Live: Butserfest 2016, Tenth Anniversary.

by | Sep 16, 2016

2016 brings the tenth Butserfest to Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Horndean. It is an event that has been cherished as an alcohol-free home for teenage fans of pop punk since 2007. That said, some bands might be a bit too profanity-laden to be ‘for all the family’.

We asked writer Nick Pollard and photographer Natalie Lam to get toned up for the weekend and take a trek up and around Butser Hill.

Pop rock five-piece, The Gospel Youth (Natalie Lam)

Pop rock five-piece, The Gospel Youth (Natalie Lam)

Metalheads might also find it sacrilegious for a festival crowd to be singing Bangarang by Skrillex while waiting for a band fronted by a YouTube star (more on them a bit later), but it is no concern that young music fans, as well as up and coming bands, will be especially upset.

Metalcore newcomers, Faultlines (Natalie Lam)

Metalcore newcomers, Faultlines (Natalie Lam)

Faultlines frontman Jake Noakes wearily asks the audience “How many of you came in here to get out of the rain?” considering how they are on the Crossroads Stage – the only stage on site that provides shelter from the abysmal weather. There is very little reply. As it turns out, the melodic metal of Faultlines, led by the powerful vocals of Christina Rotundo, would have attracted the same enthusiastic audience on any other day, having unleashed smoke and strobe lights upon the crowd by lunchtime.

Metalcore newcomers, Faultlines (Natalie Lam)

Metalcore newcomers, Faultlines (Natalie Lam)

Over on the main stage, The Gospel Youth really are a band that everybody had to tolerate the rain for. Fans gladly get drenched on TGY’s behalf, and even get a second opportunity to see them over at the Acoustic Shack – an acoustic stage where a select few acts perform short and quiet sets. Gravelly lead singer Sam Little belts his heart out for twenty minutes with only two acoustic guitars behind him.

Pop rock five-piece, The Gospel Youth (Natalie Lam)

Pop rock five-piece, The Gospel Youth (Natalie Lam)

Though WSTR’s crowd seem thin, everyone is immediately blinded by fans’ loyalty and exuberance towards the band. Despite the grey sky, chilling winds and typically British rain, the five-piece perform to please, playing the tracks that the fans are guaranteed to dance to. Watch out. WSTR are going to be all you hear about in 2017.

Pop punk group, WSTR (Natalie Lam)

Pop punk group, WSTR (Natalie Lam)

As It Is are clearly one of, if not the most eagerly awaited band of the day, judging from the screams upon the announcer’s words: “the band you’ve all been waiting for”. That is quite a title to live up to, and with such a tiny slot given for their performance (perhaps shortened more by the fact that they have arrived onstage thirty minutes late), they need to deliver something special.

Brighton pop rockers, As It Is (Natalie Lam)

Musically, their emo pop-punk might not be especially remarkable, but grinning frontman Patty Walters is definitely the most in touch with the audience, much to the probable irritation of the guards – : “I’ve seen a few crowd surfers, but not enough. So if you want to come visit…”. While the circle pits are calm enough to contain a conga, they have everyone around their collective little fingers.

It is the early evening, and Butserfest is luckily no longer underwater. The sun has set and there is demonic mist over the hills. The alternative rock of Young Guns decides to make a point of how there is no more appropriate scene to bring closure to the day, firing rapid red light flashes over the crowd. Vocalist Gustav Wood makes his stern point – “Do you mind if we play a new song? We are playing it anyway. It’s the end of our summer. Let’s end it with a f—ing bang!”

Pop rock five-piece, The Gospel Youth (Natalie Lam)

Pop rock five-piece, The Gospel Youth (Natalie Lam)

Each stage goes about this closure with serious force. The grand finale begins back on what was earlier the Acoustic Shack, which has been invaded by talent due to perform on the Introducing Stage before the weather forced it to close. Quick-paced, but brilliantly intricate hard rock from Loyd is coupled with mischief, as an engaged audience begins the part by throwing around a giant inflatable slice of pizza.

Horror rockers, Creeper, headlining the Crossroads stage at Butserfest (Natalie Lam)

Horror rockers, Creeper, headlining the Crossroads stage at Butserfest (Natalie Lam)

Horror punks Creeper cannot be much more appropriate to the mist, as they arrive with violet light behind them, casting silhouettes at the front of the stage, delivering their signature tongue-in-cheek doom and gloom.

