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Main News Channel Main News Channel for o2 Wireless Festival 2009 en Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:25:32 GMT Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:25:32 GMT 5 Lily Allen joins Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard line up! Fresh from winning the BRIT Award for Best British Female, Lily Allen has confirmed that she'll be joining jigga man JAY-Z on the line up for Sunday's Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard. Having conquered the UK charts last year with her number one single The Fear and her triple platinum album It's Not Me, It's You, Lily's sure to make the whole of Hyde Park Smile during her performance. Mark Pattison General Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:00:00 GMT 2010-02-26T07:00:00 7ce11b2f-8c4e-43d8-95fb-8b22115479cd 1 Accept no imitations – beware a fake website selling Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard tickets Don’t let fraudsters steal your hard-earned cash London’s Metropolitan Police have been in touch with us here at Wireless HQ, and have asked us to warn you good people about a fraudulent website that has one purpose – to steal your hard earned cash. The website <a href="http://www.hydeparkconcerts.com/">www.hydeparkconcerts.com</a> is a particularly convincing example of a website that appears to be a perfectly authorized source to buy tickets to Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard and other events taking place in Hyde Park this summer. However, this website is run by fraudsters who will take your cash but won't provide you with tickets to ANY of the festivals and events taking place in Hyde Park. WWW.HYDEPARKCONCERTS.COM IS A FRAUDULENT WEBSITE – DO NOT PURCHASE TICKETS FROM HERE. If you have been unlucky enough to be tricked by this website and have sent them an order for tickets, the best thing to do is check to see if they have charged your bank account yet, and cancel any transaction with them that is waiting to go through. If you have given them your money, the best advice we can offer is that you <a href="http://www.met.police.uk/reporting_crime/">contact the Met Police</a> and report the crime. If you’re planning on buying tickets to this year’s Wireless, the best place for you to get them from is the <a href="/tickets">Tickets page</a> on this very website, which guarantees the ticket you purchase online will be valid. If you choose to purchase from other sources, here are some tips to remember when buying… • If you buy tickets through an online auction, choose a seller with a long, continuous history of satisfied customers. Scammers can hijack old accounts, so make sure they have recently bought or sold other items. • When buying from an individual through an online exchange don't be lured away from the website by the seller. Even if you met the seller on the exchange website, the company may not guarantee any lost money if a transaction occurs outside their domain. • Never pay with a cashier's check or wire money to a seller. Instead, use a credit card or PayPal, which offer some protection and potential reimbursement. • Scrutinize photos of the tickets closely for any inaccuracies or alterations. • Don’t buy from ticket touts- the tickets they sell may be stolen or counterfeit. Duncan LaBarre General Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:30:00 GMT 2010-02-22T05:30:00 feb6871e-7c6b-4e4f-8aef-aac0eb4db603 3 JAY-Z scoops award for Best International Solo Male at 30th Annual Brit Awards The Jigga man also put on the performance of the evening – watch the video now! JAY-Z was in London Town last night (Tuesday) for the 30th Annual Brit Awards, which once again took place at Earls Court in SW5. The Jigga man was nominated in the category for Best International Male, which saw him up against heavyweight contenders including Bruce Springsteen and Michael Buble. The good news is that this year’s Wireless headliner won the award, most deservingly in our eyes – with two huge performances in London last year and one of 2009’s greatest albums in the form of The Blueprint 3, there really could be no other winner. Accepting the award, JAY-Z was clearly in excellent spirits, thanking the Spice Girls “because they inspired me!” Later that night he took to the stage to perform his incredible track Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys and a full backing band, which was undoubtedly the performance of the evening. Congratulations to JAY-Z! Watch a video of his fantastic performance from last night now... <object