Louis Kerry - Freelance Music Journalist

The basics

Rammed with the most talked about acts in punk, metal and hardcore, Hevy is the perfect festival for fans of the heavier side of new alternative music, who prefer to crowdsurf than to ‘leave quietly’.

The festival

For two days in the year, the normally tranquil Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent is invaded by bands and fans of the noisiest guitar driven music that’s even louder than the park’s band of gorillas.

In 2014, after taking a year out, Hevy returned with a lineup including older pop-punk veterans such as Reel Big Fish and Finch to more obscure metal and hardcore bands like TRC and Palm Reader. Mainly attracting a younger audience, who are in the know with the hottest new bands in the alternative scene, expect to see some extremely dedicated fans and some extremely mental mosh pits.

Festival Baby tip

Norfolk's Sundown Festival is this weekend. With Ellie Goulding and Chase & Status headlining, alongside a ton of mainstream acts on the lineup including Foxes and John Newman, you could quite easily have a pop music overdose. But don’t fear – there’s loads of alternative acts lurking at the festival, too. Here’s five alternative acts you can't miss:  

Wilkinson

Wilkinson is currently one of the top drum and bass acts to see in the country. Wilkinson has had one hell of a summer, performing at festivals all over the world including Mallorca Rocks, Nass in the West Country, Global Gathering and Bestival. Wilkinson’s mix of aggressive beats and old school takes on drum and bass, and he is bound to cause a scene at Sundown.

Andy C

RAM Records head honcho and drum and bass veteran Andy C is set to headline the second stage on Sunday. Known for his ridiculous mixing skills (even performing on three turntables at once), nobody puts on such an impressive visual performance in drum and bass as Andy C.

Clean Bandit

Although they’re pretty high up on the main stage, Clean Bandit are far from the conventional pop of their Sundown peers. Their mix of electro and classical music has attracted thousands of fans, with their single ‘Rather Be’ reaching the number one spot of the UK album charts. The four-piece’s one-of-a-kind live shows are bound to be the highlight of Sundown Festival.  

Breach

Having exploded onto the UK singles charts last year with hits ‘Everything You Never Had (We Had it All)’ and ‘Jack’, Ben Westbeech aka Breach is moments away from hitting the big time in the dance music world thanks to his jazz-inspired style.

Shadow Child

The basics

One of the smallest weekend festivals in the country, the tiny field in Redhill still manages to attract some of the hottest bands from multiple scenes.

The festival

Attracting a relatively young audience, Redfest is perfect for testing the water if you’ve never been to a festival before. Without the worry of getting lost, the intimate festival provides a chilled atmosphere with some huge acts.

Focusing on music rather than side-attractions, Redfest has catered to a variety of tastes ever since it started in 2007. The festival has a great reputation for putting on acts destined for greatness such as Ed Sheeran, Bastille and Laura Marling, along with a rammed after-party in the silent disco.

If inoffensive singer songwriters and middle of the road indie bands aren’t for you and you want something a bit (or a lot) heavier, there’s the Total Uprawr Stage filled with the UK’s hottest hard rock and metal bands.

Festival Baby tip

For every great festival band, there’s always a poor one and if music fans don’t like you, they’ll let you know about it – usually in the form of bombarding you with plastic bottles. It’s hilarious for us, but probably quite painful for them.

Daphne and Celeste – Reading 2000  

Seriously, why were American pop duo Daphne and Celeste booked to perform at Reading Festival? Performing just before Blink 182, Rage Against The Machine and Slipknot, it was never going to end well for the poor girls. Belted with plastics bottle, toilet roll, half eaten food and all kinds of unidentifiable liquids from the word go, Daphne and Celeste had no chance.  

Lethal Bizzle – Download 2008

One of the first rappers to ever play the predominantly rock and metal festival Download in 2008. Despite the crowd being extremely hostile at the start by thrashing Bizzle with bottles and pots of Muller Rice, Bizzle turned those frowns upside down and by the end had everyone chanting his name.

50 Cent – Reading 2004

With his right-hand man G-Unit by his side, 50 Cent seemed pumped to give the Reading crowd a show to remember. However, it ended up being remembered for all the wrong reasons. Enduring 20 minutes of bottles, the rapper decided that was enough and hasn’t returned since.

