JBM Music is delighted to announce the return of ‘Garage Nation’ to the iconic Manchester Albert Hall this winter, bringing a stacked lineup of garage heavyweights to the venue from 21:00-03:00 on Saturday 3rd December 2022.
‘Garage Nation’ will welcome garage lovers for a night of floor filling performances from some of the genres finest acts, including garage royalty DJ Luck & MC Neat, the duo behind the UKG anthem ‘A Little Bit Of Luck’, and Sweet Female Attitude, creators of the noughties classic and UK #2 hit ‘Flowers’.
Heading to Manchester’s beloved Albert Hall for another instalment of the renowned ‘Garage Nation’, this all-star lineup looks set to bring yet another phenomenal night to a capacity crowd of party people in the northern capital. With performances from DJ sets from Matt Jam Lamon, 24 Hour Garage Girls Ft Shosh,Girl’s Don’t Sync & a special live performances from Lisa Mafia & Romero from So Solid Crew! Further support comes from UKG favourites Kele Le Roc & Nay Nay
With Garage Nation returning for 2022 to join the abundance of widely popular events by UK brand JBM Music, the long-standing company continues to deliver a diverse range of events to party goers across the nation. Raising the industry standard within the UK dance scene throughout the years, JBM Music have quickly become a formidable force renowned for bringing big names with the venues and production to match on every occasion, with Garage Nation continuing this trend for its winter return at the Albert Hall. With tickets already on-sale and available here, garage ravers should grab their passes ASAP for what will undoubtedly prove to be another sold-out Albert Hall special.
Title track ‘Cha Cha’ percolates and throbs, using a distinct vocal clip and exhilarating synth arrangements to create indelible memories. ‘Precious Unica’ brings in vocalist Lelah for a dour journey into our mind’s emotional centre.
‘Momentum Of The Arapaima’ merges unusual percussive elements with a moody bassline and an earworm vocal clip for ultimate dance floor effervescence.
Finally, ‘Majstor’ utilises minimal framework to awaken our primitive state, encouraging deep primal expression.
Taking place from November 21 until December 18, ARAVIA tickets can be purchased here: https://bit.ly/3Lw0R8a
Saudi music entertainment company, MDLBEAST, has just released the biggest names in the international and regional music scene confirmed to take the stage for ARAVIA, at Qatar’s ‘Al Rihla’ venue during the 28-day world cup season.
As MDLBEAST’s first music event outside the Kingdom’s borders, ARAVIA will take place from November 21 until December 18 this year, with tickets available to the public for purchase starting from QAR 199.
Fans can expect a range of international artists to perform across the concert series including Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Afrojack, Fatboy Slim, Steve Aoki, Hardwell, Rae Sremmurd, Tinie and Tyga. The stellar line up doesn’t end there; regional superstars like Amr Diab, Ayed, and Hamaki as well as up-and-coming Saudi talents such as Biirdperson, Cosmicat, Dish Dash, and Vinyl Mode, are set to put on incredible shows.
The newly released line-up serves a major purpose: to shine light on local and regional talents, and to create and promote shareable moments with the community and international stars traveling to Qatar from around the world.
Talal Albahiti, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Talent Booking at MDLBEAST, commented: “Our mission goes far beyond the music scene in Saudi Arabia. On the contrary, it is aimed at growing the music industry region-wide and ensuring we create a sustainable music industry, inspiring and empowering the entire ecosystem.
Between our annual flagship event SOUNDSTORM in Riyadh, and ARAVIA in Doha, we are thrilled to travel out of Saudi for the first time and be hosting these incredible music events.
Flying into Qatar, to bring in our talented team and expertise to ensure music fans across the region enjoy the best performers from around the world.”
The nightly raves will unite global football fans and provide attendees unmissable opportunities to enjoy a wide variety of musical genres, taking them on a journey they won’t forget in the Qatar capital.
The performances will kick off at the end of each match at the purpose built ‘Al Rihla’ stage after each football match from November 21 to December 18. More event and ticket information available here: https://bit.ly/3Lw0R8a
The current headliners for the ARAVIA music festival attached in the flyer.
-ENDS-
About MDLBEAST:
MDLBEAST LLC is a music entertainment company committed to growing talent, building the regional scene, and advancing the creative economy. MDLBEAST was established following the success of its flagship festival, SOUNDSTORM, in 2019.
Through its focus on artists and talent, MDLBEAST is building a talent infrastructure and providing them with opportunities which put them on global stages. Similarly, through owned events and experiences, content, conversation, fashion, and more, MDLBEAST is helping to build a thriving, and economically sustainable music community in and for the region. MDLBEAST operates under its three corporate arms: XP Music Futures, MDLBEAST PRESENTS and MDLBEAST Record Label.
After a much talked about debut, Labryinto Festival is back on the stunning Coast of Guanacaste in Costa Rica this New Year. From December 28th to January 3rd it offers a unique and escapist mix of world class music music, art, gastronomy, wellness and plenty of strong sustainability initiatives with headlines such as Tale of Us, Keinemusik, Lee Burridge, Damian Lazarus, DJ Tennis, Carlita, Trikk and many more.
