V-Dub Island Festival – The Summer of Love, took place last week, running from 14th-18th August, at East Afton Farm, the former site of the legendary Isle Of Wight Festival that started in 1970.
Now in its fourth year the festival is still cutting its teeth on the circuit but growing in popularity each year particularly with VW lovers. Previously held at the County Showground, the new site with its views over the Solent to the New Forest and Lemington Spa, as well as panoramic views of the Island and coast line are worth the trip alone. But if like us, you like a bit of nostalgia, partying on the famous site where the likes of Jimmy Hendrix, The Who and The Doors all played together really made it that little bit more special.
V-Dub Island is unique for many reasons not least it community spirit amongst its organisers and supporters. It is an affordable and family friendly festival, where even dogs are welcome and life on the road is celebrated by Volkswagen enthusiasts, travelling from all over the country and abroad. Campervans, beetles and VWs of all shapes and sizes filled the site creating a beautiful scene from the surrounding hills, with thousands in attendance who come to show, view and even sell their beloved motors.
This year the campsite opened the week prior to the festival, allowing families to camp out under the stars for a few extra nights at ‘Carry on Camping’. And yes there were showers, and even a very helpful shuttle service taking you across the Island to play tourist or just to grab some essentials for just £1 as well as music in campsite café/bar each night.
Created by VW enthusiast for VW enthusiasts, the festival is first and foremost a VW show but it still boasts a great line up of music. Three stages played host to hundreds of bands and artists, including highlights from Rob Da Bank, and the Dub Pistols, The Skatonics, Jess White, Save the Dinosaurs and tribute bands Wight Floyd and the Jimmi Hendrix Tribute to name a but a few.
Other entertainment came in the form of Cabaret performances by Painless Parties, fun fair attractions, a giant water slide with extra bubbles and even a best dressed pet competition. Our personal favourite was the Sheep Dog (Pictured). And that’s just for the big kids, the organisers make sure it is as family friendly as possible with magic shows, swings, story time, Bushcraft and Lego tents and a beach, known as Fantasy Island in the middle of the arena for all to enjoy.
Thursday saw the main arena open up to hundreds of Festival goers checking out the trade stands and entertainment while Friday saw hundreds more arriving in an array of colourful campers just in time for the Soap Box Derby trails, a terrific traditional event for all the family.
Saturday played tribute to sites famous beginning with a Summer of Love 1970s fancy dress theme, as well as the annual drive out and run to the surf where hundreds of camper vans, Beetles and VW Transporters drive in convoy to Colwell bay, famous for its views and surf. We spotted headline act Rob Da Bank in his camper amongst the crowds joining in the fun ahead of his Sunday night set, which saw the main stage area rammed with people of all ages dancing the night away.
We loved this cute family focused festival, it’s totally chilled out, and you can do as much or as little as you like and still soak up the atmosphere from the camp site or take part in in adventure activities on the Island minutes away. Can’t we live in a field filled with beautiful Campervans and beautiful people forever?
Pictures 1-14 by Rob Schaverien Photography copywright images.
Taking place on the beautiful Adriatic coastline in the medieval town of Rovinj, Unknown features live music from the legendary Chic Ft. Nile Rodgers, critically-acclaimed and much lauded actsChvrches, Wild Beasts, Mount Kimbie and Jungle, breakthrough trio London Grammar and pioneering Berlin outfit Moderat. DJ sets from Brit nominees Disclosure, Jamie XX, DJ Harvey,Prins Thomas, John Talabot and Hot Since 82 are among over 50 artists performing.
Monday 8th September WELCOME BOAT 4PM | £20 – The Sonic Emporium / People Get Real / Mike Jones
Tuesday 9th September SECRETSUNDAZE X NOFITSTATE 1PM | £20 – Giles Smith & James Priestley / Si Baker & Geddes TOURIST 6PM | £20 – Eric Duncan / Bad Passion / Last Waltz
Wednesday 10th September KRANKBROTHER X FACT 1PM | £30 – George Fitzgerald / Kink DJ Set RA 6PM | £30 – Optimo / DJ KOZE
Thursday 11th September FUTURE DISCO X THUMP 1PM | £30 – Eats Everything / Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs / Dom Chung TWEAKAHOLIC 6PM | £30 – Jackmaster / Grainger
2014 saw a strong lineup for V festival. Previous years have seen the lineup cater towards a more commercial demographic, but this year included an impressive array of veteran artists, and new up and coming talent that would please the ears of the many festival-goers that would be in attendance.
The main stage opened on the Saturday with musical legend Nile Rogers and his band Chic. Most recently, Rogers has gained exposure for his work with French dance duo Daft Punk, but what most people are unaware of, is that he is behind some of the greatest hits ever released over the past 30 years. Unmistakably tracks such as “Everybody Dance” and “Good Times” were crafted at the hands of the American singer-songwriter, along with his sensational band. It was a pleasure to watch him play with such passion for the performance: a true musician.
Newton Faulkner’s set brought a nice change of pace to the afternoon as his began his set on the main stage, enticing the audience with his enchanting voice and his impressive guitar skills. The dreadlocked singer-songwriter would not usually be seen on the main stage at a large festival such as V, but nonetheless, he proved that the spot was well deserved. His UK top ten hit “Dream Catch Me” was certainly a crowd favorite among many others in a perfectly crafted set.
