Catfish and the Bottlemen

Scotland’s announces new festival Trnsmt with Radiohead, Kasabian, Biffy Clyro and more

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Taking place at Glasgow Green from 7th – 9th July, 2017, TRNSMT will feature headline performances from Radiohead, Kasabian and Biffy Clyro. The 1975, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Belle & Sebastian, London Grammar, George Ezra, Two Door Cinema Club, Twin Atlantic, The Kooks, Blossoms, Rag‘n’Bone Man, Circa Waves and many more to be announced, form the line-up for one of the most highly anticipated music events of the Scottish summer. This truly award-winning line-up, with a mighty 72 BRITs, Grammy Awards, Ivor Novello and Mercury Music Prize award nominations bestowed to the artists on the bill, is unyielding in its quest to provide the greatest experience of the summer for music fans.
 
Glasgow Green will play host to this truly metropolitan, non-camping festival, which stages global superstars alongside the very best of local talent. Glasgow, the UNESCO City of Music and cultural and artistic hub, will provide the backdrop as TRNSMT interrupts Glasgow’s summer air with an electrifying celebration of music, bringing people together to enjoy the acts they already love, discover the new, and undergo life-affirming experiences.
 
Fresh on the heels of the release of their ninth LP, the critically acclaimed A Moon Shaped Pool, Radiohead make their return to Glasgow, playing on Friday 7th July. One of the most iconic and innovative bands in the world, Radiohead have evolved continuously since their inception, having created an eclectic back catalogue of albums and songs now widely regarded as classics. No other British band of the past 30 years continuously tops “Greatest Album Ever” or “Most Influential Artist” polls curated by fans and critics alike, are cited as influential to countless other bands of today, and have the unique ability to command respect from a live audience, no matter the scale of event they play. Radiohead last played Glasgow in 2008, so their return to the city in 2017, a year which has already seen them BRIT Award nominated for Best British Group, is long-awaited and highly anticipated.
 
 
Since the release of their self-titled debut album in 2004, Kasabian have gone on to become one of the biggest rock bands in the country and will headline TRNSMT on Saturday 8th July. They’ve continued to fly the flag for British guitar music ever since, releasing a further four critically acclaimed albums, all of which reached number one. Their new record will be released in the spring. The Leicester four-piece are known for their blistering live shows, with their unique blend of colossal dance beats and rock turning whole festival fields into dancefloors. Equally at home on the festival stage, in stadiums, arenas or in a small intimate setting, few bands can unify a crowd of thousands in quite the same way as Kasabian.
 
 
Biffy Clyro are three childhood friends from Ayrshire, Scotland who formed a band, delivered three albums of abrasive youthful exuberance and finally cracked the big time when their fourth – 2007’s Puzzle – hit the charts at number one. With a further three albums under their belt, they are now bona fide stars who can headline festivals, fill arenas and deliver hit singles in an era in which rock bands rarely trouble the charts. Currently nominated for Best British Group at this year’s BRIT Awards, Biffy Clyro’s evolution from the jagged post-hardcore of their early material to the huge alternative rock sound of recent years has won them a fervent and fanatic fan base, whose cries of “Mon the Biff!” will be heard for miles across the city when they headline TRSNMT on Sunday 9th July.
 
The 1975’s album I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It proved they were here for a long time, and a good time, topping the charts in the UK and US and becoming one of the defining albums of recent years. The band is nominated for Brit Awards this year including Best British Group and Album of the Year and will no doubt be one of the many highlights of TRNSMT on Sunday 9th July.
 
Welsh four-piece Catfish and the Bottlemen will play TRNSMT hot off the back of a world tour for their critically acclaimed sophomore album, The Ride, which saw their anthemic sound reach number one in UK album charts. TRNSMT’s Glasgow crowd will be sure to welcome the band on Saturday 8th July, as charismatic frontman Van McCann revealed his own love for the city on album track Glasgow, which fans will be hoping to hear this July.
 
Indie figureheads, Belle & Sebastian, bring their critically acclaimed back catalogue to Glasgow Green to join Radiohead on Friday 7th July. Emerging in the late nineties, part of the band’s appeal was their apparent obliviousness to fame, which they were thrust into in 1998 with the release of The Boy with the Arab Strap and their 1999 Best Newcomers Brit Award win. Their ability to share their affinity for culture in songs written almost personally to their fans is how they’ve become lovingly imprinted into the music industry today.
 
