Fatboy Slim

Bestival – New stage and headliners announced: The Spaceport

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The Port is dead. Long live The Spaceport!

HMS Bestival has vanished in mysterious circumstances. Investigations are underway, but as the enigma deepens and the conspiracy theories grow, the ship’s fate remains unclear. As the future unfolds, and human horizons expand beyond the planet, The Port, devoid of its antiquated maritime attraction, will evolve into a new kind of universal berth. A colossal cosmodrome. The Spaceport.

Rob da Bank says: “Be under no illusions my futuristic friends… This stage is going to blow your mind and take you interstellar like no other stage before… This is The Future of the dance. HMS Bestival, our trusty old ship, has sunk or otherwise been sucked down a Bermuda Triangle shaped whirlpool, and thus we are reinventing Robin Hill’s sacred rave space once more with a spaceship the likes Planet Earth has never witnessed.

“A veritable space oddity standing seven storeys high The Spaceport will beam out music day and night, lit by lasers with giant astronauts floating across the sky. Prepare for take-off, take your protein pills and put your helmet on. See you at The Spaceport in t-minus 196 days and counting…”

Featuring a vast rocket standing more than 20 metres high at its centre, The Spaceport is a laser-loaded mega-structure featuring a truly state of the art db audio array processing sound system, guaranteed to smash out epic low-end, with lighting design from Lite Alt Design’s world renowned Paul Normandale, whose previous credits include the Chemical Brothers, Coldplay and the Tate Modern Turbine Hall. The Spaceport is a unique step in the advancement of sound and vision, where next-level partying isn’t just an ambition, it’s a promise.

As well as a main stage date with Major Lazer, the mighty Diplo will also be making a separate appearance headlining our brand new stage.  A true innovator and originator, when Diplo first brought his Mad Decent Soundsystem to rip up Bestival 2009 the night was truly legendary, so expect more of the same and a lot more besides.

Rave pioneer, three-deck wizard, label don and über producer, Carl Cox is lined up for some very special headline excursions at The Spaceport. A mainstay of contemporary dance culture over the last three decades, we’re super-excited that he’ll be joining our futurescape playing an unmissable, career-spanning House Classics set.

He’s headlined the main stage (twice), he’s played Bollywood, the Big Top, and even a sneaky set or two in the hidden disco, so when we asked our great friend and serial rave god Fatboy Slim back this year, there was only ever one place we wanted him to play; on our epic new stage, The Spaceport!

Sydney’s Electric Gardens Festival lineup for January 23rd 2016

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This summer Sydney is about to experience something very special… for the first time in many years a new boutique house music festival arrives next to the city centre – an event which aims to change the way you celebrate your Australia Day Weekend.

ELECTRIC GARDENS will premier in the lush surrounds of the city’s famous subtropical Centennial Parklands. It will be a showcase of the biggest international names in dance music on Australia’s most iconic date, with exclusive extended DJ sets from a line-up of global stars.

Our headliners have defined electronic music over the last few decades across the planet, many are institutions in the house music scene and lauded for their legendary performances.This Australia Day Weekend, ELECTRIC GARDENS brings together all these elements to celebrate the pinnacle of summer.

ELECTRIC GARDENS IS PROUD TO REVEAL THE NAMES IN WHAT PROMISES TO BE A SUPERSTAR DJ LINE-UP:

FATBOY SLIM

DUBFIRE

ERICK MORILLO

HENRY SAIZ

HERNAN CATTANEO

JAMES ZABIELA

JEREMY OLAANDER

JOHN DIGWEED

NIC FANCIULLI

NICK WARREN

NORMAN JAYMBE

PACHANGA BOYS

STACEY PULLEN

 

Check out the positively salacious Main Stage line-up HERE: 

https://www.facebook.com/electricgardensfestival/videos/678692468900382/?theater

 

DATE: SATURDAY JAN 23rd 

LOCATION: CENTENNIAL PARK, SYDNEY

GATES: MIDDAY – 10:00PM

LIMITED NUMBER OF FINAL RELEASE TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW

www.electricgardens.com.au

Fatboy Slim & Jess Glynne to headline Camp Bestival 2016

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Rob da Bank says: “Greeting cosmonauts and mini astro-nutters… so as we prepare for our first spacewalk in July, I’m mega chuffed to unveil two of our intrepid headline sonic explorers. I’m not sure another festival could get away with Fatboy Slim and Jess Glynne but it’s a tribute to you lovely campers that we can deliver such a diverse bill. Fatboy has always been one of the family, and Jess Glynne is quite frankly a one woman hit machine who will light up Friday night. Not forgetting our old chum Mr Tumble and, to fit with the theme, we have the amazing Aliens Love Underpants! Prepare to go extra-terrestrial”.

