Glastonbury 2014 Highlights

It goes without saying that a weekend at Glastonbury was an incredible experience. Heavy rain only added to the festival package, and despite discovering that anoraks and wellies are only waterproof up to a certain extent, the music made up for the soaking I received. 

A true music blogger, I had a list filled with bands to see - sadly, as with any good festival, too many clashes meant I had to choose selectively. John Grant was the true highlight of the weekend. Singing songs from his most recent album, Pale Green Ghosts, and his previous album, Queen of Denmark, Grant had the perfect mix of songs throughout his set. His gentleness as a frontman also came across, matching the beautiful serenity of his voice. Lykke Li was also highly anticipated, and she didn't disappoint. Effortlessly cool, she was at ease on stage singing old favourites like 'Little Bit' and 'I Follow Rivers'; however, it was the rousing chorus of 'No Rest For The Wicked' that was the biggest crowd-pleaser of the set. Foster The People's set encountered difficulties when it was postponed for an hour due to an electrical storm over the festival site, but when they finally took to the Other Stage, it was a slick performance. With their songs being used for numerous adverts over the past few years, the audience knew all the words, perfect for a festival where crowd camaraderie is all part of the fun. 

On the Sunday afternoon, Dolly Parton attracted Glastonbury's largest ever audience for a show-stopping set. Old classics like 'Jolene' and 'Here You Come Again' were blended with newer material, pleasing everyone. Despite later hearing allegations of miming, for me the set was one of the highlights of the weekend. With over 50 years' experience behind her, Parton has perfected her role as a performer; happy to poke fun at herself, she is easy to warm to. 

Of course, Glastonbury isn't only famous for the big names it pulls for headline slots. The amount of exposure and support offered to lesser known bands is impressive. The BBC Introducing Stage is one of the ways in which the festival achieves this, with BBC DJs from around the country recommending some of the best up-and-coming bands of the moment. Aquilo, a duo from the Lake District, brought dreamy electronic pop and soulful vocals to Worthy Farm. They've had a number of festival dates over the summer, and are definitely ones to watch over the coming months; a sound as beautiful and expansive as theirs is unlikely to remain little known for long. Flights of Helios were another highlight from the BBC Introducing Stage. Their sound is almost a dark psychedelia, with 'Factory' having a grungy quality that provides an exhilarating listen. Amongst the famous acts at Glastonbury, it's inspiring to see so many bands at the beginning of their careers play at the world's most famous music festival - surely a dream for any musician. 

With over 60 stages, it was easy to stumble across bands I'd previously not heard of. In fact, as I had no expectations, these turned out to be some of the best sets of the weekend. The Woohoo Revue are an Australian band who play Balkan inspired music which wouldn't sound out of place in a 1920s speakeasy. Their energetic and vibrant music was enormous fun, and had audience members dancing enthusiastically. Peatbog Faeries, described by the introducer as playing 'electric céleidh music' were the last band I saw play at Glastonbury, and ended the weekend on an incredible high. I've always enjoyed traditional Scottish folk music, but the addition of electric guitars and basses was truly like nothing I've ever heard before. 

From Balkan music to Scottish folk and then onto Malian father and son duo Toumani & Sidiki Diabaté, all the bases of world music were covered. Playing purely instrumental music on koras, their set was a chance to take a step back from the intensity of the weekend, and their music was perfectly suited to the Sunday afternoon slot they had on the Pyramid Stage. Europop was also represented at the festival. French and Belgian fans were out in force for Belgian singer Stromae's set on the Sonic Stage. Huge on the continent, and yet not so famous over here, it was nice to see that English fans comprised about half of the audience. A quick poll by Stromae quickly established that about a third of the crowd spoke no French at all; a testament to the zesty and upbeat sounds of his songs, all of which are sung in French. 

The beauty of Glastonbury is the eclectic mix of genres throughout the weekend; the diversity opens up ones eyes to new bands and discoveries that they never would have considered listening to. From Dolly Parton to a DJ set by Disclosure to John Grant, the range of music I listened to and saw at Glastonbury ensured the weekend was an unforgettable one. When rain dampens spirits, music can always pick them up again.

Information about buying tickets for Glastonbury 2015 will be released later this year

www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

Review: Latitude Festival, Suffolk 12-15th July

      There's no doubt that it has been a difficult year for British music festivals, with declining ticket sales across the board, and Sonisphere being cancelled. However, Latitude came up on top with its rich diversity of acts, and despite the rain, the weekend was a huge success with brilliant sets from Elbow, Alt-J, Metronomy and Twin Shadow amongst many others.

