- Festival Reviews
This festival which traditionally takes place in the Derby Assembly Rooms very nearly didn't happen in 2014. In March a large fire in the plant room on the roof takes out the services and damages the public areas and there's some doubt about this year's festival.
Fortunately, thanks to the good people of Derby Live (part of the city council), PR Promotions and a combination of a large marque erected in the market square, The Guildhall Theatre and a couple of other local venues and the 8th Derby Folk Festival is all systems go, hurrah.
I arrive at 12.00hrs along with the hardened drinkers (those pewter tankards probably don't contain tea) to see the master of the acoustic guitar, Martin Simpson. No matter how many times you see him Martin's playing of bluesy folk using a thumb pick and with his fingers dancing along the fretboard still amazes .
Clearly his many years living in New Orleans influenced his playing and writing; during one introduction he compares the desolation of the Mississippi Delta to South Lincolnshire (whilst I've not visited the Mississippi Delta I can confirm that South Lincolnshire is no tourist attraction).
A particularly moving song from today's set is 'Jackie and Murphy' the tale Jack Simpson Kirkpatrick who started offering donkey rides on South Shields beach and ended his life rescuing the dead and dying with a donkey on the beaches of Gallipoli. The donkey has been acknowledged, but the honour due to Jack Kirkpatrick is yet to materialise despite repeated campaigns. Martin's set finishes with 'Never Any Good' the tribute to his dad and the life-skills he passed onto him.
Next to the Guildhall for Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman. Sean is an accomplished acoustic guitar player and his wife Kathryn adds beautiful vocals plus piano (which she has to kick her heels off to play) flue or oboe as required.
Several songs from their third album 'Hidden People' are played , 'The Lusty Smith' described as a song about sex and death, as Sean says “what's folk music without sex and death, it's just maypoles”. A solo spot with Kathryn at the piano is particularly affecting, 'The Ballad of Andy Jacobs' is a song about the effect the miner's strike (Kathryn was brought up in South Yorkshire) had upon relationships, it's very similar in mood to Kate Bush's 'This Woman's Work' and you could hear something considerably smaller and softer than a pin drop.
“Ay-up”, we're back in the big marque to see local hero Lucy Ward. Lucy has won awards and much acclaim for her two albums, tonight she is playing with some of the musicians from those albums as the Lucy Ward Band. Backing from duo O'Hooley and Tidow and Joy Gravestock amongst others give the album tracks more heft and a fuller sound to Lucy's already impressive vocals.
Early on we get 'Alice in the Bacon Box' the true story of an unfortunate woman who falls on hard times and ends up living in the aforementioned box. There's a cover version of Blondie's 'Hanging On The Telephone ' which starts out at a creeping pace so it's not until the chorus kicks in at full speed we all recognise it.
One of most striking moments is taken from her second album 'Single Flame', as they finish the main set with a song dedicated to “the people who marched before us , campaigning for justice .” , the very powerful 'For The Dead Men', which brought her to Billy Bragg's attention (they played together at Glastonbury this year). At the end she gets the standing ovation a performance by someone you feel really means every moment deserves.
For an encore there's another cover (and for the first time I can actually understand all the words) of 'Come On Eileen' at half-speed and as Lucy informs us she's off to shortly “.get wed ”. Congratulations to her.
Continuing the Derby connection we have Sunjay Brayne, who's a really accomplished and confident young performer in the manner of the early traditional music performers of the early 1960's, then David Gibb and Elly Lucas for their very final performance as a duo.
Starting with the track they say they often do, and there's no need to change for the final show 'Uncle Joe', a humorous tale featuring some characters and their tall tales. David often writes fun songs, more of which later. 'Dalmatian Cradle Song' is a traditional track Elly remembered singing in primary school, which they revived for their second album 'Up Through the Woods'. 'Jerusalem Cuckoo' is a fun song about a the fastest donkey in England, who depending upon the version sung can end up as a jacket for his owner, and finally an acappella version of the traditional 'John Ball' written in 1981 to commemorate one of the leaders of the peasant's revolt after which they're finished. David is producing albums of songs for children and Elly to further her photography career, if you've read the “Thanks to ” in a folk/traditional music album in the last couple of years you'll already know she's the photographer of choice for many musicians.
A quick dash back to the marque for tonight's headliner Kate Rusby. Kate arrives on stage carrying her usual mug containing what could well be Yorkshire Tea as they are mentioned in the 'Thank You's' inside her new album 'Ghost'. The new album gets plenty of play tonight 'The Outlandish Knight' and 'We Will Sing' stand out on first listen.
Kate is backed by a five piece band led by husband Damien O'Kane on acoustic guitar and about an hour into the show “Damien and the boys” are left to play a ripping set of Irish tunes; during the intro Damien invites us to spot the TV theme tunes they've inserted (The A-Team and The Muppets in case you're interested).
Rather like mulled wine, warm mince pies and a blazing fire whilst watching snow fall outside there's something really comforting about Kate and the band when they're this polished. We get the usual updates on the various pets, children's injuries (possible dislocated finger from the description), and the ghost who inhabits the Rusby-O'Kane household and gave the new album it's title. To top it all it's Kate's mum's birthday so a chocolate cake is produced accompanied by a Folk festival sing a-long to 'Happy Birthday' and mum's favourite song 'The Night Visit' is played which Kate assures us is nothing to do with sleep interrupted by a weak bladder.
'Awkward Annie' finishes the main set and then there's the encore of 'I Courted A Sailor' both of which are met with rapturous applause and you're reminded that when Kate grabs the mic stand, close her eyes and sings there's probably no better voice singing traditional music in Britain today.
So thanks to the organisers and performers the 8th Derby Folk Festival rose like a triumphant phoenix. Hopefully we'll be back in a more permanent, less smoke damaged venue next year.
Alisdair Whyte
- Festival Reviews
Austin City Limits is a very well managed and organized festival. Right up our alley as you don't need to set up a tent!! You can walk there, from the heart of Austin in about 40 minutes, and a lovely walk it is along the water!
We wanted to do ACL this year and spend some time in Austin when its not (SXSW) crazy busy. Tickets are inexpensive (relatively) so we thought we could check out some bands and not feel compelled to see everything or everyone, just relax and take advantage of being in Austin.
We worked out that we really didn't need to see any of the headliners ( I know…we are going to get kicked out of the Rock Club for saying such blasphemous words!) but out of the entire lot, Beck was the only artist that we had not seen a lot and even he we skipped. Pearl Jam its one thing to see them perform but I knew 70,000 people on the field would be singing louder than Eddie so we skipped that too!
Wristbands are encoded, you just scan in and you are on your way and your credit card/debit card is encoded on there so you don't even need cash.
The field has seven stages, and its organized well enough that there are very few clashes but the ones that did occur were some doozies, (St Vincent vs Sam Smith, Spoon vs Replacements) but the stages are so close to each other that you could see both and the sound did not bleed from one stage to another, so best of both worlds!
