[Beacons] Highlights including Local Natives, Danny Brown and Wet Nuns

With the ever growing number of festivals in the UK it's easy to get lost in a sea of bands you've most likely seen on a previous weekend. Beacons however managed to create a line-up full of diverse acts who chances are, you won't be seeing elsewhere over the Summer in 2013. So with that in mind, I took the trip over to Skipton to see what all the fuss was about. I wasn't disappointed.

Getting to festivals can also be a nightmare, this was one of the smoothest transitions I've ever had arriving to some fields in the middle of nowhere. I was greeted by a hoard of people queuing to get in and all I could think was: "I really want a beer". I get in and pitch up my tent in a lovely spot over looking a field full of my best mates for the weekend. (They were cows, not actual real life people). I then go grab a drink to find I've in my haste to get in a welly has fallen from my bag and with the weekend's weather forecast looking rather grim, this was a disaster of a way to start my first year at Beacons.

I decide to retrace my steps through backstage and the carpark. Back to the entrance twice over. Nothing. This took a good 2 hours. (I could be exaggerating it just felt like an age) Just as I'd given up hope and thought "fuck it", there it is, a gleaming beam of light in front of me. My lost welly. The crowd outside the entrance give me a strange stare as I seem rather too pleased to have found a lone piece of footwear. This may seem irrelevant but finding this put me in the best mood for the start of a very fun weekend filled with the usual stuff you find at festivals and a lot more too. 

Entering the main arena you're greeted by several tents, a futuristic looking dome, some fun and games including a rather fun slide, and the huge Beacons logo (seen below), it was welcoming and felt like home. The next step was to get this long awaited beer. Most festivals charge you over the odds for warm mass produced lager or cider. Beacons offered a real ale tent selling a huge range of fabulous locally brewed ales. They were fantastic and my thirst was more than quenched by the Whitelock's tent all weekend.

The first band to grab my attention on Friday were Thumpers who played on the You Need To Hear This Stage, the London duo, Led by Marcus Pepperell, helped break me into the music for the weekend with lovely harmonies and an all round warm and upbeat feel-good sound. Next up are a band from Manchester who go by the misleading name of Egyptian Hip-Hop who play a blend of mind altering tunes which seemed to go down pretty well with the eager Friday revellers in the tent. 

 

My plan with festivals is always to take a "must-see" list but more often than not this plan goes absolutely out of the window due to some crazy unforeseen circumstance, the welly for instance meant I missed a few on that list but I was certain I would watch the soul driven songstress  Lulu James. Taking to the Loud and Quiet stage she belts out song after song and it's easy to forget she's a proper northern girl with the accent to boot. Her tracks "Closer" and "Step by Step" got the tent moving along with herself, as she said she'd injured her foot the night before on some glass. You wouldn't of known to see the way she was moving around the stage.

Bonobo offered up a delightful end to the first days festivities as the Loud and Quiet tent was packed full of the mixed crowd of young and old. All happily merry at the end of Beacons day one. Some may have been a bit dishevelled but it's bound to happen. And with that I hit the tent for some peaceful sleep opposite my new friends the cows.

Saturday came around and so did some not so great weather. Waking up at a festival to rain is never fun. Boy was I thankful I'd found that god forsaken wellington boot 24 hours prior or I'd of been one miserable sucker all day. Walking around at a festival is even less fun but with all of the music taking place inside tents it made for a much easier ride than the majority of festivals you may have been to and add to the the huge Whitelocks ale tent and you've got not excuse to be holed up in your tent for too long, however hungover you may be.

Making my way not the arena first thing I was met by the wonderful Findlay performing in the You Need To Hear This tent and lead singer Natalie Findlay certainly knew how to way up the slightly moist crowd playing a set filled with blues garage rock loud enough for a far bigger stage. Looking a little tired in her delivery at times, the crowd seemed to warm with her throughout and by the end many were finding themselves singing along to the incredibly catchy "Off and On". I actually heard quite a few people mumbling it to themselves throughout the day in numerous levels of drunkenness. Definitely an act to keep our eyes on in the coming months/years.

