Our own king of the ones & twos Rob da Bank says: “The Port is one of our finest achievements at Bestival, with some pretty stiff competition from all the other inventive constructions that have gone down over the last 12 years. A massive ship seemingly anchored into the grass at Robin Hill complete with smoking funnels, rusty portholes and all topped off with a crazy crew of nautical nutters dancing day and night in laser beam ecstasy.
“I cannot wait to see what Skrillex will pull out the bag for a Sunday finale. Sonny hasn’t been to Bestival for four years so a lot has changed for all of us, and I think The Port is gonna be very special that night. Especially because, as anyone who’s seen Mark Ronson DJ knows, they’re in for a massive treat, too – a sublime Sunday night double-header, even if I do say so myself. I love Annie Mac’s back to back extravaganza – great concept and some amazing talent, and our Friday techno and disco explosion will kick it all off nicely. All aboard for another insane party at The Port!”
Making his return to Bestival, we are absolutely ecstatic to be able to announce the mighty Skrillex will be ramping up the late night action on Sunday. A trail blazer of electronic dance music, he’s a six-time Grammy award winner, and a global icon, so you can guarantee when he drops the magic, it’s gonna go off. Fierce beats and rib-smashing bass ahoy!
He might know a thing or two about ruling the pop charts but Mark Ronson has got fat beats flowing through his veins. A true master with a pair of turntables, his sets are consistently devastating, spanking dancefloors into submission worldwide. Add in a touch of HMS Bestival’s own special magic and you’re on course for some truly euphoric last night shenanigans. Not to be missed.
With Annie Mac taking the reins on Saturday showcasing a series of very special back to back rinses, and Seth Troxler large and in charge on Friday, we really could keep you dancing all weekend long. And we just might, with sets from Four Tet, Tale of Us, Guy Gerber, Jackmaster, David Rodigan MBE, Hannah Wants, Mistajam, Erol Alkan, Andrew Weatherall, Greg Wilson, Toddla T, High Contrast and London Elektricity.
We’ll also have the very welcome return of Croydon’s finest, Benga, plus Special Request, Horse Meat Disco, Monki, Mele, Wookie, Slimzee, Etherwood, Fred V & Grafix, Dynamite MC, The Heatwave, Kiwi, Low Steppa, Logan Sama, Mella Dee and Flava D.
It’s not just a dance stage, it’s a life changing experience. Make sure you get yourself to The Port this September for a blissful summer of love.
Lovebox are proud to announce two incredible headliners: Rudimental and Snoop Dogg. Rudimental are the Hackney quartet and Black Butter records breakout act that defined the sound of current UK music with their debut album Home, which featured the massive singles 'Feel the Love' and 'Waiting All Night'. Their set at Lovebox will see them performing tracks from their eagerly-awaited, incoming sophomore LP and they'll be sure to start the party off right when they headline on Fri-day: "We are so happy to announce we're back on the Lovebox stage this summer. London, are you ready?!"
Saturday sees the one and only Snoop Dogg headlining. A hip hop icon, the inimitable Snoop will be showcasing tracks from his forthcoming Pharrell-produced album BUSH, which Snoop himself describes as blos-soming with a "funkadelic glow". With BUSH set to channel feel-good, retro-futuristic funk and R&B, it's sure to charm the Lovebox crowd as effortlessly as his classic tracks 'Gin and Juice' and 'What's My Name' will. Snoop says: “London wats craccn!?! I’m looking forward to come to my home away from home and rock that ish like I do best. It’s going down don’t meet me there beat me there. ugot2doit”
Across the entire weekend, the Lovebox masses will be treated to an ex-clusive set from Despacio, the innovative, custom-built soundsystem brought to you by LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy and 2manydjs. This is going to be an unmissable experience.
Another Lovebox exclusive is an extra-special A/V set from the revered Bonobo. His appearance is set to be immersive and unforgettable, as is Squarepusher's – his pioneering, experimental shows have wowed crowds the world over, and now he's set to stun Lovebox following a sold out show at the Barbican and the release of his highly-anticipated sixteenth album Damogen Furies.
Lovebox founders, Groove Armada return back to Victoria Park. The leg-endary dance duo will be behind the decks in a very special setting, and are delighted to be back. "First it was an album title. Then club nights in a strip club on Tottenham Court Road. Then it became a festival when we threw an outdoor party on Clapham Common,” they say. “Finally, on Victoria Park, we found ourselves running a 65,000 person weekender. For the first time since handing over the keys to Lovebox in 2012, we're coming back to the park. Friday 17th July, on the Elrow turntables along-side Jackmaster, Acid Mondays, PBR and others. House music GA style, a London debut of a new house album, and trademark elrow circus may-hem."
Meanwhile, acclaimed composer and experimentalist Nils Frahm will al-so be making an appearance fresh from selling out the Barbican and two nights at The Roundhouse. This will also be his only festival appearance other than Wilderness, where he’ll be warming up for the one and only Björk.
