Festival

Reading Festival 2015 Review

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It's bank holiday weekend in August which means one thing, READING FESTIVAL! With 8 stages in the arena, there is something for everyone. 

The Main Stage saw headlining sets from Mumford & Sons, to heavy metal band Metallica and closing the show on Sunday, The Libertines. Each night saw three different audiences, a lot of hardcore Metallica fans arrived on Saturday which drew one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. During their set Metallica released hundreds of black bouncy balls with their logo on and the fans went wild, all trying to catch one to keep. Unfortunetly The Libertines seemed to lack a powerful performance and struggled to keep a full crowd for the whole set, being Sunday night a few people like to leave and beat the traffic but this seemed more than usual. However Mumford & Sons really captivated the audience attention with sing along songs from their first and second album. Other bands that caught my attention on the Main Stage were Marmozets, Bastille, Bring Me The Horizon, All Time Low and Panic At The Disco.

The BBC hosted 3 stages at Reading where you could see acts like Lethal Bizzle on the 1XTRA stage, Boy Better Know on the Radio 1 Dance Stage to Slaves and Limp Bizkit on the NME Stage where there was also a secret set from Foals. They also support growing talent in the music industry and brought back the BBC Introducing stage for another year. I got to see The Big Moon, Clean Cut Kid and Georgia. I was very impressed with all three and they are names to look out for in the future. 

I soon realised I’d be spending most of my time at The Lock Up/The Pit stage when I saw the line up. There were so many bands worth mentioning the list could go on forever, but these were some of my favourites; While She Sleeps, Bury Tomorrow, PVRIS, Moose Blood, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and definelty a band to keep an eye on ho99o9. I’m pretty sure a lot of these acts will be on the main stage next year at Reading which is exciting for 2016.

Overall I had a really good experience at Reading Festival. The weather turned out to be pretty great, considering forecasts were set for downpours on Saturday and Sunday, there was minimal rain and hardly any mud (apart from in the campsite). The food was average festival food and there was a fair that went on into the night to keep you entertained when the music stopped. I’m really looking forward to what they have to offer for Reading Festival 2016!

MINT festival adds Skepta & Zed Bias to 2015 line-up

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Adding to an already stelar assemblage of electronic music heavy weights, MINT Festival are excited announce some further additions to their 2015 line-up. 

Sunday the 20th September will see the unstoppable grime MC Skepta come to the Wetherby Racecourse, playing the Detonate + Jungle Jam arena alongside the likes of Sub Focus, Shy FX and Cause & Affect. 

Also on the Sunday, MINT Festival welcomes the legendary Zed Bias, an artist who has been pushing the underground bass scene forward for the past two decades. Zed will present his 'Madd Again' LIVE showcase, featuring MC's Trigga and Killa Benz, expect a big, bashy, grimey affair.  

Skepta and Zed Bias will join a wide range of electronic artists over the two day event, including Sven Vath, Green Velvet, Ricardo Villalobos, Skream, Maya Jane Coles, Todd Terry, Seth Troxler and many more.

Tickets can be purchased online NOW at www.mintfestival.co.uk.

 

 

BoomTown Fair 2015 Review

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Widely known as one of the wildest and most immersive experiences around, BoomTown Fair is one of the UK’s fastest growing music festivals. This year marked BoomTown’s seventh year in Winchester, selling out with a huge 38,000 people ready and rearing to explore the pop-up wonderland.
 

Having not seen many familiar names on the line-up and with this being my first BoomTown, I went into this experience pretty blind.I travelled to the site using public transport and ended up having one of my most valuable experiences of the whole weekend on the shuttle bus there. The atmosphere was intense, people were anxious to see the site appear over the hill, and talk was all about the weekend ahead. Every single person on the bus announced they had barely looked at the line-up, they couldn’t tell me who the ‘headliners’ were and they couldn’t tell me who to look out for. Instead they gave me the best advice I could have asked for: “BoomTown isn’t about the line-up, it isn’t about the headliners. Go in there and immerse yourself in the whole experience, think of the music as the soundtrack to your weekend and go wherever it takes you”. Most of them even favoured the smaller, quirkier areas over the main attractions and insisted I spend some time walking around. Taking my fellow BoomTown citizen’s advice, I did exactly this.

