NOS Alive is looking hard to beat in 2016

The problem with NOS Alive is that every time you go to reel off the festival's expansive line up you'll easily be caught short of breath missing a couple of the main attractions off your list.

Thankfully, taking a moment to exhale and reload your browser is where the problems end. This year NOS Alive boasts the most appetising bill in the northern hemisphere, and yes, we think we can just about remember it now.

Announced so far:

Thursday 7th July
The Chemical Brothers / Pixies / Robert Plant And The Sensational Space Shifters / Biffy Clyro / The 1975 / Wolf Alice / John Grant / Vintage Trouble / 2ManyDJs (DJ set) / Junior Boys / Branko / SG Lewis / Bob Moses / Xinobi / Throes + The Shine

Friday 8th July
Radiohead / Tame Impala / Foals / Two Door Cinema Club / Years & Years / Hot Chip / Father John Misty / Carlao / Courtney Barnett / Jagwar Ma / NBC, Sir Scratch & Bob Da Rage Sense / Mundo Segundo & Sam The Kid / Da Chick / HMB, DJ Kamala & Filipe Goncalves / MGDRV / Rocky Marsiano & Meu Kamba Sound / DJ Kamala

Saturday 9th July
Arcade Fire / M83 / Grimes / Band of Horses / Jose Gonzalez / Paus / Ratatat / Calexico / Little Scream / Agir / Ventusta Morla

It's a line up which has got us dizzy with excitement and one with so many household names it's hard to put your finger on who's actually headlining (The Chemical Brothers, Radiohead and Arcade Fire to save you guessing).

With the festival in such high demand, weekend tickets as well as Friday day tickets have already sold out but you can still get a Thursday or Saturday ticket for as cheap as €56. We've also got a sneaky suspicion that there's a big name or two to join the likes of M83 and Grimes on the final day of the festival's 10th anniversary so we recommend saving up now.

Remaining tickets can be bought here.

By Josh Shreeve

From Alt-J to Azealia Banks: Who Stole The Show at NOS Alive

It was The Prodigy’s Maxim shouting “All my fucking people here in Lisbon, all my Prodigy people” which created a swirl of euphoria amongst the NOS Alive crowd on Friday night. The day two headliners provided the highlight of the weekend and took years off their 25 year spanning career with tracks such as ‘Omen’, ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Smack My Bitch Up’.

MC Maxim paraded the stage, screaming and flicking his tongue at a bouncing crowd as the band played seven tracks from their new album, ‘The Day Is My Enemy’. It was the 21 year-old ‘Voodoo People’ though that sent the audience into hysteria as drummer Liam Howlett thrashed the drums with revived lunacy.

Muse close the first night of NOS Alive, streamers 'n' all.

Before them, Mumford and Sons had taken to the stage, opening up with their sinister new Ben Howard-esque track ‘Snake Eyes’. The band, who ditched the waistcoats for a much smarter, all black look, opted for electric guitars over banjos in light of their stadium-filling new album ‘Wilder Mind’. There was room though for the likes of ‘The Cave’, ‘Roll Away Your Stone’ and a thrashing ‘Dust Bowl Dance’ from debut album ‘Sigh No More’. 

Keyboard player Ben Lovett explained their “fond memories” of the festival before singer Marcus Mumford took to the drums for a symbol crashing version of ‘Lover Of The Light’. The intensity ebbed and flowed throughout the set, ending with singalong favourite ‘Little Lion Man’ and latest pop-rock infused track ‘The Wolf’.

The day before, the festival opened on the Palco NOS Stage with The Wombats and James Bay, who was greeted by a sea of white hats and a sign reading “James please give me your hat”. He toyed with the crowd, getting them to sing back to him before ending on a energetic performance of ‘Hold Back The River’. 

Alt-J light up the stage with one of the standout sets of the weekend.