We made a rough plan of who to see and where to go but we really were going to wing this one. Stages are so close even when there were three bands on at once, you could move from one to the next and chose who you prefer!
Two main stages are also strategically placed around the Craft Beer/Sports tent. Picture a nice and shady large area, a refuge from the heat and sun, where big screen TV’s shows football and the bar has a very lovely selection of craft beer. When it wasn't completely crammed it was a great place to be.
Food options were fantastic, well laid out and easy to get food all day long and washrooms…no lineups!! There were tons of them all over the place and it was never an issue!
But to the music with tons of bands I didn't know so we tried out a lot of new ones, here is where it gets tricky. There was not many big bands playing that we had not seen so while I still tried to see them, if they didn't hold my attention I moved on …which turned out to be the right call.
While all the biggies sounded great and what I did hear from them was fantastic (Gaslight Anthem, Jenny Lewis, Replacements, Sam Smith, etc) it was some of the little bands and the side stages that brought the most enjoyment.
Bands like Jon Batiste..pure New Orleans sound of joy at the Sculptures stage, fun, frolic, crowd going crazy and it sounded fantastic. With the family name Batiste (TV show Treme is based on his family) this kid and his band are a bucket load of fun.
Trombone Shorty another New Orleans specialty full sound, big band and lots of trombone! Crowd went crazy and hard not to get involved.
Legendary Soul Stirrers (Sam Cooke’s band) fantastic at the Sculptures stage and audience really get into it.
Lettuce a band at the Sculptures stage (again), funk, blues, and again getting the crowd into it, the band really put on a great show.
Southern Rock band called A Thousand Horses, brilliant band of pure Southern attitude. Stunning voice and a great show. Last Internationale openers on the Robert Plant tour, serious rock n roll (think Pretenders with more attitude and maybe a better voice (?)) Serious fun.
The Hunts seven family members singing lovely folk rock pop, great little band on a great little stage James Bay (on a big stage) was a bit of a surprise as I had not heard of him before; big beautiful vocals on this guy. Buzz is just starting on him over here so I may check him out again.
Crazy even now how I look back and see how many bands we were able to see even though we didn't spend all day and night on that field and quite enjoyed bands like Real Estate, Rosebuds, Temples, Preatures, Chvrches, Kongo’s, Fitz & The Tantrums etc etc etc.
Really to me it’s all about doing what you want at this festival, you have lots of choices and the luxury of coming and going as you please. Everything is accessible, and you don't have to commit to one show or the other. Everything is pretty much on time and it works really well but to me, with no pressure to see the big bands, opened up a lot of options and that's where the nuggets were found. The BMI stage and Sculptures stage were two of the smallest on the field and the best. We took the most joy out of those bands performing there.
We were lucky enough to get reasonably comfortable weather, sunny and warm everyday. They moved the festival out of September and into October as its just too warm in September. Even so any shade was a luxury with plenty of spots to hide in but it still was really really warm. Dust was doing a number on my lungs, remember if you have any allergies they are going to kick you in the ass like they did with me but, again, when it got too much you just took off. Crowds only really became an issue late afternoon when there were bands like Iggy Azalea on one stage and Icona Pop on another or Sam Smith and St Vincent. That’s when it got tough to move around, but thankfully we were not really under any pressure to see the big bands so we could move around and do what we wanted and everyday, when we had our fill we just walked back to the hotel and went out for dinner!
All in all with no lineups and a lot of options, it is a very lovely festival. Much more to this one as it also includes access to plenty of shows after the festival ends and some of the big bands like Beck, Interpol, Temples etc were playing at local bars so you could check them out there as well. We enjoyed our time in Austin and saw some brilliant bands we did not expect to see so all in all, very very enjoyable
Jim
- Festival Reviews
This event is in its 8th year, and represents a great, low-key version of one-day 'indoor-venue' festivals. It doesn't pretend to be a Great Escape or Dot-To-Dot, relying instead on the charm of the thirteen venues all based on Albert Road Southsea.
Being smaller in scale it brings a strong local feel in terms of the line-up though increasingly the event has attracted established headline acts, this year Ed Harcourt and Pulled About By Horses, contrasting in styles but both favourites of ours, so made this a highly anticipated day, during which we were able to catch 13 bands.
A well organised event presenting bands in diverse venues. From the nicely carpeted Southsea Social Club, to the upstairs room in Bar 56 that held no more than 40 people, to the opulent all-seated Kings Theatre, to the Wedgewood Rooms, the established gig venue. A nod to Little Johnny Russells, the venue with best beer on offer today, a very pleasing 'Partridge Ale' from the Darkstar Brewery.
Elephantantrum (Little Johnny Russells) - an interesting find. 4-piece guitar band with a busy feedback-heavy intro to their set. So self-conscious it appeared they didn't dare stop between songs for fear that nobody would clap. Well executed heavy riffs through all their songs which got more melodic as the set went on. And when they did eventually come up for air at the end of their 35 minute set and they deservedly got a good reception.
St Agnes (Little Johnny Russells) - most striking element was the female lead singer/guitarist/keys, immaculately dressed and with flowing jet-black hair but at the same time a half-shaved head. A look she had no trouble carrying off. The songs were laced with heavy riffs and male/female combo vocals but seemed to be struggling for identity. Keyboard was to the fore in the closing bombastic number, ending the set on a high.
Jesse Wyldes And The Stallions (Southsea Social Club) - growling vocals with back up from guitar, bass and drums. Country-tinged rock. With the band all dressed in black waistcoats and bootlace ties the Social Club setting seemed quite appropriate.
Hunter And The Bear (Kings Theatre) - a Mumford & Sons sound-alike band. I must confess the combination of the less-than-exilerating tunes, comfy theatre seats and the effects of the lunchtime Darkstar where irresistibly conducive to a mid-afternoon nap.
Gang (Bar 56) - noisy guitar band. We were the back of this 40 capacity venue but with an unraised stage did not allow us to see much of the band.
Emperor Yes (Edge of the Wedge) - Question: could anybody be more charming than Darwen Deez both in terms of meandering lyrical tunes and personal charm? Answer: Yes, 'Emperor Yes'. A highly impressive and enjoyable set built around synth-based tunes.
Theo Verney (Bar 56) - I particularly wanted to catch Theo Verney as I'd missed him at End Of The Road Festival recently. Having half expected a singer-songwriter in the EOTR vein I was most surprised to find a guitar based outfit. He gave us the quote of the day ''I don't want you to look at me, I want you to be head-bangin... !''. Summed it up nicely.
Happyness (Wedgewood Rooms) - highly anticipated set from this hotly tipped band that we'd seen before as a support act at Southampton Joiners. Sadly the sound was poor so their clever lyricism was masked leading to the level of talking growing higher and higher. If this band hit the heights they are tipped for they won't be citing this gig as a breakthrough moment.
Walylayers (Edge Of The Wedge) - a band recommended by a fellow British Sea Power devotee. Thought we'd wandered in to the wrong band as they proceeded to deliver 4-5 middle of the road pop songs, but suddenly, 15 minutes in, the set picked up with 2-3 dancey numbers. So a curates egg that one.