     The fact that Latitude is very much a family festival certainly didn't detract teenagers from attending. The crowd gathered in the Obelisk Arena for Givers on the Friday morning was a good mix of ages, and despite having the difficult first slot on the main stage, Tiffany Lamson's banshee-like yet melodically brilliant scream bounced around the arena, pulling more listeners in as the set progressed.

     It was a general consensus amongst my friends that First Aid Kit turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment. Dressed like peasants in their flowery embroidered kaftans, the Swedish sisters, although they had stunning voices, were underwhelming in their songs. Lacking energy, each song sounded much like its predecessor, and although their music would have been perfectly adequate in the background of a dinner party, the duo simply weren't strong enough as a standalone act.

      After a rather mediocre half hour spent watching First Aid Kit, it was up to Twin Shadow to turn things around in the i Arena, and that, he did. With his thick mass of hair being thrown all over the place, George Lewis jr. was in his element. Spitting out his words to the mass of people crammed inside the tent, the rich framework of electric guitars bled into the thudding drum with a frantic excitement, and although the set was short, it was exhilarating.

      Though much more relaxed in their style of music than their American counterparts, the slow moving pace of The Antlers' opener, Rolled Together, was never in danger of drifting into dull waters. There was little audience banter, which usually annoys me. However, for The Antlers, the silence between songs seemed fitting. The hypnotic nature of the set was mellowing, and provided a calmer moment amongst all the excitement of the day. 

     Due to an annoying clash with The Antlers in the schedule, I was only able to witness a short section of Amadou and Mariam's set. However, of what I saw, the couple's soulful music complete with a driving African drumbeat, and an explosion of colour in the clothing on stage warmed the shivering crowd who had gathered by the main stage in the rain to hear the Mali duo play.

Amadou and Mariam in the Obelisk Arena

      After watching Dexys, who appeared to be wearing the same clothes they wore the first time round, and learning exactly how many times the chorus of Come On, Eileen can be repeated before it becomes the very bane of your existence, it was on to the Lake Stage for Alt-J. Despite looking a bit geeky, the thumping bass gave them an edge which anchored some of the less catchy tunes from drifting into nothingness. Crowd favourite, Breezeblocks, was met with countless triangles of appreciation being made with hands in the air (Alt-J is the mac shortcut for the triangle symbol) and it was clear why. Leadsinger Joe Newman's voice rose above the synths and heavy guitar in a sumptuous sea of noise. Though only a recent addition to the British music scene, the sheer amount of people crowded around the stage was a testament to the success that they have become since the release of their debut album, An Awesome Wave. 

     Saturday brought yet more rain, but also the promise of some brilliant music. Of Monsters and Men played to a packed out tent in the i Arena, their songs a healthy dose of folkish tunes and glittering pop; whilst Theme Park lit up the Lake Stage with new single Jamaica which lived up to its name with its summery hooks and laid back beat. 

     Having narrowly missed out on The Crookes playing at the Borderline last year, I was excited when I heard they'd be playing at Latitude, and they certainly didn't disappoint. Playing new material (Maybe In The Dark, Afterglow) alongside some of their older songs, there was plenty of variety in the set. During Backstreet Lovers, lead singer, George Waite, suggested that as a solution to the rain, the audience shared the warmth the band were radiating, by jumping over the barrier, overcoming the small female security guard and storming the stage. Although in reality the crowd was far too placid to do such a thing, it certainly got a bit more movement amongst the spectators, and was a clever tactic on Waite's behalf. The chirpy Yes, Yes, We're Magicians, ended the set with a rousing finish, and sticking around to chat with fans at the end cemented The Crookes as not only skilled musicians, but officially lovely chaps as well.

George Waite of The Crookes talking to fans after their set on the Lake Stage

     It was a shame that Django Django, despite having a large following, were playing on one of the smallest stages. The Scots' jangling synth-pop, although brilliant, didn't carry well enough outside the tent to where hundreds of people were craning their necks to try and catch a glimpse of the band. After many futile attempts to get inside the tent, I gave up and instead settled for watching Laura Marling on the main stage. I've never been much of a Marling fan, but her set confirmed for me how truly dull I find her. It wasn't her fault that she was drowned out by the thumping bass of SBTRKT in a nearby tent, but her lack of stage presence didn't help either. Hardly ever looking up from her guitar, she seemed far away from the audience, and came across disinterested and cold. 

