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Month: June 2016

Festival: Field Day London (Saturday)

Written by Matthew Staite on . Posted in Music.

There we were, chilling in Victoria Park at midday, scrutinising the clash finder and anticipating the day ahead. Then the heavens opened.

This wasn’t just a quick shower, rather the sort of torrential rain that soaked you to the bone in 30 seconds, and left your feet squelching inside your shoes.

Opting to take shelter, we unfortunately had to miss Norwich’s eerie experimental duo Let’s Eat Grandma, who have been hotly tipped by the critics. We also had to miss the Senegalese Afro-Cuban style band Orchestra Baobab, who were playing on the main stage that had no shelter from the elements. Instead we header for the Resident Advisor stage, where we caught the last hour of DJ Koze, and a follow-up set from Roman Flügel. While the former suffered somewhat from some lacklustre deeper sound in the cavernous tent, Roman Flügel more than made up for it with some more glitchy African influenced beats reminiscent of his fantastic track ‘Sliced Africa’. Above all both DJs did a great job at recovering our spirits after the downpour that had threatened to ruin the day from the off.

The day really got going however with Motor City Drum Ensemble’s masterful set over at the Bugged Out! stage. From the off Danilo Plessow had the crowd like putty in his hands, with a perfect combination of elusive disco hits and tracks that landed the funkier side of house. The groovy ‘Soccer Dancer’ by Ginio was a sure crowd pleaser, but we never expected him to edge it into the sizzling ‘Jump Bugs’ by Cyclops, which was the real highlight of the set.

Following MCDE we made the painful decision to miss The Black Madonna in order to catch the first and only UK set of Ata Kak. Ata Kak’s backstory is as amazing as his music. A Ghanian expat in Canada, Ata Kak self-released a cassette in 1994, the oddity of which spurns genres. At a push could be classified as a crazy blend of reggae, dancehall, rap and afrobeat (furthermore the whole thing is artificially sped up to a frenetic tempo). Brian Schimkovitz discovered the cassette in 2004 and uploaded it to his Awesome Tapes from Africa blog several years later. After an unsuccessful search for several years to find the man behind the record, he was eventually successful, and in 2015 he rereleased the record on his label to critical acclaim. Fast-forward to 2016, and Ata Kak, who was working as a taxi driver in Canada, is touring his cult record for the first time nearly 20 after its release. This show at Field Day was a UK exclusive on his very short European tour.

Thankfully it didn’t disappoint; Ata Kak tore through the album and sent the Moth Stage crowd into a frenzy. ‘Obaa Sima’ and ‘Daa Nyinaa’ in particular really stood out from the album, but the receptive and appreciative atmosphere of the crowd surrounding the show far surpassed the music itself. You couldn’t help but feel over the moon for Ata Kak; I’m sure he never imagined over 20 years after his record fell on deaf ears to be playing to a packed tent at a London festival all the way across the world. He may have been a taxi driver back home, but in London was a rockstar.

Over on the main stage, Yeasayer played a strong set that fused their recent album Amen Goodbye with their strong back catalogue. The jagged ‘Silly Me’, along with accapella infused ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’, really stood out from the new album, but it was the old hits in the form of ‘Madder Red’ and ‘O.N.E’ that really got the crowd going.

At this point, it’s worth mentioning the brewers market at Field Day. Gone are the days of wincing as you hand over a fiver for warm urine (Carling) in a paper cup. Field Day’s brewers market featured a host of independent breweries selling craft beer, including Gypsy Hill, Howling Hops and the local 5 Points Brewery (from just round the corner in Hackney). While the drinks may have still been pricey, the beer was delicious and clearly a lot of effort had gone into it. This should be the precedent for all festivals, and who knows, maybe it will be in a couple of years time.

Gold Panda eased us into the evening, with some slinky Japanese soaked beats from his new album Good Luck and Do Your Best. Alongside excellent tracks like ‘Chiba Nights’ and ‘Autumn Fall’, his impeccable light show fused with the music to create a perfect atmosphere for his set. It was a shame not to hear ‘You’, but if anything the show proved what a strong album Good Luck and Do Your Best is. Definitely try and catch Gold Panda this festival season if you get the chance.

