Anna has been a festival fanatic since her first ever outing to Download Festival back in 2001, she's got eclectic tastes and covers everything from metal to EDM and loves a chance to try out new festivals. Anna has covered a few European festivals like Snowbombing and Wacken Open Air, but mainly hits up her UK faves; Download, Bestival and Bloodstock!
We’re very excited indeed to reveal the line-up for legendary beat supremo Shy FX’s Party on the Moon Bollywood takeover.
Bringing the action to a close on Sunday 13th September, the latest in our Bestival’s Summer of Love Bollywood takeover series, the Party on the Moon will see dancefloor lunacy provided by the Digital Soundboy don and Original Nuttah himself, Shy FX going back to back with some very special guests, who we can guarantee will send you into orbit, with microphone control courtesy of MC Stamina.
There will also be sublime moves on the ones and twos from chart-conquering musical polymath Mark Ronson, multi-platinum recording artist Craig David presenting his much admired TS5, the Leonine be-locked Lion Babe and Chloe Martini taking on Sinead Harnett.
From old skool tear-ups to thoroughly modern floor-spankers, Shy FX’s Party on the Moon is a sure-fire celestial end to our Summer of Love that’s not to be missed.
An entire weekend of sunshine is an absolute rarity during British summertime, but a weekend at Bloodstock Open Air where you’re not at risk of trench-foot even more so. This year’s BOA, hidden in the depths of Derbyshire at Catton Hall is awash with lobster-faced metalheads having a ruddy good time, and the kind of lineup that is set to shake your bones.
Taking a little tour of the arena shops and eateries you can get your hands on pretty much anything your little black heart desires, from limited edition vinyl to second hand band tees to support The Teenage Cancer Trust or a huge portion of brisket-inna-bun from The Texas Smokery. People are whizzing around on fairground dodgems or being shot up into the air in a bungee cage with unrivalled glee, it’s just a shame for Sophie Stage Bands that have to compete with the blaring music coming from the rides. One such band is German power metallers Messiah’s Kiss who’s tight-pants, crimped-hair and solid rocking set is unfortunately overshadowed by the twister ride’s expulsion of Welcome to the Jungle.
Donning the traditional black metal corpse paint the indiscernible growling of Belphegor is pretty one-dimensional overall, though die-hard fans crowd the front, the main contingent of the arena is set on lounging around with ice-creams, hitting each other with blow up guitars or having a good old nap. Enslaved come with a rockier shred-heavy edge yelling to the sunbaked crowd “We are Enslaved from Norway, Hello Bloodstock England!” before Ihsahn (of Emperor fame) takes to the main stage with his own brand of black metal prog. For such an unassuming quiet sort, he certainly knows how to captivate a crowd, but unfortunate technical difficulties (or is it perfectionism?) seem to put him on the back foot from the off, it’s clear he’s not happy with the sound.
Hyperactive Jersey boys Overkill were a huge hit last time they graced BOA and this year is no different, coming in loud and confident they proceed to blast through their brilliant screechy eighties thrash set yelling “We are your cousins from Jersey, whether you like it or not!” and doling out some serious face-melting guitar solos. I am I with former Dragonforce vocalist ZP Theart gather a decent crowd on the Sophie Stage, but it’s Swedish extroverts Sabaton who take the prize for best of the day on the main stage, with their huge stage set. What’s not to love about a band who sets their drummer atop a tank which actually fires pink pyro? With matching camo-trousers, black ops vests and mirrored aviators they could have walked right out of a 90’s Smash Hits boyband centerfold but luckily for all involved they sound considerably better and it’s a wave of flame cannons, ticker tape explosions and full throttle heavy metal. Joking around the crowd chant of ‘Ikea’ is quickly picked up as frontman Joakim Brodén tries to sell his bandmate “If you want this guy, you can find him in the Ikea catalogue. He comes this big… and you fold him out. He comes under number 666 I guess…” before dropping into fan favourite ‘Swedish Pagans’. Following Sabaton’s explosive finale, as has become BOA festival tradition, the first band of the 2016 line-up is announced to be homegrown heroes Venom, to a massive roar from the crowd.
As hot day turns into chilly night, Trivium hit the stage to an intro of Maiden’s iconic Run to the Hills, giving everyone a chance to air guitar it out and warm up a bit. With twin creepy skull things hovering above the stage (they sort of look like Frank the dead bunny from Donnie Darko…) and blasting smoke cannons, the sound is the clearest it has been all day, and Trivium give a good solid, if not exactly awe inspiring mix of old hits and new material. Technical difficulties cause havoc for guitarist Corey Beaulieu who misses playing the first two songs due to “getting electrocuted by [his] microphone” and soon after throws the mic stand claiming “my face is getting shocked to shit!”. Despite the setback ‘Becoming the Dragon’ and ‘Strife’ get a small circle pit going and they finish strong on ‘Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr’ to cheers, despite the fairly thin crowd in front of them.
Saturday sees another corpse-painted posse 1349 bring some doom and gloom to an otherwise sunny day, everyone seems to be loving ‘Atomic Chapel’ but it’s all a bit hard to take seriously in the nice weather and I kind of want someone to tell them it looks like they haven’t rubbed their suncream in properly. Plenty of panda-faced people with yesterday’s sunburn and hangover-applied mascara actually look sort of similar. Finnish folk-metallers and lords of the extraordinarily tight-pants, Korpiklaani are unashamedly fun and upbeat. You can’t beat a good silly jig around in a field with your mates, toasting with ales from hollowed out horns, and Korpiklaani bring exactly that to the party. With a giant inflatable football making its way across the crowd and super catchy ‘Vodka’ (or Wodka as they seem to say it) they just put the life back into the arena after a sleepy afternoon.
