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News Report

Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week!

News Report

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Reading Festival unveil 2022 line-up!

News Report

Welcome to another edition of our News Report. We have festivals galore to report on this week as organisers look to get in on the Christmas shopping rush!

We’ll start with one of the biggest events on the planet, Reading and Leeds Festivals. This week saw the combined event reveal the first acts for 2022 including headline slots for Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me The Horizon and Rage Against The Machine!

If that wasn’t enough there are also sets from Wolf Alice, Enter Shikari, Fontaines D.C., Bastille, Fever 333 and Pale Waves. There are many, many more still to be announced too.

Tickets are here

Read our review of Bring Me The Horizon live in London

Victorious Festival announce Stereophonics and more

News Report

Taking place the same weekend will be Portsmouth’s Victorious Festival. This week the event announced their first wave of acts including Friday headliners Stereophonics.

Also playing over the weekend will be James, Nothing But Thieves, The Wombats, Self Esteem, We Are Scientists, Little Man Tate and more.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Stereophonics live in Cambridge

Rebellion Festival reveal new R-Fest

News Report

Blackpool’s Rebellion Festival will next year include the new R-Fest. Taking place alongside the usual event, R-Fest will be part of the festival ticket or is purchasable as a standalone.

The outside event will feature headliners The Levellers, The Stranglers, Gary Numan and Squeeze.

They’ll be joined by The Wildhearts, Ferocious Dog, Beans On Toast, The Undertones, From The Jam, The Vapors, Peter Hook & The Light, Buzzcocks and more.

Tickets and information here.

Read our review of ’21st Century Love Songs’ from The Wildhearts

Burn It Down Festival reveals first acts for 2022

Torquay festival Burn It Down this week revealed the first acts for the 2022 edition. Taking place on 2nd and 3rd September, the event will feature a huge set from Dream State.

They will be joined by the likes of Tigercub, Gender Roles and Pupil Slicer.

Tickets are here.

Check out our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast on Youtube

Cambridge Folk Festival reveal first wave of 2022 acts

The festival announcements continue with Cambridge Folk Festival. The event revealed a host of acts for the 2022 return of the festival following the pandemic.

Acts playing the event include Passenger, Seasick Steve, This Is The Kit, Show Of Hands and Beans On Toast!

Tickets are here

Watch Beans On Toast on The Full Pelt Music Podcast

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 3 – Beans On Toast

Moseley Folk & Arts Festival reveal first acts for 2022

More festival goodness comes from Birmingham and the Moseley Folk & Arts Festival, which this week revealed their first acts for next year.

The line-up will be topped by Supergrass and Seasick Steve.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Seasick Steve live in Norwich

Wide Awake Festival returns to Brockwell Park next year

Our final festival announcement comes from London event Wide Awake, which takes place in May in Brockwell Park

The two day event will feature a headline set from Primal Scream plus appearances from Working Men’s Club, Billy Nomates, Chubby & The Gang, Yard Act and many more.

Tickets are here.

Listen to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist on Spotify

My Chemical Romance add additional UK dates

On to tour announcements now as our News Report progresses. My Chemical Romance fans have been left desperate to catch their returning heroes with their much hyped reunion continuously delayed by the pandemic.

With all three Milton Keynes dates long sold out, fans will now have more opportunity to catch them when they finally do arrive. This week saw the band reveal extra dates including Warrington, Cardiff and Glasgow.

Tickets will be here.

Listen to our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

The Cure announce UK Tour

Another special tour announcement this week saw The Cure reveal a run of UK dates. Fans will have the opportunity to catch them in arenas across the UK next year.

Making the dates even better is support act The Twilight Sad!

Tickets are here

Read our review of Idlewild live in London

Jack White to play 2 London shows

Seeing out our tour announcement section of the News Report is the iconic Jack White.

White this week revealed a huge World Tour for next year. ‘The Supply Chain Issues Tour’ will include two nights in London at the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo in June.

Tickets are here.

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Read our review of Enter Shikari live in London

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Magazine

News Report

We roundup the best music news from the past week!

Full Pelt Music News Report

Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week in our News Report. To stay up to date with the biggest news be sure to follow us on our social channels:

Tramlines to go ahead as Government ‘Pilot’ Festival

Tramlines Festival News Report

We start our News Report again with the subject of our beloved summer music festivals. Sadly this week has seen more events fall foul of the Governments refusal to properly support the sector.

One festival that has been lucky enough to receive ‘pilot’ status is Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival. That guarantees that the event will go ahead as planned at the end of this month. Festival fans are out of luck though as the event is already sold out!

Organisers have however confirmed the line-up that ticket holders will get to witness. Highlights on the bill include headliners The Streets, Royal Blood and Richard Ashcroft.

