Off the back of last year’s sell out event, winter snow sports and music festival,Snowboxx announces it’s first wave of stellar acts for its 4th week long annual event in its brand new home mountain home of Avoriaz from 12th– 19th March 2016.
With its move to the snowy peaks of Avoriaz, France for 2016, Snowboxx is now nestled in the largest connected ski area in the world with 650km’s of pistes and the best snowparks in Europe and features its very own festival village which includes a massive main stage, après area, ice bars, tasty food vendors, festival attractions and some of the best snow brands in the Alps.
Snowboxx will be the ultimate festival epicenter and is accessible by skis, snowboard or foot to the heart of Avoriaz. There are also more venues and standout features on this years program which reflect the new expanded capacity, making this the most ambitious Snowboxx event to date.
As ever, Snowboxx has a varied and creative line up in store for 2016. The team today announce just a few big names for the first wave of acts; hip-hop legend Grandmaster Flash, former front man of The Streets; Mike Skinner, Grime’s man of the hour Stormzy, chart smashing Drum & Bass duo Sigma, and a show stopping live set from Blonde all form the beginnings of this year’s huge line up.
Snowboxx’s even has it’s very own nightclub; XX, which this year brings Radio One’s Monki, who will be hosting her infamous night with Monki & Friends.
With many more exciting acts, stages, terraces and brand partners to be announced soon, Snowboxx 2016 promises an electrifying mix of live acts and DJ’s.
Taking over the French resort of Avoriaz for an entire week 12th -19th March, the festival is a hive of activity and as ever, Snowboxx is about more than just the music, there is a full schedule of unique off slope festival activities on the program, from human bowling to pro snowball arenas, Snowboxx has really thought outside the box to bring endless immersive content such as the Karaoke Cabins and Stash Park BBQ amongst many other things. With more features to be yet announced, guests can expect surprises around every corner of the resort and a truly unforgettable experience.
This year, to add to the already jam packed program, Snowboxx are teaming up with French festival Rock The Pistes who bring a full week of live mountain top music to areas across the Port Du Soleil region. Stages are dotted across the mountain range making everywhere a party on the festival piste.
Snowboxx is a great opportunity for skiers and snowboarders of all levels to experience the fantastic tree lined pistes and variety of runs that the Port Du Soleil region is famed for. Whilst festivalgoers take to the mountains to enjoy the region’s famous pistes, first-timers can get lessons on the bunny sloped or simply enjoy the activities in the festival epicenter.
Hot on the heels of their MASTODON announcement last weekend, BLOODSTOCK are thrilled to confirm that their Friday night headliner will be TWISTED SISTER.
Not only that, this will be the only UK show on the band's ‘Farewell 1976 – 2016’ tour, so your last chance to catch the band live in the UK, as they are set to call it a day after the untimely passing of their drummer AJ Pero earlier this year.
Guitarist Jay Jay French comments: “Our journey in the UK that began in Wrexham in 1982, ends with Bloodstock 2016! Without the recognition that we received from our UK fans, the world would never have known nor would we ever have reached our 40 year milestone!”
TWISTED SISTER join the bill alongside Saturday’s headliners, MASTODON, plus Friday’s special guests, BEHEMOTH and VENOM.
BLOODSTOCK will be held at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 11th-14th August 2016.
After several years away, Maverick Sabre is preparing for a massive soul-filled return. With a brilliant new single, Come Fly Away, out now, a second album on the way and a headline UK tour imminent, Ben Jolley from Summer Festival Guide spoke to him about his musical roots and what he's been doing away for the last few years…
Bestival 2015 was a psychedelic wonderland that brought the third Summer of Love to life! With a passionate crowd of hippies, ravers and lovers, it was four days of sun-drenched joy.
Rob da Bank says: “Thanks a million for making our Summer of Love so spectacular… It was a crazy colourful explosive ball of fun and love and music and mad things happening. With truly memorable moments and amazing new things like Slow Motion, Missy, the Carnival Parade, the Port, the Blind Tiger, the Chemical Brothers, Revolution Ride, the Love-Bot and a thousand other things I could list, I think we’ve taken it up another level this year and having such a lovely crowd was no small part of that. I’ve already got some amazing things lined up for next year, so watch this space!”