Artists also announced today, London Grammar, George Ezra, Two Door Cinema Club, Twin Atlantic, The Kooks, Blossoms, Rag‘n’Bone Man and Circa Waves, have amassed a number of award wins and nominations throughout their careers, from London Grammar’s Ivor Novello win in 2014 to Rag‘n’Bone Man’s Brits Critics' Choice Awards in 2017. The musical talent on offer at TRNSMT, led by Radiohead, Kasabian and Biffy Clyro, is the best of the best, the cream of the crop; from your new favourite to most-played artist, the line-up is yours to enjoy thanks to flexible early bird ticket packages.
 
TRNSMT will offer entertainment over two stages – with a line-up that will highlight talent across the musical spectrum, from the most influential band in fans’ lifetime to their favourite new, under the radar artist on the King Tut’s Stage – powered by Utilita. Fans will enjoy music, arts, culture, bars and restaurants as they customise their individual festival experience across the 3 days.
 

Zara Larsson, Clean Bandit and more added to Isle of Wight Festival lineup

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Today, The Isle of Wight Festival 2017 announces ten young and upcoming acts for the 2017 festival: Catfish and the Bottlemen, Zara Larsson, Clean Bandit, The Vamps, The Strypes, The Amazons, Germein Sisters, Judas, The Novatones and The Second Sons. 

They join recently announced headliners David Guetta, Run DMC, Arcade Fire and Rod Stewart, as well as Kaiser Chiefs, Texas, The Shires, Example + DJ Wire, Jonas Blue, Nothing But Thieves, The Sherlocks, Ward Thomas, The Undertones, The Alarm and Elle Exxe. As well as George Ezra, Bastille, Jack Savoretti and Rag’n’Bone Man.

John Giddings said: “We've always supported fresh, new and exciting talent at the at the Isle of Wight Festival. It’s what music festivals are all about. We had Blossoms in 2015 and they've just been nominated for a BRIT award! Looking forward to seeing what the Isle of Wight 2017’s talents have in store for us!”

The most exciting new guitar band to come out of the UK this decade, Catfish and the Bottlemen released their debut album ‘The Balcony’ in September 2014 and went on to win best newcomer at the BBC Awards later that year. The platinum selling album debuted in the Top Ten in the UK, yielded hit singles aplenty and saw the band win a BRIT Award for best British Breakthrough Act. Known for their incendiary live shows, Catfish and the Bottlemen have toured extensively on both sides of the Atlantic and in May 2016 released their eagerly anticipated second album ‘The Ride’. It went straight to the top of the charts on release, and has sold an astonishing 150,000 copies to date. After a summer of sold out open air shows and festival appearances across the world, the end of 2016 saw the band embark upon an 8 week tour of the US before finishing up with arena dates across the UK. 2017 sees Catfish and the Bottlemen play dates in Australia, Japan and South America, and embark upon a major stadium tour of the USA in the summer with Green Day. 

Over the past twelve months, Zara Larsson has achieved what most artists can only dream of, becoming one of the biggest and most exciting breakthrough artists of the year.  To date, she has graced the cover of NME, featured in the Time Magazine’s 30 most influential teenagers and become unmissable across our screens and airwaves.  Factor in a V Festival performance, two 2016 MTV EMAs wins, two BRIT Award nominations and the small matter of opening for Beyoncé on both dates of her Formation World Tour at Wembley Stadium, it’s been non-stop for the Swedish sensation. With a string of global hits already under her belt, Zara’s previous single, ‘I Would Like’ continues to sit firmly in the UK Top Ten, six weeks after being released and peaking at Number 2 in the UK Officials Singles Chart, while her debut single, 'Lush Life’ has gained over half a billion streams on Spotify and gone double Platinum here in the UK. 

Zara Larsson said: “So Excited to play the Isle of Wight Festival! UK festivals are always so much fun! You guys always bring 100%.”

