Kendrick Lamar

The Adventure that was Benicassim, 2016.

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You’ve all heard of Benidorm, I presume. That Spanish resort town, filled with sunburnt brits and head fuckers for breakfast, even with its own TV show about the life and times of its seasonal inhabitants.

For one week of the year, however, the brits are pre-occupied with a different kind of Beni, Festival Internacional de Benicassim. As a veteran fib goer myself (this year was the fourth) bringing along a backpack with an Argos tent, a Chromebook, a few different cameras plus their owner, the only clean clothes I had left, and flashbacks of Benicassim campsites and extreme heat, I felt well equipped and mentally prepared to tackle the biggest party of the summer, all in the name of journalism.

Benicassim itself is one of the friendliest experiences you will ever have. International is mentioned in the name because that is truly what it is. Though I felt there were considerably less Spanish goers (and noticeably a lot less Spanish acts) the multicultural vibe is definitely known, and with the gloom of Brexit still hovering over our heads there felt a definite subconscious need for camaraderie, which when you consider the amount of EU flags we saw dotted around and more often than not, wrapped around sleeping people, is a comforting thought.

The general atmosphere of Beni and it’s set up is really what makes it. Your ticket entitles you to 8 days of camping in their main area ‘campfest’ (you can also opt for glamping at a fairly reasonable price) and whilst alongside the various parties and events, the actual festival itself doesn’t start until 7pm, leaving you plenty of time to head to the beach, go into town, get your shopping done, and pregaming started, whilst not missing anything, and saving insane amounts of cash by raiding the Mercadona or the Lidl for the supplies you need to survive the night.

Financially, unlike British festivals, it won’t cost you a kidney and your first born child to enjoy Benicassim. Early Bird tickets start at 85 Euros, building to not more than 120, factor in the low, low cost of living out in the Spanish desert and even with a flight you’re still way ahead of the game, as long as you don’t mind inhaling 6 metric tonnes of dusk every time you wake up in the morning, and a hell of a lot of sun.  

 

Musical Highlights

 

Although Benicassim has become almost a rite of passage, the reason we all keep flocking to this ant infested wonderland every summer is not only for its general atmosphere but for the music. Although fib tends to have a smaller lineup (spread over 5 stages) than the majority of British Festivals, its headliners alone have enough pulling power. I’ve found over the years that a lot of the Glastonbury lineup will make a few sneaky appearances, but you’ll have to take my anecdotal word for it.

 

Thursday /

 

The shortest of all music days, but what turned out to be one of the best, Thursday boasted sets from DJ Hannah Wants and Irish rapper Rejjie Snow, however, the two main acts of the night by far were grime music artist Skepta and electronic music entity Major Lazer. Skepta, who halfway through his set worshipped the crowd as individuals, claiming he ‘hated celebrities’ became the simultaneous shunner and bringer of hype. The energy in the crowd was electric, and the growth of the London grime scene became increasingly obvious from the gigantic, international crowd that flocked to see him. The first headline act of the long weekend extravaganza, however, was Major Lazer, which gave the newbies a taste for FIB life and veterans like me a heightened nostalgia of what it’s all about. Their set was planned to the millisecond and mixed in a haul of different samples from Eurotrash, bashment and dancehall, and of course starting with Pon de Floor, the absolute tune that filled me with nostalgia and brought me back to being a fifteen-year-old getting drunk on a bottle of Lambrini. Moving forward, they started the encore with their feelgood hit of last year, Lean On, which shows just how much their popularity has grown.

 

Friday /

 

Friday saw the likes of more bands take to the stages, including the British rapping, indie, all-round shabby Rat Boy, the lo-fi garage rock Spanish girl band Hinds, now increasingly veteran rockers The Vaccines, and an emotional set from the harder rock of Biffy Clyro. Hinds played the main stage fairly early in the day, and although they started out with a small crowd it had almost quadrupled by the end, obviously attracted to their dynamic and the energy oozing from all four of them. They seem to be drawing quite a following from their various performances around the globe the last couple of years, and I’m pretty sure next year their names will be way higher up the bill. Finishing with Davey Crockett, throwing in a couple of new songs and even a Dead Ghosts cover, Hinds were one of the highlights of my weekend.

Though Friday was technically a lot more band heavy, Jamie XX took over for a disco-heavy and grime influenced set later in the evening, and the heavyweights of electronic music and putting on a fantastic show The Chemical Brothers headlined that evening. Starting with Hey Boy, Hey Girl and finishing their set with a combination of Galvanise and Block Rockin Beats, the show itself boasted spectacular lights, visuals and sound that made pretty much everyone go nuts.

This year Benicassim decided to up the ante with the dance stage, turning their previous second stage into the South Beach area set up complete with a ‘pool party’ – basically borrowing some Ibiza vibes from the another well known Spanish turn-up. Though the pool got pretty dirty after day one, the area itself was a success and saw the likes of Dan Deacon and John Talabot tear it up on the Friday.

Saturday /

 

If you’re a Muse fan, Saturday night was what you were waiting for. They headlined the main stage with a show-stopping two-hour set, incredible lights, showmanship and Matt Bellamy’s vocals in full force. Bringing out all the classics such as Supermassive Black Hole, you really cannot fault this band for doing what they do, and doing it heart-stoppingly well.