He’s one of our all-time favourite DJs, the ultimate party starter and king selector, so we are over the moon that Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim is joining us in Outer Space to headline Saturday night’s intergalactic action. No stranger to reaching for the stars, Norman is the real deal when it comes to hit factories with a back catalogue that will be sure to have your hips swaying and your booty shaking all night long! An absolute must-see, we can guarantee Fatboy Slim will be taking us into orbit. 

Fatboy Slim says: “As a veteran of Sunday Best, Bestival and Common People it seems a hideous oversight that I appear to be a Camp Bestival virgin, especially as a father of two. Consequently myself, Zoe and our two little smashers will be embedded for a weekend of family frolics and nocturnal adventures, be assured we will make up for lost time!” 

A bonafide superstar in the making, we are extremely pleased to announce Jess Glynne will be headlining Friday night at Camp Bestival! One of only two female solo singers to rack up five number one singles, in just over a year Jess has already become one of the UKs most successful singers ever. A frequent collaborator of former Camp headliners, Clean Bandit, Jess’s solo work has taken her beyond the stratosphere, which will make it handy for her when she joins us all in Outer Space! Yes! 

Heading straight for our universe, direct from London’s West End, we’re delighted to announce that the acclaimed adaptation of smash hit children’s book, Aliens Love Underpants will be making a very special appearance at Camp Bestival, too. A zany and hilarious tale delightfully brought to life with stunning effects, madcap action, original music (and lots of aliens of course!) it’s a fantastically fresh and funny production that will delight the whole family. You'll laugh your PANTS off!  

The Aliens Love Underpants team told us: “Hold onto your pants Camp Bestival! We will be setting up spaceship tents and will be on the look-out for camping pants, festival pants and music pants at Lulworth Castle next July! See you in your best briefs!” 

We’re also hugely excited to announce that one of our favourite double acts of all time, Dick and Dom will be blasting back to Lulworth Castle this July to rule the main stage at Spacecamp Dorset. Never less than face-achingly brilliant, expect tongue-in-cheek slapstick, catchphrases galore, and hilarious audience interaction at warp factor 10! 

Commenting on their return to Camp Bestival Dick and Dom said “We promise to be full on luna-tics and very astra-naughty.  We can’t wait!! Three, two, one…. blast off to planet Dick and Dom”.  

And no Camp Bestival would be complete without the greatest cosmic clown known to man, Mr Tumble! The Makaton marvel will be firing the manoeuvring thrusters for one of his trademark sing-along and slapstick sets that will have the tots in a space frenzy! Always a massive draw on the Castle Stage, Mr Tumble is an institution and not to be missed!

And that’s not all! Searching the possibilities of infinite space throughout the weekend, we will also have cosmic joy with Flying Astronauts, Planetarium Shows, Cosmology Workshops, Stargazing, Space Orchestras, Rocket Building, Space Smells, Post A Space Card, Giant Rockets, Build Your Own Planet, Make Space Murals and lots more. With plenty of edifying action from the National Space Centre, The Science Museum, Royal Observatory Greenwich, Okido, Explorer Domes and many more. 

Creamfields 2015 Review

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This August Bank Holiday Weekend 2015 I returned to Creamfields for the first time in over a decade to see the “cream” of international DJs perform to tens of thousands of revellers a day.

I arrived fashionably late on the Friday evening and was pleased to see the hospitality campsite still had plenty of space for me to pitch my tent.

I soon made my way out into the festival arena.  Not every arena was open on the Friday but the ones that were were very busy.

Rebel Sound (also known as David Rodigan, Chase & Status, Shy FX and MC Rage) headlined one of the numerous big top arenas that night.  The predominantly young and very lively crowd lapped up the old skool jungle vibes.

Over in the Mega Arena trance God Armin Van Buuren headlined with his first set of the weekend (he was playing on Saturday too).  He played a mix of new and old tracks, closing the night with his new tune featuring Mr Probz, Another You.

Photo courtesy of Creamfields

Saturday for me was all about the Chemical Brothers, in my opinion the greatest live dance act on the circuit.  They headlined the North Stage with a sound and vision extravaganza featuring amongst other things a giant robot and big bouncy balls.