width="515" height="417"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ilOasHnpTuw&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ilOasHnpTuw&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="515" height="417"></embed></object> Duncan LaBarre General Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:15:00 GMT 2010-02-17T05:15:00 197dc54d-9c39-4203-bafa-1512b846206e 1000000 Jay-Z returns to Hyde Park to headline Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard in July! Music megastar Jay-Z, will be headlining Sunday night at this year's Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard... Are you excited yet?? Yes, we can finally reveal that music megastar, rap legend and one half of the world's biggest urban power couple, Jay-Z, will be headlining Sunday night at this year's Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard! Swapping the concrete jungles of the Empire State for the lush fields of Hyde Park, the jigga man joins pop princess P!nk to head up this year's festival! As if that's not enough, we can also confirm that Supernova hitmaker, and Jay-Z collaborator Mr Hudson has also been added to the Sunday line up. Will they get together for a rendition of Young Forever? We can only hope... Mark Pattison General Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:00:00 GMT 2010-02-15T08:00:00 62b34a15-db1a-425a-b5f8-86cd931c4647 1000000 The Temper Trap added to Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard line up! Aussie four piece set to rock Hyde Park! Not content with P!nk, Gossip and The Ting Tings appearing on Friday at Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard, we’ve only gone and added another band to the line up for that day! We can now confirm that Aussie indie upstarts The Temper Trap will also be making an appearance, fresh from a UK headline tour. With more artists set to be announced soon, this year's event is shaping up as one not to be missed! Mark Pattison General Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMT 2010-02-12T10:00:00 2cf170db-bd0d-4df5-885b-74c7f88227a2 1000000 The Ting Tings dismiss Jay Z speculation The Brit duo reveal more details about their forthcoming album.... Brit duo <a href="http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=dd66fe81-7afd-4220-981d-736dd751d25f&artist=The+Ting+Tings">The Ting Tings</a> have revealed more details about their forthcoming album Kunst. The act, who will be showcasing new material at this year’s Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard, have confirmed that the new material will be synth-heavy - "We listened back to some of the demos and we thought, hold on a minute, this is sounding too much like we're rocking out live. We bought a couple of old weird synths in New York and smuggled them in our suitcases back to Berlin and they started to come strong on the music" explained multi instrumentalist Jules De Martino. Speaking to <a href="http://www.contactmusic.com/">contactmusic.com</a>, the group also rubbished reports that they’d been working with new label boss Jay Z – insisting that they’re producing the album instead "We're recording it ourselves at the moment. We're seven tracks in and we haven't needed anyone yet.” Lead singer Katie White did however hint at one possible collaboration - "There is a band called the Tom Tom Club that we love and we already spoke with them. We know them now and we might do a collaboration." You can read the full article <a href="http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/the-ting-tings-shirk-jayz_1131462">here</a>.   Mark Pattison General Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:15:00 GMT 2010-02-09T12:15:00 3c506285-0a4f-4ac1-ba22-754e710df95d 1000000 P!nk records Haiti charity single P!nk joins line-up for 'We Are The World' remake... Not content with being an amazing performer and artist, Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard headliner <a href="http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=9ccb2134-a2c4-448b-a533-88a5e33da29c&artist=P!nk">P!nk</a> is also a very nice lady, and as such she’s been confirmed as one of the artists appearing on the re-recording of ‘We Are The World’, which is to be released in support of Haiti relief. Teaming up with over 80 artists, the track was again masterminded by Lionel Richie, and features artists including Justin Bieber, Jordin Sparks, Black Eyed Peas, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Kanye West, and Josh Groban. The video for the song, which is being shot in 3-D, will debut on February 12. In other news Glitter In The Air, the track that P!nk performed at the Grammy Awards has launched itself into the US itunes top 10, as has its parent album, Funhouse! Well done P!nk! Mark Pattison General Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:00:00 