Local lads Napalm Death always bring the noise, frontman Mark "Barney" Greenway looks like a toddler having a rage tantrum but the sentiment is as usual anti-establishment for ‘When All is Said and Done’ and ‘Scum’ and it is pure gritty energy. 25 years after their last time in the UK, thrashers Dark Angel lead some sweaty circle pits with doom riffs and serious shredding a pretty big crowd has turned out to hear them play and give some crowd-surfing a go.
Last time Opeth played BOA, there was a definite lack of spark and a pretty sparse turnout, but today, this is the aligning of the powers that be and they are joined on stage by the perfect sunset for their eerie but beautiful music. Opeth greet the mesmerised crowd “Good evening… er where are we… Derby. Good evening England. We came all the way from Stockholm Sweden to play for you… which takes a long time if you’re walking like we do.” and joke about a night out after mixing their record here some time ago, and getting fish, chips and a glass of milk. Countering, the crowd keep up the earlier joke of chanting ‘Ikea’ only to hear back “Are you saying Ikea? It’s Swedish… is that what they’re saying? Why not, I have a shitload of Ikea furniture at home. You know Volvo too? Also Swedish…” and they finish up with epic ‘Deliverance’.
Back in the olden days (ten long years ago) when Bloodstock was a little metal fest held in the Derby Assembly Rooms, tonight’s headliner Within Temptation blew our metaphorical socks off. Back tonight with an epic stage set and a number of costume changes the symphonic melodic metallers soar to new heights. Dressed in a white PVC bustier, black pleated skirt and some sort of binbag-esque cape, Sharon headbangs her way through the set with so much energy it’s amazing that she never breaks song once, the vocals are immaculate and when she stops to mention that guitarist Stefan “…had an accident last week, he has a bruised rib. He’s trying his best, he’s here for you tonight” a roar of approval is elicited from the now densely packed crowd. ‘Our Solemn Hour’ and the refrain “Sanctus Espiritus” have even the clueless chanting along and the energy the band exudes is infectious. With the full force of ‘Stand My Ground’ ringing through the arena, bursts from flame cannons and an elevated platform for lead vocalist Sharon to run around on top of, it’s clear this band mean business. With the addition of some fringed arm gauntlets, a cellist and the help of some smoke cannons the band sail through their jam packed set, with Sharon pausing to ask “This is a male dominated festival… where the girls at?”. Whilst she could of course be talking about the sea of people in front of her, it is a good question raised at the overwhelmingly male dominated main stage acts this year.
Unfortunately a massive sound blunder befalls the unlucky band as they try and fail to start ‘Ice Queen’ once, twice and then “You wanna try for a third time? You sure? Okay, third time it goes otherwise I’m going to skip it… maybe this song is cursed!” yes, you guessed it – on the drop for the third time the PA completely loses its shit again. Of all the places for this to happen though, Britain absolutely love an underdog. The crowd cheers on through a massive drum solo and stick it out for massive finale with ‘Covered by Roses’ and the incredible ‘Mother Earth’. Floating above the stage in a billowy white cape Sharon calls out “We waited ten years to come back here, thank you so much for having us”, and we hope it won’t be another ten years before we see them here again.
You could definitely do worse for your hangover than starting Sunday off with a big old heap of Orange Goblin, who rock the cobwebs right out of your dusty ear-holes, but its Pro-Pain’s chuggy steam roller metal that instantly blows a speaker with their heavy riffs. It’s a pretty good sized crowd in the arena but the effects of possible liver damage and sunstroke seem to be weighing heavy today. Luckily Sepultura are on hand to deliver a downright dirty and dark set, with rolling drum and a celebration of their thirty year anniversary.
Finnish fury Ensiferum take to the stage with a melodic Viking style intro and proceed to windmill their hair in dangerous ways, but the ever creepy Cannibal Corpse really dig deep into the weirdness, singing songs about “shooting blood from your cock” and growling at the crowd “Don’t sit around rubbing your girlfriend’s tits and ass, she’s not here to look at you… she’s here for ME!”.
With all the dark and heavy stuff that’s graced the stage this weekend, it’s a nice change of pace to have Black Label Society providing the rockier edge, and Zakk Wylde sporting a signature flamboyant guitar is as ever shred-heavy and brilliant. Following BLS Bloodstock’s second band announcement for 2016 is revealed to be epic 2012 headliner, Behemoth.
As the skies darken on the final night of Bloodstock 2015 and the painted up zombies come out to play, the stage comes alive with the monstrous legends of film on huge backdrops for headliner Rob Zombie. Whilst this isn’t the stage sets we’ve become accustomed to seeing at bigger festivals, it allows Rob to really showcase himself as the attraction. With some serious dance moves, a good bit of lunge-work and some fairly seductive gyrating, he’s a force to be reckoned with. The rowdy frontman rocks hobo-chic in a way that makes you think vomiting in your own dreadlocks and sleeping in a bog look like it might actually be a good fashion choice, but the music is what’s really pulling us in tonight. No-nonsense gut busting drums, huge riffs and dirrrrty lyrics is what takes Rob Zombie from comedy metal to genius, and absolutely everyone is going full throttle mental for ‘Living Dead Girl’. Especially the female zombies in the audience who actually are living dead girls tonight. A little bit of James Brown funk thrown into the mix does no harm “You can’t listen to metal all day right?” says Rob (and really, who doesn’t want to see Rob Zombie studio-54 it up whilst singing about being a Sex Machine?). Rob is also suitably impressed at the calibre of crowd surfing in the UK “That’s some crazy fucking crowd surfing using a couch… I remember when it was a chair, now it’s a sofa?!”.