Photo courtesy of Creamfields

Earlier in the day I’d spent some time in the Smirnoff House for Ben Pearce’s disco set which included Todd Terje’s Inspector Norse.  Mistajam played a garage classics set and the young ravers enjoyed being up close and personal with the Radio 1Xtra star.  A party set from him followed which started with Ghostbusters (yes really!).

Photo courtesy of Creamfields

The highlight of Sunday for me came very early when I, a few hundred others and Fatboy Slim met up at the South Stage at 9am.  We were all given black caps and rain ponchos and were instructed to lie on the pre-drawn white lines on the grass in the shape of a smiley face in an attempt to break a UK record.  Now this might sound like an easy task but when you take into account that most of the group were a little worse for wear and hadn’t been to sleep all night you might get an idea of what really went down.

Fatboy Slim was extremely friendly and hung around for photos, hugs and kisses with anyone who wanted them after the helicopter had passed overhead to take photos.  It was a lot of fun and well worth getting up early for.

Sunday ended up as clash central for me with legendary DJs in almost every tent including Paul Oakenfold, Sasha and Paul Van Dyk.  Along with the slightly older DJs came the slightly older crowd.

The Pepsi Max Arena on the Sunday became the trance tent where Ferry Corsten pleased the arms aloft crowd with gems such as Rank 1’s Airwave.

Photo courtesy of Creamfields

It was a tough choice deciding which DJ to end the festival with with big names such as Axwell and Ingrosso, Hardwell, Fatboy Slim and Tiesto all playing at the same time.

Fatboy Slim played a crowd pleasing set which was slightly more commercial than the set I’d seen him play at Bugged Out Weekender earlier this year.  This suited the Creamfields crowd well as they stomped along to favourites such as Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat.

Over on the South Stage Tiesto headlined with big tunes including the infamous Adagio for Strings.

When 11pm came around it was time for the fireworks and the last tunes to ring out.  The young ravers were sad it was all coming to an end but were already making plans for next year.

Photos by:
Alex Lonsdale
Anthony Mooney
Geoffrey Hubbel
Katy Davies
Marc de Groot
Nathan Damour
Toyin Oshodi
Warren Simmens
Howard Hill

Common People 2015 Full Review

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Bank holiday weekend in Southampton, all the cool kids are down at the beach right? Wrong. This weekend there’s a new festival on the scene brought to you by the wonderful wizards behind Bestival and Camp Bestival and it’s called Common People. Held on the beautiful Southampton Common smack bang in the middle of town, it’s easy to get to and find places to stay, family friendly and with an eclectic line-up sure to please each and every person in your squad.

Saturday sees the likes of George The Poet energising the main stage whilst the rolling thunder of The Portsmouth Batala band is going strong in the foodie area, and people are soaking up the sunshine and sipping pitchers of cocktails on the grass. Around the corner from the Uncommon stage hides the exciting kids area, featuring a tiny chair-carousel, a massive inflatable slide and a whole host of activities from crafts to stilt walking. A group of dads are also haphazardly trying to one-up each other with their hula-hooping skills.

Over on the main stage The South Sea Alternative Choir are looking decidedly mod but are banging out some classic covers from the likes of The Beatles and Blur. The VIP area is awash with sunbathing bodies on the woven canopy beds and the arena is starting to fill up for the masked Ninja DJ, Jaguar Skills. Jag’s set starts out loud and heavy, mixing in his musical influences and pop culture references, The Prodigy’s ‘Omen’ makes an appearance, as does the festival’s (already much played) namesake tune ‘Common People’ from Pulp. Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ gets a round of applause from the Dad contingent, and everyone loves a bit of Faithless ‘Insomnia’. It’s a powerful set, if a little weird to witness in the daytime, instead of a dark grimy warehouse. 

DJ Yoda is up next, a Bestival stalwart who usually has an incredible AV show, which was advertised but doesn’t seem to have materialised. Nonetheless, Yoda’s mixes are seamless and the guy just looks permanently happy. From Macklemore to The Sugar Hill Gang, Chic to the Sesame Street theme, DJ Yoda just knows how to deliver a great set.

Following Yoda comes De La Soul, who spend the first few minutes of their show joking with the crowd and calling “Can all the photographers, all the journalists down here, just put their cameras down for a second and put one hand up in the air… and get down” as well as teasing the VIP area saying “VIP? We don’t do that bullshit”. Their no-nonsense style brings out the gangsta in the crowd, and there are random gang signs being thrown up all over. 

