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Showing posts with label 2015 Festivals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2015 Festivals. Show all posts

Monday, 30 November 2015

[FESTIVAL REVIEW] PULS Festival, Munich, 28th November 2015

Ob man mit München sofort ein überdurchschnittlich ausgeprägtes Nachtleben, musikalische Vielfalt und Festivalstimmung auf höchstem Niveau verbindet, steht zur Debatte. Dies stand zur Debatte. Denn gestern, am 28.11.2015, hat PULS („das junge Programm des Bayrischen Rundfunks“) bewiesen, dass diese drei Aspekte sehr wohl mit der bayrischen Landeshauptstadt assoziiert werden können. Das diesjährige „PULS-Festival“ war für uns, und sicherlich für viele andere Besucher, eines der musikalischen Highlights von 2015. Hier sind unsere Eindrücke von einem sehr abwechslungsreichen, qualitativen und tollen Konzert-Abend.
Betritt man das „Funkhaus“ vom BR an diesem Abend zum ersten Mal, fühlt man sich zuerst wie in einem aufwendig produzierten Musikvideo. Discokugeln, Zuckerwatte, überall Scheinwerfer, Kameras, Moderatoren, Fernsehbildschirme und DJ-Pulte. Es läuft Alt-J und Portugal.The Man, draußen stehen Heizkörper und Stehtische für Frischluftgenießer (alias Raucher) und alles macht irgendwie bling-bling. Man merkt sofort, dass sich der Veranstalter überdurchschnittlich viele Gedanken gemacht hat, um den Besuchern einen perfekten Abend zu gewährleisten. Ab 20:00 Uhr kann man sich dann auch schon zwischen drei Acts, die parallel in, für den Festivalabend umfunktionierten, Radiostudios und Kantine stattfinden, entscheiden. Wir begeben uns nach kurzem Überlegen zu der Indie-Newcomer-Band „Kytes“.
Alle Fotos von Sascha Gontcharov // @saschagon
Die sehr sympathische Münchner Band klär auf: „Das ist jetzt ein neuer Song, München, aber eigentlich ist jeder Song von uns ein neuer.“ Und anders kann es auch gar nicht sein, denn die Karriere von „Kytes“ dauert noch nicht besonders lang an, ist dafür aber umso erfolgreicher. Denn seit ihrem Debüt im Sommer sind die vier Jungs unermüdlich am touren, schreiben und recorden. Wir sind begeistert, denn einerseits hat „Kytes“ was komplett eigenes, neues und innovatives, andererseits klingt die Band wie ein unglaublich guter Mix aus Two Door Cinema Club, Arcade Fire und Foster The People.
IMG_9091

Direkt weiter geht es mit der „Antilopen Gang“. Die Rap-Crew aus Düsseldorf/Aachen begeistert das Publikum mit politischen (auch wenn sie sich selber nicht als „politische Band“ bezeichnen), witzigen, intellektuellen und interessanten Texten. Jeder, der vorher nicht überzeugt von der Gang war, muss spätestens beim Track „DIE KYNGZ SIND BACK!!!1“ vom neuen Mixtape „Abwasser“ (kostenlos zum Download unter www.antilopengang.de) eingestehen, dass die Kings tatsächlich back sind; wobei sie nach unserer Auffassung nie weg waren. Sehr bewegend wird es mit dem NMZS-Song „Nie mehr zurück“, der zu Ehren des verstorbenem Sängers, der an jenem Tag 31 Jahre alt geworden wäre, gespielt wird. Danach wird, zusammen mit sanften Klavierakkorden und Feuerzeug-Schwenk-Momenten, der legendäre „Enkeltrick“ erklärt. Wer ihn nicht kennt, sollte diesen unbedingt nachrecherchieren, immerhin ist das der Weg zum ultimativen Reichtum. Nach einer sehr eindrucksvollen Wall-Of-Death zu dem Hit „Fick die Uni“ endet das Set mit dem wunderbaren „Beate Zschäpe hört U2“, der allen Montagsdemonstranten und Verschwörungstheoretikern zeigt, was die Antilopen-Gang eigentlich von ihnen hält.



Nach einer kurzen Pause lassen wir uns von der Kölner Band „Oracles“ begeistern. Bei dieser sind wir auch nach doppeltem Hinsehen und –hören irritiert, denn man fühlt sich auf einmal wie auf einem Tame-Impala-Gig. Und das ist wohl eines der größten Komplimente, das man unserer Auffassung nach einer Alternativ/Indie-Band machen kann. 2013 gegründet, mischen Oracles, mit großer Beihilfe von allbekanntem Libertines-Frontmann Pete Doherty, nicht nur auf nationaler Ebene erfolgreich in der Musikszene mit. Uns gefällt’s: innovative, trippige und zugleich rockige, tanzanregende Indie-Klänge, die große Hoffnung geben, dass Oracles schon sehr bald zu den Großen gehören könnten.

