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also the pleasure of discovering new acts your friends with. If it is sunny and dry, Book Case like Dua Lipa who played to relatively then you have struck the jackpot and small crowds years ago and now has a Glastonbury is what I imagine utopia huge following. would be like. This feature is normally about favourite books but instead the editor has allowed The festival is more than just about BELFAST VITAL FESTIVAL. In me to pick my favourite music festivals, the music. Its spirit encompasses the past few years, have been held in acts and tracks. This has proved to be themes such as being at one with August at the Boucher Playing Fields quite difficult as its like asking one to nature, sustainability, the environment in Belfast. https://www.facebook.com/ pick one’s favourite child! So I have and feeling like belonging to one big BelfastVital/ gone for the most memorable festivals, community. Water Aid and Greenpeace acts and tracks that I have come across are regulars and have a large presence. This is normally a two day city music this year. Dr Tony Tham This is a very friendly festival and festival. The focus is entirely on music everyone is chilled and out for a good with a reasonably good selection of GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL OF local food vendors and hostelry. This CONTEMPORARY PERFORMING time. Once, my wellies got stuck in the mud and before I could blink, several being a city festival, there is no camping. ARTS, Worthy Farm, Pilton, The acts that have played over the past Somerset. Held every June except for a obliging festival goers came to pull me out. several years are arena filling artists such fallow year every 6 years. http://www. as Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, Calvin glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/ Like the music, there is an eclectic range Harris, Muse, The Killers (more about of food from all round the world. I have them later) and Snow Patrol. They are The full name of this festival is a managed to spend the whole weekend ably supported by other A list acts such mouthful but everyone knows it as eating nothing but eastern cuisine. as Clean Bandit and Duke Dumont (more Glastonbury which is the most famous later). The crowds and the atmosphere at and iconic music festival in the world. You can also indulge your inner clubbing this festival depend on the headline act. A People will have their own impression of instinct by dancing all night to the many DJ set such as Tiesto last year will attract what Glastonbury is like based on what DJs around the site. One area is called a younger crowd while a (slightly) older they have read and seen on TV. It is all Block 9 and is built like a movie set of a crowd will go to see the Undertones or that and much more. I have been to four post-apocalyptic world, albeit with party Snow Patrol. The crowd is friendly and Glastonbury’s so far and love it so much goers having a good time. chilled and there is good security without that I will keep going as long as possible. being too oppressive. You are likely to The music is what everyone associates If you feel like reliving your youth or if bump into someone you know, typical Glastonbury with and quite right too. The you are youthful and just want to live and Northern Ireland, which adds to the fun. top acts will aspire to play at this festival have fun, then this is the festival for you. There is a chance of being able to blag because of its heritage and iconic nature. Camping is a great way of being one with your way into the mosh pit (an area in the I have had the privilege of seeing acts nature. The toilet facilities are infamous front of the stage where the dancing is like the Rolling Stones, U2, Coldplay but have improved considerably and energetic) which surprisingly has a lot of and the Killers (more about this later), are now acceptable. If it rains and space and you can get close and intimate amongst others perform their headline becomes muddy, then you have to be with your favourite act. The advantage sets on the main Pyramid Stage. There is pretty resilient but just imagine all the stories about the mud you can regale of a city festival is that the transport infrastructure is good and the likelihood is that after a day and night of fun, you will be able to go back to the comfort of your own bed and a hot shower. THE KILLERS, http://www. thekillersmusic.com/ The Killers are one of the biggest rock bands in the world and have headlined many major festivals including Glastonbury and Electric Picnic in Ireland and have played sold out arena shows like Wembley. They stormed into our consciousness with their mega selling debut album, Hot Fuss. The stand out single from the album, Mr Brightside, is so infectious, I defy anyone Fig 1. Glamping in Glastonbury; a pop up hotel room in a field in Glastonbury 2017 not to break into dance and punch the

