Download Festival 2013 – Sunday Review

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A drier Sunday sees festival goers lounging on the hillside whilst watching the writhing madness that is the mosh pits at Five Finger Death Punch, and wassailing with Swedish melodic metallers – Amon Amarth, who play aboard their on stage Viking longship, to a sea of fans’ windmilling hair and guttural yells.

Stone Sour pull off a powerful set to a packed arena with the likes of ‘Say You’ll Haunt Me’ and ‘Mission Statement’. With the words “We are in England, the home of heavy metal. This is where it all started. There’s one band that we all owe our allegiance to… Black Sabbath. This is dedicated to them” they proceed to play a very Stone Sour cover of ‘Children of the Grave’ and frontman Corey Taylor goes on to perform second cover Alice In Chains’ ‘Nutshell’ as a solo. Yelling “I’m going to go on record and say this country is my favourite in the fucking world” Corey gains a roar of respect from the crowd, however he (and countless unfortunate others) cop an eyeful of the buck-naked dude standing atop his mate’s shoulders for much of the second half of the set.

Over on the second stage something odd is occurring, my first encounter with what I can only describe as Papal-Metal, comes at the hands of Swedish eccentrics Ghost. Dressed in cardinal’s robes and misfits style skeleton paint, frontman Papa Emeritus II has a much higher/softer rock vocal than you expect, and the ‘Nameless Ghouls’ (read: rest of the band, dressed in black robes) do a decent job with ‘Year Zero’ and ‘Ritual’ to a pretty large crowd.

Following them, the second stage sees a sudden influx of bodies in preparation for the return of Aussie icons Airbourne, a band who last time they performed were put in the naughty corner for frontman Joel O'Keefe’s rock and roll, rigging-scaling action. Smoke cannons, energetic hopping around and some proper good old windmilling are the mainstay of Airbourne’s performance, and a quick “You’re a fucking sight for sore eyes Donington, it’s great to be back in the U fucking K” puts everyone immediately on side. Joel foregoes the death-defying stunts this year and instead legs it into the crowd with his guitar, meeting fans, playing, and just generally having a nice time for ‘Raise The Flag’. After getting back on stage, the crowd is treated to ‘Live it Up’ and ‘Runnin’ Wild’ with a bit of good old synchronised headbanging.

A much anticipated 30 Seconds to Mars are giving the female festival population ovarian tingles, as frontman Jared Leto (widely enjoyed for purely shallow reasons) turns his wailing on the busy arena. Four guys in coloured balaclavas are for some unknown reason, employed to bang drums steadily behind the band a la Blue Man Group, but much less interesting, and Leto’s inane comments (particularly the weird “We are forty seconds to mars”… we all heard that right?!) are getting a bit hard to swallow. Calling out “You, you in the blue hat and the Cannibal Corpse tshirt, you’re just looking at your dick… This guy is gonna lead the jump for us” Leto continues to make an ass of himself. Dear Jared Leto, despite your penchant for odd outfits and your strange ideas about fan-prizes (see “win a night in my bed” no, really) I actually don’t *hate* the way you sound, but come on… if there’s a guy at your show in a Cannibal Corpse tshirt, he’s either just securing his spot for Rammstein later or appeasing a teenage girl. Take the hint. After arrogantly announcing a forthcoming UK tour (the entire list of dates and locations… *sigh*) and pulling a load of screaming hormonal girls on stage, they close out with  ‘The Kill (Bury Me’, ‘Kings and Queens’ and ‘Up in the Air’, to the cheers of all those thoroughly annoyed at having witnessed it.

During the stage-setting break the last few brave souls hit the zipline to the terrifying sight of a crowd gearing up for their descent, with a host of bottles and other miscellaneous missiles to hurl at the unfortunate victims – it makes for interesting sport/entertainment as we wait.

Rammstein hit Donington with everything they’ve got, showcasing their heavy style amidst a plethora of flaming devices from ‘2, 3, 4, Links’ and ‘Du Hast’ to ‘Ich Will’ and ‘Sonne’. Fans are treated to a spectacular show, including flamethrowers, fireworks, bondage and S&M alongside anthemic hits, it’s the show Download Festival has been waiting years for and they certainly do it justice (see the full review for complete details). Closing the night and the festival with the comedic and fairly gross, ‘Pussy’ and a foam-spraying giant penis-cannon, flanked by ticker-tape explosions, it’s been a long time coming (excuse the pun…) but Rammstein know how to put on an epic performance, this has been one extraordinary night for Download Festival and for the history of Donington Park. Who knows what to expect next year…

Beach Break Live 2013 – Saturday Review

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Strong wind; rain; hundreds of party people who were wearing layers of clothing to keep warm but were raring to go and dance the day away; that pretty much sums up Saturday of Beach Break Live. It started off with patchy spells of rain that had people running back to their tents to grab ponchos and wellington boots. The weather really hit you though the moment you arrived at Fistral Beach, everyone was styling a very nice up do of wind swept hair and soggy clothing. As long as you could withstand the wind and actually made it to the main stage it wasn’t too bad; everyone huddled together to form a group near the front of the stage to keep warm; I guess the weather brings people together at times.

