[FESTIVAL REVIEW] WIR. Stimmen für geflüchtete Menschen

I'm sure you've all seen the scenes from Munich's central station in the news. Since the beginning of September thousands upon thousands of refugees have been arriving in southern Germany, coming to Munich via Eastern Europe and Austria.

Whilst Germany's politicians in Berlin discussed what to do, the people of Munich took to the streets to do the only logical thing: an army of helpers descended on Munich's central station to provide care for the arriving refugees, providing food & drink, clothes and basic first aid. 24/7. 

Munich became an example of how refugees should be treated.

Sportfreunde Stiller, a Munich(?) based rock band (they're big in Germany) were especially impressed by the effort put in by the helpers. In the space of a few weeks the band, together with the Munich city council and the organisation Bellevue di Monaco, organised the "WE. Voices for Refugees"-festival (WIR. Stimmen für geflüchtete Menschen). On October 11th nearly 25,000 people braved the cold to see Sportfreunde Stiller, Donots, Wanda, Herbert Grönemeyer, The Notwist , Wolfgang Niedecken featuring Werner Schmidbauer und Martin Kälberer, Judith Holofernes, Fettes Brot, Dreiviertelblut, Roger und Schu vs. Blumentopf, Bosse, Michael Mittermeier, Schlachthofbronx, Aeham Ahmad perform on Munich's "Königsplatz". As all performing bands had agreed to play for free as a thank you to the helpers and to give a loud welcome to refugees, tickets for the event were distributed free of charge. The event had a special atmosphere as the majority of the people there were either helpers or refugees.

A minutes' silence in remembrance of the 25,000+ refugees who have drowned in the Mediterranean was a moment those in attendance will remember forever. 

With so many bands in the line-up, each group only got to perform a few songs, leading to a huge musical variety showcased on stage. Organisers Sportfreunde Stiller came on stage to loud applause before performing some of their best known songs. My personal highlight of the evening was Donots' performance of their song "Dann ohne mich" in which they take a stand against the spreading wave of nationalism and xenophobia in parts of Germany. 

Benjamin Brown

Leeds Festival 2015 - Round-Up

I'm at a stage where I've acquired an almost annual necessity to go to Leeds Festival even if the Line Up doesn't jump off the page at me because every year I find myself in the week after the event thinking that at least 5 or 6 blew me away. This year was no different.

Sundara Karma - Spot on afternoon gig that just hit home for me. Well constructed and beautifully epic indie loveliness that I've played a lot since getting home.

VANT - sticking it to a hungover crowd when hungover themselves just screams rock and roll for me. Expecting them to be on a bigger stage next year!

We Are The Ocean - saw these recently at Tramlines festival and was so impressed i made a B-line for their set. Big tunes of "Good For You" and "Do It Together" should be winging their way through your radio waves some time soon.

Catfish and The Bottlemen - they were always going to pack out the Radio 1/NME tent, it was pretty much a given. Had to begin the gig by giving a safety warning to the crowd, a safety warning that was fully justified when their big hits smashed out the speakers. Flares being let off, a three person shoulder lift moshing and teenage girls not being able to handle the heat were spilling out the tent like lemmings.

The Maccabees - I've always loved The Maccabees but their set this year just endeared me to them even more. Playing their new tunes with perfect quality and timing whilst looking nonchalantly cool. Great set!

Mumford and Sons - answered every question about whether they could headline a festival yet with a great big "F**K YEAH!" Hammering anthem after anthem, with the classic dip in energy in the middle. They proved they're just as rock and roll as anybody in the business at the minute with an epic crowd run by the lead singer, a pushing over of the drum-kit and smoking a cigarette whilst playing. All possibly now clichés but clichés that still entertain. Ended on 'The Wolf' which may prove to be their best tune ever in years down the line.

Safe to say Leeds has had good and proper this year... probably will next year.

Written by - Jase Hare

[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!

Reading Festival 2015 - Round-Up

This year was one of Reading Festivals most anticipated years, mainly due to The Libertines, Metallica and a sold-out event, here we have a collection of reviews from the festival, with Royal Blood, The Wombats, Foals, Jamie XX and Catfish and The Bottlemen.

Vann McCann of Catfish and The Bottlemen - (C) BBC

Jamie XX - by Jack Storey

When I got to the tent it was rammed, everyone knows how big Jamie XX is now, and he's certainly managed to do it all on his own. Obviously you have The XX fans down at the front hoping for him to play some of their songs but this was a different affair.

The highlight of the set was "Loud Places" which got the crowd moving, and myself too, even considering I'm a late 20's chap with a big body I was loving what Jamie was doing on the decks. Although if you are going to sample vocals from a mate, please let them come along, I was half expecting Romy to appear but alas it never happened. However, Jamie XX was one of the highlights of the whole fucking weekend! Loved it!




