Glastonbury, the goliath of the British festival-going calendar, is just 2 months away and whilst it’s ticket-holders are praying for nothing but sunshine, Plain & Simple has been eagerly anticipating the announcement of its full lineup, which looks set to have fans of all musical tastes looking ahead to June 24th with even more excitement…
Glastonbury, in recent years in particular, has become renowned for controversial lineups and although 2011 is certainly no repeat of the Jay-Z saga of 2008 (despite this year’s Sunday night headliner being his other half) it has its fair share of surprise inclusions in the full lineup list.
Two of Glastonbury 2011's more extra-ordinary acts: Beyonce & Wu Tang Clan
Beyoncé is a stand-out name as she heads up the ‘Pyramid Stage’ on the Sunday whilst the likes of Wu Tang Clan (Friday) and Plan B (Sunday) also seem typically unpredictable artists for the festival’s main stage. The ever-growing mass appeal of Glastonbury festival will no doubt be boosted this year by a stunning lineup in the ‘Dance Village’ but the dance and electro acts aren’t confined just to the dedicated dance stage, as plenty of big names pepper the festival from the ‘Pyramid’ to the ‘John Peel Stage’.
Delivering what promises to be an unforgettable live mix of material from Endtroducing, The Private Press and The Outsider, headlining the ‘John Peel Stage’ is DJ Shadow. The Californian trip/hip-hop and electro producer is a brilliant and unmissable act at this year’s festival.
California's DJ Shadow who will headline the John Peel Stage
Headlining the Saturday on the ‘Other Stage’ will be Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands, better known as the masters of big beat house music Chemical Brothers. As staples of the British house music scene, and renowned globally for their stunning live shows, Chemical Brothers will be another must-see at Glasto’ ’11.
Whilst the ‘Pyramid Stage’ is dominated with traditionally rock and pop oriented acts (such as 2011’s headliners Coldplay and U2) there are a handful of acts that break the mould, making for a more eclectic mix than ever before. The iconic New York rap collective Wu-Tang Clan slot in interestingly between indie kids Two Door Cinema Club and blues and soul legend B.B.King on the ‘Pyramid Stage’ on Friday.
Also making appearances on the infamous ‘Pyramid Stage’ are electro 4-piece Metronomy and two of London’s biggest names in grime and R’n’B Tinie Tempah and Plan B.
Dubstep duo Chase & Status to appear on the West Holts Stage
Notable acts to catch on the ‘West Holts Stage’ are the dubstep duo of the moment Chase and Status who will be performing an electrifying set of material from their debut album as well as the fantastic sophomore effort No More Idols. They’ll be followed by Friday’s ‘West Holts’ headliner Cee-Lo Green.
Now for the best bit.
2011’s ‘Dance Village’ is jam-packed with an incredible lineup of dance, drum ‘n’ bass, dubstep and electro too that will keep your feet moving all weekend!
Dance Village Headliners: Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim, Skream & Benga
Pillars of the dance world will be headlining the ‘Dance Stage’ this year at Glastonbury as Carl Cox will take to the decks as Friday’s headline DJ and Fatboy Slim will follow a night later as the Saturday headliner. Sunday is headed up by two of the best, if not the best, artists and forefathers in dubstep, Skream and Benga. As 2/3 of dubstep super-group Magnetic Man these two know how to put on a show and promise to deliver an epic set to a crowd of thousands.
Other recommended highlights of this year’s ‘Dance Village’ Stage include Katy B who has risen to stardom in a flash following her debut album On A Mission’s success and impressive guest vocals for two of Magnetic Man’s best tracks. Rumours would suggest that Katy will join Skream & Benga for live performances of Crossover and Perfect Stranger on the Sunday night.
Radio 1 regulars Annie Mac and Pete Tong are also likely to deliver huge sets of the biggest and best in dance music whilst Caspa and his MC Rod Azlan will be on hand with a generous helping of Caspa’s inimitable sample-laden dubstep. Subfocus & ID and DJ Fresh will no doubt provide Glastonbury-goers with their fair share of drum ‘n’ bass while more vocally-oriented acts such as Professor Green, Ms. Dynamite and Kesha will be on hand with their chart-topping tracks.
Full ‘Dance Village’ Lineup:
+ CARL COX + FATBOY SLIM + SKREAM & BENGA +
+ KATY B + PROFESSOR GREEN + ANNIE MAC + LABIRINTH + KESHA+
+ PETE TONG + EROL ALKAN + PHOTEX + DEVLIN + JOHN DIGWEED +
+ CLAUDE VONSTROKE + SKEPTA + THE MIDNIGHT BEAST + WRETCH 32 + SUBFOCUS & ID +
+ THE JAPANESE POPSTARS + SANDER KLEINENBERG + 5K FEATURING DEV + STEVE LAWLER + YOUSEF +
+ JAMES HOLDEN + DJ FRESH + ZINC + JAMIE XX + CASPA FT. MC ROD AZLAN + JAH SHAKA + MS. DYNAMITE +