Genre-defying Clean Bandit first emerged on the scene in 2012 with their matchless blend of electronica, pop, r’n’b and string arrangements, and have gone onto become global Number One stars. Landing their first UK Number One single in 2014 with ‘Rather Be’ feat. Jess Glynne (the track stayed as the UK Number One for four consecutive weeks), it won a GRAMMY Award for ‘Best Dance Recording’ in 2015, not to mention two Ivor Novello nods for the band’s multi-instrumentalist/producer, Jack Patterson, in the same year for his work on the track. Currently in the studio working on their new album – the follow-up to 2014’s Top Three debut ‘New Eyes’ – Clean Bandit released their mighty single ‘Rockabye’ at the end of 2016; staying at Number One for nine consecutive weeks in the UK and featuring vocals from woman-of-the-moment, Anne-Marie, and the mighty Sean Paul, it was also 2016’s official Christmas Number One in the UK.

The Vamps following continues to grow rapidly. Since they burst onto the scene in 2013, they have had five UK Top 10 singles, two smash hit albums and their YouTube and VEVO channels have topped ½ billion views and 2.7 million subscribers. They often trend around the world on Twitter, and have over 3.3 million followers. The band are also regulars on Facebook where they have 6.3 million Facebook fans. The band have sold out London’s 20,000 capacity O2 four times, with a fifth on sale now, and have hit the road for multiple world tours visiting over 25 countries. The Vamps have won Best Breakthrough, Best British Single and Best British Group (twice!) at the Radio 1 Teen Awards, as well as being nominated for Best Love Song and Best Breakout Group at the Teen Choice Awards. Their current single, All Night, is rising up the charts around the globe and has picked up over 100 million streams worldwide, making it currently the 21st most streamed song on Spotify in the world. 

The Vamps Brad Simpson said: “We all can’t wait to play the Isle of Wight Festival! We love playing festivals!”

The Strypes are a four piece rock'n'roll band from Ireland. They began playing together at primary school and signed a record deal in 2012. Their debut album Snapshot was produced by Chris Thomas (Sex Pistols/Beatles) and made the top five in the UK album charts. Their follow up Little Victories cracked the UK top 20 and reached number One in their home country. Their TV appearances include Later with Jools Holland, Late Night with Letterman and Conan O'Brien.

The Strypes’ Ross Farrelly said: “We love the Isle of Wight Festival. It’s one of our favourite festivals, so being invited back to play is incredible news! We can’t wait. Roll on June!”

Reading four-piece, The Amazons, took the new music scene by storm when they released ‘Stay With Me’, produced by Tom Dalgety (Royal Blood and The Maccabees). They have already been championed by BBC Music Introducing, featured on the BBC Sound of 2017 shortlist and the MTV Brand New for 2017 shortlist. 

The Amazon’s Matt Thompson said: “We’re very excited to be escaping the mainland to play Isle of Wight Festival for the second time. We had a blast last year at the Jack Rocks tent and can’t wait to join a line-up of some of our favourite artists"

Australia’s Germein Sisters have been turning heads across the globe with their indie pop tunes. Sibling trio Georgia (guitar, keys), Ella (electric cello, bass) and Clara Germein (drums) have got music critics raving worldwide with their flawless harmonies, catchy melodies, and euphoric live show. Described as “my soundtrack to summer” by Music in Time UK, the trio’s organically crafted pop sensibility, intriguing element of electronicism, topped off with that distinctive sibling magic has been making waves ever since they started jamming together on their family’s bushland property in South Australia. Their debut single ‘Da Da Doo’ was nominated for ‘Best Song’ at the South Australian Music Awards, where the girls also scored nominations for ‘Best Pop Artist’ and ‘Best Band’. Germein Sisters have performed across Australia, New Zealand, China, and Europe; and not forgetting supporting Ronan Keating on his tour of Germany, and representing Australia at the Hue Festival in Vietnam, and the Women of the World Festival in Germany.

British Four piece ‘Judas’ have quickly managed to gain a reputation as one of the best new emerging rock and roll bands in the UK, with a fearsome live reputation to boot. Led by charismatic frontman and chief song writer John Clancy, having previously gigged with indie heavyweights such as The View, Catfish & The Bottlemen and The Mystery Jets, he has certainly picked up their knack for writing bona fide indie anthems.

The Novatones are fast becoming a festival favourite. Since first playing at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2014, they have risen up the stages year on year with a huge performance in the Big Top last year. They seem to be the support band of choice in 2017, and are now getting played on 6 Music.

