All Points East: Cleo Sol, SAULT, Chronixx Review

The opening day of the 2025 All Points East edition was filled with anticipation and excitement. The announcement of Cleo Sol as the headliner, alongside the collective SAULT and Chronixx, was a mystery that unfolded through a series of intriguing Instagram posts from both Cleo and SAULT, with the title of Provenance and the date August 15th. 

Once it was confirmed that the show would be the opening of All Points East, the lineup was announced, which included the likes of Kirk Franklin, Ms Dynamite, NAO, Sasha Keable, Joe Kay, Mariah The Scientist, and CARI, to name a few. There was a real buzz as to what the day would bring.

The anticipation came with several speed bumps, the first being the schedule, which was announced a few days before the festival was set to take place. With timing clashovers across several acts, it was going to be a day of running around from stage to stage. The second being the announcement on the morning of the that the headlining act set would be moved an hour earlier to 5 pm and be a continuous set, which raised some further confusion as to the various other acts that were set to be playing at the same time and which sets would have to be sacrifice for audiences wanting not to miss the main act. 

Nonetheless, the energy in Victoria Park was buzzing once I arrived at the festival. Navigating the stage timings meant catching a few moments from the artists. Catching the tail end of Mariah The Scientist, she closed off her set with her single “Burning Blue”, which sounded sharp with her vocals. Sasha Keable was unsurprising, given her run in the past year. Fresh off the release of her EP Act Right she stunned the West Stage with her powerful vocals as she delivered a 30 minute set that consisted of tracks from her EP including ‘can’t stop’ ‘act right’ ‘feel something, ‘WHY’ as well as previewing a new unreleased track ‘How Far’ which has previously been teased and was announced as being “On the way”.

The standout moment of the day was undoubtedly Kirk Franklin's performance. He delivered a Gospel performance of praise and worship that was brimming with high energy from the moment he stepped on stage. The crowd was electrified, feeling the energy of the music and Franklin's infectious enthusiasm as he danced, jumped, and moved around on the North Stage. His 45-minute performance, which included his songs like  ‘My Life is In Your Hands’, ' I Smile’, ' Brighter Days’ and ‘Love Theory’, was a truly enlightening, spiritually healing, and a celebration of love and positivity, which was much needed. 

Coming off the energy of Kirk, all was set for the delivery of the headlining act, which is where things took a bit of a turn. The initial set, which was due to start at 5 pm, began an hour later with the introduction to the mainstage beginning just after 6 pm. One thing that cannot be faulted was the stage design, which was a peak moment of the main East Stage. It consisted of a large pyramid in the middle of the field, connected by a long runway to the mainstage, which had various sandy-esque boulders and smaller pyramids on stage. The opening performance consist of an instrumental performance with an orchestra and a procession of actors and other performers who took to the stage and began what would consist of many dramatic displays across the night with a series of dramatic pieces which for some were comparative of a easter sunday church performance which infused storytelling that was described by some as a “GSCE drama performance.” However, the concept may have had some promise with its relation of provenance, the story of humanity and redemption and other aspects. Its execution did not quite come across as intended. With pieces often dragging out longer than they should have, the crowd became impatient to see SAULT and Cleo Sol’s musical offerings. The fact that this was set against the blazing heat made it even more challenging. 

As the evening progressed, SAULT’s appearance came with the presence of their not-so-mysterious members, which included Cleo Sol as they played through some of their songs, which included “Free”, “Let Me Go” “, Why Why Why Why and Wildfires” to name a few songs. After another set of dramatic performances came Chronixx, who had joined Sault to perform Warrior. His set was a standout moment of the night, set against the setting sun as he kept the seemingly restless audience going. The timing moved closer towards the end of the night. Everybody who had been waiting since 5 pm was ready for Cleo Sol, who closed out the stage. It was just before 10 pm, after a messy and confusing appearance of Mos Def (also known as Yasiin Bey), who was spinning on stage.

When the time came for Cleo to emerge, she did not disappoint as she entered the stage with the presence of a goddess and an angelic voice to match it as she played through a number of her songs. At 10 pm, of course, people felt that her appearance was too late and resulted in a set that was only 45 minutes to 50 minutes due to the curfew. All that being said all those that were waiting for hours to busk in her sounds and vibes were greatly rewarded as she sang through songs like “There Will Be No Fire” “Rose In The Dark” “Why Dont You” “You Are Loved” “Sunshine” as well as a preview of a new unreleased track.” crowds started leaving halfway through her not to miss the rush of the end of the festival. One might say that had she come onstage earlier, we could’ve gotten more than what was given.

All in all, the concept delivered great promise in its idea and what was meant to be put out there for the audience. However, the execution did not quite deliver as intended, for a setting that was not a festival and not set against 30-degree heat outdoors. It was a great effort made, but this is something that should have been taken into account with the various factors that impact a festival crowd. I’m sure some people might have appreciated the offering and felt like it delivered 10/10; however, for many, it stirred confusion, and many questioned some of the creative decisions. However, as a day of music, it delivered on that front.