- Festival Reviews
The Great Escape is unique – as a showcase for new artists from around the world, from all genres, it offers the chance of seeing some of the best performances of the year – and some of the worst. With over 30 venues and 450 bands, no-one’s experience of it will ever be the same. The trick is trying to find the good stuff, whilst retaining a sense of fun and not rushing all over town on the hunt. I try to ask as many knowledgeable friends as possible, and lots of random strangers over the weekend ‘so, what do you recommend?’
Highlights:
Day 1 Act 1 – coming out of torrential rain into the warmth of a little cellar bar to find Blair Dunlop (son of folk legend Ashley Hutchings) performing new songs like 'Castella' and 'Fox News' to a damp, quiet audience – he dedicates the latter to me, as the only person to respond to its anti-Murdoch intro. Later I stopped a man with a guitar to ask the way and instead he gave me his new cd – very nice lovelorn original Scottish folk. Thanks, Aaron Fyfe!
Slaves – so good live that their madness transcends any notions of cartoon pop-punk. Sure they tell funny stories, but the tunes are massive, and they have something that so many lack – effortless rapport with their audience. So good I saw them twice, the first time amongst fans, the second with mostly record industry people – each time the effect was the same, within minutes sane people were running amok in total support of the duo – literally, when they walk out onto the outstretched arms of the audience towards the end of each set. While even they describe songs such as 'Feed the Mantaray' and 'Wheres Your Car Debbie' as ‘silly’, that mutual shared energy wins over – and numbers like the 'Hunter' and commuters theme 'Cheer Up London, You’re Already Dead' (introduced with “if you don’t like your job…change it”) are political punk anthems.
Some great music coming out of South Africa right now, most notably Die Antwoord, so a pleasure to catch fellow rapper Okmalumkoolkat, who has the wooden floor bouncing at a lovely pub venue the Prince Albert. We shout back the lyrics to 'Holy Oxygen' and other slogans in unknown languages. Shaka Zulu would be proud (both the rebel warrior, and the sound system!)
Thurston Moore showed the youth how to do it, trading 10 minute riffs with his excellent band. Totally engrossing and enveloping, like a drug – to such an extent that the audience were dismayed at staff pulling the plug on them, only to discover they had overrun by 25 minutes!
However probably the most exciting experience of the weekend was even older - watching two 70 year old men in a small rammed pub – Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent, the original Zombies, doing a 40 minute set spanning 50 years, including Time of the Seasons and She’s Not There, plus songs from their new album as premiered earlier this year at SXSW, with such joy and passion. Let’s hope some of the new guys here will be doing the same in 2065.
And a special mention for
Wand’s Californian psych wig outs, complete with crowd surfers
Zun Zun Egui’s tribal rock chants, face to face with the audience in a hotel living room
Delta Rae’s wild gospel blues, inc a cover of FMac’s the Chain
Lee Bains III and Glory Fires – Skynyrd on speed, watched by their mates Alabama Shakes
Mile Me Deaf – Austrian kraut/noise rock done with panache
Michel’s superb Palestinian falafels at Trafalgar Arches – as eaten by Michael Portillo!
Kevin Hand
- Festival Reviews
The temperature’s in single digits, the rain showers are heavy and the forecast for the rest of the day isn’t much better, it must be time for the first festival of the year, albeit thankfully indoors.
Spread across 19 venues around the city, Live At Leeds (not to be confused with THE Leeds Festival) is a metropolitan, mainly 1 day event with over 150 bands playing and at a mere £27 for a wristband, excellent value for money.
Following a trip to the wristband exchange, then a hearty breakfast to set us up for the day ahead, the first decision was where to start? 8 of the venues had bands starting at midday, so we plumped for possibly Leeds’ newest venue The Key Club, which is rapidly getting a reputation for excellent rock nights. Local new band Forever Cult were on, a shouty, noisy three piece garage-rock band, not dissimilar to other local favourites Eagulls & Hookworms. This was both a good start and a scene setter for the day.
On the way to one of the larger venues taking part today, the O2 Academy, we popped into The Nation of Shopkeepers where a band called Ngod were playing, and impressing the large crowd in there with their indie/electronic hybrid brand of music.
So then to the Academy, where we joined the queue and intended to stay for most of the afternoon. Gaz Coombes opened the show, and was typically very polished with an excellent band and light show. Sadly no Supergrass songs were played, however with only a 45 minute slot he had to showcase mainly the new album.
After a 30 minute break, we made for row 1 for what was my wife’s anticipated band of the day, Dry The River. Elation turned to disappointment as mid set the power on stage completely went off, so like the true professionals they are, from the edge of the stage they performed an acoustic version of Weights & Measures from Shallow Bed. This only seemed to add to the magic of the performance, and when they ended with an electric version of the same song, the roof was nearly blown off.
Stornaway were next up, and we retired to the seats on the balcony. This is a band I love on record, but for some reason they don’t grab me in a live setting. This was the third time I’ve seen them, and the 3rd time I’ve left before the end of the set.
So that was the end of the Academy for us, so we had a big decision to make…where next ? So many venues, so many bands - probably enough bands to have a 3 day festival with. Leeds Beckett had : Menace Beach, Genghar, Hookworms, Eagulls & Thurston Moore, The Brudenell had Pinkshinyultrablast, Spring Kings, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Slaves and The Town Hall had Dutch Uncles, Palma Violets and The Cribs….we decided on the 2 stage venue of the university.
Model Aeroplanes were first for us, sounding like a younger Bombay Bicycle Club and the small but enthusiastic crowd was won over.
Misty Miller, a 20 year old Londoner was one of the finds of the day. Accompanied by a full band she has no right to have that powerful a voice and such an assured performance. Excellent.
Manchester’s Man Made were up next, and possibly another tip for 2015. A 3 piece guitar band, again they impressed hugely.
Next up were my 2 anticipated bands of the day : Blossoms & Hooton Tennis Club. Blossoms, from Stockport, had an Oasis thing going on, with added keyboards, and with the same assuredness and stagecraft of the aforementioned. Looking forward to the album release. Liverpool’s Hooton Tennis Club followed on in the smaller stage and to a criminally small crowd. Energetic, sloppy, noisy, tuneful and youthful scousers. Again, bring on the debut album.
And finally for the Uni, up were Fransico The Man from LA. A blistering wall of shoe gaze noise and guitars. Exhilarating.
