Isle Of Wight Festival

Isle of Wight Festival 2016 Review

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Bags ready tent purchased and we were ready to hit the road for an epic weekend of random antics, filled with laughter, good friends and live music, a line-up so large, that no one could contain their excitement.

Thursday evening has arrived tents up and its time to see what the Isle of Wight Festival 2016 has to offer. The 'Big Top' stage opens up with performances from 'The dolls', 'Maxi Jazz and the E-Type Boys' and 'The Cast',  who were getting the audience ready for the headliners of the evening 'Status Quo'. 

'Status Quo' hit the stage at 9:30 to perform to the festival goers, filling out the 'Big Top', and leaving fans to listen from the sidelines, filling the area around the Big top, creating some members of the audience to suggest they should have opened up on the main stage as the sound was distorted by the carnival in the background. 'Status Quo' performed songs such as ‘Down, Down’, ‘Caroline’, 'In the army now’ and 'Rocking all over the world’ Starting the festive antics with a powerful and electric performance, the audience roared in excitement  which created a great atmosphere that thrived over the weekend at Isle of Wight Festival 2016; lining the stomach for the acts that will be hitting the stage in the days to come.

Friday was the first official opening of the main stage with performances from bands such as 'Reverend and the makers', 'Busted' and 'Everything Everything'. Just many of a great line up.

  

Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival

Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis share a joke as Busted perform on the main stage on Friday 'Busted' took us back the noughties performing hits such as ‘what I go to school for’, 'Air hostess’, 'Crashed the wedding’, and ending the performance with ‘Year 3000’. This was a nostalgic performance, creating a great atmosphere through the field as people interacted with the band and danced like no one was watching.

They were followed by 'Jess Glynne' a British female artist, Who took the crowd on a powerful journey opening up with ‘don’t be so hard on yourself’, and performing hits from her latest album such as ‘Hold my hand’, 'Real love' and ‘Take me home’ her vocals were flawless and her performance created a stamp on how the evening would continue. 

Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival

For me the performers of the night were ‘Stereophonics', the crowd were waiting in anticipation as the welsh boys were getting ready to come on and perform to thousands of fans across the isle of wight, the weather was holding out and the sky was drawing in and they arrived, the crowd went wild and the anticipation was over, 'Kelly Jones' has such stage presence that captured and got the crowd to their feet, performing songs such as ‘Handbags and Gladrags’, 'Have a nice day’, 'local boy in a photograph’ and ‘A thousand trees’ hit after hit just blaring from the stage, getting better and better and each song bringing the audience to life. They ended with 'Dakota' getting the crowd to join in and get crazy for one last hit of the night before introducing their co-headliners 'Faithless'. 

'Faithless' closed the night with and electric performance, performing hit such as ‘God is a DJ', ‘insomnia’ and ‘Fatty Boo’ just closing the night in the right way, Lights, good music and dancing all you needed was the glow sticks and you were set, this got the crowd ready for the rest of the weekend, for the acts to follow.

Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival

Saturday brought many artists to ‘The Big Top’ and ‘The Main Stage’ the festival was picking up and the bands were getting ready to perform for the many crowds surrounding them today. 

The ‘Big Top’ seen many artists such as the ‘Simon Townsend’, ‘The Damned’ and ‘Pendulum’ perform throughout the day, Two artists stood out for me the most ‘Bang Bang Romeo’ and ‘Adam Ant’.  'Bang Bang Romeo’ performed at the Isle of wight 2015 on the 'Jack Rocks Stage', they were invited back and given a space on the 'Big Top'stage for 2016, they gave a dynamic and creative performance, the Vocals were powerful and edgy, which created the atmosphere of their music and got the audience supporting the Yorkshire based band, performing songs such as ‘Chemical’, ‘Johannesburg’ and their new release ‘Invitation’.

The legendary ‘Adam Ant’ gave an eccentric performance, performing songs such as ‘Kings or the wild frontier’, ‘Dog eat Dog’, ‘Stand and Deliver’  and ‘Goody two shoes’. He bought the eighties to the festival, giving the crowd quirky and stand alone performance.  To Help bring awareness Spandau Ballets 'Gary Kemp' and The Corrs 'Andrea Corr',  performed 'Starman’ in a touching tribute to the late 'David Bowie’ for Stand up for cancer who are raising awareness and supporting those who have been affected by cancer. At 3:45 there was a short video celebrating 'David Bowie's’ Life and capturing hundreds of fans, bringing awareness for the course, by wearing 'David Bowie’ masks and posing for a picture on the MainStage.

Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival

The MainStage gave the crowd artists from ‘The Kills’,‘Turin Brakes’, ‘Alabama 3’ and ‘Polly Money’ warming up the audience for the headliners of the evening ‘The Who”.  Before 'The Who’ we had some amazing acts perform ‘Iggy Pop’ hit the stage his character larger than life and his movements creating an interesting view as he performed hits such as 'Wild Thing’, ‘Sweet 16’ and ‘Passenger’ the audience joined through the performance creating an atmosphere that leads on to the next performer to grace us with his presenc 'Richard Ashcroft’ performed songs from his album ‘Urban Hymns’ performing songs such as ‘Out of my body’, ‘Breaking the night with colour’ and two new ones ‘Hold on’ and ‘This is how it feels’ whilst performing classic such as ‘The drugs don’t work' and ending with the classic ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ the audience went crazy for this and it was an amazing way to introduce ‘The Who’.

