Wireless Festival - Hyde Park, London - Friday 6th July 2012 (Live Review)
Monday, 16 July 2012
Written by Jack Pudwell
Due to public transport woes, Stereoboard only just make it into the arena to catch the tail end of Metric’s set, and although their closing explosion of psychedelic noise and whirring synths seems enticing to us, the reaction of the extremely sparse crowd appears to be that of indifference.
Thankfully the punters awaiting ARAABmuzik over at the Barclaycard Unwind stage seem somewhat more enthusiastic. The lone dubstep producer’s furiously adept, lightning fast sampling skills win the crowd over instantly, and remain infinitely captivating throughout the duration of his 45 minute set. We’re surprised his insanely strong fingers haven’t yet pummelled through the table he’s working behind, to be honest.
As an artist that was highlighted in Stereoboard’s ‘Top 5 Wireless Must-Sees’ list, it comes as no great surprise to us when Santigold’s set is practically flawless. Throwing in choice cuts from her debut and sophomore records, as well as a Major Lazer tune (in which she is joined onstage by a pantomime horse), her infusion of sparky, dub-infused pop goes down a treat, with a particular highlight being the stage invasion she incites for ‘Creator’.
Over on the main stage, Jimmy Fallon’s house band, aka The Roots treat the still-sparse, yet appreciative crowd to a stellar set of their trademark amalgamation of flawless musicianship and thoughtful hip-hop. Seeing powerhouse drummer Questlove pound away throughout the duration of their set proves to be a particular treat.
Although the field has filled up significantly by the time Deadmau5 arrives, the venue still feels somewhat... roomy. Thankfully Joel Zimmerman fills that void with world-beating, stadium-battering EDM, uniting practically everybody in his vicinity in their need to dance (or flail wildly from where Stereoboard are standing). By the end of his set, we imagine that even people who can hear the event over a mile away are bobbing their heads in appreciation. Same time next year, Wireless?
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Thankfully the punters awaiting ARAABmuzik over at the Barclaycard Unwind stage seem somewhat more enthusiastic. The lone dubstep producer’s furiously adept, lightning fast sampling skills win the crowd over instantly, and remain infinitely captivating throughout the duration of his 45 minute set. We’re surprised his insanely strong fingers haven’t yet pummelled through the table he’s working behind, to be honest.