Gegen 23:45 spielen „Die Orsons“, „Findlay“ und später dann „Die Nerven“. Das It’s All Indie Team (klingt lässig, wa?) checkt bei jeder Band das Publikum aus - Fazit: begeisterte Musikliebhaber, Durchschnittsalter höher als erwartet, Stimmung Top. Alle U18-Jährigen müssen das Festival leider verlassen, es muss schwer sein, jetzt von solch einer Veranstaltung zu gehen. Von vielen hören wir, das Multiinstrumentalist „L’aupaire“ ihr persönliches Highlight war, andere schwärmen von den Newcomern „Monday Tramps“. Wir haben unsere Kameras den netten Damen aus der Garderobe anvertraut, denn in einigen Minuten ist es Zeit für „Zugezogen Maskulin“.
Die Entscheidung ist mehr als klug, denn was folgt ist ein alles-abreißender 35-Minuten-Gig, den unsere Ausrüstung wohl kaum überlebt hätte. Das Rap-Duo, welches seit dem 2014 erschienenem Album „Alles Brennt“ die Hip-Hop-Szene ordentlich aufmischt, verwüstet die kleine „Kantine“ (eine der drei Bühnen) auf höchstem Niveau. Irgendwie schafft es ZM auf trapplastigen Beats solch aggressive, pöbelnde und gleichzeitig so intelligente und tiefgründige Texte zu verpacken, wie keiner davor. Hört man sie zum ersten Mal, denkt man wahrscheinlich zunächst: „Sind die gerade aus der Klappse ausgebrochen? Wieso schaut der eine so böse? Und wieso rappen die davon, dass endlich wieder Krieg ist?“ Hört man etwas genauer hin, bemerkt man die Tiefgründigkeit und Genialität hinter der Musik; und ehe man sich versieht, springt man in einem brüllendem und begeistertem Mosh-Pit aus BR-Mitarbeitern, Musikbloggern und Fans von Stunde-Eins wieder. „Zugezogen Maskulin“ bringt das Publikum dazu Sätze wie „Wir haben viel zu viel, um euch was abzugeben!“ zu rufen, dabei aber kritisch auf genau Problematiken in unserer heutigen Gesellschaft aufmerksam zu machen. Für uns ist dies der perfekte Abschluss für einen Abend, der musikalisch und organisatorisch in der höchsten Liga mitgespielt hat. Riesen-Props an Organisatoren und Helfer, an die Bands und an das Publikum: ihr wart alle Spitze! It’s All Indie freut sich schon aufs nächste PULS-Festival und kann es jedem nur weiterempfehlen.Sascha Gontcharov und Benjamin Brown waren auf dem PULS Festival - und haben allen engstirnigen Musikfans gezeigt, dass das Schwärmen für Indie-Bands und Abgehen auf Trap absolut miteinander vereinbar sind.


Friday, 18 September 2015

Festival review… Lollapalooza Berlin 2015

When in November 2014 we heard the news that Lollapalooza would be heading to Europe for the first time ever a buzz went through It's All Indie HQ. We were extremely excited and pleased to be able to welcome the American spectacle in 2015. 
10 months on, I travelled to Berlin to see if Lollapalooza would live up to our expectations. 
Located at Berlin's now disused Tempelhof airport, the festival sports a vibrant, urban feel with the old terminal and runway giving it a unique vibe. 
As expected of Lollapalooza the line-up was very impressive featuring international bands of the highest quality.

Saturday

My Lollapalooza weekend kicked off with a loud, energetic set by US band Joywave who clearly had a lot of fun interacting with their fans. "We're the biggest band to come out of the USA in the 21st century - don't double check that on Google", they announced before telling the crowd that they hadn't been able to get into Berghain (Berlin's most famous nightclub) the night before. Considering their very unfavourable stage time (13:10) they managed to attract a good crowd thus engendering a great start to the festival. 
Joywave kick off our Lolla experience
I continued with Glass Animals and their groovy unorthodox sound. Performing on the Alternative Stage to a big crowd the band's calm sound made sure everyone survived the scorching lunchtime sun in style.

Newly founded supergroup FFS (Franz Ferdinand & Sparks) attracted a massive crowd which seemed to know the lyrics to every song. The Franz Ferdinand tracks performed definitely provoked the biggest reaction with people everywhere dancing to the sounds of one of the best indie bands ever to grace the stage. FFS song "Collaborations Don't Work" showed everyone watching the band(s) perform that if there is such a thing as a near-perfect match in music, then Sparks and Franz Ferdinand may have found just that.
Collaborations DO work!
I remember reading a magazine on a flight home with Pete Doherty on the cover when, mid flight, the girl sitting next to me asked whether he had died. Amy Winehouse had just passed away and the question seemed chilling, yet justified. It was then that I figured I would probably never get to see the incredible Libertines live. Years later it's happened. After cancelling their London and Manchester shows the days before, it was unclear whether the band would perform in the first place. When they did come on stage, however, it was obvious to the crowd that this was a moment they had to enjoy and cherish - their second chance may not come again too soon. Musically the band weren't at their best. An absolutely drunk Carl Barat slurred into his microphone and the band made various mistakes throughout - much to each other's amusement. Macklemore playing at the same time meant that mostly only "real" Libertines fans had come to see the London band creating a Libertine-esque intimate atmosphere on the old airfield. Each of the band's old songs received loud sing alongs with "Gunga Din" proving to be the highlight of their new album. The band returned to the stage with two encores before drummer Gary Powell used the empty, post-gig stage to stomp around and perform a weird dance to the amused crowd.
Pete Doherty looked shaken but happy when returning to his dressing room located inside the old airport terminal building.
The Libertines actually turned up to their Lolla show


Sunday

My second and last day at Lollapalooza saw Wolf Alice start the action on the Main Stage 1, where they performed their last festival show of their, very busy and spectacular summer. The London band used the opportunity to say thank you to their fans on numerous occasions in between their loud, aggressive songs.
Wolf Alice take to the Main Stage
Up next for me was Spanish band Crystal Fighters, who kicked off nearly an hour late after being stuck in traffic. This didn't stop the crowd from going wild with the band when they did finally start their set. Performing just two days after  the anniversary of the passing away of their former drummer Andrea Marongiu the band showcased a mix of tracks from both their debut "Star Of Love" and follow-up "Cave Rave". Giant (really really really giant) beach balls thrown into their crowd further lifted the mood of their partying fans. Their unique sound perfectly fitted the Berlin afternoon sun and made sure that everyone in attendance enjoyed the, possibly, last days of summer. 


