- Festival Reviews
Saturday arrives and it rained! Austin on Saturday was cloudy but it doesn't last long enough so that you started to wonder whether it was a day to get soaked at the various showcases.
Fortunately, our new favourite venue (Hotel San Jose) has plenty of cover but because of the rain there is a slight delay so we stumble upon a Avi Buffalo show right across the street. Lovely little band, great sound, solid straight ahead rock with plenty of tempo changes to keep you guessing. . This was a great accidental find in typical SXSW style.
Back to Hotel San Jose and we sit back at our picnic table and settle in for the afternoon. First up is lovely rock outfit Tina & the B sides. Good lead singer that reminds me of Joan Jett doing classic rock songs, they try to dry out the crowd with some solid rock. Districts are up next a brilliant little 4 piece that reminds me of the Cold War Kids or Spoon. Soul/rock that gets loud when needed and with solid musicianship I now regret missing them when they opened for White Denim in Toronto a few weeks ago!
Up next is Syd Arthur again! Now is my chance to see these guys when the sound is working well and it's sunny again so it's perfect. They are a wonderful quartet from Canterbury England who got their record deal after performing in Austin at SXSW2013. Bringing psychedelic rock into 2014 they perform magically beautiful songs in a hypnotic style similar to what you expect from Tame Impala..it's very whimsical at times but always sounding a little more orchestrated. Its a beautiful set of high energy textured songs that quickly remind me of how lucky I am to see them when I can hear the full effect of their complicated sound.
A quick set now by PAPA..a wonderful full rock n roll band who have been around for a while..soul/rock/punk..a good blend of tasty stuff with a bit of a swagger by the whole band they are very confident and sound pretty solid.
Now it's a perfect transition to yet another band that I had to see in Austin. One of my top albums of 2013 was by San Fermin and here they were performing on an outside stage in the sun..it was perfect. The band has grown from its original size to a commanding full sound with 8 members. Trumpet, saxophone, two guitarists, three vocalists one on violin, drummer, it's a wonderful sound. The songs are sung tag team style mixed between female and male vocalists and the harmonies are wonderful. The songs were composed with themes in mind and they were created with almost a classical orchestral feel. They each had a life of their own and even a new song that they had not played before was welcomed by a clearly overwhelmed audience. They really put on a fantastic show and its somewhat heartwarming to see a personal favourite go over so well at this venue considering the talent on this stage over the last few days.
That's it for the afternoon entertainment so we go back to the hotel for a little quiet time and then it's off to our favorite restaurant, Moonshine for some solid IPA’s, a wonderful meal, and Gary Numan and his wife sitting beside us. (didn't say hi, he was too busy eating).
- Festival Reviews
A number of things are in play now. One, is that with age comes the sad truth that it's more difficult to rebound from late nights. Thankfully most showcases do not start until later today so there is still plenty of time to rest. As well…the new essential purchase of a new orthotic insert for my shoes seems to have taken some pressure off my poor old back..it's working well so we rebound quickly. As I said…sad truth of what comes with age….
Another factor that comes into play is that Wednesday's choice to go see Spandau Ballet was up against a Damon Albarn show at Stubbs. Turns out it was a good choice as Damon’s show was delayed considerably because of the horrific accident. And today is the day we can finally see him.
We are off to the Radio Day Stage, the pinnacle of comfort available at SXSW. In the Convention Centre, the auditorium is filling up and with free Wi-Fi, vendors selling food and drinks, and comfortable seats, its a good call!
Having always sided on the Oasis side of this battle, I would like to say Damon was horrible, but alas, it was very beautiful. As many as 15 people hit the stage at one point or another. A full complement of gospel singers, guitarists (all acoustic) violin, cello, piano and ukulele. Damon switched from guitar to piano effortlessly and did a 6 song set all from the new album. Not sure if I can really do justice to how these 6 songs sound in this environment, very intimate and lovely, it is a great way to be introduced to these new songs. Plenty of videos available online of the show. Go take a look.
