All Points East Festival 2019

[jamieaslee]

Is the general consensus that they've realised what the issues were Re sound for the Strokes and have fixed it since then?

[Muffinmaiden]

54 minutes ago, jamieaslee said:

Is the general consensus that they've realised what the issues were Re sound for the Strokes and have fixed it since then?

Yeah the sound at Christine and the Queens was good so I think it’s been sorted. 

Still waiting on a reply to my complaint email, not sure they’re going to be wanting to give everyone who complained refunds.

 

[Hugh Jass]

Are the times for this weekend listed anywhere that doesn’t involve the app?

[scatteredscreens]

33 minutes ago, Muffinmaiden said:

Yeah the sound at Christine and the Queens was good so I think it’s been sorted. 

Still waiting on a reply to my complaint email, not sure they’re going to be wanting to give everyone who complained refunds.

 

I think you'll be surprised at how few people send complaint emails. A moan on social media will be enough for most.

[Chewie]

24 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Are the times for this weekend listed anywhere that doesn’t involve the app?

Clashfinder

https://clashfinder.com/m/ape2019/?user=0k338d.iq

[Hugh Jass]

25 minutes ago, Chewie said:

Clashfinder

https://clashfinder.com/m/ape2019/?user=0k338d.iq

Ta.

[jump]

36 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Ta.

You may want to check it closer to the time though as they keeping changing the stage times. 

[finn_with_1_n]

O2 Priority have restocked the free tickets deal

[The Martini Police]

21 hours ago, dentalplan said:

Such a shame about the sound levels for The Strokes. I found them to be fine except Julian's vocals for Is This It, where he seemed happy to just let the crowd sing it anyway.

Wasn't he just completely unaware his microphone wasn't working until after? 

[mynameismatt]

9 minutes ago, finn_with_1_n said:

O2 Priority have restocked the free tickets deal

a bit desperate, but if anyone with O2 can grab us one for the Bon Iver day then I'd be very grateful

[DarthSaul]

16 minutes ago, finn_with_1_n said:

O2 Priority have restocked the free tickets deal

You are a star, finally got something free for this festival woo! 

[FakeEmpire]

Back from the first weekend of this.

I have to say that overall there was a huge drop in quality from last year in terms of the sound levels.   The Strokes issue aside (more on that later), the sound was generally quieter and more muddy for almost everyone on Fri and Sat.   No music inbetween acts either so it was very soulless at times.   I raved so much about the sound quality to everyone last year so it was a shame to see what happened this year.   Sunday was *much* better however - every act sounded so much louder and clearer and more in line with 2018 and so maybe what happened with The Strokes gave them a bit of a kick to remember how important sound levels are to punters.

Day 1 - Chemical Bros

Chemical Brothers - Really enjoyed this set.   Some undesirables in the crowd but easy enough to move around and find a good spot elsewhere.  This was the set where I realised that the sound this year is actually much better the further back from the stage you are.   Great setlist, banging visuals, enjoyed it a lot.   9/10

Primal Scream - Was really torn between them and Jon Hopkins as they can be hit and miss live but it was absolutely brilliant.  Crowd were well up for it and the surprise downpour just lifted everyone further.   Wall to wall hits and good people dancing in the rain.  9/10

Roisin Murphy - Bit of a small crowd for her but a friendly and engaged one a bit like the good crowds APE attracted last year.  She was great as well.  9/10

Kate Tempest - Absolutely magical.  I was worried how it would go down at a London festival full of people waiting to party at Chemical Brothers but it was just complete silence and awe where I was.  Jaw-dropping, gut-wrenching stuff.   New songs are brilliant. Probably my highlight of the weekend. 10/10

Danny Brown - Not very familiar with him  from what I have heard before, he's always someone I feel I would like.   On the day made a decision to go and see most of his set before leaving for Kate Tempest.  I enjoyed it enough to make me want to investigate more but not particularly memorable otherwise - that could be because I didn't know many of the songs.  6/10

Little Simz - Saw her a few years ago and she was alright but she is on another level now.   Absolutely brilliant set, one of the best in her genre and deserving of HUGE success. 9/10

Ibibio Sound Machine -  A few sound problems but this was fun stuff, would go down well at Glastonbury. 7/10

Petite Noir - Bang average. 5/10

Jadu Heart - Was an easy start to the day but not something I'd rush to see again. 4/10

 

Day 2 - The Strokes

My first experience of a sold out APE day and I realised that one of the things that made the festival so enjoyable last year was how few tickets they must have sold - the difference in toilet/bar/food queues and aggro was astonishing.   Still better than most sold out gigs/festivals but naturally a different vibe to the quieter days.   People really did seem up for The Strokes though.