Featuring incredible headline sets from Missy Elliott, Duran Duran, the Chemical Brothers and Underworld, and mind blowing performances from Boy Better Know, Tame Impala, The Jacksons, Flying Lotus, Skrillex Annie Mac, Future Islands, Duke Dumont, Mark Ronson, Charli XCX, Action Bronson, our special guests House of Pain and so many more, not forgetting what can only be described as an utterly insane reaction to the Chuckle Brothers, it’s a been a truly vintage year!
With a mass busk, an eight metre tall Love-Bot, the return of our record breaking disco ball and our beloved I Heart Bestival sign, totally delicious food, our brand new arena Slow Motion, cuddly llamas, jaw-dropping night parades, glitter-strewn cabaret, Carnivale, fantastic comedy and most of all you, our summer-loving crowd, filling our lysergic land of awe with delight, we don’t think it could have been any better! So we want to say a massive heartfelt thank you for making it another absolute corker.
We’re already chomping at the bit for Bestival 2016, and, if you’re anything like us, you’ll be pleased to know that limited Early Bird Tickets go on sale at special prices from 10am on Friday 18th September. Do. Not. Miss. Out.
And, if you’ve already got the Bestival blues, make sure you catch Seth Troxler’s two-hour Essential Mix recorded at The Port, which is going out on BBC Radio 1 next Saturday 19th September at 4.00am and our Channel 4 Bestival Special coming soon.
As the early bird catches the proverbial worm, so to do the first campers snag the best spots. A stream of gear laden guys and gals is making its way into the campsites from all directions and the sun is luckily, shining. Nighttime on Thursday sees the early opening of a few areas, The Wishing Tree is available for tiny raves, the Grassy Hill’s Caravanserai is jumping, and Underworld take an absolutely rammed headline slot in The Big Top. It’s a bit of a shame there’s no longer a big screen on the outside of the tent, as it’s frankly impossible to fit everyone in, but those outside are still dancing their legs off to the likes of ‘Born Slippy’ regardless.
Friday
Friday’s Gabrielle Aplin brings beautiful summer vibes to the main stage dressed in a spangly gold sequined jumpsuit, whilst The Cuban Brothers’ Miguel rocks his “Elvis in Marrakech” kaftan and afro combo as Archerio, Kengo and One Erection wow the crowds with headspins, backflips and flares galore. Having had the entire crowd sing Happy 70th Birthday to Bestival veteran, and former drug baron Howard “Mr. Nice” Marks who dons a golden kaftan on stage, Miguel implores everyone to “Increase the peace with a collective unconscious”.
Up on the big hill, the Slow Motion area is a serene place to take a break, with the bandstand gone, a new stage – Kaleidoscope – peeks out from the bottom corner, covered in silver sunrays. Grab yourself a fresh corn-on-the-cob, a pint of Bestivale and maybe take part in some Yoga. Massages, tea and cake from the Women’s Institute or making friends with fluffy llamas is also on the menu here, and if you venture inside Oberon’s Observatory you’ll find a tiny cinema and a pretty awesome lookout across the festival. Though there are notably less children year upon year, the kids area is still going strong with games and activities, across the way from lectures and comedy in the Bestiversity tent. There truly is something for everyone here.
A sun drenched crowd is relaxing at the main stage listening to the powerful voice of the incredibly talented Lianne La Havas, who is dressed in a show-stopping green ball gown and is tantalizing everyone with news of her upcoming UK tour in December for new album ‘Blood’. Followed up by the complete juxtaposition of Charlie XCX who spends her entire set swearing and making crude gestures. Luckily her songs are catchy enough to make up for it, and everyone seems to be enjoying ‘I don’t Care (I Love It)’ and ‘Boom Clap’ whilst she jumps around with a giant inflatable guitar, in her platform sneakers.
90’s Hip Hop super-group Jurassic 5 bring the entertainment with a massive turntable, portable turntable/mixer guitar contraptions and their distinctive brand of swagger, but it’s Duran Duran who are the stand out surprise of the night. The younger age set at this festival might not think they know more than ‘Rio’ but the hits keep rolling, and they put on an absolutely epic show which has everyone joining in with both classic hits and brand new album tracks.
