Of Monsters and Men - Summer Festival Guide

The Maccabees, The National & New Order to headline Latitude Festival 2016

November 25, 2018March 3, 2016 by Summer Festival Guide

Today Latitude Festival announces the line up for their 11^th edition which takes place onThursday 14^th to Sunday 17^th July 2016 in the stunning grounds of Henham Park, Suffolk.

The Maccabees return to Latitude to perform their first ever major festival headline show on Friday night in the Obelisk Arena. The south London five piece climb to the top of the bill to cap a remarkable twelve months that has seen them score their first number one album with the acclaimed ‘Marks To Prove It’ last July, and crowned as Best British Band at last month’s NME Awards.

Saturday welcomes one of Latitude’s most loved bands, The National, back to Henham Park as the first ever act to headline the festival for a second time. Their return to the Obelisk stage will be a UK festival exclusive this year; promising a stellar set drawn from their unparalleled six albums.

British all-time greats, New Order took the world by surprise with the release of ‘Music Complete’last year; 10 years on from their previous studio offering. With 35 years of genre and era-defining classics to draw upon, New Order are set to provide a spectacular closing performance for Latitude 2016.

Melvin Benn, founder and creator of Latitude Festival commented:

“I’m thrilled to announce the first acts for Latitude 2016. The Maccabees, The National, and New Order headlining the music, coupled with the theatre and poetry bill looking stronger than ever, ensures Latitude 2016 is already simply unmissable. Following the incredible success of our tenth edition last year, we had set the bar high for this year’s festival; we have a debut headline performance from The Maccabees to look forward to, which I’m really excited about and as always, the arts offering is set to be incomparable.”

Quotes from 2016 headliners:

“Latitude is the first major headline slot in our fourteen year existence and the culmination of the year spent touring ‘Marks To Prove It’. We're intending on it being a celebration of it all. See you there.” – The Maccabees

"Latitude has been one of our favorite festivals ever since we barely made it to play in 2006 (Cold War Kids lent us their instruments as we arrived mid set having been stuck at the border). We love the genuine multi-disciplinary format of the festival and the grounds are enchanting to wander through. We feel incredibly honored to be the first previous headliner to be asked back a second time." – The National

“We are thrilled to be headlining Latitude. It’s our first time at the festival so we’re looking forward to exploring, especially the diverse range of acts, bring on July!” – New Order
The Obelisk Arena will see performances by some of today’s most exciting and respected artists. French electro act M83 will be making their acclaimed return and Courtney Barnett will perform back to back with fellow BRIT nominee Father John Misty, in his only UK festival performance this year. Also taking to the Obelisk Arena Stage will be Denver folk rock trio The Lumineers, Glaswegian synth pop trio Chvrches, incomparable singer-songwriter John Grantand musical nomad Zach Condon’s Beirut.

Performances will come from national treasures British Sea Power, pioneering Arabic collectiveAlif, rock-soul revivalist Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, atmospheric London trioDaughter, and 70s idols Squeeze. Returning favourites genre-defying multiple award winnerLaura Mvula, Australian maverick Chet Faker, Grammy nominated country singer-songwriterSturgill Simpson and soulful BBC Sound Of winner Michael Kiwanuka also join the Obelisk Arena line up.

Latitude Festival 2016 lineup below

LATE NIGHT AT SUNRISE
JUNGLE (DJ SET) | DAVID RODIGAN (A JOURNEY THROUGH REGGAE)
MARLON WILLIAMS | MIKE SKINNER and MURKAGE present TONGA

LAVISH BIG SCREEN
GLEN MATLOCK | STEPHEN MALLINDER | DON LETTS
NATIONAL STUDENTS SELECTION | DJ HARRY K | JET LETTS

PLUS MANY MORE NAMES TO BE ANNOUNCED…

The BBC Radio 6 Music Stage will continue to deliver an exemplary mix of current and future stars, including the first major headline performance by one of the undoubted stars of 2015; Canadian renaissance woman Grimes, whose ‘Art Angels’ was NME’s album of the year. Sunday’s final BBC 6 Music stage performance will come from Icelandic indie folk-pop group Of Monsters And Men.

Elsewhere on the BBC 6 Music Stage will see shows from Swedish mega group Miike Snow, Philadelphia fuzz-rockers Kurt Vile and the Violators, France’s breakout star Christine and the Queens, critically acclaimed synth pop talent Perfume Genius, British soul from Jamie Woonand minimal electronic pop songstress Låpsley. Joining them will be Frightened Rabbit with their brand new Aaron Dessner produced album, BBC sound poll 2016 finalist Mura Masa, the voice of the most streamed track of all time – Denmark’s MØ, Minneapolis synth poppersPoliça, anthemic Canadians Half Moon Run, UK rap legend Roots Manuva, acclaimed alt-pop duo Oh Wonder, the explosive Rat Boy, infectious Brooklyn quintet Lucius and ethereal Norwegian breakthrough artist Aurora.