Rizzle Kicks, the cheeky chaps from Brighton genuinely appeared to be having the time of their lives as they bounced across the stage to a huge crowd at the MTV Stage. The duo looked euphoric to be in the privileged position that they’re in, as the audience collectively danced to their hit “Do The Hump.”
Paolo Nutini kept the crowd suitably entertained before the main headline act of the evening. His grizzly voice warmed the afternoon air with such tunes like “New Shoes” and “Pencil Full of Lead.”
The Sun had set across Weston Park as the crowd eagerly awaited the entrance of the headline act for the evening. Brandon Flowers lead The Killers onto the stage in a rather fetching glittery purple blazer that wouldn’t look out of place in a Gary Newman video.
The band made no delay in breaking into “Somebody Told Me” which resulted in the crowd bouncing up and down in full force. With such a strong back catalogue, more hits soon followed suit, most notably “Mr. Brightside” which surely has to go down as one of the most universally loved tracks of all time. The band was on fine form, and they delivered a set that was most certainly worthy of the headline slot they were given.
Day 2
Day two arrived as many bleary-eyed faces emerged from their canvas living quarters. Despite the inevitable hangovers, the energy was still high as the last of the adrenaline worked its way through the veins of the revelers.
My afternoon began with a fantastic performance from the immensely talented Tom Odell. I first spotted Tom during his performance on Live with Jools Holland, so I was eager to see his set in a festival environment. I was sold. The combination of his incredibly powerful voice and effortless piano playing almost seemed to send the crowd into a hypnotic trance as the notes waved out across the horizon. His masterfully crafted melodies reminded me of a hybrid of David Bowie and Tom Waits: not a bad comparison to make! The highlight of his set was “Another Love” which most certainly drew the lighters from the audiences’ pockets.
I stuck around at the main stage to catch Leeds-based rockers Kaiser Chiefs, a personal favorite of mine. Front man Ricky Wilson sure knows how to keep an audience entertained with his energy and enthusiasm, running up and down the stage like an over-excited school kid to the unmistakable sound of their hits such as “I Predict A Riot” and new single “Coming Home.”
I ventured over to the MTV Stage to witness pop legend Blondie in action. Her performance was superb to say the least, entertaining the older members of the crowd with classics such as “Atomic.” It’s great to see an artist of Blondie’s caliber still wowing audiences with her performances. It surely is a testament to her determination and hard work.
I made my way back to the main stage to catch another British star take to the main stage. Acoustic wizard, Ed Sheeran never fails to impress me with his live performances. A strong set filled with old and new material from his most recent album, “X” kept the large audience entertained, whilst anticipating the headline act.
The audience could hardly contain their excitement over the anticipation of the last headline act of the weekend; the incredible Justin Timberlake. As he casually made his way onto the stage, to an almighty roar from the audience, he oozed class and confidence as the band kicked in and he began his set, filled with hit, after hit, after hit. Each note he sang was inch-perfect and his dance moves were a sight to behold.
In the same fashion as the previous night, the crowd made no reservations in signing their hearts out to hits such as “Senorita” and “Sexy Back” which resulted in an almost overwhelmed-looking JT as the thousands of voices screamed back at him in unison.
Overall, V Festival was an incredibly entertaining weekend. Every act that I was fortunate to see was on sublime form, and that (coupled with the hangover) made for some serious post-festival blues!
Thousands of like-minded music lovers made camp at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain this weekend to enjoy another inspiring Green Man Festival.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the greatest festival in the UK has to be Green Man. With beautiful music in equally beautiful surroundings, the atmosphere here is unlike any other.
Last year, my partner and I brought our 7-month-old to what would be our first festival as a family and our first Green Man. Initially worried about what to expect we soon became enchanted with its approach to live music, ethical values and it’s family friendly nature – we vowed to become regulars.
Unfortunately for us we would be begin our weekend on Friday which meant having to miss Thursday’s headliners, The Waterboys but from what I was told, the classic hits from their 80s album Fisherman’s Blues was the perfect end to the first night.
It must’ve been a good one because by the time we had rocked up, pitched the tent and headed into the festival for a pint we discovered the signature Growler Ale was already on the decline, not to worry though as the on-site beer and cider festival meant there was plenty on offer for ale and cider aficionados alike.
With the ground now nicely dried from the previous days down pour and with the sun blazing above the Black Mountains we settled ourselves in front of the Mountain Stage with a couple of cold ones.
The Augustines were just about to begin and the New York three-piece were the perfect way to kick start our weekend. Their crashing sound shook us out of the slump we were feeling after the journey down and when frontman Billy McCarthy announced it was his birthday the whole crowd erupted in an impromptu rendition of Happy Birthday. That Green Man spirit and friendliness reminded me how happy I was to be there.
Photo courtesy of Green Man Festival
Our toddler had danced himself silly so we thought we’d take a walk to settle him to sleep before heading back to the Mountain Stage for Daughter and headliners, Beirut.
As a parent, other people’s judgment is a constant and irrational worry. In normal life, seeing a baby up after 9pm might invite all manner of tuts and side glances, the beauty of Green Man though is that the experience is as much for children as it is for adults. Wagons padded out and adorned with fairy lights are the transport of choice for tired little legs and are more abundant than drunk teenagers, thankfully. Hiring one of these won’t break the bank either and it ensures headliners don’t have to be missed. Everyone’s happy.