'The Who’ headlined the isle of wight on Saturday night performing to a verity of individuals, people who have been following them since the sixties and the younger generation who has been influenced by their music from their parents of even their grandparents. ‘Peter Townsend’ and 'Roger Daltery’ performed for over 2 hours, performing hits such as ‘My generation’, ‘Behind blue eyes’, ‘The Kids are alright’ and ‘Pinball Wizard’. They opened up the show with “who are you’ getting the crowd worked up and ready for the night ahead.  After 5 decades of being together they still can put together a great live performance, even though at times there were moments of strain In ‘Roger Daltery’s’ voice but this overcame by the commitment to the performance, by showing that he still could hit those high notes in the song 'love reign O'er me’, put those moments of strain behind the crowd the ended a night with a high. 

Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival

Sunday was the Day to celebrate the Queens 90th Birthday but not only celebrate one 'Queen', but to celebrate legend we know as ‘Queen’ the one and only 'Freddie Mercury’. With 'Queen with Adam Lambert' Headlining the final show of the weekend. The show everyone has been waiting for. 

Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival

On the Sunday 'The big Top’ welcomed artists such as ‘The Novatones’, ‘The Carnaby's’, ‘Reef' and ‘The Second Sons’.  The Big Top was closed by the Welsh band known as  ‘Feeder' after 'Queen' had closed the MainStage, ‘Feeder' performed songs such as ‘Buck Rogers’, ‘Just the way I am feeling’ and ‘Just a day’ bringing the audience that was  already buzzing to their feet, dancing and bouncing around the tent intertwining and celebrating the end of an amazing festival. Their performance was electrifying, loud and on point. A fab close to a fantastic day.  The Main Stage was warming up and bring the sunshine out, acts such as ‘Twin Atlantic’, ‘Half Moon Run’  and ‘The Cribs’ performed alongside Former ‘Genesis' 'Mike Rutherford’ 

With the band ‘Mike and the Mechanics’ performing some of the classics from ‘Genesis’ ‘I can’t dance’ and 'Land of confusion’ bringing the sun out with every song, the crowd building up and joining the band on a sunny but yet cloudy day. This was a great way to start the Sunday line up for me. 'Ocean Colour Scene’ set of the evening with ‘Hundred Mile  High City’ bringing the audience to their feet, one hit after another ‘The RiverboatSong’, ‘The day we caught the train’ and ‘You’ve got it bad’ this got people pumping and ready, even with the rain this did not stop the crowd  from jumping up and down and enjoying themselves at the Isle of wight festival. 

Now that we were warmed up, rained on and waiting in anticipation…. 'Queen' was about to come on, the music starts and the crowd roars, the field was packed to the edges, from everyone finding their perfect spot, so they could enjoy the celebrate the life and legend of 'Freddie Mercury'captured through the Vocals of 'Adam Lambert'. This is the closest we will ever get to seeing Queen as a whole, 'Brian May', 'Roger Taylor' and the flamboyant singer 'Mr Lambert'.  'Lambert' from the start made it known that he was not there to replace 'Freddie Mercury' as no-one could, but to bring the songs that were once created and performed by a legend to life, and to honour and celebrate his life. With Rock Legends 'May' and 'Taylor'.  'Lambert' captivated the audience with his outgoing and eccentric performance, starting the night off with ‘One Vision’ and from their belting out hit after hit such as, ‘Fat Bottom Girls’, ‘Another One bites the dust’, ‘I want to break free’ ‘Don’t stop me now’ and ‘Somebody to Love’.  Whilst Performing ‘Lambert’ dedicated a song to the Victims of the Orlando shooting and anyone affected by acts of terrorism, he performed a beautiful and heart warming version of ‘Who wants to live forever’.  'Brian May’ Performs ‘Love of my life’ asking the audience to join in, dedicating this song to the late 'Freddie Mercury', at the end of the performance a video Clip of ‘Freddie Mercury’ finishing the song to the audience is introduced. This is closest that we would come to witnessing the Legend Perform. This was used in one more song ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ using ‘Lambert’ and Clips of ‘Mercury’ to perform parts of the song to the crowd. This was done just right, not overdone but capturing the man that helped to build such great Anthems.  The crowd joined in for every song and captured every moment together ‘Radio Ga Ga’ was a highlight of my evening everyone in the audience clapping and creating that moment When they sing “Radio Ga Ga ( Two Claps) Radio Go Go" and the audience clap in the middle , that for me was epic and immense, it is something I have always wanted to be involved in and now I can tick this moment of my bucket list.   They Finished the show with such power and energy that we were still buzzing even when they were no longer on, They performed ‘We Will Rock you’ and ‘We are the Champions’ Everyone joined in sang their hearts out and enjoyed the show-stopping, breathtaking band of the weekend, they truly finished with a Bang. 

A Show turning event for the Isle of Wight festival 2016!

Isle of Wight Festival announce the Big Top lineup for 2016

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The Isle Of Wight Festival today announces seven new acts for the festival’s prestigious Big Top stage, who will all perform over the weekend of 9-12th June at Seaclose Park. 