One of London’s most exciting new bands, The Second Sons have risen to international acclaim in 2016 after releasing their debut single “Best Of Me” featuring the late, legendary Bobby Keys and have recently followed up with the bands electrifying collaboration with iconic record producer Chris Kimsey on their most recent single “Can’t You See”. Always able to get people off their feet and dancing, the Second Sons are one of the most entertaining live acts in music to date. "The Second Sons are the best thing to happen to rock n roll since Booker T fell in with the MG’s. It drives like a freight train and punches like a very young Mike Tyson. This band gives me hope for the republic of rock n roll." Rich Cohen – Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone

The Second Sons’ Nick Harding said: “We are thrilled to be back this year, the Isle of Wight Festival is one of the world’s finest and we are happy to be playing it again for a second time.”

Truck Festival 2016 Review

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This weekend saw Truck Festival joined by more music-lovers than ever before and over 200 performers and DJs who basked in glorious sun rays amid the Oxfordshire countryside.

Recent years have seen a boom in the number of big festivals as well as an increase in the commercialisation of smaller festivals. Truck has always been proud to be an independent festival with a niche list of performers and a very intimate vibe.

While Truck stayed true to it’s roots as a smaller and less commercial festival, it has still been growing ever since it was established in 1997. This year saw a major expansion of Truck with increased tickets, an additional arena, a new entrance, and an extra day.

Truck prides itself on providing a platform for local and underground artists to showcase their talents alongside big, well-known artists such as 2016 Brit Award winners, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Manic Street Preachers, and Kodaline. Truck’s local connections run deeper than just the line-up however, with the local Rotary Club handling a large proportion of the food catering (although their importance is shrinking as more food stalls are being sourced to feed the growing audiences).

The music at Truck Festival is so diverse that there really is something for everyone. Each of the stages has it’s own style – The Truck Stage is most diverse with the headliners playing alongside a mixture of bands including Band App winners; The Market Stage is second in command and hosts some of the most popular bands of the weekend including Mystery Jets, SOAK, and Switch DJs into the early hours; the new Nest stage hosts the bands previously seen in the Barn (which continues to be a favourite for many) – with a more hard rock and punk vibe, such as NeckDeep and Mooseblood; the Saloon is famous for its ‘great western’ style; the Veteran and Virgins has a mixture of styles playing hosts to bands who have stuck by Truck for its 19 years and others using it for their first Truck experience; and finally, the Palm City and Horizon stage was a favourite by many teens for the DJ’s Roughion and club vibes.

Each of the headliners was distinct from the others and all graced the stage for a different reason. Catfish and the Bottlemen are very popular following their Brit Award win for Best Newcomers, and have been played by the likes of Channel 4’s Hollyoaks recently. This made them a hit with the younger audience as they played all of the most popular songs from their May 2016 release, ‘The Ride’.

The Welsh 80’s rock band, Manic Street Preachers, pulled in a strong Welsh fanbase for their set on Saturday evening and their ‘glam rock’ vibe was enjoyed by all, even though some of those attending with their parents clearly were not familiar with the songs.

 

The final headliner for Kodaline had a slightly quieter response as a small number of festival goers began to leave thoughout Sunday ready for Monday morning. Despite this, the whole of Arena 1 was rocking to the band, who were known as ’21 Demands’ until 2012. The Irish born band are known for their unique mix of ‘folk rock’ and they gave Sunday evening a very relaxed and content vibe – ending the weekend with confetti cannons and streamers being blasted into the crowd.

While the three-day event was a bargain (working out less than £30 per day), returning festival-goers may have been shocked at the increased charges once they were there. Truck Festival has always boasted a large “children’s tent” for the under 12’s, full of creative arts and crafts and some poets etc to entertain them. This year the children area had expanded but with everything charged at a minimum of £3, it was difficult to last out the morning without going bankrupt. There was plenty on offer – climbing frames, dream catcher workshops, jewellery workshops, rubber archery, etc. but everything was charged which was not mentioned prior to arrival and was unexpected for anyone who had attended previously. Prices for food had also increased dramatically at the Rotary Club stalls, with a bacon sandwich costing £4, and only a choice of 3 stalls for breakfast.

But this didn’t effect the overall vibe of the weekend which was completely laid back and inclusive, once again. It was in no way about wearing the right clothes or being seen, but rather about kicking back and enjoying the unique atmosphere while soaking up the festival sun. There was no fancy VIP area like you’ll find at other big festivals; backstage was purely functional. Instead, everyone mingles in the main arena – the artists roam the site, picking up beers at the bar just like everyone else. Truck is clearly about the music and people enjoying themselves, something that feels lacking at the bigger festivals which seem to be just money-spinning corporate beasts.