Around 8pm appears to be dinner time in the south, as the queues stretch out in front of each food outlet, but the offerings are better than your average city festival. No dodgy burgers or disappointing noodles to be had here – it’s gourmet grilled cheese for us (brie, pear and walnut) from a little independent trader, washed down with a cocktail from the Day of the Dead Cocktail Bus.

Big Top headliners Waze & Odyssey are going off and the stripy tent is bouncing as the sun goes down. The Main stage welcomes firm festival favourite and long time Rob-da-Bank pal Norman Cook, also known as the epic Fatboy Slim. Bringing out a choir to intro ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ is a touch of genius and something completely special, even to those who have had the pleasure of seeing a Fatboy Slim show before. With his creepy white mask torn off, and signature Hawaiian shirt out and proud, Norm hypes up the packed arena with a host of hits and mixes at ear-bleeding levels, and everyone loves it. There’s something pretty exciting about seeing parents and teens raving alongside each other, covered in neon paint and totally lost in the music together. Giant inflatable balls are thrown out for ‘Right Here, Right Now’ and the crowd is going absolutely mental. Finishing up with lasers and another choral rendition of ‘Praise You’, it’s clear that Fatboy Slim has made Common People his own, and to top it off a barrage of fireworks breaks out as the sitewide exodus into town begins.

 

 

Read our Fatboy Slim review here

Sunday starts out a little cooler and there are decidedly less people in early, though judging by the state of some of last night’s revellers, that may be down to hangover recovery in nearby hotels and homes. Over on The Uncommon Stage a decent crowd has gathered for young bid-winners The Costellos who thank everyone for coming out to see them, before diving headlong into a fun and energetic set.

People are dancing on benches and drinking cocktails out of hollowed out watermelons over at the Day of The Dead bus, whilst the West End Kids put on a great main stage show. It’s a pretty clever and creative idea for the early slot at a festival actually, something that is lively and entertaining but can be sat and watched, it’s a wonder more festivals haven’t yet tried it. DJ Craig Charles wants everyone to know that his alter egos from Red Dwarf, Coronation Street, Takeshi’s Castle and Robot Wars are ‘not him’, and that he’s just a DJ who loves to play funk and soul. Despite a bit of a mishap repeating ‘Uptown Funk’ at the beginning, it’s a set that dragged the masses from their bums to the front for a good old boogie.

Following on comes the unstoppable and lewd force of The Cuban Brothers. For those who’ve never seen them before, it is a life-lesson in exactly what the watershed exists for. The cheeky chaps bounce around the stage break dancing and throwing shapes like there’s no tomorrow, with a couple of big jumps and lifts from One-Erection and Kengo-San, some head-spinning and of course an almost-nude run around the gangway by Miguel. Archerio in a lycra fringed onesie is an image which could haunt a child, but luckily his moves are memorable and there are more than a few kids worryingly trying to imitate his twerking. Miguel carries a kids-only chant for “Kenny… the bastard” before making up his own little ditty about touching husbands’ wives whilst they go to the bar… #miguelitomumtouch. Yelling “I’ve had five punnets of nose-whisky” to explain why he can’t run for Mayor of Southampton, Miguel drops into ‘Mike for President’ and the crowd is loving it.

Next up, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis are joined onstage by enough equipment to power the London Philharmonic, which they swap and change frequently. They do a good job and play some truly beautiful music, but in terms of atmosphere, it is a bit of a comedown after the wild abandon of The Cubans. Hot band of the moment, neo-punk rockers Slaves strut onstage and launch into an aural assault of drums and riffs that would be right at home with Vyvyan and Rick from The Young Ones. Gurning like bosses they get everyone amped up, but it might be a bit more of a style over substance situation. At least ‘Cheer Up London’ is an anthem for those who’ve travelled down from the city.

Stand out performance of the day goes to BBC Sound of 2015 winners Years and Years. The unassuming electro-popsters take to their first ever festival main stage and completely blow everyone away with their mix of soulful style of house beats and beautiful vocals. ‘Titus’ and ‘Eyes Shut’ have the (extremely young and female) front row screaming at the highest pitch, and when lead singer Olly really gets into it and winds down to the stage – the mood is electric. New single ‘Shine’ is a surefire hit, and their already fan-favourites ‘Real’ and ‘Kings’ are standalone incredible. 

Band of Skulls bring a rock and roll edge to the proceedings with ‘Hoochie Coochie’ and tell the crowd “We’re so proud to be here for the first Common People, thanks to Rob for inviting us, we hope this goes on for a very long time”. ‘Sweet Sour’ is raw and brilliant, but ‘The Devil Takes Care of His Own’ is the standout song of their set.

