All Points East 2024: Loyle Carner sets the bar for future headliners

This month, we were delighted to attend the much anticipated All Points East festival in Victoria Park, East London. After years of overhearing the festival from our back garden, watching everyone we know attend, and even listening to girl in red's set last year from outside the festival grounds, the walk up to the festival felt like a Rite of Passage after half a decade of living in East London. Spread across the weekend, attendees got to immerse themselves in a vast range of genres and be introduced to some of the most exciting up-and-coming and established artists releasing music right now. The festival, coordinated by Outside Organisation and presented by Uber One, proved to hit the mark entirely with artists exceeding expectations in every aspect of their sets and overall getting fans amped up for the weekend of live music. When lineups were being announced, All Points East really stood out for their unique, yet cohesively curated, artist selections -- something that we have admired of the festival for a while - and we could not wait to experience it first hand.

Loyle Carner

We can still remember when Loyle Carner was announced to be headlining All Points East, with a video of him and his father playing chess on top of a car resembling the iconic 'hugo' (2022) car in the middle of the All Points East festival crowd released on the festival's Instagram. From the perfectly curated lineup, to the show being Carner's biggest performance to date, and even it being his hometown show, there was no doubt that Carner had a few tricks up his sleeve for this performance. During the set, Carner reminisced on the significance of the festival's Victoria Park location, as the place where he cycles through to take his son to school, and a place he frequents often in his personal life. As both fans of the rapper and Victoria Park locals, the East London pride was intoxicating.

Loyle Carner performing with Tom Misch on stage at All Points East. Photographed by Chris Lambert.

You could tell how much this headline slot meant to Carner, with the bringing of multiple special guests to accompany him in their performances. Guests included Carner's friends and frequent collaborators - Tom Misch and Jordan Rakei - whose genuine friendship compliments the beautiful melding of their voices together with Carner himself. However, a personal favourite was absolutely the inclusion of the infamous John Agard, a poet and playwright whose poem 'Half-caste' was sampled on Carner's track, 'Georgetown'. The isolated poet's voice with just a drumbeat was positively haunting throughout the festival grounds and so refreshing to see the inclusion of poetry and literature in a music festival. Carner said himself that 'without him, there would be no me', noting the importance of poets and writers in the influence of rap music. It was apparent what a big moment it was for Carner to bring Agard out at his hometown, HUGE, headline set, and was so heartwarming to see their embrace after Agard's reading.

There is a massive amount of admiration to be had for Carner's ability to have his humble nature shine throughout his entire performance. Whether it is an intimate venue, or headline slot like this, the connection with his audience and palpable gratitude for the opportunity will always be apparent. Regardless of the size of the stage, or the amount of people in the crowd, Carner's personality shines through in the segments between songs, as he shares stories of his young son's gentleness with emotions and shares softly spoken poetry with the audience as security assist with a problem within the crowd. In a world that is rediscovering its love for live music and festivals after previous COVID cancellations, Carner is always a highlight to see perform -- his shows and sets are consistently impressive and engaging to watch. Every single time, we leave with more love in our heart for both Carner and his discography. His reflective lyricism and deeply confessional tracks have become a real mark of Carner's music, which have united his listeners and provided a voice for the experiences of many. With the fireworks exploding above the main stage at the beginning and end of his headline set, it's clear that Carner is headline material, and has set a very high standard for future All Points East headliners to follow. Absolutely, and easily, a highlight of the weekend.

Suki Waterhouse

This was a real bucket list experience. As genuine fans of Suki Waterhouse, it was a wonderful moment to see the incredible turnout for her set and see first-hand how much her career has taken off to new heights. To the audience, it looks like performing is second nature to Waterhouse as she made the CUPRA North Arena her own for a captivating set. With the perfect balance of popular tracks and deeper cuts from her discography, it felt like the audience was truly connected for that moment in time, in true awe of the talent being showcased in front of us.

Suki Waterhouse performing at All Points East. Photographed by Matthew Baker.

Fresh off her support slot at Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, Waterhouse swapped out her Steve Nicks inspired flowy dress (as if it was taken straight out of her 'Daisy Jones & The Six' wardrobe, in which Waterhouse plays a keyboardist in a 70s rock band) for sparkly silver hot pants. Waterhouse looked and sounded the epitome of the 'sad girl summer' Sunday lineup, with her sultry yet sassy attitude and tracks, starting with 'Moves'. The opening line of 'You said I looked like Suzi Quatro', a 70s artist labelled the "Queen of British Pop" for the popularity of her music in the United Kingdom, despite being American. It was apparent that Waterhouse felt completely at home in this hometown crowd, and after performing her rendition of Oasis' 'Don't Look Back in Anger', she exclaimed that it 'didn't hit the same' singing it to an American crowd at Coachella. With the setlist's breakdown amounting to a majority of singles from Waterhouse's upcoming sophomore album, 'Memoir of a Sparklemuffin', Waterhouse really solidifies this new, quirky and exciting era that her sonic landscape is entering. At one point of her set, Waterhouse engages in a conversation with a fan who travelled from Spain to see the star, and exclaims 'I really should do a European tour soon', and if this performance is just a taste of what's to come, we cannot wait!