Butserfest headliners, Mallory Knox, playing the main stage at Butserfest (Natalie Lam)

Butserfest headliners, Mallory Knox, playing the main stage at Butserfest (Natalie Lam)

It is Mallory Knox, today’s main stage headliners who have prepared the most impressive stage set – two giant luminous ‘MK’s. They strobe in time to Knox’s signature alternative pop-punk with an additional British twist of post-hardcore. This lasts from the strangely atmospheric gospel of Shout at the Moon to fan favourite Lighthouse.

Mallory Knox (Natalie Lam)

Mallory Knox (Natalie Lam)

It goes to show how far that they have come, this being their third time performing at Butserfest, and they are now atop the bill. And that is why Butserfest must live on. It is now a far more important event than its creators could have imagined in 2007.

In spite of everybody sinking further into the mud, it is safe to call the tenth Butserfest, the festival’s tenth success.

Live Review and Photography Butserfest 10th & 11th September 2016 by Natalie Lam and Nicholas Pollard.

Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam @ BST Hyde Park 2022 (Simon Reed)

Matt Cameron Departs Pearl Jam After 27 Years Amidst Wave Of Drummer Changes In Rock

After nearly three decades behind the kit, Matt Cameron has announced his departure from Pearl Jam. The legendary drummer, 62, shared the news via social media on 7th July, marking the end of a 27‑year tenure that began in 1998. His departure comes in the wake of the band’s Dark Matter World Tour, which concluded earlier this year.

Sydney Rose @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Sydney Rose Shines In Mid-Afternoon Magic On The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

While headliner Noah Kahan was preparing to command the Great Oak Stage later in the evening, over on the Rainbow Stage a quieter but equally stirring performance was unfolding under the soft mid-afternoon sun. Georgia-born singer-songwriter Sydney Rose brought her headline tour to a moving finale, wrapping her journey in heartfelt lyrics and gently fierce vocals that captivated a festival crowd seeking intimacy amid the day’s growing energy.

Gigi Perez @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Gigi Perez Captivates London With Raw Emotion And Rising-Star Power At BST Hyde Park 2025

At just 25 years old, Gigi Perez has already carved out a reputation as one of indie-pop’s most compelling new voices — and her late afternoon set on the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park proved exactly why. Supporting headliner Noah Kahan and following a string of breakout moments this year, the Hackensack, New Jersey native delivered a deeply affecting performance filled with vulnerability, power, and soaring vocals

Paris Paloma @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Paris Paloma Brings Barefoot Magic To The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

In a festival rich with soaring choruses and star power, it was Paris Paloma’s barefoot grace and gothic romanticism that carved out one of the day’s most mesmerising sets. Taking to The Rainbow Stage on a golden midsummer afternoon, the Derbyshire singer-songwriter captivated her growing legion of fans with an intimate, emotionally charged performance that felt part séance, part storybook.

FINNEAS @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

FINNEAS Warms Up London With Heart And Humour Before Noah Kahan’s Headline Set At BST Hyde Park 2025

It’s not every day that a support slot feels like a moment of main event magic, but FINNEAS — the GRAMMY®-winning songwriter, producer, and solo artist — brought just that to the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park on Friday. Performing ahead of headliner Noah Kahan and main support Gracie Abrams, the 27-year-old delivered a slick, emotionally charged set that balanced heartfelt sincerity with tongue-in-cheek charm.

Noah Kahan @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Northern Attitude In London: Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams & Friends Light Up BST Hyde Park 2025

It was, as the name requires, the perfect summer's day for British Summer Time Hyde Park on Friday. The sun was...
The Raven Age @ London Stadium (Kalpesh Patel)

Heirs To The Throne? The Raven Age Blaze Their Own Trail Supporting Iron Maiden At The London Stadium

On a scorching June evening that would culminate with the almighty Iron Maiden setting London Stadium ablaze, the...
Olivia Rodrigo @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Sophia Carey)

Olivia Rodrigo Proves That London Is Her Favourite City At BST Hyde Park 2025

British Summer Time is officially underway in Hyde Park, and the unbearable heatwave will continue to remind us all of...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing