months, with his track ‘Turn Down for What’. The Frenchman’s debut performance at Stereosonic last year has become legendary and he is planning his triumphant return, adding, “I’m excited to be coming back to Australia and play at Stereosonic. It’s always a good time.

Australian artists joining the bill that have enjoyed local chart success and international recognition include; Peking Duk, MaRLo, What So Not, Will Sparks, Hot Dub Time Machine, Timmy Trumpet, Tigerlily, Generik, Slumberjack and Carmada.

The 2015 line-up has consciously been curated to meet the tastes of various types of electronic music fans, with the introduction of arenas to create genre specific environments. The arenas are – Stereo, Sonic, ATLANTIS, The Woods and Beatport. They will showcase acts from various genres including commercial, house, trap, bass, trance, electronica, techno and deep house music.

Stereosonic was recently awarded 2014 Favourite Touring Festival in Australia and will return to its original festival format this year with a jam-packed one-day event. Totem Onelove Group has ensured the ticket price is great value, starting at $129.95 (plus booking fee). The ‘Good Times Embassy' upgrade tickets (does not include Stereosonic ticket) are available for $60.00 (plus booking fee) and ' The Palms' VIP tickets will be priced at $280 (plus booking fee) and are only available in Sydney and Melbourne.

Stereosonic 2015 National Line-up (Arena by Arena)

Stereo

Armin van Buuren

Axwell ^ Ingrosso

Major Lazer Live

Showtek

Peking Duk

Oliver Heldens

Galantis Live

Generik

Sonic

Diplo*

DJ Snake

Duke Dumont Live **

Tchami

What So Not

Clean Bandit Live*

Carmada

JAUZ

SHOCKONE

Slumberjack

Atlantis

Gareth Emery

Andrew Rayel

MaRLo

Andrew Bayer

Emma Hewitt Live*

Mark Sherry

Jason Ross

Special Guest Headhunterz

The Woods

MK

Claptone Immortal Live*

Claude VonStroke*

Hannah Wants*

Patrick Topping*

Shiba San*

Cut Snake*

Beatport

Carnage

Will Sparks

Hot Dub Time Machine

Timmy Trumpet

Snails

Jessie Andrews

Tigerlily

All artists will be appearing exclusively at Stereosonic Sydney.

There will be no sideshows for Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.

** Not playing live in Brisbane

*Not playing in Adelaide

Sydney, Saturday November 28, Sydney Showground

Perth, Sunday November 29, Claremont Showground*

Melbourne, Saturday December 5, Melbourne Showgrounds

Adelaide, Saturday December 5, Bonython Park

Brisbane, Sunday December 6, Brisbane Showgrounds

*Subject to council approval

Stereosonic’s official ticketing partner in 2015 is Moshtix.

Tickets on sale now at www.moshtix.com.au/stereosonic

Flow Festival Helsinki 2015 Review

“Listen to your mother, kids. Aim low. Aim so low no one will even care if you succeed.” Marge Simpson was just down on her pretzels, but I was more or less headed to Helsinki expecting nothing and open to the very real possibility of having an above-average weekend.

As good an excuse as any to visit a summery Lapland, Flow Festival boasts a smattering of the hottest international acts performing at a disused power station dipping toes in the Baltic Sea. CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers is a highlight. The denizens of disco have mastered the art of the organised hand clap; it’s good, clean fun for legitimately old-school hits ‘Everybody Dance’ & 'I want your love'. Nile intros Daft Punk track ‘Get Lucky’ with a few words about his own cancer, explaining how he threw himself into making more new music because “If I die, I wanna die living!” Cue bass. This reviewer finds herself ushered on stage with a clutch of other revellers to finish the set grooving to ‘Good Times’. It’s a gimmick the band is known for but hey, for fifteen seconds of fame I play along.