They are joined by The Kooks, Circa Waves, The Pigeon Detectives, Lauran Hibberd, Lottery Winners, The Fratellis, Jake Bugg, The Snuts, The Hara, Vistas, Chubby And The Gang and many more.

Check here for more information.

Read our review of ‘Typhoons’ from Royal Blood

Standon Calling stands firm

Standon Calling News Report

Whilst many festivals have had to concede to the inevitable, Standon Calling is standing firm. The organisers stated that they are confident the event will take place at the end of this month.

The final line-up was revealed this week to include headline acts Bastille, Hot Chip, Primal Scream and Craig David. They are joined by the likes of Jake Bugg, Mystery Jets, Squid, Dry Cleaning, Porridge Radio, Working Men’s Club, Pigs x7, Lauran Hibberd and Bob Vylan.

Tickets available here.

Check out ‘How Am I Still Alive?’ from Lauran Hibberd on our Spotify Hot List!

Outbreak Fest unveil 2022 line-up

Outbreak Fest News Report

With the festival scene this year looking unstable, hope now turns to 2022, and this week Outbreak Fest announced an incredible line-up for next years edition.

The Manchester event will host Turnstile, Knocked Loose, Basement, Higher Power, Loathe, Venom Prison, Chubby And The Gang, Static Dress and many more across three days from 24-26 June.

Tickets here.

Read our review of Download Pilot Festival 2021

Sabaton set for UK Tour

Sabaton News Report

We turn our News Report now to the latest tour announcements. Sabaton have this week revealed the ‘Tour to End All Tours’ with special guests The Hu and Lordi. The trio will play four huge arena shows in the UK in March 2022.

Tickets will be here.

Gorjira announce huge UK Tour

Another huge metal tour heading to large venues across the UK is set to feature Gojira and special guests Alien Weaponry and Employed To Serve. Playing there largest UK shows to date, Gojira will be heading to the likes of Alexandra Palace in March 2022.

Tickets here.

Press To MECO debut ‘A Test of Our Resolve’

Press To MECO – ‘A Test of Our Resolve’

New music time now as we plough on through our weekly News Report. First up this week, a new single from Press To MECO. ‘A Test of Our Resolve’ comes ahead of the release of the bands upcoming album ‘Transmute’ on August 20th.

Pre-order here.

Listen to ‘Gold’ from Press To MECO on our Spotify Hot List!

Haggard Cat unveil ‘Amateur Dramatics’

Haggard Cat – ‘Amateur Dramatics’

Another hard rocking outfit releasing new music this week has been Haggard Cat. Their latest single is called ‘Amateur Dramatics’ and you can listen above. Their new EP, ‘Cheer Up’ arrives on September 3rd.

Pre-order here.

Listen to ‘Quit Your Jobs’ from Haggard Cat on our Spotify Hot List!

The Hot Damn! debut first single ‘Dance Around’

The Hot Damn! – ‘Dance Around’

This week saw the release of the debut single from The Hot Damn!. A band packed with talent made up of members of The Amorettes, Tequila Mockingbyrd and Aaron Buchanan & The Cult Classics, ‘Dance Around’ gives a stunning glimpse of what is to come.

Check the single out here.

Introducing the Full Pelt Music ‘Discover New Music’ Playlist

We at Full Pelt Music are proud to support new music and to that end we have just launched our brand new ‘Discover New Music’ Playlist on Spotify. Listen here.

To kickstart this new Playlist in style we have added 13 tracks from some of the hottest new bands on the planet. The first track added is the new single from The Islas‘The Absence of You’. You can check out the track on Youtube below:

The Islas – ‘The Absence of You’

Other artists featured in the inaugural wave of additions are Smoke, Sister., One Step Closer, Planet Fatale, Hamish Hawk, Hardwicke Circus, Dead Nature, Modern Women, Nerves, Witch Fever and SCALPING.

The final addition of this first wave is the track ‘Gravity’ from punk rock outsiders Miss Vincent. The single precedes their debut album ‘A Funeral For Youth’ which arrives September 17th, and can be pre-ordered here. You can check out the video below:

Miss Vincent – ‘Gravity’

Read our review of ‘Below’ from Beartooth

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Check out The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guest Frank Turner

Categories
Live Reviews

Download Pilot Festival 2021

Donington Park

Friday 18th – Sunday 20th June 2021

Download Pilot Festival Poster

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DOWNLOAD PILOT FESTIVAL 2021 – LIVE REVIEW

The live music industry is built on togetherness, built on shared experience and built on the power of emotion. The last 18 months have been highly emotional for all the wrong reasons. Together the world has shared an experience that has terrified and devastated us.