 Later on the Thursday night, Alt-J gathered one of the biggest crowds of the weekend as they fused old tracks with new songs such as ‘Hunger of the Pine’ ‘Every Other Freckle’ and ‘Left Hand Free’ from second album ‘This Is All Yours’. Earlier track, ‘Something Good’ presented an epileptic onslaught of scribbles on screen and ‘Fitzpleasure’ brought about a clattering of lights. The band sounded as crisp live as they do on record from Joe Newman’s twisting vocals in ‘Matilda’ to the deflated bag pipe, bhangra fluttering ‘Taro’. 

Muse followed the band over ten years their junior to headline the first night following the recent release of seventh studio album ‘Drones’. The trio played an EDM inspired ‘Dead Inside’ and ‘Mercy’ from the new album but also delved into older tracks such as ‘Plug In Baby’, ‘Time Is Running Out’, finishing on ‘Knights of Cydonia’ with singer Matt Bellamy parading around the stage, draped in a Portuguese flag whilst big bouncing balls and streamers adorned the crowd. 

Scottish trio, Young Fathers give an intense show.

The same day also boasted sets from the entrancing Young Fathers and party starters Metronomy

on the Palco Heineken Stage. The electro-pop Londoners filled the over-capacitated tent with their up-beat catalogue, featuring the glitchy ‘Reservoir’, ‘I’m Aquarius’ and ‘Love Letters’ from the same titled 2014 album. Singer Joe Mount was on top form hopping between synth and bongo drums whilst sporting an even thicker, yes thicker, bundle of hair.

Unlike most British festivals, Saturday was the final day for the Portuguese faithful, who were treated to Sam Smith on the main stage. The ever-rising popstar showed off his vocals and got the crowd singing along to ‘I’m Not The Only One’ before dedicating his back to back covers of ‘Tears Dry on Their Own’ and ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ to Amy Winehouse. Smith explained how his next song was about someone he had been in the studio with who was “making music for money”, before launching into ‘Money On My Mind’. The singer also did his own slowed down version of ‘Latch’ which he worked on with Disclosure.

19 year-old Raury performs one of the rawest sets of the weekend.

Elsewhere, whilst Azealia Banks was getting rowdy on the Heineken Stage American singer and voice of the people, Raury took to the tiny Raw Coreto Stage to a crowd of dedicated fans who knew all the words to his hit ‘God’s Whisper’. In a few years he could well be playing the main stage, which is where people flocked for a last gasp of Disclosure before the end of the festival. The Lawrence brothers provided a mammoth lights and visuals show whilst showcasing new material from upcoming second album, ‘Caracal’. Infamous for their guests vocalists, the pair were joined by Kwabs for new track ‘Willing and Able’ but no Sam Smith was to be present for their ending song, ‘Latch’.

Musically NOS Alive had it all, and that’s not to mention the ability to remain dry and provide reasonably priced food and drink. It was a weekend of returning heroes and new beloved idols. Here’s our favourite quotes from some of them:

The Wombats

“The next song’s called ‘The English Summer’ which is pretty much the same as a Portuguese summer but with no sun.”

Mumford and Sons

“The only two words I know in Portuguese are Cristiano Ronaldo.”

The Prodigy

“This one’s yours, it’s even for the fucking security.”

By Josh Shreeve

Disclosure Reveal Stunning New Set at NOS Alive

Howard and Guy Lawrence are constantly on the move. Just last month they hosted their new festival ‘Wild Life’ following the announcement of their second album, ‘Caracal’. On Saturday they were at Lisbon’s NOS Alive festival to show off their new set to fans abroad.

The brothers from Surrey headlined the final night of the Portuguese festival with a set that included tracks from their debut album such as, ‘White Noise’, ‘F for You’ and ‘When A Fire Starts To Burn’.

The new album, ‘Caracal’, named after the wild cat is just as stunning on stage as the name suggests and gives the duo a chance to reinvent their live show. Soul singer Kwabs was the only guest to be welcomed onstage for upcoming new track ‘Willing and Able’ whilst pre-recorded vocals from Nao were used in super sleek and sexy track ‘Super Ego’.

Another new track, ‘Hourglass’, featured vocals from rising star Lion Babe, which boasted a mix of modern dance and old school house reminiscent of Artful Dodger’s ‘Movin’ Too Fast’. The set alights though with the pair’s own vocals in ‘Jaded’ as contouring lasers bathe over the stage.