Mass crowd pogo-ing, chants of “We wanna fuckin party” and LED lit guitars all add to the spectacle, but it’s being told that “The past few years doing shows in the UK have been some of the most fun we’ve had in twenty fucking years” that really gets us to put our hearts on our sleeves for Rob Zombie, we know Rob, we know we’re awesome at metal. You’re welcome.
Kicking out big blow up balloons into the crowd and dropping a cheeky Ramones cover (Hey Ho, Let’s Go – Blitzkrieg Bop obviously) is great but still doesn’t hold sway against classic (and Guitar Hero favourite) White Zombie song ‘Thunder Kiss ‘65’ as the call goes out for “All the young people, put your hands in the air. Now turn around and wave at all the old people in the back. Remember when you used to stand in front?”. A little snippet of fellow gore loving metal icon Alice Cooper’s ‘School’s Out’ is snuck in alongside a huge guitar solo, played on the tiniest guitar ever and after a short encore Rob Zombie return for an encore in matching Union Jack trench coats to a massive roar of appreciation from the crowd. We might not be the most outwardly patriotic of countries, but damn do we love it when those treasonous scallywag Americans decide to rock our flag.
Closing out the night with firm favourite ‘Dragula’ is the perfect note to end on, and happy little rotten-to-the-core metalheads go forth into the night satiated after rounds of raucous applause and chants of ‘Zombie’. It’s been an incredible set, night and weekend for Bloodstock-goers and with next year’s tantalising announcements, there are sure to be immediate ticket sales during tomorrow’s early bird release. So it’s with a heavy but happy heart that we doff our caps/bandanas/horned helmets and Stetsons to the BOA organisers and look forward to more exciting announcements about next year’s lineup.
Bestival’s Summer of Love is all about going back to our roots. It’s about remembering all the things that got us super-excited about our amazing festival life in the first place, and one of our true loves that’s floated our boat since day dot is off-the-wall carnival action. So we’re massively thrilled to be able to announce a brilliant, brand new attraction for 2015 – Carnivale!
Our king of the carnival, Rob da Bank says: “We all know Besti-goers love a good party and any excuse to dress up, so gradually over the years we’ve been building our carnival activity up, till this year things have just gone off the scale with a fantastic Arts Council grant enabling us to put on our biggest carnival ever, and to have a mega pirate ship base for everything carnival to operate from. Combine that with our annual Saturday afternoon parade, and brand new illuminated night parades, soundtracked by yours truly, then things are going to go well and truly crazy for carnival this year!”
Produced by Kirsty Henderson in collaboration with Bestival and one of Europe’s leading and most original carnival groups, Shademakers, Carnivale is situated smack bang in the wonderland that is the Wishing Tree Field. Featuring a huge pirate ship stage with a cast of oddball performers and dancers providing mind-bending entertainment all weekend long, prepare to be bowled over by all manner of amusements, from morning shakedowns and eye-catching exploits, to our Carnival Day Parade and our incredible Night Parades. Plus, there’s an inviting workshop tent where you can get involved in the madness, learning mysterious carnival arts and making your own costumes. An enchanted hive of the unanticipated, Shademakers menagerie of wild and wonderful creations will scamper through the crowds, as Commedia Dell’Arte inspired pirates romp from the rigging, and acrobatic monkeys scale the heights, all as carnival music from around the world, sea shanties and drums fill the air.
Visit the Carnivale’s rhubarb and custard big top, and experience the Galleon Gallery, join in with the creative workshops, make a mask, flag, lantern or withy sculpture, or have your face painted as a cherub or glittery devil! Watch or take part in the many dance and musical workshops… Have you danced to tikitak, played the spoons or a kazoo? There will also be a History of Carnival exhibition where you can kick back and watch some stunning film footage of carnivals from around the world and discover the history of the truly fantastic costumes on display – come and be inspired to join the Carnival!
Whatever you do, don’t miss this year’s Day Parade with more sparkle, more music and more energetically colourful performances than ever before thanks to some of the UK’s top carnival companies. A collaboration across several art forms, the gates to the Carnivale will burst open and the fields of Bestival will be filled with one big summer of love explosion and the joy of the carnival featuring Spandy Andy, Sink the Pink, Mr Wilson's Second Liners, Mariachi El Pinche Grin Go, Shademakers, Area 51, Cirque Bijou, Emergency Exit Arts, Batala Portsmouth, Kinetika Bloco, Mandinga Arts, Preston Carnival, Brouhaha, New Carnival Company, VIP Puppets, Artemis, Quture, CTD Dance Company, Rainbow Connections, Utopia Mas, The Love Float (a collaboration between Shademakers and the IOW Police Volunteer Cadet Force) and The Parlour Make Up, all rocking along to an amazing soundtrack designed especially for the occasion by the man himself, Rob da Bank.
Each night as the sun sets over Bestival, our carnival revellers will come out to play in nocturnal disguise for our glorious Night Parades commissioned by Bestival in association with Roundhouse, Gideon Reeling and Shademakers. Cast your eyes to the horizon and watch as illuminated dancers appear, spreading their glorious wings, marvel as ethereal beings float past your eyes, radiating joy into the Bestival twilight. Heading for the hills of Slow Motion, they’ll gather together there to perform their Rituals of Love, in a spellbindingly wondrous display replete with a jaw-dropping fire finale that will enrapture anyone lucky enough to witness it.
