Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in April 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
SCOTT MATTHEWS / ALBERTA CROSS
@ Portsmouth Pyramids, 3rd April 2007
Gentle, soft, bluesy songwriting - wake up!
Seated gigs never seem to give any kind of atmosphere. The Pyramids Centre was like a Ryanair trip with a scramble for non-allocated seats - but at least there was a vast improvement on the in-flight entertainment. Seats don’t allow people to mingle, spill drinks on each other and giggle. Instead there are gaps as people avoid strangers and a girl sat across the row to my right keeps turning round and staring at me with heavily-ringed kohl eyes. What have I done?!
Alberta Cross take the stage to no round of applause whatsoever. They walk up one at a time, camouflaged in black. No-one seems to realise that this is the support act until they settle down and pick up their instruments. Singer Petter Ericson Stakee has a distinctive thin, reedy voice which almost feels like it is going to break as he picks his wavering way through the songs, gently bouncing along on the spot. They play the haunting ‘I’ve Known For Long’ (believe it was their opening track) which was shortly followed with the melancholy air of ‘Lucy Rider’.
Terry Wolfers crouches over his bass, a look of abject concentration on his face, and John Alexander Ericson is similarly focusing solely on his organ (steady ladies). Their first track is plaintive and a sense of longing washes over the audience.
The Thief & The Heartbreaker’ LP only came out the day before the gig so it’s not like anyone’s had the chance to be acquainted with the music, but other songs they played tonight included ‘Old Man Chicago’ and downbeat bluesy single ‘Hard Breaks’, one of the high points of their set. There was little interaction with the crowd, though Petter did manage a wave at one fan who hooted at them.
My friend returns from the bar at the end (he didn’t want to walk in front of everyone during a song) and announces that the last track was very long, leading me to believe it was the epic (er, well the six-minute-long) ‘Devil’s All You’ve Ever Had’. To me, sat a few rows from the stage, it didn’t feel long because I was caught up in the sweeping gentle chords and tones which Alberta Cross were playing earnestly. Their songs were sweet, peaceful, deep and just a little bit mournful. To be honest, I thought their set could have been a little longer.
Scott Matthews has an amazing husky voice. Think of Gomez’s vocalist, the bespectacled Ben with his true-blues voice – it’s got that strong mature quality which is unexpected, especially for someone who calls the audience “man” in a distinctly West Midlands twang. The singer-songwriter played the first few tracks alone, illuminated from behind by stunning blue lighting while smoothly fingerpicking his guitar and producing some beautiful rich tones before being joined with a violinist, bassist and drummer, one at a time.
Between every song, Fidel Castro would come on stage and hand a different guitar to Matthews, who could only keep apologising for the time this was taking. “Fucking shambles!” The new James Blunt he is not, probably because of the swearing. (Occasionally we’d worry that Mr Castro was going to launch into one of his famous 15 hour speeches, but luckily he kept his stage time to a minimum.) Matthews made quite a few comments and the audience warmed to his sense of humour.
There were a couple of instrumentals, almost soft rock, with the lights flashing and the band concentrating away. Matthews had his head down, focusing on his guitar. The drum kit was casting an artistic shadow across the wall and the audience was nodding and foot tapping along appreciatively. The songs were thoughtful, making me daydream to another place. I expect they’d sound particularly special and personal in a smaller venue with room for a couple of hundred. I think it helped that I taught myself guitar as a teenager, so I was watching Matthews’ fingerpicking intently and concentrating on the soft tones.
Sadly my friend was rapidly losing interest with the atmospheric slow songs, leaning over and making comments like “Why is he playing the drums with a pastry brush?” and “This song is making me wonder what I missed on Neighbours earlier.”
But even he woke up during Matthew’s lively single ‘Passing Stranger’ where the girls sat in front of us tired of throwing rock shapes and decided to dance by the stage with a few friends. The poor singer was put right off by this unusual occurrence, missing lyrics because he was sniggering, and at one point saying: “Let’s start again!” The crowd was laughing along with him, and joined in the applause for the dancers and the people who had chosen to stand.
For a few words to describe the night – mellow, good musicianship, mature, melancholy. My friend didn’t quite believe me when I said I enjoyed it, but I did.