Visually, it’s a striking performance, and their latest track ‘Holding On’ is big enough to fill arenas as is the fifteen-foot, outlined caracal which struts along the screens behind them. Elsewhere, old and new floor fillers, ‘Grab Her!’ and ‘Bang That’, keep the crowd moving till the early hours of the morning. 

The pair finish the set with a swaying encore of ‘Help Me Lose My Mind’ but fail to lure Sam Smith, who performed just two hours before, onto stage for their finale of ‘Latch’ but perhaps it’s for the best. Disclosure are onto their new batch of vocal talents whilst still providing their infectious blend of house and dance.

By Josh Shreeve

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

Field Day Adds More Acts To The Line-Up

Field Day have added more artists to their line-up just one month before the festival is due to take place in Victoria Park, London.

With day divisions already in place, the organisers of the festival have unveiled what days the newly added artists will be playing. The announcement for Saturday is for the Tradiio/The 405 Stage and includes Antix, Cholombian, Luka, Matthew and Me, Tropics, Wild Echo and Yossarian.

For the Sunday announcement, all of the following artists will feature on the Verity stage. Playing on that stage on the second day of the festival is Beach Baby, Gengahr, Inheaven, Jacco Gardner, Leopold and his Fiction, Nimmo and Yak.

Following on from these stage reveals, Field Day also had a very special announcement for the first day (Saturday). It was said that Jungle will be curating the 'Victoria Park DJ Bandstand' which will feature Jungle, Beaty Heart, Django Django, Oceaan, Shura, Tei Shi, XL DJs and some very special guests.

It appears that the line-up is now complete but we could expect a few more acts to appear on Sunday's bill. Watch this space for more information.

On May 12th, ticket prices for the festival will rise so if you're thinking about going to the festival, grab your tickets now.

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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Ben Howard and Bombay Bicycle Club to Headline New Festival 'Citadel'

Ben Howard and Bombay Bicycle Club have been announced a the headline acts for new festival, 'Citadel', which will be held in Victoria Park, London on Sunday 19th July.

The one day festival comes from the creators of Lovebox and Wilderness but Ben Howard and Communion record label themselves are the ones sorting out the rest of the bill and judging by their appointment of Bombay Bicycle Club, there could be plenty more big names to come!

Tickets are only £45 and which you can purchase from this Friday at 9am. Alternatively, if you pre-register, tickets will be available from this Thursday at 9am. Click here to find out more about Citadel festival.

(@JJShreeve)

2000Trees Festival announce first bands

2000Trees have announced their first set of bands to be taking to the four stages in July. The intimate festival will be from the 9th till the 11th of July 2015. 5000 people attend each year so it's an intimate place - better get your tickets soon!

First set of bands are:

Deaf Havana, Kerbdog, Pulled Apart By Horses, Arcane Roots, Solemn Sun, The Computers, Rob Lynch, Big Sixes, Allusondrugs, Nothing But Thieves, The Cadbury Sisters, &U&I, Thrill Collins, Milk Teeth, The St. Pierre Snake Invasion, Bridges, Lonely Tourist and Rozelle.

You can pick up your tickets here.

Watch the Lollapalooza Berlin trailer

As you probably already know major festival Lollapalooza will take place in Berlin in 2015 - the festival's first ever European date. The festival will mark it's European debut on September 12th and 13th at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport.
You can watch the trailer for the festival here:



So far Lollapalooza has taken place in Chicago (USA), Santiago de Chile (Chile), São Paolo (Brazil) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).

We'll keep you updated on all Lollapalooza Europe information.

Festival Review… Oben Ohne Open Air

"Location, location", doesn't normally apply to music festivals. Munich's Oben Ohne Festival however proved that a great location can give a festival a really special atmosphere. The one-day event moved to Munich's scenic Königsplatz, after spending the past two years on the somewhat boring grounds of the Munich trade fair.
Not only the location of the Oben Ohne is somewhat different: the entire concept of the festival is incomparable to other music events. The festival is organised by the local youth centres, which aim to host an affordable, fun day of music for Munich's youth.