So this takes us up to 9pm, and fatigue is setting in, so back to The Nation of Shopkeepers for a change of pace and 1 final band Jagaara. They might well be London’s version of Haim, but again another find for the day.
I’d love to have finished off with The Cribs, but the queue outside the Town Hall told you the venue was at capacity, so off we went to get the train home. All in all, a fabulous day, some great finds and some fantastic performances were seen. This will definitely be a regular in the calendar from now on.
Keith @kjsmith4082
- Festival Reviews
Before the trip itself, there had been plenty of talk regarding SXSW and what it had become. Whilst as a music fan, not much had changed as far as amount of bands was concerned, the corporate side of SXSW had become a bit of a monster in recent years. It was drawing in big name bands for exclusive performances, and while that was great for the fan in general, it may have not been great for the festival itself and the 1000’s of bands that make the trip to Austin to gain something from the all the work they put in. Pretty difficult to compete when all the talk is about Prince or Coldplay…Kanye…
With increased exposure came even more free parties, open to all, and attracting even more to the city. However, it had become unmanageable. Line-ups became problematic and sheer volume of people in the city had started turning many industry folks away from Austin. In 2015, SXSW made changes after feedback from those who attended and after hearing from so many bands, managers, and labels, that it had become difficult for them to justify the money, time and effort that it cost to attend.
So with that in mind, we prepared for SXSW 2015 not really sure what we were going to find when we got there, but we were going to have a concrete plan of bands to see before we got to Austin and take it from there and when the planning was all done, it was time to head to Austin.
Monday 16th March 2015
So, the intention was to fly to Austin before the Music portion of SXSW kicked off. That would give us an opportunity to have a few drinks at our favorite craft beer bar, eat in our favorite restaurant and get a little rest before everything started.
That didn't exactly work out to plan as it turned out, there was plenty to do on Monday and there was no point in resting, SXSW had begun.
The party of the night turned out to put on by Rocket Fuel, a marketing company, and with Misterwives, Real Estate, and New Pornographers playing; it was tough not to go. Sadly when we stood in line, it was revealed that while we all had rsvp’d, not everyone was going to get in. Those who had received a confirmation email from Rocket Fuel were getting in and 3/4 of those in line would have to wait until later to join in on the fun, so….it was off to Latitude for the Monday night British Embassy party!
Got straight in to Latitude and they were handing out free beer tickets, and we were off.
Lost Brothers were up first and we had seen them before…lovely 2 piece Irish folk group and it was on. Talented young men with a great sound. Next up, surprise guest? No band listed so we were unsure who to expect. It was Irish night at Latitude so that gave us one clue but we waited to see.
That's when we were all asked to remain quiet for the duration of the next show as it would be worth it…and they were right. Soak came onto the stage. This young 18yr old is a fantastic young talent. Her songs are beautiful, her voice is pure and subtle and Latitude was silent but for her singing and guitar. She really is a wonderful singer and it's easy to forget that she is only 18 as she sings with such compassion and maturity that the songs just flow ….and she holds everyone's attention until the end of her set when the entire bar erupts in cheers, and clapping and there is not a person in the bar that regrets being there, it really was fantastic!
Then it was time to try to get into the Rocket Fuel party. It was time for Real Estate. A quick walk over to the Vulcan Gas Co bar, line-up was still there but they were pulling out anyone that had badges and in we went. Here we found an open bar and free food…not what we really needed but its rude to say no…..…
We had missed Misterwives but still had the opportunity to watch Real Estate and New Pornographers. Real Estate put on a solid showcase of their new and old tracks, another solid set of great songs that kept the crowd going (that and the free booze) until New Pornographers one show in Austin for SXSW.
New Pornographers played a full set of old classics and new tracks off of Brill Bruisers. Would love to list any or all of the tracks they played but at this point, its after midnight and the free booze has caught up!! I do recall dancing rather a lot during the great “Use It” but other than that, it's a little foggy. Could also be the green drinks they were handing out but it was a heck of a first night.
note to self, when jumping into a first night like this, perhaps some restraint is best as this first night not only led to a wicked Tuesday morning (and afternoon) hangover, but repeated drunken attempts to upload video and photo’s used up most of what data plan I had purchased for our trip to the United States and the bill for using my phone was looking to be huge by the time we got back.
So, so much for a calm start to SXSW 2015, we dove in and it had begun. It was now Tuesday morning, time to knap and start over!
St. Patricks Day 2015
Well,its a little early to be this hung-over but it has happened. Its going to be a long day.
First off, is the Rolling Stone party that is happening this year at Mellow Johnnys bike shop. Tuesday afternoon is usually pretty quiet for options so a party that is featuring Alex Winston, Best Coast and TV on the Radio, you pretty much have to commit.
After a short wait outside, the free food and more free booze is on (I abstained) and after a couple of young new artists perform (Cramer a young r&b artist and a young singer songwriter whose name was never clear) it was time for Best Coast. With new music ready to go and plenty of recent exposure, their set was full of pop and shoegazey classics including “Last Year” as well as new track “Heaven Sent”. It's a fun venue to see them in and the place is packed. Party was open to all so it's not badged and wristband folks, it's a lot of fans so the crowd is all over it.
After a short break next on is Alex Winston. Alex is a talented young pop rock singer songwriter and though I don't recall any new material for some time, it's clear the Rolling Stone folks love her. They give her a great avenue to get back in people's faces, and with being tour support for Edward Sharpe, every little bit helps. She is a classically trained singer so there are some fairly strong songs; no doubt new material is in the works
Now it's late afternoon and its time for the party to kick off. Pretty much everyone at the party has shifted inside making it as packed as I have ever seen Mellow Johnnys…for TV on the Radio. Tunde Adebimpe is his frenetic manic self and the whole band is jumping. You can see the bikes, hanging from the ceiling of the shop sway slowly to the deep bass that's happening in the venue. There is a sexy nerdiness to these guys and the crowd eats them up. There is no sign of any issues with the band, they all seem healthy and tracks like “Wolf” and “Trouble” stand out. It's a full on show, and the band does not hold back at all…and it's a good solid 45-60 minute set that makes everyone happy.
Dinner and drinks are welcomed now to prepare for another full night.
