Wireless

Wireless Festival 2015 Full Review

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Thousands flocked to Finsbury Park this weekend for popular festival – Wireless. Each year the festivals line up is spectacular, Summer Festival Guide headed over to check things out. With over 40 acts on both  Saturday and Sunday; including Ciara, Jessie J, David Guetta, Nicki Minaj, Avicci and Kendrick Lamar, Wireless was sure to be a festival not to be forgotten.
 
With the sun beating down on Finsbury Park Saturday's sold-out show, started to fill out almost immediately. As the crowd flooded through the gates of Finsbury Park, they were greeted by a high-spirited Conor Maynard who kicked started Saturday on the main stage, whilst KStewart and Ady Sulieman took to the other two stages. 
 
Raleigh Ritchie and Tinashe later took to the main stage and both performed equally good sets. Raleigh got the crowd jumping around and seemed to genuinely enjoy it just as much as they were enjoying him. Tinashe performed a great up beat set from her latest album Aquarius. Summer Festival Guide caught up with Raleigh Ritchie back stage where he told us about his love for performing, festivals and Game of Thrones.
 
Indiana took to the Pepsi Max Arena where she slowed things down a bit and performed a very mellow set. Fans swayed as the singer performed tracks from her latest album – ‘No Romeo’ and she drew in the crowd however the singer sped things up a bit towards the end of her set and the crowd loved it. 
 
Whilst waiting for Mary J Blige crowds flocked to numerous food vans to refuel. Ranging from Chinese to Mexican, Vegan to Steak Grills and Lebanese to Caribbean food the crowd were definitely spoilt for choice. Mary J Blige dived straight in to her set list starting with her hit song ‘Just Fine’. The crowd immediately jumped to their feet and started dancing. Mary J had the crowd dancing for the whole 45 minutes of her set. With a great set list and her high-spirit Mary J had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hands.
 
Gorgon City and Childish Gambino later took to the main stage. Whilst Stormzy took to the RE: WIRED stage. Gorgon City's up beat set had the crowd dancing with range of hits including 'Stronger', 'Rather Be' & 'Real Love'. 
 
The mult-talented Childish Gambino ran out onto the main stage next and it wasn't long before he was shirtless and belting out 'Crawl', 'Worldstar' and more from his back cataloge of albums.
 
Stormzy had a huge crowd for his highly anticipated set performing his latest tracks to a very appreciative crowd who sung their hearts out word for word. 
 
As the crowd waited for Kendrick Lamar yet again they headed for the food vans and the bars to refuel and rehydrate. Kendrick took to the stage performing many tracks both old and new including 'Backstreet Freestyle', 'Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe' and 'Swimming Pools (Drank). The crowd loved Kendrick and Kendrick loved the crowd. Avicii wowed crowds when he later took to the stage and saw what had been an amazing day off with an equally amazing set and a spectacular light and firework display. 
 
Sunday afternoon saw Wretch 32 kick start the day off on the main stage with an impressive performance. Also kicking off the day around the park was Samm Henshaw on the Re: WIRED stage and Kiko Bun in the Pepsi Max Arena. Summer Festival Guide caught up with Samm Henshaw backstage and he was just as happy and full of energy off stage as he was on. 
 
Charlie XCX, August Alsina and Clean Bandit were the main stage line up for the afternoon. Whilst Arrested Development, Ciara, Pusha T and Rae Sremmurd took to the Pepsi Max Arena. Leaving Damage, Jacob Plant, Tove Stryke, Jaden & Willow Smith, Elliphant and Shakka to entertain those at the RE: WIRED stage. 
 
Charli XCX with her trademark Sucker heart prop and full band on stage rocked the crowd with her hits 'Sucker', 'Breaking Up', 'I Love It'.  Full of energy and with the sun pelting down on Finsbury Park, Charli had the crowd singing with her throughout her entire set!
 
Ciara was off to a rocky start with her mic being switched off for the first 15 minutes of her set. However that did not stop the crowd from singing along to the popular singer's songs and enjoying the show Ciara provided. Jaden and Willow left the crowd slightly befuddled with a rather unusual performance. However the crowd soon perked up when willow performed popular hit 'Whip my Hair' and Jaden shared a new track with the Wireless crowd. The sibling duo were full of energy and provided a good performance, aiding each other throughout.
As night began to fall, crowds were left disheartened when the festival organisers shamefully admitted that Nicki Minaj was running late due to travel complications and that they had lost touch with the award winning female rapper. It was later announced that Nicki and David Guetta had mutually agreed to share the set time which crowd's responded to with boos. 
 