The rest of the line-up is equally as incendiary. Electro pop mavericks Hot Chip will be showcasing material from their highly anticipated sixth album “Why Make Sense?”, as well as fan favourites such as “Over and Over” and “Ready for the Floor”. The bewitching Jessie Ware will be gracing us with her elegant, heart-melting ballads, whilst Mark Ronson, fresh from conquering the charts with the epic disco grooves of “Up-town Funk”, will be making a return appearance. Hip hop heavyweights Cypress Hill will be making their Lovebox debut, performing iconic tracks from their extraordinary 20 year (and counting) career, Swedish art pop quartet Little Dragon will be bringing their brand of wonky but delirious-ly catchy art-pop to the Lovebox masses, and award-winning Australian electronic artist Flume will also be getting the crowd moving.
Elsewhere, oddball rapper Danny Brown and New York MC Action Bron-son will be representing the cream of US hip hop, while the pop contin-gent will be satisfied by the presence of the rapidly ascending Ella Eyre and Australian sensations Flight Facilities. The dance mobs meanwhile will be sated by a stellar run of acts, including wunderkind bedroom producer Kaytranada, the ever influential Annie Mac, who has just tak-en the reins from Zane Lowe at Radio 1, and house legend MK, who says "I realize that I have more friends in London than at home, so it's kinda like I'm having a Lovebox house warming party ;)”.
There is so much else besides as well, with Lovebox presenting a magnif-icent assembly of acts both on the rise and well established, from all across the musical spectrum. We have the heroic likes of Goldie, Jimmy Edgar, Kerri Chandler, Boddika, Shy FX & Stamina MC and Gilles Peter-son rubbing shoulders alongside nascent talent such as Lion Babe, Jackmaster, Little Simz, Raury, Dusky, Dornik, Novelist and Preditah, among others. There are also live collaborations between the hottest names in dance, with Joy Orbison B2B with Ben UFO, and Heidi B2B with Kim Ann Foxman.
Lovebox is thrilled to welcome 1Xtra and Radio 1 Essential Mix to the proceedings who will be hosting the hottest dance stage on Friday and Saturday respectively. From legends to new stars this is a stage set to take Lovebox by storm.
Music aside, Secret Productions' magical extracurriculars will provide an exciting itinerary of audiovisual delights for festivalgoers to sample and experience. Chris Tofu (AKA the Shangri-La superstar) and Global Local Productions will once again preside as Master of Ceremonies at the Bandstand, whilst Little Gay Brother will be bringing a bit of Vegas glamour to Victoria Park. Meanwhile, art/ technology “data visualisers” Fish Island Labs will be getting the crowds thinking and interacting.
This year will also see elrow hit London for a special Lovebox edition of their legendary, wild, chaotic Barcelona club night that interacts with its crowds in a very unique way. Explosive DJ sets will soundtrack playtime featuring inflatables, fancy dress, arcade games and so much more. It's a complete riot of fun, confetti, and offbeat characters and Lovebox can't wait to see elrow bring some sunny Spanish vibes (with a Bollywood twist) to Victoria Park for the first time.
There’ll be more sunshine from The Corona Sunsets Stage, which will bring the sounds of the Balearics to Lovebox, heralding the setting of the sun in the time honoured fashion and heightening the energy as the night progresses into darkness. They’ll be bringing the sound of the beach to Victoria Park in a magical setting.
A new project between The Roundhouse and Secret Forum will also be making its debut at Lovebox. The Voicebox will be a celebration of the human voice, with poetry slams, storytelling, beatboxing and more. Lovebox-goers will experience a variety of orators, poets, slam champi-ons, beatboxers and more that will hypnotise you with the power of speech. The Roundhouse says "We are thrilled to be launching a new venue dedicated to upcoming spoken word artists at Lovebox this sum-mer…. !".
WILD LIFE was created by Disclosure in early summer 2014 as an extension of their hugely successful live and DJ shows. What began as tiny and very sweaty east London parties, soon grew into a global prospect within a matter of months and found Disclosure curating events in major cites across the world and hosting stages at various festivals in the UK, EU and US. These included WILD LIFE line-ups at Glastonbury, Unknown, Exit Festival as well as bespoke events at The Greek Theatre in Berkley, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Detroit and a summer residency at Space in Ibiza.
Now to 2015 – less than a year later, they have reached out to their good friends Rudimental in order to put together their most exciting event to date…
The first ever WILD LIFE festival – right here in the UK. The two day event, solely curated by both bands, will be held in the grounds of Brighton City Airport on June 6th & 7th 2015.
The intention of WILD LIFE has always been to curate line-ups comprised of artists and DJs that Disclosure love which they then turn into incredible parties in exciting locations around the world. With the integral input of Rudimental, they’ve brought together musicians from different genres and eras – from hip hop, techno, pop, UK garage, as well as old and new house legends – for this inaugural WILD LIFE festival.