The Wildhearts – Download 2008

Unlike the other artists on the list, The Wildhearts were bottled for all the RIGHT reasons. Performing not long after Lethal Bizzle’s controversial performance, the band caught wind of what was happening and decided to encourage the crowd to throw everything they could lay their hands on from tents to eggs. By the end the stage floor looked like the after-math of a horror film. Good job.

Cher Lloyd – V Fest 2012

The basics

The UK’s premier metal festival. Now heading into its thirteenth year, Bloodstock continues to expand, giving over 13 thousand metal heads a place to call home for a weekend.

The festival

With no silent discos, no comedians and no DJs; Bloodstock is the festival for those dedicated to metal. From 80s heavy metal bands such as Saxon to today's most talked about speed metal acts like Hatebreed, if you love all things loud, Bloodstock is the place for you.

Bloodstock's increasing popularity has resulted in the size of the festival expanding with some of the world's biggest metal bands begging to be on the lineup. Headlined in 2014 by thrash metal legends Megadeth, Down and Emperor, the level of talent on the lineup is becoming more impressive by the year.

Now including 'new blood' and 'unsigned'; stages, Bloodstock is dedicated to promoting up-and-coming acts so you can easily come out with a new favourite band, or see an act before they become the next Metallica.

Festival Baby tip

Mumford and Sons – Glastonbury 2013

Even though they had only released two albums at the time, Mumford and Sons always seemed like a natural fit for headliner status at Glastonbury. The band didn’t make the set just about themselves though – they soon turned it into a celebration for new acts finally getting a break at Glastonbury, as they invited fellow friends The Staves, The Vaccines, Vampire Weekend and First Aid Kit to close off the set with them.

Beyonce – Glastonbury 2011

After Jay-Z headlined Glastonbury in 2008 and caused a right stir, it was anyone's guess who could headline in the future. Fittingly, the next leftfield booking was Beyonce – the first female pop singer to headline the festival. With backing dancers and huge ballads like Halo there was no stopping Beyonce from proving she had every right to be on that stage.

Biffy Clyro – Reading 2013

After almost 20 years of hard graft on the touring circuit, the hard work finally paid off at Reading Festival 2013 when the Scottish trio took their weird yet mainstream alt-rock to the headline slot. With an incredible stage setup, pyro and smashed guitars, Biffy Clyro gave everyone something to go home talking about.

Slipknot – Download 2009

With many metal fans doubting at the time that Slipknot could actually headline a festival the size of Download, the nine piece had something to prove from the start. The term 'smashing it' would be an understatement. With almost two hours of heavy metal hits, pyro and mosh pits, Slipknot certainly cemented their headliner status.

Snow Patrol V Festival 2009

The basics

Running for over 20 years, Guilfest is renowned for being one of the most chilled out festivals you can pitch a tent at with the whole family.

The festival

With previous lineups including artists such as Kool and the Gang, Boney M and…. Jedward? Guildford’s own GuilFest likes to showcase a bizarre mix of acts, but the crowd laps it up year after year.

If the main lineup isn't your thing, there’s plenty more on offer elsewhere at the festival. For the kids there’s the aptly named KidZone, where you can expect appearances from Peppa Pig and Postman Pat.

For the older, more grumpy teenagers there’s the Big Cheese Cave with a selection of rock and metal bands bound to scare away a Jedward fan or two. So, approach with caution. And as for the dads, there’s the Vive Le Rock stage where they can reminisce on their punk rock childhood.

One thing’s for sure, it's impossible to get bored at Guilfest, regardless of your age.

Festival Baby tip

One of the best parts of festivals is, of course, being part of massive sing-alongs to some of the best songs ever written. Here’s five tracks that get people singing louder than anything else…

Arctic Monkeys – I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor Alex Turner and his Sheffield gang are festival regulars, headlining all over the world on a weekly basis. But without their very first hit single, they might still be on the introducing stage. A bona fide anthem, this gets even Arctic Monkeys' biggest naysayers chanting every word along with them.