When David Guetta took to the stage half an hour after the announcement crowds went wild as he started his set. The light show Guetta provided was spectacular and he managed to win back the crowd with popular tracks, smoke, confetti and fireworks. David Guetta continued for a further 40 minutes before Nicki Minaj finally made her entrance and crowds seemed to have forgiven the female rapper within an instance. 
 
Nicki continued to work the crowd and performed popular songs including 'Truffle Butter', 'Only', 'Moment for Life' and 'Anaconda'. Adoring fans sang and danced the night away enjoying the all-round amazing show Nicki delivered. Nicki Minaj was the perfect act to round off the Wireless weekend she left the crowd on a positive high and closed the show with a tremendously great performance.
 
Photos from Saturday at Wireless Festival
 
Photos from Sunday at Wireless Festival

J Cole, 2 Chainz, Knife Party and more added to Wireless Festival

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With the already announced headliners, Kanye West, Bruno Mars and Drake at this years dual located Wireless Festival, we can now let you know about even more incredible acts that will join them.

J. Cole, 2 Chainz, Knife Party, B.o.B, Bleachers, Giorgio Moroder, Foxes, A Great Big World, Joel Compass, Vic Mensa, Raleigh Ritchie, Kwabs, Jess Glynne, Becky Hill, G-Eazy, YG, Sage The Gemini and Dominique Young Unique have been announced this morning and will be performing in London's Finsbury Park and Birmingham's Perry Park this July.

Already previously announced were OutKast, Pharrell Williams, Rudimental, Basement Jaxx, Ellie Goulding, Wiz Khalifa, John Newman, Iggy Azalea, Azealia Banks, Pretty Lights, Chance The Rapper, Ella Eyre, Angel Haze, Salt-N-Pepa, Clean Bandit, Earl Sweatshirt, A$AP Ferg and Neon Jungle.

Keep an eye on the Summer Festival Guide for more Wireless Festivals news!

31 acts added to Yahoo! Wireless

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Live Nation today announced that a huge 31 new acts have been added across the Yahoo! Wireless line up. They join headliners Justin Timberlake, JAY Z, and Legends of The Summer featuring both JAY Z and Justin Timberlake. Yahoo! Wireless Festival takes place across Friday 12 July, Saturday 13 July and Sunday 14 July.  Additions across the weekend include Earth, Wind & Fire, Little Mix, Wiz Kid, B Smyth, Dream Mclean, Joey Bada$$ and Sinead Harnett.

Tickets for Sunday 14 July headlined by Legends of The Summer featuring Justin Timberlake and JAY Z – a special preview of their North American Stadium Tour – are available but selling fast, www.wirelessfestival.com Tickets for Friday 12 July (headlined by Justin Timberlake) and Saturday 13 July (Headlined by JAY Z) are now sold out.

FRIDAY 12 JULY

Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, Trey Songz, John Legend, Miguel, Ke$ha, Wretch 32, Conor Maynard, special guest Frank Ocean, Bingo Players, Sub focus, Zane Lowe (DJ set), Bluey Robinson, Drop City, Yacht Club, Fazer, Mikky Ekko, A*M*E, Mat Zo, Waka Flocka Flame, Phlo Finister, Wiz Kid, Little Mix, B Smyth Flume, Chloe Howl, Jacob Banks, Joel Compass, Kat Dahlia, Ed Drewett, Raleigh Ritchie, Tom Prior

 

SATURDAY 13 JULY

JAY Z, Emeli Sande, Rita Ora, Kendrick Lamar, Miguel, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, DJ Fresh/Live, Special guest Calvin Harris, Flux Pavilion, Zedd, Iggy Azalea, Devlin, Taboo, Watsky, Mikill Pane, Clean Bandit, JAKWOB, Logic, Drop City Yacht Club, Joel Compass, Earth WInd & Fire, Dream Mclean, Cherub, Monsta, Rascals, Phlo Finister, Roses Gabor, Knytronium, Etta Bond x Raf Riley

 

