Gothenburg, Sweden’s hard rockers GRAVEYARD will be taking over the main Ronnie James Dio Stage on Sunday. The Nuclear Blast four-piece have just wrapped dates on Australia’s Soundwave Festival, playing choice cuts from latest album, ‘Lights Out’. Immerse yourself in their latest video for ‘Endless Nights’ – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HmMy2ubC7E. The band last set foot in the UK in September, opening for Soundgarden. Keep up to date with their travels on their official Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/graveyardofficial.
Stepping up for a Saturday slot on the Sophie Lancaster Stage are Norwegian death metallers, BLOOD RED THRONE. Having released their seventh studio album last year, simply entitled ‘Blood Red Throne’, the band proclaim “It’s about time BLOOD RED THRONE get the chance to tear shit up at the almighty BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL! We can’t wait to see old and new fans. Let the madness begin!” Check out their latest video for fan favourite, ‘Primitive Killing Machine’ from their eponymous album here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6VDT43bLNw.
NWOBHM stalwarts, BATTLEAXE also join the Saturday bill. Harking from the North East, the band formed in 1980 and made waves for eight years before going on hiatus. Having regrouped in 2007, BATTLEAXE are back with a vengeance, with their latest album, ‘Heavy Metal Sanctuary’ hitting stores last week. Check out their official website for the most recent news over at http://www.battleaxemetal.com/.
The Sophie Stage also welcomes Finnish self-appointed ‘death n’ roll’ outfit, PROFANE OMEN. The band are readying their fourth studio album, ‘Reset’ for release on 17th March through Spinefarm Records. Get a taster of the newie by checking out the lyric video for ‘Sonic Wings’ here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wBOX-ZEBrI.
Homegrown monolithic death metal act, THE KING IS BLIND will be steamrolling into BLOODSTOCK on Saturday. Although a new band, its various members have a wealth of experience and their festival debut performance should not be missed! For the curious, the band extend this invitation: “Brothers & Sisters of the crown, download our free 4-track promo 'Bleeding The Ascension' at http://thekingisblind.bandcamp.com. Thus spake the King.”
BLOODSTOCK is also pleased to announce its ongoing support for TEENAGE CANCER TRUST. Last year, BLOODSTOCK and its festival goers raised their highest figure to date for TEENAGE CANCER TRUST – just shy of £7500, a £3000 increase on the previous year! They’re now keener than ever to improve on that in 2014. BLOODSTOCK loves to break a record, especially for a good cause! Look out for Teenage Cancer Trust’s stall on site, go say hello and pick up a raffle ticket for one of the many great prizes planned for the weekend. The ever-popular T-shirt Amnesty will once again be running, so bring along any unwanted rock and metal tees to either donate on site, or if you want to clear your cupboards ASAP, email [email protected] for details on how to help.
One of the most successful hip hop groups of all time, OutKast, returns to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and is one of the over 30 artists included as the first additions to Flow Festival 2014. The 3-day tickets are available through Lippupalvelu and Ticketmaster from March 6th at 10am.
Flow Festival is organised again in Suvilahti, Helsinki on August 8–10 with a broad selection of the moment’s most interesting music. Besides the comeback gig of OutKast, the festival features dark indie rock from The National, hip hop from South Africa's controversial Die Antwoord and R&B soul artist Janelle Monáe.
Others coming to Suvilahti will be Darkside – the joint project of Nicolas Jaar and multi instrumentalist Dave Harrington – U.S.based Blood Orange that rose to prominence with last year’s Cupid Deluxe, and Charlie XCX who is rolling out one hit after another. This year's festival crowd will also witness the return of the shoegazers Slowdive, promising guitar-driven indie rock from Mac DeMarco, as well as Nina Persson, the former The Cardigans singer, who released her solo debut early this year, and singer-songwriter Bill Callahan with his warm baritone recently featured on his fourth album Dream River, picked as Mojo Magazine’s album of the year 2013.
Electronic music will be prominently featured with hugely popular German Paul Kalkbrenner and French act Kavinsky, as well as a frontline of Brits including Bonobo, Mercury Award nominee Jon Hopkins,James Holden and Jamie xx – of The xx fame – all joining Flow. There’ll be soulful electro from British duo Jungle, and Little Dragon from Sweden who will release its fourth studio album in May. Meanwhile, Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson andPusha T bring a quality dose of U.S. hip hop to Flow. African rhythms will be served up by Malian Saharablues outfit Tinariwen, Senegalese Mark Ernestus presents JeriJeri and Les Ambassadeurs, a Malian super group including Salif Keita, Amadou & Mariam’s Amadou Bagayoko, andCheick Tidiane Seck.
Local acts at Flow include Iisa, Death Hawks, Risto, Noah Kin, Jaakko Eino Kalevi, Eurocrack and Sound & Fury. Tuomo will perform his only Helsinki gig of the summer at Flow, while Magenta Skycode plays its only gig in Finland all year.
With Cypress Hill, Netsky Live, Noisia, Reel Big Fish and Mistajam just a few of those already on the menu, NASS 2014 is set up to be one insanely immense weekend.