Ed Harcourt (Kings Theatre) - definitely suited to the theatrical surround, Ed proceeded to hammer out grand-piano accompaniment through recent tunes 'Brothers & Sisters', 'The Saddest Orchestra' and 'Hey Little Bruiser' all rapidly becoming classics in the Harcourt stable. Tonight's show was a wholly solo show and followed the recent habit whereby Ed creates layered accompaniment through looping guitars, drums, cowbell. This works on well-worn numbers like 'Misguided' but was less effective on the delicate 'Fireflies Take Flight', the trouble being that this song is a classic example of 'it's not the notes that make for a haunting tune: it's the gaps between the notes'. With tonight's rendition the otherwise breathless inducing voids were filled with the metronomic pre-orchestrations. Funny moment: in typical Ed style he asked the audience to choose between a romantic song and one about a serial killer. Inevitably the latter won the audible vote and a wonderful version of 'Scatterbraine' ensued with customary solo piano - wonderful.
Fear Of Man (Southsea Social Club) - 4-piece comprising 2 females and 2 males. Unremarkable. It might have been the venue - bizarrely it was not easy to get into indie mode surrounded by the dart boards and cribbage league tables that adorn the walls.
Talons (Edge Of The Wedge) - a bonus extra as PABH were a little coming on... and what a bonus. A wholly individual band that showcase thumping guitars accompanying two highly-energised violin players. Mesmerising.
Pulled Apart by Horses (Wedgewood Rooms) - for such a raucous, screamy band it was a pleasant reminder to talk to this band (as we were fortunate to do as they disembarked their van earlier in the afternoon) and find they are gently-spoken, sincere individuals. With legs aching and heads already thumping we watched this set from toward the back. A great mash up of newer songs from recent offering 'Blood' and the more in-yer-face numbers from their first two albums (including 'Meat Balloon' and 'I Punched A Lion In The Throat' culminating in the fantastic sing-along 'High Dive, Swan Dive, Nosedive'. Awesome, radical, totally Bodacious!
Si & Sally
- Festival Reviews
My first visit to this powerhouse rock festival saw a typically strong, if somewhat nostalgic, line-up featuring some of the finest acts in the music industry today (and indeed the early/mid 2000s). The 2014 edition was typically rock dominated - headlined by Queens of the Stone Age & Paramore on the Friday, Arctic Monkeys on the Saturday and closed by Blink-182, supplemented through considerable dance, indie and heavy metal representation.
Friday was kicked off in loud and energetic fashion with the pairing of Hacktivist and Crossfaith, both of whom brought their brands of fusion metal to the Main Stage following popular sets on the Rock Stage in 2013. In the meantime both had built up a strong hard-core of fans and expanded outside of Japan and Milton Keynes respectively (the similarities had to end somewhere).
The next band I saw represented a clear shift away from high-octane metal-core in the form of well-established Norfolk alternative rock six-piece Deaf Havana. The band was supporting their excellent 2013 album ‘Old Souls’, the three singles of which were extremely well received.
Friday evening saw the intriguing and, in my opinion, very successful pairing of Enter Shikari and Vampire Weekend. Both festival regulars, the contrasting styles of the two bands complemented each other effectively as Shikari’s heavy and experimental electronic style was combined with the rising indie pop four-piece who provided almost a cool down for fans whilst showcasing their most rounded and mature album yet in the form of ‘Modern Vampires of the City’.
Queens of the Stone Age, despite vast success spanning well over a decade were seemingly the least talked-about headline act, however, in my opinion, were the most impressive. The performance had very much of a stadium rock feel, with anthems old – ‘No One Knows’ & ‘Go With The Flow’, and new – ‘I Sat By The Ocean’, were coupled with impressive staging and lighting and a highly receptive crowd.
Other highlights of Friday included Aussie dance group RÜFÜS, popular Londoners Metronomy and another mid 2000s hang-over in the form of the solo debut of Gerard Way (formerly of My Chemical Romance).
Saturday was kicked off in similar fashion to the day before with Brighton punk outfit Gnarwolves charged with blowing away hang-overs in the afternoon sun, a challenge they seemed genuinely honoured to take on. Like many of the heavier bands at Reading this Gnarwolves brought a strong hard-core of fans built from perpetual touring and may well have one a few more from Reading.
One of the most talked about acts at Reading held a mid-afternoon slot away of the main stage, namely Royal Blood who, despite their debut album not yet having been released, had received significant media coverage as the ‘next big thing’ and were therefore met with huge attention and expectation. This weight certainly did not seem to hinder them as they played out an extremely accomplished set with heavy riffs, sing-alongs to rival any at the festival and phenomenal stage presence for a two-piece.
Another band who entered the festival with little back-catalogue and one of my personal favourites were Lesser Key who held their own in ‘The Pit’, curated by Daniel P Carter and played by many of the heaviest bands appearing across the weekend. The band play a dreamy and atmospheric form of experimental rock and were showcasing their outstanding, self-titled, debut album.
For the rest of my evening I remained at this stage to see two more rising (within their scenes) British bands in the form of While She Sleeps and Architects; the first of whom produced one of the strongest performances I saw and the second drew the most intense and energetic crowd of any set, large or small, at the festival. Both of these were aided by the compact and intimate feel of the stage resembling a club show in contrast with the vast Main Stage.
Following the apparently underwhelming Foster the People and Imagine Dragons and the much more impressive Jake Bugg were the main event, Arctic Monkeys. Alex Turner & co. played a hit-filled set to a massive crowd, but like Paramore on Friday were let down by the sound system, meaning that many fans were left disappointed.
Sunday saw the least impressive line-up for me, at least on the Main Stage, meaning a chance to explore and see some different bands. Some of the highlights of this included The Hijacked, Jungle and Bondax.
The evening then began with a quick trip to see the antics of A Day to Remember frontman Jeremy McKinnon, including zorbing across the Main Stage crowd, before a couple more doses of metal from the Lock-Up Stage. The pick of this line-up for me came in the form of the Every Time I Die/ Letlive. Pairing, both crowd favourites with some outstanding facial hair to boot. This provided my overall highlight of the weekend as the patriotic ETID tore through a mixture of their brilliant new album ‘From Parts Unknown’ and some older songs. The band also engages with the crowd in a way few can with their guitarist even coming down to meet fans after the set. This was followed by the genre-defying Letlive. who combine rock, punk and elements of hip-hop to create a unique and intriguing sound with constant changes in style and tempo.
Finally, all that remained was for American pop-punk pioneers Blink-182 to close the festival. Despite their headline billing, this was never going to be for everyone as indicated by the mixed reception for their casual style and jokes between songs, as well as the crowds drawn by Disclosure and Möngöl Hörde (Frank Turner’s hardcore punk guise) among others. Personally I thought their set was good, if not outstanding, with songs like ‘I Miss You’ and ‘All the Small Things’ particularly enjoyable. However, the undisputed star of the show was drummer Travis Barker who, having made his mark in a number of genres since Blink’s emergence was as impressive as ever in his original role.