There’s a no-drinks policy at the front of the main stage & it’s a winning strategy to eliminate a heap of tension. Still, the dancing is thirsty work & the Bulleit cocktail bar has its work cut out come nightfall. We quickly decide this is the best drink option going but at €12 a pop, it’s a one-time treat. Happy Joe's is Helsinki’s cider of choice, in abundance at Flow. Add cans of Lapin Kulta beer & the very retro Hartwall Original Long Drink & you’ve got yourselves a proper Scandi party.

Flow puts on a mean spread – when stomachs rumble, it’s real corn soft tacos, bright beef phở & Pok Pok Farang, crispy palm sugar caramel pork on limey green mango salad. It’s so good we go back for seconds. There’s more veggie & vegan options than meats, too. Did I mention you’ll be broke after this weekend? Major Lazer shuts down the Friday main stage sampling Yeah Yeah Yeahs along with everything else. It’s flippant & exciting, though I’m put off when the ladies in the crowd are counselled to take their shirts off & throw them in the air. New single ‘Powerful’ is just that; everyone leaves on a high.

Saturday brings even bigger, brighter skies. Anyone doing this city festival thing right is busy picnicking, lazing at the beach or otherwise celebrating Helsinki’s historic sights & the fact it’s again cracked 20 degrees. Belle + Sebastian give new track ‘Perfect Couples’ a run, joking over a false start: "It's because we're near the magnetic pole." I’m convinced most of Flow is Finnish, young & attractive. "Is anybody old enough to remember that one?" Singer Stuart Murdoch has also noticed the teens. 

O Samuli A is making the titular ‘other sound’ over on that stage & it's impossible to get within 70 foot of Reino Nordin lighting up the fantastical Bright Balloon. Marsen Jules sounds a little churchy, dark too. Like, literally. I'm not wholly sure there's even anyone on the decks.

I'll jinx it now, but everyone at Flow is out for a good time. People are calm, casual. Years & Years pack out the Blue Tent. I’m not expecting Olly Alexander’s dungaree & Harley Davidson tee combo, or his cover of Blu Cantrell’s ‘Breathe’, but the whole vibe is perfectly chill & the set is one of Flow’s best. Catchy ‘King’ comes last, Alexander dancing as he sings with a rainbow flag borrowed from the crowd.

I’m star struck by Baltimore’s Future Islands, or really lead singer Samuel T. Herring. His vocals are reminisce of Pantera at moments but interpret that as feeling & any apprehension melts away. There’s a glittery drum kit & all the guys are in patterned shirts. Herring booty-shakes like Beyoncé, beats his chest like Tarzan & sweats like, well, like a man. In front of a slower song Herring explains, "We're not s'posed to do this at a festival but we don't give a fuck." You can imagine the cheers. When finally ‘Seasons’ plays to hard applause, his roar is returned. He skips across the stage, invisible bowling ball in hand. "Thank you so much Flow, you guys are fuckin' beautiful.” We must be.

We’re in denial about Sunday. Unlike camping festivals where you're itching for a shower, actual sleep & a decent pour of coffee to head the day, it's hard to tire of sleeping late, brunching out & a spot of vintage shopping or water sports before rolling along to spot some of the world's best musical talent. We've hit peak Helsinki when Todd Terje & The Olsens grace the Black Tent with their easy 70s spy-theme dulcets. There are shirts off everywhere for their efforts, people dancing hard in the evening heat. Delorean Dynamite is unmissable, then it's like their just jamming along with a wailing sax & big samba sounds.

The most impressive kind of mass-clap is one that starts itself, uninitiated by the band; a pure & unadulterated response of sound to sound. These guys get it, a second time when the crowd tries for an encore after Inspector Norse & a final bow. Beck draws one of Flow’s biggest crowds. "Somebody threw a banana peel on stage!" Indeed. I’m not a fan but it’s hard to fault the classics and ‘Where It's At’ is one of the 90s’ better earworms. Florence + the Machine’s namesake is a fan, a vision in white peasant blouse & heavy cream flares. She’s barefoot too, throwing loose locks here and there while beating her drum (tambourine) in Ship to Wreck. She twirls everywhere & I'm sure she's going to fall, but her balance is the greater force & somehow she avoids disaster.