The events of the last 18 months have taken an incomprehensible toll on humanity. The pandemic has destroyed lives and livelihoods. The live music industry was obliterated overnight. The people that make the spectacles that we enjoy happen were forgotten about.

While the world attempts to peek through the curtains at a “new normal”, the live music industry is left waiting. Waiting for support, waiting for proper guidance, waiting for a chance. Well, just four weeks ago that chance arrived.

A Government trial event to test the viability of the return of packed festivals and events you say? Spring into action the incredible people behind the scenes who make the live music industry work! In a short period of time, heaven and earth have been moved and here we are at Download Festival.

A much smaller, makeshift, Pilot version of Download Festival at the hallowed grounds of Donington Park. 10,000 people in a field, no social distancing, no masks, no inhibitions.

Credit goes to all involved for creating an event of that scale on such short notice, and to all the acts playing with no preparation. As the gates open, one thing is for sure, the fans want this, no, the fans needs this.

The reality of the situation is that the organisers could have put an old man playing the spoons on stage and the fans would have lapped it up. The opportunity after all that everybody has been through to witness live music is cathartic.

DOWNLOAD PILOT FESTIVAL – FRIDAY

The fact that this may be the most exciting Download Festival line-up of all time only helps to amplify the anticipation as fans gather in the tented second stage for Death Blooms. Almost every person on site crams in to witness that first taste of live music in far too long.

The band make the most of the atmosphere with a storming set that sees the audience let go of all remaining inhibitions. I doubt the majority of those in the tent knew of the band in advance, but they certainly left with a memory that will last forever.

For this special event there are just two stages. Next to the tent is the outdoor main stage which opens with a raucous set from Hot Milk. Kicking off with their latest single ‘I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead’ the band show the crowd just what they’ve been missing.

Listen to ‘I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I’m Dead’ from Hot Milk on our Spotify Hot List!

There is no need to worry about those dreaded clashes at Download Pilot Festival. That’s because the acts on the two stages alternate, allowing the music starved fans the opportunity to watch every single band if they so wish to.

Every band this weekend gets a good sized crowd and a warm reception with it, especially the early bands on Friday. Malevolence are next to grace the second stage and assist the audience in releasing their pent up energy with a heavy hitting set.

A repercussion of the pandemic has been the amazing new albums that have been released without the showcase of the live setting. One such album is ‘Glue’ from Boston Manor. That wrong is righted next however as the band storm the main stage and air the likes of ‘Everything Is Ordinary’.

An early standout performance from the band sees them mix new and old with ‘England’s Dreaming’, ‘Laika’ and ‘Halo’ eliciting some of the first full blown sing-a-long moments of the weekend.

Those sing-a-long moments continue with Holding Absence on the second stage as they get to unleash tracks from their sensational album ‘The Greatest Mistake of My Life’. ‘Afterlife’ in particular is a contender for song of the weekend as the band present their credentials for superstardom!

Read our review of ‘The Greatest Mistake of My Life’ from Holding Absence

The Friday action continues with two bands with extremely dedicated fanbases. Neck Deep get the main stage bouncing before Sleep Token captivate the second stage.

It is then down to Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes to bring the first day to a close on the main stage. Always an unstoppable force of nature on stage, the band make the most of the platform to make a statement. That statement says that this band is ready to headline the regular event.

With a setlist spanning their three albums, the band even treat fans to a selection of new tracks including the catchy ‘My Town’. There are guest appearances from Joe Talbot, Cassyette and Lynks, there is a giant circle pit around the sound tower and there is even a cover of ‘Ace of Spades’.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes saw an opportunity to headline a festival, to headline the first festival back, and they grabbed it with both hands. This was one of those sets that will be talked about forevermore!

Listen to ‘My Town’ from Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes on our Spotify Hot List!

After hours entertainment comes from a silent disco as the hastily arranged festival shows the skills and creativity of the music industry. You have to stand back and admire the achievement of those involved to create an event on this scale in the time given.

DOWNLOAD PILOT FESTIVAL – SATURDAY

On to Saturday now and the musical delights continue as Lotus Eater, Conjurer, As Everything Unfolds and Bleed From Within blow the cobwebs of the early morning audience.

Next two young bands with big futures introduce themselves to festival audiences. Both The Hara on the second stage and Wargasm on the main stage elicit strong reactions from those watching.

Listen to ‘Your Patron Saints’ from Wargasm on our Spotify Hot List!

After a solid showing from Tigercub, one of the veteran acts of the weekend, A, school the up and coming bands on how to engage an audience. An age appropriate walking circle pit being a nice change of pace in the midst of a hectic weekend. Finishing with ‘Nothing’, A show why they are the perfect festival band.

