NASS will once again present a phenomenal music feast with some of the sickest names in the music industry on the billing – from Cypress Hill, Netsky and Andy C to Reel Big Fish, The Bronx and Funeral for a Friend.
With so many more acts confirmed this is already one of the most anticipated stage line-ups in NASS history but the insane music offering doesn’t stop there with American rapper DJ Proof, grime heavyweight Isaiah Dreads, DJ Jonezy, Astroid Boys and Magnus Puto now additionally locked in to play Main Stage.
For those who like it loud, drum & bass and dubstep heavy hitters Harry Shotta, Mampi Swift & Carasel, Sinprint & Crisis, Maxxi P, Premise, Catalyst, Tuskan, Techture ft J Man, Deeper Connection, NuEra, ReDefeat & Grudge, Dosage and Ben Remember b2b Rektchordz will be bringing some serious beats to NASS 2014, but that’s not all…
With the Rock Stage back with with a bang, 2014 sees some massive rock, punk, ska and alternative acts taking to the stage including Gallows, Trash Talk, Cerebral Ballzy,Blitz Kids, Sonic Boom Six and Decade to name a few. Joining these loud and lively acts will be The Hell, Slaves, Brawlers, Only Rivals, Boy Jumps Ship and Remember December for one hell of a lively weekend.
If this wasn’t enough, underground collective SIKA STUDIOS will be bringing the cream of their UK grime, hip-hop and grubstep DJs, acts and MCs to the Showground with the likes of Gardna, Dirty Dockerz, Influx, Subzee, Smalls Deep, Dj Shottie featuring MC Kuedon, Flash Harry, Babylon Destruction Unit and many more gracing NASS with their presence. Hailing from Bristol, the Sika Studios collective is a big favourite with the NASS crowd and this year won’t prove any different.
Over on the NME/Radio 1 Stage headliners Disclosure, Courteeners and Bombay Bicycle Clubare joined by ex-My Chemical Romance front man and previous festival headliner Gerard Way in his first ever solo UK show, hip-hop heavyweight and Kendrick Lamar collaborator Schoolboy Q and the soulful vocal and cutting rap delivery of Maverick Sabre. Also playing will be Aussie thrash-pop duo DZ Deathrays and emotive screamo titans La Dispute.
Reading & Leeds have a burgeoning reputation for bringing the best in electronic music and cutting edge dance to the Festival and the additions of the incredible Sigma, Indiana, RÜFÜS, Panama,Kove, MØ, Lxury and Billion prove that this trend will continue.
Punk and rock have a strong heritage at Reading & Leeds and last year’s addition of a rock day added to the Lock Up Stage acknowledged that. Now announced alongside incredible headliners Jimmy Eat World, Gogol Bordello and Of Mice & Men are We Came As Romans, Crosses,Muncie Girls, Brutality Will Prevail, Lesser Key, The HELL, Beasts, Masked Intruder, Emily’s Army and Vales.
Providing a place to see upcoming acts alongside some real heavy hitters, the Festival Republic Stage is looking as strong as ever. Headlined by Palma Violets, Band Of Skulls and Augustines, now King Charles, Southern, We Are Scientists, The Amazing Snakeheads, American Authors,Little Matador, The Minutes, Leaders Of Men, The Sunshine Underground, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Sivu, Drowners, Lucius and Saint Raymond have all joined the line-up.
Added as a new stage in 2013, this year sees the return of the BBC Radio 1Xtra Stage. Dedicated to all things hip-hop, urban and grime, and already boasting the likes of Giggs, Pusha T, Danny Brown and Joey Bada$$, the stage is joined by MistaJam, Raleigh Ritchie, Dirty Dike, Edward Scissortongue, Dominique Young Unique, Tempa T, Little Simz, Newham Generals, Adian Coker, Kwabs, Elli Ingram, Hawk House and My Nu Leng alongside the other previously announced names.
Topping the bill on Friday are The Cuban Brothers. Born of the loins of seventies Havana, nurtured on a diet of soulful, sexy tunes and inspired by Cuban historical fact and mythology their fresh approach to live entertainment whips up a frenzy at every gig. Their legendary performance combines music, riotous comedy, and sensational dancing.