Photography by Julian Schulz // www.julian-schulz.com

And year after year they manage to attract Munich's music lovers - the 16,000-people event sold out months beforehand, although this isn't surprising as tickets cost just 3€.
Eight acts played at the event, with German rapper Alligatoah headlining. There are two acts I saw, which I would like to tell you about. The first band I saw were Regensburg's (Bavaria) Paper & Places. Songs, which start quietly before launching into energetic endings and good rhythms fitted the summer vibes perfectly. Although Munich experienced temperatures of 33º celsius their singer kept dancing away on stage, seemingly loving every minute of it.
My highlight of the day were Munich's homegrown Claire. (If you haven't read our "Introducing" article about them click here). Their energetic, electronic sound saw spontaneous partying erupt around the entire Königsplatz. And those needing motivation to dance just had to watch how appreciative the band are of playing music in front of their fans. Most of the crowd were only familiar with the band's most famous songs, but nonetheless gave the others songs there best efforts.

Photography by Jessica Jike

I spoke to Josie-Claire Bürkle, Claire's singer, after the set, who told me how much her and the band were looking forward to playing at London's Oslo in Hackney on September 24th.

Go and see them - you won't regret it!

Benjamin Brown

The Libertines To Play Benicassim Festival

The Libertines have announced another show this summer, this time at Spain's Benicassim Festival, 17th-20th July.

The band will play the festival just two weeks after playing their headline show at Hyde Park on July 5th. They will join the likes of Kasabian, Jake Bugg and Tame Impala in Spain. You can watch the new promotional video Benicassim have put up below:

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Field Day 2014 - The Best Way To Start Your Summer

With summer festival season approaching us quickly and the sun already beginning to show its rays across the UK, excitement is beginning to kick in with thoughts of dancing in the sunshine. One highlight of the summer revelry calendar, surely, is Field Day – set in the lovely surroundings of East London’s Victoria Park, the festival radiates laid back summer vibes while maintaining a local village carnival type of feel (think hay bales, coconut shys, potentially, and gallivanting performers).

For the first time in its history, Field Day will take place over two days (its more of a Field Weekend). Field Day has always been linked to a strong, cutting-edge lineup that has seen a rise in the festival’s popularity – contrary to beliefs, Field Day doesn’t just focus on electronic music, with this year’s double header being headlined by Metronomy and Pixies (the band’s only London date announced thus far). The Eat Your Own Ears curated event abstains from the rubbish found in many commercialized festivals and stays loyal to its title – a ‘music festival’. Along with its small site (who wants to walk around 80km² of neon green stands anyway?), an advantage of Field Day is its niche appeal now commonly linked to inner city festivals, which span multiple venues, but all in one field. The green trees of Victoria Park and Field Day’s fun, british branding make it feel like a real summers day outing – and let’s not forget the outstanding food and drink on offer.

Taking place on Saturday 7^th and Sunday 8^th of June, like previous years, the Saturday remains the heart of the festival which boasts a larger, more diverse lineup and associated higher ticket price. The Devonshire electronic quartet, Metronomy, will finish off the first night of the festival this year, providing attractive and dance-able hits to the backdrop of a twilight sky. Although not highly regarded headliners, Metronomy have a powerful, extensive back catalogue full of hits and with an adored newly released album (‘Love Letters’), they sure will get the party going. The Saturday, further, boasts plenty of UK acts such as the likes of Jamie XX, SBTRKT, Tim Burgess and George Fitzgerald. Overseas inclusions vary from the returning Warpaint, Aussies Jagwar Ma and even Syrian electronic musician Omar Souleyman. Field Day’s ability to bring a variety of performers to one event is undoubtedly fitting, with additions to the lineup such as Danny Brown – who’s unique (read: mad) live show provides a suitable injection of rap into the mix. This complements the more sombre hip-hop from the likes of Ghostpoet, the new-era pop music from Sky Ferreira, Swedish bizarre from Neneh Cherry, and eclectic rhythms from Blood Orange.  Other notable performers include the Mercury Prize nominated Jon Hopkins, legendary Thurston Moore and singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett.