Tonight were are off to British Label Transgressive Records party at Buffalo Billiards. While there were some solid showcases this night, this one would be the one with the best chance for me to see Songhoy blues. I have always been a fan of the label having loved bands like The Subways, Johnny Flynn, Mystery Jets and of new acts like Songhoy Blues, Gengahr and Spring King.. it's an easy choice.
Spring King are up first and these kids rock. Have always admired bands whose drummer is the lead singer and that's not easy considering the punk rock style they play. Its messy and straight ahead, loud and abrasive but still smooth. Very nice, and while on occasion it all slows down a bit so drummer/lead singer Tarek Musa can catch his breath, it's a solid first show of the evening.
Next up, Gengahr. Indie Pop at its best, and kinda sinister, there is something lurking underneath the surface for this band. It's a wonderful set of songs that are refreshing, I hear the Smiths on occasion, love when you are listening to a band and you don't quite know what is coming next and it's a great follow up to the in your face, Spring King.
Next it is Songhoy Blues.This band comes with plenty of hype and this is only their 4th show ever in the States and it is a good one. The band from Mali, who are always smiling, play a fantastic live show. This despite the fact their songs are based on tragic stories, of a brutal history, which their songs featured in the movie “They will have to kill us first” which is being featured at SXSW film, a movie about the Jihadist takeover of Northern Mali in 2012.
Their live show is the ultimate experience of their talent, I am not sure how it will translate to an album but the show is infectious and grooving, a fantastic guitar driven rhythm based party and its a solid 45 minutes of fun.
The sound has that world beat groove and with lead singer dancing around and enjoying the show as much as he does, it is impossible to not love these guys. Can't wait until these guys visit Toronto, its hard to label their music but it's well worth it to check them out wherever you are.
Next it's off to Latitude to check out Catfish & the Bottlemen who having sold out their last show in Toronto, it's obvious they are popular and the bar is crammed! I decide to do what many are doing and that is stand outside the venue, where you can easily see and hear the band, and check them out.
Once described as the “defiantly uncool Welsh indie Rockers”, these kids are solid. Indie pop rock well performed and it's difficult for me to find any fault in their show. It sounds perfect, some great songs, done by a very talented band, and I enjoy all of their set, especially seeing the show from outside on a beautiful night in Austin!
It's also a fantastic way to end the night, after a long day it is time to walk the 2 blocks to my hotel while humming Catfish songs and get ready to go again tomorrow!
Good night!
Wednesday 18th March, 2015
Feeling great this morning having recovered from Monday debaucher and managed to get some sun on Tuesday and Wednesday brings more sun to Austin and a very busy day for SXSW.
The plan is to head to the Mohawk for a day full of shows put on by Pitchfork. Some may remember that this venue gets very busy and it has two stages, an inside stage in a very small room and an outside stage that holds considerably more people and levels of viewing areas, and a much more comfortable experience.
Some bands I watched for only 10 minutes (because we were stuck inside) and others we watched a full set outside, it was a busy day of running between the two stages and got a little tiring but badges were let into the building a lot earlier than those who had simply rsvp’d so we got a solid perch outside and one of us kept our spot safe while the other (me) spent the day between the two stages.
First up outside was Torres who is a rather gritty performer. Guitar based band with a tough lead singer, even the songs that start out as a ballad morph into something a little harder. Her new album is coming out soon and she sings in a throaty whisper and switches to a full howl quickly and its a solid set of grunge guitar outside.
Inside…its a few dreamy songs by Lydia Ainsworth. This local (Toronto) talent is well known here for being classically trained and has produced some very experimental stuff. Inside, her songs have pulled in a huge crowd in a small room so I stay long enough to hear some Kate Bush and Bat for Lashes like songs…a rather beautiful sound that is tough to give up on but it's just far too crowded inside.
Outside it is Speedy Ortiz. A much buzzed about band lately…they rock! Even when they invite a comedian in the crowd (Hannibal Buress) to drum for them (he can't drum) they perform a solid set of College Rock and shine on this stage. Can't ignore this band live they are very good. Full sound, great players and I am outside, it's perfect.
Sadly…next up is another inside show and it's Natalie Prass One of my must see artists, if the room was full for Lydia Ainsworth, its crushing inside with a spill over crowd out towards the other stage. Natalie gets some roses delivered and then she and her band deliver song after song off of her new album. Her country rock roots were apparent and she sings with a style that is very appealing…if you like her new album, you will love her live show. Even the constant surge of the crowd trying to get in the small room doesn't take way from set but after a while, it's become uncomfortable, and I wait for her song “Is it you” to be performed (mesmerizing) and I am back off to the stage outside.
Steve Gunn is playing outside. Part of the Kurt Vile band, he is a killer guitarist and his band perform some lovely melodramatic guitar rock outside a good solid set. Inside now…is Son Lux, a three piece post rock electronic band that sounds good but I can't even get in the small room to see them so back out to prepare for Viet Cong.
Viet Cong are the new buzz band here in Canada and growing internationally. As they get on stage it's clear this is not going to be your normal show. The drummer who plays on a drum kit and sample pad is struggling with a broken hand, in a sling. Lead singer, Matt Flegel, playing bass pushes on and this post punk set of pure rock is stellar. Songs come and go and between the amazing playing and witty banter, it's by far the best rock show of the day! It's the 11 minute closer “Death” that pleases the most, the song is a punishing piece of guitar work and ends the set perfectly.
At this point, its late afternoon and some re-energizing is needed but not before we hang around long enough to see the lovely Courtney Barnett perform on the outside stage. Don't need to tell many out there that this will be Courtney's year. Her new album is brilliant and having seen her a number of times before, I knew what to expect. This set is just her new album, every track performed, and outside…all level of viewing areas are packed. Her set is a beauty, I don't have all the tracks memorised but Courtney leads her band through a fantastic rock set and she really does play guitar and sing really really well. Can't wait for another show here in Toronto…she is a must see.
After dinner it's off to Latitude for another Brit night! I really wanted to check out Blossoms. No chance of them visiting Toronto anytime soon and had been hearing much about these guys. From Stockport, these kids play some lovely psych-pop songs with beautiful melodies and with Steve Lamacq and the Coral's James Skelly shouting their praises it looks like these youngsters will do fine. It is a beauty of a first set of the evening..