Reggae DJ icon David Rodigan is joined on the dub themed Saturday afternoon by Bristol collective Jus Now and ‘Belly favourites Reggae Roast.
The weekend will see performances by the hotly tipped Femme and Mighty Oaks and welcomes back raucous folk troubadours Skinny Lister, electronic-soul trio Dems and beatbox champion Reeps One. Other names to watch out for include Amber Run,Mausi, Wild Smiles, Ginger & The Ghost, Laurel, The Death Of Pop and Lexy & The Kill. The crème de la crème of untapped south coast talent, who featured over Festibelly’s series of ‘Local’ shows during April and May, include ThePlastic Dots,The Golden Age, Luke Ferre, Damn Beats and Princess Slayer.
Closing the festival main stage on Saturday night, Hudson Taylor follow in the steps of Festibelly’s previous breakthrough acts including Bastille, Willie Moon, Ghostpoet, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs to name but a few. This promises to be one of the last chances to catch this band in an intimate festival setting.
Following the main stage both nights, the Silent Disco will see Kengo (The Cuban Brothers), Late Night Tales DJs, Cat Lovers DJs and winners of Amazing Radio’sDJ competition playing ‘til early morning.
Now in its sixth year, Festibelly has established itself as one of the UK’s most charming, intimate and grassroots festivals. A handful of lovingly crafted venues will play host to new and emerging musical talent alongside a kaleidoscope of theatre, comedy, fine food and interactive nonsense galore.
2014 sees the addition of a brand new bar stocked with fine festival tipples, from craft ales to decadent cocktails. A new dining experience will be offered for those wanting to get off their feet and indulge in an extravagant three course feast, prepared and hosted by some of our favourite New Forest foodie institutions, alongside culinary masterclasses and belly-rumbling bake offs. The Owlery, a space dedicated to wee Festi-critters, returns bigger and better in 2014 ensuring the future festi-goers are well looked after throughout the weekend.
On top of the festival’s two days and nights, Sunday morning will see the festival spring back to life for a final few hours before the journey home. A welcome distraction from that sore head will come in the form of a Great British Brunch, a New Forest farmers market, kids fancy dress finale, and most importantly the chance to put your feet up with a paper.
“One of the summer’s more intimate festivals and also one of the more luxurious” The Guardian "The vibe is cheery, chilled and you should rarely lose your mates/tent/marbles – unless you want to” Clash “Chilled day, party night time – another wonderful weekend” The Independent “Fantastic fun in the forest” Time Out “Wondrously eclectic; but all curated with a certain youthful coolness” Breaking More Waves
Produced by video game super fan Orvar Saftrom and played by The Philharmonia Orchestra and Swedish soprano Sabina Zweiacker, the SCORE concert will journey through gaming history, awakening well-loved music from classics such as Super Mario, Sonic The Hedgehog and Commodore 64 right through to Killzone, Final Fantasy and Skyrim.
With the arrival of next generation gaming and Grand Theft Auto V last year becoming the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, there is no doubt that the gaming industry is rising to new-found heights. Producing releases that continually push the boundaries of our expectations, developers are creating games to rival hollywood blockbusters and while games may look different to how they did in the 80s, the music still plays a major part in the gaming experience.
SCORE celebrates the music of some of the most well known video games ever made and over the years has become one of the leading game music productions in the world. Orchestival will be the first ever SCORE concert in the UK and will be a rare opportunity to hear music normally confined to the console played live by The Philharmonia Orchestra, a full symphony orchestra responsible for recording Hollywood blockbuster music for films such as Thor 2, Iron Man 3 and Elysium.
For the concert the retro 8-bit sounds of Commodore 64 and the 16-bit music of Sonic The Hedgehog have been reworked and given a new lease of life thanks to the extraordinary talents of the SCORE team. Nintendo fans will also be treated to two large suites featuring themes from the Super Mario and The Legend Of Zelda series, while Final Fantasy lovers will hear well loved music by celebrated composer Nobuo Uematsu. Incredible compositions from more recent titleswill be fully realised such as the fiery pirate music of Assassin's Creed IV – Black Flag, the eerie jazz and blues of 1940s America in L.A. Noire and the haunting vocal piece "The Dragonborn Comes" from hit game Skyrim.