Disclosure said:
"We’re both so excited to announce the creation of WILD LIFE Festival! And so so proud to have been able to curate an amazing line up along side our good mates, Rudimental. What a weekend this is going to be!"
Rudimental added:
'To be able to curate our own festival with our favourite acts in partnership with our friends Disclosure is a dream come true. We are expecting the weekend to be unforgettable and to make history with this collaboration is a real pleasure'.
ARTISTS REVEALED SO FAR:
DISCLOSURE / RUDIMENTAL / SAM SMITH / GEORGE EZRA /
WU TANG CLAN / ANNIE MAC / SETH TROXLER / JAMIE XX / DAVID RODIGAN / MAYA JANE COLES b2b HEIDI
Temperamental wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of 70,000 festival goers at last weekend’s sold-out Parklife Festival, which now in its fourth year, saw Snoop Dogg, A$AP Rocky, Disclosure and Sam Smith prove to be essential highlights.
Arriving at around 1pm, SFG headed straight to the Hospitality tent for some early afternoon drum & bass with flashing strobes, courtesy of Logistics and later, Camo & Krooked.
Heading to the main stage for Kiesza, who is accompanied by two male dancers, her 90’s influenced choreography and funk tracks prove an early treat. Giant In My Heart fuses disco and funk perfectly, before the Canadian ex-navy recruit takes to the piano for a stripped down cover of Haddaway’s, What Is Love, showcasing her powerful vocal range. Ending with number one track, Hideaway, she lifts everyone’s spirits despite the grey clouds looming up above. Catchy “ooh’s” and “ahh’s” and house-y beats provide the first sing-a-long of the weekend (with many more to come), before the track is mixed into Gorgon City’s deep-house edit. Now recording her debut album, expect another catchy chart-bothering track to go viral in the coming months.
Spending around 20 minutes struggling to find the Colonnade presents: Drop the Mustard stage, where the majority of the main house draws performed, SFG caught some of Hot Natured’s, Lee Foss’ Ibiza-cum-Manchester house set at the hilltop Kaluki stage. Eventually, finding the Greek coliseum-like Colonnade stage, SFG caught house duo Waze & Odyssey’s set, including their now infamous house remix of R Kelly’s timeless classic, Bump & Grind as well as a remix of Robin S’, Show Me Love. Later at the Colonnade, it was Route 94’s turn on the decks. Performing a mostly obscure but impressive house set, with the exception of Defected Records releases, Fly 4 Life and Tell You Why, the young London-based producer drew a large crowd, with one fan feeling the need to scale a tree, receiving a smile from the producer and applause from the audience below. But it was number one house crossover hit, My Love, which saw everyone take out their iPhone’s to record the sing-a-long moment before 94 imminently takes his sound to Ibiza for the summer.
Pacing back to the opposite end of the site, to the Red Bull Academy Presents stage, Gold Panda’s hotly-anticipated set proved essential for the eyes and ears. Synth-led electronics impressed the large crowd during cutting-edge debut album offerings, Vanilla Sky, Snow & Taxis and early track Marriage before a chopped up reinvention of fan favorite, You, with its pitch-shifted vocals circling around the tent.
Back at the main stage, Grammy –winner, Foxes, attracted a large crowd with tracks from her debut album Glorious, including Youth and recent single, Let Go For Tonight, while another Hot Natured label-mate, Richy Ahmed, continued the Amnesia Ibiza-ready house vibe with 808 hi-hats and drum machines aplenty during his mid-afternoon Kaluki stage set.
Later, the sun shined while Radio One DJ Annie Mac drew the biggest crowd so far with a house orientated set including Ten Walls’ new track, Walking With Elephants and Gorgon City’s collaboration with Laura Welsh, Here For You as well as Second Citys’ I Wanna Feel which rocketed to number one two weeks ago. Later, before Sigma’s, Nobody To Love, she tells the crowd to, “grab your friend, boyfriend, or a total stranger”. Its sets like these, demonstrating which tunes to play to get thousands of people dancing, which stand testament to why she is such a hot DJ commodity.
Rudimental, who, trumpets included, perform album tracks, Spoons and Baby, show a softer side to the Black Butter Records collective. Dedicating Not Givin’ In, to his son, DJ Locksmith pulls on the crowds heartstrings before the drum & bass beats kick in, but are soon cut off due to a technical problem. It’s all back to normal though after the crowd chant “Rudimental, Rudimental, Rudimental” to give them the support to carry on, which they do oh so professionally, continuing with album tracks, Free, and later, Feel The Love.