The next two acts are both acts we saw the night before but loved them so much. I am seeing them twice. Gengahr sound even better here at Latitude, louder, tighter, and another solid show. Soak...again is brilliant. Again, the venue is quiet, nobody talking and she amazes us again with a beautiful set of songs …and again, the crowd goes nuts..its an amazing response for another fantastic show
I stick around for Jack Garrett. This solo artist is a one man band, a fantastic blend of soul, hiphop, and pop performed by one guy, standing on stage and it's a surprisingly full sound that is pretty fun!
Now it's that time to find one other show to jump into before some rest. Bad Cop and Kopecky are playing close by so I am off. The Majestic club has about 40 people in it to hear Bad Cop. I don't get to hear too much..its simple in your face rock but I am really here to see Kopecky
The Kopecky Family Band are a personal favorite and I have not seen them for a while so, I am quite happy to have fit them into my schedule. They do not disappoint! Solid set that includes “Wandering Eyes” and “My Way "classics off their album' Kids Raising Kids It's an indie pop rock show and it's a beauty. New songs from an upcoming album fit right in with my faves so I have big expectations from the new LP already. It's a family full of harmonies and Nashville rock and it's a great way to end the evening.
Thursday 19th March 2015
Big day here in Austin! Today is Spotify house day!! Bound to be a big line-up so we show up a little early but again, it is not needed, as badge holders have a small line and we are near the front, and…get in quickly. Inside, it’s a maze of inside rooms and a big stage outside. The line-up today happens to allow me to check off a number of boxes with Tobias Jesso Jr, James Bay and Ibeyi all playing but….first off, we have Twin Shadow
Usually Twin Shadow live shows are a mixture of synth pop and drum machines, bitter lyrics and a taste of Depeche mode. Today, Twin Shadow is playing a rare acoustic show featuring himself on guitar and a friend on keyboards. Shocking himself the most, he pulls it off. His songs, minus the production, are just as lovely, a little clearer where they are going and his voice might be a bit more powerful minus the extras. It’s a lovely start to the day.
Ibeyi are a pair of French Cuban singers, twins, Naomi and Lisa-Kainde Diaz. Their father was in Buena Vista Social Club so music is in their family. They grew up with solid roots in a widely practiced Afro-Cuban religion based on West African Yoruba culture and musically this is where they get their inspiration. For this, Sandra and I are very glad because the next 45 minutes would represent the best of SXSW 2015, even during the show, we both discussed how it would be impossible for any show following this to be any better.
Ibeyi mix jazz, soul, hip hop and electronica with the Yoruba influences and the mixture is magical. The twins need no band, one on keys, the other doing percussion, their voices mix together in the most perfect harmonies I have ever heard. The crowd, many of whom had no idea who these young ladies are, and probably are at this showcase just for James Bay or Big Data who are coming up…are all in the massive crowd in front of the stage.
These twins love each other and love their songs and they are genuinely giddy from the response they are getting. They sing about their father who has passed, they sing about their mothers struggle to deal with the loss all the while their singing seems like a celebration, despite the subject of their songs.
They smile through every song and from the set opener of the two singing with no instrumentation to the final song “Ibeyi” in which they solicit the crowds participation to help sing it’s a stunning set of beautiful songs about family and love and while we often don't understand what they are singing, it doesn't matter…its stunning. Please check them out, listen to the album, go see them perform, they are pretty special
Back to the Acoustic stage to check out our Canadian guy, Tobias Jesso Jr. it’s a simple set of songs performed solo on a keyboard, think Harry Nilsson or Randy Newman ..mix in a little McCartney and you have Tobias. Simple showcase as he stumbles over his own songs in a self-deprecating way, forgetting his own lyrics on occasion but it doesn't matter. it’s a solid set of songs that show off not only a great voice but simple lyrics that show off his writing talents. It’s fun and endearing and James Bay is waiting nearby to take his spot on the big stage.
Having seen James Bay at Austin City Limits music festival, we wanted to see him again at a solid showcase and standing in the sun, drinking free beer. After seeing Twin Shadow, Ibeyi and Tobias is about as good as it gets. He is already at the stage of being deemed the “next big thing” by the looks of the crowd, he is already there. He is a very good singer, not flashy, doesn't bounce around, he just sings his songs with the intent to please the crowd.. He does have some very catchy songs like “Hold Back the River” and “Sparks” and the entire set goes down very nicely. Some may criticize him for being “bland” or too simple and uncomplicated but he sings a good song to me and Sandra and we are glad we stayed around long enough to check him out again.
We now make the call to run over to Waterloo Records and their big outdoor stage to catch Elle King. Fortunately we get there in time to see 2 songs by Son Little. He has worked with the Roots and singing with a solid Cody Chesnutt vibe, glad we got to see a bit. His band mixes quite a few influences with some Reggae Soul and Blues leading the way but sadly the band is off and they are setting up for Elle King.
Elle King is one Badass Blues Rock artist. Her voice is amazing, her band equally so and her humour, it just makes everything better. She tells some pretty funny stories while playing the banjo or guitar…she is pretty sassy and has plenty of attitude, (this may be because she is the daughter of Rob Schneider, SNL comic) but she sings some seriously catchy Country Blues/Soul songs to the delight of the crowd. With no full album out yet, can’t wait for more from her.
Latitude show tonight starts with Laura Welsh. A lovely British singer, who has toured with Laura Marling and London Grammar and sang with Gorgon City. She sings pop anthems back to back with some ballads and flows through a full set of some pretty good songs. Hate to say it though. It’s early and all I can think about is the mess that's to come.
Next up is the lovely Dry the River. It’s a pretty great set of all the hits from their two albums and while they make a joke that they are performing for the third year in a row at SXSW “to be discovered” there is a lot of people in the crowd that know every word to their songs. They do have Angelic voices and look like rock stars and possess some stunning harmonic talent. The songs build and breathe and it’s great to hear all of these songs again in this bar, the sound in here is fantastic, one of the best at the festival.
Black Rivers (featuring two members of the Doves (minus Jimi Goodwin) They struggle with soundcheck, maybe trying to be too perfect and 20 minutes of their set is gone before they start a song. What we do get is 4 songs of layered psych rock but the singing is a bit off and does make me miss the old band. Still enough there to keep me intrigued so we will keep an eye on the band and see where they go.