The intimate Sunrise Arena returns with an eclectic line up that boasts some of the most exciting barrier-breaking electronic musicians around. Hidden away in the woods sees headline performances from Vancouver’s psychedelic export Black Mountain and the lauded Pantha Du Prince with his new AV show The Triad. Support comes from half of Fuck Buttons’ Blanck Mass project and Canadian experimental electro duo Bob Moses, alongside Australia’s Hayden James who brings his R&B-influenced electronic pop to the Sunrise Arena. Making their Latitude debuts are Norway’s number 1 indie pop group Highasakite and New Zealand’s singer songwriterMarlon Williams who will be bringing his emotional narratives to the stage.

America’s post-punk Protomartyr and Canada’s art-punk, krautrock inspired Suuns will also take to the Sunrise Arena stage, alongside Henham Park’s next door neighbours Drones Clubwhile Anna Meredith; the composer turned electronic producer, and Germany’s idiosyncratic pianist Lambert share their unique takes on a classical sound. Female singer songwriters command the Sunrise Arena, with Londoner Kelly Lee Owens making her Latitude debut, with Australia’s Cloves and Bella Union’s Holly Macve also performing. Toronto’s Weaves will be bending pop stereotypes alongside Ireland’s indie-rock group Little Green Cars, with Manchester’s highly loved Money returning with epically cathartic new material.

Bringing the evenings to a close on the Sunrise Arena, and rounding off the day’s proceedings are recent favourites Jungle with a one off DJ show built especially for the Latitude stage that can’t be seen anywhere else; original reggae selector and soundclash champion David Rodigan MBE, and big Tonga vibes from The Streets’ Mike Skinner and Murkage.

THEATRE AT LATITUDE
Celebrating the biggest names in comedy, theatre, dance, film, cabaret, literature and performance; the UK’s finest multi-arts festival returns for its 11^th Edition promising an unrivalled breadth, depth and quality of arts programming, offering a spectacular choice of major shows, star acts and ground-breaking commissioned works.

Latitude’s Curator of the Arts, Tania Harrison says:

“Latitude celebrates all the art forms and never more so than in this year’s theatre and spoken word performances. We have a multitude of voices, collaborations, and cross art performances – from opera to spoken word to comedy to music to circus to straight plays, puppetry, physical theatre and acrobatics to one on one conversations and encounters – there is so much incredible and exciting work to see at Latitude this year. There’s theatre in the Poetry Arena, Literary Arena, Pandora’s Playground, the Little House, the Theatre Arena and on the banks of the Waterfront. Get a seat in the Theatre, a space on the grass, a cushion in the Poetry, or even climb in bed with a stranger; we’ve got it all going on in a field in Suffolk this summer.”

This year’s theatre programme will reflect on the 2016 theme: ‘Love Thy Neighbour’. Tania Harrison commented;

“The theme for Latitude this year is 'Love Thy Neighbour' and I will be looking to explore what it really means to have an understanding and relate to others; those people next to us, on social media, in the present, across the table, across genders, across streets, across countries, across class and religion, politics and physicality. It's about breaking boundaries for the greater good.”

Theatre Arena
Circa, the stunning contemporary circus company from Australia will open the Theatre Arena on Thursday evening with their genre-defying show Il Ritorno, dazzling the crowds with riveting acrobatic performance set to Monteverdi’s operatic music. Exploring themes of displacement and refugeeism, Il Ritorno is a breath-taking physical performance that resonates with Latitude’s theme, ‘Love Thy Neighbour’.

Led by Artistic Director Lee Simpson and in collaboration with Blind Summit, Improbable will present an improvised puppetry performance like no other – Animo – where the characters will literally be constructed before your very eyes. With no script, no set, just a range of everyday materials and five improvisers, Animo will invent itself as it goes along.

Further thrills will be found in Berlin-based arts collective Gob Squad’s Super Night Shot, the second of our international theatre shows to explore the Latitude theme, ‘Love Thy Neighbour’. InSuper Night Shot, the public will become co-stars in a movie that celebrates unplanned meetings with strangers and delights in the randomness of urban existence.

In what is sure to be one of this year’s highlights, the Lyric Hammersmith return to the theatre tent for the first time in five years with this irreverent, iconoclastic and deeply disrespectful celebration of the genius of Oscar Wilde; a work-in-progress performance of their forthcoming production, The Importance of Being Earnest. Director Sean Holmes wrangles The Great British Bake Off’s Mel Giedroyc and a dishevelled comedian, Ed Gaughan, to take on the extreme acting challenge of playing every character in Wilde’s masterpiece.