Due to the weather many people didn’t really want to leave their tents meaning there wasn’t anyone at the main stage until Lazy Habits came on. Now I’ve been told about these guys before, their brass section was praised by another band that I had been talking to so there was no way I was missing out on them. I quite liked the way they began; you had the lead singer performing as best he could whilst the rest of the band stood waiting; I even managed to glimpse a cheeky smile from the trumpet player as he tried to keep himself composed. Their upbeat sounds were perfectly composed together with the brass line, which gave them a unique performance from the rest of the weekend so far.

Next up were Submotion Orchestra, there was so much buzz around this band and I have to admit I was not let down. What I loved the most about them is that they wanted to be there and you could tell, they all had smiles on their faces even though they had strong winds and rain hitting them. Following were AlunaGeorge, now I first thought it was the entire band or just the singer but I was later informed that it was two people. You had Aluna, the main singer, and George the keyboardist; this is something I would have never guessed. Yes they put on a decent set, they could have been more energetic but I guess they were freezing cold so I will give them that. The downfall was that George just seemed like he didn’t want to be there and left the stage presence to Aluna, I guess that’s what happens when you are just put in the background to play. Despite all this the crowd was dancing and screaming the lyrics along to the songs, they all seemed to be having a great time, which means they’ve done their job correctly.

We finally had Jake Bugg on stage; with his rise to fame from the song Lighting Bolt it was understandable that he had the largest crowd of the weekend. Everyone was there to see this one guy play guitar on the stage and hear the songs they love and know so much. After seeing him perform at a festival called Blissfields (Winchester, Hampshire) last year to 10 people I felt like a proud guidance councillor to see him perform in front of hundreds, maybe even thousands. Unfortunately many people left disappointed because he doesn’t have that stage presence that you need to entertain a large amount of people, he just provided his refreshing voice and country sounds. Saying that he does what he does well and if people want to see him good on you, he is very good live it’s just a shame he doesn’t interact with the crowd that much.

Jake Bugg - Beach Break Live 2013

  After a long day at the beach I decided tonight was the night to head out and see what was going on around the town. There was something going on every where, you would step outside the pub/club you were just in and there would be another band/DJ playing across the road; it was truly amazing. It meant that everywhere you went there would be people enjoying themselves and spreading a good vibe, even some celebrities (who will remain unnamed) were spotted around the town getting involved. Overall it was a genuinely good day, despite the winds, and it definitely was full of surprises, entertainment and soggy clothing.

Check out the photos here

Beach Break Live 2013 – Thursday & Friday Review

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Thursday provided the festival with an opening night that was more of a fizzle than a bang. Transport problems, computer issues meaning waiting around two hours to get a wristband, and rain all contributed to that festival nightmare that every festivalgoer has to experience. Although you could hear people chatting away and having a good time if you ever left the tent all you would find was a deserted mound of tents surrounded by mud. Friday however definitely made up for anything that may have gone wrong the night before.

Jumping on the bus with a load of hung-over, tired students for the 20 minute journey into town where a 10 minute walk was waiting for us to get to Fistral beach.  It was most definitely worth it when you talk those last few steps before you see the stage and the view that surrounds it, you start to hear the beat of the drums and you know it’s going to be a good day.  The weather however teased us into thinking it was going to be terrible but the moment Gentleman’s Dub Club jumped on stage the sun came out and it no longer felt like you were just on a beach in Cornwall.

Stand out act of the day had to be Cuban Brothers, recommended for those who like to have a good laugh. The first thing the lead singer did was jump straight out into the crowd; the sea of people parted to form a perfect circle around him as he continued with the song. He danced with as many people as he could, people were jumping on his back, and I believe he got hit in the head with several beach balls and yet never missed a beat. If you search them up and read the bio of their website the first thing you read are the words “They will make you laugh, sing along, cry with joy, shit your pants and shake your booty” and I don’t think I could sum them up any better.

Following on from the Cuban Brothers were Foreign Beggars who weren’t really my cup of tea but they definitely put on a show; providing beats and an overall vibe that their fan base would love. Bouncing around on stage making sure all of the crowd were involved, getting people to put their hands up, sing along and even managed to chuck in a couple of jokes now and then. After Foreign Beggars was Devlin.  His grime collective teased the crowd as they came on one by one over a long period of time; I’m not sure whether this is their usual plan of action but it definitely frustrated the crowd. Once they were all on they did put on a good show; much to the relief of the security guards who really didn’t want to have to control a crowd of hundreds of people. Shock of the day came last; the entirety of the press pit was shocked as the man we all thought was getting the stage ready was actually David Rodigan himself. On came the remixes of original reggae which was an incredibly way to end the night at Fistral beach; they were pieces of music that everyone could admire and have a casual groove to. The crowd that was still standing, even though the sun had gone away and the weather had started to take a turn for the worst, definitely enjoyed David Rodigan and left leaving positive and still dancing.