Now we head out, todays plans are up in the air. A new personal favourite (Chlöe Howl) has announced that her band has finally been allowed into the country so she is doing her first show (should have been her third) at SXSW at the Cedar St Filter magazine party. Having always been one of my favourites, the Cedar St show is always a lot of fun and it's a great venue so I commit to the showcase and get there early to make sure we see Chlöe Howe. It's a Swedish theme today and all the bands on before Chlöe are Swedish, and the free food is Swedish which is a bonus!
- Festival Reviews
Thursday started, as you would expect in a reflective space with news from the previous night’s accident still filtering through. Some of the the shows were moved from the affected areas and we were all answering plenty of questions from friends making sure we were all ok but, the show must go on I suppose and it was another sunny day in Austin and plans are in place for yet another hectic day as we head off to a venue we have never been to before but have heard great things about.
Hotel San Jose is on South Congress. 30 minute walk from our hotel and a good distance away from the madness of 6th street which is the hub of SXSW activity. South by San Jose is a mini music festival open to all …no badges necessary and based in a big parking lot with independent vendors, great food and craft ale and some pretty spectacular music
A good solid crowd of kids and adults, very comfortable and ideal for seeing bands, the person responsible for picking the bands has done a fantastic job
First up is Steelism, a band centred around a fantastic pedal steel guitarist, originally from London England who now lives in Nashville. Upbeat,,fun,playful and without vocals. This band does with their instruments what many try with lyrics. It's a fantastic set of music designed to get you engaged and warmed up for a day of bands.
Next up, Spanish Gold, a super group consisting of members from many bands including My Morning Jacket. Their set is full of influences, and it sounds fantastic. Sweet, smooth, funk, rock, it goes all over the place and sounds quite good at this outdoor venue.
Up next a band from Calgary, Alberta called Reuben and the Dark, a great Canadian rock n roll…with a taste of Neil Young and a great blend of classic rock, it's wonderful to come all this way to see a band that I should have known about living in Toronto. Their drummer who plays standing up comes out front to do a song they had not planned on doing (keyboards were not working) for the last song and it's a stunning song, 5 part harmonies, a beautiful track called Rolling Stone and it will be remembered for some time. I am looking up their tour information here to see if I can catch them again soon.
Now comes a personal favourite, Temples, this young British band were phenomenal at their Horseshoe show and I expect nothing less from them here at this venue. Beautiful Psych Rock on a sunny afternoon is perfect. Perfect blend of harmonies and great rock n roll, their songs draw the entire crowd in and they clearly know how to please an audience. They feature pretty much their entire Sun Structures album in their set and happy to say I am not disappointed. Their 60s influenced sound is fitting for tshirts and shorts weather!
Now comes the most anticipated show of the day, the wonderful St Paul and the Broken Bones. A very big band with horns, great bass player and guitarist and picked as the must see band this year at SXSW and they deliver! The lead singer reminds me of Drew Carey (when he was a little bigger) he comes onto stage after his band play a wicked intro and he kills it! This guy is being possessed by every classic soul singer and dances like a madman. He is like a TV evangelist when he performs and is completely mesmerizing and captivating. He sings doo wop style at times and runs around the stage challenging people not to have fun…it's impossible! Everyone is dancing around and their set comes to a close far too quickly. Like Alabama Shakes times 10 this is a fantastic band that has to be seen live.
Then to cap off the afternoon, the new kid on the block, a spectacular new performer Benjamin Booker, think Black Keys, White Stripes, a two piece with explosive sound and fantastic dynamic between guitarist and drummer. This kid knows how to play and if you watch his videos, he can croon as good as the next guy but this two piece tries to overwhelm you with a full on rock show and they succeed. But sadly, it's almost 5.30, time to get that much needed hour or two of hotel rest time so that we can start our evening off refreshed!
- Festival Reviews
Wednesday in Austin and its sunny…again!
The day's plans are full and a good sleep in has gotten us prepared for the long day ahead.
