Summer Festival Guide

The Summer Festival Guide is one of the UK's the leading festival reporting and review sites. We cover festivals across the UK, USA, Europe, Australia and more!

Alchemy Festival 2015 Update

by

Change of Venue, see details below

NEW LOCATION !! TO A FEW YARDS TOWARDS KIRBY ON BAIN

For ALL the relevant information regarding the change to location to the new venue, which is situated only a little way down the road towards KIRBY ON BAIN , please review the info on the website where ypu can also have access to information on how to get there and possible links to public transport: ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015  www.alchemyfestival.co.uk 

SO ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015 has a new location, and also some new bands , acts and entertainment booked for the 2015 event

Including…………DAVE THE DRUMMER…..PHAT BOLLARD……and also some amazing entertainment acts …….." THE  ENCHANTING EYE!" AND MANY MANY MANY MORE………YOU HAVE TO CHECK THE UPDATE TO BANDS , ACTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ON THE ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015 WEBSITE AT  WWW.alchemyfestival.co.uk    FOR UPDATED INFORMATION ALL THE TIME AS NEW EVENTS , ENTERTAINMENT  AND BANDS ARE BEING BOOKED AS WE SPEAK……IT IS GOING TO BE A TRUELY AMAZING EVENT!

IT SEEMS ITS ALL AT ALCHEMY THIS YEAR , WITH THE AUTUMN EQUINOX approaching & it being the INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF LIGHT, IT IS 2ITHPUT DOUBT GOING TO BE AN AMAZING FESTIVAL BOASTING  – LIVE MUSIC/ENTERTAINMENT /and many ENTERTAINERS, ACTS & PERFORMERS……KIDZ ENTERTAINMENT &  WORKSHOPS…….HEALING AREAS offering unique therapies……and even a  HENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO FESTIVAL PEOPLE WITH ALL THIS IN MIND,,,!!!!!!!!!!Have a good long look on the  ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015 SITE AT wwwwww.alchemyfestival.co.uk,  and take a look at all the great bands entertainment, workshops, entertainers, acts and literally EVERYTHING  that ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015 will have to offer that weekend (18th  –  20th SEPTEMBER 2015)  and GRAB yourself a ticket and make sure you get involved…..ITS ALL ABOUT LIGHT/AWATENESS & SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT! !!!!!!!!SO lots of smiling faces, lots of colours and lets all join together and have a GREAT FESTIVAL EVENT!!!!!!!!

ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015

18th – 20th September 2015

Camp Bestival 2015 Review

by

Camp Bestival, the spin-off to the Isle of Wight legend, Bestival, is nothing short of a festival treasure. Lovingly curated by DJ Rob da Bank and his wife Josie, this is a festival exclusively for families and offers one of the most varied musical line-ups alongside children’s attractions and huge television stars.

From the moment you pull up in the car park, you know this is a festival that is going to work out those leg muscles, with everything built on steep hills covering an area the size of a small town! 

Arriving on the Thursday, before the festival really starts, you could be forgiven for thinking that this was going to be a small and unassuming event, with only a few stalls (thankfully including Nandos!) and one arena open, it was easy to believe that this was going to be a weekend that dragged. However, this initial belief was proved wrong from first thing Friday morning with an amazing opening set by the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band to warm the crowds. 

With the Blue Coats keeping the crowds happy it was not long before everyone was on their feet and laughing along to Dick and Dom’s performance of ‘Dick v Dom Go Wild!’ – an act full of audience participation and lots of water guns and a foam fight, the adults were laughing along with the kids at all the obvious innuendos and humorous use of Richard’s nickname. 

The first day flew by quickly with plenty to see and do such as the Insect Circus, the multiple fairground rides and interactive experiments at the Science Museum tent. Before you knew it you were pitched up back at the main stage watching the sun set to the pounding beat of Professor Green and Clean Bandit before a slow crawl back up the hill to the camping site and a steaming cup of tea brewed over the gas stove. 

After a long night anyone would expect it to be a rather quiet and slow morning… But at a festival full of little ones, and Mr Tumble opening the main stage it was a rather early, and very excitable morning! After a set of ‘Hello Hello’, the ‘Hokey Cokey’ and ‘Old MacDonald’s Farm’, the parents were screaming for a break while the kids were ready for some more! My day was spent lazily roaming the huge site, visiting the wall of death, riding the carousel and enjoying more of the fantastic food on offer (as well as trying out the ‘Solar Power Shower Tower’), winding down to Level 42 with a box, yes a box, of Rosé was just what was needed!