Royal Blood - by James Kays

At this weekend's Reading festival Royal Blood took to the main stage to perform a cracking band new track called "Hook, Line and Sinker". The tune returns to the rampant style they had at the start of the band, similar to that of White Stripes. With some meaty hooks and pounding drums this basically sums up the duo in a sentence, still... this new track is just the start of things!




The Wombats - by Maria Torres

Reading Festival 2015 was undoubtedly yet another success, with stellar headline performances on the main stage from Mumford and Sons, Metallica and The Libertines, and numerous incredible sets from the varying genres of bands from stage to stage. However, The Wombats’ Saturday headline set on the very small Festival Republic Stage was most definitely the highlight of the festival. Half an hour before the set began and already the very compact tent was full to it’s maximum capacity, with an audience of all ages packed so tightly that one could barely move a muscle. By 10.30pm, the lights dimmed and the Liverpudlian trio took to the stage to give an intense hour-long performance filled with energy and charisma. 

Matthew Murphy launched straight into the punchy hit ‘Moving to New York’, with the audience reciprocating every lyric with greatest ease. Bassist Tord Knudsen commenced running around the stage after the first beat, driving his energy forward into the atmosphere and encouraging more movement (resulting in an overheated tent), whilst Dan Haggis remained poised yet still ensuring he was giving the drumming his all. The set continued without hesitation, consisting of hits old and new, The Wombats were putting on a show directed at every audience member in their presence. New tracks such as ‘Greek Tragedy’ and ‘Give Me a Try’ were a particular highlight, with catchy choruses being sung back and forth continuously without fail. After what seemed like minutes, the set drew to a close and The Wombats decided to go all out by performing old favourites ‘Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves)’ and ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’. The crowd went absolutely crazy for the trio, resulting in Matthew Murphy coming down into the audience to get mobbed, ending in smiles all around.  

The Wombats have proved once again that they have returned with a vengeance and will always be the band full of catchy hits and insane live shows that they always have been. Their Festival Republic set will always be one to remember, as it was flawless, energetic and best of all, pure entertainment. 


Foals  - by Maria Torres

Yannis from Foals - (C) BBC

Saturday morning, there was a buzz to be felt at the NME/Radio 1 tent. Rumours had been circulating the festival that Indie rock band Foals were to be playing an early afternoon set, following the release of their new album ‘What Went Down.’ Although not yet confirmed, festival-goers were fairly positive that the Oxford based band would be making an appearance after seeing posters scattered around the festival and a fairly implicit clue from the festival organisers. Come noon and the tent itself started to fill-up as the news of the band’s appearance presented itself on social media.  


By 1.40pm, the stage was overflowing with an audience eagerly awaiting for Foals to come on stage. The band promptly made an appearance which generated an overpowering cheer and launched straight into familiar hit ‘My Number.’ The reception from the crowd was overwhelming, with the whole tent singing back every lyric word for word whilst mosh pits formed and dancing took place. Yannis Philippakis’ stage persona was immediately revealed, he owned the stage and maintained full adoration from the audience. Numerous guitar rhythms drove the set along effortlessly, ensuring that the band’s incredible musicianship was highlighted throughout the performance. Foals followed with a new track ‘Mountain at my Gates,’ which again displayed their faultless performance as well as being a definite crowd-pleaser for all present. Resulting in an atmospheric climax, the new song is undoubtedly received as an instant classic. The set continued with a trio of older songs, ‘Inhaler’, ‘Spanish Sahara’ and ‘Red Socks Pugie’ which were all performed flawlessly, reflecting the professionalism as well as the popularity of this highly-established band. The crowd chants echoed throughout the tent continuously, inevitably showing that Foals are destined for even greater things to come in the next year.  



Foals concluded their short 30 minute set with another new track ‘What Went Down,’ introducing the heavier guitar riffs as well as darker lyrics, all driven by a continuous beat which encouraged the crowd to go wild. Yannis resulted in stepping down into the audience and being hailed as an ultimate indie legend, with the audience reciprocating with utter chaos, trying to get within close proximity of the lead singer. As the song reached an abrupt finish the applause for Foals was deafening as well as never-ending. The appreciation from the band themselves to their fans was evident as they made their way off stage.

Throughout this short set Foals displayed their achievement of an even greater level of musicianship, with the release of new material, insane live shows and that they are now more than ready to take on the headline slots at countless festivals to come.  




Catfish and the Bottlemen - by Martin Woods

There is no hiding it, Catfish and the Bottlemen are a big deal, and have been for a while now, with a massive début album  under their belts I expected some sing-a-longs at their set on the BBC/NME Stage but this was on another level.

