It’s the Midlands’ biggest indie extravaganza – Y Not Festival. Taking place a mere 35 miles from Nottingham, this year’s line-up boasted some of the best bands in the land, but also an abundance of the very best up-and-coming local talent too. With a big Notts representation on the bill, the LeftLion Music team went along to report on how their sets went down in the sun-sprinkled Pikehall fields, along with a couple of other highlights from across the weekend.
Joey Collins & The Bushido Code
For those with early entry, the festival officially begun on Thursday with the likes of Scouting For Girls and Kaiser Chiefs topping the bill. However over on the Hog & Barrel stage, Notts’ own Joey Collins and the Bushido Code played a fabulous set. Despite going up against the Kaiser Chiefs, it was a packed-out tent as they smashed through the likes of Hollow, Desolated V Elevated and Skeletons. An artist that is definitely going places! (Faye Stacey)
Jake Bugg
On Friday evening while Snow Patrol played over on the main stage, Y Not’s second biggest stage – The Quarry - played host to Notts’ finest, Mr. Jake Bugg. Ramming the tent full for his highly anticipated headline set, it was the perfect festival atmosphere from start to finish. From showcasing new tracks like Zombieland and All Kinds of People, to a goosebump-inducing version of old favourite Broken, his perfectly balanced setlist had the crowd captivated. As expected though, it was the big hitters like Two Fingers, Lightning Bolt and All I Need that turned The Quarry into a Friday night party, with punters jumping around, climbing on each other’s shoulders and even letting off flares. A true superstar that continues to do Notts proud. (Karl Blakesley)
Dorothy Ella
Dorothy Ella opened The Quarry stage for Dean Jackson and BBC Introducing on the very sunny Saturday. If you don't know Dorothy, where have you been?! She is a powerful female vocalist with a contagious positive energy. She first played Y Not back in 2018, solo & acoustic, but this year it was with a 7-piece band. She greeted the tent full of “party people” with her poppy disco beats before midway through, beach balls full of glitter and sequins were bounced around the delighted crowd. Honestly if sunshine was an actual person, it would be Dorothy Ella. (Faye Stacey)
The Publics
The Quarry Stage at Y Not could not contain the pull of promising Notts’ indie outfit The Publics, who saw over 3000 people come to their set on the Saturday. Performing festival favourites such as the rip-roaring Red Flag Verified, the supercharged Gaslighter and instantly catchy D.B Cooper, alongside the moving, unreleased, Murphy’s Law and bouncy Karen’s Song, the 5-piece band from Mansfield boast an exhilarating energy that is felt throughout their set and seen in fan reactions. Hosted by BBC Introducing, Dean Jackson claimed it was the “Biggest crowd the stage had ever seen” for the early slot.
Audience participation is an essential element into the essence of this band, and the crowd’s claps, ‘da da das’ and mosh pits are not only a testament to The Publics talent, but also to the power of their music which bring strangers together. (Charlotte Gould)
Sleep In Motion
Sleep in Motion brought their hardened alt-rock to the Derbyshire fields with a tightened grip on a full-up Hog & Barrel stage. Taking influence from seasoned groove-laden Shinedown and Alter Bridge, the rising trio are crafting a force to be reckoned with. Just off the back of their debut EXISTENTIAL in the back end of 2023, they hit festival season this year with a vigour to shock and impress. Evidently overwhelmed at seeing such a turn-out, the trio brought fiery passion and energy to a tightly-wound set as they soaked up another success on the road. (Alex Curle)
The Blooms
Derby-band The Blooms delivered a standout performance on the Hog and Barrel stage, leaving the audience electrified. A standout moment was their song Pikehall, named after the festival's location with the crowd taken in by the spiritual homecoming. The highlight however was undoubtedly their rendition of Kasabian's Club Foot, which had the crowd singing along. Their raw energy and charismatic stage presence created an unforgettable experience. Catch them next in Nottingham with Marseille, who also smashed their Y Not set, at Rescue Rooms on October 2nd. (Conall Stacey)
Set In Motion
As one of Nottingham's most promising new bands, Set in Motion threw it all out on stage with their driven brand of alt-indie. They powered through captivating numbers Find Out Why and Break Free, all the while teasing the crowd with a potential EP release on the horizon. Writing anthems certainly comes as second nature to this local quartet, we can only look forward to what other belters they have in their back pocket. (Alex Curle)
Overpass
The atmosphere is effervescent throughout The Quarry stage crowd as Overpass emerge to cheers and whoops, everyone seemingly knowing they are about to experience something moving and memorable.
Performing songs from their From the Night EP such as Beautiful, Alright and Like No Other, it is clear what sets this 4-piece apart are their powerful deliveries and thought-provoking lyrics. They perform songs which you can’t help but belt-out, whether in a crowd shouting among strangers or alone in your bedroom.