Two things become apparent as the weekend progresses. When dissecting the hastily put together line-up, the quality of British rock music is put in the spotlight and it more than holds its own. Secondly a good deal of that talent is female. Vukovi and Yonaka both deliver set of the weekend contenders next.

Listen to ‘Seize the Power’ from Yonaka on our Spotify Hot List!

Those Damn Crows, Twin Atlantic and Stone Broken all put in crowd pleasing performances before While She Sleeps attract and entertain a huge crowd on the main stage.

Soon though it’s time for the scorecard for band of the weekend to be thrown out the window. Creeper are able to deliver an out of body experience as they headline the second stage. There are goosebump raising moments galore as the band turn the festival into their own theatre of oral and visual magnificence.

Listen to ‘Midnight’ from Creeper on our Spotify Hot List!

It is then left to Enter Shikari to bring the Saturday night party and they don’t disappoint. If there was ever a band born to get you moving it’s Enter Shikari. They do just that as they also get to showcase newer songs live for the first time.

‘satellites**’, ‘{ The Dreamer’s Hotel }’ and ‘THE GREAT UNKNOWN’ fit in perfectly with classics like ‘Sorry, You’re Not A Winner’, ‘Juggernauts’ and ‘Mothership’. Much like Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Creeper, you can see the special treatment Enter Shikari have given this opportunity and that makes for a stunning spectacle.

DOWNLOAD PILOT FESTIVAL – SUNDAY

Come Sunday you’d imagine fatigue would be setting in. All this action after so many barren months, you could forgive the crowd for tiring and the festival atmosphere sapping. Instead energy is pumped in by bands such as Static Dress, Saint Agnes, Cassyette and Employed To Serve.

The fans reciprocate said energy as they continue to let loose to Chubby and the Gang, Loathe and Higher Power. The passion and pure joy of both fans and musicians to be at a festival is at times overwhelming. This event was destined to be an emotive affair but even through that emotion the quality of the music on offer shines.

Next on the main stage is Lonely The Brave complete with change in singer. A set mixed with fan favourites and new tracks from ‘The Hope List’ shows the band are still an exciting prospect. Can the band now finally take that next step? On their showing here, yes they can!

Read our review of ‘The Hope List’ from Lonely The Brave

For those fans catching every band the pace is relentless and it’s to the second stage next for Jamie Lenman. Lenman powers through a sublime set that gets the crowd moving and features another appearance from Wargasm.

The quirky goodness of Elvana attracts a huge crowd to the main stage as the festival heads towards its climax. The band show just why they are perhaps the perfect Sunday afternoon festival act as they get the crowd singing along to every word.

Massive Wagons are able to take the second stage by storm before a sadly technically challenged The Wildhearts limp off stage. The Wildhearts are a top quality band and the issues with their sound perhaps show the effects of an enforced hiatus for musicians and crew members alike.

It’s on that note that once again praise must be heaped on the organisers, the crew members, the festival staff and yes the bands for making this event such a success. That is only amplified by the incredibly short timescale.

Realistically this has been a once in a lifetime event (we hope). Download Pilot Festival as an event is excellent and would be a great addition to the main Download Festival. It’s the atmosphere and camaraderie however that makes this festival so special.

We are down then to the final four bands, the final acts before reality is set to strike again. Up first on the second stage are Trash Boat who get the tent bouncing, especially with a stunning cover of Linkin Park classic ‘Given Up’.

If there is a perfect festival band it’s Skindred. Put them on any stage in any slot and they will attract a huge crowd. With a sub-headline slot on the main stage, the field is full as Benji Webbe and co put in a seamless lesson in crowd engagement.

The final act on the second stage is also no stranger to the festival scene. Although Frank Turner has played Download Festival in the past, even he acknowledges he may not be the typical Download act. Nobody cares though, as he puts in a typically euphoric performance.

The crowd are not just treated to the set staples but also to new song ‘The Gathering’ and heavier version of ‘Little Changes’. There are sing-a-longs aplenty as Turner does what he does best and that is entertain!

Check out The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guest Frank Turner!

That just leaves Bullet For My Valentine to close out Download Pilot Festival. A festival which we wish was never needed but are so glad that it happened. Bullet For My Valentine are long time Download favourites and they deliver an apt conclusion to the event.

We are treated to a unique take on ‘Run To The Hills’ from Iron Maiden complete with a perplexing vocal contribution fron Benji Webbe. We get new material in the form of ‘Knives’ and of course we get favourites such as ‘Scream Aim Fire’ and ‘Tears Don’t Fall’.

‘Waking The Demon’ is the final song to ring around Donington Park, and we can only hope and pray that this event can wake the demon that is the festival scene. The fans may have been lab rats, but what a stunning lab it was! Thank you Download Pilot Festival for such a cathartic weekend.

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Read our review of ‘Bodies’ from AFI