This pop-up city nestled in the rolling hills of Winchester is split into nine districts across three areas of the festival (HillTop, DownTown & Temple Valley). From Wild West to DSTRKT 5, China Town to Mayfair Avenue, everywhere boasts impressive set designs and strong narratives dating back to the festival’s origins in 2009. You find yourself being ushered along by “policemen” in OldTown, only to then stumble into Grandma’s Living Room and play bingo with other festival goers. Needless to say the weekend was laden with these surreal experiences in every district, leaving you feeling a little lost when all is said and done.



Somewhat hidden within these city walls are the stages. Like every district, each stage is themed depending on where it stands; each one an incredible set up. Some particularly impressive stages are the Lion’s Den; a huge temple themed stage that shoots fire when night descends, Bang Hai Palace; what can only be described as an oriental super palace lit from top to bottom with red and yellow neon lights, and Boombox; quite literally a giant boombox that glows as it pumps DNB through monstrous surround sound.

 

The weekend boasted some impressive musical names such as gypsy swing cyberpunks Caravan Palace who had the crowd jiving and jumping from start to finish. The global musical mastery that is Gogol Bordello tore up the Town Centre on Sunday night giving the BoomTown citizens something to remember. A particularly impressive set was Shy FX feat. Stamina MC at the Lion’s Den. Having seen this innovator of dance music before at a much smaller venue, it was incredible to see the transition from a sweaty tent to one of the main stages at BoomTown. Stood at the top of the hill where the Lion’s Den is situated, you could admire a sea of people bouncing, skanking and having the time of their lives. The atmosphere was electric as Shy continued to hit the crowd with classic after classic, Shake Ur Body being a particular highlight; smoke spilled from the mammoth stage and worked hand in hand with the strobes to create the ultimate raving experience. Other amazing acts across the weekend included: reggae master Stephen Marley, Ska-Dub-Punk group Dub Pistols (whom have actually won awards for their exceptional live performances), experimental Drum ‘n’ Bass multi-instrumentalist Squarepusher, with strobe lights to match his obscurity. Soulful blues and roots gang John Butler Trio provided a much needed break from the manic happenings elsewhere, while Mali’s Songhoy Blues stole my heart with their lively desert blues performed with upmost sincerity. More notable names were: The Carny Villains, Rubber Duck Orchestra, Born on Road Showcase and Noisia.

 

 

Some of my fondest memories of the weekend were visiting all of the side attractions that make their way to the festival. Long pathways lined with gypsy caravans and tipis, inside people were receiving palm readings, massages, yoga classes, wood crafting and wicker basket making lessons; the list was endless. Policemen can be seen taking part, staring at a black and white spiral wheel experiencing what can only be described from his facial expression as a sober acid trip. These side attractions keep the drunken masses smiling and add a little something special to the festival; there are vibes of a buzzing community and a sense that most of the vendors know each other from elsewhere. Its places like this that for me, make a real festival.
 

 

 

Standon Calling Festival 2015

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It's my favourite time of year again, Standon Calling is back and better than ever. I was lucky enough to attend last year’s festival, and after having an incredible time, I knew it would be hard to top it this year. However, it did not disappoint, with a bustling atmosphere rivalling much larger events. Kicking off on the Friday, despite having its largest number of attendees ever, it still managed to retain its charm and original ethos of championing emerging artists. Standon Calling had an excellent set list this year, with Little Dragon, Dandy Warhols and Basement Jaxx headlining the festival. Basement Jaxx was my personal favourite, drawing the largest crowd on Sunday night with all ages singing along. Other musical highlights came from Prides, Saint Raymond and the incredible Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, who came all the way from Chicago to blow the audience away with their musical talent spanning all genres from hip-hop to jazz and rock. Ella Eyre was incredible, her vocals and perfromace really brought the whole of Standon together. The Cuban Brothers returned for another year, with hilariously crude jokes kicking off their energy filled performance, proving a crowd favourite. The BBC Introducing staged also hosted lots of musical talent, my particular favourite being Amber Run, who closed the show on Saturday night. They proved extremely popular, after their highly anticipated album '5am' released earlier this year.

