Spotlight on 'Bluedot Festival 2018'

Bluedot Festival returns to Jordrell Bank and is quickly becoming one of the North’s premier events.

Jordrell bank makes a perfect and yet unique setting for a music Festival that not only sees a premier line up but also celebrates the science and history of the setting. Jordrell bank is famous for many things; the tracking of the moon landings, a unique screening of 2001 amongst others but on the weekend of 19th – 23rd July the focus is heavily on music. Headliners of the first Blue dot, The Flaming Lips return to their cosmic spiritual home to play an exclusive set but perhaps the most anticipated performance will be the return of The Chemical Brothers. The band perform for a UK exclusive and after headlining to the biggest ever crowd at Glastonbury 2000 are no strangers to Festival performances with over 20 years of festival experience under their belts, they're guaranteed to get the Festival Block Rockin’.

Staying on a dance tip, Orbital who’s reunion seems to be going on forever headline the Sunday and of course who can forget Future Islands and completing a perfect set of headliners, performing against the backdrop of the iconic Lovell Telescope. Other acts performing include Public Service Broadcasting, LittleDragon, Roni Size: New Forms Live, UNKLE, Gillies Peterson, Booka Shade, The Orb, Lamb, Nadine Shah, Adrian Sherwood and many more.

Despite music being at the forefront of the event there is plenty more on show. The Festival blends culture and science in a unique and interesting way and it’s worth taking time to experience the non-musical side to the Festival.

Keeping a blend of music, science and culture in perfect equilibrium Bluedot offers a perfect escape for those who want to see more than just Pop music. The Halle Orchestra will perform against the beautiful backdrop of Jordrell Bank.

And no visit to Blue Dot would be complete without a visit to Mission Control; now how cool does this area sound? This exhibition space will host DotTalks from leading scholars in what lie beyond our frontiers of our universe.

This will be interspersed with DJ sets and interactive sessions where you can explore new skills. Bluedot stands alone as a unique Festival offering. It boasts a killer line up in beautiful surroundings with plenty to do learn and discover about the centre. Tickets are in short supply so head over to www.discoverthebluedot.com to get yours now.

With so many bands playing it is near impossible to do a full break down of exactly who you should see, amongst those already mentioned above here are a few of the top picks the team at 3 Songs & Out reckon you should check out.

Gary Numan

The iconic lord of Synth/Techno infused Pop should be at the top of everybody's list. A pioneer of the genre Gary Numan's live shows have evolved over the years along with his sound and style. His possessed like movements and haunting vocals combined with his spectacular live show make for a great live experience.

The Chemical Brothers

The Chemical Brothers are a Grammy Award winning Electronic music duo comprised of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons and much like Gary Numan (mentioned above) are always certain to blow your mind with the spectacle of their live shows. You'd be forgiven for thinking that two men performing from behind a sound desk will have little to offer in a live setting but you need only check out youtube and give yourself a recap to realise some of the greatest hits of the 90's to now are thanks to these two.

Pink Kink

It is hard to pigeon hole Pink Kink into one genre, yo've got a little bit of Pop, some Rock, a dash of Punk, all with a pinch of the psychedelic. Add in the fact that despite having very little musical output they are already gaining notoriety as a must see band. This is in part to the sporadic and unpredictable nature of their live sets. I think Pink Kink will fall into your 'something different to check out' category.

The Elvis Dead

Cult classic horror movie Evil Dead 2, reinterpreted though the songs of Elvis Presley. Just take a second to reread that first sentence. Pause a little longer and really understand what you've just read and then make sure that whatever you do over the course of the festival, make sure to check out his performance.

Slowdive

It would be quite impossible not to be blown away Slowdive. Their beautiful guitar driven music, sounds both whimsical yet grounded. They're the type of band that you can close your eyes to and just escape. The scope of their music will no doubt sit perfectly on the festival stage and they're set to be your feel good band of the weekend.

Craig Charles' Space Funk Odyssey

Not merely content dominating our tv screen over the years with Robot Wars, Red Dwaf, Takeshi’s Castle and Coronation Street, Craig Charles has long dominated the DJ circuit, appearing in nightclubs and festivals all over the country. The man is simply pure energy and will give you every piece of himself as he takes you on his Space Funk Odyssey

The Blue Planet In Concert

The Blue Planet in Concert performed by The Hallé Orchestra. The show combines live music against a backdrop of remarkable footage from the original The Blue Planet 2001 television series produced by the acclaimed BBC Natural History Unit. Not merely a music festival, Bluedot has always taken pride in offering a unique experience and this year is no different. The much loved Blue Planet series was a spectacle on our TV screens but witnessing it with the beautiful Hallé Orchestra playing along can only elevate it to new heights.

David O'Doherty

You will likely of seen him all over the TV on shows like 8 out of 10 cats, Mock The Week, Would I Lie To You etc. and in the process will no doubt of been laughing so hard your face and sides hurt. An incredibly funny and likeable individual David O'Doherty is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. All the while bringing a different and often welcome change to the hustle and bustle of the festival weekend.

Brighton-based, Yonaka like to “hang their songs on a knife edge”. They are a fully-fledged Pop outfit with blissfully dark pristine hooks, chunky guitar parts and speaker-blowing noise. Their live shows are to die for and are going to leave you wanting more.

When it's all said and done above is just a few of our top choice and are merely a spec on the landscape of incredible bands playing this year. Ultimately all acts and events are worthy of your time and with a line up like this there is no doubt you're going to have yourselves a great time at this years Bluedot.