The effort to maintain the ground management to ensure it’s accessibility for wheelchair users, pram pushers and wagon pullers alike is also of noteworthy importance. The whole arena is relatively flat and is a pleasure to walk around, and as night falls, the trees light up and the place is framed with fairy lights, it truly is a magical place.
Back at the Mountain Stage, Daughter provided a stunning set playing tracks from their debut album If You Leave and EP, The Wild Youth. The ethereal voice of Elena Tonra was an early highlight. Perhaps one of the most anticipated acts of the weekend, they certainty didn’t disappoint. Hearing the hauntingly beautiful, Still come to life was earth moving and you couldn’t help but get drawn in by the raw emotion of it all.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Harris
Nicely mellowed out, we struggled to fight back the desire to head back to the tent, we knew we’d made the right decision however when Beirut burst on stage.
The rapturous trumpets blew out the need to sleep and the hit filled set soon had us all on our feet. Frontman Zach Condon seemed genuinely thrilled to be given the top spot and they were clearly the perfect choice to end Friday’s festivities.
Photo courtesy of Alex Elms
Unzipping our tent the following morning and watching the mist rise over the Black Mountains was something special indeed, and as the clouds parted across the valley all that was left were blue skies.
After breakfast we headed over to the Little Folk Enclosure to catch The Flying Seagulls. We saw this merry band of performers last year and were fascinated by their mix of energy and madness, perhaps more so than some of the kids!
Our toddler eventually pulled his parents away from the Seagulls and took us over to I See Magical Creatures, a whimsical band of characters who encourage creativity and participation through arts and crafts. We stayed and painted a rhinoceros and then as you are encouraged to do, we hid him near a tree for someone to find. This was an adorable activity that allowed our imaginations to run free and kept our boy enthralled for a good while.
After wandering though Einstein’s Garden and chatting to some very clever and creative minds there, we decided to head over to the Far Out tent to catch reformed Swansea band, The Pooh Sticks. Their inoffensive indie had us bopping along and we hung out after to catch up-and-coming purveyors of modernist pop, Woman’s Hour.
After bumping into friends and family with their children we pitched up near the helter skelter for a bite to eat and planned our next musical move.
We hung around the Far Out tent long enough to catch Fat White Family, eager to see what all the fuss was about with these young lads.
After reading about the madness from some of their earlier gigs I was keen to see what extrovert frontman Lias Saoudi would bring. Shirtless and repeatedly off stage and in amongst it, the punk-ish behavior somehow wasn’t enough to distract from how musically brilliant these guys are. Yes, they’re over the top but that’s what makes them so addictive – it was certainly up there with one of the best performances of the weekend.
We decided to forego I Break Horses in favor of a pit stop back at the tent before heading back down to the Mountain Stage for the evening.
We caught the tail end of The War On Drugs, and as we approached I couldn’t help but notice how packed the crowd was. Lead singer Adam Granduciel belted out songs from new album Lost in the Dream and had everyone warmed up for Mercury Rev.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Harris
Playing their classic album, Deserters Song’s in its entirety, headliners Mercury Rev were phenomenal. Considered one of the highest rated albums of the year when it was released in 1998, it truly was a joy to hear live.
Sunday started much the same as Saturday. We spent far too much time singing along with the Flying Seagulls but managed to pull ourselves away when we heard the band begin for No Fit State Circus who were on site showcasing some of their amazing skills and acrobatics.
Having seen the company perform Bianco last year I was hoping to see a little more from No Fit State, their blend of carnival vaudeville circus techniques were fun but unfortunately I wasn’t blown away. It was worth hanging around just to listen to their band though who were stomping out all manner of Parisian infused cabaret music which really got the audience going.
Sunday was mostly a day for lounging and exploring. We wearily wandered around the Nature Nurture area, discovering the joys of bush craft and wished we’d had the foresight to book into the spa before deciding to push on through and head to the Babbling Tongues tent.
We were hoping to catch Howard Marks who was due to give a talk on Dylan Thomas to tie in with the centenary celebrations but unfortunately this was cancelled. However, we were able to chat all things Dylan Thomas with aficionado and number one fan, Jeff Towns who was on-site with his mobile bookstore, Dylan’s Book’s.
After a good chinwag we decided to head back to the tent to feed the kid and layer up for the evening.
We made our way to the Mountain Stage later that evening and settled in to catch First Aid Kit.
“Hello, we’re two Swedish sisters,” were the first words from beautiful songstresses Johanna and Klara Söderberg and I overheard someone suggest the large crowd was probably made up of men, eager to catch a glimpse of the stunning pair rather than take in the music.
Whatever your reason for being there, their beauty was matched by equally gorgeous vocals. Playing tracks from their new album Stay Gold, and peppered with earlier tracks like Wolf, their set had something for old and new fans.
Bringing the festivities to a close were folk legends, Neutral Milk Hotel who returned to the stage bringing with them a newfound vitality and spirit. After disbanding in 1998, they returned to touring last year and the reception they’ve received every since has been huge.
