Dot To Dot

Mystery Jets to headline Dot to Dot Festival 2016

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Dot To Dot Festival is established as the UK’s Premier Festival for unearthing the hottest new talent around, alongside established acts from across the globe. 2016 marks the Festival’s 11th edition and will see it returning to Manchester, Bristoland Nottingham from the 27-29th May. Dot to Dot’s ever eclectic line-up is set to make this year one of the biggest and best in the festival’s history!

With lots of exciting announcements to follow, including a second headliner, Dot To Dot and DHP Family, in partnership with Fred Perry Subculture, are elated to announce the first wave of artists to play this year’s Festival:

The anthemic Mystery Jets will return to co-headline the Dot To Dot stage this year, blasting out infectious tunes and soon to be classics from their new album “Curve Of The Earth”. Australian indie giants The Temper Trap also join the Dot To Dot line-up after spending all of 2015 in the studio working on a highly anticipated third album. 

With his brand of indie hip-hop rock Rat Boy will stir up the Dot To Dot crowd, conveying modern lyrics of a pissed off generation, alongside Lauren Aquilina’s beautifully honest ballads and euphoric guitar rock supremoes Sundara Karma. Imaginatively crafted chill-out specialists The Japanese House will be spellbinding Dot To Dot-goers with dreamy harmonies whilst Yorkshire-based brothers The Sherlocks bring their Courteeners-esque guitar riffs and energetic live performance to the festival, along with Dublin’s hottest indie rockers Little Green Cars.

The first wave of artists to be announced also includes: Ardyn, Barns Courtney, Bleeding Heart Pigeons, Chappo, Cigarettes After Sex, Crosa Rosa, Dancing Years, Ekkah, Estrons, The Jacques, Lewis Del Mar, Liss, New Carnival, Northeast Party House, Stephen Kellogg, Trevor Sensor, and there is still so much more to be announced!

Dot To Dot announce another wave of artists for 2015

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Winner of ‘Best Metropolitan Festival 2013’ at the UK Festival Awards, Dot To Dot Festival is established as the UKs premier festival for unearthing the hottest new talent around, alongside established acts from all over the globe. 2015 marks the festival’s 10th year and will see it returning to Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham from the 22nd to 24th May. Dot To Dot’s ever eclectic line-up is set to make this landmark year one of the biggest and best in the festival’s history.  Already confirmed so far is Nottingham’s latest success story Saint Raymond, critically acclaimed singer songwriter Rae Morris, Californian surf-pop duo Best Coast, the anthemic synth-pop of Prides and the notorious, visceral Fat White Family.

Kicking off the fourth announcement is Rhodes.  The 25-year-old troubadour from Hitchin has had a busy 18 months, with three EPs under his belt already and an eagerly anticipated debut album on the way. His epic balladry has drawn comparisons to Jeff Buckley, as well as Sam Smith, who you may have already seen him on tour with.

Ireland’s biggest indie-rock exports of recent years The Coronas also join the bill. The quartet specializes in catchy guitar hooks and towering melodies, which saw them beat U2 and Snow Patrol to Best Album at the Meteor Awards in their homeland. Their most recent effort The Long Way has seen the group take a more ambitious approach to their songwriting under the guidance of producer Eliott James (Kaiser Chiefs, Two Door Cinema Club, Noah and the Whale).

Amber Run, whose debut album 5am has just entered the top 20 in the UK midweek charts, play a slick brand of indie-pop with choruses that clearly have stadium ambition. Built on a foundation of rock, Nothing But Thieves mix a colorful pallet of fervent riffs, effortless falsetto vocals and hints of electronica. Manchester all female four PINS play a fierce brand of post-punk, which is well showcased amongst the glitter and middle finger salutes of recent single “Too Little Too Late”.