It’s A$AP Rocky however, who delivers the best and most charismatic performance of the weekend, as a more than deserving replacement to Kendrick Lamar, who cancelled his slot. Weed promotion, referring to women as “hoes” and a whole lot of swearing, but what else would you expect from song’s titled, Hella Hoes and Fuckin’ Problems which are performed with a fifteen-man-strong A$AP Mob watching him from the side of the stage. Bassier and rowdier than on record, Palace and Wassup take the Now Wave tent to Rocky’s hometown, Harlem, New York City. “Put your hands up if you smoke fucking weed ‘cos that’s what I stand for”, demands Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, before Purple Swag where he toys with the crowd saying, “are you people ready to get turnt up or what?” New A$AP Mob track, Hella Hoes, results in a mosh pit before taking it to a “whole new mother fucking level” during Skrillex-produced Wild For The Night and Lana Del Rey-featuring Hands On The Wheel. Thanking the audience for getting him so far, he exclaims, “I can’t wait to get on them rides tonight” before a quick run through of his part in final track, Fuckin’ Problems. If you ever get the chance to see A$AP Rocky live, TAKE IT. You won’t be disappointed.
Weaving back into the middle of the main stage crowd for Saturday headliner, SFG didn’t know what to expect from the legendary Snoop Dogg’s headline set. “Who’s getting blazed in the house tonight?” asks Snoop’s DJ during a ten minute prelude to the iconic rapper coming onstage. Dressed in a USA stars and stripes jumper and yellow shades, Snoop stalks the stage with everyone taking his picture. He dedicates Supa Dupa Fly to “all the girls in the house” before rapping his part on Justin Timberlake collaboration, Signs, and his brief part on Katy Perry’s, California Girls. The only thing he could be blamed for, is looking relatively bored and indifferent, but it is Snoop Dogg after all, why should he be bothered?
Ending the night back at Kaluki in Marc Kinchen provided early evening house, in his number one remix of Storm Queens, Look Right Through, which is quickly followed by his Medicine remix of Shadow Child's, Friday and his edit of Hot Natured’s, Reverse Skydiving.
Sunday would prove to be better weather on the whole, aside from one insane downpour during Warpaint’s set which saw everyone flock to the nearest tent.
Opening the Disclosure Presents: Wildlife stage, Kanye West-collaborator Pusha T, performed tracks from his acclaimed debut album, My Name Is My Name as well as his part on the aforementioned Kanye hit, Mercy. Stalking the stage, which looks like brown lego bricks stacked high, Pusha runs through the trap beats of King Push and Nostalgia. Promising a new album in the not-so-distant-future, he continues with Numbers on the Board, seeing arms in the air pulling back and forward – an impressive debut at Parklife for the hotly-tipped ex-Clipse rapper.
Next up, are classical-cum-electronic Cambridge graduates Clean Bandit, who remained at the top of the charts for a month earlier this year with their single Rather Be. An early afternoon set time doesn’t seem to affect the eager crowd, growing by the minute. Arriving onstage to classical music alongside two guest vocalists, the quartet open with older track, A&E, before Dust Clears, with Jack Patterson leading the vocals over a synth-y beat. Tracks from their debut album New Eyes soon follow. Up Again, begins as a hand-swaying, blissed-out production before drum beats and classical chords intrude, culminating in a full on drum and bass climax while Come Over hears cellist Grace Chatto’s sweet vocals soar over a Caribbean, almost reggae beat. Mid-set, it’s clear that new single Extraordinary could become their second number one judging from the crowd’s reaction. Heart on Fire, featuring vocals from Elizabeth Troy is dedicated to “all the garage heads” before the lyrics of Mozart’s House ask, “so you think electronic music is boring?” Following this genre-crossing set, they’ve proved that that their sound is far from boring. Nightingale is then mixed into Gorgon City’s deep-house edit before feel-good festival anthem, Rather Be, which stayed at number one for a month, ends their set with the crowd on each other’s shoulders singing along word perfect.
Unexpected pop star Sam Smith, arrives for his 5pm slot to screams of excitement. Opening with Nirvana, he shows his powerful voice off straight away before Disclosure collaboration Together, complete with Chic-esque funky bass guitar lines. Leave Your Lover slows the set to a mellower, emotional halt, with some female fans starting to tear up, before further winning them over by telling the crowd that Manchester is his favorite place. Before new track, Restart, Smith informs the audience that he’s filming the music video right now, and of course everyone is more than happy to clap and sing-a-long for it. An unexpected cover of Arctic Monkey’s track, Do I Wanna Know breaks up the set with a unique take on the indie hit. Money On My Mind and Lay Me Down follow with emotional lyrics, while the heavens fittingly starting to open, before ending with recent number one single, Stay With Me. It’s obvious that Smith is providing the definitive sound of 2014, after his vocal talent was first discovered by the mainstream on another Disclosure collaboration, Latch, which is given a flawless acoustic rendition.
Later, over in the Heidi Presents: The Jackathon tent, Hot Since 82 brings deep house and techno beats to a sweaty strobe light flashing tent, delivering arguably the best bass orientated set of the weekend.
