Festival N°6 | 2016
Festival guide
Set amidst Italianate architecture and sub-tropical fauna and flora, Festival No. 6’s beautiful setting is second only to its diverse programming, encompassing cabaret, theatre, art, film, poetry and comedy. Of course, it’s the musical bill we’re most interested in, and this year’s line-up doesn’t disappoint. Check out our pick of the artists playing Portmeirion between the 1st and 4th of September.
Top picks
Cat's Eyes
Multi-instrumentalist soprano Rachel Zeffira and The Horrors’ Faris Badwan might seem a strange pairing, but it’s these differences that make their collaborative work so compelling. Lushly arranged and intensely cinematic, their noir-ish baroque-pop synthesises influences as diverse as The Shangri-Las, John Barry and Dick Dale. Following guerrilla gigs at Buckingham Palace and The Vatican, they play Portmeirion on Friday.
Broken Social Scene
After a half-decade hiatus – and solo albums from founding members Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning – the Canadian collective are back playing live and reportedly working on a new album, featuring frequent collaborator Feist. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear some works in progress during their Saturday night set, alongside material from classic albums Forgiveness Rock Record, Broken Social Scene and You Forgot It In People.
Pumarosa
Signed to the same label that discovered MØ, Wolf Alice and Jungle, this East London-formed five-piece are being widely tipped as one the UK’s most promising young bands. Listening to the clutch of singles they’ve released so far, it’s difficult to disagree. Think brooding, new wave-influenced indie-pop, topped with Isabel Munoz-Newsome’s drama-drenched vocals, which have a definite hint of Siouxsie Sioux to them.