As Saturday night of East London’s acclaimed All Points East festival concluded in a pyrotechnic display of lights, flames, and raucous laughter heard across Victoria Park, one could struggle to reflect on the absolute odyssey of a day.
All Points East has become a juggernaut of London’s running rolodex of summer festivals, and 2022 was set to be one of their biggest years to date. With an eye-watering lineup across two weekends, the festival has quickly solidified itself as a must-see this summer. A smorgasbord of food stalls lined the expertly executed space, as Victoria Park was transformed from an idyllic East-London enclave into something mirroring the fault lines between Glastonbury and fabric. From noon til sundown, it was hard to grasp the overall “vibe” of APE, as it shifted hour-by-hour to accommodate a revolving door of the music world’s best acts. Kicking off with the UK’s hottest next-wave-risers, like Lil Silva, Channel Tres, and Lola Young, and concluding with heavy-hitting legends like Disclosure, Charli XCX, and James Blake, All Points East crafted a complete love letter for live music in all of its shapes and sizes. Trendy Londonites dotted the fields of rolling grass, weaving in between carnival rides, activity tents, and art-displays brimming with excitement for the day.
As Clash shouldered their way through the jam-packed, pearly gates of Victoria Park, immediately we were privy to everyone’s favourite house music maverick Channel Tres on the West Stage, who ensured his audience properly soaked up the afternoon sunshine. Tres’ self-defined Compton house, a melodious tripartite blend of Detroit techno, Chicago house, and West-Coast rap, casted an air of cool on the arriving guests. Aided by accompanying background dancers, Tres traverses the stage with the effortless energy of a professional, having what Clash could only assume was an absolute hell-of-a-time, proven by an un-wavering smile and continuous high-energy. As limbs began to loosen, festival “schedules” were crafted, and lukewarm tins of Red Stripe began to disappear, joyful crowds began to fully absorb the sheer magnitude of the day.
Channel Tres capped off his set with a particularly excellent rendition of ‘Topdown’, and crowds had little time to rush across the park to the East Stage. The afternoon sun begins to slowly set, as Grammy-winner and former-Clash cover star KOFFEE curates a beyond beautiful, hook-heavy dancehall and reggae blend for an exceptionally large crowd. The sun-kissed audience is enveloped in the pure warmth of KOFFEE’s honey-like voice, augmented by a talented band, resulting in one of the best sets of the day. The ever-creative soul, forever bound in positivity and emotionally-intelligent sensitivity, brought a taste of Notting Hill Carnival to Victoria Park, as crowds grooved in every way, shape, and form to her iridescent, unmatchable energy. KOFFEE performed a highlight reel of her critically-acclaimed work, with a show-stopping performance of ‘West Indies’ and ‘Pull Up’ from the extolled 2022 album, ‘Gifted’. The typically-reserved singer bounced across the stage, as her luminous and infectious smile lit up the crowd with a wholly-positive energy.
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As Clash darted in-between sets, it quickly became apparent that All Points East’s success lies not only in their ability to fashion eclectic line-ups, but to create their stages as microcosms of music scenes. Each “stage” catered to a different kind of audience in an entirely unpretentious way. The East Stage’s imposing stature and production value suited heavy-hitting headliners like Disclosure and Charli XCX, and the impeccable production attracted even the most anti-top-40, esoteric of guests. The West Stage curated a more vibe-y, feel-good calibre of music, perfect for hip-hop, indie, and electronic fans alike. APE’s Firestone Stage committed to showcasing the hottest rising acts around the world. Positioned slightly off the main pathway between the East and West stage, this unassuming corner was transformed by a range of up-and-coming talent, attracting a faithful crowd off the beaten path. Clash caught a glimpse of Talia Goddess, the East-Flatbush native and go-to DJ of New York’s music scene making waves in the UK. Despite it being her UK festival debut, the unabashed, multi-hyphenate creative hypnotised passing-by attendees, drawing in a substantial crowd to her cosy nook of the park. Ever electric and possessing a masterful flow against backing guitars, Talia exudes pure energy and talent, making her UK debut a total smash.
The North Stage, however, completely transported audiences from a sunny day in London into a warehouse rave at 4am. A personal favourite, the lineup of the North Stage offered drum n’ bass, techno, acid-house electronica, dancehall, and more. Created to make audiences feel more “indoors” in a club setting rather than an open-air festival, the royal-blue tent obscured any particles of light from infiltrating the hypnagogic light-show and mind-warping visuals. A sea of neon and bucket hats threw each other up on shoulders and raved the good, old-fashioned way (topped off with a fashion-show of rave-essential sunglasses). The unpretentious, inclusive nature of the North Stage was it’s shining quality, as massive techno-heads brushed shoulders joyously with those keen to just dip their toes for a few immersive minutes.
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Saturday was arguably one of the more “dance-heavy” days of All Points East, as the North Stage hosted a powerhouse lineup of the best the genre has to offer. Shy FX packed out the tent with his infamous drum n’ bass rollers. In a superb performance of militant double drops, masterfully interpolated poetic lyricism, and a taste of Carni as reggaeton mixed with jungle, the ineffable Shy FX managed to transport ravers into the sweaty club-sphere during a 4pm, broad-daylight time slot. Following shortly as standout electronic act of the night, London producer Joy Orbison flexed his technical capabilities with an indescribable ease. Displaying his breadth of genre-knowledge and penchant for UK funk and house tunes, Joy Orbison captivated audiences with the melodic finesse that’s solidified him as a pillar of the UK electronic scene. Similar to Shy FX, Joy Orbison was faced with the challenge of a day-time rave slot, utilising expertly crafted light-displays to transfix audiences as fan-favourite rollers pulsated through the tent. Overmono held down the fort with a similar paramount production, as a kaleidoscope of trippy visuals (a particular favourite was glitched out pit-bulls darting across fields of grass) hypnotised audiences. Cups of mysterious liquors were downed, elf-bars were puffed on, and two-steps were executed, all while Overmono employed intense strobe lighting and thunderous beats for a completely audiovisual hybrid display, playfully distorting both the eyes and ears of attendees. As Overmono wrapped up a wonderful set, crowds stayed firmly put in their places, as the acclaimed Fred Again… was due to come on a mere two hours. Clash, although keen stay put and catch a glimpse of the hottest name in the UK dance scene, had other plans, as an explosive intro was heard across the park.