But the line up doesn’t stop there as joining this already star-studded line up are Monki, Wilkinson, Funeral For a Friend, Lets be Friends, Borgore and Fred V & Grafix & MC Felon to name a few.
Celebrated underground tastemaker and Radio 1 girl of the moment Monki will hit NASS fans with a bagful of big hitters from grime and drum & bass to dubstep. At the top of her game this chief DJ will no doubt have the crowd pumped when she steps up to the decks.
Musical genius Wilkinson will also be taking to the NASS stage to whip the crowd into a drum & bass frenzy. On unstoppable form since the release of Need To Know at the beginning of 2013 Wilkinson has since smashed charts with the biggest D&B breakthrough tune of the year Afterglow cementing him as one of the hottest D&B producers and new electronic artists in the UK.
With something for everyone, rock lovers will not be disappointed with Funeral For a Friend confirmed to take to the NASS stage. Hailing from Wales and with over 12 years on the scene under their belts, this band will give the NASS crowd a mix of hardcore and energetic punk songs to be remembered.
The line up doesn’t stop there… in just 12 months, Lets Be Friends have managed to capture the imaginations of fans and influencers worldwide and have gone from unknowns to playing the main stage midnight set for Global Gathering NYE and this year NASS! Set to unleash a slew of new music and crazy remixes that’ll reinforce their position as heavyweight producers of their own brand ‘full flavor dance music’.
Hailed for thinking outside the box, Borgore continues to push the boundaries of dubstep, electronic music, metal and everything in between. A worldwide headliner, Borgore's bass-in-your-face frenzy performance complete with crowd surfing, mosh pits and crazy stage presence ticks all the boxes for NASS.
Fledgling stars Fred Vahrman and Josh Jackson a.k.a Fred V & Grafix will also be returning to NASS 2014 for one hell of an energetic set. Signed to Hospital at the end of 2011 the two have been making huge waves ever since producing an abundance of epic musical drum & bass gems and this March 17th sees the release of their debut album Recognise giving NASS fans a glimpse of what’s in-store for their massive July set.
Also joining these epic acts for NASS 2014 are Friction & Friends ft P Money & Lingustics, Roska, Rockwell, Dismantle, Random Hand and Decade.
With such a phenomenal music feast on offer there wont be a dull moment at the Bath & West Showground this July.
Music aside, NASS will once again present the cream of action sports competitions with international skate and BMX athletes going head to head on the industry’s biggest and best course.
BMXers confirmed so far include Logan Martin (NASS '13 BMX champ), Greg Illingworth, Matt Priest, Tom Justice, Luke Padgett and Todd Meyn to mention just a few of the biggest names on the International BMX circuit that have signed up to take on the UKs biggest comp – the NASS Pro.
Battling it out for the £12.5K prize purse for skate are Danny Leon (NASS '13 skate champ), Dannie Carlsen, Ben Grove, Denis Lynn, Josh Young and Kelvin Hoefler. After the supreme tricks and runs witnessed at the 2013 event, the bar is set high for those thrashing it out for the 2014 win and money.
We are pretty excited here at the Summer Festival Guide HQ to let you know about the Global Gathering lineup announcement for 2014.
This years award winning festival will bring some of the biggest electronic music artists to Long Marston Airfield in Stratford Upon Avon for a massive weekend of music!
The Prodigy, Chase & Status, David Guetta and one more headliner to be announced will be headlining this years festival and they will be joined by the likes of soulful chart topper Katy B, Alesso, Knife Party, BBC Radio 1's Pete Tong, Eric Prydz and Jamie Jones just to name a few!
See the full press release below:
With the festival’s most diverse and eclectic line-up to date, GlobalGathering 2014 will see performances from dance music royalty The Prodigy, drum and bass masters Chase & Status and soulful chart-topper Katy B, as well as global dance music stars David Guetta making his UK dance festival exclusive, Alesso, Knife Party, Pete Tong, Eric Prydz and Jamie Jones. Leaders of the underground will also be showcased with the likes of Eats Everything, Dixon, The Martinez Brothers, Yousef, Maya JaneColes, MK, Hot Since 82, and Darius Syrossian also gracing the bill.
Headlining the main stage arena and returning to GlobalGathering for the first time since 2009 are dance music pioneers and living legends The Prodigy. The dynamic trio will show their legions of fans why they have been at the forefront of the underground scene for over two decades. Premier drum & bass pairing Chase & Status, who will be performing their much-hyped live show, in what is guaranteed to be an explosive and memorable performance. Album chart-topper and first lady of Rinse, Katy B, will also be showcasing her live fusion of garage beats and soulful melodies. Also sharing the main stage bill, will be BBC Radio 1 host Annie Mac, who will bring with her a selection of fresh cuts and the kind of party vibes that she has become synonymous for the world over. EDM duo Knife Party also make an explosive return to Long Marston Airfield to make their debut on the main stage.