However, Standon Calling offered up much more than just music, making this a festival that really does provide for all. Kids and adults alike participated in the annual dog show, with the usual humorous classes including 'waggy-est tail' and 'owner most like it's dog'. With over 30 participants, The Clock Tower became a bustling hive of activity filled with laughter and plenty of barking! The theme this year being 'Day and Night' provided festival goers with the perfect excuse to dress up, finalised by a parade out of which two lucky winners won tickets for next year. As always, the design team had done an amazing job to transform the fields into a set that resonated the theme. The trapeze proved extremely popular with adults and children alike, as did the swimming pool which was a perfect accompaniment to the hot weather. One of my highlights was the petting zoo, you could literally go and pick up a bearded dragon, learn all about them and then pick up a snake. It was fascinating and provided very popular over the weekend! For the revellers who wanted to dance the night away, the Cowshed with its incredible decoration stayed open until the early hours.

Food and drink weren't in short supply, with my personal favourite being the Mac and Cheese stand serving up 'The Kanye Western', their twist on the traditional recipe featuring smoked sausages, BBQ sauce and crispy onions. Barnaby Sykes Pie Maker's returned this year with their incredible goods; the chicken and ham pie with mash and gravy was phenomenal. Sweet treats were readily available at Kitty’s Cake Emporium, from blueberry, lemon and poppyseed cake to the gluten free orange sponge, all equally delicious. Refreshing cold ciders were plentiful at the Old Mout Cider bar, at which you could also sing karaoke and bounce on a trampoline whilst trying different flavours of cider; what a perfect combination! Ice cold cocktails and beers were also available, and with the cash free payment system, it made queuing and buying drinks much easier and faster.

Overall, I had an amazing time and cannot wait to return next year. I have never been to a festival like it, it's atmosphere is truly unique. I will be first in line for the early bird tickets when they become available, it is worth every penny.

Words by Elise Nichols

Photos by Mickey Cole

Latitude Festival 2015 Review

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Ten years ago, Latitude Festival was born to “rewrite the festival rulebook”; to combine music with culture, inviting guests to discover a curious wonderment of poetry, music, literature and comedy, escaping reality and exploring bewilderment. A decade on, and Latitude continues to master this art. Enticing over 20,000 families, energetic teenagers and middle-aged pear cider consumers alike, Latitude is certainly a festival that stands true to its ethos; to be a multi-arts boutique event set to challenge the festival status quo. And on its tenth birthday, Latitude certainly pulled out all the stops to make this celebration one to remember.

FRIDAY:

The festival kicked off in style on Friday, with a plethora of home-grown talent and hard-hitting headliners ready to entertain the crowds of thousands. As tents were barely even unzipped, funnyman Alan Davies took to the stage of the Comedy Arena for a 45 minute masterclass in worthy stand-up at its finest. The QI team captain created a sea of giggles throughout his set, albeit in a routine that seemed slightly reined in for the younger crowd gazing at him with wide-eyes and confused faces.

After playing a touch of table tennis at the ping-pong thunderdrome at Pandora’s Playground, we saw the incredible Santigold perform hits such as Disparate Youth and Big Mouth at the Obelisk Arena, bringing the enthusiastic crowd up on stage to dance alongside her. However, it was four-piece Kendal indie rock band Wild Beasts who were definitely ones to watch – now in their sixth year playing at Latitude, the band performed intensely and luminously, with tracks such as Wanderlust epitomizing why this band are brought back to the festival year after year.

Now, some of the lucky 1,000 Latitude goers were overwhelmingly excited to witness the secret set of Ed Sheeran in the enigmatic, cosy setting of the iArena stage at 11pm. The pin-up ginger apparently wowed fans with an array of acoustic covers; from Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine  to Blackstreet’s No Diggity – I say apparently, as I was one of the unlucky ditherers who missed it, instead smiling giddily at the prospect of just seeing the euphoric set that Alt-J had just performed.

Returning to Latitude for the third time, Alt-J are a band with that touch of originality that has mesmerised many. As the sun set on Henham park, the Leeds three-piece allowed their distinctive sound to drizzle onto the stage with a hauntingly charged performance of Hunger of the Pine, soon detonating the crowd into a frenzy with the epic classic Fitzpleasure. Sullen blue light and thick haze pervaded across the stage throughout the set, with classics such as Left Hand Free and Matilda allowing the mixed audience to transpire into a palpable live adventure fit for the masses. With whispers emerging that Ed Sheeran was in fact dwelling in the woods, the teenage heavy crowd tangibly began to disperse for the forests – but it didn’t take away the shine of Alt-J’s performance, and the rest of us gazed on to witness why this band were fully deserving of their headline spot.