But on the contrary, it wasn’t just the superband that got the crowd going on that day. Disclosure followed suit on the main stage, starting with White Noise and playing a mix of tracks from Settle and Caracal, the boys radiated buzz as they always do whenever they take to the stage.

For the earlier parts of Saturday, however, it seems the indie and rock bands were out in full force, with Irish rockers Walking on Cars taking the main stage with the sun still glaring. For relative newcomers, they gathered a lot of support from a ferocious fan base, which, given the amount of Irish melodic voices heard around the festival is quite unsurprising. Bloc Party also mesmerised the visa stage, back with a vengeance and a beautifully revised selection of their catalogue, after a hiatus left them with just Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack as the original members. A brief chat with Kele himself before the show lead me to believe we can expect some new music from the new lineup very soon, and the band is sure to go from strength to strength after the writing process gets well and truly underway.

Echo and the Bunnymen and The Coral also played incredible sets, giving us a little blast from the past. For E&TBM we came for The Killing Moon but ended up infatuated with the set list, and after a five year hiatus, old time rockers The Coral perfectly matched their classics Dreaming of You and In the Morning with the release of their new album, Distance In Between, including track Chasing the Tail of the Sun, which Skelly himself thinks is the best to get the crowd going.

Although Muse did steal the show on the main stage, whilst the heavyweight rockers were letting the crowd fall in love we did sneak away for a few songs at the Visa Stage, where The Kills created an atmosphere that was lively, dramatic and addictive, even though a major amount of their fan base was stolen away. They were definitely one of my surprising highlights of fib, and deserve a medal of musical adoration in my eyes.

 

Sunday /

 

Sunday finally came around, and although I was completely shattered after running around a festival in sweltering heat, sleeping on a dusty floor of a tent and getting accidently sunburnt with the most awful tan lines you ever did see, the nostalgia was creeping in and I didn’t really want to go home. The mix of genres on this day was pretty special, Jess Glyne took the visa stage, where a surprising collection of men found themselves bobbing along to classics Hold My Hand and Rather Be. She also did a solo rendition of My Love, the Route 94 song that helped propel her solo career, as well as a collection of her own material. Following on from Glyne, Mac Demarco and The 1975 also played the Visa Stage, Demarco drawing a sizable crowd, arguably just as crazy as him. Known for his antics and his love of crowd surfers, he let good old ‘Tony’ climb his way onto the stage for a spot of light conversation before prompting his guitarist to crowd surf himself. The topless boys definitely knew how to do a show, and hardcore fans were lapping up every second, in fact every time they play they look like they’re having the best time, which is first and foremost what you want from a performer. The 1975 followed suit, again drawing in a large crowd with a pretty serious fanbase.

The main stage saw the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen, who this year decided to make some festival appearances after cancelling a load of them last year. The northern rockers played a great show but I’m yet to be fully convinced of their staying power. Kendrick Lamar took the headline set that night, bringing in a gigantic crowd and a chilled vibe all across Benicassim. The setlist was perfect, with How Much a Dollar cost, B*tch Don’t Kill My Vibe, of course King Kunta and after a profound, heartfelt speech that referenced the attacks in Nice, Turkey, and the need to unite at the state of the world, Lamar ended his set with the notion that we’re all going to be Alright.

DJ’s Snakehips took to the South Beach stage later that night to help bring the festival down to a close, and although I would have perhaps liked to see Lamar play the friday alongside Skepta, especially seeing grime music start to crack america, I was more than content with the set up as it was. All in all, I ended up completely delirious with sleep deprivation, but it was so worth it just to be at fib again.

 

Would I come again? Just try and stop me.

 

Full Final Bill for FIB – Benicassim!

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Not long now til we, you and a stellar line up of the biggest bands in the world head to the coast in Spain for the 22nd edition of FIB Benicàssim.

The amazing 2016 line up is now complete and includes exclusive shows from some of the biggest and best names in rock, pop, electronica, hip hop, indie and beyond.

Your  only chance in Spain this summer to see very special festival headline shows from Muse and The Chemical Brothers, to witness the biggest rap act in the world right now, Kendrick Lamar live, to dance to the massive hits of Disclosure and Major Lazer or to check out the legendary Massive Attack.

Beyond these, there’s the some of the greatest new acts around like The 1975 &  Catfish And The Bottlemen, indie tunesmiths like The Vaccines and the Maccabees, the best in electronica from Jamie XX, John Talabot (Dj Set) and more. Pop? Jess Glynne. Grime? Skepta

Something for everyone including some of our favourite Spanish acts, Hinds, Dorian, La Habitación Roja…

FIB Benicàssim 2016 – 100 acts and four days and nights you’ll never forget. The greatest bands in the world and YOU at the festival of the year!

 

For ticket info and the timetable of acts, check out their website. 

Benicàssim add Kendrick Lamar, Jamie XX, Major Lazer and more

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11 time Grammy nominated Kendrick Lamar has firmly established himself as rap’s new superstar and will showcase his unparalleled ability and powerful wordplay in his debut headline performance at Benicàssim in 2016.

Following the great success of his debut solo album and Mercury nominated ‘In Colours’, Jamie XX will be bring a live show every bit as jaw dropping as the album. Festival favourites The Maccabees will be making a return to FIB after an incredible set back in 2012, bringing with them hits from their number 1 album ‘Marks To Prove It’.
 