Joining the already incredible line up, including headliners Stereophonics, Faithless, The Who and Queen + Adam Lambert, are Australian indie-pop sibling trio Germein Sisters, multi-instrumentalist Simon Townshend, atmospheric rock ‘n’ rollers Bang Bang Romeo, tuneful and cheeky cover band The Lounge Kittens, powerful rockers The Carnabys, indie-punk heroes The Novatones and the BBC Radio 2 A-listed Kerri Watt. 

Having spent their childhood jamming together on their family’s bushland property in the Adelaide Hills, Georgia, Ella and Clara Germein decided to combine their individual skills and form 

Germein Sisters. The band have toured Australia, New Zealand, China, Germany and London, and their irresistible charm and flawless harmonies have been compared to the likes of The Corrs, Haim and Coldplay. 

Hailing from a family of incredible musicians and regarded as The Who’s “secret weapon” as part of their live band on their 2012/2013 Who’s Quadrophenia and More Tour, 

Simon Townshend has released 8 acclaimed solo albums and one with the band Casbah Club, all released through his own US label Stir Music. Simon will be taking to the Big Top stage over the weekend performing tracks from his upcoming albums ‘Denial’ and ‘Looking Out Looking In’. 

Labeled as “a harder edged Fleetwood Mac”, Bang Bang Romeo will be bringing their dark, atmospheric rock ‘n’ roll to the Big Top stage. Their sound draws on influences from the likes of Jefferson Airplane, The Mamas and Papas and The Doors, and recent single ‘Johannesburg’ landed on the Radio X playlist. 

The Lounge Kittens shot to fame in 2014 with their viral internet video for their cover of ‘Rollin’ by Limp Bizkit. From Sean Paul to Slipknot, the band’s covers have been wowing fans in the UK and in Europe having just returned from touring with the bad boys of heavy metal Steel Panther. Their tuneful and cheeky style will certainly give a sparkle to the Big Top stage!

They started out playing Rolling Stones and Kings of Leon covers in pubs, more recently, The Carnabys have been on a world tour and supported numerous big names. They’ve opened for the likes of Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Kings of Leon and Lenny Kravitz, and their raw, powerful high-octane rock action is sure to bring a burst of energy to the festival over the weekend. 

South Coast four piece The Novatones are an indie-punk band fuelled on a love/hate relationship with all things British. Since forming in 2012, their loyal fan-base grows bigger each year and with a debut album out in the Summer, it’s only due to grow. 

Born and raised in Milngavie, just outside Glasgow, Kerri Watt was a music fan from an early age, singing and playing piano at school and competing in regional dance shows by the age of 8. The path has only been upwards since then with her most successful single to date ‘Long Way Home’ which won huge support from BBC Radio 2, climbing onto the station’s A List. 

Cirque de la Quirk returns to Isle of Wight Festival

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Following on from the success of last year’s Cirque de la Quirk stage takeover, The Isle of Wight Festival today announces that Cirque is back for 2016 – and this time… for the whole weekend!

Over the weekend of 9th-12th June, festival-goers will get the chance to step into a worry free nonsensical world. From live body painting to strutting your stuff in their popular dance off, there is something for all ages, shapes and mental states at the Circus!

You’ll be able to experience the Backstage Creation Tent, aimed to relax and rest your ringing ears by hunkering down on bean bags and pillow pits or getting involved with colouring therapy, creative workshops and face painting. Head to the Wonky Races Tent to spice up the weekend with silly, challenging and competitive games, before heading to the pièce de résistance: The Main Stage! Compered by Cirque’s very own Jackie Jibbles and Madame Molly, Cirque de la Quirk will have musical treats to get everyone bouncing and dancing for the whole weekend. Electric Swing Circus, Dub Pistols, Benny Page, Far Too Loud and Freear (Slamboree DJ set) are just a few of the artists lined up to grace the Cirque, along with circus performers from the wonderful people at Forgotten Circus. There’ll be enough to make the most statuesque of tail feathers wiggle with verve and vigour!

Plus, to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday and Queen + Adam Lambert’s headlining slot on the Sunday, Cirque de la Quirk will be hosting a special tongue-in-cheek, very English (and slightly rowdy) tea party! Think bunting, chaps and moustaches with a dollop of electro swing beats provided by Cirque’s lovable favourites, Miles Metric and the Rumpsteppers!

Can’t wait ’til June? Well, a special warm up show has been announced! On Friday 22nd April at Mode in Ladbroke Grove, London, The Isle of Wight Festival will present ‘Cirque de la Quirk’s Warm Up Wiggle’. You are invited to get stuck into the music, life and festival spirit of the circus. Come and let your inner quirk shine through! Join the ridiculousness of the Wonky Races, experience the immersive performances from the Forgotten Circus and dance the night away in preparation for the start of Summer, The Isle of Wight Festival 2016!

Tickets for ‘Cirque de la Quirk’s Warm Up Wiggle’ available now from Eventbrite:
http://bit.ly/1MBhHRK

Check out Cirque de la Quirk at The Isle of Wight Festival 2015: 
https://youtu.be/Rto9hzisU0s

Cirque de la Quirk was launched in London, March 2015 by Molly McQueen and Jack Freeman. With their shared passion for the creative arts and pure determination to showcase un-seen talent, they decided to create a truly unique cabaret party. They bedazzle audiences with stunning circus performances, extraordinary musical artists and soul-enriching silliness to provide an experience to tickle all your senses!