Chase & Status commented: “We're really looking forward to bringing the live show back to GlobalGathering this summer, we always see scenes of carnage from the crowds at Global and we're sure that this year will be no different.”
After the success of its debut last year, BBC Radio 1Xtra returns to GlobalGathering to host its own arena. Confirmed to headline will be Sub Focus, armed with his inimitable live show and unique hybrid of drum and bass and dubstep, with Belgian drum and bass super star Netsky also set to bring his acclaimed live show. The UK’s biggest breakthrough act of 2014 Gorgon City are also confirmed as is GlobalGathering regular and 1Xtra radio presenter Mistajam. Other highlights include UK hip-hop duo Krept & Konan, Fuse ODG and All About She.
BBC Radio 1 will be presenting their world-famous Essential Mix LIVE arena and for the first time will be playing host to b2b sets from the dance music elite. Headlining will be one of the world’s most in demand underground DJs Eric Prydz. In what is guaranteed to be a festival highlight, dance music pioneer and Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong will be going back to back with acclaimed Bristolian DJ Eats Everything. Progressive music pioneer Sasha will be playing alongside Saved Records head honcho Nic Fanciulli, whilst dubstep originator turned house hero, Skream, will also be playing alongside the leader of contemporary electro-boogie Tensnake. Chart breakthrough DJ/Producers, Breach and Duke Dumont will also be playing.
Returning for the fourth year to host its own stage will be pivotal drum and bass label Hospitality, now in its eighteenth year. They return with a plethora of talent including sets from High Contrast, London Elektricity, Camo & Krooked, Fred V & Graffix and S.P.Y. The stage will also feature special guests including, jungle pioneer Hype, plus TC and Sigma. MC duty will come courtesy of heavy weights including Wrec, Dynamite, Linguistics, SP:MC, Carasel and Texas.
Continuing on the bass theme, UKF Live are confirmed to host a stage and showcase their sound of bass heavy beats. Pretty Lights will be performing a live set with his unique fusion of sampled-based beats, Shogun Audio head honcho Friction, Digital Soundboy label owner and jungle heavyweight Shy FX will be playing, as will Ram Records’ Wilkinson, spinning drum and bass to the crowds. Much-loved Garage ambassador DJ EZ, will also be on the decks, as will BBC radio 1 presenter B Traits. Fresh new talent will be showcased through recent MTA signing KOVE plus Hannah Wants, My Nu Leng and Pegboard Nerds covering a broad base of the global bass-led styles.
Friction enthused: “Can't wait to be back at GlobalGathering this year! It's where I've had some of my most enjoyable moments as a DJ!”
GlobalGathering’s new super structure The Hangar Arena will see headline sets from a host of chart-topping dance music talent including the world famous DJ and producer David Guetta who will be making his UK dance festival exclusive appearance for GlobalGathering. Australian electro-house DJ Tommy Trash and recent number 1 chart sensation Alesso will also be delivering spellbinding and mesmerising big room sets alongside Dutch stars W&W, Vicetone and Sunnery James, Ryan Marciano, Moldova’s Andrew Rayel, and the fast rising talents of Daddy’s Groove (Italy) Will Sparks (Australia), , Danny Avila (Spain) and Patrick Hagenaar (UK), and a UK dance festival exclusive performance from the USA’s new superstars of noise Krewella, making The Hangar a truly Global EDM experience.
Returning for the second time, Global are thrilled to be bringing back the Paradise Arena, hosted by Hot Creations head honcho Jamie Jones. Having become an Ibiza must-see artist with his hugely popular residency at DC-10, Jamie will offer a taste of the white isle showcasing the deeper sounds of house, tech house and techno. The arena will feature Resident Advisor’s No.1 DJ, Dixon, plus TheMartinez Brothers, Richy Ahmed, Waff and more.
Also bringing a flavour of Ibiza will be the Circus stage presented by Yousef and in association with Thump. Confirmed to perform will be leader of the new school of house and techno Maya Jane Cole, vibrant young producer Ben Pearce and Sankeys resident Darius Syrossian. Leeds based DJ and producer Hot Since 82 will also perform, as will bona fide house music legend Dennis Ferrer.
Representing the underground dance scene will be seminal UK label Defected armed with a selection of house and techno’s finest. Returning to GlobalGathering will be in demand remixer MK, who recently hit the top spot with his Defected released edit of Storm Queen’s ‘Look Right Through’ as well as techno ambassador Green Velvet. Other Defected highlights include Guti who will be performing live as well as Shadow Child, Gotsome and label boss Simon Dunmore.
MK said: “Had a great time at Global last year, looking forward to headlining the Defected stage this year!”
Godskitchen, one of the biggest and most ground-breaking dance brands in the world, will once again be bringing the trance elite back to GlobalGathering. Showcasing the biggest names in the euphoric scene including a UK debut from trance super group New World Punx who’s members are Markus Schulz and Ferry Corsten, Cosmic Gate, John O’Callaghan, Aly & Fila, and Jordan Suckley.