GMT 2010-02-04T11:00:00 af98e2a9-b590-41ba-a198-c49863b06d9b 1000000 P!nk steals the show at the Grammy Awards! Feisty rocker P!nk wows the Grammy Award audience. She may have went home empty handed (boooo!), but Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard headliner <a href="http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=9ccb2134-a2c4-448b-a533-88a5e33da29c&artist=P!nk">P!nk</a> stole the show at the Grammy Awards this weekend with an eye popping rendition of Glitter In The Air. The feisty rocker wowed the crowd, stripping to a flesh coloured bodystocking adorned with jewels before performing the majority of the song suspended in mid air. A number of death defying stunts, and Cirque Du Soleil style acrobatics followed - she obviously has a head for heights! So, the big question is – what will she wear for her Hyde Park appearance?? And can we expect a similar show stopping performance?? We can’t wait to find out… <object height="295" width="480"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fGeWN3vR_MU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed height="295" width="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fGeWN3vR_MU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object> Mark Pattison General Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:15:00 GMT 2010-02-01T15:15:00 ee6db178-7e3f-4490-a928-4d9868e403fd 1000000 The Ting Tings nominated for Grammy Award! The Brit duo talk Grammy Nominations and red carpet chic! Not content with featuring one Grammy nominee in the form of feisty rocker <a href="http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=9ccb2134-a2c4-448b-a533-88a5e33da29c&artist=P!nk">P!nk</a>, Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard can also lay claim to a second 2010 award nominee in the form of Brit rockers <a href="http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=dd66fe81-7afd-4220-981d-736dd751d25f&artist=The+Ting+Tings">The Ting Tings</a>, who are up for the sought after Best New Artist gong at the ceremony this weekend. As one of only a handful of British artists in the main categories, the duo will be hoping to do us proud, though according to an interview with The Canadian Press, they’re not looking forward to gracing the infamous Grammy red carpet. "I never know what to wear," says lead singer Katie White. "I always end up looking like I'm going to a Christening." We’re sure you’ll look lovely Katie, and we’ll be keeping our fingers and toes crossed for you on the night!! You can read the full article <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hWO4dXvHB2Xc-RFbsbb1CZnVGAEg">here</a>. Mark Pattison General Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT 2010-01-27T00:00:00 a3d73738-6796-43d7-bf73-b03114d18e85 1000000 Dance floor revellers Gossip add some punk to this year's Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard Effervescent noise-mongers are the latest band confirmed on the Wireless bill With all this cold weather beginning to thaw, there ain’t nothing standing in the way of us announcing our latest addition to the Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard line-up. We’re thrilled to reveal that those effervescent noise-mongers Gossip are the latest band confirmed on the Wireless bill, taking to the Hyde Park stage on Friday July 2nd. The alluring American trio, fronted by the iconic Beth Ditto, will be blaring out tracks from their catalogue of albums, including last year’s Music For Men and the critically acclaimed Standing In the Way of Control. That means that so far we’ve announced Gossip, The Ting Tings, and a headline performance that we’re already buzzing about seeing, with pop-princess P!nk headlining the opening night of the Festival. As well as this, we’ve got a bunch of other exciting announcements coming soon, so keep your eyes firmly peeled on our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/WirelessFestival">Facebook Page</a> and our <a href="http://twitter.com/WirelessFest">Twitter</a> to make sure you never miss a beat. It's all rather exciting, don't you think? Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT 2010-01-15T10:00:00 3e5a222d-45d0-4260-ab0b-effa0cd17ef5 1000000 The Ting Tings announce the title of their forthcoming album Record to be named after massage parlour close to the Berlin studio where it was recorded As you already know, playing at Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard on Friday July 2nd are none other than British rock duo <a href="http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=dd66fe81-7afd-4220-981d-736dd751d25f&artist=The+Ting+Tings">The Ting Tings</a>, who have been busy recording a new album in Berlin over the past couple of months. Speaking to <a href="http://www.nme.com/">The NME</a>, Katie White and Jules De Martino have announced that the record will called Kunst, a title that is named after a massage parlour close to the studio that they recorded it in. “We took a picture of that and sent it to our label, saying this is the title of the album,” explained De Martino. “They went berserk.” The pair also discussed how they got their hands on “a couple of old weird synths” to create a sound that was less like they were “rocking out live”. You can read the full article over on NME.com <a href="http://www.nme.com/news/the-ting-tings/49175">here</a>. We’re looking forward to hearing some of the new material, as well as all their classics when they play the Wireless stage in the summer! Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:15:00 GMT 2010-01-12T03:15:00 fa9b46a4-8535-43ee-a019-e2b5b6659d38 1000000 P!nk talks to Kiss 100’s Rickie and Melvin – watch the video now Our first ever female headliner talks to the two breakfast show presenters about playing Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard headliner P!nk is in London Town this week, and Kiss 100 breakfast show DJs Rickie and Melvin recently managed to catch up with her backstage at The O2. You can watch some of the interview in the video below. In it, P!nk says she’s “excited” to be our first female headliner. “I’ve never done anything like this before,” she admits. “It’s gonna be awesome.” She also talks about following in the footsteps of Jay-Z and Kanye West, and mentions her time running in Hyde Park. Watch it now! <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4lU6EaAWH28&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" width="515" height="417" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" scale="ShowAll" loop="loop" menu="menu" wmode="Window" quality="1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed> Duncan LaBarre General Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT 2009-12-11T05:00:00 50f45720-34bd-4dcc-b624-557bba0f5a45 1000000 Pop superstar P!nk set to headline Wireless in our sixth consecutive year Pink is our favourite crayon – and also our favourite pop star. Good thing she’s headlining Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard in the summer… As you know by now, Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard returns to Hyde Park in July 2010. Now in our sixth consecutive year, we’re thrilled to announce that chart-topping global superstar P!nk will be headlining the Main Stage on the opening night! Believe it or not, P!nk is our first ever female headliner, and we can’t wait until she gets the party started in the Capital in the Summer, as she brings her world-famous Funhouse Tour to London’s back garden. This will be her first ever open-air London show, making this a whole new live experience. P!nk has achieved global fame with her special brand of high octane, dazzling performances, and has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Her current Funhouse Tour is already established as one of highest grossing world tours tour of 2009. “I am so excited to headline Wireless festival” said P!nk. “Hyde Park is such a legendary place to play and I feel so honoured that I am going to be the first female to headline the festival. Hyde Park better get ready for the Funhouse!” We certainly are ready, P!nk - see you in the summer! Duncan La Barre General Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:30:00 GMT 2009-12-08T08:30:00 29b63410-3b7a-464a-b2cd-d4a7665ccb2a 1000000 The Ting Tings added to the Wireless line-up Fresh from supporting P!nk on her first US headline tour, festival favourites The Ting Tings will be hitting the Wireless stage on Friday 2 July. Fresh from supporting Wireless sponsored by Barclaycard headliner P!nk on her first US headline tour, festival favourites <a href="http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk/lineup/artist.aspx?aid=dd66fe81-7afd-4220-981d-736dd751d25f&artist=The+Ting+Tings">The Ting Tings</a> will be hitting the Wireless stage on Friday 2 July. The Pop Rock duo are sure to bring an electric performance to Hyde Park having declared their name in music, as the pleasingly popular second single That’s Not My Name sold over one million digital copies world wide. Duncan LaBarre General Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:15:00 GMT 2009-12-08T08:15:00 38810012-b095-428f-8127-74249bb60e5a 1000000 Kanye West closes Wireless 2009 with a spectacular performance Sets from Mr Hudson, Q-Tip, Example and more conclude our best ever Hyde Park event… As the sun was thinking about setting on London town, we