SITUATED in the sunny and idyllic surroundings of the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, NOS Alive (Formerly known as Optimus Alive) is an event which has captured the imagination of throngs of festival goers.
With many undertaking the journey to the Mediterranean nation purely to experience it for themselves, it has grown in stature since its formative years when there was only two stages and a much less expansive line-up.
Known for acquiring the services of both stadium rock titans and more obscure but nonetheless talented acts before amalgamating them into an incredibly strong line-up; this year will mark the first time that TTV will be on hand to soak it in for ourselves.
With that in mind and the festival a mere two days away, we’ve compiled a brief rundown of the most anticipated sets of the weekend.
YOUNG FATHERS
Unquestionably one of the most refreshing acts to have came to the forefront of the music industry in recent years, Edinburgh’s Young Fathers can quite simply do no wrong at the moment. Producing a steady stream of incredible records over the course of the last few years, 2015’s White Men Are Black Men Too was every bit as vital as its Mercury Prize winning predecessor and received a glowing review from TTV upon its release.
Wilfully blending the most exquisite elements of any number of genres and creating something that is borderline undefinable yet irrefutably amazing, They are nothing short of special.
Sure to perform tracks from throughout their catalogue when they take to the stage on Thursday 9th July, they’ll conquer any naysayers in the crowd as they have done at every turn throughout their career.
FUTURE ISLANDS
A band that’re on an upward trajectory that shows no sign of stopping any time soon, Baltimore’s Future Islands rose to prominence in coincidence with the release of 2014’s Singles; a record that was bursting at the seams with heartrending emotion and purity in its sentiment. Following a borderline iconic performance of lead single ‘Seasons (Waiting On You) live on David Letterman’s chat show; they suddenly found themselves the darlings of the internet and attained a great deal of new fans.
Now regularly cited as one of the world’s most engaging live bands, they’re sure to turn out yet another bombastic set at NOS Alive on Friday.
MOGWAI
Glasgow’s own Mogwai have been in celebratory form in recent times, as they mark their 20th year as a group with shows spanning the length of the UK and beyond. Purveyors of some of the most immersive noise rock ever to be committed to tape, the ever evolving group have recently provided details of the wittily titled forthcoming record Central Belters. Expect them to absolutely obliterate the minds and ear drums of those in attendance with beautiful soundscapes and glorious instrumentation.
RAURY
Baffling the industry with his propensity for lyricism that displays knowledge far beyond his years, the shamanistic image that has been constructed around 18 year old Raury is nothing short of amazing. Masterfully melding folk based guitar with often vulnerable synths, soulful crooning, dexterous rhymes and all capped off with an unorthodox flow; Raury is leaving everyone who comes into contact with his output awestruck. It’ll be more than intriguing to see how his often unprecented sound translates into the live arena.
THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN
Another Scottish band who’ve been spending their time celebrating a notable landmark, The Jesus And Mary Chain have been heralding the 30th anniversary of the seminal Psychocandy. With a live album comprised of their performance at The Barrowlands set to arrive in the near future, check out this confounding yet utterly beautiful spectacle for yourself on Saturday.
DJANGO DJANGO
Comfortably avoiding the sophomore slump with the tremendous Born Under Saturn, Edinburgh’s Django Django possess an original brand of art pop that infuses elements of afrobeat among a myriad of other less expected influences. Fully committed to pushing their sound as far as it can possibly go, look for them to turn in an electrifying set in the nation of Portugal.
DISCLOSURE
Whilst misguided detractors are all too quick to lambast the sibling duo known as Disclosure for all manner of farcical things such as their flirtations with the mainstream and their use of high profile collaborators; one thing they couldn’t dare to claim is that they aren’t an absolutely entrancing live act. Finding themselves in the enviable position of main stage headliners, the deep house dabbling group mix the regular tropes of a DJ set such as stunning visuals and a frantic pace with gorgeous live instrumentation. Expect new tracks such as ‘Holding On’ and ‘Bang That’ to slot in neatly alongside the much adored material from their debut.
ALT-J
Operating in a lane that is entirely of their own creation, Alt-J have found themselves in the unusual position of being unflinchingly creative yet wildly popular among music lovers of all walks of life. With the quality of their output not dwindling whatsoever on sophomore record This Is All Yours, the math rock stylings that they’ve crafted into nothing short of a fine art are sure to go down a treat as always; look for ‘Left Hand Free’ in particular to greeted in the manner of a fully fledged anthem.
SLEAFORD MODS
Gritty, minimalist, confrontational and utterly essential for the tumultuous times in which modern Britons live, Sleaford Mods are one of the most explosive acts of the modern era. With a stripped back sound that brims with post punk aggression and snarl, the vivid imagery and all too familiar tales of woe that are conjured up by Jason Williamson are often sublime. Check them out when they bring their unhinged live show to the sunny locale of Portugal on Saturday.
THE PRODIGY
When an act’s enduring legacy has had such an unmistakable impact on hundreds of modern artists, you’d think they’d be content to succumb to the lure of retirement and resign themselves to a tropical island. For Braintree’s own dance legends The Prodigy, this couldn’t be further from the case.
Returning this year with the relentless The Day Is My Enemy, The Prodigy have proved that their propensity for sculpting some of the finest rave based music in the world has not dissipated. Catch them perform newer tracks alongside some undisputed classics during their headline set on the 10th.
