Festival season ends in August, we hear you say? Wrong. Once the majority of European festivals have taken down their stages and started preparing for 2017, some 50,000 people will descend on Berlin’s famed Treptower Park for the second edition of Lollapalooza Berlin. The American festival is returning to the German capital for a second consecutive year, and we’re going to be bringing you, full uninterrupted coverage of the weekend. Headliners Radiohead and Kings of Leon are clear choices when piecing together your own schedule, but what about the rest of the line-up? We analysed it and picked out five must-see sets.
KAISER CHIEFS
Returning British heroes Kaiser Chiefs have undergone quite the sonic transformation for new album Stay Together (due 7 October). Lead single Parachute is an electro-disco gem which has received one hell of layering treatment, adding an air of never-heard-before ethereal beauty to Ricky Wilson and co’s commonplace stadium rock. It’s a sound which you wouldn’t have expected from the Kaisers in their heyday, but it sounds like a logical next step for the band who have seen it all. Pair that with frontman Ricky Wilson’s newfound celebrity status as a judge on The Voice UK and you’ll find yourself listening to what may as well be a whole new band. A good one at that, though.
JAGWAR MA
Aussie outfit Jagwar Ma are gearing up to release sophomore studio album Every Now & Then in the autumn, having obsessively worked on it in the last year. Lead single OB1 has been unleashed upon the world, encompassing much of their recognizable dance-pop and house-infused psychedelia. Although not prominent at first, it definitely sounds like the work of a band who have just come off tour with musical maestro Kevin Parker and his band Tame Impala, a group whose influence on the Australian rock scene has skyrocketed left, right and centre. Missing out on Jagwar Ma’s infectious live show in Berlin would be criminal, so make sure you get your dancing shoes on and go wild for some summery Australian vibes.
THE 1975
World domination certainly hasn’t been easy for Manchester quartet The 1975, whose sophomore record I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It has seen them sell out arena’s the world over. A notable show at the o2 Arena in London is on the way later this year, with the Matt Healy-fronted outfit first set to take on a few more European festivals, most notably Lollapalooza. The band have already amassed a huge following within German borders, and this is only set to get bigger as they slowly but surely take to bigger stages. Expect the likes of the funk-infused Love Me, anthemic Sex and bouncy The Sound to completely encapsulate the crowd when The 1975 hit Lollapalooza for the first time.
NOTHING BUT THIEVES
This isn’t the first time that we’ve tried to palm Nothing But Thieves off to our readers, but there’s certainly a good reason for it. The Southend-on-Sea quintet have slowly but surely taken over the world with their radio friendly alternative rock, which takes influence from the likes of Muse, Radiohead and Led Zeppelin. Frontman Conor Mason has an absolute voice to be reckoned with, something which is extremely notable on recent single Excuse Me and fan favourite Itch. It won’t be the first time that they’ve left a crowd absolutely speechless, and it certainly won’t be the last time either. Catch them before they explode.
THE TEMPER TRAP
Australian quartet The Temper Trap have taken the quiet route to success, more often than not remaining under the radar as they silently conquered stages the world over. Save for hit single Sweet Disposition and an Australian tour supporting Coldplay, you may not have even heard of the Dougy Mandagi-fronted outfit at all. That’s all set to change soon, though, with new studio album Thick as Thieves having come out last month (10 June). Its accessible indie rock has taken a huge turn for the anthemic, with Mandagi and co. finally hitting the nail on the head of world success. They’re unlikely to play high up the bill in Berlin, but The Temper Trap are certainly a band worth keeping an eye out for as they suddenly start gaining more ground in Europe.
Also appearing in Berlin are the likes of Major Lazer, Years & Years and The Chainsmokers. Lollapalooza Berlin takes place on 10 & 11 September. Buy your tickets here.
