The new single from Matziz is called “Barraque Beat” and it is a strange but very satisfying slab of Electronic Dance Music (EDM). It uses a lot of synth sound and electro instrumentation, but also includes a fair bit of organic instrumentation, mainly guitars. It is a four-minute instrumental with the kind of vibe that means it is impossible not to move to it. The track will induce everything from robot dance to just tapping your feet via a full-on Dad dance on amphetamines. Matziz describes his work as “an attempt to translate images into music, to sculpt sound material and play with its textures to extract an emotional essence. This is about working alchemical formulas through sound, to: – treat, accompany, heal, inspire… The sensitive world according to its various needs, which fluctuate at full speed, according to the context of the extremely changing and tumultuous news”. Matziz says that he is inspired by “the origins of Techno and the English effervescence of electronic music in the ’90s” Apparently the tune is about a toad, trying to enter a very weird house, now I know that it explains the weird toad-like sounds that can be heard scattered through the piece. This really is a great track and different from so many less exciting releases in this genre.
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Let me kick off with the whole split Main Stage thing at Reading and Leeds. What is the point of having two main stages? Surely whoever plays last is effectively the headliner. Does it sell more tickets? Or is it an ego stroke for bands and singers? Or maybe it is something else entirely, I would love to hear your views. Anyway, enough of a bit of ranting let me tell you who I saw on day 1. First up was Mall Rat on the Main Stage East. Mall Rat came all the way from Australia and maybe this is what Kylie might have sounded like had she emerged now rather than back in the 80s. Mall Rat mentioned that she was hot and to be fair it was pretty warm, but she was wearing some kind of woolly mittens, what was that all about? I thought “Are You High?” is a striking pop dance track. The clouds on her rolling logo screen had clouds shaped like Care Bears, so I should insert an “aaaahhh” here right? It is still a bit weird watching just one person on stage singing to backing tracks, but to be fair Mall Rat has some great tunes. Next, it was a trip to the Main Stage West for the K’s, these lads have some top songs and they are getting better and better musically. I reckon that they are potential future Reading/ Leeds headliners, hopefully, by then we will have reverted to a single Main Stage. The K’s have the power, passion, and skill that will lead to them becoming the band that Oasis probably wanted to be but never were.
Mall Rat and some Care Bear shaped clouds!
I saw Dylan at the Latitude Festival a few weeks ago and she was bloody good, so I had to catch her at Leeds, where she opened the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage, not quite sure why she was on the Dance Stage. I think Dylan will be huge, she has a great core following and I am sure she picked up a lot of new fans with this set. Once again she did a snippet of a great cover of “Paradise City”. And just like at Latitude “You’re Not Harry Styles” went down an absolute storm! I paid my first visit to the BBC Introducing Stage next for Boy Bleach, a great festival discovery for me. Hard glam punk with a wonderful overlay of camp. This was a belting full-on performance. This included kind of band uniforms of tartan ties and white shirts adorned with slogans, such as “Tax The Rich” and “Destroy”. “So Good” is a fabulous song, but “Bullet” is anthemic punk for Generation Z. On top of that, the cover of Britney Spears’s “Toxic” was an explosive banger. A truly awesome band. A short hop to the Festival Republic Stage next for Daisy Brain, the alias of Will Tse. This is grungey slacker rock of the finest order. There’s some Graham Coxon, some Dinosaur Jr and maybe even some Pavement and Nirvana too. But above all, there were megatons of Daisy Brain originality. This was a spectacularly good set and I am now proper looking forward to the release of the Daisy Brain EP later this year.
Boy Bleach
I stayed at the Festival Republic Stage for The Native from Plymouth. They are purveyors of melodic and emotional power pop with a punchy rock edge. This band knows how to write a great song. In particular “Looking Back” is something very special, from the harmonies to the screaming guitar solo. The Native were clearly well up for this appearance! Bradford’s Bad Boy Chiller Crew were on Main Stage West. This bunch put on a British rap and hip hop party, but I didn’t really feel it. A bit like Goldie Lookin’ Chain with nowhere near as much humour. I trudged over to Main Stage East for the phenomenal Pale Waves. When they first arrived on the scene they were considered as another indie band, but they are so much more than that. The songs from the new album, ‘Unwanted’ testify to that. Front woman Heather Baron- Gracie is a real performer and she works the crowd wonderfully well. The band are incredibly tight, especially drummer Ciara. This was another stonking set from Pale Waves. I managed to catch the tail end of Belfast based rapper Emby’s set on the BBC Introducing Stage. Wow, can anyone else spit rhymes and ciphers as clear and as fast as this bloke? Somehow I don’t think so, he was bloody good and I need to hear more of his stuff.