We’ll be welcoming the epic Bloc Party, remarkably making their Benicàssim debut. The irrepressible Kele Okereke will lead the band through a set packed with hits and a smattering of tracks from their new album “Hymns”. Another Benicàssim debutant will be the remarkable Mac DeMarco. The Canadian multi-instrumentalist and all round musical wizard will have you converted in seconds to his off-kilter pop which he describes himself as “jizz jazz.” Expect mass sing-alongs.
 
The new South Beach Dance stage will play host to unquestionably one of the major names at the forefront of the house and bass music scene, Hannah Wants. From the Basque country, we welcome DeLorean who’ll be bringing their wonderful blend of indie pop, Balearic house and electronic dance to keep the FIB Benicàssim crowd dancing through the night.

Leeds Festival 2015 Review

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Leeds Festival kicked off on Thursday night with the introduction of comedy acts to a growing line up. These guys were around last year as well so it was nothing new for the Leeds fest veterans to warm up the weekend with some giggles. I felt there was something a little lack luster about squeezing into a tent to watch comedy at a music festival so opted for some camp fire drinks instead.  Once feeling merry there was no option but to hit the relentless stage, firmly squeezed between the trees of red and orange camp. Dj’s were set to headline there all weekend and Thursday was no exception with electronic music duo Bondax gracing us with a glorious welcome set.

With dreary eyes and achey legs it was up and adam for Friday, when the festival really begins. It was a much needed lie in on Friday morning before heading out in the – fairly sunny – weather to the BBC 1Xtra stage. Lady Leshurr made famous by her straight to point musical stylings almost filled out the tent and had everyone in good spirits when she handed out toothbrushes during her famous ‘Queens Speech Episode 4’. Then it was off for some food before Jamie T’s main stage set.

The food at Leeds fest this year left a lot to be desired, you were much better off money wise and sometimes quality wise if you bought a disposable BBQ and kicked it back at your campsite. Although I must commend noodle king for providing 10 spring rolls for £3, that was the stuff dreams are made of.

So back to the music and it was the turn of Jamie T, an act I had been eagerly anticipating before arriving at Leeds fest, and I must say I was a little on the disappointed side. It wasn’t Jamie himself, he went for it singing classics like Sheila, and If you got the money, but I couldn’t help thinking his set would have worked better on a smaller stage. The sound wasn’t amazing and you couldn’t see him unless you were more or less on the stage with him, his name deserves the main stage but his set needed something more intimate.

After that it was the turn of Kendrick Lamar, who brought in a huge crowd and got everyone at the front going mosh pit crazy. Kendrick sung his big hits ‘I love bad Bitches’ and ‘King Kunta’ and pressed on about how so many of his fans had been there from the start and he was so pleased to see them in the crowd. I’m not entirely sure how many of his true fans he could really see in the crowd but he killed it nevertheless and I’m sure nobody left feeling disappointed.

Then onto the Friday night headliner – The Libertines. The Libertines are now onto their second reform as a band and was it for the best, I’m still on the fence about that one. Pete Doherty has been through the wars and it showed on his face and in his voice, I didn’t feel like they had the power for the main stage and clearly neither did the audience as the area was nowhere near as full as it should have been for a headline act.

With the Libertines lack luster performance dampening my mood a little it was time to up the anti and head back to the 1Xtra stage for Boy Better Know. The main trio made up of Skepta, Jme and Wiley filled out the tent and sent the crowd into a wild frenzy that perfectly finished off Friday night.

Onto Saturday and it was the main stage hosting all the action. A wonderful set by Leeds veterans Panic at the Disco who broke out into an impromptu version of Bohemian Rhapsody to get the whole crowd on their feet. They were followed up by Baltimore pop punk band All Time Low, who dragged members of the crowd onto stage to go crazy with them and joked about the wonders of tent sex. All Time Low brought a brilliant vibe to the main stage with hits like ‘Weightless’ and ‘Dear Maria’.

Then it was Bastille's turn, and they rocked up with one of the biggest crowds of the festival, everyone eager to sing along to their easy to please hits. A nice cheery set from them that could be enjoyed while sitting on the grass mellowing down with some food. Many Leeds goers seemed to be a celebrating GCSE age and that was clear from the audience range at Bastille especially when they played hits from their first album including ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘Pompeii’. It was then on to Leeds formed electronic band Alt J who reminisced about their time at Leeds Uni and the pleasure of being back home again. Their set was filed with jazzy lights and the screens showed edgy video editing of their faces as they played hits like ‘Fitzpleasure’ and ‘Breezeblocks’.

Saturdays headline act was the mighty Mumford and Sons, who played a mix of songs from their first and second albums which the crowd definitely appreciated. It’s often tough to watch a headliner who you don’t know so well when they just sing new music nobody has heard yet. They went in with the crowd pleasing claiming we were better than Reading Festival and northerner’s were prettier, it seemed to work as they drew in one of the biggest crowds of the weekend with plenty of couples drunkenly swaying in each other’s arms to tunes such as ‘I will wait for you’ and ‘Little lion man’.

