After its inaugural event last year, Community festival made its return to Finsbury park last weekend. Featuring a who’s who of indie poppers (The Vaccines, Circa Waves, Two Door Cinema Club), alongside sparky up-and-comers (Yungblud, Pale Waves), it was the perfect soundtrack to a baking hot day. Here’s what went down.
Embracing T-shirt weather
Circa Waves got things going on the main stage, blitzing through a raucous set in front of their trademark red back drop. Chants of ‘Three Lions’ dominated the pauses between songs, with Kieran Shudall egging on the footie sing-a-longs, declaring “England are going to win the World Cup, it’s fucking guaranteed!” Finishing with the one two punch of ‘Stuck in My Teeth’ and ‘T-Shirt Weather’, somehow the audience of rowdy teens managed to summon up the energy to open up swirling mosh pits in the 26C heat.
Jump around
Yungblud found the time to pose for a quick snap, ahead of his effervescent performance on the N4 stage.
Doing it for the ‘gram
We caught up with You Me At Six ahead of their set, to find out about their new album (Josh assures us it’s their best yet) and what else they’ve got planned for the year.
Six of the best
The quintet then put on a blistering set on the main stage, blitzing through a decades worth of tunes in forty minutes. Highlights came in the form of their slinky new single ‘3AM’, and old favourites like ‘Lived a Lie’.
Bad weather for goths
Over on the N4 stage The 1975-protégés Pale Waves treated us to a shimmering set of their sparkling goth-pop.
Class act
Back on the main stage, The Vaccines whipped the army of revellers into a frenzy. Bringing out the big hitters from their opening numbers (‘Nightclub’ followed by ‘Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’), the crowd descended once again into a glorious sweaty mess of mosh pits.
Something old, and something new
Community were also treated to a live debut of new tune, ‘All My Friends’. “I know you’ve come for the ones you know, but we’re going to play one you don’t…I’m a bit nervous” frontman Justin Hayward-Young told the crowd – he needn’t have been, though, as the audience lapped it up.
The main event
Festival headliners Two Door Cinema Club sauntered on stage to Kanye West’s ‘Touch The Sky’, before hitting the ground running with a breathless performance of ‘Undercover Martyn’.
Hit after hit
Thundering through their impressive back catalogue of indie anthems, after over a decade in the industry, the trio show no sign of letting up. The sundrenched ‘This Is the Life’ sounded as good as ever (especially when accompanied by the setting sun), and Madeon produced ‘Changing of the Seasons’ is still a categorical bop.
All good things must end
Finishing with the bouncing ‘Something Good Can Work’ and soaring ‘Sun’ (all by accompanied by fireworks, of course), frontman Alex Trimble needn’t have sung the words, as thousands voices screamed back the words to him. Community? Two Door have completed it mate.