I haven't seen Florence since 2010 after she missed Benicàssim with vocal strain. She gives it absolutely everything at all times. For ‘Raise It Up’ she shouts, "Put your girlfriend on your shoulders, put your boyfriend on your shoulders. We want everybody to get as high as they can!" ‘Shake It Out’ gives me goosebumps & I have them again when Alt-J close the weekend. Marmite of the music world, I never got the appeal before seeing these guys live. There’s huge love for the boys from Leeds, even if nobody understands what they’re singing.

Blissing out to the country/rock/folk/blues/jazz/grime/electro weirdness of it all, it’s clear people are enjoying in very different ways. There's a real range of reactions but everyone joins to applaud what is undeniably interesting music made with heart. The Finns aren't too cool to care about their hearing either. We saw earplugs on sale from day one & should really have sprung for a couple.

Flow is undoubtedly the blondest, tallest, tastiest festival yet in a seriously fun setting. Start saving now for the next one.

 

Florence + The Machine and more set for Flow Festival 2015

Known for an eclecticism that spans both the local and international and showcases upcoming talent alongside major established artists, the first line-up announcement includes Florence + The Machine, fronted by the enigmatic Florence Welsh, whose grandiose vocals are arguably the greatest of this generation. The band is currently recording much-anticipated new album which follows 2011’s critically acclaimed ‘Ceremonials’.

Also announced today is Major Lazer, the dancehall electro project from American producer Diplo, while indie-rockers Alt-J, who received theprestigious Mercury Prize in 2012 with An Awesome Wave, will bring their playful, electro-influenced sound to Finland for the first time.

These first additions to the 2015 line-up also include Todd Terje, the Norwegian DJ, producer and songwriter who will perform his acclaimedlive set. Another taking the stage will be one of today's most respected producers of electronic music, Flying Lotus, aka Steven Ellison, nephew of legendary jazz musicians Alice and John Coltrane, who combines hip hop, IDM and jazz to create his own distinctive sound.

U.S. rappers El-P and Killer Mike, better known as Run the Jewels also join the Flow 2015 line-up, as do cult synth rockers Future Islands,whilst Foxygen – who also debut in Finland at Flow – will add their 1970s-style psychedelic rock to the mix.

Bestival 2014 Full Review

There is nothing like the utter glee of throwing off the shackles of work and life for one final splurge of hedonism at the festival season’s last hurrah – Bestival. Seasoned Besti-goers have sat back and watched the Glastovians, Creamfielders, V-lovers and Reading-heads toddle off for weekends of muddy silliness, and smirked a wry smile at the thousands of Moss-alikes in their tedious wellies-with-knicker-shorts combos. Now, the waiting game is over and Bestivites the country, nay world over, are flocking to the Isle of Wight for four uninterrupted days of pure high summer mayhem in the beautiful setting of Robin Hill, by hook or by crook (well, by ferry, hovercraft or swimming really…) they are chasing their bit of paradise.

Thursday saw campsites being opened early due to the large number of eager beavers waiting at the gates, and better parking organisation around the Yellow parking area meant that everything ran super smoothly getting in. With an array of campsites to choose from there’s a home-turf for everyone, and tribes are picking their areas, giggling with memories of campground legends from years past. The sun is already out as tents pop up, and the arena is beginning to buzz. Heading up to Peace Hill, sun-soakers are taking in a lively performance from Juke and The All Drunk Orchestra, with glittery hippy types up and dancing like loons immediately. 