Sundara Karma boast indie anthems with sun soaked guitars turned all the way up to eleven. 23-year-old rock & roller Louis Berry has been described as “channelling the energy of Jerry Lee Lewis through the story-telling of Dylan”

Further additions include the urgent, staccato cool wave of All Tvvins, the honeyed balladry of Martin Luke Brown, the melancholy minimalism of Robyn Sherwell, as well as A.O.S.O.O.N , Aaron Keylock, Ady Suleiman, Amy Yon (Bristol only), Black Honey,                  C Duncan, Creepoid, Dark Waves, Daisy Victoria, Dralms, Easy Life, H.Hawkline, High Tyde, Jamie Lawson, K.I.D,  Ming City Rockers, Movie, NGOD, Nick Brewer, Nothing But Thieves, Pierce Brothers, PINS, Rag’n’Bone Man, Sam Sure, Seafret, Steve Parker, Sykes, Vaults and White.

Dot To Dot Organiser Anton Lockwood (of DHP Family) said: “We’re just over a month away until we bring you Dot to Dot’s 10th Birthday, something that we’re all very excited for! Of the latest additions to the line-up, one of our biggest ever to date, I’m delighted to welcome Rhodes to the bill who is set for big things for sure!”

For the uninitiated, Dot to Dot is all about bringing the best new music to some of the most forward-thinking venues in Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham. One wristband gains you access to 14 hours of music across multiple stages around your city of choice. Always progressing, the Northern Quarter will this year host Dot to Dot Manchester. Considered the creative quarter of the North West, the area is synonymous with arts and culture and its high concentration of independent venues will be sure to showcase the hottest new artists around. For further line-up additions and venues be sure to check out www.dottodotfestival.com 

Full Line-Up So Far:

SAINT RAYMOND

SWIM DEEP // RAE MORRIS
HUDSON TAYLOR // BEST COAST 

FAT WHITE FAMILY // THE WYTCHES 

AMBER RUN // RHODES // HINDS
THE CORONAS // LAURA DOGGETT ⌃ // PINS

PRIDES // HONEYBLOOD // JOSEF SALVAT

DAVE ROWNTREE (BLUR/XFM) DJ SET x

A.O.S.O.O.N // AARON KEYLOCK // ADY SULEIMAN // ALEX BUREY ALFIE CONNOR // ALL TVVINS // AMY STUDT* // AMY YON + // APRIL TOWERS // BLACK HONEY // C DUNCAN* // CAIROBI  // CREEPOID // CYMBALS EAT GUITARS // DAISY VICTORA* // DARK WAVES // DELAMERE // DRALMS* // EASY LIFE* // FLESH // FRANCISCO THE MAN // H.HAWKLINE* // HIGH TYDE //
HOLY HOLY // JAMIE LAWSON // KAGOULE // K.I.D // LAUREL // LITTLE MAY // LOUIS BERRY // MAN MADE // MARTIN LUKE BROWN // MENACE BEACH // MING CITY ROCKERS // MODEL AEROPLANES // NEON WALTZ // NGOD // NICK BREWER // NOTHING BUT THEIVES // OSCAR* // OSCAR & THE WOLF // PIERCE BROTHERS // PIXEL FIX // PRETTY VICIOUS* // RACING GLACIERS // RAG ‘N’ BONE MAN // REMI // REMI MILES//  ROBYN SHERWELL* // SAM SURE // SEAFRET // SHELTER POINT // SINGLE MOTHERS // STEVIE PARKER+ // SUGARMEN // SUNDARA KARMA // SYKES // TEI SHI // THE AMAZONS // THE GRISWOLDS // THE HOTELIER // THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT // VANT // VAULTS ✕// VÉRITÉ // VITAMIN // WALKING ON CARS // WHITE

Manchester & Nottingham ⌃ Manchester & Bristol *Nottingham & Bristol
+ Bristol Only  ✕ Nottingham Only
Venues:

Manchester – Friday 22nd May – Cathedral, Methodist Hall, Night and Day, Ruby Lounge, Soup Kitchen, Gullivers, The Castle Hotel, Cord, Mint Lounge, Kraak, Roadhouse, The Whiskey Jar, Kosmonaut.