After having far too much fun we couldn’t bare to stay up to watch the Green Man burn, the annual flaming full-stop that marks the end of the weekend would mean it really is all over for another year.
With such an eclectic programme of acts each year it is clear to see why thousands flock here. The breathtaking backdrop is the perfect location to what is fast becoming one of the most highly anticipated festivals of the summer. Only 360 odd days until the next one!
This years V Festival saw 120,000 revelers over the twin site event who were in luck for some supreme delights. In its 19th year there was a whole host of different acts on offer for festivalgoers. From disco to indie to dance to good old-fashioned Rock n Roll. there was certainly something for everyone.
Dublin band Kodaline kicked off Saturday at V Festival Chelmsford with summer sing-alongs. Setting the tone for the day with uplifting songs the crowd were in full verse by the time they belted out their well known hit ‘High Hopes’.
It’s been a long time since one man and his piano sparked such an engaged crowd as Tom Odell managed. Even though the onlookers did not seem old enough to have experienced such angst ridden relationships; Odell had them jumping along to ‘Another Love’, whilst the blues hipster passionately pounded the keys.
With all the classics, Kaiser Chiefs reminded the crowd why they were all there., to have a bloody good time. Ricky Wilson put in a performance to answer all the critics, running up and down the stage more times than anyone could count, he was back in full form, even surprising the backstage crew when he went slightly too far. Ricky’s passion could not be mistaken; he puts everything into the performance. Evidently someone is prompting him that this is to sell records as between the mosh pit inducing hits he enlightens the audience that they are the Kaiser Chiefs and that the new album ‘ Education, Education, Education and War‘ is out now. Clearly agitated from the sound of Bastille’s drums in his ear, Ricky mischievously jokes with the stagehands before lifting everyone with the ‘Angry Mob’ and ‘Oh My God’.
Meanwhile there was no mistaking the summer vibes of the Wailers on the MTV Stage, how can you resist singing along to tunes such as ‘Jammin’, ‘ One Love’, ‘Could You Be Loved’. Everyone left beaming from side to side.
Back on main stage was the penultimate act before what everyone had been waiting for. Ed Sheeran, one man and his guitar, brought the vibe to serve as the perfect warm up act for JT.
The stage was set, the crowd were pumping, the most anticipated set of V was ready to kick off. JT certainly brought sexy back looking suave as ever in Tom Ford suit and backed by The Tennessee Kids, could be mistaken as arrogant but no he actually looked overwhelmed at ‘how far back you all go’. Hit after hit, in a perfectly polished fashion that you would expect from this superstar, the night was Timberlake’s.
Even festivalgoers who would not admit to being Timberlake fans were swept into it, everyone singing every song. The acoustic rendition of What Goes Around (Comes Back Around) was a highlight of the night. Justin served what appears to now be the theme of this weekends V Festival taking a selfie with a fan. He wowed the fans at every moment, didn’t put a step wrong and was pitch perfect. The crowd obligingly taking their part in Senorita, finishing the night with ‘SexyBack’ and ‘Mirrors’ everyone wanted to leave with you, Justin.
Sunday started with threatening skies, you couldn’t blame fans for hiding in the comedy tent. Newton Faulkner brought out the sunshine and the crowds on the gloomy Sunday. Followed by San Francisco band Train, with hits ‘Hey Soul Sister’, ‘Marry Me’, ‘If Its Love’ they even managed to get Bananaman crowd surfing. Pat Monahan gets the award of the weekend for the most selfies taken, it would appear that everyone in the front row has a piece of photo memorabilia.
Closing the set with ‘Drops of Jupiter’ the crowd was well and truly warmed up for the party that was about to ensue Nile Rodgers and Chic.
The most lovable performance of the weekend goes to veterans Nile Rodgers and Chic. Who knew how many hits Nile Rodgers had written. He is a true legend, inspiring character, telling the crowd how he battled cancer by going out and living life. Using music the way it was intended, uplifting everyones spirits and bringing the funk to V. It was true carnival atmosphere. Too many hits to believe one man wrote them all; ‘I Want Your Love’, ‘I’m Coming Out’, ‘Like A Virgin’, ‘Lets Dance’, ‘Get Lucky’, the list is endless. No one was standing still, jiving along, doing the salsa as the legend requested. Fifty lucky punters were brought on stage for the last song and all the rules were broken. Nile Rodgers left everyone exhilarated wanting more.
Rizzle Kicks brought the largest crowd to the MTV stage, all ages, connected for ‘The Lost Generation’. Two hip-hop boys who genuinely looked like they were having a blast in the middle of this corporate festival. What a sight to see 15,000 people ‘Doing the Hump’.
Lily Allen looking svelte as ever bounded onto stage in a silver leather catsuit. Lily baffled a large number of the crowd with a stage full of milk bottles, as if people needed to be reminded she is now a mother. Allen did feel the need to quash rumours of a split with her husband, and passionately sang ‘As Long As I Got You’. This performance felt like it was a big ‘Fuck You’ to all the critics along the way, comparing her song ‘LDN’ to a William Blake poem, this was lost on the festivalgoers.
Paolo Nutini followed in Allen’s footsteps intriguing the audience by appearing in a different world. Whilst slurring when speaking, "feeling a little bit drink" he was mysteriously in tune when singing. With hits ‘Jenny Don’t Be Hasty’ and ‘New Shoes’ providing the perfect warm up for The Killers.
