Review: Cross The Tracks 2026
REVIEW – CROSS THE TRACKS 2026 Another year, another incredible edition of Cross the Tracks [2027 Ticket Link] By Caitlin Taylor 28 May 2026 It was over 30 degrees on the morning of Sunday 24th May as we prepared ourselves for a long day of standing in the sun in Brockwell Park. Cross the Tracks is one of the first festivals I went to after moving to London, and still one of the closest to me. I often recommend it as a good ‘starter’ festival as no matter who’s playing you’ll have a good time, and this year was no different. The first act of the day was Charlotte Dowsson on the Main Stage. Dressed like a kind of mermaid princess (a big compliment), she took to the stage with grace as she gazed over the gathering crowd. Her voice is soft and sultry, drawing an audience that she later shared with us was much larger than she’d expected due to how early her slot was but was clearly a testament to her talent. Ama Louise Next was Ama Louise, an RnB singer with a clear adoration for the genre. Despite performing in the incredibly hot D-Railed tent, she blessed her audience with beautiful vocals both when it came to her own songs as well as her cover of the much beloved Jazmine Sullivan track ‘Bust Your Windows’ which saw multiple people sprint into the tent from outside. Lady Wray Lady Wray boasts a decades long career and has definitely learned how to entertain an audience. Having previously played in 2024, she’s a Cross the Tracks veteran who provided a performance full of joy. Not at all an up and coming artist, War are the band who brought us long-lasting hits such as ‘Lowrider’ and ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’, songs that had the hundreds of people packed in to see them singing and dancing along. It was one of those sets that feels quintessentially ‘Cross the Tracks’ – full of warm nostalgia that triggers a strong sense of community. War I hadn’t heard of Australian Don West before arriving (my fault, as he has over 3 million monthly listeners), but I seemed very much in the minority on the day. People ran to the Terminal stage to get a good view as he strutted around in a tight vest top and sunglasses, followed closely by a cameraman. I first caught Obongjayar at We Out Here in 2024 where he made it clear that he’s an excellent performer. Shirtless and with muscles flexing, he paraded around the stage well aware he had the audience in the palm of his hand. He’s truly electric and in future years is a definite contender for headliner. Joy Crookes South London’s finest, Joy Crookes has been a TNAM team favourite for many years. Playing a string of unreleased tracks as well as some old favourites (the entire crowd seemed to sing along to ‘When You Were Mine’), her voice was warm and welcoming to the sun-stroked crowd. Playing a mix of her new album and major hits, Little Simz took to the stage for a blazing finale. There was a heavy pro-Arsenal energy in the air the entire day, and her set was no different as she revealed a football shirt under her jacket. At one point she brought back out Obongjayar and the two danced around each other, their styles blending beautifully. An excellent sendoff. There’s no doubt we’ll be in attendance next year. You Might Also Like Recent Posts You Might Also Like Recent Posts
The Great Escape Festival 2026 Highlights
THE GREAT ESCAPE 2026 HIGHLIGHTS We could all confidently say we didn’t see one bad act, a feat for a festival booking hundreds of artists [2027 Ticket Sign up] By Caitlin Taylor & Eli Callingham 26 May 2026 We started Wednesday with a killer trio at Green Door Store beginning with grungy Americans Sword II who packed out the room and told the crowd we were free to ‘gob’ at them, as they’d heard that was something Brits do. Sharing the main vocals, each member was able to masterfully hold our attention and as a result, they were a main highlight of the day. Next were Cambridgeshire duo The Healing Power of Horses who’d recently released ‘I wait, I sink’, a standout debut streaming single. Their currently anonymous frontwoman slinked around the stage in an effortlessly cool display from the mysterious band. Performances like theirs are why people come to TGE, to see something fresh you can gush about to your friends or coworkers after. Closing out our time at GDS was Pollyfromthedirt, the masked artist proudly representing his hometown of Darlington. Moving through a mixed set of his production and guitar led songs, he used two mics to perform both vocal textures and lead vocals. “This one’s for the mum and dads in the room” he quipped, before launching into the bombastic introduction of ‘There’s no such thing as england’. Finally, we moved across the road to the Prince Albert where