Dot to Dot Festival Manchester 2012 review

Bank Holiday Monday saw the Dot to Dot Festival arrive at Manchester and with it some fantastic bands from around the globe including Kyla La Grange, Pulled Apart by Horses and The Waves . Set over several different venues, including Zoo, The Deaf Institute and HMV Ritz there was a little bit of something for everyones musical tastes on offer throughout the day and night.

First up for us came Pond, an Australian band who we first saw during Sound City, Liverpool and definitely had to see again. They were good last time but this time they blew The Deaf Institute's roof off, figuratively speaking of course. As this was their last gig in the UK, they definitely provided one hell of a finale to their latest tour here and there wasn't a single person standing still throughout the whole set. With a heavily 60's rock influenced set with lashings of psychedelic punk and some funked out bass added into the mix from bassist, Wirey B Buddha. Front man, Paisley Adams, who must be made of jelly going by his dancing skills, didn't keep still throughout the entire set, with warm up lunges to every bit of him moving at once all done while providing some emotive singing and ending the set by jumping onto the bar and crowd surfed his way back to the stage.

Pond are a band who are force to be reckoned with, both musically and visually and their love for what they do clearly shines through and reaches the heart and of the audience. Music is in their very soul and once you've seen them, Pond is in yours.

After such a riotous performance from Pond, we decided on a bit of a chilled out music, courtesy of Ryan Keen, who has just recently supported Ed Sheeren on tour. With his mellow vocals and mix of upbeat and laid back tempo, mainly played with a rhythmic-percussive finger-picking technique, this was the perfect opportunity to kick back and relax, unfortunately, the venue chosen for him wasn't ideal and he was drowned out by the rock band playing upstairs. This didn't stop the crowd from enjoying his set and each song was met with huge applause. One song in particular stood out for everyone, "Aiming For The Sun" a beautiful, heartfelt song which he wrote after the loss of a close friend. If you're out and about doing the festival circuits this year, keep an eye out for Ryan in the listings and go listen to this talented Devon lad and hopefully this time it will be in the right environment.

We were then off to see Willis Earl Beal, so had to miss out on some other bands along the way, something we regret know as we were kept waiting for 45 minutes for him to appear on stage, by which time a lot of other people had had the same idea as us and left to go and watch someone, who can actually turn up when they're meant to. Word to the wise, if Axel Rose can't get away with it, you definitely cannot!!

The final band for us was New York based, The Drums, playing their final gig in the UK for a year at HMV Ritz and the place was completely packed out. With a set heavily influenced by 80's electro pop and lead singer, Johnny Pierce's Morrissey style vocals, foppish dance moves and head tilting backwards in a dramatic style, all that was missing was the daffodils in his back pocket to be honest and the Morrissey tribute would have been pretty accurate.

The gig started off fairly promising, unfortunately, as the gig went on, the songs started to merge into one, not solely because of the music, but because of the continuous use of the lyrics, "oh oh oh oh oh" and " oh la la la la". To do it a couple of times in a set fair enough, but every single song, I'm sorry, but if you can't think of a lyric, just leave the song a bit shorter, no one will mind, at least there is a chance we may be able to differentiate between each track. But that's just my opinion though, as most of the crowd seemed to enjoy it, so much so they even got lighters out and even ventured as far as crowd surfing, which in a gig like this is like head banging at a Steps gig. The final song of the night was dedicated to Lauren, a girl who has been to every single gig they've played in the UK in the last three years. Now that's dedication to the old "Oh oh oh oh oh" lyrics or possibly a tad stalkery!! 

So that wraps up a rather successful Dot to Dot Festival in Manchester. many many highs, some lows and the truly amazing Pond. Come back soon guys, we miss your uniqueness already!!