The Global Freight Depot will feature a takeover from Ram Jam’s very own David Rodigan. Showcasing sounds inspired by reggae and dancehall will be the likes of BBC radio one DJ Toddla T, garage and dnb veteran DJ Zinc and dub enthusiasts Mungos Hi Fi. Other highlights include Mele and member of the revered dubstep super-group Magnetic Man, Artwork. The Global Freight Depot stage will also see a Born Electric takeover with the likes of eclectic DJ and technical wizard James Zabiela, Hot Flush lynchpin Scuba and Cyrez D aka Eric Prydz amongst others.
The Bunker, one of the most exciting and unique spaces on any UK festival site, returns for it’s second year with a new direction and a unique immersive experience in association with Jagermeister. Parties over the weekend are hosted by new electronic music champions Eton Messy and one of the UK’s most exciting and established venues, The Rainbow, presenting its home grown clubbing brands FACE x 10:31.
The Summer Festival Guide can reveal that the final headliner announced for this years Latitude Festival will be the American rock duo The Black Keys. They join the previously announced headliners Damon Albarn and Two Door Cinema Club at this years summer festival.
Also added to the Obelisk Arena lineup are The Editors, James, Crystal Fighters and more. Joining the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage is Mogwai, Lykke Li, Clean Bandit and more.
For the Comedy Arena, Irish comedian and TV presenter Dara O'Briain will head up proceedings and is joined by a massive cast including Milton Jones, Josh Widdicombe, Al Murray's Saloon Show.
See the full addtions here:
OBELISK ARENA
THE BLACK KEYS
EDITORS | JAMES |CRYSTAL FIGHTERS |KELIS| THE AFGHAN WHIGS | TINARIWEN
BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC STAGE
MOGWAI | LYKKE LI
JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW | CLEAN BANDIT | THE WAR ON DRUGS
SOHN | TEMPLES | HOZIER | PARQUET COURTS | GEORGE EZRA | CONOR OBERST
THE i ARENA
TOM VEK| TEEN | HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER | RY X | JOHN WIZARDS | DAWES
THE ACID | MIGHTY OAKS
COMEDY AT LATITUDE
DARA O’BRIAIN
MILTON JONES | AL MURRAY’S SALOON SHOW | JOSH WIDDICOMBE
MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE & ANDREW MAXWELL | TIM KEY | JOSIE LONG | KATHERINE RYAN
TREVOR NOAH | SEANN WALSH | TOMMY TIERNAN | HENNING WEHN | JEREMY HARDY
MILES JUPP | DOC BROWN | CARDINAL BURNS | THE PAJAMA MEN | SARA PASCOE | NICK HELM
FELICITY WARD | ARTHUR SMITH | GLENN WOOL | KERRY GODLIMAN | JAMES ACASTER
HANNAH GADSBY | TIFFANY STEVENSON | JARED CHRISTMAS |ROB BECKETT
ROMESH RANGANATHAN| ROISIN CONATY | JOE LYCETT | MIKE WOZNIAK
JOHN KEARNS | LIAM WILLIAMS| TOM ROSENTHAL |AISLING BEA|JOHN ROBINS |NISH KUMAR ERIC LAMPAERT | CELIA PACQUOLA | SUZI RUFFELL | JAMIE DEMETRIOU | ALFIE BROWN
BOBBY MAIR | PAT CAHILL | ANGELA BARNES| PHIL WANG |IVO GRAHAM | TANIA EDWARDS KWAME ASANTE | JOSEPH MORPURGO | HARRIET KEMSLEY| DAVID MORGAN | JONNY PELHAM DANE BAPTISTE | GABBY BEST | SARAH CALLAGHAN|CHORTLE STUDENT COMEDY AWARDS
THE SUNDAY ASSEMBLY | WITTANK | MCNEIL & PAMPHILON |CLUB SOL | MAX AND IVAN
THE NOISE NEXT DOOR | THE ONLY WAY IS DOWNTON| PAPPY'S
CARIAD LLOYD & LOUISE FORD & HOLLY BURN CHARACTER COMEDY SHOW
PLUS FURTHER HEADLINERS TO BE ANNOUNCED
LITERATURE
SALON LONDON PRESENTS KERRY DAYNES, JO HEMMINGS, TRISTAN GOOLEY, LLOYD BRADLEY, PROFESSOR B SAHAKIAN, DAVID SPIEGELHALTER, DAVID TONG, ART MACABRE, JULIET RUSSELL
JON RONSON | LAUREN BEUKES |PATRICK BARKHAM | ALEXANDRA HEMINSLEY | DANIEL DAVIS
RACHEL COOKE | NAOMI WOOD | VIV GROSKOP | MARK ELLEN | JP BEAN | ROYAL SECRETS
ROB EVANS | JAMES BANNON | LAURA BATES | ZOE PILGER | JOHN OSBORNE
FESTIVAL OF THE SPOKEN NERD | THE READER ORGANISATION | DYLAN’S BOOKBUS
MALCOLM GLUCK WINETASTING
THEATRE AND DANCE
FORCED ENTERTAINMENT | RSC | ROYAL EXCHANGE MANCHESTER
SADLER’S WELLS PRESENT NATIONAL YOUTH DANCE COMPANY, JAMES COUSINS COMPANY, ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET
DIRTY DANCING (HIGHLIGHTS)
BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE PRESENTS JOHN BERKAVITCH ANDWILL DICKIE
LYRIC HAMMERSMITH, GREENWICH+DOCKLANDS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, WATFORD PALACE THEATRE ANDLATITUDE PRESENT BUCKET CLUB, LIGHT THE FUSE, FLIPPING THE BIRDAND PAGE ONE THEATRE
MARK THOMAS |LUKE JERMAY | DRYWRITE | CLEAN BREAK
FOREST FRINGE PRESENT GREG WOHEAD, LOUISE ORWIN, BRIAN LOBEL, CHRISTOPHER BRETT BAILEY, CHRIS THORPE, ABIGAIL CONWAY, SARAH JANE NORMAN, VERITY STANDEN, JAMES STENHOUSE & SAM HALMARACK, TALES OF WHATEVER
GAGGLEBABBLE | THE LETTER ROOM |FLANAGAN COLLECTIVE | AWRC | DASH ARTS
PLUS MANY MORE COMPANIES TO BE ANNOUNCED
ARTISTS
BOB AND ROBERTA SMITH |FILM PREVIEW: THE ART PARTY!
