Glastonbury 2014

Glastonbury opened it's gates this morning for a weekend that promises to be a wonderful one.

I have many musings on the line up so let's jump straight in, in no particular order...

1. I find some of the line ups a little strange, for example Robert Plant before Jack White?! Surely it should be the other way round as Plant is a music legend. With a career spanning over 40 years with Led Zeppelin and other acts, Plant has the reputation and the back catalogue to headline. I always got the impression that Glastonbury like their legends to headline, whether they are cool and current or not, see Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones.

2. On the subject of Robert Plant, I heard a rumour late last summer that Led Zeppelin were going to be doing the 2014 festival circuit. I was travelling from Manchester back to the Lake District and a friendly guy in Subway started a conversation about festivals. He told me a few rumours surrounding the acts signed up for 2014 already and he mentioned Led Zeppelin. I am slightly disappointed that they aren't playing Glastonbury because they would have been a brilliant headline act.

3. I would also just like to point out that I love Jack White. He is one of my favourite artists and I believe he has the genius to keep on creating amazing music until he is an old man. His new album Lazaretto is just perfect and he always delivers a mind blowing live performance. Glasto-goers, he is highly recommended! Jack White plays the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night.

4. Lily Allen takes to the Pyramid Stage on Friday night. I can't wait to see her performance. I think she is doing some really interesting stuff right now and I am just waiting for her career to go crazy once again. And I'm sure she'll have some entertaining stuff to say about the festival! I was glad to hear that she had decided to come back to making music and was keen to hear her refreshing take on pop. She's a brilliant lady!

5. One of my favourite bands of recent years is Haim. Haim are playing the Other Stage on Friday and I cannot stress how important it is to go and see them! Their album Days Are Gone is a perfect pop record which draws inspiration from 70's disco and rock and 90's R&B. As a live band they perform as if they grew up in 1970's America, channelling elements of early Rolling Stones and that soulful kind of Southern rock. They are three super talented sisters and you would regret missing their set! I watched their performance at Glastonbury 2013 on my TV and loved it. I also managed to catch their UK tour earlier this year and that was definitely the highlight of my year so far. They have so much live rock energy.

6. Once again I have an issue with the running order... Saturday on the Other Stage looks a little like this: Manic Street Preachers, Pixies and then headlining is Jake Bugg. It's fantastic that such a new act has been put in to headline, however I feel that Pixies or Manic Street Preachers would have been a better choice. Both bands have a rich back catalogue that they could delve through to create long, quality set. I am wondering whether they have just chosen Jake Bugg to counteract Metallica who are headlining the Pyramid Stage at the same time?

7. A band that I would love to see live is The Subways. I have spent many an hour watching their live performances on YouTube and I love them. The Subways are performing on the Other Stage on Sunday midday. They bring an old school punk element to their live shows and their set list is full of energetic pop songs that I can guarantee you will know. They seem to balance the line of super cool rock band and record selling pop band. Their mix of male and female vocal is a beautiful sound!

8. The John Peel Stage has a great range of new music across the full weekend. There are too many bands to name, but here's a list of the ones that are worth while checking out, whether at Glastonbury or just on your computer at home:
- Kaiser Chiefs: new material is anthemic and vocals at times are Bowie inspired.
- Chvrches: sweet Scottish vocals over electronic pop.
- Temples: 70's inspired and very chilled rock. Big sound and bigger hair.
- Clean Bandit: A radio favourite and a big band. A very entertaining watch.
- Fat White Family: Funky is all I have to say.
- Royal Blood: Shortlisted for the BBC's Sound of 2014, a classic heavy rock band. I can imagine they will be fantastic live.
- Dry The River: Beautiful voices. Very chilled.
- MGMT: It will be interesting to see their live performance. Their music is perfect for a festival.

9. Emiliana Torrini has a stunning, stunning voice. It would be fantastic to catch her live. She is a favourite to chill out to. She is performing on Saturday night on the Avalon Stage.

10. Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit perform on the Avalon Stage on Sunday night. I saw Johnny Flynn at Leeds Festival a few years ago. He performed in a tiny tent and it was packed full because so many people were desperate to see him. He is high energy and his music is a beautiful mix of country, soul and blues. His voice perfectly blends with the music.

11. Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip for one of the last times on Saturday night, at the Left Field. This duo have been making music as separate artists but the true magic is when they pair up. Expect laughs and banter along with a beautiful blend of poetry, rhymes, dub and bass. Definitely a unique one, but not one to miss. I saw them earlier this year and hope to see both artists again in the future.

12. Kate Tempest. Poetry has never been cooler. She is a poet, artist, writer, lyricist, performer. She is art. She performs on Left Field on Sunday night.

There are hundreds and hundreds more acts to list and I am just scratching the surface. All other information is on the Glastonbury website.

Of course, I am not there, but I will be catching up on TV and online with as much live streaming as I can.

C x

Field Day, Victoria Park, London. Sunday 8th June

Field Day is the perfect festival for anyone who is not a fan of camping or the down and dirty vibe of a festival. There is no camping on site as the festival runs over two days, each say is self - encapsulated. Everyone is kicked out after the headlining act have finished their set and you are just a walk or train journey back home to your bed. Can you see why I'm a fan?!

If I was to define a perfect day at a festival it would be Sunday at Field Day. The sun was shining, the people were friendly, the food was beautiful and most importantly the music was top notch!