Overall, a brilliant weekend which I’ve enjoyed reliving.
Neil
@Kenny_Wen
- Festival Reviews
This magical festival goes from strength to strength. Through the early part of its 9 year evolution it tended to acquire a reputation as a Folk/Americana centred festival but they have done a great job in breaking out of that slightly narrower space by including many quality guitar bands giving real depth and variety to the musical agenda.
Hard to put into words but the vibe is simply wonderful; but why shouldn't it be with plenty of drink/food outlets meaning that the place is bustling but with no need to queue a long time for anything.
My one piece of critical feedback would be that they need to work on the stocks of Real Ale. It's highly laudable that they seek to cater for ale drinkers through the introduction of a new Beer Tent, but it appeared they were caught out by the sheer demand.
So to the bands we saw .....
THURSDAY - having set up camp we strolled to the Tipi tent for hot cider and a couple of bands to warm us up further
Cheetahs (Tipi Tent) 4-piece guitar band. Some good tunes but sound didn't do them justice, vocals very mushy.
Ezra Furman (Tipi Tent) Drew a huge crowd. The usual high showmanship set bordering on West End Musical in places
FRIDAY - as we settled into the Garden Stage we caught the late-running sound check for the Gene Clark No Other Band. If we'd had any doubt about doing something different later that evening this sealed the deal.... the clarity of sound and array of musicianship on the stage was awesome. It left me feeling excited all day for the 'main event' later that evening.
Phox (Garden Stage) 6-piece from Wisconsin. Female lead vocal, drummer, keys/guitar, bass and two guitars. Tuneful melodies with different instruments prominent in different songs, including a lead banjo in one number.
Arc Iris (Garden Stage) The jury was out on Jocie Adam's golden skin-tight catsuit, but undoubtedly it provided the statement that here was a reinvented Jocie, showing a different side to the demur persona she portrayed previously as a member of The Low Anthem. The tunes were superb, gentle in their nature but verging on prog rock with numerous time-changes within each song. The drummer sat side-on giving the audience a great opportunity to really appreciate his craft. Catsuit or not Jocie is mesmerising whether playing guitar, keys, clarinet, and trumpet.
Alexis Taylor (Tipi Tent) A brilliant set featuring many of the great tunes from his 'Await Barbarians' LP, one of my favourite albums of 2014. Did a few Hot Chip numbers too.
Whytches (Big Top) 3-piece guitar band. They drew a big crowd to the Big Top.
Jenny Lewis (Woods Stage) Arguably the most beautiful voice of the whole weekend. Good support from a highly capable 5-piece band.
British Sea Power (Garden Stage) I must confess I've seen them on better form. Not sure if lead singer Jan was unwell or had simply 'over-indulged' during the afternoon. He certainly wasn't on tip-top form, and this seemed to translate to a performance more pedestrian than usual from this superb band.
Gene Clark No Other Band (Garden Stage) A Bella Union collective made up of members of Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Fairport Convention, The Walkman, Beach House. Performing Gene Clark’s album 'No Other'. Simply magnificent. They have performed this show in USA and announced this was probably the very last time they would be doing it; so this truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime treat.
Arc Iris (Tipi Tent) Having arrived at the festival late afternoon due to work commitments, my wife Sally had a chance to catch the late-night 'secret' show (and make her own judgement on the catsuit). Played a slightly different set, comparing slightly less favourably than the earlier show simply as she didn't do my album highlight Canadian Cowboy as she had done earlier.
Barr Brothers (Tipi Tent) Wonderful late-night tunes from this American band who, like last year, win the prize for best instrument on stage - a fantastic harp, hewn from light coloured wood in a modernist art deco style.
Jenny Lewis & Band
SATURDAY - a very late start following Friday night’s excesses….
Lau (Garden Stage) A venture into celtic-based folk to kick off Day Two. This trio create magnificent soundscapes across fiddle and accordion.
Sweet Baboo (Garden Stage) Sweet Baboo songs are striking in their simplicity but lack nothing for all that and in fact ooze charm and humour, as do Stephen Black's humble interludes between songs.
Eagulls (Big Top) Full on guitars with overtones of Hawkwind and frenetic bass playing; but the focus of this band is the broody, unsmiling lead singer, languid in pose throughout. The sound was poor at first with the vocal inaudible but this got sorted out 3-4 songs in making the second half of the set extremely enjoyable. The songs are similar in construct but this band's musicianship draws you in. Since the festival this is the album I have revisited most.
Perfume Genius (Garden Stage) Sigur Ros in moments. Mike Hadreas was supported with keys, drum and bass. Haunting songs which took your breathe away. Good to experience this set alongside an extremely respectful crowd.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Big Top) Never seen this New Zealand trio perform better. Fantastic energy and delivered many of their belting songs across their two albums. We had to sacrifice the first 15 minutes of Flaming Lips to see the conclusion of UMO's set but it was worth it.
Flaming Lips (Woods Stage) Wayne Coyne was wandering round the festival site all day, typical of the laid-back vibe at EOTR. Come the Saturday headline slot this fine band took the whole site to another place with their excellent set, back-dropped by a stunning pixelated light show. The usual tricks of the 'Wayne Coyne ball' featured, much to the delight of the whole crowd. Encored with Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.
SUNDAY
Kiran Leonard (Big Top) Not to everyone's taste. This is energetic youthful left-field music at its best. Stop start songs with growling vocals spat into the mic. Kiran was supported with a solid band on drum, bass and guitar/keys. Most songs off his current album ‘Bowler Hat Soup’ but threw in a new one from album in the making 'Grapefruit'.
Lonnie Holley (Tipi Tent) irritatingly was unable to get into the tent as everybody was sitting down, so we laid down outside to take in these mournful yet captivating tunes.
Lucius (Woods Stage) Jess and Holly, the two girls who front this band, were bedecked head to foot in matching outfits including sunglasses. The three guys behind were likewise in matching suits with velvet trim. Wonderful melodies and the girls' energy grew and grew as the set moved on, many songs featuring the girls beating out the climatic rhythms on matching (of course) drums.
John Cooper Clark (Big Top) Caught the last half of JCC's hour-long slot. The usual serving of top-notch poetry sprinkled with many humorous asides. Gave a poignant shout-out to Jock Scott who sadly is in poor health.
Radiophonic Workshop (Big Top) One of their numbers had a backdrop visual of a 45rpm record spinning. I found myself counting the revolutions and the passing seconds to conclude that the visual was indeed accurate, and the record was in fact spinning at '45'. Such was the tedium of the music..... a very poor man's Public Service Broadcasting. (We didn't stick around for the 'Dr Who' finale).