If you’re not feeling so fresh this morning, a quick trip to the lavish Elle Beauty Cupboard in partnership with Rimmel will have you all dolled up with a makeover or a manicure, as well as a goodybag full of makeup and you can get your brain back on track with a stop at the Science tent, where you can pick up a pair of psychedelic solar glasses for watching the fireworks too. New this year is the giant Lovebot, and a new-look Inflatable Church for all your wedding-disco wishes.
Over on the main stage, Dodgy rock “Good Enough” and IOW locals Level 42 (with a cameo from Cubano’s One Erection breakdancing) play to a relaxed crowd. Little Dragon wears some sort of golden bin-bag with red evening gloves for a set of weird and wonderful sounds, and over in the Magic Meadow the parade is a swarm of bright silks and mysterious creatures. Colourful birds, adorable little strawberries and lotus flowers dance past, as a squid rides a giant turtle followed by a Battala band. Only at Bestival…
Secret act cheesy hip hop legends House of Pain are actually great and anthem 'Jump Around' is spectacularly taken to heart by Bestivalites who are doing their best to jump up, jump up and get down. Kate Tempest gathers a big crowd for her main stage foray, in previous years she’s usually a walk through the woods to the amphitheatre for her spoken word sets. With obvious excitement she quips “Jeremy Corbyn has been elected… this is the summer of change, the summer of love!” and a keen eye can spot Rob da Bank clapping in appreciation from the side of the stage.
In the deep dark of the night forest, the amphitheatre comes alive and tonight The Story Beast (comedian John Henry Falle) is MCing Films in the Forest. Award winning short ‘Jonah’ is beautifully made and captivates the audience but ‘Festevil’ is the one that’s really going to stick with you – what could be better than a slasher short about a couple getting murdered in a tent at a festival by pig-masked psychopaths? “Are you all suitably shitted up? That could happen to you tonight!” says Falle. Cheers Story Beast… no really thanks so much. Just as well he follows it up with a rousing rendition of the theme from Dune (join in, all the words are… THE THEME FROM DUNE) and Tom Hyatt brings beautiful acoustic flavours to the stage with his songs about love. We hot-foot it when the next movie ‘Behind the Candelabra’ comes on, but not quite quick enough to escape seeing Matt Damon fellate Michael Douglas.
Annie Mac is ripping it up on the main stage with glowing palm trees to match the glowing umbrellas and fairy lights of the neon night parade, and The Chemical Brothers’ headline slot is a laser loaded, big beat heavy, electrifying show with a slew of hits from opener ‘Hey Boy Hey girl’ to ‘Block Rockin Beats’ and ‘Galvanize’.
The night is young and the weather is sort of holding, so it’s off to Future Islands in the Big Top to see enigmatic frontman Samuel T. Herring dance like he’s been tasered and growl like he’s in a metal band. Completely bonkers but light, fun synthpop. The Port is packed with ravers and fire-dancers spit flames from atop the giant boat. Arial hoop dancers swing hypnotically from a crane above, everything is just on the edge of surreal and it’s brilliant. For a little less bass, Caravanseri’s little love-in is dancing along to violin folk-rockers Keltrix, cosying up in retro caravans or drinking mojitos in the carousel.
Sunday
Despite an overnight soaking, the campsite awakens to a clear and sometimes sunny morning (hurrah!) and there’s a dawning realisation that there’s only one day left of hedonistic adventures. DJ Yoda’s unmistakable beats reverberate across the arena to a massive crowd, and there are major queues outside the packed Amphitheatre for the genius Shitfaced Shakespeare. The drunken cast member simply can’t be arsed with what’s going on and keeps having existential epiphanies like “News is new… news!”. Throughout the forest people are hiding out, watching red squirrels or exploring round the lake, or searching out the secretive Blind Tiger stage.