Witness the Spirits of the Summer of Love, here to spread their message of freedom and joy, and to capture you in their playful web, as they dance their way through the festival. And keep an eye out in the Ambient Forest for the spirits as the wonderful Gideon Reeling and The Roundhouse team up to sprinkle magic and a bucket-load of love throughout the thickets, clad in the glorious flamboyant creations of Shademakers Carnival Costumiers.
It’s fever pitch over at BLOODSTOCK HQ with just over two weeks to go! That doesn’t stop one last HUGE announcement of bands who’ll be joining the Catton Park bill!
Picking up the last Ronnie James Dio main stage slot on Saturday are Brit metal merauders, SAVAGE MESSIAH. Get a taster of their sound with the video for ‘Hellblazer’, taken from current Earache Records album, ‘The Fateful Dark’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMLgbl7yU98.
A wealth of successful ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ winners also line up for the New Blood stage. On Friday, you can bang your head to the Bristol final winners, MORTISHEAD (www.facebook.com/mortishead), Nottingham’s winners, FORGOTTEN REMAINS (www.facebook.com/forgottenremainsband) and KRYOCELL (www.facebook.com/kryocell). On Saturday, we have the victors from the Manchester, Wales, Burnley and Corby finals; AMETHYST (www.facebook.com/aovuk), CHAOS TRIGGER (www.facebook.com/chaostrigger), BLOODYARD (www.facebook.com/bloodyard666) and FROM EDEN TO EXILE (www.facebook.com/fromedenttoexile). Sunday’s bill swells with the inclusion of Oxford’s winners, HELLS GAZELLES (www.facebook.com/hellsgazelles), Birmingham’s victors, BURDEN OF THE NOOSE (www.facebook.com/burdenofthenoose666), plus Nottingham’s SPIRYTUS and the Black Country’s LEFT FOR RED (www.facebook.com/leftforreduk).
Joining the Jagermeister stage bill on Friday are Leicester death metallers, FOUL BODY AUTOPSY , Brum heavy metal beasts THE MIGHTY WRAITH and Notts stoner grunge squad, WITCHTRIPPER. Saturday sees the addition of Kettering’s symphonic metal outfit, DIVINE SOLACE and Blackpool death metal machine, CIRCLE SPECTRE HAUNTING. Also added on Sunday are Bristol prog metallers ENDEAVOUR, Norwich thrashers KILLER HURTS and Wigan hard rockers, BIG FOOT.
BLOODSTOCK is also pleased to announce its partnership with TEENAGE CANCER TRUST for the fifth year in a row. Since kicking off a relationship in 2011, over £21,000 has been raised for the charity, with the money going to help the UK’s teenagers & young adults with cancer. To celebrate hitting the £20k mark and this special anniversary, this year we’ve set a fundraising target of £12,500 so we need your help to shatter that! Once again the charity will have a stall in the market area, where you can purchase Teenage Cancer Trust merchandise and join in the popular ‘T-Shirt Amnesty’ (clear some drawer space and bring your unwanted band t-shirts to donate or swap). There are also three very special raffle prizes up for grabs. On Friday, you could meet headliners TRIVIUM and watch their first three songs side of stage, while on Saturday, WITHIN TEMPTATION offer the same prize. On Sunday, one lucky winner could be taking home a black gloss BC Rich Warlock Edge guitar, signed by 2014 BLOODSTOCK headliners, DOWN. To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is purchase a raffle ticket for £1 at the charity stand, so stop by, pick up a ticket and be in with a chance of winning.
BLOODSTOCK HQ is a-buzz with activity with just over three weeks to go! There’s still more bands to announce and we also welcome the return of the brutal-yet-amazing ‘Battle Of The Nations UK’ historical fighting team!
The New Blood stage on Friday sees a brace of additions; Hertfordshire melodic death metal outfit and Luton ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ finals winner, COUNTLESS SKIES (www.facebook.com/countlessskies) and Gothenburg, Sweden’s WE ARE THE CATALYST (www.facebook.com/WATCofficial) – who also won DELAIN’s competition with Metal Hammer magazine to win a support slot on the Dutch symphonic rockers’ UK tour. Joining the New Blood bill on Saturday are Midlands-based prog metallers, MARTYR DE MONA (www.facebook.com/martyrdemona, groove metal outfit and Norwich M2TM winners, SOULBORN (www.facebook.com/soulborn) and self-proclaimed ‘hobo sludge’ gang and Reading’s M2TM winners, VICTORIAN WHORE DOGS (www.facebook.com/VWDBAND). Sunday welcomes London death metallers SKARTHIA (www.facebook.com/skarthia), hard rock funk/schplunk metal men and London final M2TM winners, WRETCHED TOAD (www.facebook.com/wretchedtoad) and lastly, the winners of the ‘Metal To The Masses’ Hobgoblin online video upload competition, Newcastle groove metal beasts, TOMBSTONE CROW (www.facebook.com/tombstonecrowofficial).
Over on the Jagermeister Stage on Friday, hard rock four-piece CITY OF THIEVES (www.facebook.com/cityofthievesuk) join the fray. On Saturday, the blues-based rockers PIG IRON (www.facebook.com/pigironmc) grab a slot, as well as stoner/sludge squad, MORASS OF MOLLASSES (www.facebook.com/MorassOfMolasses) and straight out of Valhalla, the truest of true cover bands, HANOWAR (www.facebook.com/Hanowartruemetal); a bit like Manowar, but…well, you do the math! Lastly for this announcement, Sunday sees horror-metal punksters, THE HELL PUPPETS (www.facebook.com/hellpuppets) join the Jager bill. Final additions to all stages will be announced next week!!
