Truck Festival is a one of our firm favourites on the festival calander and this years did not disappoint at all. Located on Hill Farm in Oxfordshire the festival offered a huge line up with some of the hottest bands around. Headlining the weekend was The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club, Alt-J and Royal Blood. Every band who performed put on a cracking performance and put all their energy into their sets. The festival had plenty to offer including food and drink stalls, kids activities, gameshows, yoga, karaoke and more. Unfortunately the weather was a typical British type for a festival. Saturday was a downpour which made the site into a slippery mud bath but that did not dampen any ones spirits.
Our photographer Kane Howie was at the festival to document the weekend. You can see a selection of his images below.
2024 tickets are on sale now and are selling fast! We will definitely be returning for next year!
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.
The Summer Festival Guide can announce that Rock Werchter adds six new artists to its lineup over the weekend of the 3rd July to the 6th July. Bastille, Miles Kane, Biffy Clyro, London Grammar, Midlake and The Wombats will perform over the weekend.
An overview of the bands announced so far for each day of Rock Werchter 2014:
Thursday 3 July: Metallica, Placebo, Damon Albarn, Skrillex, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, Dropkick Murphys, Miles Kane, The Wombats, London Grammar, Valerie June
Friday 4 July: Arctic Monkeys, Ellie Goulding, Major Lazer, Jack Johnson, Crystal Fighters, The 1975, The Naked and Famous
Saturday 5 July: Pearl Jam, The Black Keys, Pixies, Triggerfinger, Imagine Dragons, Biffy Clyro, Haim, Agnes Obel, Midlake, Kodaline
Sunday 6 July: Kings of Leon, Stromae, Franz Ferdinand, Bastille, Babyshambles, MGMT, Birdy, Foals, Passenger, Metronomy
The Wombats The Pigeon Detectives The Subways Summer Camp Juan Zelada Masters In France Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun Boat To Row Son Of Eagle
The theme so far is indie, rock, alternative, folk with elements of electronica. We will be in touch to let you know what the other kinds of music will be on offer.
About Y Not:
The Y Not Festival is a small, intimate three-day music festival held in the heart of the Peak District countryside in August. It is moving into its seventh year now.
Y Not is a showcase for all that is fresh and exciting in global music. From emerging talent and breaking bands to established acts, if you want to catch a band on the cusp of success this is your chance. Many of the acts across the weekend will be camping right there with everyone else, giving the whole weekend a sense of intimacy hard to find anywhere else. www.ynotfestivals.com
Snoop Dogg will play Lovebox featuring Daz Dillinger and Kurupt(Tha Dogg Pound), RBX, The Lady of Rage, Joe Cool and special guest Warren G banging out hit after hit from the legendary Doggystyle album, this will be a festival appearance not to be missed. The Doggystyle album has hit quadruple platinum selling status and spawned several hit singles including ‘What’s My Name’ and ‘Gin & Juice’, featuring many guests from the Death Row Label. Lovebox will be reuniting the Death Row heavy weights on stage for what is set to be the festival collaboration of the entire 2011 season. The Dogg will be performing his critically acclaimed album once again with his cousins for one of the first times in years where Lovebox fans will be privy to the lazy drawl and rhythmically complex-lyric delivery which the seminal album is renowned for.
In addition to Snoop’s musical feast, Loveboxers can expect to see groundbreaking singer songwriter Katy B, fresh off the back of her tour with dubstep pioneers Chase & Status, Swedish dance sensation, Robyn, the wildly flamboyant Scissor Sisters, New York based indie four piece The Drums, mixing maestros 2 Many DJs, music and style icons Blondie, scouse rockers The Wombats, Sweden’s “Queen of Chic” Lykke Li,London rapper Example, electronic pop band Metronomy, young brits Fenech-Soler, ex Soft Cell front man Marc Almond, R&B star Kelis, and UK Beatbox Champion Beardyman.
Taking place on the intersection of London’s most fashionable boroughs, fans can expect to see the likes of Vogue, Grazia and Dazed trend spotting, with the city’s summer fashionistas bringing a touch of glamour to London’s hippest summer hangout. Taking place over three days each day will have a distinct musical identity.
Kicking off the weekend’s music programme and getting the party started will be Lovebox’s boisterous younger sibling, Bang The Box. Bang The Box will be showcasing a speaker-melting hybrid of cutting edge sounds, with a heavyduty underground feel. Featuring the first London Festival appearances from local hero’s Rinse FM who will be hosting an Arena showcasing the very best from the dubstep/grime scene over which they reign, and from France, those coolest of cool Parisian cats, Ed BANGER Records, will both be ensuring the party is fully in swing as Friday night gets off to a flyer…
Saturday will be a Music Safari encompassing an eclectic line-up, a strong party vibe and of course international mega stars, hipper than thou rockers and underground club collectives.