Now it’s Circa Waves. Fantastic little Liverpool band whose songs are quite the little nuggets of pop, some wiry guitar and building chorus and are full of energy. What you hear on their EP is only a portion of what their potential is. They are far more energetic and frantic live but still with that underlying element of being pure pop, it works really well tonight and this crowd is actually kinda dancing,”Young Chasers” and “T-Shirt Weather” are standouts but really it was all great.
It’s a beer and Carl Barat & the Jackals! It’s a must see show as Carl has cancelled all other shows, its SXSW or nothing, so I am in. It’s a no nonsense messy and swaggering rock n roll/punk show with sweat and spit flying everywhere. A 40 minute set of madness and epic rock songs and if you loved the Libertines, you will enjoy these guys it is like the Libertines without the baggage, a professional rock show performed by very solid musicians and it is a lot of good times!
But now...the question I have is how the next band Public Service Broadcasting can follow Barat, will it work? How can it work? No Worries, it does! Public Service Broadcasting are a two piece band that create a soundtrack to an ongoing visual display behind them and it is stunning. With no vocals and only limited communication with the crowd through pre-recorded responses from their laptop, it’s up to the drumming (fierce and forceful), and odd guitar and banjo, to tell the stories and it does.
I find myself in the front row, completely intrigued by what I am hearing. Almost more punk rock then Barat, its loud and sweet and danceable and engrossing and most interesting is the fact I find myself almost singing but there are no words?!!!
The set contains an intensity that I did not expect and clever and rather overwhelming but it’s a stunning set of fantastic songs and I can’t think of any better way to end the night and one of the biggest surprises of the festival.
That ends it…another great night; sore tired legs and all...off to sleep!
Friday 20th March 2015
Good Day Austin! So there was plenty of planning in place before our trip to Austin. Some of that planning included having backup plans in case of rain. It has threatened rain a few times but we escaped the weather as it skirted past Austin or hit over night.
Today it looked like we would not be so lucky so we hit the venue we knew we would be protected the most and that is the Red Eye Fly. While it still has a stage outside (as well as inside stage), most of the outside area is covered so the risks were minimal and the line-up was really quite strong so at noon…we were there.
Before we head to Red Eye Fly we attempt to pop by Canada House to catch a set by Heat. A fantastic band from Montreal. Having listened to much of what’s available from them we were really interested in hearing them but sadly, as sometimes happen, someone forgets to hit a switch, they spend 15 minutes trying to get the Mic’s working (literally was a simple switch that was missed ) and we couldn't stay any later.
First off inside at Red Eye Fly is Down & Outlaws, a hard rock blues band from San Fransisco. Its straight ahead rock n roll and it’s a admirable set by a band playing for about 10 people. It’s early and they are loud but people are slowly trickling in.
Outside Mathew E White is setting up, suited up and ready to go, his baritone voice is great, matching his skill with his guitar, and he plays a set of songs that include almost his entire new album. He and his band toss in some jazz, blues, gospel and rock into a fusion that approaches an indie pop flavour. It’s an nice early show and it’s still sunny out, can’t ask for more. Matthew is also tied to production and studio work and he is recognized as being an essential part of the beauty of the Natalie Prass album so it leads to her showcase later.
Back inside, for a complete change, Skylar Spence is creating an offbeat dance party all on his own. Formerly Saint Pepsi, Skylar is really pumping it up inside and considering the indie rock blues set we just heard outside, it’s a refreshing change.
Next, a personal favorite outside, Wolf Alice. This band were a SXSW2014 favorite of ours, pure rock n roll led by a young lady that likes to channel Robert Plant to produce an inspired set of songs. With a new album coming, the band tosses a number of new songs into the set and they sound fantastic. She (Ellie Roswell) can sing like an angel one minute and then she is belting out a grunge song next, that song started out as a ballad. It’s a wild ride with this band, they are a heck of a lot of fun. They created quite the buzz last year and felt a return this year with a US tour was a good idea, I would say they were right, there was a lot of people talking after the set about how they had no idea who Wolf Alice were before the show, but they sure know now.
Hated that set to end but it did and it was inside to see Blank Range. Blank Range are an American rock band from Nashville. It was solid blues based rock again but I could not get past the point that the lead singer was wearing sandals ? Southern rock in sandals? I had a hard time with that, songs were good. But Jack Ladder was about to start outside so off I went
Jack Ladder is an odd one, crazy little band behind him now and he is about 6’6” as a lead singer wearing a robins egg blue suit. He would remind you of Nick Cave or Mark Lanegan and his new album features Sharon Von Etten. He is quite popular and is playing in Austin a lot, and he is impossible to ignore when he is on stage. A weird new wave, 80’s vibe but he is a dark one,.never really sure what you are going to get with him. I found myself watching his guitarist as he was even crazier then Jack, which says a lot. Songs are fun, and it’s a good showcase for them.
Back inside, and I have to get a good spot as Natalie Prass is about to go on. This is a much more comfortable spot to watch her and her band perform and they do not disappoint. Performing wonderful country soul/ blues, a friend of Ryan Adams, this little lady is a firecracker. Her performance is refined and lovely, a class act as far as pleasing the crowd not only with fantastic songs but some pretty great banter. Will wait for a solo show here in Toronto to see a full set, it will be even better.
Back outside for a quick song or two by new buzz band Twin Peaks. Messy noisy and fun filled punk rock played by this Chicago band. They have a lot of fun playing and it’s a good rock show but we have little time to listen. We must get to the Convention Centre.
Now we are out in to the rain and walking quickly to the Convention Ctr to see Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear. These two are a mother and son duo from Kansas City who only in the past year have signed a label deal and is now getting the finishing touches done on a new album. Between jokes about Kansas City BBQ vs Austin BBQ and jokes about performing with your mother or son, these two produce some pretty special songs. An acoustic blues set of very very great songs and for about 25 minutes it seems you are sitting in their living room and having a drink and watching them.
They have played together for years in Kansas City and I am very glad we are all getting a chance to see them. It’s a warm, comfortable set of songs performed by a genuinely tightly knit and fantastic duo.
This evening we are off to St. Davids Historic Sanctuary. Have never been there but the appeal of sitting in a pew and watching bands was something my poor legs could not turn down. Helped that the line-up was stellar.
First up inside was Tove Styrke. A fantastic up beat young singer/band from Sweden. She is a fantastic talent and they were a lot of fun.
