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Words & Photos: Amy Butcher

Haim at All Points East – Victoria Park, London – 28 August 2023

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One of London’s most popular music festivals, All Points East, often marked in most south based festival goers diaries, with plans made around the two weekends has come back bigger and better than ever for 2023. Considering this festival has only been around for 5 years or so, there is always so much hype around the lineup, especially with past UK festival exclusives like Kraftwerk, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. All Points East have definitely made a name for itself, becoming a highlight of the summer for many and I was lucky enough to go to see Haim for their European exclusive as well as other fantastic musicians.

With the Bank Holiday sun streaming down, we traipsed into the festival site around 3pm and as we wandered taking in all the delicious smells, buzz of excitement for what was to come, and the sweet sounds of Mae Stephen’s playing on the East Stage – we were ready for the festivities to come.

One thing I will say is tricky about a one day festival is trying to enjoy each set, before racing across the site to another stage to make it in time for another artist’s set – this is what I found myself doing at the day. After grabbing some snaps of Snail Mail, I sadly could only catch 1-2 songs before rushing to the West stage, though in those 6 minutes they truly made an impact. Jangly guitar melodies, soulful vocals and gritty bass lines came together to create the perfect summer festival set from Snail Mail. This was only heightened by the sun shining down on the stage with the crowd jumping up and down to the colourful, catchy bops being played.

One of my favourite things about festival seasons or just eclectic line ups in general is how you can watch the artists/bands live you’ve been dying to see, as well as finding new music to obsess over; for me this was Joesef. The Glaswegian singer brought his delectable vocals to the West stage, and it was the perfect accompaniment to the beautiful weather. As the dulcet guitar melodic tones, rhythmic drum patterns and smooth basslines merged together, I turned to look at the crowd observing the big grins, singing along & grooving as Joesef sung. This is what live music and festivals are all about, and I bloody love it!

Again, this was sadly cut short in order to catch Girl In Red on the East stage, the main support before Haim. I’ve been a fan of Girl In Red for quite some time now for both her music and live performance – the sheer energy and passion she had when singing was unmatched by everyone else on the day and the festival goers fed off this throughout her set. Gliding through fan favourites Serotonin, Dead Girl In The Pool and Girls, the crowd hung on every word as she sung her heart out and jumped around the stage, filling the festival arena with loud, gutsy melodies and sounds. The opening words to final song Bad Idea! brought on an onslaught of screams and excitement with the crowd chanting along to the opening line ‘It was a bad idea calling you up!‘. In my opinion, it was anything but a bad idea including Girl In Red in the bill and she was the ideal opener for Haim.

The tone shifted slightly in our day, the sun setting on a joyous Bank Holiday, as my personal highlight of the day, Nell Mescal, took to L’Oréal Paris’ stage. Entering to a roaring cheer, it was clear she was not expecting the crowd who stood before her, making what would have been a memorable moment for the Irish singer-songwriter, even more special. Lighting up the stage with her presence alone, Nell Mescal‘s set almost felt like an intimate close-knit gig and only those watching had the privilege to see it. Twinkling tones, euphoric melodies, addictive beats; she sung and performed great tunes that you can just move your feet and bop your head to. Ending on Homesick, Nell Mescal had everyone engaged with the infectious sounds her vocals and band were producing.

The finale of the day had soon arrived for headliner, Haim. A low rumbling of anticipation as the audience waited for them to come out. Now, as festival exclusives go, All Points East had knocked it out of the park with this one; I for one felt very lucky to be witnessing them play their only festival slot in Europe. To top it off, it’s the 10 year anniversary of their debut album Days Are Gone this year, adding a sentimental quality to their set. Much like the other acts we’d seen that day, Haim were met with intense cheers, screams and claps and a sea of people desperate to hear them play their favourite song.

Let’s just say, it was everything and more than what you’d expect; Haim‘s iconic sound brought a mish mash of 70s classic rock, 80s synth, 90s grit and a modern flair making the music their own! If the usual groovy bass lines, transcendent notes and magical coming together of their sounds wasn’t enough, we were treated to some slick, choregraphed dance routines, Este’s expressive bass faces and witnessing the distinct bond of three sisters performing the music they love to create.

Haim, Nell Mescal and the other acts at All Points East truly made the day feel unique and special to anyone attending, creating a community of live music lovers and the perfect way to end the Bank Holiday weekend. Every year they deliver fantastic headliners with curated lineups, and I cannot wait to see who they get to play next year that lives up to what 2023 had to offer.