The second day of All Points East festival has perhaps one of the strongest lineups of any UK festival this year.
With headliners The xx playing a hometown show and the likes of Justice, Sampha, Stefflon Don, Lykke Li, Rex Orange County and Lorde also on the bill there was always bound to be frustrating clashes. But the second day of the festival was dominated by the females, a rarity in the UK festival circuit due to a lack of female artists being booked, but All Points East proves exactly why this needs to change.
Bringing in a strong afternoon crowd at the main stage - The East Stage - is Atlantan R&B artist Abra . Although it’s just her and the DJ on stage she still managed to dominate the set, creating a big stage presence as she pulls in a growing crowd thanks to the production of tracks including Crybaby, a highlight of the set which drew a huge reaction from her fans there.
Despite being from the US she says that London is ‘hot as hell’ today, but that doesn’t stop the crowd dancing to her trap, dance infused music. It’s a rare UK performance for the artist but she’d be pleased to know that she would have no trouble selling out her own headline show in future.
Next up on the stage is Stefflon Don who says this is a special set for her as it’s a hometown show. The rapper has found big success recently thanks to hits including Hurtin Me and Instruction, which are big moments during this set, but it’s her older tracks which prove why she’s climbed to stardom and has the talent to back it up.
The likes of Real Ting and 16 Shots - dedicated to her mother - are impressive R&B, rap moments and proves she can do it without a feature and is the best British female MC at the moment. She also plays new tracks Ding-a-Ling and Senseless confirming she’s here to stay and we can expect the same caliber in new material.
Heading over to The West Arena for Lykke Li , I was pleasantly surprised at how packed out the tent was for the alt-pop star. The Swedish singer has been away for a couple of years and is releasing her first album in four years next month. She teases fans with some new material including title track So Sexy, So Cool and Utopia, which she quips is an ‘anti climax - but that’s why I’m here’.
It is of course the older material which goes down well the sweaty but ready-to-dance crowd. She plays the likes of Little Bit, No Rest For the Wicked and I Follow Rivers to rapturous reaction from the crowd, showcasing just why she’s had a consistently impressive musical career, and is at the forefront of modern Scandinavian pop.
After Lykke Li crowds flocked to other stages for the next lot of artists, unfortunately London boy Sampha and Justice clash with Lorde but after missing the Melodrama World Tour, I opt to see the New Zealand popstar. Ahead of her set are Soulwax who are really pumping the crowd in the glorious sunshine before Lorde.
When she arrives on stage for her hour set the energy is electric and the crowd doesn’t stop dancing, singing and for some crying throughout. Her Melodrama album in particular has important for many listeners as she really encompasses those feeling many 20-year-olds have growing up and trying to find your place in the world as well as balancing your relationships and all the confusing feelings that come with that.
She slows it down for Liability, a track she typically includes an emotional monologue with saying that 'it's strange to sing in front of a lot of people because it's about being very lonely', but it seems that unfortunately she’s pushed for time at All Points East however on the plus side she has more time for the album tracks and a handful from her debut Pure Heroine. It’s a perfect setlist with fan favourites The Louvre, Sober and Supercut all featuring, as well as Ribs, Team, Tennis Court and Buzzcut Season from her debut.
The power of Lorde is her ability to connect with fans through her music and live shows, and this festival set shows that as the crowd are screaming the lyrics back to her. She finishes on a high with Green Light, her long-awaited come back track of 2017 that still sounds so relevant and fresh a year on.
Thousands of fans flock to the main stage after Lorde and Justice to catch The xx who are starting their hometown headline show. It may well be their biggest set to date which they say they've been 'thinking about for a year'.
The emotional setlist kicks off with the likes of I Dare You as they play in sun set at the wonderful Victoria Park. Both Romy and Oliver get their solo moments to shine as Romy says she wrote a couple of the songs up the road from the park, and after finishing them walked through this very site. A surreal moment for the London trio as they play to thousands.
Other highlights include Islands, Sunset and On Hold as crowds jumped onto each other shoulders to embrace the moment and sing their hearts out at the incredible gig. Their light show is also worth a mention as it can be enjoyed anywhere in the crowd - from the front, sides and back. Another added extra is the thunderstorm that is about to kick off in London creating an even more dramatic setting to The xx's set, aptly as Romy starts to sing about the rain.
They finish up on Intro, mellowing out a storming - literally - and triumphant finale to the second day of All Points East festival, which many of us will be hoping returns again with an even stronger lineup in 2019.
Tickets for APE Presents... are still available from Ticketmaster here.
It will see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The National and Catfish and the Bottlemen perform at Victoria Park as part of stand alone shows on June 1-3.
