Bastille top an amazing day at Redfest and a thoroughly enjoyable weekend

After waking up, fresh and energised, the big day was here! An entire day of artists that I hugely respect and couldn't wait to see.  Aimee Gould was my first stop in the Boileroom tent. Lovely voice, just forgettable? I know it sounds terrible but considering Rokhsan who I had seen the day before it felt as though something was missing from her set. Some excitement that made me want to listen more and get to know more. Taygan Paxton, again, was another nice act to sit and listen too but nothing that she sang grabbed me or held my attention. Sitting with my sister, after her third song, we looked at each other and both said exactly the same thing..."I'm bored.." I wasn't blown away and its a same because she can really sing but after her cover of Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy' I just gave up, and so we come to Empire Parade. Now this band interested me. They were down a saxophone player (I believe) and so enlisted the help of a guy who could make the sounds using his mouth which was highly entertaining and surprisingly. Worked?! My only negative of this band was the use of backing singers. The girls weren't needed. I understand that backing vocalist give songs a depth but the lead singers voice was so strong and distinct that they just weren't needed. 

 

Moulettes were great, unique and interesting. They have developed a unique style that is performed with a mixture of acoustic and electric instruments including Cello, Bassoon, violin, guitar, bass, auto-harp, drums and group vocals. They were alternative to anything else I had heard over the weekend which isn't a bad thing! I really enjoyed being able to listen to them and their 'indie-folk' music. The Loveable Rogues of Britain's Got Talent fame and in their words  "The ones who lost to a f**king dog!" A little addition to the Redfest line-up, they were easy going, light hearted and enjoyable to just stand and listen too. The LaFontaines are describ themselves as a "Hip-hop/rock/pop band." It sounds as though they don't really know what path they are on or where their music is going. Don't get me wrong, they weren't band and I found one or two songs that I liked but I felt a bit confused as to what I was listening too. Can the genre of hip-hop/rock and pop really work together? This time, I don't think it does. 

 

To Kill a King are another band who I was really excited about seeing again. Ralph Pellymounter is the lead singer and I had seen them when they supported Bastille earlier in the year. TKAK are such a wonderfully fresh new band, incorporating rock and folk music so successfully. 'Howling' and 'Funeral' were received exceptionally well by the audience and talking of audience, I was surprised at the sheer size and the numbers who were singing back. A nice little addition was that Bastille joined them on stage for 'Choices'. To Kill a King are a fantastic live act and it was great to see the reaction that they were receiving from Redfest. Little Comets are a band who I've known of for a while and knew a few songs. They reminded me slightly of the Beach boys with their guitars. They are sharp and are not a 'show-off' band. They just get on doing what they do best. On stage, the trio are faultless. Cole's trademark vocals are back up by Matt Hall who takes on the bass and Mickey Coles is on the guitar. Great set. I approve.

 

Lucy Rose is a sensational artist who I've been following for a year or so now. It was great to finally get to see her live as I've kept missing her as she tours. Her album 'Like I Used Too' is hands down one of my favourite albums in the last year. Lucy Rose gave the audience a lot of new songs which was great to listen to having only had the album for reference. 'Middle of the Bed' will always be one of the highlights of any of her sets. Her band really compliments her as well. Sometimes, I find that artists like Lucy Rose get drowned out and overpowered by the additions of drums, bass and guitars but not her. The band work together and the music created is  sublime.

 

Bastille headlined the main stage on Saturday night. YAY! All day had been building up to this moment for me. If anybody hasn't heard of Bastille by now, where the hell have you been? They've exploded on the scene and since then have been growing & growing. It was great to see them headlining a festival especially one as dedicated to the music as Redfest appears to be. The rain, thankfully, stopped just before the set. HURRAH. I always love being in the photo pit, especially when one of my favourite artists are on. The atmosphere as the audience anticipated the band was amazing. It was a combination of fans, people who were yet to discover Bastille and those who were just to out of their faces to notice what was going on which to be fair, was very few! Bastille involved “strings” into their set which, as people who know me know, I am a sucker for music involving strings. Bastille's 'Bad Blood' album contains some amazing songs and they opened their set with 'Bad Blood'. The set consisted of original songs 'Icarus', 'Overjoyed' and 'Weight of Living' while also highlighting their 'Other Peoples Heartache' album and the cover of 'Of The Night'. Bastille topped off an amazing day at Redfest and a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.

 

Redfest is a great little festival which I really hope stays that way. I fear that the bigger the festival gets, the intimate feeling will fade away and that is what makes the festival feel so great. Everybody is extremely helpful and the site is in a great location. My only criticism would be the lack of a 'defined' Press area. While the Press/VIP area was great, I would have perhaps liked a tent purely for press to charge cameras/organise Interviews etc (I may have just missed this) but otherwise, Redfest. I will be back next year!