SATURDAY:

We headed off to the comedy tent at the crack of dawn (11am) for a bit of light-hearted laughs to begin the day – in the form of Funz and Gamez, a show with an all singing host, an elf and a dog playing the piano. Sure, it has all the ingredients for a tacky kids act, but this was anything but – it was inappropriate, weird and absolutely hilarious. The songs were awful, the jokes were purely for adults and the kids had absolutely no idea – “Life lesson number six! Don’t get too close to your Grandma.” An unexpectedly hilarious show, an occurrence that happened repeatedly at Latitude.

The picturesque Waterfront Stage, set amidst the beautiful Latitude Lake – where revellers could in fact swim and enjoy a free gondola ride – played host to some fantastic acts over the weekend. Saturday bought Chilly Gonzales and the Kaiser Quartett, a classical music act who impressed the crowd so much they received a standing ovation – which, with a crowd of mainly over 65’s, should not be taken lightly. Sadler’s Wells presented an opulent display of dance acts on the stage; from Roja and Rodriguez’ Titanium to the BBC Young Dancer of the Year finalists, there was an eclectic blend of raw ballet, to hip-hop performances, through to contemporary dance. The routines were breath-taking, awe-inspiring and simply beautiful to watch – whether you understood the concept of dance or did not. It was astounding, and a true celebration of the wonderful cultural diversity that Latitude embraces.

Badly Drawn Boy’s performance at the Obelisk Arena was interesting, yet not memorable; but what we’ll all certainly remember was his sour, arrogant demeanour at his “5k” festival fee. “I’m one of the best artists of the last 20 years.” he told the bewildered crowd. “I deserve more.”

Both José González and Laura Marling charmed their audience with stunning performances at the Obelisk arena, while Manchester indie band The Charlatans brought their wistfully glorious Britpop sound to the BBC Radio 6 Stage. But what so many had been whispering their excitement for was James Blake. Injecting electronic beats with his melodic, soulful voice, he certainly pulled off an impressive and widely diverse set, gaining many a fan in the process.

The night, however, belonged to Portishead. As the majority of the younger audience shot off to see The Vaccines over at the BBC Radio 6 Stage, the rest of us were able to encounter the atmospheric and hypnotic sounds in peace, enhanced with the melancholy, haunting visuals of unnerving surroundings. The set was a cacophony of cinematic splendour, Beth Gibbon’s ghostly and poetic voice hauntingly travelling through songs such as Machine Gun and Glory Box to a crowd lost in a trance-like state. Noone really expected Beth to crowdsurf, but she hurtled into the crowd anyway. Noone really expected Radiohead’s Thom Yorke to join Portishead on stage for the encore, but he did it anyway. Noone really expected Portishead to be so euphoric, sensational and explosive, but they were. And damn it, they were by far the best act at the entire festival.

 

SUNDAY:

With revellers aiding their hangovers with a £8 breakfast roll, Sunday began with the absolutely hilarious Last Leg Live in the comedy tent. Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker brought the Channel 4 hit to the stage, and before long every crowd member was vibrating with laughter, even more so after racing both Alex and Adams’ prosthetic legs through the crowd.

Sir Bob Geldof and co caused a hurricane of festival-goers to race to the front of the main stage, as Irish punk act the Boomtown Rats performed hits such as Someones looking at You and I don’t like Monday’s to a crowd of thousands. It wasn’t a favourite for the children, as the majority seemed to be doing cartwheels and handstands. But the parents, lager in hand, seemed to be absolutely lapping up every second of it.  

The beauty of Latitude is the pure fortuitous run-ins with a diverse assortment of weird and wonderful happenings in each corner of the festival; from a live mime performance, to book signings, to a herd of pink sheep, to an early morning yoga session, there’s so much for you to witness and discover – at one point, we walked through the forest to see snow white in a coffin, who then stood up – fully naked – for us all to draw her. Only at Latitude.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds brought the festival to a blissful close on Sunday. With an impressive band behind him, Gallagher delivered crowd-pleasers and unknown songs alike, not least prompting mass sing-a-longs with Oasis classics like Don’t Look Back in Anger. And who can blame him? Although not one to live up to the phenomenal performance by Portishead last night, it was a well-received by the ‘crowd of Guardian readers’ he assumes goes to Latitude, and a perfect way to end the festival.

The past decade has proved Latitude as an unconventional, yet magical adventure for all those who attend. Though clearly designed as a family-friendly festival, its sublime diverse culture allows anyone – of any age – to experience something different, something new, and something that can spark inspiration. To read about it is one thing – to experience it is another. Latitude is one of the most magnificent festivals I have had the pleasure of attending, and one I will surely wish to return to in future.

