TEAM EDITORS Sam Rowlands Tatjana Harrington-Steward SUB EDITOR David Smyth WRITERS William Kay Luke Killick Jake Read Zara Rowden Lottie Taylor DESIGNER Will Riman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jacqui Swift ART DIRECTOR Adam Woodgate WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO Solo Dawbell Absoulte Radio Will Ireland (This Feeling photos)
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CONTENTS 4. Isle of Wight Festival History 6. Faithless 8. Stereophonics 10. Lissie 11. Everything Everything 12. Jess Glynne 13. Busted 14. Blossoms 16. Reverend and the Makers 18. David Bowie Tribute 19. Love Your Tent 20. The Who 22. Adam Ant 23. The Damned 24. Richard Ashcroft 26. Iggy Pop 28. Pendulum – DJ Set 29. The Corrs 30. Turin Brakes 31. Sunset Sons 32. Festival Essentials 34. Queen 36. Feeder 37. The Cribs 38. Reef 39. The Au Revoirs 40. Stage Info 42. This Feeling 60. Best of Twitter & Instagram
Contents
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ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL HISTORY T
housands of music fans made their escape again this year to the Isle Of Wight, for it’s famous and long running festival. Only a two hour journey from London, the island’s oversea location charms it’s attendee’s with each event it holds. Notably Isle Of Wight is a festival for music lovers, attracting an audience of all ages and all music tastes - each year successfully satisfying each of it’s fans, from the middle-aged and their children to teenage pop fans once again The Isle of Wight Festival was vibrant, colourful and boasted a
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Isle of Wight Festival
massive range of music. Every year The Isle of Wight Festival opens its arms to the public - welcoming crowds of music lovers for four nights of music filled fun. Commonly referred to as the start of the UK festival season, The Isle of Wight Festival is one of the first in a chain of British festivals every year. A series of festivities between 1968 and 1970 saw the start of the festival’s legacy. In 1970, the festival ran over five days and marked the biggest festival of its kind with a line-up that boasted Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Joni Mitchell and
The Doors. 1970’s event hosted over 600,000 fans and was compared to the USA’s Woodstock. 1970 saw what looked like the end for The Isle of Wight Festival, upon where the event took a 32 year break. In 2002 John Giddings, a well known and successful music promoter saw his chance to relaunch the festival - John is still the custodian of the festival today. Since then the festival has hosted many world famous names and genres, from The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Robert Plant, Coldplay, Fleetwood Mac and Jay Z.
Isle of Wight Festival
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FAITHLESS
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Faithless
T
he first headliners of the weekend set the bar at the peak of showmanship, an exercise in all that it means to perform. The visual elements flowed as effortlessly as the music in a familiar spot for the dance band, who played on the same stage over a decade earlier. Their fierce reputation for live performances has often overshadowed their chart-topping studio efforts. Any doubts about their ability to maintain that energy at this later stage of their career were swiftly countered by an array of fan-pleasing club staples and undeniably exceptional musicianship. Faithless initially held back on many of their electronic anthems, teasing the crowd with a relentless instrumental piece lead by Sister Bliss’ meticulous synth work. One that was initially met with both awe and confusion around the absence of founding frontman Maxi Jazz. Eventually the veteran performer confidently strolled on, to levels of cheering that almost drowned out the music. The crowd’s levels of joy were matched only by Maxi Jazz’s everpresent grin as he treated the crowd to
16 tracks of pure British electronica. The fourth song of the set, ‘Muhammad Ali’, was newly touching, the boxing idol having passed away just a week prior. The emotion from both the band and the crowd at this point was unrivalled for the rest of the weekend. It was a detour into more thoughtful territory as Jazz rapped: “I see your face in front of me, still grainy / From that old black and white TV/ My whole family silent / Watchin’ you shape destiny witcha two hands.” The mix of joy and respect felt like one of the more significant moments of the festival. Heading towards the middle of their set, the opening synth line of the Ibiza classic ‘Insomnia’ rang out and sent festival-goers into a frenzy. The most recognisable portion of their set-list became the peak of the night as lasers pierced the sky and everyone danced in unison to the songs they’d been hoping to hear all evening. Faithless pulled out all the stops in showing the crowd a timeless performance, and paved the way for the rest of the brilliant headline acts to follow. By William Kay
Faithless
SETLIST: EMERGENCY ALL RACES ALL COLOURS GOD IS A DJ MUHAMMAD ALI CRAZY BAL’HEADS MASS DESTRUCTION INSOMNIA HANDS BRING MY FAMILY BACK WHAT ABOUT LOVE I WANT MORE, PART 1 I WANT MORE, PART 2 BOMBS SALVA MEA SWINGERS NOT GOING HOME
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STEREOPHONICS I
t didn’t feel as though Stereophonics were co-headlining the festival with Faithless on Friday night as billed, because as soon as they took to the stage, they made it solely their own. Opening with ‘C’est La Vie’, from their ninth studio album ‘Keep The Village Alive’, which was released last year, Stereophonics instantly had the crowd riled up for a killer set. During ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, the crowd chanted the lyrics back to frontman Kelly Jones. He played the song acoustically, making the show seem more personal and intimate despite its huge size. When the opening piano chords to ‘White Lights’ soared across the stage, bright blue lights filled the air, making the song more intense and hypnotising for the thousands of fans in attendance. ‘Indian Summer’ was one of the most impressive tracks of the night. Even without knowing the lyrics, it was easy to get caught up in how catchy the song was. Later on in the set the band rocked out to ‘The Bartender and The Thief’ from 1998, one of their heavier tracks, making the crowd fully aware they were at a rock concert as everybody went wild.
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They surged forward with anticipation for what would be the final track, ‘Dakota’, their only number one single in a long career. It was a perfect end to a perfect set as the crowd screamed along and clearly did not want Stereophonics time on the stage to end. Earlier this month Stereophonics played a secret gig in Cardiff. When asked about it by Absolute Radio, Kelly Jones said: “I think it was even secret to us because we got there and nothing was working but it was a good laugh. It just reminded us of playing the gigs that we always played to be honest we always used to play pubs.” All in all Stereophonics put on a show to remember and set the bar high for the remaining acts playing this weekend. By Zara Rowden
Stereophonics
SETLIST:
C’EST LA VIE I WANNA GET LOST WITH YOU LOCAL BOY IN THE PHOTOGRAPH A THOUSAND TREES VEGAS TWO TIMES HAVE A NICE DAY I WOULDN’T BELIEVE YOUR RADIO MAYBE TOMORROW WHITE LIES JUST LOOKING MR AND MRS SMITH MR WRITER INDIAN SUMMER GRAFFITI ON THE TRAIN SUNNY HANDBAGS AND GLADRAGS THE BARTENDER AND THE THIEF DAKOTA
Stereophonics
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LISSIE E
arlier this year American folkrock sensation Elisabeth Maurus (better known by her stage name Lissie) released her fourth album ‘My Wild West’. The album quickly became recognised as one of her best, charting in countries including the UK and Norway. Her worldwide tour stopped off briefly on Friday at Isle of Wight Festival, treating fans to her own brand of country-infused rock. Shortly before her brilliant set, ISLA caught up with her to discuss her history with festivals, music and what might be in store for her next... How are you enjoying IOW festival? I actually just got here today, then I’m doing promo, I go on stage in about an hour and then have to leave immediately after. Wow that’s hectic! Yeah, so I’m not really getting the full experience this time How does IOW compare to other festivals you’ve played?