Saturday may be the money-shot for most punters, but Sunday’s lineup is not to be easily ignored – with it seemingly being centered around guitar music. Pixies will headline with their renowned alternative rock; despite lacking the notable absence of Kim Deal, the Boston band will be sure to provide all the soundtracks to end a great weekend. Everyone’s favourite psychedelic, sulk rockers The Horrors accompany Pixies on the Sunday, alongside the infectious Shy Nature, riff shredding duo Drenge, Australian psych-rockers Pond and the ever-improving Temples (plus many more).

Field Day 2014 Line-Up (only selected acts from the bill. Access website for full line-up)

(Note: Temper Trap are not included on this year's bill anymore - who knows why)

With such a strong bill, you may think it'd be hard to choose who to see. Besides the big guns like Pixies, Metronomy, The Horrors, Jamie XX and Warpaint; and the 'hype' artists such as Danny Brown, George Fitzgerald and SBTRKT - here is my top 13 artists to catch over the weekend (who you necessarily wouldn't have thought about). If you ask 'why 13?', I couldn't narrow it down to 10. In no particular order:

1. Blood Orange - catch Dev Hynes showcase his jazzy hits from 'Cupid Deluxe' (this is one not to be missed).

2. Courtney Barnett - one of the best lyricists around today, with her songs full of funny, touching and surprising moments. Tipped by Pitchfork and NME, she is soon to make the 'big time'.

3. Only Real - laidback, hazy pop music from West Londoner Niall Galvin along the same lineage of offbeat British music-makers like King Krule or Tom Vek. His tunes are sure to put you in a summer vibe.

4. Sohn - one of the breakout sensations of the last 6 months; his LP 'Tremors' is sure to be floating around
some people's albums of the year.

5. Todd Terje - If the sun is out, this is the set you have to go see. Being responsible for some of music's most magical moments, Todd delivers sultry disco tunes and will instantly hit whatever part of your brain controls happiness and joy (the limbic system, if you would like to know).

6. The Wytches - "bratty, brooding surf rock" that is sure to take you somewhere exciting and refreshing - recently supporting Pulled Apart By Horses on tour, they have developed a raucous live show.

7. Jagwar Ma - trippy tones, smart dance music textures, hedonistic pop music.

8. Childhood - imagine listening to the likes of 'Blue Velvet' and 'Solemn Skies' in 25 degrees sipping on a pint of cider. No more needs to be said.

9. Erol Alkan b2b Daniel Avery - Phantasy duo will spin records back to back, and with the likes of 'Drone Logic' in their arsenal, this set is one which won't fail to get your feet moving.

10. Simian Mobile Disco - James Ford and Jas Shaw return to  Field Day with a unique, never seen before live show.

11. Pawws - Young starlet will bring her stately, ethereally music to a festival for one of the first times. As a rising star, her tunes are soon to become household staples.

12. Sky Ferreira - With her long-time coming debut 'Nighttime, My Time' now under her belt, Sky Ferreira is taking pop music to the next level. Having collaborated with Dev Hynes, she has a few new summer anthems to introduce into her livewire, exciting happenings. Expect nothing less at Field Day.

13. Tourist - "Tourist is a producer/songwriter who makes warm sounding club-pop" - in reality he is something much better. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but Tourist could find his way into the mainstream very soon similar to that of Disclosure.


Be sure to pencil this in to your summer plans, and get a ticket before it sells out. The line-up alone is worth the price, let alone the artistic surroundings of the festival and the enthusiastic population.

Check out the [WEBSITE] for further updates and the full line-up.

Saturday tickets are £49.50, while the Sunday is £38.50. Personally, the price of £78 for the whole weekend is the one to go for (absolute bargain). Tickets can be bought at the likes of Ticketweb, Ticketmaster, Gigantic, Songkick, Resident Advisor and Stargreen, along with other respected ticket outlets. Many venues/shops are also selling tickets, so be sure to pop along to any of these (more stores can be found on the website) if you don’t fancy paying the online fees – The Abbey Tavern, Lock Tavern, Phonica, Rough Trade East, Shacklewell Arms.