Embrace vs The Killers. The clash of the weekend. Embrace were back after an 8 year break from the festival. Whilst having one of the worst clashes of the weekend, with The Killers, the McNamara brothers attracted a 300 strong crowd . With festival favorites ‘Come Back To What You Know’ and 'One Big Family’ Embrace have certainly hit the ground running on this comeback. Fans lucky enough to have got tickets to their now infamous Secret Festival are in for a treat. Danny was very proud of his "little brother Rich" encouraging everyone to dance, with Danny himself joining the fans in an out of character dance along.
Meanwhilst completing the all American headline, Brandon Flowers of The Killers stormed onto stage in a glittery purple suit. Ever crowd pleasing, ‘Somebody Told Me’ was the first of a multitude of triumphant songs. After a few beats everyone was set for 90 minutes of singing, word for word, all the tunes. The classics from Hot Fuss, pulled the most promising reaction, with a handful of covers driving the audience to a new level of excitement. Jimmy Carr, comedian, introduced the band for a well received encore. The Killers closed the festival with ‘Mr Brightside’ and the obligatory fireworks.
V Festival certainly had something for everyone this year, VIP bar, posh toilets, celebrity packed Louder Lounge, hammocks, comedy, funfair, skydivers and of course a plethora of music acts. As the sun goes down on another year, the organizers set the bar high for next years 20th anniversary.
Wakefield will play host to the fourth Long Division Festival between September 12th and 14th. Initially conceived as a way of putting Wakefield under the spotlight by acclaimed local music fanzine Rhubarb Bomb, Long Division has grown remarkably since 2011 and has showcased big names including The Fall, The Wedding Present and Los Campesinos!
This year’s bill is bigger than ever, including a headline Friday set by Yorkshire legends The Cribs. Saturday headliners are Welsh Singer-songwriter Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, twee Sheffield duo Slow Club, Psychedelic rock act Toy, London indie-popsters Summer Camp and Long Division veterans The Wedding Present. Sunday sees a free Fringe festival, with acts still to be confirmed.
Admission to The Cribs gig on Friday is £30, whereas a Saturday all-day pass is £22.50. Alternatively, VIP passes granting access to both Friday and Saturday are available for £50. Sunday’s fringe festival is free apart from a separately ticketed headliner which will be announced in the coming weeks. Admittedly this isn’t the most straightforward ticketing structure, but separately-ticketed headliners ensures that fans won’t be turned away disappointed from headliners despite having a wristband.
One of the things which makes Long Division special is its distinctive venues. The jewel in Long Division’s crown this year is the historic Unity Hall, a derelict Grade-II listed building currently undergoing restoration and only due to reopen the week before the festival. Other confirmed locations include dedicated music venue Warehouse 23,Players Bar and listed building The Orangery.
The festival sticks to its local roots with Leeds contributing three top picks from the rest of the line-up, including a Union Hall slot for Leeds quartet Post War Glamour Girls, riding high on the release of their sublime debut album ‘Pink Fur’ earlier this year and a series of festival appearances this summer. Following their tour supporting Embrace this May, brooding post-rockers I Like Trains can be relied on to deliver a theatrical and dramatic set. Solo instrumentalist Juffage is not to be missed, known for his complex, multi-layered live-looping and collaborations with Katie Harkin and Tom Evans.
Saturday and VIP passes are available online now from See Tickets, Jumbo Records and Crash Records, or in person from Wah Wah Records and Debut Records.
Full Long Division 2014 line-up:
The Cribs, The Wedding Present, Slow Club, Gruff Rhys, Toy, Summer Camp, Roddy Woomble, I Like Trains, Mazes, Kid Canaveral, Frankie & The Heartstrings, The Membranes, Beans On Toast, Post War Glamour Girls, Holy Mountain, Islet, Milloy, Casual Sex, Too Many T's, Patterns, Randolph's Leap, Katriona Gilmore & Jamie Roberts, Candy Says, Joel Rl Phelps, Bleech, Sam Airey, Brawlers, Then Thickens, Theo Verney, Radstewart, High Hazels, The Witch Hunt, Versechorusverse, Tuff Love, Allusondrugs, Cowtown, The Ainsley Band, Nadine Carina, Cut Ribbons, Buffalo Skinners, Crybabycry, Juffage, Aztec Doll, Treason Kings, The Wind Up Birds, Adore // Repel, Protectors, Ruby Macintosh, Dead Party Scene, Clandestines, Narcs, Samuel S. Parkes, Cactus Knife, The Sunbeams, The Castellers, Deadwall, Flowers, Forever Cult, The Grand, Salvage My Dream, Knuckle, Gunnarson, Yard Wars, The High Club, Jack's Attic, Jamiesaysmile, The Reacharounds, Whales, In Cubicles, Secret Society, Clown, Alpha Shallows, Wearenotdolphins, Yawning Dog, Loz Campbell, Wot Gorilla?, Chanel (C.Nicole), James Coley
Rocked up at the site while it was raining feeling a little depressed as I didn't want it to rain all weekend, but after 10 minutes of being there it stopped a cleared over. Set up my tent in a field with no more then 10 other tents. After a couple hours the field slowly started to fill up. At about 6pm I decided to have a little explore around the site and have a look to see what Hevy had to offer, it took a hole 5 minutes to get around the whole site, thinking it would be a tad bigger then it was, but considering its so small the atmosphere is brilliant.
