The exponential growth of the London festival calendar received some pushback recently, when local residents in the vicinity of Brockwell Park not only organised, but challenged the validity of a number of events in court. The move spotlighted some of the impositions they face, and pushed the issue of park custodianship firmly into the spotlight. It’s with a little trepidation, then, that Clash ventures out of Herne Hill station, just one of a throng of people navigating their way towards the South London site.
With the station stairs turned into a flood of people, it’s easy to see why day-to-day locals might tire of festival footfall. Herne Hill’s delightful market is in full swing, but music fans seem to be by-passing it. As we reach the gates – and a mammoth perimeter fence – you start to feel that attending a festival isn’t so much a right, as a privilege granted by the people who grace the site on a year-round basis.
As it happens, however, Cross The Tracks probably isn’t the best target for those against festivals in Brockwell Park. For one, it legitimately has a communal feel – laid-back to the point of being horizontal, it finds equal space for young ravers and baby buggies. Moving from soul to jazz to club culture, you can also peruse anti-colonial literature, sign up to Music Declares Emergency eco-conscious work, or grab some fantastic food from independent sellers. This isn’t some exclusive pay-two-grand-for-a-gold-circle wristband jobbie – this is Cross The Tracks.
Heading to the Terminal stage on arrival, Clash catches LA sweet soul outfit Thee Sinseers. Part of a wave of slomo, deeply emotive group from the States, we’ve somehow connived to miss each one of their London shows to date – catching up in fine style, Thee Sinseers are a knockout, merging stellar influences – the beat ballad tradition, Chicano style workouts – to a fresh take on this sound. Immense musical chops, the whole thing works through a sincere conviction. An early highlight.
Taking in the compact yet detailed site, we wander past the Funk Junction – ably curated by Touching Bass duo Alex Rita + Errol – and soak up some UK funky at Red Bull Selector. Navigating our way towards Fabiana Palladino, there’s no doubting the artistry that fuelled her Paul Institute aligned self-titled debut album. Gorgeous soul music that feels both future-facing and oddly timeless, the stage show doesn’t quite match the strength of the material; there’s a shyness, a reticence here that means Fabiana doesn’t connect as deeply as on record.
Catching the end of Nia Smith’s roadblock set – we’re stood some five feet outside the tent itself – it becomes clear that word is out on this talented Londoner. She’s local, too – a Brixton gal, Nia has no doubt spent more than a few summer’s days in this park. On the main stage Lynda Dawn is effervescence from start to finish – the sun is out, the field is filling up nicely, and her enchanting R&B soaked sound retains pleasing aspects of Brit-soul. The day’s first true surprise, and a pleasant one at that.
Hackney’s EartH connect with always on-point Instagram figure Somewhere Soul to curate the Terminal stage, and they’ve done a fantastic job. Skinshape emerges from viral streaming fame with a delicious set of dubbed out afro-psych grooves, a suitably chilled balm for a hot summer’s day. Over on the main stage Cymande are bringing inter-generational joy to Cross The Tracks – the much-sampled collective emerged from Brixton rehearsal rooms in the early 70s, and their potent brew of afrobeat, reggae, funk, and soul feels incredibly timely. Material from recent album ‘Renascence’ sparkles, but it’s the old cuts that connect most deeply – ‘Brothers On The Slide’ offers renegade funk, while closer ‘Bra’ is a moment of joy for the packed crowd.
There’s time to take on some riveting beats at the Funk Junction, the Touching Bass curation again proving to be peerless, before we venture back to the main stage to soak up Jordan Rakei’s riveting performance. Clash was lucky enough to catch the New Zealander-in-London’s magical Royal Albert Hall set last year, and he doesn’t disappoint – a wonderful artist who has produced an enthralling catalogue laden with empathetic emotion, his performance sparks from first to last.
Seminal West London rapper Bashy produced one of last year’s most significant UK rap full lengths, with his eloquent ‘Being Poor Is Expensive’ offering a cinematic depiction of working class Black British life. His Cross The Tracks set seemingly represents the rapper’s first London festival set in 16 years, and Bashy clearly relishes every moment – a crowd-pleasing run through the songs that first inspired him, the set moves from carnival-esque brukout to searing spoken word. At one point, Black Lives Matter flashes up on the screen – five years on from George Floyd’s killing, you’re left to wonder how far we’ve truly travelled. With eloquent voices of Black consciousness at work in UK rap, it’s soul-inspiring to know the trenches are occupied by artists like Bashy.
Clash joins the flood of people heading to the main stage for Ezra Collective – the crowd plunges back up the hill, the viewing platforms are packed, and the sun is making itself known. We’ve seen the group countless times over the past decade, and their set at the OVO Wembley Arena last year ranks with one of the best, most inspiring performances we’ve yet lain witness to. Cross The Tracks is clearly in for something special.
What follows is the perfect union of crowd and performer, of music and setting. Ezra Collective pull out all the stops – drummer Femi Koleoso uses his mic to uplift and motivate, while the band have rarely played with such intent. A concise, focussed festival, they close by inviting the colossal crowd to form circles – not for a mosh pit, but to dance like no one is watching. Smiles are beaming, limbs are lifted, and Ezra Collective deliver another sermon of joy – a generational band at their zenith.
There’s time to catch the close of Baby Rose over on the Terminal Stage, before shaking a leg at Funk Junction to graceful hosts Alex Rita + Errol. The community feel is palpable – Touching Bass host regular dances in Brixton, and the crowd is packed with familiar faces, as friends, peers, and fellow artists get down out front. The couple’s young child even makes an appearance, bopping along on Alex Rita’s shoulders – it’s that type of festival.
Naomi Sharon was the penultimate artist on the D-Railed stage, curated by The Blues Project. Appearing in a white latex two piece and flowing hair, she seemed more like an apparition than a singer. Starting with a few tracks from her latest EP, ‘The Only Love We Know’, it was as if she’d performed them for years, even though this was the first time. She then moved onto some tracks from her album ‘Obsidian’, such as ‘Definition of Love’ and ‘If This is Love’, which the crowd thoroughly enjoyed.
However, the stage had been running behind schedule all day, meaning Sharon was 30 minutes late in starting, through no fault of her own. This meant the crowd was probably smaller than it would have been, as she now clashed with two headline acts. But most frustratingly for Sharon and the audience, her performance was cut in half to make up time. Sharon was understandably unhappy by this decision, as was the crowd, who cheered, “One more song” and booed the organisers.
With the weather turning towards the chilly fans ventured to shake a leg at the Free Nationals, before catching headliner Michael Kiwanuka. An artist who has gifted us with fine music for more than a decade now, the set is a career-spanning triumph – chilled and considered, his quiet intensity makes for something truly engrossing.
As we leave against a deep red sunset, it’s easy to see why locals would care so passionately about Brockwell Park. The setting is wonderful, with excellent views of London, and there’s something innately zen-like about these green spaces within the metropolis. Yet for all the legitimacy of some of the residents’ complaints, Cross The Tracks is the wrong event to launch these criticisms against. Much of the line-up came of age within spitting distance of the park, and the pricing – 60 quid for an early-bird – is pretty reasonable for such stellar curatorship. Brockwell Park is special – so too is Cross The Tracks; reconciliation, conversation, and unity needs to be the order of the day.
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Words: Robin Murray + Nicola Davies
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