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Glastonbury Roundup 2016


Another fantastic weekend of music has come and gone on Worthy Farm as hundreds of thousands of people descended on the village of Pilton for what has become almost a pilgrimage for music fans everywhere. The line-up of this year's proceedings attracted criticism and praise in equal measures - depending on who you asked. Although, all three headliners - Muse, Adele and Coldplay put on an unforgettable show that have a strong possibility of going down in history. 

Stockport's very own Blossoms took to the Other Stage with an early morning slot on Friday. They reeled through the hits and dialled up the anticipation ahead of their debut album release in August, it will certainly be interesting to see what slot they're given at next year's festival. Over on the John Peel Stage, Half Moon Run brought their indie folk-rock delights to the masses, providing a refreshing change of pace shortly after Rat Boy's set, which sent the packed out crowd in the tent into a frenzy. 

Later in the afternoon, Two Door Cinema made their long-awaited return ahead of their third album 'Gameshow' and its autumn release. The new material they debuted was greeted with warm enthusiasm and it's clear the band charmed the audience thoroughly. Foals are truly a force to be reckoned with and the crowd threw themselves towards the stage in tandem as the band ran relentlessly through their discography. Their set was undoubtedly the highlight of the first day of music at the fest. 

Catfish and the Bottlemen's remarkable return to the BBC Introducing Stage may have been short and sweet but it reminded music fans everywhere that the Llandudno four-piece are at the top of their game right now. There's no stopping them anytime soon and if they continue progressing as they are, they'll run out of stages big enough for them eventually. 

Southampton outfit Band of Skulls added a dose of euphoria to the Other Stage on Saturday afternoon. On their latest album they delivered a record that was heavy, bold and undeniably theirs and it went down a storm live too. Wolf Alice are another indie foursome fast rising through the ranks. As front gal, Ellie Rowsell joked that she couldn't believe what they were doing up on the iconic Pyramid Stage, they had the crowd firmly in their grip. Their tracks burst with melody and playfulness and they certainly amped up the fun factor for their performance and reveled in every second of it. 

Arctic Monkeys' frontman Alex Turner is a bit of a pro when it comes to Glastonbury performances, although this time he dished up an alternative offering for festival goers. Turner and Kane who make up The Last Shadow Puppets tore through tracks from their latest release 'Everything You've Come To Expect' and dazzled the mud-drenched fields. 

A strong crowd gathered to catch the magic and madness of Aussie psych rockers, Tame Impala. The band may be on the fray of the mainstream but their early evening, pre-Adele set succeeded as a mammoth indie triumph, through and through. 

The final day of the fest saw a performance from Mystery Jets on the John Peel stage early on. The tent was jammed from edge to edge as they played their all-embracing anthems for fans. Elsewhere, Spanish rockers Hinds stormed the Park Stage with their rich, soulful vocals and light-hearted hooks. Their thrilling set creates an exciting aroma of musical stylings that had the crowd bopping around for the whole duration. 

The ultimate shindig of the weekend came from the mighty British band of the moment - Coldplay. Love them or hate them, they're undeniably a full-bodied beast of emotive pop rock that's just about captured everyone on the planet. Their chock-full-of-bangers set was the highlight of their entire festival and potentially one of the best headline sets ever seen at Glastonbury. The band paid tribute to Viola Beach, a promising band who were starting to make a name for themselves when their lives and talents were tragically taken from us. 

Coldplay have won people over on a global scale and their headline performance is what this year's event will be remembered for. The job of a headline act is to close the festival with a bang and give the crowd something memorable as they're on their way home and Coldplay went above and beyond the call of duty. Glastonbury 2016 was truly mesmerising, it's a place so unlike anywhere else. It's a place full of wonder, discoveries and magic - it's the holy grail of festivals that gets it right year after year and this year was no exception. 

Words Lauren Wade


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Florence + The Machine 'Delilah'

DRENCHED in hazy riffs reminiscent of Haim's debut album 'Days Are Gone', Florence Welch has revealed the fourth cut from her upcoming and eagerly anticipated third album 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. Welch might be nursing a broken foot but there's nothing stopping her powerful vocals from producing a track as mighty as 'Delilah'. 

