Latest news with #CleoSol
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sault review – GCSE-level drama performance borders on the pretentious
It's no surprise that Sault's All Points East performance is their first UK festival slot ever. An elaborate storyline, conveyed through GCSE-level acting and colossal set design, lands on the deaf ears of an audience who came to listen, not watch. External factors cause a rocky start. Their set time is changed at the last minute to 5pm, clashing with every other stage. As crowds reluctantly drag themselves to the East Stage, they wait until 6pm for anything to happen: a full hour of inactivity. Worse, Cleo Sol, Chronixx and Sault are billed as Providence, meant to perform until 11pm, holding audiences hostage without set times, clarity, or other stages to go to. A towering pyramid looms in the crowd, visually impressive but obscuring the main stage for many. Then an equivocal drama performance begins. As a collective, Sault revel in mystery: aside from Cleo Sol and Inflo, its members are anonymous. But the actors' dialogue is inaudible, and the audience grows restless. Finally, a traditional African choir opens before the collective launches into Glory and Free. The aesthetic – simultaneously Star Wars Tatooine futuristic and biblically ancient – looks polished, and fits with Sault's knack for blending classical and contemporary genres in their music. Standout moments include Warrior, with Chronixx joining on stage, Son Shine and Wildfires, perfect for London summer evenings. Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) also delivers a seamless guest verse on Stop Dem. For the rest of the show, the dancers appear to be the focus, but the visual impact is impaired by the massive pyramid. Hits like Masterpiece are diminished. Pray for Me and SOTH feel overly artistic, bordering on pretentious. Theatrics might work in an intimate venue, but for the festival crowd, the inaccessible themes feel alienating. After another awkward drama piece, Chronixx brings the evening back with a captivating reggae set. But things unravel when Bey returns for a surprise 30-minute set, spinning like a whirling dervish while questioning societal progress in his freestyles. Neighbours gently explain, 'This guy sang Ms Fat Booty.' When Cleo Sol finally appears at 10pm, she thanks the crowd 'for your patience'. Real name Cleopatra Nikolic, she looks pharaonic atop the pyramid with an ethereal voice, but by then, the crowd has thinned significantly. Spellbinding singing can't save Sault. The interstitial skits occupy nearly as much time as the performance, and the audience members strain to wrap their heads around something they shouldn't have to understand.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Sault, Cleo Sol and Chronixx open All Points East with mammoth five-hour set
Mysterious neo soul band Sault and soul singer Cleo Sol were joined by reggae artist Chronixx as they opened London's All Points East festival with a mammoth five-hour set. Sault, whose members' names are kept secret, performed a set of their genre-bending music, which dips into funk, krautrock, dub reggae and experimental sounds. Advertisement Sol dipped in and out of the set while Chronixx, whose real name is Jamar McNaughton, performed a full set with his band. Speaking to the crowd during the performance, Sol, whose real name is Cleopatra Nikolic, said: 'All Points East, come on, we're going to have a good time tonight. 'You look so good, come on, energy.' The performance took place on two stages, with the main stage decked out like Star Wars' Tatooine, while a second platform was designed like a sci-fi pyramid. Advertisement The first 30 minutes was light on music as a story with biblical and sci-fi influence was acted out, before Sault opened with Glory from the 11 album. The story return at numerous points in the evening, with Sault performing some of their best known tracks including Wildfires and I Just Want To Dance, which began after breakdancers performed. US rapper Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, joined them for Stop Dem from Black Is, before re-emerging to perform later in the evening. Representatives from a number of local charities were later brought out to speak about their causes. Advertisement The evening finished with a solo performance from Sol, who debuted new music. It was only the second time the band has performed a conventional gig. Their first concert was at London's Drumsheds venue in 2023, when the band performed on a number of different stages, and fans walked through an immersive experience before the show began. The All Points East performance also comes after a pop-up in Soho, central London, at which the group performed to a small number of fans for a few minutes at a time, with reportedly five-hour queues stretching around the block to get in last month. Advertisement Since beginning their career in 2019, the band have released 12 albums and two EPs, all produced by Adele and Little Simz producer Inflo, real name Dean Cover, who is the husband of Sol and is thought to be the leader of Sault. Sol's solo career has seen her release four studio albums and feature on the Little Simz tracks Selfish and Woman. The Ladbroke Grove-born singer also rarely performs live. All Points East will continue with performances from the likes of Chase And Status on Saturday, Barry Can't Swim on August 22nd, and Raye, who will be joined by Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii, on August 23rd.
Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Cleo Sol at All Points East 2025 in London's Victoria Park: start time, last-minute tickets, potential setlist and what you need to know
As we crawl towards the end of festival season, sunburned, with sore backs, and even sorer bank accounts, don't throw in the towel just yet. Because there are several huge day festivals still to come in London. This weekend All Points East begins in Victoria Park. On Friday the east London festival is headlined by dreamy R&B singer Cleo Sol, who will be joined by the enigmatic Sault, alongside Chronixx, Nao and Ms Dynamite. Heading to 'Provenance' with Cleo and co? Here's everything you need to know about All Points East this Friday, from set times When is Cleo Sol playing All Points East? Cleo Sol headlines APE on Friday, August 15. What time do doors open? Gates to the Vicky park festival open at 2.30pm for general admission, and 2pm for Primary Entry, VIP Garden and VIP Garden + VIP Pit. Last entry is at 8.30pm for all ticket holders. What time will Cleo Sol come on stage? According to the APE app, the main stage performance by Cleo Sol, Sault and Chronixx will begin at 6pm. Full lineup and stage times X Stage Jordss B2B Karen Nyame KG: 2.30pm – 3.30pm Ms. Dynamite: 4.00pm – 4.30pm Joe Kay: 5.00pm – 6.00pm The Ordinary Stage 00ab: 2.40pm – 3.05pm Yves Jarvis: 3.35pm – 4.00pm Demae: 4.30pm – 5.00pm Safii Koii: 5.30pm – 6.00pm Amex Unsigned Stage Nia Wyn: 3.35pm – 4.00pm fliss: 4.30pm – 5.00pm Sabyna: 5.30pm – 6.00pm CUPRA North Arena CARI: 3.00pm – 3.30pm Mariah The Scientist: 4.00pm – 4.35pm Kirk Franklin: 5.05pm – 5.50pm West Stage Gotts Street Park: 3.00pm – 3.45pm Sasha Keable: 4.20pm – 4.50pm Nao: 5.20pm – 6.05pm East Stage Main Stage Performance by Cleo Sol / Sault / Chronixx: 6.00pm Festival map Don't get lost. Here's the full APE map for 2025: Find out more about getting to All Points East here. What's the setlist? There is no official setlist, and Sol is putting on a special show in collaboration with Sault and Chronixx so it's likely to be a surprise on the night. This is what Cleo Sol played at her last gig at Radio City in New York: Rewind Rose in the Dark When I'm in Your Arms Sideways I Love You There Will Be No Crying Things Will Get Better Young Love Shine (with Chronixx) Reason (with Chronixx) Don't Let Me Fall Promises Heart Full of Love Build Me Up Sunshine In Your Own Home Don't Let It Go to Your Head Fear When You Fly 23 Know That You Are Loved Self Life Will Be Encore: Why Don't You Can you still get tickets? Sure can. Cleo Sol tickets are still available online, with general admission currently going for £91.25. Find tickets on AXS here. Bag policy You won't be permitted to bring any bags larger than A4 (297mm x 210mm x 210mm) into the festival site. If your bag is too big, festival organisers suggest that you leave it at one of Stasher's nearby left luggage locations for £6 per day. Banned items Don't bring any of the following items to All Points East: Alcohol Dangerous or hazardous items Illegal substances or new psychoactive substances ('legal highs') Professional cameras, go-pros or video cameras Flags, banners or poles Golf umbrellas or parasols Gas canisters Glass (of any kind), Chinese lanterns, fire or fireworks Laser pens Skateboards or scooters Bicycles (cyclists may pass through the event site but must dismount) Selfie sticks Spray cans, air horns, klaxons, or similar Any other items deemed unsafe or a risk to public safety Read more about banned items at APE and the bag policy here. Weather forecast Don't forget the suncream. Friday is looking to be a scorcher in London, with blue skies and highs of 30C. Who else is headlining All Points East this summer? Chase & Status, Barry Can't Swim, RAYE and The Maccabees will headline APE across two weekends this August.