In another musical spectacular, the Theatre Arena audience will be on their feet, singing along with the Graeae and their heart-warming performance of Paul Sirett’s acclaimed coming of age tale Reasons to be Cheerful, featuring Ian Dury and the Blockheads’ greatest hits. Experience Ian Dury’s lyrics in all their glory as British sign language, captioning and audio descriptive banter are seamlessly woven into the show. Graeae Theatre Company is a pioneer in terms of access, inclusion and activism, and as an integrated disabled and non-disabled company the 2016 theme of ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ couldn't be more clearly demonstrated in their brilliantly diverse performers and working methods.

Award-winning comedian and playwright Mark Thomas will be performing Red Shed, the final part in a trilogy that began with Bravo Figaro and Cuckooed. Part theatre, stand up, journalism and activism, Red Shed sees Mark back at the place where he first started to perform in public, a red wooden shed in Wakefield – the labour club – to celebrate the club’s 50^th birthday. Touching upon this year’s theme ‘Love Thy Neighbour’, it is the story of the battle for hope and the survival of a community in a small wooden shed.

In the first of two Theatre Arena productions marking the 400^th year since Shakespeare’s death,Fight in the Dog will present some of Latitude’s favourite comedians putting their own spin on one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies; Love’s Labour’s Lost, with Liam Williams infusing the words of William with a unique freshness and fun. Following their incredible performance ofDracula at last year’s festival, Action to the Word return to the Theatre Arena with an electrifying adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, bringing their dynamic, exciting and shocking theatre style to one of the playwright’s most famous plays.

The Theatre Arena audience will need to have their hairbrushes at the ready to sing along with French company Airnadette – the world's greatest air-band – who are bringing their hit lip synching showcase to Latitude this year. Described by GQ as ‘part postmodern happening, part totally berserk’ and jam packed with references to cult classics from Star Wars to Monty Python,it’s sure to blow everyone away!

Sam Halmarack, Dan Canham & Olivia Winteringham will be presenting an early exploration of the devised musical Always and Totally Forever – a lament for what’s gone and a chaotic celebration of what’s to come. Through a riotous mosaic of song, dance and video art, the company will have the audience feeling the lust, confusion and excitement of being a teenager first-hand.

The Little House
The Little House studio space will host an eclectic variety of extraordinary performances. Opera North will be bringing a real bandstand full of musicians playing the sound of long summer nights in The Little House, with a performance of Parklife. Ferocious Transylvanian fiddling meets smoky Hungarian café songs; this whirl of European music from Bartók to Brahms will bring to life lost worlds and leave the audience spellbound.

The Young Vic & Royal Court will present Cuttin’ It – the incredibly emotive play from award-winning playwright Charlene James, tackling the urgent issue of FGM in Britain and the price some girls pay to become a woman. It’s a piece that encourages the audience to look more closely at the lives of those around them and to raise awareness of a deeply affecting procedure.

Latitude is thrilled to welcome another brand new play by Charlene James, brought to the festival by the UK’s foremost British-African theatre company tiata fahodzi, working in collaboration with world-leading Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) who have commissioned her to write with – and for – an exceptional cast of black RADA students. Their brief: to write better for black Britons, and bring the British public an enthralling new piece about humans, not stereotypes.

The phenomenally talented producer, director, performer and writer Shon Dale-Jones, best known for his comic creation Hugh Hughes, will be bringing a brand new show, The Duke, to The Little House. The show, about rearranging your priorities in a world full of crisis, gives us pause for thought.

Liam Williams, two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and “the Fringe's most articulate and original chronicler of twenty-something angst” (Telegraph) will present his debut play,Travesty, a show with a simple and striking conceit at its centre, about a couple of young, slightly lost, middle-class people who meet, start having sex and then don’t so much fall in love as cautiously negotiate their way into it.

Louise Mothersole and Rebecca Biscuit of Sh!t Theatre will present another of this year’s work in progress productions, Letters to Windsor House – a simultaneously personal and political piece of detective work and a look at how the housing crisis has affected the two performers’ friendship, a personal look at the Latitude theme, ‘Love Thy Neighbour’. Ursula Martinez will present Free Admission, a show that celebrates the inconsistencies and contradictions that make us human, whilst having a dig at some of the mess that is of our own making.