Panic Shack
I stayed at the BBC Introducing Stage for DIY Welsh punksters Panic Shack. Incredible songs from a fantastic band. If the Tuts, the Spice Girls and the Runaways had been cloned and spliced then I am sure that they would become Panic Shack. The co ordinated moves were entertaining and skillfully exercised. I love the humour and fun that Panic Shack convey, and obviously the fab tunes too. I want more Panic Shack in my life please. My final act of the day was Crawlers from Liverpool on the Festival Republic Stage. Their songs are impassioned, heartfelt, funky and punky. Another great band and what a stunner of a show! OK why is this my last act of day 1, well I had a prior commitment to whizz back to the Fulford Arms in York to see Ginger Wildheart and I sure as hell wasn’t going to miss that for the 1975. Obviously if Rage Against The Machine hadn’t pulled out I would definitely have stayed at the Leeds Festival!
All pictures, except the gig poster, were taken by me using my very cheap Chinese Android phone. The videos were found on YouTube. If the video is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be removed please let me know.
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Guyanese (L.A. based) pop princess Jourdin Pauline is becoming a massive star, not only in music but also in business (she runs the “popstar” cannabis product line), and with close to 1.5m followers on Instagram, she will be someone with a massive influence on all of the above and probably fashion too. She is also a gracious philanthropist and uses her position in a positive way to make a difference in the community. She has been closely involved with A.W.A.R.H.E. (Artists Wanting AIDS and HIV Related Education) which helps to spread AIDS awareness. She has just released a rather interesting, exciting and colourful video for the song “Priceless” taken from her 2021 album ‘Love Songs About Nobody’. I have seen this song’s style, and Jourdin’s musical style referred to as Trap Pop. She definitely has a great knack for pop hooks and there are strong hip-hop elements in what she does. Incidentally, the Trap part I think comes from Atlanta slang for a house that sells drugs, well that phrase was used a lot in the early 2000s. The song seems to put Jourdin into that hip-hop role of power that used to be exclusively male until quite recently. Musicwise there is an element of Warren G, Snoop Dogg, and the softer side of Missy Elliott and of course fellow Caribbean star Rihanna. It is the kind of song that would sound great blasting out of the speakers of a slick convertible on a hot summer’s day. There is also an abundance of booty shaking going on in the video and Jourdin flashes the dollars and her bling around too, again just like so many male rappers back in the day. The titillating sexual imagery is strong, but given her position, I hope that Jourdin is using that to take back control. It might not be the usual kind of thing that I listen to, but I love this tune!
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Earlier this month I visited one of York’s unique and kind of niche music establishments, the Vinyl Cafe on Micklegate. You can pop in any day for coffee, food, alcohol, and browse and most likely buy some decent vinyl records. However, on the 6th of August, the venue played host to what I felt sounded like an intriguing and interesting book talk by author Alex Harvey. The book, ‘Song Noir – Tom Waits And The Spirit Of Los Angeles’ was a project that Alex started during the lockdown. His day job is a film and TV director who has worked on the Late Show and Panorama to name just a couple. But he is also a huge and obsessive fan of Tom Waits. Being an obsessive Bowie fan I completely understand that! Alex read a number of passages from the book and expanded them with his knowledge, anecdotes, and some of Waits’ songs. The book covers Waits’ life in Los Angeles and the albums he recorded there, from debut ‘Closing Time’ (1973) to ‘Swordfishtrombones’ (1983). It was a turbulent period for LA and Tom Waits. The first album was a little folksy and borders on country rock, which may be how the Eagles came to record Wait’s “Ol’ 55”. I hadn’t really thought about it before but the iconic Waits growl didn’t really appear until the ‘Small Change’ album. That album contains the wonderful “Tom Traubert’s Blues (Four Sheets To The Wind In Copenhagen)” which Alex used to illustrate that part of the book. I also discovered that this is Alex’s favourite Tom Waits song. I always felt that Rod Stewart did quite a creditable version of that song.