Alberta Cross
Scott Matthews
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SIXNATIONSTATE / THOMAS TANTRUM / THE GLAD RAGS
@ Southampton Joiners, 10th April 2007
Lively and sweaty - plus excellent freebies
I love tacky merchandise. Love it, love it. Sad it may be, but I have a box under my bed from all the bits I’ve collected from gigs and shows before. Queen sixpence, Captain matches, The Producers fan, Pull Tiger Tail cat mask. I always regret never picking up any Paul McCartney incense. Sir Paul, I apologise profusely.
And in a relevant vein, I want to thank SixNationState’s street team for providing tonight’s gig goers with a free medallion. It’s plastic gold with a star and says ‘WINNER’, with the band name all along the shoelace type ribbon. It’s in a class of its own.
With said medallion tied round my wrist like the trendsetter I am, we made our way to the front, enjoying the music pumped through the venue (Larrikin Love, the Rumble Strips et al).
First band on stage were The Glad Rags, whose own outfits didn’t quite match up to the spectacular costumes promised by their name. Damn. They were really enjoyable. Indie rock with smooth and fruity tones (like a milkshake - I’d say they were a bit orangey, if you’re going to be specific) and had a bassist who from certain angles looked like Paul McGann. This was more than enough to keep me happy.
People were yelling for various band members. “Thanks dad,” deadpanned the singer. The guitarist was a bit miffed this joke had already been used and wasn’t sure how to respond when it was his turn.
I pointed out to my friend (with some glee) that we were stood in the soon-to-be moshpit. He feigned trouble with the heat and we took a step back. This meant that for much of Thomas Tantrum, my view was obscured by a couple of tiny teens sitting on the rail by the sound booth, forcing me to spend the set staring at the bassist. This turned out to be interesting as I realised we were at college together many moons ago, although I doubt he’d remember.
Although I wouldn’t say they were as lively as the Glad Rags, they had plenty of fans in the crowd enjoying their music and calling for 'Armchair'. The blonde singer, Miss Mega Tantrumhead (says MySpace - poss. not her real name) occasionally had an ear-splitting howl of a vocal but spoilt the rock image by asking in the sweetest, cutest voice ever if they could make the lights less hot. The order was shouted back along the crew, with each person looking more amused. And the crowd audibly 'ahh'ed at her niceness.
SixNationState were about 15 minutes late. They were onstage on time, but the bass/mic equipment didn’t appear to have the same keenness and had stopped for a break and possibly a KitKat, resulting in lots of dashing about and pressing buttons. Then the band kicked off, and they were loving it. End of the tour to their homecrowd meant it was pretty special for them. Their songs are a mix of indie rock, reggae, punky ska – I’m sure last time I saw them they had brass, but perhaps I was imagining it? Singer Gerry has a belting monster of a voice and it really helps that plenty of their tunes have singalong bits to get everyone into it. The mosh pit became a heaving, sweaty mess and I felt a little sad I wasn’t stood in it. 'Keep Dancing', the stickers on their equipment order everyone.
Single ‘Fire’ went down well. New single ‘Where Are You Now?’ is saved for the end. It’s boisterous, lively and fun. The stage invaders obviously agreed. SixNationState looked like they were having a ball. Then they all went to get pissed in Lennon’s, while I kept hold of my medallion and stepped into the chill air of Southampton. It was a good one.
The Glad Rags
Thomas Tantrum
SixNationState
Showing posts with label sixnationstate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sixnationstate. Show all posts
Monday, 28 January 2008
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Single Reviews - Mar 07
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in Mar 07
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
Bat For Lashes - Prescilla
Echo, 15th March 2007
Natasha Khan performs her winsome, dramatic vocals over a crackers drumbeat. Then the song unexpectedly kicks into a sophisticated, jazzy and surreal landscape, rich in imagery. This is courtesy of the autoharp and trombone, instruments not seen as often as they should be in pop. There’s always the sense that Khan is holding back slightly, like she could let launch with a killer vocals. Bat For Lashes have supported Jarvis Cocker on tour, which is certainly good enough for us. Nice and curiously different.
