Daily Mirror ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Sun “…a weekend party like no other”
The countdown is well and truly on for Wales’ biggest family festival as ‘In It Together’ announce their headline acts for 2024. Set to make for an unforgettable weekend – Sugababes, Rag’n’Bone Man andDizzee Rascal have today been unveiled as the headliners for the festival, which returns to Margam in South Wales next May.
Sugababes are one of the most successful British girl bands of the 21st century, scoring 6 UK number 1 singles, millions of global sales, and multiple multi-platinum albums. Joining them on the bill is 3 time Brit Award winner Rag’n’Bone Man, whose 4x platinum selling 2017 debut album ‘Human’ became the fastest selling debut album by a male artist of the decade.
Also announced today – Cat Burns,Eliza Rose,Craig David’s TS5,James Morrison, Diversity, Joel Corry, Eats Everything, and Sigma are joining a stellar line-up of international stars includingRazorlight, Sam Ryder, Billy Ocean, Blue, Scouting for Girls, Sister Sledge and Gruff Rhys.
With budgets in mind, and cementing their status as the biggest family-friendly festival in Wales, In It Together are also launching their ‘Kids Go Free’ campaign – where children can now attend the festival for free as part of a family ticket. This means access to 150 artists playing over the weekend – plus over 100 free family activities included at no extra charge.
Among the activities are the Climbing Wall, Tic Tac Skate School, Outdoor Cinema, Sports Academy, Science School and Junior Jungle all making a welcome return. Joining them for 2024 will be an Extreme Sports Arena with BMX, Parkour and Volt Stunt Shows and Workshops, Live Wrestling, a designated Baby and Toddler tent and brand new Street Food Village. So, whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or fancy yourself as the foodie of the family – there is sure to be something to satisfy your cravings.
Another returning fan favourite is Steelworks which will be bigger than ever in 2024. The stage will showcase the best world music – everything from Reggae, Funk, Soul, Afrobeat to Dub and more. On Sunday the stage will be hosted by crowd favourites ChaiWallahs.
The festival’s iconic dance tent Panchaia will once again see the worlds of House, Techno and Drum n Bass collide in 2024. Elsewhere on site, the popular Rewind arena is back after an epic 2023 debut, playing the very best of 90’s and 00’s anthems. Garage Nation, Noughty 90s and Judgement will all host over the weekend.
As well as welcoming some of the biggest international names to the Welsh Valleys, the festival will once again be a proud supporter of upcoming local talent – with the Padlock Stage hosting over 30 Welsh artists, showcasing the country’s finest exports.
Speaking about this year’s festival Mark Hopkins, Head of Festivals said: ‘‘After much hard work behind the scenes, we’re thrilled to finally be able to announce Sugababes, Rag’n’Bone Man and Dizzee Rascal as the headline acts for 2024. “
Earlier this year the family-friendly weekender well and truly cemented its status as the number 1 festival in Wales, with headliners The Kooks, Anne-Marie and James playing to sold out crowds under the glorious May sunshine. A remarkable achievement for a festival which only made its debut in 2022.
Tickets for In It Together 2024 will be available from 10am on the Monday 27th November– register atwww.inittogetherfestival.com. Prices start from £159 for a weekend ticket or £319 for family tickets (2 adults with 2 kids going free). Secure your ticket for a £20 deposit and pay nothing more until after Christmas.
Creamfields continues to tease fans as they’ve just unleashed more names for their 2021 edition, new additions include Pendulum – TRINITY, Chase & Status (DJ Set), Oliver Heldens, Sven Väth, Pete Tong, Vini Vici, Michael Bibi, Kölsch, W&W, Sub Focus (DJ Set), Jax Jones, Gorgon City, Gareth Emery, Claptone, Sigma, Hybrid Minds, Holy Goof, Enrico Sangiuliano, Cristoph, Jonas Blue, SASASAS, Dimension, Cosmic Gate, Bassjackers, Franky Wah, Low Steppa, Brennan Heart, Kutski, Friction, Chris Lorenzo, Mason Collective, Eli Brown, Leftwing:Kody, Offaiah, Notion, La Fleur, James Organ and SOSA.
As one of the most anticipated festivals of any year, this latest onslaught join previously announced heavyweights Above & Beyond, Adam Beyer, ANNA, Andy C, Ben Nicky, Boris Brejcha, Carl Cox, Darren Styles, deadmau5, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Disciples, Eric Prydz HOLOSPHERE, Example, Fisher, Hannah Wants, Hot Since 82, KC Lights, Laidback Luke, Martin Garrix, MK, My Nu Leng, Nightlapse, Paul Woolford, Peggy Gou, Scooter, Tchami, Tiësto, Timmy Trumpet and Yousef.
We are thrilled to reveal SW4 favourite Eric Prydz will be our next headliner for Saturday 26th August. Respected by his peers, loved by millions of fans, the Swede has become an icon to many worldwide. From masterpieces like OPUS to sell out arena shows, everything he touches turns to gold. Recent months have seen him sell out the 15,000 capacity Steelyard event in Victoria Park in less than 48 hours, headline festivals around the world and work on his hugely anticipated PRYDA 2017 album. With brand-new material set to come out ahead of the summer, we can’t wait to welcome this undisputed master back to his traditional hunting ground!
MK, MAYA JANE COLES VS HEIDI, PATRICK TOPPING, SAM FELDT (LIVE) ALSO ADDED
Regarded as one of the most popular dance music artists of the last two decades, there isn’t a crowd that MK can’t get pumping. From classics such as ‘Burning’ to modern day bangers like ‘My Head is a Jungle’, MK is one of the very best producers in the scene. Whether it’s a small club or a main stage, Marc Kinchen always delivers and it will be no different at SW4 2017.