Sonisphere's return to Knebworth in 2014 continues to materialize as they add more acts to the already announced lineup. Headliners The Prodigy, Iron Maiden, Metallica will be joined by a number of top rock and metal artists for one of the summers biggest metal festivals.
SONISPHERE is thrilled to announce DREAM THEATER as Sunday’s headline act on the Saturn stage. A mesmerizing band to watch, each member with a number of impressive accolades under their belt,DREAM THEATER have been churning out their unique brand of progressive metal for over 25 years, selling over six million albums worldwide. Building their sound from a solid base of incredible musical proficiency, becoming heavier over the years, whilst retaining their trademark, the band have become one of the biggest-selling progressive bands around, resulting in an induction into the Long Island Hall of Fame. With an extensive back catalogue and impressive new material from their latest critically acclaimed self–titled album, SONISPHERE can’t wait to see them spread their prog magic at the festival.
Also appearing at the festival are DEVIL YOU KNOW, the creative union of the former Killswitch Engage frontman Howard Jones, Francesco Artusato (All Shall Perish), John Sankey (Devolved/ ex Divine Heresy, Fear Factory) and Ryan Wombacher (Bleeding Through). Having voiced the Grammy-nominated Massachusetts metallers through nearly a decade of touring and two gold records, Jones is at the top of his game and the star line up, who have just played Soundwave in Australia, are ready to take on the world. DEVIL YOU KNOW will unleash its inaugural effort this spring, the highly-anticipated debut, ‘The Beauty of Destruction’ and audiences would be wise not to miss the incredible set the band are bound to deliver.
Says the band:
"We are beyond stoked to make Sonisphere our first UK festival! It's an honour to be playing such a massive festival alongside some of the biggest names in hard rock and metal. What a way to play the UK for the first time. We can't wait to get over and show everyone what Devil You Know is all about!"
Glasgow heavyweights YASHIN will also be stopping by SONISPHERE. The band have been working hard, having just released their new video ‘D.E.A.D’, with recent live appearances at Warped Tour UK and supports slots with Black Veil Brides, Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach in the UK and Europe. YASHIN’s performance at the festival will be the first chance for fans to see them play tracks from their forthcoming album, ‘The Renegades’, scheduled to hit the shelves in September 2014.
Says vocalist Harry Radford:
"It’s a huge, HUGE thrill and a massive honour to be added to this year’s Sonisphere line up. Maiden, Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Deftones… It’s like we've been put in the middle of our record collections, so many of our heroes in one place, it’s actually ridiculous. We're getting back to live action in the next couple of weeks so we will be warmed up nicely to hit the Sonisphere crowd hard. See you there!"
Making their way from Nashville, THE CADILLAC THREE will give SONISPHERE a dose of their very own country fuzz. The band boasts the kind of loud and boisterous rock that the loudest PA’s in the world were invented for. Tunes such as ‘Down to the River’, ‘Get Your Buzz On’ and ‘Back It Up’ evoke the legends of southern rock – Molly Hatchets, Outlaws or Ozark Mountain Daredevils, only with a fresher sound that’s going to blow your mind.
Returning to KNEBWORTH are Yorkshire’s GLAMOUR OF THE KILL, who have just unleashed their infectious new single ‘Freak like Me’, taken from their fantastic album ‘Savages’. Following a full US tour with Escape The Fate, a European tour with Papa Roach as main support, a largely sold out tour with Motionless In White and The Defiled in the UK, GLAMOUR OF THE KILL seem unstoppable as they are about to embark on the Heaven’s Basement’s tour before they promise to treat the festival goers to a full set of their triumphant anthems this summer.
