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REVIEW:V FESTIVAL by KT Evans
PREVIEW: LEEDS FESTIVAL by KT Evans
Slap bang in the heart of festival season and allround attendees favourite, V Fest once again gave an almighty salute to the front runners in the UK charts. With some stonking headliners aswell as a range of acts across the entire spectrum of music, it’s more than easy to see how the event attracts audiences of over eighty thousand each year. Ran by business mogul Richard Branson, V Fest is in its fifteenth year of bringing a triumphant music extravaganza to the people…and by God they sure got it right again! Spread over hundreds of aches of land, the site itself could not have been selected any better. With four stages encased within a selfcontained arena, food stalls / clothing tents / bars came ten a penny within the main setup, meaning traipsing back to the tent every ten minutes was not necessary…lazy…us…never! Ostrich burgers, legal highs, V Healthy stalls, you name it, it was there meaning that anyone who wanted to pay £5 for a burger was catered for. In co-ordination with the festivals overall vibe, the line-up served as a salute to everyone’s music tastes. Although having N-Dubz to follow Good Charlotte on Saturday afternoon did seem a slight contradiction in words, it did mean that people were willing to watch bands they may not have necessarily gone to see themselves…all adding to the electrifying vibe within the huge crowds. On the other hand however it did mean that you could be in a crowd where nobody really knew or appreciated the music…this could certainly be said for main Sunday Headliners Arctic Monkeys, who although put on a cracking show didn’t seem to get the audience riled. V Festival crowds-where were you when the encore chants should have taken place? Why did you not go crazy when ‘I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor’ was played? Strange… Having said this, as the line-up did cover indie to rock to rap music, it would be pointless trying to compare the different acts level of performance as musically they are so different therefore attract a very different crowd…but surely the festival isn’t SO pop based that people don’t even listen to Arctic Monkeys? It would be naïve to think so yes, however there was an overall distinct feel the audience just weren’t ‘getting it.’ Rihanna on the reverse…smashed it! Arguably the biggest name in pop music at the moment, RiRi not only had the entire crowd eating from the palm of her hands, but also had the biggest audience numbers of the weekend. Singing numbers from all of her hugely successfully studio albums, Rihanna ensured her performance would go down as one of the greats in V history. Vocally spotless, the songstress supplied that all needed headliners injection to the already hyped up viewing public… she clearly knows how to get things done and delivered spot-on for the audience at V Festival.
Leeds festival insider joke: They still haven’t found Alan! (If you know what that means, top marks!) A line-up that could quite literally blow the top of the NME tent, this year plays host to not three but four cracking headlining bands all prepared to deliver one of the best weekends within the festival circuit. The main stage on Friday 26th August, which has historically played host to the likes of Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys and Guns ‘n’Roses will see The View, Friendly Fires, Elbow and, voted the best live band in the world…Muse headline. Being their only European Show of 2011, Muse are to bring their amazing set list, to include all the massive tunes from their incredible back-catalogue, so expect something huge from one of the UK’s most celebrated rock acts. Friday will also see 2manydjs, album producers for some of the UK’s pop royalty, aswell as hugely anticipated Death From Above 1979, Panic! At The Disco and The Streets, all to grace the NME Radio 1 stage. And as for the Festival Republic Stage…the one and only Pete Doherty…(If he makes it!) Saturday 27th, yet other blinder of a line-up will see My Chemical Romance headline, with Thirty Seconds to Mars as headline support. American Punk Rockers, The Offspring are also to take to the infamous stage, as Leeds and Reading is the bands only UK festival appearance of 2011…you better not miss it! Sheffield’s Bring Me The Horizon also have a main stage spot, injecting some heavily needed screamo metal within the mix. Along with these, New Found Glory and The Blackout, aiding the stonking line-up for the weekend. The NME Radio 1 stage will be showcasing no other than Beady Eye, Liam Gallagher’s highly anticipated new project, along with West London trio White Lies and The Vaccines, who supported the Arctic Monkeys at their hometown gig in Sheffield in June. With not one but two headliners on Sunday 28th, Sheffield’s very own Pulp are quite simply one of the most popular and successful British groups of our time. Not only are they winners of the sought-after Mercury Music Prise, they also have a repertoire of top-notch tunes; ‘Common People,’ ‘Disco 2000’ and ‘Do You Remember The First Time’ which they will no doubt be delivering to the masses. Sharing the headline spot along with Pulp will be The Strokes, a revolutionary indie band form the USA. With their album ‘Is This It’ being voted the album of the decade in NME, along with a reputation as first-class live performances, the five-piece’s set is one of huge anticipation. Joining the main stage line-up includes eighties legends Madness along with Two Door Cinema Club, Seasick Steve and The Pigeon Detectives. The NME Radio 1 stage is set to showcase Jane’s Addiction, the notorious Crystal Castles, along with Bombay Bicycle Club and Everything Everything.
Tickets go on sale very soon for next year’s V Festival, so keep checking www.vfestival.com
See next week’s ‘M-Live’ section for a full review of Leeds Festival 2011.
The Lamproom presents...
An Evening with John Reilly The Voice of Boy On a Dolphin Singer songwriter John Reilly opens new season
Wednesday 7th September Starting at 7:30pm Tickets: £10 Box Office 01226 200075 www.barnsleylamproom.com The Lamproom room Theatre Westgate Barnsley S70 2DX 01226 200075 www.barnsleylamproom.com
Hero of the festival crowds and voice of ‘Boy on a Dolphin’ and ‘Acoustic Angels’, the chance to hear John Reilly’s songs in the more intimate surrounding of a small theatre come s when he takes to the stage at Barnsley’s Lam proom Theatre on Wednesday 7 September. You will hear the stories behind the song s from his ‘Tea Cozy Hat’ album and new album ‘Zebulon’. Discovered by Bryan Adam s’ Manager, Reilly’s first album was actua lly recorded in the rock stars house. The latest single, ‘Deep and Blue’ is out on Atlan tic Records and this tour is, as Reilly himself says “A chance to meet his audience.” Accompanied by long time friend, Canadian Lewis Nitikman, this is your chance to see one of the UK’s most prolific songwriters up close and personal. By the way, if you were wondering why ‘Boy On A Dolphin’?, John really did used to ride everyone’s favourite mammal in a show earlier in his youth. Ask him – he’ll tell you all about it.
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