we managed to squeeze in despite it being full capacity to catch Flooding, a rock band (in the midwest 90’s underground sense) from Lawrence/Kansas City, known for their dynamic songs. Leaning into moments of fragility and strident onslaught, both heard in vocalist/songwriter Rose Brown’s vocal range and the intricate arrangements. We left the venue with whiplash and ringing ears. Would recommend. Big Long Sun at Concorde 2 On Thursday we trekked down the coastline to the BBC Introducing stage at Concorde 2, a much larger venue than you typically encounter at TGE. Luckily, the band we were about to see was the Brighton 8-piece big long sun, a band we at TNAM have a fun history with, who were more than capable of filling the open space with their belting vocals. Creator and frontman Jamie Broughton at one point called out “we are big long sun and we make music for big corporations”, likely an acknowledgement of the Delegate heavy crowd. Either way, it was an incredibly impressive show and solidified them (at least in our minds) as one of the best new bands around. Afterwards we made a mad dash to Charles Street Tap where we were told the crowd was beginning to swell. We were keen not to miss the slightly strange but enticing double bill of Max Winter and Pigeon and managed to slip in through the doors before they were closed behind us. Technical issues unfortunately impacted Max Winter’s set but he provided nonetheless, performing versions of his collaborations from his recently released mixtape ‘like the season!’ including ‘Just’, one of our favourite tracks from the last few months. This rendition was ferocious, a gut punch for a subdued older crowd. He was joined by a violinist, drummer and by multi-instrumentalist Christos Stylianides who played the guitar, trumpet and also contributed shrill screams. Qualified in composition, Winter has curated a talented live band and demonstrates a real command over texture and live electronic manipulation. It was a heartfelt performance, accentuated by his parents’ presence in the crowd. Pigeon were a personal favourite of the entire festival, as evidenced by my notes of the show on the day just being ‘insane’. There exists a certain anti-Delegate sentiment amongst some artists and festival goers at TGE due to a few people’s habit of standing right at the front and refusing to move their bodies other than to occasionally reach for their phone to send a text. But miraculously, any notion of that behaviour was squashed as soon as Falle Nioke opened his mouth. They make the kind of music that projects you from a dingy Brighton attic into an open sunny field in the early afternoon. ‘Miami’ is already our song of the Summer. Pigeon at Charles Street Tap We closed out at Patterns with The Kitchen Sink Band who’s set was cut short due to a genuine kitchen sink related incident. It was a shame as before finishing they played an impressive extended version of ‘Human Can Opener’ – currently unreleased. We recently interviewed electronic duo Lifeloose who’ve only just released their first single yet are building a reputation for being brilliant live performers. Acting more like they were headlining an East London nightclub than a gig space above a Brighton pub, they managed to bring the energy for their Friday dinnertime slot before running off back to the capital city for another string of shows. Performing at Dust by the seafront was Tommy Barlow, who has cemented himself in the London experimental circuit with his eclectic influences, command over different styles, and his deep guttural voice. A flooring rendition of latest single ‘Earth Killer’ showcased vocals that silenced the room. Ending on an untitled track, his intensity ramped up, flailing his guitar around hitting the headstock on the ceiling, ending the set with a wry smile and blistering feedback. An outlier in an otherwise dance-focused day. Tommy Barlow at Dust We migrated back to the Folklore Rooms to see the duo KiosK, champions of the ‘Leedstronica’ sound. The dense crowd was impenetrable, swaying to the industrial roar of bass guitar and pulsating bite of synth sequences commanded by vocalist Bella’s despondent voice. After adjourning for some fresh air we made our way back upstairs to catch ashnymph performing as a duo (joined on the drums by Fin Abbo of Opus Kink) in a make-shift setup with two bar stools holding his synthesisers and a sea of pedals that lay flickering at his feet. What followed was a set of driving beats, at times motorik, modulated vocals
FRIEND CRUSH CURATED BY LAUREN AUDER // WOUNDER REVIEW