Many Bestivites count snacking on delicious butter-slathered corn-on-the-cob a rite of passage up on Peace Hill, but there’s also stunning Lobster and chips brought in from local Vetnor, fabulously flavoured ice creams (honey and ginger anyone?) and the very acceptable Bestivale available for the discerning gourmand. If you’re looking for a mental challenge, there are talks at Bestiversity all weekend, and the Science tent has many interesting experiments to try out with the help of some extremely knowledgeable scientists. Heading for a wander up the hill, Tiny Town is a giddy little exercise in hiding in kids playhouses to scare the living daylights out of each other, and the wooden Maze is surprisingly complicated, good for a race around and it’s always comical to bump into someone dressed as a Panda or Palm Tree, at speed.

Despite the woods and Bollywood/Port area being closed for Thursday, there are lights and sounds everywhere, with a million things going on. Caravanserai is a little wonderland through a magic door, you can sit in the sawn-halves of gaudily decorated proper caravans to drink your cocktails, have a boogie on the Carousel dancefloor or cuddle up with your mates in the Wurlitzer seats for a while. Next door is The Feast Collective, a new addition to the Bestival family. The big tent hosts a myriad of incredible food outlets to satisfy any craving – handmade maki rolls, raclette oozing over… everything, baked camembert, hearty goulash, Indian street food, great British pies, American loaded hotdogs and even incredible soft-shell crab burgers. The quality of food around the Bestival site always amazes, but this is truly a step into the weird and wonderful. To compliment all this, there are heaps more benches and tables out than in previous years and the music coming from the newly housed Polka Stage in the Travelling Barn is excellent. If none of that is quite enough, watching the sun shimmer on the record-breaking and truly incredible gigantic Disco Ball installation, or getting an eyeful of ‘Christina’ at The Grand Palace of Entertainment, or maybe some first night music like the odd brilliance of The Correspondents, or classic Beck to tip you over the edge into your Bestival adventure. 

Friday sees the opening of Bollywood and The Port, the dance/electronic capital of Bestival. The Port is a huge ocean liner type installation where DJ’s play from the roof along with dancers, firebreathers, a couple of giant mermaids and arial acrobats suspended from a crane above the crowd, it’s like everything that could be hilariously weird to the terminally trippy has come together in one heart-pounding bass heavy place. The Sunday Best shop and cocktail lounge is selling jam jars full of icy mojitos, Bollywood is violently bright and brilliant, with people draped over the box seats underneath shimmering coin-laden umbrellas and the Helter Skelter/Wall of Death/toboggan run combo downfield is a big kids dream. 

Heading into the deep dark woods there’s a noticeable increase in the number of giant net hammocks hiding amongst the trees, where naptime is a genuinely acceptable event for grown ups in the middle of the day. Glittering lights, waterfalls, playparks,  hidden pools and a massive synthesiser installation to play with are just some of the things you can see in The Ambient Forest, before you burst into a clearing at The Amphitheatre. Spoken word artist/rapper Kate Tempest’s pre-show interview is witty, intelligent and truly captivating, hearing her talk about her work and life is a real insight to a genuinely talented individual. Back at the Main Stage, secret act Lethal Bizzle is hyping up the crowd with an attempt at a mosh pit and The Harlem Shake. Up next Laura Mvula’s beautiful vocals soar across the arena but there’s not much of a crowd, whilst over at The Bandstand, Motif are playing to a sun-baked audience and getting jazzy.

Back at The Amphitheatre, Scroobius Pip’s Satin Lizard Lounge is kicking off with spoken word artists Harry Baker (with a hilarious rendition of Ed Sheeran’s A-team based on desserts), the nervous ball of energy that is Tim Clare (we loved ‘Noah’s Ark and Grill’) and the raw, honest words of Kate Tempest.The evening sees the main stage light up for Disclosure, and a guest appearances from Eliza Doolittle for ‘Me & You’ and Sam Smith for ‘Latch’, gets the arena bouncing, but headliner Outkast come across a bit flat in some places. Hits ‘Ms Jackson’ and ‘Hey Ya’ have everyone up and screaming but more rap-based songs don’t quite hit the mark. Heading over to The Big Top, newly reinvented La Roux (with her band who are performing at a big UK festival for the first time) draws a huge crowd for her soaring vocals, and both new and old tracks go down a storm, particularly ‘Bulletproof’ – one of those perfect hazy Bestival night moments that everyone will remember.