I once wrote the following about MGMT: "Throughout the whole concert I couldn't help thinking that this is a band now actually exploring that long-elusive dark side of the moon."
Since the same goes for Tame Impala and I'd hate to repeat myself unnecessarily so I'm going to leave it at that. The Australian band are a spectacle which has to be seen live. Taking to the stage in what was their last festival appearance of the summer, the band performed a set of the high quality their fans expect. 
Tame Impala are perfect in the Berlin night
After attending festivals in the UK, Central Europe and Japan I can only recommend a visit to Lollapalooza 2016 - in my opinion it may just be the best festival you can attend next summer.


Benjamin Brown

Wednesday, 16 September 2015

[FESTIVAL REVIEW] Dcode Festival, Madrid, Spain, 12th September 2015

This year was Dcode Festival's fifth anniversary and with a lineup comprising of a variety of well-established British and Spanish artists, this was obviously going to be an incredible day out. The festival took place in the Ciudad Universitaria, located near the Madrid city centre which made it easily accessible for all those attending.  This year, the festival was slightly different with doors opening at the earlier time of 11.30am (instead of the usual 4pm), meaning that there were activities such as football matches and live music at the smaller Tentaciones stage from 12pm.

Popular Spanish band 'Trajano!' kicked off the festival with a short set that proved popular with numerous 'Madrileños', as they are one of Spain's newer up-and-coming bands. The Tentaciones stage line-up followed with an inevitably strong set from Brit favourites, 'Wolf Alice', who performed a flawless 50-minute long set, shortly later announcing their 2016 EU tour where they would be returning to Madrid in February. Indie Spanish band 'The Parrots', were once again their enthusiastic selves and got the crowd going in the early afternoon. The energy was evident throughout the atmosphere at the Tentaciones stage after their set as everyone left with a smile on their faces. Fresh faced London-based singer-songwriter Flo Morrissey was a crowd favourite at the small stage, performing delicate tunes full of insight and maturity, she captured the attention of every individual in an instant.



As the day progressed, more people gathered at the two main stages (Escenario Dcode and Escenario Heineken) to see the main acts of the day perform from 4pm. The great thing about these two stages is that they are located literally next to each other, so no acts overlap and as soon as one ends you have five minutes to run to the other stage to see the next act start and so forth. Therefore, you never miss any of the music. Spanish indie girl group 'Hinds' announced that they were stranded in Mallorca airport just before their set was due at 5pm, however, this was all quickly resolved and 'Gold Lake' played an intriguing set in their slot. Shortly after this, 'Hinds' appeared on the Dcode stage at a later time of 7.20pm to perform a full show which was a great relief for a lot of the audience attending Dcode as they were undoubtedly one of the most popular and hyped acts of the festival. 'Hinds' are definitely one of those bands that are ones to watch, they had such an energetic and explicitly happy stage presence that it was impossible not to dance along with them to their catchy tracks. They even provoked a short stage invasion which added to the excitement of their slot even more.

Immediately when Hinds ended, the audience all rushed to the Escenario Heineken to catch festival favourites 'The Vaccines,' and boy, what a performance they did. The London band managed to pack in sixteen popular tracks from all three albums in their hour-long set, ranging from new single '20/20' to the slower acoustic 'Melody Calling' and ending on a high with 'Norgaard'. The whole audience sang every lyric back to lead singer Justin Young which proved that 'The Vaccines' are still dominating the modern music industry all over the world and will continue to do so.



Sadly, due to medical reasons, Sam Smith had to pull out of his slot, however, he was rightfully replaced by Mallorcan band 'L.A' who have an American vibe and are extremely popular with the Spanish crowd so there weren't too many unhappy faces around. They filled the festival with an exuberayting atmosphere which could be seen and felt throughout. 

Liverpudlian band 'Circa Waves' headlined the smaller Tentaciones stage with such a happy and energetic set those who had chosen to see them instead of Suede felt like they had most definitely made the right decision. Performing album hits such as 'T Shirt Weather' and 'Fossils', the band did not disappoint and made their mark on Spanish ground.



At the late time of 2.30am, 'Foals', took to the Escenario Dcode with an hour long set which was extremely similar to their Reading set with hits old and new, they got the crowd going. 'My number' proved to be a favourite as did the heavier songs such as 'What Went Down'. Again, Foals proved that they are going to be the festival headliners of the future with a faultless set full of variation and intricacy.


Crystal Fighters successfully closed the Spanish Festival with a vibrant set full of colourful costumes, flags and jungle themed backdrops. Already happy to be back on Spanish turf, the band responded to an eager receptive audience and were enthusiastic as always.

Dcode Festival was most definitely the best way to end a summer full of festivals, with a line-up to die for and weather that will not disappoint, the Spanish festival was a success. The atmosphere was also a main contributing factor to the enthusiasm of the festival itself.


Sunday, 13 September 2015

10 Bands You Can't Miss At Underground Festival

It's that time of year, all of the outdoor festivals are coming to an end but you're still itching to have a festival experience, well fear not! The Underground Festival in Gloucester returns yet again, with another strong line-up.

The Second stage "Cinema Room" at last year's festival

Weekend tickets are £10 and day tickets are £7 each, ticket links are just below. Set in the Guildhall in the city it's boasting three stages this year with local talent and up and coming bands spread across the stages - here are just 10 of the best acts you can not afford to miss over the weekend!