FRIEND CRUSH CURATED BY LAUREN AUDER // WOUNDER REVIEW TNAM.UK By Eli Callingham 21 February 2026 On Monday 26th January, somewhat of a dreary night, I made my way to East London’s Shacklewell Arms for a ‘Friend Crush’ event programmed by Lauren Auder. An eclectic lineup featuring performances by Wounder, Jennifer Walton and Lauren Auder herself, who played new material that was due to be released on that Friday [praxis out now]. ‘Wounder’ is the alias of Sonny Holland, London based artist and producer, and purveyor of heavy music who has cemented himself in the broad underground scene over the last few years by playing at a number of event series for those in the know (BalaX, Borough, Genesys and Trauma Unit), recording and playing his own music as well as producing for others. He has previously released music under ‘crimson//chaos’ (RIP). With Wounder, Sonny sits comfortably in both the electronic and metal worlds, fusing heavy basslines, detailed sound design and walls of distorted guitars with fry scream vocals, and choppy vocal processing. Working adjacent to ‘post-club’ while channeling a distinctly post-genre sensibility, he plays with established conventions while reshaping them into something distinctly his own. Through both our conversation and his output you can tell he has eclectic taste, something that’s also evident in his collaborations. His latest album, ‘Builder’, released through Final Hot Desert in August 2025, features notable collaborations with Australian producer Sus1er, a figure known for his work across rap and dance styles, and London based underground veteran Felix Lee, both known for their genre-bending approaches. He plays in the latter’s live band contributing live electronics. Great performance clips found [HERE]. Audio of which is found [HERE]. At Friend Crush, he performed a stripped back thirty-minute set. His equipment, an assortment of devices – a sampler, pedals, MIDI keyboard and laptop organised on a table to the left of the stage which was also used to lean against in moments of respite. He seemed as comfortable with this setup as he is with a live band. He navigated the set’s dense material with ease, the highlights being ‘I Never Said That I Didn’t Mean It’ and ‘Tell Him I Too Have Known’. Abrasive, tremolo-picked guitar tones punctuated the set, interspersed with texturally juxtaposed synths and pads that were more prominent in the live mix, than on the released material. The bass cut through and remained as a constant yet welcome onslaught – my only gripe was not experiencing it on a larger sound system. The tracklist tastefully alternated between blast beats and electronic drums. An ebb and flow from the more frantic to morose cuts. The audience’s response reflected this mix of styles: both head-banging and bobbing, moves associated with the two genres. The black metal influence and stylisation on his work is undeniable – throughout his instagram feed and previous shows he’s seen sporting corpse paint and using the titular vocal fry common to the genre, but what I found with this live show was a performance style more confrontational and synonymous with noise artists. As reference, this Prurient performance comes to mind. It was an incredibly animated performance, an embodied practice that included him collapsing on the ground, beating his chest, leaping off the stage and contorting his frame. He acted as a vessel for the music, with the same cathartic release as a noise performance but with more grace and less violent movement. It allowed the audience to feel comfortable enough to draw close and enclose him in a circle. As the show concluded parts of the mic stand lay scattered across the floor. No mic stand is safe – he corroborated that is a common occurrence at his shows. He quietly and calmly packed up his equipment, pedals, and power supply in a black duffel rucksack and adjourned for a quiet cigarette outside of the venue. After his performance he kindly gave some of his time for this interview [Click Here]. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
How the Lambrini Girls Evolved from Chaos to Call-to-Action
How the Lambrini Girls Evolved from Chaos to Call-to-Action Having followed their journey for many years, watching the Lambrini Girls perform at the O2 Ritz last week felt like a defining moment. 