End Of The Road Festival: Top Sets To Check Out
Another year of the blooming festival in Wiltshire means another display of some of the most impressive musical talent in the world, which in past years has hosted the likes of King Gizzard, The Pixies, Fontaines D.C, Parquet Courts, Tame Impala, Mac DeMarco and Beach House.
Having a knack for booking artists which tend to quickly rise shortly after the festival, last year including acts such as Mercury Prize nominees The Last Dinner Party, has even higher aims this year having already booked two other Mercury Prize frontrunners in English Teacher and CMAT.
Headlining this year will be the magnificent IDLES, the bristol-based punk band turned worldwide sensation after one of the most iconic Glastonbury sets ever earlier this year.
Other headliners include the iconic shoegaze group Slowdive, the experimental art-rock visionaries of Fever Ray, the dazzling punk duo of Sleater-Kinney, along with indie luminaries Yo La Tengo who return to the festival once more.
The first night will see Richard Dawson take the main stage, a pioneer in the realms of the UK underground scene, with an intriguing avant-folk sound and profound story-telling.
The indie, folk and alt-country maestro Bonnie Prince Billy will then take over, well known for his spiritual live sets and incredible songwriting.
Apart from CMAT, Sleater-Kinney and IDLES, Friday includes many more exciting acts throughout the day, the Tuareg assouf-blues rockers Mdou Moctar making an appearance, having just released their sixth studio album to high critical acclaim.
The Dublin-based folk prodigies Lankum also take the stage on Friday, their take on contemporary Irish music being widely regarded as one of the most exciting live displays at the moment.
Baxter Dury brings his twisted take on British alternative sound later that night, a truly breathtaking performer that is also likely to deliver a set to remember.
Saturday will include the likes of Richard Hawley, who performed at the very first year of End of the Road back in 2006 and is known for his soft, soothing ballads which have seen him nominated for two Mercury Prizes along with a Brit Award.
Other highlights will surely include the retro and high energy sound of the D’Addario brothers and their band The Lemon Twigs, the boundary-pushing electro-pop brilliance of London-based duo Jockstrap, and some of the most innovating and exciting hip-hop acts in New York rapper Billy Woods and the enigmatic Brit Award winning Casisdead.
Sunday will be absolutely packed with amazing acts, including the timeless R&B of Jalen Ngonda, the synth-driven indie pop of Nation of Language, and a peak into the vast duality of psychedelic-rock with the likes of Slift and Altin Gün, not to mention Ty Segall with a solo acoustic set.
Make no mistake, many that were not mentioned here are acts that may absolutely blow your mind. That is the power of a festival such as End of the Road, a beacon of light which has paved the way for some of the most influential artists worldwide.
Words by Jay Cohen