Unveiled on Annie Mac's Radio 1 show, the track is an up-tempo number that incorporates organic and electronic capabilities. The drumbeat and harmonies exist simultaneously, whilst elements of Florence's old school style will undoubtedly unite fans past and present. With lyrics such as "I never knew I was a dancer till Delilah showed me how" the urgency of the fast-paced track shines through, pulling at the heart strings and making us fall more in love with Florence then we already were. 

Speaking to Billboard, Welch claimed the band's new material comes from a period in which she was "fucking everything up". Welch also went on to say that. "Without the structure of touring, you have to face your own chaos. When I was left to my own devices I realised I was fucking everything up, I was in and out of a relationship, in and out of drinking too much. It was like picking yourself up and then dropping yourself, picking yourself up and dropping yourself. And that was exhausting." 

Of the songs heard from the album so far, it's difficult to pick a favourite as all of them contain heavy amounts of promise, but each new track presents new elements that inevitable look to form Florence + The Machine's most exciting album to date. 'Delilah' is beautifully atmospheric and another exciting chapter for Florence and her dreamy outfit. 

Florence + The Machine were recently confirmed to perform at this year's Glastonbury Festival, which runs from June 24-28 at Worthy Farm in Somerset. 

Words Lauren Wade

'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' is released via Island Records on June 1.


The tracklisting is as follows:

'Ship To Wreck' 
'What Kind Of Man'
'How Big How Blue How Beautiful'
'Queen Of Peace'
'Various Storms & Saints'
'Delilah'
'Long & Lost'
'Caught'
'Third Eye'
'St Jude'
'Mother' 


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A Lovely War 'Ezra'

Blending the creative talents of Sean Keogh and Patrick Hughes, A Lovely War is the product of their efforts, a newly formed Liverpool-based duo sculpting psych swirls ready to blow the music industry wide open. Their EP Ezra is an early taste of what's to come from this promising pair, and if Liverpool keeps throwing up raw talent in the vein of A Lovely War - NME might finally shift their omnipotent focus away from the B-Town scene to the northern bunch.
 
Acting as a snapshot of where they're currently at, Baby, Don't Be So Defensive serves as an emotional plea to a lover, and there's plenty of talk about what happened last night and 'where to go from hear' which raises lingering questions but we can let it slide for now. Beneath their light-hearted frills, there's a moody intensity flickering away with no likelihood of burning out anytime soon.

Whilst they may appear indebted to Vampire Weekend, particularly in places such as on hilariously ironic title-track Ezra, they can be forgiven as they fuse their 'borrowed goods' with aspects of reggae. An interesting move that sees a divide visualise between them and the rest of their fellow Merseyside music makers.

Final offering, Maxine, We're Alive! feels fit to soundtrack a Mario Bros Adventure, incorporating touches of a playful nature. It's rich, layered jangly twangs are the secret weapon to this EP and it becomes evident on this departing number why it was saved for the end. A Lovely War are destined for stages beyond their reckoning, a slot on Glastonbury's BBC Introducing Stage and an opportunity to show that they can hold their own playing further afield, rather than cutting their teeth on the Liverpool gig circuit is just what they need. Keep an eye out for this duo as they aren't set to disappoint anytime soon.


 

 
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The Sundowners 'Don't Come Knockin'

 
Having returned from Glastonbury Festival, after their exhilarating live set on the BBC Introducing Stage on Friday (28 June), Wirral's very own The Sundowners are once again tickling the fancies of fans with their latest track Don't Come Knockin. The five-piece band of siblings and friends are often compared to Fleetwood Mac, with this offering there are faint echoes of that sound, although what we should be talking about is the breathless clatter and far out riffs they have emblazoned.
 
The white hot tune commands you to dance until you get stitches in your stomach, the feminine Liverpudlian lilt works in their favour and not once does it pause for breath. Pulsing with intensity and retro vibes, that takes a lot to master, The Sundowners border on authenticity and know which direction will inevitably lead them to success. With great tunes and great haircuts, you'd be a fool not to keep a watchful eye on this band.
 