Next, the torytelling expert and ridiculously talented Laura Marling. Have seen her many times but I think the festival has tired her out so much now that she is giddy! Singing all your favorites while making some pretty funny little mistakes and at times she couldn't actually sing as she was laughing at her self so much. Telling the story of her first SXSW when she was 17 and was hanging with Johnny Flynn and she couldn't get into a venue to see Breeders. She did the most natural thing and she climbed in the bathroom window of the bar.
These stories mixed with her amazing singing (and amazing acoustics in the church) make for a great show. Her troubled lyrics mixed with her angst and attitude and this angry folk artist is hard to ignore. It all came together for a great way to showcase a lot of new songs and some old classics.
We felt a little sorry for Foreign Fields who were up next .this 7 piece band produced some fantastic melodies, with as many as 5 members singing at one time but to follow Laura is tough. It is Folk tinged Electronica played with a full band and it is a rather grand sound. This band now reside in Nashville and are working on a new album, I will be watching out for that.
Now comes the main reason we are here. Another huge buzz band is up and it is Leon Bridges. With only two songs officially in the books, Leon has got signed based on that. He shows up at St Pauls with two back up gospel singers as well as some great s musicians from White Denim.
Leon Bridges is so popular, it turns out the Fire Marshall is getting close to shutting the place down. It seems the festival has maybe under estimated the crowd and the spill over in the waiting area is threatening the event. Thankfully, it gets sorted and we are in for a show.
Like watching Sam Cooke and Otis Redding but, it’s a Leon Bridges show, he leads the band and looks as accomplished and confident as any I have seen. He sings about his family, how his grandparents and how they met, he sings about growing up and he does it well.
The shows gospel spirit works well at St. Davids and the only sign I see of Leon being uncomfortable with his new found fame is when he gets a standing ovation and really does not know how to react. Meanwhile, it’s time to move on and there is a crowd outside who have been listening to the show on loud speaker, specifically put in place for the overflow, and as we leave, they prepare to go in to see James Bay.
Off to the Parish (a great venue) to catch Songhoy Blues again! Just as happy as the first time I saw them, still full of spirit and passion for the music they sing a serious rock show. To pump it up a bit more, Nick Zinner from Yeah Yeah Yeahs join the band for some songs making it’s a great showcase for the band, a great stage for them to play and there is a lot of people dancing about!
Then its 1am and its time for the last band of the night (morning?), a favorite for many years, The Cribs hit the stage for a hour long hits laden set of loud rock n roll. a pit full of fans is ready the minute they hit the first chord and it’s a must to keep an eye on the crowd around you, there is people flying everywhere!
While the set includes the hits like “Hey Scenester its balanced with some new more "Pop" songs off of the new album. They work just as well as the classics and the crowd is bouncing around even more now. The brothers seem to actually be enjoying themselves tonight but you never know. They are professional and spitting out great rock and to close the set, just to make things interesting , a few guitars and microphones get thrown around, .just so that nobody forgets who these guys are, .that was a good night (and day) off I go home, time to rest!
Saturday 21st March
We are getting awfully tired now. It’s been a solid week of music and today it’s all about finding a comfortable spot to hang out, maybe away from the big crowds
We decide to head over the bridge, over to South Congress where there are some amazing, open to the public, no badges shows happening today. We have Music by the Slice, and South By San Jose, both featuring a day full of some very quality acts.
We catch the set by Great Caesar, from Brooklyn, a very capable folk rock band lead by a very dynamic lead singer, they are a good start here at Music by the Slice.
A run across the road took us to South by San Jose, one of our favorite spots, and we watched Peter Bibby, a wonderful little folk artist from Australia. a seasoned vet, he is great with the stories and the songs, and there is an association with Tame Impala so he comes with some history. We stick around South by San Jose so that we can catch Kate Tempest. This young British rapper is spitting rhymes quicker than most. She is a very positive force, a brilliant little talent and I can see why she is getting so much attention. She is an amazing little poet and she wins over the crowd, all convinced she is singing to them and it’s a great show.
Now its time to head back over the street to Music by the Slice to catch a number of shows. JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound. A solid funk/indie soul set from this band from Chicago, with a charismatic singer and they describe themselves as Otis Redding fronting The Stooges and can’t say they are far off. A little rough and smooth, all at the same time.
Next up is Hey Marseilles, and indie folk chamber pop band from Seattle. Great lead singer, this band reminds me a bit of Lord Huron and it sounds very lovely outside on this stage.
Now, Third Man Records has opened up shop and with a tiny stage, they present a few bands between sets on the Music By The Slice stage. First up on third man is Blind Shake. They are loud! a Garage Punk band that almost forces you to back off a bit…they were quite the change from what we have heard.
Back to the main stage, and its Ball Park Music, a “Geek Pop” band from Brisbane. You pretty much have to smile during their set, its upbeat and clever but not being too soft. It’s very solid and the band are shocked as there are a group of 8 young kids directly in front of the stage singing every word, and I mean every word, to every song….its rather cute.
Luceran Raze is up on the Third Man stage, and they are intense. The band is led by Luke Reilly, formerly of the band “Sex Beet”. It is loud and it’s hard to get close to where they are playing, they are surrounded. What I hear half scares me and half appeals to me…its solid
Canadian band Reuben & the Dark is up on Music by the Slice main stage. We have seen them before over here last year and they are quite the little band. Beautiful harmonies and a talented bunch, they all play multiple instruments, their songs are well built and crafted and it’s a nice change from Luceran Raze! I have heard this band described as Mumford & Sons mixed with Arcade Fire, they do create some great indie folk anthems.
Back to the Third Man Stage, and its slightly more manic and loud Pujol. Accessible punk rock, well written and solid performers, they do well on this tiny stage.
Now…I have to be in two places at once. Here, on the Music by the Slice main stage, we have another Canadian with Dan Mangan and Blacksmith. This is my first chance to see Dan with his new band but across the street is Milo Greene and I have never seen Milo Greene before. I stick around to see Dan perform three songs off of his new album, one of my top albums, and its brilliant. Dan was a solid singer before, now, with a fantastic band, he may be even better. If you like his new album, you will really love his new live show. Its dynamic and full sounding and it is a perfect blend of Mangan's voice with chaos of guitars and synths, it’s a folk rock experimental blend that is hard to leave, but I must run
Across the street at South By San Jose, I am able to catch the final half of Milo Greene. New and old songs are sung with expertise, this band seems to have been touring non-stop since the first album came out and with the new album getting rave reviews, I don't see that changing much. It is cinematic pop at its best, with basically four lead singers, this outdoor stage and no rain, this is the sound I was hoping to hear from the band. A great time for some perfect pop and we shuffle on home for dinner happy.