http://www.myspace.com/batforlashes
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The Bird And The Bee - F*cking Boyfriend
Regal, 19th March 2007
The Bird And The Bee are from Los Angeles, home of Californian cool, Kate Hudson and smog (but the less said about that the better). 'F*cking Boyfriend' is unusual-sounding sweet pop over a chilled yet dancey background. It’s accompanied by a nest of electro blips over casual breathiness. Probably one for the upmarket cocktail bars who think it’s cool and edgy to have people saying ‘fucking’. Oh, sorry, we mean ‘f*cking’. Any advice on how to pronounce that star would be much appreciated...
http://www.myspace.com/thebirdandthebee
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Clark - Ted EP
Warp Records, 5th March 2007
This wasn’t quite what I was expecting. What was I expecting? I’m not sure… trust me not to read the press blurb that comes with these things. Zippy, Blinky, Crisp, Crunchy, Punchy, Complex and Abstract. Those are the Seven Dwarves, as it were, of this tune, which sounds almost improvised.
The Bibio remix is more reserved and acoustic. It’s the daytime TV movie version of ‘Ted’, which morphs into a warped marshmallow nearer the end. ‘Bruise Animations’ sent me into a rainy day near the end of autumn, in amongst the leaves, and left me stranded in the mud clutching a daisy, in a thoughtful way. Halfway through the textures become more sandy, with prominent percussion throughout.
‘Mia Farrow’ has a sense of lost and longing about it before slinking into a sexy comeback. ‘Springtime Epiphany’ is suitably wind chimey with a fresh sense of promise. It sounds a bit New Age, but turns harsher towards the end. Final track ‘Cremation Drones’ is a bit disturbing, playing with your mind but you can’t quite reach in and drag it out, with its rattles, whines of pain and fear like nails down a blackboard. Interesting…
http://www.warprecords.com
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Electric Spoon - You
Marquis Cha Cha, 5th March 2007
There’s a crackly acoustic guitar being played by your kindly uncle sat by the fireplace. But instead of breaking into some ‘Kumbaya’ horror, he’s fingerpicking furiously and his vocals are as welcome as a cool glass of Malibu would be right now. This is 'You' by Electric Spoon, who are set to be very popular among Jack Johnson fans. B-side ‘The End Begins’ is more upbeat but still gently knocking on the door rather than bashing it in and throwing up on the carpet. Soft, relaxing, calming; Electric Spoon.
http://www.myspace.com/electricspoonmusic
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Jamelia - No More
Parlophone, 19th March 2007
Hello, looks like someone’s been rifling through The Stranglers’ library and pinching their moth-eaten but well-loved copy of ‘Golden Brown’. Then they’ve gone and drawn on it with some brightly coloured crayons. Jamelia has added some pretty pop warbles over the backing track for 'No More'. (While we're on the subject of samples, didn't she use 'Depeche Mode' (or Marilyn Manson's) 'Personal Jesus' last time round? Maybe she upgraded her library card to get a few albums out). 'No More' has the potential to horrify fans of the original, but it’s actually quite an enjoyable pop song.
http://www.jamelia.com
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The Mules - We're Good People
Organ Grinder Records / Kartel , 26th March 2007
Now 'We're Good People' is a bit of an oddity. It starts with some retro 70s funk while The Mules vocalist Ed snarls over the top. It’s quite curious and suddenly switches to a classical violin piece mid-song before moodily loping back. We can’t help loving b-side ‘Problems With Exits’ which crashes headfirst along and draws more attention to their classical musicianship, particularly in the Vivaldi ‘Four Seasons’ violin bit towards the end (oh yes, I got Grade 5 clarinet some ten years ago). It sounds rather like the guitar is being played with a cheese grater, which is a nice touch.
http://www.themules.co.uk
-----
Scott Matthews - Passing Strangers
Island, 12th March 2007
Put your feet up on the veranda, kick your sandals off, take a look at the sunset over the Southern US and get yourself a bourbon (the drink, not the biscuit. Unless you’re under 18, kids). Scott Matthews has a huskier, more mature voice than I’d expected. Briefly wondered if this was playing at the right speed, then realised that even iTunes can’t cock that up. It’s soothing, but at not too slow a pace to kill you off. Pleasantly chilled. The more I listen, the more I think: does this count as – shock – country music? And Scott's from Wolverhampton, so that pisses over the nice American image I’d built up. “That smile on you is not your own.” Aaargh! Whose is it?
http://www.scottmatthewsmusic.co.uk
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SixNationState - Where Are You Now?