SUNDAY 14 JULY

Justin Timberlake and JAY Z LEGENDS OF THE SUMMER STADIUM TOUR, A Tribe Called Quest, NAS, A$AP Rocky, Jessie Ware, Rizzle Kicks, Drop City Yacht Club, Special guest will.i.am, Katy B, Magnetic Man, 2 Chainz, Porter Robinson, Daley, Misha B, Angel, Giggs, Koan Sound, Jacob Plant, P Money, Charlie Brown, Joey Bada$$, Sinead Harnett, Stylo G, Fuse ODG, B Smyth, Context, MAUSI, Jetta, Joel Compass, Purple Ferdinand, Sasha Keable

 

Ticketing Information:

Tickets for Sunday 14 July – are on sale now and are priced at £75 plus booking fee.

 

Tickets available at www.wirelessfestival.co.uk

 

VIP packages still available across all three days from:

www.wirelessfestival.co.uk

Chipmunk, Alexis Jordan, J. Cole and more for Wireless 2011

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chipmunkChipmunk, Alexis Jordan, Jodie Connor and Dot Rotten join an already sensational line up on Friday 1 July, with Black Eyed Peas headlining and other acts so far confirmed including Plan B, Tine Tempah and David Guetta. Widely considered as one of the best UK grime acts around Chipmunk burst onto the scene in 2009 with his platinum selling debut album ‘I Am Chipmunk…’. He has amassed five top-ten hits on the UK Singles Chart, including the chart topping ‘Oopsy Daisy’, and his highly anticipated second album ‘Transition’ is out soon. One of 2011’s explosive new arrivals, Alexis Jordan, is an 18-year-old pop powerhouse currently tearing up the club & airplay charts in the UK. The former America’s Got Talent finalist, who has the backing of hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, has already scored two top ten UK singles with her insanely catchy pop hits ‘Happiness’ and ‘Good Girl’. Mancunian singer songwriter Jodie Connor and hotly tipped South London MC Dot Rotten are also set to join Friday’s fantastic line-up.

j coleJ.Cole is now confirmed to join headliners The Chemical Brothers on Saturday 2 July, a day which already boasts Chase & Status, Aphex Twin and Janelle Monae amongst others. The first ever artist signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, North Carolina born and bred J. Cole made himself notable when he dropped his recent mixtape The Warm Up, as well as a coveted guest verse on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 with ‘A Star Is Born’. New Orleans rapper Jay Electronica will also hit the stage, a fellow Roc Nation recruit, he has gained widespread critical praise for his lyrically dense performances and soulful tunes. Michael Franti and Spearhead also join the bill, well known for their moving politically charged tunes, they were at the forefront of hip-hop’s renaissance, mixing hip-hop with a unique blend of funk, reggae, jazz, and rock. Also added to Saturday’s enviable line-up is North London’s Modestep, electronic dance act Her Majesty and the Wolves featuring former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt, Maverick Sabre, who appeared on Professor Green’s latest single, and acclaimed DJ James Holroyd.

the pretty recklessHaving recently announced Grace Jones as support for Pulp on 3 July, Wireless with Barclaycard have announced a string of new acts bursting with talent to join the Sunday line up. The Pretty Reckless have already netted a top ten album here in the UK (for 2010’s Light Me Up), featuring Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen they are set to give an amazing performance. Utah rockers Neon Trees will blast out their hard-hitting anthems of adolescent angst with heart-on-the-sleeve passion. Hotly-tipped Nottingham singer songwriter Liam Bailey, who recently hooked up with fellow Wireless with Barclaycard performers Chase & Status on their hit single Blind Faith also joins the bill, along with Californian trio Funeral Party who will deliver their dance inducing spirit. Irish synth-pop rockers Fight Like Apes, London’s electro-pop maestros Clock Opera and Belfast based Cashier No.9 also join Sunday’s storming line-up. 

Lineup announcement for Wireless Festival 2011

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The news of Pulp’s return late last year was met with worldwide excitement and tickets for their only confirmed UK headline performance are selling fast! TV On The Radio, Foals, The Horrors and Metronomy are the first of many big name artists to be announced to play across the Park’s four stages on Sunday 3 July.

 
Brooklyn-based boys TV On The Radio make a long awaited return after a year hiatus. Defined by their mix of post-punk and electronic melody they shot to fame with the self-release of their debut album ‘OK Calculator’.  The band are one of the most innovative bands of the 2000s and have won critical praise across the board, in 2004 they were awarded the prestigious Shortlist Music Prize in the US.  They are currently putting the finishing touches to their sixth studio album, ‘Nine Types of Light’, which is set for release later this year.  Their evocative epic stage show is set to entrance when they hit Wireless with Barclaycard this summer.
 