Over in the Sounds of the Near Future tent, SBTRKT gives an astonishing live set. Opener, Pharaos, gets the packed tent going before the masked man says, "It's so good to be back. It's been like two years since we've been here.” New lasers and synths track Temporary View, which went up on Soundcloud just two days ago, receives a great reaction as a taster of what to expect from the impending second album. Debut album tracks, Never Ever, Trials of the Past and Wildfire follow with tribal drum beats and feature Drake-collaborating, Sampha’s recorded vocals and Little Dragon’s in the latter, which echo around the at-capacity tent.
Pacing back to the Wildlife stage to catch headliners Disclosure, it was shockingly easy for SFG to get near the front – probably because Oxford indie-types, Foals, were headlining over on the main stage. The wunderkind production duo of house revivalists, Guy and Howard, open with synth led F For You featuring on record vocals courtesy of Mary J Blige. Preacher lyrics and simplistic house beats follow in When a Fire Starts to Burn and newer Friend Within collaboration, The Mechanism, with the background screens showing the duo playing in real time while Guy picks up the bass guitar to play the funky chords in the former, while pyrotechnics shoot from the top of the stage. Checking with the crowd that they are okay to play some older material, they bounce into older E.P tracks, Boiling, Tenderly and Flow before inviting guest vocalist, Sasha Keable, onstage during album track Voices and later Sam Smith to join them for the song which started it all off, Latch.
It’s only in its fourth year, but soon enough Blur’s iconic single won’t be the only thing which comes to mind when thinking of Parklife. Providing a great line up, the organisers delivered great variety at an affordable price, SFG cannot wait until next year!
It might still be a baby on the festival circuit, but Bristol’s Love Save The Day has no trouble drawing the hordes. Students, ravers, and the trendy youth of the West Country are all out to play for the festival’s third birthday.
Thick, grey clouds loom on Saturday, with a washout predicted for the day’s entirety, but spirits are high, and these wellie-clad punters ain’t afraid of no mud. Located in the heart of Bristol’s centre, attractive little Castle Park seems an odd choice of location to hold a dance festival, but a convenient one nonetheless.
With a generous helping of DJs on the line up, we are launched headfirst into the housey beats that usually form the late night proceedings. The likes of Crazy P and Kove get the party started on the Futureboogie and BB Records stages, while the main stage presents a more eclectic mix of genres.
Kiesza proves a highlight, largely due to her impressive ability to carry out intricate dance routines while simultaneously projecting note perfect vocals. The crowd seems entertained when she beckons a chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs” during her most famous track, ‘Hideaway’; it’s an impressive turn out for the soon-to-be star.
Trudging through the already muddy grounds, we find a collection of smaller venues sheltered within the trees, including a ‘Cocktails and Dreams’ stage complete with a campervan selling exotic cocktails, and the ‘Dance Off’, an area for the hardcore ravers where a boxing ring has been erected in front the stage – presumably intended for busting moves rather than for competitive fighting.
Later, Hercules and Love Affair provide a rather disappointing set on the main stage, and despite their garish outfits, seem to struggle to really engage with their audience. Annie Mac picks things up again, offering nearly an hour and a half of healthy dance beats as the heavens really open.
Saturday’s final headliner, Eats Everything, is local to Bristol, and his house tracks are successful in carrying the party into the night, gearing up the hardcore ravers for the after party taking place off-site at a nearby nightclub.
A much brighter and sunnier start to Sunday sets spirits high. Kicking things off are Laid Blak, recognised for their reggae infused music and weed-themed lyrics. Joined on stage by their children and revelling in the midday sun, the group seem to be having so much fun that they appear reluctant to leave at the end of their set!
Subsequent act Gentleman’s Dub Club are equally as excitable, and prove to be one of the standout performances of the festival. A parade of suited and booted men make up this ten-man band, complete with trumpeter and saxophonist. Exuding energy, they prance, skank and bounce their way through the set, urging the audience to join them in doing so. As the clouds part, they entice the crowd into a sun dance, which subsequently works its magic for the rest of the festival.
As the day progresses, bar queues begin to snake around the festival, as the crowds line up to wash down the afternoon with a customary Bristolian cider or Pimms for such weather. The lack of bars and food stalls is one of the biggest problems at this festival, which no doubt would benefit financially by making refreshments more readily available.
Quantic and Clean Bandit are both hits over on the main stage, with the former injecting a refreshing dose of salsa and jazz into the mix, and the latter pleasing the audience with their rendition of ‘Rather Be’. Yet perhaps the biggest crowds are drawn at the opposite end of the festival, when Shy FX and then Mike Skinner take to the Soundboy stage. Skinner swops vocals for decks, and surprisingly proves to be quite the DJ.
Bringing proceedings to a close, Jamie XX spins and remixes furiously to produce his trademark electronica sound, warming up the stage for headliner SBTRKT. Joined by regular collaborator Sampha, the set is slick and entrancing, enhanced by a hypnotic light show reserved for only the biggest artists.