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Lissie
I feel like getting here, when you’re on the ferry there’s kind of this buzz, you know? There’s this energy. This festival is legendary in many ways but it seems like it’s retained a specialness and hasn’t gotten too out of control. It’s got a lot of authenticity, seems to run smoothly, everyone’s cool and nice. You don’t have a lot of that attitude you sometimes see in the cool music biz. So yeah, Isle of Wight’s an awesome festival. So what’s your favourite song to play to play live? Ooh! Well, it’s hard to choose but I am trying out a new cover tonight which I think will be kind of silly but hopefully cool too. It’s Eternal Flame by The Bangles. What was the first album you ever bought? I think it was Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson. That’s what I remember, it was a cassette tape! Your album My Wild West was released earlier this year. What can we expect from you next? There’s no big reveal or anything I just love to sing. I think I’m good at it, I wouldn’t say I’m overly ambitious so if I feel like making music, I’ll make it. I have this dream of having a pick-up truck. I’m just gonna drive around like the Midwest and just play as many shows as I need to to survive and leave all the other bullshit behind. By William Kay
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING
W
hen the four members of Everything Everything walked onto the stage dressed in matching silver-grey outfits, looking like they had come straight out of a sci-fi film, it was clear that this was not going to be your typical festival set. The futuristic look, coupled with lyrics such as: “You can tell the past/Boy, I can tell the future/Give me a Lobotomy and I can be your tutor” from set opener ‘Blast Doors’, suggested this band are not the obvious candidates to be playing the main stage at a major festival sandwiched between chart favourites Stereophonics and Jess Glynne. However, their brand of beat-filled electronic rock/pop was easy to listen to and even easier to dance to, particularly the songs on their latest album, ‘Get to Heaven’. The fact that this album was
produced by Stuart Price, a man who has credits with artists ranging from Madonna to the Killers to The Pet Shop Boys, may also have something to do with it. Lead singer Jonathan Higgs greeted the crowd by proclaiming: “We are Everything Everything. And this is what we do,” before immediately firing into fan favourite ‘Kemosabe’ from their second album, ‘Arc’. His energy on stage was infectious and the crowd were soon dancing along with him as they powered through a block of songs from ‘Get To Heaven’, including the singles ‘Regret’ and ‘Spring/Sun/ Winter/Dread’. The latter prompted an enthusiastic clap along. ‘Don’t Try to Hide it’ was a real highlight, with the crowd singing back the song’s catchy chorus, while the sizzling synths of ‘Cough, Cough’ carried
Everything Everything
on the party. The penultimate song, ‘No Reptiles’, began with a simple drum beat which was soon accompanied by vocals from Higgs as the song builds itself up, before it satisfyingly bursted into a fullon dance track that the crowd laps up. They finished their mesmerising set with ‘Distant Past’, the band’s most accessible song and one that demands to be danced to. Higgs belted the song out flawlessly in his erratic vocal style, switching from rapid rap-like vocals to falsetto and back again numerous times throughout. His voice is a vital component in keeping his audience captivated and he utilises it perfectly. With this set the band have shown they have the music and the stage presence to continue climbing up festival bills. Who knows where they could be in a few years? By Luke Killick
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JESS GLYNNE J
ess Glynne strutted around the main stage pulling recognisable song after recognisable song out of her hat. Recently the north London singer has had a remarkable spell of hits, beginning in 2014 when she featured on the Clean Bandit track ‘Rather Be’, which shot straight to number one. A cheerful Glynne got it out of the way first, with an energetic performance that the audience danced along to enthusiastically. That same year she featured on the Route 94 song ‘My Love’ and clocked her second number one single in as many months. She played a strippeddown, piano-led version of this song which she dedicates to anyone falling in love. The song showed off her impressive vocal range beautifully. She then moved on to her first solo single ‘Right Here’, another definite highlight of the set with her backing band providing a sweet extra layer, including trumpets and backing vocalists. She followed that with a
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Jess Glynne
second Clean Bandit collaboration, ‘Real Love’ which earned a huge sing-a-long from the crowd. Glynne’s second single, ‘Hold My Hand’ was yet another number one single, showing that she could hold her own without collaborators. Her lively performance of it here cemented that fact. She slowed things down a considerable amount for ‘Take Me Home’, another from her debut album ‘I Cry When I Laugh’ which - you guessed it - debuted at number one in the UK album charts. The song might be one of the least well-known in her set, yet the audience still offered her the lyrics back word-for-word. This show was another highlight of an extraordinary couple of years for Glynne. While she may not be one of the first names that jumps out on a festival bill, that did not stop her from putting on a shiny, glitter-filled spectacle that cannot help but summon a smile, and maybe even a few dance moves too. By Luke Killick
BUSTED E
veryone who grew up in the early noughties seemed to have a fleeting obsession with Busted. The pop-rock trio made their mark close to a decade ago so it was natural to assume their best days were behind them and long forgotten. But after a thrilling set, their impact on fans was more apparent than ever. After finally convincing Charlie Simpson to put his mature solo career to one side and join them on their reunion tour, James Bourne and Matt Willis hit the stage to play their most recognisable hits. The crowd got more and more excited as the set went on and they danced the afternoon away. The trio opened with their new track,‘Coming Home’, which is weirdly different from their older, pop-punk
style. It was heavier music but now it’s lighter and more serious. It didn’t matter because they were really here after all this time. During ‘Air Hostess’ it was easy to see who the hardcore fans were, in fact it was unmissable. A number of flight attendants were dotted around the crowd. The band also played ‘Crashed The Wedding’ and ‘You Said No’, huge throwbacks for the audience, chaos ensuing on stage as each member thrashed their guitars around. The trio still knew how to entertain a crowd despite their long absence, bellowing out the lyrics to their timeless classics. The entire show was a nostalgiafilled dance party as their songs were everything we remembered from their early 2000s peak: energetic, bubbly,
Busted
instant crowd pleasers. The band slowed things down a little for their hit ‘Sleeping With The Light On’, asking: “Are you ready to sing?” which resulted in thousands of screams as the audience did as they were told and sang along to the first verse, before the full band kicked in for a mesmerising performance. Closing their set with ‘Year 3000’ was saving the best until last. An entire generation must know all the words to this one. but either way this would not have mattered as Busted did what they do best - made sure that the crowd had fun, which is what they have always been about. After 12 years, it’s good to be able to say that Busted are back and better than ever. It was definitely worth the wait. By Zara Rowden
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W BLOSSOMS “
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Blossoms
e’re Blossoms from Stockport,” lead singer Tom Ogden explained during his quintet’s enjoyable early evening set in the Big Top. But soon no explanation of who they are will be needed. The band have burst through over the past few months after becoming the only guitar band to earn a place in the influential BBC Sound of 2016 poll. They came fourth. They have also earned acclaim for a number of singles and EPs, including their Charlemagne and At Most a Kiss EPs, while they have also secured support slots with bands such as Kasabian and The Last Shadow Puppets, which Ogden describes as “surreal”. Their recent climb to fame is certainly no accident, though. In the run-up to the arrival of their eponymous debut album on August 5th, they have been
touring non-stop. They arrived on the Isle of Wight straight off the back of their biggest UK tour to date, and this is just one of a long string of festival sets this summer. Of course they’re excited. “Glastonbury is obviously the big one, I’m really looking forward to it,” said drummer Joe Donovan. “As well as Reading and Leeds, because the album will be out by then.” The album has been a long time coming. “We’ve been sitting on it since January so we’ve just been gagging to play the tunes,” said bassist Charlie Salt. “There’s one particular track which could potentially be a really big single which we’re really excited about.” When the album already has standout pop singles on it such as ‘Charlemagne’ and ‘Getaway’, you cannot help but hope that the rest is just as impressive. The album was produced by The
Coral’s frontman, James Skelly, but what will it sound like? “It’ll be more like ‘Charlemagne’, an extension to that. That was the breakthrough tune. It’ll sound like the singles. From them we spurned loads of new songs,” said Ogden. “It’s kind of uplifting like ‘Charlemagne’ and the theme is heartbreak, I suppose. It’s quite honest.” When we speak, arguably their biggest achievement so far is being invited to support Manchester legends The Stone Roses at their huge stadium gigs the following week. “It’s a dream come true,” said Ogden. “Me and Joe are City fans, we’ve got season tickets at that stadium and went to see the Roses in 2012 so it’s just surreal.” Something in his voice suggests he still cannot believe it. So how did it come about? It all happened at their manager’s birthday party, who also happens to
manage the Roses. “Mani came up to us and said: ‘You all dress so smart. Stay suave’” Salt explained, offering a cracking Mani impression. But the win actually came when Ian Brown himself approached Ogden, tapped him on the shoulder and said hello. “I said, ‘All right, I’m Tom from Blossoms,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m speaking to ya. I really like that ‘Charlemagne’ tune, I think that’s the best tune you’ve done.’ Then he mentioned the Etihad. He said, ‘We want you on, we’ve had a few meetings about it.’ It was surreal.” Blossoms are soaring at the moment, and with bigger things to come all through the summer, they show no signs of coming back down to earth. By Luke Killick
SETLIST: CUT ME AND I’LL BLEED AT MOST A KISS GETAWAY SMOKE ACROSS THE MOOR MY FAVOURITE ROOM BLOWN ROSE CHARLEMAGNE BLOW
Blossoms
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REVEREND AND THE MAKERS
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on McClure, aka “The Reverend” and his band arrived at the sunny Isle Of Wight on Friday. While the front gates opened and people flooded into the festival, ISLA caught up with McClure to chat about the joys of touring and why you should always check the name on the dressing room door. How are you enjoying the festival so far? Great, we’ve only been here a matter of hours. I already had an incident where I fell asleep in Busted’s dressing room because I thought it was our dressing room. Their manager woke me up by shouting at me and I was like, “Oh sh*t sorry mate.”
of the history of it, to think Jimi Hendrix’s last gig was here and all that. It’s got a bit of romance about it. Have you had any camping horror stories? I went to Glastonbury when I was 15 and thought I’m going to pitch my tent as close to the main stage as possible (which was down a big hill). Then in the night some biblical storm happened and the whole lot turned to mud, which caused my tent to float off. I ended up in my pants and my mate’s dad had to come and pick me up.
