As we approach the summer festival season ever so slowly,more and more festivals are gradually releasing some of the best line-ups thatwe’ve seen in years. Today, one of Holland’s best festivals, Best Kept Secret, released the first batch of names for its June-bound 3rd edition. With Alt-J, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and the Libertines set to headline, we take a look at five other sets we’re really looking forward to at the festival this year. Read on for more.
ROYAL BLOOD
Last year saw Brighton duo Royal Blood take the world by storm, with plenty of good reason. Their debut self-titled sent them straight to the #1 spot in the UK, breaking a sales record previously held by Best Kept Secret headliner Noel Gallagher. The duo’s ear shattering combination of pounding drums and fierce basslines has kept everyone on edge since the release of debut track Out of the Black, one of the most powerful rock songs of recent time. Come June, they’ll have garnered so much live experience that they’ll treat the Best Kept Secret crowd to a show they’ll probably (read: definitely) never forget.
FUTURE ISLANDS
If you were to sum up Future Islands in one word, that word would probably be ‘hype’. The hype machine went wild for Future Islands in 2014, in part due to their memorable live performances and catchy, electro-pop tinged songs. Seasons (Waiting on You) and its accompanying album Singles both ranked high in various year-end lists as the Boston trio made their mark on the world. Their Best Kept Secret set will surely be one of the busiest of the festival, considering the demographic the festival attracts. Their set will be a combination of sweat, euphoria and the kind of dancing only acceptable if your name is Samuel T. Herring.
ALVVAYS
If you look lower down the bill you’ll find a whole range of interesting names that don’t immediately catch your eye. One of these is the Canadian quintet Alvvays, who we’ve been a massive fan of the last six months. Their stellar self-titled indie pop debut featured Archie, Marry Me, one of the best songs released last year. Everything about Alvvays sounds fresh and unique as much as it sounds vintage, something which we’re starting to see more and more lately. They won’t be playing a high slot on a main stage, so if your day at Best Kept Secret consists of at least one hidden gem in the tent, make it Alvvays. You won’t regret your decision.
WOLF ALICE
One band who are also on that undercard part of the post are Wolf Alice, supposedly the most blogged about band of 2013. They’ve been hyped up massively in times of late, with 2015 finally set to be their year as they gear up to release their debut album. Frontwoman Ellie Roswell is an encapsulating bundle of energy onstage with sickly sweet vocals and grungy guitar at her disposal. It might not be super apparent right now, but Wolf Alice are a festival headliner of the future. It’ll be their second time at Best Kept Secret (after performing in its opening year back in 2013), with the crowd likely to be double the size too.
THE VACCINES
The Vaccines are back! However, they’ve surprisingly found themselves a bit lower than expected on the festival poster. Expect them to absolutely tear up the main stage, though, especially if their upcoming third album sounds a lot like lead single Handsome. The Vaccines’ first two albums were filled with short, sharp rockers and festival anthems which have become something we love about Justin Young and co. A top class band like The Vaccines will more likely than not be headlining Best Kept Secret in the future, so make sure to catch this set before they rise stratospherically in the same way they blew up back in the UK.
Who are you looking forward to seeing at Best Kept Secret this year?