Tiny Ruins (Tipi Tent) Wonderful to see this New Zealand act, now a duo, return to EOTR. Mesmerising songs
White Denim (Garden Stage) Really good to see a guitar band of this ilk headline the Garden Stage. Really accomplished band from Texas. Previously when I’ve seen them they launched into their set with a 30-minute mash up of tunes, followed by a number of stand-alone numbers. This tended to slow the momentum. Tonight the make up of the hour long set was reversed - a number of songs from their recent Corsicana Lemonade album which built to a couple of extended periods of frenetic playing incorporating songs old and new. Left us breathless.
A wonderful weekend – we’ve already booked Early Bird tix for next year, the 10th EOTR.
Si & Sally
- Festival Reviews
- Festival Reviews
Another great weekend at one of the friendliest festivals going, in one of the most beautiful settings – there can’t be many UK festivals actually in a National Park (unless you know better…?) and the Galtres Parklands Festival most certainly is. The view from the main stage area is just amazing – miles of heather moorland, with a fine stately home just down the hill, which you can visit. As ever, a policy of some main headliners and lots of local/north-east acts, in a variety of genres, all good quality, many of whom would be massive if they lived in London.
Mind you Sunday night was nearly a disaster, as I lost my phone…only to find a kind bar volunteer had found it, and got my home number by calling friends. She is going to post it to me. Thanks Jess!! This place is full of lovely people.
Friday started late after time was needed to gather and activate the cashless cards before any beer could be brought! First band seen was Lumberjack Heartbreak Trucking Co from the US, like the Waltons on drugs it says here. I think they were a parody of God fearing creationists…their last song was called I F*cking Love You Jesus…
Followed by an evening made for mad dancing…the mighty Bellowhead…then the Levellers, at their absolute Level best….and finally Blackbeards Tea Party, an ace ceilidh band turned folk rock behemoth. And in between a powerful new rock band from Dublin, the Hot Sprockets, with all the moves and energy of Oasis or early Stones.
Talking of which…few bands play better live than the Jim Jones Revue, a classic dirty sweaty rock n roll garage explosion to start Saturday.
Paris XY are excellent, dark moody electronica from from Leeds, Alice and James, he plays like New Order, she sings like Lana Del Ray with the facial expressions of Linda Blair. An album should be finished once they have finished touring Germany, with Icelandic stars GusGus no less.
Tricky as unconventional as you might expect. Seemed like a good guy, the most amazing face – but what would his set be like? Well, it started with great intensity, in near darkness, some great tracks like Nothing Matters off the ace new album, a superb Black Steel, all very friendly – but then maybe becoming too friendly, ending up with a chaotic stage invasion and the set petering out into the cold night sky.
Equally hyper but a tad more professional, Beans on Toast was our midnight snack, did lots of songs about drugs, climbed the tent poles and threw his rider (mainly Navy Rum and crisps I think) to the crowd during the great ‘I Cant Get a Gig at Glastonbury.
Sunday began as we woke up to sunshine and Human League soundchecking Love Action. Perfect!
The Oxman Stage had became the metal stage today, courtesy of Soundscape magazine, with highlights including RSJ and the wonderfully theatrical A Jokers Rage, plus a great new band called Bull, who only let themselves down a bit at the end by forgetting the words to a song all the audience know, Ziggy Stardust.
Soon the Littlemores were up on the main stage, as good as ever, new urban tales like White Limo Love Song, about stag nights in York, 2 Up 2 Down about…living in a semi, and older classics such as Deborah and Blue Eyes Black.
Beggars Bridge are a Hull folk group telling tales of the Last of the Wolds Rangers (itinerant Yorkshire shepherds who roamed the moors until quite recently; the last, Geordie Dog, died in 1987) and terrible shipwrecks (fisherman Harry Eddom, only survivor of a disaster off Iceland in 1968). The debut album Riding East sounds great.
Public Service Broadcasting were interesting, some very catchy numbers like Spitfire and Everest, with new stuff being suitably bizarre songs about ice skating in Dutch, part of a project for a Dutch ice rink.
Human League brought their own massive PA system, and the ground shook as those familiar simple electronic tunes and beats crashed out. Dare is a near perfect synthpop album, stats suggest everyone in the world must have a copy, and they played most of it, with stunning visuals.
There was a poignant Lebanon, then they did Being Boiled and Empire State Human from the early days of Mute Records. In a pleasant surprise, Phil Oakey chats a lot, has a definite sense of humour…and a brother in Northallerton apparently!
Holy Moly and the Crackers were last band on (when I lost my phone in the melee), another local find, with songs about a Bluebell Wood nearby, and other seemingly from nearer New Orleans, such as Cocaine
Kevin Hand - @Kevinhand3
- Festival Reviews
So, another August and another Green Man Festival and what a Green Man Festival we had in 2014!
This is a festival that bands seem genuinely humbled to play. The organisation, staff, catering (and beer festival) are first class. The audience are a mix of age groups from 2 months to 80 for what I could see. It's a real family atmosphere and they certainly know how to keep the kids of all ages entertained.
Queuing up to get in on Thursday lunchtime, festival supremo Fiona came along the queue with a box of chocolates. That single act just about sums up the vibe of the festival.
The weather was kind enough over the weekend and the music started on Thursday evening with a solid set from ex-Doves man Jimi Goodwin followed by a rollickingly good show from The Waterboys.
Friday and Jupiter-C, a duo with Depeche Mode like guitars and loops get things rolling. Babe and Happyness continued the vibe of promising new bands before the first Mountain stage heavyweight appeared in the shape of Jonathon Wilson and his band. A beautiful set in the West Coast sunshine of psych, jam guitars that just drip with the 70s.
Mark Kozelek in Sun Kil Moon with 3 piece band mode were stunningly the polar opposite of JW. A lyrical mastermind the lengthy songs flowed over a lengthy set with Mark in his usual, pretty 'fed up' mood. Brilliant!
A stonking set from an ever improving Toy on the Far Out stage was followed by a testosterone fuelled blast from Augustines. Not a band you would call shy, they were thoroughly entertaining.
One of the few bands to bring their own light show Daughter played on the main stage under headliners Beirut having playing in the Walled garden (tiny stage) on their last visit to Green Man. I think you had to be close up to the stage to get the full benefit of their tremendous set. The sound was really quiet up the hill apparently. Beirut entertained as only Beirut can, sweet songs and lots of brass. Excellent!
Saturday kicks off with Sons of Noel and Adrian. An enormous band filling the Far Out stage, but after two songs it was difficult to see where the band was heading. Pre gig, I thought they were quiet and acoustic. Obviously not.
We Are Catchers struggled to capture the imagination and by the time Mutual Benefit had completed their sensitive (very good) set on the Mountain Stage, the mind was calling out for someone to plug in and turn the bloody amp up! Saviours came in the shape of the legendary Pooh Sticks who played "songs that meant something 27 years ago" A loud set with short sharp songs, result; soul cleansed.
Women's Hour brought their 'Daughter' / 'London Grammar' like songs to the Far Out stage to great effect. The Kendal band with Fiona Burgess up front really do emanate a real aura of cool. Same hometown as Wild Beasts, there must be something in the water!