Labryinto invites you into an immersive world of complex and mind blowing production with a unique creative direction. It takes place on the famous Guanacaste “Gold Coast,” which is 400 miles of coastline featuring prime beach destinations that draw surfers from across the globe for their world-class breaks. Stunning jungle, waterfalls and sea views make it an idyllic location. It is transformed with hidden party spots draped in organic and natural production, warm mood lighting and world class sound systems that bring each party to life.
Each year the festival has a new theme and this year’s is A.I. and funghis. Creative Director Melissa O explains the concept, “Over the last decades, humans have been creating species of superior beings called artificial intelligence. Now we imagine that in 20 -30 years with the help of mushrooms and other sacred plants, these AIs will acquire a higher consciousness and understanding of life which will allow them to live in harmony with nature, protecting life on this planet better than what we have ever been able to. That is what we are trying to showcase here. Labyrinto is a window into the gestation of this new A.I. world.
Musically, Labryinto is a forward thinking line-up with globally renowned melodic techno pair Tale of Us bringing their always evocative sound. The esteemed German crew Keinemusik also line up with their enchanting house sounds, and All Day I Dream label and party head Lee Burridge is the perfect man to summons some motherly and shamanistic house in the jungle, as is the notorious musical wizard and Crosstown boss Damian Lazarus. Add in the widescreen electronic output of Life And Death’s DJ Tennis, Turkish DJ, multi instrumentalist and producer Carlita and Trikk and you have a surefire winner.
1001Tracklists returns for its third ever Amsterdam Dance Event showcase on October 20th at Room Mate Aitana Hotel from 6pm – midnight with the likes of James Hype and MEDUZA, plus BYOR, DONT BLINK, DubVision, Justri, Kryder, Merow, MorganJ, RayRay, Thomas Newson. This unique event brings together artists from the Top 101 Producers rankings as well as Future Of Dance selections for a night of new music, celebration, and community with 1/1 NFT trophies created in partnership with fan engagement platform Corite for this year’s artists, with unique giveaways for attendees also up for grabs. There is still time to bag your free ticket simply by RSVPing at http://1001.tl/ade
The 1001Tracklists Top 101 Producers rankings have become synonymous with the Amsterdam Dance Event, and the highly anticipated concept makes a bigger and better appearance than ever in 2022. At the intimate event, artists from the Top 101 Producers rankings, Future Of Dance selections, as well as superfans and industry colleagues will unite for a night of new music, celebration, and community.
Playing on the night will be James Hype, best known for his 2022 single “Ferrari” with DJ Uldyy, as eclectic house sets which have taken him all over the world and to the upper part of the global dance charts. He is joined by Italian outfit MEDUZA who bring deep and sultry vibes to the scene with their smash hits like “Piece of Your Heart.” Also playing will be BYOR, DubVision, Kryder and a tribute of special back to back sets – Justri b2b Merow, RayRay b2b MorganJ and Thomas Newson b2b DONT BLINK.
Attendees can expect ID-loaded sets from these artists and some special guests alike, while those who aren’t in Amsterdam this year need not worry, as the event will come straight into your living room via the worldwide live stream.
On Monday, October 17th, the Top 101 Producers 2022 ranking will be unveiled, featuring the artists whose tracks were most supported by DJs around the world. The 100% data-driven ranking uses only data from the 1001Tracklists website and provides a unique indicator for an artist’s performance over the past 12 months. Previous champions have included Vintage Culture (2021), David Guetta (2020), Oliver Heldens (2019), and Don Diablo (2018).
In order to take a step further towards greater change and empowerment, 1001Tracklists will simultaneously publish the ‘Future Of Dance’ list featuring 101 women and POC artists alongside the Top 101 Producers. Hand-selecting artists from across the globe, these artists’ productions have also been important in defining the sounds of the electronic music world in the past 12 months and will pave the path ahead.
To elevate the concept in 2022, 1001Tracklists has partnered with Corite, a blockchain based, fan engagement platform that combines traditional label services like marketing and funding with web3 products such as NFTs and play-to-earn mechanisms, driving artist growth at any stage of their career. Together, 1001Tracklists and Corite have created 1/1 NFT trophies for this year’s artists as well as unique giveaways for event attendees.
Don’t miss out on your chance to be there for free – all you have to do is RSVP at http://1001.tl/ade
ABOUT CORITE:
Corite is a first of its kind, blockchain based fan engagement platform that combines traditional music label services like marketing, funding, and distribution with web3 products like NFTs, staking, and play-to-earn. By gamifying the artist-fan relationship, Corite delivers the most comprehensive engagement engine for artists, managers and labels, allowing them to mobilise their current fanbase, expand to a larger audience, and strengthen their connection with all of their listeners. Corite’s platform gives artists the ability to create Fan Missions, ranging from “Follow Me on Spotify” to “Create a TikTok Duet for My New Release.” By completing missions, fans earn Fan Power, which can be spent on digital and physical rewards such as artist NFTs, release parties, VIP tickets, meet & greets, and more. In 2022, Corite has already partnered with worldwide superstar EDM artist Alan Walker, grammy-winning producer Rico Love, and Live Nation’s Way Out West Music Festival.