Joris de Man, the Dutch soundtrack composer of the critically acclaimed Killzone, will be giving an inspiring talk on the importance of sound design in video games in the Talk tent just before the SCORE concert and performance of his music. Joris de Man is widely respected in the classical and gaming worlds and in 2010 won the first ever Ivor Novello Award for a video game soundtrack, for his work on Killzone 2.
Speaking about the SCORE concert Joris said: "There’s no doubt that games music is now a big part of the classical stage. ClassicFM is regularly playing soundtracks from the gaming arena, and at last Orchestival is bringing the sounds of the console to Britain’s festival scene. What’s really exciting is that game-music concert audiences are not just gamers and geeks. Many have been captivated by games and want to hear the music outside of the gaming experience, others have never played a game in their life but love the music being created."
The Ivor Novello winner is also very excited to hear his own music played live: "There’s something very special about hearing my compositions on a stage with live performers, especially if it’s been re-orchestrated as my work often needs to be. I hear things that I don’t always hear in-game or in the recordings."
SCORE is another feature of Orchestival's ground breaking programme that will expand and evolve all expectations of classical music. The Philharmonia Orchestra set the standard as the festival's resident orchestra for the weekend, which will see performances and collaborations by Squarepusher, The Unthanks, British Paraorchestra, Goldfrapp producer and keyboardist Will Gregory and many more.
Orchestival was founded by Charles Hazlewood, one of the most prominent figures in the classical world. A true pioneer, Charles has made it his goal to bring the genre to a wider audience and Orchestival will take him one step closer.
It might still be a baby on the festival circuit, but Bristol’s Love Save The Day has no trouble drawing the hordes. Students, ravers, and the trendy youth of the West Country are all out to play for the festival’s third birthday.
Thick, grey clouds loom on Saturday, with a washout predicted for the day’s entirety, but spirits are high, and these wellie-clad punters ain’t afraid of no mud. Located in the heart of Bristol’s centre, attractive little Castle Park seems an odd choice of location to hold a dance festival, but a convenient one nonetheless.
With a generous helping of DJs on the line up, we are launched headfirst into the housey beats that usually form the late night proceedings. The likes of Crazy P and Kove get the party started on the Futureboogie and BB Records stages, while the main stage presents a more eclectic mix of genres.
Kiesza proves a highlight, largely due to her impressive ability to carry out intricate dance routines while simultaneously projecting note perfect vocals. The crowd seems entertained when she beckons a chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs” during her most famous track, ‘Hideaway’; it’s an impressive turn out for the soon-to-be star.
Trudging through the already muddy grounds, we find a collection of smaller venues sheltered within the trees, including a ‘Cocktails and Dreams’ stage complete with a campervan selling exotic cocktails, and the ‘Dance Off’, an area for the hardcore ravers where a boxing ring has been erected in front the stage – presumably intended for busting moves rather than for competitive fighting.
Later, Hercules and Love Affair provide a rather disappointing set on the main stage, and despite their garish outfits, seem to struggle to really engage with their audience. Annie Mac picks things up again, offering nearly an hour and a half of healthy dance beats as the heavens really open.
Saturday’s final headliner, Eats Everything, is local to Bristol, and his house tracks are successful in carrying the party into the night, gearing up the hardcore ravers for the after party taking place off-site at a nearby nightclub.
A much brighter and sunnier start to Sunday sets spirits high. Kicking things off are Laid Blak, recognised for their reggae infused music and weed-themed lyrics. Joined on stage by their children and revelling in the midday sun, the group seem to be having so much fun that they appear reluctant to leave at the end of their set!
Subsequent act Gentleman’s Dub Club are equally as excitable, and prove to be one of the standout performances of the festival. A parade of suited and booted men make up this ten-man band, complete with trumpeter and saxophonist. Exuding energy, they prance, skank and bounce their way through the set, urging the audience to join them in doing so. As the clouds part, they entice the crowd into a sun dance, which subsequently works its magic for the rest of the festival.
As the day progresses, bar queues begin to snake around the festival, as the crowds line up to wash down the afternoon with a customary Bristolian cider or Pimms for such weather. The lack of bars and food stalls is one of the biggest problems at this festival, which no doubt would benefit financially by making refreshments more readily available.