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
All Points East 2025: bag policy and full list of banned items for east London festivals
London's festival season is still powering on, folks. We've got down to Charli XCX at LIDO, marathoned on Drake at Wireless and belted to Kneecap at Wide Awake. And the next big fest on the cards is the seventh edition of All Points East. Over five days across the next two weeks, east London's Victoria Park will welcome the likes of RAYE, Doechii, Barry Can't Swim, Confidence Man, Cleo Sol and the Maccabees for the eclectic indie/ dance focused event. But before you get carried away with thoughts of dancing away on the field, tinny in hand, there are a few rules you'll have to follow first. Got tickets for All Points East this year (or tempted to pick some up last minute)? This is the lowdown on what you can and can't take to the festival. When is All Points East 2025? All Points East will return to Vicky Park over the weekends of August 15-17 and August 22-24. Here's a breakdown of the headliners for each day: Friday, August 15: Cleo Sol and Sault Saturday, August 16: Chase & Status Friday, August 22: Barry Can't Swim Saturday, August 23: RAYE Sunday, August 24: The Maccabees Bag policy Keep in mind that you won't be allowed to bring any bags larger than A4 (297mm x 210mm x 210mm) into the festival site. If your bag is too big, festival organisers suggest that you leave it at one of Stasher 's nearby left luggage locations for £6 per day. Banned items This is a festival, of course there's a long list of things banned from the site. When it comes to food and drink, punters will only be allowed an empty reusable water bottle to fill up on site or water in unopened an plastic container of up to 500ml – if you get hungry there'll be loads of street food to purchase on site. Your bag will be searched before you enter the festival site, so if you want to get in, make sure you don't have any of the following on your person. Alcohol Dangerous or hazardous items Illegal substances or new psychoactive substances ('legal highs') Professional cameras, go-pros or video cameras Flags, banners or poles Golf umbrellas or parasols Gas canisters Glass (of any kind), Chinese lanterns, fire or fireworks Laser pens Skateboards or scooters Bicycles (cyclists may pass through the event site but must dismount) Selfie sticks Spray cans, air horns, klaxons, or similar Any other items deemed unsafe or a risk to public safety
Time Out
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
All Points East has announced Cleo Sol as its next 2025 headliner
Festival season is in full swing, folks. Things kicked off a few weeks back with Field Day and Gala Festival, shortly followed by Mighty Hoopla and LIDO. And there's much, much more to look forward to. Among the festivals still to come is All Points East, which returns to Vicky Park in August. RAYE and Chase & Status are among the headliners that have already been announced for the multi-weekend event. Now, it's been revealed that acclaimed soul singer Cleo Sol will be topping the bill on the festival's opening night, in her biggest headline slot to date. On the same day, there'll be an opportunity to witness an incredibly rare performance from the mysterious multi-genre collective SAULT (led by Cleo herself and producer Inflo). Here's all the information you need to make sure you don't miss out. When is Cleo Sol playing All Points East? Cleo Sol is headlining the festival on Friday, August 15. Who else is on the lineup? Cleo will be joined by reggae artist Chronixx and anonymous collective SAULT, in what will be their second ever live performance following an appearance at Drumsheds in 2023. All Points East has promised that more names will be announced in the lead up to the festival. When do tickets go on sale? Tickets for Cleo Sol's headline show will go on general sale at 10am on Thursday, June 12. They'll be up for grabs here. Is there a presale? If you want tickets before anyone else you can sign up to the APE Presale here before 9.59pm on Tuesday, June 10. Those tickets will go live at 10am on Wednesday, June 11. There's also an American Express early sale that's live right now and open until Thursday for anyone who owns an American Express Card. How much will tickets cost? Based on presale, tickets for Cleo Sol, SAULT and Chronixx start from £89.95 (plus service fees). Tickets for the other All Points East dates have started from £64.95. Who else is headlining All Points East 2025? Chase & Status are headline on August 15, joined by Overmono, Sammy Virji and Nia Archives. Edinburgh producer and DJ Barry Can't Swim will headline on August 22, joined by Confidence Man, Shygirl. The next day, pop superstar RAYE will top the bill, supported by the likes of Doechii, Tyla and JADE. August 24 will see the return of the Maccabees, bolstered by a support bill that includes Bombay Bicycle Club, CMAT and Black Country, New Road.