Oxford quintet Foals arrived in 2008 with the release of their debut album, ‘Antidotes’, which crashed straight into the top ten at number three.  Second album, ‘Total Life Forever’, was released in the UK last year and also debuted in the top ten, it was nominated for the Barclaycard Mercury Music Award and recognised as one of the Top Ten albums of 2010. With their hauntingly gritty tunes and energetic stage presence, Foals are set to put on an unforgettable show.  Hailed as the best band in the country when they exploded onto the UK scene, The Horrors, led by the enigmatic Faris Badwan are sure to perform a show stopping set. Their third album, the follow up to the critically acclaimed ‘Primary Colours’, will be out this year.   The electro-pop charms of Metronomy are certain to get the masses dancing, proving it’s possible for electronic bands to put on shows as mindblowing as any rock band in the process.  The band’s highly anticipated third album, ‘The English Riviera’, is coming soon.
 
With an already enviable array of talent confirmed and many more acts to be announced in the coming weeks Wireless with Barclaycard is set to be jam-packed with the biggest sounds of the summer.
 
Line Up So Far:
 
Friday July 1
The Black Eyed Peas
Plan B
Tinie Tempah
Example 
 
Saturday July 2
The Chemical Brothers
Chase & Status
Aphex Twin
Chromeo
Battles
The Whip
Justin Robertson
Nero
Janelle Monae
 
Sunday July 3
Pulp
Foals
The Horrors
Metronomy
TV On The Radio
 
 
Ticketing Information:
Tickets for Sunday 3 July are priced at £48.50 plus booking fee.  Tickets for Friday 1 July and Saturday 2 July are priced at £49.50 and £48.50 respectively, plus booking fees.
 
Tickets are on sale now at www.wirelessfestival.co.uk 
 
Multi-day tickets are available.  2-day tickets are priced at £92 plus booking fees, and 3-day tickets are priced at £130 plus booking fees.

 

Wireless Festival 2011 headliners announced

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black eyed peas wireless festival 2011Since the release of their first worldwide hit ‘Where Is The Love’ in 2003 The Black Eyes Peas have become a bona fide hip hop phenomenon. The band have sold over 27 million albums and 20 million singles worldwide. Their latest single ‘The Time (Dirty Bit)’, taken from new album ‘The Beginning’, was their fifth single to hit number one here in the UK whilst ‘I Gotta Feeling’, which was out last year, became the first single to sell more than one million downloads in the UK. Renowned for their electrifying live show the band gave a stupendous half time performance at last nights Super Bowl in Dallas, Texas and they recently sold out the 60,000 tickets available for their concert at the legendary Stade de France in a record breaking 60 minutes! With other smash hits including ‘My Humps’, ‘Rock That Body’ and ‘Boom Boom Pow’ the band are set to give an explosive headline performance on Friday 1 July.

chemical brothers wireless festival 2011The Chemical Brothers have forged a career by pushing boundaries. Over the seventeen years since the release of their first single the band have sold millions of copies of their seven studio albums – five of which consecutively hit number 1 in the UK. At the end of last year they were honored with the prestigious Q magazine ‘Hero’ award, they have won multiple Grammy awards and are renowned for their vocal collaborations having worked with a dizzying array of handpicked artists, from Noel Gallagher to Beth Orton, The Flaming Lips to Midlake, Q-Tip to Kele Okereke. Their remarkable new live show, which has been heralded as their most spectacular yet, is set to dazzle the crowds on Saturday 2 July at this years Wireless with Barclaycard.