Maya Jane Coles and Heidi are the two leading ladies of dance music. Maya has been in the forefront of underground house and techno for nearly a decade now, with her deep and mesmerizing sound hypnotizing audiences wherever she goes. Heidi on the other hand has enjoyed one of the most successful years of her career to date, capped by an outstanding twelve-week residency at XOYO. Set to be one of the most exciting back-to-backs this summer, we can’t wait to welcome these two queens of electronic music to battle it out.
Recently voted at #13 in Resident Advisor’s DJ poll, Patrick Topping has had a phenomenal year championing his tech-house sound. Fast becoming one of the key players in that scene, Patrick has been touring relentlessly and become a regular at one of the most popular parties in the world, Elrow! The 27-year old is on a roll and won’t be stopping until he reaches the very top. We are delighted to have him on board again as he’s sure to tear the roof off come Bank Holiday Saturday!
23-year old Sam Feldt has quickly become one of the most accomplished house artists in a very short space of time. Considered to be the golden child of the ever-popular Spinnin’ Records, Sam Feldt is a production machine. Having also created his ‘HeartFeldt & Friends’ & ‘Heartfeldt podcasts’, he definitely isn’t one to keep his fans waiting. His regular output of music and gigs means he’s one of the hardest working artists out there. We can’t wait for him to bring his high-energy LIVE show to the capital for the very first time on Saturday 26th August.
SW4 SATURDAY LINEUP SO FAR… PENDULUM (LIVE) ERIC PRYDZ SIGMA (LIVE) plus in alphabetical order… DUKE DUMONT · HANNAH WANTS · MK MAYA JANE COLES VS HEIDI · MISTAJAM PATRICK TOPPING · SAM FELDT LIVE SONNY FODERA VS LOW STEPPA many more to be announced across five stages!
A jaw dropping live act, with an unparalleled reputation to destroy the world’s greatest festivals and stadiums on the big occasion, South West Four is proud to present the return of Pendulum to the capital for one night only, in their first performance in London in over half a decade.
Having re-defined the concept of an electronic music album with ‘Hold Your Colour’ in 2005, this seminal release assured Pendulum their place in the dance music hall of fame. Six years later they headlined SW4 to critical acclaim, becoming the first drum and bass act to do so at a major London festival. Having disbanded soon after to concentrate on individual projects, Pendulum reform in 2017 to headline for a second time, harnessing the experience of this period away to develop an innovative new dimension for their ‘Live’ domain. Hence why this is considered not just one of our most significant bookings EVER, but one of the most talked about at any festival this summer.
Further increasing the magnitude of an earth-shaking revelation, this will be Pendulum’s FIRST LONDON PERFORMANCE IN SIX YEARS! Scheduled to close our mammoth main stage on Saturday 26th August, this is no doubt the bands biggest ever London show to date – supported by colossal production and mindblowing visuals conceived for a heart thumping end to Day One.
SIGMA [LIVE], DUKE DUMONT, HANNAH WANTS, MISTAJAM, SONNY FODERA VS LOW STEPPA ALSO ADDED
From their humble beginnings performing in back rooms to headlining festivals and playing at the most prestigious venues worldwide, Sigma have truly reached the top of their game. The last couple of years have witnessed the duo produce back-to-back number one singles, pick up a BRIT award and embark on a sellout UK tour. With millions of fans globally waiting for their next hit single, the pair have the world in the palm at their hands. We cannot wait to welcome one of the most dominant and prolific acts in dance music right now to play a full live show at our 14th installment of SW4.
One of the most exciting and prolific artists of the last decade, British-Born, American based DJ Duke Dumont has been responsible for some of the most popular house tracks in recent time. His energy and unique productions such as ‘I Got You’ and ‘Need You’ have made Duke stand out in a fiercely competitive scene and he continues to deliver year after year. Stand out appearances at the world famous Amnesia in Ibiza and a sell out American tour means this man is one of the most in demand DJs on the planet.
The queen of dance music, Hannah Wants, simply knows no stopping. Bursting onto the scene a few years ago, Hannah continues her meteoritic rise to the top and is firmly established the dance music elite. A stellar residency at Together at Amnesia and countless sell out tours around the planet has seen her amass an army of fans worldwide and London is no different. Having debuted at SW4 in 2015 and attracting a huge crowd in the process, she will return in 2017 bringing her raw energy and excellent song selection to Clapham Common…
Tastemaker, DJ, broadcaster and producer are amongst the qualities MistaJam is known for. Jam has become THE voice of breaking brand new music and artists in the last decade and things are certainly continuing in that fashion. The London-man has become a household name and has been responsible for pushing all genres of music in this country from grime to house to hip hop via his outstanding BBC Radio 1 show. We cannot wait to welcome the SW4 regular back to the Common for him to do what he does best, rock the crowd!
Australian Sonny Fodera’s distinguishable groovy house sound makes him stand out from the rest. A stellar year has seen him embark on a thirty-date tour spanning the UK, United States and Australia with the demand for the young producer not letting up. The same can be said about Low Steppa, the prolific UK producer has gone from strength to strength in the past 18 months with notable performances at the world famous Amnesia and Ministry of Sound. Both of these exciting acts will be making their SW4 debut as they come together for a highly anticipated back-to-back performance!
