The first NTS festival in Burgess Park came with little information, no faqs or T&Cs, no knowing of what to expect. What was known, however, was the lineup, which offered up something different to other day festivals across London. The only major names on the bill being Theo Parrish and JPEGMafia. Theo DJing for 6 hours from 1 on the dance stage and JPEG headlining the live stage, making up the two stages in total. That said, the other acts on the bill were great artists and probably ones other festivals wouldn’t book to try and maximise sales (think Field Day). Maybe that’s why we were served so many ads, but it was good to see NTS stick to what it believes in: don’t assume.
After catching Mansur Brown bring a bit of air to the heat in the day, Theo Parrish took over for the rest of the afternoon. We’ve all heard the stories over the years of seeing Theo play out. The same track for an hour one year in Barcelona in order to make sure dancers were on the floor; Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit; and listened to the Plastic People thank you mix repeatedly. The dance stage was a small tent, while the crowd stood in the open air on a small hill which rose slightly as the crowd went back. There was an impressive tree to the left which offered shade to those looking to get away from the sun. On reflection, you didn’t really feel you were in Burgess Park, but this is what outdoor festivals do, in a way, homogeneous the space with tall green fences, portaloos, and security in green vests.
The sound on occasion wasn’t as great as it could have been. More than once heavy crackling boomed out from the speakers. There were a couple of clangers too, but Theo continued with a wry smile, rattling through all sorts of genres disco to jazz to The Fall. The afternoon continued and the crowd filled up, little pockets started to face each other dancing in a circle. I broke out for a moment to go to the loo with an hour left to go in his set. I marched back over from the toilets to the spot where my friends were, sensing confusion in the crowd, wondering what was going on, only then releasing there was of course an Opera song blurring out from the speakers. It was one of the most arresting moments I have experienced in any sort of dance or festival. Feeling as though I was in some sort of period drama, Wolf Hall flashing before my eyes. It was a bolt from the blue. But then, this is what to expect when seeing Theo: the unexpected.
Away from Theo Parrish’s epic 6 hour set on the DJ stage (which is perfect to dip in and out of throughout the day, popping by for a big disco/operatic drop or two), Nala Sinephro is being incredibly vibey on the Live stage. Is there anything better than standing in a field, can of £6.50 lager in hand, the sun on your back, as Nala and her band of ridiculously talented friends (special shout out to the sax/clarinet play, oh my) construct jazzy odysseys to get lost in? Well maybe there is, but it comes very close to being the perfect afternoon bliss-out.
That perfection may have come from Helen. Is there anything better than standing in a field, can of £6.50 lager in hand, the sun on your back, as Liz Harris of Grouper fame and her band of ridiculously talented friends construct scuzzed out shoegaze-dream-pop to get lost in? On reflection, no there is not. This is a surprise resurrection, the for-one-album-only band never having been to the UK before, and it’s a return that pays dividends today. You can barely make out Harris’ vocals, so lost in the shoegaze fuzz as they are, but somehow it makes things even more wonderful. Eyes closed, walls of guitars washing over us, it’s the noise bath we needed as a respite from the beats.
The day has hardly been short on energy - shout out to Crystallmess’ all too brief hour on the DJ stage, and thanks for the Whitney drop (the opera track Theo played was of Whitney’s mum cousin, Leontyne Price) - but here comes JPEGMAFIA to ratchet things up a notch or two anyway. On somewhat of a roll after the his recent thrilling collab with Danny Brown (some of which gets and airing this eve, despite the absence of Brown), the most exciting producer in rap bounds across the stage variously rapping his own material (Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot being an early highlight), Scaring the Hoes cuts, and autotuned Carly Rae Jepson covers (you have not experienced joy until a field full of slightly fucked East Londoners belt out an unexpected ‘Call Me Maybe’). It’s a whirlwind of the most forward thinking beats in hip hop aligned with Peggy’s wild energy, delivering a pure shot of adrenaline as we head into the balmy South London night.
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