Jungle Brothers get everyone chanting “We at Bestival baby” as indeed we are and Boy Better know keep up with the distinctly hip hop flavor to this year’s main stage lineup. It’s not as though those who aren’t into it have nothing else to do though, Pig’s Big Ballroom is a house of energetic folk and feelgoodery and the close-by Invaders of the Future stage is showcasing a plethora of great rock bands.
Over on the Kaleidoscope stage, Coco and the Butterfields are absolutely smashing it, gathering a bigger and rowdier crowd as they play, one of the very best things about Bestival is happening upon something or someone amazing that you’ve never heard of, and finding this banjo-led upbeat band is just one of those moments. Elsewhere the Oxfam tent is selling sparkly wares and as the weather is looking decidedly unsafe, wellies. The Llamas at Llama Karma are happily munching their way through Robin Hill’s luscious grass and wearing some very fetching rainbow neckerchiefs, the Solace tent is providing tea and cake to burnt out hippies and there are bare bottoms basking in the wood-fired hot tubs overlooking the enormous site.
A rare musical treat in the form of The Jacksons has the entire arena boogying, but it’s worth mentioning that it’s not just a classic hit parade – these guys are every bit as good as they always were. Polished entertainers with cracking vocals, for the likes of ‘Blame it on the Boogie’, ‘Rock With You’ and ‘ABC’. Jermaine has a noticeable tear in his eye when the crowd joins in for ‘I’ll Be There’ as a montage of their younger selves play on split video screens. Over in the Big Top, Todd Terje is providing summery soft electro-house to a busy tent, which makes a change from the heavier Port acts.
Final headliner Missy Elliott is every bit as showy as you could imagine. Plenty of bling, an army of backing dancers and MC’s hyping up the crowd the whole way through. Hits ‘Get Ur Freak On’ and ‘Work It’ are absolutely huge.
As Missy makes her way off stage, ticker tape explosions coincide with the start of the fireworks display, which is magically timed so that red heart-shaped fireworks burst to the chorus of “Love Is In The Air” to the oohs and aaahs of the crowd. The floral fire arrangement of the Commune is glittering away and everyone is hugging each other, it truly is the Summer of Love. Though the night isn’t over, the rain starts coming in hard and a lot of people are heading back to the campsites with the threat of early ferries and late hangovers in the morning. Skrillex is bouncing around at The Port with a few thousand pals, the Carnivale ship is still rocking tunes and the drag queens of Sink the Pink at The Grand Palace of Entertainment are still werking it hard.
This year’s Bestival has been home to some eighty thousand neo-hippies for the Summer of Love ’15 and it’s pretty hard to say goodbye to this beautiful, weird and wonderful land knowing full well that responsibility and the adult world is waiting beyond these borders. You can be sure we’ll be first on the early bird ticket bandwagon at the end of the month, and the countdown clock will be immediately set for Bestival 2016. Massive thanks to Rob da Bank and the Bestival crew for another incredible weekend, we can’t wait to see what’s next…
There has been a distinctly hip hop vibe to this year’s Bestival, despite the ‘Summer of Love’ theme chosen and it seems sort of disconnected. However, there’s no denying that after a six-year hiatus from UK touring and as a complete UK 2015 exclusive, booking the queen of extravagance – Missy Elliott, is a big win for Rob Da Bank, having twice turned down his request to play before.
Despite the first drizzle of the weather-app doom forecast, the arena is absolutely rammed with people and as an obelisk-like frame is put in place on stage, the excitement is palpable. Dancers in disturbing white comedy and tragedy theatre masks add shimmering lycra panels to the frame and writhing hands extrude from within the box before the sides fall to reveal Missy, clad in a slick black tracksuit and trucker cap with her name emblazoned on it. Famed for her indulgence in all things bling, tonight is no exception as she wields a crystal encrusted microphone with a knuckleduster-esque ‘Ms E’ embellishment whilst providing the thrills for ‘I’m Really Hot’ and ‘Hot Boyz’.
It’s a little bit of a shame the music is so often halted by her fluffers yelling “She can’t hear you….” , us Brits aren’t really down with self-promotion like our American cousins, but Missy makes up for it in pure individual electricity and her b-boy dancers are absolutely incredible.