Sigma, Blonde, Anne-Marie and Imani join the Saturday line up and DJ Fresh, Becky Hill, The Tide and Club Drive join Day Two on the Sunday. They join Jason Derulo who headlines Day One, along with Tinie Tempah, Labrinth, Craig David, Sigala, Fleur East and Krept & Konan.Olly Murs will bring the two day event to a close alongside Busted, The Vamps, Nathan Sykes, Lawson, Ella Henderson and Jamie Lawson.
Also for the first time ever at Fusion Festival, Kopparberg is set to bring a taste of scandi-cool with the arrival of the popular Kopparberg Urban Forest! Two of Liverpool’s most popular breaking artists, Louis Berry and Mic Lowry will be taking to the stage, underneath the magical canopy of the forest. Kopparberg will be supporting the very best in creative and imaginative live music, by hosting a series of pioneering artists and DJs on its iconic Urban Forest stage.
The stage will be placed in a scenic clearing, surrounded by the intriguing beauty of the Swedish pine forest and the charm of Kopparberg town. Carved into the Kopparberg Urban Forest will be two woodland bars serving up all kinds of refreshment from the independent Kopparberg brewery in Sweden. Alongside its selection of delicious fruit ciders, Kopparberg will also be serving the brand new Kopparberg Fruit Lager.
Bags ready tent purchased and we were ready to hit the road for an epic weekend of random antics, filled with laughter, good friends and live music, a line-up so large, that no one could contain their excitement.
Thursday evening has arrived tents up and its time to see what the Isle of Wight Festival 2016 has to offer. The 'Big Top' stage opens up with performances from 'The dolls', 'Maxi Jazz and the E-Type Boys' and 'The Cast', who were getting the audience ready for the headliners of the evening 'Status Quo'.
'Status Quo' hit the stage at 9:30 to perform to the festival goers, filling out the 'Big Top', and leaving fans to listen from the sidelines, filling the area around the Big top, creating some members of the audience to suggest they should have opened up on the main stage as the sound was distorted by the carnival in the background. 'Status Quo' performed songs such as ‘Down, Down’, ‘Caroline’, 'In the army now’ and 'Rocking all over the world’ Starting the festive antics with a powerful and electric performance, the audience roared in excitement which created a great atmosphere that thrived over the weekend at Isle of Wight Festival 2016; lining the stomach for the acts that will be hitting the stage in the days to come.
Friday was the first official opening of the main stage with performances from bands such as 'Reverend and the makers', 'Busted' and 'Everything Everything'. Just many of a great line up.
Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival
Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis share a joke as Busted perform on the main stage on Friday 'Busted' took us back the noughties performing hits such as ‘what I go to school for’, 'Air hostess’, 'Crashed the wedding’, and ending the performance with ‘Year 3000’. This was a nostalgic performance, creating a great atmosphere through the field as people interacted with the band and danced like no one was watching.
They were followed by 'Jess Glynne' a British female artist, Who took the crowd on a powerful journey opening up with ‘don’t be so hard on yourself’, and performing hits from her latest album such as ‘Hold my hand’, 'Real love' and ‘Take me home’ her vocals were flawless and her performance created a stamp on how the evening would continue.
Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival
For me the performers of the night were ‘Stereophonics', the crowd were waiting in anticipation as the welsh boys were getting ready to come on and perform to thousands of fans across the isle of wight, the weather was holding out and the sky was drawing in and they arrived, the crowd went wild and the anticipation was over, 'Kelly Jones' has such stage presence that captured and got the crowd to their feet, performing songs such as ‘Handbags and Gladrags’, 'Have a nice day’, 'local boy in a photograph’ and ‘A thousand trees’ hit after hit just blaring from the stage, getting better and better and each song bringing the audience to life. They ended with 'Dakota' getting the crowd to join in and get crazy for one last hit of the night before introducing their co-headliners 'Faithless'.
'Faithless' closed the night with and electric performance, performing hit such as ‘God is a DJ', ‘insomnia’ and ‘Fatty Boo’ just closing the night in the right way, Lights, good music and dancing all you needed was the glow sticks and you were set, this got the crowd ready for the rest of the weekend, for the acts to follow.
Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival
Saturday brought many artists to ‘The Big Top’ and ‘The Main Stage’ the festival was picking up and the bands were getting ready to perform for the many crowds surrounding them today.
The ‘Big Top’ seen many artists such as the ‘Simon Townsend’, ‘The Damned’ and ‘Pendulum’ perform throughout the day, Two artists stood out for me the most ‘Bang Bang Romeo’ and ‘Adam Ant’.'Bang Bang Romeo’ performed at the Isle of wight 2015 on the 'Jack Rocks Stage', they were invited back and given a space on the 'Big Top'stage for 2016, they gave a dynamic and creative performance, the Vocals were powerful and edgy, which created the atmosphere of their music and got the audience supporting the Yorkshire based band, performing songs such as ‘Chemical’, ‘Johannesburg’ and their new release ‘Invitation’.
The legendary ‘Adam Ant’ gave an eccentric performance, performing songs such as ‘Kings or the wild frontier’, ‘Dog eat Dog’, ‘Stand and Deliver’ and ‘Goody two shoes’. He bought the eighties to the festival, giving the crowd quirky and stand alone performance. To Help bring awareness Spandau Ballets 'Gary Kemp' and The Corrs 'Andrea Corr', performed 'Starman’ in a touching tribute to the late 'David Bowie’ for Stand up for cancer who are raising awareness and supporting those who have been affected by cancer. At 3:45 there was a short video celebrating 'David Bowie's’ Life and capturing hundreds of fans, bringing awareness for the course, by wearing 'David Bowie’ masks and posing for a picture on the MainStage.
Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival
The MainStage gave the crowd artists from ‘The Kills’,‘Turin Brakes’, ‘Alabama 3’ and ‘Polly Money’ warming up the audience for the headliners of the evening ‘The Who”. Before 'The Who’ we had some amazing acts perform ‘Iggy Pop’ hit the stage his character larger than life and his movements creating an interesting view as he performed hits such as 'Wild Thing’,‘Sweet 16’ and ‘Passenger’ the audience joined through the performance creating an atmosphere that leads on to the next performer to grace us with his presenc 'Richard Ashcroft’ performed songs from his album ‘Urban Hymns’ performing songs such as ‘Out of my body’, ‘Breaking the night with colour’ and two new ones ‘Hold on’ and ‘This is how it feels’ whilst performing classic such as ‘The drugs don’t work' and ending with the classic ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ the audience went crazy for this and it was an amazing way to introduce ‘The Who’.
'The Who’ headlined the isle of wight on Saturday night performing to a verity of individuals, people who have been following them since the sixties and the younger generation who has been influenced by their music from their parents of even their grandparents. ‘Peter Townsend’ and 'Roger Daltery’ performed for over 2 hours, performing hits such as ‘My generation’, ‘Behind blue eyes’,‘The Kids are alright’ and ‘Pinball Wizard’. They opened up the show with “who are you’ getting the crowd worked up and ready for the night ahead. After 5 decades of being together they still can put together a great live performance, even though at times there were moments of strain In ‘Roger Daltery’s’ voice but this overcame by the commitment to the performance, by showing that he still could hit those high notes in the song 'love reign O'er me’, put those moments of strain behind the crowd the ended a night with a high.
Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival
Sunday was the Day to celebrate the Queens 90th Birthday but not only celebrate one 'Queen', but to celebrate legend we know as ‘Queen’ the one and only 'Freddie Mercury’. With 'Queen with Adam Lambert' Headlining the final show of the weekend. The show everyone has been waiting for.
Photo courtesy of Isle of Wight Festival
On the Sunday 'The big Top’ welcomed artists such as ‘The Novatones’, ‘The Carnaby's’,‘Reef' and ‘The Second Sons’. The Big Top was closed by the Welsh band known as‘Feeder' after 'Queen' had closed the MainStage, ‘Feeder' performed songs such as ‘Buck Rogers’, ‘Just the way I am feeling’ and ‘Just a day’ bringing the audience that was already buzzing to their feet, dancing and bouncing around the tent intertwining and celebrating the end of an amazing festival. Their performance was electrifying, loud and on point. A fab close to a fantastic day. The Main Stage was warming up and bring the sunshine out, acts such as ‘Twin Atlantic’, ‘Half Moon Run’ and ‘The Cribs’ performed alongside Former ‘Genesis''Mike Rutherford’
With the band ‘Mike and the Mechanics’ performing some of the classics from ‘Genesis’‘I can’t dance’ and 'Land of confusion’ bringing the sun out with every song, the crowd building up and joining the band on a sunny but yet cloudy day. This was a great way to start the Sunday line up for me. 'Ocean Colour Scene’ set of the evening with ‘Hundred Mile High City’ bringing the audience to their feet, one hit after another ‘The RiverboatSong’, ‘The day we caught the train’ and ‘You’ve got it bad’ this got people pumping and ready, even with the rain this did not stop the crowd from jumping up and down and enjoying themselves at the Isle of wight festival.
Now that we were warmed up, rained on and waiting in anticipation…. 'Queen' was about to come on, the music starts and the crowd roars, the field was packed to the edges, from everyone finding their perfect spot, so they could enjoy the celebrate the life and legend of 'Freddie Mercury'captured through the Vocals of 'Adam Lambert'. This is the closest we will ever get to seeing Queen as a whole, 'Brian May', 'Roger Taylor' and the flamboyant singer 'Mr Lambert'. 'Lambert' from the start made it known that he was not there to replace 'Freddie Mercury' as no-one could, but to bring the songs that were once created and performed by a legend to life, and to honour and celebrate his life. With Rock Legends 'May' and 'Taylor'.'Lambert' captivated the audience with his outgoing and eccentric performance, starting the night off with ‘One Vision’ and from their belting out hit after hit such as, ‘Fat Bottom Girls’, ‘Another One bites the dust’, ‘I want to break free’ ‘Don’t stop me now’ and ‘Somebody to Love’. Whilst Performing ‘Lambert’ dedicated a song to the Victims of the Orlando shooting and anyone affected by acts of terrorism, he performed a beautiful and heart warming version of ‘Who wants to live forever’. 'Brian May’ Performs ‘Love of my life’ asking the audience to join in, dedicating this song to the late 'Freddie Mercury', at the end of the performance a video Clip of ‘Freddie Mercury’ finishing the song to the audience is introduced. This is closest that we would come to witnessing the Legend Perform. This was used in one more song ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ using ‘Lambert’ and Clips of ‘Mercury’ to perform parts of the song to the crowd. This was done just right, not overdone but capturing the man that helped to build such great Anthems. The crowd joined in for every song and captured every moment together ‘Radio Ga Ga’ was a highlight of my evening everyone in the audience clapping and creating that moment When they sing “Radio Ga Ga ( Two Claps) Radio Go Go" and the audience clap in the middle , that for me was epic and immense, it is something I have always wanted to be involved in and now I can tick this moment of my bucket list. They Finished the show with such power and energy that we were still buzzing even when they were no longer on, They performed ‘We Will Rock you’ and ‘We are the Champions’ Everyone joined in sang their hearts out and enjoyed the show-stopping, breathtaking band of the weekend, they truly finished with a Bang.