There’s plenty more on site to see and do besides watching the awesome bill! Returning this year for Friday-Sunday are the very popular BATTLE OF THE NATIONS UK historical fighting team! These guys have to be seen to be believed. Catch their regular ‘demonstrations’ (read: ‘full-on’, no-holds-barred fighting with broadswords, maces and plenty of other historical weaponry) in their designated pen in the main arena.
All these stellar bands are on the bill! Friday’s headliner TRIVIUM and special guests SABATON, Saturday’s headliner WITHIN TEMPTATION and special guests OPETH, Sunday’s headliner ROB ZOMBIE and special guests BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, plus CANNIBAL CORPSE, IHSAHN, SEPULTURA, ORANGE GOBLIN, DEATH D.T.A, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, 1349, NAPALM DEATH, DARK ANGEL, ARMORED SAINT, BELPHEGOR, OVERKILL, ENSIFERUM, AGALLOCH, KORPIKLAANI, PRO-PAIN, ENSLAVED, RAGING SPEEDHORN, XERATH and WOLF. Over on the Sophie Lancaster stage, there’s headliners DELAIN, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, GODFLESH and ARNOCORPS, LAWNMOWER DETH, MORDRED, ETHEREAL, ONSLAUGHT, OAF, CONAN, PLANET OF ZEUS, GODSIZED, plus many many more.
She’s the best around with the crazy style and her music makes us lose control, so we’re unutterably excited to announce that the incredible Missy Elliott will be headlining Sunday night at our Summer of Love in a European festival exclusive. One of the greatest artists of all time, and a true musical innovator, we couldn’t be more ecstatic that she’s coming to Robin Hill for her first UK show in nine years, and what is destined to be one of the most epic Bestival finales of all time. Ever.
Commenting on her headline appearance, Missy Elliott said: “I'm very excited to be performing at Bestival this year! I can't wait to see all my fans I haven't seen in some time… new ones and my day one fans! We are gonna have a blast together! Bring your dancing outfits and kicks!”
Bestival b-boy Rob da Bank says: “So, putting the final pieces together for the world’s most intricate jigsaw puzzle that is Bestival, I’m mighty proud to announce our Sunday headliner Missy Elliott. Needing no introduction Missy is the epitome of hip-hop royalty, the first lady of party-starting club bangers and a downright legend. I cannot wait to watch the most successful female rap artist ever to Work It at Bestival 2015!”
Hailing from Portsmouth (calm down Pompey crew, not that one) in Virginia, Missy Elliott is one of music’s most successful MCs, songwriters, and producers. She’s racked up five Grammy awards, one double platinum and four platinum albums, and over 166 awards from VMAs to MOBOs and beyond, but more importantly she drops bombs. With tight beats and sick flows, Missy is a one-woman hit machine, who has had pop music’s greats including Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Beyoncé queueing up to work with her.
Her production innovation has had a huge impact on music globally, firing out guilt edged monsters by the truckload from The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly), Hot Boyz and Get Ur Freak On to Work It, Pass The Dutch and Lose Control the stamp of her influence can be heard loud and clear to this day. Her surprise guest appearance at this year’s Super Bowl was mind-shatteringly amazing and blew us all completely away, proving that she’s just as vital right now as she ever has been, and you know she really is gonna work it for the final Bestival main stage set of the year. Joining Underworld, Duran Duran and the Chemical Brothers to complete 2015s set of headliners, Missy’s not just big in the game she’s unparalleled, and we really couldn’t be more ridiculously overjoyed that she’s coming to Bestival. So don’t you dare go home early, this is gonna be legendary.
The very lifeblood of Bestival is new music. A passion that runs deep within the entire Bestival team, our head honcho Rob da Bank’s knack for spotting the most exciting new bands known to humanity is legendary, and has seen Bestival history littered with debut, or very early, festival appearances by some of what are now the world’s biggest acts. These days cunningly entitled the Invaders of the Future Stage, our new music mecca is where you need to be this September 10-13 at Robin Hill, if you want to see the next big thing before they become stadium-filling mega-stars.
A very modern Rob da Bank says: “OK, so this has to be my favourite stage at Bestival. It’s the beating heart of what Bestival is about – breaking new talent and exposing the undercard. It takes me about six months to book, on and off, wondering who the next wave of breaking bands are going to be, and trying to get the right mix of electronic, folk, soul and indie, dub and grime… and already I can see loads of these acts being on much bigger stages next year. Everyone from Ed Sheeran and Alt-J to Kate Tempest have played early gigs on this stage. So, from the wildly different sounds of Ratboy and Lion Babe, to The Skints, Clarence Clarity and the Island’s very own Plastic Mermaids, I promise you, this is the sound of the future”.
Currently causing a stir for those in the know there will be music from West London’s forward thinking alt. rockers All This Noise, our BBC Introducing twin Bearcubs, quirky funkers Boxed In, Ventnor duo Champs, singer-songwriter Clarence Clarity, Leeds five-piece Eagulls, folky grunger Eaves, gothabillys Eighteen Nightmares at the Lux, funk-inspired twosome Ekkah and sibling double act Formation.
We’ll also have punk rockers Girlpool, Norwich’s own Graceland, Glasgow pair Honeyblood, future-soulsters Honne, North London sisterly trio Jagaara, Manchester folky JJ Hodari, synth classicists Kate Simko & London Electronic Orchestra, rude boy Kiko Bun, BRIT school alumni Kimberly Anne and erstwhile Late of the Pier dude LA Priest.
