Reviews / Love Saves the Day
Review: Love Saves the Day, day 1 – ‘Dance first, think later’
It’s Bristol in full technicolour: Ashton Court’s ancient oaks geared up for their biggest annual takeover – Love Saves the Day.
What began as a one-day celebration of the city’s colourful DIY music scene over a decade ago has grown into a full-blown rite of passage to mark the end of spring and herald the festival season: eight crammed stages, live art installations dotted around the deer park (no deer, of course), and enough street food stalls to fuel an army of festival pros.
The lineup for the day was fantastic and, despite bruised expectations of torrential rain and mud, the sun held court – only a flit of drizzle to remind us we’re in England.
is needed now More than ever
For once, the rain failed to curse Ashton Court over the Love Saves weekend – photo: Eljay
Beginning at the Love Saves Stage, the day started strong with Ms Dynamite, who still commands a festival space like it’s her living room.
She blends soul, R&B, and garage, winning the Mercury Prize back in 2002 for A Little Deeper: only now she’s finer tuned, with bass riffs thrumming under the vocals, sounding warm and alive.
She owns the crowd, with the classic ‘dy-na-mi-tee’ chorus, pivoting into newer tracks with brass accents and beats. The festival season felt well and truly kicked off.
Mercury Prize winner Ms Dynamite still owns the stage – photo: Amy Fern
Outfits glittered and clashed in the best way possible – vintage rave gear, sequins, glitter and wings – like the festival had been styled by a sugar-rush mood board.
One bloke was dressed head-to-toe as Mario from Mario Kart, adding an almost cartoonish absurdity to the whole thing. I half expected him to lob a banana peel.
Over at the electric-blue Brouhaha Stage, Enzo Siragusa gripped a sea of bodies with rolling basslines.
This 90s jungle veteran turned techno-house maestro sprinkled chopped vocal samples that peeked through like Easter eggs into his set, adding something trippy to the basslines.
Quintessentially representing the eclectic Bristol music scene, he propelled a groove that was able to keep spirits up and alive later on in the day, keeping everyone in constant motion. It was clear that he has a decades-strengthened ear for what keeps a floor alive.
Brouhaha is a much-loved fixture at Love Saves – photo: Jessie Myers
Back at the Love Saves stage, Hybrid Minds epitomised the liquid drum and bass revival – the tune selection was dead-on, the sound leaning more anthemic and sweeter than most, with enough soulful vocals and melodies bottling the sunshine of the day.
Add to that the stream of colourful dancers between sets, with wacky fairground pleasantries like a ferris wheel and a carousel – although, even looking at the carousel made me feel a bit ill. It was like being stuck in a euphoric loop between a carnival and a rave.
There’s plenty of fun and games as well as quality music at Bristol’s biggest festival – photo: Eljay
We sprint to the Big Top stage, attempting to snag a sweet spot in an already buzzing crowd to see 4am Kru, a duo who emerged from a post-lockdown jungle revival, when clubs were closed during the pandemic.
Their releases on Embrace the Real Records are notably a well-oiled mix of digital and analogue, old-school jungle beating strong with today’s studio techniques.
The crowd felt like a technicolour dreamscape: laser beams zig-zagging around the tent-like cavern of the Big Top Stage, with a surreal feel, like festival nirvana.
4am Kru filled a packed out Big Top with their new breed of jungle – photo: Amy Fern
Finally Overmono, the brothers from South Wales the headliner of the day, took over at the Love Saves stage, having blown up via an XL Recordings release.
The visuals were sensational – glitchy colours flashing like digital spray-paint on a techno canvas.
Overmono took to the Love Saves stage to close the day – photo: Jessie Myers
I was surprised to hear the duo play a rendition of Radiohead’s Street Spirit, and it was getting to a point where it was impossible to properly move in the jam-packed crowd.
The crowd were euphoric and the visuals stunning, a fitting end to a wild day out for Bristol ravers – photo: Alistair Brookes
The sun had gone down, and the crowd was wild. It was the sort of sound and atmosphere that said: dance first, think later.
Main image: Amy Fern
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