More new work being showcased in The Little House this year includes an extraordinary new drone soundscape piece from Christopher Brett Bailey – composer, theatre-maker and author of the award-winning punk-opera The Inconsiderate Aberrations of Billy the Kid. Nabokov Theatre Company, led by their new Artistic Director, Stef O’Driscoll, will take over The Little House for an evening of live music, theatre and RAVE. As well as nabokov’s brand new show SLUG written by Sabrina Mahfouz, you can expect nabokov’s incredible associates’ artists, world champion beatboxer Bellatrix, TeaFilms and Real Media’s Kam Sandhu to present an explosive multimedia experience. Licensed to Ill will have The Little House audience on their feet with their outrageously energetic account of the Beastie Boys rise to fame.

In Jim Cartwright’s highly acclaimed play Raz, the Latitude audience is invited out on the town with Shane, one of the low-paid generation living with his parents, and living it up at the weekend, blowing his wage packet on a perfectly orchestrated evening of drinks, drugs, and girls. Directed by Anthony Banks and starring James Cartwright, Raz has won much critical praise, described by the Evening Standard as “a rhythmic, rhyming vivid treat. Beautifully written and an enthralling performance.” The hilarious comedy trio Sleeping Trees take on sci-fi movies accompanied by a rip-roaring live score in a brand new show, and internationally acclaimed comedian George Eggwill bring his sell out surreal and absurd mix of stand-up comedy and striking innovation to The Little House. The i paper have said of Anarchist Cook: One Man, One Hour, Three Courses, that “someone should give Egg his own anarchist cookery television show as soon as possible”, and Latitude agrees – this is an experience not to be missed!

Actress and set designer Stefanie Mueller will present Prelude to a Coat; an investigation into the choices we make and why we make them, from the things we own to the things we do, andRachael Clerke will be performing the highly political and very funny Cuncrete (described by one audience goer as “Eric Pickles meets Pussy Riot”). Site specific, collaborative theatre companyFlipping the Bird are set to perform a new feminist piece written by Phoebe Éclair-Powell, Fox, and in a performance exploring this year’s theme, ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ Annie Siddons will bringHow (not) to Live in Suburbia, a piece based upon Annie’s gauche and wrong-footed attempts to fit in after she accidently found herself living in suburbia.

Old Trunk Theatre were responsible for last year’s smash-hit success Pramkicker, and in 2016 the hugely talented Sadie Masler and Sarah Mayhew are back with a brand new production, Fran & Leni; part of a series of performances celebrating the 40^th anniversary of punk. There will be a new show, Triple Threat from the experimental performer Lucy McCormick; a trash-step-dub-punk morality play for the modern age. And finally for The Little House audience, Pentabus Theatre will present a piece by their 16-25 year old young writers, with Last Journey; a performance comprised of interwoven vignettes, many of which explore this year’s theme, ‘Love Thy Neighbour’. Silent Uproar will perform A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad) – a fun, silly and sad new show written by Jon Brittain which explores the serious issues of depression and mental health, told with a mixture of storytelling, live music, and sketch comedy.

Faraway Forest
The magical setting of Latitude’s legendary Faraway Forest will see the return of Glen Neath & David Rosenberg with a Latitude commission called Séance, a piece that takes place in a shipping container, in total darkness as the audience tries to connect with the other side. Everything By My Side, by celebrated Argentinian artist Fernando Rubio and presented by LIFT, invites members of the audience to climb into bed with a stranger; one of seven actresses in seven beds, who will whisper intimate stories from their childhood. This brief encounter will take place in the middle of the Faraway Forest in the heart of Latitude Festival. Forest Fringe are also back, presenting a diverse bill of new and specially commissioned work exploring this year’s theme, along with Dash Arts who will present Ukrainian Dacha – the latest instalment in The Soviet Series – an artistic journey through the lands, people, stories and cultures of the Post-Soviet States.

There will be new work aplenty in the Faraway Forest, with Mobile by The Paper Birds, exploring themes of home, belonging, social mobility, that also tie into the theme of ‘Love Thy Neighbour’.Deanna Rodger & Gemma Rogers will present a new show, Earth: Life on Earth is baffling, and not quite what Gem & D had wished for come the year 2016, so they are on a mission to find an alternative habitat, and in the pursuit of space away from Earth they come face to face with the view of home truths.

Further new work in the Faraway Forest will include Poleroid Theatre presenting three short ballads about being alive and not, The Ballad Of The Pirate, The Talking Horse and The Monkeywritten by the award winning Luke Barnes, Brad Birch and Kenneth Emson. ARWC will treat the audience to Hang the Teasmaid, A Penguin Classic – short comedy play in the style of an Alan Bennett ‘Talking Heads’, imagining the first meeting between Bennett and Morrissey, with Alan Cox taking on the role of Alan Bennett.

Leeds Beckett will be performing the specially commissioned Borrowed Shoes: exploring this year’s theme, ‘Love Thy Neighbour’, this performance is based upon ‘borrowing’ and learning from the lived experiences of real people from different generations within our society.