A Show turning event for the Isle of Wight festival 2016!
The sensational Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF) returns for its fourth outing celebrating the city's musical pedigree, diversity and heritage on a global scale. Taking place from Thursday 21st – Sunday 24th July 2016, LIMF explores the theme of 'ReDefinition' with five commissioned projects and performances that are and have redefined music and popular culture. These include a curated live show by BBC 6 Music's Gilles Peterson called 'From The Soul'; a celebration of Liverpool's counter-culture over the last 40 years with '76-16: From Eric's To Evol'; and 'House Nation' where renowned Liverpool-based DJ and Producer Yousef will explore what defines house music in four international cities.
LIMF Summer Jam returns with a three-day FREE outdoor music celebration featuring its best line-up to date including Sigma, The Wombats, Lianne La Havas, Kwabs, Netsky, Ms Dynamite, Maverick Sabre, a very special Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Friday evening performance and much more. The recent national award winning LIMF Academy stage will return to showcase tomorrow's stars, which alongside the 'its Liverpool' stage which showcases past, present and future homegrown talents, provides another reason why Liverpool has received the prestigious UNESCO City Of Music status in 2016. For the latest LIMF programme and to buy tickets for the LIMF Presents series please visit the LIMF website with more to be announced soon.
Liverpool is recognised as a UNESCO City of Music in 2016, shining a spotlight on the city's pioneering approach to its ever-evolving music culture. Combining this with the city's rich music heritage, Liverpool International Music Festival has become the current voice of this global music city with an experimental but accessible programme for all.
LIMF 2016 is made up of LIMF Presents, LIMF Academy and Europe's largest free music event, LIMF Summer Jam. Last year it attracted around 160,000 music lovers, cementing Liverpool's reputation as a must-visit destination, with this year’s earlier July date ensuring it will be the perfect start to the summer celebrations.
LIMF SUMMER JAM: Friday 22nd, Saturday 23rd, Sunday 24th July – Sefton Park – FREE LIMF Summer Jam has fast become the leading family festival of its kind, completely free to enjoy and welcoming to all. Taking place at Sefton Park it will mark the start of the summer and the culmination of a spectacular series of events as part of Liverpool International Music Festival. Friday's opening night will be see the spectacular Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra perform a set which includes 'Music City: Reimagined', which will showcase many of the defining songs that came from the city of Liverpool and impacted the world.
Chart topping dance duo Sigma, responsible for hits such as 'Nobody To Love' and 'Changing' are confirmed to headline on Saturday evening, with Liverpool's very own quirk-pop legends The Wombatsheadlining the following day. Singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas will bring her own inimitable mellow groove to the proceedings whilst Belgian drum 'n' bass pioneer Netsky will have the Sefton Park revellers dancing to his contagious beats. Bringing an urban vibe to the LIMF Summer Jam bill will be trailblazersKwabs, Ms Dynamite and Maverick Sabre, with RnB up and comer Shakka and BBC 1Xtra's 'Hot For 2016' nominee Samm Henshaw also lined up to play. Local heroes John Power and Dave McCabe and the Ramifications will be performing, as well as Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band and China Crisis.
LIMF Summer Jam’s monumental music offering will be available for all to see for free, making it one of Europe’s biggest free outdoor events and an unmissable date in the diary for all.
LIMF Presents…'ReDefintion' The LIMF Presents series is a showcase of artists, music and projects that have and are redefining music and culture. The commissions projects and performances will taking place during LIMF 2016 and include:
From the Soul (LIVE) – Thursday 21st July – 1900 – 22.00 – Music Room – Royal Philharmonic Hall – £26.40 (incl. booking fee) Curated by 6 Music’s Gilles Peterson, LIMF explores the redefining sounds of British soul music over the past 30 years. The event will feature a special house band collaborating with some of the most important names in British Soul. The live event will be followed by an exclusive DJ led after party hosted and featuring sets by Gilles Peterson and Thris Tian (Boiler Room / NTS), which will bring 3 decades of Soul to the dance floor. Line up to be announced soon.
From the Soul (After Party) – Thursday 21st July – 2200 – 0100 – Buyers Club – Early Bird £13.20 (incl. booking fee), £19.80 thereafter. Line up to be announced soon.
House Nation in association with Circus – Friday 22nd July – 1700 – 0000 – Sefton Park Palm House – £26.40 (inc. booking fee) House music is truly a global phenomenon. In key cities around the world various dynamic producers are trailblazing a more progressive sound – redefining what you consider House Music to be. LIMF travels to three international music cities with Liverpool-based DJ and Producer Yousef as he immerses himself in those different scenes – returning home to make four records that reflect the sounds of those different cities and his hometown of Liverpool. The process will be documented, with both the music and shorts being released. The project will culminate in a special live show, in association with CIRCUS, at LIMF 2016. Line up to be announced soon.
House Nation (After Party) – Friday 22nd July – 0100 – 0400 – 24 Kitchen Street – Early Bird £13.20 (incl. booking fee), £19.80 thereafter Line up to be announced soon.
76-16: From Eric's To Evol (a celebration of Liverpool music's counter-culture) – Saturday 23rd July – 1930 – 2300 – Liverpool Guild of Students – Early Bird till 1st March £19.80 (inc. booking fee), £26.40 thereafter For the last 40 years the punk-indie attitude has been prevalent in Liverpool and has led to the creation of some of the most influential cultural movements the city has ever seen. These are movements that have connected not just with the people of Liverpool but with the world. LIMF showcases those key venues, artists and scenes. This is the inter-generational story of Liverpool’s underground music scene and how it has redefined itself in terms of music, fashion and popular culture over 40 years! Line up to be announced soon.
Music City: Reimagined – Friday 22nd July – 18.30 – 21.30 – Sefton Park – FREE In 2015 LIMF focused on the influencing sounds that entered this City, this year LIMF showcases the defining songs that came from our city and impacted the world. The evening will see Liverpool’s no1 playlist performed by the spectacular Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
Roots, Rock, Reggae – Saturday 23rd August – 15.00 – 15.30 – Sefton Park – FREE It has been over 50 years since Millie Small reached number 1 in the UK with "My Boy Lollipop", and introduced Reggae to the British mainstream. Subsequently that first generation of settlers and their offspring carved out their own brand of reggae here in the UK and redefined the global image of the genre as a whole. From the birth of Lovers Rock, to the driving sound of roots reggae and the interpretation of vocal reggae, the British reggae sound added a considerable amount to the music scene. This project would see award winning BBC Radio DJ Seani B (himself a Grammy nominated Reggae producer) curate a collaboration between a host of British reggae artists. Line up to be announced soon.
Added to the already incredible line up for 2016 is Sigma (live), Pendulum (DJ Set), Jess Glynne, Busted, The Corrs, Gutterdämmerung, SIXX:AM,Twin Atlantic, Half Moon Run, The Family Rain, Reverend and the Makers,Gabrielle Aplin, Lissie and The Wonder Stuff. The new acts will all join Queen + Adam Lambert, Stereophonics,Faithless and a whole host of punk acts including Iggy Pop and Adam Ant to perform over the weekend.
Internationally, multi-platinum selling DJ duo Sigma (aka Cameron Edwards and Joe Lenzie) were the only group in 2014 to have back-to-back UK Number One singles in the form of ‘Nobody To Love’ and ‘Changing’ (featuring Paloma Faith). Sigma will be filling the gap for all those drum ‘n’ bass heads on the island over the weekend.
Drum ’n’ bass connoisseurs Pendulum emerged from Perth in 2002 to create a sound they felt was missing from dance music. Their 2005 debut album ‘Hold Your Colour’ sold in excess of 300,000 copies and spawned their first Top 30 hit in the shape of the single ‘Slam/Out Here’. Pendulum will be joining their DJ counterparts Sigma to bring their electric live show to the crowds.
Gracing the stage this year will be the mega-selling, double-BRIT winning pop-rock trio Busted as they make their welcome return. After four Number One singles, two albums, five million record sales and a run of 12 sold-out Wembley shows, James Bourne, Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson are together again, older, wiser and excited about what the new Busted might be.
What a year it’s been for Jess Glynne who will also be joining the line up for 2016. Jess broke through in early 2014 for providing vocals on Route 94’s Number One single ‘My Love’ and featuring on the most streamed song of 2014, Clean Bandit’s ‘Rather Be’, which was also nominated for a BRIT Award as ‘Best Single’. This, of course culminated in a Number One album in ‘I Cry When I Laugh’ released earlier in August.
Off the back of their new album ‘White Light’ which was released last month, The Corrs are added to The Isle of Wight Festival’s 2016 lineup. The successful Irish quartet have released five studio albums to date along with numerous singles including ‘Runaway’, ‘Dreams’ and ‘Breathless’, and will be touring the UK in January.
Glasgow rockers Twin Atlantic have a knack for instantly catchy choruses and aloft anthems. Over the years, the band have earned their way to support the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, Biffy Clyro and Blink 182 and have become renowned for their ferocious live shows, as well as achieving Top Ten with their latest album ‘The Great Divide’.
Also sounding out the future over the weekend is Half Moon Run. The Montreal based four-piece have a reputation for their heavy use of percussion and playing multiple instruments during live performance. They’ll be performing tracks from their impressive second studio album ‘Sun Leads Me On’.
Three brothers from Bath, The Family Rain, fuse blues and rock with the close-knit energy and intricacy that runs through brotherly bonds. The sound of their debut album ‘Under The Volcano’ is not short of iron riffs, innovative percussion, clever wordplay and insidious melodies. They exude a noise and intensity that could only be produced by three brothers who know each other inside out.
Sheffield indie rockers Reverend and the Makers will also be bringing their acclaimed live performance over the weekend. UK Top Ten single ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ bought them into the limelight in 2007 before supporting the likes of Oasis on their final tour playing venues such as Wembley Stadium. They will also be playing tracks from their fourth studio album ‘Thirty Two’ which was released in 2014.
After gaining popularity from posting acoustic covers of her songs on her YouTube channel, Gabrielle Aplin signed a record deal with Parlophone. She gained further mainstream attention after she was selected to soundtrack a John Lewis advert with her cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘The Power Of Love’, which charted Number One in the UK singles chart. Since then, she’s released her second album ‘Light Up The Dark’, which was released in September this year.
Returning to The Isle of Wight Festival 2016 is American folk rock maverick Lissie. Having reached Top 20 status in the UK with her two previous albums ‘Catching a Tiger’ and ‘Back Forever’, her songs have been licensed for countless films and TV shows, topped numerous ‘Best Of’ polls whilst ‘The Longest Road,’ a song she wrote with DJ Morgan Page, was subsequently remixed by Deadmau5 and nominated for a ‘Best Remixed Record’ Grammy.