12 December 2025 By Jessica Blissitt For a first-time follower, their aggressive orchestration and pounding punk riffs could be mistaken for scattered chaos, but if you listen a bit longer you’ll notice the lyricism holds a rightful anger towards social injustices that can make any bystander feel motivated to improve their small piece of the world. When every single person is clamouring for real change, chanting in line with Lunny’s lyrical likeness, it definitely feels unnaturally optimistic. Hopeful, almost. Formed by the formidable duo of vocalist Phoebe Lunny and guitarist Selina Macieira-Boşgelmez, this Brighton-based punk group could be described as a odd-bodied concoction of the Spice Girls, Panic Shack, and Le Tigre. Their following was built on this uncompromising moral clarity, but with the rise of more volatile social powers in recent years has left me doubtful. Could the Lambrini Girl’s classic style of mocking the powers that be, still possess the effectiveness it once did? The set immediately ripped into the classic anthems that cemented their fame over the past two years, like God’s Country and ‘Lads Lads Lads’ that stewed over the systemic and misogynistic rips in british society. The energy on stage was matched only by the crucial crowd collaboration. Lunny consistently instigated the band’s customary call-and-response—a tradition I now recognized in my third review—fueling the back-and-forth energy of the show.From asking queer legends to stand up in ‘Help Me I’m Gay’ to maintaining a sustained rally of call-and-response in ‘Craig David’, the atmosphere transcended a typical punk show. In typical Lambrini Girls’ fashion, the mosh pit transformed into something from a Greek forum, where fans candidly encouraged to yell out about their experiences of harassment in their local music industry, prior to’‘Boys in the Band’ and continually reminded to pick anyone up who fell down during the mosh pit. Although the concert included many beloved traditions I had enjoyed during their Glastonbury sets, the music from their most recent album clearly demonstrated how their political punk had evolved in direct response to the UK’s recent, deepening polarisation. As their fame has grown, the Lambrini Girls appear to embrace their growing influence, spreading essential messages to a larger group, boycotting festivals and calling out anti-trans advocates.The Lambrini Girls’ commitment to leveraging their platform for change is evident, driving them definitively into the next, more influential stage of their musical journey. This political commitment has defined their current era of music, with the unapologetic aggression of ‘Cuntology 101’, and the searing critique of toxic masculinity found in ‘Big Dick Energy.’ Tracks like ‘Bad Apple’ remain brutally on the nose, using punchy, repetitive lyrics to indict deep-seated issues with the police force. Their sound is changing as their fame takes off, but fortunately, their key messages stay the same. For this musically vulnerable shift, I feel hopeful. It suggests their message will not only be heard by the multitudes, but will resonate deeply enough to provoke lasting social change. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Big Long Sun 01.08.25 – I don’t normally start a gig with a drum in hand.
big long sun 01.08.25 – I don’t normally start a gig with a drum in hand. For one I can’t play an instrument, for two I’m medically exempt from hard work between 4pm and 11am. By Tom Freeman Contribution by Isla Mcrobbie 15 October 2025 This was no normal pub gig. We’d traipsed across London to see big long sun, but fresh out the Uber instrument cases coated across the street, cigarettes and glum faces meant something was off. Electrical complications during the main support left no option but for the bedroom-neo-psychedelia solo project of Jamie Broughton and his octensemble (or eight piece collective) to cancel their first London headline show. Displaced on a Friday evening in the middle of Camden Town, the devastation to the band was evident…but their determination to play was in no doubt commendable. Against time and the cabaret of penned events across the strip our hope was bleeding out. We kicked around whilst their promoter and our editor legged it across pubs, holding the phone on loudspeaker with hope of an update. While the band remained anchored by the equipment which could not be abandoned. How could we ever doubt that in the spirit of Camden Town, the show must go on. Cue the mad dash. 20 volunteers collected stands and pedals. My arms embraced in a kick drum while we belted 400 yards down the road to Lock Tavern. John (promoter) and I (bystander) made a mad dash back to the old pub to rally, cajole and convince gig-goers to trek down to the new stage. We even picked up a few extras who liked the craic of it. Three flights of stairs later, we pushed tables disrupting all peace set out by unsuspecting pint sippers, their space now pulsating with excited chatter of an evenings catharsis. Sound check? Doesn’t matter, Big Long Sun grabbed the mic, grabbed the tambourine and went for it. No stage, no problem. We had come to expect a lot from the Brighton band, each show on this tour seemingly a heel scraping stop before bolting off elsewhere in the UK to share their joy. Red hot from their second