Electric Ibiza, Jonathan Cowan Productions and the Sagamore Hotel once again collaborate to bring you an unparalleled 5-day pool party series during this year’s influential cultural gathering Art Basel in Miami. Expect carefully curated lineups of the world’s most sought after DJs. They will be performing on a festival style main stage, with full production and special fx, cutting edge audio and visual technology, food outlets, elevated bottle service and enhanced VIP options including pre reserved Tables, Private Cabanas and Beds all serviced by our tentative hospitality team.
All this happens during the iconic Art Basel, a leading global platform connecting collectors, galleries, and artists with an annual event on Miami Beach. It is all about helping grow and develop local and global culture but in a new and contemporary way that transcends the concept of the classic exhibition with a much more open-plan approach and of course some world-class parties.
The always unforgettable events go down at The Sagamore Hotel, an art deco architectural celebration and the centrepiece of Miami beach with a glistening pool and this time even more space to dance, lounge in comfort and soak up the winter sun rays.
Tickets for all parties are now on sale, choose a 5-day pass with re-entry permitted and come and go as you please or a single-day ticket.
Vicious Recordings, the label that kickstarted the careers of Avicii, Madison Avenue, Peking Duk and Dirty South, are currently celebrating a massive 30 years in the music industry.
In what has been an incredible past two months of releases celebrating ’30 Years of Vicious,’ the label wraps up the milestone with this limited-edition compilation. Highlighting all the 22 NEW remixes of their biggest hits over the years, plus some special bonus mixes exclusive to this release. The release features remixes from dance heavyweights such asPatrick Topping, Don Diablo and Gerd Janson amongst many others.
Recent singles have accrued Radio 1 and Kiss FM plays with regular worldwide special dance radio rotation, supported by leading DJ’s including Danny Howard, Jaguar Skills, Jamie Jones, Mark Knight, Roger Sanchez, Nic Fanciulliamongst many more.
Artist(s): Various Artists Title: 30 Years of Vicious Record Label: Vicious Recordings Cat.Number: VCLP-030 Release Date: 26th August 2022
Tracklist: 1) Avicii & Sebastien Drums – My Feelings For You (Mark Knight Remix) 2) Madison Avenue – Don’t Call Me Baby (Joshwa Remix) 3) Peking Duk feat. Nicole Millar – High (Mell Hall Remix) 4) Avicii – Malo (The Cube Guys Remix) 5) Ground Level – Dreams Of Heaven (Mind Electric Remix) 6) Rogue Traders Vs INXS – One of My Kind (James Ash Remix) 7) Cabin Crew – Star2Fall (Freejak Remix) 8) Avicii – Street Dancer (Sgt Slick’s Discotizer 2022 Extended Remix) 9) Dirty South – The End (PAX Remix) 10) MrTimothy feat. Inaya Day – I Am Tha 1 (CASSIMM Remix) 11) Avicii & Sebastien Drums – My Feelings for You (Don Diablo Remix) 12) Sgt Slick – White Treble, Black Bass (Hotmood Remix) 13) Madison Avenue – It’s Alright (JARC Remix) 14) Mind Electric – I Must be Doing Something Right (Mighty Mouse Remix) 15) Sgt Slick – Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (Super Disco Club Remix) 16) Peking Duk – The Way You Are (Dubbel Drop Remix) 17) John Course – Just A Little (De Saint Remix) 18) MrTimothy feat. Donica Thornton – Keep Rockin’ (KPD Remix) 19) Vandalism – Never Say Never (Flash Remix) 20) 16th Element – Well Strung (Spencer Parker Works Harder Remix) 21) Rogue Traders VS INXS – One of My Kind (Needs No Sleep Remix) 22) 16th Element – Warp (Rory Marshall Warehouse Remix)
Bonus Tracks: 23) Avicii & Sebastien Drums – My Feelings For You (MERCER Remix) Bonus Track 24) Dirty South – The End (Soul Central Remix) Bonus Track 25) Madison Avenue – Don’t Call Me Baby (Patrick Topping Remix) 26) Tommie Sunshine & Disco Fries – Don’t Look Back (Gerd Janson Remix)
Dj Stores Bonus: Madison Avenue – Don’t Call Me Baby (Acapella) Sgt Slick – Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (Acapella) Dirty South – The End (Acapella)
Composed of undulating synth waves, punchy beats and a monotone female vocal, ‘Dance With Me’ is a compelling invitation into the enchanting realm of the dance floor.
