Loud Places, All Under One London Rain
Exactly three weeks after moving to London I found myself at a Jamie xx show at Alexandra Palace. ‘Found myself’ is a bit of a stretch considering I bought tickets in June for not one but both nights at the famous Ally Pally. I have managed to see the curly-haired timid DJ almost every year since I heard his debut album In Colour and proceeded to watch the album visualiser on loop instead of studying for finals. I won’t attempt to water it down. In Colour and seeing Jamie at the Shrine in Los Angeles in October of 2015 changed everything about what I thought music could be. That album and his live set took me to places I will never quite be able to put into words. And so, I have been chasing that very feeling ever since. I have seen this man DJ upwards of ten times at the most obscene times and places, usually under a disco ball and quietly bouncing behind the decks like he forgot anyone was watching. And so, there I was under the same disco ball, watching Jamie xx for the second night in a row. As the second show ended, an ominous message from Jamie’s text service revealed ‘part 3 is coming soon’.
Photo credit Luke Dyson
Soon came faster than I thought.
I quickly learned that Jamie was curating his very own festival in London in June featuring a lineup that was plucked straight out of my Spotify Wrapped. Jamie’s day of Lido Festival was the first to be announced. The sustainably driven, artist-curated festival took place across ten days. Each with a uniquely personalised lineup selected by its headliner. The festival’s aim was to hand over creative control, allowing the artist to hand-pick every element of the day from the lineup to the festival poster. In being such a fan of Jamie’s music, it is no secret that I deeply admire the artists he shares a label with. Young (fka Young Turks) is a British independent label part of Beggars Group, and home to some of the UK’s most influential artists. Reading the lineup felt like reading Young’s roster but with some happy surprises along the way. Needless to say, I knew I had to be there.
And I was. The first weekend of June arrived with the promise of summer, but instead it brought along the festival nemesis: rain. In true ‘I-will-leave-on-time-to-make-it-to-the-set-I-want-to-see’ fashion, I was running late deciding whether to bring my not-so-summery Uniqlo puffer jacket or my beloved lavender cardigan. Finally, the puffer, my wellies, and I were on our way aiming to channel a bit of Alexa Chung Glastonbury fashion.
The set I promised myself I would make it to was the late addition of Skrillex b2b Jamie xx. The two are no strangers to playing sets together in London, but often late into the night and in dark rooms. This was a startling change to know that the two renowned producers would play together in broad daylight on the main stage as one of the first sets of the day. This I had to see with my own two eyes.
The festival itself featured three distinct stages: Main Stage, Stage 2, and Stage 3 (The Floor). The main stage featured the most impressive production setups but was also the only stage outside, threatened by other stage conflicts and the rain’s secret sets throughout the day. Stage 2 was covered under a massive tent, featuring various DJ sets with Romy of The xx headlining the stage as the final act. Finally, Stage 3 or namely ‘The Floor’ was Jamie’s unique touch on the festival, featuring lengthy sets from artists that Jamie has shared lineups with. Jamie debuted the concept of The Floor in May 2024 at Venue Mot in an effort to recreate the spaces he grew up clubbing in and the environment that shaped how he makes music today. The residency spanned over 10 nights, each featuring a unique lineup of guest DJs and collaborators. Jamie also used this opportunity to tease his then-unannounced album In Waves by stamping guests with the different track names each night. The concept of the Floor eventually made its way across the pond for five nights in New York and Los Angeles respectively. And before you ask, yes I went to not one but two nights in LA, which surely is just proof of my dedication to the dancefloor.
Photo credit Shahar Roda
I made my way into the festival, sights set on the main stage which was naturally the furthest away from the entrance. I heard the intensity of the music that was not quite meant for daytime but was welcomed nonetheless. Yet, the stage looked empty and the crowd very much had their backs turned to it. As I got closer it became clear that Skrillex and Jamie were performing inside the sound booth.
I used all 5 ft and 2 inches of myself to try and catch a glimpse of the two but was stuck with a view of the back of lucky-gened trees, I mean men. I began second-guessing if I was even at the correct stage until, in true Skrillex fashion, he took the mic, thanking Jamie for inviting him to Lido but mispronouncing it as “Leedo” instead.