album whatever (whatever) on Miohmi records the band have seen modest, humble and underrated growth for the time being, reaching highlights such as support from Nathan Shepherd in session with BBC 6 Music. Core bedroom-rock performances included “a casual dance between friends” and “when the moods right”. The album’s feeling of free-spirited self-expression translated perfectly with the DIY nature of the situation. We had all found ourselves tightly knitted in. However a dearly noticeable gap was apparent with the absence of band member Ocean Groucher who classically handles the staple megaphone incursion their performances are becoming known for. Hand in hand this circle of talent is perplexing in its psych nostalgic trip carried by an intricate and youthful bunch. The team at TNAM.UK are proud to solidify ourselves within the “We were here first” department of big long sun’s fanbase. Great gig, great band and one really handsome fucker carrying a drum. You can catch big long sun back in London Wed, 29 Oct, 7:30 pm headlining the wonderful Sebright Arms. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FIND JOY. (@findjoy__) You Might Also Like Recent Posts
RALLY 2025 Festival Review – An Incredible Display of Fresh Music
RALLY 2025 Festival Review – An Incredible Display of Fresh Music A triumphant rain-free return for the Southwark Park festival. [2026 Ticket Sign up] By Caitlin Taylor 14 September 2025 {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} I’ve been to a lot of festivals this year and RALLY is the one I’ve been looking forward to most. As was the case last year, the lineup was incredible showcasing both emerging talent and established stars of the alternative scenes. It’s admirable how dedicated they are to supporting local artists, bands, and venues with a stage dedicated to Skehans pub (providing pints of Guinness!), copies of the Toerag newspaper scattered around the site and situational art pieces provided by local artists. The Agnes stage remained the best of the festival, both in terms of aesthetics and lineup. With a slight rejig, in my opinion an improvement from last year, the artists were much more accessible and easy to view. The first artist we caught there was Astrid Sonne who took to the stage accompanied by Emma Bradlet on the cello. She let the crowd know it was her birthday, and the crowd gifted her with a soft rendition of the birthday song which was sweet to experience. She’s a gentle performer who embraces fragility in her work. This delicateness allows you to focus on her beautiful violin playing and diary-like lyrics. Moving to the main stage, it was an emotional display for Porridge Radio’s final show of their tour, and one of their last performances ever before their looming breakup. Dana Mangolin gave it her all, belting out lyrics and swinging round her guitar, joined by Georgie on backup vocals who was back for their final date after 9 months away. They began by showcasing some of their more recent songs, but the crowd really kicked in as they brought back some tunes from Every Bad. Moin were absolutely mind-blowing. They took to the stage pretty casually, and then proceeded to blow out everyone’s eardrums with their incredibly tight instrumentation. They followed by bringing out Sophia Al-Maria to give a beautiful spoken word performance. From our angle we could see a stressed worker giving them 5 more minutes, which they took pretty liberally, but how could you shut down such an intense performance with an equally captivated audience? Definitely a highlight of the day. Some of the artists we stopped briefly by but still deserve recognition include Asha Puthli who opened the festival for us, Taahliah giving an ethereal performance on the Agnes stage, and The Speakers Quartet who provided a beautiful celebration of the work of Arthur Russell. Exploding onto the Agnes stage at 8pm was the rising star duo Bassvictim. Producer Ike Clateman remained comfortably at his decks while front woman Maria Manor took hold of the stage, strutting around and twirling while the front row desperately reached out their hands. It was undeniably incredibly fun. My personal favourite song Alice elicited screams from the crowd and a sea of raised hands. It’s always exciting to see a band this reasonably new with such a dedicated crowd. Closing out was the icon that is Floating Points who was accompanied by some captivating visuals. We managed to get a spot in the front row and felt ourselves consumed by the music. It was a beautiful send off to probably the best RALLY so far, at the very least the one with the best weather. You Might Also Like Recent Posts You Might Also Like Recent Posts
LIDO feat. Charlie XCX 2025 Review – Is Brat Summer Over?