Jeepster, 26th March 2007
Thanks for asking, we're currently in the office typing biscuit crumbs into our keyboard. 'And it feels so right... and it feels so wrong.' 'Where Are You Now?' is the second Jeepster release from Southampton/Reading indie ska bods SixNationState.It's a jolly, sweaty piece of boisterous, knees-up dancing, fun with mucho shouting and belting 'oh ohhh's to get you all in the mood for summer. Ah, why isn't it summer yet... If you like much of the same, they're currently on tour. If you want to see the video, get yourself along to here and hover your mouse above the pictures 'til you find the one you want.
http://www.myspace.com/sixnationstatetheband
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in Mar 07
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
Bat For Lashes - Prescilla
Echo, 15th March 2007
Natasha Khan performs her winsome, dramatic vocals over a crackers drumbeat. Then the song unexpectedly kicks into a sophisticated, jazzy and surreal landscape, rich in imagery. This is courtesy of the autoharp and trombone, instruments not seen as often as they should be in pop. There’s always the sense that Khan is holding back slightly, like she could let launch with a killer vocals. Bat For Lashes have supported Jarvis Cocker on tour, which is certainly good enough for us. Nice and curiously different.
http://www.myspace.com/batforlashes
-----
The Bird And The Bee - F*cking Boyfriend
Regal, 19th March 2007
The Bird And The Bee are from Los Angeles, home of Californian cool, Kate Hudson and smog (but the less said about that the better). 'F*cking Boyfriend' is unusual-sounding sweet pop over a chilled yet dancey background. It’s accompanied by a nest of electro blips over casual breathiness. Probably one for the upmarket cocktail bars who think it’s cool and edgy to have people saying ‘fucking’. Oh, sorry, we mean ‘f*cking’. Any advice on how to pronounce that star would be much appreciated...
http://www.myspace.com/thebirdandthebee
-----
Clark - Ted EP
Warp Records, 5th March 2007
This wasn’t quite what I was expecting. What was I expecting? I’m not sure… trust me not to read the press blurb that comes with these things. Zippy, Blinky, Crisp, Crunchy, Punchy, Complex and Abstract. Those are the Seven Dwarves, as it were, of this tune, which sounds almost improvised.
The Bibio remix is more reserved and acoustic. It’s the daytime TV movie version of ‘Ted’, which morphs into a warped marshmallow nearer the end. ‘Bruise Animations’ sent me into a rainy day near the end of autumn, in amongst the leaves, and left me stranded in the mud clutching a daisy, in a thoughtful way. Halfway through the textures become more sandy, with prominent percussion throughout.
‘Mia Farrow’ has a sense of lost and longing about it before slinking into a sexy comeback. ‘Springtime Epiphany’ is suitably wind chimey with a fresh sense of promise. It sounds a bit New Age, but turns harsher towards the end. Final track ‘Cremation Drones’ is a bit disturbing, playing with your mind but you can’t quite reach in and drag it out, with its rattles, whines of pain and fear like nails down a blackboard. Interesting…
http://www.warprecords.com
-----
Electric Spoon - You
Marquis Cha Cha, 5th March 2007
There’s a crackly acoustic guitar being played by your kindly uncle sat by the fireplace. But instead of breaking into some ‘Kumbaya’ horror, he’s fingerpicking furiously and his vocals are as welcome as a cool glass of Malibu would be right now. This is 'You' by Electric Spoon, who are set to be very popular among Jack Johnson fans. B-side ‘The End Begins’ is more upbeat but still gently knocking on the door rather than bashing it in and throwing up on the carpet. Soft, relaxing, calming; Electric Spoon.
http://www.myspace.com/electricspoonmusic
-----
Jamelia - No More
Parlophone, 19th March 2007
Hello, looks like someone’s been rifling through The Stranglers’ library and pinching their moth-eaten but well-loved copy of ‘Golden Brown’. Then they’ve gone and drawn on it with some brightly coloured crayons. Jamelia has added some pretty pop warbles over the backing track for 'No More'. (While we're on the subject of samples, didn't she use 'Depeche Mode' (or Marilyn Manson's) 'Personal Jesus' last time round? Maybe she upgraded her library card to get a few albums out). 'No More' has the potential to horrify fans of the original, but it’s actually quite an enjoyable pop song.
