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