Says vocalist Davey Richmond:
“We're really excited to get back to Knebworth for this year’s Sonisphere! There's something special about Sonisphere that you don't seem to get from any other festival and we're happy to see it making a bold comeback. It must be the history associated with Knebworth and all the greats that have stood on stage there throughout the years. The line up for this was already incredible, but it just got a whole lot better!”
Also appearing will be UK based hardcore quintet PALM READER. Drawing influences from The Dillinger Escape and Gallows, the band would have undoubtedly been winning over new fans on the recent Rock Sound Impericon Exposure tour and show no sign on slowing down before they hitKNEBWORTH.
Says Drummer Dan Olds:
"We Can't wait to play Sonisphere… Bands such as Deftones and Mastodon have always been close to Palm Reader's hearts. It's the first festival I ever went to so it’s gonna be a special moment!"
Canterbury’s BROKEN HANDS will bring their particular brand of retro-rock fused with psychedelic blues and garage influences to SONISPHERE. Having supported the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park last summer and toured in the UK and Europe with Band of Skulls, Deaf Club and Kill It Kid respectively, BROKEN HANDS are on the brink of big things.
Rising from the ashes of My Passion, Johnathan Gaskin, Ande D'Mello, Simon Rolands and Jamie Nicholls announced the formation FORT HOPE. SONISPHERE is looking forward to sharing the beginnings of their exciting journey as a new band.
"We're so excited to be playing Sonisphere this year, and honoured to join such an incredible bill. There's nothing better than sun, rock music and festival crowds. Roll on summer!”
Mixing an eclectic combination of crushing guitars and infectious electronica, which incorporates elements of metal, hip hop, rock and dance, THE ONE HUNDRED are going after the hearts and minds of everyone crossing their path and will no doubt expand their ever growing army of supporters after their performance at SONISPHERE.
Says the band:
“We are stoked to have been invited to play such an amazing festival with so many of our heroes, we’ve dreamt of playing at Sonisphere so let's have it Knebworth!”
Also added to the festival’s line up are Manchester’s COLLIBUS. Having won the 2013 Discretionary Rock Award of Parliament’s largest competition, Rock the House, COLLIBUS made history by becoming the first metal band ever to play the House of Commons. The band’s sound has been described as a combination of the intelligence of prog with the fire of metal, and their winning track ‘Dead Inside’ has already been featured on SCUZZ TV.
Says vocalist Gemma Fox: “The reception we've had following the release of our debut album has been mind-blowingly phenomenal. We are extremely honoured to have been invited onto the awesome Sonisphere line up and cannot wait to play alongside musicians and bands we have long been fans of ourselves!”
The four newest acts added to this years SW4 Saturday lineup are trance legend Markus Schulz, house producer Fedde Le Grande, Arty and Super 8 & Tab.
South West Four 2014 will welcome the return of Markus Schulz. As a long time favourite at the Capital’s longest running club night, Markus has become renowned for delivering spectacular sets for The Gallery at Ministry of Sound, in addition to headline appearances at the most prestigious clubs and festivals the world has to offer. Through his outstanding audience interaction, flawless harmonic mixing and intuitive tune selection, Markus has gone on to stun crowds in every corner of the globe. With his brand new album ‘Scream 2’ already storming the charts after its recent release, we simply cannot wait for the Coldharbour Recordings boss to showcase his dominant yet euphoric fusion of house and trance on Clapham Common.
Widely recognised by fans and artists alike as one of the single most defining figures of contemporary house music, Fedde Le Grand returns to SW4 for the first time in six years. Since then, the Flamingo Recordings boss has evolved into one of dance music’s greatest assets, with a CV full of creative beats, contagious grooves and artistic rhythms that are consistently jetted around the world. A regular at the most prominent of festivals, Fedde Le Grand’s production ability has resulted in remixes for the likes of Madonna to Coldplay and Robbie Williams. A true favourite at SW4 HQ, we are incredibly proud to welcome the return of Fedde Le Grand.
After mesmerizing Alexandra Palace with a jaw-dropping performance at Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy event last October, Arty has inevitably remained fresh in our minds. Ever since that landmark night, we have fought off fierce competition to secure the sensational Russian for his inevitable SW4 debut. Still in his early 20’s, Arty has already lit up the electronic world with a collection of powerful releases on Anjunabeats, Axtone and Big Beat. With his beautifully melodicremix of London Grammar’s ‘Hey Now’ heavily supported by BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong, Arty is set for world domination in 2014.
Through their innovative approach and intricate production values, Super8 & Tab have stealthily forced their way to the forefront of the trance scene by championing the sound in its purest form. Described by many as one of the weekend’s most memorable highlights, their performance last year earned the pair a welcome return in 2014. Mixing deep brooding vocals with futuristic elements of euphoria, 2013 witnessed the Scandinavian duo deliver their heavenly sound at Tomorrowland, Ultra, Amnesia and The Gallery, in addition to three leading releases on Above & Beyond’s Anjunabeats.