Fancy dress Saturday is sort of a misnomer at Bestival now, everyone dresses up all weekend anyway, but Desert Island Disco is the theme and everyone seems to have embraced the sparkles, sequins, rainbow and afro combination with wild abandon. Though the theme isn’t as clear as previous years and there aren’t as many ‘big’ costumes as we’ve seen before, everyone is joining in, and there’s a pleasingly distinct minority of the sort of people who buy “Festival Fashion” that seem to come in droves at other festivals. An early start and crazy booking for Welsh Reggae-Metal band Skindred, who usually hit up festivals like Download at Donington Park and have a distinctly black-tshirt wearing fanbase. They absolutely tear it up on the main stage, gaining many new fans with current album tracks such as ‘Ninja’ and anthem ‘Warning’ – getting the crowd to join in for some t-shirt whirling for their ‘Newport Helicopter’. Despite a sparse and lazily sunbathing crowd, pop princess Sophie Ellis Bextor surprise all with a solid set featuring hits and covers, notably Moloko’s ‘Sing It Back’, as well as ditching her red-ridinghood dress halfway through for a theme appropriate saucy grass skirt costume. Joking “If the giant disco ball were to fall on me and kill me, it would of course be… Murder on the Dancefloor” she ends the set with a giggle. Bestival stalwarts and kings of comedy The Cuban Brothers are always the funniest thing you’re going to see all weekend and this is no exception. Lewdness, rudeness, downright dirtiness, nothing is out of bounds for Miguel and co. but the music and the dancing holds up, Archerio, Kengo and Dominico one up each other with B-boy and breaking moves whilst Miguel takes his keks off and gets busted by security whilst quipping that he used to “do too much nose-whiskey” and telling everyone to “touch each other in the correct manner”. Kengo/Kenny (“the bastard”!) comes out in a white jumpsuit to do a touching rendition of Whitnney’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ and the finale of three Cubans doing a press-up tower with Dom barrel-flipping over the top is truly impressive.

Over in The Big Top, a very special event is the final show of Dan le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip, before they head off to pursue their own individual projects. Personally introduced by Bestival curator Rob Da Bank himself, the duo come busting in with ‘The Beat That My Heart Skipped’ Dan and Pip show why their three album collaboration has been so successful, as the crowd go mental. Pip laments “The first time that we played was here in this tent. We weren’t even allowed on the stage, we were in a DJ booth on the front and it was really late”. ‘Sick Tonight’ is powerful and has everyone singing along despite the speed of Pip’s verse and the pair joke “Can they jump and clap? Yeah! This is Bestival it ain’t no fucking Reading or Leeds crowd!”. ‘Get Better’ is a fan favourite and their first ever song ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’ (with a little addition of ‘Thou shalt not question Rob Da Bank’) is perfectly executed. Sharing a hug and final photo on stage, Dan and Pip go out with a bang. It’s the end of an era and Bestivites who’ve been with them from the beginning are right there with them.

After a recharge up at The Solace Tent, and an open-mouthed stare at the sheer size of Bestival from the hill-top, it’s down to the main stage for the ambient and soulful London Grammar, followed by headliner Foals, whose sound gets a bit lost in the noise of the surrounding tents. The grassy area outside The Polka Club is ambushed by the tartan clad New York Brass Band playing a rousing rendition of ‘Happy’ and The Big Top is packed from the inside of the tent right out to the food outlets surrounding for Basement Jaxx. Many are questioning the decision to put Foals on the main stage and Jaxx in the tent, as the sound is severely dampened from the outside, and from the view that Foals did not hold a particularly dense headline crowd earlier compared to the thousands who are trying to get into the Big Top. ‘Good Luck’ and ‘Red Alert’ almost lift the roof off the tent and security try in vain to get those who’ve shinned the poles for a better view, to get down.

