In its second year at Don Valley Bowl in Sheffield, the Rock N Roll Circus came to town in spectacular fashion.
3 days of great music across a wide variety of genres gave festival-goers the chance to see some blockbuster headliners on the main stage, but also to see new and emerging artists on 2 additional stages. Add to that the spectacular feats of the circus performers, and this is a perfect event for the grown-up festival veteran or families closing out the school holidays in style.
Each day is tailored, so you’ll find the crowd changes across the festival. In that sense, it feels like 3 one-day gigs, tied together by the circus theme, and it means that there’s a hugely enthusiastic crowd there each day, packing out the Big Top which housed the Main Stage.
Day one was for the 90s / early 2000s kids as The Coral, The Divine Comedy and Richard Hawley graced the Main Stage. Accordingly, the audience was mainly of a certain age, and were locked in to the main stage music for most of the day. On the outside stages, there were some outstanding new artists introducing themselves to a new audience. The BBC Introducing Stage showcased local Sheffield talent Sonni Mills and the brilliant Malah Palinka, the latter giving funky grooves and harmonies with great skill. Another local band, City Parking, gave a strong performance on the second stage, showing that there’s a lot of post-punk energy still in the Steel City.
Legendary singer-songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan hit the main stage mid-afternoon, and while he can still deliver those classic songs – Alone Again and Get Down featured towards the end of the set – the early slot on a Thursday afternoon meant it was sparsely attended and so the energy wasn’t quite there from crowd or artist.
Local legend Richard Hawley brought a much greater engagement though, his set backed by an image of the iconic Moore Street Electricity Substation. Immediately, we’re drawn into the visceral connection he has with Sheffield, still living in the city and writing songs that tell his stories of the people and places. The crowd are in the mood to celebrate this connection, many of them local to South Yorkshire themselves, and it’s a joyous congregation that sings along with the resonant voice of the former Longpigs and Pulp star. Standing At The Sky’s Edge was the highlight, now the title song in a West End show, but tonight, it rings with the love and connection of thousands of people who love this city and, as Hawley put it at the end, they “made something special here tonight”.
The Divine Comedy played the set of the day though. Battling a few tech issues, they coped masterfully, led by Neil Hannon and his idiosyncratic brand of banter. “Oh” he exclaimed as he took the stage. “My voice is very loud. We should play some songs for you”. It was worth the few minutes of delay to hear the opener Something For the Weekend, and a string of hits including Songs of Love and National Express. A real masterclass in understated performance.
Friday was the strongest day of the festival, with 2 dance music giants among those to get the Big Top bouncing. A very different crowd was on hand today, a younger demographic ready to enjoy the most current day of the festival. TikTok star Talia Mar opened up the main stage, and although the set was a bit patchy, she got a good response particularly for her own songs. A couple of covers were less successful, particularly Taylor Swift’s Cruel Summer, but Mar gave an enjoyable performance for the fans who had lined up at the barrier for her.
One of the performances of the weekend came from Sam Sax, an intriguing mix of club DJ and jazz saxophone. Sam’s energy was infectious and as her set went on, the crowd grew, dancing to this unique blend of sounds.
Loud LDN member Issey Cross hit hard for the crowd, as the tent got gradually more full throughout the day. A set that included Used To This, and last year’s top 20 hit Bittersweet Goodbye set the stage nicely for another sensational set.
Joel Corry took things to the next level with a set full of absolute bangers. Head & Heart, Bed, 0800-Heaven – literally hit after hit from the constantly smiling producer. The crowd was hyped from the very first note, hands in the air and bouncing from start to finish. This was what most of the younger crowd had come here for today and Corry delivered in spades.
Cian Ducrot kept things going, with a set on his birthday. Telling a local radio station that he doesn’t normally play on his birthday, he was touched by the number of signs that fans had along the barrier and the cake that the production team brought on for him mid-set. Aside from the birthday festivities, the music was brilliant. Ducrot’s talent on guitar, piano and classically trained flute underpins a great set, that had fans singing along from start to finish, peaking with the breakout hit All For You and I’ll Be Waiting.
Friday rounded off with Becky Hill, and as with Joel Corry before, it’s a set of nailed-on hits. Disconnect, Keep Holding On, My Heart Goes – it’s non-stop. Again, the crowd are bouncing, filling the tent to the very back, but there is a bit of a flatness to Hill’s performance. Coming back from an illness, she occasionally seems irritated with the crowd, ticking them off for holding their mobile phones overhead and not dancing enough. Even so, it’s a solid set that brings the night to a great close.
Saturday was more of an indie vibe, and the organisers have doubled down on the local favourites with the likes of Luxury Goods, Sam Scherdel and Harriet Rose on the outside stages, while Milburn took the headline slot in the Big Top on the final day of the festival.
Luxury Goods – fronted by Leonie Sloots – gave a brilliant set, with soaring vocals over some flawless guitars and synths. The K’s set is solid, establishing themselves as a good festival band over the last couple of summers.
A real highlight of Saturday was ska stalwarts The Selecter, delivering the most overtly political set of the day. Pauline Black is formidable up front, commanding the crowd with absolute authority.
Rock N Roll Circus then welcomed a rock n roll legend, with Libertines front man Peter Doherty. Sharply attired in a grey suit and wide brimmed hat, Doherty runs through a retrospective of both Libertines and Babyshambles songs. The voice is great and the response from the crowd is warm, everyone delighted to see such an icon of the industry on stage.
Headliners Milburn come to the stage to a rapturous South Yorkshire welcome – it’s clear that the anticipation has been building and some even arrived late, having chosen to come just for the local favourites. Opening with the traditional Well Well Well, the energy starts high and just keeps rising throughout the set. Culminating in a mass singalong as the band return for encore with Roll Out The Barrel and closing with What You Could Have Won, the weekend closes as a genuine celebration of Sheffield’s musical prowess.
Year 2 of the Circus was spectacular. The organisers are already trailing an even bigger and better event for 2025. We’re looking forward to seeing the line up and coming back next year.