Bristol –  Saturday 23rd May – O2 Academy, Thekla, The Exchange, Louisiana, Trinity, The Fleece, Start The Bus, The Birdcage

Nottingham – Sunday 24th May – Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Red Room, Bodega, Stealth, Nottingham Trent University Union, Spanky Van Dykes

Dot to Dot Festival announce more acts for 2015 lineup

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Kicking off the second announcement, we're delighted to welcome Best Coast to the bill for this years Dot To Dot. The LA two-piece comprised of Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno first found success with their lo-fi surf pop debut Crazy For You and have recently released details of their forthcoming third full length 'California Nights'

Having played the festival back in 2013, it’s our pleasure to bring back Birmingham bohemians Swim Deep. With their sophomore album due later this year and its first single 'To My Brother' seamlessly incorporating a new, unexpected influence of acid house to their dreamy indie anthems, theirs is surely a set to keep a close eye on.

Joining them are the much-lauded Fat White Family, winners of the NME Radar Award in 2014. Sitting musically somewhere in between the lo-fi jangles of The Fall and the more visceral howls of The Birthday Party, the band have built a fearsome reputation for their wild, unpredictable live performances.

Anthemic Glaswegian trio Prides are also welcomed to this year’s bill. They wowed a 40,000 strong crowd at the closing of the ceremony the Commonwealth games last year with their nostalgic take on synth-pop and will undoubtedly take on the D2D crowd with the same fervour

Further additions include Alfie Connor, The Amazons, Delamere, Flesh, Francisco The Man, The Griswolds, Holy Holy, Laurel, Man Made, Model Aeroplanes, Neon Waltz, Pixel Fix, REMI, Sugarmen, VANT and Walking on Cars.

Dot To Dot announce first acts for 2015

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Winner of ‘Best Metropolitan Festival 2013’ at the UK Festival Awards, Dot To Dot Festival is established as the UKs premier festival for unearthing the hottest new talent around, alongside established acts from all over the globe. 2015 marks the festival’s 10th year and will see it returning to Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham from the 22nd to 24th May. Dot To Dot’s ever eclectic line-up is set to make this landmark year one of the biggest and best in the festival’s history.

Following a stand out set at last year’s festival, headlining this year’s festival will be Saint Raymond, Nottingham’s latest success story. It’s been an incredible year for the singer-songwriter, which has seen him embark on an arena tour with Ed Sheeran as well as a take on a sell-out headline tour of his own. Twenty-one year old Rae Morris also joins the festival in Manchester and Nottingham following a sold out UK tour and top 10 critically acclaimed album “Unguarded’. Irish pop folk duo Hudson Taylor, comprising of brothers Harry and Alfie join the bill, along with The Wytches who bring their blend of critically acclaimed surf-psych to the festival. Also joining Dot To Dot 2015 are Canadian punk-rock band Single Mothers and New York based indie-rockers, Cymbals Eat Guitars.

Glaswegian duo Honeyblood bring their brand of grunge-pop to the festival alongside the folk infused Haim-esque harmonies from Australian trio Little May and Hinds (formerly known as Deers), the garage rock up and comers from Madrid. Laura Doggett (whose music you may recognise from ITV Series Broadchurch) will also perform with her distinctive soulful sound along with the hotly tipped pop fuzz of Menace Beach. Further along the line up, Dot To Dot fans can expect to hear sensual R&B pop courtesy of Brooklyn based singer Tei Shi, atmospheric indie sounds from Racing Glaciers and 4-piece Welsh rock band Pretty Vicious who’ll perform their angsty anthems at the Bristol and Nottingham dates. The full line-up also features Alex Burey’s tenderly emotional pop music, the ‘80s infused electro pop of April Towers and the playful bohemian indie tunes of Vitamin as well as many, many more incredible acts yet to be announced!

Full Line-Up So Far:

SAINT RAYMOND

RAE MORRIS (MANCHESTER & NOTTINGHAM)

HUDSON TAYLOR
THE WYTCHES // LAURA DOGGETT // HONEYBLOOD

HINDS // JOSEF SALVAT

APRIL TOWERS // ALEX BUREY // CAROBI // CYMBALS EAT GUITARS

THE HOTELIER // LITTLE MAY // MENACE BEACH
PRETTY VICIOUS (NOTTINGHAM & BRISTOL) // RACING GLACIERS

THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT // SINGLE MOTHERS // TEI SHI // VÉRITÉ // VITAMIN

Second batch of artists announced for Dot To Dot Festival

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Kicking off the second announcement is Drenge. 2013 was a big year for the grungy garage-punk two-piece with an abundance of touring around the release of their self-titled debut album, which featured heavily in end of year lists across the board.
 