Buy / [TICKETS]
Follow / [FACEBOOK]

1 - Lisbon





2 - High Tyde




3 - Tall Ships




4 - Loom




5 - The Big Moon





6 - Youth Club




7 - Declan McKenna




8 - Model Areoplanes




9 - All Tvvins




10 - Crows


Wednesday, 2 September 2015

[FESTIVAL REVIEW] InMusic Festival, Zagreb, Croatia, 22nd 24th June 2015

 A man made lake in Zagreb, purpose built for professional water sports to take place, isn't the kind of place you initially look at and think "Festival" but that's precisely what InMusic have managed to pull off at this unique venue for the last decade.

The line up might look like it should be circa Reading 98' with a dash of modern influence but InMusic doesn't seem to want to weigh heavily on the New Music side of things anyway and who can blame them when seasoned Pro's are still going strong belting out guaranteed anthems?

Line Up - Paolo Nutini, Rudimental, Placebo, FFS, Frank Turner, Of Monster and Men, La Roux, Eagles of Death Metal, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Death Cab for Cutie, Future Islands, Kate Tempest. (Florence and the Machine were meant to be headlining but pulled out due to her foot operation).


The only weird thing was that the European advertising had billed Nutini and Florence as the headliners but upon arrival in Croatia it quickly became apparent that actually Placebo and FFS were the main draw for the locals as it was their names at the top of the posters.

Highlights for me: Nutini was sheer class through and through, Rudimental had a party (standard), Placebo played pretty much everything they've ever written, Of Monsters and Men soundtracked a sunset facing the stage they were playing and it just felt like a dream to listen to.


Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls killed it! The man just oozes talent and even sang a song in Croatian, loosely translated by a roadie which for me perfectly summed up being abroad as a gentleman rather than a "Brit".

The whole week was full of sun, cider and sexual innuendo... but in fairness that could easily just have been the Eagles of Death Metal set!


Thursday, 23 July 2015

Some idiot stole 200 Secret Garden Party wristbands

Some clever cloggs has stolen 200 wristbands overnight, with the festival in Cambridgeshire set to open it's gates today. The music kicks off tomorrow with the likes of Jungle, IYES, Black Honey and Public Service Broadcasting.

To make things even worse is that they've stole wristbands from crew - which means they have the wristband numbers marked on them - so the police know!



Thursday, 2 July 2015

Field Day to Glastonbury: The Female Resurgence

It’s only July, and it’s fair to say that this year has lived up to its predictive billing as the decade’s ‘Year of the Woman’. 2015 has seen solo veterans appearing once more, in the form of Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, Roisin Murphy and Bjork; as well as the revival of the riot grrrl movement due to the likes of Babes in Toyland and Sleater Kinney. On the wave of this exciting and varied time for female musicians, the real impact in 2015 was to be measured on the festival circuit. For the first time this decade, the UK festival schedule boasts an array of female headline slots including St. Vincent (at Green Man), Portishead (at Latitude), Belle & Sebastian (at Festival No. 6), and the recently triumphant Friday night Glastonbury set from Florence & The Machine. However, the real resurgence in female musicianship comes in the encouraging uprising of female acts which include Hinds, Girlpool, Tei Shi and Alvvays, to name but a few.

The increased wealth in female talent has been well broadcast so far at this year’s major festivals. Glastonbury and Field Day, two festivals to which I have followed and visited respectively, have showcased an abundance of female talent and have had extremely successful outings. This year’s East London mecca, Field Day Festival, displayed a much more acceptable margin of gender difference – some would say, a step in the right direction. Despite the male dominance at the top of the festival bill (with the likes of Caribou, Django Django, Run The Jewels, Chet Faker and Ride), the highlights of the weekend came from some major players in this female resurgence.

Savages' headline performance on the Shacklewell Arms stage on the Sunday summed up the varied timetable Field Day offers and to why the festival’s strike rate remains unrivalled. The all-female band’s disciplined attack of cult-ish punk noir included a healthy mix of old and new. Jehnny Beth fronted the show in increasing confidence, holding the crowded tent in the palm of her hands. Classics from debut ‘Silence Yourself’ maintained their giant, twisting, bolshy rock; while one-off release ‘Fuckers’ was dedicated to anyone who was unhappy with the Conservative general election win – showing that it isn’t just Kanye West who can bring controversy to a festival line-up. Patti Smith’s ‘Horses’ was a jumble of garage, reggae, and lyrical sensibility. Performing with heart, anguish and cynical humour, she shows that class has no expiry date. Moments included jubilant renditions of The Who’s ‘My Generation’ and ‘Because The Night’, as well as a touching reflection in ‘Elegie’ by dedicating it to lost loved ones everywhere (specifically with her own references to Jimi Hendrix, Fred Sonic Smith and Lou Reed).
Saturday acmes came in abundance, but more surprisingly in the early afternoon. Between overhearing murmurs such as “I think my drugs are wearing off” (at 2pm) and “I want to get a Shoreditch House membership – just for the pic’n’mix”, Jagaara played one of the best sets of the entire weekend. With a laid back attitude, and ever increasing following, the three music obsessed sisters (Cat, Jane and Ruth) effortlessly laid down an atmospheric and almost cinematic sound. By drawing influence from folk music, as well as electronica and rock, they are certainly a strong part of the uprising not just in female acts, but in re-establishing musical genres.