Beach Break Live 2013

The overall vibe of the day was perfect, you had people walking around in their swim wear with flip flops on as they paraded on the beach section of the festival. There were people dressed up as clowns, pirates, and many other strange combinations of costumes who all provided a source of energy and fun when no one was on stage. To sum up the day in general I would have to say it was a day to remember, and if the rest of the weekend is like this I recommend buying a ticket for 2014. 

Nozstock reveals final music lineup for 2013

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The small family-run event now in its 15th year is set in a beautiful rural part of Herefordshire. It started life as a party for relatives and friends and has grown over the years into one of the friendliest small festival experiences to be had.

The Hidden Valley has nine stages, many nooks and crannies and is landscaped around a ramshackle Tudor farmhouse. The ORCHARD STAGE is set at the foot of a natural arena on the side of the gently sloping valley. Alongside the farmhouse is the GARDEN STAGE, which provides a more eclectic line up, turning electronic by sundown whilst converted cowshed the CUBICLES pushes out sub-thumping bass and dubstep this year hosted on Saturday by the legendary drum 'n bass label RAM Records. With further music (including a new electro-swing stage), theatre, comedy stages and tents dotted around the site Nozstock offers a cornucopia of wonders to explore.

This year’s theme is Wild Wild West, so dust off your cowboy hats, fringed moccasins, saloon skirts and ropey John Wayne impressions for what promises to be the best Nozstock yet.  

Also playing are hotly tipped young upstarts The Strypes, one of Britain’s longest running and most cherished acts Chas & Dave, Dub Pistols (fronted by the enigmatic Barry Ashworth), The Beat, Benny Page, The Computers and Ava Leigh plus the legendary RAM Records takeover of The Cubicles dance arena. Featuring some of the hottest talent in the dance music scene including the undisputed godfather of DnB Andy C, RAM will once again be bringing his bag of bass-heavy tricks, alongside Wilkinson, Loadstar, Loko and MC Visionobi.

New Additions:

THE CORRESPONDENTS | THE WYTCHES | MISTY MILLER  |   ELECTRIC SWING CIRCUS

WILLE AND THE BANDITS | THE EQUATORS | TAKO LAKO | SMERINS ANTI SOCIAL CLUB | MORE LIKE TREES | DR MEAKER  |   UNCLE DUGS  | KRY WOLF  |  RICHARD AND THE RAFTERS | BO WALTON  | STIFF JOINTS

The Correspondents will be returning to Nozstock for a second year with their high-energy two-man stage show. DJ/Producer Chucks throws a history of dance music from Blues to Jazz, Electro to Dubstep to Drum’n’Bass into the mix which is then seasoned with Mr Bruce’s vocals depicting the trials and errors of love, lust and loss creating a show not to be missed.

Electric Swing Circus are a 6 piece Electro Swing band that fuses cool 20's swing with stomping electro beats in a dazzling live show.  Fronted by the sassy Sisters of Swing with the addition of live drums, fretless bass, gyspy jazz guitar, keys, synths and swinging samples, The Electric Swing Circus hotfoots its way through everything from breakbeat and house to jungle and dubstep, whilst keeping true to their own unique style of swing. 

The Wytches formed in November 2011 and have slithered their way in to various cities over England with a cynical, dark and flowery take on psychedelia ever since. Their songs take in 50’s surf riffs, desert whips and loungey melancholic shuffles, drawing influence from Nirvana, Bright Eyes and The Cramps

Dr Meaker have become one of Bristol's prize assets and are set to be an exciting prospect for Nozstock this year. Many have been won over by their mind blowing live performances, tight production, quality writing and their ability to effortlessly mix soul with Bass music. Last year the band performed a Maida Vale Live Lounge session for Trevor Nelson’s BBC Radio 1xtra show.

Smerins Anti Social Club are renowned for their explosive live shows and Nozstock will be no exception. They have long been firing up festival crowds and gig-goers throughout the UK with their 10 piece lineup using the raw ingredients of ska, funk, dub, drum'n'bass and swing to full effect in their epic, brass-heavy instrumentals.

Sika Studios Hip Hop Squat Takeover

Fliptrix  |Verb T | Jam Baxter |Leaf Dog | BVA | Edward Scissortongue | DJ Sammy B Side| DJ Madnice |Dr Syntax |Devilman | Ed Cox + Stivs (DSC) + Mattycore (Life4land) |Stagga + Skamma |Lee Scott + Bill Shakes (Children of the Damned) | Split Prophets | Jman |Sonnyjim + Sleaze |Mylo Stone | Tenchoo | Traumatik |Rum Committee | Concept of Thought | Defenders of Style + Lego + Matter | Granville Sessions + Jester Jacobs|Influx |TPS |GV Clik | Cracker Jon + Too Late | Bennadict | Kimberley Newell |Bahai | Flash Harry

In addition to these announcements, Sika Studios have announced the lineup for their hip hop squat takeover in The Bullpen. This will see the return of High Focus Records to Nozstock, putting on a showcase featuring the like of Fliptrix, who has been considered the UKs freshest hip hop MC since 2010's critically acclaimed Theory of Rhyme, Leaf Dog, one third of underground heroes Three Amigos, Verb T, BVA, Jam Baxter, Edward Scissortongue, DJ Sammy B Side and DJ Madnice. A huge figure in underground UK hip-hop, Dr Syntax will be returning to Nozstock, with his ‘witty social commentary, self-deprecating humour and intelligent wordplay. (Rhyme and Reason).