Macaulay Culkin's Velvet Underground tribute band, The Pizza Underground are set to perform with numbers such as I'm Waiting for Delivery Man, Cheese Days and All the Pizza Parties among their repertoire.
 
Hotly tipped solo-artist Luke Sital-Singh, who featured in the long list BBC Sound of 2014 poll, has received much support and rotation on BBC 6 Music with recent singles Fail For You and Greatest Lovers. His debut album is due imminently. Emerging less than quietly in 2012, The Heartbreaks caused a stir from the shores of Morecambe to the bright lights of London and hustle and bustle of Japan with their debut album 'Funtimes'. The band will release their second album 'We May Yet Stand A Chance', produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers) this June.
 
Amber Run play lovingly crafted indie-pop with arena sized ambition, showcased best on recent single  Spark which received support from the likes of Zane Lowe and Fearne Cotton on Radio 1. Having honed their craft at an early age busking in Dublin, Hudson Taylor have become a word-of-mouth favourite with their energetic live shows. Drawing inspiration from their parents' record collection, the brothers fuse classic and contemporary influences to create raw, folk-infused melodic pop.
 
Lauren Aquilina incorporates piano-led melodies and delicately haunting layered vocals. Tracks such as the breath-taking piano-led ballad ‘Wonder’ demonstrate a raw song-writing talent. 90's revivalists Jaws mix elements of baggy with shoegaze which has drawn comparisons to acts like Ride and The Stone Roses.

Preview: Dot to Dot Festival

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Like Camden Crawl, Live at Leeds and Brighton's Great Escape. Dot to Dot is a city centre based festival.  Since forming in 2005 initially in Nottingham, Dot to Dot festival has expanded to three cities and now runs on three sucessive days over the Whit bank holiday weekend. Dot to Dot kicks off in Manchester on Friday 24th May, travels to Bristol on the Saturday before closing at Nottingham on the Sunday 26th.

Manchester's day, is centred around 8 venues in the the Oxford Road area from Witworth Street to Grosvenor Street. Your wristband entitles you into any of the featured venues (capacity permitting) and ranges from the 1,500 capacity Ritz, The brilliantly wallpapered Deaf Institute which is a favourite for many bands and fans,  long established student favourite The Thirsty Scolar, new cool venue in town Gorilla,  and my personal favourite Sound control which is hosting 3 rooms of music from 3pm to 3am
 
At many of these city centre festivals, visiting every venue is an impossible task due to the long walk and distance between venues.  However, with the exception of the SSI (which is still very walkable), every featured venue at Manchester's leg of Dot to Dot is within about 5 minutes walk of each other, meaning it's quite possible, to check out and visit every venue if you so wish.
 
Unlike most of the muddy field based festivals which force you to pay for a program for the privelidge of finding out stage times, the full venue listings and timings for all three cities have been announced and can be found at: http://dottodotfestival.co.uk/times meaning you can plan your day and check out the band's playing in advance.
 
The impressive line up features several acts playing at all three cities including Hottly tipped acoustic singer songwriters Tom Odell and Lucy Rose. Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Dry the River also play all days. The Manchester leg features many local must see bands who are producing music a million miles away from the old Oasis and Madchester stereotypes, and include the ambienat trippy beats and haunting vocals of From The Kites of San Quentin, fun, post- rocky insturmentals from Tribal fighters with party poppers almost guaranteed. If you can last until 2am then Manchester's Mount Fabric will be your new favourite band with their acomplised, complex, math-rock with astonishingly good vocals.
 
The key to these city centre festivals is adhering to any plan too strictly and allowing yourself to stumble across some new bands who you have not encountered before, and hopefully leave with a new favourite band for the summer.
 