After dinner, and being Saturday night, this is it, and I know I want to be at Latitude at 1am so I am just going to settle in there for the evening. There is enough to keep me going.
First up is Honeyblood. Despite being a two piece having lost one member in the last year and replaced with a new, this band, one of my favorites from SXSW 2014 kick serious butt. This Glasgow band are brilliant, their album is another of my top albums and it’s a sweet full on rock show put on my two very talented young ladies, great start to the this showcase.
Next up, its Ultimate Painting. These guys are a wonderful, they play precise, well written songs and when these two came together to form this band (one from Mazes and the other from Veronica Falls) it meshed immediately. They are not going to blast you out of the venue, they just put together songs in a very orchestral way again, in this venue, it sounds great.
A somewhat quick change over on stage and we have Hinds (formerly the Deers). The Spanish group of young ladies play some solid songs in a somewhat shambolic surf grunge style. Considering it was not that long ago that they learned how to play their instruments, they do impress the crowd. Their vocals are never quite perfect tonight and maybe its the fact that today I have heard some beauties but when the band explains that this show was their 16th of the week…I will give them a break.
Happyness is up next and boy these guys are good. Does seem they have listened to a lot of Yo La Tengo as was pointed out by a few people at Latitude, that does nothing to take away from their show. It is lush indie rock with some fine lyrics, a warm rock show that pleases the crowd here for the last night.
I am fading at this point so it’s good that Hector Bizerk is on next. This Experimental hip hop group from Glasgow is led by a very charismatic rapper named Louie. There is no chance of falling asleep or not paying attention during this set...he is on everyone to participate. Its great for midnight on Saturday, having these guys forcing people to bounce around and kneel on the floor...its an odd sight but people are into it.
Now, its 1am and it was my choice to end my SXSW with Girlband. Over the years, we have seen many great bands at 1am on Saturday with Drenge and British Sea Power coming to mind. Tonight I chose to go with some massive noise. Girlband are a very loud noise rock band from Ireland. Highly touted, these guys sing with intensity with a touch of thrash and hardcore, but it comes in waves. Not always hitting you, it sneaks up on you and before you know it , it hits My Bloody Valentine volume and you are wondering whether it’s time to call it a night! The singer is a brilliant performer and maybe that is what takes the edge off of the volume, he is great to watch. But for me, I see what many are doing is heading outside to watch the band from a safe distance so I join them and then call it a night.
Legs are rubbery and my brain is melting but I am happy to have made the most of SXSW 2015
Thanks for reading!
Jim & Sandra
Jim @totolondon
- Festival Reviews
It doesn't take many "buzz words" in an email to get us interested so, Cecil Sharp House, Green Man, Sweet Baboo and Teleman totally sealed the deal to grab some tickets to The Green Man HWYL Festival in Celebration of St David's Day and many things Welsh!!
We took a leisurely train to London to arrive at Cecil Sharp House around 2 pm, where we were greeted by The Green Man and collected our first wrist band of 2015. A quick check of the "site" revealed Main Room with Huw Stephens about to hit the decks,
Seated Room for comedy, live Rugby (Wales v France, of course) and poetry, Cafe full of Welsh delights and The Bar Stocked with Welsh ales and ciders so what to do? Try some of that ale over a game of scrabble and make a plan of course!
To gain a full festival experience from the day we headed to comedy and were treated to some tales from Mike Bubbins about life and love in Barry, Swansea and Cardiff. very, very funny, including Elvis impressions.
Then upstairs for some music from Folk songstress Georgia Ruth, playing keyboard and a beautiful mini harp, with some guitar backing accompaniment and the lucky ones who had nabbed a bean bag had a totally chilled moment!
We may have dipped out for a pizza a little too soon (Athough the fayre produced by Made of Dough from their modified Land Rover was the finest pizza I have ever tasted) Majorcan sausage... with leeks of course!
Unfortunately heading back to the main room we discovered we had just missed Stanley Brinks but there was a vinyl "Gin" with The Wave Pictures so I shall play (and review in due course!) when I have a quiet moment.
So we found a seat and waited for Sweet Baboo to take the stage and, as always, listened with smiles at his endearing tunes, and witty banter, the venue sound was superb and the songs including Tom Waits Rip Off, Motorhome and C'mon Let's Mosh! were crystal clear. Good to hear him playing new songs from his forthcoming album.
So what next? The Pub Quiz in the Bar! With 4 tickets to Green Man as 1st Prize it was a very well supported event, we hooked up with 2 great Welsh girls and took on the challenge which included topics; Shirley Bassey Covers and The 22 Council Areas of Wales! I'm pleased to report we did very well, but also miffed we were only one point off winning! (Damn! I knew St Paul's was bigger than Westminster Abbey) We shared our 2nd prize of Creme Eggs and Dvd's!
The evening now drawing in and the Halletts Cider taking effect we headed to the main room for Twmpath. Wonderful Welsh Folk Dancing to a live band, a flash back to country dancing in our early school years. An hour later "glowing" and aching from laughing, we'd had a fab time. This totally captured the true essence of a festival in one day.
So to the headliners. Teleman. It is no secret this band is one of our very favourites. The set was filled with tunes from Breakfast and sprinkled with 3 new tunes so looking forward to the next album. "Not In Control" saw a good crowd all dancing around the room as a finale to a fab day.
We couldn't stay for late DJ's (we had already missed the 23:35 train!). All in all damn good value for £25 each and on the radar for next year too.
Sally @sally_wally
- Festival Reviews
Who needs multiple summer festivals full of predictable music, when there’s a winter gathering, in the city that is a permanent festival anyway (Brighton), curated by one of the most influential and creative bands of the punk era (Wire)? This is Drill, an eclectic mix of artists either inspired by Wire, or selected by Colin Newman and co to appeal anyone who listened to John Peel for more than 3 songs and still enjoyed it.