Organisation had also failed slightly this year when it came to the much-loved paint fight. I have been to the paint fight every year I’ve attended Truck – it is one of my personal highlights of the weekend. But this year I was one of many who missed out because it was advertised in the wrong arena. There were crowds of teens clad in all white waiting at 4 o’clock on Saturday in Arena 2, but when 4 o’clock came and went, cheers were heard coming from Arena 3, and paint covered bodies began walking passed. And that was that – we had missed what, for many of us, was something we’d been very much looking forward to.

With the fabulous line-up, a new site layout and even a new bridge across the stream, alongside the perfect festival weather, this was the festival you’ll be gutted to have missed.

Truck Festival 2016 headliners revealed

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Manic Street Preachers and Catfish And The Bottlemen confirmed to headline Truck Festival 2016.  Oxford’s original independent music festival also welcomes Everything Everything, Circa Waves and Young Fathers.

Iconic rock trio Manic Street Preachers and fellow Welshmen Catfish and the Bottlemen are to headline Truck Festival, 15th – 17th July at Hill Farm, Oxford. The impressive line up also includes Everything Everything and Circa Waves who are set to rub shoulders with the awesome We Are The Ocean, Gnarwolves and Pretty Vicious, just some of the names unveiled today for the 2016 line-up. Truck Festival pulled out all the stops for the event’s 19th year promising devoted festival-goers another mind-blowing year of music. Standard weekend tickets are priced at only £86.50 and are available via truckfestival.com.

Manic Street Preachers – James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore – are to  perform on Saturday 16th of July at Truck Festival as main stage headliners. Undisputed classics ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’, ‘Your Love Alone’ and ‘Design for Life’ alongside more recent hits from ‘Rewind The Film’ and ‘Futurology’ will no doubt see festival-goers celebrating one of the biggest and best UK groups of the last 30 years.

Avid festival performers Catfish and the Bottlemen join Truck as headliners for Friday 15th of July. The four-piece scooped the BBC Introducing award at the first BBC Music Awards in 2014 and have been a firm fixture on the live music scene ever since. 

With their most recent album being named ‘Hottest record in the world’ by BBC Radio 1, Mercury prize nominees Everything Everything are not to be missed this year at Truck Festival. Circa Waves, Young Fathers, Jack  Savoretti and the hotly tipped Rat Boy are also joining proceedings in an indie-lovers dream lineup.

Truck is also catering to the hardcore fans out there with bands such as We Are The Ocean, Gnarwolves and Creeper providing everyone with a metal and punk injection. Truck 2016 will also bring to the table music from The Magic Gang, Formation and Hooton Tennis Club.

Completing the additions for Truck’s first announcement of 2016 are Creeper, Pixel Fix, Louis Berry alongside local favourites Willie J Healey and Esther Joy Lane. 
 
Truck also recently confirmed that for 2016 the event will expand to three days across the weekend of Friday 15th until Sunday 17th July at the Hill Farm site. A whole extra 24 hours will be on offer packed, once again, with the best indie, rock, pop and electronic acts. 

Truck Festival’s 18-year history has seen sets from the likes of Foals, The XX, Two Door Cinema Club, Biffy Clyro and Peace. Oxford’s original is the discerning go-to for credible and quality acts and 2016 is shaping up to be no less than another prime year.

Fifty thousand tickets to be released for Radio Ones Big Weekend Norwich 2015

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BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw today announced that Catfish and the Bottlemen and Years & Years will perform at Radio 1's Big Weekend 2015, taking place at Earlham Park, Norwich on 23 and 24 May.

They will join Taylor Swift and Florence and the Machine, on the line-up for the Europe’s biggest free ticketed festival which has an unrivalled reputation for attracting live performances from some of the biggest UK and international acts, bringing the nation together for a shared live music moment. Thousands of lucky music fans will be able to enjoy the 2015 event that will feature three stages including the Main Stage, In New Music We Trust Stage and the BBC Introducing Stage.

The full line-up, including headline artists, for Radio 1’s flagship music event will be revealed on Radio 1 next month.

