. . . Hanley Park is a beautiful park, it is just a shame where it is located.
. . . Today is a complete and utter chav fest/kid fest.
. . . Signal One presenters consistently taking to the stage to try to “whip the crowd into a
frenzy” is tiresome and oftentimes cringe worthy. As is the Mayor proclaiming he
thought he was at “Glaston-Berry”
. . . The weather is as fucking unpredictable as it has been all year – one minute raining,
one minute glorious sunshine, leading to a lovely sunburnt face and neck.
Now that’s done, I can get started on the festival itself. In the shadows of the city’s high rise council flats, 2011 Live at Hanley Park (yes, it’s an awful name for a festival) is a collection of established and upcoming UK pop talent playing short sets in the grounds of Hanley Park. Barely advertised outside of Signal One radio (allegedly) though, I only came across it through the website of Six D, one of the upcoming pop acts who I have been quite interested in lately.
Over the course of the day, I wanted to catch Six D, Wonderland, Parade, Frankmusik, and, primarily, the late addition to the lineup, the gorgeous Pixie Lott. Headliners The Wanted were not really my cup of tea, but the majority of the crowd, i.e. the young girls, seemed to be out in force to see the boyband, on the weekend where their latest single, Glad You Came was expected to hit the number one spot in the UK charts. The amount of flags and home-made banners was insane as well.
The Signal One presenters grated on the nerves very quickly, and at times the on stage banter was painfully cringe worthy. That aside though, today was only ever going to be about the bands.
Tinchy Stryder kickstarted proceedings with a curiously early spot (presumably heading off for another show later in the day) with his grime rap. Taking to the stage to Take Me Back, he worked through Gangsta, Never Leave You, latest single Spaceship (sans Dappy from N-Dubz) and closed off with his number one single . . .erm . . . Number One. He got a massive crowd, and was a worthy opener for the festivities, with the crowd going nuts for him.
Another early slot, presumably for the same reasons as T-Stryds, was Pixie Lott, which was good for me, considering she was one of the main reasons for my attendance. Sporting a new cropped haircut, the lovely Pixie Lott dazzled, even throughout a very brief rain shower, wearing next to nothing, and wowing the crowd with her pop anthems. Boys And Girls opened her four song set, followed by new single, All About Tonight (which is a stormer), Cry Me Out and her breakthrough single Mama Do. She is as stunning as ever, and well worth braving the Stoke crowd to see. Her 4 song set is all too brief though, but hopefully she will be back later in the year with a headline run.
She has a massive stage presence, and a great voice, and her second album could really send her supernova, especially if it is as good as the first single from it is. I was a little bit disappointed to not hear Broken Arrow or Turn It Up, but with brief set times, you cannot have everything with shows such as this. She will saves those hits for the headline run in any event.
Following her, Loick Essien, riding high after the success of his latest single, How We Roll took to the stage as did young pop trio Soundgirl, who are yet the finished article, but who do have potential. Nicola Roberts hit the stage next, with her latest single, the infectious Beat Of My Drum, along with the follow up single.
Widely acknowledged as one of the best solo singles released by a member of Girls Aloud, it is incredibly catchy, although it may not make for a strong live showing. Either way, it is still an infectious track.
With the rain subsiding, Six D took to the stage, to run through latest tracks 2 Seconds and first single Best Damn Night. The latter is an explosive pop track, backed up with 6 on point break dancers, who can sing and dance at the same time. One of the highlights of the entire day, they are a refreshing bunch who could make big damage in the pop scene with the right backing, and the right tunes. They were pretty awesome here today, and two brief tracks kept me wanting more. Best Damn Night is a fine song, and the dance moves are incendiary. Cassie is also pretty damn stunning too. They are something special, and I hope that they get the exposure they deserve.
Rockers Ivyrise take to the stage next, curiously the odd one out on a pop oriented line-up. Although it sounds like they are playing along to a backing track, their two songs sounded pretty awesome, and it is clear to see why they have previously been on tour with the mighty Bon Jovi.
Definitely ones to check out.
Starboy Nathan comes on next to a massive response from the girls, but doesn’t do a great deal for me. Unfortunately for him, I am not quite the target audience when it comes to six packs (not of the lager variety) and forgettable R&B jams. Another stunner, Leddra Chapman’s brief set does not get the reaction it deserves. Recently on tour with Ed Sheeran, her songs are beautifully crafted pop melodies, but due to the downpour and umbrellas blocking the stage, she only gets a meagre response. She is another one that I will be checking out though in the future, as her material was hugely enjoyable.
Oh My! struggle with forgettable electro pop tunes, and are met with disinterest from a crowd yet again becoming rain soaked, but as it once more subsides, Parade get one of the biggest reactions of the day. A stunning 5 piece, recent single Louder gets the biggest sing along of the day thus far, and new single Perfume goes down a storm. Opening with Chris Brown’s Yeah 3x is ingenious, and they are on track to become massive. Quirky, with memorable pop melodies, if their album is anywhere near as consistently as good as their first two tracks, they could be the next Girls Aloud/The Saturdays.
The same can also be said of Wonderland, who, a member short today, still sound incredible. Along with Parade, suffering an all too brief slot, they curiously omit latest single Starlight, but the tracks they play sound cracking. Their debut is the best charting girl band release since Girls Aloud, and they are well on their way. It will be great to see them back to full strength soon, but alongside Parade, these girls are leading the all girl charge at the moment.
Talay Riley goes down well, especially during a run through of his track with Chipmunk, Look For Me, but isn’t really my thing. Frankmusik is next, and puts in a cracking four song shift to minimal fanfare. The crowd don’t really know who he is but his electro pop is fantastic. 2009 single Confusion Girl is cracking (no Holly Valance guest spot mind), following on from opener Better Off As Two. Latest single Do It In The A.M. brings his set to a close, but he doesn’t really get the response he deserves today in the early evening sunshine.
That leaves pop heartthrobs The Wanted to round proceedings off with their pop numbers. Playing a five song set, consisting of Lose My Mind, Heart Vacancy, Gold Forever, All Time Low and latest single Glad You Came, they go down well with the female contingent amongst the crowd, and they prove that they are no flash in the pan. They have good pop songs, and can sing, as well as all having distinct personalities.
For me though, as a male, I ventured towards the exit during their set, to avoid the inevitable crush as 15,000 – 20,000 people descend on the streets of Hanley. They do however round off a cracking day of entertainment, which, all for the measly price of £6 has been well worth it . . . even without a stab vest!!
A good review but yet again, another southern snob. Please learn to tolerate different people/areas/circumstances if you like visiting other cities. This was a great event with the vast majority enjoying themselves. Unlike other areas, no one was robbed, mugged or murdered.
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