 

Lost Village 2015 Review

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Buried in the Lincolnshire countryside, 5,000 party-goers descend upon the idyllic woodland setting of Lost Village festival. Taking place over the May bank-holiday weekend in an “ancient abandoned village”, the festival’s motto is to “join the tribe”. Set up by Moda’s Jaymo & Andy George – who later play a sparkling set on Saturday afternoon – the location is perfect for the acts performing; eclectic electronica from Die Vogel and Four Tet, crowd-pleasing sets from Ben Pearce and Annie Mac, and heavier techno-based sounds from Tale of Us, Jasper James and Gardens of God.

Aside from one shower, the usually temperamental English weather holds up, offering sun throughout the whole weekend – Summer Festival Guide even returns home with a tan! Transport-wise, there is a free shuttle bus; impressive for a first-time festival. SFG meets people who have travelled up from the Midlands, London, and one electronic music lover who has travelled four hours from Brighton.

Set behind a lakeside family campsite, it’s like a whole other realm. Attracting a multitude of types of people; when setting up camp, one middle-aged man sporting a Blasé Boys Club t-shirt is drinking with those who could be his children. Everyone who SFG meets is friendly and really here for the music.

Reasonably priced Vodka and cokes begin to flow throughout Grandmaster Flash’s charismatic old-school set, declaring the festival open on Friday evening at Basecamp. Though licensing requires music to finish at midnight each night, back in camp there’s no sign of sleeping until the early hours.

[Special mention to Diamond Dogs, who provided the best post-drinking cure with their Chilli Cheese Dogs and Tater Tots]

It’s Saturday morning, the sun is shining through the campsite and anticipation is high to see Lost Village’s main stages; the Abandoned Chapel, Forgotten Cabin and The Ruins, each with impeccable sound-systems and impressive set-design. At midday, Citizenn opens the Cabin with a groove-laden house set before Jackmaster’s housemate Jasper James – a personal highlight – delivers hard-hitting tech-house, and as one Villager suggests, “its 3 in the morning vibes at 1 in the afternoon”, another gushing, “I feel like I’m in Berghain!”

 

Later, Erol Alkan delivers an acidic electro set like a true professional, looking suave in a leather jacket, before Denmark’s Kolsch plays what everyone wants to hear; Huxley’s ‘I Want You’ and Adesse Versions’ ‘Pride’ make much-appreciated appearances as well as his own euphoric piano-led ‘Cassiopeia’. Over at The Ruins, Lost Village’s mud-filled main stage, Dusky’s ‘Yoohoo’ is blasting through the industrial-sized speakers to the packed crowd as one partyer holds up an LED lit ‘TUNE’ sign. Back at the Cabin, Four Tet closes the first night in magical, enchanted fashion; his Martyn-collaboration ‘Glassbeadgames’ becoming a highlight as the vibrant strobes light up the darkness.

Come Sunday morning, Ejeca’s defying the traditional day of rest, delivering tech-house at the Abandoned Chapel, as one guy dressed like Fryar Tuck with a massive tribal stick urges the crowd on. Theo Kottis, Moda Black’s newest signing, continues on a similar vibe at the Cabin as glittered faces – old and young – tribal hennas and selfie sticks are visible at every turn, watching the darkly uplifting set; Guy Gerber’s remix of Art Department’s ‘Catch You By Surprise’ really goes off.

Tourist attracts a massive crowd to the ruins, performing with synth pads and keyboards; Pretend, Trust In You and I Can’t Keep Up translate effortlessly in Lost Village’s mud-covered main stage The Ruins.  With a massive ‘U’ behind him, the co-writer to Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’ introduces Anywhere, a new track from his debut album, appropriately titled ‘U’.

“How great is this festival?” asks William Phillips aka Tourist. It’s a statement which becomes heavily echoed over the course of the first ever Lost Village. Considering this is its debut year, Lost Village has the potential to rival the likes of Secret Garden Party in the not so distant future.

Later, after stumbling across a fake marriage – Lost Village has a plethora of spooky actors waiting at every turn – Tale Of Us deliver an intense techno set as the Forgotten Cabin’s strobes light up one of the weekend’s biggest audiences.