I cut the Mumford and Sons set short as we dived over to watch Knife Party close the day in the NME Stage. The set was interrupted by a girl who climbed up one of the metal poles holding the tent up, and Knife Party claiming they would halt all the music until she climbed down. But that didn’t dampen the spirits of the partygoers who chanted at her to climb down and carried on going when she did.

Onto the final day and the Foals managed to sneak in a secret set in the NME stage, I sadly wasn’t even out of my tent at the time of their performance but I imagine it was as magical as they always are. The first act of the day for me was a bit later on with Tempa T in the 1 Xtra stage, it was a good start to the day and plenty of other people seemed to enjoy it as well. Then it was back across to the NME stage for Manchester based band Everything Everything who did not disappoint with a set that made you want to skip around and sing into the night. They played hits like ‘Regret’ and ‘Distant past’ and didn’t even flinch when lead singer Jonathan Higgs ‘effed up the words’.

It was then back to the 1 Xtra tent for Miss Dynamite – who doesn’t look a day over 22 by the way – her set was not up there with the greats as she was continually talking and chanting throughout and barely sung anything but there were come catchy covers in there and she brought some random kids on stage which is always fun.

Next up it was back to the NME stage again for my festival highlight  –Twin Atlantic. They are a lovely bunch of Scottish guys who out performed anyone else that weekend for me. With big strings of confetti and multi-coloured beach balls they sung out the crowd with ‘Heart and Soul’ and claimed they were so glad they got to sing out the festival and were thankful to everyone who had stuck by them in their 5 year Leeds fest battle to get a bigger stage. Twin Atlantic I love you, and I’m sorry that was my first time watching you, I swear it won’t be my last.

Finally The Wombats ended the evening with a superb crowd pleasing set of their biggest hits, they filled out the rather mini festival republic stage and were truly a wonderful way to end. 

As for the evenings after the music was over when the festival revellers were let loose on the campsite there was only one place to get your night properly started – Cocktail Cocktail. The now infamous cocktail bar had its first appearance at Leeds fest this year and did not let us down with DJ Jamie Hartley taking the decks each night pumping out classics till 3am. The relentless trees were great as well and we can’t forget Piccadilly party taking everyone in till the light hours of the morning.

Leeds Fest you were amazing and I will see you again next year x

Wireless Festival 2015 Full Review

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Thousands flocked to Finsbury Park this weekend for popular festival – Wireless. Each year the festivals line up is spectacular, Summer Festival Guide headed over to check things out. With over 40 acts on both  Saturday and Sunday; including Ciara, Jessie J, David Guetta, Nicki Minaj, Avicci and Kendrick Lamar, Wireless was sure to be a festival not to be forgotten.
 
With the sun beating down on Finsbury Park Saturday's sold-out show, started to fill out almost immediately. As the crowd flooded through the gates of Finsbury Park, they were greeted by a high-spirited Conor Maynard who kicked started Saturday on the main stage, whilst KStewart and Ady Sulieman took to the other two stages. 
 
Raleigh Ritchie and Tinashe later took to the main stage and both performed equally good sets. Raleigh got the crowd jumping around and seemed to genuinely enjoy it just as much as they were enjoying him. Tinashe performed a great up beat set from her latest album Aquarius. Summer Festival Guide caught up with Raleigh Ritchie back stage where he told us about his love for performing, festivals and Game of Thrones.
 
Indiana took to the Pepsi Max Arena where she slowed things down a bit and performed a very mellow set. Fans swayed as the singer performed tracks from her latest album – ‘No Romeo’ and she drew in the crowd however the singer sped things up a bit towards the end of her set and the crowd loved it. 
 
Whilst waiting for Mary J Blige crowds flocked to numerous food vans to refuel. Ranging from Chinese to Mexican, Vegan to Steak Grills and Lebanese to Caribbean food the crowd were definitely spoilt for choice. Mary J Blige dived straight in to her set list starting with her hit song ‘Just Fine’. The crowd immediately jumped to their feet and started dancing. Mary J had the crowd dancing for the whole 45 minutes of her set. With a great set list and her high-spirit Mary J had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hands.
 
Gorgon City and Childish Gambino later took to the main stage. Whilst Stormzy took to the RE: WIRED stage. Gorgon City's up beat set had the crowd dancing with range of hits including 'Stronger', 'Rather Be' & 'Real Love'. 
 
The mult-talented Childish Gambino ran out onto the main stage next and it wasn't long before he was shirtless and belting out 'Crawl', 'Worldstar' and more from his back cataloge of albums.
 
Stormzy had a huge crowd for his highly anticipated set performing his latest tracks to a very appreciative crowd who sung their hearts out word for word. 
 
As the crowd waited for Kendrick Lamar yet again they headed for the food vans and the bars to refuel and rehydrate. Kendrick took to the stage performing many tracks both old and new including 'Backstreet Freestyle', 'Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe' and 'Swimming Pools (Drank). The crowd loved Kendrick and Kendrick loved the crowd. Avicii wowed crowds when he later took to the stage and saw what had been an amazing day off with an equally amazing set and a spectacular light and firework display. 
 
Sunday afternoon saw Wretch 32 kick start the day off on the main stage with an impressive performance. Also kicking off the day around the park was Samm Henshaw on the Re: WIRED stage and Kiko Bun in the Pepsi Max Arena. Summer Festival Guide caught up with Samm Henshaw backstage and he was just as happy and full of energy off stage as he was on. 
 