Day 2: Friday, Finally woke around mid-day to a rather warm tent and the sound of the stages getting the sound ready for the first acts to go on. At around 1pm decided I should go check out some bands and see what the day has to offer. Checked out the clothing stalls and found a great stall called Skull and Cross Bone Boys Club bought a few new t-shirts, a hat and some shades, and had a long chat with the guys that own the stall and found to be the nicest bunch of lads. Also nice to see Violent Hearts Clothing here too, as they were founded just over the water from where I live. At 3pm I went to go shoot Heart In Hand and catch there set as I'm a fan of there's and caught them at Takedown Twenty14 earlier in the year. I fully enjoyed there set, I fell they should of been put on later in the day as the tent wasn't as full as I thought It should of been, but non the less they played a cracking set and everyone looked to be enjoying it to the full with a small circle pit going on in the middle of the tent for the duration of their set. Also they brought on Lead singer from Texas In July (JT Cavey) for guest vocals, which was brilliant. I'd give them a 10/10 for performance as I really enjoyed watching them and shooting them.
After catching HIH went for another little wonder around the site to see what else was going on and talked to some random people to see if they were enjoying Hevy this year, everyone I chatted to were loving the weekend and having a great time. After my small wonder around I caught Brutality Will Prevail's set, I'd never seen this band before or heard of them, but fully enjoyed it, they were very heavy compared to HIH but I felt it was a brilliant set, the crowd were wild throwing shapes and pitting to every song, so they went down well with the Hevy Crowd.
After BWP I went to catch Feed The Rhino as I caught them earlier in the day for a chat. This was my second time seeing FTR as I caught them a few years ago in London supporting WSS. FTR lead vocalist came out rocking a Skull and Bones Boys Club vest and owned that stage, during there second song he jumped onto the barrier to get the crowd singing with him, then jumped back on stage and climbed onto the speaker so everyone could see him while they finished the song. I really enjoyed there set and the crowd were loving every minute of it. After they finished I had a little wonder down to the press area to see how everyone was doing and how they were finding the weekend, they all were enjoying it and chatting about who they were looking forward to seeing and shooting, and who they'd already enjoyed.
At 8:30pm I went to go catch Deez Nuts as they are one of my favourite bands and been looking forward to them since knowing I was going to Hevy and they didn't disappoint as per normal, JJ Peters vocals were flawless and the music was tight and completely spot on, JJ managed the whole set with a tie-dye hoody on, in which I found crazy as that tent was so hot and under the lights was even hotter, but he pulled it off brilliantly, the crowd sang every word to there hit song Stay True, the pits stayed strong through the whole time they were on, only down side to the performance was that they should of been on main stage.
After the smashing performance from DN I wondered down to main stage to catch the Friday night headliner's Finch. I wasn't sure what to expect from Finch as I'd never seen them live and to be honest not really heard of them. After sitting in the photo pit for about 15 minutes they all came on stage and started there first song to which I didn't have clue what it was but I enjoyed it. During there second song the Guitarist took a slip and fell head first off the main stage (which was a good 6ft high) right in front of me, I didn't know what to do I felt so awkward as he landed straight on his neck and winded himself he looked like he'd really hurt himself and I stood there like "oh god this could be the end of there set before its even began" but like a trooper after a couple minutes to get his breath back and making sure he hadn't done any damage he jumped right up and ran around to get right back on stage and carry on performing. They played for about an hour and the crowd loved every minute of it and sang along to the songs, for a first time seeing them I thought they were great and no faults (almost). After all the acts played I decided to have a look at my shots from the day and was rather happy with them. Uprawr put on a party till 1am in which most the camp-site was there partying.
Day 3: Saturday, Early afternoon we had our first interview with Dead Harts, which was a laugh as we'd met the band on Thursday as they also owned Skull and Bones Clothing so the interview ended up being a giggle, after the interview I went to catch there set to see what they were all about. Even though the tent wasn't full they played like they were playing to a thousand people the stage presents was brilliant and the crowd were loving them, a few members of the crowd were singing there songs and the lead singer jumped down to the barrier to get in with them and they all sang into the mic, for a band I'd never seen before I loved every minute of it, they put so much effort into there performance and didn't disappoint.
After the set I headed back down to press to have a chat with The Hell which was a tad confusing, and a little frustrating as all the questions asked were answered as a joke, so didn't get a whole lot of information from them, after they interviewed they had to jump on stage where I caught one song of theirs before having to run off and catch another band on main. The song in which I caught was rather good they were all dressed up in bandanna and faces covered with sunglasses and animal masks in which I found rather amusing, the small tent was packed out and crowd were enjoying the performance.