To be a small part of such a massive moment for the musicians was an honour, singing and dancing with new and day-one fans - feeling the force of a festival performance such as this is quite unbeatable. After that performance, it is clear Overpass is no longer an emerging talent but now an established one. (Charlotte Gould)
KYTES
When I first discovered Munich-based, indie-trio KYTES supporting King No-One at Rescue Rooms earlier this year, I remember thinking to myself they must be a great festival band. Catching them at The Allotment stage for their Saturday afternoon set, my thesis was indeed proved correct, as they put on one of the best performances of the whole weekend.
Whilst many may not have known KYTES’ music beforehand, by the end everyone in the tent was joyously dancing and singing along, completely taken-in by their catchy melodies and hypnotic guitar riffs, with Runaway, Apricosa and Up In My Mind particular highlights. For fans of bands like Foals and Two Door Cinema Club, if you missed their Y Not set then have no fear – they are back in Nottingham in October, playing at The Angel on 26th October. (Karl Blakesley)
Do Nothing
Quickly earning themselves as a household name in 0115, Do Nothing's kooky post-punk sprinklings are uniquely enjoyable in their own right. So, it was only right for the Y Not fanatics to be enjoying themselves in The Quarry, as the band trifled through a stacked list of new and old; a cumulative celebration of where the band are now and where they're going next, as new track Summer of Hate received its live debut. It was good to see just how the band were thriving, as many fans in the crowd muttered and mused along with Bailey's lyrical tomfoolery as they ended with their most notorious song, Handshakes. (Alex Curle)
Cam Mannix
Being the first act on the main stage isn’t always the nicest slot, particularly on a hangover-fuelled Sunday at midday. But for young Notts talent Cam Mannix it’s a massive opportunity, having won the chance to open the Big Gin stage through Y Not’s emerging talent competition. With a better-than-expected turnout considering the time of day, with plenty more sat down at the back soaking up Cam’s blissful summery sounds, he enchants the crowd with his chilled-out guitar grooves and laidback indie. With all the potential in the world, something tells me this won’t be the last time we see Cam on the main stage. (Karl Blakesley)
LYVIA
Hot off the back of her impressive debut EP Maid Marian Way, Notts’ soul-pop sensation LYVIA pulled a sizeable crowd to her Sunday afternoon set at The Quarry. Her vibe is perfect for the final day of the festival, with the smooth rhythms and relaxed melodies made for gently swaying along. Whilst the majority of her set pulls from her EP such as poetic slow-jams Barriers, Bounce, Rock With Me and Trippin, there’s also a fun mash-up that gets the crowd singing along before a popular cover of Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl. A triumphant performance from another Notts star seemingly destined for big things. (Karl Blakesley)
Rainbow Frog Biscuits
Also part of the BBC Introducing takeover of The Quarry on Sunday is the talented Rainbow Frog Biscuits. Equipped with just a laptop, the Kate Bush-inspired soloist performed her quirky, lyrical pop-therapeutics. Overjoyed at the opportunity to perform at the festival to such a sizeable audience, the crowd interactions were wholesome and cathartic as she ran through her slew of feel-good bops including Attention and one of her most recent efforts, Look Around. (Alex Curle)
Cucamaras
Another post-punk quartet close to home spewing out their tetchy alternative guitar works, Cucamaras threw down the gauntlet as ones-to-watch. With a heavy festival season this year and a support slot with The Amazons, many eyes are on the Notts group right now and we quickly see why. New stunners Bleachers Yard and Cotton Wool were met with rapturous applause at The Giant Squid stage, with an equally distinguished audience engrossed in the bands' alt-funk styles. Emphatically melodic and rich in aptitude, Cucamaras are entering unfamiliar territory right now - and it's exciting to see what these guys do next. (Alex Curle)
Holly Humberstone
From rising talent to international popstar, it is no surprise that Holly Humberstone had quite the crowd dancing to her performance on the Big Gin stage.
Taking us on an audible tour through her debut album Paint My Bedroom Black, Humberstone delivered each track with meaning and power. She also performed the anthemic Walls are Way Too Thin and more emotional Falling Asleep at the Wheel, before finishing on the anthemic Scarlett, an ode to her heartbroken best friend.
Humberstone has an otherworldly charm about her as she thanks the crowd after almost every song, expressing how happy she is to is to finally be performing at Y Not after her set was cancelled in 2019 due to our beloved but notoriously “bad British weather”. Two days after her performance she announced she will be supporting Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium on the 16th of August – not bad for a local Grantham girl! (Charlotte Gould)
English Teacher
Their enigmatic debut This Could Be Texas has jettisoned the Leeds quartet to top of the class. Now, English Teacher celebrate their winning ways (and a Mercury Prize nomination to boot) with a mighty Y Not appearance. Their brand of indie is more embellished post-punk, dabbled in quirky curiosities of unique sounds. At the heart of it all, there is a severe tenderness best served by vocalist Lily Fontaine. This was on proud display as they slung in their best, The World's Biggest Paving Slab began proceedings while Nearly Daffodils was met with cheers as Lily climbed the tent pole. A fitting celebration for a band who have had quite a year. (Alex Curle)
What a weekend of music – you can view even more highlights from across all three days of Y Not in our photo gallery below.
Y Not Festival took place on the 1st-4th August in Pikehall, Derbyshire.
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