Don’t miss out on fiery electro-ravers LIA:Life Imitates Art, singing cellist Laura Moody, Pharrell Williams collaborators Lion Babe, beat slayer Mura Musa, the woozy, bluesy Palace, Isle of Wight sons Plastic Mermaids, and Polar Maps, NYCs Ratboy, soulful popsters Real Lies, the super-seductive Secaina Hudson and intricately melodic people Shelter Point.
And be sure to catch those down-to-Mars girls Skinny Girl Diet, Bridie Monds-Watson AKA SOAK, Grime MC Stormzy, ambitious rockers The Bohicas, reggae-ska-dub-punk-hip-hoppers The Skints, indie troubadours The Slow Show, alt. popster Thomston, stratospheric-folk five-piece To Kill A King, Irish pop-rockers Walking on Cars and south coast psyche-surfers Wild Smiles. Giving a leg-up to the stars of tomorrow, the Invaders of the Future stage is where you might just discover your new favourite band.
With over 25 stages, revolutionary soundsystems, zombie love-ins, psychedelic woodland adventures, 24-hour free haircuts, and a host of dazzling new attractions, Bestival’s Summer of Love is already looking pretty damn fit. But as ever, we want to get everyone we love involved, including this rather sultry bunch of musical marvels that will have you rockin’ Robin Hill all weekend long this September 10-13.
Love commando Rob da Bank says: “I’m well excited with this new batch of acts we’re announcing tonight. With so many identikit festivals about with similar acts and bills I’m proud that 12 years on we don’t go with the flow. If the indie amazingness of Drenge isn’t your bag then grimy faceslaps from Skepta and Wiley might be, and if you’re insane and don’t like the legendary junglist brilliance of Roni Size and his live Reprazent show then perhaps, just perhaps, you’ll be singing ‘to me, to you, to me, to you’ whilst dancing in a pair of ill-fitting tropical shorts to the Chuckle Brothers. No matter what, there’s plenty more fish in the sea to come, as our Summer of Love really starts to heat up. See you down the front.”
Bringing on the love with big fat beats, we’ll have main stage appearances from grime pioneer Wiley, who completely smashed it as our secret guest in 2012, plus the unstoppable skank machine, Dub Pistols.
Dub Pistols legend Barry Ashworth commented: “The Highlight of the year for us will always be playing Bestival, this year we are back on the main stage, it doesn’t get bigger than that, and if that’s not enough you can always catch me spinning tracks and drinking in the Sunday Best Cardboard Record Shop! There’s only one Bestival!”
Not quite true, Barry, there are two Bestivals, but we know what you mean! Big love to all our Canadian brethren! More Isle of Wight-based Bestival main stage action will come from cool chanteuse Gabrielle Aplin, sing-along faves Dodgy, and the Isle of Wight’s own Xockha and Yrslf.
Old blue, Bestival’s beloved Big Top will be playing host to some mighty sounds this summer, too, including the much requested return of Joseph Junior Adenuga AKA Skepta and an absolute must-see live set from drum n bass hero Roni Size & Reprazent. We’ll also have recently expanded noiseniks Drenge, our favourite scratch master DJ Yoda Presents: Breakfast of Champions, with his brand new hip-hop band busting up the Big Top live, and then the man himself will be taking on Bollywood for a typically special DJ set, and we’ll have one of the coolest bands ever to grace a festival, Sunday Best favourites, the utterly incomparable Kitty Daisy & Lewis.
Commenting on their latest Bestival appearance, Kitty Daisy & Lewis uttered as one: “We’re so excited to be coming to Bestival again this year, we always have a great time. Sunday Best know how to throw a festival!”
The Big Top will also welcome a high-voltage rock assault from Dinosaur Pile-Up, plus sets from Kero Kero Bonito, Lloyd Yates, Seafret and – we’re not sure it’s possible to express quite how excited we are about this – The Chuckle Brothers! Yes, it’ll be history in the making with be-mulleted slapstick to me, to you. CAN. NOT. WAIT.
As if all that wasn’t enough to get you all giddy with joy, he was one of the smash hits acts that started our summer in finest style at Common People, so we’re extremely pleased that turntable ninja, Jaguar Skills, will be joining us to destroy the dancefloor at The Port.
47SOUL / ALICE JEMIMA / ANDY VOTEL PRESENTS TWISTED NERVE / BADOW / COCO AND THE BUTTERFIELDS / ESTHER JOY LANE / FICKLE FRIENDS / FLIGHT BRIGADE / GALLOWS GHOST / GECKO / GOLDRAY / L.A SALAMI / LAZLO / LAUCAN / LUCKY ELEPHANT / MISPERS / PORT ISLA / SAMUEL WALWYN / SHANTY / SOLKO / SOLAR BEARS / THE EPHEMERALS / THE FONTANAS / WILL VARLEY / XYLAROO
AMBIENT FOREST & WONKY DISCO DJs:
APIENTO / BALEARIC GABBA SOUNDSYSTEM / CHRIS COCO / DANNY WHITEHEAD / DAVE SEAMAN / FLYING WHITE DOTS / MOJO FILTER / NICK WARREN / OLAF STUUT / PAUL GODFREY (MORCHEEBA) PETE GOODING / PHIL DOCKERTY / PHIL MISON / PHIL SOUTH / STEVE COBBY / STILL:LIFE / THYTHE / TOM MISCH
MORNING CHAKRA SHAKE-DOWNS WITH SESSIONS BY FRAME:
BOXFIT / 80s AEROBICS / DANCEFIT / JANE FONDA TRIBUTE / DYNAMIC STRETCH / ASS & ABS / GET LEGGY / YOGA-LATES / HIP-HOP AEROBICS
Our brand new arena, Slow Motion, is all about taking the festival experience to a whole new plane, creating a festival within a festival dedicated to connecting mind and body. As part of that trip we’re super-excited about our brand new psychotropic stage attraction, The Kaleidoscope. Featuring energising morning pursuits, pastoral musical vibes by day, wonky disco joys into the night and rapturous bespoke animations to amuse the mind’s eye, the Kaleidoscope stage will add a whole new dimension to Bestival’s bag this 10-13 September at Robin Hill Country Park.