After The Hell was Me Vs Hero, another band I'd not heard of but really enjoyed there set, it made a nice change from just seeing a heavy band to go see a pop punk band with clean vocals and easy listening rifts. Their whole set was blessed with sunshine, so the audience were chilling out sitting on the grass while watching them. Definitely a band to go see if there playing near by. At 4pm I popped down to 2nd stage to get few snaps of Heights and to see what they we're like musically, I wasn't impressed with there performance over all I felt the lead singer was far to cocky and just acted like an idiot on stage and let the rest of the band down by kicking mic-stands over and thinking he was a massive rock star who could get away with trashing the stage, I only stayed for 3 songs while I got some photo's but left rather swiftly after that, so didn't catch the end to see if they'd buck up there performance. After that performance I went to see Capdown on main stage and was pleasantly surprised with there set the singer was fantastic, his voice was brilliant and what I liked even more was that he brought out a Sax and started playing amazingly and he was so modest when talking to the crowd, saying he was a normal guy with kids who loves to play music. These guys are a must see. Sadly I had to leave partly through there set to go catch a band I'd wanted to see over the weekend, which was Polar.
I heard many good things about this band from friends and they were all right, the band were great, the stage presents was brilliant, the singer often jumped into the crowd to interact with them, the whole tent was moving and everyone singing along to their songs, for such a new band to the scene they are defiantly a favourite to watch. After rushing about all afternoon catching as many bands as possible I had a little time out in press to go through the photographs I had taken through the day.
At 8pm I went round to main stage to catch Reel Big Fish who were dressed very brightly and brilliant to watch as they were so much fun on stage with all the different types of instruments such as sax, trombone, trumpet, guitar and drums. The lead singer was dressing in a bright shirt and stripy sunglasses, the whole crowd danced to every song and sung there hearts out, they had to be the funniest band all weekend to watch and the music was outstanding they had to be in the top three for all acts over the weekend, defiantly worth seeing.
Only one more act to see and that was the headliner's The Vandals, this was also another band I'd not heard of so wasn't sire what to expect, the guitarist came on, in the brightest orange t-shirt I'd ever seen followed by the rest of the band. During there first song there was a cracking guitar solo in which the crowd loved and watching the guitarist was very amusing as he danced around stage through almost the whole hour odd that they were on. When they finished the crowd chanted for one more song, while banging on the barriers, and they got what they wanted one more song from The Vandals, and that was that Hevy Acts were finished till next year.
Hevy Festival is such an under-rated festival it was a brilliant weekend with some wicked bands playing, no matter how small it was it made the festival unique and I wouldn't want it to change or get massive like the rest of the festivals it just wouldn't be the same and don't think the atmosphere would be as good as it was, so anyone into the Scar,punk,hardcore,metal, just all round alternative music this is defiantly a festival not to miss next year! Also an awesome perk to this small little festival is that is was 5 minute walk from Port Lypme Animal Park in which was free to enter for any festival goer, so if you wanted a little break from the music, poping into the park was great to go see the monkeys, tigers, rhinos and lots more animals, which was great and so unique as no other festival has this facillity to use and enjoy!
Dr. Martens is thrilled to announce an excursion into Europe with a five-city tour across five countries as the Dr. Martens #standforsomething tour rolls out for the first time into mainland Europe from 8th September.
Dr. Martens are offering music fans an opportunity to win tickets to the #standforsomething tour to watch Pulled Apart By Horses and Dinosaur Pile Up in Paris on 8th September.
The winners will also get the chance to visit DM’s original factory in Northamptonshire to make their own pair of vintage DM’s.
Prize includes Travel and Accommodation. T&C’s apply. Go to www.drmartens.com/standforsomethingtour
The tour will be headlined by one of the UK’s most exciting Indie Rock bands – PULLED APART BY HORSES – whose new album ‘Blood’ is released on 1st September. Receiving its debut on Radio 1 as ‘the hottest record in the world’ on Zane Lowe’s show, PULLED APART BY HORSES have recently unveiled the first single from the album, called ‘Hot Squash’.
What do PULLED APART BY HORSES stand for?
‘We stand for using rock music as a joyous, cathartic release. Uniting every beautiful soul in the room. And riffs. Lots of riffs’ – Lee Vincent, Drummer.
Joining them on the tour bus is DINOSAUR PILE UP. Founded in 2007, DPU are an English alternative rock band who broke out of the thriving Leeds rock scene of the time and instantly drew favourable comparisons to the cream of 90s US college rock. The band have released two amazing albums in ‘Growing Pains’ and ‘Nature Nurture’ and are one of the most explosive live acts around.
What Do DINOSAUR PILE UP Stand For?
"I'd love to say we stand for something profound, but really we're just three dudes that wanna kick it as hard as we can. No agenda, no egos. We've never fit in too much and that's why we stick together. Weird is good. Be your own gang." – Matt Bigland” – vocals / Guitar
The Dr. Martens #STANDFORSOMETHING tour will be hosting gigs with one simple promise – the most rousing live acts in tiny venues, giving music lovers the chance to seesome of the UK’s most exciting acts up close and personal.
The tour takes in:
8th September – Maroquinerie, Paris 9th September – Molotow, Hamburg 10th September – Rust, Copenhagen
11th September – Debaser, Stockholm 13th September – Bitterzoet, Amsterdam
The Dr. Martens #STANDFORSOMETHING bus will also announce with a special local guest band at each leg to complete the line-up. There will also be opportunities for local fans to meet the bands at the Dr. Martens store during the day.
Tickets on sale from 14th July at local venues.
