REVIEW: Lovebox 2012

Celebrating a decade of LoveBoxing, after a week of fully recovering from wellie time, we can say it was a smash and are ready to tell the tale.

Venturing into the muddy Victoria Park Friday afternoon, we quickly got acquainted with the pop up village that was created. We wandered around and visited our friends at the RBMA stage, the Arts Against Knives clan and met up with friends along the way. Highlight of Friday definitely has to be the blisfful electro soul against a 130bpm sunkissed beat provided by our favourite producer duo, Disclosure.

Saturday was definitely a turn down Commercial Street, with the likes of Emeli Sande, Maverick Sabre, Friendly Fires and a pop up House tent. Something about the day didn’t weigh up right. Possibly it was the combination of premier pop acts alongside established and credible DJ’s such as David Rodigan and Norman Jay? Maybe it was the distinct division between bronzed orange, hair extension, glammed up young teenage girls and hardcore nu age ravers? Quite possibly could of just been the gushes of wind as I watched Roc Nation darling Rita Ora and danced along to Kelis’s back catalogue and her..ahem drumming. It was an interesting day to say the least.

Come Sunday, we were weary, but determined to head over to Victoria Park one last time for the evening’s headline acts. By 5pm, mainstage was packed with the pink pound brigade, flamboyant guys and girls, extravagent styles and 2.4 families cosied together as Chic gave us disco classics and 70′s groove. Warming us up nicely for Chaka Khan, who was glamorously toned in a catsuit, hair blowing in the wind and a smorgasbord of classic tunes. From “Through The Fire” to “Every Woman”, the hits kept on coming. Before the original diva, thanked the crowd to a rapture of applause and we awaited Grace Jones.

With the sun setting over what turned out to be a great celebration of dance music, pop mentality and it’s sub genres, a decade of LoveBox couldn’t have been closed by anyone greater than the epitome of all of the above - Grace Jones. The 64 year old gave us an array of spectacular hats, breaking all the rules and setting them again, as she showcased her risque, daring nature. Hula hooping, revealing her fit figure and belting out tune after tune, the Sunday evening audience left uplifted and ready for the next 10 years of LoveBoxing.