We review Beat The Streets 2025
The first Notts festival of the year and it didn't disappoint...
Each year, Beat The Streets is the first big event on the musical calendar here in Nottingham.
With all ticket, merch, and bar sales going to Framework (find out more about their work here), the festival is always a brilliant day, full of local artists, in support of local people.
We headed down to the festival this year, to show our support of Framework and check out the 2025 line-up. Read our thoughts on each artist we saw below…
JayaHadADream
The first artist we caught of the day was JayaHadADream and any The Notts Review reader will know how I feel about Jaya’s music by now. There’s a reason she got the opportunity to play Glastonbury last year, after all. Accompanied by a full band, songs from her Redemption Songs EP went down a treat, and were the perfect start to the day.
Read our full review of the EP here.
Louie Walsh
Having first seen Louie Walsh at Future Sound of Nottingham back in 2022, my first thought was how far he has come in only a few years. Backed by a full band, Walsh was a highlight of the day, with a set that was made up of a range of original tracks and a cover of Cocoon by Catfish and the Bottlemen. This was a set that had the perfect mix of anthemic and emotional moments.
Riding The Low
It’s not every day you see a band fronted by an actor who has appeared in the likes of House of the Dragon and Hot Fuzz, but Riding The Low boast Paddy Considine as their lead vocalist, so this was one of those occasions. The set was a non-stop power-through of their fan-favourite tracks, fitting as much as possible into a short 30 minutes. It was so high energy, I was quite tired by the end!
Evil Scarecrow
There wasn’t much time to be tired though, as we launched straight into Evil Scarecrow’s 45-minute set. While we dipped in and out to catch Blood Wizard next door (more on that below), Evil Scarecrow proved that they were a force to be reckoned with. Their tunes were powerful and memorable, and their banter with the crowd proved that while they’ve got the image to back their name up, perhaps they aren’t so evil after all.
Check out our interview with the band here.
Blood Wizard
Blood Wizard is an artist I was particularly excited about, following his highly-praised album Grinning William, which was released last year. Now based in London, Cai Burns is an artist who found his feet in Nottingham, and it’s been great to see him go onto do brilliant things as Blood Wizard. It was even more brilliant to see him come back, and prove just how special his talent is, across every project he’s been a part of over the years.
Marseille
Featured on BBC Radio 6 and backed by Pretty Green, the members of Marseille have an average age of 19, but they are undeniably making waves right now. Including their new single History, this performance demonstrated exactly why. With a swagger of 90s Oasis, they could easily work as the support act for the Britpop band’s huge up-and-coming tour - so Liam and Noel, if you’re reading this, take note.
The Publics
Easily the highest energy moment of the day, The Publics brought the vibes to Rock City, with great crowd interaction and involvement throughout their 30 minute set. The Mansfield outfit were one of the most polished-sounding acts of the day, and after successfully taking on Rescue Rooms in December, there’s no doubt that they wouldn’t sound out of place doing their own headline show at Rock City next.
Check out our interview with the band here.
Bored Marsh
The last artist of the day for me (yes, I was home by 9pm, it was Monday the next day after all!) was Bored Marsh - perhaps my most anticipated act. I’m pleased to report that they didn’t disappoint. Performing tracks from their recent IDIOT EP, the band were on top form, and ended the day on a very high note. After sadly missing the EP launch show last September, this more than made up for it.
Check out our interview with the band here.
Our photography editor Will Banks captured all of the action at Beat The Streets for us. Here are a few more of his photos from the day…