The Coppice lineup announced

Psytrance stalwarts Tribe of Frog will also be returning to Nozstock to bring deep beats into The Coppice all weekend long with acts like Big Scary Monsters, Illegal Machines, and K.i.M joining the fray. Also appearing will be: Brainiac, Occular, Lurk, Lorraine, Awen, Neutron, Nocotopus, Psychosonic, F'da F'da, Hemp, Timmer, Dr. Psy, Piemanand Wicki.

First comedy acts revealed

Nozstock is also thrilled to announce the first wave of its comedy lineup for 2013. Hosted by Rock ‘N Roll tour manger turned award winning comedian Bob Slayer, this year’s line up features the cream of the UK comedy crop.

Lauded by Time Out as a ‘wonderfully observed and hysterically funny character who contacts dead celebrities with incredible results‘ Tom Binns is set to grace the stage with his most recent comic creation Ian De Monfort, a psychic from Sunderland.  Mr Methane, the renowned performing flatualist caused a stir on Britain's Got Talent a few years ago with his anal voiced rendition of The Blue Danube will also be appearing.

Other highlights include Martin Mor, Norman Lovett and Simon Donald as well as Lach, Joey Page, Holly Burns, Ben Target, Pat Cahill, John Kearns, Holly Burn, Karl Schultz, Adam Larter, Paul Duncan McGarity, Matthew Highton, Beth Vyse Gareth Morinan and Joe Davies.

Full Lineup

The Strypes | Dub Pistols | Chas and Dave | Mr Scruff | The Beat | The Correspondents | DJ Yoda | Sonny Wharton | The Wytches | | Parlour Flames | The Computers | Misty Miller | Electric Swing Circus  | Wille and The Bandits  | The Equators  | Ava Leigh | Tako Lako | Smerins Anti Social Club | Kitten and The Hip | More Like Trees | Dr Meaker | Uncle Dugs | Kry Wolf | King Porter Stomp | By The Rivers | George Ezra | Velvet Stream | The Resonators | Dutty Inspectors | Ziro | Heymoon Shaker | Backbeat Soundsystem | Coda | MouthMaster Murph | Goldseal | More Like Trees | Gypsy Unit | Cazal | Too Spicy | Duncan Disorderly and The Scallywags |  Wyynona Ryyder |  Caolin Clay | Johnny Kowasaki and The Sexy Weirdos | Captain Accident and The Disasters | Sarah Joy | Jennifer Booton | The Inexplicables | The Cadbury Sisters | Richard and The Rafters  | Bo Walton  | Stiff Joints | High Focus Records Showcase | Fliptrix | Verb T | Jam Baxter | Leaf Dog | BVA | Edward Scissortongue | DJ Sammy B Side| DJ Madnice | Dr Syntax | Devilman | Ed Cox + Stivs + Mattycore | Stagga + Skamma | Lee Scott + Bill Shakes | Split Propehts | J Man | Sonnyjim + Sleaze | Mylo Stone | Big Scary Monsters | Illegal Machines | K.i.M | Brainiac | Occular | Lurk | Lorraine | Awen | Neutron | Nocotopus, Psychosonic | F'da F'da | Hemp | Timmer | Dr. Psy | Pieman |  Wicki

 

Andy C | Loadstar | Wilkinson | S.P.Y | Kasra | Break | Benny Page | Loko | MC GQ | MC Lowqui | MC Visionobi | Remidy MC | Amoss | Octo Pi | DJ Scope

 

The Music Pool Charity

This year Nozstock is delighted to announce The Music Pool as an official charity for 2013. A community based music charity for Herefordshire and its borders; they are dedicated to providing chances for people of all ages and abilities to make music together, because it is one of the most powerful ways to improve people's lives and well-being. You can find out more about what they do at www.musicpool.org.uk and catch the best of their Livewire youth music project showcased on The Bandstand on Saturday.