Summer lover Rob da Bank says: “I’m more excited about our new Slow Motion festival within a festival than I have been about a new area at Bestival for years. Add to that the fact that Mrs da Bank has invented a new, insanely cool audio-visual stage called The Kaleidoscope, and I’m ready to pop… The Kaleidoscope will be populated by a mix of the best ambient, electronica and chill-out DJs known to man, offset by folk, soul, psychedelia and new wave electronic rhythms. Prepare to get horizontal and vertical all at the same time…”
Brimful of prismatic pleasures, by day the Kaleidoscope will be the place to catch synesthesic sounds from right across the musical spectrum, including sets from 47Soul, Alice Jemima, Andy Votel presents Twisted Nerve, Badow, CoCo and the Butterfields, Esther Joy Lane, Fickle Friends, Flight Brigade, Gallows Ghost, Gecko, Goldray, L.A Salami, Lazlo, Laucan, Lucky Elephant, Mispers, Port Isla, Samuel Walwyn, Shanty, Solko, Solar Bears, The Ephemerals, The Fontanas, Will Varley and Xylaroo.
When night falls, it’s woozy does it, by way of the Ambient Forest, as our consciousness-expanding circle of selectors take charge of the ones and twos at Wonky Disco time. Geared up to induce epic mind excursions, bathed in psyche-twisting light projections, our vibrantly vivid visions will be soundtracked with polychromatic inspiration from Apiento, Balearic Gabba Soundsystem, Chris Coco, Danny Whitehead, Dave Seaman, Flying White Dots, Mojo Filter, Nick Warren, Olaf Stuut, Paul Godfrey (Morcheeba), Pete Gooding, Phil Dockerty, Phil Mison, Phil South, Steve Cobby, Still:Life, Thythe and Tom Misch.
And for the truly enlightened Bestivalites, the Kaleidoscope stage will host morning gatherings to warm up your senses and get that all-important chakra shake down with sessions by Frame, including Boxfit, 80s Aerobics, Dancefit, a Jane Fonda Tribute, Dynamic Stretch, Ass & Abs, Get Leggy, Yoga-Lates and Hip-Hop Aerobics, plus the wonderful AcroYogaDance.
A varicoloured world of joy at the heart of Slow Motion, the Kaleidoscope is a mesmerising delight not to be missed.
Bank holiday weekend in Southampton, all the cool kids are down at the beach right? Wrong. This weekend there’s a new festival on the scene brought to you by the wonderful wizards behind Bestival and Camp Bestival and it’s called Common People. Held on the beautiful Southampton Common smack bang in the middle of town, it’s easy to get to and find places to stay, family friendly and with an eclectic line-up sure to please each and every person in your squad.
Saturday sees the likes of George The Poet energising the main stage whilst the rolling thunder of The Portsmouth Batala band is going strong in the foodie area, and people are soaking up the sunshine and sipping pitchers of cocktails on the grass. Around the corner from the Uncommon stage hides the exciting kids area, featuring a tiny chair-carousel, a massive inflatable slide and a whole host of activities from crafts to stilt walking. A group of dads are also haphazardly trying to one-up each other with their hula-hooping skills.
Over on the main stage The South Sea Alternative Choir are looking decidedly mod but are banging out some classic covers from the likes of The Beatles and Blur. The VIP area is awash with sunbathing bodies on the woven canopy beds and the arena is starting to fill up for the masked Ninja DJ, Jaguar Skills. Jag’s set starts out loud and heavy, mixing in his musical influences and pop culture references, The Prodigy’s ‘Omen’ makes an appearance, as does the festival’s (already much played) namesake tune ‘Common People’ from Pulp. Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ gets a round of applause from the Dad contingent, and everyone loves a bit of Faithless ‘Insomnia’. It’s a powerful set, if a little weird to witness in the daytime, instead of a dark grimy warehouse.
DJ Yoda is up next, a Bestival stalwart who usually has an incredible AV show, which was advertised but doesn’t seem to have materialised. Nonetheless, Yoda’s mixes are seamless and the guy just looks permanently happy. From Macklemore to The Sugar Hill Gang, Chic to the Sesame Street theme, DJ Yoda just knows how to deliver a great set.
Following Yoda comes De La Soul, who spend the first few minutes of their show joking with the crowd and calling “Can all the photographers, all the journalists down here, just put their cameras down for a second and put one hand up in the air… and get down” as well as teasing the VIP area saying “VIP? We don’t do that bullshit”. Their no-nonsense style brings out the gangsta in the crowd, and there are random gang signs being thrown up all over.
Around 8pm appears to be dinner time in the south, as the queues stretch out in front of each food outlet, but the offerings are better than your average city festival. No dodgy burgers or disappointing noodles to be had here – it’s gourmet grilled cheese for us (brie, pear and walnut) from a little independent trader, washed down with a cocktail from the Day of the Dead Cocktail Bus.
