With three days filled with stellar performances from world-class acts like Kasabian, Jamiroquai, Ellie Goulding, Johnny Marr, a UK exclusive set from Mumford & Sons on Sunday and more, you would be hard pressed to find a more well-rounded music festival than Victorious in Southsea.
A perennial favourite in the festival calendar, Victorious provides something for everyone whether you favour indie classics from the likes of The Charlatans, no-wave post-punk from Billy Nomates, electropop from Sigrid to name but a few.
Victorious made one hell of a statement on day one with indie rockers Blossoms who, despite being early on in the day, the Stockport quintet got the party started with tracks like ‘Your Girlfriend’, ‘My Swimming Brain’ and ‘Honey Sweet’.
We then saw Billy Nomates take to the Common stage who showed her professionalism when despite experiencing technical issues, she valiantly carried on and gave a sublime performance.
One of Friday’s standout acts was The Charlatans who treated the audience to a fantastic set of deep cuts and fan favourites like ‘North Country Boy’ and ‘The Only One I Know’. Tim Burgess looked as cool as ever, resplendent in a jazzy-looking shacket rocked the stage and had the crowd in the palm of his hand.
Amping up their indie-disco energies, Friendly Fires got the crowd dancing and brought on those Friday night vibes, setting the tone for the first night of festivities.
Raye demonstrated her musical chops with a splendid set that effortlessly blended blues, pop, soul and dance delivering passionate renditions of tracks from both her debut album ‘My 21st Century Blues’ as well as some of her earlier collaborations.
Closing out Friday night was the one and only Jamiroquai who got the crowd dancing with a fantastic collection of seminal tracks in a career-spanning and nostalgic set which included ‘‘Seven Days In Sunny June’, ‘Virtual Insanity’, ‘Little L’ and ‘Cosmic Girl’.
Saturday started with the brilliant Natalie Imbruglia who captivated the audience in the coveted lunchtime slot with a heartfelt and impassioned set.
Pale Waves lit up the stage with a superb set filled with attitude delivering powerful renditions of tracks from their three albums.
We then hotfooted it over to the Acoustic stage which is one of the most underrated stages in the entire festival to see the wonderful James Walsh who is always a festival highlight.
His songwriting, vocals and performance skills are second to none and he effortlessly commanded an audience of several thousands delivering beautiful versions of songs from his solo career including tracks from his latest solo album ‘Coming Good’ as well as tracks from the Starsailor back catalogue such as ‘Alcoholic’, ‘Lullaby’, ‘Good Souls’.
He also showcased his new song the reflective and hanting ‘The Ghost In Me’ and an intelligent and sophisticated reimagining of ‘The Universal’ by indie stalwarts blur.
Another Saturday highlight came in the shape of Scottish rock band Belle & Sebastian who gave a mesmerising and commanding performance with a deep dive into their back catalogue which included an extended rendition ‘The Boy With the Arab Strap’ where the ever-charming Stuart Murdoch encouraged members of the audience to join him and the rest of the band on stage.
If a riot was to be predicted, it would always start with Ricky Wilson and the gang who started Saturday night with a bang. Drawing in one of the largest crowds of the day, the band delivered a blistering set filled with some of their most-loved tracks such as ‘Oh My God’ ‘Never Miss a Beat’ ‘Ruby’ and of course ‘I Predict A Riot’.
Closing the Common Stage on Saturday night was Kasabian who brought the rock ‘n roll with a high-energy set and thunderous set which included tracks like ‘Vlad the Impaler’, ‘CHEMICALS’, ‘Club Foot’ and culminating with the electrifying ‘Fire’.
Sunday could have been renamed ‘Super Sunday’ with back-to-back sublime sets from the likes of Hard-Fi who were performing their first UK festival in over ten years.
The band were in excellent form and showcased their impressive back catalogue with tracks like ‘Good For Nothing’, ‘Hard To Beat’, ‘Cash Machine’ and a high-octane ‘Living For The Weekend’. They were one of my favourites not just from Sunday, but from the entire festival.
Dylan delivered an energetic indie pop set which included samples of Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Paradise City’ as well as Harry Styles’s ‘Kiwi’ which made for an intriguing combination.
The fantastic Sigrid was on top form and showed what a great performer she is. Not only has she got a beautiful and powerful voice, she also is incredibly enigmatic and charming. From ‘Strangers’ to ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’, her talent and charisma show why she is a fantastic addition to any festival line up.
Ellie Goulding provided the enraptured crowd with a jam-packed set full of her most loved tracks on the Common stage which included ‘Burn’, ‘Miracle’ and ‘Love Me Like You Do’, whilst over on the Castle Stage.
The energy levels were beyond elevated thanks to a standout set from The Vaccines who seemed to enjoy their set as much as the delighted crowd. From the lively ‘Jump Off The Top’ to ‘Headphone Baby’ and ‘Post Break-Up Sex’, Justin and the gang had everyone singing along and provided a real feel-good vibe as the festival drew to a close.
The Victorious audience were in endless deliberations with regards who to see as the final acts took to the stage. Would it be the magnificent ‘Mumford & Sons’ in their only UK festival performance this year or would it be rock ‘n’ roll royalty in the shape of Johnny ‘Fucking’ Marr?
Both acts promised a stupendous performance, but having seen Mumford at MadCool only a month prior, it had to be Johnny all the way who provided a crowd-pleasing set filled with seminal tracks from The Smiths such as ‘Panic’, ‘This Charming Man’, ‘There’s a Light’ and ‘Bigmouth’ as well as songs from his illustrious solo career such as ‘Easy Money’ and ‘Spirit, Power and Soul’.
Whichever act you opted for, Victorious ended on an absolute high and we can’t wait to see what next year’s lineup brings.
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