LIDO feat. Charlie XCX 2025 Review – Is Brat Summer Over? This was the day most people seemed hyped for in the LIDO lineup: Charli XCX was curating her own ‘partygirl’ festival on a Saturday in Victoria Park. By Caitlin Taylor It was sold out, incredibly busy and once again, way way too hot. At times, it felt reminiscent of an immersive theatre experience – many of the attendees were kitted in neon green clothing with various phrases in the classic brat font. We kept crossing paths with one group in particular, who were all wearing matching neon green mini bob wigs. It was truly surreal. We knew to avoid the Club stage after Outbreak the day previously, and it was a good idea as here the queues were even longer. It’s a shame, as we were excited to catch Rose Gray, who’s having a super interesting rise to fame at the moment, but we weren’t willing to miss any of the artists in a queue that looked like it would take an hour. Stage 2 was our favourite of the day. We’d kept pretty far from at Outbreak the day before as I bruise too easily to handle a mosh pit. Our first taste was Magdalena Bay, who could honestly be considered one of THE bands of 2024. Their album Imaginal Disk was a smash hit, and it was a treat to see them live despite the fact that we were so far back they looked like little insects to us, but to have such a large audience at such an early slot is to be admired. 070 Shake was next for us, and it’s rare to see someone so chill while performing on a festival’s main stage. She kept a smile on her face, strolling down the runway, joking around with the crowd. “I see you girl!” She shouted to everyone who got on someone else’s shoulders, encouraging others to do the same. She ended with a modified version of ‘Ghost Town’, which seemed to have the entire crowd singing along. Throwing her microphone into the crowd, she allowed her band to close out. Without exaggerating, it’s one of the best experiences I’ve had at a festival. After that was Kelly Lee Owens, a producer and electronic musician from Wales, a recent discovery for us, but one who is now firmly on our playlists. She held the crowd in the palm of her hand, equally as impressive vocally and on her synth. I would’ve been perfectly happy dancing to her all day; she managed to turn a circus tent in Victoria Park into a sweaty underground club. Over on the main stage, The Japanese House provided a much more relaxed moment in the day. It was a good time to grab some food and sit a little further back while listening to some gorgeous dreampop. She mentions that she is properly performing on home turf here, as she lived close enough to cycle. The next day, while scrolling TikTok, I discovered there was some drama about overcrowding during The Dare, meaning that half the crowd was stopped from coming in by security. However, as we’d arrived about 15 minutes early to his set, we remained blissfully unaware of this as we stood near the front of the stage. People were jumping up and down, getting off, eyes wide, singing along. His heavier songs hit better than his slower ones, which is to be expected at a ‘partygirl’ festival. ‘It girl’ of the last couple of years, PinkPantheress, appeared at the end to sing her new ‘American Boy’ inspired hit ‘Stateside’, which The Dare produced. He kindly held her bag during her set – what a gentleman. We stayed firmly planted here for Bladee, who came onto the stage with his hood up and a massive flag in his hand. As someone who’s been surrounded by drainers since moving to London, it felt a little bizarre that many had no idea who he was, but to loyal fans, it was clear this was a special moment as he closed his set by bringing out Ecco2k to perform their new song. And then finally, of course, Charli XCX was on the main stage. Providing a theatrical performance full of flashy visuals, choreographed dance pieces and even rain, the crowd were fixated on her every move. It became clear that most were newer fans as the audience was surprisingly quiet during her older hit ‘Vroom Vroom’, but the energy was at an all-time high during her brat tracks and the Barbie movie hit ‘Speed Drive’. She brought AG Cook and Bladee out as guests, and once again, the crowd seemed a little lost. We ended up having to explain who they were to the group next to us, but hopefully, it does something to spread hyperpop awareness to the masses. As she’s done previously, she finished by allowing her visuals to speak for her. “I want this to last forever”, they read, “it wasn’t just a summer thing… it’s a forever thing xx” and so far, with Charli’s shows only rising in popularity, it seems like that may be the case.