 

The Who set to headline Isle of Wight Festival

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British rock icons The Who are heading back to Seaclose Park on the Isle of Wight for the fourth time in the band’s history to headline The Isle of Wight Festival, it was announced today.

Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and their live band, which includes Zak Starkey, Pino Palladino and Simon Townshend, will be bringing their globally successful Hits 50! tour to the island for their only UK festival performance of 2016
on Saturday 11th June, with a spectacular live show resplendent with hits including ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, ‘Baba O’Reilly’, ‘The Seeker’, ‘Pinball Wizard’, ‘Who Are You’ and ‘My Generation.’ 

The band first played The Isle of Wight Festival in 1969 and 1970 (the latter was immortalised in Murray Lerner’s well known ‘Message to Love’ documentary film), and then again in 2004 – the same year that David Bowie also headlined, his last ever UK live performance. Richard Ashcroftis confirmed as special guest to The Who on the day, performing tracks from his new solo album ‘These People’.

Festival boss John Giddings says: “The Who are part of the fabric of The Isle of Wight Festival, and it’s great to welcome them back to the island as part of their ongoing 50th anniversary celebrations. We’re proud to have a line up of home-grown headliners to help celebrate our own 15th anniversary and ensure that this year delivers yet another unforgettable weekend of music.”

The Who and Richard Ashcroft join a ‘Best of British’ line up which includes headliners Queen + Adam Lambert, Stereophonics and Faithless, on what is the same weekend as the Queen’s 90th birthday. 

 
The Who have sold over 100 million records since forming in 1964; they brought together four different personalities and in effect produced a musical hurricane.  Each of them was a pioneer. Wildman drummer Keith Moon beat his kit with a chaotic elegance; stoic bassist John Entwistle held down the center with the melodic virtuosity of a solo guitarist; raging intellectual Pete Townshend punctuated the epic universality of his songs with the windmill slamming of his fingers across his guitar strings; and Roger Daltrey roared above it all with an impossibly virile macho swagger. They exploded conventional rhythm and blues structures, challenged pop music conventions, and redefined what was possible on stage, in the recording studio, and on vinyl. Deep into their 50th year, the band is still going strong, winning rave reviews. 
 
Richard Ashcroft is set to release his fourth solo album ‘These People’ in May, marking his first new album in six years. The BRIT and Ivor Novello winning artist was frontman of The Verve during the 90’s, producing hits such as ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ and ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’, before becoming a successful solo act in his own right – his first solo single ‘A Song For The Lovers’ peaked at No. 3 in the UK singles charts with the album ‘Alone With Everybody’ going to No. 1. 

Sigma, Jess Glynne, Twin Atlantic and more added to Isle of Wight Festival 2016

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Added to the already incredible line up for 2016 is Sigma (live), Pendulum (DJ Set), Jess Glynne, Busted, The Corrs, Gutterdämmerung, SIXX:AM, Twin Atlantic, Half Moon Run, The Family Rain, Reverend and the Makers,Gabrielle Aplin, Lissie and The Wonder Stuff. The new acts will all join Queen + Adam Lambert, Stereophonics,Faithless and a whole host of punk acts including Iggy Pop and Adam Ant to perform over the weekend.  

Internationally, multi-platinum selling DJ duo Sigma (aka Cameron Edwards and Joe Lenzie) were the only group in 2014 to have back-to-back UK Number One singles in the form of ‘Nobody To Love’ and ‘Changing’ (featuring Paloma Faith). Sigma will be filling the gap for all those drum ‘n’ bass heads on the island over the weekend. 

Drum ’n’ bass connoisseurs Pendulum emerged from Perth in 2002 to create a sound they felt was missing from dance music. Their 2005 debut album ‘Hold Your Colour’ sold in excess of 300,000 copies and spawned their first Top 30 hit in the shape of the single ‘Slam/Out Here’. Pendulum will be joining their DJ counterparts Sigma to bring their electric live show to the crowds. 

Gracing the stage this year will be the mega-selling, double-BRIT winning pop-rock trio Busted as they make their welcome return. After four Number One singles, two albums, five million record sales and a run of 12 sold-out Wembley shows, James Bourne, Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson are together again, older, wiser and excited about what the new Busted might be. 

What a year it’s been for Jess Glynne who will also be joining the line up for 2016. Jess broke through in early 2014 for providing vocals on Route 94’s Number One single ‘My Love’ and featuring on the most streamed song of 2014, Clean Bandit’s ‘Rather Be’, which was also nominated for a BRIT Award as ‘Best Single’. This, of course culminated in a Number One album in ‘I Cry When I Laugh’ released earlier in August. 

Off the back of their new album ‘White Light’ which was released last month, The Corrs are added to The Isle of Wight Festival’s 2016 lineup. The successful Irish quartet have released five studio albums to date along with numerous singles including ‘Runaway’, ‘Dreams’ and ‘Breathless’, and will be touring the UK in January.

Glasgow rockers Twin Atlantic have a knack for instantly catchy choruses and aloft anthems. Over the years, the band have earned their way to support the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, Biffy Clyro and Blink 182 and have become renowned for their ferocious live shows, as well as achieving Top Ten with their latest album ‘The Great Divide’.

Also sounding out the future over the weekend is Half Moon Run. The Montreal based four-piece have a reputation for their heavy use of percussion and playing multiple instruments during live performance. They’ll be performing tracks from their impressive second studio album ‘Sun Leads Me On’. 