Do you think you would come back and play again? Yeah, definitely. We played at Bestival before but I really wanted to play at The Isle of Wight Festival - because
Are you planning to watch any of the other bands this weekend? Hopefully, I’m a bit worried about time. We are leaving today and have to get the last ferry home. Me and the missus have got a little boy so we’re going home for him. I’m hoping that
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Reverend and the Makers
I can go round and get a look at the festival. It should be nice. What your favourite thing about touring? Getting to go to interesting places both in England and abroad. You get to go to so many different places and I think we are very fortunate in that respect. We get to see the entirety of this country which is a pretty nice place to explore. You have a new album out. Tell us about it? It went really well. All of the reviews are all good and the next one is on its way. We are planning to do it in Thailand I think, in that studio The Libertines have been raving about. So I’m thinking we might go out there and have a little vibe and make some magic. By Lottie Taylor
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DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE S
o many legends have performed on the Isle of Wight Festival’s main stage throughout the years, but one we’ve not forgotten is David Bowie in 2004. Late on a sunny Saturday afternoon in 2016, thousands of fans in Bowie masks watched a stunning tribute by singer Andrea Corr and Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp. Introduced by festival organiser John Giddings, who had been Bowie’s tour promoter, he spoke about his “good friend” as he introduced the chosen charity for this year’s Festival: Stand Up 2 Cancer, a sister charity to Cancer Research. Celebrity messages from the likes of comedian Jack Whitehall appeared on the big screens sharing his support for the charity. After this introduction, Giddings encouraged the crowd to put on Bowie masks that had been available throughout the day, for a £1 donation to Stand Up 2 Cancer. A photo was taken of the sea of faces with the iconic
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lightning bolt makeup of the star’s Aladdin Sane era. The excited crowd was shown a clip of the singer’s last performance at the festival, which was also his last ever UK performance. Airings of classic hits such as ‘Rebel, Rebel’, ‘All the Young Dudes’ and ‘Heroes’ proved to be emotional for almost every audience member, both young and old. With Kemp on electric acoustic guitar, they launched into a heartfelt and respectful cover of ‘Starman’. The raw-sounding guitar had great impact, contrasting with vocals that provided an interesting twist to the classic song. With prompts from Kemp and Corr, the crowd chanted along to the memorable melodies and lyrics. With an overwhelming outbreak of support and applause from each and every member of the audience, the tribute successfully captured just what united Bowie’s fans and why his name will live on - especially at this festival. By Will Riman
Bowie Tribute
W
ith the amount of rubbish left behind at festivals each year increasing, eco-friendly clean-up organization Love Your Tent are present at the Isle of Wight Festival, as they have been for many years now. They run dedicated camping fields within the festival’s grounds, sites that are a lot more calm and relaxed than perhaps other camping pitches may be, due to their being pre-booked. In return for toilets, a peaceful location and easy access to the main site, Love Your Tent asks customers that they: Book tickets along with a refundable tent deposit. Be super nice to their neighbours. Keep their pitch clean throughout the weekend. Take their tent and everything else home with them when they leave. Keeping to these rules ensures that everyone “is free to enjoy the weekend in a safe, relaxed and clean field.” Shortly after the Isle of Wight Festival came to a close this year, Love Your Tent took to their Facebook page to thank campers and announce that all three LYT fields were “spotlessly clean.” This means that there were “no tents, camping equipment or rubbish left behind. “Together we've created a blueprint for clean, green, safe camping at festivals and we hope other festivals take note. We are a force to be reckoned with,” they said. If you wish to get involved, more information is available on the Love Your Tent Facebook page and on Twitter @loveyourtent. By Tatjana Harrington-Steward
Love Your Tent
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SETLIST: WHO ARE YOU I CAN’T EXPLAIN SUBSTITUTE THE SEEKER I CAN SEE FOR MILES THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT BEHIND BLUE EYES MY GENERATION BARGAIN JOIN TOGETHER YOU BETTER YOU BET I’M ONE THE ROCK LOVE, REIGN O’ER ME EMINENCE FRONT AMAZING JOURNEY SPARKS THE ACID QUEEN PINBALL WIZARD SEE ME, FEEL ME BABA O’RILEY WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN
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The Who
THE WHO
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ock legends The Who took to the iconic festival main stage for the fourth time as part of their ‘The Who Hits 50!’ tour. Opening with their 1978 classic ‘Who Are You?” to a sea of applause, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend owned the stage with the same aggression and energy they possessed back in the 70’s. There was an air of brilliance in a band so well renowned starting their set with the words “Who are you?” There was consistent back-and-forth between the band and the audience, with regular tongue and cheek comments sending the adoring crowd into a flurry of laughter. The 72-year-old front man complained about the smoke on stage, saying: “I’m allergic to smoke. Imagine that, a rock star that’s allergic to f***ing smoke!” At the halfway point the set reached its peak with one simple statement: “We are going to play a few songs from our album Quadrophenia now.” Pete Townshend then swapped his electric guitar for an acoustic and melted the hearts of many fans with a vulnerable performance of ‘I’m One’. It was humbling to hear someone so influential singing the line: “I’m a loser – no chance to win.” They followed this with their prog instrumental epic ‘The Rock’, illustrated on screen by waves of political and
The Who
musical events, from the death of John Lennon to the recent attacks in Paris. This was not just a band playing their songs, this was a poignant spectacle of timeless excellence. With a band as big as The Who there’s always a worry that they won’t be able to fit everyone’s favourite songs into a two hour-long ode to all things rock ‘n’ roll. However, the group rounded off their performance with a succession of hits, ensuring that not one person was going to leave this show disappointed. ‘Acid Queen’ followed by ‘Pinball Wizard’ brought a host of screams from the crowd as the magnitude of what they were witnessing set in. Pete Townshend attacked his guitar with the windmill strumming he is known for, never missing a note. The penultimate track, ‘Baba O’Riley’ saw Daltrey struggle to hit the line, “It’s only teenage Wasteland.” But instead of taking away from the performance, it was valuable to see that someone on such a high pedestal is in fact a human being like the rest of us. Pete Townshend reserved his secret weapon for the closing track, ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, bursting onto the stage with a power-slide accompanied by that spine-tingling riff we all know and love. Even if you weren’t a fan of The Who at the start, you’d sure as hell recognise their brilliance after that. By Jake Read
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ADAM ANT T
his year the Isle of Wight Festival celebrated 40 years of punk by booking some of punk music’s legends, including Iggy Pop, The Damned, Buzzcocks, The Godfathers and of course, the iconic Adam Ant. Having only just finished his Kings of the Wild Frontier tour, the man born Stuart Leslie Goddard played on Saturday night at the same time as rock legends The Who on the main stage, but still managed to pack quite a crowd into the tent. The front row was full of middle-aged men and women with the classic Ant stripe on their nose. The air was filled with nostalgia and excitement. Looking at the enthusiastic crowd was like being transported back to the late 1970s, the majority of women transformed into doting teenage fangirls eagerly awaiting the performance. He took to the stage wearing his classic outfit made famous in his ‘Stand
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and Deliver’ music video, performing anthems of the Eighties such as ‘Prince Charming’, ‘Ants Invasion’ and ‘Vive Le Rock’. Dramatic lighting changes illuminated the energetic singer moving around stage as if he wasn’t in his early sixties. The audience cheered and giggled, singing along to every lyric and humming along to every melody. The show was more reminiscent of a meeting between old friends than a festival performance. Being in the tent, rather than on the main stage, made for a more intimate and exciting experience. As the night came to a close, Ant thanked people for their attendance and talked of how grateful he was for the opportunity, as though this hadn’t just been a long-term dream for his fans, but also for himself. By Tatjana Harrington-Steward
Adam Ant
THE DAMNED H
eritage acts are booked at the festival every year and represent an integral part of the event’s decorated history. The Damned are renowned as being one of the most important and influential punk bands, so it’s no surprise that hardcore fans and curious rock enthusiasts flocked to the Big Top in order to witness a vital representative of the genre. The atmosphere was electric even before they appeared, an eager teenage fan proclaiming The Damned as “The best live band you’ll ever see.” How right he was. Swaggering onto the stage to a flurry of applause and cheers, the leather-clad rockers introduced themselves. Founding member
Captain Sensible called himself “Captain Birdseye”, telling everyone to “Keep eating f***ing fish fingers”. They exploded into their set with the visceral opener to their 1985 album ‘Phantasmagoria’, ‘Street Of Dreams’. Immediately their importance was obvious. Gangs of people generations apart were arm-in-arm at the sight of a band withstanding the test of time, an archetype of timeless angst. Their set dived head-first into their broad discography with tracks appearing from their debut ‘Damned Damned Damned’, their fifth album ‘Strawberries’ and their Eighties showstopper ‘Anything’ including their well known cover of Love’s ‘Alone Again Or...’. It was a respectful tribute to the
The Damned
Sixties psych pioneers, with a side of aggression for those who prefer punk. The penultimate song, ‘Ignite’, saw the crowd do exactly that. It seemed they never wanted the set to end, latching onto every lyric forcing its way out of Dave Vanian’s mouth and every rolling bassline from Stu West. The aptly-named closer, ‘Smash It Up’, a fan favourite, was met with both tears of joy and fist-pumping galore. Through intermittent moshing and spirited singalongs, the band showed everything but a lack of energy. The communal vibe and nostalgic atmosphere saw them looking happier than ever during a performance that could easily stand amongst their best. By William Kay