OUTBREAK 2025 Review – Hot Sticky Hardcore
OUTBREAK 2025 Review – Hot Sticky Hardcore It was a swelteringly hot Friday, not ideal weather for heavy cotton band shirts and mosh pits, but that wasn’t going to deter any of the attendees of Outbreak festival. 2 July 2025 By Caitlin Taylor Momma was the first band we encountered on the main stage. They’re straight out of a 00s teen film soundtrack, accentuated by the duo’s strong American twang. Like most of the American acts who came over for the day, they were shocked by the heat but still managed to provide a fun set. Fleshwater followed, more on the hardcore side, with heavy guitars and bold vocals. “I want the biggest circle in the world!’ yelled a member of the band, which the British audience were initially hesitant to do, maybe due to the heat, but they eventually caught the drift. The one criticism we really had was the capacity of The Club Stage, as we didn’t manage to get in at all. We were incredibly keen to catch both feeble little horse and Jane Remover, but due to being faced with a queue that seemed to curl back around itself endlessly, we ended up just standing near the entrance and trying desperately to catch what we could. Next, we had Julie, who was our highlight of the day. They began by playing a video of someone playing the cello, which broke down as the band walked onstage. We likened them to Bar Italia’s little American cousins, lacking the nonchalance of the European indie darlings, which isn’t a negative. At times reminiscent of Nirvana, their drum work was particularly impressive. Definitely one to check out. Closing out there was a characteristically excellent set from lo-fi indie king Alex G, which featured some deep cuts and mental instrumentation we were big fans of, followed by Turnstile, a band who’ve blown up massively over the past year. A momentous ending full of moshing and jumping around, insane that most had energy after the 30-degree temperatures. It was an impressive London launch for Outbreak, with a really great selection of both hardcore and shoegaze artists. We’re already excited for next year! You might also like ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Recent Posts ⋆⭒˚.⋆
EP Review: Freak Slug ‘Freak Slug on Audiotree Live’
EP Review: Freak Slug ‘Freak Slug on Audiotree Live’ “Freak Slug on Audiotree Live” is one of the first times in a while that I’ve had to stop and listen to a whole project. By Ricardo Labrada Currently Listening to: When on the lookout for new tracks to review, I always wait for something to catch my attention. There are usually good tracks and some occasional bad tracks that catch your attention in the wrong ways, but normally just middling songs that go in one ear and out the other only to be forgotten immediately. This EP is the furthest thing from these examples. “Freak Slug on Audio Tree” is one of the first times in a while that I’ve had to stop and listen to a whole project. Indie, Rock and Pop rock are some of the genres that I’m extremely picky and pretentious about, yet after listening to their Audio Tree set I immediately looked it up on YouTube to re-listen with the interview. The last time I was left this impressed was Viji’s track “Karaoke”. Before that, it was over seven years ago with Soccer Mommy on Audio Tree as well. In other words, I was left very impressed by Freak Slug. The short set is nearly 23 minutes long, yet it remained in my head a lot longer than that currently being played on repeat as I write this review. It’s a work that instantly catches your attention. The first track “Ya Ready’’draws you in with slick guitar work that quickly gets loud when the band joins in. The drum and guitar work just flow so well together taking the spotlight for this track. The track is just an infectious work with the finale living in my head as singer Xenya Genovese repeats “Ye I’m ready” and finishes off with a flurry of perfect “ooooo’s.” Meanwhile “Sexy Lemon”, arguably my favourite track, brings out Genovese’s northern accent with the distorted guitars almost drowning her lovely voice. The track’s use of the quiet verse, loud chorus, and song structure popularised by the Pixies and Nirvana further illustrates their throwback style mixed with touches of modern. Following this are “Friday” and “Hello”, two tracks that bring a calmer vibe toning down the heavier sound some of the choruses contained. In particular “Hello” exemplifies this with the sound being accompanied by relatable lyrics: “Today’s the day I say hello Today’s the day I let you know” Hinting at building up the courage to speak to someone you have a crush on nor find attractive for a long