Hidden beneath the sleepless commotion of London’s ever so hectic Waterloo station, the 2019 edition of Retro Future Fest delivered on every one of its promises to dedicated fans having flocked to the British capital.
Leake Streets’ brick-walled halls glowed with majestic, electric neon lights, paving the scenery with the perfect ambience to greet the fans and their colourful attires. Artists, staff and fans all mingled together and shared drinks throughout the night, whether it be at the bar, in the concert hall or at the popular cardboard arcade, and every square inch of the venue was filled with a palpable sense of love and passion, for a shared sense of nostalgia, for a past we may or may not have known. Those lucky enough to have wandered through the halls at the right time will have even run into a fully armed T-800 Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator shouting classic Terminator catchphrases and posing for pictures alongside festival attendees, begging the question: what more could you want out of a Retro-themed music festival?
Presided over by emcee DJ She-Ra whose tireless work ran all throughout the night, the Synth marathon ran uninterrupted for twelve hours, from dusk till dawn. As any connoisseur would have guessed from the lineup announcements for the festival, RetroFuture Fest left no room for disappointment in its running order of artists. Whether you like your retro synth music funky, sparkly, epic, funky or downright pitch-dark, the festival had you covered and then some, featuring just about every type of lineup you could think of onstage. Amongst our top three personal favorites in the festivals’ flawless set of shows, Sunglasses Kid pumped the funky vibes up to critical levels with a set featuring guest vocalist SJBRAVO and dancer Jean Frais, Lebrock destroying the stage with some of the most epic vocal performances we’ve ever seen at a Synthwave festival, and Danger unleashing the nights’ monumental finale with the heaviest set of all.
Although this marked our first time as attendees, the loyal Retro Future fans were unanimous in their verdict; the festival had once again outdone itself with this third edition. As for us, we’re certainly looking forward to seeing how its organizers plan on following up on such a tour de force. Young though it may be, Retro Future Fest is already well on its way to becoming a landmark event in the Synthwave music scene.
See you next year!
All Photos by Robin Ono
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