Rolling through hit after hit, the crowd is going mental, everywhere is a sea of hipsters attempting to krump and hunter-princesses trying some swagger but when Missy throws down ‘Get Ur Freak On’ and ‘Work It’ there’s not a single still body to be seen. A costume change later and it’s down to celebrating her dance crew for ‘Pass That Dutch’, and no, we couldn’t do the routine, we tried, it was deceptively difficult.
Yelling out “Hey UK I love you, I haven’t been here in a while but I love you, y’all like my cousins, y’all like family, is that ok?” Missy introduces artist Sharaya J for a song whilst she changes costume yet again. ‘Shake Your Pom Pom’ is particularly celebrated by the man in front of us dressed like a cheerleader, and some lucky fans at the front have their night/year made when Missy signs some Adidas sneakers to hand out.
A little bit of Ciara’s ‘1, 2 step’, and ‘Lose Control’ have everyone good and rowdy ready for the firework show, but it’s a bit of an abrupt ending as Missy yells “Thank you UK” and exits as the first rockets go off. The main stage headliner is never the very last thing happening at Bestival, as the other stages continue well into the small hours of Monday morning, but for a closer Missy Elliott is well and truly one of the most memorable acts Bestival has seen. Even if we aren’t remotely street enough to pull off a supafly silk tracksuit, we are so going online to look for one when we get home…
Saturday night headliners The Chemical Brothers, have been long on the wish list for Best-goers having waited for their main stage return since 2007. With Bestival being the last hurrah of the UK festival season, early dark skies provide a perfect backdrop for the onslaught of blinding green lasers of opening number and iconic late 90’s track ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’. Despite the lack of the famed saucy skeletons on the big screens, it’s a strong start for the dance duo and the arena is jumping.
The show is heavy with trippy images of clowns and dancers, strobe lighting and colour to make up for the fact that you are essentially watching two guys push some buttons and bob along to a future beat in their headphones, but it honestly looks like they are having a damn good time as they drop ‘GO’ alongside a visual of a glittery roller-dancer gliding about on screen. Standard as it might now be for a festival or arena tour, there is something exciting about smashing giant inflatable balls around the place when you’re swimming in the depths of the front barrier crowd, long live the gimmick!
Two huge red and blue animatronic robots walk on stage shooting happy ravers with their laser eyes, and a giant inside-out disco ball refracts spotlights into a million starry specks as the Chemicals close out with hits ‘Block Rockin’ Beats', ‘Push The Button’ and ‘Galvanize’. With a final flourish and an on-screen tribute to their sadly missed music producer Stuart Jammer James, who had also worked with a plethora of Bestival favourites such as New Order, Hot Chip and Grace Jones, the set is over. The Chemical Brothers were well worth the wait, and as the sweaty masses leave the arena for other areas with wide grins plastered on their faces, it’s clear they were a great headline pick.
Nearing its tenth year, Butserfest hit a new level last weekend. With acts ranging from the harmonious Lounge Kittens, to metal core Vanity Draws Blood, the biggest alcohol and drug free festival in the UK had something for everybody to enjoy.
The arrival to the festival began with a Wars and Vanity Draws Blood both drawing in the crowds as the momentum grew for the main stage to begin. With a little bit of rain from the beginning, it eventually grew brighter and brighter, bringing out the smiles and the friendly atmosphere. Being my first time at Butserfest I was constantly overhearing about previous years and how excited everyone was to be back!
Photo by Jade Hill
Once the acts started playing, the crowd’s energy grew stronger through every song. What I could gather from the festival was that size does not matter! With only two big stages, Main Stage and Crossroads Stage, the only other places to find music were the Introducing Stage and the Acoustic Shack located backstage for lucky festival goers.
As the day carried on the we saw sets from SHVPES who had previously played NASS and Y NOT Festival, with their crowds growing bigger for every festival. Since their show last week supporting Bring Me The Horizon in Kingston, these guys are growing at a rapid rate getting better with every performance. Other acts which have been growing increasingly popular were main stage acts The One Hundred and The Xcerts, two acts which drew in an excessively large crowd.
