Situated in the heart of the Hampshire countryside, Blissfields celebrates its 15th birthday this year. With a truly impressive and varied line up, Laura Cox takes a look at some of this year’s must see acts.
Public Service Broadcasting
Public Service Broadcasting are headlining at this year’s Blissfields
Public Service Broadcasting last performed at Blissfields in 2013 and will be returning as headliners for this year’s festival. Their album The Race for Space was released in 2015 to critical acclaim and charted within the top 20 on the UK album charts. Public Service Broadcasting are a perfect fit for this year’s “Somewhere in Time” theme; the Guardian accurately summarises their music as “a winning combination of guitars, electronics and vintage public information films”. Head to the Main Stage on the Friday of the festival to catch their set.
Gengahr
North London alternative quartet Gengahr will be performing in The Den on the Friday of the festival. Their highly anticipated debut album A Dream Outside was released recently. NME labels their sound as “a blend of beautifully tender lyrics and sultry guitars”. This band is definitely one to watch.
Cosmo Sheldrake
Cosmo Sheldrake plays at Blissfields for the second year in a row
Cosmo Sheldrake returns to Blissfields having performed at the festival in 2014. He’s a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer and producer who regularly plays a wide range of instruments including banjo, loop station, keyboards, double bass, drums, penny whistle and sousaphone among others during his performances. Sheldrake’s music has an almost dreamlike quality to it; his work is concerned with “play and nonsense” and makes for a genre defying outcome. Catch Cosmo Sheldrake at the Main Stage on the Saturday of the festival.
John Grant
American singer-songwriter John Grant headlines the Saturday of the festival. His album Pale Green Ghosts received much critical acclaim on its release in 2013. It’s the first time Grant has performed at Blissfields and his uniquely intense and emotional sound is highly anticipated.
Simian Mobile Disco
It’s traditional for the Saturday night of Blissfields to be headlined by a dance or electronic act and this year is no exception. English electronic duo Simian Mobile Disco are sure to get the crowd ready for a night of dancing in the Hidden Hedge which lies ahead! Their popular mixes include Beth Ditto’s ‘Cruel Intentions’ and Muse’s ‘Knights of Cydonia’ in addition to four studio albums of their own. Prepare to be dancing throughout their set!
Blissfields 2015 takes place from the 2nd to the 4th of July at Vicarage Farm. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Blissfields website.
