Written by Natasha Clough
Photos by Izzy Reeve
This May bank holiday weekend was a big one for Londoners. The sun was out and a sweltering heatwave made the city feel like summer was finally here. From Friday, dance music festival GALA took place in Peckham Rye Park – a three-day celebration of club culture. Not far away, also in South London, Cross The Tracks returned to Brockwell Park on Sunday. Festival goers spilled out from Herne Hill and Brixton stations, ready for a day of exciting live music.
Brooke Combe brought a lively set to the Mainline stage in the mid-afternoon. Her blend of soul, funk and R&B makes her music the perfect summer soundtrack. As a crowd of all ages gathered, Combe and her band got people dancing with tracks such as ‘This Town’ and ‘Tears Won’t Lie’, a recent single. The buzz of the crowd grew stronger as the Scottish singer-songwriter invited everyone to join in for ‘How Can I Tell You? (To Love Me More)’, creating a shared and intimate moment. She closed with the titular song from her breakthrough album, ‘Dancing At The Edge Of The World’, a slower, reflective track that brought her set to a powerful conclusion.
Away from the sun, Bel Cobain delivered an intimate but energetic set in the Caboose tent. Playing with a full band, her blend of R&B, soul and jazz delivered a powerful set to a hooked audience. A highlight was the performance of songs from her new EP, ‘Kizzy’. The track ‘Am I Dumb’ had a hazy, late-night feeling, steadily building up with its instrumentals and Cobain’s entrancing vocals. ‘Fucking City’ detailed loneliness in a city full of people, with the singer adding a captivating spoken word passage. Her raw and personal lyrics, rooted in poetry, made for a memorable set.
In the late afternoon, perhaps you caught jungle and drum & bass legends Fabio & Grooverider at the Mainline stage, igniting the park with classic anthems accompanied by The Outlook Orchestra. On stage, they spoke to the crowd about the golden age of DnB they were bringing to Cross The Tracks – 1996 – joking that most of the audience was too young to remember it.
Obongjayar brought an electric energy to Terminal in the early evening. The Nigerian, London-based artist is uniquely genre-defying with influences from Afrobeat, soul, alternative rock, jazz, hip-hop and electronic music. Songs like ‘Just Cool’ got the crowd moving with an infectious groove and rhythm. This would only be the beginning of Obongjayar’s impact at Cross The Tracks.
As the sun began to set in Brockwell Park, South London’s own Joy Crookes took to the Mainline stage for a highly anticipated set. Her fusion of soul, R&B, jazz and pop makes her an undeniable festival favourite. The singer made a striking entrance as she stepped out in a silver, shimmery, hooded top that reflected the evening light. Immediately asserting a strong stage presence, she opened with tracks from her new album, ‘Juniper’. The soulful ‘Brave’ was followed by ‘Somebody To You’ and ‘Carmen’ – a lyrically sharp critique of society’s unattainable and exclusionary beauty standards. Crookes also performed a new, unreleased song, ‘Don’t know what this is/But we’re not in love’. It wasn’t long before crowd-favourite and iconic hit ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now’ from her debut album ‘Skin’ got everyone singing along.
A real highlight came at the end of her set with the track ‘When You Were Mine’. Speaking to the crowd, Crookes recounted the story of the ex relationship that informs the song, taking us through memories of her first love in Brixton: ‘In the summer of ’16/ Was it love or nicotine/ That made us mellow on the 35?’ The lyrics describe neighbourhood landmarks from The Ritzy to Electric Avenue, making it as much a South London anthem as a romantic reflection. The track made the perfect closer as everyone sang along to the highly fitting part of the chorus: ‘Shoulder to shoulder/ Smile with the Brixton shine’.
As Joy Crookes’ set ended on the Mainline stage, Afrobeat and jazz collective Kokoroko were getting started back at Terminal. This was the time to get your steps in and run between stages to catch your favourites. The band’s multi-instrumental sound sounds even better in a live setting, and experiencing it with others turns it into a joyful communal celebration. Performing tracks from their latest album, ‘Tuff Times Never Last’, along with others from their eclectic catalogue, Kokoroko’s set was a perfect addition to a sun-drenched day of captivating live music.
Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for had arrived. At 9:20 pm, festival headliner Little Simz took to the Mainline stage for an unforgettable set. Drawing from an impressive genre-bending catalogue, her magnetic stage presence and versatility as a performer were on full display. She kicked off with ‘Thief’, the opening track to her latest album ‘Lotus’, which is a personal, confrontational song tackling betrayal. A blend of classic hits and newer material soon followed. Her 2021 album, ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’, had a strong presence during the set, with performances of ‘Two Worlds Apart’, ‘I Love You, I Hate You’ and ‘Introvert’. A highlight was earlier Termination act Obongjayar joining Simz on stage for their collaboration, ‘Point and Kill’. Together they were a powerhouse as the mix of Afrobeat, funk and rap got the crowd moving.
At one point, Simz removed her jacket to reveal an Arsenal shirt. Talking to the crowd, she said, ‘I know we’re here right now in South London…’ before reminding the audience that she hails from Islington. After a selection of her well-known hits, the stage suddenly transformed into a Boiler Room-style DJ set that sent the crowd wild. The rapper took to the decks to play songs from her recent electronic EP, ‘Sugar Girl’. The high-energy club sound of ‘Game On’ and ‘Open Arms’ created a new dance-focused atmosphere, perfect for the night. Featured artist DEELA joined Simz on stage for the latter song, elevating it further.
‘GREY Area’ favourites ‘101 FM and ‘Selfish’ got the crowd dancing. The iconic heavy hitter ‘Venom’ had everyone shouting the lyrics; the track showcases Simz’s masterful technical precision and control when rapping, driven by a suspenseful layer of string instrumentation. Always confident in her delivery, she delivers a cutting takedown of misogyny. The song builds up with ‘They will never wanna admit, I’m the best here/From the mere fact that I’ve got ovaries’ to the beat dropping just after ‘Never givin’ credit where it’s due ’cause you don’t like pussy in power’.
As the night came to a close, an encore featured ‘Woman’ – a laid-back hip-hop and soul track celebrating women worldwide, featuring vocals by Cleo Sol (also found on ‘Selfish’). The final song of the set was the iconic, cinematic ‘Gorilla’. The soaring horns of her band got everyone hyped up for a triumphant conclusion. The lyrics reflect an artist at the top of her game: ‘Name one time where I didn’t deliver’. Little Simz’s powerful set proved she is only ever going ‘higher’.
Cross The Tracks delivered an incredible lineup this year, where it felt like there was something for everyone. We can only hope 2027 will be just as good.
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