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army As one half of The White Stripes, Jack White created the riff that would be emulated at guitar lessons for beginners worldwide. Even though it was released over ten years ago, Seven Nation Army is still one of the biggest anthems of the festival season.  

Tenacious D - Tribute The (sometimes) hilarious actor Jack Black and his band Tenacious D released what has become the number one song that gets entire fields singing in unison all day and night, not missing out a single word. Whether you like to act like the devil in the music video or try your hand at Black’s bizarre vocal techniques, it’s a hilarious 4am sing-along… apart for the people trying to sleep.

Blur - Song 2 If you’re still arguing over Oasis vs Blur, just take a look at the reactions the latter receive every time they bust out Brit-pop anthem Song 2. Making thousands of fans losing their voices over the years, it’s clear that Blur have one of the biggest summer sing-alongs under their belts.

The basics

Independent hardcore and metal festival set at Leeds University with mosh pits everywhere you look.

The festival

Committed to the hottest and heaviest metal and harcore bands on the scene, Ghostfest attracts a bigger crowd every year.

The festival's dedicated following take over Leeds University for two days every year, making the students hide in their dorms in fear of wandering into one of the many mosh pits of the weekend.

Never failing to impress, Ghostfest always has metal fans drooling from the mouth with their lineups. The festival is guaranteed to get you moshing all day and night long.

Tickets sell out every year so don't leave it till the last minute.

Festival Baby tip

It's not all about music at Bestival and Camp Bestival, which pride themselves on their unique, ambitious and varied selection of food and drink stands. Here’s a rundown of our favourite five…

The Cake Shop Bakery (Feast Collective)

A genuine bakery at a festival is as unlikely as an Outkast reunion, yet Bestival has snapped both of them up. The Cake Shop Bakery’s selection of chocolate cakes will have you foaming from the mouth, putting you right in the mood for the Camp Bestival circus theme.

Nando’s

Our prayers have finally been answered, as Nando's has finally latched on to the festival market. Although you can expect some hefty queues filled with teenagers after a ‘cheeky’ instagram of their spicy lunch, that peri peri chicken is always worth the wait.

The Surplus Supper Club

The three main issues with festival food are price, quality and quantity. Bestival has provided the perfect solution with The Surplus Supper Club, a full-on restaurant dining experience. For just £24, you get a three-course meal with food ranging from mushroom parfait to the ‘ultimate Sunday roast’, ensuring you’re filled up for the entire day.

Local Farmers Market

Get stuck in to the Isle of Wight’s local and organic foods at the Local Farmers Market. Whether it’s the island seafood or homemade burgers, the market is sure to be a daily visit.

Wholefood Heaven (Feast Collective)

The basics

One of the UK’s only travelling festivals, Slam Dunk is the country’s answer to the Warped Tour, filled with the best pop-punk bands on the planet.

The festival

Lineup-wise Slam Dunk Festival basically brings Kerrang TV to life by providing a more comprehensive emphasis on pop-punk and hardcore compared to any other festival around. Taking place in three locations over the summer, it lets you relive your youth with older acts as well as the bands tipped to be the next in line for that veteran status just before they head into rock ‘n’ roll stardom. Either way, you’re guaranteed to have a whole day of crowd surfing and excessive drinking.

The festival is also known for its outrageous afterparties. Going on until the early hours, Slam Dunk don’t just throw anybody on the decks. Trust us, you will not want to have an early night at Slam Dunk.

Festival Baby tip

Ghostfest

Held on the Leeds University campus, Ghostfest is becoming increasingly popular in the metal scene. Now in its ninth year, you can expect to see heavy acts such as Memphis May Fire and alcohol at student union prices.

Camp Bestival

Camp Bestival is like Bestival’s little and even more laid back brother. The festival is suited to all ages with its family friendly atmosphere and attractions such as a silent disco, a kids area and even a poetry tent.

Slam Dunk

Having just won a Kerrang Award for festival of the year, Slam Dunk Festival and the near fifty acts it has to offer tours the South, North and Midlands over one weekend. With the after party going on until 4am, you’re best to book a hotel.

Redfest

On a tiny field in Redhill, Surrey, Redfest is one of the country’s most intimate festivals. Displaying a broad range of genres from indie headliner Peace to metal titans Skindred and even reggae band The Skints, it’s certainly a festival for the open minded.