My Sad Captains deserved a bigger stage for their landscape sound but their set from the mainly new album was superb. A quick walk through Einstein's Garden to the Mountain stage for (Walkmen's) Hamilton Leithauser. Rock royalty in the States, Hamilton and sadly the Walkmen have been long underrated on our shores and the size of the main stage crowd reflected this. You could actually see Hamilton grit his teeth when he walked on stage and he must have been thinking, right, let's go for it!
A great set from one of the finest voices in rock, the majority of songs really did motor and the crowd grew as the set advanced. It still looks like a long hard slog on these shores though for this band for some strange reason.
Sharon van Etten and band were next up and produced a fine show at the end of her current tour, Sharon really did seem to be enjoying herself and the festival vibe and, that showed in the performance.
Again, the spot below the headliners proved a highlight of the day this time it was the turn of The War on Drugs to fill that particular slot. Adam Granduciel and band are now one heck of a well-oiled machine. Their set was nothing short of stunning with a capacity crowd bouncing all the way up to the top of the hill.
Mercury Rev returned to the stage to play 'Deserters Songs' in full as well as' delving into their back catalogue. No Fuss, no special effects, just a band humbled to be given the chance to headline this festival. They did the festival proud and there is a new album due next year.
Sunday sees Vancouver Sleep Clinic start the day's proceedings. At least a 20 minute delay on their schedule start-time(not sure why, being first band on) meant they had to work cut out to win the crowd over but, this Bon Iver esqe band from Australia had little to worry about. Tim Bettinson's ethereal vocals are the key to the band sound and for one so young is was an impressive set.
The late running VSC set meant we came in halfway through The Rails show in the walled garden. James Walborne and Kami Thompson are a dynamic husband and wife pairing fronting this folk rock five piece. An excellent debut album, these guys seem to have a rich vein of creativity about them. Samaris are from Iceland and play electronic/oboe driven ethereal songs created from ancient Icelanic poems. It was magical.
Mountain stage next for the sunshine and a melodic Boy & Bear followed by the guitar crazed Anna Calvi. Ex Smog man Bill Callaghan in usual dark humour mood played a challenging set for an early evening festival crowd. Better suited to an indoor show it was still exhilarating for fans. You can see just from the last three acts on one stage alone, just how diverse this festival is.
With the burning of the Green Man and fireworks at midnight it was down to First Aid Kit and Neutral Milk Hotel to provide the entertainment. They both did and yes you guessed it, in completely different styles.
First Aid Kit were returnees to the festival having played on the smaller stages in years gone past. Now it's the main stage which is draped in sparkling gold matching sisters, Johanna and Klara Söderberg's gold outfits and shoes.
Now mixing in music royalty circles (Jack White) the girls may be in danger of becoming Abba, but for now the songs veer more towards the country world. This was an accomplished set.
Festival closers on the Mountain Stage were Neutral Milk Hotel on their comeback trail. "No photos please" (and people complied), no big screens (so people left the hill and headed for Kurt Vile). For us down the front the set was predicable but still teriffic and really does breathe new life into old songs.
So perhaps, the best Green Man Festival yet. We are looking forward to 2015 already!
Pete
- Festival Reviews
A lovely ‘proper’ festival, just 2-3,000 people, in a very beautiful rural location. Started as a travellers festival some years ago, but very open to everyone, and family friendly. Lots of drink etc but absolutely no problems – the local security reduced to wearing silly hats by Sunday. Very dog friendly too – hundreds, including a large number of Chihuahuas – I have no idea why. Perhaps there is a colony nearby. Farmer Phil himself, still very much a local farmer but dreaming of being Eavis, knows most of the crowd by name and says hi to all he doesn’t know. In fact I guess this is like Glasto before it became big.
The legendary Fuzz Townsend lives nearby and comperes the main stage, made from a large cowshed, and there’s a great acoustic stage that still has a tree growing through its roof. Sunday starts with an excellent recycled fashion show run by Pie in the Sky from Brighton, and a kid’s fancy dress competition with the theme of pirates and fairies. Actually most of the adults are dressed as one or the other or a striking mix of both.
A bill of very much ‘festival’/underground bands – lots of ska, folk, punk etc, many great crowd pleasers that I didn’t know before. Here are my favourites, in order of play, and one other….
Friday
Professor Elemental – possibly steampunk and definitely ‘chap-hop’, a genre he may have invented – great fun like a rapping version of It Ain’t Alf Hot Mum…
Babyhead – massive ska and reggae with brass, West Country festival legends, with great powerful lyrics
Vice Squad – still going strong, old school punk rock with style and panache, wonderful articulate singer in Beki Bondage, who formed the band in 1978. A passionate vegan and animal activist, she later tells me she keeps VS fully independent, doing all the hard management work as well as fronting…and still loves performing, which is obvious.
Headliners The Orb – cosmic excursions in dub and trance, a rhythmic trip that is way more than Little Fluffy Clouds and the Minnie Ripperton sampling A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld. Includes a version of Fanfare for the Common Man, and amazing visuals
Saturday Highlight – the Blockheads – wonderfully tight and joyous jazz/funk/rock band, performing the hits and less-heard classics like If I was with a Woman, now very obviously about the pain of disability, and Itinerant Child, a poignant anthem to the old days of the Rainbow Convoys. Norman Watt-Roy was really enjoying himself, and Ian Dury’s friend and minder Derek ‘the Draw’ makes a perfectly acceptable substitute for his late lamented boss.
Saturday Lowlight – the Gonads – seemed like an average comedy punk band, some dodgy sexist lyrics, til the singer was revealed as Gary Bushell, rightwing Sun music journalist, and this was his ‘oi’ skinhead band from the 70s. Seems the organisers were as surprised as we were. He walked off halfway through the last song, called England’s Glory. No-one clapped. Would have been interesting to see him sharing a stage debate with Beki…
Sunday
The Delray Rockets – Stray Cats homage from local Worcester boys, lovingly done with lots of attitude and energy
Flutatious – dreadful name but prog rock originals beautifully played, as applause rained down from the bar where the audience were forced to shelter from a deluge of real rain
Merry Hell – one of several conscious counterpoints to the Gonads, more country/folk/Latin than their name suggests, with entertaining and passionate anti war and human rights songs such as ‘the War Between Ourselves’. Highly recommended.
Tako Lako – yet another festival circuit well kept secret, sounding like a techno New Order with Ian Curtis still singing with them. Seems they are from Denmark, and tipped for good things, and finally…. closing the festival, Farmer Phil’s regulars Ferocious Dog, with a devoted fanbase, the Hellhounds, like that of the early days of the Levellers – with whom they share their sound, also the Pogues.
I enjoyed it but wasn’t won over at first, the likes of Paddy works on the Railways and Mairi’s Wedding being well done but a bit predictable…then they played The Glass. It’s about a young man who hung himself some months after his wedding, as he could not escape the depression caused by his tours of Afghanistan – the son of Ken Bonsall, the mohicanned singer, and brother of Dan Booth, fiddler and songwriter. They follow it by Lee’s Tune, for him, and thank the fans for their support.