They're a testament to any band out there thinking that they're is no way they're ever going to be signed, this lot have been together for a long time and now they're reaping their rewards, by playing to a packed out tent at Reading. After a solid Glasto appearance in the rain it was quite nice to see them 'in the dry' - although it was awful weather outside - and during their set they even done a little cover of Stereophonics mid-set. All in all this was a solid set of 9 tracks, expect to see them headline this stage in the future!

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

Simply The Best; Four Days Of Fun, Frolicking and Foals at Bestival

The festival scene is currently thriving to say the least but amongst the teen-fest of Reading + Leeds and the difficult ticket purchasing of Glastonbury, Bestival sticks out like a sore thumb, or at least its 10-metre high disco ball does. Now at the still tender age of eleven years old, the festival has already matured like a fine piece of disco cheese.

Like Rob Da Bank's World Record breaking disco ball, the Isle Of Wight festival site was glistening from field to field this weekend. The 'desert island disco' theme brought out more glitter, inflatable bananas and 'wavey shirts' more than ever, the acts included. From Andre 3000's silver foil poundland-style wig to Chic's balloon feast, Bestival was once again not just a festival, but a spectacle.

Andre 3000 sprouts a silver barnet.

The crowd for The Port.

Despite festival-goers arriving in full flow on Thursday, the party really kicked off with Outkast making one of their 40 festival appearances this year. With a set that swayed in and out of enthusiasm, 'Hey Ya' spurred enough zeal to fill the rest of their remaining tour dates. Elsewhere on the Friday, the alternative vibes were running strong in The Big Top with Nick Mulvey's surprisingly upbeat set and Bipolar Sunshine's uplifting appearance brought about a euphoric sing-a-long.

Saturday is fancy dress day, vibrant flags included.

Bipolar Sunshine brings his soul to the party.

Saturday threw up a few surprises, not least Sophie Ellis-Bextor's hawaiian, leaving little to the imagination, costume. 'Murder On The Dancefloor' spawned a joyous, reminiscent ambience only mirrored later that afternoon by The Kooks surprise set in The Big Top, whose new album 'Listen' was released this week too. The night quite rightly belonged to Foals, who bombarded the crowd with ferocious party streamers who were left lusting for more plunges into their arms from frontman Yannis Philippakis. It's worth noting however, that the security aren't as reliable as the crowd when you do attempt a crowd surf and end up falling to your peril, as I found out.

Foals turn up the desert island disco heat on Saturday night.

With the final hours of Bestival looming, Sunday turned the island into a paradise of DJs. Major Lazer came up with one of the best live spectacles around, unleashing Diplo in a zorb ball over a sweaty, shirtless, all whistling dance enthusiasts. The love between them and their crowd is almost as strong as that in the blown up beams of the inflatable church (yes really). Whilst this must seem like the most intriguing place to be found in Bestival's boundaries, The Port is possibly even more so. A converted old ship, kept from last year's theme, hosted DJs such as Andy C, Wilkinson and Chase & Status whilst not just fireworks, but also acrobats flew above a sea bemused heads.

Festival-goers enjoy the stranger
sights of Bestival at the inflatable
church (above) and The Port (right).

It's worth wondering how 'Bestival' had been envisaged when the quite frankly poor play on words was come up with over a decade ago. Now though, it's a fitting tribute to just how we should experience festivals today. It's not about silent discos and drop-kicking someone to the face, it's about onstage crowd involvement, acrobatic transvestites and getting married to your boozed up mate in blow up church. 

By Joshua Shreeve (@JJShreeve)

Gig Review... Catfish and the Bottlemen @ Lodestar, 29th August 2014

Catfish and the Bottlemen’s triumphant summer is drawing to an end as they prepare to release debut album ‘The Balcony’ and go on their sold out UK run of shows, including a night at Koko London. The weekend after their set at Reading Festival (which for the record was an insane gig) they found themselves in the tiny town Lode (which frontman Van McCann later used in the set to say “Blow a lode”) to play MainStage at Lodestar festival, headlined by Public Service Broadcasting.

Catfish and the Bottlemen have always been a band that put all their effort into their gigs and Lodestar was no different. Opening the set with single ‘Rango’, the band drew a crowd that was strong with teenagers all there just to see them. Young girls at the front were holding a sign for the band whilst a dad held up his 6 or so year old son up in the air for the entirety of the set. “Hey little man, I know you!” McCann shouted at the young boy, recognising him from Latitude Festival and later gave him a setlist.