The story behind “Burma Shave” is fascinating, in that it came out of Tom Waits’ memory of car journeys as a child and seeing the regular advertising hoardings for Burma Shave, a brand of shaving cream. In the song, Waits uses the name as a destination and therefore reimagines it as a town. ‘Blue Valentine’ from 1978 was the first Tom Waits album that I ever owned, it was given to me as part of a bundle of maybe 40 albums from an old guy (he was perhaps only 45, but I was just 19) that I bought my first mobile DJ rig from. I listened to it and my first thought was that this is absolutely bloody awful. However, I did keep it and dug it out a couple of years later and grew to love it when I played it again. Had I matured, no maybe I was just in the right mood for it by then. But the key thing that I learned from Alex talking about the book and actually reading it myself was about Waits’ relationship with Rickie Lee Jones. Tom’s friend Chuck E. Weiss fell for Jones first before Waits made his move. A number of songs on ‘Blue Velvet’ refer to the relationship with Rickie Lee Jones, especially “Red Shoes By The Drug Store”. Alex recommended checking out Jones’ autobiography ‘Last Chance Texaco’ which I plan to do. Weiss is the subject of Jones’ huge 1979 hit “Chuck E.’s in Love”.
“Heartattack And Vine” from 1980 is a series of songs that has Waits wrestling with his demons. Apparently, his therapist’s telephone number is scrawled on the album cover, I did not know that! On the album cover Waits is also wearing a tie and one lyric refers to someone who hangs themself with a tie. I learned so many things from listening to Alex speak about Tom Waits with a deep passion for the man and his music, even little nuggets that Homer Simpson was a real artist. How the hell did I not know that? What Alex Harvey does so well in the book is bring together so many of the things that influenced Tom Waits, especially the film noir genre from the mid-20th Century. Waits also drew inspiration from Jack Kerouac and Charles Bukowski to name just a couple. But the life that Tom Waits lived in LA plays a very big part in his songs and how they developed over that period from 1973 to 1983. I loved the description of Waits’ experience of supporting Frank Zappa, you will need to read the book for that one. It took me just a couple of days to read my signed copy of the book and I loved it. I would recommend it to anyone who loves music, specifically Tom Waits, or those that just like a great biography. Go and buy this book, you will not regret it. Click here to buy it from Amazon US and here to buy it from Amazon UK.
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This was my first visit to the Vaults in a while, I will definitely try not to leave it too long until my next visit to this great little venue, especially after such a great lineup. First to take to the stage were the Rosemaries, a band that I saw for the first time back in April. I thought they were pretty good then, but in just a few months they are definitely a stronger band. While “Hullabaloo” is perhaps a derivative nod to Yard Act the band has oodles of originality too. They are a young band with immense potential. Their songs pack great power and their confidence is obvious. “Vampire” is a punk anthem in waiting. The singer has a great skill of not only singing but also drawing on a wonderful thespian vibe to make it much more of a performance like he is living the songs. The non-singing guitarist seems to be the musical glue that holds the whole Rosemaries unit together, like their musical director. If ‘Twin Peaks’ was ever remade and set in a remote English village this lot could be the house band in the English equivalent of the Roadhouse/ Bang Bang Bar.
The Rosemaries
Captain Starlet were next, they are a band who for various reasons I have not managed to see play live until now. I love the band name and surely they need to be on the same bill as the Mysterines one day. OK, you might need to be quite old to get that reference! So is the band as good as the name? Well if the Beatles were reincarnated as an indie Little Feat they would probably sound like this. The songs are incredibly well put together with elements of Pete Wylie, the Zutons, and Cast, along with the aforementioned Beatles. It looked like they were loving it on stage. Definitely a band I want to see live again.
Captain Starlet
I had not heard of Rory and the Nature Kids until this show. They carry an undercurrent of menace in their music, a la early Talking Heads. At times while reaching, and hitting, the high notes the vocals came on like a warped psychedelic yodel, and yes I do mean that in a good way! The bass sound was often worthy of Jah Wobble, can we have some dub versions of these tunes, please? I bloody love this band!
Rory and the Nature Kids
This was the fifth time that I have seen headliners Cowgirl play live and they most certainly get better each time. They are a stunningly accomplished and talented live band who draw on a plethora of great influences to create that unique Cowgirl sound. I can hear slices of the Velvet Underground, Jonathan Richman (in his harder moments), the Strokes, and the MC5. Cowgirl are a magnificent garage band with, and I know this sounds weird, a positive slacker attitude. Their performance on some tracks evokes the finest workouts of Neil Young with Crazy Horse and Lukas Nelson with the Promise Of The Real. They are scuzzy, they are dirty and their often feedback-driven garage rock is something to behold. But it is not just garage rock, it is also distorted and warped electric blues that is a perfect fit for small, dark, sweaty venues like the York Vaults! This was an absolute barnstormer of a set.
