ALL POINTS EAST 2023 - JUNGLE // VICTORIA PARK, LONDON
Lightning supercharges soulful duo
★★★★★ (5/5)
JUNGLE HEADLINING ALL POINTS EAST 2023
Saturday of the bank holiday weekend saw a collection of soulful R&B and dance fill Victoria Park with excited music fans. The excitement was tempered somewhat as the stages were briefly closed due to weather that threatened to put an early end to the party.
An hour or so later, however, performers took to the stages once more as rainbows crested the skies above the venue. To say the day got off to a difficult start is not an understatement, which could have easily resulted in a tired and soaked crowd with little interest in the music on the show. This was quickly put to rest as a lineup of stellar performers reinvigorated the audience.
Soulful songstress Raye provided one of the best shows of the day as she deftly made her way through a tight setlist that packed in a seemingly endless number of top 40 hits. Her impeccable vocals made each song memorable, with powerful delivery and smooth vocal runs. "Prada" sees an impromptu rave erupt from the set as Raye performs alongside the TikTok topping remix. Finishing with "Escapism", and supported by a crowd belting out every word, she delivered a set that demanded attention.
Closing the West stage and Cupra arena were acts Erykah Badu and Folamour respectively. Badu brought her influential brand of esoteric superstardom to an attentive audience through a genre-melding tour of her work. While Folmour provided euphoric dance beats through a DJ set that included Madona's "Vogue" and Abba's "Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie!" to an enthused crowd.
As the support acts finish the volume of attendees making their way to the main stage increases until a tide of fans are making their way to the Eastern main stage. Jungle takes to the stage as a massive curtain falls revealing members Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland, alongside their hugely talented backing band. The curtain snags as it drops, providing one more wrinkle in the day's proceedings!
Diving into "Us Against the World" immediately exhibits the power of the music the duo produces. Complex layers of percussion and vocals build into undeniable choruses that have the crowd immediately hooked.
Volcano is the duo's latest album which offers groovy 70's infused tracks that blend influences from everything from disco to soul. This album is featured heavily tonight and is welcomed with appreciative cheers when cuts such as "Back on 74", "Candle Flame" and "Dominoes" are played. Tracks from Jungle's previous records also find a welcome place in the set as the likes of "Casio" and "Busy Earnin' "show the consistent quality in the duo's discography.
Tonight's set manages to deliver fantastic momentum and energy is high throughout, however, there are also impressive uses of set structure as Jungle shows their mastery of the stage by placing faster-paced and quieter tracks alongside each other.
The day made them work for it, from the weather to the staging, everything seemed to try and slow down the performance. Any lesser act would have struggled to maintain high spirits in such conditions, but Jungle didn't even break stride as they delivered one of the most polished and vibrant sets of the whole All Points East festival. Having now headlined one of the largest festivals in London, Jungle is set to build upon its brand of catchy soul that will no doubt see the audiences continue to return in growing numbers.