Three brothers from Bath, The Family Rain, fuse blues and rock with the close-knit energy and intricacy that runs through brotherly bonds. The sound of their debut album ‘Under The Volcano’ is not short of iron riffs, innovative percussion, clever wordplay and insidious melodies. They exude a noise and intensity that could only be produced by three brothers who know each other inside out.

Sheffield indie rockers Reverend and the Makers will also be bringing their acclaimed live performance over the weekend. UK Top Ten single ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ bought them into the limelight in 2007 before supporting the likes of Oasis on their final tour playing venues such as Wembley Stadium. They will also be playing tracks from their fourth studio album ‘Thirty Two’ which was released in 2014. 

After gaining popularity from posting acoustic covers of her songs on her YouTube channel, Gabrielle Aplin signed a record deal with Parlophone. She gained further mainstream attention after she was selected to soundtrack a John Lewis advert with her cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘The Power Of Love’, which charted Number One in the UK singles chart. Since then, she’s released her second album ‘Light Up The Dark’, which was released in September this year. 

Returning to The Isle of Wight Festival 2016 is American folk rock maverick Lissie. Having reached Top 20 status in the UK with her two previous albums ‘Catching a Tiger’ and ‘Back Forever’, her songs have been licensed for countless films and TV shows, topped numerous ‘Best Of’ polls whilst ‘The Longest Road,’ a song she wrote with DJ Morgan Page, was subsequently remixed by Deadmau5 and nominated for a ‘Best Remixed Record’ Grammy.  

Gutterdämmerung is ‘the loudest silent movie on earth’, conceptualised by Belgian-Swedish visual artist Bjorn Tagemose. Part rock show, part immersive cinema, the project features some of the world’s biggest names in rock, and The Isle of Wight Festival performance on the Big Top stage will see a full live band including Henry Rollins. SIXX:AM, comprising of Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba and James Michael released their debut album ‘The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack’ in 2007 based on Sixx’s autobiography, and have since followed this with two more studio releases including 2014’s ‘Modern Vintage’. The band will be touring Europe next summer and will be bringing the riffs to Seaclose Park.

Celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band, The Wonder Stuff will be bringing their indie anthems to the festival next year. With Top Ten singles including ‘The Size of a Cow’, ‘Welcome to The Cheap Seats’ and ‘On The Ropes’, as well as their No. 1 smash ‘Dizzy’ with Vic Reeves, the band released their seventh studio album two years ago with a new album expected in 2016.

Punk comes to Isle of Wight Festival with Iggy Pop, Adam Ant and more

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Punk turns 40 next year, and in celebration of four decades of this exciting and at times controversial music scene, The Isle of Wight Festival, the first major festival of the summer, today adds Iggy Pop, Adam Ant, The Damned, Buzzcocks, The Godfathers and The Sex Pissed Dolls to what is an already incredible line up for 2016. The six new acts will all joinQueen + Adam Lambert, Stereophonics and Faithless to perform over the weekend of 9th-12th June in Seaclose Park, Newport.

1976 is widely seen as the year that punk was born. The Sex Pistols signed to EMI Records, and started to generate significant press coverage – not least for their infamous interview in December of that year with Bill Grundy. The Ramones released their debut album in 1976, and the year saw the formation of not only The Damned and The Buzzcocks, but also other punk legends and luminaries such as The Clash, The Slits, X-Ray Spex, Black Flag and The Adverts.

Commonly acknowledged as one of the most dynamic stage performers of all time, Iggy Pop will appear on the Main Stage after successfully touring the globe with The Stooges for the last decade. His iconic solo albums such as ‘Lust For Life’, ‘The Idiot’ and ‘New Values’ have produced anthemic sounds such as ‘The Passenger’ whilst cementing his place in punk rock history.

Adam Ant will perform the seismic Adam and the Ants album ‘Kings of the Wild Frontier’, the No. 1 best selling album of 1980, which was also awarded ‘Best British Album’ at the 1982 BRIT Awards. The singles, ‘Kings of the Wild Frontier’ and ‘Antmusic’ both hit number 2 in the UK chart and ‘Dog Eat Dog’ reached number 4. Considered to be the record that broke the band into the mainstream, ‘Kings of the Wild Frontier’ forged a new look for Adam, creating one of the most iconic pop images of all time, which he will bring to life once again at The Isle of Wight Festival.

Gothic rockers The Damned, celebrating their own 40th anniversary as punk rock pioneers, will entertain fans with their showmanship and humour, performing tracks from their extensive back catalogue including ‘Eloise’ which reached the top five in the UK Charts in 1986. 

Buzzcocks will also celebrate 40 years as a band, bringing their razor sharp riffs to the Isle of Wight. The band are heralded as one of the most important influences on the Manchester music scene, as well as the independent record label movement. Founding members Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle will perform timeless tracks such as ‘What Do I Get’ and ‘Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)’ with a rhythm section consisting of Chris Remmington and Danny Farrant.

Legendary rock and roll band The Godfathers consisting of brothers Peter Coyne and Chris Coyne earned a reputation for their electrifying brand of primal rock and roll and incidenary live shows around the world. In 2013 the band returned with the much-anticipated release of their brand new album ‘Jukebox Fury’ after reforming in 2008 for the re-issue of their seminal debut album ‘Hit by Hit’.