Cowgirl
All pictures, except the gig poster, were taken by me using my very cheap Chinese Android phone. The videos were found on YouTube. If the video is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be removed please let me know.
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This was my first gig in August, how did I almost miss the first two weeks? I have no idea but I am glad I came to this one at the fabulous Fulford Arms in York. The Palava were headliners and strangely this was the first time I had seen them, were they any good? You will have to read on to find out because first there were a few support bands. First up was a band with a simple yet brilliant name, Poundlad. They fuse punk, post-punk, and metal. Just when you think they are heading towards something formulative or derivative they surprise you. The members of PoundLad have many talents, the drummer is stunningly good with the energy of Keith Moon and the control of Charlie Watts. I also love the three guitars, no bass, riff assault. How many bands have written a song about a broken banister? Not many is my guess, but PoundLad has and it is damned good. They finished with a mad and manic cover of a Girls Aloud song. A great band indeed!
PoundLad
Next, it was City Snakes who were a late replacement for As Catie Goes. This was the third time that I have seen them and the first time without their ready-made audience of school/ college mates. They stormed it like they were headlining and absolutely smashed it, I reckon the sadly relatively small crowd was easily won over. City Snakes are shaping up to be a truly great British rock band. They have power, volume, an abundance of musical talent, and some great songs. Once again the drummer showed an obscene level of skill with the sticks. The band incorporates punk elements, funk elements (a la Red Hot Chili Peppers), and heavy rock (a la Def Leppard). This is a band that deserves to be huge and if they continue to progress the way they have since I first saw them back in February this year.
City Snakes
The third band to take the stage was Flash Daddy who gave us full-on rock ‘n’ roll all the way from Reims in France. These lads know how to rock and they rocked it fucking hard! There was a touch of Led Zeppelin, especially the Bonhamesque drums, the Black Crowes, the Kinks, and the Strokes. This was a truly magnificent set from a powerhouse of a band. They have some cracking tracks up on Spotify, check them out.
Flash Daddy
Finally, it was time for the Palava who gave us very funky punk with an infusion of 60s psychedelia and a pinch of 90s Indie. This is a supremely tight and well-rehearsed band and they seemed to be loving every moment on stage. The current single “What’s That Sound” is pretty darned good, but in a live environment it doesn’t just blow the cobwebs away, it fucking napalms them. The cover of the Amy Winehouse classic “Back To Black” which under their care became a banging rock anthem. Is there another rock band around that could do that with this song? I don’t think so. After one set from the Palava, I am most definitely a fan!
The Palava
All pictures, except the gig poster, were taken by me using my very cheap Chinese Android phone. The videos were found on YouTube. If the video is yours and you would like a credit or for it to be removed please let me know.
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When I first approached With Just a Hint of Mayhem and was accepted into the fold, I knew I would be expected to review a whole spectrum of musical styles. In the past, I would never have listened to Beabadoobee’s style of music until now – and what a treat it has been. Born in the Philippines and raised in London, Bea Kristi began recording music back in 2017. At 21 years old, she already has a debut album and five EPs to her name, while also receiving a BRIT Award and BBS Sound Of nominations. Her second studio album, ‘Beatopia’, boasts 14 tracks, richly diverse in style and all are a remarkable tonic for the ears. The album takes you on a musical rollercoaster of alternative rock, psychedelia, folk, singer-songwriter, emo, and full-on pop. Whilst enjoying this thrilling ride you also get a peek into her mind and soul, ‘Beatopia’ is so much more than a collection of tracks. Collaboration on this album has been integral and Bea remarks that “It was the first time I really appreciated everyone around me instead of despising everything…I thought I should utilise the hell out of the fact that I have so many good people in my life”. Working closely with guitarist Jacob Bugden, who Bea describes as her “best mate” and with co-production from Iain Berryman (Wolf Alice, Florence & The Machine, Arcade Fire) ‘Beatopia’ makes its debut after 12 months of production.