With Kaiser Chiefs rocking the stage until late into the night, it was yet another late night, with everyone sadly trailing back to the tent after an explosive set fuelled by classics such as ‘Riot’ and ‘Ruby’, more tea, but yet another early morning!

Sunday’s stage times left a trail of confused festival go-er’s with Ella Henderson and Bob Geldof swapping stage times. While there was an notice on the website, and also on the screens to the side of the main stage, there was still a lot of confusion which left many fans unable to watch their favourite act. One lady said that her young daughter was watching another act over at the Big Top and ended up missing Ella Henderson, who was her main motive for booking the ticket. 

The disappointment was short-lived however as Ella Henderson smashed her set and paved the way for the amazing Kent duo, Slaves, who powered through their set with just two drums, symbols, and a pleasing lack of shirts, with a guest appearance from a friendly manta-ray. Soul II Soul graced the stage next with a set of classics, such as ‘Back to Life’ which gracefully slipped into a blazing set by Ella Eyre which got everyone smiling as we waited patiently for the night’s headlines, Underworld, to take the stage.

As Underworld’s set slowly came to a close, the crowd all turned around to watch the spectacular fireworks which closed the entire festival.

The final trek back to the tents was slow and with everyone slowly coming down from the amazing high of the weekend at the realisation that it was all over, the air was thick with mixed feelings. 

Monday morning was another early rise but everyone was moving slowly. The tents slowly disappeared in a slow trail of little truck’s being pulled up another hill to the car park, it was clear that this amazing festival was one that would be missed by all those in attendance, until next year at least.

FREE SPIRIT FESTIVAL in DEVON 2015

by

This is the first EVER of the FREE SPIRIT FESTIVALs!!!!and it looks like it's gonna be a belter!!!!!!

Held in aid of the HOMELESS, in support of and raising funds for CRISIS & TRUSSELL TRUST!

It's described as small 500 capacity, Family Friendly, Micro Festival, but the buzz it's causing thru

word-of-mouth predicts it should be a great event and one not to be missed, BUT remember folks

if you DON'T have a ticket yoy won't get in!!!!!!!!!!!!

As it's name suggests, it is in whole a SPIRITUAL event! It boasts 3 music stages/tents:-

DANCE STAGE:

Tech House, Techno, Hard Trance, Hard Dance.

Decor by: VISUAL BLISS (co.uk)

LIVE STAGE:

Open Mic, Acoustic, Punk, Ska, and just about ANYTHING you can bounce ,dance and henk to!!!!!!

CAFE STAGE:

Reggae, Eclectric, Electro Swing, Funk, Dance & Freestyle!!!

 

Confirmed to play so far:-

CHRIS LIBERATOR, ZETAN SPORE, CROSS & SPINOUT, ACID PETE, LOUK, RAGGADEE, PURE

MISCHIEF, DOOZER McDOOZE, BASS FUNK BANDITS, DARKCITY SISTAS, JIM THE HAT, AND

MANY MANY MANY MORE!!!!!!!

 

Along with all the great musicto raise your spirits, there is also a "HEALING AREA"…providing:-

YOGA

THAI CHI

CRYSTAL, SPIRITUAL HEALING, & REIKI HEALING

 

Therer is a KIDZ AREA providing Hoop Workshops, Plymouth Play Scheme, Face Painting, Hair-

Braids, & Temporary/Glitter Tattoos……provided by:- Chersfunkyfaces, funkypunkyfun (co.uk)

 

As you can see the FESTIVAL has a whole load of everything for everyone, so EVERYONE's invited!!!

It's a great Festival promoting positive energy, well-being, and a place where you can be a FREE

SPIRIT!