time. While not a completely accurate representation of their sound, they are reminiscent of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, particularly with this song reminding me of the track “Maps”. The final track “Killer” is another track that leaves an impression with Genovese’s soothing vocals mixed with distorted and loud backing instruments. They border on drowning her voice out yet, they do not. They honestly are the most fun aspects of the songs seemingly getting louder as the tracks continue. I can only imagine how fun these loud, almost deafening, choruses must be in concert. Overall this EP is one I checked out over a week ago and kept being drawn back into, feeling the need to praise and discuss Freak Slug here. The lyrics’ themes are subjects that are really relatable from “Hello” hinting at the courage to go say hello to someone while “Killer” deals with accountability for negative actions. I highly recommend checking out this live Audio Tree set as it leaves a great first impression on the group. Furthermore, I recommend the full Audio Tree YouTube video as the interviews give you a deeper understanding of Xenya and her group. The combination of the raw yet soothing vocals and slick guitar work leaves a sound reminiscent of the late 90s and early 2000s alternative and is very much welcome in what I perceive to be a bland alternative scene at the moment. You might also like ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Recent Posts ⋆⭒˚.⋆
Cross The Tracks 2025 Review – A Standout Summer Festival
Photo Credit: @garryjonesphotography Cross The Tracks 2025 Review – A Standout Summer Festival Love was in the air, along with some great jazz, funk and soul By Caitlin Taylor The last time I was at Cross the Tracks, I remember running towards Khruangbin just as the summer rain started. It was a top ten magical experience and this year had a lot to live up to, at least in my eyes. Last year saw Erkyah Badu controversially pull out at the last minute, and the recent drama about whether all Brockwell park festivals would be allowed to continue meant that I entered this year cautiously. Lynda Dawn was one of the first artists we encountered. She actually played last time I was here back in 2022 and it was nice to see her get a main stage upgrade. Her stage presence was incredibly impressive and she attracted a large and unexpectedly engaged crowd for such an early slot. It’s always nice to watch people who genuinely seem to be having fun while performing, and her dancing along with her backup singers put a smile on my face. We began wandering around, and were promptly pulled in by Nala Sinephro’s siren song. She and her band were a wonder to watch, her talent was completely captivating and what was meant to be a quick stop-off ended up with us staying for her whole set which involved her seamlessly moving between a harp and synthesiser. Fun fact: she also recently composed the soundtrack for the new Benny Safdie and Dwayne Johnson film ‘The Smashing Machine’ – definitely someone to keep on your radar. © Khali Ackford After a short group discussion about who to see next, we decided it was time to dance. Last Nubian were playing at the Funk Junction, featuring vocals from Achanté, who kept the crowd moving the entire time. It was a smaller stage but absolutely swarmed by people and we quickly became enveloped in the crowd, no complaints though! They worked perfectly together the entire time, definitely a standout. Luke Dyson @lukedyson http://www.lukedyson.com It’s undeniably amazingly curated, wherever you end up you’ll be hearing something great which is something I haven’t truly experienced at any other festival. It should also receive praise for being open to all generations, with such a variety of artists that both parents and kids will all have heard of at least someone – JGrrey to Gilles Peterson, Cymande to Jordan Rakei. It’s a festival that feels right at home on a Sunday, with the only caveat being the unfortunate fact that the grass has been stomped grey by the Dr Martens mosh pits at Wide Awake the previous Friday. The evening closed out with some mind-blowing sets from Last Nubians and Ezra Collective, two of the best performances I and the people I was with had ever seen. As the sun set and I looked back across the past few festivals I’ve attended, I couldn’t help but feel this one felt the most ‘right’. Stood in the centre of a massive group of people, spanning a large range of ages, everyone was smiling, laughing, singing along. When times are hard, this is what it feels we should hold on to, magical moments like these. Photo Credit: @garryjonesphotography