made our way over to the Tuborg stage where we caught performances from two must-see acts – London’s very own Mr Hudson, and the energetic Example, who could have easily played a much larger crowd in Hyde Park tonight. But the hour was fast approaching for a set from the man we were all here to see. Kanye West played to a sold out crowd tonight, delivering one of the most comprehensive sets we’ve seen all weekend. The stage was dramatically set up, with an elaborate elevated platform for the showman to perform on. Kicking off with Coldest Winter (a contrary song choice considering the incredible British weather we had today), Kanye belted out hit after hit as Flashing Lights seemingly melted into Coming Home Again. Touch The Sky encouraged a mass hands-in-the-air moment, and the momentous Through the Wire saw 30,000 people simultaneously swaying their hands to the music. Following a slew of hits, Kanye paused to show his gratitude to the crowd for making the effort to come and see him this evening. “I wanna thank y’all for making my dreams come true,” said the superstar, full of sincerity. “Without you, there is no me.” This poignant interlude was followed by an epic rendition of the track Robocop, before Kanye, surrounded by four scantily clad, gold-painted dancers broke in to Say You Will. “That’s my favourite song on the album,” claimed the rapper. “Well, they’re all my favourite songs,” he joked. The set also included iconic performances of Diamonds, Jesus Walks, Gold Digger, American Boy, and a stripped down version of Heartbreak 808, which featured a simple piano accompaniment, and Kanye’s phenomenal vocals. The incredible set was enjoyed by a  packed out Wireless crowd, and celebrities including James Corden and Keisha from the Sugababes were spotted enjoying the genius hard at work. A scream that would have been audible all over London erupted when the now iconic sounds of Daft Punk’s Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger were played, with the American closing with perhaps his most famous track Stronger. Kanye was amazing tonight, and was the perfect performer to close what has been our best Wireless ever. The show was full of glamour, excitement and tenacity, which we think is a great microcosm for what has been a brilliant weekend. Hope y’all had a good time. See you next year. The Wireless Festival 2009 Team x  Duncan LaBarre General Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:15:00 GMT 2009-07-05T23:15:00 8c0b9f31-3503-4e6b-b43d-cc233d437111 1000000 Calvin Harris, N-Dubz and Diversity keep us busy at Wireless 2009 Sunday is shaping up to be even more intense than yesterday in London's back garden The Wireless audience have been on fire today (not literally, you understand – it’s a figure of speech), and one band you could tell they were all longing to see was N-Dubz. With a mighty roar from the crowd, their set kicked off with an awesome drum solo as Dappy, Tulisa and Fazer induced a deafening scream, kicking off with I Swear. Everyone watching was in good voice, and Dappy got the entire Wireless crowd chanting the chorus to Ouch back at the Camden trio. Following an incredibly swift costume change backstage, the band broke in to Strong Again, Wouldn’t You and Better Not Waste My Time. Today, N-Dubz confirmed that they truly are masters of controlling a sold out crowd – they were amazing. All this chaos was followed by what would turn out to be a legendary set from Scottish dance producer Calvin Harris, who owned the stage with his catalogue of hits. Starting out with Merrymaking At My Place, which was followed by awesome lesser-known track Colours, the crowd were loving Calvin, not least when he managed to get 20,000 people jumping up and down to a fantastically bass-y rendition of Acceptable In The 80’s. With the sun pounding down on Hyde Park, there was a Balearic vibe in the air, and when he played Not Alone, Calvin confirmed, as if there was any doubt, that he really is a force to be reckoned with on the dance scene. We were also lucky enough to see Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity, who would be playing their biggest gig since winning the show to the Wireless hoard. With the stage stripped of mic stands, drum kits and everything else, the troupe backflipped and summersaulted on to the stage, before being greeted by Kiss FM DJs and Wireless MCs Ricky and Melvin, who interviewed leader Ashley in front of everybody before the performance. Ashely told us that they had been touring pretty much none stop since winning BGT, and that they had all arrived at Hyde Park in a helicopter. They did an extended version of the set that won them the show, which was followed by rapturous