Big Top headliners Waze & Odyssey are going off and the stripy tent is bouncing as the sun goes down. The Main stage welcomes firm festival favourite and long time Rob-da-Bank pal Norman Cook, also known as the epic Fatboy Slim. Bringing out a choir to intro ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ is a touch of genius and something completely special, even to those who have had the pleasure of seeing a Fatboy Slim show before. With his creepy white mask torn off, and signature Hawaiian shirt out and proud, Norm hypes up the packed arena with a host of hits and mixes at ear-bleeding levels, and everyone loves it. There’s something pretty exciting about seeing parents and teens raving alongside each other, covered in neon paint and totally lost in the music together. Giant inflatable balls are thrown out for ‘Right Here, Right Now’ and the crowd is going absolutely mental. Finishing up with lasers and another choral rendition of ‘Praise You’, it’s clear that Fatboy Slim has made Common People his own, and to top it off a barrage of fireworks breaks out as the sitewide exodus into town begins.
Sunday starts out a little cooler and there are decidedly less people in early, though judging by the state of some of last night’s revellers, that may be down to hangover recovery in nearby hotels and homes. Over on The Uncommon Stage a decent crowd has gathered for young bid-winners The Costellos who thank everyone for coming out to see them, before diving headlong into a fun and energetic set.
People are dancing on benches and drinking cocktails out of hollowed out watermelons over at the Day of The Dead bus, whilst the West End Kids put on a great main stage show. It’s a pretty clever and creative idea for the early slot at a festival actually, something that is lively and entertaining but can be sat and watched, it’s a wonder more festivals haven’t yet tried it. DJ Craig Charles wants everyone to know that his alter egos from Red Dwarf, Coronation Street, Takeshi’s Castle and Robot Wars are ‘not him’, and that he’s just a DJ who loves to play funk and soul. Despite a bit of a mishap repeating ‘Uptown Funk’ at the beginning, it’s a set that dragged the masses from their bums to the front for a good old boogie.
Following on comes the unstoppable and lewd force of The Cuban Brothers. For those who’ve never seen them before, it is a life-lesson in exactly what the watershed exists for. The cheeky chaps bounce around the stage break dancing and throwing shapes like there’s no tomorrow, with a couple of big jumps and lifts from One-Erection and Kengo-San, some head-spinning and of course an almost-nude run around the gangway by Miguel. Archerio in a lycra fringed onesie is an image which could haunt a child, but luckily his moves are memorable and there are more than a few kids worryingly trying to imitate his twerking. Miguel carries a kids-only chant for “Kenny… the bastard” before making up his own little ditty about touching husbands’ wives whilst they go to the bar… #miguelitomumtouch. Yelling “I’ve had five punnets of nose-whisky” to explain why he can’t run for Mayor of Southampton, Miguel drops into ‘Mike for President’ and the crowd is loving it.
Next up, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis are joined onstage by enough equipment to power the London Philharmonic, which they swap and change frequently. They do a good job and play some truly beautiful music, but in terms of atmosphere, it is a bit of a comedown after the wild abandon of The Cubans. Hot band of the moment, neo-punk rockers Slaves strut onstage and launch into an aural assault of drums and riffs that would be right at home with Vyvyan and Rick from The Young Ones. Gurning like bosses they get everyone amped up, but it might be a bit more of a style over substance situation. At least ‘Cheer Up London’ is an anthem for those who’ve travelled down from the city.
Stand out performance of the day goes to BBC Sound of 2015 winners Years and Years. The unassuming electro-popsters take to their first ever festival main stage and completely blow everyone away with their mix of soulful style of house beats and beautiful vocals. ‘Titus’ and ‘Eyes Shut’ have the (extremely young and female) front row screaming at the highest pitch, and when lead singer Olly really gets into it and winds down to the stage – the mood is electric. New single ‘Shine’ is a surefire hit, and their already fan-favourites ‘Real’ and ‘Kings’ are standalone incredible.
Band of Skulls bring a rock and roll edge to the proceedings with ‘Hoochie Coochie’ and tell the crowd “We’re so proud to be here for the first Common People, thanks to Rob for inviting us, we hope this goes on for a very long time”. ‘Sweet Sour’ is raw and brilliant, but ‘The Devil Takes Care of His Own’ is the standout song of their set.
Up next Clean Bandit clearly have a following as a slight delay sees people chanting for them to come on, and ‘Come Over’ gets a warm welcome as we say goodbye to the last snippet of sun-sun-sun-sunshine for today. Jess Glynne collaboration ‘Rather Be’ is the final song of an amazing set, and seems like a perfect sentiment for a Sunday afternoon of revelry, especially considering it’s a bank holiday tomorrow.
As a black curtain is raised over the main stage, it’s time for the final act of the first ever Common People. The ever bonkers Grace Jones is a breath of fabulousness that comes from years of not giving a single eff what anyone thinks of her. Striding on in an ensemble that can only be attributed to the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes, and high heels, Jones proves that she is the ultimate performer, gadding about the two layer stage and winding with an extremely buff male pole dancer. Hits ‘La Vie En Rose’ and ‘Pull up to the Bumper’ go down well, but it’s her combination of ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ and her mad hula-hooping skills that set the night alight. Grace Jones has been there, done it, got the tshirt and discarded it for a thong. As the fireworks explode over the Common, it’s clear that Rob-da-Bank and crew are onto another winner. With Bestival, Camp Bestival and Bestival Toronto all still to come this year, Southampton has had the first tasty smackerel of this summers’ winning formula, and it is spectacular.
