The deeply eclectic Bluedot Festival – located at the phenomenal Jodrell Bank in Cheshire – aims to disprove the old adage ‘in space, no one can hear you scream’ with a thrilling weekender. While the fest unequivocally provides their audience with a broad-ranging line-up of quality acts that span across a vast spectrum of genres and styles, it is predominantly a science fair at heart. Featuring multiple interviews, podcasts, fascinating tech and information that offers extra insight revolving around the history of the grounds that Bluedot takes place on.
Walking into this experience with this prior knowledge was exciting and equally as interesting. With a lineup consisting of bands the likes of Roisin Murphy, Pavement’s only UK show in 2023, and the iconic Grace Jones, alongside other noteworthy acts throughout the weekend, the main question in hand leading up to Thursday’s opening show was how the two clashing elements would blend seamlessly and successfully, alongside the looming weather reports of heavy rain and wind.
The opening show itself proved to be a fantastic introduction to an extraordinarily memorable festival. Acclaimed composer Max Richter took to the stage to perform his works ‘Voices’ and ‘Recomposed’ alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra, very special guest Tilda Swinton, and opening acts Coby Sey and Isobel Waller-Bridge. A star studded musical extravaganza that made a clear statement on the importance of contemporary classical music and it’s excellent fusion with modern composition, it easily served as one of the more memorable acts of the festival.
Thursday night however, unfortunately proved the weather claims true, as heavy rain and wind turned the campsite and arena into a muddy mess, which led to traversal around the site becoming exponentially difficult and borderline tiring in many occasions. This further became more troublesome for the organisers, as Sunday day tickets were subsequently cancelled due to the condition of the grounds.
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Even with the environmental troubles however, the organisers and attendants powered through, experiencing everything that Bluedot had to offer. Each day during the weekend was a highly entertaining day, with fantastic musicians performing at the best of their ability. The Lovell stage had a wonderful mixture of acts. Nubya Garcia’s soulful and funky atmosphere got the audience moving in unison. Filled with soul and personality, the saxophonist’s insightful jazz background and repertoire perfectly set the tone for Friday’s highlight headliner.
While it is safe to say that each of the headline act were amazing in their own right, Roisin Murphy in particular took to the stage in style, performing an electrofunk with deep baselines, rhythm inducing keyboard melodies, and the signature voice that defined a genre through Moloko. Performing tracks from her 2020 disco lockdown album ‘Roisin Machine’, and preparing fans for the highly anticipated ‘Hit Parade’, it brightened the mood on an otherwise cold and rainy night with a medley of fan favorites including ‘The Time is Now’, ‘Take It Back’, ‘CooCool’ and ‘Murphy’s Law’. Beside her, the overarching Jodrell Bank telescope transmitted fascinating visuals accompanying each song’s backing videos and Roisin’s impressive outfit changes throughout. Liquid orbs and psychedelic shapes bouncing off this historic monument left the audience mesmerized in what could only be described as an unforgettable performance.
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The Orbit and Nebula stages delved into the experimental side of the industry which most of the time felt like it’s own small rave ecosystem. Leftfield got the audience reminiscing of 1990s rave culture, with intense techno and future house beats leading their visitors through the late hours of the night in spectacular style, with an equally fascinating light and visual show accompanying the fluid electronica. Following their highly anticipated and latest release in seven years This Is What We Do, they merged past with present, asking their audience to “put down their phones and live in the present moment”. This intensity paired with their track selection, including ‘Phat Planet’, ‘Release the Pressure’ and ‘Pulse’ made Leftfield’s set one for Bluedot’s history book.
Nebula stage was graced with the excellent sets of Folly Group on the Saturday, a band that incorporates some elements that can only be described as early LCD Soundsystem yet still wear their own intriguing identity on their sleeve, with an energy to match. The impressive back and forth between songs, as the feature of two drummers interchanging kept the audience’s interest fresh and constant throughout.
Scalping respectfully performed on Sunday night, and served as one of the best performances of the weekend. With the release of their debut album ‘Void’ in 2022, the Bristol based EBM group has been making waves ever since, and for good reason. The nonstop mixture of techno, noise and Hardcore had their audience constantly on edge while they launched an impressive and visceral attack on all senses. It wouldn’t be surprising seeing them at the headline spot in the next few years.
The two stages featured an exceptional balance between intense highs and mellow lows. It worked perfectly, and they could be considered the best of the whole festival on the music side of things.
The main attraction of the festival however came with the science oriented activities, podcasts, and shows. Split into three main areas consisting of the Mission Control, Notes and Star Pavilion, one could find an overwhelming amount of information surrounding the Jodrell Bank telescopes and how they explore the star-system, Greenpeace, stories from CERN and insightful interviews with some of science’s greatest modern minds. It was truly fascinating witnessing everything Bluedot had to offer in terms of the educational content, and it blended in seamlessly with the sonic element that accompanied it, which felt like the perfect soundtrack. The festival also accommodated families that arrived with their children, with the feature of the Big Bang stage, which held multiple highly entertaining puppet shows of well known films, (Nightmare on Elm Street being a hilarious highlight), “science made simple”, and a spectacular Doctor Who themed Sunday, celebrating the show’s 60 year anniversary.
One of my favourite projections onto the Lovell Telescope @bluedotfestival 2023 was this one during the Max Richter performance. It's by James Lockey and looks like someone or something is trying to push through the surface of the dish from another dimension! pic.twitter.com/pDJzO14ml9
— Tim O'Brien (@ProfTimOB) July 27, 2023
If you haven’t visited Bluedot Festival, it is well worth your time. The pure fascination of an idea so unique, which also proves hard to replicate due to the nature and location of the festival makes it an experience worth having in a multitude of ways. If the impressive variety of music acts isn’t a selling point, one can find an equally fascinating experience through the educational and scientific focus that stems in the heart of Bluedot.
Despite the harsh weather, Bluedot festival was a thoroughly enjoyable experience that counteracted the conditions. The staff and organizers worked as hard as they could to provide an stress-free atmosphere, and succeeded, only further confirming their passion and love for science, music, and their attendants.
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Words: Daniel Tsourekas