Fifty thousand lucky music fans will be given the opportunity to get tickets across the two-day event. From Tuesday 31 March at 8am, tickets will be given away in pairs, with 25,000 available for each day. Tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Those hoping to obtain tickets will not need to register in advance – however demand for tickets is expected to massively exceed supply.

As with previous Big Weekends, tickets will be geographically weighted and an element of preference being given to local residents: 55 per cent of tickets will be reserved for those living within the area covered by Norwich City Council; 20 per cent will be reserved for those residents with a Norwich (NR) postcode, but outside the area covered by the City Council; 20 per cent will be reserved for residents in the surrounding East Anglian region with Ipswich (IP), Colchester (CO), Cambridge (CB) and Peterborough (PE) postcodes; with the remaining 5 per cent for other audiences across the UK.

Tickets will be available online at Radio 1’s website – http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ewh8q9  – and once booking opens, a link will appear to a secure site hosted by See Tickets, who are handling the ticketing process on the BBC’s behalf.

There will also be a phone number to call for those without internet access – 0844 858 9071 (calls cost 6p a minute plus standard network charges). Please note that calls to this number before 8am on Tuesday 31 March will not be answered but will still be charged. Phone lines are expected to be exceptionally busy and not everyone hoping to call is likely to get through. It is recommended that the quickest way to secure your ticket is to apply online at Radio 1’s website – http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ewh8q9

There is no charge for the event itself, but a handling fee of £3.50 per ticket will be applied to cover ticket handling, postage and other associated costs. Under 16s hoping to attend the event will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult who is at least 18 years old.

Radio 1’s Big Weekend is now in its 12th year and will be produced in partnership with Norwich City Council.

Mumford and Sons to headline Reading and Leeds Festival 2015

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Reading & Leeds Festivals are very excited to announce Mumford & Sons as Main Stage headliners!  The British rock band last appeared at Reading & Leeds in 2010 when they performed a triumphant set to a packed NME/BBC Radio 1 Stage. The band return to Reading & Leeds just four years later as Festival headliners.  

Festival boss Melvin Benn comments:

“I’m delighted to have secured Mumford & Sons for Main Stage headliners this summer and can’t wait to see them return to the Festivals for their first UK performance in over two years. With today’s announcement of a further eight great acts joining the bill, the Reading & Leeds line-up is already shaping up to be one of the best ever and I’m looking forward to revealing the third headliner and even more great artists soon.”

Reading & Leeds continue to tear-up the festival season by securing performances from some of the biggest bands around.

Royal Blood bring what the NME memorably described as an “absolute turbo bastard of a rock record” to Reading & Leeds exclusively this summer; the duo’s unique take on drums and bass has seen their self-titled debut sell almost a million copies worldwide to date.

Bastille are no strangers to the Festivals, having debuted on the Festival Republic Stage in 2012 then returned to storm the NME/BBC Radio 1 Stage in 2013.

As one of the biggest progressive-house producers in the world, deadmau5 promises to use incredible live production to give Reading & Leeds fans one of the biggest dance sets of the weekend.

Supergroup Rebel Sound formed of Chase & Status, Rage, David Rodigan and Shy FX combine reggae and dancehall beats through to drum ‘n’ bass and jungle – Chase & Status gave Reading & Leeds ‘crowd destroying’ sets in 2013; fans won’t know what is going hit them this summer.

Chase & Status said: "The last time we played Reading & Leeds, the crowd were insane and we had to stop the set four times – there was so much energy. This year, we’re coming back as Rebel Sound, Culture Clash Champions 2014 – ourselves and Rage, David Rodigan and Shy FX. We’ve only performed together once and it’s safe to say that night was incredible. We’re already preparing the new dubs…can’t wait to see what the Reading & Leeds crowd will bring this summer.”

Having spent years on the road honing their craft Catfish and The Bottlemen’s debut LP ‘The Balcony’ saw them catapulted into the public consciousness. With a sold out tour on the horizon including two nights at the legendary Brixton Academy, Reading & Leeds is the perfect place to catch tunes like their irrepressible single ‘Cocoon’.

The band said: "Made up to announce that we'll be back at this year’s Reading and Leeds! Last year really was a gamechanger for us and one of, if not the best shows we've ever done! This year's gonna blow it away…"

After recently topping the BBC Sound of 2015 poll, London’s Years & Years will be making their Reading & Leeds debut. Bringing their expertly considered pop melodies to the Festival to perform singles, ‘Desire’ ‘Take Shelter’ and ‘King,’ they'll show why they've been deservedly crowned stars.