Jagaara played:
Heartbeats
Feel It
Better
Faultline
In The Dark
Marble Arch

On the same stage, the visibly humbled Tei Shi performed to a packed-out tent. Dancing around the stage, flying between the centre-stage mic and sampler padded desk, she flawlessly translated her complex sound to her live show. Closer ‘Basically’ boasted mounting high notes and pop dynamics – and eventually had to come to an end despite herself and the whole of Field Day not wanting her to leave the stage. A more brief dissection of Field Day included huge performances from Ex Hex, Shura, TĀLĀ, Sylvan Esso and Tune Yards.
For the past year, FKA Twigs has led the resurgence in female spectacle with her perfectly refined live show. Her live show is now at the point where she is able to put on one-off spectacles more than once (I know that’s not possible, but you know what I mean). In contrast to the above mentioned bands, FKA Twigs strongly emphasises performance over music. Despite the risk in festival performances, where not everything is within your control, she delivered some shocking and powerful performances at Field Day and Glastonbury. The imagery and enactment of her debut ‘LP1’ was deviously mysterious, profoundly meticulous and thankfully lived up to the big billing. Despite her sound’s obvious complexity, it is restrained and performed in a minimalistic and dark manner. Backing this up with some sweet, synth-tinged beats and vogue-nodding elegance, many would have been kept up in late night chat. ‘Two Weeks’ remains a powerhouse, and sends quakes to the system (one friend told me it “melted his brain and turned him into an ice cream”).
The resurgence in female ‘power’ was solidified at Glastonbury; firstly in the backing of Florence & The Machine to headline the Pyramid Stage, and secondly in the maturation and national success of Wolf Alice.

After Foo Fighterspulled out following Dave Grohl’s injury, heads turned to Florence Welch to see if she could step up to the top spot. Dishing out an eclectic mix of old, new and a cover of ‘Times Like These’, Florence repeatedly won the crowd’s affection and attention. The band’s performance showed that they could have been on the top spot all along. On top of the obvious effort and celebratory joy shown by Ms Welch, it helps that the band have a healthy store of undeniably great songs. Ranging from old classics such as ‘Drumming Song’ to new anthems such as ‘How Big How Blue How Beautiful’, the infectious enthusiasm ended one of the best days in the festival’s history.

It’s been a hell of a year so far for the North London four piece Wolf Alice. Fresh after kicking off Glastonbury with a secret set on Thursday at the William’s Green tent, they followed this up with arguably one the best shows of the weekend on the Park Stage on Friday (note: voted the 4th best set of the weekend by NME readers). In the same week that their debut ‘My Love Is Cool’ initially hit number 2 in the charts (pipped by Florence), the band rocked Worthy Farm and won over an ever-increasingly busy, and rain-soaked audience. Full of energy and ferocity, the band managed to make every moment feel inclusive and resonant; an example came in the run through of new era classic ‘Fluffy’. Ellie, Joff, Theo and Joel were able to pull off the most intimate of moments in a rain drenched Somerset field by curating a nostalgic rendition of revisited new single ‘Bros’; while also providing laughter during ‘The Wonderwhy’, where singer Rowsell’s mic stand collapsed and she battled on the floor to continue to deliver the song - aptly, the line she was trying to voice was “don’t leave me here”. It is clear to us all that the band will continue to rise up the ranks and find themselves at the top of the bill in years to come.


Other explorative and memorable performances at Glastonbury came from the increasingly bizarre Charli XCX, the raw Courtney Barnett, the sublime Sharon Von Etten, and the perfect Jessie Ware. Domination continued with Hinds, Lianne La Havas, Kate Tempestand a masterclass from Mary J Blige.

Having seen the international appraise that Glastonbury and Field Day (and most likely Bestival) have received for their balance in gender, it is still shocking to see the Reading & Leeds festival line-up. The huge gender imbalance has been broadcast across the globe in the form of an edited line-up poster, which upon inspection boasts a grand total of nine acts over the weekend (now boosted by the inclusion of Charli XCX and Ms Dynamite) which have a female member – and only one act on the main stage (this being Marmozets).  (See poster below)
Thanks to @crackintheroad
The whole debacle, in my opinion, is summed up perfectly by Siobhan Smith in her Overblown article:
“It’s not about tokenization, or female members being booked above their male counterparts in a positively discriminating way, it’s about recognising that great female musicians there are out there and addressing a disparity so glaring that it should be completely unacceptable. The first step is to start questioning it. It’s about being aware the problem exists. The music industry, including festival bookers, has to shoulder some of the responsibility.”

While, last year Blood Red Shoes’ Laura May Carter, in an interview for NME, explored the issue in saying:

“This isn’t just a problem with festivals not booking enough women. We need to look at the way society as a whole looks at female artists. If the audience still see women in rock bands as something of an oddity, that’s where the real problem lies.”

Long live the resurgence.

[GLASTONBURY]
[FIELD DAY] - Early bird tickets already on sale!

Written by Richard Maver
@richmaver

Tuesday, 30 June 2015

[WATCH] The Maccabees - Marks to Prove It (feat. Jamie T) (@ Glastonbury 2015)

Maybe one of the best surprises of the weekend if you're a die hard Indie-Rock fan, like myself. Jamie T joining his mates on stage to perform "Marks To Prove It" at Other Stage on the Saturday of the annual Glastonbuy Festival.

Before introducing him, Orlando said "While we were recording the album, we called in an old friend to help us out, and he's a 'proper guy' - ladies and gentlemen, Jamie T".



Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Austra @ Organic Dance Music Festival, Munich, 13th June 2015

An electronic music festival - with loud, heavy beats playing and people raving - isn't the first place you'd expect to see Canadian band Austra perform. At Munich's Organic Dance Music Festival, however, the band nonetheless managed to attract quite a big crowd at the Zenith indoor stage.