Jackmaster, sporting a ‘We Love Detroit’ t-shirt, follows, playing a typically eclectic set of house, techno and everything in between. Meanwhile, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs aka Orlando Higginbottom seems on a completely different trip in The Ruins; dropping drum & bass and jungle tracks, it’s a refreshing break from the weekend’s house/techno sound, before Annie Mac closes out the first ever Lost Village with on-point house tracks.

Over the course of the weekend, SFG have brushed shoulders – and taken selfies with – Annie Mac, Richy Ahmed and Tourist. It’s not often that such big names are within arms length walking through the woodland setting.

Post-festival, Lost Village’s founders Jaymo & Andy George have commented: “We never in our wildest dreams expected it to go this well! The crowd were 10/10, every stage was constantly busy, all the artists who played have said amazingly positive things and all those little elements we planned came together just how we hoped. The feedback we’ve been getting since has been unreal… we can’t wait to start planning the next one now.”

2016s Lost Village couldn’t roll around any quicker!

 

Love Saves the Day Review 2015

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The Bristolian two day event kicked off to a sunny start, bringing in flocks of hipsters from far and wide to Eastville Park. Saturday was a sell-out with queues of up to two hours to get into the festival site and huge lines for both the bar and toilets too. Despite the lack of amenities the curation of the festival was really well done, with all tents hosting an array of sounds for all tastes. With lots of Bristol performers, caterers and exhibitors, Love Saves the day 2015 definitely seemed a joyous celebration of the cool and diverse city.

Established as one of the best and biggest selling electronic acts, Groove Armada was one of the most legendary names to perform at Love Saves the Day this year. The relaxed and chilled vibes of daytime main stage instantly filled into a crowd of avid fans eagerly awaiting the electronic music duo. At the first kick drum the crowd went wild, kicking off the party atmosphere at main stage. Playing samples of 'I see you baby' the duo quickly move on delivering to a sea of raised arms and shoulder riders. Towards the end, the crowds attention began to slant just before teasing us with the legendary party anthem 'Superstylin' then kicking into it in full at the end just in time for sunset.

Cloud 9 presented by Apex proved to be tent for the party atmosphere hosting the likes of Tourist and Gorgon City. Tourist- a Grammy winning artist is certainly grabbing the musics lovers attention and 2015 has been a good year for him. As well as an excellent musician, he proved himself as a phenomenal DJ for Saturday Love Saves the Day. At no point did the crowds attention seem to stray. Gorgon City also provided a high finish to a night for the house/ garage fans.

The London singer/songwriter Jessie Ware, turned out to be a wonderful wind down a predominantly DJ and dance night. With some technical difficulties at the beginning Jessie Ware smoothly brushes it over by greeting the crowd. Her soulful and flawless voice eased us into sways of utter blissful happiness. Right before the end of the set Ware announces to 'slow dance with person you are standing next to' to which we complied singing the heart stopping 'Wildest Moments'. With the stage lights now turned off and heading back through the cold, the atmosphere of sheer satisfaction was upon the crowds face as you could hear passers-by singing Jessie Ware lyrics.

Saturday’s sunshine and atmosphere was the perfect way to really kick off the festival season and although the prior weather reports suggested otherwise, Sunday’s proceedings started in much the same way. Again, queues for the bars and toilets were a slight annoyance, even though tickets were still available on the door but it was nowhere near as bad as the first day. Perhaps the fewer people seeing the entire festival through were really making the most of the penultimate bank holiday before Christmas!

Giant illuminated signs outside the festival gates informed Sunday’s crowd that it was ‘party time’, and if any of the stages at Love Saves the Day lived up to this promise, it was the ‘Shambarber’ stage. Tucked away in the corner of the site, sheltered from the wind by the Paradiso tent and a slightly quieter bar ;) – this place was alive with festival spirit. It was a suntrap, with Dirtytalk and Jethro Binns providing the perfect accompaniment of feel-good house tunes making it really difficult to leave.

After a day outside, it was time to get some shade inside the paradise stage – one of the festival’s two larger tents. Floating Points’ stepped out, accompanied by a familiar face in Kieran Hebden (Four Tet), who must have been getting into the zone for his set later in the night. Floating Points’ impressed with yet another feel-good festival set – something he can be relied on. Whilst scatterings of electro-funk and disco took the premise, it was his own record ‘Nuits Sonores’ which really stood out as being something special.