Alluring, progressive and hypnotic, its power lies in its simplicity. Kölsch handles remix duties, adding layers of funky analogue synth and ramping up the tempo for a more energised dance.
Artist(s): Kevin de Vries, Kölsch Title: Dance With Me Record Label: Afterlife Cat.Number: AL069 Release Date: 7th September 2022
Tracklist: 1) Dance With Me (Original Mix) 2) Dance With Me (Kölsch Remix)
While we were travelling there, the festival app warned those already there that heavy rain was expected in the night to Friday. By the time we got there, things had dried up a bit and it was fairly warm, but it was still very cloudy, and the threat of rain was ever present.
The rap group Neonschwarz opened the Blue Stage with a mix of hip-hip, rap and pop. The lead trio had great chemistry on stage with a general vibe of leaving behind responsibilities and chilling in the sun. Not saying I felt seen, but I did feel seen.
Juju took to the stage next with her high energy rap set. At one point the mosh pit opening up cleared most of the space in front of the stage and Juju invited anyone who could do the splits to come demonstrate. Later, during Hi Babe she came down into the pit for high fives. Her song Bling Bling featured a sample from Linkin ParksNumband she performed a medley of her songs which normally have features, said features being played from recordings.
Unfortunately, half the sound was missing for Sondaschule at the start of their set on the Green Stage, the only thing we could hear in the front right was the trombone. They kind of fixed it during the first song, but it still cut out occasionally. The band wore matching black polo shirts with the band logo. Considering that crowd surfing is technically banned at the festival there was a lot of non-band-encouraged crowd surfing, possibly the same guy over and over again. It was great ska set, perfect for dancing and singing along.
Austrian band Wanda all came dressed for different events, one with clear 70s vibes in patterned waistcoat, ripped jeans and tinted glasses, one in a blank tank top and trousers and the lead singer in leather jacket, white shirt and jeans. The lead singer had a very chill yet passionate vibe about him; walking to the side of the stage to get his cigarette lit by a roadie at one point then throwing beers into the crowd and jumping in after at another. The last song seemed to include all crowd activities throughout: a mosh pit opened up near the beginning (promptly leading to the demise of some lost sunglasses), then later half the crowd sat down calmly while a circle pit raged over in one corner.
The sun was setting, and it was impossible not to move during Electric Callboy’s electro/metal fusion set. With pyro, lasers and mosh pits all the way to the back it definitely re-energised everyone for the rest of the night.
Bring me the Horizon followed on the Green stage with a fantastic set picking up the energy where Electric Callboy left off. The stage had a several levels made of screens and several songs were accompanied by two dancers in various costumes including hazmat suits for Parasite Eve and cybermen cheerleaders for Happy Song. Lead singer Oli Sykes came on wearing a skin tight long sleeve shirt and what looked like suit trousers and did a fantastic job hyping up the crowd, inviting people to come crowd surf over for a hug, leading to absolute chaos and a little crowd forming in the pit. The set ended 15 min early, which was a shame as the crowd definitely had more to give. The guy next to me caught a drumstick and was celebrated accordingly by the group around him.
In the interval before the Friday headliners, Kraftklub, the securities distributed water into the crowd, refilling bottles and cups that were passed forwards and back. Kraftklub came on in long black coats over their usual white shirts with red braces, as if to challenge the skies. The skies won, it was tipping it down by the end of the set. Not that that deterred anyone in the crowd. The band bought several new songs, but felt the need to play an old song in exchange for every new song because they didn’t know how the new songs would be received. They really did not have anything to worry about, the fans were with them all the way. Later in the set a fan was invited on stage to spin a wheel to decide between an old song, a new song of a three-minute cigarette break, a task that I would find far too stressful. The old song won but after enough crowd vocalising, they played another new song too. While encouraging mosh pits, frontman, Felix, also made sure everyone was ok and back up as well as specifically decrying people using mosh pits as an opportunity to molest people and called for anyone doing so to be reported to the securities.
Saturday
We woke up to the continued patter of rain on the tent and several mysterious wet spots. Was it us flopping soaked into the tent last night? Is the tent leaking? Who is to say. It’s been so long I’d forgotten this part of festivals. Luckily the drizzle was light enough we could still have cereal and make coffee.
Marching band Moop Mama played the Blue Stage dressed all in red. The front mad thanked everyone for being here so early in the morning. It was 13:30. However the vibe was one of drowsy, content dancing in the mud across the field. There was a range of footwear choices on show, we had your classic wellies, trainers and bougie shoe covers. But we also had some who opted for barefoot or complicated contraptions of duct tape and binbags. As everyone woke up a bit more things heated up a bit with a big circle pit in the middle. And a two-man circle pit next to me. It was a great, energising way to start the day.