Cosy Camping from Yippee-Yurts

If there’s one thing that would make your Noz experience that little bit snugger, it would be having a non-soggy sleeping bag, and no muddy footprints on the tent ceiling from the previous weekend (don’t ask). If this sounds like your festival wish list, then you need to book yourself in for some cosy camping. We’re over the moon to have partnered up with Yippee-Yurts who are offering you the chance to build a pick and mix package that suits you (and your wallet!) for the festival weekend, with cosy and spacious fab cotton canvas (no soggy nylon nightmares here!) bell tents, assembled and waiting for you simply furnished with scatter cushions, textile rugs, fleecy throws and decorated around the entrance with solar fairy lights, and more standing room than you’ll know what to do with. If you want to push the boat out why not book an airbed with bed linen and a snuggly duvet! In the Yippee Village there will be a covered chill out area with chairs, tables, BBQ's and charging facilities for your phones and pads! They even offer a luggage porter service and they stay on-site to look after you for the whole event! Start your cosy camping experience at www.yippeeyurts.webs.com or email [email protected] to choose what you want for your weekend home. Just imagine, perfect days at Nozstock and perfect nights in your bell tent. Could your weekend get any better?

ON SALE NOW AT – www.nozstock.com

Tier 2

Adult Weekend = £95

Children 12 and under – free

Car parking – £10

Camper Van £30

Miguel added to Poland’s Open’er Festival

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The line-up for this year's Open’er Festival is ever expanding as more outstanding major acts confirm for 2013’s edition.
 
Each year, the Grammy Award ceremony needs it's quiet, surprising hero. In 2012, it was Bon Iver, while at this year's ceremony the role was played by Miguel, a 28-year-old Los Angeles singer. With the surprising five nominations, until the ceremony, known only to a small handful of fans, he gave a fiery interpretation of his hit single "Adorn", later receiving a Grammy award for it as Best R’n’B Song. He was just a little short from returning home as author of "Song Of The Year", yet, the American market wasn't ready for him yet.
 
Miguel Pimentel debuted in 2010 with a decent, yet unnoticed album "All I Want Is You”. While the LP gained its faithful listeners, its high quality deserved a far better reception. In 2011, Miguel broke the contract with his label at the time, signing to the renowned RCA Records, who understood the potential in the young singer. In October 2012, he released "Kaleidoscope Dream", deemed one of the best albums of the year straight away. Perfected to the last detail, sung in a way to strike only one comparison – Prince, the album did not only gather words of praise, but also checked in at top positions in the charts. The comparisons to Prince appear in nearly all "Kaleidoscope Dream" reviews, as Miguel has another advantages but exquisite songwriting: good looks and untamed stage antics.
  
Hip-hop beat and the use of rock instruments make Miguel not only one of the creators of the so-called "new r'n'b" (along Frank Ocean or The Weeknd), but also an artist to refresh the entire genre, while keeping faith to the classical sound. It is acknowledged by the growing crowd of fans, award juries and the greatest stars. We believe that on July 6, the Open'er audience will acknowledge it too.

Tiësto, Armin Van Buuren, Afrojack set for the first TomorrowWorld

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Having begun teasing elements of the line-up almost two months ago, ID&T has today unveiled its line-up for TomorrowWorld, set to take place on September 27-29th 2013 in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, USA. Featuring over 300 names from all corners of the electronic music landscape, the line-up is diverse, taking in house, trance, techno, trap, bass, disco and almost everything in between.
 
 
From superstar luminaries such as Tiësto, Armin Van Buuren, Afrojack, David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Sebastian Ingrosso, through to up-and-coming stars like Art Department, RL Grime and AraabMuzik; each and every one of the festivals seven stages will play host to a distinct range of acts – hosted by a range of world-renowned brands.
 
Armin Van Buuren
 
From A-Trak’s Fools Gold, to Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak and of course the centerpiece Main Stage and brand new Bass Arena – the festival offers something for everyone, all taking place in the most unique live event environment known on the planet. Other highlight appearances come in the form of the Afroki, a new collaboration from Afrojack and Steve Aoki, as well as Jacques Lu Cont, Late Night Alumni, Carnage and Fake Blood. 
 
Built upon the reputation of the internationally revered Tomorrowland, ID&T will be bringing its full production might across the Atlantic to America. Known around the world for jaw-dropping spectacles, from the largest stages through to the most intricate of details, not to mention the Michelin star chefs, bakeries and breweries that accompany it. The full theme for TomorrowWorld as well 15+ more acts will be revealed in the coming weeks.
 
DreamVille, TomorrowWorld’s very own campsite is unlike anything the United States has ever seen, hosting over 30,000 campers in a uniquely designed environment, including food courts, shopping centers, 24 hour bakery, launderette, daily TomorrowWorld Newspaper, and an exclusive pre-party, The Gathering, the night before the festival. What’s more, TomorrowWorld will be the first ever exclusively 21+ festival to be held in the US.
 
Weekend and day tickets for the festival are still available, including hotel packages as well as ID&T’s very own Global Journey flight packages, now only available from five cities within the US due to overwhelming international demand.

Download Festival 2013 – Saturday Review

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Arriving in the arena to a sudden and torrential downpour, flapping around trying to get crap plastic ponchos on whilst simultaneously attempting to crouch over the tops of your wellies to avoid trench-foot, wasn’t exactly a joyful experience, but thankfully the rain abated as we queued for a bottle (and special edition cup) of Iron Maiden Trooper beer. Saturday is the day of unfortunate overlaps, a lineup of incredible acts spread across stages so wide that you can’t hope to catch them all, so we resign ourselves to the wishlist and hope to catch others another year.