Gutterdämmerung is ‘the loudest silent movie on earth’, conceptualised by Belgian-Swedish visual artist Bjorn Tagemose. Part rock show, part immersive cinema, the project features some of the world’s biggest names in rock, and The Isle of Wight Festival performance on the Big Top stage will see a full live band including Henry Rollins. SIXX:AM, comprising of Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba and James Michael released their debut album ‘The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack’ in 2007 based on Sixx’s autobiography, and have since followed this with two more studio releases including 2014’s ‘Modern Vintage’. The band will be touring Europe next summer and will be bringing the riffs to Seaclose Park.
Celebrating their 30th anniversary as a band, The Wonder Stuff will be bringing their indie anthems to the festival next year. With Top Ten singles including ‘The Size of a Cow’, ‘Welcome to The Cheap Seats’ and ‘On The Ropes’, as well as their No. 1 smash ‘Dizzy’ with Vic Reeves, the band released their seventh studio album two years ago with a new album expected in 2016.
Off the back of last year’s sell out event, winter snow sports and music festival,Snowboxx announces it’s first wave of stellar acts for its 4th week long annual event in its brand new home mountain home of Avoriaz from 12th– 19th March 2016.
With its move to the snowy peaks of Avoriaz, France for 2016, Snowboxx is now nestled in the largest connected ski area in the world with 650km’s of pistes and the best snowparks in Europe and features its very own festival village which includes a massive main stage, après area, ice bars, tasty food vendors, festival attractions and some of the best snow brands in the Alps.
Snowboxx will be the ultimate festival epicenter and is accessible by skis, snowboard or foot to the heart of Avoriaz. There are also more venues and standout features on this years program which reflect the new expanded capacity, making this the most ambitious Snowboxx event to date.
As ever, Snowboxx has a varied and creative line up in store for 2016. The team today announce just a few big names for the first wave of acts; hip-hop legend Grandmaster Flash, former front man of The Streets; Mike Skinner, Grime’s man of the hour Stormzy, chart smashing Drum & Bass duo Sigma, and a show stopping live set from Blonde all form the beginnings of this year’s huge line up.
Snowboxx’s even has it’s very own nightclub; XX, which this year brings Radio One’s Monki, who will be hosting her infamous night with Monki & Friends.
With many more exciting acts, stages, terraces and brand partners to be announced soon, Snowboxx 2016 promises an electrifying mix of live acts and DJ’s.
Taking over the French resort of Avoriaz for an entire week 12th -19th March, the festival is a hive of activity and as ever, Snowboxx is about more than just the music, there is a full schedule of unique off slope festival activities on the program, from human bowling to pro snowball arenas, Snowboxx has really thought outside the box to bring endless immersive content such as the Karaoke Cabins and Stash Park BBQ amongst many other things. With more features to be yet announced, guests can expect surprises around every corner of the resort and a truly unforgettable experience.
This year, to add to the already jam packed program, Snowboxx are teaming up with French festival Rock The Pistes who bring a full week of live mountain top music to areas across the Port Du Soleil region. Stages are dotted across the mountain range making everywhere a party on the festival piste.
Snowboxx is a great opportunity for skiers and snowboarders of all levels to experience the fantastic tree lined pistes and variety of runs that the Port Du Soleil region is famed for. Whilst festivalgoers take to the mountains to enjoy the region’s famous pistes, first-timers can get lessons on the bunny sloped or simply enjoy the activities in the festival epicenter.
Sundown Festival returned this weekend for three days of pop, drum and bass and house music, offering, as one girl gushed on the first night, "great value and a great line up." Kicking off with an exclusive 'campers only' opening party from 5pm hosted by SubSoul, house music belted out of the Big Top tent throughout the evening. With one-hour sets from upcoming producers including Après – who has just graduated from university, DJ S.K.T who reached the top ten of the charts with 'Take Me Away', Friend Within (of Renegade Master fame), GotSome and Icarus, who closed the night with a grimier, bassier vibe. But it was Toyboy & Robin's set, from start to finish – with a perfect opening of Bicep's 'Just' mixed into Format:B's Ibiza smash 'Chunky' and ending with their own massive hit 'Jaded' – which gained the biggest reaction. With the music switched off dead on 11pm, the hundreds if not thousands of revellers were able to catch a good night’s sleep in preparation for nearly 20 hours of live music.
Photo courtesy of Sundown Festival
SATURDAY
After filling up on a Sainsbury's big breakfast – the handy thing about Norfolk Showground is that there's a McDonald's, Costa and Sainsbury's within a short five minute walk – SFG made their way to the main arena for the first time, after mingling with Kiss FM breakfast presenters Rikki and Melvin and Facebook famous Jack Jones.
Following a last minute cancellation from Jess Glynne due to recent vocal surgery, Becky Hill – who gave a standout performance last year – was left to foot the bill, a task she took on with ease; her new collaboration All My Love, produced by Watermat and Tai showing off her seemingly endless vocal range to the booming house beat. Once the growing crowd realise how many of this year's chart hits she's put her voice too; Wilkinson's 'Afterglow', Oliver Heldens and 'Gecko (Overdrive)' to name just two more, everyone's lungs are given a real workout as she makes way for Karen Harding.