Aside from the food and drink niggle, Love Saves the Day is a triumph. Despite covering such a small area of ground, the sound from its six stages never muddles, and it is particularly refreshing to see artists given such long sets. Bring on year four!
Over the past few years this fine Pagoda stage overlooking the Lake has played host to a first class array of disc jockeys, acts and artists; from Radio 1's Annie Mac & Toddla T to the mesmerising sounds of Matthew Johnson; from the NY groove of Kim Ann Foxman to the Eats Everything Bristol bounce. Remember the year Disclosure and Sam Smith performed 'Latch' at sunset? Or the time Skream went b2b with Zed Bias, Disclosure, Eats & Artwork?! T.E.E.D. dropping jungle? Jamie Jones & Seth Troxler b2b? Damn! that was the pure house party vibes right there!
This summer the Pagoda pays homage to resident djs from up & down our fair isle and beyond, representing nights such as Tief, Below, Circus, Rooty (RIP), Simple, Fleetmac Wood & Werk:It.
As well as the Top Secret special guests, The Pagoda also welcomes a sprinkling of headline talent along the course of the weekend for your listening pleasure .
Let's praise the residents. They are the ones who often dig deeper, the chosen ones who set the mood of an evening, that represent the club night, the ones who'll play you tracks you'll be pestering them about later, the guys with the biggest record boxes and an ability to take you into a trance like state.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome your Pagoda DJs for the weekend:
Aartekt – Adam Shelton – Aerial – Bill Brewster – Cat Lovers – Citizen – Clancy – Denney – Dia – Dom Chung – Emerson Twin – Em Williams – Fleetmac Wood – Frank Tope – Futureboogie – Head Gardener – Hilit Kolet – Huxley – James Vorres – Jay Karim – Johan Ten Houten – Lewis Boardman – Maribou State – Michael Palmer – Midland – Motty – No Artificial Colours – Richy Ahmed – Robert James – Sancho Panza – Shivas Regal & Mcculo – Sisterhood – Six Axle – Son Of Sun – Sophie Lloyd – Steve Huerta – T. Williams – Tayo – Urulu – Waze & Odyssey – Wild Fantasy – Wolf Music
Other stages additions include:
Artwork – Cherub – Danny Mathews & The Rustle – Geddes – Harry Wolfman – Jasper James – Mark Wells – Pardon My French – Real Connoisseur – Sarah Frenchy – Slim Howl – Tom Grainger –Zero 7 (dj)
With over 14 stages and 4 days of live music and dj sets 2014 promises to be one of the most music-packed Secret Garden Party’s ever…. add to the mix the renowned secret sets by some of the biggest names around and it is…game on!
Festival fever was back in business with the popular dance event We Are Fstvl playing hosts this late May bank holiday weekend. Reported weather weeks before the event claimed of a heat wave across the weekend but that couldn’t have been further from the truth with the early Saturday afternoon seeing Upminster Essex covered in heavy consistent rain that increased the Poncho sales dramatically.
However this didn’t dampen the spirits of the many thousands of ravers in attendance. All eyes were directed to the VIP Village where Shadow Child was on the decks at the MK & Friends tent. The well-known dance shuffle was the crowd favourite dance move and was certainly helping combat the wet weather, oh to be in Ibiza! The VIP Village was a nice touch for the extra money paid for VIP treatment with hot tubs and other added bonuses to add to your weekend.
The sun finally decided to rear its head and the Saturday was setting up nicely. Stages such as the ‘We Are Fstvl Main Stage’, ‘Defected In The House’ and ‘Paradise’ boasted big names such as Jamie Jones, Disclosure, Infinity Ink, Guti, Hot Since 82 and Ritchie Hawtin who was headlining the main stage. For the fans of the more up tempo electric music, the We Are Elctrnc stage served all that you needed to get a bit more bouncy and intense.
Earlier sets from Syn Cole, Hard Rock Sofa and Kryder were just the start on what was a great line up on the We Are Elctrnc stage. Thomas Gold was also a highlight with a lively stand out set on the decks. Up next was Dirty Dutch DJ Chuckie who electrified everyone with his take on the dirty house scene, a genre that is wild and showcased We Are Fstvl as a great festival for different genres of dance music.
With each stage having its main headline act, you were spoilt for choice. A big focus again was on the electric stage where former Pendulum members Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen threw in their current project Knife Party with such velocity it blew off the faces of the ever loving crowd. This was achieved through dramatic music played and also the quite frequent jets of fire that added even more of an edge to the amazing visuals on the electric stage. Always an exciting experience seeing Knife Party, who have announced there will be a new Knife Party album coming soon as well as a new Pendulum album, the first one in almost five years. Roll on day two.