Playing in an old warehouse against the backdrop of a large black and white projection reading "AUSTRA", the Canadian group presented a set slightly adapted to the electronic, rave nature of the festival. "Beat And The Pulse", for example, included heavier-than-usual beats throughout.  Austra's deep keyboard sounds and Katie Stelmanis' incredible, emotional voice felt trance-like, placing the crowd under the Canadians' spell (nice "Spellwork", Austra).
"During the set I felt like I had taken some weird, wonderful drug", Austra fan Emily told us after the set. The Canadians on stage looked like they were high on it as well: focussed on their music, portraying a deep connection with the sounds they were producing.

My highlight of their set was the last song "Hurt Me Now" - Austra portrayed their ability to play deep, yet energetic content in one song.




Austra played:

Darken Her Horse
Painful Like
Forgive Me
The Choke
The Villain
Home
Reconcile
Sleep
What We Done?
Lose It
Beat and the Pulse
Hurt Me Now

Benjamin Brown

Monday, 15 June 2015

Muse @ Rockavaria, Munich, 29th May 2015

A huge stage, a silver piano, a laser light show and thousands of people getting out of their minds, losing themselves in a wide spectrum of excellent music. Muse don't seem to do things by halves. Presenting their new LP "Drones" on stage for the first time, they spared no effort in performing an unforgettable show.
Matt Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard got through their first proper festival appearance of the summer with grandiose, incredible and epic success.
The opener "Psycho", the first of four new "Drones" songs, warmed up the crowd before Muse played a song every fan knows by heart: "Supermassive Black Hole". At this point everyone realised that Muse are at their best and an amazing concert would follow. The crowd went wild and you could see Matt Bellamy enjoying his time on stage. Lights turned the dark sky into a blinking disco ball and a huge video screen showed everyone how much soul the band were putting into their performance. As if this wasn't enough, the absolute head-shaking songs "Dead Inside" and "Resistance" swept over the stadium like a hurricane. The strong, emotional voice of Bellamy squealing "Madness" seemed to outbid everything before that. By this point even the last few people sitting on their seats had jumped up to enjoy the spectacle which had been offered to some 40,000 fans. "Newborn" and "Mercy" knocked spots of the previous show effects. Giant balloons and confetti cannons exceeded everyone's expectations. A gathering storm couldn't stop the crowd from expressing their enthusiasm towards the British rock-icons.
The night closed with the world premiere of Muse's own interpretation of JFK and the hymns "Uprising", "Starlight" and "Knights of Cydonia".
The unexpected ending of this phenomenal concert - which can be deemed a masterpiece - leaves behind a feeling of sadness. Hoping more will get the chance to enjoy a piece of high class rock music it only remains to say that it had been a great evening with a lot of delighted fans and a rock band who managed to produce a satisfying prelude to their previous European Tour.


Gig review by Elisa Hafner

Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Glastonbury announce full line-up and stage times

This year's Glastonbury festival is slowly but surely creeping closer, the first major festival in the UK festival calender takes place on the last weekend of June, and sold out in record time too! Below are just a selected few stages and times - obviously there's a lot more going on, but as soon as the new 'Glastonbury Festival' app is released by EE you'll be able to check everything out!


Pyramid Stage
Friday
Foo Fighters 21:15-23:45
Florence + the Machine 19:15-20:25
Motörhead 17:30-18:30
Mary J Blige 16:00-17:00
Alabama Shakes 14:30-15:30
James Bay 13:00-14:00
Chronixx 12:00-12:40
Michael Clark 11:00-11:30

Saturday
Kanye West 22:15-23:45
Pharrell Williams 20:00-21:15
Paloma Faith 18:15-19:15
Burt Bacharach 16:30-17:30
George Ezra 15:00-16:00
The Waterboys 13:30-14:30
Courtney Barnett 12:10-13:00
The Unthanks with Charles Hazlewood and his Orchestra 11:00-11:45

Sunday
The Who 21:45- 23:15
Paul Weller 19:30-20:45
alt-J 17:45-18:45
Lionel Richie 16:00-17:15
Patti Smith 14:15-15:15
Hozier 13:00-13:45
Songhoy Blues 12:00-12:40
Burtle Silver Band 11:00-11:40


Other Stage
Friday
Rudimental 22:30-23:45
Mark Ronson 21:00-22:00
The Courteeners 19:30-20:30
The Vaccines 18:00-19:00
Jungle 16:30- 17:30
Catfish and the Bottlemen 15:00-16:00
Everything Everything 13:50-14:30
The Cribs 12:30-13:20
Special guests 11:00-12:00

Saturday
Deadmau5 22:30-23:45
Ben Howard 20:40- 21:55
The Maccabees 19:05-20:05
Clean Bandit 17:35-18:35
Ella Eyre 16:05-17:05
Young Fathers 14:45-15:45
Azealia Banks 13:20- 14:15
Frank Turner 12:00-12:50
Swim Deep 11:00-11:40

Sunday
The Chemical Brothers 21:45-23:15
Jamie T 20:15- 21:15
Belle and Sebastian 18:45-19:45
Future Islands 17:15-18:15
Twin Atlantic 15:45-16:45
Palma Violets 14:15-15:15
Adam Cohen 13:00-13:50
SOAK 12:00- 12:40
Rivals Sons 11:00- 11:40


John Peel Stage
Friday
Enter Shikari 22:45-23:45
Modestep 21:15-22:15
SBTRKT 19:45-20:45
Circa Waves 18:25-19:20
Peace 17:00-18:00
Chet Faker 16:00-16:40
The Districts 15:00-15:40
Leon Bridges 14:00-14:40
Rainy Boy Sleep 13:00-13:40
Hinds 12:00-12:40
Weaves 11:00-11:40

