Latest news with #BillyBragg
Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Latitude review — a sophisticated, sedate shindig
'It's good to see so many softies here,' said Billy Bragg, gazing out across a Suffolk field with more than the average density of camping chairs and picnic blankets. With its lakeside stages and literary discussions, its gourmet food courts and art-dappled forest, Latitude has a well-earned reputation as one of the summer's most sophisticated weekends, and rarely has a festival line-up offered itself so politely to the lover of the gentler three-day camp-out. Some Mika with your Snow Patrol? An easy Sunday amble from Elbow to Air? This was a shindig right up your bridle path. • Read more music reviews, interviews and guides on what to listen to next Bragg had read the vale and delivered an hour of lilting country folk balladry, albeit 'still annoyingly political'. A stripped-down Sexuality was repurposed as a trans-solidarity anthem and Levi Stubbs Tears as a condemnation of the identity war's common enemy, 'male violence'. Later, Maribou State laid out a continental breakfast of sonic pleasantries: tropical pop, graceful strings, hypnagogic grooves and bongotronic freak-outs held together by the almost operatic R&B vocals of Talulah Ruby. So sedate was the occasion, in fact, that the comedy tent headliner Greg Davies detailing his distressing prostate issues was among the most punk parts of day one; even in the Second Stage tent, where the Dublin band Sprints howled through visceral post-punk rampages and one chap wandered about in a jacket made from dolls' heads, Feeder tipped their arena grunge cap to the night's headliner with a faithful sliver of Walking On the Moon. • The 20 best UK music festivals for summer 2025 Basement Jaxx stole the day by hosting an intergalactic disco-rave party from a spaceship bridge in a hole in their stage ramp, surrounded by space Valkyries, green-goggled soul queens and gigantic alien triffids. From the sci-fi funk larks of Romeo to a final gorilla invasion resembling a rave up on the Planet of the Apes — this was a blanket-trampling hoot. Sting's headline set, meanwhile, had the feel of a pop-reggae Ted Talk. Miked up so that he could roam the stage, his increasingly theatrical vocals had a flat, undynamic feel, sucking the sparkle from Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and the air from Walking On the Moon. That said, he didn't scrimp on hits. Message In a Bottle, If I Ever Lose My Faith In You, An Englishman In New York and Fields of Gold ('about my house … well, more of a castle really') were early arrivals, often loosened up with extraneous reggae workouts or mecha-drum interludes. And plenty of Police tracks kept the night buoyant: a shoegazey Can't Stand Losing You, a field-lifting So Lonely and a restrained Wrapped Around Your Finger recast as a stalkerish sister-piece to Every Breath You Take, which was still received — bafflingly — as a smoochy lover's anthem. By a fun, if funkily distended Roxanne Sting had done enough to be crowned king of the softies.★★★★☆ Follow @timesculture to read the latest reviews
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Cost a major factor for any future Cambridge Folk Festival
A major folk festival that was forced to cancel could still return in 2026 but with changes to keep it financially viable, councillors were City Council has been reviewing the future of the city's folk festival, held at Cherry Hinton Hall, which was due to celebrate its 60th anniversary this authority has organised free and ticketed Folk in the City events at the same venue this summer were given an update on the festival at a scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday, ahead of a cabinet meeting later this month when a decision on the event's future is expected to be made. Cambridge Folk Festival began in 1965 and over the years has seen performances from international stars such as Van Morrison, Billy Bragg and Sinead O' told the meeting the outdoor festival industry was "tough" at the moment, with increasing costs and lower ticket sales making running the folk festival in the same way more "financially challenging".They were still working on their report that would include recommendations for the event's future, but said the likely decision cabinet would be asked to make was to agree to continue the festival in report would include information about any potential investment needed in the first year for a possible new event format, the Local Democracy Reporting Service from Labour and the Liberal Democrats shared concerns the full officer report and the consultants' report had not been made available to them for scrutiny ahead of the cabinet meeting later this councillor Dave Baigent said: "We lost the folk festival this year because officers never passed information to executive councillors that they were cancelling the folk festival, and everybody found themselves embarrassed because it was then too late to have a folk festival."I would have thought that officers would have been a bit more aware of how interested we will be on this particular topic."Liberal Democrat Olaf Hauk suggested the city council looked at using some of the "neglected spaces" around Cambridge for festival events, highlighting in particular Hobsons the Green Party, Jean Glasberg said if people were not buying tickets due to economic hardship, then changing the format of the festival could make it more inclusive, and could help get more local groups involved. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Glastonbury Festival: A haven of rhythm and resistance
Chants of 'free, free Palestine' reverberated on the grounds of Worthy Farms, and Palestinian flags flooded the venue as artists from across the spectrum voiced their support for Palestinian resistance. For five days every summer, the ceremonial county of Somerset in England becomes the epicenter of countercultural movements and political resistance. The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, which first began in 1970, has entertained diverse music genres over the decades. However, it has steadfastly stuck to its left-wing politics. Last week, the founder of what is now the largest music festival in the UK, Michael Eavis, said that anyone who didn't agree with the politics of the festival 'can go somewhere else.' While the festival grew in popularity and scale through the 1970s, it was in the 80s that it truly came into its own by building a space for activism and politics within its fences. In 1981, the festival was organised in conjunction with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, an organisation that advocates for unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament, and tighter international arms regulation. Environmental activism Over the years, environmental activism has become a core issue that united