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Richard Ashcroft
RICHARD ASHCROFT
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s the Saturday showers cleared and the sun began to lower into a pink and grey sky, the festival welcomed British rock star Richard Ashcroft, and his wellsuited sunset orange bomber jacket, to the stage. Having found fame with his Nineties band The Verve, Ashcroft is back on the scene after a six year break from music. ‘Out Of My Body’, the first song on his new album, ‘These People’, kicked off the show. Today his music shows a more sophisticated, modern and marketable side. It’s different enough from both his older solo music and The Verve’s sound, but close enough to home to keep old fans interested. The loyal fans who braved Saturday evening’s rain were pressed to the barriers as he broke into The Verve’s ‘Sonnet’. Admirers old and new sung back the lyrics, the main arena ringing with the words of his love song. Next he played what is arguably his most popular new track, ‘This Is How It Feels’, following with more material from his latest and previous solo albums. He had the audience wrapped
around his finger, which danced from side to side before being clenched into a fist and thrown about as part of his dance routine. The stage presence he has had since the Britpop days has not faded. He seemed more vibrant and energised than ever, the big screens amplifying his giant persona still further. The crowd were mesmerised by this outstanding exhibition. Highlights included a singalong to more of The Verve’s most popular tracks: an acoustic version of ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ and ‘Lucky Man’. As the daytime light began to fade to night, the set was finished in the way most would have prayed for, with a perfect, extended rendition of ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’. Ashcroft performed the crowd favourite at full throttle, even dropping to his knees during the song’s explosive middle eight section. It may be more than 25 years since Richard Ashcroft’s career began, but he still knows how to please a crowd. An energetic, explosive and uplifting performance proved his everdeveloping ability as a musician and frontman. By Sam Rowlands
Richard Ashcroft
SETLIST:
SONNET (THE VERVE) THIS IS HOW IT FEELS SCIENCE OF SILENCE MUSIC IS POWER BREAK THE NIGHT WITH COLOUR THE DRUGS DON’T WORK (THE VERVE) THESE PEOPLE LUCKY MAN (THE VERVE) HOLD ON BITTER SWEET SYMPHONY (THE VERVE)
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IGGY POP
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Iggy Pop
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aturday’s main stage line-up saw punk pioneer Iggy Pop channel the Seventies in an unforgettable demonstration of grit and showmanship. The former Stooges frontman was as flamboyant as ever, thrashing about as though possessed by the energy of the enthused crowd, whilst delivering an eclectic set list of daunting excellence. He came armed with an arsenal of classic hits harking back to his acclaimed, David Bowie-produced, albums ‘Lust For Life’ and ‘The Idiot’, as well as songs from his latest collection ‘Post Pop Depression’. His opening anthem, ‘The Passenger’, immediately carved his presence into the minds of hardened fans and opportunistic wanderers alike. He followed immediately with ‘Lust For Life’, writhing about the stage, straining to deliver the lines, “Well, I’m just a modern guy / Of course, I’ve had it in the ear before / ‘Cause of a lust for life”. The crowd sang along in unison, paying tribute to their punk idol. Between jaw-dropping singles, Pop’s signature stage antics spiralled into the kind of performance many have come to expect. He sprawled across
the stage, shadow-boxing, caressing the microphone like a treasured companion. It became more than apparent that age wasn’t a factor for the 69 year old, as he leapt into yet another single from ‘Lust For Life’. Rock anthem ‘Sixteen’ saw his trademark growl shift into unrelenting yelps, accompanied by the crunchy fuzz of the lead guitar and strong work of his backing musicians. What to expect next? He paused to breathe before cocking the microphone like a loaded gun, slowly raising it to the crowd before proclaiming: “It’s 2016. But to me it feels like it’s 1969.” One of the most iconic songs of The Stooges’ career rang out in all its glory. At its close, an exhausted Pop began barking erratically at the audience. A collective cheer erupted as the crowd was hit at full force with the equally timeless track ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’. This volatile performance was matched by a tangible energy from the crowd as he reached the spectacular finale, ‘Mass Production’. Iggy Pop had once again proved that his is the generation-spanning voice that rock music continually strives for. By William Kay
Iggy Pop
SETLIST:
THE PASSENGER LUST FOR LIFE FIVE FOOT ONE SIXTEEN SUNDAY GARDENIA REAL WILD CHILD NIGHTCLUBBING SKULLRING 1969 I WANNA BE YOUR DOG SOME WEIRD SIN MASS PRODUCTION
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PENDULUM A
s thousands of festival goers walked away from an emotional performance by The Who on Saturday evening, they passed the Big Top, an inviting space for those looking for a lift in mood or a change in energy. This evening the air was filled with classic, recognisable drum and bass melodies and a throbbing sound vicious enough to vibrate the ground. What many might assume was just another late night electronic set turned out to be the sound of infamous Australian electronic rock band Pendulum, delivering one of their notorious DJ performances. Energetic shouts from the hyped MC paired with heavy dubstep beats and an arrangement of brightly-coloured strobe lights stretching from one side of the tent to the other filled the tent. Pendulum’s lead singer, Rob Swire, remixed classic Pendulum tracks with well-known hits from his side project, Knife Party, adding special effects, melodies and beats. Hits such as
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Pendulum
DJ SET
Knife Party’s ‘Internet Friends’ and the reggae-inspired ‘Bonfire’ were aired. The selection of Pendulum tunes were some of the act’s earliest yet greatest, including ‘Blood Sugar’ and ‘Tarantula’, both from their 2005 debut album ‘Hold Your Colour’. And of course he played ‘Propane Nightmares’, his band’s nostalgic, vibrant 2008 club anthem. With the crowd losing more control with each remix, fists were pumped in the air as the audience increasingly resembled a tent of rabid animals. The air was humid as Swire added intricate beats to each track and inserted complex yet powerful synth and bass melodies throughout the set, using the turntables to their full capability, with multiple switch-ups that kept the crowd moving. Ask those who limped off into the distance mid-set from exhaustion, or the hundreds of attendees that were kept dancing into the early hours of Sunday morning: it’s safe to say that the impact Pendulum had on the festival that night was substantial. By Will Riman
THE CORRS
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fter nearly a decade, chart toppers The Corrs are back. Isla chats to frontwoman Andrea Corr about the band’s reunion, David Bowie and hopes for a new album release. After a nine year hiatus, 2015 saw your reunion. How has it been to be back on the road? It has been so much fun. The extended pause we took has enhanced our appreciation of writing and playing music together. Playing live to our audience again, having them sing our songs back to us is always special and at times very emotional.
You also released new album last year. Do you think fans have responded well to this? We couldn’t have anticipated the response to ‘White Light’, but I suppose we hoped it would be as it is. The new songs mean a lot to us and we feel we really fought and worked hard to make the best record we could, one that would be worth the wait. How do you think The Isle of Wight Festival compares to other UK festivals? Do you have any favourite acts from this year’s line-up? I love the Isle of Wight Festival, it’s very relaxed and a real music lovers
The Corrs
festival. The line-up was fantastic this year. I love Stereophonics and The Damned, and Iggy Pop. You performed a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Starman’ with Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp as part of the Isle Of Wight’s Bowie tribute. How did you get involved in this and how do you think the reception to it was? The last UK festival that Bowie played was the Isle of Wight. When organising the tribute to him, John Giddings (who is also our promoter) asked me if would I sing with Gary Kemp. I was honoured to have been asked. It was pretty emotional on the day but looking down at a crowd of David Bowie masks it felt like a real celebration. He embodied art and I don’t think that any artist of any genre could not have be inspired by him. I’m so happy to have lived in his time. The line in the song that gets to me most, and did that day, was: “If we can sparkle he may land tonight.” I like to think he could have heard us somehow, the whole crowd singing for the Starman, and that he could feel the love. What is coming up next for The Corrs? We are writing a new album at the moment and ambitiously hoping that it’ll be ready for release before Christmas. Our ‘White Light’ tour is also ongoing. By Sam Rowlands
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TURIN BRAKES
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elodic, endearing and confident: that’s Turin Brakes. On stage the English four-piece started with the first single from their latest studio album, ‘Lost Property’. With intricate basslines and clean drum fills, they grabbed the attention of festival-goers young and old. This was followed succinctly by their second single, ‘Keep Me Around’, it’s catchy hooks and poppy vibes forcing even the most cynical to tap their feet. During their early 2000s hit ‘Painkiller (Summer Rain)’, you could see the pleasure on the face of frontman Olly Knights as bubbles flooded the stage and the crowd erupted into a collective boogie. If ever there was a set to bring you out of your hangover in the most optimistic fashion, it was this one. After the set, Isla found some time to catch up with the band. How Are you Enjoying The Isle of Wight Festival? Olly: So far it's been excellent, a nice big festival with very humid weather and a warm crowd. Is there anyone you are particularly looking forward to seeing? Rob: The Who and Iggy Pop. Olly: The Kills. The crowd were really enthused by the single 'Keep Me Around' From your
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most recent album 'Lost Property'. What was the inspiration behind that song? Olly: It's kind of a slightly weird love song really. I always think good Turin Brakes singles are at first glance just really nice pop songs, and then you listen to the lyrics a few more times and start thinking, “That's pretty weird, what's that all about?” I think it's one that does that. Name one artist, dead or alive that you would love to collaborate with? Olly: David Bowie. That song 'Starman', we grew up in an era where that was around and I feel like we have been influenced by this in a great way. I was thinking even though we have never talked about 'Starman' we kind of tuned into that idea of 'Space-Folk'.
