The music-acts have started playing at the UK-youth -rite-of-passage that is Boardmasters. In advance of a full-length review from The Mic’s Benedict Watson, we present you with his preliminary thoughts.
On Wednesday 10th August, one of the UK’s most picturesque festivals will get underway, for the second time since the pandemic. Boardmasters is a mixed genre festival, set on the stunning Newquay coast. Whilst it can be an arduous journey for many of its attendees, the long trip certainly becomes worth it once the music gets underway.
"I’ll be at the front for Edinburgh indie-rock band Swim School, who seem destined for great things with their heavily Foals and Wolf Alice-inspired sound."
This year’s lineup is a fantastic showcase of musical talent, with headliners George Ezra, Disclosure and Kings of Leon displaying the wide range of music that Boardmasters offers. George Ezra is an act that everyone can enjoy, with summer hits like ‘Paradise’ and ‘Budapest’ sure to end the Friday night on a high! Securing American rockers Kings of Leon is also a massive coup for the festival. They were lined up for the ill-fated 2020 festival, yet an omission in 2021 may have implied that KoL had lost interest in Boardmasters. Luckily enough, the Followill family are back and ready to close the festival on the Sunday night! A setlist featuring hits from their 23-year career alongside songs from their underrated 2021 album ‘When You See Yourself’ is the reason why Kings Of Leon are the artist I am most looking forward to at Boardmasters.
As an indie fan myself, I was delighted to discover that Idles and Bombay Bicycle Club were headlining the Land of Saints stage on the Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. As someone who isn’t hugely excited about George Ezra and Disclosure, having two titans of the indie genre as my headliners instead is brilliant! The mixed-genre element of Boardmasters can sometimes see them struggle to keep everyone happy (clashing Gorillaz and The Kooks last year was not popular!), so clashing two guitar bands with the two less guitar-based headliners seems a sensible decision.
It’s not just about the headliners though, there are plenty more great artists to see at Boardmasters. The likes of The Wombats, Declan McKenna, Bastille, Tom Grennan and Pale Waves will also be taking to the stage. I’m anticipating Declan McKenna to be a huge hit with what tends to be quite a young crowd at Boardmasters, whilst the sing- along hits of The Wombats will also surely be lapped up.
Looking further down the line-up, blues-rock band Palace stand out to me, although I am
intrigued to see if their soft sound will be able to fill the main stage (they seem more like Land of Saints band). I’ll be at the front for Edinburgh indie-rock band Swim School, who seem destined for great things with their heavily Foals and Wolf Alice-inspired sound. And as a huge fan of whatever Jack Steadman (lead singer of Bombay Bicycle Club) does, seeing his solo project Mr Jukes and Barney Artist will be a real treat.
I can’t wait for Boardmasters to get going. Make sure to read my review to see how it
goes.
Benedict Watson
Go to @themicnotts on instagram to see coverage of Boardmasters.
Edited by: Caradoc Gayer
Cover image courtesy of Boardmasters via Facebook. In article video courtesy of YouTube.
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