Powering through all their singles, Catfish and the Bottlemen were giving the crowd a reason to dance and have a good time. The hits such as ‘Kathleen’ and most recent single ‘Cocoon’ were getting a strong reaction. McCann, being the charmer he is, kept on thanking the crowd and telling them how grateful him and the band were and told them that this show was just as special as Reading and Leeds Festival.

Catfish closed with a new song that they have been playing at festivals over the summer, ‘Tyrant’, which will be released as a single very soon. The night didn’t end there for Catfish and the Bottlemen. As soon as the band were offstage they were in the crowd meeting fans and taking photos, showing how much they do appreciate the people that go to their shows.

We at It’s All Indie can’t wait for the album to come out and are counting down the days until their debut UK tour starts. If Ewan McGregor likes the band, you do too!

Written by - Nathan McLaren-Stewart
Photos by - Nathan McLaren-Stewart

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Festival Review... Utopia Island

On the 22nd and 23rd of August an aqua park in Moosburg (near Munich) was turned into the buzzing site of the UTOPIA ISLAND Modern Music Festival. The 8000 people-a-day festival saw mostly German bands perform, with one stage dedicated exclusively to regional talent. Here are some sets I'd like to tell you about. 

The first band I took in were Munich's teenage newcomers "Swallow Tailed". Their vibrant, melodic indie pop set provided a good start to the day's action on UTOPIA's Main Stage. I spoke to the band that evening and conducted my funniest interview to date. You will be able to read the interview and more about the band in this blog in the near future. 

"No festival could be complete without performances by Audiolith artists", the presenter on the Main Stage told the steadily growing crowd. Audiolith are a Hamburg record label with legendary status in Germany due to their great bands (you may know "Fuck Art, Let's Dance!") and leftist views. "So I'm pleased to announce our first Audiolith band of the festival - Captain Capa!", she continued. Their set got people dancing and laughing when, in the middle of their set, a teenage girl climbed onstage and asked them to play Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". "We aren't some party band or DJ", their singer told me afterwards about the incident. Unperturbed by the interruption the band carried on with their aggressive, energy-filled performance. 

Up next were another Munich band: Claire. Their Utopia set was the third time I've seen them live in as many months and I feel that they just go from strength to strength. Their dreamy intro gives way to one of the most energetic sets you'll find. The vibrancy flowing through their performances is perfectly displayed by the dancing of lead singer Josie-Claire Bürkle. Their set saw them play tracks from their debut album "The Great Escape". The crowd loved every minute of it: dancing away and singing along. Before starting their last song Josie-Claire told the crowd that Utopia had been one of their favourite sets of their long and busy festival season. Bands say this at every set, yet somehow I believed Claire... I also have some good news for fans of the band: Josie-Claire told me after their set that they'll be heading into the studio later this year. We'll keep you up to date on that. 

The following band have gone from German newcomers to international stars in a matter of months. You might be familiar with their name: Milky Chance. The duo were the first headliner to perform at the festival. Their set attracted a massive crowd who were clearly enjoying themselves. The duo combined their most famous songs with a host of new ones - while balloons and bubbles got caught in the lightshow, giving the performance a spectacular atmosphere. 

Press speaker Leonhard Mandl summarised the event perfectly by stating: "We're really happy about the weather. Sunshine and our lake go together very well. Our first headliner, Milky Chance, is playing ping pong with the volunteers, we didn't expect that so that's really cool. It's been a real success - everyone is feeling very good. "

Benjamin Brown

Live At Leeds: The Round-up

Leeds has always been a must-play city for bands and one which has a consistently bustling music scene, so what better way to praise it than by hosting a festival there, and I don’t mean the infamous Leeds Festival. 

Live At Leeds is something that you can’t find in an open muddy field, but instead one that scatters all its hidden gems in between every nook and cranny in the city. It’s a place where artists find their feet in small downtown bars and the real indie kids come out to play. The day starts for everyone at the Leeds First Direct Arena where prepubescent teens to middle-aged rockers queue for wristbands and begin to plan their day ahead. 

My day started at the most quaint sounding venue on the cards, ‘A Nation Of Shopkeepers’, where I would end up spending my afternoon here watching three equally fine acts. On arrival, it was more like a nation of people queueing for the bar whilst trying to stay within ear shot of the band on stage, and so I spent the first show of the day at the back of the crowd merely listening to the band on show, Blaenavon. They’re an admirable trio of young lads who have forged a sound out of the remnants of The Maccabees and Bombay Bicycle Club. At one point a bursting Foals-like guitar riff showed the growing maturity in their sound. Their set began with debut track, ‘Into The Night’ and finished on ‘Prague’, their two strongest songs, allowing the lead singer’s distinctive vocals to quaver over the crowd. 