Five-piece all girl band The Sex Pissed Dolls burst onto the scene in 2014 and have quickly amassed a committed following playing Punk, Ska and Dirty Rock music. Having completed a tour this year playing songs by The Jam, The Clash, Nirvana and The Specials they will pay tribute to the anniversary of the Sex Pistols signing to EMI records 40 years ago at The Isle of Wight Festival.

Faithless and Stereophonics to headline Isle of Wight Festival 2016

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Giving the festival a massive injection of memorable anthems and electrifying electronica, the two British favourites will ensure a spectacular start to what is the first festival of the summer, ahead of a full weekend of live music and entertainment.

Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones said: “I love playing the Isle Of Wight Festival. I got to steer the boat over last time. Captain of the ship and honked the horn!  Only the captain gets to honk the horn. This will be our third time at the festival…. I'll leave my white suit at home this time though!”

Faithless said: "We cant wait to return to play such an iconic festival for the second time. We were proud to be part of its relaunch in 2005 and it's an absolute pleasure to be invited back.” 

Festival promoter John Giddings said: “We are delighted to welcome Stereophonics and Faithless back to The Isle of Wight Festival to co-headline the Friday night. Stereophonics continue to prove they are still on top with a new No. 1 album and they are absolutely brilliant live. Likewise Faithless, who are currently celebrating their 20th year, have had hit after hit, and I know the crowds at the festival are going to go crazy when they bring their live set up to the Friday night. Looking forward to catching their sets!”

Without doubt one of the UK’s best bands, Stereophonics recently scored another No. 1 album with their latest release ‘Keep The Village Alive’. Their achievements over the past two decades are many; six No. 1 albums, 26 Top 40 singles, including the No. 1 hit ‘Dakota’, and wide acclaim for their live performance which has seen them become a firm festival favourite.  Armed with new hits C’est La Vie, I Wanna Get Lost With You, Song For The Summer and classic songs such as ‘Local Boy in the Photograph’, ‘The Bartender and the Thief’, ‘Have a Nice Day’, ‘Dakota’ and more Friday night will be a fantastic evening.

British electronic dance icons Faithless created club classics such as ‘God is a DJ’, ‘Insomnia’ and ‘We Come 1’ and have sold over 15 million records worldwide. To celebrate their 20th anniversary the band created a special remix album ‘Faithless 2.0.’ featuring remixes from some of the biggest DJs today including Avicii, Tiesto, Eric Prdyz and Armin Van Buuren paying tribute to their enduring legacy. 

Queen and Adam Lambert to headline Isle of Wight Festival 2016

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For an act that has broken countless chart records, has one of the most enviable and loved catalogues in music, and performed in front of millions of people all over the world, today sees one of most iconic bands ever announce a career first. Rock royalty Queen + Adam Lambert will make their UK festival debut next summer as they are announced as the first headliner for The Isle of Wight Festival 2016 – their only UK show of next year.

Brian May said: “I think Queen at The Isle of Wight Festival is a date that was long overdue.  How incredible to take on this challenge at this point in our lives. With an injection of new blood in the shape of the incredible Adam Lambert, Queen will be ready to tear it up on this legendary stage in 2016.  Freddie would have loved it. Can’t wait.”

Roger Taylor said: “When I think of The Isle of Wight Festival I think of Hendrix, Dylan and The Who. What immortal company to be in! Queen are thrilled to be there and can promise a special night.”

Adam Lambert added: “I'm so excited to be a part of The Isle of Wight Festival and share the stage once again with the Queen family. I adore making music with Roger and Brian, and am thrilled to help continue their legacy into 2016. It is true I have large shoes to fill so I'm urgently planning on searching for a new pair of boots (or 5) to wear for the set.”

The band, who are currently celebrating the 40th anniversary of their record breaking worldwide iconic single, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, will close the festival on Sunday 12th June, just as the nation is united in honouring the otherQueen, with thousands taking part in street parties for Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday the very same day.

Guitarist Brian May is himself no stranger to celebrating royal occasions, having played a major part in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002 by playing a spine-tingling version of ‘God Save The Queen’ from the roof of Buckingham Palace. The Isle of Wight itself also has well-established royal connections. Queen Victoria lived on the island at Osborne House, with next year marking 170 years since she first took up residence there. 

Queen’s headline set on the final day of The Isle of Wight festival will be the perfect way to celebrate all things Queen on this momentous and historic weekend next June.

Festival boss John Giddings said: “It’s an honour for us to have Queen + Adam Lambert at our festival.  It’s the perfect way for us to celebrate our 15th anniversary. Queen’s music appeals to people of all generations and it’s hard to think of another band with such a famous collection of songs. It’s going to be an incredible moment for The Isle of Wight Festival when they share these songs with us.”

In an incredible career spanning four decades, Queen’s indelible influence is unrivalled, with a staggering list of awards, accolades and honours to their name including seven Ivor Novellos, an MTV Global Icon Award and two songs enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame. With record sales in the hundreds of millions of units – including their Greatest Hits collection which sold over 6 million copies in the UK alone, meaning one in three households owning a copy – and a string of No. 1 albums and chart topping singles, Queen are undoubtedly one of the UK’s most successful and best loved national treasures. With one of the most enduring song catalogues of all time, including ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘We Are The Champions’, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ ‘Somebody to Love’, and of course ‘Bohemian Rhapsody, their musical repertoire is second to none and the legacy created by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon lives on through the ongoing work by May and Taylor, now joined by Adam Lambert.