Four Tet is normally one of the acts we’d be most excited about catching at a festival. Despite his sets becoming slightly more predictable and familiar, his fusion of genres and styles never fails to impress. Rather strangely he was playing on the main stage, which unfortunately didn’t work in his favour. The open daylit setting jarred with types of music he was playing out. While tracks like Steve Be Calm’s ‘Never Come Back’ may have got the crowd going slightly, he would have been much more suited to one of the much larger indoor arena tents like the Resident Advisor stage.

To make up for this disappointment, we caught a bit of the extraordinarily busy ‘Summer 08’ DJ set, by Joe Mount of Metronomy (named after their upcoming album). The rather strange surroundings of the Jägerhaus stage were about as strange as the set itself, in which Mount played some of his own tracks, such as ‘Radio Ladio’, and sand over them. Judging from the new material he played however, July’s new album is set to be fantastic.

Like the rest of the acts playing throughout the day, when it came to the headliners we were spoilt for choice. We opted to try and catch two, the first being Danny L Harle over on the Fader Stage. His freakish PC Music style may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we thought it was a lot of fun. An early of drop of the Barbie Girl-esque ‘Hey QT’ saw the small crowd that had gathered to witness the set lose their shit from the off. It anything it convincingly demonstrated that PC Music has moved away from the irony factor and is comfortable as just extremely weird yet infectiously fun. After moving hit set into what sounded like the Eurodance sounds of Magaluf nightclub circa 2008, Harle’s own track ‘Broken Flowers’ brought the set to a neat close in a move that saw Harle step out from the decks and dance amongst the crowd.

With the madness over, we shuffled the short distance to the Bugged Out! stage to see Italian duo close Tale Of Us. A much more serious state of affairs, the thumping Fango ‘Rectum’ ferociously sucked us into the rhythm of the set, before their own elevating track ‘North Star’ set our hairs on end.

Reflecting on the day on the long train home, its clear that Field Day had all the ingredients for the perfect day festival; a beautifully diverse line-up that is the perfect blend of bands and DJs, amazing artisan food and drink and a “big day out” atmosphere to boot. Not even the freakish monsoon rainstorms could ruin it.

Festival: Parklife 2016

Written by Brogen Campbell on . Posted in Music.

Parklife once again sold out, and 140,000 people swarmed Heaton Park over the entire weekend of Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June. Even the rain and the mud couldn’t stop festivalgoers having a good time. To be honest, it’s Manchester, what were we really expecting? Some people enjoyed it too much as they slid along the mud covered ground.

The semi-constant drizzle of rain meant acts on the main stage had to work hard to maintain their crowds, as otherwise their audience would quickly move to the tented stages nearby. This most clearly affected headliners The Chemical Brothers, who were last to perform on the main stage. As per usual they had a very heavy visual-based performance but it was their sound that left a lot to be desired. Instead people chose to watch Chase and Status, who delivered the visual effects along with a strong set of electronic beats.

Alternatively, Bastille also delivered in terms of intimacy, as the band really engaged with the audience which in turn had the crowd singing along, even when they played a few new songs. Dan Smith’s energy was contagious as he jumped around the stage. Similarly, Years and Years put on an excellent set. From the crazy dance moves (how was he dropping so low?) to his endearing shyness, not quite believing how much the crowd loved him, meant Years and Years had the crowd in the palm of their hands. The dancing, sing-along and feel good nature of their set perfectly summed up the party atmosphere of the festival.

Another artist who attracted a massive crowd was Ice Cube. One of the most anticipated performers of the Saturday, he drew an enormous crowd, all anxious to see if he still had it. He did not disappoint. With a set that spanned his entire career, including both solo and NWA hits, it was definitely deserving of a headliner spot. Highlights were ‘Straight Outta Compton’ and ‘Check Yo Self’, which the crowd went crazy for. The UK rap scene was also eagerly represented by Stormzy on Saturday and Skepta on Sunday. Bugzy Malone was putting ‘Manny on the Map’ on MTA stage. Inside MTA a few crazy fans attempted to climb the poles inside the tent; apparently being on someone’s shoulders wasn’t high enough. Parklife definitely made a conscious effort to showcase more non-electronic acts this year and it definitely paid off, as they attracted some of the biggest crowds.

