Music

Explore our first line-up drop of 2024

Many more live bands, DJs and performers to be announced...

Fuel your runner’s high with an exhilarating line-up of incredible live musicians, bands and DJs across 4 stages, with parties and secret pop-up events all weekend.

JOY (Anonymous)

Music

JOY (Anonymous)
ABOUT

The last twelve months have been a whirlwind for Henry Counsell and Louis Curran, the men who make up JOY (Anonymous). Having established themselves during the Covid-19 era by playing impromptu meet-ups on London’s South Bank, they have graduated to bigger venues, travelled to far-flung locales and recorded their second album, Cult Classics, while maintaining the spontaneous energy and irrepressible joy that made their name. Their music revels in the euphoria of being alive and all the feelings, good or bad, that come with it. It invites us into a community, draws us close and promises the night of our lives. 

JOY (Anonymous) remain dedicated to the spirit of spontaneity. They shut a street down with a surprise waterside party in New York. On a trip to Copenhagen they played an impromptu set in a cafe, which turned into a house party and a night-long good time. In Lithuania, they ended up playing in a decommissioned prison. It’s harder, perhaps, to keep that spirit alive now that they are operating more within the confines of the music industry but they will keep lugging their kit to wherever the party calls for as long as they can. “I think if we lose that, we’ve kind of lost what makes us us,” Henry says. 

The name ‘JOY (Anonymous)’ is taken from the work Henry did with Alcoholics Anonymous groups: it is a way to build a community around sharing joy. Their impromptu live sets are known as ‘meetings’; they encourage fans to share moments of joy to their website. They care deeply about the scene they’ve come up in and are determined not to leave it behind. Every show is another chance to reach out and connect with people who love to come together and revel in music as loud as it can go. 

Support slots for Fred Again and The Streets, wild B2Bs with Fred and Skrillex, and a set at Four Tet’s Finsbury Park all-dayer last summer have given the duo the opportunity to live out childhood dreams and introduced their infectious live shows to new audiences at huge venues.

With an album as assured and joyful as Cult Classics (and a killer recent collab with The Blessed Madonna), they’re only going to reach higher heights. But the essence of JOY (Anonymous) remains on the South Bank. Between shows at Ally Pally last September, they dragged their camping chairs and gear back down to the banks of the Thames: and it just felt right.

Stornoway

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Stornoway
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Pop folk band, Stornoway, made their name in the early 2010s for their joyful, high energy and emotional songs about the natural world, love and folklore. They made a triumphant return in 2023. 

Perhaps more connected to the natural world than any other British band, they have a very personal understanding of the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis facing us, and this is reflected in their music and lyrics.

Their acclaimed fourth album ‘Dig The Mountain!’ garnered UK Top 10 chart positions on an array of charts (Album Sales #7, Physical Albums #7, Record Store #6 and Independent Albums #5), while their packed sold out UK headline tour received rapturous receptions: “enthralling as it gets” (Clash).

Their new album was written by night in a wind-battered shed on a coastal hilltop - whilst by day lead singer/songwriter Brian Briggs manages a wetland nature reserve where he has seen migratory wetland bird numbers declining year on year. 

Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet

Music

Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet

WHEN

Friday 12th July

VENUE

Main stage

ABOUT

Still residing as BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year, Ríoghnach Connolly’s taste for musical adventure is eclectic. Along with her companion players, Honeyfeet, they collectively drive a broad terrain of musical textures from esoteric protest songs to foot-tapping and floor-thumping dance rhythms.

Ríoghnach (pronounced ree-oh-nah) and the Honeyfeet ensemble are equally proficient in headlining festival stages as they are stripping back to sublime obscure jazz on theatre stages.

Deadpan wit courses through Connolly’s veins. Known for her broad, smiling on stage banter, she often describes the delight of her multi-cultural voyage of discovery while pushing aside life’s banality in favour of mischievous energy and creative joy.

Traditional and folk are fundamental in Connolly’s musical canon. Coming from a long line of singers on both sides of her family, she channels the music of her grandparents and can draw from a breadth of styles and folk traditions across the world. In her voice, you can hear equal parts Sean-nós Caoineamh, west African griot ululation and American deep-south resonance. She performs in the more traditional form with Stuart McCallum as The Breath whilst corralling her more heavily layered and theatrical songs into her performances with Honeyfeet.

Alongside Ríoghnach, the Honeyfeet lineup is; Lorien Garth Edwards, bass; Ellis Davies, guitar; John Ellis, keyboards; Biff Roxby, brass; and Phil Howley, drums.

An eclectic troupe based in Manchester, Honeyfeet’s heavy sound spans from the bountiful to the subtle, with everything from big-band swing to Alabama blues-tinged folk, all held together by the powerful vocals and flute from Ríoghnach.

From the start of lockdown, they used their time to write new material and explore multiple genres of music. Then, on the gradual journey back to live audiences, in May 2021, they re-opened Manchester’s Albert Hall taking the room by storm with a long-awaited return to the stage.

For more than a decade, Honeyfeet have been ‘on the road’. When lockdown rules didn’t interfere, the norm was headlining stages at Shambala, Beautiful Days and Moovin Festivals and wowing audiences at Glastonbury, Boomtown, Wilderness, Secret Garden Party and Kendal Calling.

During the lockdown, the band invested their time recording a new album, stretching further than before into string arrangements, greater dynamics and implementing sparse introductions to Ríoghnach’s vocal stream, where her poetic consciousness gives rise to honest, personal, heartfelt lyrics.This obviously means a new Honeyfeet album is on the way. The new album will follow a single in late July in August 2022. More details to follow.

Honeyfeet’s album, Orange Whip, came out on Wah Wah 45s in March 2018 and was BBC 6 Music’s Album of the Day in April 2018.

Riot Jazz Brass Band

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Riot Jazz Brass Band
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Riot Jazz Brass Band hail from the grimy protoplasm of Manchester's prolific creative scene. Since 2008, they have been spreading unconditional love and irresistible energy across the nation and continent.

The 9-strong troupe is comprised of three trumpets, three trombones, drums, sousaphone, and is fronted by the prodigious MC Chunky. The sheer enjoyment and passion which emanates from these musicians is as infectious as it is inspiring. 

Be prepared for a unique, genre-bending exhibition of exhilarating music fit for any occasion, guaranteed to have every crowd on their feet. 

Drawing from Jazz, Hip-Hop, Drum & Bass, Balkan, Trap, Grime, Dubstep, Latin, Classical; they write and play whatever their hearts desire. And the same goes for their unique take on covers, which range from Britney Spears to Todd Terje. 

This astonishing versatility and insatiable hunger to explore all corners of the musical spectrum has led to collaborations with a wide variety of artists, such as Swindle, Plan B, London Elektricity and Riz MC.

Aleighcia Scott

Music

Aleighcia Scott
ABOUT

Blessed with a powerful yet tender voice, and the ability to inhabit a song that recalls Jamaica’s foundation singers, Aleighcia Scott is one of soulful reggae music’s brightest stars. Born to a Welsh mother and a Jamaican father, she has absorbed the passion and prowess of both nations, becoming an internationally acclaimed artist who lights up studio booths and stages around the world. 

Raised in Cardiff, Aleighcia remembers her first words as a child were duetting on a song with her father. She grew up with reggae, soul and blues playing in her family home and has been singing on stage since she appeared at Cardiff’s Big Weekend, aged just seven years old. 

Through raw talent and dedication, Aleighcia built her career online with her own YouTube channel and a live residency at her local reggae venue, the Irie Shack. Soon she was in hot demand as an opening act for visiting artists including Tarrus Riley, Julian Marley, Agent Sasco and Soul II Soul. 

Now an established headline performer, Aleighcia has toured the UK, tearing down the place at Glastonbury, Latitude and Boomtown festivals. She has also gone back to her Jamaican roots and performed at Kingston’s atmospheric Dub Club, at Big Yard Studio (for BBC 1Xtra) and on the legendary King Jammy’s sound system. In 2022 she made history when she appeared on all female sound system Seduction City, at the return of London’s Notting Hill Carnival, Europe’s biggest street party.  In 2023 Aleighcia returned to Nottinghill Carnival, performing on the legendary Gladdy Wax Sound System.

But none of these live appearances would have been possible without the strength of her recordings. Her debut EP for West London’s reggae dynasty Peckings, Forever In Love, found her fresh approach to time-honoured romantic themes fully at home on the vintage rhythms that are the label’s speciality. 

In 2023, Aleighcia released her debut album, Windrush Baby, a collaboration with renowned sound system selector and producer Rory Stonelove. The album features top session musicians Dean Fraser, Kirk “Kirkledove” Bennett, Franklin “Bubbler” Waul and Donald “Danny Bassie” Dennis. Rory’s previous productions include debut albums that launched Jamaican superstars Jah9 and Samory I – so his investment in Aleighcia’s talent speaks volumes.

Throughout her career, Aleighcia has enjoyed strong support from reggae heavyweights David Rodigan and Seani B. She’s also been featured and played by DJ Target, Craig Charles and Tom Robinson – illustrating her music’s broad appeal. 

And as if being a gifted singer wasn’t enough, Aleighcia has recently branched out into radio and TV presenting herself. She presents her own show on BBC Radio Wales and has appeared on ITV Cymru’s Backstage and Welsh language channel S4C. In yet another historic move, Aleighcia now  deputises for the legendary David Rodigan’s BBC1Xtra show. 

A voice that grabs you by the heart, a unique story, and a classic album, make Aleighcia Scott one of those rare artists whose every move feels fresh – yet is likely to be with us musically for a very long time. 

AMA

Music

AMA
ABOUT

A life-long music selector renowned for her energetic DJ sets and impeccable track selection, AMA is part of the new wave of talent driving forward today’s drum and bass scene.

