Alongside the amazing local and regional talent flying the flag at the festival this year, we’re honoured to be joined by some of the buzziest bands from across the U.K and beyond, making waves in the industry and with audiences and critics alike.
Catch them now in Hull, then brag to your mates you were there first when you see ’em in an arena in a year or two…
The Matchbox
University of Hull Main Stage, 14:15
“a young band that’s starting to make waves in the British rock scene” – Far Out Magazine
Manchester’s The Matchbox has hit the ground running. Earning themselves support slots with the likes of The K’s, King No-One, The Hara and Planet, as well as headline shows at Manchester’s Academy 3 and Birmingham’s O2 Institute 3.
Fuzz Lightyear
Hull Cars Alternative Main Stage, 14:45
Born out of basement rehearsals and loud house shows, Leeds four-piece Fuzz Lightyear have built a reputation for riotous live sets and an ever-evolving sound. Pulling from grunge, post-punk, and sludgy noise-rock.
Midnight Rodeo
Hull Trains Dead Bod Stage, 16:20
“Spongy cinematic trip…wispy surf rock” So Young
A woozy surf pop sextet from Nottingham. Midnight Rodeo broke out in 2022 with three singles on Brighton’s FatCat Records, multiple jaunts around the UK, two sold-out hometown shows, as well as embarking upon their debut headline tour & summer festival dates.
After receiving much acclaim from tastemaker press across the globe (CLASH, DORK, So Young, Under the Radar, Brooklyn Vegan), Midnight Rodeo are cementing themselves as one of the hottest prospects in the UK right now.
Ruby J
University of Hull Main Stage, 17:15
Midlands, UK Singer/Songwriter RUBY J fuses multiple genres with her own unique style. Her unique tone has led to early bold comparisons to Amy Winehouse, Macy Gray & Tina Turner amongst others.. with her influences ranging from Billie Holiday to Paolo Nutini. inspired to pick up a guitar at aged 13 by the likes of Tash Sultana, Arctic Monkeys & more.
Described as “the new kid on the block” by live music lovers on Twitter. Radio Plays include; Radio X, Amazing Radio, XS Manchester & BBC introducing Midlands. BBC introducing.. ‘Producer Pick’ This Feeling.. ‘Big in 2023’
Dilettante
Hull Trains Dead Bod Stage, 17:20
Dilettante is an art-rock collective led by multi-instrumentalist Francesca Pidgeon and is based in Northern England.
Recently seen selling out venues in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Hull, Halifax and London and supporting the likes of Self Esteem, Tom Robinson (6Music), Caribou and Philip Selway (Radiohead).
For fans of St Vincent, Kate Bush, Fiona Apple, tUnE-yArDs, Radiohead, Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein.
Floodlights
Hull Cars Alternative Main Stage, 17:45
Heading to Hull from Melbourne, Australia, Floodlights’ dynamic live performance is raw and intimate, intertwined with powerful outbursts and marching rhythms.
Evocative lyricism lies at the heart of their songwriting and is enhanced by their unique sound. They explore themes of personal turbulence, national identity and the Australian landscape as a form of escapism. Floodlights write honestly and poetically in the hope that it resonates with others.
Gaining global attention with 2019’s sold-out EP ‘Backyard’ and 2020’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘From a View’, Floodlights went on to play sold-out shows and festivals across Australia, performing alongside the likes of Amyl and The Sniffers and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever.
Casino
Hull Trains Dead Bod Stage, 18:20
Liverpool’s Casino are the bastard sons of Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears. A riot of classic Motown and Stax mixed with a liberal dash of northern soul and a strong streak of fresh, danceable, irresistible Liverpool melody.
A most rare combination of a band with tunes, melodies, danceable songs, a stormin’ rhythm section and a voice which could easily have been born in Muscle Shoals. Surrender to the rhythm of classic R n’ B southern style, rock n roll with class.
Youth Sector
Hull Cars Alternative Main Stage, 19:45
Brighton five-piece art-rock outfit Youth Sector deliver an agitated, robotic sound “packed with witty barbs and boopy bits” (DORK Magazine).
FFO Talking Heads, DEVO and Tubeway Army. The band’s releases to date have received critical praise from the likes of DIY Magazine, DORK, So Young, Gigise, Line Of Best Fit, Jack Saunders (BBC Radio 1), Jon Kennedy (Radio X), Tom Robinson (BBC 6 Music), Abbie McCarthy (BBC Radio 1) and Amazing Radio.