Great Escape Festival

Brighton’s biggest weekend of the year, The Great Escape is the UK’s answer to the SXSW Festival. With a mixture of music and conferences, you can expect to see industry types seeking out the next best thing.

The basics

Brighton hosts a weekend of mainstream and underground bands looking to set a buzz for themselves that has journalists, label bosses and music fans (of course) flocking to the beach.

The festival

Acting as the breeding ground for bands tipped to be the next hot topic on the music scene, The Great Escape Festival shares similarities to Austin's SXSW Festival, just with added summer vibes set just by Brighton Beach.

Known as the place to go to check out bands before they become radio favourites, Great Escape gives you the chance to see bands in the smallest venues just before they make the move to some of the biggest.

The Great Escape is also the ideal festival for those looking to break into the industry behind the scenes. With an extensive music industry convention covering subjects varying from running a label to whether pop music has a misogyny problem, whatever you’re interested in you get a huge opportunity to make some very important contacts at The Great Escape.

Festival Baby tip

We love it when a band breaks all the rules and jumps off the stage. It’s the security team's worst nightmare, but makes for an inspired festival moment. These five bands have it down to fine art…

Baby Godzilla

Hot off the 2014 Kerrang Tour, Baby Godzilla are one of the most talked about bands in rock today for their outrageous live shows. You can imagine them saying “stage? What’s a stage?” You’ll find the band playing everywhere except where they’re meant to.

Limp Bizkit

Aging nu-metal icon Limp Bizkit are renowned for both their live performances and their really dated songs (Rollin’ anybody?) but ever since they reunited in 2009, vocalist Fred Durst set out to prove that they still meant business by getting up close and personal with the fans. Still touring massive venues and festivals today, it seemed to have worked.

Thirty Seconds to Mars

Sometimes a singer, often an actor; we’d suggest Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto sticks with the rockstar bit. Anyone of Leto’s magnitude who casually walks through more than 80,000 screaming fans at Rock Am Ring like he’s taking a stroll through the park gets our respect.

Trash Talk

Known as one of the most mental live bands on the planet, Trash Talk are the go-to band on the hardcore scene. Constantly jumping into the crowd getting them to scream the words back at them, all within touching distance. We can’t help but think it must be annoying for the people at the back watching an empty stage.

Letlive

Find yourself checking out the dance tent at festivals but never know who are the best DJs to see? Here's five of the best on the festival circuit this summer that will have you raving all night long…

Sub Focus

Currently one of the most popular and sought-after producers in the UK, Sub Focus is touring all summer long. Known for his dubstep and drum and bass radio anthems, his live performances bring those songs to extraordinary life. With his unrivalled stage show and rave ready singles, Sub Focus can’t be missed this summer.

Catch him at: Exit, Lovebox, Tomorrowland, Benicassim, Secret Garden Party, Pukkelpop, V Fest, Creamfields, Tomorroworld

Cholombian

Nobody on the UK electronic scene are making a name for themselves faster than UK producer Mitchell Stevens, aka Cholombian. His R&B-influenced ambient EP Saccharine has gained radio play from Huw Stevens, Rob Da Bank and Gilles Peterson. Catch him live this summer before all your mates discover him next summer.

Catch him at: Camp Bestival, Bestival, Blissfields, Tramlines

Cashmere Cat

Still trying to get his foot in the door, the Norwegian producer is slowly tapping away at the electronic scene. With track Mirror Maru getting featured on Grand Theft Auto V, the buzz around Cashmere Cat and his genre-bending remixes this summer is the highest it’s ever been.

Catch him at: Pukkelpop, Lowlands and Positiv

Ryan Hemsworth

The Canadian born producer has been causing heads to turn all over the world with his unique remixes of everyone from Frank Ocean to Lana Del Rey to Backstreet Boys. If Hemsworth’s latest album Guilt Trips is anything to go by, his festival sets will be non stop hip-hop and R&B enlightenment.

Catch him at: Pukkelpop and MS Docksville,

Gorgon City

There’s not a duo in the electronic music scene currently being talked about more than Gorgon City. After reaching the top five in the UK Singles Chart with 'Ready For Love', the North London pair are ready to cause a storm on the festival circuit.