Charlie XCX, August Alsina and Clean Bandit were the main stage line up for the afternoon. Whilst Arrested Development, Ciara, Pusha T and Rae Sremmurd took to the Pepsi Max Arena. Leaving Damage, Jacob Plant, Tove Stryke, Jaden & Willow Smith, Elliphant and Shakka to entertain those at the RE: WIRED stage. 
 
Charli XCX with her trademark Sucker heart prop and full band on stage rocked the crowd with her hits 'Sucker', 'Breaking Up', 'I Love It'.  Full of energy and with the sun pelting down on Finsbury Park, Charli had the crowd singing with her throughout her entire set!
 
Ciara was off to a rocky start with her mic being switched off for the first 15 minutes of her set. However that did not stop the crowd from singing along to the popular singer's songs and enjoying the show Ciara provided. Jaden and Willow left the crowd slightly befuddled with a rather unusual performance. However the crowd soon perked up when willow performed popular hit 'Whip my Hair' and Jaden shared a new track with the Wireless crowd. The sibling duo were full of energy and provided a good performance, aiding each other throughout.
As night began to fall, crowds were left disheartened when the festival organisers shamefully admitted that Nicki Minaj was running late due to travel complications and that they had lost touch with the award winning female rapper. It was later announced that Nicki and David Guetta had mutually agreed to share the set time which crowd's responded to with boos. 
 
When David Guetta took to the stage half an hour after the announcement crowds went wild as he started his set. The light show Guetta provided was spectacular and he managed to win back the crowd with popular tracks, smoke, confetti and fireworks. David Guetta continued for a further 40 minutes before Nicki Minaj finally made her entrance and crowds seemed to have forgiven the female rapper within an instance. 
 
Nicki continued to work the crowd and performed popular songs including 'Truffle Butter', 'Only', 'Moment for Life' and 'Anaconda'. Adoring fans sang and danced the night away enjoying the all-round amazing show Nicki delivered. Nicki Minaj was the perfect act to round off the Wireless weekend she left the crowd on a positive high and closed the show with a tremendously great performance.
 
Photos from Saturday at Wireless Festival
 
Photos from Sunday at Wireless Festival

Kendrick Lamar headlines Wireless festival 2015

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American rapper Kendrick Lamar took to the stage of wireless festival last night and did not disappoint after a long day of the crowd eagerly awaiting his performance. With the sun shining down on Finsbury Park, Kendrick wasted no time in getting the crowd up on their feet, chanting "Oh Kendrick Lamar" clapping and cheering. Kendrick started out with an old classic of his, Temptation before swiftly moved on to crowd pleasers such as Backstreet Freestyle, I, Money trees and many more from a combination of his albums. Kendrick continued to work the crowd and had them eating out of the palm of his hands. In turn the crowd continued to feed Kendricks set by singing along, dancing and chanting, the crowd and Kendrick struck up an immediate bond. Kendrick constantly reminded the crowd of his love for London leading to an eruption of cheers every time.

Kendrick connected with fans and even suggested bringing one dedicated fan, who knew all the words, up on stage. Before deciding to give her a shout out instead. Kendricks constant interaction with the crowd  as well as the set of good songs he chose lead to an amazing atmosphere. Many had waited eagerly all day to see Kendrick and he did not disappoint. 

All in all it is safe to say after a long hot day of waiting to see Kendrick Lamar, he did not fail to deliver exactly what the crowd wanted and it was a great way to end the day.

 

 

The Libertines will headline Reading and Leeds Festival 2015

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Reading & Leeds Festivals are thrilled to announce The Libertines as the final of this year’s Main Stage headliners!  The indie-rockers will bring the good ship Albion to the Festivals this summer, cementing a Reading & Leeds legacy which dates back to 2002.  

Rising up through the Festivals’ billing, the legendary troubadours Peter Doherty, Carl Barât, Gary Powell and John Hassall made their Main Stage debut in 2003 and returned in 2004. The band blew the crowds away in 2010 when they famously reunited at the Festivals and now, for the first time, they will take their rightful place as Reading & Leeds headliners. With their long awaited new record in the works, their set will undoubtedly be one of the defining moments of Reading & Leeds 2015.

In an exclusive video message, Peter Doherty said: “

I’ve just woken up and I can’t stop thinking about playing at Reading & Leeds.”

John Hassall said: 

"Really excited to be playing Reading and Leeds this year. There is a great vibe in the band and we should be doing some new songs too. So it'll be the best Reading and Leeds ever!”

Gary Powell said: 

"We are all extremely happy to be playing Reading and Leeds this year.  As Reading and Leeds was the festival that graciously allowed us to perform back in 2010 at our first attempt at reforming, and the audience were amazing in their reception of us, it seems only right that we go back to the scene of the crime and do our best to not only replicate what we did back then – but do better, for the fans and friends we have met along the way. Here’s wishing 'us all' luck come R&L. We’ve all got a lot of work to do!!!!I for one am excited for the challenge and looking forward to seeing everybody!"

Festival boss Melvin Benn comments:

“What a band to announce as our third headliner. The Libertines are part of the Reading & Leeds family and I can’t wait for the boys to walk on to our Main Stages in their rightful place at the top of the bill.