Article posted by Musicmafia

More RockNess acts revealed: Friendly Fires, The View, Tim Minchin, The Drums & many more added to the line-up

8th, 9th and 10th JUNE, 2012
LOCH NESS, SCOTLAND

ROCKNESS 2012 ANNOUNCES MORE INCREDIBLE ACTS

FRIENDLY FIRES * DAVE CLARKE * THE DRUMS * JACQUES LU CONT * THE RAPTURE * ANNIE MAC * MYLO * ZANE LOWE *  KNIFE PARTY  * KASSIDY * ADMIRAL FALLOW * MYSTERY JETS * JAKWOB * CLAUDE VON STROKE * ANIMAL FARM * JAPANESE POPSTARS * LITTLE COMETS * LUCY ROSE * PORTER ROBINSON * BASTILLE * TO KILL A KING * THE DRAYMIN

SPECIAL GUESTS
THE VIEW

PLUS FIRST COMEDY ANNOUNCEMENT
TIM MINCHIN

Fresh from winning ‘BEST SMALL FESTIVAL’ for the second consecutive year at this week’s star studded NME Awards, and hot on the heels of MUMFORD & SONS, DEADMAU5, BIFFY CLYRO, ED SHEERAN, JUSTICE plus many more already having been announced, the good times keep on rolling as RockNess today confirm the latest names for the award winning line up.

First up and with tunes that say ‘party’ in a way this year’s RockNess audience will find hard to resist, FRIENDLY FIRES bring together a sound coated in melody with nods to nu- and old rave, the right measure of poppy brevity and slick vocals by disco dancing frontman Ed MacFarlane. Like a bringing together of all the great parts of an indie disco in one place, expect the perfect Loch-side soundtrack.

Joining the RockNess bill as special guests, THE VIEW are one of the most exciting young rock bands of their generation.  A debut album that blasted straight into number one, multi million sales and two excellent follow up albums, massive radio and media coverage, Mercury Music Prize nominations…and a level of notoriety that only adds to their authentic bona fide star status. With a hugely anticipated fourth album set for release this summer – rumoured to be their finest yet and recorded in Nashvile with Angelo Petraglia (Kings of Leon) and Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys) – Loch Ness is officially on standby as THE VIEW prepare to unleash their electrifying sound to a guaranteed rapturous response.

TIM MINCHIN is a comedy rock superstar whose sell out live performances are a juggernaut of potent, grandiose showmanship. As one of the most commanding figures on the global comedy circuit, Minchin’s unique signature of intellectually provocative wit set against a sweeping musical backdrop, led by the barefoot balladeer on his grand piano, is irresistible. Expect a suitably huge affair at Dores as RockNess continues to offer outstanding comedy across the weekend.

Known as The Baron Of Techno, a moniker given to him by the late great John Peel, DAVE CLARKE is a bonafide veteran of electro and the first headliner announced for this year’s much anticipated SOMA RECORDS proposition at RockNess. With peerless sets that straddle tracks from the dawn of house through to gothic punk, the man in black’s gritty rock n roll anarchist energy is second to none. Revered by techno connoisseurs the world over for his sonic integrity, as Clarke says, “I may be established but I’ll never be establishment”.

Glistening tunes and insanely catchy riffs have made New York indie rockers THE DRUMS one of the most brilliant breakthrough bands of recent times, largely due to excellent second album Portamento. Fronted by Jonathan Pierce, and with a sound of carefully constructed gems that draw influence from a gamut of artists most notably The Smiths, 2012 promises to see the band’s career trajectory continue.

JACQUES LU CONT (aka Les Rythmes Digitales, Man With Guitar, Thin White Duke, Pour Homme, Zoot Woman, Paper Faces…and Stuart Price) is a three-time Grammy-winning electronic maestro who counts New Order, Madonna, Missy Elliot, Scissor Sisters and The Killers as fans who have enlisted his sublime production expertise. He is also one of the most respected names in electro, devoid of pretension but never failing to deliver killer beats. LU CONT’s contribution to the Fabriclive series is widely regarded as one of the finest ever, and awesome new track ‘Church’ – the first we’ve heard in a long time – marks a stunning return to form.

THE RAPTURE were forerunners of the early 2000s post-punk revival, mixing influences from acid house, disco, electronic and punk rock.  A stream of excellent releases and high profile tours followed  – most notably as the support for Daft Punk’s wildly successful North American assault. Now, after a five year hiatus, the New York trio are back and in rude health.  Recent fourth album In the Grace of Your Love sees the band underpin their art-rock credentials but still with ample funky slabs of synth to keep the RockNess crowd dancing.

Always guaranteed to deliver the very best parties, RockNess is delighted to welcome BBC Radio 1’s ANNIE MAC and ZANE LOWE back to Dores. As two of the nation’s foremost exponents of cutting edge new music – Annie with her magnificent ‘official start to the weekend’ Friday night dance show and Zane with his fast paced nightly unleashing of the freshest new sounds – both are sure to be given a rousing welcome when they hit up the festival.