100 Kilo Herz were playing over on the Green Stage with the ever present “punk with trumpets genre” which we know and love. The first 10 minutes of the set were spent sound checking themselves, taking turns to sing and everyone who could hear them raised their hands. Once everything worked, they were off, playing a great set full off heart. During the show, the lead singer explained that he was invited to go to the last Highfield festival with a friend but was struggling too much with depression and financially to bring himself to buy tickets and go. But he wanted to say something cool, so he said he’ll go when he’s playing there. Luckily that worked out and it fantastic to see them perform together. Considering Giant Rooks cancelled for mental health reasons, I think it’s good that people are talking about these kinds of things and will take time out to look after themselves.
Provinz had a whole recording of a song playing before they came on stage. A simple set up, just the band and a banner with their name as backdrop. They still drew a large, enthusiastic crowd though, singing along to pretty much all choruses. Next to me, two girls banded together to lift a dude onto their shoulders for a song.
Donots were filling in for Bad Religion, funnily enough the same as they were in 2018. When frontman Ingo was orchestrating the biggest circle pit™ from within the crowd he chose a woman to lead it because she was wearing a bad religion shirt and was covered in confetti. Turns out she was also the circle pit leader in 2018. Antilopen Gang joined on the stage while Ingo was making his way back over the crowd. They managed to bring the sun back, even though it took up their whole production budget as they claimed. Huge energy and always welcome to fill in for any band.
Kraftklubs front man performed his last festival gig as his solo project Kummer on the Blue Stage. His previous show had to be cancelled during the 2nd song due to extreme weather so it was a good thing Donots stopped the rain in time. The general lighting for his songs was the blue of the album cover, for the Kraftklub songs he performed the stage changed to red and for Alles Wird Gut the stage was bathed in yellow. Provinz’s frontman came to sing on the latter. It’s a shame the project is over, but I’m very glad to get the chance to see it live after waiting since 2020 to do so.
Annenmaykantereit were the second to last act on the Green Stage, and while very very popular, you could argue that it’s a little low energy for a sub-headliner slot. As the masses moved over from Kummer they could hear the Annenmaykantereit set starting and got frustrated at the speed at which they could leave the crowd, luckily, they vented some of that frustration by singing along. It was a beautiful set that had people swaying together arm in arm with their neighbours. There were tearful hugs and long kisses in the crowd, it was very emotional. At the end, the crowd threw flowers into the crowd, some of which were gifted back to the security guards who stuck them in their hats. Immaculate vibes all round.
I’d seen Deichkind from further back in the crowd at a previous festival, so knew it was worth getting there early for a good spot. I was not disappointed. The absolutely chaotic energy of the show defies description. It started off with the band behind a white sheet, lit from behind as the beat built up gradually and sporadically. Several choreographed dance routines later things descended into (amongst other things too weird to put into words) office chair races, mini trampoline intervals and a giant barrel filled with the band being pushed through the crowd before the front row got a generous amount of alcohol via several tubes. It was a spectacle that I would recommend to anyone if they get the chance. The set also included a new song that had been teased in trailers on the stage screens throughout the intervals of the festival, which was cool, it was more of a lyrics than beat based song, still very good though. A chance to slow down for a bit. There was a kid next to me in the crowd and it was great to see that the securities made sure he and his parents knew how to get their attention if the crowd got a bit rowdier. The securities in general were fantastic during the show, cheering the crowd on and singing along themselves.
The sensible thing would have been to go to bed when we finally got back to the tent after 2am. HOWever. We could hear the Beach Stage playing absolute bangers from our tent. So that was the obvious choice. Also, sand is great for removing mud from shoes, right?
Sunday
Sunday morning was the first time it felt safe to put clothes up to dry and the ground was solid enough to walk on barefoot. We could hear Casper and Broilers sound checking in the distance which only increased the anticipation for the day.
I headed over to Kaffkiez who were filling in for Montreal who were filling in for Turbostaat. The band was one of my recent spotify discoveries and were well worth the effort of heading over a little early. The crowd was a consistent mosh pit and it was a fantastic way to start the day.
Afterwards we headed to the beach for a swim as the sun was clearly trying to make up for something. Vaguely refreshed we headed back to see Montreal who played the last Highfield in 2019. Their set included a few covers, including one from an album they had recorded over lockdown, celebrating bands that don’t exist anymore. Madsen’s drummer joined for one song, while their own drummer went and had the front row’s beer.
For a bit of lighter sunshine dancing, Joris was the perfect choice on the Blue Stage. The singer songwriter was accompanied by a large band and performed a song on only instruments made out of drinking glasses or bottles.
Back to a little more chaos, Die Orsons filled in for You and Me at Six. One of the four at the front had a fish on his belt, which I don’t think was ever explained. They share the stage with an inflatable winged shrimpy-seahorse creature which flailed wildly for some songs. There was wild waving of whatever-you-had-on-you and asking everyone to put on their mobile phone light in broad daylight.
Leoniden were surprisingly rowdy on stage for their music. Kicking over cymbals and wildly swinging guitars, the energy rubbed off on the crowd as the set went on. The percussion stand was taken into the crowd at one point, who made room for the drummer to come in, but he did have to crowd surf back, clasping it between his legs for dear life. The band covered Watershed by Giant Rooks as a tribute since they could not make it due to mental health reasons which was a lovely gesture.
