The winning combination of classic acts and breaking bands made the opening day of Hyde Park Calling another resounding success. Ex-Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel belted out a fantastic headline set that pleased the London crowd in spite of the rain.
Gabriel reeled out the sing-a-long hits such as the 1986 classic ‘Sledgehammer’ and his timeless Sinead O’Connor duet ‘Blood of Eden’. The crowd reacted well to his first solo hit ‘Solsbury Hill’ danced among the raindrops for ‘In Your Eyes’.
The newly reformed Crowed House produced a set of such remarkable quality; it was if they’d never broken up at all. ‘Pineapple Head’, ‘Fall At Your Feet’ and ‘Better Be At Home Soon’ all remained timeless. Ironically their biggest hit ‘Weather With You’ drew out the rain clouds and soaked Hyde Park, yet it didn’t dampen the spirits of any of the revellers as they continued to dance through the night.
An earlier set from The Feeling complemented the sunshine and smiles perfectly and the refreshing sound of new band Ghosts made sure there was something for everyone. Forever Like Red got the crowd swaying to their gentle ballads after newcomers The Thirst had opened the main stage.
The opening day of Hyde Park Calling was what festivals are all about - singing along to the classics, finding your new favourite band and a mixture sunshine and rain.
Tomorrow sees the likes of Chris Cornell, Joe Satriani and the immortal Aerosmith set to entertain the capital.
American rockers Aerosmith pulled this year’s Hyde Park Calling to an enormous end when they were joined onstage by DMC from the hip-hop act Run DMC for their 1986 version of ‘Walk This Way’ after a huge 70 minute set.
The five-piece played thumped their way through a back catalogue of classics as the Hyde Park crowd sang nearly every word to timeless tracks ‘Love In An Elevator’, ‘Dude Looks Like A Lady’ and the spine tingling epic ‘Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’.
Chris Cornell also gave the capital a set to remember as he ran through tracks from his Audioslave and Soundgarden days as well as some of his solo work. A highlight is the recent James Bond theme tune ‘You Know My Name’ which Cornell wrote for Casino Royale and the acoustic solo version of 'Garden classic ‘Black Hole Sun’.
Festival veterans Jet produced a set which included their biggest hit and sing-a-long number ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’. The Australian quartet returned to form with a sunshine sound perfect for the Sunday afternoon crowd.
Earlier in the day The Answer and Kids In Glass Houses took to their respective stages to produce sets worthy of a mention but today it was Aerosmith who stole the show.
A second success story in as many years for Hyde Park Calling and the trend doesn’t seem to be ready to stop there as happy punters skipped away to the tube awaiting much more of the same for next year. See you there!
Legendary musical innovator Peter Gabriel will be co-headlining Saturday 23rd June in Hyde Park with the newly reformed Crowded House- who will be performing their first show in the capital since June 1996. - The stellar line up for Saturday also features The Feeling and Ghosts; more acts will be added to the bill shortly.
As previously announced Aerosmith will be performing Sunday June 24th, their first UK concert in 8 years since having been one of the final bands to play Wembley Stadium in Summer 1999, The Answer will be the opening act with more to be announced soon.
Hyde Park Calling, promises to be a unique and historic musical event with a main stage, second stage and many surprises in store for music and festival fans of all ages.
Live Nation’s MD, Stuart Galbraith said: “To get such special acts to complement Aerosmith on Sunday is an incredible coup for Hyde Park Calling. Crowded House returning to a London stage after ten years absence will be an amazing event and Peter Gabriel always puts on a truly fantastic show’
Hard Rock Cafe’s VP of Operations for Europe, Calum MacPherson, commented: “Hard Rock International is delighted to be involved in such an iconic event. It is fantastic that Hard Rock is getting back to its musical roots with such great rock artists and in such a renowned music venue.”
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Aerosmith are THE original hard blues rockers. Their musical evolution over the years has made them major innovators in American hard roc heavy metal, pop, glam metal, blues, and rap, and has inspired legions of rock artists that have come after them, from Nirvana to Velvet Revolver. The band's durability and adaptability have allowed them to sustain acclaim and success for the better part of the 37 years they have been active, forging worldwide hits, such as 1977's "Walk this Way", 1987's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" through to the 1998 blockbuster ballad "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing".
Massive bands playing the UK's highest profile outdoor venue, Hyde Park Calling will be the musical event of the summer; a multi-stage event with bands old and new - all of them classics. Over the weekend, the concert area within the park will feature performance art, chill-out zone, healing area, festival markets and more... Don't miss out on what promises to be the sensation of the summer in central London.