Be sure to check out my essential Field Day 2014 playlist including tracks by Childhood, Only Real and Sohn among many others.

I would also recommend picking up Rough Trade’s special Field Day compilation CD in preparation.

Hope to see you all there!

Written by – Richard Maver

Festival Review... Gathering 2013

To put it simply, Gathering Festival is a take on the Camden Crawl. Take this concept, apply it to Oxford’s Cowley Road, schedule in over 40 bands in 7 different venues all within a stone’s throw from the last and you’ve pretty much summed up the day.

Being a relatively new event on the music calendar – only in its second year – the festival introduces a variety of up-and-coming British bands mixed in with an ever-growing international line-up worthy of a major festival. This year saw the likes of London Grammar and Local Natives headline with other acts including Temples, Cheatahs, Waxahatcheeand Chloe Howl (to name but a few).

The day itself did not get off to a planned start after hiking out of the city centre to Cowley Rd in the pouring rain. The growing frustration of being very wet was not helped by the increasing queue outside the East Oxford Community Centre (wristband exchange). You couldn’t help but think that it should have been split between two centres or at a larger venue to accommodate such a large number of punters. Another downside being the intensity of the planned schedule with 44 bands to check out in only 10 hours – never an easy day (with most of the acts played within a 5 hour gap!).

Negatives aside, the music started on a good note as I took in an acoustic set from Fyfe – aka Paul Dixon. The short experimental acoustic set at the Truck Store brought glimpses of glitch-age crooning, a mix of folk-electronica and a hint of likeness to Patrick Wolf. The, now 24, Londoner was not short of fans as the intimate venue’s windows fogged with sweaty condensation – unsurprisingly with his back catalogue as David’s Lyre from 2010-2012. ‘Conversations’ and ‘Lies’ are delicate renditions which build with moody vocals to a spectacular climax, leaving the crowd wishing for more.

Another spectacular acoustic set followed at Cowley Road Methodist Church – this was thanks to songstress Denai Moore. The soulful musician played to a pin-drop silent crowd in the top attic which was weirdly a sublime setting allocation. The young Moore relayed tales of heartbreak and uncertainty in a raw, folk manner from her four released EP’s. Haunting opener ‘Wolves’ and equally poignant ‘Gone’ were serenely complemented by the intimacy that the venue fostered, with the best of all being ending the show - the stunning ‘Flaws’ which thumps bass echoes to hearty vocals. If you haven’t come across her before, I’d some her material up as a lovechild of the unpredictable pairing of Bon Iver and Lauryn Hill.

As queues stretched the length of two football pitches, I decided not to waste any time and had to skip headliners London Grammar. But with this I was lucky enough to encounter Dancing Years at the Bullingdon for the fourth time in their short existence (who started off as duo simply Joseph & David). Now they’ve recruited to become a six headed folk-pop outfit equipped with emotionally charged anthems that make you reminisce of times when Mumford & Sons weren’t commercial. The performance of one of my favourite tracks of the year, ‘Here’s To My Old Friends’, was the moment of the festival (personal opinion). Being larger and more hard-hitting live, the song has all the trappings of a glorious indie anthem but is richly layered with folk instrumentation, fragile lyrics and clear modesty.

LA’s finest Local Natives kicked off the later proceedings (post-nine o’clock) at the O2 Academy. The set burst into form from the offset with thunderous, throbbing drums for the excellent ‘Breakers’. The moustachioed Californian four-piece worked their way through a dynamic set with their characteristic harmonies synced to perfection (as is with ‘Warning Signs’). With two critically acclaimed albums to choose from, it was this year’s ‘Hummingbird’ LP which brought the highlights through easy slipping between tones – from the slow-burn touches of ‘You & I’ and the nostalgic ‘Columbia’, to the pacier temp of ‘Ceilings’ and ‘Three Months’. ‘Wide Eyes’ stood out owing to the most distinctive guitar riff intro mixed with rhythmic bass notes and tantalising percussion. Just like the former, ‘Black Balloons’ carried the addictive guitar into the live performance but this time with an extra intensity and mystery. As all four members sang lovelorn harmonies, drummer Matt Frazier shows his skills through predictable fan favourite ‘Camera Talk’, which sounded better than the original by bringing a summer reggae feel.