More information on further support acts and will be made available to fans in the coming weeks. To ensure you are the first to hear, register interest at www.drmartens.com/standforsomethingtour
MTV kicks off the Liverpool International Music Festival with a line-up of fresh UK vocal talent.
I'll be honest…I didn't quite know what to expect going into this gig. The cynic in me though "Oh, here we go…MTV parades a bunch of marketable girls all billed as 'the next big thing'". The cynic in me was quickly silenced.
As soon as we got under way, one thing was abundantly clear…..these girls can really do it. And they can do it well.
Becky Hill was first up with a strong performance of old and new material. There always seems to be this sort of stigma attached to the whole 'reality TV contestant goes legit' thing, or maybe it's just me, but again, this was dispelled from the get go. Becky proved to both me and a warehouse full of 300+ Liverpudlians that she's the real deal.
Next up was Jess Glynne.. and yes, even I've heard of Jess Glynne. This girl just seems to be everywhere at the minute. Giving off a much less animated presence than Becky, Jess was fine letting her voice do the talking. In her short career, she seems to have already built up enough hits in her back catalogue to keep almost any crowd screaming …and this crowd was no exception. Backed up by a slick band (and I don't say that often) and some pretty energetic backing singers, this whole group put in a stylish performance leaving the crowd hungry for much, much more.
So there's me. Stood in the trendy setting of the Camp and Furnace with my cameras round my neck, pleasantly surprised by what I'd seen so far. Then it was time for the final act..and trust me when I say that this crowd was already pretty bloody happy with what they'd got for their £3 ticket purchase, but when Ella Eyre was announced, they kicked it up a notch…and by 'kick it up a notch'…I mean they went mental. Figuratively, of course.
On to the stage runs this electric lioness, dressed like a sexy x-men character and absolutely rips the crowd to shreds. Whipping around in a blur of hair and Spandex, Ella worked this crowd like she's been doing it since she was born. Honestly, I just shot Kendal Calling and even there I didn't see stage presence this good. Of course, she dropped some crowd-pleaser's like "Deeper" "Love me like you" and "If I go" (which sent the already manic crowd through the roof) – and the ones we didn't know, she taught us the words to. Even through a few technical difficulties (let's face it, sh*t happens sometimes) she managed to keep the crowd right in the palm of her hand.
It's kind of ridiculous to think that this girl is only 20. What's even more ridiculous is to think how good she'll be in another few years. Probably the worlds next International super awesome ultra mega star. Or y'know, words to that effect.
All in all, this was a stellar line-up of absolute vocal powerhouses who definitely brought their A-game for the MTV cameras..and whilst they were busy doing that, they also restored my faith in the future of UK vocal talent. Thanks ladies.
An excellent way to kick off the Liverpool International Music Festival.
Hosted by a different label each day, Unknown revellers will have the chance to catch a boat and party on Unknown's very own secluded island with some of the best DJs in the world providing the soundtrack.Erol Alkan's label Phantasy takes to the island on Tuesday with a set from the DJ himself as well astechno mastermind Daniel Avery and Lemmy Ashton. The following day Jackmaster and Spencer take to the decks with Seth Troxler for their Numbers island party and on Thursday Young Turks and Hivern Discs team up to present a packed line-up featuring Nick Tasker, JMII and Dani Baughman as well as an unmissable back to back set by Jamie XX and John Talabot.
Set in the paradise location of Rovinj on Croatia's sun soaked coast, nestled between luscious forest and crystal clear waters, Unknown is a festival like no other. Some of the world's leading musicians, artists and designers will create the ultimate experience as revellers embark on a week of live performances, boat, island and pool parties, art installations, forest escapes and mystical adventures.
PROGRAMME
LIVE: Chic Ft. Nile Rogers / Chvrches / London Grammar / Moderat / Wild Beasts / Jungle / Mount Kimbie / Forest Swords / Henrik Schwarz / James Holden / Kink / Ten Walls
DJ: Disclosure Dixon / Dj Harvey / Jamie XX / Seth Troxler Âme / Daniel Avery / Dj Koze / Dusky / Eats Everything / Erol Alkan / George Fitzgerald / Gerd Janson / Heidi / Jackmaster / John Talabot / Joy Orbison / Kim Ann Foxman / Mano Le Tough / Michael Mayer / Optimo / Prins Thomas / Richy Ahmed / Rub N Tug / Ryan Elliott / Simian Mobile Disco / Tale Of Us / The 2 Bears / Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs / Waze & Odyssey
Auntie Flo / Bad Passion / Capablanca / Cutloose / Eskimo Twins / Force Of Nature / Gatto Fritto / Geddes / Giles Smith & James Priestley / Harri And Domenic Cappello / Hunee Jennifer Cardini / Last Waltz / Lord Of The Isles / Man Power / Mike Jones / Nicola Bear / Paramida / People Get Real / Red Axes / Scott Fraser / Simon Baker / Spencer / The Sonic Emporium / Tim FairPlay / Tom Grainger
ISLAND PARTIES: Phantasy – Erol Alkan / Daniel Avery / Lemmy Ashton Numbers – Jackmaster / Seth Troxler / Harri & Domenic Cappello / Spencer Young Turks x Hivern Discs – Jamie XX b2b John Talabot / Nick Tasker / JMII / Dani Baughman