A stellar line up of artists are already confirmed to join The Black Eyed Peas on Friday 1 July. Last year saw Plan B play to a rammed tent on the second stage, since then his second album ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks’ has become one of the biggest selling albums of 2010. It’s hit the number one spot twice and reached triple platinum sales. He was recently awarded with the ‘Best Breakthrough’ artist at the Q awards, is soon to embark on a sell-out arena tour of the UK, and is confirmed to perform at this years Brits where he is nominated for three awards. The undisputed breakout star of 2010, Tinie Tempah returns to Wireless with Barclaycard for the fourth year in a row. His platinum selling debut album The Disc-Overy topped the album charts last year and so far boasts three hit singles. Nominated for four Brit awards (the most nominations for any one artist this year), and also set to perform at the ceremony, Tinie has earned industry respect well beyond his years. Pop-grime superstar Example will be back in full force this summer, he released his highly anticipated album ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ in 2010 which spawned four Top 20 hits including the infectious ‘Kickstarts’. Friday’s line-up this is set to be a must see event!
Saturday’s headliners The Chemical Brothers will be in fine company. After releasing their Gold debut album ‘More Than A Lot’ in 2008, drum & bass maestros Chase & Status last year boasted two sold out tours, won a Q Award for Best Video and were nominated for the Critics Choice Festival Headliner at the UK Festival Awards. Their highly anticipated second album ‘No More Idols’ was released last month, featuring mind-blowing collaborations with the likes of Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, White Lies, Cee-Lo Green and Plan B. Aphex Twin, the prolific alpha male of electronica, will send a wave of arrhythmic dance through the Hyde Park crowds when he hits the decks nearly 20 years after he released his first ever record, ‘Angalogue Bubblebath’. Hailed for his distinctly experimental approach, Aphex Twin has cemented himself as one of the most inventive and influential figures in contemporary electronic music. Rave-indie band The Whip released their debut album ‘X Marks Destination’ in 2008, the Mancunian four-piece have become an unstoppable force in the electro-indie scene with big stomping dancefloor fillers including ‘Trash’ and ‘Divebomb’. Singer, songwriter and high funkstress Janelle Monae has created a distinctive sound of melded cabaret, hip-hop, rock and soul. Her debut album ‘The ArchAndroid’ was released to widespread acclaim last year and found itself in many critics ‘best albums of 2010’ lists. A truly electrifying performer she is sure to give a thrilling debut performance at this year’s Wireless with Barclaycard. With New York rockers Battles, Canadian electro-funk twosome Chromeo, Mancunian beat shaper Justin Robertson and Hot to trot DJ duo Nero (who won a highly coveted place in the BBC sound of 2011 list) also confirmed Saturday’s line-up so far ensures it will be one non-stop party!

2010’s acclaimed line-up saw headliners P!NK, LCD Soundsystem and Jay-Z perform show stopping sets to tens of thousands in Hyde Park. Previous headliners have included such luminaries as Morrissey, The White Stripes, Kanye West, Daft Punk, New Order and Basement Jaxx. Hyde Park has been home to London’s most sensational summer concerts for over four decades, an iconic location for some of the greatest names in musical history. Acts that have performed include The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Blur, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Roger Waters, The Who, Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and The Police.

Wireless with Barclaycard is a spectacular open-air live music experience in the heart of bustling London. It offers a chance to experience the excitement and watch the best in popular music right on your doorstep; with many more acts and details still to be unveiled, Wireless with Barclaycard 2011 is certain to be the big event on the summer’s musical calendar.

Ticketing Information:
Tickets for Friday 1 July and Saturday 2 July are priced at £49.50 and £48.50 respectively, plus booking fees.

Tickets go on sale for these dates at 9am Friday 11th February at www.wirelessfestival.co.uk

Tickets are on sale now for Sunday 3rd July.

From Friday, multi-day tickets will be available. 2-day tickets will be priced at £92 plus booking fees, and 3-day tickets will be priced at £130 plus booking fees.

Barclaycard customers have the exclusive opportunity to purchase two for one tickets, on sale Wednesday 9th February at 9am via www.barclaycardunwind.com

Vodafone customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale. Get yours from 9am, 9 February at www.vodafone.co.uk/vip

Purchase a Carbon Offset for 50p as an add on to your order to negate the environmental impacts of your travel to and from the festival, these funds will be used to invest in environmental projects in local schools. More details are available on www.wirelessfestival.co.uk
 

 

Drake pulls out of Wireless Festival

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The rap newcomer has had to cancel many of his European dates, and is unfortunately unable to be in the UK over Wireless weekend.

The show must go on however, and with over 50,000 tickets sold and an unbeatable line up including the one and only JAY-Z, his protege J.Cole, pop princess Lily Allen, D12, and a plethora of homegrown urban talent including recent chart toppers Tinie Tempah, Roll Deep and Chipmunk, the event promises to be one not to be missed!