     However Metronomy quickly turned the evening around with their quirky electronic pop. With Anna Prior on drums (who is quite possibly the coolest woman in music) the songs had a summery feel to them, particularly crowd favourites The Bay and The Look. 

     Elbow continued the feel-good vibes with their headline set. As thousands gathered in the Obelisk Arena, the rich guitar hooks of Grounds For Divorce bounced around the field as drunken revellers shouted the lyrics with joyful enthusiasm. Despite lead singer Guy Garvey's incessant cries of 'Good attitude, Latitude. We have gratitude for your platitude.' wearing a little thin after the tenth hearing, he came across brilliantly. Singing 'it's looking like a beautiful day' mere hours after the sun appeared for the first time in the weekend as fireworks exploded into the inky night, was a magical ending to the second day. 

     Sunday got underway with Francois and the Atlas Mountains in the i Arena. Due to a late start, the set was cut to a paltry twenty minutes, and from the raptuous applause at the end it was clear that the audience had appreciated every precious second. Having seen them play only a month earlier at The Applecart Festival, I was surprised by how different the sets seemed. Perhaps it was the fact that the sun was shining down on Latitude at that particular moment (rather than the torrential rain Applecart witnessed) but the songs seemed to glitter in the sunshine with their glorious mix of French and English lyrics.

     Alabama Shakes lit up the Obelisk Arena with their blues rock. Lead singer, Brittany Howard's soulful voice rang out on Hold On, and the laid back nature of their songs created the perfect ambiance for a sunny afternoon.

Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes

     Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes were next up on stage. Opening with 40 Day Dream, leadsinger, Alex Ebert (looking rather messianic with his white linen outfit and thick brown hair and beard) jumped into the crowd much to the delight of thousands of screaming fans as they shouted the lyrics back at him. It's safe to say that it was one of the most energetic performances at the weekend. Ebert was accompanied on stage by around 10 others on a variety of instruments, and they seemed to play up the happy family atmosphere on stage. However, at times the set came across as a tad contrived. Perhaps I'm just a cynic, but I thought it was all a bit twee (an accordionist with Heidi plaits and co-singer Jade Castrinos' references to how much she loved her mum didn't help matters). Despite their somewhat annoying on-stage personas, musically, the set was brilliant - a lesson for all in making upbeat, catchy songs with a good mix of instruments to create layers of rich sounds that knit together beautifully.

     It was obvious that Ben Howard was a little overwhelmed playing to thousands of people on the main stage, so it was no surprise when he stated: 'Jesus Christ, this is the biggest crowd I've ever played to, and I've just broken a guitar string'. However Howard needn't have been so worried. The crowd lapped up every note and every shy smile, and soon he seemed much more at ease, singing Keep Your Head Up with a fiery passion, spurred on by the fans eagerly singing along.

     The last act to appear at Latitude was the mod-father himself, Paul Weller. It was perhaps a sign of the 'family feel' of the festival, that it was mainly middle aged folk watching the set who remembered him from the first time around; however there were still plenty of teenagers having a boogie to classics from The Jam era like Eton Rifles and Town Called Malice. The crowd was noticeably smaller than that for Elbow's headline set the previous night though, and it seemed a shame that the sets hadn't been switched around - Elbow would have made a much more jubilant finish to the weekend. Despite this, the evening was still good fun, and a happy end to 3 days of wonderful music.

 For (much!) better quality photos visit the Latitude website

The Applecart Festival - Victoria Park

Francois Marry

       For the very British nature of the weekend, with dear Queen Betty celebrating 60 years on the throne, it was only apt that the most British of weathers accompanied the festivities. And so with an anorak and some wellies I ventured into the great unknown of East London, for a day filled with jovial jubilations to lift my spirits out of the depressing existence of looming exams.

       The dulcet tones of French band, François & The Atlas Mountains brought a splattering of Mediterranean sunshine to the otherwise rain-soaked morning, and the almost hypnotic feel of Les Plus Beaux reminded me of fellow French act, M83, with its gentle melodies and whispered vocals. The set was brief, with hardly a spoken word directed at the growing crowd apart from the occasional 'merci', but lead singer, François Marry, kept the audience enraptured with his mesmerising swaying around the stage, and a little grin escaping from his rather solemn face every once in a while.