With the first day being a success, you could sense the anticipation of another day of great music and good times. The weather being beautiful from the start insured big smiles, more sun cream and the disregard of the wet weather gear! Getting in nice an early this time avoided the heavy queues that would increase later in the day and allowed the early risers to head over to the ‘Cocoon’ stage where Julien Bracht was playing some nice live vibes, something that may have been needed for those with a sore head from the previous day!
A wander round the festival site saw two tents that couldn’t have been more separate in taste of dance music, but were equally as great as each other. One of them being the ‘Andy C Presents Ram’ tent saw the BPM tempo rise above the 160 mark which also could be said the same for your heart rate. A very energetic tent that emphasised the MC role to give the building crowd a bit of interaction. Switch over to the ‘Toolroom Knights Ibiza’ tent which explains itself in the name. Shut your eyes and you were in Ibiza in what was a much needed Balearic sounding change up. Names on the line up were Weiss, Tensnake and Mark Knight.
With the Sunday in full swing, the focus switched to the best stage of the day. The suitably named ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ main stage boasted a massive line up with the likes of Riva Starr, Tiga, Solumun and a second appearance of the weekend from Amine Edge & Dance. By 7pm the main stage was packed with dancing humans and the spinning duties were handed over to Duke Dumont who provided a fantastic set. Finally as the sun started to set over Upminster Essex, the biggest names of the weekend were set the task of continuing the party atmosphere. Annie Mac fresh from Radio 1’s Big Weekender was first up before the legend Fat Boy Slim! Playing hits such as 'Praise You' and the main stage namesake 'Eat Sleep Rave Repeat' it provided an electrifying finale to a great weekend and a great festival.
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.
One of the most imaginative stages ever built, The Port returns to Bestival 2014 to host some of the biggest DJ's!
Heading up the first of three full-on days of big sounds is Cocoon kingpin and techno protagonist Sven Väth, who, for over 30 years, has been transporting dancefloors to rapturous new lands and will no doubt baptise 2014’s Port crew with his boundary pushing brilliance. Friday will also see sets from uncompromising genius Damian Lazarus, bass heavy groove merchant Eats Everything, rave detonator Boys Noize, driving techno type Bella Sarris, sine-woven tech head South London Ordnance, and our very own chief castaway Rob da Bank.
Saturday action comes courtesy of the amazing Annie Mac Presents, with sets from Annie Mac, the incomparable Green Velvet, 1-800-DINOSAUR (ft James Blake / Dan Foat / Airhead / Mr Assister), stripped back beats architect Route94, underground house duo Bicep, Hot Natured resident Richy Ahmed, mutant house purveyorKrystal Klear and BBC Radio 1’s Monki.
Wrapping things up at The Port for 2014 is an almighty beats blitzkrieg featuring a DJ set from soul-stirring bass lords Chase & Status, plus drum n bass legend Andy Cwill present Ram, with firing sets from Wilkinson and Loadstar and MCs 2shy, Adapt and Jakes. We’ll also have dancefloor action from beat ninja Jaguar Skills, Foamo and RackNRuin in their Gorgon City guise, soul infused pair Dusky, wildly experimental riddim wizard Kaytranada, divinely deep duo Âme and techno twosome Dense & Pika.
Love Saves The Day returns to Bristol's Castle Park in May for a third edition of the cutting edge music festival. Having sold out in both its previous years, months in advance of the shows, Love Saves The Day has expanded to a two date event for 2014 and will once again immerse Bristol in the very best electronic and bass music.
Saturday
Rocking the Main Stage on Saturday will be local hero Eats Everything whose expertly crafted mix of classic 80s and 90s house and contemporary UK bass has seen him receive such accolades as DJ Magazine's 'Best British DJ' and 'Best Breakthrough Producer' awards as well as becoming the highest new entry in Resident Advisor's celebrated 'Top 100 DJs Poll'. Radio 1's Annie Mac is a true champion of the underground and one of the most in demand club and festival DJ's on the planet. Her widely respected Friday night slot on Radio 1 is essential listening and Annie always knows how to work the crowd.
Clean Bandit are one of the most exciting new dance bands in the UK, and have recently scored their first Number One in January with 'Rather Be' feat. Jess Glynne. First appearing at Love Saves The Day last year, we are really proud to have them return to play one of the premier slots on the Main Stage.
Returning to the fold after a brief hiatus are the mighty Hercules & Love Affair. A collaborative rotating door of personalities, led by the ringmaster of Andy Butler, the new line-up promises some amazing new music and a brand new album this spring, featuring such amazing voices as John Grant, Rouge Mary and Belgian Singer Gustaphe. One thing that we know is whatever the ensemble, H&LV have always put on shows to remember!
Cyril Hahn's expertly executed take on deep house and modern R&B has made him the go-to remixer of the the moment. With influences stemming everywhere from French filter house and hard-core punk through to an affinity with the reverb soaked tones of modern post-rock it's no wonder that this twenty-something wunderkid has made fans of such electronic and indie luminaries as Diplo, the XX, Jessie Ware and his PMR label mates Disclosure
Nina Kraviz sublime combination of deep house and techno has seen her become one of the hottest new names on the scene whilst Craig Richards flies the flag for the tech house fraternity.