We've talked about the great drinks on offer at the festival, but the food was superb too. Not your average mass produced £8 burgers, pulled pork baguette and crap sausage butties. Oh no no, all the vendors on site were hand picked offering a mouth watering selection of meals. Curries, BBQ, Mexican and my saving grace of the weekend, luxury hot-dogs. Seriously, it didn't feel like festival food and it was all made by lovely people. Two thumbs up from me on the food side of thing for Beacons.

The Loud and Quiet stage was a haven in the rain and entertainment came in wonderful form from Stealing Sheep with their delicate female harmonies and Temples delivered their ever more familiar sound to the tent with seeming ease. I was pleased to see JAWS playing the YNTHT stage too bringing their dreamy distant guitar sound to the smaller stage. A transcendent laid back early evening show was delivered from the Birmingham boys.

Saturday's ever brightening (kind of) day was brought to a close by an absolutely spot on, spine tingling set from LA's Local Natives. Playing a range of songs from Gorilla Manor and this year's Hummingbird, the tent was pretty much full to capacity. Their harmonies filled the tent from rafter to rafter and by the end of their set my voice was shot. An encore later for "Sun Hands" and the band were gone. It seemed like Saturday had flown by, and the dreaded Sunday at a Festival was looming. A few beers later and day two was finished. 

Sunday at a festival is like walking the plank. You don't want to reach the end for the ocean that is reality and your day job is just a day of music and a train journey away. You hold on to Sunday as long as you can so with that in mind I made my way first thing in the morning to enjoy Sky Larkin play to a relatively empty tent. Not that it was their fault. It seemed like there was an issue with cleaning the toilets on site which meant we couldn't actually get into the site until the band had pretty much begun. It didn't matter they played a nice set to an ever growing crowd. 

Lone Wolf offered a nice break from the day in the You Need To Hear This tent which was curated by Wet Nuns on Sunday boasting some stellar sets bands that all seemed very friendly off the stage as well s on it. I also headed over to the Into The Woods tent for a talk about whiskey which involved tasting a hell of a lot of the stuff. It's not all about the music at Beacons.  However before those, Splassh managed to grabbed my attention with their laid back guitar tracks that give me a new hope for this whole slacker thing that's reigning supreme at the moment. They definitely got the main stage pumped for what promised to be a highlight of the weekend in the shape of Detroit's Danny Brown. 

 

The tent awaited with eager eyes as the set time came and went. Maybe I was just clock watching a little too much, but Danny came on nearly ten minutes late to raucous applause and in his high energy set kept the whole tent bouncing. You don't have to know a lot of his tracks to join in as he had a little back and forth with the crowd throughout his set. He was in amongst the front rows for a few tracks too, making sure no-one was slacking in their participation. His upcoming album Old is certainly going to be one to check out when it's released. Stand outs for me was Danny proclaiming he was "The Black Brad Pitt" before performing the Evil Nine track along with "Radio Song". 

Back to the Wet Nuns curated tent to see the band that picked the days bands perform themselves to a full tent. Taking us out to Joshua Tree in a few swift moments as the two piece melt some faces with riff upon riff. It seemed fitting as the sun was beginning to lower that these guys had a pretty decent crowd who seemed to be enjoying their balls to the wall metal. A triumph of a day on their stage and a triumph from them too. I managed to then catch a good portion of the masked crusader known as SBTRKT deliver some impressive tunes during his DJ set in the Loud and Quiet tent. My mind does seem to be a a little hazy but I remember several Drake tracks being played which seemed to be everyone's cup of tea, who'd of thought it? I suppose we all started from the bottom in some way or another.  

Sunday was closed by the Mercury nominated Django Django which seemed fitting. Delivering their offbeat guitar pop, the harmonies fitted the mood of the evening well. I found myself kind of marching on the spot to "Default", much like I'd be doing on my way back to the office a few days later. It seemed like once again a day of music had melted away, much like the motivation for anything other than the rhythm of waking, drinking and enjoying good music with like minded folk at a festival. I was already dreading Monday morning.

