Features / Festivals
When Love comes to town
Five years from its first outing, Love Saves The Day is such a fixture that, for many, it marks the unofficial start of summer. This year’s festival should be another classic, with some typically fine bookings and a few formula tweaks to keep things fresh.
On Saturday the main stage is dominated by danceable pop, with sets from Hot Chip, Everything, Everything, Shura, Maribou State and Mura Masa. Elsewhere the emphasis is on proper club sounds, as NYC deep housers The Martinez Brothers headline the Cloud 9 stage, which also features former dubstep wonderkid turned 4/4 specialist Skream. As you’d expect, Just Jack’s stage offers a mouth-watering house and techno selection including Ben Klock, Joy Orbison and Roman Flügel.
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As in previous years Sunday is more varied, but it’s not necessarily any more laidback. Grime behemoths Dizzee Rascal and Stormzy lead the way on the main stage, which also features sets from Radio1Xtra dancehall selector David Rodigan. Original nuttah Shy FX brings wide-ranging bass music to the Cloud 9 stage, as established stars (Katy B) rub shoulders with underground legends (Congo Natty) and exciting new talent (Nadia Rose). Meanwhile, the Paradiso stage – curated by Crack magazine – is headlined by Glaswegian beat scientist Hudson Mohawke with support from UK rap group Section Boyz and Night Slugs chiefs L-Vis 1990 and Bok Bok.
The biggest innovation this year (literally – it’s enormous) is the addition of the Arcadia Afterburner, a spectacular 360-degree soundsystem built into a fire-breathing rocket ship. On Saturday it will also belch breakbeats thanks to Roni Size and Krust, Bryan Gee and Jack Frost, and the currently unstoppable Sam Binga. Sunday has everything from house to grime and jungle, with a 20 years of Timeless set from Goldie, and 57 varieties of bass from Redlight, Kahn and Amy Becker, My Nu Leng and the Who Cares DJs.
Love Saves The Day 2016, Eastville Park, May 28 & 29. For more information visit www.lovesavestheday.org
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