SUMMER OF ’69 – PEACE AND LOVE
With a sold-out attendance, this years festivities included rain, last minute additions, last minute cancellations, and a tornado. But despite that – Isle Of Wight Festival still delivers as a top tier UK festival. Here are the best performances from the jam-packed weekend, including some things you might have missed if you watched it on your TV…
Lily Allen
Filled with old and new songs alike, nostalgic tracks ‘LDN’, ‘Smile’ and ‘Not Fair’ proved most popular among the sea of fans gathered for Lily Allen‘s set. Fitting perfectly with the ‘Peace and Love’ theme for the weekend, Allen dedicated a one minute silence during her set to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, and the majority of the crowd participated in turn.
A small few unfortunate festival goers were labelled ‘c***’s’ by Allen, after refusing the one minute silence, shouting throughout the peaceful movement. Dedicating the next song to them, Allen continued into ‘The Fear’. Later calling out another party (Donald J Trump, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson), Allen concluded her set with another nostalgic track ‘Fuck You’.
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Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Taking place the same day as his new EP release ‘Black Star Dancing‘, Gallagher surprisingly only played the title track, whilst the rest of his set was filled with classics from his own career ‘Everybody’s on the Run’ and ‘AKA… What a Life!’. Whilst his solo endeavours engaged the entire audience, songs from his former Oasis days unitised the crowd into singing at the top of their lungs.
After ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out‘ and ‘Half the World Away’, Gallagher led into an emotional rendition of ”Don’t Look Back in Anger’, finishing with a contemplative aura. Closing out by midnight with Beatles cover ‘All You Need is Love’, Gallagher provided an epic close to Friday, the first full day, led by his guitar and astounding vocals.
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Rick Astley
Despite ‘Never Gonna Give You Up‘ being the most anticipated song of his set (and it definitely made the crowd go wild), jumping on the drums to ACDC classic ‘Highway To Hell’ enthused the crowd most by far. Astley demonstrated incredible vocal strength, never missing a beat. His distinctive tone belted through the speakers, never compromised by aggression through his surprising drumming ability. He later made another surprise appearance while Bastille played their breakthrough hit ‘Pompeii‘ drumming through that track, again behind a drum.
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YUNGBLUD
After having his passport stolen, only 5 days prior, Dominic Harrison, better known as YUNGBLUD, was forced to cancel two shows on his upcoming tour (Vancouver, Portland) and postpone another (Seattle). Unfortunately now stranded in the UK, Isle Of Wight attendees were informed of the news two days later, with just 3 days notice, of his addition to the Saturday lineup. Already stranded, why not play a show?
Appearing for a modest 50 minutes on the sheltered big top stage, YUNGBLUD‘s performance was phenomenal start to finish. The high energy performance included fan favourites ‘Tin Pan Boy’, ’21st Century Liability‘, ‘Anarchist’, ‘Loner’, and newly released track ‘Parents’. Noted on his jumpsuit paired with his trademark pink socks, his performance was a ‘riot’. The crowd jumped in a frenzy to the punk rock tracks, whilst YUNGBLUD himself ran end-to-end of the stage, with high leg kicks; playing up to the cameras recording his set – later released on youtube in consequence of changes to the American leg of his current tour.
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George Ezra
After rolling his ankle on his “annual run” Ezra spent the length of his set sitting on a stool, guitar in hand. But it didn’t affect his stage presence, bopping up and down throughout his songs, often engaging the crowd with above head claps.
“I headed out and the next thing I know I was lying on the floor and I’d rolled my ankle,” he told the crowd. “And I can’t walk too well – I can’t move too well – so I must apologise that I’m going to be sat on this stool for this show”.
Though “off his head on anti-inflammatories” as he informed the crowd, his performance was high energy start to finish, with charted songs ‘Paradise’ and ‘Shotgun’ engaging the crowd into dance, screaming the songs back at him, passion evident on Ezra‘s face.
After requesting the crowd dance on his behalf, ‘Blame It On Me’ showcased a spectacular light show, with lit tiles bouncing around on the tall window-like displays behind Ezra during the breakdown mid-song. Brass instruments sax and trumpets were introduced, leading into a clapping frenzy, finishing a capella by the crowd singing back in unison, whilst Ezra listening intently with closed eyes.
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Fatboy Slim
Fans expected a high production performance – and Fatboy Slim delivered. An incessant light show lit up the crowd, and stage alike, with an endless playlist of bangers erupting from the speakers. Easily a crowd favourite, Fatboy Slim‘s set included video content on the big screen with displays of 3D images, his trademark yellow smile logo, and more. Additionally, the crowd were enthralled with the use of smoke machines and large yellow streamers.
By far the most impressive moment of his set – a unique blend of Fisher’s ‘Losing It’ and Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’. Visuals accompanied the mash-up, as they did much of the night, with Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) dancing around the screen behind Fatboy Slim.
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Biffy Clyro
Closing the show at the Main Stage on Sunday, the last day of the weekend, rock band and headliners Biffy Clyro provided a set of never ending rock bangers.
With a set of 20 minutes shy of 2 hours, a slow burn to preserve energy was anticipated – but Clyro provided the exact opposite. With blood already on his face by their second song, singer Simon Neil was unfazed, and continued to provide to the crowd 100 minutes of their back catalogue full of anthems, causing the audience to go wild with excitement.
Confetti, fire, streamers, and an ending of fireworks, no better band could have closed this years festivities.
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Words: Natasha Fountain / Photos: Isle Of Wight Festival
