Four days, two stages and a whole lot of Rock’n’Roll, as Sheffield gets its annual dose of musical mayhem…
There’s something rather special about the Rock N Roll Circus. Two stages. No clashes. No agonising decisions about which band you’re going to miss. No checking the timetable every five minutes and wondering if you can make it from one end of Don Valley to the other before the next act starts. Just turn up, shoot, listen, eat something, have a wander and do it all again. I’m three visits into this festival now and, yet again, it has been one of my favourites of the year.
Rock N Roll Circus rolled into Don Valley Bowl from Thursday 27th August to Sunday 30th August, bringing around 40 bands to a site with plenty of history of its own. The old Don Valley Stadium once stood here, hosting major sporting events and some pretty big musical moments, before its demolition in 2013. These days, the Bowl has a rather different purpose. Music, food, circus performers and several thousand people looking for a bloody good weekend.
And they certainly weren’t short of entertainment. Alongside the bands there were jugglers, stilt walkers, a high wire act and, because apparently all of that wasn’t quite enough, a life-sized elephant wandering around the place. Now that was a first!
It’s a proper family festival too, but without losing the music at its heart. There’s something going on without it ever feeling like you’re being dragged from one attraction to another. Plenty of excellent food vendors, plenty of room to breathe and, most importantly for me, a timetable that actually lets you catch every band.
THURSDAY
For me, Day One started with Miles Kane. A pretty good way to kick things off, as it happens. Kane arrived with the swagger you’d expect from someone who has been doing this long enough to know exactly how to work a stage. Against a leopard-print stage set, he launched into his indie-meets-glam-rock set, with the influence of his Nashville sessions clearly showing. Brilliant start.
Next up was Cruz Beckham and the Breakers. There was no sign of Posh or Becks, but Cruz did them proud. Whatever preconceptions you might have had about a Beckham offspring turning up with a guitar, he put them to bed pretty quickly. He clearly impressed others too, having been invited to join The Reytons on their seven-date tour. Their frontman Jonny Yerrell said Cruz “deserves to be recognised outside the family name”. I couldn’t agree more.
Local favourites Milburn went down a storm as they continued their 20th anniversary celebrations for ‘Well, Well, Well’, before heading towards a massive homecoming show at Sheffield’s Electric Studios on 24th October.
Then came Australian sibling trio The Day We Ran, another change of pace, and another reminder that this festival isn’t simply about sticking a few big names on a stage and hoping for the best. They’d only released their debut EP in July and I particularly loved ‘Carolina’. Definitely another one to watch!
Then it was time for The Kooks to round off the opening day, getting the festival properly warmed up before the circus had even really got going.
FRIDAY
Friday brought another mixed bag in a good way, with grime, indie, hip-hop and more than a few changes of pace. Hak Baker opened with an engaging acoustic set that worked perfectly in the early afternoon, followed by Miss Lily, whose soulful vocals and stage presence immediately caught my attention. I loved that she was accompanied by her uncle on guitar too. Another one to watch.
Then things took a turn. Casisdead appeared without his trademark mask and prowled around the stage with producer and DJ Skywave. He has said himself that his music doesn’t really belong to one genre “…if I like a beat I’ll rap over it”. It was moody, theatrical and slightly menacing. No gimmicks required. Loved it. Ellur provided another change of gear with a captivating set that showed exactly why she is becoming one of the region’s most interesting young indie artists.
Then came Pete Doherty and Babyshambles, bringing a healthy dose of mid-2000s indie chaos to the Big Top. It wasn’t polished and it certainly wasn’t supposed to be. It was Babyshambles doing what Babyshambles do.
Khaki Kid followed with a completely different vibe, bringing some laid-back grooves and plenty of personality to the tent. His banter and easy stage presence made him a perfect bridge into the evening.
And then came The Streets. Mike Skinner took over the Big Top and delivered a proper headline performance, running through ‘A Grand Don’t Come For Free’, alongside other big anthems. The place was packed and Skinner knew exactly how to work it.
SATURDAY
Saturday was probably my favourite day of the festival, partly because the weather decided to throw just about everything it had at us but mainly because it was a stunning line up. Goo kicked things off in the Big Top with a punchy set that did exactly what an opening band should do: get people moving.
Basht. followed with something darker, heavier and more post-punk, while Theatre* brought a bit of theatrical madness to the proceedings. They were one of those bands that immediately make you stop what you’re doing and pay attention.
Then Gurriers arrived and basically kicked the door in. Dublin’s post punk tearaways: Fast, noisy, aggressive and absolutely not interested in easing anyone gently into the afternoon. The sort of band that makes you glad you’ve got earplugs and a camera with a fast shutter speed. Brilliant. Well worth tracking down.
Heidi Curtis provided a change of pace afterwards with huge vocals and a much more emotional feel. It was a good reminder of one of the things I like about this festival; the variety.
Then came Westside Cowboy, bringing the energy straight back up with plenty of movement, and they certainly had a lot of support in the crowd. I was very impressed by Reuben Haycocks’ vocals, and they proved to be a bit different to the current crop of indie guitar bands, including a hint of country. Refreshing, and although I’m not a big fan of country, I would go out of my way to give them another listen.