For a festival that takes a big side step from your usual Reading/Leeds, V Festival shtick and offers up a broad and paler pleasing mix of artists established and new, Beacons hands down took the top spot for enjoyment this summer. You can tell that a huge amount of thought and time has been put into every minute detail of the weekend and with it still being so young, I can see it becoming a force to be reckoned with in years to come. I'd highly advise checking it out next years event as it promises to be bigger and better. Head over to the official site where you can grab some early bird tickets for next year's event already. You won't regret it. 

Photos courtesy of Beacons.

[Y Not Festival] Day Two Highlights including The 1975 and "one of the best Cribs shows ever"

I personally think day two at a festival is the hardest. You get over eager on the Friday and inevitably have a few too many. Sunday's easier as you tend to (not always, mind you) have learned your lesson. So with a slightly delicate head on the Saturday, I started my day with a band to shake off the cobwebs after a long and very wet Friday at Y Not Festival 2013. The band I'm talking about are an act who have been hyped beyond belief by BBC radio in recent months.  

Hailing from Sheffield the band consisting of two brothers, Drenge, took to the stage to a swelling crowd as the day was still young. Feedback galore and riffs to shake your insides out they made a hell of a racket for a two piece. Their latest single "Face Like A Skull" got the crowd energised and they went down as easy as the  days third real ale. The only problem with the entire thing was the way the drum kit was Mic'd up. The snare was far too loud. I'm one of this people who blinks with incredibly loud noises and I was on and off like an Xbox controller on its last legs. Still, the set was great.

As the ay progressed I explored the grounds a little more. The festival itself is cosy. You don't have to walk any longer than 10 minutes to get to where you want to be. At one point I was approached to be asked if I wanted a back massage by a lovely lady who took donations if it was decent. I declined at this point but I saw many a person take the pair up on their free back rubs. The general atmosphere of the entire fest is something I wish everyone could experience. It's so relaxed and friendly. You can strike up a conversation with anyone and they'll offer one back. Sure, it could be a drunken rambling about their last pair of wellies but it's fun. 

Back to the music. Up next on the Big Gin Stage were Swim Deep, another band gaining momentum in the past few months. On the surface they look like every other indie and you can imagine. Shaggy hair and floral shirts, but their delivery of their songs was honest. Considering the hectic year they've had they delivered a solid set and for a mid level band on the bill they pulled in a decent crowd. As I went to grab a coat from my tent, I saw the boys walk off stage and have a kick about with a football before some of their interviews. They seemed relaxed and accomplished. They seemed to have enjoyed their outing in Derbyshire.

Another band who've been thrust into the limelight over the past 6 months are a band we've had endless love for from day one here on SKOA; The 1975. I wandered over to The Quarry tent to be greeted by a sea of people surging 15feet from the entrances. Their was no way in to the tent as the band delivered perfect indie pop to the heaving afternoon crowd. Luckily the sun was shining and I could sit and admire how far the Manchester based band had come in such a short time. Their singles "Sex" and "The City" were greeted with raucous applause and cheers from the crowd. I think they'll be not he main stage of many a festival in 2014.  

Back to the main stage now for a throwback of kinds in the form of Ash. A band who Ive personally not listened to in a good 10 years. Which is kind of odd really considering they're probably right at the top of my iTunes collection when it's opened. They opened with "A Life Less Ordinary" before going straight into "A Girl From Mars" which had me bouncing up and down like a teenage boy once more. Not bad for a song that came out when I was 6 years old. The set was stellar and they ended on their biggest hit "Burn Baby Burn" and like that they were gone. Who knows when I'll next listen to them, but they made me happy and that's all you can ask from a live show really. 

To the main event of the evening. The second band of brothers to take to the Big Gin Stage on Friday were Wakefield's finest export The Cribs. As the Jarman family took to the stage the crowd was the largest I've witnessed at my two years attending the festival. Heads as far as the eye could see. It's no Glastonbury Pyramid stage but it felt like something special was about to go down, and it did. "Chi-Town" tour the place apart within the opening seconds and the crowd was bouncing, swaying from side to side as it surged. People fell down, they got picked up. The set was purely the hits. It's easy to forget how much great material these lads have. "I'm A Realist" , "Cheat On Me", "Mirror Kissers", "Hey Scenesters" and "Men's Needs" all made an appearance. It was one of those sets where it felt like it ended too quickly. As it ended, another day did also.