Starting with classic Brit-rock UFO take to the mainstage for some shredding good fun, and Mastodon do a decent job of pepping up the squelchy audience with ‘Blood and Thunder’ and ‘Oblivion’, but it’s Alice In Chains who really power up, touting their signature grunge doom and gloom. ‘Down in a Hole’ and ‘Check My Brain’ stand out, but the whole set is superb and radiates a sort of nonchalant, effortless aura of cool. On the tiny Jagermeister stage, Buffalo Summer’s funked up southern rock ‘Typhoid Mary’ is getting the small but jolly crowd up and jigging about, and Download repeat offenders Motörhead are, well, EXACTLY the same as always. Despite Lemmy’s stuck record “We are Motörhead and we play rock and roll” lead in, and ‘Everything louder than everything else’ tshirts that have only had a colour update, it is a formula that works, and ‘Ace of Spades’ is as good a mosh-pit starter as it always has been.

Taiwanese metalcore kids Chthonic are as weird as ever, but lady bassist Doris Yeh is definitely gaining a LOT of new fans as the band ramp up the volume and she pulls a very metal pout… however, on the main stage Queens Of The Stone Age aren’t really living up to the hype. The sound is dead, the crowd looks bored and the quips just aren’t that funny – particularly the one about ‘No One Knows’ being a song to get laid to. I’m sure Barry White is turning in his grave. After their departure, the arena heads into instant turmoil as people rush to toilets, bars and food carts whilst the stage is set up for Iron Maiden’s prop heavy show. Bands we’d have liked to see today but missed due to there being TOO MUCH to see were, punk legends Lit, rock royalty Thunder, Norwegians Kvelertak and fellow headliners The Hives and Enter Shikari. *sigh* we just hope Download books them all again. Please.

Iron Maiden begin the evenings shenanigans with an actual Spitfire flyby. Yep, that’s right – they managed to get a Spitfire to thunder up from behind the main stage and fly over a stunned crowd. If you can tell me a band who’ve gone further for their fans, feel free to comment. A stunning set with hits ‘Fear of the Dark, ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’, ‘The Trooper’ and ‘Aces High’ as well as a raft of other Maiden classics and giant moving Eddies, makes for a spectacular night (read the complete Maiden review for more details) that will stick in our memories forever.

Bestival adds new Temple Island arena for 2013

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In keeping with our 10th birthday spectacular celebrations at Robin Hill on the Isle of Wight from September 5th to 8th, the amazing gifts keep coming as Bestival HQ is buzzing with news of another brand new arena for 2013 –Temple Island. Taking its place among more than 20 stages in 10 fields of wonderment with mega soundsystems, non-stop parties and 24 hour escapism, you’ve got to explore it before it burns to the ground! Plus we have line-up news for two of Bestival’s most off the wall destinations, Club DaDa and the Polka Tent.

Rob da Bank says: “Bestival has almost 30 stages of live music, DJs, poetry, cinema, drag acts, ultraviolet ping pong and general mayhem going off in 2013. Club Dada and the Polka Tent programmed by the insanely creative and madcap Chris Tofu is always ahead of the curve and we've been proud to host the first festival stages of gypsy punk, electro swing and many other underground genres. As ever, Señor Tofu has pulled it out the bag with his line ups for 2013. 

“Never looking backwards and always embracing the future I'm so proud to unveil Temple Island – a brand new totally ace fusion of styles from festivals like Burning Man and Portugal's Monegros festi with a cutting edge global electronic DJ collective… half hippy, half techno warrior. Roll on September”.

Chris Tofu says: “Bestival is so amazing for us, it’s been the first festival in the UK with a venue dedicated to the 1000 year old festival music Polka, wall to wall, crazy Gypsy Music and Hoedown, makes this the natural festival music hangout. Club Dada has always been like a mad feast of Brass and Vintage Remix and this year’s no exception with killer Electro Blues and Electro Swing, crazy remixing Carnival bands and so much more, the perfect music for a tent where 70 years ago Marlene Dietrich performed in. Bestival stands unique with more killer and closely curetted music per square inch than anywhere else, big up to Rob and Josie and the team“.

New for 2013, Temple Island is a lucid dreamland of beguiling saturnalia where acts like London Grammar, DJ Falcon and Karma Kid come to play. Around them, fantasy and reality fuse in a haze of bio-sculptures and an eclectic collection of some of the tastiest foods in the country. It’s a beautiful place. But nothing is what it seems…

If it looks like a sculpture, it may really be a chilling cocoon that sings to you when you step inside. You’ll find them hidden in a sparkly part of Temple Island, away from the stage. Creatures here may be actors in disguise who lead you to a mystery trail of street art by fast-rising artist My Dog Sighs . 21 pieces are yours to keep, if you find them. The first person to complete the entire My Dog Sighs Treasure Hunt will take home a £2,500 masterpiece! Feeling inspired by all that artistry? Try your hardest to create your very own twisted structure with amazing Willowtwister artist Sara Holmes and crew.

