Dot To Dot Festival 2023 delivered a day to remember, crammed with the freshest artists in the industry across Nottingham’s favourite venues.
On Sunday, May 28, Dot To Dot brought the day-long event celebrating upcoming artists of all genres to Nottingham after a successful previous day in Bristol.
Platform’s writers were lucky enough to attend the metropolitan festival, covering a broad range of venues and performances.
Here were our thoughts on Dot To Dot 2023…
Louise Walt – Music Editor
Midnight Rodeo brought the vibes to The Level with their short but sweet setlist.
The surf-pop six-piece have a unique sound, incomparable to other bands.
Vocalist, Molly Chamberlain, shone bright with her effortlessly cool vocals for tunes like ‘Shootout Sunday’.
Moody alternative tune, ‘Now You’re Gone’ had a psychedelic-like effect on the crowd with western-sounding guitars and a heavier element than other tunes in their discography.
My personal favourite of the set was ‘The Big Melt’.
This epic tune displayed the alternative style of the band with edgy guitar riffs and soft vocals harmonising through the instrumentally driven single.
Delights are an indie band worth listening to.
They performed at BETA in Rock City which was packed to the brim with excited fans.
They had everyone head bopping to their pop indie tune ‘Tender’ showcasing the band’s honest lyrics discussing love and relationships.
From the catchy chorus to guitar-heavy instrumentals this was a stand-out song.
Delights played their biggest song to date ‘1989’ with a groovy pop sound and dreamy vocals by singer Adam Maxwell.
Also, delighting fans with renditions of ABBA’s ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’ and Britney Spears’ ‘…Baby One More Time’ which went down a treat with festival-goers.
Cucamaras filled the Bodega with their loyal local fanbase.
They provided a high-energy post-punk setlist showcasing their latest EP ‘Buck Rogers Time’, with tunes like ‘Porcelain’ and ‘Greener Lands’ creating a moody ambience with the heavy instrumentals and strobe lighting.
‘Safe Bet’ had everyone rocking their heads with powerhouse vocals and accelerating guitar work, executing a killer set.
As Dot To Dot came to an end, we were fortunate enough to witness yunè pinku in all of her glory.
The liquid drum and bass artist brought a refreshing sound to Rescue Rooms with mesmerising rave tunes ‘Bluff’ and ‘What You Like’ ending the day perfectly.
Will Hugall – Deputy Editor
Wow, Dot To Dot did not disappoint this year!
Just as in 2022, we were treated to a top-quality selection of the best upcoming talent, with an excellent mix of genres on show.
Compared to last year, I saw more performances and found real pleasure in being surprised by the acts that I never expected to watch.
I didn’t plan to end up in the Malt Cross, for example, but when I did, Nottinghamshire-based acoustic performer Ben Mark Smith really impressed me with his drinking-themed mix of folk, shanties, and tongue-in-cheek ditties.
I didn’t plan to see rapper Jords in Rescue Rooms or indie-pop band Delights in BETA either, but I was so glad I did.
Both were incredible in whipping up their crowds, with their outstanding personalities shining through on stage and further underlined when Luca and I grabbed a word with both later in the day.
Another group on our selfie checklist was PeachHead, whose lead singer Dan Peplow was a fantastic sport and led the four-piece in a searing half-hour display of songs they have recorded all while studying at Nottingham Trent University.
The sweaty, crowded room at The Chameleon was the ideal setting for the band’s post-punk bile and incredible guitar work, which definitely announces them as one to watch after Dot To Dot.
On the back of debut single ‘Hump Day’ released in July 2022, we were treated to some unreleased tracks which will mark the next step in the lads’ progress.
A perfect example for a band of PeachHead’s stature to follow is Cucamaras, who look set to have the summer of their lives after they lit up The Bodega despite an apparent litany of technical issues.
We simply couldn’t miss the local lads, having supported them for the last three years at Platform, and they duly impressed by sounding the most polished they ever have.
Full of confidence and hits after the release of ‘Buck Rogers Time’, the foursome oozed class with immediate fan favourites ‘Bleachers Yard’ and ‘Greener Lands’, which deliver the memorable lyrics and pulsating instrumentals that should impress audiences at festivals up and down the country.
Finally, I couldn’t go without giving a word to Yard Act.
The Leeds outfit, headliners for the weekend’s festivities, were the one band I desperately wanted to see after missing out on their previous Nottingham gigs.
Having hot-footed it over to Rock City and just about squirming into a spot in the packed-out cradle of Nottingham music, I was thrilled by the entire performance.
Of course, Yard Act have already emerged into the mainstream off the back of Dot To Dot success; after appearing at The Bodega in 2021, they seized the attention of the musical elite with their debut album ‘The Overload’, which peaked at number two in the UK Official Album Chart in February 2022.
With an Elton John collaboration, a Mercury Prize nomination and appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Later… with Jools Holland and Tiny Desk Concerts to their name, James Smith and company have had a whirlwind of a year touring their pointed and poetic brand of post-punk to the world.
Hits including ‘Fixer Upper’, ‘Rich’, ‘100% Endurance’ and an encore of ‘The Overload’ never sounded better than when belted back at the band by an adoring mosh pit, and Smith’s asides about Clumber Street shoe shopping, the broken UK taxation system and the pure joy of sharing an energy with audiences were excellent too.
Yard Act showed a benchmark of where other D2D artists can reach, and their willingness to give so much of their time to the festival – even staying up for a closing DJ set into the wee small hours – gave a testament to their huge value as headliners.
Scarlett Acres – Head of Marketing and Treasurer
After attending last year, Dot To Dot has quickly become my favourite festival.
Getting to discover so many artists, new and old, with unqiue sounds and incredible voices makes for the perfect day.
Kicking off The Level for the day, Nottingham six-piece band Midnight Rodeo played the perfect set for the crowd.
With a psychedelic vibe bringing in powerful tones through their voices or through their instruments, it created the perfect start to the day.
Following me and my friend’s recent obsession with the TV series ‘Daisy Jones and The Six’ following the book, we couldn’t help but feel this vibe with Midnight Rodeo.
From the outfits to the band itself, we absolutely loved it.
Meeting Beka outside whilst queuing for nachos, it was wonderful to meet someone so down to earth and genuine.
Whilst only knowing a couple of her songs, my friend was a fan and I soon was to become one too.
Donning a gorgeous dress and belting out stunning vocals, Beka absolutely stunned the crowd.
Despite having some short microphone trouble at the start, Beka never stopped and continued on perfectly, playing a few favourites including ‘Don’t Call Me A Friend’ and ‘I’ll Be There’.
She even told her fellow Nottinghamians about her struggles with ADHD and how she went on to marry her childhood sweetheart.
Beka is one not to miss and should capture audiences’ imaginations as she goes on tour this September.
The experience of seeing Delights is truly in the name, because what an absolute delight to see these!
When looking at the set list many weeks ago, Delights stood out to me immediately, particularly their songs ‘1989’ and ‘Iris’.
Creating an indie and eclectic sound, you can’t help but feel happy and serene listening to the mix of drums, guitar and keyboard.
They even treated the crowd to a mashup cover of ABBA and Britney Spears.
These are sure to be my favourites of the day.
Featured Image Credits: Scarlett Acres