Quantic and Clean Bandit are both hits over on the main stage, with the former injecting a refreshing dose of salsa and jazz into the mix, and the latter pleasing the audience with their rendition of ‘Rather Be’. Yet perhaps the biggest crowds are drawn at the opposite end of the festival, when Shy FX and then Mike Skinner take to the Soundboy stage. Skinner swops vocals for decks, and surprisingly proves to be quite the DJ.
Bringing proceedings to a close, Jamie XX spins and remixes furiously to produce his trademark electronica sound, warming up the stage for headliner SBTRKT. Joined by regular collaborator Sampha, the set is slick and entrancing, enhanced by a hypnotic light show reserved for only the biggest artists.
Aside from the food and drink niggle, Love Saves the Day is a triumph. Despite covering such a small area of ground, the sound from its six stages never muddles, and it is particularly refreshing to see artists given such long sets. Bring on year four!
Brownstock Festival has announced that Pendulum (DJ + Verse), Route 94 and Sigma will be appearing in the dance tent at Brownstock 2014 and that Chloe Howl, Bipolar Sunshine, Josh Record and Tina V will play the main stage in support of headliners Dizzee Rascal, De La Soul and Razorlight. The festival has also added a host of upcoming and local unsigned support acts to the 2014 festival bill.
Brownstock Music Festival is a small independent music festival run by the Brown family on their farm near Chelmsford, Essex. This year the festival will be held on the 29th August to the 31st August 2014 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a birthday party theme.
World-famous dance music festival Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) returns to the UK for an epic two-day party which will see it transform theMiltonKeynesBowl on SaturdayJuly12 and SundayJuly13 beyond all recognition in the only way Electric Daisy Carnival knows how, promising to be even bolder and more explosive than 2013’s sold-out inaugural event, and making the ground-breaking festival the most breathtaking show of 2014.
Having already announced a star-studded line-up, ElectricDaisyCarnivalUK is adding even more names to join the weekend's festivities. First up is very special guest Hardwell, back by popular demand, returning to the KineticField stage after an incredible reception at EDC’s UK event last summer. Voted the world’s Number 1 DJ in DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJs in late 2013, this inimitable Dutch electro house odyssey will have the crowd jumping to his tune, as one of the most dominant forces in electronic dance music.
Drum’n’bass and rock fusionists Pendulum bring a heavyweight electric DJ set to CosmicMeadow hosted by HARD, with hype man Verse on MC duties. A critically acclaimed stadium-worthy live and DJ act, Pendulum DJ sets successfully blur the lines between drum’n’bass, breakbeat, jungle and bass and guitar-led live electronica and rock genres. Staying on a drum’n’bass tip, UK duo Sigma beef up proceedings with a tendency towards jungle-infused sets. A highly sought-after production outfit, Sigma have worked with DJ Fresh, Rusko, Stylo G, Ellie Goulding, and Eric Prydz, and recently scored a huge number 1 with ‘Nobody to Love’.
He topped the charts with infectious banger ‘My Love’ in March, and now hot young DJ/producer Route94 takes on CosmicMeadow with his stripped-back deep house and laid-back party style. A leading proponent of the new house sound, Route 94 maintains a distinctly UK edge, his tunes laced with complex grooving basslines. US house master and innovator KerriChandler brings a DJ style that seamlessly blends deep through soulful and new house, disco with new wave and floor-friendly techno, UK bass and vocal garage, plus a very special performance fromDeorro who joins LaidbackLuke in the CircuitGrounds on July 13.
An Ibiza favourite whose star continues to rise across the European festival circuit and beyond, NickCurly is a tech house tour de force. This German DJ shows how it’s done. Cadenza one-to-watch AndreaOliva is another of Ibiza’s favourites heading to CosmicMeadow. Dutch electro DJ duo Firebeatz have the remixer’s Midas touch, while in-demand Hot Creations face and Outcross records head MiguelCampbell offers a masterclass in deep house. A-list electro-house production duo Bassjackers appear at KineticField. And multi-talented BBC Radio 1 DJ/producerDannyHoward – whose show boasts 1.8million listeners – joins CircuitGrounds.