 Hibou took to the same stage mid-afternoon and blessed us with their hawaiian surf-pop vibes all the way from Seattle. All the focus was on frontman Peter Michel and his dreamy vocals. The up and down tempo of ‘Above Us’ showed off their finer guitar skills whilst the darker vibes in ‘Glow’ were at points reminiscent of Bloc Party. They even had time to treat the crowd to a new track, ‘Eleanor’, which had a menacing little picky break down. Feel good vibes all round.

Down the road at the O2 Academy Hudson Taylor were just kicking off so I went in and sat at the back, and listened to their folky vibes which are pretty repetitive and lack luster after a while. They come somewhere in between me picking up a guitar and Mumford & Sons and lets put it this way, anything near sell out arenas is ambitious for them. Elsewhere, another folk inspired band were taking to the Nation Of Shopkeepers stage again - Southern. A young brother and sister duo, born in Belfast and living in Liverpool who ooze a cool bluesy rock scent. The sound wasn’t perfect but the six songs they played cancelled that out. Lead songs ‘Shout It’ and ‘Where The Wild Are’ entice the largest crowd so far into the venue. Playing all the tracks off their debut self-titled EP ‘Southern’, they drew loose comparison to the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Jake Bugg whilst the high, overlapping vocals remind you of White Stripes. There are shouts of ‘encore’ before I manage to grab Thom from the band for a quick chat.

A promising first few acts and Years & Years followed suit. Another band that proved that the youth are stealing the limelight, actor and lead singer Olly Alexander led the band out in a t-shirt and shorts. He may look like he’s ready for a PE lesson and the synth player’s been drafted in as the ‘not cool’ kid from School Of Rock, but these boys are ready for much bigger things if Alexander’s extensive range of choir boy come soul singer vocals are anything to go by. Genuinely happy to have a crowd, and a group of screaming girls who are also eager to see them, the band bust out a few songs including ‘Real’ and their cover of Sean Paul and Blue Cantrell’s ‘Breathe’ brings about comparisons similar to the kind of stuff Clean Bandit are doing.

Elsewhere indie band of the moment Circa Waves filled out the NME Stage at The Cockpit. They’ve got a relentless energy about them, getting straight into things with early hits ‘Get Away’ and ‘Good For Me’, detecting a Pigeon Detectives kind of vibe as the crowd shout back at them. Crowd pleaser, ‘Stuck In My Teeth’, is evidently inspired by The Strokes, whilst new track, ‘Fossils’, has a catchy guitar riff reminiscent of The Wombats; they’re basically a perfect combination of your favourite indie bands of the past ten years. Wolf Alice, on next, bring even more people into the Cockpit and kick things off with latest track ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’ before hurling themselves through equally ferocious ‘She’ and ‘Storms’. They’ve upped their live game and lead singer, Ellie, is starting to become the kind of girl who might bite your parents heads off if you ever took her back home. They enter the bouncy, feel good zone of ‘Bros’ before ending on the rebellious ‘Fluffy’. 

With just a few acts left to play around the city, Johnny Flynn opens the doors of the Holy Trinity Church whilst Palma Violets play their 'secret set' at The Faversham. The Lambeth group play a sweaty and tightly packed 45 minute set, showing off some of their new songs and rounding off the festival.

Live At Leeds brings you the intimacy that other festivals can’t. It’s the first steps for many of these bands, and just a joy to play such special venues for others. Seven years in, it’s bigger than ever and ready to open it’s doors again next year to some of the best up and coming live bands around.

Joshua Shreeve (@JJShreeve)

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

Festival Review...ACL 2013 Days 2 and 3

This past weekend I attended Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas. It's one of my personal favourites because it generally has a decent lineup and reflects the fun and funky personality of Austin. If you ever get a chance to go, I would highly recommend it, you'll have a great time. Since I saw so many bands (including everyone from my Top 10 List) I figured I'd give you the run down on what all I got up to. The festival will be happening again this upcoming weekend with a nearly identical lineup. So here we go, Day 2!

I've tried to listen to Haim before but just couldn't get into them. I saw them live and loved them. The sisters are a force to be reckoned with and put on a great show. I'm really looking forward to getting their album and listening to them more. Silversun Pickups were okay, I went with friends and I just wasn't impressed. They're just an average indie band and many of their songs sound the same to me. They're good performers but the music just wasn't for me.

Grimes was great and her set was packed. Her ethereal vocals sounded great and I had a good time at her set despite not being especially familiar with a lot of her songs. Passion Pit are a decent pop-influenced indie set and they put on a suitably decent set. I don't particularly like or dislike them as a band, and felt the same way about their set.

Kendrick Lamar was a highlight of my day. While great on record, there is an intensity to him that comes across strongly when he performs live. At one point he addressed the audience by saying something along the lines of  "This isn't a rap show, this isn't a performance, it's an experience." He also tried really hard to get the audience involved which is always nice to see, and he sounded great as well.