Photo by Jade Hill
Being a day festival, it meant that there was no time to waste, there was alwasy an act to see. With a few acts who I bumped into in conversation, I could tell how much they were enjoying and how much they would have loved it to have been a weekend event! I for one would also have enjoyed another two days in the beautiful location of Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Petersfield.
As the sun started to set, the music got louder and the crowds got more energetic. With excellent performances from Zoax, who's style and energy definitely took the unaware crowd by surprise. There were hats thown off heads, breaking of comfort zones and continuous laughter throughout the entire set – Zoax definitely knew how to draw a crowd in.
Photo by Jade Hill
With the sad news released a few days after Butserfest that Funeral For A Friend are finishing as a band, I was so glad I got to the chance to watch and photograph them on the day! Playing a mixture of old and new there was something for new fans and older fans.
Photo by Jade Hill
And then it came to the end of the night when the two headliners took to the stage! WIth HECK* (previously Baby Godzilla) taking to the Crossroads stage and Don Broco on Main stage, the night was definitely worth waiting for. Announced for Wapred Tour UK later this year, Heck have been taking festivals by storm this year, and Butserfest was no exception. Photographers like myself were not even allowed in the pit due to health and safety (even though the act would spend the majority of their time in the crowd anyway) and the act did not dissapoint! They were climbing the roof of the tent, running into the crowd, diving to the floor and throwing instruments in the air. If you missed it, you definitely missed out!
Finally it came to 9pm and Don Broco were about to start. With their recent release of thier new album 'Automatic' and their phenomenal set at Reading and Leeds Festival, these guys have taken this Summer by storm, and Butserfest was no exception. The crowd were kept on their feet, their energy had exploded as they opened their headline set. They played a mixture of older music from the album 'Priorities' as well as their most popular songs from the new album. Overall my experience at Butserfest was very enjoyable! Would highly recommend it for anyone! Looking forward to next year already!
With the festival season drawing to a close for another year, On Blackheath is a festival for families and music, art and food enthusiasts. Running for its second year, the line up was impressive, with Elbow and Manic Street Preachers performing on Saturday and Madness and Kelis on Sunday.
The festival was based in Dartmouth Field, Blackheath and consisted of 3 music stages as well as a variety of tasty food stalls, bars, street performers and a huge children’s area, with activities and shows families could enjoy as well as the impressive line up.
To kick things off, Saturday saw Kyle Riabko open the main stage, followed by BBC Introducing London winners, Venice Trip who won a spot on the line up this year, playing their first performance on a festival main stage. Jack Savoretti also gave an amazing performance, with On Blackheath being one of his last UK shows for the year, he sang songs from is latest album ‘Written in Scars’ as well as known hits ‘Take Me Home’ ‘Sweet Hurt’ and ‘Home’.
The smaller stages saw a line up of up and coming artists, from a variety of genres, tailoring to everyone’s tastes; including, Hooton Tennis Club, Temples and 808 State. Summer Camp, Rivrs, Moth Trap, Greg Wilson and Tom Findlay from Groove Armada.
The Chef’s Club Banquet stage featured a number of chefs showcasing their best recipes. Chefs including Daniel Doherty, Natasha Corrett and Hemsley& Hemsley all made appearances and cooked to a small audience.
Manic Street Preachers were the first sub-headliners at this year’s festival and gave a memorable performance that had the whole festival singing to their hearts content. Opening their set with ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’, the band belted classics such as ‘Your Love Alone Is Not Enough’, ‘A Design For Life’, ‘You Stole The Sun From My Heart’ and ‘If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next’. The band did a fantastic job of warming the crowd up for the night’s headliners.
The much-anticipated Elbow closed on the Saturday, announcing that this performance was going to be their last for a while. The band made their last performance count and soon got the crowd going as the sun set and the end of the first day drew to a close. They sang their hits ‘One Day Like This’, ‘Grounds For Divorce’, ‘Lost Worker Bee’ and ‘My Sad Captains’. The band rounded off the day perfectly and set the bar high for the second day performers.