EDC UK also welcomes some of the trance scene’s major players to CircuitGrounds, with Grammy Award-nominated progressive pacemakerAndyMoor and boundary-pushing evolutionist Lange going back to back, young talent and BBC Radio 1 In New DJs We Trust name JordanSuckley up against uplifting Irish DJ and producer BryanKearney, and Above & Beyond’s golden boy and progressive house tweaker Jaytech squaring up against Anjunadeep burgeoning talent Ilan Bluestone for a unique back to back set.
Adding another two arenas, with TidyArena and GoodgreefXtraHard, EDCUK makes a commitment to all things hard. On July 12 the TidyArena features hard dance pioneers TidyBoys, BK featuring Cortina with a rare live trance set, hard house faces AndyWhitby and AlexKidd. Rising hardcore DJ CallyCage appears with trance and hardcore selector KymAyers, presenting their very special Tidy Girls Like It HARD set.RobTissera is on board, as are progressive head Maddox and hard house banger Townend for their Untidy set. MaxMozart&Audox and TrapTwo round up the Tidy Arena line-up. And on July 13 GoodgreefXtraHard arrives, the international trance and hard dance institution bringing together hard-styler Technoboy and Q Dance radio’s Kutski. ScotProject plays a classics set, catch hard stalwarts OrganDonors and Mark E.G, Cally & Juice play their last ever UK festival set, Technikal plays a hard trance classics set, see Argy, and PhilMackintosh b2b ShaunT, hosted throughout by MCShocker.
Line-up:
Saturday July 12
Kinetic Field Avicii Steve Angello Steve Aoki Nicky Romero Martin Garrix Showtek Bassjackers (JUST ADDED)
Cosmic Meadow Marco Carola Dubfire Joris Voorn Hot Since 82 Davide Squillace Timo Maas Nick Curly (JUST ADDED) Miguel Campbell (JUST ADDED) Route 94 (JUST ADDED) Andrea Oliva (JUST ADDED) Plus very special guest Kerri Chandler (JUST ADDED)
Circuit Grounds Paul van Dyk Ferry Corsten Ørjan Nilsen Simon Patterson Andy Moor b2b Lange (JUST ADDED) Ben Gold Jordan Suckley b2b Bryan Kearney (JUST ADDED) Jaytech b2b Ilan Bluestone (JUST ADDED) Special Guest Paul Oakenfold
Tidy Arena Tidy Boys (JUST ADDED) BK feat. Cortina (live) (JUST ADDED) Andy Whitby (JUST ADDED) Alex Kidd (JUST ADDED)
Cally Cage & Kym Ayres (Tidy Girls Like It Hard set) (JUST ADDED) Rob Tissera (JUST ADDED) Maddox & Townend (Untidy set) (JUST ADDED)
Max Mozart & Audox (JUST ADDED) Trap Two (JUST ADDED)
Sunday July 13
Kinetic Field Calvin Harris Fatboy Slim Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike NERVO R3hab Carnage Plus very special guest Hardwell (JUST ADDED)
Cosmic Meadow hosted by HARD Pendulum (DJ set) & Verse (JUST ADDED) Gorgon City Sigma (JUST ADDED) Dillon Francis A-Trak Jack Beats B.Traits feat. MC Juma My Nu Leng Shift K3Y Destructo
Circuit Grounds Laidback Luke Sander van Doorn DVBBS Dyro Blasterjaxx Dannic Deorro (JUST ADDED) Firebeatz (JUST ADDED) Danny Howard (JUST ADDED) Rebecca & Fiona Julian Jordan
Goodgreef Xtra Hard Technoboy (JUST ADDED) Kutski (JUST ADDED) Scot Project (Classics set) (JUST ADDED) Organ Donors (JUST ADDED) Mark E.G (JUST ADDED) Cally & Juice (last ever UK festival set) (JUST ADDED) Technikal (JUST ADDED) Argy (JUST ADDED) Phil Mackintosh b2b Shaun T (JUST ADDED)
Over the past few years this fine Pagoda stage overlooking the Lake has played host to a first class array of disc jockeys, acts and artists; from Radio 1's Annie Mac & Toddla T to the mesmerising sounds of Matthew Johnson; from the NY groove of Kim Ann Foxman to the Eats Everything Bristol bounce. Remember the year Disclosure and Sam Smith performed 'Latch' at sunset? Or the time Skream went b2b with Zed Bias, Disclosure, Eats & Artwork?! T.E.E.D. dropping jungle? Jamie Jones & Seth Troxler b2b? Damn! that was the pure house party vibes right there!