allplause and cries for more. Meanwhile, the backstage area was a hive of activity, and before we knew what was happening we found ourselves rubbing shoulders with the stars, who were out in full force. Mark Ronson was spotted chatting to Jack Penate, two thirds of the Sugababes (Heidi must’ve been elsewhere) where wandering around with Alesha Dixon, and we were lucky enough to catch up with Noisettes, Flo Rida and Mr Hudson. We’re off to chill out with a few more A-listers, and are finding it hard to believe that we’re only a few hours away from seeing Kanye West’s headline performance. It’s gonna be huge. Duncan LaBarre General Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:15:00 GMT 2009-07-05T19:15:00 9ce7edfa-5796-4c35-a33f-df5767259776 1000000 Day Two at Wireless 2009 has officially begun Sets from Noisettes, Chipmunk, Tinie Tempah, Ratatat and more get the crowds jumping Sunday at Wireless started early this afternoon, with the carnival atmosphere in Hyde Park from last night still very much alive and well. South London’s very own grime superstar Tinie Tempah kicked off the proceedings on the Main Stage, playing to an already bustling crowd who had got to Wireless nice and early. As well as dropping in a bunch of crowd-pleasers, the 19 year old boi-wonder made a brief nod to the late great Michael Jackson, with the Billie Jean bass-line thrown in on closing track Hood Economics, much to the delight of the audience. Next up, Noisettes took to the stage, injecting the Wireless masses with their inescapable chart-topping tunes. Singer Shengai looked amazing in a tight white dress, and the band quickly broke into Wild Young Hearts, before rocking out to the incredible Don’t Upset The Rhythm. “It’s an absolute treasure to be out performing to you today,” she told the fans. “I’ve been looking forward to this gig.” As the sound of Chipmunk’s DJ was detected on the Second Stage, the fans came running in from the bright July sunshine. The big top filled up in no time and it was the turn of the 19 year old London boy to command his followers. With virtually every pair of hands in the air, a raft of promo CDs were thrown into the audience before the star lunched into the number one smash hit Tiny Dancer. He also treated fans to an airing of his new single Diamond Rings – if it does well in the charts, he may even be lucky enough to buy a few  himself – it’s out in the shops tomorrow! We then headed over to the Tuborg Stage where Ratatat were striking up a moody set complete with sinister samples, freaked out guitar noise all set to a lazy trip-hop beat. The darkness gave way to a dub bassline and a squealing effect-drenched guitar which provided what has to be the most interesting incarnation of dance music we’ve heard in a while. Their performance took us on a journey of electronic music from The Prodigy through Air by way of Daft Punk – a real treat! Duncan LaBarre General Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:45:00 GMT 2009-07-05T11:45:00 9328ad12-e8ab-4f6f-9e06-98dc50b7ff8f 1000000 Basement Jaxx close an unforgettable party in the park Headline set from the carnival masters sets the Wireless crowds into a frenzy Finally, the time had come for the headline act that everybody was waiting for. Following an operatic introduction, Basement Jaxx stormed onto the stage with the same energy and vigour that we witnessed four years ago at the very first Wireless Festival in 2005. Felix was the epitome of cool, strolling onto the stage shouting “How ya doin’ London” before the band broke into a storming rendition of Good Luck. Oh My Gosh was delivered with a gritty rock edge offset by infectious Latin grooves and a bonkers bongo backbeat. Jus’ One Kiss was performed true to the original recording with some additional guitar work making it sound even livelier – as if it needed to be! A flurry of hits ensued including Red Alert, Do Your Thing, new single Raindrops and Agro, followed by a stripped back acoustic version of Romeo. Simon played a simple guitar accompaniment as a backdrop to Kele Le Roc’s ever impressive vocals, a truly sublime moment of calm in an otherwise pounding set. As the sun set over Hyde Park we were also privy to a first airing of future Jaxx classic She’s No Good. “You just heard that for the first time” announced Felix at the song’s conclusion – and we’re pretty sure it won’t be the last; it had No.1 written all over it. Tonight we were treated to our own West End Musical with a full light and laser show including stunning visuals played on their own colossal plasma screen. The band covered every genre from rock to ragga and shifted from one musical style to the next with consummate professionalism and the look of