WORDS AND IMAGES KIERAN ANDREWS
The second full day at In It Together, the sun is shining and everyone is in high spirits after yesterday’s successful day. There’s a lot of excitement to see the opening act today.
First, the fashion guru DJ Gok Wan came out to the first cheer of the day. He was in great spirits, happy, and everything you’d expect from Gok Wan. He complained about the music being too quiet, and the festival music technician had no choice but to turn it up with the crowd behind him. He effortlessly kept the crowd bouncing.
Next up was the popular dance group Diversity, back again from previous years. They dove onto the stage from all directions, displaying just as much energy in their moves and jumps as at the start of their journey. They created new fresh moves for every show to stay at the top of their game.
Following them was Trampolene, a 3-piece Welsh band from Swansea. They have a few followers here, and some Trampolene t-shirts could be seen in the crowd. Their very catchy songs quickly caught on, and they ended their set with their song “Together.”
Almost immediately after came Afflecks Palace, this time a 4-piece band with a bit heavier, almost punky sounds for the hard-core ravers. They punched out song after song with no let-up in tempo, even making a joke to the crowd that they were a country band really just trying to fit their songs in.
Next up were the Lottery Winners. The lead singer immediately had the crowd in his hands with his banter, going off and coming over three times to get a better reaction. Their songs were instant hits, and the patch of empty grass quickly filled up as the crowd edged closer to see the band. Their first festival was a huge success, with a UK number 1 album in 2023, and it felt like this band was ready to explode onto the festival scene.
Strutting slowly onto the stage as no one else could, Billy Ocean with a string of global hits could walk anyway he wanted onto the stage, as no one would tell him otherwise. The hits continued, providing a proper sing-along set from start to end.
Following him, a duo from two different boy groups, Boyzlife—Brian McFadden from Westlife and Keith Duffy from Boyzone—blended the best of both bands’ songs, resulting in a huge singalong.
Sam Ryder was up next. As he came on stage, he had a presence that just shone. A Eurovision winner for the UK in 2022, he had shot to become one of the best-loved acts in the UK, selling out everywhere he goes. His performance ended with “Space Man,” the loudest song of the night so far.
Razorlight was next to take the stage with their mellow indie rock vibes, perfect for taking the festival into the dark sky. They played newer and their hits, providing a nice blend to take the night to the end.
FOLLOW GOK WAN
FOLLOW DIVERSITY
FOLLOW TRAMPOLENE
FOLLOW AFFLECKS PALACE
FOLLOW THE LOTERY WINNERS
FOLLOW BILLY OCEAN
FOLLOW SAM RYDER
FOLLOW RAZORLIGHT