The album opens with the track, “Beatopia Cultsong”, and has been likened to The 1975’s opening track on their 2013 album, ‘The 1975’. It has a dreamy psychedelic feel and hints at Elizabeth Fraser from the Cocteau Twins as it builds layers of sounds, friends chatter, and clinking bottles. Gradually building in crescendo with cleverly crafted guitar picking, synth strings, and Bea’s voice crashing in. “Is it me or recently, time is moving slowly” fills the piece accompanied by tuneful bongos and shakers. It reaches its peak and starts to fade to where it started. It is followed by “10:36”, bursting through the speakers. It has shades of pop rock, skater music, and Cerys Matthews all rolled into one. It couldn’t be more different from the opening track and that’s what makes this album so special. Bea says of the track “It was called “10:36” because that was the time I finished writing it. It’s basically about how I have this weird dependency on human contact to sleep.” Listen out for the unexpected guitar break about halfway through. “Sunny Day” is a track inspired by her love of pop artists such as Nelly Furtado and Corinne Bailey Rae. The video sees her take a trip into a mystical woodland, falling into its magical curiosities and making friends with its unusual inhabitants. Musically, I thought I heard the opening line to Weezer’s “Buddy Holly”, the melodic acoustic guitar, but that’s as far as the comparison goes. Talking about the single, Bea says: ““Sunny Day” is a song that I’ve always wanted to make but something that I’ve never done before”. Her sweet, dulcet voice beautifully carries the track along, its dreamy composition swirls around the verses, while the chorus delivers a catchy and downbeat interlude.
“See You Soon” seems to flow seamlessly from the last track – a trippy number that ebbs and flows, a little like some 90’s shoegazing tracks. Think of an acoustic Lush and that’s the sound we get. What follows is “Ripples”. Described as having Baroque orchestral flourishes “Ripples” is a folk-inspired song with the benefit of some songwriting help from lead singer Matthew Healy of The 1975. Bea oozes versatility and originality and you never quite know what’s going to come next. And that’s why ‘Beatopia’ is such a brilliant and powerful album. Up next, is “The Perfect Pair”, a Bossa Nova accompanied by some very tasteful orchestral strings. Bea executes this Latin style with true panache, retaining her silky sweet and melodic vocals. The musical style may be different from everything else on the album, but it’s still Beabadoobee, no doubt. “Broken CD” treats us to some subtle acoustic guitar, wind chimes, and drum echoes. It gradually builds to a delicious crescendo and all the while Bea’s soft and whispering vocals are the backbone of the track, ending with some shiny shimmering synths. “Talk” brings us back to earth with a bump, with distorted guitars – it’s upbeat, bounces, and gives you a sense of making the most of life while you can; a polished piece of pop music is what you get. “Lovesong” was written about Bea’s long-term boyfriend, which she passes off as “just another love song“. Far from it, you instantly become immersed in a blissful and sweet melody being reminded all the time of Bea’s angelic voice. “Pictures Of Us” follows up with a tuneful hit of indie and meandering guitar noodling. Co-written with and featuring vocals from Matt Healy from The 1975, the song has a cinematic and wholesome feel to it.
“Fairy Song” is bouncy, happy, and chilled all at once. The middle of the track makes way for a bit of a psychedelic interlude using effects pedals to their max, often sounding like something from Sgt. Pepper. Next up is “Don’t Get The Deal”. Punchy drums and gentle acoustic guitar picking are peppered with Bea’s airy vocals and distorted guitars; the track ebbs and flows, in true indie style. “Tinkerbell Is Overrated”, features PinkPantheress of TikTok fame, delivers a familiar country style, Telecaster sounding guitar, Bea’s sweet and youthful sounding vocals; backed by a distinct electronic beat. Bringing what could be described as the Beatopia trip to an end is “You’re Here, That’s The Thing”. The song skips along, unmistakable sweet and airy vocals sitting perfectly on top of some silky smooth accompaniment. This album is unpredictable, thoroughly enjoyable, lyrically clever, and musically diverse, and I can’t wait to hear what she does next.
Bea has toured across the world, supporting the likes of The 1975 and Clairo, and to celebrate the release of the album, Bea embarks on a headline tour of the UK this October. Tickets are on sale now from: www.beabadoobee.com
OCTOBER Tue 04 DUBLIN Olympia Theatre Wed 05 BELFAST Ulster Hall Fri 07 BRISTOL Academy Sat 08 NORWICH UEA Mon 10 NOTTINGHAM Rock City Tue 11 NEWCASTLE NX Thu 13 MANCHESTER Academy Fri 14 SHEFFIELD Foundry Sat 15 GLASGOW Barrowland Mon 17 BRIGHTON Chalk Tue 18 SOUTHAMPTON Engine Rooms Wed 19 LONDON Brixton Academy
Written by Juan Brooks
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This is the first post in what I hope will be a regular, although maybe occasional series. I plan to share some great cover versions here and as a special bonus to all of you who bother to read this stuff, the first one features three covers. My ideal cover version is one that has a different slant from the original rather than just a facsimile style cover. So the generic boy bands are probably never likely to feature, but you never know, right?