Dan later tells me On the Rocks is his about past battle with crack, thankfully won.
They are on tour in Oct/Nov, including Cambridge and Camden Barfly - Go and see this band – you will be moved, and dance your ass off. See this link and their website for more on Lee’s life
Kevin Hand
@Kevinhand3
- Festival Reviews
From our Senior Festival Correspondent
Back in 1964 the City Council was inspired to approach a leftie local fireman and habitue of Cambridge Folk Club to promote a folk festival. Their motives are lost in the mists of time, but Ken Woolard, who was to remain in charge till his death in 1993, gave up the decorating and window-cleaning and set to, inspired by his visit to the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. It seems that fires and treed cats are not over-evident in Cambridge, as for many years Ken combined the welfare of the citizenry with his real love. Eddie Barcan, his successor as Artistic Director, paints an inspiring cameo of Ken sliding down the pole and legging across to a red call-box to manage affairs, pressing button B to negotiate with Pete Seegar. Said call-box is now on the tourist map and known to the cognoscenti as “Ken’s Office”.
Eddie gave an interesting interview on the history and philosophy of the event – booking policy, order of play etc, essentially telling us the current line-up follows the same catholic approach as 1965. Such is the status of the event that artists are often ready to compromise on fees, permitting bigger names than the size of the event could otherwise support. Part of the continuing success of the event must be down to the site. Cherry Hinton Hall is handily placed in the Cambridge suburbs, offering a sylvan area for camping and a closely adjacent, if compact, event field. Offsite but handy parking, good services, food and organisation add to the charm. Well over 50% of the attendees are regulars.
Musical highlights? On Thursday I was particularly taken with Catrin Finch on harp playing alongside Senegalese Kora player, Seckou Keita. Seckou brings a smiling joy to his playing: the Kora is like a giant gourd with three pylons and myriad stings. It has an enormous chromatic and tonal range, happily complementing the mellow harp. A special honorable mention for Skinny Lister, who brewed up a real storm with their English ceilidh(?) music. Not many bands feature a crowd-surfing bass player complete with instrument!
Friday brought (inter, of course myriad alia) Fisherman’s Friends, robustly providing the purist alternative to Adge Cutler; Richard Thomson with his usual charm and musicianship and a great set from Mc Goldrick, Mc Cusker and Doyle, in the Irish tradition but with a nod to progressive influences and, again, virtuoso playing. Colin Irwin of Mojo hosted a charming short interview with Richard Thomson, Martin and Eliza Carthy, reminiscing about both Cambridge and their dynastic contributions to the folk scene over many years. Martin and Eliza played together next day: good to see such creativity and harmony between Eliza and her dad – wonderful material and music. Eliza sounded like a young Vera Lynn (look her up!): a very pure and unforced voice.
On Saturday we had The Full English, totally unfazed by the burden of carrying forward the torch(es) of Grainger, Sharp and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The line-up features Seth Lakeman, McCarthy M. Sam Sweeney and other top names and the quality from what is something of a pick-up band was astonishing. It was interesting to compare Seth Lakeman’s solo set later that day. The boy sure can play, but was let down by poor microphone technique and (here I go!) too many watts. Loudon Wainwright III did the comedy spot, which amounted to a musical genealogy of his tribe. One cannot but admire a man who can enlist the musical support not only of his kids, but also several of his former wives!
I’ll just mention three from Sunday. I loved Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham, fiddle and squeeze box in perfect harmony. A mellow Scottish set that managed to create a lovely club atmosphere in a tent with a couple of thousand souls. A rapturous reception. Van Morrison headlined. Call me innocent, but I had not hitherto been exposed to this Ulster force of nature. Musically gifted and with an excellent jazz-orientated ensemble, it was a pity that the sound was undermined by the vision. To my old mind, Van has all the charm of one of Murphy’s shorter planks, a plumber for a tailor and Mike Mercury for a choreographer. Otherwise, very good. And then the there was, for me, the real piece de resistance.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo has become a world phenomenon. Almost as old as the festival, the band includes the sons and a grandson of the founding father. With a charm and vitality old Van would run a mile from, they sang just five long pieces a capella, with a presentation you could still imagine going down a storm in the township. The dancing and tomfoolery helped to interpret the words, the total opaqueness of which mattered less than a (very small) jot. LBM closed their set with “Homeless”, enlisting the support of an ad-hoc choir of local citizens, young and old, trained on the day, which happily took the festival back to its roots. A young Paul Simon was in the very first festival line-up, watched by just 1400 punters.
All in all, a great event. Programme and domestic arrangements great. A relaxed and friendly atmosphere, good enough weather, although the ale line-up lags the music by a country mile. It does not wear its socialist roots on its sleeve in any obvious way: on the contrary, my financial adviser expressed some concern at the overtly capitalist intention of the Council to devolve the event to a trust, thus shuffling it off the balance sheet whilst keeping the profits in the P&L. We learnt that the festival makes a regular profit at the event level, whilst contributing over a million to the local economy.
My regular readers will recall my report from Latitude last year. There is a strong overlap in the clientele on both ambience and geographic grounds but, for me, the events are very different. On the grounds of musicianship, scale, charm and watts (there I go again) this is still folk at heart. Music in all its forms is given its place (absent outright pop; little jazz) but more intimately and accessibly. You wouldn’t spot its municipal mien, save perhaps in good bogs and safe elves, nor does it skimp in any way in pursuit of a healthy bottom line.
Just shift the ale concession and I’ll be back!
David
- Festival Reviews
It's been 5-6 years since we did this festival. Glad to report it's not lost any of its charm. It carries the tag as 'the middle-class festival', perhaps deservedly, but it should not be inferred from this that the bands lack quality, diversity, freshness or 'edge' - all of this was present in abundance.
Certainly what Latitude delivers is a broader under-card of Spoken Word, Film, Comedy and the wider performing arts. All very welcome but for punters like us who focus on bands this gives an extra level of 'pressure' as we endeavour to take in some extra-curricular stuff simply to feel we've had a balanced and fulsome festival experience. The extra-curricular activity was in part mind-blowing, in other parts disappointing.
The festival lay-out remains the same and in all aspects is well organised. Saturday saw a large influx of day-visitors but queues at the bar/loos never became unacceptable.
As usual we tended to gravitate to the smaller stages, notably the stage in the woods (i- Arena) and the larger ‘6-Music Tent’ which showcased many of the fresher bands on the impressive bill.
Friday
San Fermin – 8 piece: male and female vocalists, keys, drums, guitar, 2 brass, violin. Wonderful tunes. The male vocalist had shades of Tindersticks/Gabriel Bruce. A brilliant kick-off to the music.
Slow Club - had the legend that is Fyfe Dangerfield on bass. Great set featuring songs mainly from their latest release 'Complete Surrender' and highlights from their first two wonderful albums.