The final day at Bestival has come, and Sunday’s vast lineup of music, poetry and activities is no less full or impressive than the last few days. Clean Bandit take to the main stage for an amazing sunshine filled electronic set with the crowning jewel ‘Rather Be’ belting out across the arena and proving to be the perfectly apt lyrics for the Bestival crowd who are hugging each other close; “We’re a thousand miles from comfort, we have travelled land and sea, but as long as you are with me, there’s no place I’d rather be”. Due to the cancellation of Busta Rhymes, the main stage crowd is instead treated to another member of the Bestival family, DJ Yoda – whose hilarious AV show and samples from movies and TV are played on the giant stage screen, along with a flashing line of text proclaiming “I am not Busta Rhymes’.

 

Major Lazer play a raft of current mixed up current hits such as Oliver Helden’s ‘Gecko (Overdrive)’ and Keisza’s ‘Hideaway’ whilst club dancers thrash about on the stage and Diplo pretty much steals stage gimmicks from everyone (Skindred’s Newport helicopter as seen earlier in the day, neon ticker tape canons, even the Zorbing ball a la The Flaming Lips and a frankly embarrassing attempt at a circle pit…). In the Big Top one of the most incredible shows of the weekend – Chvrches completely makes up for the aural assault of Major Lazer, with swooningly beautiful vocals and the kind of electronic wizardry that makes you feel like your heart is trying to get out of your mouth. The tent wasn’t full, but the people who made it in there can count themselves lucky to have caught an absolutely stunning set from the Scottish band.

Sunday headliner Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers was beset by a band tragedy – guitar tech and long time friend Terry Brauer having died just before the show began, and Nile broke into tears a number of times during the set. Despite this, it was the great disco showdown that we had been promised by Bestival, Nile’s incredible discography speaks for itself and the sheer quality of Chic shone through. Hits a plenty had everyone pulling out their best Saturday Night Fever style moves and winding up Bestival in the best way possible, pure unadulterated party. The closing ceremony saw the giant disco-ball hoisted into the air via crane, glittering in the spotlights, and a barrage of incredible fireworks lighting up the arena over Peace Hill, and anyone who grabbed a pair of shimmery glasses from the physics area of the Science tent got an extra special psychedelic show on top of it all.

Of course, nothing’s ever really the end at Bestival… The woods are calling with secret parties and DJ sets, The Port is aflame and going strong, The Grand Palace of Entertainment is still as indecent as ever, and ‘Almost Famous’ is being screened in The Amphitheatre… we’re going wherever the night takes us, for one last time this year…


Photos by James Bridle

Foals and Beck to headline Bestival 2014

Commenting on their headline set Foals said: “We couldn't be more excited & honoured to be part of Bestival this year; it's the perfect end to our touring for Holy Fire. We promise a night of madness, mayhem & good times!”

Topping the bill on Thursday 4th September is the exalted Beck! With Morning Phase, his first album in six years, just about to drop and another one rumoured to be already done and dusted, Beck has a wealth of fantastic new material, as well as a treasure trove of favourites spanning R&B, hip-hop and folk at his command but no matter what he unleashes on us, you know it’s going to be a perfect start to our Desert Island Disco. A mercurial talent with an uncanny knack of pulling at the heartstrings, Beck is guaranteed to get Bestival 2014 off to a flyer!

Dynamic sibling duo, Disclosure, have gone about this conquering the world malarkey in breathtakingly swift fashion and their return to Bestival is a reflection of their meteoric rise. Playing our Main Stage on Friday night before OutKast, the brothers will, no doubt, take the crowd to fever pitch and beyond with their already overflowing armouring of big hitters and dancefloor detonators, lifted from their number one album, Settle. One of the biggest attractions aboard HMS Bestival last year, you can bet that Disclosure are going to get our Desert Island Disco bouncing. Don’t miss them.