OHP
First up is Oren Halmut a.k.a OHP an LA-based metal head who gives a full-on metal take on Harry Styles’ 2022 pop hit “As It Was”. This is a superb tune and with a heavy hammering like this it takes on a fabulous new lease of life. I am now a definite OHP fan. Check out the OHP YouTube channel there are some excellent covers there.
The second is Deer Scout with a Kate Bush cover, “Suspended In Gaffa”. The song was the fourth single to be lifted from Kate’s ‘The Dreaming’ album from 1982, although it was released in Europe and Australia it wasn’t a single in the UK. Deer Scout is the brainchild of Dena Miller (vox and guitar) who is very well supported by, Zuzia (cello/harmonies), Joanna (drums), and Liz (bass). This takes Kate’s original a drives it in a weird dreamy folk direction and I love it!
The third and final track for this post is from another LA-based artist, singer-songwriter Mini Trees‘ version of Radiohead’s “Let Down”. It is more lo-fi than Thom and the boy’s track from 1997’s ‘OK Computer’ and Mini Trees cover has an angelic, ethereal vocal which mesmerised you and eases your pain, well that’s what it did for me anyway!
Feel free to recommend any songs that you think should be included in Under The Covers With Mayhem. I want to stear clear of the mainstream ideally, but off the wall covers by major artists might work too 🙂
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Huge apologies to all the bands, singers, and PR companies that continue to send us some ace music. We will never catch up and review every tune that gets sent to us here at Mayhem Towers, but we will do our best to feature as many as possible. Earlier today while trawling through the hundreds that have been sent in recent months I chanced upon a gem. It is called “Rex Mundi” and it is by Newcastle’s happy, indie funsters, Cat Ryan. It is a song that cannot fail to make you smile, it has some delightful hooks and the production is quirky but crystal clear. “Rex Mundi” has huge levels of energy and generates mega happy vibes. This track needs to be on your soundtrack for summer 2022. Apparently, the song is about an Irish Greyhound called Rex Mundi, which completely threw me, I thought it might relate to the book of the same name by George Sims, which clearly proves how little I actually know. However, I do know that this is a wonderfully crafted tune that needs to be heard!
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I know that right now there is a lot of negativity towards the 1975 after they became last-minute replacements for Rage Against The Machine who have sadly cancelled all their remaining European date, including the Reading and Leeds Festivals. I am not a huge 1975 fan, but give them a break. If you only bought a day ticket to see Rage Against The Machine, go along anyway and check out some of the other great acts that will be taking to the numerous stages. As usual, there are a number of acts that I don’t want to miss and as per usual I am sure some of them will clash meaning that I will have to take the hard decision as to who to choose.
My must-see acts for Friday at Leeds (Sunday at Reading) are Pale Waves on Main Stage East (I am still not sure about that split main stage idea, it doesn’t work for me). Ashnikko and Dylan look good on the Radio 1 Dance Stage. Dylan was exceptionally good at Latitude a few weeks ago. But my headline choice for Friday is easy, Beabadoobee on the Festival Republic Stage.
On Saturday at Leeds (Friday at Reading), I will definitely not be missing Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes on the Main Stage East, the same place I will probably catch Dave’s headline set. I am still not sure about Megan Thee Stallion, but I might be tempted. Meg Ward will be banging on the Radio 1 Dance Stage and I don’t want to miss Cleopatrick, Kid Kapichi, and Fever 333 on the Festival Republic stage.
The Leeds Festival Sunday (Saturday at Reading) lineup looks fantastic. Arctic Monkeys, Wolf Alice, and Fontaines D.C. on the Main Stage East coupled with Bring Me The Horizon, Enter: Shikari and Poppy on Main Stage West. OK, I confess the twin main stages look like they will work on Sunday! On the Radio 1 Dance Stage, Police Car Collective will be very special. As will the Skinner Brothers on the Festival Republic Stage. Obviously across all three days, I will check out the BBC Introducing Stage regularly. I want to get a huge festival music fix once again. Who are you looking forward to most?
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With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 