This summer the Pagoda pays homage to resident djs from up & down our fair isle and beyond, representing nights such as Tief, Below, Circus, Rooty (RIP), Simple, Fleetmac Wood & Werk:It.
As well as the Top Secret special guests, The Pagoda also welcomes a sprinkling of headline talent along the course of the weekend for your listening pleasure .
Let's praise the residents. They are the ones who often dig deeper, the chosen ones who set the mood of an evening, that represent the club night, the ones who'll play you tracks you'll be pestering them about later, the guys with the biggest record boxes and an ability to take you into a trance like state.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome your Pagoda DJs for the weekend:
Aartekt – Adam Shelton – Aerial – Bill Brewster – Cat Lovers – Citizen – Clancy – Denney – Dia – Dom Chung – Emerson Twin – Em Williams – Fleetmac Wood – Frank Tope – Futureboogie – Head Gardener – Hilit Kolet – Huxley – James Vorres – Jay Karim – Johan Ten Houten – Lewis Boardman – Maribou State – Michael Palmer – Midland – Motty – No Artificial Colours – Richy Ahmed – Robert James – Sancho Panza – Shivas Regal & Mcculo – Sisterhood – Six Axle – Son Of Sun – Sophie Lloyd – Steve Huerta – T. Williams – Tayo – Urulu – Waze & Odyssey – Wild Fantasy – Wolf Music
Other stages additions include:
Artwork – Cherub – Danny Mathews & The Rustle – Geddes – Harry Wolfman – Jasper James – Mark Wells – Pardon My French – Real Connoisseur – Sarah Frenchy – Slim Howl – Tom Grainger –Zero 7 (dj)
With over 14 stages and 4 days of live music and dj sets 2014 promises to be one of the most music-packed Secret Garden Party’s ever…. add to the mix the renowned secret sets by some of the biggest names around and it is…game on!
All American Rejects set the fans in to a world wind of cheers, screams as they hit the main stage in the civic hall yesterday. They came out playing all the classics like, Dirty Little Secret, Move Along and Gives you hell. Tyson Ritter had such a stage presence, throughout the whole set keeping banter with the fans and even taking a trip into the crowd when he got down off the stage and walked around the barrier into the screaming fans while still singing away.
Gracing the Main stage as well was pop rockers We Are The In Crowd, I was really psyched to see this band after hearing good reviews before hand and the build up various publications were producing, but I couldn’t help notice that Tay Jardine voice sounded a bit “Horse” and after speaking to a few fans they thought the same. That aside they had a good set that got fans singing along.
Here’s what some fans had to say.
Steve Brand Said: I enjoyed seeing We Are In The Crowd, Downside for me was that the stage lighting was crap, It was mainly shining it into the crowd which really ruined the view because you could barley see.
Viktoria Kohajdova: The festival has been fun and I loved seeing We The Kings and The All American Rejects overall I really enjoyed them the most. I got to go to a few signings too, but it was a shame that we the kings didn't do one but I did get to meet Tyson Ritter from TAAR and that really made my day.
The Monster stage had a lot happening and it was definitely the place to be with some killer bands they had performing on it.
Headlining band Bury Tomorrow came out to the stage with a huge amount of fans waiting for them. They played there newest track Man On Fire off the new album RUNES which dropped that day, they played plenty of older tracks including scepters which set the fans surfing and even had a couple of fans climbing up a tree and hanging off it screaming lyrics back at the band.
Also on the Monster stage were I Killed The Prom Queen they came out with big choruses and even bigger breakdowns, playing a mixture of old school tracks as well as new material from beloved. The Devil Wears Prada blew me away with the sheer number of people that had turned up to see them play. The band’s set was tight with elegant clean vocals and guitar parts blending together with the aggressive vocals.