What is your songwriting process like? Olly: It's often good when songs come from one person's expression but then it's always all about what we make of it. We elaborate a lot, we edit and mess around and write another bunch of words to stick in. We mess around with stuff all the time. By Jake Read
Turin Brakes
SUNSET SONS S
unset Sons returned to the island festival ready to satisfy the need for indie rock. While fans waited, pressed against the barrier for a good view of the impending show, we talked to lead singer Rory Williams in the comfort of the artist village about festivals and the horrors of camping. How are you enjoying the festival so far? We haven’t been here long; we arrived about an hour ago. With these types of festivals we have to come and go straight away, which I’m gutted about but I’m going to watch the Bowie tribute. Last time we played here we did The Big Top and partied all weekend, so I lost my voice for a show in Wales. So they are keeping us on a small leash! You released your album in April. How has the reception been? Really good. We were halfway through a big tour and near the end of the UK part the album came out, so when we got to Europe the reaction was amazing. As the tour went on you saw people singing along, and when we got to Madrid, the whole crowd sung and I was like, “Whoa, this is going to be mental.” I think there is a bit of something for everyone.
What would you say is your favourite thing about touring? The social aspect. We had the privilege of doing a support tour for Imagine Dragons so our eyes were opened up. You meet promoters and other bands and I love it. You spend a lot of time with the same people, so on a tour with a different group of people you get on with, it's the best thing. Oh, and the food! Have you ever had any camping horror stories? I’m not a fan of camping. I’ve had times where my tent’s collapsed or it’s leaked. Not having a shower gets me as well. The day we performed at Glastonbury last year I went on stage without having a shower and felt so dirty. Nothing crazy, but enough to put me off. What’s next for the band? We already have some tunes for our second album. Most of our best stuff comes right at the end, when we have to put songs on there. We are just continuing writing and we’re getting back in the studio. By Lottie Taylor
Sunset Sons
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FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS IF YOU WENT TO A FESTIVAL, WITH A TENT AND A SET OF CLOTHES - WHAT OTHER ITEM WOULD YOU TAKE?
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festival essentials
Cabbage; Lee: “Vodka”. Joe: “Whiskey.. And lots of it.” Lissie: “I’m a big wine drinker. I like my good red wines so aside from comfortable clothes and sunscreen and face moisturiser and bringing enough water, it would have to be some good red wine.” The Au Revoirs: Cammy: “Drugs.. Your own drugs.. And protein bars”. Lucy: “Wet wipes”. Turin Brakes: Eddie “Bass guitar” Rob “water and wet wipes” Sunset Sons: Rory Williams: “Spare pants because you don’t know what’s going to happen, the festival could get extended and you’re like damn “I’ve got no clean pants”. Keep your fluids up as well; you drink way too much cider so make sure to bring water. Just have a good time as well because if you’re at a festival and having a bad time you may as well just go home.”
Reverend and the Makers : Jon McClure:”Bog roll. There are so many things you need bog roll for. Most people say wet wipes but bog roll is better, you can’t dry a wet wipe but you can wet bog roll. I dropped my phone is a cesspit and had to fish it out, so I made bog roll mittens to get it out quickly. People think rock and roll is all glamour (laughs).”
you've just got to have the positive spirit”
Paves: Luke: “Booze.. or a genie's lamp that I can command any wish out of - I’d wish for booze anyway but then I’d still have two other wishes.. presuming it’s a classical genie in a lamp. No actually, I’d bring a genie in a lamp but he wouldn’t be circumstantial about the whole situation, I’d have as many wishes as I wanted. If I did have three wishes though, I’d write ten things down on a pieces of paper, put them in a hat, pull three and give them to the genie. So then it’s a bit of a surprise.”
Otherkin: Connor: “I’d say just a gigantic bag full of gin. Those like bags of wine you can get, I’d empty out the wine and fill it with gin.”
Blossoms: Tom, Charlie and Joe: “FLUSHABLE WIPES! They’re multipurpose you know.” (in Unison). Charlie: Hayfever Tablets Joe: Inhaler. Myles: “You’ve got to have cigs at a ‘fezza’ don’t you.” Josh: “I wouldn’t be at a festival in the first place.”
Wholls: Joe: “because these guys are Italian they always have bloody olive oil.” Tordy: “You’ve got to bring olive oil. Nothing sticks to anything with olive oil, and it tastes beautiful.” + Joe: “Best thing to take to a festival is open mindedness. “
Reef: Jack Bessant : “A positive mind, cause if you haven't got much money
festival essentials
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QUEEN W
hen Adam Lambert was appointed as the new frontman of Queen, not everyone was thrilled. How dare they? Nobody could replace the iconic Freddie Mercury. However true this may be, Lambert gave a pretty solid shot at trying on Freddie’s dancing shoes at the festival this year with what turned out to be an incredible and emotional set. The band and Lambert dedicated ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ to the victims of the recent Orlando shootings. Lambert said: “This song is dedicated to those who lost their lives in Orlando, Florida, and anyone who has been a victim of senseless violence or hatred.” This song in particular showed off his incredible vocal rage. It convinced the crowd in an instant that he was the right person to take over from Mercury. Lambert told Absolute Radio during the festival: “It’s a tragedy. I just know
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that so many lives were lost and it’s horrible. And it was a gay club. So my brothers and sisters feel like we’re targeted for whatever reason. And it’s horrible…It’s not even worth me trying to speculate right now on what solutions can be done. It’s time for mourning I think.” However, there were more light moments during the show than dark. Guitarist Brian May took a selfie with the thousands in the crowd, before erupting into an unexpected performance of ‘Love Of My Life’ which ended with a video of Freddie Mercury singing the closing lines, while Lambert left the stage. This happened again during ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. A video of Mercury singing some of the verses was played. It really felt like he was performing with them, an emotional moment that proved his legacy will live on. Queen and Adam Lambert also played
Queen
other hits such as ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’, which instantly got the crowd moving. It was hard to spot anybody standing still. During ‘Somebody To Love’, Lambert gave an intense speech about how he had nobody to love. ‘I Want To Break Free’ and ‘Radio Ga Ga’ were among many other songs that sent the crowd ga ga. Lambert wore various different outfits not too dissimilar from what Mercury would wear; high-heeled boots with a studded jacket and even a crown. He did the late singer justice. He also commented on what an honour it was to share the stage with drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May whilst humbly noting that there will always only be one Freddie. Closing the phenomenal show with one of their biggest anthems, ‘We Are The Champions’ plus a confetti cannon and an incredible fireworks display was the perfect way to send Sunday’s crowd home. By Zara Rowden
SETLIST: ONE VISION HAMMER TO FALL SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE STONE COLD CRAZY ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST FAT BOTTOMED GIRLS PLAY THE GAME KILLER QUEEN DON’T STOP ME NOW SOMEBODY TO LOVE LOVE OF MY LIFE A KIND OF MAGIC UNDER PRESSURE CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE I WANT TO BREAK FREE I WANT IT ALL WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER LAST HORIZON TIE YOUR MOTHER DOWN BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY RADIO GA GA ENCORE: WE WILL ROCK YOU WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS
Queen
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FEEDER O
n Sunday night loyal and dedicated fans could be filled up the Big Top waiting for the return of the Welsh band Feeder. The band performed tracks from their impressive eight album discography, dismissing any claims that they had lost their charm. They strolled onto the stage with Coldplay’s Jonny Buckland in tow and were greeted by fans screaming at the top of their lungs, chanting the band’s name. Wasting no time Feeder exploded into their first song, ‘Renegades’, which caused the whole tent to erupt with movement, and fans to sing so loudly that the fairground rides outside were drowned out. Throughout the set the band seemed happy to be there, soaking up the love. Grant Nicholas sang the first couple of lines of ‘Buck Rogers’ with a smile on his
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face like a naughty schoolboy, before playing the song in full. The band then slowed things down, playing a wholehearted rendition of ‘Just The Way I’m Feeling’ and ‘Tender’ which gave fans a chance to regather themselves. Feeder also had a surprise in store, publicly announcing that they were heading back into the studio and would be going on tour again. They finished off their set by playing one of their most famous songs, ‘Just A Day’, and even though the single was released 15 years ago the words flew out of fans mouths without hesitation. Hearing the first note caused a mosh pit to erupt, dragging anyone close enough into a spinning vortex of adrenaline. At the end of the gig fans left the tent thrilled, bruised, and full of fond memories of what was surely the cherry on top of a great festival. By Lottie Taylor
Feeder
THE CRIBS A
s the sun started to set on the last day of Isle of Wight Festival, people began to set up their camping chairs and picnic blankets in preparation for Sunday night’s main headliner, Queen featuring Adam Lambert. So it was what seemed like a largely unsuspecting crowd that saw West Yorkshire indie rock three-piece The Cribs casually make their way onstage. Multiple technical faults affected the first half of their performance, such as lead singer Ryan Jarman’s guitar strap repeatedly breaking, his microphone stand toppling over numerous times, and unwelcome feedback interrupting and distracting the three brothers midsong. Despite this turn of bad luck, they powered through a set that consisted of some of their best known songs from across their extensive discography. Fan favourites such as ‘We Share The Same Skies’, ‘I’m A Realist’ and ‘Come On, Be A No-One’ proved a hit with the crowd. The latter even had Queen’s patient audience swaying along to its drumbeat and catchy bassline. As The Cribs paused for a momentary break between songs, they said that
performing at the Isle of Wight Festival had been a long-term dream of theirs, and that being on the same bill as Queen meant a lot to them. During the introduction to ‘Be Safe’, The band’s spoken-word poetry/song hybrid collaboration with Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo, all three brothers took the opportunity to have a beer. It clearly made them more relaxed than they had been during the problematic beginning. With their time slot coming to an end, Ryan Jarman thanked the crowd for their enthusiasm and ended with the band’s highest-charting and most memorable song, ‘Men’s Needs’. During the finale, the lead singer did his usual routine of throwing his guitar around the stage and rubbing it on one of the amps, creating distortion sound whilst the audience watched in confusion. In the last few seconds, just as the brothers were making their way offstage, Ryan jumped into Gary’s arms and they smiled and laughed as they looked at the crowd they had generated over the past 40 minutes. This performance clearly meant a lot to the brothers. They had done themselves, and their fans, proud. By Tatjana Harrington-Steward
The Cribs
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REEF
really great gig. It seems pretty cool, because you get some great bands here. What would you say is your favourite thing about touring? Travelling, meeting new people and hanging out with them. Seeing places you would like to go back to if you had the chance again. You don’t spend much time in these places when you’re on tour. I love playing music. Music is special. You debuted your latest song ‘How I Got Over’ on BBC Radio 2. Are you going to play it today? We are definitely going to play that today because it’s doing well. We are looking forward to that. We are starting to wind back up again. We also have Jessie Woods on guitar now and he is really good. We are going to play a couple of new songs tonight.
