The Perfect May Ball Lineup

Most of the May Ball committees have now moved on from booking bands to sampling wine stocks. But with the attendees still the dark, the music writers of The Tab have put together a wish-list: the acts we most want to see at our Balls and June Events.

Frank Ocean – Aron Solomons

Hip-Hop and R&B is in a sorry state. Any creativity, flair or talent has been drained out by the soulless juggernaut that is chart music. But fear not! A rebellion against this monotonous drivel has been led by the collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWKTA). Commanded by the charismatic Tyler the Creator these LA based rappers are renowned for their relentless energy, and would help any May Baller power through to a survivors’ photo appearance. When Tyler is not hyping the crowd, fellow member Frank Ocean (second on the BBC Sound of 2012) offers the best in well produced, refreshingly honest R&B. A sure fire hit at any Ball.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMfPJT4XjAI&ob=av2e

Hudson Mohawke – John Bardsley

Hiring a big-time DJ for a May Ball makes perfect sense: a famous name for less cash without all the hassle of setting up a live band. The ever–classy Glaswegian Hudson Mohawke would bring the ideal sonic backdrop for drunken black-tie debauchery. Not so intense that you would sweat out your tux raving, but energetic enough to guarantee good times all round. Bad-ass bass lines layered with divine hip hop drums will get everyone pulling shapes that they didn’t even realise they had in them.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrsaB0Uune8

Django Django – Kate Wilson

Granted, they’re probably not May Ball Headliner material – their debut album came out at the end of January. But it’s also one of the best albums around at the moment. Django Django have the perfect mash-up of summer hedonism and danceable beats, and every track sounds individual. And I’m sure they would sound even better in a small, sweaty gazebo. You might not get the same buzz of recognition that you would from better-established artists, but Django Django are the perfect musical accompaniment to Cantabrigan decadence.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtsPfrQKuQg&ob=av2e

Girl Talk – Cosmo Godfree

In the spirit of new experiences, my choice is an artist who I have been desperate to see live for a while now. Maybe the lure of Cambridge can tempt him across the Atlantic?

I’m talking about Girl Talk, aka superstar mashup DJ Greg Gillis from Pittsburgh. From high profile festival slots to warehouse parties, his anything goes approach to sampling (Aphex Twin vs Soulja Boy? Radiohead vs Ol? Dirty Bastard?) sees him uniting all musical camps in massive raves. With pop, rap, R&B and electro snippets flying wildly in all directions, I have no doubt that every lucky May Ball attendee would be dancing with a massive grin plastered across their face.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JBAxkZun3s

Fucked Up – Joe Pritchard

The one problem with may ball acts is that they tend to find it difficult to get the crowd going. When Ms Dynamite played last year she tried to get the crowd going by screaming “WHAT’S YOUR NAAAME” and thrusting the microphone in the faces of a group of dinner-jacketed students, the reply was a quiet ‘Richard’. Fucked Up would offer the best possible chance of sending the crowd mental as they put on by far the most exciting live shows of any guitar band around. And the sight of a fat semi-naked man would be a sight to behold amongst the glitz and glamour of a May Ball.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syg6XGbdUkM

The Correspondents – Joe Bates

Cambridge seems to have gone swing-crazy this term. From Itchy Feet, to Q Ents to Electro-swing at Clare Cellars, everyone seems to want to put on ridiculous clothes and jive the night away. Why? Because electro-swing is better to dance to than almost anything else; because it mixes grimy bass lines with retro appeal.

But the biggest night of term belonged to the kings of the genre: The Correspondents. They are comprised of an eccentric, charismatic lead man, Mr. Bruce, and a hot-shit DJ Mr. Chuckles. Whilst their names make them sound like scary clowns, their increasing fame and reputation for setting the dance floor on fire makes them the perfect choice for a May Ball. Who could better reflect the mix of decadence and hedonism better than this eccentric duo?

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FrbSjCXyec

Who do you want to see? Heard any good rumours? Leave them in the comment section.