However, the standout performance of Saturday was Craig David’s TS5 on the MTA Stage. Craig David delivered a phenomenal set. He started off with some of his old school hits, ‘Re-Rewind’, transitioning effortlessly into showcasing classic UK garage. Who doesn’t want to have a dance to ‘Flowers’ by Sweet Female Attitude? This was exactly what the crowd was expecting and wanted. Craig David then switched it up, playing some dancehall, all the while delivering his signature vocal adlibs over the tracks. This got the crowd pumped and there was a lot of whining as people committed to dancing their hearts out. Finally, Craig ended his set with his new single and left the stage to a roaring applause, as he had packed out the entire tent. Craig David is definitely making sure people know he isn’t going to be fading away again anytime soon. And with a set like that we don’t want him to go.

https://youtu.be/pQh4pGd042M

Aside from the music, Parklife delivered on other respects. Firstly, each stage had a different vibe, with Elrow being the most flamboyant and unique of them all. Secondly, they had their own rides, including a Ferris wheel so you could take the whole of the park in. Thirdly, they set up a screen so everyone could still watch the England game, despite the disappointing result. The festival delivered not only with phenomenal acts, but also in terms of a party atmosphere despite the bad weather. There really was something for everyone.

Sunday stepped it up a gear.  There was less rain. Everyone seemed to have acknowledged this was the last day so no need to hold back in fear of being too knackered to attend the following day. This along with the impressive line-up meant Sunday was the better day. But only slightly; Diplo drew the crowds on the hill and delivered a heavy set of beats, Jess Glynne had everyone singing along on the main stage, while MK delivered on the house music front in Big Top.

The day had a united feel with lots of acts supporting others. Katy B had both her own set and also performed with Hannah Wants. Diplo also had his own set, which produced one of the better mosh pits of the festival, and also performed as part of Major Lazer, whose performance on the main stage was simply phenomenal.

On the downside, there was confusion about who was performing where, as stage names changed from the Saturday to the Sunday. People struggled to locate places to fill up their water bottles. Heaton Park tram station closed after 6pm, which meant there were massive queues to leave the festival, especially on the Sunday, as everyone was herded out the East Gate. As per usual, phone reception was near non-existent, an issue they really need to fix. The rain meant people retreated to tented stages for cover, although the weather was better on the Sunday. However, all of this was to be expected and didn’t really put a dampener on the festival. People were too engrossed in the music and appreciative of the formidable line up to complain about such trivial matters.

But by far the standout performance of the day, and the whole festival, was headliners Major Lazer. It was Major Lazer’s first UK performance of 2016 and it didn’t disappoint. They had incredible dancers, revolving stereo set pieces, cool all-white costumes, and to top it all off heaps of confetti. Their set was bright and encapsulated the party, feel good vibe of the entire festival.  The crowd were so absorbed in their set that they didn’t even notice when the rain began to pour half way through their set. Everyone was too busy dancing to complain. The American group even brought on the English flag to celebrate their performance.  The dancehall and reggae mix meant the crowd wasn’t standing still, but dancing in the rain. It definitely overcame the fact that the crowd would fit perfectly on a sunny beach rather than a the muddy field. Major Lazer ended the festival on a high and sent everyone away ready for the party to continue.

This feeling quickly evaporated when everyone attempted to attend after parties, house parties or simply their beds. The queues were long and laborious. People were climbing over gates to get out of the park, climbing walls to get onto a tram and Ubers were five times their usual prices. However, once you’d escaped the crowds and reflected, Parklife certainly delivered, especially in getting acts you could really dance to. A final shout out to Craig David and Major Lazer, who really did blow me away with their unbelievably impressive sets. Roll on next year.

Manchester graphene start-up wins Royal Society prize

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Innovative energy start-up Eksagon, started by former Manchester Ph.D. student Antonios Oikonomou, took second prize in the energy & environment category of the Emerging Technologies Competition run by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Eksagon Group went up against 40 shortlisted entrants, and came second in its category to the University of Liverpool, who proposed a technology to remove cancer-causing formaldehyde from the air. The other categories of the competition were Health & Wellbeing, Food & Water, and Materials and judges included powerful and influential representatives from companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, and Procter & Gamble.

Eksagon are attempting to use the unique properties of 2D wonder-material graphene to boost the efficiency of energy systems enormously. The technology it is developing is used in previously cost-ineffective fuel cells, particularly methanol fuel cells, which can be up to ten times more efficient than standard battery power, thus potentially leading to much more reliable and long-lasting power sources at affordable costs.

As well as the prestige of the prize they also receive business support, training, media support, and £3,000.

