Liverpool International Music Festival provided a completely free (and rain free) alternative to the Reading and Leeds festivals this weekend. Europe’s biggest free music festival welcomed 40,000 revellers to Sefton Park on the opening night. On day 2, the Sunday night, Labrinth, Naughty Boy and Katy B attracted a 60,000 strong crowd to suburban Liverpool. Alesha Dixon, Echo and the Bunnymen and the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra brought the event to a close with style on Monday night. Aside from the Central Stage, the itsliverpool Stage presented musical talent from the Merseyside city while the Academy Stage showcased new, up and coming bands. Numerous venues in the city centre hosted shows in partnership with LIMF, and Sefton Park’s historic palm house provided an awesome setting for a showcase of international electronic music.
LIMF’s Music Curator, Yaw Owusu, said “I think 2015’s Liverpool International Music Festival has really made a statement about this city’s love, ambition and relationship with music. Without focusing on numbers- which were unprecedented- it is clear this statement has resonated with the people of Liverpool and beyond. The quality, breadth and quantity of the music offer really reflects what we are about at LIMF. Particularly I am really passionate about continuing to push boundaries with the Commissions, the Academy and Partnerships- surpassing existing expectations and winning new audiences. But most of all, we will continue to improve on this event year on year, uniting people in their love for music”.
At 5:30 on Saturday afternoon, it was Anushka’s job to warm up the massive crowds for the night’s headliner, Basement Jaxx. Vocalist Victoria Port announced that the duo had brought the Brighton sunshine with them before producer Max Wheeler launched into a half an hour set of bass-heavy minimal house songs- or in their own words: ‘vocal bass music from the future’. The pair draw parallels to London duo AlunaGeorge.
Next up on the Central Stage was London DJ Jax Jones who co-produced Duke Dumont’s UK number 1 ‘I Got U’. Jax Jones fired through a high-octane house set which featured Sam Feldt’s ‘Show Me Love’ and David Zowie’s ‘House Every Weekend’.
At 8:15, Sefton Park gave a warm welcome to Saturday’s headliners, Basement Jaxx. The London dance duo were joined on stage by a band and several very energetic vocalists- the same crew which went on tour with them and played an amazing show at Latvia’s Positivus Festival this summer. They certainly put on a show. They played tracks such as ‘Back 2 The Wild’, ‘Romeo’, ‘Do Your Thing’ and their first hit; 1999’s ‘Red Alert’. A few tracks from 2014’s album ‘Junto’ were slotted in. But the highlight of the set, and perhaps the day, was the big finale of ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ which sent the crowd wild, Felix Buxton screaming into the mic on the edge of the stage.
Basement Jaxx performing ‘Good Luck’ live at LIMF 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyxAmfCDZFU
Trackdose 