Clueso’s set was stopped after a few songs due to an approaching storm when he last played at Highfield in 2017. This year he thankfully managed to get through the whole set. He was accompanied by a band including a brass trio which gave all the songs a funk spin. Great for dancing. The set span Clueso’s catalogue, with a wonderful rendition of Cello, the intro ironically played on trumpet. There was the usual everyone-sitting-down crowd antics, but this time everyone got up in a wave, back to front. That was a new one to me and genuinely felt link when you’re in the sea and a wave builds up towards you. As one of the mosh pits opened, a girl, having misunderstood the assignment, sat down in the middle to start rowing. Luckily her friend pulled her up just in time for the mosh pit to collide. The group I was standing with managed to reunite a gentleman with his wallet as he dropped it while walking past, so our good deed for the weekend was also ticked off.
Casper followed Clueso on the Blue stage and the crowd stayed pretty full between the acts, normally things did empty out a bit more. Casper appears to have lightened up a little since his last album where the general vibe was barbed wire, angst and nihilism. Instead, the new album has a more flowery, hopeful feel. The stage was covered by a pink curtain before the show and opened to reveal a meadow of flowers across the front. I loved the way the way the spotlight shone through the colourful petals. The set was divided into three acts, each being introduced on the screens with a single word and a dictionary definition. The acts were “doubt”, “rage” and “hope the songs that followed shared those themes. There was a beautiful crowd chorus at the end of Hinterland, with Casper directing the two sides of the crowd, playing them off against each other to see who could be the loudest. Clearly our side won.
Broilers were stepping into the headliner slot for Limp Bizkit who couldn’t make it. The stage was covered with a black banner proclaiming “Nobody left behind” while If the kids are united by Sham 69 was playing. The excitement was building. Then the banner dropped, and we were off. 90 minutes of punk bliss followed. Continuous mosh and circle pits. Crowd surfing. It was fantastic. The crowd etiquette was on point, people protecting anyone when needed to bend down to tie shoes or look for something. Helping each other up before falling over together. It was a wonderful way to end the weekend and definitely a much need catharsis after three years of abstinence.
We started our drive home after the headliners, being directed out onto the road by security guards with glow sticks. It was incredibly smooth and well managed, and we were out in no time. Every rest stop we stopped at for the next 4 hours had a gentle trickle of tired, happy people with Highfield shirts and wristband trickled in for supplies and toilet breaks.
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend at a much-missed festival. The organisation was great, the bands were clearly having a great time being back and the crowds welcomed them with enthusiasm. I can say with, with considerable confidence: Same time next year?
Finally, festivals again. First time since 2019, first time at Southside for us. Quick wiki summary: Southside Festival is a medium size festival in the south of Germany, and the sister festival of Hurricane Festival in the north. Blazing sun and 28 °C welcomed us and the forecast was solid. We travelled by coach this year, rather than driving, and enjoyed free transport by train both to and from the festival with our festival ticket. In terms of encouraging environmentally conscious travelling and reducing the traffic, pretty good going.
Friday
To pass the time between setting up camp and the arena opening, we took a walk around the campsite. Enough campers were armed with super soakers that the walk was actually quite refreshing. The ally along the tarmac in the main camping area had everything you could need for the weekend: food, merch, ATMs and air brush tattoos.
Welsh metal band Skindred opened up the Green Stage, arguably the main stage. Managing to tease an impressive amount of energy and participation out of an already overheating crowd. Heat warnings went out via app, advising to wear sun cream and keep hydrated. The latter required more effort than it reasonable should have done; we were only aware of one drinking water station for the majority of the day meaning every water bottle refill turned into a mini odyssey across the site. Compared to previous festivals, the water supply was limited and poorly signposted, not great for a weekend expect up to 30°C. As the weekend went on, more were put up so people weren’t relying on hand washing sinks as much.
Provinz opened the Blue Stage with a short (only 30 min) and sweet set. The band is local and grew up going to Southside, so understandably they were quite emotional about standing on the stage this year rather than in front of it. They drew a massive crowd for a Friday afternoon slot. The crowd that was singing along from the first song, taking over entire choruses. A fun set of carefree dancing in the sun.
Getting to the Blue Stage for Tones and I’s German festival debut, the obvious thing that stood out was the purple-green crooked house that took up the entire stage. The band were neatly contained in the front garden, behind purple picket fences. Equally cute and unsettling, definitely a unique stage design, and more than you would ever expect from a Friday afternoon slot. Tones and I switched between walking up around the stage and playing keyboard on the balcony of her house. The set included covers of Forever Young by Alphaville and Diamonds by Rhianna, keeping her hit Dance Monkey for second to last.