Electro pioneers Massive Attack lead the lineup additions for this years Longitude Festival. The multi award winning duo consisting of Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall have released 5 studio albums selling over 11 million copies worldwide. Their albums Blue Lines (1991) and Mezzanine (1998) feature in Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 1991’s Unfinished Symphony was voted in the Top 10 of The Guardians Greatest songs of All Time poll.
Joining Massive Attack are Rudimental, The 1975, Banks, Parquet Courts, Krystal Klear, O Emperor, Eagulls, Ry X, Say Lou Lou, Son Lux, Josef Salvat and Samaris.
Chart topping dubstep group Rudimental recently picked up Best British Single for ‘Waiting All Night’ at the Brits 2014 while Manchester indie rock band The 1975 who’s breakthrough hit Chocolate has amassed over 11 million You Tube views helping their self titled debut album achieve Gold status.
Banks is one of the most hotly tipped acts of the year, coming third in the BBC Sound of 2014 poll and was a MTV Brand New nominee 2014.Parquet Courts, one of the finest punk rock bands to emerge from New York in years, were named #3 in Time Out’s round up of best albums for their debut record Light up Gold on its release.
Making a welcome return is last years Red Bull Music Academy stage headliner Krystal Klear, bringing the best in everything from Boogie & New Jack to Instru Hip-Hop and House to Marlay Park this summer. O Emperor, fellow Irish act and recent nominees for the Meteor Choice Music Prize for their second album Vitreous join new additions to the festival Leeds punk band Eagulls, who recently performed on Letterman and released their critically acclaimed self titled debut LP,Ry X the falsetto folk singer who’s hit song Berlin widely featured on the Sony Bravia TV commercial, Dream pop duo comprising of sisters Miranda and Elektra Kilbey Say Lou Lou, who made it onto the BBC Sound of 2014 longlist, experimental producer and composer Son Lux,Australian singer-songwriter Josef Salvat and Icelandic electro groupSamaris.
The announcement of new Longitude acts coincides with the release of day tickets for the festival along with main stage breakdown of acts across the weekend. Ben Howard will headline Friday night,Disclosure take top billing on Saturday while Massive Attack bring the weekend to a close on Sunday night.
Friday: Ben Howard, Bastille, Bombay Bicycle Club, Icona Pop and George Ezra
Saturday: Disclosure, Haim, Chvrches, The 1975, Sam Smith and Hozier
Sunday:Massive Attack, James Vincent McMorrow, Rudimental, First Aid Kit and Banks
Wales premier boutique music and arts festival, Festival No 6 reveals its headliners for 2014 which include Beck and London Grammar.
Festival No 6 also announced Martha & the Vandellas, Bonobo, Neneh Cherry, Jimi Goodwin, Temples, Steve Mason, James Holden, John Wizards, Cherry Ghost, Los Campesinos!, Radiophonic Workshop, The Rails, All We Are, Arthur Beatrice, Childhood, The Brythoniaid Welsh Male Voice Choir, East India Youth, Alexis Taylor, The Rails and Telegram.
Headlining the electronic side of things is house maestro Julio Bashmore who will join the the newely confirmed Andrew Weatherall, Danny Krivit, Michael Mayer, Justin Robertson, Ewan Pearson, Prosumer, Ashley Beedle, Unabombers, Low Life, Aficionado, Joe Boyd and the wonderful Awesome Tapes From Africa.
Hot off the back of releasing his highly anticipated twelfth studio album ‘Morning Phase’, Beck will headline Festival No.6 on Saturday night. The album has received rave reviews across the board, with The Times giving it five stars and declaring it “A work of art" and Q magazine declaring “Beck has properly re-acquired his mojo”. Festival No.6 are delighted to host him to play one of just two festival performances across the season.
The past year has been nothing short of monumental for home grown success story London Grammar. Since the trio performed at last year’s No.6 and filled the main stage tent, the band have released a lauded Platinum selling album, been nominated for a BRIT and sold out gigs from Brixton to Brooklyn.
London Grammar says:
“It’s a real honour to play Festival No.6 again. Portmeirion is a beautiful and somewhat surreal location. We can't wait to perform there again!”
The world renown Barcelona International Festival of Advanced Music and New Media Art otherwise known as Sonar add fifty new artists to its already amazing lineup.
These are the artists joining the Sónar 2014 line-up: CHIC feat. Nile Rodgers, Röyksopp & Robyn, DESPACIO (James Murphy + 2manydjs), Lykke Li, Neneh Cherry, James Murphy, 2manydjs, Boys Noize, Trentemøller, Loco Dice, Todd Terje, Kid Koala's Vinyl Vaudeville, Audion, Spoek Mathambo, DJ Snake, Four Tet DJ set, BFlecha, Dâm-Funk, Future Brown, Brodinski, Forest Swords, WhoMadeWho, 2020Vision presents Debukas, Paul Woolford and Ralph Lawson, FM Belfast, Kaytranada, Matthew Dear, Camo & Krooked, Machine Variation, Daniel Miller, Henry Saiz, Daito Manabe, Unsound presents Robert Piotrowicz and Oren Ambarchi with Sinfonietta Cracovia, Chris Madak aka Bee Mask, Hucci, Tarek Atoui, Roll The Dice, Sibot, Professor Angel Sound, Sinjin Hawke, Astroboyz, Koreless, T.Williams, Throwing Snow, Emufucka, Louis Baker, Trancemicsoul, Suzanne Kraft, De La Montagne, Leo Aldrey, Harald Björk, Rudi Zygadlo, Jolly Mare, and Love Cult.