Pandora’s Playground
Pandora’s Playground will once again embody the spirit of experiment and carnival with performances from the likes of the award-winning Les Enfants Terribles and their The Fantastical Flying Exploratory Laboratory; a theatrical spectacular featuring a ‘hot air balloon flying machine’ that is sure to mesmerise the Latitude audience.

Pandora’s Playground will also host new productions exploring this year’s theme, includingLatitude, GDIF, Lyric & Imagine Watford presenting Home by Hikapee: Home is a new, daring outdoor circus piece, weaving together slapstick comedy with breath-taking aerial, acrobatic and physical performances to explore what it is to create a ‘home’. Latitude, GDIF, Lyric & Imagine Watford will also present The Little Gardener by How it Ended, a theatrical adaption of Emily Hughes’ popular children’s book The Little Gardener.

Poetry Arena
Theatre and poetry will collide in an eclectic programme of events in the Poetry Arena, including award-winning writer and performer Katie Bonna and her first full-length show – all new for 2016 –All The Things I Lied About. Part documentary and part personal experience, the show is a comic exploration of what happened to estrange Katie from her father, what she is going to do about it in the face of apparently being a grown-up, and why none of us really like honesty as much as we say we do. The charming, eccentric and uplifting Rob Auton, described as ‘the Brian Cox of comedy’ by the Guardian, will also be delighting the audience with brand new work: The Sleep Show.

Jemima Foxtrot is another theatre addition to the Poetry Arena – a performance poet and singer who blends powerful, sonic heavy poetry about modern life with snippets of her favourite artists’ songs. In Memory, Foxtrot will explore how music attached itself to memories, people and places – all told through a journey home from work.

POETRY AT LATITUDE
At the very heart of the festival’s mission to bring arts and music together, the Poetry Arena has always showcased the very best stand up, beat and performance poets, alongside literary legends. This year is no different, with a stellar line up set to captivate and enthral the Latitude audience.

Taking to the stage will be self-taught poet Don Paterson, whose astonishing work has garnered much critical acclaim and multiple awards, including the T.S Eliot Prize. Reading from his collection 40 Sonnets, he will tackle the form head-on, as described by the Guardian: ‘Paterson’s poetry has always been distinguished by its marriage of craft and lyricism, and the sonnet is, simply, the perfect vehicle to showcase this.’ Another highlight, the multi-talented Henry Normal– comedian, poet and writer and television producer responsible for hugely popular programmes such as Gavin and Stacey, The Mighty Boosh and Human Remains.

The famously eccentric and very funny John Hegley will also be delighting the crowds, along with prize-winning poet, novelist, playwright, biographer and translator, Elaine Feinstein. With over 4m views on her YouTube clips, UK Slam Poetry Champion Hollie McNish is not be missed, especially with such endorsement from high-profile fans like Tim Minchin and Benjamin Zephaniah, who has said he ‘can’t take his ears off her’.

Michael Pedersen, co-founder of the exciting cultural collective Neu! Reekie! will be taking to the stage as one half of ‘Scotland’s favourite avante-garde noisemakers’, as will the phenomenally successful Buddy Wakefield, who is set to deliver a characteristically raw, rounded, disarming performance of humour and heart. This year’s outstanding line up will also include co-curator Luke Wright, who will present his new work alongside a wip character Frankie Vah.

Punk poet John Baine brings his radical-force-of-nature poet alter-ego Attila The Stockbroker, who has recently celebrated the 35^th anniversary of his first gig with publication of his autobiography Arguments Yard. A former punk-folk musician, his themes are topical, words hard-hitting, politics unashamedly radical, but make festival crowds roar with laughter as well as seethe with anger. The multi-talented Joshua Idehen will delight the Poetry Arena audience not once, but twice, in a solo spoken word performance and then again as the frontman of bandBenin City. Latitude favourite John Osborne, well known for his Radio 4 comedy shows including John Peel's Shed and The Newsagent's Window will also perform at the Poetry Arena.

The Poetry Arena audience will be treated to performances by Tim Wells, founding editor ofRising poetry magazine and praised by the Guardian for his ‘wit and brilliance’. Former English teacher turned rap battle champ Mark Grist will be joined by award-winning spoken word artistTim Clare for a captivating performance. In a collaboration between The Hosepipe Band and North Essex poet Martin Newell, the band will be performing original music to accompany readings of Martin’s epics, The Song of the Waterlily and Black Shuck – about the sinister ghostly dog said to have haunted East Anglia since Viking times.