Going into the festival, I was initially really excited to see The Cure. I enjoyed their set but I just didn't find myself enjoying it as much as I thought I would. I actually enjoyed Depeche Mode much more and I'm not sure if that's because Friday wore me out or what. It was a good set and they played tons of hits but I just wasn't especially impressed.

By the time Sunday rolled around, I was pretty exhausted. I didn't have much interested in staying for Phoenix, Atoms for Peace or Lionel Richie, but here's what I did get up to on Day 3.

The Mowgli's are an alternative rock band from California that I hadn't heard of before the festival. They put on a fun and spirited set that was quite enjoyable. I love going to festivals with friends because we end up taking each other to see bands we wouldn't usually see and it's always fun. Dawes are another a band I wouldn't usually find myself listening to, but I quite enjoyed their set. They're a folk act which usually isn't my style, but the country-folksy style went over great on a Sunday afternoon when you're in the mood for something chill after being at the festival all weekend.

Franz Ferdinand's latest album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action is just really great and I was so happy to get a chance to see them live again. They put on a fantastic show and the crowd got really into it, which was impressive for being the 4pm timeslot on Sunday which can frequently be tough. They played a mix of songs from their career, accented with their usual high kicks and great energy on stage.

ACL is a great festival, and this year was no exception. Maybe I'll see you there next year?

Holly Spidle

Festival Review...Austin City Limits 2013 Day 1

This past weekend I attended Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas. It's one of my personal favourites because it generally has a decent lineup and reflects the fun and funky personality of Austin. If you ever get a chance to go, I would highly recommend it, you'll have a great time. Since I saw so many bands (including everyone from my Top 10 List) I figured I'd give you the run down on what all I got up to. The festival will be happening again this upcoming weekend with a nearly identical lineup. So here we go, Day 1!

Well, watching The Orwells' set was a memorable one for sure. I can now say that's the first time I've ever seen someone throw up/dry heave on stage and I'm pretty sure I could live without a repeat. I was really looking forward to their set, even though it was the very first one of the day, but after watching frontman Mario Cuomo stumble around and actively trying not to throw up I ended up leaving after about three songs. They're a band of 17 year olds from the suburbs of Chicago with a great punk sound, and if they can get it together they have the potential to go somewhere.

From there I headed on to FIDLAR. I was a little concerned going into it since their set time was noon, but I was pleasantly surprised. They're a skater punk band out of LA and I'm just totally in love with them at the moment. A highlight of the set was when the power blew out during the end of "Max Can't Surf," a song about the drummer Max Kuehn. The only thing you could hear was the drums, thus giving Max an impromptu solo on his own song. Their set was full of energy and I highly recommend you go see them live because it's an amazing experience.

I was pleasantly surprised by just how good Jimmy Eat World is. You're all probably familiar with a few of their songs, especially "The Middle," but I was really impressed with the fact that they're actually really great performers. I spent a pleasant hour at their set, initially dragged there by friends.

Arctic Monkeys have been one of my favourite bands for years, and they just killed their live set. I've seen them seven times since 2006 and I have to say that they haven't always been the best live act. The last few times I've seen them have been consistently amazing, and I'm excited to say they have grown into being a consistently good live act. Alex Turner even attempted some awkwardly adorable dance moves and pulled out a comb to fix his hair a few times and the crowd loved it. They sounded fantastic, even if a large portion of the crowd wasn't too familiar with the songs from AM. Arctic Monkeys in the States is a curious thing, except for 15 minutes in 2006 when they were so popular, they just haven't really moved beyond a moderately successful indie band here. I've seen them play ACL three times and they still haven't moved beyond a hour-long set in the middle of the day.

I caught a bit of Queens of the Stone Age and was enjoying it. It was great to see them rocking out but unfortunately their set overlapped with Depeche Mode who were absolutely fantastic. Dave Gahan's voice sounds exactly how it did back in the 80s, I was very impressed. What was especially interesting was how they updated the arrangement of some of their older songs to make them sound more modern, instead of sticking with the now-dated production. They're dedicated musicians through and through, and put on a great show.

Somehow, after all of that, I even managed to go to another gig! After each day of the festival there are several official ACL aftershows at different venues around Austin to give you an opportunity to either see people again or catch bands you may have missed. I really love FIDLAR so I jumped at the opportunity to see them and The Orwells play again. There'll be another post dedicated just to that experience.


All in all, this year's ACL was one of the best. I'd highly recommend this music festival in the future as it's a lot of fun.