http://www.jamelia.com
-----
The Mules - We're Good People
Organ Grinder Records / Kartel , 26th March 2007
Now 'We're Good People' is a bit of an oddity. It starts with some retro 70s funk while The Mules vocalist Ed snarls over the top. It’s quite curious and suddenly switches to a classical violin piece mid-song before moodily loping back. We can’t help loving b-side ‘Problems With Exits’ which crashes headfirst along and draws more attention to their classical musicianship, particularly in the Vivaldi ‘Four Seasons’ violin bit towards the end (oh yes, I got Grade 5 clarinet some ten years ago). It sounds rather like the guitar is being played with a cheese grater, which is a nice touch.
http://www.themules.co.uk
-----
Scott Matthews - Passing Strangers
Island, 12th March 2007
Put your feet up on the veranda, kick your sandals off, take a look at the sunset over the Southern US and get yourself a bourbon (the drink, not the biscuit. Unless you’re under 18, kids). Scott Matthews has a huskier, more mature voice than I’d expected. Briefly wondered if this was playing at the right speed, then realised that even iTunes can’t cock that up. It’s soothing, but at not too slow a pace to kill you off. Pleasantly chilled. The more I listen, the more I think: does this count as – shock – country music? And Scott's from Wolverhampton, so that pisses over the nice American image I’d built up. “That smile on you is not your own.” Aaargh! Whose is it?
http://www.scottmatthewsmusic.co.uk
-----
SixNationState - Where Are You Now?
Jeepster, 26th March 2007
Thanks for asking, we're currently in the office typing biscuit crumbs into our keyboard. 'And it feels so right... and it feels so wrong.' 'Where Are You Now?' is the second Jeepster release from Southampton/Reading indie ska bods SixNationState.It's a jolly, sweaty piece of boisterous, knees-up dancing, fun with mucho shouting and belting 'oh ohhh's to get you all in the mood for summer. Ah, why isn't it summer yet... If you like much of the same, they're currently on tour. If you want to see the video, get yourself along to here and hover your mouse above the pictures 'til you find the one you want.
http://www.myspace.com/sixnationstatetheband
Sunday, 20 January 2008
Gig Reviews 2006 - Carling24, The Holloways, Vital
In an attempt to build content before the website launched in 2007, I began writing gig reviews of the places I'd been in 2006. These are gigs I was going to anyway, I was there for fun and not work purposes. Unfortunately for anyone who likes variety, as a committed fan of the Pigeon Detectives and a bit of Kaiser Chiefs, the content all started looking rather familiar...
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv in Jan 07 http://www.native.tv
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
CARLING 24
Kaiser Chiefs / Captain / The Pipettes @ Brixton Academy, 24th April 06
This is the kind of ‘24’ that Kiefer Sutherland wants to be doing
“Excuse me, have you got a lighter?” slurs a man as he staggers towards the queue at the Brixton Academy. “I just want to light my joint.” No, sorry. A security man asks him to leave and stop harassing the crowd.
“Or what? You gonna fucking fight me?”
“Yeah.”
My friend panics and turns his back slightly, as if that’ll protect him from a crazed and drugged up Londoner tussling on the floor with a hefty bouncer about five feet away from us. Luckily that fight doesn’t materialise, so we can all breathe a bit easier. Thank goodness.
For those who haven’t heard of it, the premise behind Carling 24 is simple. 24 hours of solid live music in one city, hence the 24 part; and it’s quite obviously sponsored by Carling. That means a free drink, unless you skip the bar and run straight to the front row. Either pick and choose one gig or go to as many as you can.
Ian Brown, the Ordinary Boys, Larrikin Love, Goldie Lookin’ Chain, Dirty Pretty Things and co. are setting up to play in venues across London, but we only had tickets for the first match. Kaiser Chiefs – Best Live Act at the Brits, moshpit fans - promised to be a stunning opener.