Ryan Jarman would later take to twitter to state: I could try to explain how amazing [Y Not Festival ]was last night, but I just can’t. One of the best Cribs shows ever.” Saturday was a good day.

[Beacons] Our Most Anticipated Artists of the Festival

As far as straight up awesome festival line-ups go, Beacons Festival has nailed one of the most diverse and ear pleasing rosters I've seen in recent years in 2013. The festival itself is an infant, still finding its feet in the ever growing rough terrain of the small festival wilderness in the UK and in 2011 it had to be cancelled due to the good old UK weather. Last year was a raging success however and this year promises to be bigger and better than that. We'll be heading over to the site in Skipton, Yorkshire, tomorrow morning to take in the gorgeous countryside, and of course some of the top notch line-up while we're there. We may have to try a good sample of the amazing Ales on offer too, but we'll talk about that next week. If you make the jump you can see who we're very eager to see and what we think will make for a very special weekend. 

Who: Local Natives

Why? Their second album showed a growth from the LA band, evolving from Gorilla Manor into a mature, more subtle in places, but every bit as sonically brilliant band. Hummingbird is sure to see their live dynamic grow too. Their live performances are pure brilliance as is and we're sure this will be a highlight of the weekend for many. 

Who: Ghostpoet

Why? His ear pricking style of spoken word and rap are sure to burrow their way into your subconscious, talking to memories you long forgot about. Paired with his multiple styles of backing, he's certainly one to watch during your times in the fields. 

Who: Danny Brown

Why? On the surface when you first see Danny Brown you may just laugh. Don't judge a book by its cover, for Danny is going from strength to strength and if there's an artist who deserves more recognition here in the UK it's this Detroit export. Tongue in cheek, all the while keeping your attention firmly fixed between the ridiculous and the serious. He will not disappoint.

Who: Lulu James

Why? Lulu hails from the north east of the UK and offers up an infusion of throwbacks to the 70's combined with modern tendencies. Her sound is being called "21st Century Soul" and upon hearing her infectious tracks it's easy to see why. Think Donna Summers meets Grace Jones with a brand new twist. Pop to see Lulu and get you glad rags on, 'cause she's bound to be dressed better than you. 

Who: Fucked Up

Why? If you're fancying something a little more brash. Maybe you're feeling a little worse for wear over the weekend and need a pick me up, go see Fucked Up. The Canadian hardcore punks will leave you out of breath and still wanting more. Their live shows pack in more energy than most within the opening 5 minutes. 

Who: Findlay

Why? Findlay hails from Manchester but when you first hear her you'd be forgiven for thinking she comes from Tennessee next door to Jack White for she wears her influences firmly on her sleeves and the results re magnificent. Raw, powerful and in your face blues rock.

Who: Wet Nuns

Why? Wet Nuns hail from Yorkshire, so it's fitting that they should play one of its best festivals this summer. The two piece bring more noise than most bands twice their size in numbers. Think desert rock sounds like Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age with enough guitar noise to warrant two sets of ear plugs. The guys even have their own festival; Detestival. They don't take nonsense, and neither should you. Go watch 'em.

[Y Not Festival] Day One Highlights including Willy Moon, Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip and a very British Summer

Festivals of all sizes are always a blast. Contrary to belief, bigger is not always better. Last weekend I took the trip over to Derbyshire, the county I grew up in from age 4-18, to hit up the fantastic Y Not Festival. A grassroots festival that started in a Quarry with a group of friends. It's now grown to be an award winning small festival with an amazing atmosphere and an ever growing number of big bands topping the line-up. This year was the biggest and best with The Cribs, The Horrors and The Darkness headlining the main stage and a flurry of great bands performing across another 6 stages. 

 Arriving at the festival you notice its small stature, like a little brother you want to look after. It feels friendly and that's what I like about it when I first touched down in the fields. The sun was peeking out from between clouds and the camping areas were filling up with a mix of young and old from all walks of life. After finding a nice spot to camp, and having found out I'd bought a palace rather than your average two man tent, I did what any normal person does when arriving at a festival does; I had a beer. The great thing about Y Not is that it has numerous bars, all holding local ales and ciders, ranging from the normal to the crazy stronger stuff. Wonderful.

