Music > Live Reviews

Reload Festival 2017 - Sunday

Norfolk Showground

12/09/17

As Autumn draws ever closer and the last of the summer festivals come to an end, Reload takes its place centre stage. Just for one weekend we all hoped for the sunshine, did that happen? Did it hell. The attendees instead encountered constant downpours and what felt like the tail end of Hurricane Irma - Reload 2017 was doomed to the whim of good old fashioned Mother Nature. However, it had funk and soul on its side.

On arrival on the Sunday, myself and photographer Christina Scott saw the remains of the prior night scattered in front of the main stage. Must have been one heck of a night. The main stage began to liven up as sound tests for the supporting bands acted like an alarm clock to the sleeping campers. They flooded out and grabbed a brew and breakfast while the first act took to the stage.

The morning haze over the festival had started to clear just as GreySide started to play, introducing themselves as an alternative band from Bournemouth. They received a handful of people just outside the pit, however, most people enjoyed from afar or passing through. They performed their debut EP Bloons with a few people willing to stick around for the whole set. They seem to have fallen, like many, into a generic alternative sound rather than being something truly different and unique. Not my cup of tea but they got the rest of Reload in the mood.

With a miserable spell of weather, it was the perfect time to seek refuge under what little shelter was available, Stage Two. Trevor Nelson was up next at two o'clock and was welcomed with thunderous applause with his first comment of the day being 'you ain't gonna stand around and watch me are you?'. It was the perfect pick me up as the relenting one hour thirty minute set bombarded us anthem after anthem including Sugar Hill Gang's Rappers Delight, Prince's Kiss and the enormous track straight out of 1991 Crystal Waters' Gypsy Girl. He dedicated this song to Danny Rampling and those in the crowd over 30... I'm only twenty but I still felt the love. The last song of the jaw dropping marathon was exactly as he promised, some classic RnB in the form of R Kelly's ignition.

Danny Rampling was up next - credited as being one of the original founders of the UK's rave/club scene, Reload was in for a treat. His swift mixing and out of this world breaks put him up as one of the best DJ's of the weekend. After half hour we decided we'd danced enough and went to catch Odyssey and their short thirty minute set - full of charisma they took centre stage and made it their mission to get Reload's 'groove on', playing their UK#1 Use It Up and Wear It Out. It went down a storm, kickstarting Reload's funk. The festival had found its feet and it was only about to get better.

The Gibson Brothers were up next and the overall crowd engagement was getting there - by this point the main stage crowd had started to fill and liven up although it was still not at its peak. The Gibson Brothers pulled their 1978 track Cuba out of the bag and the crowd suddenly woke up - the brothers wouldn't allow the audience to let up and I don't think they wanted to. "CUUub baaa! CUUub baaa!" yhey cried. They made the 12" mix look short. 

By the time The Gibson Brothers had finished the heavens opened, and it was the perfect time for a dirty meal. As you may know, festival food can be pricey, however you can't put a price on a dirty meal and a pint in good company, and by now I was smoking not for the enjoyment but rather just to grasp onto something warm.

I think Craig Charles had the same idea. With a fag in one hand and a drink in the other he stormed to his decks - funk and soul was about to begin and I for one was waiting with baited breath. I'd always heard great things about the Saturday night Radio 6 DJ's live sets. It's exactly what it says on the tin. The finest funk and soul anthems with mixing smoother than some of the biggest names out there. James Brown's Get Up Offa That Thing was the showstopper. The overall engagement with the crowd felt genuine. You could tell he was playing music he was passionate about as he mouthed most of the words, which made the experience that much better. I can guarantee next time he comes to Norwich I'll be there. Speechless...

During Craig Charles' performance it apparently hammered it down but I didn't notice. Next up at nine o'clock was the legend himself, Billy Ocean - the last headlining act of the evening saw floods of people swarming from Stage Two. This time the crowd was packed in anticipation. Before Billy Ocean, however, we caught the remaining twenty minutes of Blue with only three of the members present - Duncan James was horrendously late after being caught in traffic getting from Liverpool to Norwich. Only making it for the last three songs, they were obligated to play One Love to close the set.

After Blue the lighting turned to a dark purple.. excitement ran through the crowd. Reload was about to go down with a legend. First, his band came on stage then a couple minutes later Billy Ocean in a maroon suit followed. Screaming and shouting echoed through the field. We were in the presence of one of the most iconic singers of his time with hits such as Caribbean Queen and When the Going Gets Tough. He played a beautiful set proving he could still groove and perform just as well he once did. I couldn't imagine anyone better to take Reload 2017 through its closing stages.

Reload caters for everybody, It's perfect for families, dance enthusiasts and the oldest of music fanatics. It's a festival full of nostalgia, and Norwich should be proud to claim it as one of its best. Here's to next year! Bring it on, Reload.