Arriving at In It Together Festival the first thing you notice walking in is listening to how excited the crowd is, the sheer amount of tents and motors homes. Completely sold out all weekend and the weather promises to be a perfect all weekend just right for a festival. There will be an estimated near 80 thousand people total over the weekend
First to fire the crowd up on the main stage are Welsh locals Goldie Looking Chain with their comedy hip hop songs. And it went down a storm in the blistering sun, with drinks flowing, everyone is bouncing along, enjoying the feel-good songs from the late 90s early 2000s. Laughing and listening, I ask the person next to me, what is so funny? He replied “The memory flashbacks i have completely forgot about”
Next up are Retro Video Club A three-piece band with an indie/alternative rock style. Joining us from Scotland. An up-and-coming indie/Rock band to look out for, selling out tour shows and supporting the likes of the The Kooks.
Heading over to The Paddock stage, to catch Kizzy Crawford. She’s a self-band loop box player. Everyone is sitting down leaning against a hay bales, drinks in hand, heads back taking the music in as they take a moment out for themselves.
Heading back to the main stage, its Tom Zanetti a DJ from Leeds. He brings the dance vibes to the front of the festival, asking for the crowd to get up on people’s shoulders and bounce their hands. The bass is pumping shaking your insides, he plays his own music, icluding the platinum hit “You want me” and his hits with Tiesto, “T2 Heartbroken” and the classics like “Show me Love”. Not sure how you follow on from this? The crowd are screaming for more.
Heading across to the Rewind tent to catch the duo that are Flip and Fill, world famous global DJ’s with hits like “shooting star” and “True love never dies” these artists and songs are what made club land what it is today. But unfortunately, there’s some confusion and the duo are not here to play to the completely packed out tent at their slot time, but the music does not die and leave people disappointed as In It Together event organiser Harvey Reader jumps on the decks to keep the crowd happy till the headliners start. Harvey quite clearly knows his way around the decks as the people in the back don’t even know there’s been an issue and the party keeps going.
Up next though back at the main stage to follow on from Tom Zanetti is the superstar Mel C. Being a “Spice Girl” there is not a person born in the world who doesn’t know her name and who she is and probably even though not the headliner but the most known name here. Going through her hit singles, and spice girl catalogue, everyone is joining in singing their hearts out swaying their arms in the air to hits like “2 Become 1“ and “Who do you think you are” finishing her set with her biggest single, “I turn to you”
The next main headliner up next are. The Vamps. Celebrating their 10th anniversary, the Bass guitar displaying on the front of his guitar “10 years baby” With two Gold albums to their name, and the only band to headline the O2 five years in a row there’s no sign of things slowing down. And looking at the reaction they are getting and the singing being projected back at them, the crowd want them to keep doing what they’re doing.
The last of the night and the main headliner is Ann-Marie. An extravagant stage is being set with two chandeliers being lifted high up mid-stage and one on each side of a chair. The screaming is intense as she walks onto the stage and sits in the chair, The backdrop changes from her name into what looks like an old-style film studio. The screaming turns to singing as she starts her set. A few songs in she hands a spare mic to a member in the crowd to sing the KSI rap part in “Don’t Play” Asking her can she do it as fans in the past just use the mic to scream back at her. To Ann Marie and everyone’s surprise not only did she know the words she has done it well. Anne has been nominated for 10 Brit awards but amazingly not won any, although she has won 9 others awards including the latest best female at the global awards. She gives the fans exactly what they want to hear. New, and hits with the likes of “Rockabye” Bringing an end to her set and an end to the first day of the main stage In It Together festival.
As some start walking back to their cars and camp sights there are some where the party keeps going at the Panchaia tent till 1 in the morning.
Day 2 Sunday
Walking in and you can immediately see people have been enjoying themselves and they’re a little bit worse for wear in the campsites. Laying down outside looking like they have nothing left to give. Today’s lineup looks a like a more relaxing end to the night than what can only be described as Wales’s future permanent fixture on the festival calendar. Already pre-booking for next year. It’s hard to think this is just their second year and the line up in my opinion is better than well-established festivals. Where can they take this next year? The comments online are talking about an extra stage tent, which shows the mentality the organisers have, they have no plans to just be here, but only to grow bigger and better.