After I worked my way back to the Bullingdon backroom via a stop at the local kebab shop, I caught the last song of Cheatahsand what a raucous end it was. With a full room, the IAI favourites turned any uninterested crowd members into fan girls/boys with nothing more than pure talent, energy and showmanship. Drenge followed suit a while later (after a lengthy fix-up after technical problems) in the same venue. The Loveless brothers delivered a typical set of gutsy blues-punk with a side order of extreme sport like enthusiasm. To say the crowd weren’t up for it would have been an understatement – crammed in like sardines, it seemed all were alike sharks with a taste for blood. Months of touring self-titled LP has brought an edge to the live show and made them a formidable force exuding even more confidence and experience. Wave after wave of violent noise were spewed out from the wheel greasing of ‘Gun Crazy’ to the implosion ‘I Wanna Break You In Half’, resulting in a formation of a circle pit that engulfs almost half of the venue. Singles ‘Bloodsports’ and ‘Backwaters’ are a rabid, raucous scrap as always, which reach such high intensities that despite the non-existent security and barrier, many fans crowd surf through the mayhem (maybe to just get some fresher air). The demonic howls of ‘Face Like A Skull’ capped off a truly interesting trawl through Eoin and Rory’s primitive arsenal and untamed chaos.

My evening ended with Wolf Alice at the East Oxford Community Centre which boasted a small primary school-like hall as its vessel. Drawing a crowd too large for the venue, again I found myself in a room of unhealthy temperatures. The broad appeal of the band’s fusion of folk and grunge brought an array of interested fans, some hoping to hear the door-slamming frustrations (like that of ‘She’) and others the tenderness of ‘Bros’. Luckily for all, renditions of all songs pleased all audience members with new EP ‘Blush’ being played in full (not continuously in order, spread out over the set). A rapturous response is sustained throughout the 35 minute show as the London band played the sonically easy part of rock ‘n’ roll with soaring comfort. Frontwoman, Ellie Rowsell, oozed a feline cool that put her more than centre stage. However, Wolf Alice did not support the common misconception of female fronted bands which is that the lads at the back are often shuffling in the shadows – Joel, Joff and Theo were and are a unit that radiate a collective enticing sound and big stage presence. Storming angsty-rock prevailed with a tendency to send you back to (or continue) your bashful adolescence. The short but sweet set was brought to a close with the pop grunge racket of ‘Fluffy’ and with that the band, accompanied with Austin Williams (Swim Deep) and Drenge, head off to the clubs of Oxford to continue the party leaving behind a benchmark that only themselves will surpass in the future.

It was disappointing not being able to get to see Charlie Boyer & The Voyeurs or Troumaca, but overall all Gathering left me feeling satisfied and eager to return. At around £20, a ticket offers value for money and with guarantees highlights and exhibitions from bands you may never have come across before.

Written by - Richard Maver

What to expect at Gathering Festival 2013

After a storming outing last year, Gathering Festival returns to Oxford for its second time to present us with lavish musical gifts. This year taking place on Saturday 19th October 2013, the line-up is nailed to match the impressive wave of last year (2012 included Dry The River, Bastille, Peace and The Staves).

The city all-dayer is host to an array of talent running through a variety of wonderful venues including St. John the Evangelist, the Truck Store and the impressive O2 Academy. The whole day is at an accessible price of £25 and with such a remarkable line-up (depicted below), it is an event that should cement itself on your calendar. The day plays host to many internationally recognised bands as well as local circuit outfits, including the cinematic indie rockers Local Natives; neo-psychedelic rockers Temples; blissfully breezy guitar pop from Wolf Alice; and London Grammar’s captivating balletic balladry. Others include Drenge, Charlie Boyer & The Voyeurs and Port Isla.

With many hard choices to be made on the day, here’s my pick of the five (maybe lesser-known) bands that should not be missed.