After this a set by Daniel Avery which was again a lot of fun (although a little tamer than the last time I saw him at Manchester’s Soup Kitchen) it was the turn of Four Tet to take to the stage once again. Four Tet is an artist in the true sense of the word and once again he sculpted the perfect set to close the festival for the Paridiso tent’s crowd. He threw out tunes from every corner of the world, with samplings of African music seamlessly transitioned into deep electronic soundscapes. He treated our ears to some of his own tracks, with the reaction of the crowd to the haunting ‘Angel Echoes’ standing out as a highlight to the whole festival.

The time had come to get ready to round off a really memorable weekend and it was down to Harlem’s own Azealia Banks to close it out in style. Whilst Miss Bank$ has been known for a number of high profile arguments with other certain celebrities in the past, at love saves the day she let her music (and dancing) do the talking. Donning her sparkly purple jacket and white high tops and joined by her backing dancers, she covered and owned every inch of the stage. Singing and rapping along to songs which ducked and dived between hip-hop and popular dance in style, she brought her A-game from in the opening song of ‘Idle Delilah’, continuing to impress through to her arguably most famous track in ‘212’. There was no grand exit from Azealia – a simple ‘Thank you Bristol’ and she was gone.  

Everywhere festival 2015 review!

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An indoor playground for electronic enthusiasts, Everywhere Festival, the largest multi-venue dance 

event in the East Midlands returned to the clubs of Nottingham for its third successive year on May 3rd. 

With an eclectic selection of artists and DJs, the tastes of many were catered for with dollop 

presenting acts to satisfy the most passionate of electronic, house, techno, grime and garage lovers. 

Alongside hardened veterans of the electronic and dance scene such as chart-topper Route 94 and 

Leeds’ Hot Since 82 performing at Forum, came newcomers such as garage and grime goddess Flava 

D adding a sense of rhythmic bass to Rescue Rooms.

International talent came from Cyril Hahn at Rock City and Motor City Drum Ensemble at Stealth.

Rescue Rooms set off Everywhere 2015 with a day party from 2pm, switching at night to a line-up 

with an urban edge, with Melé concluding the evening with a bass-fuelled set, contrasting the 

infectious house and techno pumping throughout the other venues. 

It was Rock City’s main hall that attracted the largest crowds of the evening, as the masses crammed 

themselves onto the dance floor and along the balcony. 

Redlight gave a sterling performance, driving anthemic beats throughout with popular hits such as 

Gold Teeth & 9TS ensuring the crowd continued to beat the air throughout his set. 

“Notts was sick,” he said upon posting a picture of the audience after his set to his Instagram 

account. 

Followed by highlight of the evening Hannah Wants, who kept the masses of 20-somethings 

shuffling on their feet with her cleverly driven DJ set, a seamless mix of renowned original work such 

as Rhymes and clever remixes of old-school classics such as Renegade Master. 

Her bold determination towards the end of the night left many a sweltering and heaving mess. 

Aggravated bar staff and bouncers tried to stay optimistic as dawn approached and sweat began to 

drip from the booming speakers upon the waning crowds.

Stealth offered a wind down from the smoke machines, flashing lights and visuals, as the survivors 

swayed to the beats of Chunky, Paleman and Loefah, proving a more calming finish to the evening.  

With bass pumping through the mind, bodies and souls of revellers for eight hours straight, most will 

still have a ringing in their ears today. 

 

For the partygoers of the Midlands, it is a good thing that it is a bank holiday weekend.

Final bands announced for 2000trees Festival!

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The final raft of bands has been revealed for the 2000trees Festival, as organisers confirm they expect the event to sell out.

 

Joining the likes of DEAF HAVANA, ALKALINE TRIO, IDLEWILD, WE ARE THE OCEAN, THE SUBWAYS and YOUNG GUNS are…

 

Errors / Skinny Lister / Honeyblood / Kiran Leonard / ROAM / Tax the Heat / Boy Jumps Ship & Oh Boy!

 

The award-winning 2000trees Festival celebrates its ninth year near Cheltenham, on 9-11 July. It features the very best new and underground music on six stages, plus comedy, DJs, a silent disco, quality food and drink and children’s entertainment.

 

Other acts among the 100-strong bill include And So I Watch You From Afar, Mclusky*, The Skints, Future of the Left, Kerbdog, Pulled Apart By Horses, Arcane Roots, The Xcerts, Bury Tomorrow, The Twilight Sad, Benjamin Booker, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Turbowolf, Feed the Rhino and Defeater.

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.