Tickets are still available at a good value £20 from Alt Tickets: http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/alttickets/home_dot_to_dot_festival_2013.html

23 new acts added to Dot To Dot Festival

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Cloud Nothings / Friends (Nottingham) / The Internet / 
2:54 (Nottingham / Manchester) / A Plastic Rose / All The Young / Doldrums /
Two Wounded Birds / Here We Go Magic (Bristol / Nottingham) / 
Hyde & Beast / The Dunwells / Eugene Francis Jr (Bristol / Manchester) / 
The Men (Manchester) / Last Dinosaurs / O Children /  Olugbenga (Metronomy) / 
Lewis Watson / Josh Kumra / Kwes / Mary Epworth / The Other Tribe (Bristol) / 
Seasfire (Bristol) / Sunless 97 (Nottingham / Manchester)

PLUS 
ATTENTION LIVE PHOTOGRAPHERS: WIN A PHOTOPASS

Bristol: Saturday 2nd June 2012
Nottingham: Sunday 3rd June 2012
Manchester: Monday 4th June 2012

The countdown to this year’s Dot To Dot is hotting up with less than a month to go until a litany of the globe’s biggest buzz bands hits Bristol, Nottingham and Manchester over this coming Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend. Headlined by The Drums and Pulled Apart By Horses, and with appearances from Wavves, Willis Earl Beal, Dog Is Dead, Summer Camp, Lucy Rose, Pond and more, the tri-city event is set to reveal even more must-see acts for 2012, and you can catch them all for the mind-blowing ticket price of just £20!

 Says Dot To Dot Organiser Anton Lockwood: “There’s under a month to go until Dot To Dot 2012 and the latest acts joining us showcase what a fantastically exciting line-up of new music we have on offer. From high octane rock to soulful singer songwriters these are the acts that people will be talking about all summer long and with tickets currently £20 it's great value for money'.”

Currently enjoying widespread critical acclaim for his second, Steve Albini produced, long player ‘Attack on Memory’, Dylan Baldi AKA Cloud Nothings who first came to the music world’s attention with his pithy lo-fi power-pop in 2009 are the first of the latest wave of bands to be announced for Dot To Dot. Honing his craft on the road over the past two years with a crack live band, Cloud Nothings’ sound has quickly matured into compelling gritty indie-rock territory, giving the band a real shot at stadium-filling glory, so make sure you catch them first in intimate surrounds at Dot To Dot. 

One of the most exciting bands to have emerged from New York in the past year, Dot To Dot are delighted to announce thatFriends will be playing the Nottingham leg of this year’s event. Named after Brian Wilson’s favourite Beach Boys album, Friends have left a trail of slack-jawed hipsters in the wake of their effortlessly cool percussive heavy take on post-disco funk-pop. Taking Liquid Liquid and ESG’s blueprint and bringing it bang up to date, they’re a top drawer live act that knows how to rock a party.

Also adding some serious weight to proceedings are The Internet Syd Tha Kyd and Matt Martians from Odd Future playing their only shows outside of London. The first act out of the traps on OFWGKTA’s Odd Future Records, with their debut long player Purple Naked Ladies, The Internet’s hip-hop soul has garnered them high praise across the board.  Sibling duo 2:54 will also be bring their love of a bit of lo-fi action to Dot To Dot. Embodying the new face of Riot Grrrrl, 2:54’s blend of ethereal vocals and abrasive guitars has made them a stand-out live act who are sure to be one of Dot To Dot’s biggest draws. Mixing pure emotion and rock n roll dynamics, A Plastic Rose will be demonstrating exactly why their incisive riffs have been winning over audiences across the UK and Ireland. With their debut album due for release in September this year, the band are releasing a series of singles and hitting the festival circuit in the run up, beginning with their performance at Dot To Dot.

Channelling the spirit of Britrock, Stoke’s All The Young, who are currently making a name for themselves reinvigorating guitar-powered rock n roll for a new generation will also be joining the bill. A direct reaction to the identikit pop that currently rules the airwaves, All The Young’s swaggering live show is one not to miss.  Canadian tip for the top Doldrums another of the latest bands to join the bill, are set to be journeying the triumvirate of Dot To Dot cities. Fusing art-rock and electronica, Doldrums AKA Aldrick Woodhead is one of the most forward thinking producers around.