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his year, Reef returned to the festival after six years away. New single ‘How I Got Over’ is already a live favourite and it was a special show for the Somerset band. Bassist Jack Bessant talked to us about the joys of touring and a possible new album. How are you enjoying the festival so far? I’m having a really lovely time. I haven’t seen any bands yet but we are going to be playing in a minute so I’m really looking forward to that.
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What bands are you planning to watch today? We’re not going to have much time to watch any because we have been doing interviews since we arrived, which is cool. So I haven’t had a chance to watch anybody and we are going to be leaving after the set. I should have come yesterday really! You have played quite a few other festivals over the years, how does Isle Of Wight compare? We played here in 2010 and had a
REEF
So is there a new album in the works? Yeah, we’ve got ideas. We just need some help in putting it together. We are planning to get a record deal and a bit of money to put it together. We would like to work with George Drakoulias again, ‘cause he did the single. We just need to hook up with him again and jam out some songs to make a lovely album. Have you had any camping horror stories? Not really, camping has been pretty good for me really. By Lottie Taylor
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THE AU REVOIRS
fter recently touring to promote their up and coming single 'My Twisted Heart', The Au Revoirs stopped off at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival to deliver a set of poignant summer tunes and refreshing indie-rock at the Tim Peaks Diner. With the excitement surrounding their up and coming efforts and a single release in the works, ISLA spoke with The Au Revoirs - singer Lucie Barat, to talk about the festival, camping horror stories, and dream collaborations... How are you enjoying the festival? Lucie: Very much, we've squeezed the life out of it. It’s been excellent. How does Isle of Wight compare to other festivals? Lucie: I haven’t been here before but it's been lovely and we are going to do a bit of sightseeing before we get the ferry back. Have you got any festival or camping horror stories? Lucie: I dropped my Ray-Bans down the portaloo. Cammy: And I've got them! Lucie: He's got my portalooed RayBans. Cammy: She doesn't want them anymore so I was like “Well I'll have them then!” so they are in my wife’s bag, Nice pair of sh*tty specs.
What's one artist dead or alive you would like to collaborate with? Cammy: Nick Cave, he's got a foot in both camps. Rhys: I'd love to play with Stewart Copeland from The Police. What's your songwriting process like? Lucie: Someone comes up with a riff or a verse or chorus idea then we generally arrange it together, then I just write the top line. Basically arrange it all together really. Cammy: Yeah we've got the riff database, the arsenal, the war chest! Lucie: Someone will bring something in though. Like Paul brought an idea in and we just sort of arranged it.
The Au revoirs
What's the first album or single you bought? Rhys: My first album I ever bought, I was about 8 years old, was the Ozzy Ozbourne album, I can't remember which one it is, but it has a big picture of his face? Paul: Mine was ZZ Top. Lucie: I did also have the best of Bob Marley, as every self respecting person should have. Thing is you can give a kid anything and they will love it, that's why parents are so important in shaping your music taste, they give you something and you're like “Wow, music and it's mine.” By William Kay
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STAGE INFO HEY JOE STAGE FT TIM PEAKS DINER Debuting at The Isle of Wight Festival in 2014, The Hey Joe Rock Bar returned for its third year. As Jimi Hendrix played at the festival in 1970, it is named after the guitarist’s 1965 hit. The tent hosted a wide range of musical acts over the weekend including acoustic performers and live bands of multiple genres. A David Bowie disco also took place in the campsite venue as part of The Isle of Wight Festival’s ‘Stand Up To Cancer’ weekend. The Tim Peaks Diner situated inside of the Hey Joe tent provided festival goers with tea, coffee, cakes and a record shop. THE HARD ROCK STAGE The Hard Rock Cafe returned to Seaclose Park, Newport to continue it’s prosperous partnership with The Isle of Wight Festival for a third year. The Hard Rock Stage successfully showcased over 30 new and undiscovered acts over the festival weekend. Exhibiting a range of genres, the stage provided musicians with a platform to play to thousands of music fans and festival goers. Acoustic, rock and roll, indie and country acts were all seen performing on The Hard Rock Stage - playing alongside some of the top place holders of this years popular and global Hard Rock Cafe competition: Hard Rock Rising.
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BT SPORT FIELD OF DREAMS Returning after a successful year of presenting festival-goers with World Cup features and an array of DJ sets in 2014 the BT Sport 'Field Of Dreams' area provided crowds of people with the chance to catch all the action from the EURO 2016 tournament. In between presenting world-class football matches the stage offered a look into the history of the festival; David Bowie's renowned 2004 headline show was aired in full among an eclectic selection of performances by previous headliners. Iggy Pop's newly released film 'Blood Orange' was shown in contrast to the variety of up and coming DJ's which offered round the clock entertainment from late night garage to early noughties jungle anthems. STRONGBOW TREE STAGE This year saw the return of the Strongbow Tree stage. Debuting in 2015 the stage brought a host of DJ's performing everything from disco and funk to hip hop. The sets also included live percussion coupled with the extensive sets of dance favourites performed by exclusive DJ's. Centered by a raised tree platform providing a view across the festival it was the perfect place to unwind, meet some new people, enjoy the performances
stage information
of talented artists and grab a nice glass of Cider, all the while raving to your favourite club tunes and fantastic lightshow spectacles. STAND UP TO CANCER BEACH The Stand Up To Cancer Beach made its premier at this years festival in collaboration with Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK. Being the festival's official charity sponsor for 2016 all money raised from the partnership went straight to funding translational Cancer research that will help save more lives, more quickly. The beach offered an eclectic mix of activities ranging from Zumba, yoga classes and Bear Grylls's survival training sessions to opportunities to enjoy classic staples of the British seaside; scenes of brightly coloured buckets and spades, deck chairs and parasols in tandem with Aunt Sally boards gave a picturesque and relaxing feel to the charitable event. The evening offered a Beach DJ as part of their 'Glow Show' extravaganza, keeping the fun going after dark. SPEAKERS CORNER Speakers corner offered a more downtempo side to the weekend's music. Making its first appearance at the festival this year it enabled crowds
to check out an array of acoustic performances and poetry from both seasoned performers and ambitious newcomers. A getaway from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the festival. CIRQUE DE LA QUIRK Back again after a successful year of presenting all that is weird and wonderful Cirque De La Quirk offered the public an array of entertainment. Creative workshops, colour therapy and face-painting were on offer surrounded by pillow pits and bean bags with the aim to relax and intrigue. The Wonky Races tent presented multiple challenging and competitive festive past-times while live music from acts such as the Dub Pistols, Far Too Loud and Freear worked in tandem with circus performers to create a comprehensive, quirky experience. In order to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday the tent hosted a quintessentially British tea party with electro-swing beats being provided by Cirque De La Quirk regulars Miles Metric and The Rumpsteppers. HIPSHAKER LOUNGE After multiple years of bringing festival-goers a mix of genres and DJ sets the Hipshaker lounge returned to a different location with the aim of putting on a house-warming party. The veteran stage accomplished this whilst also delivering a broad range of vintage music and dance anthems. The Hipshaker lounge presented a Burlesque show for the first time and also gave the public a chance to take part in dance classes in between
sets paying tribute to acts such as Stevie Wonder, The Small Faces, The Smiths and Oasis. DJ's also played standout singles from the headliners discographies in keeping with the heritage of the festival. ELECTRO LOVE TENT Back again and bigger than ever the Electro Love tent was a testament to all things retro. The tent was the signature stage for Isle Of Wight night-club 'Electro Love'. Across the weekend the tent had sets of 80's music along with DJ battles and rock and pop tribute acts. The tent specialised in ranging from pop music to songs from across the spectrum of 80's rock. The in tent bar had giant Rubik’s cubes, BMX bikes, UV lights and bubble parties. On top of this the tent had its very own tuck shop with retro sweets and neon merchandise to add to the 80's feel. KASHMIR CAFE Returning for its ninth consecutive year at the festival the Kashmir café was run by island volunteers with all profits going to Quay arts, the island's very own charitable arts centre. The café itself featured performances from local musicians and acts from across the UK and beyond. Kashmir café celebrated all that is local with island-roasted fresh coffee, real ale and specialist cherry beer. A double decker bus housed fresh vegetarian food and was accompanied by a vast beer garden with live music just a few steps away. BULMERS COLOURENA The Bulmers Colourena made its debut
stage information
in 2015 and returned this year to offer both music and activities to the public. DJ's and paint fights were taking place across the weekend with attendeesable to refresh themselves at the nearby bars. Entertainment also included welly throwing, jelly wrestling, space-hopper racing and dance-offs (featuring people dressed as fruit). The Bulmers Colourena took place within the main stage area close to all the action of the carnival rides and stages. PLATFORM ONE STAGE The Platform One stage was run by Platform One a music college based in the Isle Of Wight and showcased a diverse line-up strictly for young and/or emerging bands. Over the span of the festival the stage put on acts from an eclectic mix of genres and included DJ's as well as graduates of the college itself. KIDZONE (FEATURING MILKSHAKE LIVE) Kidzone this year was presented with help from popular Channel 5 pre-school show 'Milkshake'. Milkshake presenters Jen and Derek performed their 'Bop in the park' show alongside various other shows such as the 'Noisy Oyster Theatre', physical theatre from Wolly the mime-artist, Huxley the magician and the Sparkle Fairies Hula Disco. A craft tent provided children with the opportunity to make anything from recycled headdresses to flags and windmills. The craft area also included clay modelling and art with sticker creations. Active entertainment had children involved in workshops from juggling to stilt-walking.