UMJ is an open access publication of the Ulster Medical Society (http://www.ums.ac.uk). The Ulster Medical Society grants to all users on the basis of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence the right to alter or build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creation is licensed under identical terms. 124 The Ulster Medical Journal air whenever it comes on. Their genre get in. I managed to see him however at is indie rock, alternative rock and synth Belfast Vital in 2016, so that ambition pop. The band come from Las Vegas, was achieved! Nevada and are the most successful rock band to come from Nevada, having sold If you want to imagine yourself being 22 million records worldwide. in a tropical paradise, then listen to this track and watch the video at https://www. Their live shows are outstanding and youtube.com/watch?v=FHCYHldJi_g. the lead singer, Brandon Flowers, is Enjoy! a very charismatic frontman. Other , BY CLEAN BANDIT members of the band are David Keunig, SYMPHONY (featuring Zara Larsson), Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannuci. https://www. Their songs tell tales of androgynous youtube.com/watch?v=aatr_2MstrI girlfriends, illicit affairs and Las Vegas. Symphony is a classical pop song One of their songs Human is famous for featuring strings and electronica. The the obtuse lyric “are you human, or are Fig 2. Bumping into celebrities in song is also accompanied by a memorable you dancer”. Another favourite goes like Glastonbury 2017; with the band Haim video. It features the band, Clean Bandit, this “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier”. progressing to arenas in the future. If and Zara Larsson performing this song Their influences range from Bruce you like grunge, indie rock, electronic with an orchestra, while an emotional Springsteen to Dire Straits. They played and want to see a band at the start of story plays out. It shows a loving couple a version of the latter’s Romeo and Juliet their career, this is one you may want doing every day activities. One of them and have included it in some of their to follow. is killed in an accident. The surviving live shows. Their latest concert in the man is seen grieving and visiting places BY DUKE DUMONT, SSE Arena in Belfast in November 2017 I GOT U they went as a couple together. He then was one of the best I have ever been to, https://www.youtube.com/ writes music again and we discover that especially when they played the populist watch?v=FHCYHldJi_g he is the composer in the orchestra that local anthem, Teenage Kicks. I have been This track reached number one in the Clean Bandit are playing with, and has to six of their concerts since they formed UK in 2014. The most memorable composed a symphony in memory of in 2001 and want to go to more. association of this track is its music his partner. The video ends with him WOLF ALICE, http://wolfalice.co.uk/ video and with summer. The video looking into the crowd and sees his was filmed in Thailand which is one of deceased partner looking proudly from Spotify sum up this band very well as my favourite holiday destinations. GQ the audience. an “evocative North London alt-rock magazine praised the video saying that it outfit led by vocalist Ellie Rowsell. Wolf Clean Bandit is an electronic and had “all the tropical trimmings: turquoise classical music group from Cambridge. Alice deftly mixes folk, rock, grunge, waters, infinity pools, freshly sliced and electronic elements with vintage Their music combines dance music watermelon, a beachside rave, bungee with strings. They have collaborated 90’s indie rock”. The other members jumps, inquisitive monkeys “ and noted of the band are Joff Oddie, Theo Ellis with other famous artists such as Jess that its only drawback is that it caused Glynne on the track “Rather Be” which and Joel Amey. The band is in their 20s. cravings for coconut drinks, an extended They formed in 2010 and their first single has been a hit in the charts and has had holiday and a game of beach volleyball. a lot of air play including as a sound “Fluffy” was released in 2013. Their Pitchfork Jamieson Cox of magazine track for commercials. Their songs have song “Silk” was in the soundtrack of the called the song, “a blast of sunlight and film T2: Trainspotting. characteristically infectious hooks and warm, humid air, flecks of steel drum, they are an awesome live act. I have Their live shows are characterized vocal samples, and a joyous, radiant seen them at various festivals including by great energy and rawness. Their vocal take.” This track was nominated Electric Picnic and Belfast Vital. frontwoman Ellie is the very definition for Best Dance Recording at the 2015 of a rock chick with a mix of aggression Grammy’s. And so I end this piece with an emotional and vulnerability. They have played track that shows that out of devastating Duke Dumont is an English DJ and loss something good can arise. Glastonbury on several occasions and record producer. He is known for his Electric Picnic. Their audience range other number one record “Won’t Look Tony C.K. Tham from late teens to more mature adults. Back”. He has performed at the Electric Consultant Gastroenterologist, I think they will become even more Picnic festival in Ireland where the tent Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, Belfast BT16 1RH famous and it will be wonderful seeing he was performing in was so packed that them play in small venues and hopefully many revelers (including me) couldn’t

UMJ is an open access publication of the Ulster Medical Society (http://www.ums.ac.uk). The Ulster Medical Society grants to all users on the basis of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence the right to alter or build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creation is licensed under identical terms.