Four full nights plus two afternoons and a pre-party, all for a very reasonable price…
Thursday; Sons of Noel and Adrian (during happy hour at trendy bar Audio) proved a very acceptable precursor to Wire…who were themselves a precursor by Graham Duff, mysteriously absent from the programme, who turns out to be a local BBC scriptwriter doing a funny turn…which is OK as he is a massive Wire fan. Indeed he plays guitar with them later, along with assorted friends and relatives, as the 20 strong Pink Flag Orchestra. Wire has embraced Krautrock since the early three chord days, and many songs elongate into tight motoric grooves. They play in black against a bright blue backdrop. Not ones to do the hits, they start with a sonic poem (23 Years Too Late) followed by Drill for the first time. I recognise the beautiful song about landscapes, Map Ref 41N 93W. They have lots of passionate and friendly fans, mostly men of a certain age (mine), who tell me it’s a classic performance. And no, they didn’t play ( I am ) The Fly although a band of that name does play a small pub venue on Sun evening.
For complete contrast, a few of us make it to the late night show by cut&paste pioneers/cabaret geniuses Cassette Boy. DJ Rubbish careers around the stage in a wig, in front of a huge screen, flanked by 2 suspiciously young men in monkey masks. I last saw Cassette Boy about 10 years ago…maybe it’s a collective name, a process not a person. Anyway, it’s a wonderful party, dancing to hilarious sound/visual collages with an underlying anarchist theme. Check them out if you need help with SAD this winter.
Another Rockclub correspondent (we are all Kevins, This ones from the US) enjoyed Telegram and These New Puritans, then got drunk with Bristol’s Scarlet Rascal…shocking!
Friday; Surprisingly both a little hungover we fail to meet…but see 2 great gigs. The other Kevin loves British Sea Power with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra brass section in a church, which does sound good. I in the meantime fall in love with Savages. A total show, lights, drama, passion…the audience is completely immersed (and about 50% female, giving a nicer atmosphere than many rock gigs). All the band are in black except the glittering drummer, with singer Jehnny Beth, mesmerising, in a black chiffon top. They start with lots of new songs, all moody and magnificent...including Slowing Down the World and the poignant I Adore Life, dedicated the recent passing of Nick Talbot (Gravenhurst) just the day before. In a quick chat later with Graham Lewis of Wire, he also loves the gig and opines that the new stuff should take them even further from being just another all-girl rock band. Seeming pleased with our positive responses, Jehnny smiles and powers into a blistering second half, with all the highlights from Silence Yourself, towering over us as she balances on the barriers. They end with a stunning finale of Husbands, Sad Person and an extended version of their empowering anthem, Don’t Let the Fuckers Get You Down. Polite notices in the loos about not filming the performance are obeyed…great to see a band without a forest of phones in the way. Savages rightly try to control as much as they can of their output, offering us their own amazing video films rather than distorted fan footage on Youtube.
Toy end the evening on a long psychedelic note, followed by Krautrock Karaoke…not (sadly?) members of the audience queuing up to sing Autobahn, but members of Drill bands (and indeed some of the audience) riff-based jamming in the K-r style. No names announced, but we seem to recognise members of Wire, Githead, Toy, and the singer from Wytches doing a suitably over the top vocal. Savages are in the audience, still smiling.
Saturday afternoon; has an electronica theme in the Haunt, hosted by excellent Brighton shop Resident Records. It starts with Brighton’s AK/DK, who plays great warm danceable stuff with analog machines whirring in the background, real drums, and treated vocals, followed by the more poppy Fujiya & Miyagi, who play an excellent song about the devil serving Minestrone soup from a Ford Escort.
Saturday evening; is a hard choice: I go for new locals Speak Galactic, which I enjoy a lot. Their young mastermind sings through a veil of red hair, sounding like a dying cat but in a good way, over elegant soundscapes that morph into mad wig-outs. After Spectres come Esben and the Witch, playing powerfully building songs from ace new Albini-produced lp A New Nature. Dig Your Fingers In is a spooky highlight. They could have gone on all night…except this is early closing Saturday because the venues can make more as nightclubs later on, I presume.
Sunday; needs a change from all these guitars…so it's the boisterous big band jazz funk of Almighty Planets, who prove a good warmup act for Mercury winners Young Fathers…who create one of my gigs of the year. Knowing little about them in advance apart from taciturn interviews, I leave numb and drained, after an intense hour in which I cannot take my eyes off the stage. It starts with a military drum, the key fourth member of the band standing over a small kit which he beats mercilessly throughout the set, holding all the other diverse elements together. The rest is simply 3 guys rapping and singing, alternately or together, over a deafening bass that penetrates the whole body with occasionally, other sounds. But what songs…and what presence…the men weaving around the stage, hair flying, abruptly stopping, all in perfect harmony. The whole thing channels the spirit of past heroes….Kuti, Gaye, Scott – Heron…yet remains original, beautiful, tense but ultimately uplifting. Afterwards I just sit on the beach, staring at the sea, unable to move on to the next venue…nothing could follow this.
So, its perhaps good that the next venue, the lovely Albert pub, is totally full for mighty Italian jazz rockers Zu…the first queue I have seen, pleasantly surprising as much of the ethos at Drill is big names in small venues. I’ve just about recovered in time for Swans…always an assault on the senses, here at deafening volume. As Michael Gira says, these are not songs but experiences. They turn the lights up to reduce the us and them feeling, which does alter the intensity a bit. Gira seems very happy, and ends with effusive praise for Wire, one of his early inspirations…which is good, as they turn up to join Swans and finish the festival as they started, with a long shared version of… Drill, of course.
A few small negatives – we drooled over the initial listings and underlined all we wanted to see, only to find that many of the best acts clashed. Standard festival angst I suppose. Distances were long between some of the venues - OK for those of us on bikes but still necessitating some careful planning and decisions. Most venues were deafening and earplugs became the norm. Lots of positives though – very little queuing, and very friendly bar staff and security, both a bit of a contrast with the well-established Great Escape in the same town. High drinks prices, but no more than the average nightclub…and great to find some proper beers – a pint of LSD in Sticky Mikes Frog Bar seemed deliciously appropriate (Langhams Special Draught, from Sussex). Fantastic organisers, imaginative line-ups and venues, great music. Roll on the next Drill…though as the last one was in Seattle, it could be anywhere…
Kevin Hand
Dec 2014
- 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