Love Saves The Day is delighted to welcome Norway's Todd Terje who is described by Mixmag as the 'King of the summer jams' and will be performing live at the festival as well as Subb-An, Waifs and Strays, Crazy P, Solomon Grey, Moko,Motor City Drum Ensemble, Feel The Real and many more to ensure that Saturday is a relentless aural feast.
Sunday
Sunday will see the mighty SBTRKT headline the main stage at Love Saves The Day. From his early dub-tinged club focused singles to the crossover success of his self-titled debut album, Sbtrkt has never been afraid to push musical boundaries and his forthcoming 2014 album is one that is sure to break new ground in what we understand as live electronic dance music.
Preceding Sbtrkt will be one of the most respected names in music Jamie XX. Outside of his day job in Mercury Prize winning electronic indie outfit the XX, Jamie is a prolific producer and remixer. His signature combination of haunting melodies and low key club percussion provide the backbone for his work. An active DJ career, collaboration with the late, great Gil Scott-Heron, production work for rap heavyweight Drake and a series of remixes for Radiohead are an indicator of exactly how diverse an artist he has become.
Surely one of the most hyped and eagerly anticipated albums of 2014 already is forthcoming from Neneh Cherry with RocketNumberNine. Produced by man-of-the-moment FourTet, with guests such as Robyn featuring, it is Neneh's first solo album in 17 years. Neneh also has a special affinity with Bristol, having been amongst the first to champion the 'Wild Bunch' who later became 'Massive Attack', lending them her studio many years ago that enabled the recording of the seminal 'Blue Lines'. This is going to be a pretty special Bristol show for us all.
Paul Woolford's Special Request moniker was launched in March 2012 via two bold white label 12" singles. The project captures and distils the energy and unruly conventions of UK pirate radio and uses that as a springboard of inspiration for a series of productions that span from heavyweight darkside techno to chaotic, eye of the storm jungle tear-outs. We've long been a fan of Woolford's sets and can't wait to see him perform as the rampant Special Request.
Despite the generations between them, dub production stalwart Adrian Sherwood and fresh-faced dub step producer Pinchhave teamed up to create an incredible clash of heritage dancehall, reggae and modern electronic music. Their set will be highly anticipated as will performances from drum & bass legend Shy FX, bass boy of the moment Dismantle and another of Radio 1's champions of dance music B. Traits. The legendary Greg Wilson will take to the decks at the UK's finest electronic music festival with Gentleman's Dub Club, A Sagittarian, Jus Now, Congo Natty and many others ensuring that festival goers enjoy the very best electronic sounds the globe has to offer.
Love Saves The Day partners with some of Bristol's and the UKs finest clubbing institutions including Just Jack, Futureboogie, The Dance Off, Teachings In Dub, Black Butter, Digital Soundboy, The Blast, Horse Meat Disco and Soul Train.
More names will be added shortly as Love Saves The Day builds upon the legacy it laid down over the past 2 years.
CURRENT CONFIRMED LINE UP (Alphabetical)
SATURDAY 24th MAY
Andy Butler / Annie Mac / Apex / Black Butter / Bodhi / Christophe & Lukas / Clean Bandit / Craig Richards / Crazy P Sound System / Cyril Hahn / Dan Wild / DJ Q / Eats Everything / Eton Messy / Feel the Real / Felix Dickinson / Foundations / Futureboogie / Gotsome / Hackman / Hercules and Love Affair / Horse Meat Disco / Joe90 & Dave Harvey / Just Jack / Kidnap Kid / Kove / Maribou State b2b Pedestrian / Motor City Drum Ensemble / Moko / Nina Kraviz / Origins / PBR Streetgang / People Like Us / Piff / Shambarbers / Shapes / Snakehips / Solomon Grey / Subb-an / The Dance Off / Todd Terje / Tom Rio / Waifs and Strays / 4ours
SUNDAY 25TH May
A Sagittariun / A.Quake / Aba Shanti-I / Breakage / Congo Natty with Nanci + Phoebe / Crack / Digital Soundboy / Dirty Talk / Dismantle / Dubkasm / Durkle Disco / Dutty Girl / Falling Up / Felis / Fire Man Sam / Francis Inferno Orchestra b2b Fantastic Man / Gentleman's Dub Club / Greg Wilson / The Heatwave / Idle Hands / Jakwob / Jamie XX / Javeon McCarthy / John Talabot / Jus Now / Laid Blak / Livity Sound / Ms Dynamite / Neneh Cherry & RocketNumberNine / Pardon My French / Quantic / Sam Binga ft. Redders / SBTRKT / Sherwood and Pinch / Shy FX / Sip The Juice / Soul Train / Special Request / Stylo G / Teachings in Dub / Tessela / The Blast / Trap
