Leave the house? Seems quite likely with all of this going on.
GIG OF THE WEEK
JENSEN MCRAE AT ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH, LONDON (7TH-9TH AUGUST 2024)
If you’ve ever wondered what it sounds like when a rising star collides with a hallowed venue, wonder no more. Jensen McRae is set to grace St Pancras Old Church for three sold-out nights, and frankly, we’re not sure who should be more honoured – the church or Jensen.
Fresh off signing to Dead Oceans, McRae brings her particular brand of sorcery to London. Describing herself as having “narrator syndrome” rather than main character syndrome, her latest single, ‘Massachusetts’, is a track that manages to capture both the weariness of heartbreak and the effervescence of healing – quite the emotional juggling act. If you haven’t heard it yet, you really should. Immediately. Now. Go. Run!With comparisons to Tracy Chapman and Phoebe Bridgers being thrown around (no pressure, then), McRae’s voice is the kind that makes you want to shut up and listen – a rare quality in our age of constant noise. Her songs invite you to see, feel, and hear yourself within them. If you’re lucky enough to have snagged a ticket to one of these sold-out shows, congratulations. You’ll be one of the few saying they were there who actually was when she’s the next certified indie obsession twelve months from now. Gold star spotters points all round.
FESTIVAL FOCUS
ØYA FESTIVAL: OSLO’S ECO-FRIENDLY EXTRAVAGANZA
Imagine, if you will, a festival where the air smells of pine trees and social responsibility. Welcome to Øya, Oslo’s gift to the music world and Mother Nature’s favourite child. Pulp headline, no doubt ready to regale us with tales of common people and sorted lives. One can only hope Jarvis Cocker’s hips are still up for the task [Don’t worry, they definitely are – Ed].
The National bring their particular brand of brooding indie-rock to the proceedings. Expect grown men to weep beard oil openly into their craft beers as Matt Berninger croons about love, loss, and the existential dread of realising you’ve become your parents. Meanwhile, PJ Harvey will remind us all why she’s the high priestess of alternative rock, likely turning Tøyenparken into a swirling vortex of atmospheric brilliance.
This is a festival that takes its carbon footprint more seriously than a vegan CrossFitter. From locally sourced organic food to stages powered by the sheer force of Norwegian optimism (and maybe some solar panels), Øya is so green it makes Kermit look positively beige.
7th-10th August, Tøyenparken, Oslo, Norway
BOARDMASTERS: SURF, TURF, AND STORMZY
Ah, Boardmasters. Where else can you catch a gnarly wave, check out brand new Sam Fender, and get a sunburn all in the same day? Perched on the Cornish coast like some sort of musically-blessed seagull, it’s the lovechild of Glastonbury and Point Break.
Stormzy headlines – and hopefully, doesn’t bring his namesake weather with him. His grime anthems are sure to have the crowd going wilder than a Cornish pasty in a microwave. Sam Fender brings his Springsteen-meets-Toon-Army sound to the proceedings as we get ready for an increasingly teased album three that’s sure to make a dent in the discourse for all the right reasons.
Chase & Status will be on hand to remind us all why we should have done more cardio before festival season. Becky Hill promises to turn the entire festival into one big, fabulous pop party. And let’s not forget Bicep, who’ll have everyone flexing their… well, biceps, in a display of rave-induced arm-waving not seen since the heady days of the Haçienda.
Between sets, you can try your hand at surfing, do some beach yoga, or simply lie face down in the sand contemplating your life choices. It’s all part of the Boardmasters experience.
7th-11th August, Newquay, Cornwall, UK
BOOMTOWN: WHERE MAD MAX MEETS GLASTONBURY
Welcome to Boomtown, the festival that makes Alice’s Wonderland look like a quaint English garden. This is a fully realised alternate reality where steampunk meets drum and bass, and your nan’s living room somehow ends up in the middle of a post-apocalyptic cityscape.
Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley headlines, carrying on the family tradition of making music that sounds best when you’re lying in a field contemplating the cosmos (or just really, really relaxed). The Pharcyde bring their old-school hip-hop vibes, reminding us all of a time when rap was more about clever wordplay and less about who has the biggest watch collection on Instagram. Soft Play will be there, as will Ezra Collective, Greentea Peng, Ghetts and SBTRKT.
But Boomtown isn’t just about the big names – they leave their line-up secret until the last minute for a reason [yes, that is a thing – Ed]. It’s about stumbling across a hidden stage in a pop-up favela and discovering your new favourite band. It’s about getting lost in a labyrinth of themed districts, each more bonkers than the last. From the Wild West to the futuristic dystopia, Boomtown is like a history book and a sci-fi novel had a baby, and that baby grew up to be really into psytrance.
So pack your sturdiest boots, your most outrageous outfit, and possibly a map. You’re going to need them all at Boomtown.