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T
he UK’s biggest rock and roll night This Feeling and iconic whiskey Jack Daniels partnered up this year to bring the Jack Rocks This Feeling stage to The Isle of Wight Festival. Showcasing the newest and best names in the UK rock and roll scene such as YAK, Baby Strange and Little Comets. After an ever-successful 10 years in the business Isla grabbed some time with This Feeling’s founder Mikey Jonns to discuss how it all began, plans for the future and a 12-monthpartnership with Jack Daniel’s. This Feelins Photos: Will Ireland
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This Feeling
What made you decide to start This Feeling? About ten years ago I decided to put on a night in London. There was nothing for 25-year-olds, which was around my age at the time, so I just did it myself! Kasabian launched it, they came down to DJ and it just snowballed from there. What kind of music do you associate with This Feeling? Rock and Roll. How do you find new bands? There is a band segment on the website to submit music. Bands might contact me through Facebook. It’s almost like they just come to you. We’re sent so many I have to chose wisely. Sometimes I find something I like and contact them too. Where do your events run? It started once a month in London and then after about three years, I added Manchester. Glasgow started after four or five years. After that I thought: “You know what? I may as well just do every city I can”. At the moment I do nights in Leicester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Southampton, Brighton and London. From September this year I’m going to add Nottingham, Bristol, Hull, Cardiff and various other cities to the list. How did you end up with the JD Rocks stage at IOW? I said to John Giddings ( Isle of Wight Festival boss) whilst we were out: “If
I can partner with Jack Daniels, could we do a stage?” He said: “Definitely.” It was a deal done over a two hour lunch and signed on the back of a piece of paper. He’s an absolute geezer. He isn’t like: “I’ll speak to my people; you speak to your people.” He was just up for it. So I went to Jack Daniel’s and it was done. It was that easy. Who else have you seen at the Festival apart from those at the JD rocks stage? I’ve seen every single band here. There are a lot of bands at this stage that I have been booking for a while but not seen before. I’m as excited as anyone. To I went to see Blossoms, and I’m going to go see Richard Ashcroft and The Who tonight. You have multiple famous backers. Do you think that helps? I think so. They’re the same sort of people as me and the same sort of people as the bands. They like the same music. So getting a support quote from Noel Gallagher is amazing. Or when Serge from Kasabian comes down to support the bands, is huge for This Feeling. Blossoms were here last night to cheer on the performances. It feels like one big family. You’ve been working with Radio X. How is that going? It’s great and gives bands the opportunity to get spot play. Then if the reaction is good it leads on to more plays with Radio X. It is giving exposure to bands that might not
This Feeling
have a radio plugger. I’ve been working with Gigwise doing their Track Of The Day. People pick up on that, what I’m looking at and what I like. Some little bands just need that one little promo, which takes them on to other things. Top five bands on your stage? I couldn’t choose. If I had to say the top five bands I’ve seen so far today it would be Shimmer Band, Hidden Charms, The Vryll Society, Yak and The Liberty Ship. How do you think the partnership with Jack Daniel’s has helped This Feeling? It’s amazing. I have been approached by other brands before but it wasn’t ever the right fit. I’d never want to take the money if it wasn’t something that I didn’t pick, or a drink that I didn’t drink, or a sh*t pair of jeans. It’s got to be real. It’s not just bands, it’s working with class bands as well. It’s their opportunity to have someone stand up for them and then people can see who they are. I think it will be a long-term relationship, I don’t want to change it. They’ve been amazing, they’re not just all about money. They care, they genuinely do care about new music and providing new bands with opportunity. By Sam Rowlands
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HELLO OPERATOR Hello Operator were one of the biggest crowd pleasers this year at the Jack Rocks tent. Exuding comfort on stage, the band burst into a flurry of catchy melodies and ferocious, gristly hooks, showing their worthiness of the third headliner spot of the day. There was much commotion as the performers went wild and the audience copied. The band bounced off each other, rousing the already over excited crowd. Hello Operator are all over the UK this summer, playing various gigs and festivals. BABY STRANGE Glaswegian musicians Baby Strange took to the Jack Rocks tent on Sunday evening. Festival goers en route to see Queen and Adam Lambert headlining the main stage were drawn in by an enticing mix of melodious and disheveled instrumentation. The audience multiplied steadily, leaving Baby Strange with a large crowd. The band performed a dynamic cover of
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This Feeling
Peter Bjorn And John’s ‘Young Folks’ mixed in with their own material, including newest single ‘Pure Evil’. They also played Truck Festival and Electric Fields this summer. LIBERTY SHIP Liberty Ship are a highlight of the current UK indie scene. The jangly indie-pop band are exciting live, with a serious ability to work a crowd. Their set began with soft, acoustic guitar-led music, but soon developed into a big, swelling, hallucinatory sound similar to early Stone Roses. This group of young Sheffield lads are all over this summer, playing at Live in Barnsley, Tramlines, Blackthorn, Kendal Calling and Dronfest in the coming months. FRONTEERS Fronteers made their first Isle of Wight Festival appearance at the Jack Rocks stage on Saturday. The young Hull fourpiece showed energy and advanced musical ability to the eager crowd of JD drinkers throughout their afternoon
set. With their ‘These Streets We’re Born In’ EP released in July, Fronteers had a wonderful summer set for them. You can catch them live at various UK music festivals including Beat-Herder, Secret Garden Party and Standon Calling. CUPIDS The creative rock and roll music of Manchester quartet Cupids stirred the crowd in the Jack Rocks tent. Their rhythm-driven, high stamina music is a fresh and interesting evolution of the ‘90s Madchester sound. Frontman Jake Fletcher adds to their pulsating, atmospheric and driving music with his catchy lyrics and melody, creating a show that is not to be missed. The band’s newest single ‘Kickin’ In’ ramped up the energy on the stage and within the crowd. Cupids will be playing Kendal Calling and Manchester’s newest festival Neighbourhood later this year. THE VRYLL SOCIETY Opening with an ominous soundscape crafted through the use of pedals and
manipulated feedback, The Vryll Society started their set as they intended to continue it: atmospheric, poignant and fun. Effortlessly cool in their attire, this is a band that are completely comfortable in their skin. Front man Mike Ellis sporadically broke into jagged dancing reminiscent of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. Musically the group sounded like an Eighties acid trip, with lyrics structured like statements accompanied by carefully formed yet aggressive, effect-ridden instrumentation. There’s something here for everyone. HIDDEN CHARMS When the crowd are dancing and clapping from the moment you take the stage to the moment you leave, you know you have something special. This was the case with London fourpiece Hidden Charms. A set full of complementary harmonies, heavy drum beats and well-implemented tempo changes drew many wanderers to their set to join the small yet committed group of fans that were
This Feeling
there from the beginning. The set saw members swapping instruments and roles throughout in a fashion rarely seen in modern bands. Hidden Charms are definitely one to watch over the next few years. YAK Chaotic Wolverhampton alternative rock trio YAK headlined the Jack Rocks stage on Friday night, providing a maniacal alternative to the main act of the night, Faithless. As the band performed a variety of songs from their debut album, ‘Alas Salvation’, and earlier material such as ‘Plastic People’ and ‘Hungry Heart’, the crowd’s excitement continued to grow until it erupted into surely one of the most energetic mosh pits that this festival has ever seen. A powerful set from start to finish, YAK delivered loud, thrashing basslines and catchy riffs contrasted with screeching, dominating vocals. The crowd’s energy didn’t falter.
