Recipes Used:
We head to Victoria Park in East London for a festival I have been wanting to hit for a couple of years now.
All Points East is a two weekend block where everyday is a specially curated vibe. No day is the same and there is a day for everyone.
For me, it was the Saturday on Weekend 1 featuring… Well, we will get to those. But before we get into the musicians, we need to get there first…
Victoria Park is absolutely beautiful. It’s like a mini Hyde Park! But don’t get it twisted, Victoria Park is a decent size in its own right.
I would love to spend a day there taking photos but for now, we have somewhere to be…
Welcome to All Points East.
After some static about my camera, (IT IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL CAMERA) I head in and we are immediately presented with the BBC Radio 6 Music Stage where Kampire was busting tunes.
I kicked it within this great space for dance to watch people cutting shapes and boy was there a few of them!
Okay you get the vibes. Here’s the rest and the result of a little walkabout before the first act.
Shout out to the actual Brazilian who dapped me up because we were wearing the same Brazil Football shirt. Thought it was only right to get a picture of him and his boy.
After covering some ground and getting used to the map, we head into the CUPRA North Stage to see rapper Navy Blue.
Even though I got a ton of solid photos, it was one of a few sets that I didn’t see fully. In fact, there was only three I watched from start to finish.
Answers at the end. Next up was Cymande @ The West Stage.
It felt like a full circle moment encased in this year to discover Cymande and their story via a great documentary and to see them months after that.
I felt extremely grateful to catch them live and experienced what a lot more people should've experienced decades ago. If you want more of my thoughts on Cymande, I covered their first album on my Podcast "Diggin' In The Digits".
Next up was Saxophonist Nubya Garcia on The East Stage. And when they say East to West, they mean it…
The Sun was really doing her wonders. Radiant is the only way I can describe those photos.
But time for another walk… To the other side of the damn area to catch Lianne La Havas.
(The distance wasn’t too crazy but the scheduling forced a hustle from me and I don’t like rushing.)
As you can gather, this is where positioning was becoming a problem but I was liking how she looked on the big screen either side.
The positioning issues continued for the next act back @ North Stage: ENNY.
I was genuinely surprised that she had such a big audience waiting on her but considering there’s only three main stages it makes sense. The crowd was really up for her and that makes me happy. She’s a good artist.
Next was Ezra Collective but it was this point where I had to make a business decision. There were two final sets I had to get to over @ the East Stage and at this point I needed to eat or wait until I got home.
Coincidentally, this isn't the first business decision I've made where EC were on the sad end!
So since I only have two photos of the EC, I’ll throw in shots I took in between the sets:
And with that said, I get some food (It wasn’t special.) and head to the East Stage for the one and only Nas.
I’ll never get over the fact that I saw Nas live. You can tell in the photos how excited he was to perform. It’s so easy to see him as a more stoic character but he was moving about that stage with a great energy and want-to.
With the visuals behind him and the amazing blends from song to song, it was all I could expect from such a legendary artist.
But it was time to wait in the same spot for an hour because we had one more act and it’s one that I have had on the list since his first album dropped in 2017.
In his local park, on came Loyle Carner.
As soon as those lights came on, I knew it’d be special from a perspective of Photography and my personal music journey.
The colours were perfect, as you will see…
The variety throughout this set was perfect, I felt like every song had its own shade; every moment attended to from a visual perspective…
I mean just look at those spotlight photos.
Fucking beautiful if I say so myself…
Probably worth noting that Tom Misch made an appearance for a couple of tracks with guitar in hand. Also making an appearance was John Agard seen in the spotlight set, Jordan Rakei & Youth MP Athian Akec, the two latter you will see in a second.
It's amazing how they all provide different essences to a show that really varies on energy.
And that is why I love Loyle as an artist. His music is very human and thoughtful. Political, emotional; I nearly shed a tear during the set. Only Emeli Sandé has gotten me that close.
One more mini-set and after the prior with Akec & the song “Blood on My Nikes” I kind of stopped taking photos and started to really invest emotionally in the show simply because I felt I had enough and t deserved my emotional investment.
I can easily say it was one of my favourite sets I’ve ever seen and overall, the day was a huge success.
Even the travel home was a success – with crowd control measures that nearly left me stranded in London – but my effort to run to Bow Road instead of being sheeped into Mile End was a big brain decision and got me on my train home with a minute to spare.
All in all, nearly flawless day.
(Oh. The answer was Cymande, Nas & Loyle.)
Charlie Taylor
chillicharlie.taylor@gmail.com
Born in Camden, North London.
Bred in Leigh-On-Sea, Essex.
Screenwriter/Podcaster/Photographer/
Hip-Hop Student.