Switching from sunshine dancing to good ol’ fashioned rock, Royal Blood’s fierce riffs rang out from the Blue Stage. The guitarist of the duo, Mike Kerr, introduced his “gbass”, a bass with guitar strings, responsible for the distinct Royal Blood sound. The drummer, Ben Thatcher, was set up on a raised platform with a massive gong behind him, which he satisfyingly hit after an impressive drum solo with crowd countdown.
Alice Merton’s set, played in front a pink sky backdrop with boulders across the front of the stage took us back from head banging to dancing in the sun. The set had several new songs including Vertigo, a song she wrote as part of getting over the anxiety she developed around performing during the pandemic. Her hit Roots got everybody moving.
My personal Friday Highlight, Kummer, played his first festival show accompanied by a massive cube made from halogen ceiling lights. Normally the lead singer of popular band Kraftklub, Kummer released a solo album in 2019 with the intention to tour in 2020 and then return to the band. The pandemic threw a big old spanner into those works, so now the project is being finished along side his work with the band. Chaotic for him, great for us, as we were treated to the live debut of the new Krafklub song Ein song reicht. A fantastic set, with guest performances from Blond and the singer from Provinz.
Trying to get across the arena to Kings of Leon turned out to be harder than expected. Crowds coming away from rapper Kontra K’s show completely congested the middle of the site, meaning I missed the start of the set. Normally the one-way system commonly used at German festivals works quite well, but the fact the arena is quite narrow meant there was no way to walk around the back of the dense crowd. Your best hope was to join one of the many conga lines snaking through the crowd as they passed.
Although sounding great, the long day and heat eventually got to us, and we had to bail from Kings of Leon about halfway through. We enjoyed Use somebody from our tent, including the crowd singing along, but were asleep before Sex on Fire. Maybe we’re out of practise after three festival-free years, maybe we’re getting old, who’s to say.
Saturday
Saturday morning was a race to get out of the sauna-like tent and into the shade. While we fully woke up, Bilbao was opening the Green Stage including a cover of The Killers’ Mr Brightside. After grabbing a smoothie-coffee-bakery breakfast at the camp site stall, we headed into the arena for day two.
Matching the desert level temperature, The Dead South gave us southern cowboy vibes on the Green Stage. With songs about bar fights and their love of whiskey along with catchy banjo tunes, the set had people linking arms and dancing in circles. Also, the bassist/celloist wore his cello like a bass guitar, so Jack Black was right.
OK Kid played on the Blue Stage, stepping in for Gayle at short notice. Being regulars at Southside, they had been hoping for a holiday, but were more than happy to jump in the van and come over.
Giant Rooks played their first Southside festival this year. Lead singer, Frederik Rabe, thanked the crowd for choosing this stage to be at. Which was cute considering there was a queue of people wanting to get into the area in front of the stage. The set included new songs, which the crowd loved, and a cover of Tom’s Diner by Susanne Vega previously recorded by Giant Rooks and AnnenMayKantereit. After the standard “everybody good?”, the lead singer asked if everyone’s neighbour was good, and instead of just shouting “yeah”, everybody actually turned to their neighbour to check which was very sweet. The most impressive thing about this wonderful set was the fact the lead singer kept throwing his guitar halfway across the stage to the roadie and there were no broken guitars by the end.
Surprise highlight for me was LP, who’s crowd was quite thin, likely because everyone was over at Giant Rooks. She was exceptionally cool, and the band were clearly having a great time on stage. A girl in the crowd was holding a sign asking for a kiss, LP invited her on stage to get one, saying “you gotta to ask for sh*t”.
Expecting there to be queue for The Killers, we headed over during the act before, Dermot Kennedy. The gates were only opened between acts which was a bit of a shame considering people leaving meant that the crowd could get pretty sparse in front of the stage at times. The Killers opened with Mr Brightsidewhich I would have expected to be near the end of the set. The set was a run through the classics with one song from the new album (Dying Breed) and a cover of Shadowplay by Joy Division. It was a little odd to see a band like The Killers not in a headlining slot, with only 1hr 15min to play and missing all their usual confetti and fireworks. I guess even with the large crowd, they don’t quite hold the sway in Germany that they do in the UK.
SDP played the Blue Stage, bringing their usual party chaos with pyrotechnics and giant inflatables. Their last album tour was cancelled due to COVID, and they’d just released another album, so the set contained two albums worth of new music alongside the classics and a cover of Die Ärtzte’s Schrei Nach Liebe. It was a great, fun, juvenile time.
Green Stage headliners SEEED packed the arena right to the very back with their reggae hip-hop set. Playing a combination of their own songs, front man Peter Fox’s solo songs and covers including Paper Planes by MIA and SexyBack by Justin Timerlake, the set also included long instrumental sections, perfect for dancing.
This time we made it to the last act of the night, Martin Garrix, headlining the Blue Stage. As you would expect from a DJ set, the whole stage was made of screens, with a big plus hanging behind him. The set went pretty heavy from the start with pyro and smoke alongside glitchy graphics and soul vibrating bass.