a tight knit band who were thoroughly enjoying themselves. And so, as the first epic day of Wireless 2009 comes to a close, we know that when the sun rises in the morning we’ll be doing it all again. Tomorrow sees none other than international sensation Kanye West headlining the Main Stage with a supporting cast of the finest acts from the world of urban music who will once again turn Hyde Park into the ultimate party venue. It’gonna be a large one – bring it on. Duncan LaBarre General Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:15:00 GMT 2009-07-04T22:15:00 8e8a5453-fa4b-4a70-9ebd-3e81684da69f 1000000 The Streets and Dizzee set the crowd in a spin at Wireless Legendary performances from Birmingham and London's finest keep the party going As the music played on in London’s back garden, you could feel the excitement as hundreds of fans flocked towards the second stage to witness what would turn out to be a legendary performance from The Streets. With the vivacious crowd creating an enormous noise in anticipation of Birmingham’s finest, the hoard went wild when Mike Skinner et al burst on to the stage with a deafening version of Let's Push Things Forward. Skinner was a master on the mic, and between him and Leo the Lion, The Streets controlled the delighted crowd with renditions of Has It Come To This, Could Well Be In, Everything Is Borrowed and bringing things down a notch with a emotional version of Never Went To Church. It was an epic set, lasting over and hour and included classic hits from all four albums. “Put your hands in the air if you’re still alive out there” demanded Mike at one point, which encouraged a mighty roar from the crowd. All this pandemonium was followed by a no-less chaotic performance from Dizzee Rascal over on the Main Stage. The London-boi-done-good  came on to stage to greet his home crowd, and was rewarded with a mind-blowing scream from the audience. He started with a cover of the Ting Tings’ That’s Not My Name (which featured a great Dizzee twist on the chorus with the line “They call me blud, they call me rooode boy!”), before breaking in to a storming performance of He’s Just a Rascal. Playing “some of that new s**t” from his latest album including Road Rage and Dirty Cash, Dizzee was on fire. Dropping in blasts of Sound of da Police and Jump before sending everyone crazy with Fix Up Look Sharp, you could tell he was having a good time. The set ended with a stonking rendition of Bonkers, which induced mass fist pumping and ground shaking. Dizzee was legendary tonight, and London loved him. Duncan LaBarre General Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:45:00 GMT 2009-07-04T20:45:00 dd42b8be-6c86-49cc-9f39-1b359c606518 1000000 The music plays on as the sun shines down on London Town Jack Penate, Digitalism, St Ettienna and loads more keep the party going in Hyde Park And so the fun in the sun and live music continued in Hyde Park, with the balmy weather and incredible summer atmosphere welcome additions to what is already turning out to be our best Wireless ever. At a more salubrious pace, Danish minimalists Chimes and Bells charmed the Bella Union Stage with gorgeous sun kissed songs. The set was well received as the band ended with a rousing rendition of their single Do The Right. Meanwhile, London stalwarts St Etienne graced the Main Stage as the afternoon temperatures soared. Fox Base Alpha signs were clearly visible in the adoring crowd as the band launched into a fan-pleasing set laced with chilled summer beats. Bob Stanley and Sarah Cracknell’s finale of He’s On The Phone really served to get the crowd moving. Oblivious to this were the crowd who had gathered at the second stage for what proved to be a stonking set from German dance-punk duo Digitalism. The guys emerged to hysterical cheers from the already hyped crowd, coming out to the euphoric Idealistic, before hammering out most of the choons from their awesome debut album. Tommy Sparks lifted the roof off the Tuborg stage with a great rendition of the Stardust classic Music Sounds Better With You and closing his set with the one the crowd were all waiting for She’s Got Me Dancing - and yes, he managed to get us all dancing too! Over on the Main Stage, it was the turn of chart-topping man-of-the-moment Jack Peñate to entertain his mass of assembled fans. After a quick round of the ‘crowd-division-noise-making’ competition from our resident compares Ricky and Melvin, the atmosphere was more Carnival than stroll in the Park as Jack ripped into songs off his new album in addition to some old favourites. I’m So Near and Everything is New  were conducted with the famous Peñate swagger whilst We all Spit At Stars and Torn On The