Steeped in the defining sounds of the last 60 years of pop, music obsessives Two Wounded Birds who have steadily built a reputation as one of the best live bands on the circuit will also be hitting Dot To Dot’s triumvirate of cities. Championed by The Drums’ Jon Pierce, the band has also gained high praise from the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and Blondie’s Debbie Harry for their exhilarating performances and timeless pop. Psychedelic electro folk five-piece Here We Go Magic will also be appearing at Bristol on June 2nd and Nottingham on June 3rd.  Creating their songs from melodies that can turn from gorgeous to challenging to a little scary and back again, they’re truly mesmerising and worth seeking out. 

Adding even more thrills to the burgeoning bill, there will also be appearances from double-headed mackem drum behemoth Hyde & Beast, featuring the Futureheads’ Dave Hyde and Golden Virgins’ Neil Bassett, luscious Leeds based vocal harmonisers The Dunwells, alternative rocker Eugene Francis Jr (Bristol / Manchester) Brooklyn’s hardcore psych-rockersThe Men who will only be playing the Manchester leg on June 4th, soaring guitar-smiths Last Dinosaurs, disaffected pomp from O Children, a DJ set from Metronomy’s Olugbenga, 19 year-old wunderkind Lewis Watson who has clocked up more than two million YouTube views for his emotionally charged song writing, Josh Kumra whose gutsy and heartfelt live show is getting those in the know hot under the collar, uber-producer and rising start Kwes, singer songwriter Mary Epworth, Bristol mobs The Other Tribe and Seasfire playing their home town date and electro trio Sunless 97 in Nottingham and Manchester. 

As well as championing the most vital new music around, Dot To Dot organisers will is also be nurturing wider creative talents in 2012 with a competition to get your hands on a coveted photo pass! Dot To Dot have a photo pass, which gives you access to Dot To Dot venue photo pits, for each city up for grabs, and all you have to do to enter is post the best live shot you’ve ever taken to twitter with the hashtag #D2DFestPhoto or tag Dot To Dot Festival in your photo on Facebook. Three winners (one for each city) will receive a photo pass and the chance to get up close and personal with some of the most exciting acts around. This is a rare opportunity or you to get your foot in the door of the world of live photography, don’t miss it!

Wavves, Willis Earl Beal and more for Dot To Dot Festival

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LATEST WAVE OF ACTS ANNOUNCED FOR DOT TO DOT 2012

Wavves / Willis Earl Beal / Hooray For Earth / Pond /
Neon Indian / Jake Bugg / The Rumour Said Fire /
Beth Jeans Houghton / Islet / Patterns / Peace / Rae Morris /
Random Impulse / Admiral Fallow / Bastille / Bondax / Clock Opera /
Eyes On Film / Lulu James / Murray James / The Night / Scoundrels /
Shinies / Swiss Lips / Turbowolf

Bristol: Saturday 2nd June 2012
Nottingham: Sunday 3rd June 2012
Manchester: Monday 4th June 2012

Already well-established as the festival that brings you future stadium-fillers before any other event, Dot To Dot is set to unveil the second wave of acts on this year’s bill. The UK’s only touring festival, Dot To Dot will visit a multitude of venues in Bristol, Nottinghamand Manchester this coming Jubilee bank holiday weekend headlined by The Drums and Pulled Apart By Horses and featuring some of the most electrifying up and coming acts currently around.

Dot To Dot Organiser Anton Lockwood said: “Our second announcement for Dot To Dot 2012 sees us welcome some of the most hotly tipped new acts in the world, including some stars of SXSW. This is what Dot To Dot is all about!”

Kicking off the latest announcement are San Diego surf punks Wavves. Fast, intense, riff propelled mayhem is the order of the day, ensuring Wavves will be raising the energy levels across all three cities. One of the most captivating artists currently getting those in the know all hot and bothered, Willis Earl Beal will be showcasing his Acoustic Sorcery for the Dot To Dot masses, Hooray For Earth will be unleashing their synth-driven psychedelia to whip up the crowds, SXSW sensations (and Tame Impala spin off) Pond will be demonstrating just why they’re being so hotly tipped and Texan art-pop wunderkind Neon Indian will be making a one-off Dot To Dot appearance in Manchester on June 4th.