Saturday
Suede 22:35-23:45
La Roux 21:05-22:05
Death From Above 1979 19:35-20:35
Jessie Ware 18:15-19:10
Years & Years 17:00-17:50
The Pop Group 16:00-16:40
Sleaford Mods 15:00-15:40
Slaves 14:00-14:40
Coasts 13:00-13:40
Sunset Sons 12:00-12:40
Isaac Lee-Kronick 11:00-11:40

Sunday
FFS (Franz Ferdinand + Sparks) 22:05-23:15
Death Cab for Cutie 20:35-21:35
Lianne La Havas 19:05-20:05
Charli XCX 17:50-18:35
Django Django 16:40-17:30
Alvvays 15:40-16:20
Prides 14:40-15:20
Saint Raymond 13:40-14:20
Mini Mansions 12:40-13:20
Gengahr 11:40-12:20
Lucy Kitchen 11:00-11:20


The Park Stage
Friday
Super Furry Animals 23:00-00:15
Jamie xx 21:30-22:30
Sharon Van Etten 20:00-21:00
Wolf Alice 18:30-19:30
Benjamin Booker 17:00-18:00
Glass Animals 15:30-16:30
Shlohmo and the Vocal Orchestra 14:15-15:00
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard 13:00-13:45
Pussy Riot (in conversation) 12:00-12:40
Rhodes 11:00-11:40

Saturday
Jon Hopkins 23:00-0 0:15
Spiritualized 21:30-22:30
Mavis Staples 20:00-21:00
Father John Misty 18:30-19:30
Kate Tempest 17:00-18:00
Gaz Coombes 15:30-16:30
Giant Sand 14:10-15:00
Ibeyi 13:00-13:45
Eaves 12:00-12:40
Flo Morrissey 11:00-11:40

Sunday
Ryan Adams 22:30-23:45
Goat 21:00-22:15
The Fall 19:30-20:30
Perfume Genius 18:00-19:00
Fat White Family 16:30-17:30
The Staves 15:10-16:00
Rae Morris 14:00-14:45
Jack Garratt 13:00-13:40:
Denai Moore 12:00-12:40
Rag N Bone Man 11:00-11:40


West Holts Stage
Friday
Hot Chip 22:15- 23:45
Caribou 20:30-21:30
Run the Jewels 19:00-20:00
The Gaslamp Killer 17:30-18:30
Kasai Allstars 16:00-17:00
Marcos Valle 14:30- 15:30
Dorian Concept 13:00- 14:00
The Cambodian Space Project 11:30- 12:30

Saturday
The Mothership Returns: George Clinton, Parliament, Funkadelic & the Family Stone 21:45-23:45
Todd Terje and the Olsens 20:00-21:00
Vintage Trouble 18:30-19:30
Gregory Porter 17:00-18:00
Soil and Pimp Sessions 15:30-16:30
Sinkane 14:00-15:00
Jane Weaver 12:30-13:30
KOG and the Zongo Brigade 11:00-12:00

Sunday
Flying Lotus 22:00-23:15
FKA twigs 20:30-21:30
Roy Ayers 19:00-20:00
Steel Pulse 17:30-18:30
Cumbia All Stars 16:00-17:00
Hiatus Kaiyote 14:30-15:30
Ibibio Sound Machine 13:00-14:00
Flaming Gods 11:30-12.30

Monday, 1 June 2015

Hurricane and Southside announce final bands

German partner-festivals Hurricane and Southside have announced the final additions to their - already impressive looking - line-up.
Gengahr, Nothing But Thieves, "indie-rapper" Casper and more have been added to the lineup and will perform amongst the likes of Florence + The Machine, Alt-J, Catfish And The Bottlemen and Noel Gallagher



You can read our review of last year's Southside here!

Monday, 25 May 2015

One Festival To Watch; NOS Alive

NOS Alive hasn't even neared double figures yet and it's already proving the place to be for bands and DJs on their summer circuits.


The festival is held in the Western side of Lisbon, Portugal and has boasted fine line ups over the years. A sizzling combination of Muse, The Prodigy and Disclosure are set to headline shore side stages, but it's not just these three which will be grabbing the attention over the July weekend.

From 8th-11th July a feast of new blood, returning favourites and festival-fillers will be making their way to play in front of the sun-kissed masses. NOS Alive boasts three huge stages to keep your eyes on which include: Palco NOS Stage (the main one), Palco Heineken Stage (basically the NME/Radio 1 stage for you Reading and Leeds fiends) and the Palco NOS Clubbing Stage (self-explained really). Here's a rundown of what to expect across the stages at what is quickly becoming one of the highlights of the European party calendar:

The Old Dogs

Still regarded as moderately young by most, Muse will be celebrating their 21st birthday this year and showcasing their latest album, 'Drones.' They're the most booked headliner with 23 places to hit up this summer, so don't be expecting Matt Bellamy to be wandering around for the rest of the weekend. Elsewhere, The Prodigy, who headlined the same slot in 2009, will look to keep the city alive way into the early hours of Saturday morning.


Returning Faces
Second album syndrome gets to the best of us, but for Alt-J and Mumford and Sons, they'll be hoping to put any criticisms to the sea bed with the latter being labelled as 'too Coldplay' by many. Like it or lump it, if it means those banjos are gone, we're in.



Brits Abroad
Washed out to sea on a pedalo with your budgie smugglers down clutching onto a crate of luke-warm Carlsberg not your scene? Don't worry I doubt it's Sam Smith or Mr Bay's either. What you can expect of the Brits though is domination. From The Wombats, to Jessie Ware, they're scattered throughout and crop up as the third headliner, with Disclosure closing the festival. The Ting Tings are even hoping to steal a seat on the flight to Lisbon, yes really.