Jimi Goodwin – a polished set from this accomplished artist. Wasn't afraid to throw in some Doves numbers: ‘Sulphur Man’ and ‘Last Broadcast’.
Betjeman Poetry - a wonderful deviation into the Poetry Tent for an insight to John Betjeman's life with readings of his work. Final poem was 'A boy ill' - I have this on a 'Morrissey Choice' CD that came with NME 10 years ago. Possibly the saddest thing I've ever heard.
John Wizards - 6-piece from South Africa. Set opened with Jamaican rhythms delivered by a Bob Marley look-alike lead singer accompanied by 3 guitars, bass & drums. But the set developed into a wonderful Reggae/Vampire Weekend/Paul Simon mash up, complemented perfectly by a powerful scent of weed. Best songs were those with extended instrumental passages venturing into prog-rock territory.
The Phantom Band - 6 piece from Scotland: keys, bass, drummer, 3 guitars. Delayed coming on due to sound problems, and then revealed they'd had their guitars stolen so were using Mogwai's equipment. They had the sound of Divine Comedy in the vocal. Oddly one of the guitarists had his back to the audience throughout the set.
Mirror Signal - caught tail end of this 4 piece. R&B sounds. Truly humble to be playing the festival.
Temples - a highlight of the afternoon. A really good live band, with their debut CD not doing full justice to their excellent guitar work, showcased in full here. Drummer had a Hawkwind T-shirt on.
East India Youth – Will Doyle throws his heart and soul into his live performances which get better and better. This was the best crowd reaction I have seen him receive. Resplendent in trademark tweed jacket, shirt and skinny tie, Will Doyle was most certainly 'dripping down the walls' (or at least over his keyboard) by the end of his set.
Teeth Of The Sea - 4 guys in a line across the stage: keys, a stand-up drummer, bass, and guitar. A fantastic trumpet intro to the first number. Dancey instrumental tunes a little in the vein of ‘And So I Watch You From Afar’. 4-5 songs in the keyboard player donned a black mask; I'm not sure of the relevance but it certainly gave the impression of a band seeking to deliver more than a run-through of their songs. Last couple of numbers saw the reintroduction of the trumpet, run through the synthesiser creating a wonderful climax to the set.
Mogwai - sublime. I've never seen this band live before and should know their material better. Everything they do make's me realise they should be one of my very favourite bands with their superb melodies interwoven with strong prog elements and extended solos. Their set showcased their new album ‘Rave Tapes’ - definitely on my shopping list.
Papy's - a late night venture away from music to see the comedy trio we'd caught at End Of The Road last year. Very disappointing. It would be wrong to point simply to the fact that at least one of them was the worse for drink - the real problem was their liquor-fuelled bravado led to them delivering a running Lily Allen joke. It was barely funny the first time, but the constant repetition throughout the show was numbing. A salient lesson: good comedy can rarely be created on the hoof. Even accomplished performers like these need the discipline of a self-critical appraisal at the writing stage and a lot of rehearsal, all sadly lacking here.
- Festival Reviews
The first thing to be said about this festival is that it is VERY family friendly. It's actively encouraged, and in fact, we may have been the only couple there who didn't have kids with us. That said, the atmosphere and setting are both fantastic and with just a 6,000 capacity, a large proportion of which are more interested in playing swingball or making cardboard swords and shields than watching the music, getting up close and personal with any of the acts is hassle free.
Starting at 4 pm on the Friday and finishing at 4 pm on Sunday, the bands occupy 4 stages, and with very few clashes between them, you can see pretty much all you want to see on the always impressive lineup.
Friday
The action started in earnest with the wonderful Teleman followed by Woman's Hour, both only playing for a criminally short half an hour each, but going down well nevertheless. Fiona Jane from Woman's Hour exudes a cool calmness into their music, despite the heat in the tent.
Friday threw up what turned out to be my band of the festival, and surprise of the festival. Toy were my highlight, their hypnotic kraut rock style was blistering on the fabulous sound system of the main stage under the equally blistering sun, mainly playing songs from latest album Join The Dots. Then came my surprise of the weekend, especially as I had compromised by giving Wolf Alice a miss due to the one direct clash. Dan le Sac vs Scoobius Pip headlined a packed Lodge Stage, and they had the place jumping. The thumping baselines over which Scroobius Pip raps was both thrilling and exciting, and his banter with the family audience was hilarious.....he reckons the gig took the world record for the most kids on parents shoulders they had played to...
Closing the first night were the ubiquitous British Sea Power, doing as usual what BSP do. Even the two dancing bears in the audience had a good time.
Saturday
Saturday dawned even hotter than Friday, and it meant having to vacate the tent by about 9am to avoid the personal sauna, so into the arena for breakfast and first band of the day in the stifling Dock Stage, Post War Glamour Kids from Leeds. Post - punk indie is on offer, and a wake up call to those with a morning head.
Raglans on the main stage provided anthemic Irish sing alongs and again woke up a dozy audience. They were followed by the fabulous Eliza & The Bear. An indie band with tunes. Looking forward to a date for their debut album.
We then spent the afternoon attempting to keep out of the sun, so we were hopping about between the shady tented stages and saw Sam Airey, Samantha Crain and We Were Evergreen.
Our first trip to the Obelisk Stage was for the 7pm show of Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls. The hour flew by with a mix of nostalgic Wonderstuff oldies and his equally good solo songs. His storytelling and anecdotes were entertaining and I don't mind admitting that this West Midlands boy had a tear in his eye as he left the stage to a rapturous standing ovation.
Paper Aeroplanes were pleasant and quiet in comparison, but we were building ourselves up to the main act of the weekend....
The legend that is Johnny Marr took to the main stage in front of the biggest crowd so far, and opened with Panic. Those of us middle aged watching went nuts....
Looking the part in sharp suits, the band tore through a mixture of tracks from solo album The Messenger, and a generous amount of Smiths classics such as Bigmouth Strikes Again and Stop Me If You Think You Have Heard This One Before. The last track of the main set was There Is A Light That Never Goes Out......guess how that felt...?
The three encores were : Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, I Fought The Law and How Soon Is Now. Fantastic, amazing, emotional, rapturous....
Just before leaving the stage, Johnny instructed that the night was young and to go enjoy ourselves, so we did, back at the Obelisk Stage.
Keston Cobblers Club provided the afterhours entertainment, with their Leisure Society-like folk and we danced into the early hours.
Sunday
Sunday is always the pack up and come down day, but there were still a couple of bands on the must see list.
Sheffield's Slow Club played the Lodge Stage, with mainly stuff from their fabulous new album Complete Surrender. A fabulous performance, really engaging and appreciative of the still large crowd.
Then finally, Stornoway closed the weekend with their Main Stage appearance. Nice way to finish a festival, not too demanding of the weary punters in the still intense heat.
I'm not sure I've ever been so hot or tired after a festival, but it was well worth it. Excellent bands, food, drink (beer provided by the always excellent York brewery) and this year, exceptional weather.
Keith @kjsmith4082