East London is hardly starved for multi-venue music festivals these days. But Community festival (set up across Shoreditch and Hoxton by the people behind the Reading, Leeds and Latitude festivals) has an interesting spin: it’s an attempt to showcase the biggest breakthrough acts of 2016 – before we’ve even finished Q4.
The fact that it’s mid-week suggests there’ll be a hefty industry presence – but that’s no reason for dedicated followers of new music not to head down and hear tomorrow’s sounds today. Just ignore the A&R guys clocking up a tab at the back.
Community doesn’t really have headliners, but if it did then south London soul singer Lianne La Havas would be among them. Ahead of a Brixton Academy date in December, this is a chance to get intimate with her impressive ‘Blood’ album.
Probably the weirdest breaking pop star since Gaga, PM is a Parisian singer who plays off a wispy and weird Lolita aesthetic against some absolutely killer piano-bashing pop tunes. Don’t miss her while she’s still playing club venues.
The only track we’ve heard from this new band is called ‘Priestess’. It’s a seven-and-a-half minute dark psychedelic romp with a pulsing bassline, a skronky sax solo and the frankly excellent lyric ‘It must be hard being so statuesque’. We’re excited and you should be too.
After kicking about on the London scene for a few years (including a support slot with Primal Scream) this awesome feminist DIY punk trio are getting some long overdue attention. This will go off.
Community’s biggest coup is getting this young US rap up-and-comer on a plane over from Long Beach to drop his edgy, barebones beats and whipsmart lyrics at his first UK headline show. Basically: big.
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