Up next Clean Bandit clearly have a following as a slight delay sees people chanting for them to come on, and ‘Come Over’ gets a warm welcome as we say goodbye to the last snippet of sun-sun-sun-sunshine for today. Jess Glynne collaboration ‘Rather Be’ is the final song of an amazing set, and seems like a perfect sentiment for a Sunday afternoon of revelry, especially considering it’s a bank holiday tomorrow. 

As a black curtain is raised over the main stage, it’s time for the final act of the first ever Common People. The ever bonkers Grace Jones is a breath of fabulousness that comes from years of not giving a single eff what anyone thinks of her. Striding on in an ensemble that can only be attributed to the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes, and high heels, Jones proves that she is the ultimate performer, gadding about the two layer stage and winding with an extremely buff male pole dancer. Hits ‘La Vie En Rose’ and ‘Pull up to the Bumper’ go down well, but it’s her combination of ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ and her mad hula-hooping skills that set the night alight. Grace Jones has been there, done it, got the tshirt and discarded it for a thong. As the fireworks explode over the Common, it’s clear that Rob-da-Bank and crew are onto another winner. With Bestival, Camp Bestival and Bestival Toronto all still to come this year, Southampton has had the first tasty smackerel of this summers’ winning formula, and it is spectacular.

Read our review of Grace Jones here

 

 

Common People – Fatboy Slim Saturday headliner Review

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Over the almost two decades of Fatboy Slim, Norman Cook has been leader of the bucket-hatted masses, spaced out neon lovers with glowsticks and an assortment of psychotropic treats. So when Common People festival-goers were faced with a choral arrangement from a very serious looking but talented bunch of vocalists, more than a few confused looks were exchanged. However, the hums and notes gathered momentum into an absolutely brilliant (mad but brilliant) mashup of Norm’s super hits, from ‘Right Here, Right Now’ to ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’.

As the choir wound up to a crescendo, the man himself hit the stage wearing a fairly creepy white mask and hood, looking a bit Detroit clown-gang, but tearing it off theatrically as the bass dropped for his own ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’. Common People might be a brand new festival, but it’s clear some of it’s forefathers’ Bestival/Camp Bestival vibes are present, the glow-paint covered crowd are going absolutely mental already, and Norman throws off his hoody to reveal a loud Hawaiian shirt and some very suggestive hip wiggling.  

Throughout the set Norman mixes tracks from various artists, but it’s Zombie Nation’s ‘Kernkraft 400’ that gets the front row bouncing. The big screen shows computer generated graphics of his face with visable musculature and day of the dead style facepaint and when the well known ‘Samba De Janeiro’ is mixed in, giant acid-smiley inflata-balls are thrown out into the crowd.  

Talking Heads’ ‘Psycho Killer’ rolls into a mashup of ‘Right Here, Right Now’ and Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’ as rippling blue lasers bathe the site in an otherworldly glow. Salt-N-Pepa ‘Push It’ has the rowdier (drunk) sorts attempting to push each other over. A clip showing Cook being slapped with a wet fish somehow leads us into what is understandably this festival’s herald – Pulp’s ‘Common People’.

Photo courtesy of Common People

For the finale, the choir, now in white gowns float back on stage to help with fan favourite ‘Praise You’ which has the entire crowd, even the guy inexplicably waving his crutches in the air – dancing in the traditional circle formation and singing along. As a massive array of fireworks light up the sky and mark the end of the night, it’s safe to say that Common People festival has picked a pretty epic first ever headliner. It’s amazing that one man behind a mixing desk can be such a presence, but that is exactly what Fatboy Slim does with an ease that says ‘I can do this in my sleep’ or maybe ‘I’d rather do this than sleep’.

Parklife tickets running low & VIP options revealed

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After the unprecedented success of their 2015 edition – which is set to welcome Disclosure, Rudimental, Ben Howard, Nas, George Ezra, Fatboy Slim, Grace Jones, Wu-Tang Clan, Caribou, Metronomy, Mark Ronson and Jessie Ware – standard weekend tickets for Parklife Festival have now completely sold out with only limited Sunday tickets and VIP options now available.

Uniquely combining an incredible selection of chart-topping live acts, DJs and home grown talents, the festival also boasts an exclusive VIP village that offers revellers an array of luxury benefits including a dedicated fast entrance, viewing platforms, chill out and seating areas, exclusive merchandise and a complimentary programme for all VIP ticket holders – as well as a delectable street food village curated by highly revered Manchester promoters Friday Food Fight that also offers street cocktail bars, a craft ale bar from local brewers and a frozen margarita shack.