“I’m excited to announce over 50 other phenomenally talented acts today who will bring amazing performances for our fans. I really think we’ve got the ultimate line-up this year. Where else can you see Kendrick Lamar on the same day as Deadmau5 and Years & Years, or Marmozets on the same day as Azealia Banks or Metallica, or All Time Low on the same day as Knife Party or Mumford & Sons!

“It’s almost exactly six months to the Festivals and I already can’t wait until August Bank Holiday weekend.

"Having spent some time reviewing the ticket price and talking to people about it I felt that where we had got to with the day price was too high and once I really examined it decided to go the whole hog and reduce it to £59.50. However, anyone thinking it’s a way to get the weekend including camping cheaper will be disappointed. It will not give access to the campsite as I'm creating new entrances for day ticket holders. It’s still great though for those that don't want to camp." 

 Over fifty further names are also revealed today, joining artists already announced for the Festivals including Main Stage headliners Mumford & Sons and Metallica, proving that Reading & Leeds is the Festival for true music fans.

MAIN STAGE

On the Friday at Reading and Saturday at Leeds, pop-punkers All Time Low will return to the Festival for the first time since 2012 with eagerly anticipated new album ‘Future Hearts’ in tow.

Sheffield’s Bring Me The Horizon have established themselves as the UK’s biggest and best metal crossover act, and will follow up their all-conquering sold out Wembley Arena headline show last year with a set immediately before Metallica on the Main Stage on Saturday at Reading / Sunday at Leeds. Their performance at the Festivals this summer is a European exclusive.

Grammy nominated rapper Kendrick Lamar will showcase his unparalleled ability and powerful wordplay in his debut performance at the Festivals, creative indie rock heroes The Maccabees will take the Main Stage and will play some tracks from their forthcoming album, Wakefield rock band and NME Outstanding Contribution to Music Winners The Cribs whose hotly anticipated new album ‘For All My Sisters’ will be released this March.

Panic! At The Disco will bring their incredible grown up pop-rock and infectious hooks back to the Main Stage, along with anthemic rock quintet Lonely The Brave, who return following their hugely successful set in 2014.

Pop Punk’s most exciting new band Neck Deep have set course for Reading & Leeds this summer to demonstrate exactly why they were named ‘Best Newcomer’ at last year’s Kerrang! Awards and West Yorkshire Festival favourites Marmozets will bring their incendiary live set back to Reading & Leeds as they graduate to Main Stage billing.

NME/BBC RADIO 1 STAGE

Following the release of their debut studio album ‘Abandon Ship’ late last year, electronic dance duo Knife Party return to the Festivals this summer for an extra special closing set on the Friday at Reading and Saturday at Leeds.

American rock band Limp Bizkit and rap prodigy Tyler, The Creator also join the bill, along with Birmingham indie poppers Swim Deep, inventive British art rock band Everything Everything, indie rock quartet Peace and North London production duo Gorgon City.Also revealed today are Math rock legends American Football, Liverpudlian band of the moment Circa Waves, beat-maker and prolificproducer Jamie XX, leftfield pop musicians Glass Animals, emotionally charged Pennsylvania four-piece The Districts and Punk duo Slaves.

BBC RADIO 1 DANCE STAGE

Boy Better Know featuring JME, Skepta, Wiley, Shorty, Solo 45, Maximum, Jammer & Frisco will be headlining the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage on the Sunday at Reading and the Friday at Leeds.  Headed up by JME, brother Skepta and Wiley, they are the leading collective in Grime. 

 Also performing across the weekend are drum & bass duo Camo & Krooked, producer and techno artist Brodinski, Scottish production wizard Hudson Mohawke, mysterious R ’n’ B maestro Ben Kahn and My Nu Leng, who will bring their big bounding beats to the Festival. London based feel-good House duo Toyboy & Robin, New York electric pop duo Cardiknox, geek-step Midlander FTSE, electronic producer Porter Robinson presents his incredible Worlds live show, LA DJ Dillon Francis, and self-proclaimed ‘sad dance’ musician Tourist will also be performing.

THE LOCK UP/PIT STAGE

As one of the most influential pop punk bands of all time, and with a rich history at Reading & Leeds, New Found Glory return to headline The Lock Up on Friday at Reading / Saturday at Leeds. Three-time Grammy nominated titans of metal Mastodon will take top billing on Saturday at Reading / Sunday at Leeds.

Canadian hardcore heavyweights Cancer Bats also join the line-up, along with ex-My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero, who brings his new project FrnkIero Andthe Cellabration. Swedish theatrical metallers Ghost, technical death metal band Gojira and reunited hardcore legends Modern Life Is War will rock the stage across the weekend. Anthemic punkers The Menzingers, Sheffield’s top metal band While She Sleeps, Southampton five piece Bury Tomorrow and rockers Simple Plan are also revealed for the Festival bill.

FESTIVAL REPUBLIC STAGE

All three Festival Republic Stage headliners are revealed in today’s announcement, with a very special set from Django Django closing the stage on Friday at Reading / Saturday at Leeds. Indie rock veterans The Wombats will headline the stage on Saturday at Reading / Sunday at Leeds and fan favourite Frank Turner will bring a special solo set to Reading on Sunday / Leeds on Friday.

Legendary Irish rockers Ash will make a welcome return to Reading & Leeds, building on a rich history with the Festivals dating back to their first performance at Reading in 1995. Having recently announced their new album, their set will be yet another classic performance providing the soundtrack to the summer.