As the two wrapped up at the makeshift stage, I turned myself around and waited for John Glacier to take the main stage. John, Jamie’s label mate and collaborator on his latest album In Waves, is a producer, rapper, and poet who delivers a refreshing degree of rawness and emotion through her often chant-like and repeating lyrics. As John appeared, the rain took centre stage as well, with no hint of letting up anytime throughout her set. The crowd was mesmerised by her sound and charmed by her repeated ‘thank yous’ after each song. Despite my determination, my Uniqlo puffer was slowly proving that it was in fact just water-resistant and not truly waterproof.
I was seeking dry land and Stage 2 was my sanctuary. It seemed as though everyone in the festival had the same idea as I reached the edge of the tent and found it might be impossible to enter. Yet, through the shuffling of bodies, I was able to claim a spot just inside the cover, finally out of the rain. Everyone packed in to see Jamie’s second set of the day - a b2b with Nia Archives. Shortly after Jamie released his second album this past fall, Nia released a remix of ‘Waited All Night’, the sole track on the album featuring Jamie’s bandmates Romy and Oliver. The duo’s set was electric and more coherent than his previous set of the day with Skrillex. The crowd and the artists seemed to be loosening up and embracing the festival for what it could be, rain or shine. Yet, my midday hunger had me consistently looking outside the tent trying to make out whether or not the rain had stopped or gotten worse.
Determined to feed myself before bracing the main stage again, I braved the the rain’s soggy embrace and overpaid for a mediocre (by my california standards) burrito. With my Uniqlo puffer barely dry from earlier, I made my way back to the main stage trying to convince myself that surely the rain will let up soon enough. But with the rain competing for the longest set of the day, South London singer and producer Sampha and his ethereal band made their way onto the main stage. Once an intern at Young, now signed to the label and known for collaborations with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and SBTRKT, he felt like a fitting presence. It did not occur to me just how right it would be to experience his music in the rain. Sampha’s catalogue has an urgency and passion that does not quiver between the recording and the live performance. His latest album, Lahai, released through Young, was unquestionably my album of the year for 2023. The performance felt cathartic and so earthbound, highlighted by his tense and passionate performance of Blood On Me. The screens flashed aggressively between each band member, echoing the intensity of the songs and the unrelenting release of the rain.
Photo credit Isha Shah
After reeling from the transcendent experience that was Sampha’s performance, I knew that returning to the dry safety of Stage 2 would be more difficult, with more fans arriving into the festival. I could see a line snaking outside The Floor as well, meaning there was no hope of retreating into its loud but dry shelter. I gave into the rain, got myself a drink, and claimed what would later be my spot for Jamie’s headline set.
However, my wait was not silent. I watched Arca take the stage, consistently praising the crowd for bracing the rain. She was a force on stage, stepping out into it herself by walking past the overhang. A sea of rain ponchos and umbrellas let loose to her emotive and experimental songs. Although not signed to Young, Arca is an artist on XL Recordings. Both labels are part of Beggars Group, with Young operating as an imprint of XL. The festival was slowly revealing itself to be a family affair, with each artist somehow interconnected to Jamie himself.
The spot I chose to claim for the ultimate set of the day was right in front of the sound booth. For one, I have come to learn, as a frequent visitor of loud places, that the music does sound best from here because this is exactly where the engineers are mixing from and if we can trust anything its their ears. Second (and perhaps more importantly), the sound booth is surrounded by barricades which offer an elevated base and give me what I hope will be enough height to maybe see the stage for once. Slowly, the crowd grew in size and anticipation despite the rain’s achingly long set. Between raised hands holding the unoriginal flashlight to identify their location within a sea of other hands doing the same thing, I listened to conversations of fans discussing which tracks Jamie would decide to play. I am no stranger to a Jamie set. I could likely tell you what song he would open with and when he would utilise the disco balls ominously hanging at both corners of the stage. The last moments of daylight peeked through the heavy grey clouds and finally Jamie humbly took the stage.
He opened with a snippet of ‘Dafodil’ featuring earlier performers of the day, John Glacier and Panda Bear, alongside Kelsey Lu. The songs’ opening lyrics so fittingly say “It all started one summer night…” I couldn’t help but laugh, drenched in rain, experiencing what very much did not feel like a summer night to a california girl such as myself. And yet, doing what he does best, Jamie immediately transitioned into ‘Wanna’, the deeply nostalgic piano-led opening track on In Waves. Instantly, I was transported to that very indescribable feeling I experience without fail at every Jamie xx show. It was not long before he led us through a sonic journey, performing an acid-laced version of ‘Gosh’ the opening track on In Colour, obviously a nod at the album celebrating its ten-year anniversary this past month. ‘Idontknow’ and ‘KILL DEM’ both made it into the set. ‘Idontknow’ came out in the stillness of early lockdown, a release without a dancefloor. ‘KILL DEM’ came later, created in response to the energy of returning to the stage.
Photo credit Patrick Gunning
The homecoming show was not without a king and queen. Jamie brought out his bandmates from The xx and childhood best friends, Romy and Oliver. Both were met with a roaring welcome from the crowd. The camera flashed to Oliver in the crowd, singing his track ‘GMT’ produced by Jamie himself featuring a Beach Boys’ sample playing on the idea of nostalgia for London. Oliver danced so passionately and freely as the song broke into Jamie’s remix version; the camera showing Oliver surrounded and embraced by family and friends. Just as Romy took the stage to perform ‘Seesaw’, Oliver could be seen on screen hugging Laura Jane-Coulson, a british photographer and filmmaker responsible for much of the visual worlds for both Jamie’s and Olivers’ projects. Romy’s performance of the melancholic track also featured on In Colour was laced with her obvious excitement to be sharing the stage with her bandmates again. The three have taken on remarkable solo careers but have confessed to have returned to the studio together to work on the band’s fourth album. Hardly capable of wiping the smile off his face, Jamie transitioned into his latest collaboration with his friends, ‘Waited All Night’, taking opportunities to dance on stage and lean into the two’s embrace.
The song ended with a rather fitting goodbye from Romy and Oliver with each planting a kiss on Jamie’s cheek, a very literal display of xx. 
Photo credit Isha Shah
However, this was a special show for them as it would be the very final one that would feature this creative direction, stage design, and namely the dancers. Riding this high, Jamie continued the set with songs from In Waves. The visuals on stage flashed from grainy drone footage of the crowd, to Jamie, to his extraordinary dancers dressed in all white. I first witnessed Jamie’s dancers at Coachella in 2022 when they were filmed in the crowd dancing quite literally as though no one was watching. He continued to tour with these dancers, and soon the faces on screen became more recognisable and a vital part of the show. The vision for Jamie’s live show was brought to life by Daphnee Lanternier, who alongside an impressive team, created a live show that feels so profound but is bound together by flickers of human touch. Visuals on screen feature the live crowd from every angle, displaying a raw and neatly packaged expression of the human experience. Jamie’s track ‘Falling Together’ speaks to that very human experience in the crowd, on the dancefloor, through the spoken word commentary from Irish dancer Oona Doherty. Tonight, as Jamie played out the track, the camera flashed to Oona herself beautifully dancing to her own words projected for the crowd to hear. Emotion filled her face as she continued moving her body freely and in the most honest expression. I could tell most of the crowd had no idea who she was, and yet there was not one person not moved by her dancing. Behind me, I noticed Daphnee cheering passionately and loudly, in awe of the intimate moment she was responsible for creating. Jamie dug deeper into In Colour, playing ‘Loud Places’ and letting the lights of the disco ball take centre stage. The crowd fell into a communal harmony, singing along, embraced by the rain, the music, and human touch.
The night and the festival belonged to Jamie. This set marked how far he has come since releasing his debut album In Colour, a love letter to London and the underground scene that soundtracked his youth. He is older now, and likely wiser, but still surrounded by a creative team and label he seems to be in perfect harmony with. Jamie’s set was an expression of love. For the fans, for his city, for his collaborators, and most importantly for the people committed to letting go on the dancefloor.