Holly Spidle

iTunes Festival 2013 - What gigs to apply for

Hurray, it’s September again! Apart from darker days and chequered leaves, this means one month packed with amazing acts taking place right in the middle of London. The iTunes Festival 2013 rocks The Roundhouse in Camden the whole thirty days.

But behind the huge media attention that Gaga, Thicke or Timberlake get, there are also some alleged minor acts you should not dare to miss. Here are the most essential dates:

2nd:

September After the ‘Swinfest’ kicks off on Sunday there is already the next highlight. The American band Poliça hits the stage with Sigur Rós and combines indie rock with an interesting touch of synthpop.

3rd: September Hey Ho! The Lumineers are set to entertain the London folks with lots of high- quality folk.

4th: September Fenech-Soler transports new dance beats and indie-synth to you so you can hit the floor via live stream even in the living room.

7th: September The weekend offers a massive line up. On Saturday there are Phoenix and Little Green Cars which surely will rock the Roundhouse.

8th: September Sunday stages by now well-known indietronica sensation Bastille supported by the brilliant The 1975 which might be the secret highlight of the whole iTunes Festival.

9th: September For blues heads we recommend Drenge right before the Arctic Monkeys. You won’t regret it.

21st: September Another date to take a note of! On one night you get HAIM playing tracks from their highly anticipated album, twenty-year-old acoustic singer Gabrielle Aplin, as well as Bipolar Sunshine and Dan Croll on one stage.

You can find the whole programme here (http://www.itunesfestival.com/) with additional information and how you can win tickets. Those who cannot be around or did not have enough luck to win some tickets: no need to worry! All concerts will be aired via live stream by, of surprise... by iTunes.

Written by - Sarah Beicht

Festival Review... Beacons Festival 2013

Lying in the North Yorkshire countryside, Beacons Festival is a hipster dream and common pilgrimage from many locals (from Leeds, Kendal, Bradford etc.). With many alterations and additions to this year’s festival, it was better than ever. The increased number of toilets, the increased amount of delicious food stalls, and the increased attention to detail makes this a strong contender for ‘Small Festival of the Year’. With the weather being sunny and pristine on Friday ad Sunday, the Koppaberg tent came into its own and the Urban Outfitters tent was flooded with music, fashion and art fans all weekend. The wind and rain on Saturday put a literal dampener on the festival, but this aside here are my favourite moments.

Top 5 Performances from Recognised Top Guns:

Django Django – Closing the festival and closing their 18 month non-stop touring, Django Django studiously perfected a headline slot. Bringing a psychedelic stage show along with their psychedelic pop craft showed why they had been granted this honour – running through their Mercury Prize nominated debut album, they had the audience swaying, swooning and leaving with a bit of swagger. The colourful show joint forces with the kaleidoscope songs exceeding any expectations. Highlights included fan favourites ‘Waveforms’ and ‘Default’ as well as ‘Skies Over Cairo’ which was announced as a tribute to all the people in the predicament in Egypt.

Bonobo – The Leeds legend ‘bossed’ a 2 hour plus set to end the first day with his stitched up samples and beats. His electronic wizardry carried through the air and had everyone dancing even to new songs from recent album ‘The North Borders’. As Simon Green (aka Bonobo) was placed back of centre stage on a pedestal, he was accompanied by a 6 or 7 piece band which added lustrous reverb and wholesome sounds. With aid from a female vocalist on many songs, the elaborate instrumentation showed why he is one of the north’s great modern dance acts. The only downside of the long set was the inevitable lack of variety and change in sound, the set lagged a bit at the end with a ‘samesy’ feeling.

Ghostpoet – In my opinion, the best performance of the whole festival (but I change my mind every day). With a much-admired Mercury Prize nominated album and new record ‘Some Say I So I Say Light’ under his belt, the softly spoken, gentle rapper was not short of classics. The laid back beats and hip hops rhythms echoed around the mainstage with fans in ultimate adoration. ‘Cash And Carry Me Home’ notably bringing the biggest reaction, and despite a microphone fault Obaro Ejimiwe finished his set alongside his band in dramatic fashion.

SBTRKT – Due to Solange dropping out, SBTRKT was given the opportunity to sub-headline with a DJ set. Although not his textbook live show, he filled the time exceptionally remixing songs off his album as well as up-to-the-minute hip hop and rap favourites from Kendrick Lamar. There’s not much to really say apart from you have to see this guy (live show or DJ set) before it’s too late.

Local Natives – Amongst all the dance acts and playing after the pleasing Gold Panda, it seemed Local Natives were a bit out of place at the top of the Beacons bill. Tugging at heartstrings, the band delivered a euphoric folk-rock set full of songs from both albums. ‘Airplanes’ and ‘Breakers’ being mainstream preferences. With such success from fellow sounding acts Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear (both themselves headlining bigger festivals), the LA quartet have big ambition and showed that they are made of the strong stuff.

