Women Take The Lead: RAYE at All Points East
The Saturday at All Points East saw a last-minute addition of FKA Twigs to replace Doechii.
Photo: @bethanmillerco
The second weekend of London’s favourite bank holiday festival saw a blend of beloved and upcoming pop artists, performers and producers. The line-up was female-dominated, with names such as Cat Burns, Tyla, FKA Twigs and headliner RAYE singlehandedly highlighting the undeniable talent the UK has to offer.
Nao had a fun start to the afternoon with her classic R&B tunes. She filled the stage with a gleeful energy, along with a great harmony from her band. Her heartfelt speeches between songs drew the crowd closer to her. Unfortunately, with no warning, Nao had her set cut short; luckily she had addressed the crowd already, and many of her songs had been enjoyed by her fans.
Tyla continued the entertainment with her debut festival act. Energetic dancers filled the stage as she performed crowd pleasers such as Water and It Is. Her surprise guest, Afrobeats star Wizkid, brought another burst of excitement to the set, performing a rendition of Dynamite to captivate the crowd. Her high-energy performance was backed by a homage of dancers showering the nearby crowd with all forms of merch; this interaction with the crowd brought excitement and encouraged the audience to move and dance.
After Doechii was no longer able to perform, FKA twigs took the reigns and filled the west stage headliner incredibly well, as expected. Twigs used the festival as a perfect hometown last stop on her latest tour. Well known as an incredible artist to see live, FKA Twigs brought a polished, dramatic, high-energy performance delivered in three acts. From the beginning, a stunning, monochromatic backdrop highlights the phenomenal, artistic show FKA Twigs is about to deliver. Her many dancers surround her as she performs dance and electronic numbers. During an interlude with her fans, she explained she had flown some of her favourite dancers from LA and Brazil to put on her absolute best show for London’s eager crowd.
Finally, her powerful vocals dominated the stage and crowd as FKA Twigs herself teared up during an emotional, elongated performance of Cellophane over piano, with teary eyes watching back. The range of her vocals and raw emotion in her performance enthralled the audience in trance-like state as they fell silent to listen, only roaring aloud in support once she had left the stage, a smile evident on her face.
Photo: @bethanmillerco
This was an especially amazing achievement considering she had so little time to plan such an outstanding performance. Although Doechii had once again evaded her UK audience, All Points East did a fantastic job in maintaining the continuity of their headline acts.
As the main headliner on the East stage, RAYE put on an hour and 45-minute set with a full band, back-up singers, and brass section behind her. A variety of genres — from her jazzier songs to energetic club anthems — were put on display as RAYE showcased her evolution as an artist from her pop beginnings. She used the festival merchandise to tease a new release and even performed a new song, Where the Hell Is My Husband?.
Throughout, she stood out as a spectacular vocalist, often using her voice to joke with the crowd. RAYE was particularly interactive with the crowd, reporting each fan who needed medical attention to security and sharing the meanings and stories behind her songs. At one point, she even halted her set while security attended to a member of the crowd, showing her true, genuine compassion towards her fans. The pure support she received from the audience brought a tear to her eye too. The overwhelming support from adoring fans was a theme for the talent-packed day.
As a festival, All Points East was a well-planned, thought-out day festival, with no clashing headliners, meaning one can avoid the dreaded dash between stages. This meant the crowd did not have to choose which artists to miss out on and could fully enjoy each of the spectacular acts put on. This provided better exposure for budding artists, with The Ordinary stage giving them a great opportunity to reach a new audience.
And, if the music wasn’t enough, the festival also provided plenty of freebies, pop-ups and places to grab a bite to eat. With notable mention to the Coca-Cola stalls, who kept us all hydrated throughout the sunny day, and Oatly for the strangest, most hilarious chance to act out being an ice cube!
All Points East will always be a favourite festival for the blend of genres over the two weekends. If you’re new to the festival scene and looking to dip your toe in with a day festival, All Points East would be my top recommendation.