Bjorn is the first to open the main stage. An Abba tribute band, what’s not to love with Abba music? Everyone in the crowd clapping away, singing every word. Blasting through their back catalogue no song doesn’t fit. As they walk out it’s like going back in time. People in the crowd saying, is that Abba as they clearly take this to the next level down to looks before they even sing. And with reviews such as, “What’s not to love, they stole the show away” words by Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters You know you’re doing it right.
Tyrone is up next. A rapper mixing lyrics with some garage and dance classics such as “Rhythm of the Night“ Jumping onto the shoulders of stage security and being taken around the crowd makes them feel much more connected and they all take selfies as he is carried past. Ending the set with a remix of “We are young” Every one screaming the lyrics back.
Following on are the band “The Royston Club” a 4 piece band from Wrexham with two rhythm guitars, one taking the lead solos. With a Welsh flag draped over the mic, this will always go well here. They can.be seen at many festivals around the UK this year, only two years this band has been active. And already have over 10,000 streams a month. Songs are fast past alternative/indie sound. Everyone clapping away going down a storm Taking the opportunity to drop in there’s an album out this Friday.
Straight after this “The Ks” With a strong following on socials, this is an exciting future arena band breaking through. Another 4 piece band. A few technical glitches soon iron out and they’re into full swing. The Newcastle flag draped over the drums. Again a band that has only been around since 2016 with streams in the millions. There are a few ks t-shirts in the crowd for them to see there’s a following down here at in it together Port Talbot. Telling their bass player there are too many kids in the audience, so not to moon them today, replying with “it’s my favourite thing to do” They finish their set with a unique take on “It’s a dirty old town“ Their version is called “Hometown” about their home town Earlestown in Merseyside.
Diversity Who needs no introduction. The crowd grows as people push forward to watch the freestyle dance team that won Britain’s got talent in 2009. Something different to offer than everyone else on the main stage. As they complete their routine of flips, jumps and leaps. It’s hard to know where to look as people just fly across the stage in mid-air.
Ibiza Symphony Orchestra. Takes to the stage filling every inch. With a range of all instruments string and brass, 16 musicians line the stage as they blast tunes you associate to the island of Ibiza. If all these sound wasn’t enough for you they bring on Shanie the original singer of Alex Patys group “Dont Give me your love“ Straight after that if you thought that was the peak they then bring on none other than LMC to sing the stable classic “Take Me the clouds above“ It looks like everyone has descended onto the main stage for this set. Filling the air with Ibiza classics with the due singers Ruby and Jo to carry on with the vocals. There are arms up in the air as far as your eyes can see. Big blow-up balloons are being hit around the crowd. What a fantastic set that was.
Next up is the first of the headline act UB40. To bring the chilling, relaxed head rolling eye shut music to your ears. With new singer Matt Doyle taking over since 2021. You wouldn’t even know unless your a die hard fan. His voice fits in and sounds and looks like he’s been part of the band from the beginning. A perfect replacement for the retired Ali Campbell They start their set, the music just flows through the air, singing can.be heard back but a different take on the night previous bands. It’s more harmonised. And the one everyone has been waiting for “Red red wine” and also what I have been waiting for. To hear this in the location, with the mountains on one side and the sun setting behind the stage is once in a lifetime moment nearly 30.000 People won’t forget.
Up next is what everyone has been waiting for James. There are some younger people here that have no idea who he is. But guaranteed to have sung along to his hit song “Sit Down” at some point in their life. At a football match, in a pub, at a wedding, there’s know where this song hasn’t been sung. There’s a huge stage set-up change for James, wide strip lights the width of the stage are being put up. The last act for In It Together 2023. As Tim Booth walks on there’s a look of confusion in the crowd as Andy Diagram hobbles on with crutches. Tim lets everyone know it’s nothing serious just a broken foot and he can still play fine. The band start playing through the set picking. songs at random rather than the conventional set list method, explaining that’s how they like to do it but the lighting engineer is kept on his toes not knowing what is next. About 2 seconds into a song it’s recognised and a huge cheer is let out, the sing-along “Sit down” the singing is so loud Tim could just “sit down” and let the crowd do the work for this. What a moment to be a part of. Coming to the end Tim lets everyone know they have been told there is time for one more song and they can’t fit two in so this is going to be a made-up long version right there of “Out to Get You” telling us all there is literally a count down in his ear when it must end. And as if by magic as the song ends, fireworks blast over the back of the stage ending the main stage for another year.
In it together has knocked it out of the park this year and it shows via 2024 bookings as they have already put warning messages on their site of tickets selling fast.
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