Adam Lambert’s debut album ‘For Your Entertainment’ earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and a worldwide smash hit with ‘Whataya Want From Me’. His second album, ‘Trespassing’, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. In 2013, Adam appeared as a guest star on the hit TV series, GLEE, and as a featured vocalist on Avicii’s album ‘True’. Adam released his highly anticipated third album, ‘The Original High’ this summer, it entered the worldwide chart at number 3, and took his overall worldwide sales to 2.5million. The single ‘Ghost Town’ has had over 100million streams worldwide including 37million views of the video. He has just announced his brand new single ‘Another Lonely Night.’

2016 will mark the 15th anniversary of The Isle of Wight Festival since it was successfully relaunched in 2002 to become one of the most exciting weekends of the summer, with a proud heritage of show-stopping headliners such as Foo Fighters, The Rolling Stones, The Killers, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Blur and Fleetwood Mac. 

The Isle of Wight Festival takes place 9th-12th June at Seaclose Park, Newport. From Main Stage headliners, acoustic sets, DJ performances and up-and-coming talent, alongside a huge variety of additional entertainment and activities such as the Bohemian Woods, Kashmir Café and Hipshaker, there’s something for everyone to escape from everyday life for that one weekend in June. Summer starts at the legendary Isle of Wight Festival, all the biggest names in music: one unmissable weekend.

The Charlatans, Sunset Sons and more added to Isle of Wight Festival

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One of the UK’s most enduring home grown indie rock acts The Charlatans are confirmed to headline the Big Top stage on the Sunday night. The band recently released their 12th studio album ‘Modern Nature’, marking 25 years since their debut was released in 1990, receiving rave reviews in the press with The Guardian describing it as ‘possibly the best album of their career’. With multiple Number One albums and four Top Ten singles, The Charlatans will be closing the festival in style.

Hotly tipped Anglo-Aussie indie-rock quartet Sunset Sons have seen their momentum rapidly growing in 2015 since being named on the BBC’s Sound of 2015 long list, and MTV Brand New’s shortlist. The release of their third EP ‘The Fall Line’ earlier this year saw Sunset Sons riding high in the iTunes chart and have seen the majority of their UK tour dates sold out already. They will be hoping to draw similar crowds over the festival weekend. 

American sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell make up the American rock band Larkin Poe. Known for their strong southern harmonies and heavy guitar riffs, their debut album ‘Kin’ was released in the summer of 2014. Having previously toured as backing musicians for a variety of other acts including Elvis Costello, Larkin Poe are stepping centre stage as they perform at The Isle of Wight Festival in June.

Country duo The Shires only formed in 2013 and they are already the first British country act to reach the Top 10 with their first studio album ‘Brave’. With what the Evening Standard calls their ‘divine harmonies’ they will be touring the UK this April ahead of their Isle of Wight Festival slot in June.

Legendary punk rockers Stiff Little Fingers will be making some noise at the Isle of Wight Festival this year. Fans can expect to hear tracks from their iconic early material as well as songs from their 2014 album ‘No Going Back’, in celebration of their successful two decades in the British music scene as punk pioneers.

Also confirmed to play this year’s Isle of Wight Festival are Fleetwood Mac, The Black Keys, The Prodigy, Pharrell Williams, Paolo Nutini, Billy Idol, You Me At Six, Jessie Ware, Jess Glynne, James Bay, First Aid Kit, James and many more – for full line up details go to www.isleofwightfestival.com.  

Isle of Wight Festival 2014 Review

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First up on the elite list of larger festivals this summer was the Isle of Wight Festival. It was a rousing success all around, promising a vast array of acts to be seen, with what happened to be bright & consistent weather to make it that bit better. It was an event where as the adverts promoting the festival said, you simply had to ‘be there’. 50,000 festival-goers agreed & took the advice, making their way across the Solent on whatever method of boat travel they could find, camping gear at the ready. The festival is one of the few in the UK that has the most varied mix of musicians performing, from Red Hot Chilli Peppers & Kings of Leon to Cher Lloyd & Dappy, with Boy George in between. You get the picture.

On Day 1, it was the Thursday performance of the ever-exuberant & flamboyant Boy George whose soulful-sing-alongs propelled the early festival-goers into a flashback to the 80’s with hits such as his old band Culture Club’s ‘Karma Chameleon’ & ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?’. The crowd most definitely didn’t want to cause any harm to the hit-maker, they loved his cheerful disposition & playful interaction with the clearly pleased audience.

On the Friday, it was up to the Scottish folk of Biffy Clyro & Calvin Harris to step up to the act of being headliners, & each did it spectacularly. Over the years we have gradually seen Biffy Clyro head further up the festival posters with their name getting bigger & bolder each time. In an explosive 90 minute set that clearly included a very talented technical team, the stage at times became a pyrotechnical dream- ablaze with fireworks & glitter, raging riffs and hard-hitting sentimental lyrics- something of a rarity some might say in rock music. Coming on stage at 9pm, it would have been better to see the visual impact of the display had they not performed in the daylight.