The Strokes - I couldn't possibly rate the set.   There has been no over-egging of the sound problems, it was truly devastating and I've never encountered anything like it.   From where we were, it was like they hadn't even turned the speakers on and we were just hearing the stage monitors.   Huge chants of "turn it up, turn it up" and booing.   You could just about make out the songs from the guitar riffs and the crowd singalongs.   The audience really were trying their best but by 3-4 songs each, people were giving up and leaving in their hundreds.    We were in a really decent spot - our standard headliner spot at festivals so that wasn't the problem.   We moved around and tried lots of different places - and it was just unbearable everywhere.   Eventually we landed right at the very back and the sound was absolutely fine there - crystal clear and loud but, being the back, there was no atmosphere and the view  was blocked by those 2 giant Huawei towers positioned in ridiculous places.   I won my ticket so can't complain too much but this was an absolute shit show.   From what I could tell, Strokes were good, setlist was solid, could have been a proper moment but someone has to explain what happened here.   I don't think "sound issues" justifies it - clearly the sound was intentionally turned down too far and they fucked it.

Raconteurs - Brilliant stuff.   Much better crowd than Jack White had at the Pyramid.   He was in great spirits and the setlist had everything I wanted. 9/10

Jarvis / JARV IS - Not exactly the box-breaking, live musical experiment he seems to think it is.   It essentially consists of Jarvis being Jarvis playing songs that casual audiences won't be familiar with.   He's a great front man, I enjoyed the solo cuts, the new stuff was alright but nothing to get too excited over.   6/10

Anna Calvi - Clearly very talented but  it's all a bit samey.  6/10

Amyl & the Sniffers - Smashed it.   Was unsure about how it would translate to a big stage but they nailed it.   Crowd started off small and grew throughout the set.  She's a brilliant frontperson.  9/10

Feet - The X Stage worked really well for bands.   The sound was good in there, good view from wherever you stood and they had an interesting lineup.   Not familiar with these before but they put on a great performance and I'd check them out again. 7/10

Dream Wife - Sound was a bit dodgy for them but they were fantastic. 8/10

Egyptian Blue - Popped into the X Stage to see what was going on and stuck around for the whole set.  Enjoyed it at the time although don't remember much about it now. 6/10

The Nude Party - Perfect start to the day.   Really great band that I'd overlooked until the APE lineup and have spent a bit of time with the album over the past few weeks.   Will definitely catch them again. 8/10

 

Day 3 - Christine & the Queens

Christine - Incredible stuff.   More festivals should take a risk in booking something new and a  bit different as it can pay off.   She's one of those artists that you wonder what she could do if she had the budget that lesser acts have and this showed us.  Big, polished pop production with heart.   Enjoyed every second of it.  10/10

James Blake -  Sound levels were perfect for him.   I've seen him twice before - once at Glastonbury and once supporting Kendrick - and both times, I could barely hear him over the chatter.    Plenty of chatter again at APE but the sound was loud and clear enough to drown them out - as it should be.   New album is a beauty.   8/10

Self Esteem - A real moment of the weekend for her, band and everyone in the crowd.   So much love for her - plenty of people bellowing the words back but also plenty of people unfamiliar with her that were being won over as the set went on.  She's so fucking good and is going to smash those Glastonbury sets. 10/10

Kurt Vile -  Sounded great on the North Stage, smaller crowd than expected but perfect chilled listening on a Sunday afternoon. 9/10

Princess Nokia - Quite busy in the West Arena for her.   She's a proper star but the interludes for the dancers is something that always bores me a bit at pop shows.   I appreciate that some people love that stuff but I'd rather just have another song to be honest. 6/10

Baloji - This was a perfect way to wipe away the memories of the disaster of The Strokes.   One of the most joyous festival sets I have ever seen.   9/10

Yves Tumor - An artist I was unfamiliar with and decided to check out based on what I'd read and they did not disappoint.    One of the most energetic and captivating performances of the weekend, unphased by a largely disinterested crowd.   "I've got a challenge for you.   It's called WAKE THE FUCK UP"   8/10

Kojaque - Didn't work for me. 2/10

QBRCK - Played to a crowd of about 20 people on the main stage so props for that but it was dull and generic.   2/10

 

 

[EllisPreston]

highly doubt it, but if anyone is able to get 2x BMTH tickets with the O2 priority id be very grateful  

[1986]

Managed to catch chunks of a lot of stuff on Sunday. Here's some reviews;

QBRCK - Crowd was nearly non-existent on the East Stage which was a shame as they were a good opener. Guy had a smooth voice and the band were great, particularly the sax player.