Outstanding young talent Helen Mort will be dazzling the Poetry Arena as, according to none other than Carol Ann Duffy, one of the ‘brightest stars in the sparkling new constellation of young British poets’. Talia Randall will bring the extraordinarily original Bloodlines production to the Poetry Arena, remixing garage MCing, communist manifestos and Hulk Hogan’s speeches in an inventive and heartfelt show about how we make sense of ourselves in the 21st century. Rosy Carrick's eccentric style, dense rhyme structures and forceful imagery have won her international acclaim, as well as firmly cementing her place as one of the UK's most unusual and exciting contemporary performance poets.

Harry Baker – ‘a champion’, according to Ed Sheeran, is sure to win the hearts and minds of the Latitude audience with his trademark raw honesty, tongue-in-cheek humour and blistering wordplay. And finally, Derek McLuckie will be taking the Latitude audience on a rollercoaster ride of stories and poems with his signature theatrical showcase.

Lavish Big Screen
The Lavish Big Screen will celebrate the 40 year anniversary of the birth of punk with evenings curated by three iconic legends of the punk era, Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols, Cabaret Voltaire’s Stephen Mallinder and the ‘Rebel Dread’ himself, Don Letts. Each day will feature film, video and music programmes handpicked by the three, followed by live DJ sets by themselves and others long into the night.

V Festival Review 2013

November 8, 2018August 20, 2013 by Daniel Hughes

This year’s V Festival came to a close this weekend, with the event displaying perfectly how to showcase some of the biggest chart stars in the world, as well as give some exciting up and coming artists a platform to shine.

The festival kicked off on Saturday afternoon and despite the unsettled weather, a buzz filled the air and the main stage began to fill up early with people eagerly awaiting the performance of a lady that goes by the name of Beyoncé.

First up on the main stage were The Fratellis, who played a triumphant set to seal their comeback to the music business. They helped set the tone for the day and had the crowd up on their feet and singing along to popular hit Chelsea Dagger amongst others.

After this I headed to the 4music stage, stopping along the way to grab a drink and meet a group of lads who were dressed as power rangers. Here I had a little wait before the next act, so I chatted to a pair of girls who had been watching Gabrielle Aplin serenade the crowd at the arena stage, with her “gentle tone and heart-warming lyrics.”

Finally, out came Maverick Sabre who provided the crowd with a laidback soulful sound to accompany some late afternoon sun. He was shortly followed by Of Monsters and Men who continued in the same fashion by mixing an inviting atmosphere with some uplifting melody’s to get the crowd going.

With about 40 minutes to spare before Labrinth took to the 4music stage I darted off to the arena stage where I saw Jessie Ware get lost in the moment as she delivered a faultless set. Then I was quickly back to the 4music stage to see the previously mentioned Earthquake singer bring down the house with an electric set that included hits Express Yourself and Sunshine. Not to mention some onstage flames which lit up the crowd as the sun slowly started to set.

I, like many other people then made my way to the main stage where a huge crowd gathered to see Jessie J do her thing. Rocking her recently famous short bleached blonde hair and dressed in a unique skimpy black and white ensemble, fitting of her personality, the singer delivered the only way she knows how, with a punch. Popular tracks Price Tag, Do It Like A Dude and Domino were accompanied by fist pumping and strutting from the 25-year-old as she got the crowd in the mood for the rest of the night.

The penultimate act to grace the main stage on Saturday evening was The Script. Despite the mellow rockers trying their best to hype up the crowd, many used this time to head to the bar and stock up on as many drinks as they could carry, or stuff their face with something from one of various food vans. However the crowd did all come together to sing along to The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, whilst frontman Danny O’Donoghue took the opportunity to connect with one of his many female fans by getting hold of her phone and singing to her ex-boyfriend, ‘Am I better off dead?’

As darkness descended on the Chelmsford site, it was finally time for what most people had been waiting for. The crowd, a mixture of Single Ladies and men too, were all there waiting to see the woman they adored, and wait they did. The delay of 25 minutes consisted mostly of fans chanting ‘Beyoncé Beyoncé’, as rain started to fall on the huge crowd. Leaving some wondering whether they should be over at the 4music stage watching as one of the world’s biggest DJ’s, Steve Angello, made an awesome replacement for Beady Eye.

The former Swedish House Mafia star absolutely smashed it with an amazing laser light show alongside dropping massive hits like, Don’t You Worry Child and Save The World,to get the respectable sized crowd raving the night away.

Back at the main stage and at last the music hit. Run The World (Girls) blasted out of the speakers and the crowd went crazy as out stepped Beyoncé. Dressed in a beaded leotard and sporting a new blonde bob hairstyle, Queen Bee dazzled the masses not only with her colossal hits but with her sophisticated video interludes, leaving them in awe. With the crowd all singing along to Love On Top, Irreplaceable and Halo, Beyoncé took the opportunity to show off a number of amazing outfits which just demonstrated that she really does know how to put on a show. All this combined with her fantastic all-female band and faultless dancers left people talking about the brilliant performance well into the early hours of the morning.