That’s not all though, Bestival’s darkest secrets are gathered on Temple Island’s confession wall. It’s hungry for yours. Confess… if you dare. Party until the small hours in The Doghouse, the secret part of Temple Island you’ll stumble upon, find exactly what you’ve always been looking for, and never, ever, want to leave. But beauty dies fast. So, late on Sunday, Temple Island will go up in flames. Before that, there’s dancing to be done, coconuts to be drunk, gourmet banquets to be eaten and art to explore.

Temple Island will play host to sets from some of the most havin’ it acts currently spanking dancefloors worldwide. Opening on Thursday night there will be music from south Florida future music mogul Henry Krinkle, heads down house purveyor T.Williams and uncategorisable bass merchant Karma Kid. Cranking it up on Friday, there will be Gallic grooves from Daft Punk collaborator DJ Falcon, ethereal digital dance moves from Chrome Sparks,  the previously announced siren-fronted trio London Grammar, bass-led bombs from Shadow Child, genre-swerving threesome Dark Sky and future garage manoeuvres from Maribou State.

Saturday will tickle your guilty pleasures with the previously announced Cyril Hahn, plus there will be sets from Bristol based collective Eton Messy, drum n bass wonder Wilkinson, woofer worrying beat tycoon Run Riot andKashii who will be smashing-up house, techno, garage and bouncing UK bass into something glorious. And finally Sunday will see the Eton Messy crew return as hosts for the entire day. Catch it while you can because when the rest of Bestival has you shipwrecked, Temple Island will have you back on your feet; in ways you never thought possible!

From the makers of Shangri Las Glastonbury and long term residents of festival fields Continental Drifts, Club DaDa always offers a warm welcome with music that floats in your ears like honey. Expect crazy Vintage Remix and brass brass brass! Thursday night shenanigans kick off with Robby’s Choice Cuts featuring captain of our ship Rob da Bank going head to head with Tayo & Nerm reprising their Prince tribute, plus Bestival favourite Beans On Toast, laughter, dancing and head-nodding good vibes from Too Many T’s, DJ Moneyshot & Rackabeat’s brand new sampled funk, psych, hip-hop and rock outfit The Allergies and the man himself, DJ Chris Tofu. Friday sees the The Dawn Of Electro Blues a night dedicated to the new sound of electro blues – from The Delta to dance, with an array of electro blues masters Cyborgs, Heymoonshaker, DJ Nick Hollywood, The Future Shape Of Sound and King Lagoon’s Flying Swordfish Band.

Saturday is all about White Mink’s French Electro Swing Special. After hosting the world’s first 1920s to 1950s remixed electro swing night at a festival, Club DaDa had to bring it back. Curated by White Mink, it’s boasts a quality line-up including Shore Leave, Le KKC Orchestra, Smokey Joe and The Kid, Dutty Moonshine, Max Pashm Electro Swing Ensemble and DJ Dodgy Style.

Keeping it fully on the boil for Sunday, Club Dada had to make their amazing Brass Special happen again, as a fitting end to what is destined to be a legendary weekend. Highlights of the night will include Joe Driscol and Sekou Kouyate, Old Dirty Brasstards and, wrapping things up, the annual DJ Chris Tofu Closing Party squeezing the last of your energy into a mash-up maelstrom of madness, with special guests.

The Polka Tent is the most fun and unusual musical set up in any festival. There’s only one place you can find this rare and wonderful thing. Get ready for some Gypsy Punk and Hoedown mayhem. From Global Local – the maddest thing the arts council ever funded. 

Opening night action in this musical world like no other includes King Lagoon’s Flying Sword Fish Band, Tankus The Henge and king of the gypsy remix DJ Kobayashi. Friday night is the Polka Party with Hallouminati, Gypsy Hill, Discount Orchestra, Gypsy Fever, Penny Metal, Karauke, Cut A Shine and Gypsy Disco.

Saturday in the Polka Tent goes from Gypsy Punk to Stomping Kleizmer with Buffo’s Wake, Tantz Klezmer Band, The Turbans, Maniere Des Bohemiens, and more from Gypsy Disco and Karauke. Finally the Sunday Hoedown – With Two For Joy celebrates the Polka Tent’s fifth anniversary with a whole day dedicated to jumping nu folk and demented old hoedown! Helping the celebrations go down in style will be City Shanty Band, Ramshackle Union Band, Katy Carr and Gorgeous George, plus there will be special surprise guests and DJs all weekend long.

Earthtone 9 and more added to Bloodstock lineup

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BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL are excited to announce a whole batch of new additions for all three stages.  There’s only seven weeks left to the most metal weekend of the year!!  Have you got your tickets yet?!

Opening Friday’s main stage, and fresh off the back of the release of ‘IV’, their first album in ten years, are British post metallers, EARTHTONE 9.  The band are stoked to find their way to Catton Park’s hallowed ground, commenting "Earthtone 9 have never played Bloodstock, so we could not be more excited!  It's one of our only gigs this year, so we are truly going to make the most of it. There may well be some drinking!"  You can pick up a free download of their single,‘Horizon’s End’ at this link; http://www.pledgemusic.com/widgets/4136.