Plug Out Baby
If Matt Bellamy's inhaling is too loud or Keith Flint's bulging eyeballs are too disturbing, you can opt for something more laid-back with the likes of James Blake and Metronomy who are both headlining the second stage. Other no access guitar acts include Flume, Chromeo, Ten Walls and Julio Bashmore.



Putting the 'Muse' into amuse
The music not quite doing it for you? Well despite the fact you're probably ready this with an intense thirst for instrumental noise, there is another sound that comes from the festival grounds, and that's laughter. Thursday and Friday is the chance for comedians to hit the comedy stage. Be sure to check it out for a laugh, unless you don't understand Portuguese, which may be funny enough as it is.


Tickets are a reasonable €109 which leaves money left over for a knock off fedora, suntan lotion and half a dozen crates of Red Bull to see you through to the early hours. Did we forget to mention flights?

@JJShreeve

Monday, 18 May 2015

Essential Field Day 2015 (Sunday) playlist

Following on from my Essential Saturday playlist, please see below my picks of the tunes that you must go hear at Field Day on the Sunday. The second helping of the weekend is headlined by Ride, with support from Patti Smith and many other names including Savages, Mac DeMarco and Baxter Dury.

With the festival's line-up now essentially finalised (recent additions include Matthew E. White and Jungle, who will curate the afternoon on the Bandstand), I advise you all buy your tickets before it's too late! There's just under three weeks to go!



Check out the website [HERE] for more info and ticket selling outlets.

Top tip: See if you can pop into one of the retailers or pubs which sell tickets, as then you won't have to pay a booking fee.

Hope to see you all there!

Written by - Richard Maver


                                     

Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Bloc Party announce first show since summer 2013

Bloc Party today have announced their first show in nearly two years at FYFE Festival, the last one being their headline slot at Latitude 2013, when they joined Foals and Kraftwerk headlining the Suffolk weekender.

Earlier on this year Kele showcased a new song called "Exes" - you can listen to that below - and within days Gordon announced his departure from the band, leaving Kele and Russell - the two founding members from their very first incarnation - left.We're just excited to think that they'll be performing some newbies on their return.






We're taking a break from recording our fifth album to play FYF Fest this August.
Posted by Bloc Party on Wednesday, 6 May 2015

One to visit: Southside Festival

Still looking for your European-mainland festival this summer?
With fewer than 5000 tickets remaining for southern German festival Southside why not consider travelling to Germany?
With acts such as Florence + The Machine, Alt-J, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Noel Gallagher and loads more already confirmed, we really can't wait to revisit Neuhausen-Ob-Eck.
Apart from hosting some fantastic bands the festival also sports a pretty international audience, due to its proximity to Switzerland and France.

We had a great time at last year's Southside. Check out our review here!

The Who announced as final Glastonbury headliner - Paul Weller to play too

Glastonbury Festival have today announced that The Who will be closing the festival on Sunday night, with Paul Weller to play just before them. No doubt we'd see loads of mums and dads down the front for these two.

I personally think it's a great choice, three really different acts playing over the three days, Glastonbury is where it's going to be this year!


Tuesday, 5 May 2015

Tramlines Festival Reveals 2015's Folk Forest stage lineup

Tramlines Festival – one of the UK’s biggest inner city festivals - has announced the lineup for its scenic Folk Forest. The latest additions include Chicagoan Ezra Furman, Seb Rochford's Mercury-nominated experimental jazz band Polar Bear and alt-folk outfit This Is The Kit, amongst others.


Festival Director Sarah Nulty said 
"After the success of bringing the Cathedral stage into the wristband scheme last year, the Folk Forest stage will also become part of the paid festival. As well as allowing us to ensure that the profile of artists and quality of production can be raised, the move will also support the long-term sustainability of an integral part of Tramlines."

LOLLAPLAOOZA BERLIN confirms further announcements

Lollapalooza Berlin adds Stereophonics, Brand New, Parquet Courts and more to their line-up of international fan-favourites and German live-icons.


Celebrating their European première, Lollapalooza Berlin will take place at Templehof Airport on September 12th and 13th. Acts already confirmed include The Libertines and Sam Smith, with Sunday’s mystery headliner still to be announced

Thursday, 30 April 2015

Essential Field Day 2015 (Saturday) Playlist


Festival season is fast-approaching. Therefore, Field Day 2015 is fast-approaching. The 'inner' city festival takes place over the weekend of the 6th and 7th of June, and boasts some of the biggest names in alternative music This year the festival boasts a more diverse lineup than ever before, with the likes of internationally recognised acts such as Caribou, Chet Faker and Django Django, to lesser known bands such as Astronomyy and Jagaara, who are looking to make some traction. Set in the East London mecca that is Victoria Park, the festival brings you the best in indie, alternative, house and disco, along with a bit of African, rock, and electro-pop just to make sure. This festival is the epitome of multi-genre ambiguity.

With the Saturday acting as the main attraction (at a price of only around £55), punters have a wide range of acts to choose from. In recent years, the festival has expanded to a weekend format, where the Sunday is focused around a headline act - this year, Ride. However, with a day packed full of artists too (including Mac Demarco, Savages and Diiv to name a few), the weekend is the most attractive package at only £83 a head. You couldn't find a better bargain if you ask me.

Being an annual pilgrim, I seriously advise you to visit Field Day this year, or at least at some point in the near future. Grab a ticket and don't miss out.
Great people, great setting, great vibes, great music.

That's all I have to say for now. But please check out my essential Field Day playlist (for the Saturday) below. It compliments this great weather we are having quite well.

Written by - Richard Maver

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