Top 5 Performances from Up and Coming Bands:

Savages – After returning for a second year in a row, Savages delivered another undoubted highlight of the festival. With a packed out ‘You Need To Hear This’ Stage, the ladies delivered a powerful and passionate show, delving into their gothic post-punk late ‘70s sound with a steely Joy Division like edge. The cult heroes ran through their 45 minute set with no trouble; exuding confidence and emotion, they played faultless versions of tracks from their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Silence Yourself’. Vocalist Jehn heightening the liberating thrashing of the band with a thousand yard stare that catches each and every member of the audience. All the raucous bashing is calmed at the end of the set by ‘Fuckers’ which is a distant composed rhythm despite the name making you think otherwise.

Savages played:

City’s Full

Shut Up

Strife

I Am Here

No Face

She Will

Hit Me

Husbands

Fuckers

Childhood – With a high billing on their respective stage, it is obvious that this band mean business and with a few ‘indie classics’ under their belt they did not disappoint. With woozy innocence and a surprisingly big stage presence, the band pleased all crowd members with their shoegaze rich and dreamy melodies shown in ‘Blue Velvet’ and ‘Solemn Skies’. Briefly meeting the band out and about the arena the next day, they seemed very “honoured with the turnout” which grew with every beat they played despite the pouring rain.

Dan Croll – Just like the above artists, Dan Croll played a perfect set and potentially one of the best of the Friday. With catchy singles ‘Compliment Your Soul’, opener ‘From Nowhere’ and new favourite ‘In / Out’, Dan and his full band nonchalantly cruised through audience satisfaction and radiated a cool, likeable aura. The indie pop suiting the first day in the sun.

Drenge – There is only so much you can say about Eoin and Rory Loveless and their effortless yet massive bluesy rock. The combination of the simple set up of guitar and drums, and the natural chemistry blows all minds. ‘Bloodsports’ bringing the biggest reaction of the night as the noise echoes through the small festival.

Wolf Alice – Personal bias aside - fast growing London guitar outfit Wolf Alice + main stage tent = certain highlight of any festival. With this sum true, Ellie and her joyous companions blew away all punters with a taste of old and new by transferring what is on record into something completely new. A new beast. A raucous, untamed beast. The set included ‘Bros’, ‘Leaving You’ and ‘Fluffy’ with new tracks most likely being from recently announced EP ‘Blush’, and with what I heard it is unquestionably a record worth buying.

3 Bands To Look Out For:

The Wytches – Dark psychedelia, appropriately named ‘surf doom’. Expect howling guitars, drum wails and crashes, and an image that alike trying to get out of a bad trip.

Best Friends – Sheffield youngsters who parade purposefully sloppy garage rock accompanied with catchy choruses and fuzzed up vocals. Think a recreated Ramones who perform surf rock. Check out 7” ‘Surf Bitches / Grow Old’.

Ofei – Purveyor of innovative soul music, who turns a head to press and shuns modern media. With little to his name, he allows the stories do the talking and they do this quite loudly. A unique voice that you’ll learn to love due to talent alone.

 

Top 3 DJ Performances:

John Talabot – Enigmatic Spanish DJ and producer known for sun soaked, blissful, house music. Legend of the game and rightly so headlined the Resident Advisor stage.

Bondax – Genre drifting bliss that can’t be tamed. Watch out for these guys, I predict a rise in fame akin to Disclosure, but slower, steadier and more powerful due to relatively little pressure.

Floating Points – Gentle, jazz, house, melodic dubstep. Historic vinyl only affairs.

3 Performances Missed that maybe I should have seen:

Eagulls – Talks around the press tent, made it known that the Leeds punk band had the most raucous set of the weekend, with a crazy reaction of crowd surfers, mosh pits and an attempted invasion.

Ben UFO – One of the most influential DJs and producers in the north. From Leeds, he’s already racked up a discography including names such as James Blake and Pearson Sound.

Danny Brown – Raised on a diet of Dr. Seuss books, the 32 year old rapper is very rarely seen over on these shores. 2013 brings his third album which is known very little about, rumours to have feature from A$AP Rocky, Purity Ring and Charli XCX.

Top 3 Performances from Local (Leeds) Bands:

Sky Larkin – Loud, space fillers. Check out ‘Motto’.

Hookworms – Echo heavy rock ‘n roll. Check out ‘What We Talk About’.

Glassbody – Dramatic, heart-breaking, epic yet intimate songs from a school outfit. Nailed a funky cover of ‘Ignition’ by R Kelly.

Written by - Richard Maver