festivalgoers and organisers. Today, Glastonbury is powered by 100% renewable energy sources, and single-use plastic is banned on the premises. The festival takes a break every five years to let the farmland on which it is hosted breathe and rejuvenate. So in 2026, Somerset will not see droves of passionate people organise, groove, and agitate against the powers that be. In 2000, musician Billy Bragg and his partner Juliet Wills organised the Left Field stage at Glastonbury to tackle apathy and promote left-wing politics and trade unionism among young festivalgoers. This eventually turned into a regular fixture at the festival. The stage features left-wing musicians who champion anti-establishment sentiments, and political comedians like Mark Thomas. It is also a site of political speeches and debates. Keeping up this legacy, in 2017, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was invited to speak at the main stage of the festival, called the Pyramid Stage, which was built for the first time in 1970 after taking inspiration from the Pyramid in Giza. Charities like Oxfam contribute manpower in the form of volunteers who keep the festival running. In return, the festival donates its profits to these organisations. Dissent in 2025 This year, too, the resistance is bubbling with intensity at the Worthy Farm grounds. Irish singer-songwriter Cmat and rock band the Libertines voiced their support for a free Palestine during their sets, while former BBC presenter Gary Lineker echoed the sentiment after concluding his talk at the festival. Other singers and speakers turned up in keffiyeh scarves to indicate their solidarity with the cause. Musician Nadine Shah performed her set in front of a backdrop showing the destruction in Gaza. She went on to read an open letter from Artists for Palestine UK in support of the activist group Palestine Action, which the UK executive is planning to declare a terrorist organisation. Irish rap trio Kneecap took to the stage to address U.K. politics and the genocide in Palestine. Their set on the West Holts stage drew a massive crowd, reaching capacity nearly an hour before showtime. However, BBC chose not to broadcast their performance citing 'editorial guidelines.' But the trouble had already beset the media organisation as punk rock duo Bob Vylan took to the same stage and called for the death of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). While some joined the chants, others flagged it as incitement to violence. The organiser of the festival, Emily Eavis, responded to the incident and said she was 'appalled' by the comments made by the singer. This statement from her drew flak from some performers and fans alike. Rock band Amyl and the Sniffers took to their Instagram to highlight that the media, by highlighting the politically charged performances of Kneecap and Bob Vylan made it seem like these were isolated incidents and a couple of 'bad bands' whose sentiments the public at large does not share, which according to them was not the case. As Avon and Somerset Police investigate the video footage to determine if any offences warranting a criminal investigation have been committed at Worthy Farms, it remains to be seen how a music festival with its roots in the 60s counterculture movement responds to ever-evolving semantics of protest in a world where spaces of resistance are facing onslaught from the state.
The Guardian
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sing along with the common people: Saturday at Glastonbury with Raye, Pulp and pop punters
The sun hit hard on Saturday until late afternoon, and proved too much for some people. Festivalgoers struggle in the heat by the Other stage. Photographs: Alicia Canter Magician Steven Frayne – formerly known as Dynamo – appeared at a Guardian Live event early in the day, speaking to Zoe Williams and performing tricks for an excited audience. Dynamo doing tricks at Guardian Live. Photograph by Kate Hutchinson Febrile energy built up throughout the day ahead of Kneecap's controversial appearance at West Holts, which was so busy that it was closed to entrants 45 minutes before the gig began. Móglaí Bap of Kneecap at the West Holts stage. Photograph: David Levene Flags abound as a huge crowd waits for Kneecap at West Holts. Photograph: Robyn Vinter Pulp, the mystery Patchwork billing on the Pyramid stage, delivered an overwhelmingly euphoric set, with Jarvis on top form – and a cheeky appearance from the Red Arrows. Jarvis Cocker of Pulp on the Pyramid stage. Billy Bragg topped the bill at his own Left Field stage. Billy Bragg at the Left Field stage. Raye graced the Pyramid stage with a classy performance – 'a huge red Vegas showgirl set complete with her name in Edison bulbs and the biggest and brassiest of big bands to fill it', as described by Gwilym Mumford in his review. Raye on the Pyramid stage. On the Other stage later in the evening for Charli xcx, Brat summer was still alive and well in the tonsorial choices of some fans. A Brat devotee at Charli xcx at the Other stage. Alicia Canter was side of stage for US rapper Doechii, who gave an astoundingly theatrical performance on the West Holts stage. Doechii headlining the West Holts stage. The partying continued into the small hours at Levels, where Skream and Benga performed, while neighbouring San Remo gathered a crowd. Late night revelry. Photographs by Jonny Weeks
South Wales Argus
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Green Gathering Festival in Chepstow announces 2025 line-up
Green Gathering will roll into Piercefield Park, in Chepstow, from July 31 to August 3, 2025, with a line-up packed with music, fun, and environmentally-themed activities. British music icon Billy Bragg is set to headline the festival, with Lowkey, Martha Tilston, and Beans on Toast also performing. Other acts include Rusty Shackle, Sound of the Sirens, Seize the Day, The Trouble Notes, Ask My Bull, and many more. The Speakers' Forum is set to return with a programme including Green MP Ellie Chowns, climate scientist Professor Tim Lenton, XR co-founder Clare Farrell, and Karim Mussilhy, campaigner for Grenfell justice. Popular festival venues will return including the Soundscape Solar Stage, the Floating Lotus domes, and The Uncommon. The festival will have many activities and events for families, from face-painting to puppet making. There will also be an area for teens with music, trapeze, juggling, crafts, cookery, and campfires. The festival will also have free yoga sessions running all day. People will also be able to book a pre-pitched tent and cosy tipi or yurt or even a bed in a shared tipi dorm. Em Weirdigan, festival director, said: "The Green Gathering is more than a festival. "It's a living glimpse of a better world – a place where music, activism and community meet, all powered by renewable energy and the passion of those involved."