Also guaranteed to send the Main Stage crowd into total frenzy, but this time on Sunday evening, will be the incomparable Major Lazer! Playing before our as yet to be revealed Sunday night headliner, Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire will be bringing the big cannons, firing off lashings of dutty dancehall and bountiful booty shaking bass. With their Apocalypse Soon EP due to drop later this month, you can expect plenty of super fresh and upfront behaviour to get you Pon De Floor from one of dance music’s most adventurous live acts.

We’re not stopping there though; this Desert Island Disco is just getting started! Joining in the throng of cool castaways will be the perfectly transfixing London Grammar, whose life-affirming brilliance really needs to be seen by absolutely everyone; Cumbrian four-piece Wild Beasts, whose imminent fourth album is already getting those in the know very hot under the collar; BBC Sound of 2014 winner Sam Smith, who will be returning to Bestival following a sensational set aboard HMS Bestival last year; genre-dodging sonic adventurers Caribou, whose main man Dan Snaith is in the form of his life; chart toppers Clean Bandit, whose electro-classical fusion is making them one of the most talked about bands around; synthpop trio Chvrches, whose beguiling pop hooks will captivate all our island’s tribes and delectable chanteuse Laura Mvula, whose psychedelic tinged soul has already made her one of the UK’s brightest new stars.

Kings of Leon to headline Rock Werchter 2014

The Summer Festival Guide 2014 can now reveal that Kings of Leon will headline Sunday night at Belgium's Rock Werchter.

They join Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Jack Johnson, Major Lazer, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Pixies, Placebo, Skrillex, Stromae – who said himself on Facebook this week that he’d be there – The Black Keys and Triggerfinger, all already announced for Rock Werchter 2014. Festival tickets have been on sale since early December. Ticket sales for Rock Werchter 2014 are at 60,000 and still counting. The 18,000 day tickets for Saturday 5 July are already sold out. Still on sale: combi-tickets and day tickets for Thursday, Friday or Sunday. More festival news to come soon.

Kings of Leon

About Kings of Leon:
”There is no festival we’ve played more,” said singer Caleb Followill to the Werchter crowd last year. The pleasure is ours, Caleb. No name has graced the bill as often in such a short space of time: in 2014 it will be the sixth time in eight years. This mutual respect tells a Werchter fairytale: young band makes headliner status through repeat visits. The first time around, in 2007, Kings of Leon were honoured by a visit from Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam). Two years later they topped the bill. By then “Sex On Fire” and “Use Somebody” had brought them world fame and they were heaping up the gold records. The album “Come Around Sundown” (2010) was overshadowed by internal stresses, but that was only a glitch. “Mechanical Bull” (2013) sees them back in good form. More roots than arena rock. Good stuff.

Major Lazer, Skrillex and more added to Rock Werchter 2014

Today more names were added to the Rock Werchter 2014 bill. Five particularly resounding names: Franz Ferdinand, Major Lazer, Pixies, Skrillex and Triggerfinger. Nice. Tickets for Rock Werchter go on sale on this Saturday. More festival news is on its way!

Skrillex is coming to Werchter on Thursday 3 July. The prince of American dance created something of an earth tremor in 2012. This time too, he promises great beats across the fields. Get out the dancing shoes again on Friday 4 July, because that’s when the hottest party machine of them all, Major Lazer, is at the festival. Then, on Saturday 5 July, Werchter is all about guitars. Or so the initial confirmations say. Pixies will generate a wave of pleasant frenzy over Werchter. And Belgium’s finest, Triggerfinger will be there on Saturday as well. At present the band are recording the successor to their successful album “All This Dancin’ Around” (2010) in Los Angeles. Franz Ferdinand will play the festival on Sunday 6 July. These Scots get the guitars swinging, more so now than ever. It’s party time!