3 DAY FESTIVAL

Adult weekend tickets:- £55

Child Weekend tickets:- £40

Camping & Live-in Vehicles:- £5

Dog Friendly:- £4 (keep your furry friends on a lead at all times , RESPECT)

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM :- www.freespirit.org.uk

So get yourself a ticket and come and get a little high on life, get a little something real in life & be a

FREE SPIRIT with the rest of us!!!!!!!!!!!! (& don't forget to LIKE US on fb)

FREE SPIRITED:- "A person who smiles when things arent going too well, takes a positive outlook

on life, & tries to make the most out of it!!!!THEIR SPIRIT isnt dampened by the little, or the big

things in life! Staying true to themselves regardless of situation, lives LIFE to the FULL, & is NOT

restricted by others opinions! Is FREE but can be irresponsible & sometimes reckless, but imposes

no hurt or pain to another!! BUT is unique in attitude & also is an individual!?!Happy & at one with

themselves!!!!THAT IS FREE SPIRITED! & this is THE FREE SPIRIT FESTIVAL in DEVON 2015!!!!!

ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015

by

ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015

18TH SEPTEMBER 2015 – 20TH SEPTEMBER 2015
LINCOLNSHIRE LN4 4PD

ALCHEMY FESTIVAL 2015 is being held in the lush surroundings of a wildlife reserve in Lincolnshire.
It is a non-corporate, non-sponsored, and non-commercial event ,organised byapassionate group of people.
The festival is run on GREEN ETHICS, and they boast 1 out of 8 stages that is solar powered and also another which is pedal powered.

ALCHEMY FESTIVAL is held close to the AUTUMN EQUINOX this fitting in with the ethos of ALCHEMY.

ALCHEMY FESTIVAL has also be described as an OLD STYLE FESTIVAL.
It is a Family Friendly Weekend Festival offering a long weekend of FUN aand ENTERTAINMENT, from the Workshops for all ages, Circus Performers, Fire Shows, Walkabout Entertainers, Live Music, Stalls selling crafted wares and festival merchandise, and lots lots more some FREE and some at a small cost.
There are many different food stalls catering to all tastes, festival goers can bring theirown food and drink but they do ask that NO GLASS BOTTLES be taken onto the site.

The 8 stages hold host to over 100 bands, DJs and entertainers.
,RDF,AOS3, ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION, BACK TO THE PLANET, DUB THE EARTH, FIREPIT COLLECTIVE AND DEFEKTERS just to name a few.
A FULL LINE UP of bands can be seen on the ALCHEMY FESTIVAL WEBSITE at
www.alchemyfestival.co.uk.

ADULT WEEKEND TICKETS -£90
UNDER 5s – FREE
UNDER 16s MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult ticket holder, this proof will be given to you.
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED FROM THE ALCHEMY FESTIVAL WEBSITE at
www.alchemyfestival.co.uk/tickets.html
DOGS are allowed on site although a small fee is asked for and DOGS MUST BE KEPT ON LEADS AT ALL TIMES.
IF you havent been to this festival its one not to be missed!The hard work that has been put into making it the amazing event it is, creating an old style festival feel of fun friendliness and happiness reflects on the organisers who have put thier heart and SOULS into making this a FESTIVAL you wont forget.
And also their commitment to keeping it a GREEN event with SOLAR POWER, PEDAL POWER, RECYCLING AND UPCYCLING to be acknowledged.

For a Great weekend of OLD SCHOOL FESTIVAL FUN, IN A FRIENDLY AND HAPPY AND BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENT -HEAD TO ALCHEMY FESTIVAL!!!

FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ANS PURCHASING OF TICKETS PLEASE GO TO www.alchemyfestival.co.uk.

Van Morrison Confirmed For Cheltenham Jazz Festival‏

by

Fresh from releasing his globally acclaimed new studio album ‘Duets: Reworking The Catalogue’, which features collaborations with the likes of Gregory Porter, Michael Buble, Clare Teal and others, pop maverick Van Morrison has been confirmed to perform at the opening night of this year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival. The visionary songwriter joins an already star-studded line-up that includes Gregory Porter, Beth Hart, Martha Reeves, Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum, Lee Konitz, Squarepusher, Laura Mvula, Sun Ra Arkestra, Tony Allen and many more.

Festival Director Ian George:

“We are obviously delighted to have been able to add Van Morrison to the programme for this year’s festival. He’s universally regarded as one of the most singular artists of all time and I can’t think of a better way to kick off proceedings.”

Cheltenham Jazz Festival runs from April 29th – May 4th and is hosted in a tented festival village in Cheltenham’s Montpellier Gardens.

Van Morrison performs at The Big Top on Wednesday April 29th. The full programme is available to view here.

