Written by both Nicola Roy and Chloe Burrell
Nicola Roy
When it was first announced back in February that Groove Armada and Hot Chip would be headlining a festival in Rouken Glen Park, my first thought was that it was going to be another Fyre festival-type situation. The south side's favourite green space is something that I always associated with my childhood- from going there to play in the park when I was really young, to every person in my year at school ending up there steaming on our last day of S6. So for a good few months, I was skeptical. But as more artists were announced, and more entertainment and more food, I realised this might actually be the perfect place for an up-and-coming, family-friendly festival. To an extent, I was right.
Location-wise, it couldn't be handier- there are two train stations nearby and most bus routes from town to the south side go there. There was also an easily accessible drop-off place for taxis, which is how I got there on the Friday. I couldn't have had a better first impression- the sun was beating down, there was no queue to get in and the staff were chatty and friendly. The first act I saw was The Cuban Brothers, and their funky Caribbean sound complimented the weather perfectly, as did their amazing dancing. There wasn't anyone in the crowd that didn't look like they were having the time of their life.
While we waited for Friendly Fires, we decided to do some exploring. After getting a picture taken in a Mercedes (only a festival in the south side would have one of these just kicking about), it was time for some food. There was a whole area of the festival dedicated to mouth-watering street food stalls from the Big Feed, and after much deliberation I went for spring rolls and chips from Salt and Chilli, which were unreal. Then it was time to head back to the main stage for Friendly Fires. The last time I saw them was in 2011 at T in the Park, and it was honestly like watching a different band. Their unique tropical-indie sound had everyone dancing from start to end, and frontman Edward McFarlane just oozed effortless self-confidence.
The evening was perfectly rounded off by the amazing Groove Armada, in their only Scottish live date this year. Probably one of the most versatile dance artists around, they put on a spectacular mix of house, soul and reggae, accompanied by a dazzling laser light show. The atmosphere was constantly buzzing as they sang, played and danced their way through a medley of some of their most popular tracks, including My Friend, Superstylin' and I See You Baby. Although some of their hits weren't as thumping and upbeat as others, the energy never went away and it was clear everyone left the park on a real high.
The only downside? The bar queues. I eventually gave up waiting at busy times but at one point, it was taking people 90 minutes to get served, and they ran out of a lot of drinks very quickly. This is something that could easily be sorted next year though, and I look forward to Playground's return.
The newest festival to hit the city of Glasgow, enter Playground Festival, a 9-hour electro-pop party lasting a full weekend.
Chloe Burrell
I had no idea what to expect upon entering the scenic grounds of Rouken Glen Park in the southside area of Glasgow. What kind of atmosphere would it be? What sort of stalls would be set up on the grounds of the festival?
I was so surprised when I walked into the festival to see a chilled, laidback atmosphere. People were wandering around the field, getting drinks and laughing as the main stage stood proudly behind them waiting to announce its first act.
First up we had LYLO, a three-piece Glaswegian band taking their influences from a host of genres such as jazz, rock, pop, punk and R&B. The band had such energy when opening the festival, with people gathering on top of the hay covered grass to watch them perform their jazz infused sound. They set up the festival well, I was expecting a day filled with dancing and unique performances and they certainly delivered that from the get go.
HONNE took to the stage, performing all their well-known hits in such a short space of time. The crowd sang along and you could see the happiness on each of the band members faces as their lyrics were sang back at them. This was a truly special moment of the festival, HONNES’s performance bursting with colour, synth and keyboard.
A band I was super excited to hear were Little Dragon. I had heard such good things about them and was excited to see the Swedish electronic group take to the stage. Yukimi Nagano entered, wearing a colourful jumpsuit and sunglasses. I was reminded of Bjork as I watched her float about the stage, her vocals soaring through the festival grounds. The whole crowd was up and dancing for this power group, the atmosphere beyond words. Everyone was smiling and clapping along to Yukimi’s rhythm, she has a way with the crowd.
Maribou State and Django Django were next to take on Playground Festival, again the whole crowd moving along to the music. I have never been to a such a gig where people were just feeling the music and interacting so much with the artists.
Hot Chip were the big headliner at the end of the night, introducing lasers, a colourful set layout and of course the music we all know and love. Hot Chip certainly know how to perform, acting out a coordinated dance routine during a couple of their well-known tunes. Their new music from their album 'A Bathful of Ecstasy' was well received, people continuing to dance and wanting the band to keep the energy going.
Playground Festival is a festival that can be enjoyed by all ages. A family friendly environment, Playground Festival is inclusive to all and has put on quite the show especially for its first year in action. I hope it returns next year with yet again another incredible line-up.
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