In 2014 Oikonomou, who was studying towards a Ph.D. in graphene, won the Eli & Britt Harari Graphene Enterprise competition in 2014 after developing Graphene and Related Materials Characterisation and Standardisation Services (GCSS), an organisation to standardise and characterise graphene production to improve the quality of the end-product for developers. He received £50,000 of funding for this project.

It became clear soon after that this was a project better suited to an established institution such as the National Graphene Institute, to which the initiative was passed. Antonios instead revised his business plan, and, after identifying graphene’s potential in the field of energy systems, founded Eksagon in May 2015.

“Current technologies [in fuel cells] are hampered by low performance due to inherent limitations and the high cost of the materials used. Our challenge now is to develop 2D materials-enhanced cells that are more efficient, powerful and sustainable sources of energy”, said Oikonomou.

As well as his Emerging Technologies Prize and Eli & Britt Harari Graphene Prize, he has also received a Smart Award from Innovate UK.

He has been working closely in the development of Eksagon Group with Alliance Manchester Business School and the Manchester Enterprise Centre (MEC), with whom he completed the Innovation & Commercialisation of Research course while studying for his Ph.D.

“As my background is in science and engineering, I only had a basic understanding of some of these concepts and approaches to commercialisation,” he said. “The course really helped to move my understanding to the next level, as it shows you step-by-step how to transform your idea into a viable and sustainable business.

“Staff at Manchester Enterprise Centre are always available to help, and give advice when you need it. I was able to approach them for guidance throughout the application process, and they helped me to understand which areas were important to focus on.

“Furthermore, they were fully supportive throughout the revision of the business plan, and helped me to polish it and incorporate the right language and terminology.”

Graphene was discovered at the University of Manchester in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, who each received Nobel Prizes for their discovery and further development. It has widespread potential uses due do its incredible strength—100 times stronger than the strongest steel—and other unique properties.

The winners of 2016’s Eli & Britt Harari Award will be announced soon.

Review: King Lear

Written by Yasmin Mannan on . Posted in Theatre.

King Lear is not a Shakespeare play that I hold particularly close to my heart in the way I have been known to hold others (shout out to Othello). However, it has stellar elements that Max Webster’s production successfully captures.

I particularly enjoyed the characterisation of Lear’s three daughters: Cordelia, Goneril, and Regan. They were the perfect blend of empowered, cruel, and vulnerable. The initial scenes between Lear and his daughters were done extremely well and gave a great insight into the differing nature of each daughter.

Edmund, the source of the villainous dramatic irony throughout the play, often monopolised the audience’s attention. I appreciated how frustrating it was to watch him as the mastermind behind a great deal of suffering. Even though his soliloquies were fundamental to the progression of the play, he could not steal from the way the three key women remained intriguing and commanding as characters in their own right, and not as accessories. Shakespeare consistently gives voices to the women in his plays and Webster did well to explore the relationships and capture the complex dynamic between the sisters and in relation to the men.

Nevertheless, the highlight of the play has to be the gore, which I may or may not have watched through my fingers. The prospect of gore on stage always makes me the most prone to pass out and the infamous scene in which Gloucester’s eyes are gouged out was done excruciatingly well. It was definitely more effective to have a single, harrowing scream rather than ketchup all over the stage.

However, the prose of King Lear may not be my favourite. I found the momentum of the play often slacked but the audience must accept that pace is often the hardest part of stagecraft, especially when dealing with writing originally meant for a Renaissance audience. Irrespective of the momentum, there were extremely funny moments and the plot became easy to follow once my ear had tuned into the Shakespearian jargon.

I promise that Shakespeare plays have more relevance today than they are widely given credit for, and I would definitely recommend seeing something Shakespearian, be it a comedy or a tragedy, to celebrate the Bard’s birthday this year.

Mandelson officially takes up MMU Chancellorship

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

Former Labour MP, spin doctor and think tank director Peter Mandelson has been officially installed in his position as Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University at a ceremony at Manchester Town Hall on Monday.

Life peer Mandelson, who failed in his bid to become Chancellor of the University of Manchester—with the position instead being won by Lemn Sissay—a year ago, was presented with a Doctor of Letters by Vice-Chancellor Professor Malcolm Press and Pro-Chancellor Vanda Murray.

He succeeds Dame Dianne Thompson, former CEO of Camelot Group, and takes up a five-year term which began on the 1st of April 2016.