I arrived, best friend in tow, in time to see Temples take to the main stage. Temples are a band who's name I have heard so often that I felt it was important to see them. They effortlessly sailed through a set of 70's tinged psychedelic rock. We sat on the grass, soaking up the sun and just listened. Temples could be the soundtrack to a lazy summer day. Their music is so easy listening yet very addictive and the aura of cool around them just adds to the overall persona. No wonder everyone is talking about them.

The festival site was spacious but easy to walk around and thankfully there was no mud in sight! The stages and tents were scattered so that there was no noise clash, but close enough to drift from band to band easily.

There was a brilliant array of food stalls, you could get anything from falafel to paella, to a hog roast. We spent quite a while deciding what to feast on before we headed to the main stage for some music.

I have to address the toilets. Yes, there were portaloos, but they were quite possibly the nicest festival toilets I've ever been in. Although, as Field Day is only a day long, you wouldn't expect too much chaos.

The drinks were pricey, which I expected,  but as it was such a beautiful sunny day I didn't really mind paying to stay hydrated.

We topped up our drinks between bands and checked out some of the fashion.  I noticed that denim shorts are always a favourite for ladies at a festival. There were a lot of beautiful playsuits as well. The men tended to stick to quirky hats and shorts.

When The Horrors began their set most of the crowd seemed to be settled in front of the main stage. Their set was flawless and they were a perfect act to follow Temples. They played a varied set which included mainly new material, their new album continously being advertised on the big screen. They played a lengthy set as the sun went down and the crowd began to disperse. I feel that The Horrors have drifted away from their old sound, for which they are famous, and evolved it into something more grown up. I just hope that they have the energy to stick with this sound and really do it justice like they did at Field Day as think that if they carry on in this direction they could end up on the same kind of scale as a band like The Arctic Monkeys.

Pixies were the headlining act and boy did they deliver! They blasted straight into an epic set list, and by epic I mean quantity as well as quality. There was very little conversation from the band to the audience, but it just meant there was more time for music! The sun set as they played and for the first time all day it got a little chilly. Not that many people noticed, most were dancing or cuddled together. There was a really nice vibe from the audience by the end of the evening. Pixies played a quality set which kept the mood levels high. If you have heard of a song by the Pixies then I can guarantee that they played it!

Leaving Victoria Park was easy enough in the dark, there were plenty of wardens to help people on their way.

Field Day Sunday was overall a chilled, sunny and beautiful day and I can guarantee I will be back next year. And I'll probably go to both days!

C x

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2012

8-10 June
This year is Download's big 10 year anniversary!
They first announced the initial line up in January, and are announcing more artists in the lead up to the festival.
Download was one of the first festivals that I ever wanted to go to, but I've never been.
So I'm just going to name a few bands that have been added to the line up that I think are great and would be worth going to see!






Killswitch Engage
Saturday 9th
A great opportunity to see the band back with their original singer Jesse Leach. A strong live band with some truly epic music. You'd be a fool to miss them. This is their only UK festival appearance, amongst several European dates including Rock Am Ring/Rock Im Park in Germany.




Corey Taylor
Saturday 9th
All round good guy and Slipknot superstar is performing on one of the smaller stages. It's bound to be a great performance.




Opeth
Friday 8th
Any heavy metal fan would love to see this band. I didn't think I'd like them, but I have seen them live and they are truly mesmerising. Beautiful musicianship; the melodic meets the deathly. Would love to see how this translates onto a festival setting!




Marmozets
Friday 8th
Described by Kerrang! as "The most exciting young band in Britain", this female-fronted band are young, talented and ready to do big things in 2012. I think they'll make a great impression at Download.




Metallica
Saturday 9th
I obviously had to include Metallica. Who wouldn't want to see these legends perform live? And they are playing the Black album in full. Amazing!




Black Sabbath
Sunday 10th
The original band are back after 33 years. This is their only European performance as Black Sabbath this summer, as Tony Iommi is battling lymphoma. Get well soon!




Rise Against
Sunday 10th
They are one of those bands that my iTunes likes to play when it's on shuffle. A credit to modern music and sound just like they do on record when performing live. You'd be surprised by how many of their songs you know.




Heaven's Basement
Sunday 10th
Pure rock n roll. Perfect for a Download crowd and fans of classic rock.


C x

Festival Season

I thought it would be appropriate to kick start my blog by writing about the festivals that are coming up this summer.I haven't written anything in ages and I feel like I've been neglecting my poor blog!

So, festival season. Something that strikes fear, excitment, jealousy and anxiety in me year after year.
I must admit, I have only been to one festival,.. well technically two.

Last year I went to Leeds Festival with one of my best friends Lydia. I'm still wearing my bands like a badge of honour.

It was indescribably amazing, which probably isn't great for a blog!

I think I'll make a reflective blog later on tonight about my experience from last year.

I also went to a little known Cumbrian festival in 2009 called Cockrock (based in the town of Cockermouth).

It was good fun and more about the experience than the line up, which mostly consisted of bands that I was friends with or other various local bands. The main draw was that The Holloways were headlining one night (famed for the "I can get a record player and a generator..." song).

So my festival experiences are limited, and I think this is mainly down to me not being able to make a decision! Year after year I dither over each line up; which one is worth the money, the best dates to go, who will go with me, etc...

So to follow, I will be writing a mini blog on some of the biggest UK festivals that have caught my eye this year.

Starting with Sonisphere who, to be honest, have impressed me by announcing Queen and Adam Lambert are headlining Saturday night! There's been a lot of backlash, but I am all for it!

Cx