The band said: "Wooooo we are so excited to be playing Reading and Leeds Festival! We'll be bringing three times as many synths as Metallica – can't wait to party with you all."

Lead by the beautiful, melancholy vocals of lead singer Ellie Rowsell, North London’s Wolf Alice craft skuzzy grunge-pop of a quality that has seen them championed by media and fans who have pushed them up through the ranks of Reading & Leeds.

Youthful indie-punk four piece hailing from Merthyr Tydfil in the Welsh Valleys, Pretty Vicious have already received daytime BBC Radio 1 support from the likes of Fearne Cotton and Greg James. The band’s set is sure to turn heads at the Festivals this summer.

Mesmerising singer and multi-instrumentalist Jack Garratt will be returning to Reading & Leeds this summer with his spellbinding vocals, triggered samples and amazing guitar solos.

Hannah Wants began the year named as Mixmag’s breakthrough DJ of 2014 and will make her Reading & Leeds debut with her hard-hitting, heavy bass sound. Hannah’s bound to put her mark on the Festivals when she drops her hit ‘Rhymes’.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR READING AND LEEDS FESTIVAL

Newly announced today:

Mumford & Sons (Headliner: England and Wales Festival Exclusive)

Royal Blood (UK Summer Festival Exclusive)

Bastille (England and Wales Festival Exclusive)

Deadmau5

Rebel Sound feat. Chase & Status and Rage, David Rodigan and Shy FX

Catfish and The Bottlemen

Years & Years

Wolf Alice

Pretty Vicious

Jack Garratt

Hannah Wants

Previously announced:

Metallica (Headliner and UK Festival Exclusive)

Jamie T

Pierce The Veil

Wilkinson (Live)

Run The Jewels

Refused

Manchester Orchestra

Truck Festival 2014 Review

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“Truck Festival? What’s that?” This has largely been the response when telling the tales of my whereabouts on the 18th-20th of July. With our music calendar at saturation point with all the festivals happening during this popular time, you can easily be forgiven for knowing nothing about this harmonious little gathering on a farm in Oxford.

But Truck is not your usual festival. It started 17 years ago as a small alternative to the big names such as Glastonbury, Reading or Leeds; all of which have become corporate, money-spinning beasts. Truck has a refreshingly low ticket count, which means that even though it was a sell-out, there was still plenty of breathing space and an obvious lack of hippies and try-hard rockers.

The weekend vibe was completely laid back and inclusive. It was in no way about wearing the right clothes or being seen, but rather about kicking back and enjoying the atmosphere while soaking up the vitamin-D. There was no fancy VIP area: backstage was purely functional. Instead, everyone mingles. The artists roam the site, picking up beers at the bar just like us “normal folk”. A distinct bohemian quality; Truck is clearly about the people and the music.

Typically claiming the third weekend in July, this year the two-dayer kicked off its Friday with the ‘Tropical Groove’ and Indie vibes of the four-piece HABITATS, making their Truck debut on the festival’s Main/Truck Stage. One of the fabulous things about Truck is that it’s a showcase for the area’s local scene at the same time as bringing in acts both small and big from further afield.

It’s a proper all-round arena: the same stage sees the popular rock back, The Dreaming Spires, with their clashing drums and almost-shouting-but-you-think-I’m-singing vocal sound (resulting in constant sound), immediately preceded by the relaxed and more feminine vibes of Fickle Friends singing to their soft keyboards and jingling tambourines.

Wider afield, the festival plays host to five stages, all very different in the music they were churning out over the fun-filled weekend.  The Barn Stage was focused on psychedelic noise rockers, such as Canterbury and Blood Red Shoes. Set against a corrugated steel roof, and with the scent of manure easing its way up the nostrils, it soon became obvious that we were watching psych-punk wraiths perform on a stage erected in a working barn. It was a surreal experience to say the least.

A mix of haunting sounds, hypnotic, pounding drumbeats and winking strobes were the enticing aspects which drew you into the stage amusingly labelled as The Veterans and Virgins Stage. Hosting bands such as Ralfe Band and the Brickwork Lizards, both of which offering unique experiences, often involving banjos and tambourines, the stage was both unique and alluring, tantalising the musical tastebuds. Similarly, the close-by Saloon Bar lured  people in with its refreshing western atmosphere. Set up as something out of a cheesy western movie from the 50’s, this stage offered a different experience from the other stages with a more acoustic and folk feel to all the acts, which included sets from BMW and The Buffalo Skinners.