Tickets are available from www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Lucy Rose, and more onboard for Wychwood Festival 2015

by
One of the country's favourite family festivals just got better as Wychwood organisers reveal another wave of heritage, world music and fresh-faced talent to join the likes of UB40's Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue, The Proclaimers, Ghostpoet and Monsieur Doumani.
For over 50 years Joseph Shabalala and his Ladysmith Black Mambazo have been delivering evocative and powerful songs inspired by their native South Africa. Rising to global success after collaborating with Paul Simon on Graceland in the '80s, the all-male choral group have won an incredible four Grammy Awards with a further nine nominations, they've worked with artists across the globe including Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Sarah McLachlan and David Guetta and they were even publicly named 'South Africa’s cultural ambassadors' by the late Nelson Mandela. Wychwood 2015 is set for a triumphant close when the Ladysmith Black Mambazo take to stage on Sunday evening in what will be an unmissable performance by one of the world's greatest singing groups.

Wychwood's newly-named Ecotricity Big Top has become the go to destination at the festival for young and rising musical talent and headlining on the Sunday is Lucy Rose. The young songwriter's emotive folk music and beautiful vocals will have crowds enthralled as she performs music from her successful debut Like I Used To and material from her eagerly awaited followup out later this year. Joining Lucy on the Sunday is Isle of Wight five-piece Plastic Mermaids. The islanders merge folk melodies, multi-layered instrumentation and electro pop and are already being tipped for great things. Mt. Wolf are another act unveiled for the Ecotricity Big Top today. The electro-folk trip made a well-received return with new material at the tail end of 2014 after a year long hiatus and are a very welcome addition to Wychwood 2015.

Barron Knights, the nations' favourite comedic rockers of the '60s and '70s will be entertaining all the family at Wychwood this year. Their unique mix of rock n' roll and comedy rocketed the band to success in the '60s and they haven't stopped touring since, becoming the only band to tour with The Beatles and twice with the Rolling Stones. Another band who are no strangers to touring are trio Thrill Collins, who have been known to play over 150 shows a year. A firm favourite for Wychwood regulars, the group return to the festival in 2015, reworking well-loved contemporary pop songs with a raucous Skiffle twist.

Years & Years meets Future Brown Diplo for Flow Festival

by

Additions to Flow Festival's lineup include US-based hip hop acts Tyler, The Creator and iLoveMakonnen, UK-based electro debutant Years & Years and US-based Future Brown. Flow will also feature fresh Swedish pop act Elliphant, established American DJ Diplo as well as Finnish artists Paperi T, Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS?, French Films, J. Karjalainen's Lännen-Jukka act, Manna and Regina.

Flow Festival adds several new acts to its lineup. Making its debut in Suvilahti in August 2015 is The Odd Future rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator, who is known for his provocative performances. iLoveMakonnen's Tuesday was one of last years biggest anthems, and expectations skyrocketed, when the promising young artist signed to Drake's label. Touted as one of his generation's primary hip hop acts, London-based trio Years & Years recently won the BBC Sound 2015 vote, which focuses on predicting the coming year's breakthrough acts. Each single so far has proven the band is capable of writing timeless pop hits infused with the day's quirky sounds, combining electro-pop to dance to, r'n'b and house. Super group Future Brown formed by Fatima Al Qadiri, J-Cush and Nguzunguzu has also recently made an impact with an exciting combination of hip hop and grime.

Singer and MC Elliphant is one of Sweden's most promising stars with her unique sound that is influenced by dancehall and bass music. Her breakthrough has been supported by top producers such as Dr. Luke and Diplo. The American DJ Diplo will also perform at 2015's Flow both as a member of Major Lazer and djing on his own.

Local acts have also been added to the lineup, such as Paperi T, who has gone solo from rap trio Ruger Hauer and become one of the countries most talked about debutants. Others included are Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? who play nostalgic pop-rock, indie rock group French Films who are working on new material, Jukka Karjalainen who plays the only show of the year performing solo as Lännen-Jukka, and Finnish-Algerian singer-songwriter Manna, who takes the Flow stage with a band including strings. Gracing Suvilahti will also be Regina, playing at Flow a few months before the tenth anniversary of its Katso maisemaa debut album and about three years since its previous live show.