Sunday
Sunday morning was much like Saturday morning: wake up, recover from the sweltering temperature of the tent outside in the (scarce) shade, get breakfast and head into the arena. Walking over to Nothing but Thieves, all available shade was completely filled with people, every bin, fence, and shade throwing object fully utilised. Despite the heat, Nothing but Thieves, drew a pretty big crowd, more than capable of singing the choruses to Trip Switch, Sorry and Amsterdam.
Over on the Blue stage, German rapper Juju was absolutely dominating, the front duo hyping up the crowd to no end. A fan joined them on stage for Intro and she undeniably nailed the entire song, the crowd celebrating her accordingly. The set included a couple SXTN songs, JuJu’s former band. A ridiculous amount of energy all round for a Sunday early afternoon.
Bristolian punk rock band Idles treated the us to a rowdy performance on the Blue stage. Half the crowd ending up embroiled in a part mosh pit, part dust bath for a solid chunk of the set. Moving from punk to punk-rap, Antilopen Gang played over on the Red stage, the smallest of the main stages.
K.I.Z. can safely be described as not politically correct in the slightest. Coming on stage in matching psychiatric clinic outfits and a provocative song to match, it was a set of very dark humour, pyro and smoke. The trio were surprisingly silly in between songs, clearly having a great time, waving at the people in the Ferris wheel at the back of the field. Very high energy, a lot of fun, not for the easily offended.
As a light-hearted pallet cleanser compared to K.I.Z., Von Wegen Lisbeth took to the Green stage as second to last band. The set had a long panel of black and white squares that switched between colours in various patterns. Their well-known marimba sound and glockenspiel solos were the perfect sound for the setting sun and the singer was grinning the whole time. The set included everything from the oldest to the newest songs as well as a cover of Believe by Cher.
Blue stage headliners, Twenty One Pilots, came on stage wearing ski masks and kicked their set of with Heathens. Shortly after, the masks came off as the drummer, Josh Dun, back flipped off the piano. The band started towards the back of the stage behind low screens but came forward during various songs and solos. The set included a cover of Benny and the Jets by Elton John in the middle of Mulberry Street. At one point there was suddenly a little bonfire on stage which the band sat around with acoustic instruments to play a medley of covers including I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash, My Girl by The Temptations, Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Careless Whispers by George Michael. The campfire session finished with House of Gold and We Don’t Believe What’s on TV. There was a brief intermission in which the trumpeter played 99 Luftballons by Nena, which of course the crowd got on board with straight away, and the Halo theme, for which the band came back on stage and transitioned into Jumpsuit. I got a little emotional at Level of Concern considering it was one of my lockdown associated songs, it felt good to sing it in a crowd. Singer Tyler Joseph was no stranger to the crowd, standing on them at one point and crowd surfing back from the central tower in the most nonchalant way I have ever seen, just flopping on to the crowd and jokingly complaining his legs are too tired and that he’s like to go back to stage please. A fantastic and very varied set.
Final headliner, Deichkind, gave a show that more closely resembled a performance art piece than a live gig. It included everything from giant moving set pieces through countless costume changes to mini trampolines and office chair races. Several songs were performed in their famous triangle head masks and one in a giant barrel being rolled through the crowd. The final song bought complete chaos both to the stage and the crowd: the curtains drew back to reveal something akin to a Harlem Shake video with inflatables, balloons, even more random costumes and a cut out of Inauguration Bernie Sanders. One band member was surfing over the crowd in a huge inflatable ring, covering the crowd in feathers. It was a perfect finale to the weekend.
With the free trains and shuttles to and from the festival, it’s a great one to stop off at if you’re travelling in the area on the summer. The arena is relatively small, smaller than Hurricane, which has the same line-up. The timings mean you can move between acts as the alternate between the two biggest stages, so you can easily fill your timetable to see a huge number of bands as long as you’re happy to occasionally miss the first and last songs. As the day goes on the overlaps get a little bigger but unless you’re a diehard fan you can enjoy the vibes of each performance and then move on. By moving while acts are still playing you also avoid the large traffic of everyone leaving a stage in one direction at once.
From previous experience of other festivals run by the same company, the amount of water stations has been higher in the past, so you didn’t have to walk far out of your way at any given point to fill up. Maybe this year the organisers were a little out of practise or didn’t expect the heat, but I’d say that was the weakest point this year.
Leaving on Monday morning, we had to be at the shuttle bus to the train station at 6 am to get our connections back to the UK, and there was already a queue of people waiting. I feel like that’s very German, at a UK festival people may have slowly started leaving in the late morning. The shuttles ran until very late/early in the night Sunday to Monday, so most traveling plans would have been accommodated.
Overall, it was wonderful to be back at festivals given the past few years and Southside was a perfect one to start with. Big enough to offer a range of both German and international bands, small enough not to get overwhelmed with what’s on offer. Perfect, if not a little too hot, weather. Great vibes, good food. A good, fun time.