       Taking to the stage next was Gaz Coombes (lead-singer of Supergrass). After the band split up in 2010 after 17 years together, Coombes has returned with his debut solo album,
Here Come The Bombs. 'With a song entitled Whore, Coombes' new tracks seem to encompass a melancholic psychedelia, far from the easy-breezy Britpop of Supergrass' Alright  and Sun Hits The Sky.

Lianne La Havas

      Lianne La Havas, by contrast, brightened up the main stage tent with her soulful voice and radiant smile. Opening with No Room For Doubt, La Havas' vocals rang out into the tent with a crystal clarity, delivering each line with certainty and precision. Despite the sombre tone of the song, her bubbly personality was soon clear to the audience - getting out her iPhone to take a picture of the crowd only increased the warmth felt towards her. Gone, a song which she relates is written about her ex-boyfriend, almost has a jazz-lounge feel to it, and showcased the extraordinary power of her voice, when the music swelled in the chorus. The upbeat Is Your Love Big Enough? brought the set to a rousing finish, and despite the crowd shying away when La Havas invited them to join in with the chorus, the number of photographers in the press pit was a testament to the success she has already found, and an inkling that there's a lot more to come from the gorgeous London lass.
                                                                             
 

       
        It  was not surprising on the Jubilee weekend that Billy Bragg had a lot to say about the monarchy and the state of the country in the present moment. Where others, he states, feel proud to be British when they see the Queen, he feels patriotic when watching the Leveson Enquiry on the television - a theme firmly embedded in Never Buy The Sun. A rendition of Bob Marley's One Love reflected the political activism with new lyrics about dropping the debt in Africa, and complete with actions for the audience, proceeded to be a huge success amongst the crowd. Despite Bragg declaring to the audience that 'music doesn't have the power to change the world', his lyrics certainly evoked much thought amongst the audience members, and I was left with the sense that perhaps Bragg's songs have a larger impact on people than he thinks.

Billy Bragg

       With both tents running around forty minutes behind schedule, there was a lot of hanging around before Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves Of Destiny took to the stage over in the other tent -  though it was definitely worth the wait. Houghton, with her slightly uncouth but good-humoured nature, delighted the audience with her Geordie charm, and in the spirit of the festivities related her search for loo roll because she 'needed a poo'. When Houghton sang, however, her voice took on an older, more sophisticated tone. The summery vibe of Atlas warded off thoughts of the impending gloom of the pouring rain outside, and filled the tent with glittering sunshine for a brief moment, whilst Dodecahedron showed a softer and more vulnerable side.

        Stornoway's set opened with new song, Farewell, Appalachia!, a haunting but magical number with lead singer, Brian Briggs' voice intertwining with the soaring violin to create a beautiful but spine-chilling effect, whilst the thundering cymbals conjured up images of the dramatic landscape of the Appalachian Mountains. The audience were also introduced to other songs which didn't feature on debut album, Beachcomber's Windowsill. Having already heard The Bigger Picture at previous gigs, and not immediately falling in love with it, I was pleasantly surprised with the new arrangement, which now involves input from the whole band for a much fuller sound, which certainly made for a bigger impact than the last few times I've heard it.

       All the elements of the perfect Stornoway set were present. Crowd favourites, Watching Birds and Zorbing were played with the charm and exuberance that make Stornoway so loved by many, and in usual Storno-fashion, Briggs delighted the audience with his many anecdotes - relating both the plight of hundreds of sheep falling off a lorry on an Australian motorway; and the day it rained sardines in Ipswich, making the rain lashing down outside seem quite tame in comparison.

Charlie Fink

         After a rather interesting hour spent watching Adam Ant,  the long wait for Noah and the Whale to appear was finally over. Walking on stage to a jazzed up version of the theme music from 2001: A Space Odyssey, the wannabee astronauts opened with Life Is Life - with its rousing chorus and close harmonies, it was an instant hit with the crowd. The gospel-like Old Joy contrasted beautifully with the more upbeat tempos of Waiting For My Chance To Come and Give It All Back, and as Charlie Fink (lead-singer) noted, the pitter-patter of raindrops sounding on the roof of the tent provided the perfect backdrop to the song.
   
        With a good mix of songs from all three of their albums, their headline set proved to be a huge success amongst everyone in the audience. Finishing with L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N, the masses spilled out from Victoria Park onto the streets of East London in high spirits, with hardly a thought for the royal flotilla only a short distance away, which had been preoccupying the minds of most of the country.

For more photos from the day, visit the NotAnotherRainySunday facebook page 

www.theapplecartfestival.com