Major Lazer

James Holden, Jon Hopkins and more for Sónar Reykjavík and Sónar Stockholm

James Holden, Jon Hopkins, Paul Kalkbrenner, Bonobo, Daphni and Evian Christ have been announced for both Sónar Reykjavík and Sónar Stockholm 2014 in February.

In Sónar Reykjavík, they all join Major Lazer, who is headlining, together with the When Saints Go Machine and the première of Starwalker, the new collaboration of France's Jean-Benoit Dunckel (half of Air) and Icelandic composer Bardi Johannsson. More than 90 artists will be playing in Sweden and Iceland for this year’s Sónar Nordic trip.

Sónar Nordic weekend James Holden, the cosmic and trance-like creative head of Border Community, will take “The Inheritors”, his last epic production, out his studio out into the world via his live show which promises to expand the grounds for folk modern electronic music. UK's own digital bits crafter Jon Hopkins and Evian Christ, the rising star wizardly mixing R&B and hip-hop also will be joining him on this journey to both Sónar Reykjavík and Sónar Stockholm.

Germany's dance music iconic star Paul Kalkbrenner as well asBonobo, the downtempo experimental live by UK producer Simon Green, and the dj set of Daphni, aka Caribou's loved electronic dance project, are also confirmed on top of the bills for both Sónar Stockholm and Sónar Reykjavik.

Only in Sónar Reykjavík, they all join Major Lazer, together with the When Saints Go Machine and the première of Starwalker, the new collaboration of France's Jean-Benoit Dunckel (half of Air) and Icelandic composer Bardi Johannsson. Sónar lands in Stockholm for the first time Sónar Stockholm takes place at Munchenbryggeriet in the Södermalm district in the city centre, the 14th and 15th of February 2014 and it will encompass 30 artists and Dj's overthree stages: SonarClub, SonarDôme presented by RBMA and SonarLab. The doors will open at 7PM until 3AM on both days.

Among the local acts, the festival hosts two of Sweden's finest DJ's, the Berlin-Stockholm bound Johanna Knutsson and P3 radio turn into clubbing and producing DJ Sandra Mosh

As the epilogue of the successful Red Bull Music Academy Weekender which took place in Stockholm this November, Red Bull Music Academy will partner with Sónar Stockholm. 
The Red Bull Music Academy will program the second largest stage of the festival portraying some of the most interesting local and international acts around together with the academy's favourite
up-and-coming talent.

Second edition of Sónar Reykjavík Sónar Reykjavík 2014 takes place at Harpa – Reykjavik Music Hall, situated right by the harbor in the downtown area of the city, with five different stages over three days, the 13, 14 and 15th of February. Sónar Reykjavik will be turning Harpa's underground car park again into a nightclub and will provide a line-up of more than60 artist, bands and DJs for its second edition.

Major Lazer, world-famous Diplo's production which continues to spearhead the current dancehall revival movement, headlines one of the five stages on the Saturday night. Another highlight will be the première of Starwalker, the new collaboration of France's Jean-Benoit Dunckel (half of Air) and Icelandic composer Bardi Johannsson.

Major Lazer

Among the local acts the award winning blue-eyed soul sensationMoses Hightower; Möller Records founders Futuregrapher &Skurken; the most exciting new act to emerge from Iceland's vibrant music scene in the past months, electric pop trio Vök;Kiasmos, the brainchild of Icelandic modern classical composer Ólafur Arnalds and Bloodgroup mastermind Janus Rasmussen from the Faroe Islands, and the adventurous Reykjavik based American-Icelandic electro-pop duo Low Roar. The Danish bandWhen Saints Go Machine will also be a highlight together with our good German-Danish friend Rune Reilly Kölsch aka Kölsch,HjaltalínSykurSometime and Kent Slash Demo.