Review: Beacons Festival – Saturday

August 19, 2013

You could be forgiven for thinking that the excursions of the previous night and the fact that we wake up to the sound of pouring rain would dampen the spirits of the people of Beacons, but you’d be mistaken.The camp site is awash with people going about their business, setting up for the day and getting a few early drinks in.Even the short power outage in the press tent (no tea!) isn’t enough to get spirits down, and the music beckons.

 src=

Kicking the day off is London four piece Wolf Alice, with two impressive singles to boot and a recently announced EP, they draw from the wealth of that material, earlier songs and some new ones.They have a sound befitting of the main stage, and play a mixture of faster paced songs and some slower, more introspective pieces.A highlight is new song ‘Like A Germ’, which carries a huge chorus, and as the set closes with debut single ‘Fluffy, the band pull off the early afternoon slot in style.

Opting for a small break, I’m on my way back to the tent when I stumbled across East India Youth, who employ a mixture of live bass, vocals and synths.The songs tended to drift, but somewhere in there was a hint of something quite special.Kult Country followed straight after, a Mancunian six piece with a clear vision; the songs had an anthemic sound and they will be one to watch.

With the rain still going, I headed into the cover of the main stage to catch Temples, the band touted by the likes of Noel Gallagher, who head into the festival with two sold out singles.The turnout is big, as they showcase new single Colours To Life and a selection of b-sides and new songs.On record the band are fantastic, but you sense the live show is slightly lacking at the moment.

Back in the ‘You Need To Hear This’ tent, Telegram may not have the biggest crowd but they play it like they’re headlining.The sound is interesting and those that did attend will walk away pleased with their decision. Childhood follow, playing the final date of a small Northern tour, they too impress, with recent single ‘Solemn Skies’ a highlight.Mikal Cronin sub headline for the night, with plenty of dedicated fans singing every word back to them and a collection of wonderful pop songs.

Today’s main stage headliners are the LA based five piece Local Natives, coming to Beacons after many high profile festival slots worldwide and the release of their second album ‘Hummingbird’.The musicianship on show is clear, with each member interchanging instruments at will, performing a mixture of tracks from both albums.Highlights include ‘Airplanes’ and heart breaking Hummingbird track ‘Columbia’.Making sure they give their gratitude to local promoter Nathan Clark, who gave them their first three shows in Leeds, Local Natives play the headline set with confidence and humility, and are gladly received when they play their final song of the night, the encore of ‘Shape Shifter’.

Leave A Comment

Your voice matters. Conversations are moderated for civility. Read our guidelines here.

0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Trending

Radio Player App

Download the SupaJam radio app so you can access SupaJam Radio on your phone!

Support Supajam!