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Tramlines Festival invitation; Escape To The City

#EscapeToTheCity Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th July 2016

Sheffield turns into the weekend's national biggest street party.

Joy n mirth bringers; Big Narstie, Kelis, Dizzee Rascal, Gaz Coombes, Little Simz, Jurassic Five, Catfish & The Bottlemen and myriads more join artists from our picture story of music love including Bang Bang Romeo, The Enemy, White Room, and (scroll down for more "oi-Jools-Holland-never-mind-about-Later, how about Earlier?" calibre live appearances) Asylums, Trampolene and October Drift. This is a key year for live music to be experienced energetically and grinning like a lunatic. Might as well get mad, together, for something positive.

Tramlines is #SkintLuxury for such an amazing line up - quick, check the ticket availability at http://tramlines.gigantic.com/ and in the spirit of anti-austerity, includes a Free Entry, No Wristband Required, Fringe Festival (oh boy, The Crystal Stage clearly (ktsch!) a must see at The Crystal Bar and, newly announced, the UK’s No1 Live Music club has a stage, This Feeling (in association with #JackRocks at The Rocking Chair) each of these have a bill worth doubling the price of a ticket, let alone all the other magic of both Tramlines Festival and The Fringe combined. No kidding, this is already escapism in a street party fest-of-the-year style. One Weekend. One City. One Love. One Heart. Let’s Get Together– and feel alright. Much Needed) Escapism is happening. This classic from Kelis should bring ALL the girls, and the boys, to the yard...

How a year flies by. Not only do we stand by everything we reported from 2015's festival, courtesy of Tarquin Clark's amazing photography, but even more so this year when Britain needs all the funshine it can get.

This Feeling has been part of our lives before we were even TheZineUK. Memories of noisy fun nights out gatecrashing Moorgate (London BankCityWanker Central) with such a party that the force-waves created what is now the nation’s biggest rock n roll club, a landmark gig for global potential guitar bands. As Noel Gallagher, who knows a thing or two about the music scene says “The Best Club In the UK for Future Rock n Roll Stars”. Following This Feeling's national press grabbing bill at Isle Of Wight festival with Jack Rocks last month, and the recent Milburn return gig riot you kinda KNOW that The Rocking Chair is really gonna be rocking. Free Jack Daniel's & Coke for the first 50 through the door each day. What ya waiting for? Get in THE Zone.

Fwar, look at the bands on THAT! April, BABY STRANGE, Broken Hands, FRONTEERS, Heavy Suns, Hello Operator, Juice, Paves, Scarlett & Saffron, The Barmines, The Blinders, The Jacques, The Spitfires, The Time Sellers, The Vellas, The Wholls (check them out being interviewed by our allies, The Glass Collectors Radio Show, they'll tell you about This Feeling about 55 minutes in), Tibet, ArtBeat faves White Room, YVES and… get ready to scream and shout for Trampolene

Tramlines x Trampolene; Trampolenlines

Trampolene 2016; Left to right; Rob, Jack and Wayne photographed by Daniel Quesada.

An anthem-and-ideas factory with the potential to be a poetic soul’s Oasis, size wise, Swansea rockers, Trampolene are in town a few weeks before ‘Pocket Album Four’ drops . Lead track 'The Gangway' is getting high profile media love all over, and contains that insistent earworm, 'Tom Hardy'. Trampolene don’t need to be Oasis, Libertines anything other than what they are though; a fusion of every good noisy sound and essential articulation. Fresh and vital, from the words of singer/guitarist Jack Jones (John Cooper Clarke is a big fan) to the can’t-stand-still waves beating out of bassist Wayne Thomas and drummer, Rob Steele’s rhythms. These are gigs that take you right out of yourself with noisy joy. Personally, I prefer them to the greats that they’ve supported, there’s something real deal about the consistently rising excitement around the cult of Trampolene.

Well according to the map, that's easy. From The Rocking Chair on Furnival Street for the above stage, along the city centre road, and carving a name for themselves on Carver Street, an array of sparklers on The Crystal Stage, which, like This Feeling is Free Entry all weekend.

Asylums have taken over The Lunatics

Asylums at The Great Escape Festival 2016 by Caffy St Luce

Seriously. Never mind Alice In Wonderland, we’re currently experiencing Austerity In Naziland so thank you Supernature for Asylums. 2016, especially, needs life changing songs and adrenaline rush performances that are so much fun you might just explode. If you don’t get excited by Asylums, then please check your pulse. You’re possibly dead. The debut album, ‘Killer Brain Waves’ is set to help make these, the darker ages, bearable with killer hook lines from the UK’s punkiest and best DIY pop star value, rock n roll turn. You can mainline the band's videos via YouTube but be careful, getting to experience their aural moonshine, live, can become an addiction.

also live at The Crystal Stage; October Drift

Accidentally caught this band live, while going to see another band, and only having time to catch one song before meeting a friend at the start of last year. Well that was the plan, anyway, but it took some apologising on my part, because it was impossible to leave. They sort of exploded out of the stage and into my heart. Mind blown, fandom won, October Drift, freaking love ‘em (AND was totally forgiven when my friend checked them out later). Love seeing October Drift's twist on dark pop dynamics in rock music go from strength to strength. Tramlines falls within their Summer and Autumn tour live fireworks. Cue appropriate video 'Still Here'. This is only the start.

And some stage times for your weekend of escapism;

The Dandy Warhols - Friday 7:15pm / Main Stage Dizzee Rascal - Friday 8:45pm / Main Stage George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic - Saturday 5:30pm / Main Stage Kelis - Saturday 8:45pm / Main Stage Jurassic 5 - Sunday 5:00pm / Main Stage Catfish and the Bottlemen - Sunday 7:45pm / Main Stage Bang Bang Romeo - Sunday 3:00pm Main Stage Big Narstie - Saturday 11:00pm O2 Academy Craig Charles SaturdayMidnight - Foundry

David Rodigan - Friday 2:00am O2 Academy Dawn Penn - Saturday 4:00pm Main Stage Gaz Coombes - Sunday 9:30pm The Leadmill Global Roots - Soundsystem Sunday 2:00am The Harley Goldie Saturday - 1:00am (Sunday morning) Plug Gwenno Saturday - 4:00pm The Folk Forest Hinds - Sunday 4:00pm Main Stage Little Comets - Saturday 3:00pm Main Stage Little Simz - Saturday 12:00am The Harley Meilyr Jones - Friday 8:45pm Sheffield Cathedral Mystery Jets - Saturday 7:45pm O2 Academy Norman Jay MBE- Sunday Midnight The Octagon Public Service Broadcasting - Sunday 6:30pm Main Stage Ragga Twins - Saturday 1:00am (Sunday morning) O2 Academy Roseau - Saturday 10:00pm The Harley Rye Wax - Friday 12:00am The Night Kitchen The Crookes - Saturday 6:30pm O2 Academy The Enemy - Friday 10:00pm The Leadmill Thomas Truax - Sunday 3:00pm The Folk Forest Toddla T - Friday 1:00am (Saturday morning) Tom Findlay (Groove Armada) - Saturday Midnight The Octagon TRASH - Sunday8:00pm The Harley Trojan Explosion Friday - 11:00pm O2 Academy Young Fathers - Saturday 7:00pm Main Stage

Finally. Are you ready for some #UnclePain?

Stay classy with Big Narstie, and seeya at Tramlines!

Zero 7 (DJ set) Saturday 11:00pm The Octagon

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