The Beach Boys & JLS at British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park

The elaborate woodsy stage was set up, the warm weather perfect and the crowd relaxed. On its third day, the British Summer Time festival taking place in Hyde Park kicked off its family day, with the bill boasting big name talents, among whom was famous American rock band, The Beach Boys. Although it seemed that some of the crowd were not dedicated Beach Boy fans and were not there specifically for them but were waiting for JLS, the high energy performance and feel-good atmosphere they created soon won over the crowd.

Although lacking the original line-up, the performance lacked nothing. Playing their biggest numbers such as Surfer Girl, God Only Knows, Barbara Ann and Wouldn’t It Be Nice the experienced performers soon got the crowd moving and singing along. Their harmonies were perfectly in synch and the big hits enjoyable for all.

The excitement was palpable when JLS were due to come on. The crowd began chanting, and there were noticeable differences between the audience for the Beach Boys who had been on only moments before, and this adoring crowd waiting for JLS. The fans were younger, screaming for their idols to begin. When JLS finally started their set they performed their biggest hits, including She Makes Me Wanna, Beat Again and Everybody in Love. Their cover of Maroon 5’s Payphone was especially lovely, and their interaction with the crowd and their fans was playful and fun.

The mixed crowd and laidback atmosphere in Hyde Park combined with the great performances put on by The Beach Boys and JLS all in all made for an enjoyable evening, and it’s clear that while the Beach Boys may have been around for a long time and JLS are separating this year, both are exceptionally good at putting on a show.

Samiha Chowdhury
Photo: Luigi Orru

For further information about The Beach Boys and future events visit here, and for JLS visit here.  

British Summer Time, Hyde Park is on until 14^th July 2013. For further information visit the festival’s website here.

Watch the video for JLS’s She Makes Me Wanna here: