Day one of Rock N Roll Circus we caught these bands/artists: McFly, Sam Ryder, Lottery Winners, The Hoosiers, Rianne Downey, Deco, Mama Oh No – and some amazing circus acts.
We are extremely happy to be covering the very first time Norwich is hosting one of the UK’s most distinctive live events this summer, when Rock N Roll Circus brings its Big Top and festival village to Earlham Park for three days of top music acts and all the fun of the circus – running from Thursday 14th to Saturday 16th August.
Unlike a standard music weekend, the event blends first class music acts with circus performances, workshops, market style street food, bars, family experiences and local artist showcases. The main stage is under cover in the Big Top tent, so unlike most UK festivals, there is no need to worry about the weather! But it was a lovely sunny day # one anyway.
Lovely green and compact site and just two stages to navigate – with no clashes of any bands and artists you really want to see, being on stage at the same time. Alternating the acts between the two stages worked well and were next door to each other. The second open air stage is hosting local and emerging talent across all three days.
5,000 capacity per day, Thursday was just under capacity we’d say; maybe 4,000 ticket holders, which was a nice relaxed number for that site and a chilled vibe. Lots of families with young kids who were big McFly fans, tonight’s headliners.
Supporting acts were Sam Ryder, The Lottery Winners, The Hoosiers, Rianne Downey, Deco, local band Mama Oh No, Dolder, The High Points, Caswell, and Youth Killed It.
Tomorrow, Friday is for the indie lovers. Led by Manchester indie rockers Courteeners, and joined by The Lathums, Reverend and The Makers, The Lemonheads, along with one of our favourites Brooke Combe, The Clause, The Rosadocs, October Drift, Pleasure Inc., as well as hometown names Arthur Black and Gabby Rivers.
Saturday closes with Olly Murs, performing hits such as “Dance With Me Tonight” and “Troublemaker.” Other performers include Pixie Lott, Artful Dodger, Scouting for Girls, Jamie Lawson, Sam Fischer, Charlie Floyd, Afterdrive, Macie Nyah and Nina Arya.
Rock N Roll Circus features live circus performances in and around the Big Top, including the internationally acclaimed Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, Ellis Grover, Gem Vaudeville, Andy Wakeford, and Silvia Pavone, performing high-wire routines, cloud swing aerial acts, acrobats, contortion and fire performances. Lots of circus themed acts on entering the site, with various performers on stilts, jugglers etc welcoming people which was a nice touch which the children lapped up.
The OAK Circus Centre offers free fun drop-in workshops open to all ages, including juggling, hula hooping, basic acrobatics and cradle swing activities. The new Fortune Teller Tent offers sign-up or walk-in readings spanning palmistry and astrology. Insert your own joke here!!! [I was longing to see a sign here I could take a picture of and use on this page, that said:” Closed due to unforeseen circumstances. Back soon”. Alas, not!]
The Rings of Flavour food village offered a good variety of popular local food vendors including the La Pitta, East Coast Pizza Company, The Tapas Shack, The Cabin Tacos, Rad Burger, Amor Street Food, plus sweet treats from Flavour Bakehouse and Reesey’s Ice Cream. Beverage options include cocktails at the Rocktails bar and self serve drinks via Box Bar units. A good bar and food in the VIP area; and posh loos.
VIP upgrades are only an extra £35 to normal ticket prices, which includes: fast track entry, access to front-of-stage areas, exclusive bars and private seating, luxury toilet facilities, Zaks Burgers from Norwich’s well known burger maker, and a VIP zone open until midnight, one hour after general access.
Ahead of the Norwich debut, festival director Ali O’Reilly commented: “We’re excited to be bringing Rock N Roll Circus to Earlham Park for the first time. Norwich is a city with a rich cultural heritage and a strong appetite for live entertainment, making it an ideal location. Earlham Park provides a fantastic setting, and we’re excited to deliver a truly unique experience for audiences in the region.”
It was obvious that a lot of Thursday’s ticket holders were there for McFly, with many – young and not so young – sporting the band’s tee-shirts. The merch’ stall doing good business with the shirts and the number of wearers increasing as the day went on.
The big top was buzzing ahead of the headliners set, very busy but still room to move about. A good “warm up” for McFly were the songs being played via the PA for a mass sing-along, such as Bon Jovi’s “Living On A Prayer” and Village People’s “YMCA” played.
Then it was time for the boys in McFly – Danny Jones, Tom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd – to come bouncing on to the stage like excitable puppy dogs pleased to see you, diving straight in to the hits-filled, high energy set.
They don’t really pause for a moment, playing many songs back to back with little breathing space. The fans, young and not so young were well into it and loudly showed their appreciation at the end of each song. The band beamed from ear to ear for the entire show and seemingly loved every second of being on that stage. Having just as much fun as the audience.
Lots of energy on stage and feeding off the energy of the crowd. They opened with “Where Did All The Guitars Go”, “Hyperion” – from the album “The Lost Songs”, a collection of demo recordings of songs originally intended for the band’s sixth studio album which was then shelved. McFly recorded a full album in 2011 before focusing on supergroup McBusted – “That Girl”, and “One For The Radio”.
The big moments came with the hits, such as the fabulously infectious, “All About You”, and many more, including “5 Colours In Her Hair.” Got to say they are all superb musicians in their own right, but as a collective there is chemistry in bucket loads. Best mates since forming 22 years ago.
Danny spoke about this being their last show of the summer festivals – they tour arenas in Oct/Nov & Dec this year – and they really did go out with a bang with this sizzling performance. Faultless.
Sam Ryder had many fans present; opening with “Tiny Riot” and then “Living Without You”. He says this is the first time he has performed in a circus tent, but not the first time opening for McFly.
High spots of his set included “The Feeling That Never Went Away”, and a cover of the 4 Non Blondes’ song, “What’s Going On’.
Sam closed the set with “Space Man” – with lots of kids dancing with their parents and many in the crowd seemed to know all the words.
Rianne Downey is a rising star in her own right, and she is also used to playing big crowds as guest vocalist with ex-The Housemartins’ and Beautiful South frontman Paul Heaton.
Today she is with her own band on the main stage, but she threw in a couple of songs the audience would know: “Don’t Marry Her” and “Rotterdam”, from her work with Mr Heaton; songs from his own song writing skills.
One of the best performances of day one was Lottery Winners. A band who love to have fun and their fans always engage. Frontman Thom Rylance enters the stage waving and shouts, “Hiya”, like this is a reunion with old pals, and confides that they were planning a really grand entrance, but couldn’t match the aerialist circus performance in that big top prior to their set.
He also reveals it took them two flights from Norway to get to Norwich for this show, as they are currently on tour with Robbie Williams.
Thom asks for “circus energy” from the crowd, wanting them to respond to the band’s 45 minute performance as though Lottery Winners were the headline act today. He then mentioned he is going to leave the stage and come back on again, so the crowd can cheer like he is Robbie Williams! They obliged. Bet he wishes he had half of Stoke lad Robert Peter Williams’ bank balance!
The band kick off with “Worry”, and with Thom larking about and in high spirits for the entire set, as usual, and it was clear he had no worry at all.
He makes the point that despite the fact this band have had two number one albums, “we are still not famous!” They play a section of Snow Patrol’s “Garden”, with the crowd singing along, which is followed by “You Again”.
Thom talks about his “naughty side” and his diagnosis of ADHD, and after performing the song “Superpower”, he brings up the issue of the difficulties he faced at school and reassures the parents in the crowd, “If the environment is wrong for your child, it’s the environment that needs to change, not them”.
They deliver a medley of snippets of instantly recognisable tracks, such as Eminem’s wonderful “Slim Shady”, the Kelise hit “Milkshake” and Village People’s iconic “YMCA”.
Thom has a real gift for connecting with his audience and that likeability factor, and having seen him and this band a few times now, it is fact he gives all he can every time and is a real star. Maybe they should do a cover of the Bros hit, “When Will I Be Famous!!!” Soon mate, soon…
UK band The Hoosiers went against fashion etiquette and all wore matching denim-on-demin outfits. OMG. Somebody call the fashion cops sharpish!
Fun and lively set, and they pulled a decent crowd. They opened with “Worried About Ray” and into a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”, which prompted a tent full of backing singers and much dancing. They announced they are working on a sixth album.
Deco. A Midlands band we covered on a festival slot, [in Nottingham] maybe three years ago. We said then, ones to watch.
On the smaller second stage today, but they really deserved a main stage spot. Next time…
Lead singer Max Kendall reminding us, in looks, of Rob Beckett [minus Rob’s teeth!].
Opening the main stage on day one is four-piece Norwich band Mama Oh No.
Lead singer Jack with his sisters, Isabelle on bass and Tordi on keys, plus Rhi on drums.
- Next year if this lovely event returns here, they should add lots more lighting on the park for the exit to the car parking. After the headliners finish, it is pitch black and without your torch on your mobile ‘phone, you could end up falling over. A wee bit scary for personal safety too, if you are not in a group of people.
* WATCH OUT FOR OUR COVERAGE OF FRIDAY & SATURDAY – COMING SOON… *
Photos by Liam Battersby
Words by Kerry Louise & Rowena Edos