Of course the choices are tough and in an effort to tick off a lot of boxes today, we try to go with a party that will do just that.
Off to Holy Mountain we go, a venue we had never been to but it has an inside stage and an outside stage and we can go between the two. It is hosting a party celebrating two Australian music festivals (Falls Festival and Splendour in the Grass) and was to feature Chloe Howl but her band has had problems getting into the country so she is a no show. Line-up is solid even without her so off we go!
First band of the day is Dune Rats; lo-fi surf pop played with an edge featuring, ex Vines Bassist so they have some volume to them and pack a great punch for the first band of the day. Aussie band Money for Rope is up next. Straight ahead rock & roll and it wakes you up as it's a 6-piece band with 2 drummers. They are fierce and don't let up until their set is done. Quick, fast, punchy fella’s and it's a solid show.
Now back inside for one band who I really wanted to see. Wolf Alice! Ellie Rowsell leads this bunch with some lovely vocals and the show is a great one. Many in the venue had no idea who they were before they got there but as the band played on; everyone from outside the club came inside to watch. With a mix of indie folk/garage pop/grunge. They blast through a 45 minute set that is very pleasing to listen to and it is difficult to not watch this lead singer performing. Quite enjoyed that set!
Now inside to watch our local lady, Lowell (from Toronto) perform a fun, bouncy, electric little electro pop set that had her dancing in the crowd outside. Quite a nice change of pace and gave us a rest from what was to come inside next. Royal Blood, here is where Sandra and I part ways! As this lovely two piece band from the UK start playing, the volume is so deafening Sandra moves away! Bloody hell these two pack a punch for a two piece. Unrelenting and magnificent noise from a bass guitar and drums and a wicked voice to match. Pick your favourite rock influence. Zeppelin, White Stripes, The Who all sharing a bit part in what is a fantastic 40 minute set. If you love loud intense rock n roll these two are your guys. 40 minutes is about right for a set as the fear is that the ceiling could collapse at any moment from the sheer volume of their show.
Outside the band DeLux have started up and its back to electro pop! Kind of Dance Punk DIY they are a refreshing treat after the assault by Royal Blood, a good solid set of Duran Duran ish pop, these kids will probably be quite popular.
- Festival Reviews
Tuesday 11 March 2014 Austin Texas
After weeks/months of preparation, it was time to leave our -25 degree city of Toronto and hit Austin Texas; it was shorts and t-shirt time!
Flew into Austin, straight to the convention centre for badges and checked into the hotel and then off to a fabulous brew pub “Craft Pride” for some beauty cask ale. Then off to Moonshine Bar and Grill for a meal at our favourite restaurant!
Now it was time for the first night of shows. Just could not skip the showcase at Haven, with being able to check off so many boxes with one show it had to be done. The venue was crowded which was consistent with the rest of the week. The City was packed. First band was Young & Sick (visual artist turned soul singer). Band is pretty slick..electro pop/r&b, very smooth and I can see why the place is packed, very solid set.
Sadly, this venue is perhaps the worst in the city and its getting really crowded and with a good portion of the venue dedicated to “VIP” table service guests (bottle service starts at $400 a table) it's getting messy in here.
The lovely Syd Arthur is up next on my list of must see’s but sadly the sound issue demons start here tonight and they struggle to get the mic’s working. So out of a 8 song set, we probably hear 4 songs by the band and losing much of the vocals, they lose out. What I do hear is very sweet, he does have a lovely sound inspired by 60’s & 70’s psych-rock and I will be sure to try to see them again.
- Festival Reviews
Wonderful to be back at this festival, having been forced to miss last year due to work commitments. Indeed similar work commitments loomed this year but once Sigur Ros were announced as headliners this became a must-attend event.
As ever, we had intended to do a bit of 'other stuff' (ie not just the bands) but this didn’t turn out to be the case. Testament to the strong band line-up.