Wasia Project

Wasia Project, comprising of siblings William Gao and Olivia Hardy, took to the stage for an all-absorbing performance on Sunday. The turnout for this set was incredible, with a huge wave of people trekking across the festival grounds from one stage to another, eager to not miss a second of this duo on stage.

Wasia Project performing at All Points East. Photographed by Jessie Morgan.

Ahead of their performance, the pair told us that their position on the festival's lineup was both welcoming (for the incredible cohesion of acts) but also intimidating with the star-studded artistry at the top of the festival's poster. With this being said, Wasia Project seemed incredibly at home on the West Stage with Hardy grooving around the stage with an Olivia Dean level effortlessly cool exterior. Wasia Project's set was a breath of fresh air in the mid-afternoon, with their jazz-infused alt-pop blasting through the park while the sun shined beautifully above them. Every person in that crowd danced like nobody was watching, and crouched to the ground under their orders in the final song. The power that this duo exudes on stage is unmatched, and after hearing an unreleased song from their new EP, 'Isotope', this is a band that you have to start following now so that you can have bragging rights when they take over the music industry.

Towa Bird

Headlining the L'Oréal Paris Stage, Towa Bird made her first solo festival appearance this weekend, much to her already devoted fans' enjoyment. The crowd was understandably sizable for this set, as Bird has created a reputation for herself despite only having one album in her discography - fans could be seen hoping to achieve a good view well before Bird even took to the stage.

Towa Bird performing at All Points East. via Twitter/X (@mohopoly)

Performing tracks from her recent debut album, American Hero, this was an undeniably strong set with the audience chanting every last word back at the singer. With moments of introspection and mellowness in 'This Isn't Me', contrasting with the high energy levels during 'FML' and 'Drain Me!', this was an entertaining set highlighting the multitude of strengths Towa embodies and can showcase as a live performer.

Singing to inflatable bananas, and receiving a lesbian flag adorned with Ed Sheeran's face were probably not experiences Bird could predict going into this set, but they certainly created some unforgettable moments. If Bird is still off your radar, tracks like 'B.I.L.L.S', 'Deep Cut', and 'Ew' will surely have you adding her music to your playlists immediately. Not only was her performance a success, but it is also clear to see that this is a star in the making, and one to watch, as her pre-performance artist signing was probably one of the most popular and subscribed to throughout the whole weekend. All Points East has definitely provided the London crowd with an opportunity to discover an artist who is on an upward trajectory in their career, and a festival highlight for sure.

Mitski

Mitksi at the end of a hectic, tiring festival day is like getting into a bed with fresh sheets after a long day at work. It is just what we needed. Her performances always resonate with her enthusiastic fanbase due to her ability to encapsulate a myriad of feelings and lay them out on stage to truly connect with everyone present in the moment.

Mitski performing at All Points East Photographed by Bethan Miller.

With an understated stage setup, it is clear to see that she can do so much with so little, creating a captivating atmosphere with no frills. Mitski's presence on the All Points East mainstage filled the entirety of Victoria Park, a powerful stage presence many artists dream of. She is truly a one-of-a-kind artist in the current music world, in combining her yearning songs with performance art. With a celebrity-filled crowd (Paul Mescal, Daisy Edgar Jones and Gracie Abrams to name a few), it's safe to say that Mitski is your favourite artist's favourite artist, in Chappell Roan's words. Every person in that crowd couldn't help but watch Mitski's multi-layered and intricate performance with full attention and total awe.

All Points East 2024 has allowed the magic of a festival to continue, right in our back garden. It is great to see such a celebration of music and live events wedged right in the middle of the hustle-and-bustle of London. For families, friends, and individuals, it allows for a perfect day or weekend out without the added inconveniences of travelling far out for an event. In the artist village, rapper Sainté couldn't help but interrupt himself in greeting fellow artists and friends as they walk by, while celebrities watch the headliners in crowds amongst fans -- and this is thanks to the community-based and friendly atmosphere curated by the All Points East teams. The decision to base the day splits on genre and overall vibe is a powerful one, as it attracts people of the same interests and passions - something that is sometimes missed on a "something for everybody" styled festival lineup. 'Success' does not begin the cover the turnout of this festival, and with the varied days on offer across two weekends, we can say with certainty that you would regret not taking that stroll down to Viccy Park next time. And, we will be seeing you there.