Also performing on the stage will be Canadian indie-pop quintet Alvvays, fast rising rockers Coasts, grunge revivalists Darlia and Australian indie sensation DMA’s. The soaring melodies of Jake Isaac, folky Sydney trio Little May, the socially observant hip-hop/rock of Ratboy, American baroque pop band San Fermin, young South Londoners The Bulletproof Bomb, the soaring rock of We Are The Ocean, irish rock-pop five piece Walking On Cars and Missouri garage punk brothers Radkey make the Festival Republic Stage the one-stop shop for all things on the rise, alongside some of the biggest names in music.

BBC 1XTRA STAGE

Now a well-established feature of Reading & Leeds, the BBC Radio 1Xtra Stage will bring the absolute best in urban music across the three days of the Festival. Co-headlining on the Friday at Reading and the Saturday at Leeds are Harlem trap lord A$AP Ferg and hazy Brooklyn hip hop crew Flatbush Zombies, providing an incredible East coast double header of real rap music. Having finally dropped her long awaited debut album ‘Broke With Expensive Taste’ late last year, Azealia Banks returns to Reading & Leeds for one of her characteristically high octane live sets to headline the 1Xtra Stage on Saturday at Reading and Sunday at Leeds.

With one final headliner still to be revealed for the stage, the tent will host sets from Miami bass turntablist Craze, South London hip hop duo Krept & Konan, grime hero and UK trailblazer Lethal Bizzle and the fresh sounds of Essex rapper Nick Brewer. The line-up grows even further with the addition of genre-blurring urban DJ Oneman and the unique dream-rap of Pell. New York natives Ratking are one of the purest voices of modern underground rap music and this year marks their debut R&L performance alongside MOBO Award ‘Best Grime Act’ and BBC Sound Of runner up Stormzy. Brotherly hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd are also announced today.

Newly announced today:

The Libertines (Headliner)

 A$AP Ferg

All Time Low

Alvvays

American Football

Ash

Azealia Banks

Ben Kahn

Boy Better Know

Bring Me The Horizon (European Festival Exclusive)

Brodinski

Bury Tomorrow

Camo & Krooked

Cancer Bats

Cardiknox

Circa Waves

Coasts

Craze

Darlia

Dillon Francis

Django Django

DMA’s

Everything Everything

Flatbush Zombies

Frank Turner (solo)

Frnkiero Andthe Cellabration
 

FTSE

Ghost

Glass Animals

Gojira

Gorgon City

Hudson Mohawke

Jake Isaac

Jamie XX

Kendrick Lamar

Knife Party

Krept & Konan

Lethal Bizzle

Limp Bizkit

Little May

Lonely The Brave

Marmozets

Mastodon

Modern Life Is War

My Nu Leng

Neck Deep

New Found Glory

Nick Brewer

Oneman

Panic! At the Disco

Peace

Pell

Porter Robinson

Radkey

Rae Sremmurd

Rat Boy

Ratking

San Fermin

Simple Plan

Slaves

Stormzy

Swim Deep

The Bulletproof Bomb

The Districts

The Maccabees

The Menzingers

The Wombats

Toyboy & Robin

Tourist

Tyler, The Creator

Walking On Cars

We Are The Ocean

While She Sleeps

 

Already announced:

Metallica (Headliner and UK Festival Exclusive)

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

Bastille (England & Wales Festival Exclusive)

Catfish and The Bottlemen

Deadmau5

Hannah Wants

Jack Garratt

Jamie T

Manchester Orchestra

Pierce The Veil

Pretty Vicious

Rebel Sound

Refused

Royal Blood (UK Summer Festival Exclusive)

Run The Jewels

Wilkinson (Live)

Wolf Alice

Years & Years

Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Guetta & Avicii headline Wireless Festival 2015

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After last year’s hugely successful three-day run, Wireless will return to London's Finsbury Park for the weekend of 3rd – 5th July to celebrate the festival’s 10th birthday with an incredible line-up and a new name – ‘New Look Wireless’.

Wireless promoter Steve Homer of Live Nation said:

"This year we have an incredible line-up for New Look Wireless. We can’t wait to bring Drake back to the main stage, along with some of the best artists that span the world of Hip-hop, dance, R&B and UK Garage. This is our 10th Birthday and we’re really going to make it one to remember."

Joining Drake as headliners are Avicii and Kendrick Lamar on Saturday and Nicki Minaj and David Guetta on Sunday.

Also on the lineup are:

Labrinth, Nero, Joey Badass, Fuse ODG, Knife Party, Childish Gambino, Gorgon City, Jessie J, Clean Bandit, Wretch 32, Grandmaster Flash, Arrested Development + many more!

Tickets go on sale Friday 3rd February at 9am!

The National, Mogwai, Kendrick Lamar plus more for Optimus Primavera Sound

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We are pretty excited to let our Summer Festival Guide fans know that the Optimus Primavera Sound lineup is now complete with The National, Mogwai, Kendrick Lamar, Pixies and more announced today!

Among all the confirmed names, we reinforce the presence of American band The National, the Californian rapper Kendrick Lamar and the legendary and influential Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso.