Catch them at: Glastonbury, Hideout, Exit, Global Gathering, Pukkelpop, Leeds, Reading and Bestival

Cholombian is an upcoming R&B-influenced ambient producer. Having just been taken under the wing of Rob Da Bank, Cholombian is no stranger to festivals; making his Glastonbury debut last year. Before he hits the circuit for another year we had a chat with Cholombian about all things festival.

Favourite fancy dress outfit? "When I was at uni, I dressed up as Edward Scissorhands. I never really go all out with costumes, but since then, I've gone pretty nuts with it at Bestival. The Edward costume was amazing, although the massive shears on my hands made drinking my G&Ts a chore."

Dream festival lineup?
 "It'd be really eclectic. I'd have acts play that mean something to me. Stankonia was the first hip hop album I ever bought, so Outkast would be in there. Slipknot were the first live band I ever saw so they would be in there. Major Lazer are the ultimate festival act, so I'd have them on. I think I'd do a bit of act curating too, put together something special. The first thing I would have would be Lana Del Rey performing with Danny Elfman and a huge orchestra. That's a dream in my eyes. I'd also have The Blood Brothers, Prince, Nirvana, DJ Rashad, Chic, Blood Orange, Clams Casino and a perhaps a Lord of the Mics legends cypher in there too."

Top three festival essentials? 
 "I think the most essential thing is an open mind. A festival is such a great opportunity to experience things you've never been exposed to before. Being open to new things is integral to that. I think positivity is a massive must, too. No one likes an unwelcoming person at a festival. You're all there for the same reason, so enjoy the weekend and each other. Also, great company. Festivals are always amazing, but they're made perfect by having your special people around you to experience these moments with you."

Best festival memory? 
"From a purely selfish perspective, headlining the Ambient Lake stage at Bestival last year was incredible. The place was so packed and the atmosphere was incredible, with the surroundings being beautiful. It's one of those moments I'll take with me forever. I'm looking forward to making more this summer too!"

You can catch Cholombian at Blissfields, Camp Bestival, Bestival and Tramlines Festival this summer

Promoters love to put the cat among the pigeons by booking acts from outside the festival's usual oeuvre. When it works it's an act of genius. When it doesn't, the bottles rain down. So, yeah, good luck at Sonisphere this year, Chas & Dave!

The Good

Jay Z - Glastonbury Festival 2008

One of the first times Glastonbury gained an extreme amount of criticism for one of their headliner choices. But within moments of hitting the stage Jay-Z proved that there’s without a doubt a place for Hip-Hop at Worthy Farm. He’s got 99 Problems but Glasto aint one.  

Pendulum - Download Festival 2008

Download had previously taken a punt on dance music with The Prodigy, however the dedicated rock and metal audience of Download Festival weren’t as keen on the booking of Pendulum who were relatively unknown at the time. However, the dance band won over the audience seamlessly with an incredible stage show and a cheeky Metallica cover.

Madness - Reading 2011

Reading Festival is becoming increasingly popular with the younger generation, so when Madness were added to the 2011 lineup a lot of ticket buyers had to ask their parents exactly who they are. Once they arrived no questions as such were necessary, as Suggs et al immediately reminded the Reading crowd why ska music was once so loved, getting everyone on their feet skanking it out.

The Bad

Chas and Dave - Sonisphere

They might not have played yet, but can you really imagine the cockney duo getting a field full of metalheads on their side? We’re scared of the consequences. However, they do have a few songs perfect for drinking in the sun, so if the weather's on their side they might just surprise everyone.

Eminem - Reading

Some loved him, some absolutely loathed him. Never before at Reading has there been such a split opinion on a headline act, not least thanks to claims that he mimed for the majority of the set. Despite having an arsenal of fan favourite songs, Mr Mathers was a gamble that didn’t particularly pay off.

The Ugly

My Chemical Romance - Download

Every festival needs new talent to headline in order to not become stagnant and filled with nostalgia acts. Though booking My Chemical Romance at the height of the emo movement to headline Download Festival might have been a step too far. Receiving more bottles than applause, MCR have skipped Download on the festival circuit ever since.