On Sunday, On Blackheath seemed quieter than the previous day, but never the less people seemed excited and ready for the day’s events. Ska band Chainska Brassika opened the main stage, followed by the cast of Sunny Afternoon, the hit new musical about the life of The Kinks. The musical won 4 Olivier awards this year, so expectations were high and the cast really didn’t disappoint. They played classic hits such as ‘You Really Got Me Going’, ‘Lola’ ‘This Time Tomorrow’ and ‘Sunny Afternoon’. The audience got an extra special treat when The Kinks front man Ray Davies took to the stage to thank the cast and to introduce the song ‘Waterloo Sunset’. The cast gave an amazing performance and were a real tribute to The Kinks. Laura Mvula also gave an exhilarating and soulful set, performing hits such as ‘Green Garden’, ‘Like Morning Due’ and ‘She’.
The much-anticipated Kelis sub-headlined Sunday’s line up, as well as showcasing her culinary skills on the Chef’s Club Banquet stage. After a late start, she graced the stage and performed all her hits including ‘Milkshake’, ‘Millionaire’, ‘Acapella’ and ‘Trick Me’, with backing jazz band, which gave her songs a unique soulful, jazz edge. The change to the structure of her songs went down well with the audience, despite the risk and complimented Kelis’ talent well.
Other performances throughout the day included David Rodigan, Giles Peterson, The Reflex, Hannah Holland, The Mighty Cosmics, Brass Roots and Hollie Cook. The Chefs Club Banquet stage saw the likes of Tom and Henry Herbert, Andy McLeish and Calgary Avansino.
To close the day and festival Ska favorites, Madness took to the stage to give an energetic performance that the crowd had been eagerly awaiting all day. The band performed classic hits ‘Our House’, ‘It Must Be Love’, ‘Embarrassment’, ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘One Step Beyond’ and ‘House Of Fun’. The crowd couldn’t help but sing along with Madness and dance the night away.
On Blackheath is the perfect family festival as it has something for everyone, with an eclectic line up, chefs showcasing their best recipes, delicious foods and plenty of entertainment for kids. Although it’s only on its second year, the festival has managed to bag brilliant headliners to round off each day, as well as opportunities for up and coming musicians to showcase their talent. Can’t wait for 2016!
Looking for a rave in London, then look no further than United Festival, a dance music festival which brings back the legends of the British rave culture!
Taking over North London's Finsbury Park, a day after hosting Ceremony Festival, this single day festival returned in 2015 on a bigger scale with 8 arenas and over 150 artists. Heading to the festival, there is a sense of old skool rave culture as we hit Finsbury Park station with festival goers dressed ready to dance. Out of the wardbrobes have come the fluro coloured tops and pants, glitter makeup and sneakers, all accompanied with the lazer light protecting shades!
Bringing Drum & Bass, Old Skool, Jungle, Uk Garage, House Classics, Hard House, Trance and Hardcore, there was something for everyone. Our first stop is the Frantic arena to check out a good friend of ours, Masif head honcho Steve Hill, who has flown all the way from Sydney, Australia. With smoke pouring out of the tent, it was obvious that the Frantic arena was full of energy as 100's filled the tent to bounce to Steve's notorious hard trance sound. Hosting the likes of Andy Farley, Lisa Pin Up and more, the hard house / trance lovers had plenty to keep them going all day.
The main stage is the place to be for Drum and Bass lovers. Sunday brought together the best of old skool with Fabio & Grooverider, Baby D, Ratpack, DJ Hype & DJ Marky keeping the tent packed the entire day. Complete with a massive l.e.d screen and lasers, the tent illuminated up as the sun fell down over Finsbury Park.
One of the other highlights of our day was the TwiceasNice arena where DJ Luck & MC Neat, Ironik, Pied Piper and more of UK Garages finest lined up. It was great to see these legends take to the stage all in one place. Luck & Neat's performance of one of the biggest known garage tunes With a Little Bit Luck had the crowd going crazy!
Elsewhere at United Festival 10,000 people had arenas like Promised Land which hosted old skool house with Brandon Block, Arkoss, Philgood & Ram and more, Mental Asylum Records where you could put your hands in the air to Trance, One Nation and Moondance which shared mixture of rave, drum and bass and more ensured that all your musical tastes were satisfied.