London based quartet Rudimental have had phenomenal success in the UK for a band with just the one album under their belts, but so it seems, they prove one album is all it takes. 2012’s album release ‘Home’ certainly brought home the goods for the audience who were treated to a mix of drum’n’bass, soul, & funk with added backing vocalists, rousing drums & a trumpet thrown in for good measure to add to the party. Hits like ‘Feel The Love’ really brought the crowd together, & with excellent crowd interaction from the band it was a magical moment for the audience, who made their hands into a heart sign throughout the feel-good song, drunk festival-goers included, some attempts looking more blob shaped than heart shaped.

Hit-maker Calvin Harris closed Friday night in the coveted final slot of the main stage. Mr Harris has ploughed up to immeasurable amounts of success with the record-breaking album ’18 months’, & his large spectrum of collaborations has been the real ingredient to his popularity with dance fans around the world. During his DJ set, robust vocals from Rihanna to Florence Welch could be heard to name a few, with smoke machines & laser lights beaming out onto the euphoric crowd. A remix of last year’s headliners The Killers- ‘When You Were Young’ was played to add an element of surprise to the set, otherwise it may have been abit too predictable, he has been very busy performing over the past few years & a lot of his sets have been televised after all. All in all, a spectacular set from the Scottish DJ.

Away from the main stage there was talent to be seen in the Big Top stage, in the form of uber-cool Katy B. Belting out hits into the humid Isle of Wight air from acclaimed album ‘Little Red’ with striking synths throughout, Katy reminded us why she’s a sell-out in both gigs & album sales with a brilliant mix of stage presence, crowd interaction & electronic-infused songs that made a brilliant set list.

Saturday’s at festivals are always the big ones. Halfway through so you sort of feel disappointed it’s half over already, & then you remember the great bill ahead of you on Saturday morning & don’t feel so bad after all. The weather was a lot cooler, which some might say is a good thing, but those clear blue skies had diminished. Non-the-less, the vibe of the festival was still upbeat, with festival-goers saying they were enjoying themselves. The Waterboys made an appearance to fill in the unusually seen genre of Irish folk at the festival, & merrily played uplifting songs such as ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ & ‘Whole Of The Moon’, using less commonly seen instruments such as fiddles, violins & harmonicas, it was a refreshing change. I’d liked to have seen more interaction, but it may have been they were not used to main stage slots at large festivals & felt slightly overwhelmed.

Next up was the fabulous John Newman, a man with motown, retro RnB & soul in his (very) dancing feet. A brilliant blend of upbeat tap-your-toes songs combined with melancholy-filled ballads about heartbreak, he packed a lot in to the 40 minute slot that brought the audience almost on an emotional journey, some feeling the obvious meanings of the songs to Newman. When he left the stage you couldn’t help but want an encore, but like the band that made him famous, Rudimental, he too has one album to his name, but in a few years’ time I can see him doing longer & more varied sets with big-name collaborator’s perhaps joining him on stage. The crowd pleasing summer anthem from last year ‘Love Me Again’ was the right song to choose to end an excellent & energy-filled set.

Later on was the band thousands had travelled high, low & far away for. After a seven year hiatus from performing at a festival in the UK, Californian based Red Hot Chili Peppers made a triumphant return. Eccentrically bounding around the stage playing universally-known hits such as ‘Can’t Stop’ & ‘By The Way’, their energised performance made the crowd go wild at times, exactly what a classic rock band who headlines should do. From lead singer Kiedis’s rap-singing in parts to the funk-infused riffs, it was a you had to be there set, & those who were torn between the headliners & the world cup England match made the right choice if they avoided the later. (A match they lost anyway!). Perhaps what made this set so enjoyable clearly by both the band & crowd was the fact that it was something of a rarity & they aren’t regulars. That’s what made it so anticipated, & overall, the Chili’s certainly didn’t disappoint. Although arriving 15 minutes late & not playing ‘Under The Bridge’ may have put a downer on some, perhaps some will wonder if that lateness contributed to them not playing the iconic song, but speculate or not, it was a superb set, & one can hope they can start planning a UK tour soon.

On the final day of the festival, we were all treated to a performance from the red arrows. Causing a load of colourful synchronized smoke to grace the skies, it was a few moments where you saw more necks than faces from people looking up in wonderment, only to then get back to the hustle & bustle of the festival deciding on where & what to see next. The final headline performance was from festival regulars Kings of Leon, clearly an expert in this field, quite literally, from their vast experience of festival performances. Playing hits from their six studio albums to date, from up-tempo songs like ‘Supersoaker’ & ‘Fans’ to the obvious major hits like ‘Sex on fire’ & ‘Use Somebody.’ Caleb Followill’s yowl gave raw intensity to the set, with an added genius moment of guitarist Matthew Followill playing the opening riff of more mid-paced track ‘Closer’ with his teeth. As the final song of the festival came to an end, arms were put around each other, & appreciation was obvious for Kings of Leon with cheering & clapping echoing around the stage & beyond. Now it was time to get back to tents, & our ones.

After a long weekend of music, rides, balloons, bubbles being blown, alcohol, a surprisingly good selection of food, & seeing people dressed up in odd unusual costumes, it was time to pack up & go. The Isle of Wight Festival is so worth the travel from afar if you live miles away like I do, it’s one of the very few festivals where you really feel like it’s worth every penny with the high amount of quality bandssingers your seeing. After this year’s success, Isle of Wight Festival 2015 will have a lot of living up to do, organisers best get planning!

Photos by James Bridle