Check here the complete list of artists confirmed so far
Sónar 2014 has finalised its main line-up with 50 new artists, headed by the legendary Chic, with Nile Rodgers at the helm. The festival will also present performances by several Nordic artists with their finger very much on the pulse, including Neneh Cherry, Lykke Li (both presenting new albums at Sónar), the Röyksopp + Robyn duo, Todd Terje and Trentemøller, as well as immersive digital experiences byAudion and Daito Manabe and visionary artists such as Dâm-Funk, Kid Koala, Forest Swords, Henry Saiz and Oren Ambarchi, who will be performing with Sinfonietta Cracovia in a joint collaboration between Sónar and Unsound Festival in Poland.
An unprecedented music listening experience: six hours playing vinyl, all three days of Sónar by Day
One of this year’s highlights is DESPACIO powered by McIntosh, a new concept of a listening experience that brings together James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem / DFA) and 2manydjs to focus their finely honed skills on partygoers’ experience through a meticulously chosen selection of music and spectacular-quality high-fidelity sound. On all three days of Sónar by Day, James Murphy and 2manydjs will be playing vinyl records from their own collections for six hours (from 3.30 pm to 9.30 pm) in a specially designed space featuring a circle of seven speaker stacks as part of a one-of-a-kind 50,000 W sound system. Since space is limited, admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
A live history of dance music
Chic and Nile Rogers need no introduction. Universally acclaimed as one of the greatest dance bands of all time, with such immortal hits as “Le Freak” and “Good Times”, their popularity recently went through the roof when their leader, Nile Rodgers, worked on Daft Punk’s new album—not to mention their interplanetary success with “Get Lucky” and collaborations with Disclosure and Tensnake. Their legendary Sonar 2006 concert was one of that year’s highlights and this year’s performance has all the signs of being equally stunning.
Nordic excellence
After the huge success of Sonar Reykjavik and Sonar Stockholm in February, the Nordic scene will continue its onward roll in Barcelona with the likes of Swedish Neneh Cherry (who’s back with a new show and new album, produced by Four Tet, in collaboration with RocketNumberNine), Lykke Li (also presenting a new album) and Robyn, who’s teamed up with Norwegian duo Röyksopp and also appears on a track on Neneh Cherry’s album. Sonar will also be rolling out the red carpet for the Norwegian king of space disco Todd Terje (with a new LP coming out in April) and popular Danish musician Trentemøller, who’ll be performing songs from his recent album “Lost” with a complete band of musicians on stage.
Immersive experiences and avant-garde sound
Always eager to keep up with the latest technological innovations in audiovisual creation and performance, Sonar will be presenting shows that are total immersive experiences, fashioned out of complex languages embracing art, sound and technology. One striking example will be Audion’s performance, and highly acclaimed Japanese creative technologist Daito Manabe will give a live interactive concert combining video mapping and contemporary dance. In addition, US artist Matthew Dear will present his techno project with a powerful show designed by the creators of ISAM (Amon Tobin) in which an A-shaped mechanism responds to live audio impulses created by the artist.
Avant-garde languages are always at the fore at Sonar and this year is no exception. Forest Swords will be revealing their perfect fusion of atavistic dub, ancestral folk and filmic guitar lines in the spirit of Ennio Morricone. Taking risks and searching for new concepts are the aims of the new partnership between Sonar and Unsound Festival in Poland, which will take the shape of two concerts for music connoisseurs: Oren Ambarchi and Sinfonietta Cracovia’s clash between synthetic and classic; and intense, microscopic electronica by Robert Piotrowicz, who regularly works with Kevin Drumm and Ambarchi himself.
Groove in their DNA
Funk and hip hop are in the DNA of three iconoclastic artists who will be at Sonar by Day: Kid Koala returns with a new show, Vinyl Vaudeville 2.0, which features turntable mischief and revamps classic genres of black music (funk, blues, jazz) in a contemporary cabaret format; Dâm-Funk will be bringing vintage synthesisers and drum machines to thrill partygoers with their sizzling retro-futurist boogie-funk; and Spoek Mathambo will be at the helm of Fantasma, a supergroup of South African musicians who fuse the country’s house and psychedelic traditions into a powerful, vibrant sound.
Names from the Spanish scene
Sonar by Day welcomes two of the leading lights on the current Spanish scene. Madrid-based Henry Saizwill premiere a new live show in which he will play songs from his latest album on the Natura Sonoris label with a wide range of acoustic instruments. And Galician Belén Vidal, aka BFlecha, will do the same with some of the many gems on “Beta”, an album that forges a new path for synth pop and electronic R&B sung in Spanish.