Similarly a go-to-vocalist for house producers, the glamorous singer shines brightest throughout her top-ten track 'Say Something' and new Blonde-collab 'Feel Good (It's Alright)' – the latter with a strong and catchy enough hook and chorus to top the charts when it's released. "Up next we've got the man that gave us the tunes Pow and Oi" proclaims Rickie and Melvin of Kiss FM fame as they ensure the crowd are suitably hyped up before introducing each act over the weekend. And the phrase 'hyped up' barely describes the atmosphere when Lethal Bizzle arrived onstage … gliding accords on a Segway no less. Sporting one of his own 'DENCH' t-shirts, the likes of Rari Workout and Flashing Lights descend into his request of numerous circles of mosh pits. "This is the last festival I'm doing this year. Let's make it the best one" he beckons, launching into The Drop and Fester Skank.
Contrastingly, MNEK, backed by two powerful female vocalists take things down a more smooth R&B/pop route during Take You To A Place and Ready For Your Love. Meanwhile in the Big Top it's a Defected Records take over. Returning for their second year, label boss Simon Dunmore, leading lady Sam Devine (cue crowd surfer) and relatively new Low Steppa keep the thousands of house lovers satisfied as they bring Ibiza vibes to Norwich. But, expectedly, the biggest draws come from Gorgon City and then Hannah Wants – the latter who's had a whirlwind year, with a Mixmag cover shoot and story last month.
Leading the evening's talent is Sigma, arguably the breakout drum & bass act of the year. Performing tracks from their soon-to-be-released album Life, Labrinth-collab Higher, which sees girls on shoulders and a building d'n'b edit of Rhianna's Diamonds as well as Lighters with its Chase & Status-like beat, keep the crowd's energy up.
Although, the highlight comes from Ella Henderson's appearance as she belts out Glitterball, faultlessly, along with all the girls – and guys – in the audience, proving herself as one of The X Factor's finest exports.
With flares in hand, it was down to London collective and Sundown first-timers Rudimental to headline. Flanked by live instrumentalists and numerous guest vocalists including Will Heard and Anne Marie who feature heavily on second album We The Generation, the hits everyone knows prove memorable, and the newer as-yet-unheard songs fares nearly as well. With ten members onstage, Right Here, Never Gonna Let You Go and Waiting All Night, the latter dedicated to a passed friend, certify their headlining credentials with ease; the drum & bass + live instruments set up clearly a well honed success.
Photo by Kath Sansom
SUNDAY
Following a failed attempt to get into the DJ EZ after-party on Saturday night, everyone was left clueless as to why, until a member of the merchandise team told SFG the following morning that, allegedly, police were called to shut down the warehouse event due to mass over capacity. Catching Zak Abel, whom SFG later caught up to chat with, the young Londoner's performance was a case of great voice, potentially massive songs, minimal crowd – most likely down to his post-lunchtime set time. Running From Myself and the Kaytranada-produced Say Something, from his brilliant new seven-track EP, One Hand on the Future, are given soul-filled, emotive outings and deserve to gather a lot of attention in the very near future; as does his somewhat brave cover of Daniel Bedingfield's Gotta Get Thru This…
"This young girl actually went to school with Zayn Malik. I would love to have her kisses for breakfast" says Melvin (Kiss FM) as he welcomes Melissa Steel. With slick black hair and vibrant trousers, she bounces onstage, along with two impressive backing dancer. The crowd are quick to pick up on all the tracks she's provided vocals to this year; from the reggae vibes of Drunk and Incapable to her top-ten pop breakthrough Kisses for Breakfast. Ending with Kove's D&B hit The Way That We Are and an acepella version of Blonde-collab I Loved You, Melissa's a pop star to keep an eye on; especially with her new single You Love Me (featuring Wretch 32 – who performs next) coming out this week.
Sporting a new, almost unrecognisable head of hair, Wretch 32 tells the story of Blackout with humble intent; "I started out having to in to the shop to get electric", he says, adding that there is a "hope for life for everyone". A heartfelt version of Six Words stays in the audience's heads, as does Don't Go. Trekking over to the RAM Records stage, it's a drum and bass lovers paradise; Culture Shock, DC Breaks, Mind Vortex, Sub Focus and label head honcho Andy C each rattling out energetic heart racing beats throughout the day. Back at the sunny main stage, Maverick Sabre, who it seems has been away for years now, is asking the question, "can you be my Sundown choir?" The reason? An impeccable cover of Chaka Khan's Ain't Nobody, led by his, as ever, individualistic vocal style. Airing his new single Come Fly Away, the soulful lyrics are bound to score him a hit, and just as he reveals to SFG later during an interview that a new album is imminent as well as a UK tour, he's set for a big return.
Headlining on Sunday evening, Tinie Tempah, whom performing at his last festival of the summer ("lets make it the best one" he shouts) ran through his biggest hits; Pass Out, Frisky and Miami 2 "Norwich", the collabs; RIP, Not Letting Go and Tsunami; and new single "which i've not performed anywhere else" Turn Up The Music – which is bound to go to number one with a Katy B feature and a cheeky, infectious house sample of KDA's track, Rumble – it was a crowd-pleasing set for sure, and one that left everyone with smiles on their faces before leaving to go back to school/college/work.
Photo courtesy of Sundown Festival
For SFG and friends though, it was Nero's live set which smashed it most. From the intense ground rattling opening bass right to the trio bowing at the end, it was easily the best hour of the weekend, possibly the year in terms of this festival season (closely behind seeing Faithless at Balaton Sound). Having wanted to see Nero for countless years now, it was refreshing for the anticipation to be fulfilled. Alana Watson, who would stalk the stage in a lace dress ensemble, appearing and disappearing between songs, provided transfixing, almost haunting vocals, to Guilt, Me and You, Innocence and Satisfy among others, while the guys took charge of the drops and beats – all aided by an insane light show onstage. With a new album imminent, Nero's grip on dance music will soon re-tighten.