300 guests were present at the ceremony, including students, important university staff, business leaders, and political leaders. “What struck me about everyone at Manchester Metropolitan is the excitement and ambition”, he told the audience. “The students, the staff, the plans for the future. It is going to be so exciting to be involved and I think it’s going to be tremendous fun.”

Mandelson also used his acceptance speech to throw more support behind the campaign to remain in the European Union, saying “the university sector is one of this country’s greatest assets. European Union partnerships and funding benefit our knowledge economy and we must do all that we can to maintain that world leading position.”

Malcolm Press, Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “As we have got to know each other I have been consistently impressed by Peter’s ability to see the bigger picture. To help me grasp the important elements in projects where we are working together. To understand the importance of a clear message and coherent strategy and then to move swiftly towards an elegant solution.

“It is these qualities that Prime Ministers and Presidents recognise and so deeply admire in Peter. He is a global statesman, held in high regard, in the highest places across the world.”

Interview: Sundara Karma

Written by Elizabeth Rushton on . Posted in Music.

My interview with Sundara Karma’s frontman Oscar Lulu takes place backstage at Manchester Cathedral after their set at Dot to Dot Festival—a fitting setting in which to put the psychedelic four-piece’s rise to prominence over the last year into perspective. Having played to a small crowd at Mint Lounge at last year’s festival, they’ve now gained not just an increase in the font size of their name on this year’s bill, but also a dedicated army of fans who never fail to make the band’s gigs a raucous occasion complete with stage invasions. Their Dot to Dot appearance, as well as their headline show at Gorilla in March, were no exceptions, something Oscar says the band are still trying to process. “It’s weird—we watch videos back and we don’t feel like we’re watching ourselves, it’s really nuts in that sense.”

Their position on the Dot to Dot line-up saw them playing ahead of co-headliners Mystery Jets, a band whose upbeat indie rock sound has clearly had an influence on Sundara Karma; Oscar cites their 2012 album Radlands as one of his all-time favourites. “Did you know Mystery Jets watched us?” he says excitedly to guitarist Ally when he discovers that frontman Blaine Harrison had been spotted by the side of the stage during their set. “We’re definitely going to watch Mystery Jets. I fucking love Mystery Jets. Get that in print.”

The band will be rounding off a year of non-stop touring with the release of their debut album. Recording has been going on for a while, but the band are now adding the finishing touches. “It’s going to be coming out later this year, I can’t put a precise date on it yet, but it’ll be after summer and the festivals.” Oscar tells me. “We’ve got more shit to add to it, but it’s going to make it sound so good. We just can’t wait for people to hear it.”

In the meantime, the band have been teasing fans with unreleased songs from the album, including ‘Olympia’, which went down so well during their Dot to Dot set that the barrier in front of the stage was broken by the crowd, forcing the band to take a short break mid-set. They’ve also re-released ‘Loveblood’, from their first EP, as a single accompanied by a red-hued video directed by Michael Holyk. “The video was something we’re really proud about,” Oscar says. “It was exactly what we thought it would be, and it’s really rare that kind of thing happens. And it’s quite important to make sure that happens.”

Part of the recording process was spent in Berlin, where the band lived what Oscar refers to as a Groundhog Day experience, living between the studio, their apartment and hanging out at a heavy metal bar in the evenings. “Berlin’s wicked, we had a great time. It’s got quite a strong creative hub at the moment, so we wanted to go out there and soak that vibe up.” Besides this fertile atmosphere, the band drew inspiration in other ways. “We’re huge fans of the Brian Eno and Bowie stuff especially… and it’s a free holiday, so that was the most important thing actually!” Oscar laughs.

The band’s delving into Berlin’s artistic underbelly reflects the themes of escapism and aspiration found frequently in their lyrics. I wonder to Oscar if this has something to with the band’s origins in Reading, a town simultaneously near to and also removed from the bigger fish that is London. “A lot of people would say it does. I haven’t lived in Reading my whole life, I’ve lived there for quite a long time but that kind of feeling, that kind of craving—I think that’s always been there for me, and it doesn’t matter where you are, you either have that “I want to go and search for things more” or you don’t.”