The North kept things moving with a proper northern indie sound and a healthy amount of singing from the crowd. I couldn’t believe how high lead singer Billy Memphis could jump, check out the photo just before he lands in the puddle!
Then Fat Dog turned the Big Top into something resembling a nightclub having a nervous breakdown, led by the charismatic Joe Love who wasted no time jumping into the crowd. Chaos, but brilliant fun. Electro-punk, techno beats, frantic saxophone and people losing whatever dignity they had left. Exactly the sort of glorious nonsense that belongs at Rock N Roll Circus.
And then the heavens opened. Heavy rain soaked the punters and, unfortunately, quite a bit of my camera gear too. But judging by the size of the crowd that gathered for Bleech 9:3, nobody seemed particularly bothered. I’d caught the Irish alt-grunge band at Tramlines and thought they were good. This was something else. Frontman Baz Quinlan jumped into the pit and leaned straight into the crowd. The reaction was instant. From there it was a full-on assault of grunge, distortion and sheer bloody mindedness. For me, they were the standout performance of the afternoon – off the scale.
Baxter Dury wandered on next looking like he’d just popped out for a pint and accidentally found himself headlining a festival. His trademark deadpan delivery and laid-back swagger were a brilliant contrast to what had gone before. His dad would have been proud. (Ian Dury, if you were wondering).
Then The Molotovs, the brother-and-sister duo, completely changed the temperature again. They stormed the stage with bags of attitude and enough energy to power the Don Valley tram system. If you like Paul Weller, you’ll love The Molotovs! Great fun.
By the time Wunderhorse closed the night, the Big Top had seen just about everything. Jacob Slater delivered the emotion, the guitars and the big songs, including ‘Leader of the Pack’, ‘April’ and ‘Midas’. A pretty spectacular way to finish a day that had started in the sunshine and ended with me wondering whether my camera was ever going to dry out…
SUNDAY
The final day started with Sonni Mills, rewarding the early birds with a relaxed, indie-tinged set that felt less like an opening act and more like the soundtrack to the circus slowly coming to life.
Sundress, a four-piece Sheffield indie band who have only been around for a couple of years, were next. You wouldn’t have guessed they were that new. Their growing list of festival appearances suggests there’s plenty more to come!
Then came Tidetied, another local band who have only been around since 2024, although there’s considerably more experience behind them than that suggests, with former Blinders frontman Thomas Haywood at the helm.
Few acts received a welcome like the Everly Pregnant Brothers. They’re Sheffield legends and one of the highlights of the whole festival. Their Sheffield-centric parodies had the entire tent laughing, singing and generally joining in with the madness. Pure, unadulterated festival entertainment! Give ‘Stuck in the Lidl with You’ a whirl – it’ll make you smile.
M 60 kept the northern indie theme going, with a definite old-school feel to their set. ‘I Don’t Mind’ was a particular highlight for me.
Then came Cast, delivering exactly what the crowd wanted with ‘Alright’, ‘Walkaway’ and a string of other favourites. The tent was bouncing!
Sofy, aka Sophie Bennett, followed with a remarkably tight and punchy performance. There was plenty of attitude without drifting into sugary pop territory and, on this showing, I reckon bigger stages are waiting.
Embrace kept the singalongs coming, with ‘Ashes’ providing one of those huge nostalgic festival moments.
Over on the side stage, Leazez completely stole the show. The Geordie indie band delivered one of my favourite performances of the entire weekend. Raw, energetic and with the sort of crowd interaction that makes photographing a band bloody easy because there is always something happening. Frontman Jack Leighton was all over the place. Check out the snap where he appears to be conducting some kind of jumping event. Mad.
And then there was his grandad – after the set, while everyone else was still buzzing, there he was helping clear away the band’s gear. Nothing glamorous. Nothing rock ‘n’ roll. Just a grandad helping his family pack up after a gig. It was a lovely little moment and somehow summed up what I liked about Leazez. Down to earth, enthusiastic and clearly loving every minute of it. I’d travel a long way to see them again. Proper V.F.M.
Back in the main tent, The Fratellis sent the place into complete chaos with a hit-packed set culminating in the inevitable, but still bloody brilliant, ‘Chelsea Dagger’. I loved the whole set – and the three backing singers were fantastic too.
Sheffield-based Villanelle followed with another impressive performance, winning over plenty of people who probably hadn’t heard them before.
Then came the final act of the entire festival. Richard Ashcroft, best known as the frontman of The Verve, delivered exactly what you’d want from a closing headline act. ‘Sonnet’, ‘Lucky Man’, and ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ with a voice that still sounds the part. Magical!
The final song finished. Four days done. And as I walked back towards the car, I realised I was actually swaggering down the road like Richard Ashcroft in the ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ video. Not because I was particularly cool. I was exhausted, my feet hurt and some of my camera gear had been through what can only be described as a baptism of fire.
But I had just spent four days shooting and listening to some bloody good music, with no clashes, no frantic timetable calculations and no feeling that I’d missed something better happening somewhere else. Next year can’t come soon enough!
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: PHIL THORNS
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