It is with huge excitement that RockNess can announce the appearance this June of an artist who will without any doubt be one of the festival’s highlights, MYLO.  In a very special treat, MYLO will, for one night only, be bringing his famed EPP party to The Highlands. With a host of guest DJ friends to be revealed, expect a full scale hip wiggling, nu disco inferno mixed up with trademark genius throwbacks from the beat loving electro wizard.

KNIFE PARTY – the side project of Pendulum’s Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillem – has been touring and tearing up dancefloors in clubs across the world for the last year playing remixes of Swedish House Mafia, Nero, Porter Robinson as well as a load of their own heavy hitting material with Skrillex and Mistajam.  Recently released EP No Modern Talking is a smash, brimming with energy-packed madness and the wackiest beats you’re likely to hear. RockNess kids get ready!

Also confirmed are Glasgow rockers KASSIDY. The guitar wielding, four piece’s joyous harmonies draw on a range of influences most notably Crosby, Stills and Nash and the Grateful Dead, and their part folk, part hippie sensibility, captured to gorgeous effect on debut album Hope St unashamedly spans evocative and rousing Americana in equal measure.

Scotland’s ADMIRAL FALLOW know what they’re doing. Songs that are heartfelt, honest and as pure as the Scottish snow, harmonies that can’t help but raise a smile, melodies that blossom into glorious anthemic hooks, debut album Boots Met My Face, recorded at Glasgow’s famed Chem 19 studio with Paul Savage (former Delgados drummer) is probably the best example of orchestral indie folk-pop as you’re likely to hear. Magnificent.

Inheritors of Britpop and exponents of what could be loosely termed British guitar indie, London’s MYSTERY JETS are that…and so much more. Their inventiveness and output of ideas means they operate on a plateau far above most of the competition, with their most obvious peers being Super Furry Animals and British Sea Power. Three albums in, culminating in the triumphant third Serotonin, and a much anticipated fourth due for an April 2012 release, RockNess awaits their Highland arrival with fervour.  

Minimalist and menacingly reggaetronic, JAKWOB transcends the genres of dubstep, electro, ghetto-tech and breakbeat and is one of the hottest new producers and DJs around. Aged 22, he is already one of the go-to guys in remixing – Lana Del Rey, Little Boots, Empire of the Sun, Frankmusik, Lily Allen, Coco Sumner, Temper Trap and Ellie Goulding have all received the JAKWOB magic. However it is for his forthcoming album that expectations are high. Using his multi instrumentalist skills (he plays nine), and collaborating with writing and vocal partner Rocky, a sound rich with variety and inspired by flavours from his life so far is anticipated.

On the party trip CLAUDE VON STROKE is a name synonymous with good times, and is announced as the second SOMA RECORDS act for 2012. Expect genre busting grooves, wonky beats and gear changing brilliance from this San Francisco-based maestro as he asserts control of the sensory extravaganza that is the ARCADIA AFTERBURNER.

ANIMAL FARM are four friends Darren Quail, Chris Lamb, Charlie Turtle and Ronin Vallelly. Influenced by early Detroit and Chicago techno, the boys have spent the last seven years perfecting their sound as residents at one of the planet’s most revered clubs, the SUB CLUB.  The boys have brought many of their electronic heroes to Glasgow including Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Regis, Sandwell District, Ryan Elliott, Marcel Fengler and Mark Henning to name a few…plus a host Glasgow’s young talent including Harvey McKay, Gary Beck, BCR Boys, Mr. Copy and Simon Stokes. ANIMAL FARM also broadcast weekly on the city’s lead student radio station, Sub City.

Championed by Zane Lowe and Huw Stephens amongst many others, LITTLE COMETS are an indie-pop troupe to behold. Hailing from the North East of England, marvellous debut album In Search of Elusive Little Comets was a joyful collection of some of the catchiest tunes of 2011 and shining follow up EP Worry should see this excellent young band move into well deserved regular playlist territory.

Hailed by VOGUE as one of indie’s breakthrough stars of 2012, LUCY ROSE is an English singer songwriter whose full capacity, live performances are fast commanding a proper sense of occasion. Likened to Joni Mitchell and tipped as an English Suzanne Vega, ROSE, who has contributed vocals on Bombay Bicycle Club’s two most recent albums, exudes a quiet determination with a clutch of deceptively sweet songs that make her appearance at RockNess well worth the effort to check out.