Other acts playing across the weekend include Nottingham’s latest singing, song-writing prodigy Jake Bugg, Danish indie folkstersThe Rumour Said Fire, renowned chanteuse Beth Jeans Houghton who will joining the event for the Bristol date and off-kilter instrument swappers Islet, plus there will be appearances from Patterns, Peace, Rae Morris and Random Impulse. And that’s not all, as other acts set to join this year’s Dot To Dot bill include Admiral Fallow, Bastille, Bondax, Clock Opera, Eyes On Film(Nottingham and Manchester only), Lulu James, Murray James, The Night, Scoundrels, Shinies (Manchester only), Swiss Lips and Turbowolf.

With tickets at an incredible £20 and a staggering list of the most exciting bands around already confirmed plus many more still to be announced, Dot To Dot is a must-see festival for 2012.

Tickets are now on sale:

Bristol: £20
Nottingham: £20
Manchester £20

Visit http://www.dottodotfestival.co.uk/ for all ticket info

Full Line Up So Far: The Drums / Pulled Apart By Horses / Willy Mason / Wavves /
Neon Indian (Manchester Only) / Willis Earl Beal / Dog Is Dead / Lucy Rose / Hooray For Earth / Summer Camp / Pond / Admiral Fallow / Bastille / Beth Jeans Houghton (Bristol Only) / Bondax / Broken Hands / Clock Opera / Deaf Club / Dirty Goods / Eyes On Film (Manchester & Nottingham) / Islet / Jake Bugg / Kyla La Grange / Lulu James / Murray James / The Night / Patterns / Peace / Pearl & The Beard / Rae Morris / Random Impulse / The Rumour Said Fire / Ryan Keen / Scoundrels / Shinies (Manchester Only) / Swiss Lips/ THePETEBOX / Turbowolf / Vadoinmessico / Wonder Villains

Dot To Dot Festival 2011 – Nottingham

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Nottingham was the second stop on the Dot To Dot agenda, and they took over the city's various venues to showcase some briliant acts.
 
Nottingham is a vibrant city with loads of bars and venues. The festival was made up of 4 venues all with a range of bands to watch.
 
The day started with us getting our wristbands from the Dot To Dot tent. The wristbands allow you to hop from venue to venue. The bands didn’t start till 1 so it’s a nice time to go exploring.

AlpinesThe first band we did go see was the Alpines from South London. You were quickly taken in by their unique sound and mesmerizing presence on stage. The band had a unique indie sound. The lead singer had an amazing voice that you couldn’t tier of listening to. They played in the Rock City venue which was the main venue for the festival. It also had a basement room were smaller bands played. The Rock City’s main room was large with 3 bars and a balcony view point. Even though it was large, when the bands got in full swing it filled up very quickly.

The next venue was the Rescue Rooms, and as said on a sign approaching the venue it’s up for NME Best Small Venue!. Inside the tiny venue was a long bar and two outside drinking areas. The atmosphere was amazing with it being such a small venue. The band we went to see are called Wolf Gang I had never heard of them before but they had a very big backing from the crowd. Everyone was packed into the venue like sardines it was so busy people were lined up outside. We got a little spot on the balcony were we could just about see. They were worth elbowing through the crowd to get a glimpse of. With their stylish indie sound and the lead singers punching vocals leaving me amazed that I hadn’t heard of them sooner. You could understand why Wolf Gang played in Rescue Rooms as it made them sound vibrant and in your face!

Swimming

After the aftermath of pushing my way out of the Rescue Room’s venue I quickly made my way back down to Rock City to catch Swimming. As we got in to Talbot Street which was closed off for the festival. There were stalls and bars outside, they were also giving away free Kopparberg tasters that seemed to go down well with the festival goers.

Inside Rock City it was already very busy. We wormed our way through to a good spot, were we got to see the last few songs of Swimming, a 5 piece band from Nottingham. It was great to see a band playing in their home town. They lit up the town with brash electronica music like warp techno. This was mixed in with guitars and the striking voice of the lead singer. Swimming are a fantastic group of guys with great song writing skills, which they write from events that have happened in their own life’s.  