 

As one of the cities best-loved culinary events, the award-winning street food crew will bring their unique combination of street food, DJs and atmosphere to the Parklife VIP village for those looking for a truly indulgent festival experience.

 

Chris Legh, owner of Friday Food Fight explains:

"We've known the guys at Parklife for a couple of years and loved going to the festival, so you can imagine how excited we were when they asked us to get involved. We will be bringing some of the best of FRIDAY FOOD FIGHTS restaurant's and street food heroes to Heaton Park on the 6th & 7th June. Expect everything from Lobster Rolls, to the freshest Viet Street Food, can’t wait!"

 

With a variety of prized vendors such as Viet Shack – winners at the Manchester Food & Drink Awards – Almost Famous and London’s Burger & Lobster all contributing, the VIP village will also feature a series of special DJ sets from the artist playing across the festival in order to make it a truly unmissable festival experience.

 

As ticket levels continue to drop, be sure to act fast to secure your spot at Parklife Festival 2015.

Disclosure, Rudimental, Grace Jones and Fatboy Slim announced for Parklife Festival 2015!

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Parklife Festival have announced the line-up for their hotly-anticipated 2015 edition on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June at Manchester’s Heaton Park. Showcasing an incredible selection of the best chart-topping live acts and world leading DJs, confirmed acts include Disclosure, Ben Howard, Rudimental, Nas, George Ezra, Fatboy Slim, Grace Jones, Wu-Tang Clan, Caribou, Metronomy, Mark Ronson and Jessie Ware – all of whom will cater to over 140,000 music fans across the two days.

Two of the UK's hottest dance acts, Disclosure and Rudimental, will head up the festival line-up, which will also feature one of the UK’s biggest dance music exports in Fatboy Slim. A rare performance from iconic singer and model Grace Jones is also confirmed –famed for her pioneering artistry that constantly blurs the line between performance and art.

Hip-hop royalty Nas will be performing tracks from his seminal album Illmatic at this year’s festival – as well as Wu-Tang Clan & The Roots, plus young claimant to the throne Earl Sweatshirt also featuring. James Bay – named Critics Choice 2015 by the Brit Awards panel – is also amongst the first live artists announced and will be joined by Ben Howard and George Ezra, alongside leftfield popstars Metronomy and Jungle.

Legendary electronic music pioneer Richie Hawtin will also be heading to Manchester alongside Hot Creations label head Jamie Jones, Radio 1 tastemaker Annie Mac and chart topper Duke Dumont (playing live) to spearhead a stellar DJ line-up across the two days. With appearances from the likes of Nicolas Jaar, Seth Troxler, Maya Jane Coles, Eats Everything and Hannah Wants – plus rising stars Lapsley, Novelist and Blonde – already confirmed, Parklife’s 2015 DJ program is shaping up to be it’s most varied and expansive to date.

The eclectic nature of this year’s line up is only bolstered by the number of artist-curated arenas across the weekend. Soulection affiliated superstar Kaytranada has added his own personal touch to Parklife this year by curating his own Kaytranada and Friends stage. The same honour has also been bestowed to drum & bass veteran Andy C as he presents his label RAM, as well as MK bringing his Area 10 brand to Heaton Park. Reggae, Dub and Dancehall royalty David Rodigan will also be further cementing his legendary status in the UK by bringing his world-renowned Ram Jam party to The Temple arena – the largest of the festival’s stages. This very special Super Ram Jam comes complete with an all-star line up, including Nas performing his seminal ‘Illmatic’ album in full.

Having launched back in 2010, Parklife is curated by the same set of promoters behind Manchester’s game-changing series The Warehouse Project, who have adapted the festival year on year to make it one of the UK’s most significant music events – all set in the iconic surroundings of Heaton Park.

Now five years since the festival’s launch, Parklife also remains one of the best value festivals in the UK – with weekend tickets at just £89.50 and day tickets at £54.50. Festival goers also have the opportunity to purchase VIP packages priced at £145 for a weekend ticket and £85 per day – which unlocks a range of luxury offerings such as fast access to the festival, a private viewing platform over the temple stage and exclusive areas from a host of national club brands.

With 10,000 pre-registration tickets selling out in minutes and the next wave of tickets set for release on Friday 13th February 2015, Parklife’s fifth anniversary is on course to deliver their best year yet.