Over at the UPRAWR DJ stage MC Lars was ready and waiting for Chunk! No Captain Chunk to finish their set on the Monster stage. While waiting a good size crowd started to grow turning up in merchandise, you could tell these were big fans of his work. As soon as Chunk! No Captain Chunk finished seamlessly MC Lars started his set playing tracks, Download This Song, Space Game. The crowd grew and everyone starting to dance and really vibe off the set, he was definitely one of my favorites of the night.
Before finishing up I spoke to one last visitor to the festival who had this say.
Amanda Fry: This was my first time at Slam Dunk and it was great, I'm already contemplating for next years line up". I enjoyed seeing We The kings, We Are The In Crowd and All American rejects. I didn’t like that Roaring S#!T.
Festival fever was back in business with the popular dance event We Are Fstvl playing hosts this late May bank holiday weekend. Reported weather weeks before the event claimed of a heat wave across the weekend but that couldn’t have been further from the truth with the early Saturday afternoon seeing Upminster Essex covered in heavy consistent rain that increased the Poncho sales dramatically.
However this didn’t dampen the spirits of the many thousands of ravers in attendance. All eyes were directed to the VIP Village where Shadow Child was on the decks at the MK & Friends tent. The well-known dance shuffle was the crowd favourite dance move and was certainly helping combat the wet weather, oh to be in Ibiza! The VIP Village was a nice touch for the extra money paid for VIP treatment with hot tubs and other added bonuses to add to your weekend.
The sun finally decided to rear its head and the Saturday was setting up nicely. Stages such as the ‘We Are Fstvl Main Stage’, ‘Defected In The House’ and ‘Paradise’ boasted big names such as Jamie Jones, Disclosure, Infinity Ink, Guti, Hot Since 82 and Ritchie Hawtin who was headlining the main stage. For the fans of the more up tempo electric music, the We Are Elctrnc stage served all that you needed to get a bit more bouncy and intense.
Earlier sets from Syn Cole, Hard Rock Sofa and Kryder were just the start on what was a great line up on the We Are Elctrnc stage. Thomas Gold was also a highlight with a lively stand out set on the decks. Up next was Dirty Dutch DJ Chuckie who electrified everyone with his take on the dirty house scene, a genre that is wild and showcased We Are Fstvl as a great festival for different genres of dance music.
With each stage having its main headline act, you were spoilt for choice. A big focus again was on the electric stage where former Pendulum members Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen threw in their current project Knife Party with such velocity it blew off the faces of the ever loving crowd. This was achieved through dramatic music played and also the quite frequent jets of fire that added even more of an edge to the amazing visuals on the electric stage. Always an exciting experience seeing Knife Party, who have announced there will be a new Knife Party album coming soon as well as a new Pendulum album, the first one in almost five years. Roll on day two.
With the first day being a success, you could sense the anticipation of another day of great music and good times. The weather being beautiful from the start insured big smiles, more sun cream and the disregard of the wet weather gear! Getting in nice an early this time avoided the heavy queues that would increase later in the day and allowed the early risers to head over to the ‘Cocoon’ stage where Julien Bracht was playing some nice live vibes, something that may have been needed for those with a sore head from the previous day!
A wander round the festival site saw two tents that couldn’t have been more separate in taste of dance music, but were equally as great as each other. One of them being the ‘Andy C Presents Ram’ tent saw the BPM tempo rise above the 160 mark which also could be said the same for your heart rate. A very energetic tent that emphasised the MC role to give the building crowd a bit of interaction. Switch over to the ‘Toolroom Knights Ibiza’ tent which explains itself in the name. Shut your eyes and you were in Ibiza in what was a much needed Balearic sounding change up. Names on the line up were Weiss, Tensnake and Mark Knight.
With the Sunday in full swing, the focus switched to the best stage of the day. The suitably named ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ main stage boasted a massive line up with the likes of Riva Starr, Tiga, Solumun and a second appearance of the weekend from Amine Edge & Dance. By 7pm the main stage was packed with dancing humans and the spinning duties were handed over to Duke Dumont who provided a fantastic set. Finally as the sun started to set over Upminster Essex, the biggest names of the weekend were set the task of continuing the party atmosphere. Annie Mac fresh from Radio 1’s Big Weekender was first up before the legend Fat Boy Slim! Playing hits such as 'Praise You' and the main stage namesake 'Eat Sleep Rave Repeat' it provided an electrifying finale to a great weekend and a great festival.