1. Troumaca
Named after a West Indian village on the island of St. Vincent, Birmingham based Troumaca mix both the best bits of the UK bass culture and great songwriting with the gospel musical space melting pot of the Caribbean. With an instantly loveable sound advertising soulful harmonies, tropical swing and technical cleanliness; this band are sure to make a big mark on the market. With an outstanding live show and a massive recently released debut album (‘The Grace’), this is one set I cannot wait to see.



2. Dancing Years
Leeds based five-piece Dancing Years deal less in upbeat and grooviness, more in soaring orchestral beauty drafting passion and sentiment. Their debut single ‘Here’s To My Old Friends’ is a perfect example of the gently building idea that grows into a raucous reality. Described as “stirring, melancholic campfire sing-alongs” by Q Magazine, this young band are one to tug at your heartstrings and induce even the most obscure to sing along.



3. Ruen Brothers
Think Roy Orbison vocals, Walker Brothers turtlenecks with a dramatic 60s wall of sound. All this amalgamates to give the Ruen Brothers (just as the name is an amalgamation of the Stansall brother’s names Rupert and Henry). Debut song ‘Aces’ is a tremendous display of twanging guitars and savage harmonica; with ‘Blood Runs Wild’ reaching Zane Lowe track of the week status. Signing to major label Universal-Island, they’ll soon be known so make sure you check them out before they get big.



4. Waxhatchee
2013 has already been a whirlwind for Katie Crutchfield. After the release of album number two under the signature Waxahatchee last month, she was met with immediate critical acclaim from Pitchfork and NPR. Katie is a natural writer, specialising in confessional pop and has a cultish following after creating many bands (most famous – P.S. Eliot) that signify the underground movement. Going alone under Waxahatchee brings lo-fi acoustic guitar-pop made for the UK market – this will be one hell of a performance.



5. Chlöe Howl
Filled with youthful enthusiasm and with a genuine sparkle in her eye, Chlöe Howl exudes Kate Nash levels of attitude attached with Calvin Harris’ creation and skill, a combination that simply cannot fail to provide a thrilling show. Drenched with personality, punchy, sweary lyrics and funky rhythms that are impossible to ignore, I guess she is going to go very far in the future, do not miss her appearance at Gathering.



Check out the site now - [SITE]

Written by Richard Maver

Local Bands... Morning Parade

This week is the first in my new section, Local Bands, and I would love to give you some comments on a up and coming band, Morning Parade.

I have already reviewed them before on here but I don't think it done them enough justice!



They are arguably the best band I have cam across since I have started this search for the freshest new bands and under the radar acts . With my music catalogue of over 5,000 songs(and growing each day with new releases), they are still getting played very frequently due to having 3 MASSIVE tracks out there! Also I went to see them support ASH at the Junction in Cambridge, one track also stood out, Headlights, if they do record this this can easily be a hit, not me being optimistic but to be honest being more realistic, this hurts that people don't know them better!

With such lyrics as:
"Sit and wish the world would settle down, Sit and hope the silence in your heart won't drown, Writing lists of all the things I've said, Wasting days by spending them in bed"
Morning Parade - Youth

So far they have supported, Renegades (Feeder), ASH, Good Shoes, Reverend And The Makers and Goldhawks. Also they have been played by none other than Zane Lowe! YES him, the guy that gets all the best new music for BBC Radio 1!

Some other things you have to consider is they have played a Skins house party for E4 in Bristol, played for NME. Also on the Feeder forum people have been praising them for their performance in Sheffield, and also ASH fans were quick to show their good will with me over hearing several people (in ear shot) saying "WOW the best support act for a long time", and easily I would agree.



With a host of festival slots lined up here is a list of where they are playing.
Dot To Dot - Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham! (With lots of great acts such as Delphic)
Warwick Students Ball - Warwick (With Bombay Bicycle Club!)
NASS Extreme Sports Festival - Bath
Y-Not Festival - Derbyshire
Underage Festival - London
Relentless Boardmasters Surf Festival - Newquay
also more are at their MySpace and Facebook so keep an eye out.

Morning Parade - Marble Attic - Via the Official site, as a free download
Morning Parade - A&E - Via YouTube
Morning Parade - Youth - Via their Myspace
[MYSPACE]