Often called a prodigy of the electro genre, PORTER ROBINSON is a 19 year old producer who has rapidly ascended the ranks of the international electronic music scene, captivating audiences with his ability to skilfully blend genres into his own unique sound that's complex yet catchy, and classic yet cutting edge. He’s performed with Deadmau5, Moby, Afrojack and A-Trak. Check him out at RockNess to see why.

By all rights, BASTILLE should have a record deal and chart success such is the beautiful potency of their material. Festival slots at Isle of Wight, Glastonbury, Glade and Great Escape aside, the four piece from London have been marching on and growing their fanbase. Through this steady promotion, and the recent release of a thoroughly decent EP containing notable gems Icarus and Flaws.it now finally looks like BASTILLE’s moment could be arriving.

With a one off single released on the Communion label of Ben Mumford of RockNess headliners MUMFORD & SONS, and a well received EP My Crooked Saint, rousing folk rockers TO KILL A KING are an exciting new five piece whose poetic lyrics and gritty music has them as ‘ones to watch’ this year.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Festival Director JIM KING commented, “We’re delighted to announce these latest Acts for RockNess. Friendly Fires are one of my favourite bands and they’re going to light up Sunday night. Tim Minchin is simply a genius. Brett’s been working hard for two years to get Tim up to The Highlands and you’ve all got to make sure you see his show, it’s going to be one of the highlights of the weekend. The View are going to kill it on Saturday and we have some very special activity lined up with the band in the coming months ahead of RockNess. Watch this space!. I can’t wait to see Kassidy and The Drums as well.

Mylo was there with us at the very start and it feels really great to have one of Scotland’s finest electronic artists back at Dores. Dave Clarke is a legend in every sense of the word. He personifies everything that needs to be said about quality techno and it’s an absolute honour to have him back too.  We have more announcements coming very soon including both the Sub Club Sound System and the full Soma Records lineup so stay tuned!”

NOTES:

RockNess 2012 takes place 8-10 June, 2012 in the village of Dores, close to Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.   

The festival won the NME AWARDS 2011 ‘BEST SMALL FESTIVAL’ and ‘LINE UP OF THE YEAR’ at the UK FESTIVAL AWARDS 2010.

TICKETS:

DAY TICKETS GO ON SALE 9AM FRIDAY 2ND MARCH.

NO BOOKING FEE APPLIES ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY OR SUNDAY DAY TICKETS PURCHASED UP TO 9AM ON FRIDAY 9TH MARCH.

FOR DETAILS ON TICKET AGENTS GO TO WWW.ROCKNESS.CO.UK

Friday day ticket - £59 / £85 (VIP)

Saturday and Sunday day ticket - £64 / £85 (VIP)

3 day weekend camping - £159

3 day weekend non camping - £149 

3 day weekend camping / non camping student ticket - £145

3 day VIP weekend camping ticket - £209

3 day VIP weekend non camping ticket - £199

3 day Disabled weekend camping - £79.50 – please email access@aeglive.co.uk

3 day Disabled weekend non camping - £74.50 - please email access@aeglive.co.uk

The RockNess Express - £225

Additional travel packages available.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE, FACEBOOK AND TWITTER:

WWW.ROCKNESS.CO.UK

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OfficialRockNess

@RockNessFest

Dot to Dot Festival announces first wave of acts for 2012

The Drums / Pulled apart By Horses

Willy Mason / Dog Is Dead / Summer Camp / Lucy Rose

Bristol: Saturday 2nd June 2012
Nottingham: Sunday 3rd June 2012
Manchester: Monday 4th June 2012

www.dottodotfestival.co.uk / facebook.com/dottodotfestival  / #d2dfest

•    'An eclectic mix of innovative, ground-breaking acts manage to secure the festival’s spirit and provide the musical kudos.' - Virtual Festivals

•    ‘A forest of new stars, old favourites and plenty of mischief at one of the UK’s fastest rising festivals’ - NME

•    ‘With a stunning bill and venues within yards of one another we’ll leave you to join the dots.’ - Clash

 Dot To Dot, the UKs only tri-city traveling festival returns for 2012 announcing its first salvo of must-see artists. Renowned in its seven year history for offering guaranteed crowd-pleasing bands alongside the first live glimpses of some of today’s biggest acts, which have included double Brits winner Ed Sheeran, The xx, Florence & The Machine, The Naked and Famous, Friendly Fires, Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons, this year’s multi-venue event will take place across the Diamond Jubilee bank holiday weekend, visiting Bristol on June 2nd, Nottingham on June 3rd, making its triumphant finale in Manchester on June 4th. 

