GALLERY + REVIEW: Cross The Tracks Festival 2023
Cross The Tracks Festival 2023
Brockwell Park - London, UK - May 27th, 2023
Photos by Robert Barrett (@robertbarrett_photography)
The incredible Cross the Tracks festival returned to Brockwell park for another years of funk and soul goodness. This time the sun was shining, the line-up was unmatched and everyone was ready for an unforgettable day celebrating the best in funk and soul from around the world.
As the tubes and trains rolled past the park whilst the early birds entered the site, there was already plenty of great music on offer. Yazmin Lacey stirred the soul of the midday main stage crowd with a from the heart set. Her smile radiated the warmth and she looked overjoyed to be playing in front of her hometown crowd. More on the Jazz side of the spectrum was DOMi & JD BECK, who despite technical issues (that laptop did not like the sun) impressed with their breath-taking incredible talent for tight rhythms and piano work. The in-between banter in the songs was adorable— who knew that Herbie Hancock’s email address was so simple?
As with the other festivals that were part of Brockwell Live, the entire festival site was extremely well managed. With short bar ques, an abundance of food vans, and even some shops for those on the search for handmade jewellery or unusual sunglasses. A variety of stages offered up and coming acts, DJ sets and much more for those looking for new experiences. In the heat of the afternoon sun, the mainstage was blessed with a rare performance from Chicago based Ravyn Lenae. With a stellar backing band she ran through tracks from her debut HYPNOS and smattering of EP’s. Her incredible vocals shone on her Steve Lacy collab “Skin Tight” along with early hit “Sticky.”
A real bunch of British legends graced the Terminal stage straight after, Loose Ends came out to a boxing ring style announcement “the first UK band to hit number 1 on the US R&B Charts.” Their performance showed that they had earned it, playing classic after classic to a crowd of all ages. Eternal banger “Hangin’ on a String” had the whole crowd boogying and shaking moves. Alfa Mist took the festival on a musical journey through his own world of subtle jazz and mesmerizing songs. Letting the music and guests lead the songs, it was a highlight when he rapped on “Organic Rust.”
The site was filling up ready for the headline acts when Wesley Joseph walked onto the Terminal stage. A smooth set full of dancy alternative R&B drawing heavily from his latest album ”GLOW.” Over on the D-Railed stage, Gilles Peterson span a set full of worldwide bangers from across all spectrums of music.
By now the drinks had been flowing all day, and the crowd needed a party. Thankfully that’s were Ezra Collective came in, who’s bombastic brass sound had the entire festival dancing on the mainstage. This energy was kept up by Masego who drew one of the largest crowds of the day for his joyous sunset set. Whether it was throwing roses, money, or laying down an incredible saxophone solo, Masego seemed to draw energy from the crowd and delighted them at every turn.
Finally as the sun lowered past the nearby towers, NxWorries came to the stage for their debut UK show. The set flowed between Knxwledge’s djing of classic songs, and when Anderson .Paak appeared to perform their NxWorries songs. Donned with an enormous hat, Anderson’s smooth hypnotic flow was masterfully put to work on classic songs such as “Lyk Dis” and new releases including the buttery “Where I Go”. Latest single “Daydreamin” had the audience putting their phone lights up to create a sea of lights. With a confetti stream at during “Scared Money”, and Knxwledge’s cover of “Wonderwall” bringing the day to a close, the attendees slowly filtered out of the site.
Cross the Tracks Festival offers a focused line up that’s perfect for lovers of funk & soul, and all genres adjacent. If the sold-out festival this year was anything to go by, next year’s tickets will be the hottest in town, so don’t wait around to grab them.