If you’ve got your ear to the ground in D&B then Amanda Anaman, AKA AMA, is a name you’ll be all too familiar with. Whether it’s her ability to work a crowd, or that infectious beaming smile, Ama has been consistently turning heads in the scene – especially since lockdown. Live streams for Heavy Sonics, Ram Records and Shogun Audio, combined with guest mixes for House of Hi-Fi, Hospital Records’ Degs Cast and Rinse FM, have helped the Bournemouth-based artist to become a name gaining rapid momentum.

But her reputation as a music selector stems back much further. From international bookings as far as South Africa and the US, to DJ sets at Outlook, Boomtown and Red Bull’s Open House, Ama has spent years gaining global recognition for her ability behind the decks. An ability characterised by a love of quick mixing and the drive to take crowds on a journey with an unexpected selection of tracks including dancefloor classics, soulful rollers, amens and heavy basslines.

This versatility is one of the reasons why DJ Flight included AMA in her 2019 Black History Month series highlighting reputable black women in dance music – a true honour for an artist who began her D&B journey in 2011 DJing vinyl with a burning passion for the culture. Inspired by pioneers such as Andy C, Randall, Calibre and Break, you can guarantee AMA’s mixes will ooze influence from the best.

It has taken a long time for Ama to get to a stage where she is receiving plaudits for her craft, but now the future is looking bright for a prospect who still has so much more to offer the D&B scene in the form of her own music production – something she has been keeping under wraps. Just like her ever-changing DJ sets, AMA’s production promises to see the artist evolve with new sounds and fresh ambitions.

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future right now, but rest assured AMA will be an integral part of the drum and bass scene in years to come.

Gonora Sounds

Music

Gonora Sounds
ABOUT

Gonora Sounds is a family band that has been busking on the streets of Zimbabwe since 2004. Entertaining thousands of commuters with their street beat dubbed Gonora Sounds by regular revellers. The band is led by blind singer/songwriter Daniel Gonora, a wizard on the guitar with his drumming protege son Isaac on drums. In recent years, the band has extended to include seasoned musicians such as Nelson “Mr Longman” Mutanda on lead guitar and Malizani Mbewe on bass. Daniel and Isaac’s street performances have garnered millions of views online, and a growing international fanbase. 

The father and son duo feature in multi-award winning documentary "You Can't Hide From The Truth" which tells their story. For more than two decades, Daniel has pieced together a living for himself and his family, a disabled man playing for the world’s most beleaguered currency's pocket change. He is one of the few remaining members of Zimbabwe supergroup Jairos Jiri Band, a group that tragically fell apart as successive members passed away since their heyday on the early 90s.

Gonora Sounds debut full length album Hard Times Never Kill is produced by Zimbabwean music luminary Bothwell Nyamondera and American Producer David Aglow. The duo incorporated seasoned musicians’ bassist Malizani Mbewe and Lead Guitarist Nelson "Mr Longman" Mutanda, as well as Sehlaphi Mtombeni and Isabel Piyo on backing vocals. It is about survival and beating the odds, straight from the streets of Harare. It showcases Daniel Gonora's full breadth as a guitarist, vocalist, composer, and songwriter.

More recently, Gonora Sounds have collaborated with American Jazz Legend Pharoah Sanders, as well as several international musicians on the Fernando Arno produced “What Love”.  British duo, The Busy Twist have recently remixed the band’s song Rwendo Rweupenyu into the ‘Journey of Life Remix”.

Following their first trip to Europe in 2022, the band are ready for more opportunities beyond their native Zimbabwe, and keen to look at further shows in the UK and Europe in 2024, with 2, 4 and 6 member band options available. 

Theo Kottis

Music

Theo Kottis
ABOUT

Raised between Scotland & Greece, the now London based Theo Kottis has been building his career as a DJ & producer for the last 10 years. Initially making a name for himself as a favourite fixture at Glasgow's Sub Club & Edinburgh's Cabaret Voltaire, he really came into his own once he began touring internationally, drawing from the exhilarating crowds & clubs of cities like London & Berlin. 

Although one of the most modest DJs you will meet, Theo's sets don't hold back - not many can read the room quite like Theo & the response of the crowd in clubbing institutions & renowned festivals like Panorama Bar, The Warehouse Project, The Cause & Lost Village always shows they agree. While consistently delivering as a DJ, Theo has proven himself as a talented producer, releasing over the years with DGTL & Permanent Vacation, adding Robert Johnson's label to his roster more recently. His EPs, although recognised by publications such as Mixmag, are unpretentious and hugely effective on the dancefloor, with many DJs supporting the tracks on this year's circuit.

Indulging his passion for curating lineups & to complement his new production direction, he joined forces with music & party label Space Dust & is establishing the brand as a key contender in the underground club scene, creating industry-leading events. With his vast gigging & production experience, appreciation for most genres & his love of digging, Theo is the ultimate all-rounder.