Other confirmed acts for the 2015 Flow Festival include e.g. Alt-J (UK), Beck (US), Belle and Sebastian (UK), Florence + The Machine (UK), Flying Lotus (US), Foxygen (US), Future Islands (US), Major Lazer (US), Run The Jewels (US), Todd Terje live (NO) and The War on Drugs (US). For additional information about all the artists: www.flowfestival.com/artists

36 Crazyfists Interview by Rachael Broadhurst

by

It’s the first stop on the 36 Crazy Fists’ album tour. The venue is practically overflowing with nu-metalheads eager to welcome back the US-based band after a 5 year break from the scene. I manage to grab lead vocalist Brock Lindow for a quick chat before they hit the stage.

So your seventh album Time and Trauma is on the horizon and last year marked your twentieth year together as a band. Is it difficult to come up with new material?

I don’t think so. I love music and it’s been a huge part of my life. We definitely won’t be touring forever, but creating and writing songs has got to be something I do forever because it’s been such a huge outlet for me. It’s not easy but it’s what I really dig.

Is it quite hard to find inspiration now, or is it just as easy as when you first started?

My inspiration all comes from my life. I don’t write about really religious or worldly topics; maybe somewhat, but only how they relate to me. The entire album Time and Trauma is about the process of losing a loved one. My mum passed away from cancer three years ago and so the entire record is about that piece of my life. The inspiration for songs is just what is going on in your life. It’s like a time-vault. With every album, I know exactly where I was at that time. It’s not hard to come up with inspiration.

It has been about 5 years since the last album. Is Time and Trauma quite different from your previous work?

I think it’s more comparable to the early stuff as opposed to the last couple of albums. That’s mostly because I wanted to get back to the singing style instead of just screaming all the time. So the vocal approach was a little different.   We have released three songs now on itunes before the launch of the album and a lot of people are excited that it sounds like the early stuff which makes me happy.

I absolutely love the track Also am I. I have been singing it all day and torturing everyone! Was that always going to be the single or did you decide that later on?

I didn't even decide it. It was more of a collective idea because the people outside of the band who work for us thought that it showed all of the facets of our sound. I love the song, so I'm cool with it.

This is the first date of twenty eighty in the tour. Is there anywhere in particular that you’re looking forward to?

I have been counting down the seconds on the clock for weeks to start this tour. There is a reason that we started in the UK; it’s the first country that really embraced our band outside of Alaska where we’re from. I don’t think we've ever played here in Plymouth before, so that’s great. Years ago we went to a place called Yeovil and sadly we never went back. It was the most insane show! It was this little clubhouse and there were kids diving off of the balcony. We have been touring the UK since 2001, and I dig going to places we haven’t been to before. Bristol and London really go off. They are all good. UK rules.

So who is the most likely member of the band to act up on the tour?

I think everybody is pretty good. We like to have a good time. We flew in yesterday morning and when we got here at 7:30am, it’s really 10:30pm where we were the night before. It’s closer to either going out or bedtime, one of the two. Yesterday, we just powered through the whole day in London and went out. I almost got hit by a car! Today, the work starts and everybody is a little under the weather so you've got to have your hip-flask with you. But everybody is ready to have fun.

Finally, what is your favourite thing about being on the road?

Playing the shows, definitely. The connection with the people. Getting to hear your songs sung back to you is always killer and the UK seems to one of the best at that for sure. The rest of the tour; some is really fun and the rest is a bit like Groundhog Day. But the one hour of the day when you’re doing the show is the best part for sure.

Well thank you very much for giving me your time and good luck with the rest of the tour.

No problem. Thank you for the coverage.

36 Crazyfists new album Time and Trauma is available in the UK from February 16th 2015.

Check out all of the Rachael's photos here: http://www.facebook.com/martianartsimages

Star Names Confirmed For Cheltenham Jazz Festival

by

Cheltenham Jazz Festival returns at the end of April with a bold programme featuring a range of exclusive one-off performances, unique collaborations, special commissions and debut UK appearances from a heady mix of established stars and emerging talent.

 

Taking place across 6 days from April 29th – May 4th, this year’s festival will present a smart balance of classic and contemporary jazz, blues, soul and pop from a string of pioneering acts including million-selling singer-songwriter Rumer, Dutch superstar Caro Emerald, experimental producer and composer Squarepusher, one of the queens of soul Martha Reeves, world-renowned DJ and broadcaster Gilles Peterson, former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson, Californian blues-rocker Beth Hart, and consummate jazz singer and broadcaster Clare Teal.