The first festival shows for newly reformed British band Slowdive, New Yorkers Television with their master piece “Marquee Moon”, Spoon’s effervescent pop, who have a new record, the third reincarnation of Slint claiming their crucial role in the appearance of slowcore and the presentation of the new record by Scottish band Mogwai are also added to this edition’s line-up.
Current names arrive at Optimus Primavera Sound to showcase their more recent work: Nicolas Jaar’s new project, Darkside, Danish artist Trentemøller, with his melancholy fusion of indie and electronica, the Haim sisters with the recently acclaimed phenomenon “Days Are Gone”, and the fiery electronica of !!! (chk chk chk) and St. Vincent with a new self-titled album that proves, once again, that there is a great gap between conventional pop and the sonic fusion created and reinvented by the New Yorker.

A true heterogenic mix of musical styles is going to invade the city of Porto: the post-rock of the Canadian band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Charles Bradley’s soul, the intimate sound of Rodrigo Amarante, or noisy British band Loop are some of the names that compose an eclectic and varied line-up.

Also, in the national landscape, we find bands with several musical references. Lisbon band You Can’t Win Charlie Brown will come to Optimus Primavera Sound with “Diffraction/Refraction”, a more challenging and sophisticated album than “Chromatics”, where vocal harmonies and the constant dialogue between folk and electronica are deepened. Also Os Da Cidade, a band that joins António Zambujo, Ricardo Cruz, João Salcedo and Miguel Araújo Jorge, promise to reinvent some of the traditional Portuguese sounds to cover them with a personal and delicate touch. HHY & The Macumbas, a project led by Jonathan Uliel Saldanha, will take their electrifying dub rhythms to the Parque da Cidade, for an extra sensorial experience, while Torto showcase, the hungry instrumental trio, in a fusion of guitar, bass and drums invites to a bold stroll outside each person’s “comfort bubble”.

Snoop Dogg & Foals to headline Parklife Weekender

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US West Coast hip hop megastar Snoop Dogg and UK homegrown indie rockers Foals will headline the fifth edition of the Parklife Weekender in Manchester.

Also joining them is West Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar with a UK Festival exclusive show, club legends Soul II Soul, UK favourites Disclosure, Nero, Moderat, Bondax, Rudimental, Maya Jane Coles, Duke Dumont, High Contrast, Julio Bashmore, Redlight, SBTRKT, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (DJ), Cyril Hahn and Seth Troxler and more!

Crossing the Atlantic this summer is one of hip hop's greats Snoop Dogg, who will make his Parklife debut on Saturday 7th June 2014. Having sold over 30 million albums worldwide Snoop 'Doggy' Dogg will no doubt have festival-goers jumping with hits from his incredible back catalogue as well as tracks from his Snoop Lion alter ego. 

One of the UK's top performers and winners of the Q Award's Best Live Act 2013, Foals, will take to the Parklife main stage on Sunday 8th June. Innovative and ambitious, the Oxford quintet have three stunning albums under their belt and are a rock force to be reckoned with.

Foals

The weekend festival has an eclectic line-up that spans dance, indie, pop, and hip hop, and is a true testament to Parklife's dedication to new and established artists. Giving a nod to Manchester's deep dance heritage, club legends Soul II Soul will be delivering the old school sounds that launched the group to critical acclaim at the tail end of the 80s. With a finger firmly on the pulse of modern day dance culture, Parklife's offering of electronic acts is unrivalled and features the likes of Brit nominees Disclosure who have been the biggest thing to happen to dance in recent years. Plus heavyweights such as Nero, Moderat, Bondax, Rudimental, Maya Jane Coles, Duke Dumont, High Contrast, Julio Bashmore, Redlight, SBTRKT, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (DJ), Cyril Hahn and Seth Troxler will also be at this years Parklife Weekender. 

Parklife's hip hop offering has grown year-on-year and this year the festival is proud to welcome one of the genre's recent success stories, Kendrick Lamar. Set to cause a stir in 2014 with his raw lyrical delivery is one of rap's most original artists, Danny Brown, who will no doubt have Parklife roaring from the infectious energy of his live show. Pusha T performs over the weekend and Flying Lotus will appear not once but twice as he brings the elusive Captain Murphy to a Parklife stage.

Returning to Parklife is one of the country's most forward thinking female pop stars, Katy B, who'll be showcasing tracks from her highly anticipated sophomore album 'Little Red'. Current number one band in the UK Clean Bandit also join the bill in addition to B-Traits, Gold Panda, Jamie xx, funk duo Chromeo and master bassist Thundercat.

Parklife 2014 returns to the legendary Heaton Park which has played host to some of the most iconic performances of the decade, including Oasis, the seminal Stone Roses and now one of the greatest and best value for money festivals in the UK. 2014 will see new stage installations including a 20,000 capacity outdoor dance stage known as The Temple. 

Today's news follows a string of announcements that saw Jon Hopkins, Annie Mac,MK, Bastille, Sam Smith, Ben UFO & Pearson Sound and Warpaint revealed as acts for Parklife 2014 and as if the line-up could get any better, the festival are set to announce even more artists over the coming months. Having sold out every year, The Parklife Weekender is the fastest growing festival in the world. Launched in 2010 by heavyweight dance music promoters The Warehouse Project, the festival continues to push boundaries and keeps the illustrious music heritage of Manchester alive.