Kojaque - Watched from the back while eating our first snack of the day. Like QBRCK I watched cus I liked the name but they had something to offer as a sort of self conscious hip hop act.

Yves Tumor - First proper highlight of the day. A real swagger and confidence from the front man and guitarist and they looked like they were having fun which woke the audience up  as well (the singer saying to the audience "wake the fuck up" probably helped).

Ezra Collective - Best jazz performance of the day, loved the Sweet Like Chocolate cover and the drummer was hypnotic to watch.

Kurt Vile - Like some have said I was put off by his last Glasto performance but I listen to him too much to not go see him. Was much more fun this time round but he still suffers from being a bit too casual for his own good sometimes. Being at peak drunkness and knowing all the songs to sing along helped and the set list was spot on.

Beach House - Seems odd they were shoved into an afternoon tent spot but without giving them a proper late night billing this was the best way to give them the darkness they needed. I've seen them twice now and I'm a bit torn on their live show. It sounds epic and the songs are really boosted live but it feels like all atmosphere and no performance. I think I'd rather be able to see them and what they're doing.

Kamasi Washington/ James Blake - Caught bits of these while sat on the ground. Can't say much about KW with confidence. James Blake as always sounded great but hasn't translated his sound to an engaging performance. People just stood and politely watched.

Christine And The Queens - If what I read above was true about people leaving after JB then they missed out because CATQ was the anti JB in every way. the confidence of the performance, the dancers, her voice, the fireworks/stage rigging were really special. I can't think of many people who can do what feels like a greatest hits set after just two albums. The sound was perfect as well. I was even ok with breathing in fumes from the fire extinguisher when they put out that random blaze on the right side of the stage just to be close enough to see it all (Anyone stood in the same area as well might have noticed the tech guy try and blow the fire out with his mouth before coming back with the extinguisher, made me laugh anyway). If Chris isn't headlining something major next year the bookers must really be sleeping at the wheel.

Overall thoughts: Like last year, I found the whole day to be a blast. It was well organised, the crowds were all nice and respectful, too many good choices for food, beer was so so but passable. There was loads of corporate tents but they had their fun parts.

Can't wait to go back this sunday.

 

[Gwenjamin88]

Anyone know if Black Country New Rod are still playing Jagerhaus on Sunday 2nd June? They were definitely announced for it but dont seem to be on the clashfinders..... x

 

[93jag01]

19 minutes ago, Gwenjamin88 said:

Anyone know if Black Country New Rod are still playing Jagerhaus on Sunday 2nd June? They were definitely announced for it but dont seem to be on the clashfinders..... x

 

They were on the website the last time I checked. Fantastic band, would be a shame if they weren’t playing.

[jamieaslee]

1 hour ago, EllisPreston said:

highly doubt it, but if anyone is able to get 2x BMTH tickets with the O2 priority id be very grateful  

what's your email? I have x2 going spare 

[gfa]

3 hours ago, Muffinmaiden said:

Yeah the sound at Christine and the Queens was good so I think it’s been sorted. 

Still waiting on a reply to my complaint email, not sure they’re going to be wanting to give everyone who complained refunds.

 

The crowd was nowhere near as loud/big so the sound would travel much further. For all we know the sound issues may still be there in some form, just Christine wasn't much of a test to see if this is true.

1 hour ago, The Martini Police said:

Wasn't he just completely unaware his microphone wasn't working until after? 

He knew the mic wasn't working, theres a video where you can see him swapping it etc

[jamieaslee]

I have x2 tickets for Mumford & Sons and x2 tickets for Bon Iver through O2 priority if anyone wants them?

[fes.tiv.al]

2 minutes ago, jamieaslee said:

I have x2 tickets for Mumford & Sons and x2 tickets for Bon Iver through O2 priority if anyone wants them?

I'd love to take these please.

[jump]

This made me laugh.

Edited May 28, 2019 by jump

[jamieaslee]

1 minute ago, fes.tiv.al said:

I'd love to take these please.

DM me your email and which tickets you'd like

[Diva Sam]

Anyone got spare Bon Iver tickets? 

I have EE and Vodafone annoyingly!

[Tom Connolly]

if anyone can get me 2 free BMTH tickets i will marry u x

[Superunknown]

Got two Bon Iver tickets if anyone wants them