As the sun shines on the Fort de Saint-Père and the summer’s heat settles in, festival grounds start to fill up as the 8th edition of No Logo BZH begins. Magical Mystic at the Tyrone Downie Stage and the Legal Sound System in the Dub Arena opened the weekend, welcoming festival goers back for three days of pure music and positive energy.
And as the sun started to set, Marcus Gad took the main stage. Opening his set a cappella with ‘Wabiengu’, alone on stage, he immediately captured the crowd. From his classics to songs from his latest album, the setlist was stacked. One of the standout moments came during ‘Soul Plan’, where Marcus Gad paid tribute to Naâman. The French reggae artist passed away after a battle with brain cancer. His connection with No Logo BZH’s crowd ran deep, looking around, you could feel the emotion within the crowd, eyes teary, hands pointing at the sky. A beautiful tribute to an amazing artist, missed by many. As darkness fully settled over Saint-Père, Shaggy and Highlight Tribe closed out the first day with two of the most anticipated sets of the weekend. A massive crowd packed in front of the stage, singing along, dancing and setting the tone for the whole weekend.
Day two started with a common enemy: the heat. As temperatures climbed almost 10 degrees celsius from the previous day, festival goers yearned for shade and cold drinks. Despite the conditions, they were going to enjoy this day as much as they could. As people finally started to cool down, Cozik and Faya Pyd brought the heat right back. Their energy captured the crowd immediately, making people jump and dance, every drop, every chorus and every bassline brought the audience more and more to life.
And as the sun slowly started to disappear behind the walls of the fort, Pierpoljak took the Tyrone Downie stage. A fan favorite, he was met with cardboard signs and loud cheers. As the wind blew through his hair and the temperature going down, the atmosphere was perfect. Constantly interacting with the crowd, Pierpoljak introduced his Breton drummer to loud cheers from his home crowd. The Macanuff Family followed with a beautiful set, a blend of reggae rhythms, rich instrumentals and laid-back energy was the perfect transition to the evening. The crowd soaking in every guitar rhythms and basslines. As the sun continued to set over Saint-Père, the vibes couldn’t be better.
As night fell, Inner Circle arrived in cheers, the anticipation from the crowd reaching its peak. The Jamaican legends wasted no time, interacting with the crowd from the very first song. Making the packed crowd sing aloud, dance, and throw their hands in the air. A setlist full of classics made for an unforgettable concert. ‘So What We Get Drunk’ brought euphoria in the crowd, with everyone singing along to the lyrics, which were clearly felt by the crowd “We’re just having fun”. The band’s energy never dropped, and as the set came to its end, the first notes of ‘Bad Boys’ echoed through the festival and instantly had people singing before the first verse even started. During the heavily awaited chorus the band stepped back from their microphones, making the crowd sing on their own “Bad boys, bad boys”. And yet somehow, the night was far from over.
Queen Omega followed with a performance that immediately reminded everyone why she IS the Queen. Backed by an amazing live band, two vocalists and brass instruments, the Trinidadian singer delivered one of the most mind-blowing vocal performances of the entire festival. From beautiful melodies to coarse and intense breakdowns, Queen Omega showcased a range that few artists can match . Highlighting her talent, work and, once again, proving her royal title.
A mix of melancholia and euphoria hit the crowd as the final day started, but most importantly relief from the much cooler temperature. The tone was set immediately as The Congos took the stage : let loose, enjoy the music and make the most of the final hours together. It wasn’t the legendary group’s first time at No Logo BZH, and it showed, with constant pull ups to raise the energy and a mix of chill and beautiful and energetic songs to match the festival vibes.
Groundation understood the assignment. The California-based reggae band came out with intensity and energy from the very first song, interacting with the crowd and jumping on stage. Their mix of jazzy instrumentals and reggae grooves, mixed with a rather quick tempo had the entire fort jumping. A masterclass of stage presence unfolded, making the whole crowd clap and sing choruses repeatedly.
As the final day went on, all roads led towards L’Entourloop. Where the energy would reach its peak as the band closed the festival in a DJ set that would be remembered. Bringing multiple guests and playing their hits while the crowd gave every bit of energy they had left, dancing and jumping endlessly. As the final songs slowly came, the crowd could feel it coming and, when the final notes rang out, it responded with a loud and long standing ovation. A thank you to L’Entourloop for an unforgettable closing set, but also a thank you to No Logo BZH itself.
All photos can be found here.