The full line up is below:
LIVE
DISCLOSURE * RUDIMENTAL
BEN HOWARD * GEORGE EZRA * NAS performs ILLMATIC
MARK RONSON * FATBOY SLIM* GRACE JONES * WU TANG CLAN
CARIBOU * METRONOMY * JESSIE WARE * JAMES BLAKE
THE ROOTS * JAMES BAY * FKA TWIGS * JUNGLE * LABRINTH
DUKE DUMONT * JAMIE XX * NICOLAS JAAR * MODESELEKTOR
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING * HUDSON MOHAWKE * KAYTRANADA
TODD TERJE & THE OLSENS * MAC DEMARCO * CHET FAKER
TEN WALLS * TIGA* ACTION BRONSON * EARL SWEATSHIRT * BAAUER*
HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR * JESS GLYNNE * FUSE ODG * VIC MENSA * LAPSLEY * TALABOMAN * GHOSTPOET * TENSNAKE * ELLA EYRE * HENRIK SCHWARZ * MADLIB * RONI SIZE REPRAZENT * CRAZY P * BURAKA SOM SISTEMA* *TOURIST* JIMMY NAPES * BOB MOSES * J.E.T.S*
* SEVEN DAVIS JR * BLONDE * NOVELIST* BADBADNOTGOOD * DUB PHIZIX & STRATEGY * OUTFIT * TOM MISCH * KIKO BUN * BECKY HILL * KAREN HARDING * SANGO * TEI SHI * BERNARD & EDITH

DJ
RICHIE HAWTIN * ANNIE MAC * JAMIE JONES * MK * ANDY C
SETH TROXLER b2b EATS EVERYTHING * MAYA JANE COLES * TALE OF US * THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS * DIXON * SASHA b2b JORIS VOORN
HANNAH WANTS * DUSKY * ADAM BEYER * JULIO BASHMORE
JACKMASTER * HOT SINCE 82 * DAVID RODIGAN * OLIVER HELDENS
HEIDI * SKREAM * GEORGE FITZGERALD * JOY ORBISON * WILKINSON
BEN UFO & PEARSON SOUND * OLIVER DOLLAR & JESSE ROSE * BENJI B
DANIEL AVERY * RICHY AHMED * CATZ 'N’ DOGZ * PAUL WOOLFORD * DJ EZ * SHADOW CHILD * PATRICK TOPPING * WAZE & ODYSSEY * JOHN TALABOT & AXEL BOMAN * BICEP * BTRAITS * MADLIB dj * DJ EZ * JUSTIN MARTIN * JIMMY EDGAR & MACHINEDRUM * MIDLAND * CRAIG CHARLES
ROUTE 94 * BRODINSKI * BEN PEARCE * BONDAX * RANDALL vs DILLINJA
FRIEND WITHIN * CHRIS LORENZO * JONAS RATHSMAN * SPECIAL REQUEST * HORSE MEAT DISCO * JAGUAR SKILLS * JOSH BUTLER * WOOKIE & DJ Q * FCL * CALYX & TEEBEE * RENE LAVICE * SG LEWIS* VENUM SOUND *LOADSTAR * KRYSKO * GREG LORD * WORK IT * NOW WAVE DJs * RICH REASON * JUICY * WORK IT * ZUTEKH DJS * PIRATE COPY * NORTH BASE * JONNY DUB * SIAN BENNETT * NIC BAIRD * LEMMY ASHTON * NICOLA BEAR * HACKETT * PETE ZORBA * DANCE LADY DANCE * WILL ORCHARD * ED NORRIS
& many more still to be announced…

Fatboy Slim and Clean Bandit lead lineup for new festival Common People

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A man that can effortlessly start a party and get it bouncing before he’s even dropped the second tune, Fatboy Slim is the master, a true king amongst men, and one of our favourite DJs ever. From the likes of Everybody Needs a 303 and Gangster Trippin’ to recent top ten smash Eat Sleep Rave Repeat, Norman Cook has soundtracked some of the greatest moments of our lives, we’re massively proud to have him onboard for the launch of our brand new show, and we can’t wait to welcome him to Southampton Common on Saturday 23rd May as Common People’s first ever headliner!

Commenting on his headline slot, and quoting a classic tune in an exclusive video just for us,Fatboy Slim said: “Living in the love of the common people, smiles from the heart of a family man. Momma’s gonna buy you a dream to cling to, Fatboy’s gonna love you just as much as he can. And he can. Join me on Southampton Common with the Bestival family, 23rd May.”

