Festival Review: Jungle - All Points East // Victoria Park, London // August 2023
Day four of East London's All Point East festival had all the hallmarks of a UK summer festival.
Topping the days stacked billing were London funk/soul ensemble Jungle (in a UK festival exclusive) with an impressive cast of support from Erykah Badu, RAYE, Folamour, BADBADNOTGOOD, Nia Archives, The Blessed Madonna and Gabriels amongst many others.
Those arriving early through the gates at Victoria Park saw their enthusiasm rewarded with an apocalyptic thunderstorm which brought torrential rains and lightning of such severity that, for a short time, performances were halted on all stages.
However, by the time US gospel act Gabriels took the stage in the late afternoon, the storm clouds had passed and the hitherto coy sunshine brought with it a spectacular double rainbow, providing an ethereal backdrop to the East Stage where powerhouse frontman Jacob Lusk (looking incredibly dapper in a decadent red suit and gown) and band buoyed any damp spirits with outstanding renditions of recent hits ‘Love and Hate in a Different Time’ and ‘Blame’.
In the midst of a soaring set packed with gospel-influenced tracks from debut album Angels & Queens, Lusk also took time to pay tribute to one of his musical heroes, Tina Turner; singing an excerpt of the late legends ‘Private Dancer’ much to approval of the now party-ready crowd.
Meanwhile, over at the Cupra North Arena Stage (let’s call it what it is, the “dance tent”), a daylight rave had broken out as Nia Archives sent a healthy-sized crowd into raptures with a dizzying set of jungle and drum and bass cuts; the pinnacle of which was ‘Off Wiv Ya Headz’. Her supercharged re-edit of Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs ‘Heads Will Roll’ had fans clambering on shoulders or otherwise dancing wildly whilst belting out Karen O’s legendary refrain. Riding out the high, Nia too looked like she was having as much fun as her audience.
Briefly thereafter and just a short walk away, huge cheers announced the arrival of BADBADNOTGOOD to the West Stage. The Canadian instrumental trio, virtuosos in their own right, wove a mesmerising and remarkable concoction of jazz and psychedelia, taking tracks from each of their arsenal of studio albums to deliver a tight and memorable set.
With ponchos and umbrellas happily folded away or otherwise responsibly discarded, the sunshine and party costumes were both on full display as a huge throng of revellers now headed back across the sated expanses of grass to catch the start of native Londoner RAYE on the East Stage. The empowering singer-songwriter saw her debut album My 21st Century Blues nominated for the 2023 Mercury Prize, an honour more than justified in the eyes – and ears – of all lucky enough to catch her hour-long set. Looking at home on the main stage, RAYE and supporting band confidently navigated a whole spectrum of emotions with soulful and hard-hitting tracks from the recent LP – and a little sage advice in between (“Don’t date rappers!” - apparently).
An unfortunate clash just after 8pm meant that loyalties, and doubtlessly friendship groups too, were split between the ebullient French DJ Folamour over in the dance tent and star-of-the-undercard Erykah Badu on the West Stage. Those who elected to catch Erykah Badu, would have missed an electrifying array of disco/house belters from the ever-bucket-hatted (a wildly underused multihyphen) Folamour who whipped up the swollen crowd into frenzied and unashamed hedonistic revelry before finally and inevitably dropping Abba’s ‘Gimme, Gimme, Gimme’ - which, for those in the know, is a rerun of objectively the greatest Boiler Room moment of all time.
In an only-slightly more sedate and no less enjoyable scene outside, the Queen of Neo-Soul, Erykah Badu, was effortlessly justifying her moniker and delighting her excitable audience with a selection of career-spanning tracks. With her ensemble first taking to the stage each clad in orange boilersuits, a technicoloured Erykah Badu finally emerged amongst a building wall of funky grooves wearing one of the days standout outfits (jostling for top-spot alongside the aforementioned Mr Jacob Lusk). A seasoned performer with unquestionably cool stage presence and irresistible talent, Badu was on top form deftly unleashing some of her greatest and most loved tracks; ‘Window Seat’, ‘Appletree’, ‘Bag Lady’ and – of course – ‘On & On’ were notable crowd-pleasers. And please the crowd she did, taking time to acknowledge the thousands swaying in the stage lights before her: “My name is Erykah Badu. I like y’all. I love you London.”
As Erykah’s sublime set came to a close with a gorgeous rendition of 1997’s soul hit ‘Tyrone’ and with a full days roster of top-tier music already enjoyed, a red curtain was drawn across the mainstage as stagehands busied themselves preparing for the main event.
With all warm bodies on the site now converging at the East Stage for the headline act, there were excited conversations around Jungle’s potential setlist – in no small part owing to the recent release of fourth studio album ‘Volcano’. The new LP full of fresh and never-heard-live material was as eagerly anticipated as the beloved, now almost decade old (!!!), tracks from the eponymous debut.
And as the velvet curtain finally fell, revealing the band and their impressive staging (naturally centring around a huge backdrop featuring the trademark Jungle branding which has featured on each of their album covers), the band launched straight into Volcano’s pulsating opening track ‘Us Against The World’. Already there were shrieks of delight, flailing arms and huge smiles all around. The band themselves seemed cool, content, comfortable and the sound (stage front-left) was good by London park festival standards as the ensemble, centred around founding duo Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland, moved through the gears and reached at all corners and eras of their neo-soul/funk discography. ‘The Heat’ - undoubtably a fan favourite from earlier years – and ‘Heavy California’ got an early airing; the latter tracks falsetto choral hook proving particularly infectious.
A mid-set outing for Volcano’s standout track ‘Back on 74’ was embraced with much excitement, as many heard the recent 70’s-tinged single played live for the first time. ‘All of the Time’, ‘Good Times’ and ‘Keep Moving’ are equally noteworthy performances if not least for their singalong and danceability – neither of those in short supply amongst a crowd which in truth were already won over before a word was sung or note played. The ensemble worked tirelessly and dynamically throughout to keep the energy high and bodies moving, with some tracks segueing into sprawling, high-BPM, almost club reworkings. Having delivered a fine-tuned and joyously upbeat setlist, which it must be said was as well selected as it was performed, some twenty-two songs later there was still time and energy enough for a spectacular finale; and in a wonderfully crafted arc it was ‘Time’ and ‘Busy Earnin’’ which brought proceedings to a close; two huge numbers which catapulted Jungle to critical-acclaim and started the journey towards the stage they now departed to huge adulation.
It's worth mentioning that this was Jungles first headline festival slot. It will not be their last.
Words by Elliott Houchell
Images provided by The Outside Organisation // Photo Credit: Jennifer McCord
