Love Saves The Day - one of the biggest events on the Bristolian music calendar - returns to its adoptive home of Eastville Park for another fanciful weekend of music and merriment. While last year saw the likes of Dizzee Rascal and Hot Chip making Bristol boogie, 2017 looks set to be the festival's most extravagant weekend yet. Georgia Marsh gives us the lowdown on who cannot be missed in the fields during the festival's sixth chapter of love.
David Rodigan - one of the highlights of last year - churning out the reggae in the beautiful Bristol sunshine.
Saturday
Mura Masa
Returning to Eastville Park for another bumper weekend of love is electro-pop producer Mura Masa. A quick rise to fame has seen Mura Masa - real name Alex Crossan - release the tremendously successful EP Someday Somewhere and attract Stateside superstar collaborators such as A$AP Rocky. Late last year, tickets for his sold-out Thekla show were being resold for over three times their face value on resell sites - you'll be kicking yourself if you miss him this time around.
NAO
NAO - a past collaborator with fellow headliner Mura Masa - brings her appealing brand of soulful electronica to Love Saves The Day. With a BRIT Award nomination, a place on BBC's Sound of 2017 poll and a marvellous debut under her belt, the multi-talented songwriter and producer is set to explode in the coming year, but luckily you can catch her on the festival's Main Stage. Expect retro funk and stellar sing-alongs from the synth-pop sensation.
Fatima Yamaha
Creating more buzz than a bee trapped in a fan, LSTD shared a video on their Facebook page teasing one of the festival's headliners. It was a clip of Scarlett Johansson from Lost in Translation in the midst of an existential crisis. Those acute to old school techno-inspired dance, instantly recognised this as an allusion to Fatima Yamaha's 'What's A Girl To Do' - a slow-burning floor-filler that interpolates this monologue. Although Yamaha - the alias of Dutch DJ Bas Bron - will spin a whole range of thoroughly danceable beats, this new-age classic alone will draw flocks of fans to his set.
Bicep
On Saturday, the Paradiso stage will be curated by none other than Bristol house music institution Just Jack. The notorious party-throwers have selected iconic underground collective Bicep to headline their stage - and what a delicious set it will be. Hailing from Belfast, the hunky duo gained fame and a fierce reputation posting rare and obscure dance cuts on their blog 'Feel My Bicep' and haven't looked back since. Join them on Saturday for a bold, blistering and completely unforgettable set.
Palms Trax
Over on the Futureboogie stage, Bristol native Palms Trax heads home. Though he claims to not take much inspiration from our culturally rich utopia, the now Berlin-based heavyhitter mainly follows the jazzy eclecticisms of Detroit house and the sounds that litter the likes of Dekmantel. From lo-fi house to richly produced beats that deeply reach into the reverberations of bass, the wonder-kid DJ be throwing down enough disco-influenced grooves on Saturday to last the entire weekend.
Sunday
Mykki Blanco
Love Saves The Day is a fairly Euro-centric affair, celebrating the best that the continent - and particularly our hallowed home of the UK - has to offer. Thus it is a particularly rare feat to see a US artist grace the line-up - yet here Mykki Blanco is, and aren't we lucky to have him. Embodying a mis-mashed fluid gender identity and a distinct political voice, Blanco is one of the most fascinating rappers in modern day hip-hop. Outspoken, sharp-tongued and completely and utterly unique, he comes to the UK to show a Bristolian audience that he's simply more than a (frankly quite brilliant) performance artist.
Nadia Rose
Though this South London MC is relatively new to the scene, this is not her first time on the LSTD stage. Last year she joined cousin Stormzy (yes, really!) onstage during his headline set, however this time she won't be shining in his shadow as she metamorphosizes into a headliner in her own right. Mischievous, sassy and a firework of infectious energy, catch her before her ascent into assuming the throne as the matriarch of grime quickens.
Kano
Although a prominent figurehead in the grime scene for years, Kano's most recent album Made in the Manor has seen the UK hip-hop taste-maker gain a certain amount of traction in 2016. His garage beats move with ease from brassy jives to catchy shout-alongs, and have been enough to capture the attention of the Mercury Prize and the BRITs. Following a standout appearance at this year's Simple Things festival, Kano revists Bristol in May for an unmissable stint on LSTD's Cloud 9 stage.
BadBadNotGood
Possibly the most pleasantly surprising addition to this year's line up are jazz collective BadBadNotGood. The Toronto producers create soundscapes that vary from graceful blues to soulful bepop and their immaculate production skills have lead them to work with the likes of Ghostface Killah, Kaytranada, GoldLink and Frank Ocean. Annexing modern-day hip-hop with components of jazz history, expect to hear vivacious improv and foot-stomping grooves during their Sunday set.
Stefflon Don
The physical manifestation of the cool girl, Stefflon Don is yet another female MC to storm LSTD, conquering the Crack Magazine curated stage as a special guest. Finding inspiration in feel-good dancehall and slick R&B, the Jamaican-cum-Dutch-cum-British rapper is sure to bring the sunshine to Eastville Park if the weather can't hold up to the dazzles of last year.
An honourable mention for other acts to look out for over the weekend includes: Kate Tempest, Novelist, My Nu Leng, Shy FX, AJ Tracey, Roots Factory...
And that's not all... Don't forget that Love Saves The Day, while racking up some incredible headliners, is abundant with hidden treasures. Although some acts are not to be missed, explore the stages and discover something new. Who knows, you might just find the next big thing before the hype catches up to them.
Don't get FOMO, cop your tickets for one of the best weekends Bristol has to offer, via the official Love Saves the Day website. Quick, before it's too late!