Platform delighted fans with the stunning accompaniment of a small brass section. ‘Cor it’s hot out here’ quipped Jack as he continued his tirade of hits, he even managed to live up to the old Rock ‘n’ Roll cliché of smashing his guitar at the end of Give Yourself Away – ‘excuse me, it all got a bit too much’ he said afterwards. No problem Jack - embrace your inner rock self! Duncan LaBarre General Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:30:00 GMT 2009-07-04T19:30:00 916cf0d2-0e36-45e9-9d41-27526a6a88d7 1000000 Wireless 2009 kicks of in style Sets from Oakenfold, Phenominal Handclap Band and Filthy Dukes confirm that the weekend has officially landed It’s just gone 4pm on Saturday afternoon, and it’s official – the weekend has very much landed. The sun is shining, fists are pumping and the ground is shaking. Wireless 2009 has kicked off in incredible style. It all started on the Main Stage early this afternoon, when the delightful Phenomenal Handclap Band played to the Wireless crowds, delivering their feel-good disco sound, and foot-tapping, hand-clapping tunes to those who had got themselves down to Hyde Park bright and early. They played hit tracks including You’ll Disappear and the sing-along anthem All Of The Above, which had a joyous 70’s vibe, held together with incredible vocals. It’s fair to say that what this band don’t know about 5-part harmonies ain’t worth knowing. <img height="367" width="550" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/a/c/u/Image/the_phenomenal_01.jpg" /> Earlier we bumped into the effortlessly cool Paul Oakenfold a few minutes before he was due to play his epic 80 minute-long DJ set over and the second stage, who told us that he was glad to be back in the UK for a few days (Paul lives in Miami these days, don’t cha know?). “I hope to see a few family and friends over the next couple of days” said Paul, before telling us about what an incredible year 2009 is turning in to for him. “My highlight so far has been touring with Madonna, and working with Jerry Bruckheimer on his new film”. What a name dropper! Well, when you’re the godfather of dance music, you probably end up rubbing shoulders with a few A listers, right? When he took to the 2nd stage, the crowd went absolutely ballistic from the very first beat. In a rammed tent, Oakenfold was on complete fire laying down a tenacious beat and slyly mixing in samples from the likes of Universally Speaking, Mr Brightside and Sex On Fire. When he played a pulse-racing version of Satisfaction everyone went crazy, and a quick spin of Josh Wink’s A Higher State of Consciousness was simply off the hook. <img height="367" width="550" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/a/c/u/Image/paul_oakenfold06_duncan.jpg" /> Surrounded by various bits of equipment that included decks, effects machines and a couple of synths, Paul was a maestro in the mix. A screen behind him flashed images of girls, the Hollywood Hills and LA skyline, with a huge, ubiquitous Perfecto badge revolving in the background. The Ibiza spirit had truly come to London Town, and as far as we were all concerned it was 3am in Manumission, not late afternoon in the Capital. We dragged ourselves away from the chaos of the Second Stage, where we discovered that Oakenfold had managed to establish a one-in-one out policy, with hundreds of fans desperate to get in to see the superstar DJ at work. Wandering over to the Main Stage, we caught the end of Filthy Dukes’ set, who were entertaining everybody with their sound that is a delicious clash of New Order meets Digitalism. “Feel free to come and dance” encouraged lead singer Tim – before getting everyone going with a great rendition of crowd-pleaser This Rhythm. <img height="367" width="550" alt="" src="http://media.livenation.co.uk/fido/publishing/news/a/c/u/Image/filthy_dukes07_duncan.jpg" /> Next, we headed on down to the Tuborg Stage, where we were lucky enough to catch a bit of Black and White Years, who were busy rocking the tent with tracks including You Are a Dragon and A Wetter Sea. Their unique blend of electro-dance rock was fantastic, and though it wasn’t quite as chaotic as the mayhem going down over with Oakenfold, they pumped out a superb summer sound that got everyone in the mood for more. Coming up, we’re looking forward to seeing The Streets, Afrika Bambaataa , and of course the sublime Dizzee Rascal. Obviously tonight’s headline set from Basement Jaxx is going to be rather special, if seeing them play this exact stage 4 years ago is anything to go by. We can’t wait. Duncan LaBarre General Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:30:00 GMT 2009-07-04T16:30:00 0dfe84ea-5332-40cc-95ae-11f8d7c46793 1000000