THURSDAY;
FRIDAY;
Mark Mulcahy - singer songwriter. Some of his songs with drum and guitar accompaniment sounded Lou Reed-y. His best numbers were the ones he did unaccompanied
Filthy Boy - Excellent 40 minute set. Excellent bass player (actually all the band were good). Very young guitar band, good tunes, very rude lyrics!
Braids - we were running late for this set so only heard three songs. There are only
King Khan & The Shrines - precisely why we come to festivals. 9 of em on stage. didn't take themselves too seriously. Mash up of jazz, punk, indie guitar,
Money - superb. great sound. Great songs, Pink Floydy in places
Parquet Courts - What a band! Played a 50 minute set. Downside of this was a couple of very iffy filler tracks in the early part of the set. But good thing was they extended some of their songs off their great album with fantastic guitar jammin’.
David Byrne &
Savages - This band have truly come of age over the last 12 months. From their "girl punk" beginnings 18 months ago they now present a very sophisticated show, leveraging on the superb showwoman skills of lead Jehnny Beth. I think the drummer is still with the band (didn't see her once through the smoke).
- Festival Reviews
There’s a hidden garden in
This is such a lovely small festival, with a big line-up, that I considered not reviewing it at all in case more people came. It’s a Folk Festival but like many such there is a hell of a lot of rock bands. So what is Folk? I heard two great definitions from acts here: from the excellent Efterklang, something like folk came first and therefore must be the root of all music, so all music is effectively just developed folk. And from the equally excellent Be Good Tanyas, great to have them back: its folk if it involves lots of tuning and awkward stage banter. Both sound good to me.
Everyone sounds good in such a nice environment, though there is a temptation to lie down and rest the eyes in the sun to the quieter bands. No worries about that for Sundays’ headliners and perhaps my favourite experience of the weekend (at the festival anyway…) the Dubliners, sorry the
- Festival Reviews
Friday; One sharp shower all weekend otherwise the sun shone on what must have been the largest End of The Road Festival ever. End of the Road is getting very familiar in Rock club circles now, this being our fifth visit, in the row.. No obvious changes to the lay out of the site which was at capacity over the weekend. Rumoured headcount was around the 14,000 mark and I am pretty sure everyone had a cracking time.
We started off with the ‘Man in White’, Mark Mulcahy was in fine form and with his band mates who got the Garden stage crowd engaged for the length of their set, even the animal noises were fun. Talking of fun, Allo Darlin were in fine fettle next up. Braids were running late because of an accident on the M3 so, they only got a thirty minute set in the Big Top tent but, even with 30 minutes they were still able to show their class.
Matthew E.White and band have had a phenomenal rise to popularity out of nowhere this year and packed out the Garden stage whose audience were soon into the groove. Eels were the best band in shell suits I have ever seen. In your face, rocking’ set, just the thing as darkness approached and the rain shower faded and the rainbow came out.
There is obviously no doubting the musical prowess of David Byrne and
Efterklang
- Festival Reviews
The Galtres Parkland Festival is a cross between a country fair and a rock/folk festival, spread across the huge grounds of
The charity running Galtres uses part of its budget on biggish headliners and the rest on supporting local talent – and some of them are SO GOOD, if they lived in
And so, what of the music? Here are my highlights…
Nick Harper – never been a fan but he was AMAZING! Very focussed, incredible vocal range, and did things with a guitar I have never seen before, including selecting and replacing a string WHILE STILL SINGING Shine On You Crazy Diamond – which he was present at the recording of, with his Dad.
He sang a song about his mother getting drunk at 13 and ringing the church bells, possibly from his new LP ‘Riven’, did an older classic Treasure Island which just happened to be the name of the beer I was drinking – how cosmic was that! - and ended with Blood Song, his guitar mimicking a fading heartbeat as he left the tent, then returned to encore with By My Rocket Comes Fire.
- Festival Reviews
This beautiful site is nestled in a valley of the Brecon Beacons in Wales watched over by Table Mountain which makes a dramatic backdrop to the main Mountain Stage.