Warming the cockles for the big event on the Isle of Wight this September, Common People will also have live sets on Saturday 23rd May from daisy age hip-hop legends De La Soul, sick beatmeister Jaguar Skills, and Sound of 2015 hot tip George the Poet, plus Plastic Mermaids, our Battle of the Bands winner, Funky Little Choir, and Lycra-clad enigma Mr Motivator.

Sunday 24th May capers will feature a very special guest indeed who will be announced very soon, plus live action from pop behemoth Clean Bandit, who will be showcasing their inimitable brand of classical riffs with a healthy dose of baroque pop nous for all the Common People. With their chart topping smash Rather Be racking up over a million sales, making it the third biggest selling tune of 2014, and their debut album New Eyes reaching the top three, Clean Bandit are a proper big deal and we couldn’t be happier that they’re joining us.

We’ll also have hometown riffers Band of Skulls, who said of their Common People appearance “We are extremely happy and proud to be playing Common People festival. We grew up here in Southampton and the common has played a big part in our lives. Hometown shows are always great, this will be extra special. See you in May”.

And there will be even more Sunday joy with authentic rock n rollers Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, incendiary two-piece Slaves, cut & paste master DJ Yoda, funky breakdance geniuses The Cuban Brothers, 6 Music funk aficionado Craig Charles and West End Kids.

Bestival’s creative team will be flexing visionary moves, taking the spirit of Bestival to the heart of Southampton, transforming the common into a world of wonder. Amongst the hysteria you will find plenty of mind-boggling Common People antics including the woven magic of Yarn Bombing, legendary Mr Motivator Workouts, and psychedelic 19th century salon, The People's Front Room.

There will also be plenty of opportunities to have a small libation with an array of stunning bars, including the vintage vibes of the Day of the Dead Margarita Lounge Bar featuring cabaret, rock n roll, alternative, world and gypsy music, fantastically exotic concoctions from Josie da Bank’s super chic Jam Jar Bar and lavish behaviour at the VIP Hospitality Bar. A huge selection of delicious treats from cocktails and craft beers to lip-smacking afternoon teas and a tantalising selection of the finest Streetfood vendors around will delight the most adventurous of souls and keep you all coming back for more.

A whole host of fantastical fun, daytime diversions, amusements and good times will entertain one and all including, Bigtopmania Circus, Lost & Found, Tree House Theatre, Big Foot the Clown Show, The Fez Heads, Big Bears Big Balloon Disco, Big Bubble Bash, Trapeze lessons, Circus Skills, Crazy Inflatable bundle madness, Face Painting, Toddlers Play Area, Craft tents, Welly Wanging, Morris Dancing, Hoedowns, and Brass Bands.

Much like at sister festivals Bestival and Camp Bestival, The Big Top at Common People will play host to some of the most exciting underground electronic music the world has to offer. Saturday will see Junk at the controls with sets from Dusky, Huxley, Dense & Pika, Leon Vynehall, Luca Pilato and Jordan McKinlay. Switch takes over on Sunday with Chicago house legend Derrick Carter taking pride of place, with sets from Rob da Bank, Friend Within, Toyboy & Robin, and Muddywellies. We’ll also have Southampton’s illustriousJoiners adding to the mix in our new bands tent, and plenty more to boot.

Massive lineup announced for Future Music Festival Asia

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The organizers of Future Music Festival Asia (FMFA), The Livescape Group and Future Music Australia today announced its biggest line-up yet for next year’s massive festival. The festival will take over the 140,000 square-meter Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore from 13 – 14 March 2015 with an estimated 50,000 fans expected to converge over the two-days.

FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL ASIA PHASE ONE LINE-UP

INTERNATIONALS (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER):
 
(More to be announced January 2015)
 
• AFROJACK
• ART DEPARTMENT
• AVICII
• BASSJACKERS 
• BLASTERJAXX 
• CARNAGE 
• EXAMPLE 
• FATBOY SLIM 
• GORGON CITY 
• KNIFE PARTY
• NERO
• ROBIN SCHULZ
• SIGMA 
• TCHAMI
• THE PRODIGY
• + MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED IN JAN 2015
 
LOCALS & REGIONALS (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
 
• ANDREW T (SG)
• BOTTLESMOKER (ID)
• BUD CULTURE (MY)
• DANGERDISKO (MY)
• DJ RAH (SG)
• H3 (MY)
• MR NASTY & GURUGURU (MY)
• NEZ (SG)
• TERENCE C (MY)
• YA5TH (SG)