Stevie Wonder lamented recent gun violence and played for almost four hours, Mumford & Sons flirted with African music, and Take That proved that boy bands as middle aged men can still please a crowd of 65,000 people.The very different headliners from the BST (Barclaycard presents British Summer Time) music festival in London’s Hyde Park over the weekend encapsulate the story of an event which aims to be all things to all listeners – you just need to pick the right day to fit your musical tastes.BST is spread over two consecutive weekends. This year, for those who fancy classic song-writing by veterans, Sundays were the day to be there. Last night, Stevie Wonder, now 66, reprised his 1976 album “Songs in the Key of Life” – a brave choice, given its length (originally a double album and EP set). Wonder could have easily pleased many with a greatest-hits show including “Sir Duke” and “Isn’t She Lovely,” but he didn’t restrict himself to those.The week before, Carole King went through all of her 1971 classic LP “Tapestry.” Both stars’ voices have changed some, but still you could close your eyes and the sound was much like decades before. Both singer-songwriters had crack backing bands, though some of the best moments were just King and her piano, nothing more needed – in much the same way as Paul Simon has been doing “The Sounds of Silence,” at other venues, with just him and an acoustic guitar.Wonder alluded to recent violence and racial tension, saying that he hoped music could bring harmony “in this horrible time we’re living in,” and that he was heartbroken that songs such as “Village Ghetto Land” and “Living for the City” were still relevant.BST has come a long way since the earlier festivals in the park: Hyde Park Calling, Hard Rock Calling, and others. It is still an “easy” urban event for those who don’t want the country inconveniences of traffic jams, mud, and putting up tents in fields. BST has the clout to be able to get some of the biggest names in business – mainstream acts which nearly everyone will have heard of. This year, it added Patti Smith, TV on the Radio, and Massive Attack.The events are built around the headliners, so last Friday had the Mumfords as the top act of the evening with a host of up-and-coming indie supporting acts such as Wolf Alice and Mystery Jets. Senegalese singer Baaba Maal did his own set before returning to play with the Mumfords, who are continuing their odyssey away from Grammy-winning folk rock towards African music. This willingness to experiment augurs well for their future.Alabama Shakes also did their best to convert a young crowd to their Grammy-winning line of blues-tinged rock. Something of an acquired taste perhaps, but many spectators seemed won over.The Take That audience the next day was predictably different, with a fair number of female fans of a certain age, some with husbands or family possibly dragged along in protest and happy to sample the bars and family areas.All the Hyde Park events have faced the problem of a 10:30 p.m. curfew, imposed when people who live in the vicinity complain about the noise. Most famously, in 2012, one concert – comprising a historic duet between Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney – ended with the stars’ microphones abruptly turned off. One simple solution has been to move the stage around so that the music is directed more into the park than at nearby apartments. Hyde Park events now bear comparison to the likes of the Governors Ball in New York and Lollapalooza in Chicago. For all that, a very good case can be made for some of the other smaller urban festivals in London, such as Wireless in Finsbury Park, Lovebox in Victoria Park or even South West Four in Clapham Park.BST has some very good deals for those booking with particular agencies or paying more for special wristbands that give access to areas near the stage or private bars.To Glastonbury veterans, however, this is all very tame – obviously, it is nothing like the 2,000 acts available in rural Wiltshire, where the John Peel Stage is a hothouse of new talent. Still, BST has a few smaller bandstands showcasing some excellent acts which have yet to achieve mainstream success, such as Modern Pleasure from Leeds, Northern England, who turned in a very credible set full of melodies and dreamy pop. One to watch for the future.
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