It was a brilliant festival with some great band playing. The good weather was a bonus as the festival can be quite wet some years. Instead we had bright sunny weather on Friday and Sunday.
Thursday
Things got off to a fine start on Thursday night with a brilliant performance from Patti Smith. You know who is the boss and so do the photographers when she tells them, after her second number, she hasn’t come to Green Man to sing to them before they moved on. She sang a wonderful version of Neil Young’s After the Goldrush as well.
Friday
Haiku Salut started off the day at the Mountain Stage. A young trio playing with a mixture of instruments and some electronica but without vocals. Peggy Sue followed with their fine vocal harmonies. Eagleowl on the small Garden Stage. Some of their band were stuck on the M4 so they played as a 4 piece. We loved the Mogwai like number they finished with.
Then it was off to the Far Out Stage for the melodic sounds of Jacco Gardiner. Julia Holter was impressive on the Mountain stage with her mellow wall of sound. Parquet Courts were a really good guitar based rock band and played a great set at the Far Out Stage. Phosphorecent were superb on the Mountain Stage with their Americana blend of rock tinged with country. Teleman played a good poppy set on the Garden Stage.
Friday evening in the far Out Stage was filled with some great electronica and dance from Darkstar, Beak> and F*ck Buttons complete with some impressive lighting.
The Fence Collective were hosting a special evening event in The Cinema Tent. Johnny Flynn announced there that as Fence was now finished he had started a new label called Lost Map and many of the (ex) Fence bands had joined it. Monoganon, Kid Canaveral, Johnny’s Pictish Trail, Seamus Fogarty and Eagleowl played some good sets. It was very much a party atmosphere.
Everyone danced to Kid Canaveral and it was a late night with Eagleowl finishing their set at at 2.45am! Unfortunately managed to have my little rucksack nicked. (As it contained the zip on legs to my shorts, my mate Les helpfully suggested I could easily find them by looking out for someone wearing trouser legs without the top bit!)
Saturday
Highlights on Saturday started with Revere. They were brilliant and reminiscent of Arcade Fire. Their new album will be out end of this/beginning of next year. One to watch out for. The 7 piece The Slow Show from Manchester were impressive. Slow and moody with a very deep vocals.
3 Brilliant rock bands on the Far out Stage followed. Wild Smiles an energetic 3 piece band with great drumming. Girls Names followed by superb heavy rock from the Chicago based Arbouretum.
James Yorkston sounded great and played with a large 7 piece band. Very musical, folky ballads with strings and some beautiful vocal harmonies. At one point all 7 of the band were singing in harmony (even the drummer). For one number James brought his Dad on to great applause.
Heard the sweet voice of Oluf Arnalds on the Garden Stage. She sings with her acoustic guitar in a charming Iclandic accent. I enjoyed hearing and seeing John Cale. His backing guitarist was superb and had to rescue him when he had difficulty with his foot pedals. Back to the Garden stage for the beautiful mellow retro West Coast sound of the Allah Las. Then to the Mountain Stage for The Horrors who are so good these days. The day’s music finished with a fantastic rocking performance from Band of Horses on the Mountain Stage. They said they were so pleased to be asked to headline a festival and it really came across as a special performance.
The day wasn’t finished though. After catching up with the rest of the Rock Club at basecamp for beer/wine and cheese we went out again to celebrate Sally’s birthday finishing up at Chai Wallahs with brandy chai before retiring about 5am.
Sunday
Kicked off with the Australian Nuala Honan at Chai Wallahs’s stage. Lovely voice singing a mixture of songs. Has a good soul voice which I would have liked to hear more of.
Couldn’t resist going to the talking shop tent for a lecture by Pete Brown on matching beer to music. He gave us a sample of 5 beers/ciders to drink to music he played. He chose drinks that were still available from the real ale bar. This bar had had an amazing 100 kinds of real ale and cider at the start of the festival. This beer and cider festival at the festival was a bonus. Anyway his choice of beer and music was;
Stornaway – Beer - Wye Valley IPA
Patti Smith – Cider - Bleangowdi
F*ck Buttons – Beer - Brecon (contains orange juice)
John Cale - Beer - The Celtic Experience
British Sea Power – Beer – Oximoron from Otley
My favourite was the Oximoron, which was a dark IPA!