Ed Sheeran

After it had all calmed down waited patiently for the critically acclaimed Ed Sheeran. The excitement in the venue grew it was the busiest I had seen it all day. After the 30 minutes we waited Ed Sheeran made his way to the stage with his guitar and the determination to please the waiting crowd. Ed layers the sounds from the guitar and his voice by recording them and playing the sounds back adding the vocals, when all combined together gives the feeling of an entire band from just one person and his guitar. Ed Sheeran is just 20 years old, but his style of music flirts between dubstep to hip hop, and sometimes just with his outstanding voice and guitar. He sung his hits like City and A Team which the entire crowd got behind and sang with him. He has a lot of talent and writes songs with a lot of passion which people can relate to.

The Naked and FamousAfter all the fuss and excitement of Ed Sheeran we stayed in the main venue to watch The Naked and Famous, a band tipped to be big this year. The band is from New Zealand and the calming vocals of the lead singer Alisa Xayalith give the band some personality mixing in with the guitarist. It has an electro pop sound which gives the band’s music a lot of depth. The crowd loved this band and knew there music well.

My highlight of the festival has to be The Naked and Famous, a great band with fantastic stage presence.

Overall an awesome festival day out and would recommend to anyone who enjoys watching bands in great venues.

Latest acts for Dot To Dot Festival 2011

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Dot To Dot Organiser Anton Lockwood (Of DHP Group) said: ‘This latest announcement brings some artists to Dot To Dot that we are long term fans of, like the mighty Trail of Dead, the stunning Joy Formidable, together with some of the most exciting new artists around like Cults and Braids. We aren’t forgetting the electronic music fans either, adding highly respected artists SBTRKT and Blawan to an ever growing bill. And there’s plenty more to come…’

the joy formidableFirst up for the latest line-up additions is The Joy Formidable. One of the hottest grungey-pop trios on the block, the intense power of their live show has propelled them to the top of the heap, with a sack-full of praise for their long-player The Big Roar, expect big things. Austin Texas’s finest sons …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead will be joining Dot To Dot for the Bristol and Nottingham dates. Famed for their raucous live shows, the band’s latest album ‘Tao of the Dead’ has seen them strip their sound back, continuing their boundary smashing visceral riffing to acclaimed effect. UK Bass behemoth SBTRKT will be on hand to slay crowds with his crisp and driving sound. Alloying deep, techy vibes and heavy electro to broken beats and wobbly bass, his sound is as unmistakable as his voodoo mask. 

Benjamin Francis Leftwich whose awe-inspiring guitar playing and amazing harmonies have marked him out as one to watch for 2011 will be traversing Dot To Dot’s triumvirate of cities to the wow the crowds. New York duo Cults have been causing a stir in the past six months and will be joining the Dot To Dot juggernaut to showcase their faultless 60s inspired indie-pop. Award winning folk singer songwriter Ben Howard will be entrancing crowds with just his acoustic guitar and his incredible voice that has won him a litany of accolades. Five-piece pop-rockers Wolf Gang, led by Max McElligott will be pushing their 80s tinged grooves to the limit, neo-dubstep synth duo Alpines will supply their glacial thrills, heads down acid action, replete with thunderous drums, will come courtesy of Blawan, Canadian up-and-comers Braids will demonstrate the dreamy baroque hooks that have the world’s music press all hot and bothered, DOM will amaze one and all with their infectious reverb drenched surfer sounds and Sweden’s Royal Republic will add a touch of searing rock to proceedings.

With lots more exciting additions to be announced for Dot To Dot’s 2011 line-up, make sure you keep checkingwww.dottodotfestival.co.uk for all the latest news and ticket info.

Tickets are now on sale:

Bristol: £25
Nottingham: £25
Manchester £20

(all tickets subject to booking fees)
Full Line-Up So Far:

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (Bristol & Nottingham only) / Alpines  / Ben Howard / Benjamin Francis Leftwich / Blawan / Braids / Cults / Darwin Deez (Manchester only) / Dom / Ed Sheeran / Hurts / Mona(Bristol & Nottingham only) / Royal Republic / SBTRKT / The Joy Formidable / The Naked & Famous / The Phoenix Foundation / Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs / Wolf Gang