7th-11th August, Matterley Bowl, Winchester, Hampshire, UK
SZIGET: BUDAPEST’S ISLAND OF MEGASTARS
This year’s Sziget lineup reads like someone threw a dart at the Big Chart of Superstar Names and said, “Yes, all of them.” Fred again.. brings his particular brand of emotional electronica, perfect for crying and dancing at the same time ahead of a just announced new album. Halsey promises to deliver a set that’s part pop concert, part performance art, and part group therapy session. And Kylie Minogue? Well, she’s Kylie. She could sing the phone book and still be iconic.
Sziget is about the experience, though. It’s about watching the sunrise over Budapest with 10,000 of your new best friends. It’s about stumbling across a puppet show at 3 AM and thinking, “Yes, this makes perfect sense.” It’s about realising that maybe, just maybe, the real Sziget was the friends we made along the way.
Just remember to pace yourself. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Although if you see a group of people sprinting towards a hidden stage, you should probably follow them. Better safe than sorry.
7th-12th August, Óbuda Island, Budapest, Hungary
FLOW FESTIVAL: HELSINKI’S HIPSTER HAVEN
Ah, Flow Festival. Where the coffee is black, the attitude is cool, and the music is always just on the right side of brilliant. Nestled in the industrial chic surroundings of a former power plant, Flow is what happens when a bunch of impossibly stylish Finns decide to throw a party.
Fred again.. headlines, because apparently, it’s illegal to have a festival in 2024 without him. Pulp – also doing the circuit this summer in Europe – bring a dose of Britpop nostalgia, no doubt sending the crowd into a frenzy with ‘Common People’ – a song that, ironically, will be sung by a sea of very uncommon, incredibly cool people. PJ Harvey – yes, her again too – will be there to remind us all why we should have paid more attention in our poetry classes, her lyrics cutting through the Nordic air like a particularly sharp piece of ice sculpture.
Flow can be about nodding appreciatively to a jazz-funk-EDM fusion set. It can be about pretending to understand the deeply conceptual art installations scattered around the site. It’s also about catching some of your favourite acts in an impeccable location. Turns out a festival can do it all.
9th-11th August, Suvilahti, Helsinki, Finland
OUTSIDE LANDS: SAN FRANCISCO’S FOGGY FIESTA
Welcome to Outside Lands, where the tech bros are plentiful and the music is hotter than a fresh slice of sourdough.
Nestled in the heart of Golden Gate Park, The Killers headline alongside Tyler, The Creator, who brings his genre-defying, rules-be-damned approach to music. There’s Sabrina Carpenter, Kevin Abstract, The Postal Service, Grace Jones and Kaytranada too. It’s obviously stacked.
But Outside Lands is a full-sensory experience. Wine Lands offers a chance to get sloshed on some of Napa’s finest, while Grass Lands provides… well, let’s just say it’s a different kind of grass than what you’re standing on. The food options are a culinary tour de force, because this is San Francisco, and if the food isn’t Instagram-worthy, did you even eat?
So grab your warmest summer coat (trust us, you’ll need it), charge your phone (how else will you call your Lyft at the end of the night?), and get ready for a weekend of music, munchies, and mild hypothermia. Welcome to San Francisco, where the summer is always just around the corner.
9th-11th August, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA
WAY OUT WEST: GOTHENBURG’S INDIE DREAMSCAPE
Nestled in the heart of Gothenburg, Way Out West is the festival equivalent of that cool Scandinavian friend who always knows about bands before they’re big and can pull off wearing all black in the middle of summer.
You’ve got the usual set of festival headliners for this weekend in Europe – Pulp, PJ Harvey, The National, Fred Again.. – but also The Smile, Maisie Peters, Loyle Carner and Sampha. Between sets, you can attend a seminar on sustainable fashion, join a group meditation session, or simply wander the beautiful Slottsskogen park, pretending you’re in a moody Scandinavian noir drama. Just remember, if you see a deep, dark forest, resist the urge to enter – that’s for the black metal festival next door.
8th-10th August, Slottsskogen, Gothenburg, Sweden
BLUDFEST: YUNGBLUD’S ROCK AND ROLL CIRCUS
Welcome to Bludfest. Curated by YUNGBLUD himself, this inaugural event promises to be a celebration of all things loud, proud, and incredibly chaotic.
YUNGBLUD headlines, obviously. Expect a set that’s part punk-rock, part pop, and entirely fueled by the kind of energy that makes you wonder if he’s got a secret stash of Red Bull hidden in his guitar case. But Bludfest isn’t just a one-man show. Lil Yachty brings his genre-bending hip-hop to the proceedings, proving that in 2024, the lines between rock and rap are about as clear as a mosh pit in a mud fight. The Damned occupy the ‘Icon Slot’, ready to show the youngsters how punk is really done, while Soft Play, Lola Young and loads more also make an appearance.
If you ask YUNGBLUD, he’ll tell you he’s creating a space for the misfits, the outcasts, and anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t quite fit in. A place where eyeliner is mandatory, conformity is banned, and the only rule is to be unapologetically yourself. In Milton Keynes. Actually, it makes a lot of sense, when you think about it.
11th August, Milton Keynes Bowl, Milton Keynes, UK
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