“I’m high-voltage, self-destructive, end-it-all-so-legendary,” booms out, signalling the iconic introduction from pop-princess Charli XCX. Crowds sprint across the field (Clash included, you should see the state of my trainers), hoping to catch a glimpse of the femme-fatale bombshell. As a bundle of curly hair, complete with a bleached strip reflecting in the early-evening sun, steps out on stage, the ever-iconic quote cuts through the heavily charged, nearly-operatic opener: “It’s Charli, baby.” The crowd, blending faithful stans and newbies captivated by the dazzling stage production and experimental blending of synths, goes wild.
Charli XCX is unapologetically the party girl, possessing a knack for carving invigorating, chromatic pop music and a total commitment to legendary live performances. Her meticulously crafted concerts electrify any venue she touches, having achieved a cult-like status amongst fans for high-energy, raucous, and unapologetically-sexy sets. Her hypnotic, electronic, occasionally cacophonous sound blends beautiful with a powerful, yet delicate voice, providing her audience with the best kind of sensory overload. Overall, her performances are an ultimate display of maximalist fun, the way true pop music was intended to be.
Radiating in a Grecian-inspired outfit, encompassed by imposing Greek towers and statues, Charli’s immense stamina and love of performance never falters during her lively set. Charli collates all of her numerous pop-girly-adjascent personalities, creating a highlight reel of this party-girl’s prolific work. There’s ‘Crash’ for the recent-Charli-heads, there’s ‘Party 4 U’ for the avante-pop-leaning Angels, there’s ‘I Love It’ and ‘1999’ for the long-standing Charli fans, and of course, there’s of ‘Vroom Vroom’ for, well, basically anyone who likes a good thrashing about. Lyrical choreography augmented a parade of hits; the inextinguishable ‘I Love It’ united a field of die-hard Angels and new-comers, the incredibly-sensitive and melancholic ‘Party 4 U’ had lighters up in the air, ‘Visions’ provided a hyper-maximalist sensory overload for the rave-y hit, and overall her iconic tunes continuously delivered. Charli dedicated ‘Boys’ to “all the gay boys in the crowd right now,” and Vroom Vroom for all the hot girls who have a hot ride and know how to party. Supercharged and high-voltage, Charli never disappoints, as she curated a futuristic pop-paradise accessible to all kinds of fans. And just like the crowd, Charli proudly exclaims she’s “a little drunk, I’ve had a little tequila,” before closing out on the enigmatic ‘Good Ones.’ Before she exits the stage, she demands “Makes some noise for me, bitch!” To which, her faithful audience shouts out in frenzied, unbridled joy and reverence for their one and only pop-queen.
Now, back to the North Stage. The rising darling of the electronic community Fred Again… delivered one of the most anticipated sets of the night. After nearly breaking the internet with his breath-taking Boiler Room set a few weeks ago, Fred Again… would have perhaps been better allocated as a proper headliner. The tent reached full capacity within minutes. The crowd spilled out over the fields of Victoria Park as night fell, and the glowing red light of the North Stage pulsated bursting beats, appearing almost as the hearth of the festival. While bringing out legend Mike Skinner, Fred Again… seemed overwhelmed and visibly moved by the outpouring of support, with the whole crowd shrieking in unison their love for the digital master of dancehall. Merging roaring, ground-shaking beats with a post-modern, thoughtful wistful undertone, Fred captivated an audience for a full hour, managing to get tired festival goers jumping up and down nearly eight hours into their day.
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Bookended by an impressive light show visible probably by the entirety of East London, dance-legends and headliners Disclosure closed out the festival with their immeasurable list of pulsating, club-leaning hits to a sold out crowd. The rave-inspired electronics and a mastery of rhythmic senses shook not only the East Stage, but the entire grounds of the venue. Highlights were abundant during the duo’s nearly two hour set: The searing ‘When A Fire Starts To Burn’ unleashed a subterranean pulse compounded with scorching, trance-y projections of lava, the incredible backing video of Slowthai and Amine for 2021 hit ‘My High’ got even the sleepiest of guests to throw their hands in the air, and a six-person drum set brought a human-feel to the rave-y set. However, by the time Disclosure brought out Sam Smith for the colossus hit ‘Latch’, their first live-collaboration in over five years, even the most electronic-averse of the crowd descended into impassioned dancing and uncontrollable joy. Smith’s iconically dulcet voice enchanted the sea of people, transforming dance-heavy tracks into something indescribably moving and beautiful. Rounding off with streamers dancing in the wind above the crowds and a brass band for the Rio-infused ‘Tondo’, this explosive set cemented Disclosure’s place as Britain’s premier purveyors of dance-floor bangers. Fireworks cascaded over Victoria Park, while Disclosure proudly soaked in the abundant energy of their native London-crowd, and overall closed out a fabulous day at the paradigmatic festival of All Points East.
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Words: Ruby Carter
