Exactly one week on from a brilliant weekend at Isle Of Wight Festival, we’ve had time to reflect on some of the brilliant performances we saw across the 4 days. Amidst the sea of talented artists, five exceptional bands/artists managed to capture our attention, leaving an indelible mark on the festival landscape.
The Kairos
The electrifying Liverpool outfit undeniably turned a few heads at last weekend’s Isle of Wight Festival. Their exceptional performances across three stages over three consecutive days not only marked an unprecedented achievement, but firmly established them as trailblazers. Newly released tunes like ‘Thick Of It’ & ‘Better Late Than Never’ are certainly becoming festival anthems and for those who gathered in the crowd who did not know who they were, certainly knew by the end of the sets. Despite clashing with global superstar Niall Horan on the main stage, the crowd was rammed for their 6pm River Stage slot which is certainly an indicator of big things to come.
Brooke Combe
Amidst the bustling ambiance of the Isle of Wight Festival, the Big Top tent swelled with anticipation as Brooke Combe, a young and exceptionally talented Scottish singer, took to the stage. Brooke had the crowd in the palm of her hands with popular tracks ‘A-Game’ & ‘Are You With Me?’ while on the other hand, ‘Black Is the New Gold’ showcased Brooke’s empowering spirit, as she delivered a powerful message of embracing one’s uniqueness and celebrating diversity. Not only did this set showcase her remarkable vocal range and lyrical depth but also left a common feeling that we will be seeing her as a regular star on the main stage very soon.
The Clause
Stepping up to the main stage, you’d think they’d be feeling the pressure but that was certainly not the case. The lads took to the main stage at 4pm and played to a huge and very much attentive crowd. Playing popular festival anthems like ‘In My Element’ & ‘Electric’, the Brummie outfit certainly won a lot of new fans by the end of their set. Not only did they captivate the main stage, but they also delivered an exceptional performance on the River Stage, showcasing their versatility and undeniable talent.
The Lilacs
Headlining the This Feeling tent on the Thursday night, the band knew that they would have a good crowd but it was bigger than they could have imagined. Spectators walking past stopped and watched from outside the tent as the band sang high energy tracks about Sticky Dancefloors & youthful relationship struggles. They had the crowd in the palm of their hands from the moment they went on stage until the popular set closer ‘Vicarage Road’ which had the crowd singing their hearts out. Not only did we have the pleasure of watching these lads perform but we were also quite lucky to have them as our campmates for the weekend. A great bunch of lads with a bright future ahead!
Ratoon
The pleasant surprise of the weekend was Welsh band ‘Ratoon’ who travelled down to play their first major festival. The lads played the opening set in the This Feeling tent and certainly caught spectators including ourselves by surprise. For a band who have only been together for a year and a half, they sounded incredibly tight and had the tunes to back it up. Their drummer, in particular, was very impressive. They will no doubt be back on the road very soon, so it is recommended that you get down and see them before they’re playing bigger stages!