The folk trio Lau at the Mountain stage were superb. And listening to them whilst sitting in the glorious afternoon sun made it even more special. After their set a pied piper like character appeared from the children’s area followed by an enormously long string of children dressed up and having a great time. This festival is perfect for children as it has lots of activities and landscapes to play in
The folk/rock band Woods were in the far Out stage followed by Unknown Mortal Orchestra. They had trouble with the sound and as a result Ruban Nielson passed the time doing some amazing Jimmy Hendrix like guitar licks. That was the best bit of the set!
More folk from the excellent Stornaway at the Mountain stage followed by British Sea Power at the Far Out stage. The highlight of the day. As usual they had the stage decked out with leaves and fairy lights and as usual they had the grizzly bear and polar bear wandering around. Their music is so diverse from loud rock to the gentle music from the man of Aran soundtrack. This brought fond memories of when I was last at Green Man when they played late at night in the cinema tent to this black and white arts film classic.
Swans were causing earth tremors from their 2 large drum sets and extra heavy rock/metal sound. It was a bit of a relief to finish off with the milder acoustic rock sounds of Ben Howard at the Mountain stage.
The night finished off with the traditional burning of the green man followed by a firework display. What a superb festival!
We are off to End of the Road Festival on the 29th August. Let’s see what I manage to lose there, have also lost my boots at Glastonbury this year
Ken
- Festival Reviews
The Green Man Festival was coming off a very wet 2012 event and much to their credit, the team had made a number of significant site improvements last weekend. Some rain but mainly sunshine and a stellar line-up of musicians, meant a fabulous time was in store for all.
Thursday 15th August; the highlight of which was a performance by Patti Smith (the last of her current European tour). Unplugged and accompanied by Patrick Wolf and Tony Shanahan, Patti was in fine fettle for the most part. Plenty of fire still burning there!
Friday 16th August; started with Green man competition winner’s Haiku Salut on the Mountain Stage. A multi instrumental, instrument swapping, female three piece. An original idea and presentation and sounding really different. The closest comparison would be
Peggy Sue with a new record on the way played a really nice set on the main stage followed by a rock out with Parquet Courts who are an enthusiastic bunch kids to say the least. Eagleowl played a sunny
Phosphorescent, laid down the first marker, for ‘band of the weekend’, with a set of
The Pastels, returning to the scene once again with their unique brand of indie were great on the main stage. Darkstar with a new album in tow played a compelling set on the Far Out stage before we all returned to the Mountain (main) stage for Midlake.
With Tim Smith having left the band, the remaining six members of the Midlake touring party continue to fly the flag. “We are still Midlake and we are still from
Friday evening wound up with a mixture of an entertaining Kings of Convenience and a blast out with F. Buttons.
- Festival Reviews
As my first festival weekend, Latitude 2013 was a unique and in many ways unparalleled experience for me; providing some music I may not normally listen to, some people the likes of whom I had never before met and some food which no-one should ever be subjected to.
My first surprise when inside the site itself was its sheer size, something about the festivals image as a diverse but relaxed weekend didn’t fit with the presence of 35/40, 000 other people and certainly not the huge corporate tents and stages. However I later grew to love that, I could never have seen everything and that regardless of how lost I was, there was always something new and exciting around every turn.
Once everyone was acquainted and camps were set up I went off to explore the main arena, which at this stage consisted of following lights until I found one of the few acts performing. I eventually found myself deep in the woods with a flashback through many childhood years in the form of a DJ set by Craig Charles (legendary commentator of Takeshi’s Castle and Robot Wars). The set proved very entertaining and a suitably surreal introduction to Latitude.