Lovebox Preview Victoria Park, London 16-18/7/10
By: Tom Hocknell
In rather typically London-centric fashion, the capital allows one of the summers best festivals come to it. Groove Armada, fresh from their (possibly) career-best Black Light album, return with their self proclaimed ‘love-letter’ to the capital, which looks to be an equal success. Yet GA admirably resist using their festival to solely promote their band - this year they are conspicuously absent from the line ups, which are so good anyone with ears would be hard pushed to choose a day between them.
There’s no camping, so close family members are free to ring you first thing the following mornings and ask why you sound ‘strange’, while more importantly, temptations to find ice cream vans to dance outside of in the earlier hours because they are the only place still playing music are considerably reduced by the Capital and various after-parties to discover.
Friday is headlined by the increasingly ubiquitous Dizzee Rascal, alongside the graceful pop of Ellie Goulding, and the Noisettes while indie rockers The Mystery Jets will be supporting headliners The Maccabees on the Gaymers Stage.
Elsewhere and as with all good festivals, there is PLENTY elsewhere, Italian DJ duo Crookers make their only London festival appearance, while superstar club DJ’s Brodinski and Sinden take to the stage
On Saturday, there is the treat of the evergreen Roxy Music. Fans of the band should visit www.lovebox.net to see exclusive audio and video content released by Roxy Music to celebrate their headline spot. Having appeared on Black Light earlier this year, Bryan Ferry said “There is a song on my album that I have co-written with my friends Groove Armada. They asked me if Roxy would like to perform at Lovebox. We of course thought it would be cool.”
The newly-formed Mark Ronson & the Business will be joining them on the bill, alongside the acclaimed Empire of the Sun who are playing their first ever London show (even if one of the band continues to be missing).
Mark Ronson says “Lovebox is the first festival that ever let me perform with the Version players (my band). And to go from that memory in 2006 to playing there last year, on stage with my childhood heroes Duran Duran is really something. We’ll certainly do our best to make this our best Lovebox performance yet.’
Internationally renowned outfit Booka Shade headline the Relentless dance stage on Saturday, while Berlin (not the band) muscles into our capital in the form of Jesse Rose, Henrik Schwarz Live and Dixon (Innervisions). There is also an East vs West London soundclash: the Hip Hop and R N B crews Work It and Yo Yo pairing up for a proper NYC style block party.
This year also sees the exciting launch of Lovebox’s groundbreaking all-new Sunday, blending the coolest music, emergent art and cutting edge fashion. And there really are some VERY cool bands this year, justifying the zombie-ed Monday.
The seemingly immortal music and style icon known as Grace Jones is headlining the main stage, bringing her ever revolutionary flair for subversion to Victoria Park. Beloved electro-pop juggernauts Hot Chip will also be present, and presumably correct, fresh from the critical success of their brand new album, One Life Stand. Over on the Gaymers Stage, electro-funk duo Chromeo, (who drop a new album later this year), will be tearing up proceedings and are joined by returning Aussie heroes Cut Copy, who, in a UK festival exclusive, will be dazzling audiences with their beautiful, nostalgia streaked pop, while the glam disco machine known as Hercules and Love Affair will also be back to enthral with their irrepressible, glitter-strewn music.
Also along for the ride are renowned pop provocateur Peaches, the much buzzed about and deliciously offbeat new duo Silver Columns, and moody upstarts Hurts, who pricked up our ears this year with their wonderfully dark and elegiac single ‘Wonderful Life’.
The infamous NYC Downlow also returns to Lovebox for 2010 after a year’s hiatus. This life-size ruin of a NYC tenement will resurrect New York’s golden age and festival-goers can expect to enjoy an eclectic mix of disco, soul, funk and dance, while Disco Bloodbath, Trailer Trash and Horse Meat Disco are just some of the DJ crews who will be hosting areas on the day.
The festival runs from the 16th til the 18th of July, and tickets are available here.