I’ve actually attempted to go to Future Music Festival twice before. Once in 2012 and again in 2013 – however for various reasons I was forced to sell my tickets, much to my horror and dismay. So when I was offered a ticket to the 2015 show I figured that it was time for me to have another crack at getting to one of the last music festivals of the Summer. With such a stacked lineup there was no way I was going to let anything get in the way of me getting there. And I finally succeeded.
1pm was probably the earliest I have ever arrived at a music festival, but it was well worth it to see Kilingande. Never before have I seen a solo, live saxophonist able to work a crowd at a music festival like Future Music. This guy put incredible personality and musicianship behind his playing and it showed in the reaction of the crowd. Kilingande were definitely better live than they could ever be when recorded.
Robin Schulz was up next at the same stage and he too delivered a ripper set. ‘Prayer in C’ and ‘Waves’ are two of my favourite tracks and he orchestrated his set such that an otherwise chilled set of tracks were uplifting and energising.
Due to the logistical issues associated with getting a group of jovial and easily distracted festival goers from one stage to another in a timely fashion we missed the first half of Gorgon City’s set. However we still managed to get to see some ripper tunes and to have a boogie. The bass in ‘Ready For Your Love’ was unreal and the vibe created by ‘Lover Like You’ kept energy levels high. Their female singer deserves a shoutout for her amazing voice that sounded so true to what was recorded and her awe inspiring moves.
After Gorgon City we had a bit of a break to wait in the enormous toilet line, buy food and drinks and enjoy the sun. Shoutout to the guy who was giving out free drinks at one of the bars, it’s that kind of giving, community spirit that we love to have at music festivals.
Timmy Trumpet was up next at the Supernova Stage. To be honest, we were all just there to hear ‘Freaks’, because that’s probably one of the greatest songs ever written. Timmy Trumpet was an expert with his instrument, getting the crowd worked up for a banger of a set. ‘Freaks’, ‘Nightmare’ and ‘Bleed’ absolutely went off. The sound system and the huge size of the stage combined with the mood of the crowd made for one of the best acts of the day.
Timmy Trumpet was a tough act to follow but Martin Garrix made a good effort of it. Knife Party was pretty intense, and not being a huge fan of them myself, and having been at the festival since 1pm, I was pretty tired and just wanted Avicii to play ‘Levels’ already.
Avicii was a great act and it’s obvious why he was a headliner. He played hit after hit and – appeared to be – loving every minute of it. Singing along with such enthusiasm his positivity was infectious and gave me my second wind to be able to stay on my feet for that extra hour. His remix of Florence and the Machine’s ‘Spectrum’ with bits of ‘Levels’ thrown in was great.
Splendid weather, superb acts, good company and fantastic music made Future Music Festival the ultimate way to spend the long weekend. The lineup was diverse – from rap to house to dance. The day itself was put together and set up expertly, with stages that were easy to get to, set times that resulted in few clashes. It was a great way to see out the summer music festival season and I most definitely will be making an attempt to go next year.
Rating: ★★★★
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