Shots by Silvia Fox

We love Cross The Tracks Festival the outfits, the atmosphere, the artists. What I also adore about Cross The Tracks is that you see artists who aren’t performing but have come along either for the vibes or to support friends who are performing. Which I believe brings a real sense of camaraderie you can tell people really are there for the music. We managed to spot Miraa May, Neone The Wanderer, Kwaku Asante and a Wordplay friend managed to spot Piers James too. There was a great selection of food we personally enjoyed food from ‘What The Pitta’ who provide vegan food. It was delicious and didn’t take long to queue up which was a bonus, nothing worse than being in a queue and then having to rush because an act you want to see has hit the stage.

Erykah Badu was supposed to be headlining but unfortunately due to illness she was unable to attend so a few acts were bumped up. It also meant that we got an extra act! Freddie Gibbs performed with Madlib and they were absolutely stellar, celebrating the 10th Anniversary of their album Piñata. His flow was serious and he had us all locked in, he was rather comical at times. Telling us how he was at Heathrow airport in one of the lounges when he received a call about playing Cross The Tracks. He expressed his love for Madlib during the set and had banter about the poncho Madlib was wearing. We also giggled at the fact he said it was cold but then still proceeded to take off his jacket regardless. He was extremely entertaining full of personality playing all his most well known tunes and reloading the tunes that the audience reacted the most too. Venna was wonderful on the D-RAILED stage showing musicality and flair. Jazz saxophonist Venna entranced the audience with the band's set, whose performance included the audience's favourite classics from his debut album Venology and Equinox EP, the likes of Sicily' Box moving the crowd in a wave of swaying to the melodical genius. The audience was also treated to a new composition with great reception, which the beautiful performance deserved

Eve was definitely a fan favourite the audience were dancing all throughout her set. She has dancers onstage that really set the tone and rocked with her all throughout the show. En Vogue ended the evening as we all watched the sunset together and they did not stop all throughout their set so much energy! People were singing along, dancing and grooving. We couldn’t believe they didn’t perform their most infamous song ‘Don’t Let Go (Love)’. The audience were chanting for them to do the song and their was time for them to do it too left us on a cliffhanger. We still loved their set regardless of the audience wanting their favourite song, they did a mixture of originals and soul covers. The harmonies, the slick choreography and the runs my word each and everyone of their voices were incredible. At one point I found myself absolutely mesmerised as I looked around feeling grateful that I got to witness their brilliance. If you haven’t been to Cross The Tracks you definitely should go next year.

The D-Railed Stage featured some of the hottest artists in its line-up. The day was the epitome of ‘I wish I could clone myself to be in multiple locations simultaneously’ but no matter the artist or stage, they did not disappoint. SIPHO. Played early on in the day, setting a foundational tone of performance excellence. With the band and himself playing guitar, they entranced the crowd with tracks from SIPHO.’s debut album Prayers and Paranoia, such as Elevation, Beady Eyes and Paranoia. They finished the set powerfully with indie-rock inspired instrumentals with a smooth touch of alternative RnB; great showmanship as the audience expected.  

American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tiffany Majette, known professionally as Orion Sun delivered a heartfelt performance, soothing yet gripping the crowd with their indie-soul style and jazz-inspired beats, performing singles from her debut album Hold Space For Me and Getaway EP. As they stood on the barriers close to the crowd, it felt like a mutual embrace.    

If you’ve never been we would highly recommend.

Words by The Isle Of CC & Charlene Haylett