Gotobeat Festival returned to East London for its third year, with the annual music festival championing culture, offering an inclusive perspective on live music and giving a platform to emerging female & non-binary artists in London’s crowded festival scene.
Located in East London’s Signature Brewery and split across two stages, the likes of Fox Gunn, Girlband!, Carpark, Bleach Lab, SOFY and more kept the crowds entertained, with a varied mix of alternative, indie and hip hop.
Barcelona-born Fox Gunn kicked off the mainstage, enticing the crowd inside with her dreamy alternative pop. “Dessert” and “IDONTWANTTHISBUTIWANTHER” were standouts amongst a whoozy setlist that established the vibe for the rest of the festival.
Off the back of their Summer EP Heartbreak Town, and driving down straight from another show, Girlband! effortlessly caught the crowd’s attention with their punchy punk-rock anthems. Having played Glastonbury for the first time this year, it’s easy to see how they’re a band on the rise.
Bleach Lab, who were familiar with the venue, having played a couple of weeks before, drew one of the biggest crowds of the night, with their glimmering indie-rock swaying the crowd. Jenna’s ethereal vocals echoed around the space, as guitars soaked in reverb captured the audience, making the large brewery space feel like an intimate underground club
Headlining the mainstage, SOFY, who donned a ‘97-99 England FC Bart Simpson shirt, brought her hip-hop inspired indie bangers in full force. Her infectious energy had the crowd (a large number in Leicester shirts, where SOFY originates from) bouncing along with hits “socks” and “WET PAINT”, before dropping new singles “togethertogether” and “Mine”.
It’s clear to see that Sophie and her band love performing. They scream along to choruses, and jump around the stage to guitar solos, always with a huge set of smiles. As her hour set finished, the crowd demanded more, encouraging the band back on stage for a second performance of “togethertogether”.
“This is going to be the best f**king performance of togethertogether ever” SOFY shouted, before diving straight into the mosh pit, dancing with fans and hugging members of the crowd. With two recent singles, and more being self-leaked on her instagram, it’s an exciting time to be a SOFY fan and this performance proves she has the ability to headline the big stages.
With a packed and varied line up, combined with a last minute burst of sunshine, Gotobeat Festival felt like a worthy end to 2024’s busy festival season. The organisers have clearly gone out of their way to champion culture and shine the light on a number of emerging artists. It would be hard not to recommend this festival to anyone thinking of attending in future years, particularly if you’re interested in discovering fresh, upcoming artists.
Words + photography by Matt Wellham