Sunday morning rolled around and with the sun shining in the sky, many people emerged from their tents looking a little worse for wear after last night’s antics. This however didn’t stop the lively atmosphere and many people were quickly back on the booze, including a large group of men spending the festival dressed as women.

I started off the day at the 4music stage where Lawson quickly got the crowd going with an excellent cover of Don’t You Worry Child. I then made the long trek to the arena stage to roll back the years and have a good ole sing-song with Five. A bigger crowd than was probably expected gathered to watch the 90’s boy band relive their youth with hits Keep On Moving and Everybody Get Up.

After stopping to grab a drink and an overpriced pizza, I headed to the main stage where I caught the end of the Jason Mraz set before getting amongst the crowd for Essex’s own Olly Murs. He provided the audience with plenty of opportunities to find their dancing feet, but it seemed like most were after a more exciting sound.

Luckily this came at the 4music stage as Rudimental’s late afternoon set attracted a large and energetic audience. Songs Waiting All Night and Feel the Love got the approval of the masses as most were going for it with their drinks being sent flying.

Later the early evening mellow atmosphere was accompanied by the elegant Emeli Sandé, who graced the main stage with her delicate vocals providing the crowd with the perfect opportunity to sit and take a break from the tiring day. Beneath Your Beautiful echoed amongst the audience as many joined in with the chart hit.

Having spent a couple of hours at the main stage, I once again made the long walk to the arena stage where I watched a very enthusiastic Ellie Goulding wow the crowd with not only her excellent voice but her ability to play multiple instruments.

With night fast approaching, it was left to two huge acts to fight out for the attention of the party-goers. Calvin Harris was in charge of headlining the 4music stage whilst Kings of Leon were given the same responsibility at the main stage, I was lucky enough to catch both.

The superstar DJ attracted a huge crowd as he closed the 4music stage in spectacular fashion, with a set of immense tunes including, Drinking From The Bottle, We Found Love and new song, Under Control. Combining this with lasers and an abundance of fireworks he was able to perfectly captured the spirit of the festival.

Meanwhile at the main stage Kings of Leon were keen to prove they were back on form ahead of their new album release, and they did just that. With new single Supersoaker and with a number of festival favourites like Sex On Fire and Use Somebody they had the crowd in raptures. With everybody singing at the top of the voices to the raw and exciting sound of the American rockers, the festival came to a close for yet another year.

All in all, V Festival again did what is does best, showcasing the best chart toppers in the business, and with its friendly vibrant atmosphere it is easy to see why the festival is so popular among a variety of age groups. The organisers yet again managed to attract some of the biggest stars in the music industry, all of whom delivered to put on one hell of a show.

So after a successful 2013, festival expectations for next year are high, and with confidence that V will deliver it will be a weekend you won’t want to be missing, I know I won’t be.

Beyonce & Kings of Leon to headline V Festival

November 18, 2018February 25, 2013 by Summer Festival Guide

AN EXCLUSIVE NIGHT WITH BEYONCE
HER ONLY EUROPEAN FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE OF 2013
PLUS
AMERICAN ROCKERS KINGS OF LEON HEADLINING

STEREOPHONICS, THE SCRIPT, EMELI SANDÉ, CALVIN HARRIS, BEADY EYE, JESSIE J, TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB, THE VACCINES, BASEMENT JAXX, OLLY MURS
PALOMA FAITH, RITA ORA, THE COURTEENERS, FUN., LABRINTH, ELLIE GOULDING, KENDRICK LAMAR, JESSIE WARE, RUDIMENTAL, JAMES ARTHUR, LITTLE MIX
AND MANY MORE ALSO CONFIRMED

TICKETS ON SALE AT 9AM FRIDAY 1 MARCH

This will be her one and only European festival appearance this year. Multi-million album selling American rockers Kings Of Leon are also confirmed as headliners. V Festival takes place across the weekend of August 17 & 18 at Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffordshire.

Tickets go on sale Friday March 1 at 9am, available at www.VFestival.com

V Festival, prides itself on the quality of artists that perform each year, more incredible acts announced today for 2013 are Stereophonics, The Script, Emeli Sandé, Calvin Harris, Beady Eye, Jessie J, Two Door Cinema Club, The Vaccines, Basement Jaxx, Olly Murs, Paloma Faith, James, Rita Ora, The Courteeners, Jason Mraz, FUN., Labrinth, Ellie Goulding, Kendrick Lamar, Of Monsters And Men, Maverick Sabre, Travis, DJ Fresh/LIVE, Jessie Ware, Maximo Park, Lianne La Havas, Rudimental, James Arthur, Scouting For Girls, Deacon Blue, Little Mix, Ocean Colour Scene, The Fratellis, Gabrielle Aplin and Laura Mvula. Many more acts will be announced in the coming weeks across the stages at the two festival sites.