Finally, often described as the ‘Second-in-Command’ to the Truck Stage, the Market Stage was a stage which offered a whole range of musical genres from Dance a la Plage with their Indie-Rock ambiance to the folk-electro solo artist, Dan Croll.

With every act, bar the day’s headliners, allotted a half-hour performance slot, it’s nothing if not fair. You can power through bands and stick with sets you might otherwise leave, meaning you get a great idea of each carefully edited set list designed by each band to show themselves at their best.

Friday’s headline act, the much loved The Cribbs, take to the Truck Stage at 10pm, delighting the crowd with a medley of their top hits – they’ve more than you remember after realising five studio albums – before their spectacular closing song, which left the crowds begging for more and sadly dispersing back to the camping site, or for those more eager to other stages, such as the Market Stage which offered an all-night “Silent Disco”. There is no doubt about the fact that this band knows how to rock a festival and plays a pitch-perfect set to a crowd that appreciates their longevity and experience.

When Saturday comes, eager festival goers await Truck Stage sets from M+A and As The Elephants Are. As the day goes on, things get really lively.

When the final act at the Truck Stage for the weekend, White Lies, take to stage they muster an infectious energy. People from outside the tent file in and there are heads nodding right the way to the back of the assembled throng. As they launch into the fast-and-furious first song, all pulsating drums, rumbling bass, blissful synths and deep vocals wrapped up in lyrical genius, the London trio ignite a flame within the audience which refuses to die out until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Truck is unique. Mellow, friendly and under-crowded. It’s like the best village fete you’ve ever been to. Complete with a diverse selection of bands, this is how festivals should be. You can’t help but hope Truck never gets big and becomes the commercialised spawn of the modern music industry.

Dot to Dot Festival drops Drenge, The Pizza Underground and Catfish & the Bottlemen in second announcement

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Booming Derbyshire duo Drenge are the big act of the second Dot-to-Dot Festival announcement. 

The Loveless brothers have built up a wild fanbase through their titular debut album and supporting slots, including one with Dot to Dot headliners Peace before their own headlining tour in Spring 2014.

Former child actor Macaulay Culkin brings his 'The Velvet Underground' tribute act, The Pizza Underground to the UK, with hits like 'I'm Waiting For Delivery Man' and 'Cheese Days' under the belt.

Rising star Luke Sital-Singh will also showcase his talents, alongside The Heartbreaks.

The inner-city festival takes place on consecutive days in Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham on Friday May 23, Saturday May 24 and Sunday May 25, respectively.

Further new additions Saint Raymond and Catfish and the Bottlemen are playing certain legs of the festival, with Nottingham and Manchester for the former and just Manchester for the latter.

These new names come secondary to the initial announcement, which saw Peace, The Midnight Beast, Courtney Barnett and Wolf Alice, amongst others, playing the festival, which costs just £20.

Full Line-Up So Far:  Peace // The Midnight Beast Drenge // Saint Raymond* // Catfish & The Bottlemen** // Real Estate // Lauren Aquiliana 
Luke Sital-Singh // Courtney Barnett // Darlia // Kyla La Grange // Wolf Alice 
The Pizza Underground // Hudson Taylor // Josh Record 
Amber Run // Barbarossa // Betty Who // Big Sixes // Caveman // Champs // Charlotte OC 
EZRA FURMAN // Frank Hamilton // Fred Page // Freddie Dickson // Fyfe // Gallery Circus 
Gavin James // Gengahr // George Barnett // God Damn // Horse Thief // JAWS // Joel Baker 
La Femme // Lapland // Laura Welsh // Life // Life In Film // LSA // Marika Hackman 
MT Royal // No Sinner // Noah Gundersen // Norma Jean Martine // Port Isla // Pup // Sean McGowan 
Sivu // Slaves // Southern // St Paul & The Broken Bones // Sundara Karma // The 45s 
The Heartbreaks // The Jacques // The Trouble With Templeton // We The Wild // We Were Evergreen 
Wonder Villains // Young Kato // Young Romance 
*Nottingham and Manchester Only ** Manchester Only