Featured Review: BBC 6 Music Festival

inSYNC made another trip to Bristol’s super-club Motion, but this time wasn’t greeted but lasers and DJs. Instead, Motion had been transformed into a civilised gig venue with strings of lights hanging from the rafters, food traders and an impressive BBC 6 Music stage backline. The 6 Music Festival always has an impressive lineup of artists, and this year’s Sunday evening session was no exception. It incorporated some of the UK’s best indie acts, with some talented, new up and comers. Kurt Vile, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Foals and Polica were all part of the Motion evening session lineup.

First up was Hampshire man Frank Turner. Turner is one of the best live acoustic artists in the UK at the moment, and seeing him perform since his 2015 album ‘Positive Songs For Negative People’ was released was a pleasure. Frank knows how to hold a stage presence and has he comfortably road through his 10 song set it was great to see how far the artist has come since inSYNC first saw him headline Standon Calling festival in 2014. Frank Turner had his band The Sleeping Souls by his side, which always adds another dynamic to his usual solo performances. Popular songs ‘Recovery’ and ‘I Still Believe’ we’re so rightly left until the end, but someone with Frank’s talent can always make them work at any point in a live performance. Frank Turner is now on his 5th studio album, and we hope that there’s still many more to come.

Due to set clashes, we went off to Motion’s second room to see London three-piece The Invisible, instead of seeing American synthpop group Poliça. Being the first band on in Room 2 The Invisible only played through six songs, but the way they conducted it was excellent. The Invisible have a unique, electronic sound, and have got increasingly popular ever since their first, self-titled, album was nominated for the 2009 Mercury Prize. The three Londoners, lead by frontman Dave Okumu, clearly have talent, and their 6 Music performance will definitely have me going back to see them again.

Back to the main room to see Everything Everything; a band that has become increasingly more popular and well known since the release of their third studio album in June of last year. ‘Get to Heaven’ has shown off the band’s talents well and their unique, off-the-wall electronic sound has put the band of the map. Like a lot of indie bands Everything Everything has a strong cult following, but their single ‘Distant Past’ has propelled them into the more mainstream public limelight. The band are certainly what you’d call ‘different’, entering the stage wearing grey robes as if they had arrived from a terrible 1970s sci-fi film. Nonetheless frontman Jonathan Higgs proved his singing talents, and his voice range as he conducted his way through Everything Everything’s hour set. The crowd was presented with some of the band’s best songs including ‘Spring Sun Winter Dread’, ‘No Reptiles’ and ending with ‘Distant Past’. With a large number of big bookings coming up this year, I’m sure Everything Everything are a band that’s here to stay.

Sunday’s headliner Foals were greeted with a packed out room full to the brim with an excitable, enthusiastic group. Foals are a band that consistently deliver, and it was a privilege to see them at such a small venue on the brink of their first arena tour. Yannis and co rattled through a thirteen song set pulling in tunes from all four of their studio albums. Starting with new song ‘Snake Oil’ allowed the crowd to get into it, before moving onto old school Foals favourite ‘Olympic Airways’. The band are gaining serious momentum, and after their new album release and secret set at Reading in August, 2016 is set to the band’s most successful year to date. The Oxford five-piece kept the enthusiasm high at Motion, but calmed things down during ‘Late Night’ and ‘A Knife In The Ocean’. Mosh pit began again as lead guitarist Jimmy began the intro to ‘Inhaler’. Foals finished on their usual ‘Two Steps Twice'; a song that always builds up and gets the crowd rallied before dropping into the final few mad minutes.

BBC 6 Music conducted a great night, and their set up at Motion made me wish we had been able to be at the whole weekend event. We’ll have to wait until next year. The 6 Music festival moves location, so hopefully next year it’ll be in a venue just as good as we were greeted by in Bristol.

Organisation 9/10

Music 9/10

Site Setup 8/10

Festival Communication 8/10

Attention to Detail 7/10

Creative Content 7/10

Value for Money 8/10

Overall 8/10