Closing the weekend with decadence and style, Sunday’s Out and Out Fierce programme will be a collection of the weird, wonderful, and fantastically fabulous; showing diversity, and being a true reflection of our wild, polychromatic, polysexual capital. A welcome return to the Pink summer diary, for the pioneering mirror ball massive, Hoxton fashion acuteness, ringleaders of queer culture, and in addition to the main stage heavy weights, Lovebox fans can once again expect to see a mixture of the fiercest all night parties, ballrooms, gay discos, cabarets, and bingo halls galore, mixing it with recycled couture. Showing the festival how it’s done will include drag queen du jour Jodie Harsh, the Queen of London’s drag scene, bringing her infamous Circus parties out of the warehouses and into the park, Jonny Woo,and dedicated to the industry of human happiness and one popular mixture of disco and drag; DJ collective Horse Meat Disco. Subversive artist/designer/stylist and Vogue favourite Dr Noki will bring a convincing level of fashion credibility to an eclectic array of entertainment.
In addition to this musical feast and the real beauty of Lovebox, is that you can quite easily escape from the main stage and still have an unforgettable, deafening, furtive and special experience. With hidden soundsystems, secret corners within the trees, random acts of weirdness, a Farmer’s Market to feed even the capital foodies wildest expectations, street artists, fringe cabaret, cirque, comedy, roaming performance, there will be surprises at every turn defining Lovebox as a true festival experience in the heart of London.
Elsewhere in the park, Gaymers Ciderwill return for their fourth year, hosting the Second Stage featuring a series of bands on an original stage setting like no other. The Drums will perform on the Gaymers Stage, alongside Robyn, Kelis, The Wombats, Example, Metronomy, Beardyman, Lykke Li and Dry The River.
The Relentless Energy Drink Stage also makes a welcome return to Lovebox, with high energy acts playing epic sets throughout the festival, brought to you by Ed BANGER and Hospitality. Ed Banger head honcho Busy P will be teaming up with graphic designer and illustrator, So Me to form Busy Pictionary. So Me will be creating live artwork on stage whilst Busy P spins the decks. Electro artist SebastiAn, French house music duo Cassius, DJ superteam Carte Blanche and underground electronic artist, Uffie are also confirmed to perform. This is set to be a monumental first ever festival appearance for Ed Banger.
Fresh from sell out shows all over the UK, Independent Drum & Bass label Hospital Records will be bringing Hospitality to the proceedings for their first ever London festival appearance, including DJ and producer, High Contrast, influential reggae DJ David Rodigan, live collaborative act London Elektricty (featuring Elsa Esmerelda), DJ, producer and musicianDanny Byrd, new wave Drum & Bass producer Netsky,pioneers of jungle Drum & Bass Shy FX,Austrian Drum & Bass duo Camo + Krooked,hard-edged grunk composer Starkey, prolific Drum & Bass producer Logistics, highly respected producers, Nu:tone (featuring Natalie Williams), Drum & Bass DJs and producers Sigma and definitive label Wah Wah 45’s Soundsystem. Hosts include drum & bass, dubstep and hip hop MC‘s Wrec, Dynamite, Stamina, A.D. and SP:MC.
East London radio stationRinse FM’s dubstep/grime night, FWD Rinse, will be also be making their debut at LOVEBOX 2011 as arena hosts, returning to their home turf of Hackney and Tower Hamlets, where their widely acclaimed station first came to prominence. Artists confirmed for the FWD Rinse stage include dubstep producer and member of dubstep supergroup Magnetic Man, Skream, grime and dubstep producer Plastician, award-winning UK garage star Ms Dynamite, London-based grime music collective, Roll Deep, dupstep DJ Zinc and MC Tippa, electronic music artist, DJ, and owner of the Hyperdub record label, Kode9, garage DJ Roska with rising star of the UK garage scene Jamie George and emerging grime MC P Money.
Tom Findlay, Lovebox founder and one half of Groove Armada “Last year’s three day Lovebox was so damn good people said we couldn’t top it, but with this line up we will! Friday’s Bang the Box delivers bang for your buck – Ed Banger, Skream and The Wombats on a Friday night for only £28. Saturday, Snoop Dogg will turn Victoria Park into an East London block party playing seminal debut album Doggystyle, gin and juice available at the bar. I’ll be there as well with the launch of new GA project ‘Red Light’. Sunday is ‘Out and Out Fierce’ and if you were there last year you’ll know that’s no exaggeration. A full throttle dance off between 2 Many DJs, Scissor Sisters, Blondie, Robyn, and Kelis. Bring your party poppers. Lovebox is London’s only authentic festival. 15-17th July, 3 whole days of summer loving…in Hackney.”
The shaded bass-fest under the trees and the thumping euphoric enclosure from the larger festival is altogether the perfect atmosphere for a soundtrack ranging from carnival to old school. 65,000 beautiful people en-masse will be paying pilgrimage for what is ultimately an adult playground that brings out the inner child in everyone for three days a year. Rock n Roll Chaos, unifying themes, a hedonistic wonderland, and genuinely innovative spirit, Lovebox has something for everyone and is one of summer’s truly essential shindigs.