 

Once again returning as Guest Director is Jamie Cullum who, alongside handpicking a selection of events for this year’s programme, will perform with trailblazing US jazz funk jam band Medeski, Martin & Wood. Other high profile acts on the bill include venerable jazz-fusion star John Scofield, whose collaboration with German pianist Pablo Held’s trio is currently receiving rave reviews (“a fascinating fresh setting for a unique guitarist who always means business” The Guardian), the mystical sounds of the Sun Ra Arkestra, master ngoni player Bassekou Kouyate, the UK premiere of jazz heavyweight Lee Konitz’s new quintet featuring virtuoso trumpeter Dave Douglas, and a treat for fans of Afrobeat in the form of two contrasting but equally outstanding concerts – a Saturday afternoon show from legendary African drummer Tony Allen, who performs music from his acclaimed 2014 album Film of Life, followed that evening by Joe Lovano’s Village Rhythms Band, an inventive 7-piece outfit which explores the connection between West African music and jazz.

 

BBC Radio 2 continues its long-term association with the festival and has confirmed a range of activity across the week. Alongside live festival-themed shows recorded onsite by Jamie Cullum on Saturday May 2nd and Clare Teal on Sunday May 3rd, the network will air Caro Emerald’s concert on Thursday April 30th, a Frank Sinatra-themed ‘Friday Night Is Music Night’ featuring appearances from Kurt Elling, Clare Teal and Anthony Strong on Friday 1st, and a world premiere to close the festival on Monday 4th, a celebration of the music of George and Ira Gershwin featuring Laura Mvula and Gregory Porter.

 

Justifying its reputation as one of the most forward-thinking festivals in Europe, a varied collection of the next generation of global jazz stars are represented this year by the likes of Anglo-French trio In Bed With, Suiss trombonist and composer Samuel Blaser, Spanish singer and multi-instrumentalist Andrea Motis, the first ever UK performance by the inimitable Surnatural Orchestra, and European trio Phronesis, whose Pitch Black project will be performed in total darkness.

 

A wide range of top UK-based talent will appear on the bill including East London’s unique take on the brass band Hackney Colliery Band, Mercury-nominated piano trio GoGo Penguin, who will join Gilles Peterson at the festival’s much-anticipated club night, funk favourites Average White Band, Neil Cowley Trio, the Rachael Cohen Quartet featuring Phil Robson, soul diva Natalie Williams, a double bill featuring the soulful vocals of Si Cranstoun and Purdy, and the Julian Arguelles Septet, a band formed especially for the festival.

 

Beacons Festival 2014 Review

by

It’s now two o’clock on Monday morning. My feet are numb, my ears are ringing and my tent is full of water and STILL this has been the best weekend I’ve had BY FAR since I sat in almost exactly the same spot this time last year.

Beacons festival is now in it’s third year and long may it continue. Aswell as being tucked away between some of the most perfect countryside I have seen and boasting lineups which have consistently excited me like a child on Christmas morning, the festival has another certain magic about it that is difficult to put into words until you experience it for yourself. It boasts an eclectic mixture of hipsters, underground music fans, families and artsy types, bringing in people from all walks of life and yet keeping focus on enjoying beautiful music and art. The Yorkshire Dales allow a wonderful setting to nurse a hangover and an excellent excuse to chomp on a succulent locally sourced hog roast.

b1.jpg

Thursday was all about getting reaquainted with Beacons festival. Our first stop was for food, which took us on three laps of the arena before finally deciding on a fantastic little street food stall called Fish& for some delicious sweet chilli battered fish and chips. After this, we wandered into the ‘Impossible Lecture’ tent and caught the end of the previous performance. We were greeted by a naked, purple-haired lady, crowd surfing her way out of the tent. Welcome back!