V Festival is now in its 18th year and is renowned for bringing the very best in popular music together for one epic summer weekend. Last year saw electric sets from headliners The Stone Roses and The Killers with other show stopping performances from the likes of David Guetta and Ed Sheeran. V Festival has an unrivalled music pedigree, previous headliners have included groundbreaking performances from Coldplay, Radiohead, Oasis, Eminem, Foo Fighters and The Arctic Monkeys. V Festival is now established as the biggest festival in the UK with over 170,000 fans attending across the two sites and was the first festival to establish rotating acts across two sites.

2013 once again sees a wide spectrum of acts playing across the stages, guaranteeing yet another year of unforgettable appearances. The popular Glee Club Comedy Tent will also makes a return this year, with side-splitting performers to be announced in the coming weeks. With many more great artists to be announced, there is something for everyone at V Festival.

V Festival is one of the hottest dates on the UK cultural calendar. From the moment the gates open each area of the festival comes alive and a truly remarkable weekend of music and enjoyment ensues. V Style camping is set to return this year giving festival fans the chance to get the best of both worlds. They can dance the days away with their favourite artists and then chill out in luxury in ready built Pod Pads, Cloud Yurts, Hearthworks Tipis and pop-up hotel rooms.

Festival Directors Bob Angus, Simon Moran and Dennis Desmond commented: We’ve worked hard to bring fans an exciting and diverse line-up, securing Beyonce for an exclusive European Festival appearance and Kings of Leon as headliners is a great achievement. These acts along with one of the strongest bills in V Festival's 18 year history is something we are very proud of. We have a reputation for bringing fans the best world class acts and breakthrough artists, 2013 is set to be another sensational year.”

With many more exciting V Festival announcements to come be sure to keep up to date with all the latest news at www.vfestival.com

Tickets go on sale on Friday 1 March at 9am fans should visit www.vfestival.com, for official outlets details. V Festival organisers stress to fans that purchasing tickets from unofficial outlets could lead to disappointment.

VIP upgrades are available and include:

A relaxed and spacious environment offering a wider choice of exclusive food and drink outlets not available in the main festival arena.
Cash bar with comfortable indoor and outdoor seating areas.
Post-festival late bar with DJs on Saturday & Sunday nights.
VIP toilet access.
Beautiful lakeside location (Weston Park only)

Emeli Sandé joins T in the Park 2013 bill

June 10, 2020December 15, 2012 by Summer Festival Guide

Last week, organisers revealed that a glitteringly diverse array of acts will be heading to Kinross for the 20^th year of T in the Park, with headliners Mumford & Sons, Rihanna and The Killers, plus The Script, Two Door Cinema Club, alt-J, Paloma Faith, Jake Bugg, Of Monsters and Men and Azealia Banks offering fans a taste of what’s in store over 12^th – 14^th July.

Emeli Sandé has had a phenomenal year. Having already made a big impression on the charts with her songwriting talent, with the likes of Tinie Tempah (Let Go), Tinchy Stryder (Let It Rain) and Chipmunk (Diamond Rings) releasing her compositions, she unveiled her own debut album Our Version of Events in February to major critical acclaim. A stunning collection of richly melodic, classically powerful, retro-futurist soul-pop gems, it went straight into the UK chart at Number 1 and has become the biggest selling album of the year – and the only album to top 1 million UK sales in 2012. Now certified as four-times Platinum, Our Version Of Events has spent 43 weeks in the Top 10, a feat not achieved since the Spice Girls’ debut in 2006. Emeli has had 2 Number 1 singles, with Professor Green (Read All About It) and Labrinth (Beneath Your Beautiful) and has written tracks on recent albums by Rihanna and Alicia Keys. Jay-Z said of the superstar “Emeli has a unique sound and she is going to be a big deal”.

A mesmerising performer, Sandé wowed a global audience of billions with her showstopping performances at the London 2012 Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and has been honoured with a slew of prestigious accolades, including the Critics’ Choice Award at the Brit Awards, three MOBOs, Harper's Bazaar’s Musician of the Year title and Q’s award for Best Solo Artist. Emeli’s next single Clown will be released on 4^th February 2013. Watch the video here: http://smarturl.it/Clown

Emeli captivated the 85,000-strong daily crowd at T in the Park this July with a stunning Main Stage set. Emeli said today: “Playing at T in the Park was something I always dreamed of and performing on the Main Stage this year was a great experience and a huge highlight of 2012 for me. To be invited back again for the 20^th Anniversary is a real honour and I can’t wait to come and celebrate with everyone.”