Having supported the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Darwin Deez, Goat Girl, Our Girl, King Nun, Gaffa Tape Sandy, Walt Disco and The Pale White, Youth Sector’s blistering energy is palpable in their live performance, “with swagger to match bands ten times their size” (DIY)
Ellur
University of Hull Main Stage, 19:15
Northern indie-pop artist Ellur writes self-detrimental love letters to herself in the form of danceable guitar anthems. Ellur’s music glows with youthful energy whilst she reflects on rejection, craving validation and independence.
The 21-year-old Halifax artist decided she would write about her relationship with herself and take inspiration from a range of her musical icons from HAIM to Cocteau Twins.
With singles championed by Spotify Editorials (NMF UK / EQUAL / Hot New Bands / Peach / Alternative Future etc.), DORK Magazine, BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing, Radio X and synced on new Amazon series ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ and Channel 4’s ‘Made In Chelsea’.
This year Ellur and her live band have supported the likes of The Big Moon, Baby Queen, Abby Roberts, Deyaz, Saint Motel and a full UK tour with Embrace.
Vega Rally
Spit It Out Live! Stage, 19:30
Vega Rally is a West Yorkshire-born solo artist/producer. Vega Rally fuses the worlds of 90s dance and guitar music with a 21st-century twist that is both original and nostalgic. With 3 UK tours under his belt in 2022, two of which with label mates Afflecks Palace and Pastel, as well as a much-talked-about set at Isle of Wight Festival.
High Fade
Hull Trains Dead Bod Stage, 20:20
High Fade is Scotland’s freshest offering in the new era of Funk and Disco, quickly rising to the forefront of the UK & Scottish Funk scene after reaching more than 10 million views on their unstoppable track “Sharpen Up”.
After being featured on “Jazz Nights” with Seonaid Aitken, BBC ONE and BBC RADIO 6 with their first release “Scorpion”, the demand has risen for High Fade’s incomparable sound. Poised to take over in 2023 with a monster lineup of releases.
Bedroom High Club
Hull Cars Alternative Main Stage, 20:45
The South Yorkshire four-piece are all about relatable indie-rock and, at the same time, make an irresistible racket whether it’s in a car or a venue. It’s new-wave music, bumping up against rock and indie, old and new. For fans of Circa Waves and Two Door Cinema Club, Bedroom High Club deal with heartbreak and bottled up frustration ready to burst onto the indie scene.
The band built momentum through grass roots gigging and live shows which led to a game-changing slot at The Leadmill, Sheffield, followed by headline show after headline show and a set at Tramlines festival.
The Hazy Janes
Cuban Pete’s Stage, 21:05
Dynamic rock duo from Halifax. How the White Stripes might sound if they came from Yorkshire, drank craft ales and listened to Led Zeppelin.
Shelf Lives
BBC Introducing Humberside Stage, 21:05
London-based electro-punk outfit. Expect catchy, energetic pop songs that bring the abrasiveness and physicality of punk. It’s music so rowdy you can practically feel the sweat on the ceiling and the sound of crushed cans under your feet.
Pairing hardcore punk’s brief blasts of energy with electroclash’s minimal and sleazy sonics, they raise themes of societal collapse and hyper-consumerism with a warped smile.
Though Shelf Lives has only been a band since 2021, they’ve already played acclaimed sets at Glastonbury, supported Skunk Anansie on a full EU/UK tour, were ‘ones to watch in 2022’ and joined fellow confrontational noise-makers Bob Vylan and HO99O9 on the cover of Gigwise. In April 2022 they released their first mini-album Yes, offence – a danceable outburst of dissonant guitar riffs, jackhammer beats and black comedic lyrics.
Opus Kink
Hull Trains Dead Bod Stage, 21:20
Opus Kink were formed in Brighton, England in 2018. Their blend of punk, jazz, sickly folk and rough country music is a unique prospect in the current musical landscape; their brass-led, darkly charged repertoire has garnered a growing cult reputation in Britain and overseas, largely due to a penchant for hectic, unpredictable live shows full of experimentation and grim theatre.
Early support from Radio 6’s Steve Lamacq, the Charlatans’ Tim Burgess, NME Magazine & other champions bolstered the word-of-mouth notoriety of their wild live show & paved the way for an incoming barrage of new releases and appearances.
“Horn-fuelled filth-funk, where punk and jazz combine in grimy circumstances” (Thomas Smith, NME Magazine)
“Barnstorming, infectious” (Steve Lamacq, BBC 6 Music)
“One of the most enjoyable genre fusions I’ve ever seen” (Nels Hylton, BBC Radio 1)