With a beer in hand I headed to see where my ears took me from the noises carried not he wind. A favourite trick of mine for festivals early on in the day when you may not know all of the bands playing. Sons and Lovers at the Quarry stage delivered an on point set tracks to a packed out tent. One advantage to playing ear lie run the day on the opening afternoon of a festival. My ears then took me across the field to a noise that sounded more up my street. A heavy, glitchy guitar jolt of electrifying Dillinger Escape Plan-esque math-rock. I walk into the tent to be absolutely blown away by a 4-piece instrumental band by the name of Axes. Playing to a sweltering Giant Squid Stage tent, the relationship the four had was noticeable. TO play the stuff they were playing so seamlessly, it was undeniably breathtaking. A definite highlight of the day, if not the entire weekend.

Next up I finally got to witness Willy Moon in a live situation. Walking out with a Gretsch round his neck and accompanied by an all girl band, I couldn't help but think of Jack White and his recent penchant for an all girl band. Two songs to his high energy set though, Willy is seen just wandering around the stage sipping from a mug, giving nods to people who wave… All sound on the main stage had died. He leaves the stage. It took a good hour until normality resumed and he finished his set in torrential rain. Fair play to him though, he absolutely killed it and the crowd was not disheartened by the British Summer weather. "Yeah Yeah" went down a treat with the umbrella wielding crowd.

The weather from here on on Friday was the stuff of a romantic comedy that might see the two main characters kissing and making up in the rain ala Spiderman. I Managed to catch part of the "surprise set" from Reverend and the Makers who, to be fair to them, did get the crowd well and truly going. Headline sets at festivals are always tricky to choose between but Y Not did everyone a favour and had the tents ending earlier than the main stage. That went out the window. I squeezed into a packed Quarry Stage tent to watch Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, the act I was most looking forward to from the weekend's line-up. Pip was a force to be reckoned with, walking around the stage and completely demanding the attention of the crowd while Dan offered up recognisable beats from their back catalogue. Just as the crowd were really starting to bounce, Scroob states that we "all need to leave, they're evacuating the tent". The storm outside was righteous and for safety, we all had to leave but were told to come back 30 minutes later.

Everyone and more returned and witnessed the duo debut their new single "Stunner" to the crowd. Finishing up the set, Scroob took to the crowd and was carried around, high-riving as he went. Due to this misfortune I missed The Horrors but caught a few tracks as I made my way back through the crowd to the campsite. I finished day one at Y Not 2013 happy, with my ears ringing from a combination of beats and thunder, literally. It was a good day.

[Watch] Check Out Phoenix's Full Set at Lollapalooza

More Lollapalooza goodness for those who weren't able to attend the famed Chicago festival! We were treated to a full set from Queens of the Stone Age earlier today, and now you can watch the full hour and twenty-three minutes of Phoenix's performance. They tore through their new album Bankrupt! as well as their breakthrough LP Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, all the while sprinkling highlights from United, It's Never Been Like That and Alphabetical throughout. Check out their well-paced, energetic set below.

[Y Not Festival] Our Most Anticipated Artists of the Festival

We've mentioned Y Not Festival a few times in the past few months and this weekend hoards of people will gather in Pikehall, Derbyshire to see some fantastic live music. We'll be making the trip over to enjoy the weekend in the sun (hopefully) and before we do that we thought we'd include some information on the bands we're most look forward to seeing over the weekend. 

Make the jump to get the low-down. The festival is now sold-out so if you slept on it, I'm afraid you've missed otu this year. Be sure to find the guys on Facebook to keep up with next year's plans. 

Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip

When: Friday

Where: Quarry Stage

Why? Quick wit, great beats and a return from the duo after their last release back in 2007. Excited yet? You should be. Try and keep up as Scroob lays verse after verse down making you both think and dance all at the same time. A deadly combination.