Dot To Dot Organiser Anton Lockwood commented: “More than ever Dot To Dot 2012 will see a great line up of exciting new music alongside the hottest live acts at the moment. Our first announcement of indie titans The Drums and fast rising rockers Pulled Apart by Horses sets the tone for Bristol, Nottingham and Manchester to each have a great day of fresh and exciting music.”

Kicking off this year’s line-up are one of the biggest success stories of recent years, The Drums. Previous recipients of the NME’s coveted Philip Hall Radar Award, their eponymous debut album and follow up, Portamento, have singled them out as one of the most acclaimed bands around, making them a sure-fire hit for Dot To Dot 2012. Adding a fiery edge to proceedings, co-headliners Pulled Apart By Horses will be showcasing their incendiary live show across Dot To Dot’s three home cities this year. With their second album, Tough Love cementing their reputation as one of the UKs most essential bands, the Leeds post-hardcore four-piece have been described by the Observer as ‘the best live band in Britain’ so they’re certain to captivate the crowds.

Other acts set to traverse the triumvirate of cities include timeless folkster Willy Mason, whose recent hook up with Lianne La Havas opened him up to a whole new audience, Nottingham art-pop quintet and fast-rising stars, Dog Is Dead, bliss-drenched duo Summer Camp and Bombay Bicycle Club collaborator Lucy Rose. And there are still many more acts to be announced in the coming months.

With an illustrious musical heritage that has given thousands of music fans the opportunity to catch future stadium fillers and the most exciting acts around in intimate surrounds, Dot To Dot’s track record for musical discovery is second to none. And what’s more tickets, which give you access to the entire bill across all the venues are incredible value for money, currently priced at just £20 per day, so what are you waiting for?

Tickets are now on sale:

Bristol: £20

Nottingham: £20

Manchester £20

Visit www.dottodotfestival.co.uk for all ticket info.

Full Line Up So Far:

The Drums / Pulled Apart By Horses / Willy Mason / Dog Is Dead / Summer Camp / Lucy Rose / ThePetebox / Pearl And The Beard / Wonder Villains / Vadoinmessico / Broken Hands / Deaf Club / Dirty Goods

O2 Academy Liverpool announce New Year, New Gigs

11-13 Hotham Street, Liverpool, L3 5UF

0844 477 2000

o2academyliverpool.co.uk

Wednesday 4^th January 2012; This new year, O₂ Academy Liverpool will host gigs almost every night of the week from an incredibly diverse range of artists.

Legendary member of Wu-Tang Clan, GZA, takes to the stage on Sunday 29^th January ahead of the release of a brand new album this year.  Emerging talent and BBC Sound of 2012 nominee Skrillex will also join O₂ Academy Liverpool fora night of dubstep (Tuesday 14^th February), as will urban superstar Labrinth on Friday 24^th February.

In February, ska legends Reel Big Fish perform their hits followed by an after-party at which they will be treating fans to a DJ set (Friday 3^rd February), one not to be missed! Dropkick Murphys bring their equally energetic live show to Liverpoolon Wednesday 8^th February.

O₂ Academy Liverpool will also host a string of indie gigs from artists such as The Drums (Sunday 26^th February) and The Big Pink (Sunday 12^th February) who both return with material from their second albums.  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will also be making an appearance on Friday 3^rd February.

‘90’s favourite Babybird, aka Stephen Jones, returns with a brand new album this year and will be bringing it to O₂ Academy Liverpool on Thursday 2^nd February. Indie legends Lightning Seeds will also take to the stage to perform in their hometown (Saturday 11^th February).

Other highlights this new year include emerging indie talents Mallory Knox (Friday 13^th January) and Page 44 (Wednesday 7^th March) while Big Country celebrate their 30^th anniversary on Saturday 4^th February. 

For full listings visit o2academyliverpool.co.uk