On Sunday’s Sophie Lancaster stage, SACRED MOTHER TONGUE get added.  Having received huge plaudits for their second album, ‘Out of the Darkness’, and live shows, the Northampton based band are building quite the name for themselves.  Check out the video for ‘A Light Will Shine’, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGY1bUEW1mc.

Also added to the Sunday Sophie stage line up are relentless road dogs, BREED 77. Bound to deliver a pummeling performance, these energetic Gibraltan bruisers are sure to bust out some new tunes from their latest album ‘The Evil Inside’, which was released in March.  You can watch the video for recent single ‘Bring On The Rain’ at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIx-T1iWNYI.

A whole raft of acts are also set to grace the JAGERMEISTER stage.  The stage is perfectly placed in the main arena with massive passing crowd pull due to its placement, and time slots are arranged to capitalize on main stage changeovers.  Performances show a different side to the artists’ repertoire, offering up new and old material with many venturing into cover version territory.  Friday’s bill includes solo artist MITCHELL EMMS, medieval metallers RAVENAGE and 80’s-styled newcomer, MIA KLOSE (check out her Bloodstock clip here: http://youtu.be/i1Z7cPCaT-k).  Saturday’s line up rolls out the inimitable EARLS OF MARS, Stoke on Trent aggressors BALLS DEEP, and rowdy riffmeisters CAVORTS, while Sunday’s features prog death metallers BETRAEUS, Sacred Mother Tongue’s shredmaster ANDY JAMES’s GUITAR CLINIC, and the self-proclaimed “progressive epic”outfit, OPERATION ERROR.

BLOODSTOCK tickets are on sale now, priced £125 (plus booking fee) for a weekend pass with camping.  VIP ticket packages and upgrades are also available.  Look up all the info on BLOODSTOCK 2013 so far, plus all kinds of cool coverage from 2012’s event over at www.bloodstock.uk.com or www.facebook.com/bloodstock.

BLOODSTOCK takes place at Catton Park in Derbyshire on 8-11th Aug 2013 and features SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD, KING DIAMOND, ANTHRAX, DEVILDRIVER, GOJIRA, AVANTASIA, EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL, MUNICIPAL WASTE, VOIVOD, WHITECHAPEL, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, GAMA BOMB and many more. 

My Bloody Valentine to headline Festival No 6

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The award-winning Festival No. 6 is proud to announce My Bloody Valentine. They join an already stunning bill which includes Manic Street Preachers, Chic, James Blake and many more. The performance will be their only England and Wales festival date this year.

Festival No.6 is a pioneering festival concept bringing together music, arts and culture in the most incredible festival location you will ever see. Festival No.6 takes place over the weekend of 13-15 September 2013 in the eccentric surrounds of Portmeirion, Wales, home of the cult TV series The Prisoner.

After a 22 year hiatus from recording, My Bloody Valentine returned in 2013 with their critically acclaimed record ‘M B V’, a wonderfully dense exercise in lo-fi indie. The Dublin rockers will join fellow headliners Manic Street Preachers and Chic Ft. Nile Rodgers at the top of the bill. London duo Public Service Broadcasting have also been announced.

My Bloody Valentine

Legendary indie label Moshi Moshi Records will be celebrating their 15th birthday at the festival and will host the 'Lost in the Woods’ stage. They will showcase a range of cutting edge new acts and more established talent, including folk-rock duo Slow Club (two piece set), Leicestershire rockers The Wave Pictures, hypnotic pop songrtress Mariam the Believer, indie three-piece Teleman as well as Totem and Boxed in.

Elbow front man Guy Garvey will be returning to Festival No.6 this year to join BBC 6 Music’s Stuart Maconie ‘In Conversation’. After the huge success and turn out for last year’s performance, they have been relocated from the beautiful Town Hall to the higher capacity Piazza.

Acts for The Clough Stage have also been announced. The stage will feature a bespoke mix of Welsh and international artists and collaborators. Highlights include Geraint Jarman, Bryn Fôn, Bob Delyn, Sen Segur, Yr Ods, Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog, Georgia Ruth, Heather Jones and R Seiliog alongside a host of other established and emerging acts and a number of DJ sets from the likes of Huw Stephens, John Rostron and many more. The mighty David Holmes will also be making a rare UK festival appearance

Warp Films is pleased to announce the screening of their critically acclaimed Made of Stone, the highly anticipated film about The Stone Roses’ record-breaking reunion and will be accompanied by a Q&A. Vice will also presentReincarnated, the film that documents Snoop Lion’s explorations with reggae and Rastafarian culture.

The acts will perform across the entire site, from the historic town hall to the Colonnade gardens, to the picturesque Estuary Stage and the promenade along the river, against a back drop of neo-classical architecture, sandy beaches and palm trees.