The Cribs

When: Saturday

Where: The Big Gin Stage

Why? The Wakefield band of brothers have come a long way over the past decade and their live shows are raw as freshly chopped onions. With their latest album released just last year after the departure of Johnny Marr from the ranks, they've gone back to basics and I'm sure the performance will be a highlight of the weekend for many.

Willy Moon

When: Friday

Where: The Big Gin Stage

Why? When you first see Willy Moon you might not expect him to be a mover and a shaker, given his clean cut hair and dapper suits. Don't let that fool you. His live performances pack a punch and after releasing his brilliant album, Here's Willy Moon, he's sure to leave the main stage crowd impressed.

The Horrors

When: Friday

Where: The Big Gin Stage

Why? If Dan Le Sac and Scroob ain't quite your thing on Friday evening, then how about you head over to the Big Gin stage to witness The Horrors perform tracks from their absolutely stunning LP, Skying. On point and it could be argued, better live than on record. You be the judges.

Family Rain

When: Sunday

Where: Quarry Stage

Why? Another band of Brothers for you to check out on one of the smaller stages. The Family Rain recorded in their families basement and the results on record are wonderful. Gritty and blues tinged, perfect for a Sunday afternoon in the sun.

Wet Nuns

When: Sunday

Where: The Giant Squid Stage

Why? A two piece band that will melt your face and make you want to kiss the person next to you all at the same time? Wet Nuns are for you with Kyuss like riffs and stoner vibes. Make sure you catch these guys and shake off your Sunday cobwebs.

China Rats

When: Sunday

Where: The Big Gin Stage

Why? We've mentioned China Rats a few times on SKOA and they're definitely a band to keep a close eye on over the coming months and festival season. Catch them now before they start playing larger crowds and bigger tents. It could be an "I was there" moment for the years to come.

The Joy Formidable

When: Sunday

Where: The Big Gin Stage

Why? A band with fans such as Mark Hoppus and Dave Grohl have got to be high on your "to-see" list for Sunday surely? These guys are sure to start your Sunday evening with a bang before the big guns take to headlining. 

[News] Reading & Leeds Festival add even more acts to the bill

In one months time, during the August Bank Holiday weekend, Reading and Leeds Festival take part with Eminem, Green Day and Biffy Clyro headlining the three respective days on the main stage. Today though they've announced the BBC Introducing stage line-up and it features some very decent bands that you should look out for over the weekend. 

Added to the bill are:

Amber, As Elephants Are, Big Wave, Casablanca, Catfish & The Bottlemen, City Of Lights, Crusade, Denai Moore, Glass Caves, The Grand, I Divide, Jaws, Joel Baker, King No-One, Lonely The Brave, Man Can’t Fly, Mausi, Modo Stare, Peasants King, Prides, Saint Raymond, Ruen Brothers, Slaves, Sundara Karma, Theory 59, Thumpers, To Be Frank, Tripwires, We Are Knuckle Dragger, We Are Fiction, Witch Hunt, and Zaheer.

If you're still after tickets, head over here to purchase some.

[Watch] Check Out Highlights from Vampire Weekend, Alt-J, The xx, Tame Impala and Jessie Ware at Glastonbury 2013

Pilton, UK saw a flood of musical talent enter the Glastonbury festival grounds this past weekend, and it'd be a shame not to share some highlights with those who weren't able to attend.

Vampire Weekend performed songs both old and new. Before joining Mumford & Sons on stage for a cover of The Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends," they dished out great renditions of "Diane Young" and "A-Punk."

Tame Impala continued their exstensive festival circuit, burning through fan-favorite "Elephant" with as much passion as ever.

Alt-J were there too, causing an uproar of cheers with their intricate An Awesome Wave highlight "Breezeblocks."

The xx took hold of the crowd, performing their emotional and minimal single "Angels." They really are mesmerizing to watch. I witnessed this at Sasquatch!, and you get a good sense of it even by watching a YouTube clip.

Jessie Ware took things in a dancier direction, booming her vocals across the stage with a sensual rendition of "If You’re Never Gonna Move" (formerly known as "110%").

Check out all of these highlights after the jump, and check out more of BBC's coverage of the festival here.

Vampire Weekend:

Tame Impala:

Alt-J:

The xx:

Jessie Ware: