More about: Cross The Tracks

Last Sunday, the ever-unreliable British summer came up for a last gasp at Cross the Tracks festival. As the sun beat down through the early afternoon, the second most remarked upon topic from the musicians (coming in close after "it’s so great to be BACK!") was the intense, unexpected heat. 

In a star-studded line-up featuring the best of (mostly) British funk, jazz and soul, the Brixton-based festival, which is only in its second year after a 2019 debut, did not disappoint. The Terminal stage was the dark horse of the day, featuring Joel Culpepper, Greentea Peng, Children of Zeus, Sons of Kemet and Gilles Petersen. Mainline featured greats such as Sister Sledge, Jordan Rakei, and the Cinematic Orchestra while Locomotion saw Collard, Seed and Bel Cobain grace its stage. In addition to the heritage stage and the Funk Junction featuring the inimitable Jazzie B and Channel One, Black Minds Matter drew exhilarated crowds with their workshops focusing on everything from good vibrations to Black mental health.

Over at the Terminal, Culpepper has a little trouble warming up the early-day crowd, but his gentle gyrations and cutting shapes soon have them eating out of the palm of his hand. Funk-infused rhythms galvanise the audience, and the singer’s personality comes out in full force to provide a show that will soon be known as a Culpepper special. After a roaring rendition of 'Woman', he pays homage to his singers, who take the opportunity to lift the tent off the ground with their voices.

Next up, Pip Millett’s Mancunian tones tease the Terminal stage when introducing her fellow musicians — "we’re a fuckin good looking band, aren’t we?!". Her soulful tunes, tinged with defiance on ‘Heavenly Mother’ and poignancy on ‘Running’ are favourites of the crowd, which is now spilling out of the tent’s confines. 

Jordan Rakei’s Jeff Buckley-esque falsetto entrances the main stage, premiering soon-to-be-released tracks, following Nubya Garcia’s shimmering saxophonic prowess. The keyboardist Joe Armon Jones has a busy day, accompanying not just Garcia on Mainline, but Greentea Peng at the Terminal. Despite some initial difficulties with sound, the hotly-anticipated singer pulls off her mesmerising vibes once she settles in, lyrically melding the political with the personal.

The penultimate Terminal set is gloriously timed. Sons of Kemet offer their trademark brass and percussion rave in an orgasmic set where each tune flows seamlessly into the next and few words are uttered. The tuba-oriented baseline and tune-carrying saxophone, played by Theon Cross and Shabaka Hutchings, converse with the spontaneity of jazz and the spirit of something more ancestral. Conversation is central to many acts of today’s London jazz survey — Yussef Dayes’ earlier set, wonderfully frenzied in its pace, saw the drummer playfully direct his keyboardist through sonic twists and turns.

Headliner Lianne La Havas is the perfect end to a sweaty, dance-filled day. Dressed like some genderqueer angel in a pink-fringed white suit, her unmistakable, soulful vibrato reverberates through the crowd. Opening with the understated 'No Room for Doubt', La Havas stuck mostly to her new album and treasured hits—we’re treated to heartbreak-beautiful renditions of 'Weird Fishes', 'Paper Thin', 'Bittersweet', as well as the classic 'Green and Gold'.

"I don’t know what to say to you," she intones, "so please don’t be offended if I don’t speak". When she does interact with the crowd between songs, it’s to express, in tones rich with humility, her gratitude for everyone present, and to the festival for "taking a chance on me". It’s this attitude which distinguishes Cross the Tracks from its counterpart Mighty Hoopla: most of the acts are homegrown and seem thrilled not just to have a chance to play in South London, but to eagerly support each other from the pit. That’s the feeling we’re left with as the crowd snakes out of the park—a buzzing, familial gratitude.

More about: Cross The Tracks