Following a long tradition of whetting the Trinity Ball appetite, the first acts of the event have been announced in anticipation of the full line-up release early this February. The Riptide Movement, Wilkinson, and SG Lewis are but a sample of what is to later come this April.
Did you just mutter “who?” when you read those names? Then buckle yourself in for the full breakdown of these stellar acts so you can brag to your mates that you knew them before they were announced for Trinity Ball.
The Riptide Movement
You’ll know them for: It All Works Out
Following a long-standing trend of hosting Irish acts, Trinity Ball goers will experience The Riptide Movement and all of their live prowess. Appearing in various permutations up until 2009, when they released their first record, the band have steadily gathered a large domestic and international fan base through extensive touring of the Summer festival circuit. Releasing their 2014 album Getting Through on label Universal Music marked the next step in their career and a push towards the mainstream.
The Lucan four piece are the certainly the archetypal Irish rock group, riding the same Irish pop-rock wave as The Coronas, Delorentos, and Ham Sandwich. An obvious but necessary point of reference, The Riptide Movement share a similar sound to that of Bell X1: buoyant guitar driven anthems, honest lyrics, and an authentic dynamic that is becoming less commonplace in the music industry.
The inclusion of popular Dublin beat combo The Riptide Movement in the line-up echoes sentiments shared by Entertainments Officer, Padraic Rowley, at the beginning of the year, with his priority being to get “as many bands for the main stage as I can, and the same goes for the second stage”. Surely this selection is indicative of more to come regarding this particular genre.
If you can’t wait until Trinity Ball in April, the band are also playing the slightly less prestigious Olympia Theatre on Saint Patrick’s day in support of the recently released LP Ghosts.
Wilkinson
You’ll know him for: Afterglow
Unsurprisingly, the moniker Wilkinson is a condensed version of London-based drum and base DJ and producer Mark Wilson’s full name. Breaking onto the re-emerging UK drum and bass scene in 2010, Wilkinson drew strong airplay on BBC Radio One via Annie Mac and MistaJam, then going on to release debut album Lazers Not Included in late 2013. The record proved popular and reached the number one spot on the iTunes Dance Chart in ten countries, coinciding with the continuing growth of the wider drum and bass genre. 2017 will bring his sophomore effort, entitled Hypnotic, of which several singles have already been released including the hit “Sweet Lies”.
A keen remixer, Wilkinson has re-tooled songs from previous Trinity Ball acts Professor Green, Example, and Gorgon City, should anybody like to relive them this April. However, much greater interest lies in his original work, a marriage of pop vocal melodies and 1990s jungle, reminiscent of fellow Londoners Rudimental. Taking this, and the fact that he is a regular at dance festivals such as Wireless, V Festival, and Parklife, his performance in the dance tent will be a formality when it comes to pleasing the crowd.
Despite prioritising bands in this year’s line-up, Rowley was keen to stress the fact that the dance tent would still need to be serviced with top talent, of which this selection certainly lends itself to.
SG Lewis
You’ll know him for: Warm
Very much a grafter, 21-year-old SG Lewis has earned his stripes by virtue of hard work. Plying his craft as a Resident DJ for Liverpool club Chibuka, Lewis landed a spot on PMR Records alongside Disclosure in 2014 as a result of the unprecedented popularity of a Jessie Ware remix he produced. Similar in style to compatriots Bondax and Honne, SG Lewis distinguishes himself by a refined production quality, and the creation of heavy atmosphere to compliment the vulnerable lyrics many of his songs contain.
Unlike the aforementioned Riptide Movement and Wilkinson, the up-and-coming SG Lewis falls between many stools in terms of genre. His songs mix the sex appeal of soul, atmospheric synths and underlying elements of dance to create melodies of strong, timeless integrity and maturity compared to many young producers.
This line-up sample suggests a more balanced approach compared to recent balls, raising curiosity as to the quality of headliners beyond initial expectations. The full Trinity Ball line-up is expected on February 12th, before tickets go on sale February 15th.
Correction: February 5th, 2017
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that tickets go on sale February 13th. In fact, they go on sale February 15th.