The band’s appearance is also notable, riding the crest of a wave of indie bands indulging in androgynous, glamorous Bowie-style weirdness. The band can frequently be seen on stage sporting glitter, painted nails, and a certain pair of pink shoes belonging to bassist Dom, which were the cause of a confrontation with a curious man in a Birmingham pub when the band played there earlier this year. (“I think he was secretly a pink shoe fan and wasn’t man enough to admit it,” Oscar suggests.) Yet Oscar thinks it’s encouraging their audience to be true to themselves, rather than defying rock’n’roll masculine stereotypes, that’s central to the band’s ethos. “All that’s important is self-expression, whatever form it is, it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re comfortable in doing what you want to do, wearing what you want to wear, then that’s good, that’s literally it.”

The band are now looking forward to appearances at festivals including Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds, followed by the release of their aforementioned album. With any luck, they’ll have time to take a well-earned break and replenish their glitter stocks—if the events of the last year are anything to go by, the arrival of their much anticipated debut will surely usher in an exciting new chapter for Sundara Karma.

Manchester receives prestigious royal award

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

The University of Manchester has been awarded a rare Regius Professorship as part of the Queen’s 90th Birthday celebrations, alongside institutions including Imperial, Oxford and Warwick.

12 universities have been given the mark of recognition today, five of which receive it for the first time in their history. The Professorship was historically only awarded to the country’s most ancient institutions.

Since the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, only 14 have been awarded before 2016; 12 in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, and two in 2009 for the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth. The position is gifted to institutions to recognise research of exceptional quality, and will be assigned to an existing Professor at the university or one appointed to take the chair.

Those who take the position of a Regius Professor are addressed as “Regius” rather than “Professor”.

The University of Manchester’s Regius Professorship has been given for its successes in Materials Science—most notably the discovery and further development of Graphene at the university—and the inaugural holder of the title will be Professor Phil Withers, who is also Director of the International Centre for Advanced Materials at the university.

Materials Science unifies the work of eight different Schools at the University of Manchester, and its successes are impactful across a huge range of fields.

The Minister for Constitutional Reform, John Penrose, travelled to Manchester to bestow the honour, and was taken on an official tour of the Henry Moseley X-Ray Facility.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said: “I am delighted that the University of Manchester’s world-leading research in materials has been recognised with this prestigious honour. The Regius Professorship will help to ensure that Manchester continues to be at the international forefront of materials research and applications.

“Our work extends to almost every aspect of materials, and is a benchmark for university-industry partnership working as exemplified by the Sir Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials. The Regius Professorship will help to ensure that Manchester continues to be at the international forefront of materials research and applications.”

In an official statement today, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne lauded the recipients of the Professorships: “I am passionate about promoting science and economic growth right across the country. That’s why I promised to push for prestigious new Regius Professorships not just in London and Oxbridge, but in other great centres of learning, including the Northern Powerhouse, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. I’m delighted that promise is being honoured today.”

Also announced today was news that alongside the honour, £250 million in funding would be gifted to the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials at the University of Manchester .

Festival Preview: Rock Werchter

Written by Elinor James on . Posted in Music.

30th June – 4th July 2016

Louvain, Belgium

Imagine a field the size of Manchester, but imagine it’s in Belgium. Next, imagine three big stages in the field; put one down near good old Withington, perhaps by Sainsbury’s Local. Put one near the Etihad Stadium. Put the last one somewhere over there *gestures West* between the Trafford Centre and the Chill Factore. Next, add in, just dotted around, totally randomly man, plenty of local Belgian beer and fries stalls, 80,000 people in shorts and sunglasses and tidal wave upon tidal wave of loud authentic rock. Congratulations, you have just imagined a massive festival in Belgium called Rock Werchter!

Situated in a village approximately 20km out of Brussels near the town of Leuven/Louvain (Flemish/French), the festival is known for its enormous crowds, and a no-frills attitude to entertainment, rather a focus on supreme quality—some might say tasty—rock ‘n’ roll. 2016 promises legends such as Paul McCartney and Iggy Pop, 90s/00s giants The Offspring, Rammstein and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and copious swathes of talent currently making their name like Tame Impala and Lianne La Havas.

Thursday to Sunday costs around £200, and very satisfyingly includes shuttles to and from Brussels airport. Camping costs less than £20 plus however much you fancy spending on exciting additions to your one-man coffin tent/4 man palace/trendy yurt. Rock Werchter spans the first weekend of July each year —this year that’s 30th June until the 4th July 2016.