Our Friday began to the washing ambient sounds of backwards facing ‘British Sea Power’ inside the main stage, which was hosted by ‘Loud & Quiet’ and ‘Last.fm’. This was certainly not a case for starting as we mean to go on though, as the next artist we saw was the person I was most looking forward to from the whole weekend. The much anticipated Dan Snaith (aka- Daphni) entered the Resident Advisor stage at 6.00pm to an eager crowd. Luckily for us, the tent was designed with blacked out windows, making it feel almost like the middle of the night. The green strobe lighting was mesmerizing and the atmosphere was certainly not negatively affected by Daphni’s early set time. A wave of excitement passed through the crowd as Snaith dropped his latest Caribou release, ‘Can't do without you’ from under the guise of his alter-ego. It was a noticeable turning point for the resident advisor tent, which went on to host blistering sets from first Daniel Avery, straight off the back of Drone Logic and finally the techno/house inspired Roman Flugel. Friday’s headliners over on the main stage were Daughter, who seemed a little uninspiring after the electric atmosphere within the Resident advisor tent. Although they sounded beautiful, with their haunting minimalist sound and the raw emotion portrayed through Elena Tonra’s vocals, it was a slight downer on the fun I had experienced in the Resident Advisor tent earlier. I am sure on another day, perhaps at a different festival, Daughter would have blown me away with exactly the same set.

b2.jpg

Saturday catered for the house lovers over at the Red Bull Tent. The party started with Pariah, an R&S labelman from London, who would get any electronic underground fan nodding their head with his approach in the current wave of British dance music. The DJ entered the part-open stage at 6:00pm – allowing festival goers to ease themselves into Saturday evening whilst the glorious sunshine brought warm party moods well into the sunset hours. The critically acclaimed ‘Huxley’ kept the beats going into the night, leaving the crowd screaming in excitement with the much unexpected addition of ‘Space Cowboy’ by ‘Jamiroqui’ emerging through his heavy house beats. Joy Orbison continued where Huxley left off and finished the night in style.

b3.jpg

Saturday’s headliner was Jon Hopkins and once again, he did not disappoint. Blowing the crowd away with his explosive and bass heavy, kaoss pad inspired soundscapes. His set was an unsettling, yet completely soothing experience. A master of his art, Hopkins is known for his intriguing aesthetic performances. Halfway through this particular set, an unexpected sea of colourful giant bouncy balls sailed through the crowd as excited fans punched them into the air creating a colourful explosion of orbs floating over the stage. After the initial excitement of feeling like you are a big kid in a ball pit (and of course the fantastic visuals) the excitement wore off and we realized that being banged in the head by those things actually quite hurt…

Sunday came and the heavens opened. The rain was torrential and so our day was planned around keeping dry, as well as who we would like to see. Tall Ships were the first band on our list and they played one of my favourite performances of the entire festival. T=0 being a highlight and it’s guitar hook has been stuck in my head ever since. After this we took position inside the Resident Advisor for Mano le Tough and then Dixon. Both of whom played quite similar sounding sets. Tough bordered more on house and modern disco, with Innervision’s founder Dixon edging towards progressive house and techno at times. The weather had put a downer on the day for me and although some people I had spoken rated Dixon as their highlight of the festival, I was not in the same mindset. The DJ seemed a little too similar to the artist previous which wasn’t his fault, but I found myself glad to move on from this tent by the time we needed to leave.

Once we had walked over to the final headline act, we were freezing and soaked to the bone. The rain was pouring and spirits were low. Darkside were make or break.

The guitar/electronica duo of Nicolas Jaar & Dave Harrington have some amazing tracks and there was a lot of hype around this performance, with Nicolas Jaar’s live set being one of the best around at the moment. The stage plunged into darkness for their entrance, before Jaar & Harrington took to the stage, which was a cloud of smoke. Spotlights set behind the stage made the two visible only as silhouettes, as they treated the rain-soaked crowd to a show that they will not forget in any hurry. Harrington’s live guitar added complimentary ambient textures to Jaar’s driving analogue synth sounds. A clued-up individual standing near me noted his use of max/msp for drum programming, which went completely over my head but sounded very impressive indeed.

I was completely blown away by Darkside. They were well worth persevering through the cold and rain; their expert shifts in tempo throughout their set shadowing the rollercoaster of a weekend we had experienced. ‘Paper Trails’ was magnificent and Jaar’s live vocals were such a refreshing thing to see and hear.

The fact that Beacons festival still kept it’s magic, even after one of the worst downpours I have experienced at a festival, speaks volumes for the place. Looking back now, as I sit in my little tent with my freezing toes, the past four days have been completely mind-blowing.

Thanks again Beacons festival…. see you next year.