Boomtown Festival 2015

[eFestivals]

For anyone who might have missed it, The Skints are the replacement for Barrington Levy on Sunday night.

[dumski]

Being at home that's made my day (sorry)

You called it though Neil so don't hate on me.

The way you said it, it's like it's happened before? Why does he do it?

I would LOVE to see him one day while we can.

What's the den like in the new spot? Enjoy

[eFestivals]

It's visa problems that stops Levy playing.

[frostypaw]

I retract nothing from my review last time... Another fantastic Boomtown with some crazy spectacle and great acts

But wtf was with the security inside? Specialised had taken it over and were total dicks - saw plenty of picking on kids skinning up and even one with an empty baggie they searched... while ignoring dodgier adults that I guess scared them. Pathetic power games from a few groups especially the very fat very short supervisor in downtown on Sunday

Then the police bringing dogs into areas of the festival too - shocking. They did seem to be doing their level best to ensure plenty of profit for the dealers and to get people onto unknown drugs to cause accidents.

Didn't hear of any nasties luckily, but the attempted crackdown pissed me off

[frostypaw]

Ps there was a birth on site :-)

[Miesh]

I retract nothing from my review last time... Another fantastic Boomtown with some crazy spectacle and great acts

But wtf was with the security inside? Specialised had taken it over and were total dicks - saw plenty of picking on kids skinning up and even one with an empty baggie they searched... while ignoring dodgier adults that I guess scared them. Pathetic power games from a few groups especially the very fat very short supervisor in downtown on Sunday

Then the police bringing dogs into areas of the festival too - shocking. They did seem to be doing their level best to ensure plenty of profit for the dealers and to get people onto unknown drugs to cause accidents.

Didn't hear of any nasties luckily, but the attempted crackdown pissed me off

We were chatting to a security chap on the Wednesday night who said their brief was "hands off, leave them to it unless they are hurting themselves or others." Most seemed fairly ok.

Last night we had a report of 4 really big built guys in the rave yard being totally intimidating, shining torches in people's faces confiscating stuff. The people who reported it said they were so bad they thought they were imposters.

[frostypaw]

That's what the line was with GES last year and they seemed to follow that, Specialised seemed determined to make a point and catch loads of kids so their statistics looked great - after all when it's a baggie in their confiscation stash it's less obvious they victimised younger festival goers to make themselves look good

Lots of people's festivals ruined by people who looked like they'd be more in place doing security at a local beer festival than real events, shouldn't have been on site

[gooner1990]

Bang Hai Palace was a massive improvement on Arcadia.

[Bisque]

Anyone see Noisia?

[frostypaw]

Bang Hai Palace was a massive improvement on Arcadia.

Agreed, that was absolutely spectacular - I've got some incredible photos especially of Noisia on Saturday night which might have been the crowd of the festival

The viewing platforms were inspired - the sense of arena and views from above the crowd totally made up for not being down there dancing. I've got the whole closing thing on video too, hopefully the sound is alright!

The theming in DSTRKT5 was top notch too, and a super special mention has to go to the Boombox's wall of shipping containers which let them have a proper street rave with a massive soundsystem right next door with virtually no bleed from one to the other.. Huge success

[loneskanker]

I did notice how the security like picking on the younger ones, I personally had one try to take my unlit joint off me whilst other people where smoking around me it was a bit bizarre serves me right for looking like a 17 year old.

Other than that I had an epic Time, may post more when I'm a bit more lucid

[gooner1990]

Anyone see Noisia?

 

Yep.

 

https://www.facebook.com/535805622/videos/10155889660035623/?pnref=story

[Harry3]

Did all their sound insulation and barriers and stuff work? Whats the verdict?

[frostypaw]

https://youtu.be/ygG1pqgr6g8

I still can't watch this without my jaw dropping and a bit of a guttural animal noise - in HD and loud please!

Edited August 17, 2015 by frostypaw

[roganjosh]

Did all their sound insulation and barriers and stuff work? Whats the verdict?

 

Thought the sound on Banghai Palace was abysmally quiet during the first artist I saw there which was Squarepusher. It was quiet enough that I was able to have a conversation with my mate during the set, and we weren't that far back, in front of the mixing desk. Then it seemed to be ok again for Noisia on Saturday (although I was considerably more wasted) and I thought it might have been a one off. But then yesterday afternoon it was awful again for the old-school. Evenson Allen was getting really shitty about it to the sound engineer over and over (although I've also heard him do that at raves where it's been fine, to be fair). Didn't even bother going to Goldie b2b Dillinja last night and went to Benny Page instead, which totally kicked off - all the jungle classics. Fat soundsystem in there too.