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CABBAGE
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W
hy choose other vegetables over Cabbage?” Frontman Lee Broadbent cried to the crowd during his band’s latest bout of organised chaos. Live shows are Cabbage’s forte the weird, the wacky and certainly the wonderful. Post-punk electricity courses through the band, who offer dancing, music and a singer who can climb anything that gets in his way. The band’s sets are always high energy. Broadbent moshed, danced, joined the crowd and climbed up the amps. Just a few months earlier we had watched him scale Victoria Warehouse’s structure at Cosmosis Festival in Manchester. Having formed only seven months ago, Cabbage are climbing
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the ladder at an alarming rate. “We supported The Fall in Manchester. They usually put a mediocre band on first in case Mark E [Smith] isn’t quite all there. They kicked off because we started playing and apparently we were dead good,” said guitarist Joe Martin, on the sofa next to his bandmate. “We played two shows yesterday, Field Day in London and then we played in Southampton. So we’ve missed nearly everyone we wanted to see,” Martin said. “We played Brighton the other day too with YAK, who we love. “Brighton’s a lovely place. If I could build an ideal city to live in, it would be 60 per cent drag queens. There is something quite sexy about it,”
This Feeling
responded Broadbent to his bandmate. “And the other 40 per cent?” said Martin. “Well I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.” Cabbage began their Isle Of Wight weekend with a slot at the JD Rocks stage. After a successful show there, they moved to the shisha bar and chill out zone, the Hey Joe tent featuring Tim Peaks Diner stage. During soundcheck the audience sat on hessian mats, enjoying the heat. But after a few motivational words from Broadbent, the audience were on their feet and Cabbage yet again let loose, performing another highly energetic and impressive set. By Sam Rowlands
PAVES
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fter playing incredible three sets throughout the weekend at The Isle of Wight Festival. Isla sat down with Paves’ rock and roll frontman Luke Shield, to talk about plans for the future and the ‘This Feeling family’. How was your journey to The Isle of Wight Festival? It was fine. Well we missed the ferry but you can catch any one, so we just got the next. Have you been to Isle Of Wight before? Never in my life. I’ve sailed past it on my way from Portsmouth to France. My parents live in France. I was worrying about the whole situation, I get quite anxious. I am happy to be
here, everyone is so friendly. All the people who are working here are just trying to help you and that’s great. How did you meet Mikey Jonns and get involved with This Feeling? We went to see a friend play at Hoxton Bar And Grill, where we got introduced to him. Obviously we knew who he was and that he had a good set up. We were just waiting for the right moment to introduce ourselves. He put us on a show and then we toured with Hello Operator - who are great. I’ve made so many friends that we can count as friends for life. Who are the best bands you’ve seen so far this weekend?
This Feeling
Bang Bang Romeo; Hello Operator; The Who; The Wholls and Richard Ashcroft. I really enjoyed Cabbage today too and I think their name really works with the whole ethos of the band. What’s next for Paves? Festival season obviously. I think we released an EP around July and a free download on Soundcloud. We’re going back into the studio hopefully in the next three weeks, to finish the EP. We’re messing around with pedals to make the guitars sound less like guitars. We’re just experimenting a bit and I’m really interested to see where this EP goes. By Sam Rowlands
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THE WHOLLS
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fter their electrifying set on the This Feeling stage ISLA spoke to The Wholls’ Tordy Cocchiarella (singer and lead guitar); Joe Stevenson (bass) and Daniel De Feo (drums) of The Wholls about festivals, what they’re planning next and smashing up their guitars. How was your journey? Tordy: The journey was good. The sun’s shining, it’s lovely. Joe: We’ve been really blessed this weekend because it was meant to rain but it’s been blue skies. Tordy: Joe’s nose gets really red. Joe: Yeah, it’s the closest thing to the Sun. I can tell the weather because of it. Have you been to the Isle of Wight before? Joe: Nope, never. I was gonna come when Jimi Hendrix played but I wasn’t born. I used to stand on Southampton Docks as well and try and throw stones at people on the Isle of Wight but it was too far away.
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Have you seen any other bands this weekend, and who were your favourites? Joe: We’ve seen some really cool bands, man. First off though I’ve gotta say the Jack Rocks/This Feeling stage is the best, because every band that’s here is so passionate. Everyone hangs out back here with each other, so it’s great. I’ve just gotta say it’s been a real pleasure seeing and playing with every band on this stage. Tordy: Yeah, we’ve made a lot of friends. It’s sort of like a little This Feeling family. Bands like Jackals Rose, Paves, Broken Witt Rebels. Hello Operator have probably been my favourite band so far, and Paves. You played a song called Angry Faces in your set and dedicated it to being angry. Is there a story behind this? Tordy: I think it just came from people just being angry in general. Everyone’s always bloody miserable. What other festivals are you looking
This Feeling
forward to this summer? Tordy: This was one of the ones we were most excited for. But also Secret Garden Party. What are your plans for the next couple of months? Joe: Just keep playing really. We’re looking at doing a tour around September time. . Daniel: That’s why stages like this are so important. If you’ve got stages like this all over the place then bands like us have more of a chance of being seen, so it’s great. Joe: In terms of what we’re doing next, first and foremost is getting a new bass because I smashed it up at the end of our set. Danny booted it, for the record, and cracked it. Daniel: Yeah, I proper booted it. Joe: So we’ll be having a fight later. But yeah, we’ll definitely be dropping something later in the year so keep your eyes peeled for that. By Luke Killick
OTHERKIN
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usic critics have had their eyes set on Dublin grungepop quartet Otherkin since they released debut single ‘Ay, Ay’ back in early 2015. One year later and the band are regulars on BBC Radio 1 and Radio X, have played their first full-length UK headline tour, and are performing a variety of notable festivals this summer. With just over an hour until their set at Isle of Wight Festival, ISLA took some time with lead singer, Luke Reilly and lead guitarist, Conor Andrew Wynne, of Otherkin. How was your journey? Luke: It was pretty good. We’ve been on the road this weekend so we got up at 6am this morning and got a three hour ferry over from Ireland so that was a long one. Have you been gigging this week? Luke: Yeah, we did two gigs in London a couple nights ago, at Nambucca in Holloway Road, which was a great venue. We played a brilliant gig with Baby Strange who are fantastic. I
think they’re playing just after us today so it’ll be good to hang out with those boys again. Conor: Our Celtic brothers.
This Feeling stage. Luke: We met the founder and owner of This Feeling, Mikey, the other night. I actually didn’t know who he was until we were doing our Nambucca show where I saw him hanging out in the backstage area and we just hit it off. He’s a really, really great guy. Conor: Radio X have been playing us quite a bit and then I’m not sure exactly how it happened but Mikey came to us and got hold of our manager, saying he wanted us to do This Feeling, and so we did and it was just great fun. Great venues, great crowds. He just treats us really well too.
Are you playing any other festivals or gigs in the next few weeks? Conor: We’re doing loads actually. Latitude, Reading and Leeds, Leefest, Leopallooza, Beat-Herder. That’s a good line-up. Primal Scream are playing so that should be amazing.
Have you played any other shows for This Feeling? Conor: Yeah, we were on tour last November which was our first UK tour and we played about five or six This Feeling gigs which integrated nicely into our tour.
Have you seen any other bands today or is there anyone in particular you want to see? Conor: I saw The Cribs last year at Reading Festival when we played there and I’ve always been a big fan, so it’ll be good to see them again. Luke: Our tour driver’s obsessed with Queen and he’s had them on the bucket list for about 35 years now so he’s super excited.
Have you got any new music coming out? Conor: We have just released a new EP called ‘The New Vice’ which we are pleased about. We also have a video coming out for our song ‘Yeah, I Know’ and we’re really really happy with how the video turned out. We’ve managed to get a good few reviews ready for the EP to come out so I’m really excited for everyone to hear it. Luke: We can’t wait to get that out, and then just keep on rocking in the free world. By Tatjana Harrington-Steward
Which stage are you playing on this weekend? Conor: We’re playing the Jack Rocks
This Feeling
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