 
 
 
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Glastonbury Preview


The most anticipated music event of the festival season is rapidly approaching, and this year, the line up boasts an impressive array of artists. With a little something for everyone, when the gates open in ten days - Worthy Farm is bound to be the epicentre of explosion. Here is Rock Revolver's definitive guide to the artists you need to check out if you're going to the festival, or simply streaming it online.
 
 
Announced as this year's headliners, Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones and Mumford & Sons are set to tear it up on the Pyramid Stage. Following the debut of new tracks Do I Wanna Know? in Ventura, California and Mad Sounds at Hultsfred Festival in Sweden recently, Sheffield rock royalty, Arctic Monkeys, are ones not to be missed. Considering their performance at the Olympic Opening Ceremony last summer, and the fact that the band have got their fifth album scheduled for release in September, missing their headline set would make you a fool.
 
Offering another opportunity to catch those icons, The Rolling Stones, play the hits live (factoring a few rarities into the mix), make sure you witness the Pyramid Stage play host to the band on Saturday night, especially since last year's shows at the 02 had staggering ticket prices, leaving fans forking out hundreds. Initially, Sunday night headliners and everyone's favourite nu-folk group Mumford & Sons caused a bit of a stir when announced to close the Festival. However, you can't deny the band have worked hard to get to the top in recent years. Second album, Babel, released last September proved the folk rock four piece have got the goods and now all they have to do is display it to the masses.
 
Throughout the weekend, you can also catch excellent artists on the Pyramid Stage throughout the day, stretching into evening, such as: The Vaccines with their wailing guitars, and fast paced punchy anthems. 2012's biggest breakthrough, Jake Bugg with ballads to his youth and musical ability beyond his tender years. California's most chilled exports Haim. Saturday night sees indie folk star Ben Howard deposit a mellow set of acoustic anthems, whilst on the Sunday, New York rockers Vampire Weekend take to the stage.
 
Hitting up the Other Stage, across the weekend you can catch Northern Irish indie rock trio Two Door Cinema Club, tearing it up with their shimmering tunes and spewing riffs. Tame Impala, the psychedelic Aussies are not to be missed with their tripped out tracks, whilst the majority of their back catalogue sounds like they overdoes on flower power riffs and paisley vibes.
 
Playing host to under the radar rockers and those set to be massive in years to come, The Park Stage is packed with little gems you need to get in your life. Lambeth's own Palma Violets, backed by NME, take control on Friday night, crafting sets as impressive as their sudden rise to fame in the latter half of 2012. Tame Impala's female counterpart Melody's Echo Chamber play on Saturday afternoon; prepare yourself for the French vocalist's dreampop formula and acid soaked songs.
 
Saving the best for last, the John Peel stage is steeped in artists, serving as evidence that it really isn't all about the Pyramid Stage headliners. Aiming to lead the rock revolution (and mod of the moment), is Liverpool's Miles Kane. After releasing critically acclaimed second album, Don't Forget Who You Are, at the start of June; if you miss Miles' set you really are missing out, as he plays the crowd like no other. If we were to depict his live shows in percentages, it would go a little something like this - 50% puppy dog excitement and 50% rock swagger.
 
 
 
 
Pioneers of the B-Town scene, Peace and Swim Deep, are also set to appear on the John Peel stage on Friday afternoon, whilst Saturday sees sets from The Smiths' iconic guitarist Johnny Marr, and Ireland's teenage 60s revivalists The Strypes. Continuing the party throughout Sunday are, French wizards Phoenix, who are set to headline the stage and bring with them that much needed dose of wickedly warped electronics and dance-until-you-get-stitches-in-your-stomach sizzles.
 
Whilst this is just a preview of the thousands of acts at the festival,  there are many more appearing across the weekend and hopefully this guide will serve you well, in deciding who to catch a glimpse of and who to miss. With the weather set to hit a record high in the history of Glastonbury, you're bound to have an excellent weekend regardless of which artists you watch. 

 
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