 

Anyway, here is a random selection of photos I took. None of the best things I saw because if I was dancing, I wasn't photographing

 

https://imgur.com/a/mz0K9

[frostypaw]

That youtube video stabilisation thing is pants.... made my video rather odd. undone it now, if you were wondering why it was jumping around during the strobes try again now, much more atmosphere when you can see how much the platform was shaking with the dancing

[mjcolbert]

Great festival. Saw some amazing acts and the new Lions den stage is amazing.

[eFestivals]

 the new Lions den stage is amazing.

 

It was really nice to have a stage where you can just lounge around chilling out while able to have a great view of the bands.

 

It's probably the best-sited stage I've seen at a festival.

[chimera88]

Absolutely incredible festival, really surpassed all my expectations, it's come on such a long way since I last went in 2012.Beautiful crowd, lovely atmosphere, SO much fun, just can't praise it enough. Such high production values, it really blew me away. 

 

Only one small criticism was the programmes...there were quite a few little mishaps, two artists down for the same time on the Lion's Den on Saturday and worse, Streetlight Manifesto listed as Sunday on the lanyard when they were actually playing Saturday.

 

Thankfully our gang bought both the lanyard and the programme booklet between us so we worked it out but I know some weren't so lucky and you'd be gutted if you turned up at the time listed on Sunday and found out they'd played the day before!  If you're gonna keep it all hush hush and not list the set times anywhere beforehand...the programmes have to be right!!  I was there with a pretty avid Streetlight fan who would have been devastated if we'd been caught out by that. 

Edited August 18, 2015 by chimera88

[mjcolbert]

Yes I just managed to see Streetlight Manifesto by chance.

[krisroe]

Yeah, the set times annoyed me as well. I couldn't see Showhawk duo anywhere on either set list (lanyard or booklet), we had to look through the a to z list, find what stage they were on and look back through the descritions of the bands under that stage. Then couldn't remember what time they were on when we were downtown and only had the Lanyard with us. Gutted to have missed them.

[Chill]

Absolutely incredible festival, really surpassed all my expectations, it's come on such a long way since I last went in 2012.Beautiful crowd, lovely atmosphere, SO much fun, just can't praise it enough. Such high production values, it really blew me away. 

 

Only one small criticism was the programmes...there were quite a few little mishaps, two artists down for the same time on the Lion's Den on Saturday and worse, Streetlight Manifesto listed as Sunday on the lanyard when they were actually playing Saturday.

 

Thankfully our gang bought both the lanyard and the programme booklet between us so we worked it out but I know some weren't so lucky and you'd be gutted if you turned up at the time listed on Sunday and found out they'd played the day before!  If you're gonna keep it all hush hush and not list the set times anywhere beforehand...the programmes have to be right!!  I was there with a pretty avid Streetlight fan who would have been devastated if we'd been caught out by that. 

 

 

That was me, missed streetlight manifesto because i looked at the Lanyard time and went on the Sunday when some other bollox was playing. Luckily it meant i could hot tail it down to see John Butler at the old mine who was amazing but still gutted I missed Streetlight as ive never seen them, were they good? Pretty annoying as i wasnt doing anything else on the Saturday at that time. Booo!

 

 

+1 for loving the Lions den as well, i agree it was the best sited stage ive been to at a festival. We camped in trenchtown and it was ace! Stephen Marley has to be probably the best sound quality i have ever heard outside at a festival

[tjamest]

Had a great time,spent a lot of time near old mines this year, followed by late night shenanigans in Wld West/Old Town. Also enjoyed the new Lions Den and various forest areas.

 

Band of the weekend for me was Amadou and Mariam headline set at Old Mines. I'd seen them a few years ago as part of a Africa Soul Rebels Tour and was mildly impressed, but this time totally blew me away - a 90 minute set which despite me not really knowing any of the songs absolutely flew by in a haze of dancing, cheering and clapping.

 

I love the fact that even after 40 years of seeing bands I can still find things that make me as giddy with excitement as I was as a 15 year old going to see my first gig.( Hawkwind, Feb 1975 Chatham Central Hall if anyone is interested)

Edited August 19, 2015 by tjamest

[kerplunk]

Band of the weekend for me was Amandou and Mariam headline set at Old Mines. I'd seen them a few years ago as part of a Africa Soul Rebels Tour and was mildly impressed, but this time totally blew me away - a 90 minute set which despite me not really knowing any of the songs absolutely flew by in a haze of dancing, cheering and clapping.

 

 

Yes! The standout set of the weekend for me also. I've seen them several times at festivals over the years and always loved them but their set at boomtown was something else! Would love to get my hands on a recording...

[kerplunk]

Yeah, the set times annoyed me as well. I couldn't see Showhawk duo anywhere on either set list (lanyard or booklet), we had to look through the a to z list, find what stage they were on and look back through the descritions of the bands under that stage. Then couldn't remember what time they were on when we were downtown and only had the Lanyard with us. Gutted to have missed them.

 

If you mean the Rusty Spurs that was a late booking due to a cancellation - these things happen.

 

We happened to pass by at the right time...