My partner-in-crime on this trip shyly let on that he’d never actually been to a proper concert before (What?!) so I gave him tips in clinging onto the barrier and prayed he wasn’t going to get a crowdsurfer on his head.
If there’s one thing which can liven up a few hours waiting outside Brixton Academy, it’s the Wall of Cock. (We knew what it was called as someone had thoughtfully written it in large letters on the bricks). For those of you who have never seen it, the name pretty much describes it – 6ft plus of dirty jokes, band names and drawings of quite impressive appendages, which almost help take your mind off the fact it’s actually quite cold out and you didn’t bring a coat. We were slightly jealous at the people who seemed to have backstage passes slung round their neck, until we were given one and discovered it was just a list of times that bands were going onstage.
The Pipettes had the honour of kicking off the whole event, although sadly they missed out on being filmed for Channel 4’s coverage. The three girls Rose, Becki and Gwenno sing sunshiney 1950s pop, aided by various groovy dance moves, stylish polka dot dresses and an indie backing band called the Cassettes. Cute and fun, especially ‘Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me.’ What are cassettes?
Channel 4 presenter Alex Zane then walks on, trying to bellow ‘Hello Brixton!’ in a microphone which isn’t on and he looks suitably embarrassed. Ooops.
Next onstage were Captain. They didn’t look entirely comfortable, although rumour has it most were suffering from colds. Captain have been hyped up everywhere over the last week, which has timed quite nicely with new single release ‘Broke’. Poppy, with a dreamy fairground keyboard at times, lead vocals are shared by the sweet-voiced Clare and the big hatted Rik. The stage is then hidden away by a sweeping red curtain with ‘KC’ on it.
And at last – the Kaiser Chiefs came on. The crowd goes crackers (we tighten our grip on the barrier – without this, we might be a blob under someone’s trainers in no time) as Ricky Wilson strides down the centre to begin ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less.’ The last year has been amazing for the band, who went from boisterous unknowns to even more boisterous Brit-winners and Live 8 openers.
Of course it’s not only Ricky’s band; the man lording over the back of the stage on drums and backing vocals is Nick Hodgson, a favourite with the ladies for his cheerfulness and shiny hair; Peanut (aka Nick Baines) is on keyboards in his traditional hat, clapping away and loving every minute. Big-haired Simon Rix is rocking away on bass to the right, while Andrew ‘Whitey’ White is calmly playing his guitar and occasionally smiling in quiet amusement.
It’s nearly the end of a long tour for t’Chiefs – they’re closing in their hometown of Leeds in a couple of days – and Ricky is starting to look a little worn, although he still has the energy to climb the odd speaker stack, run along inciting Mexican waves, start a few crowd singalongs, dance with a fan during ‘You Can Have It All’ and lean into the crowd while trying to prevent his trousers being ripped off by a) fans and b) the bouncers.
Ricky announces they will play one of their new songs, although he’s less than happy about the media taping it and walks over to a camera, randomly pressing buttons to turn it off. The band is grudgingly allowing cameraphones, as trying to turn off 5,000 of those is a little trickier. The audience is a little quiet during the new songs, possibly because the only recognisable parts are the clips that a sharing person has uploaded to YouTube.
Things get a little worrying during ‘I Predict A Riot’. For obvious reasons some people think the name of the song is an invitation to charge at the person in front, maybe swing a few elbows or try and climb up someone’s back. Looked round to see a crowdsurfer heading for my face, so ducked while the bouncer made a grab for them. A couple of people become ill and have to be pulled out. Later on while speaking to someone who had the luxury of an upstairs seat, they asked: “What was going on down there? It looked mad!” One man is attempting to push his way to the barrier by putting his hands very close either side of me and practically mounting my back. I pull a face which a bouncer notices – he bounds forward and starts yelling at the bloke to give me some space.
The Kaiser Chiefs also play ‘Caroline, Yes’, ‘Time-Honoured Tradition’, ‘Modern Way’, ‘Sink That Ship’ and ‘Na Na Na Na Naaa’ before closing with a storming ‘Oh My God’ which has the whole audience screaming that they’d ‘never been this far away from home’. My friend has a bruise all the way across his chest from the barrier. I have an elbow mark in my back. The night has been amazing fun, but we really feel for anyone going to the next gig (Ian Brown in Islington) and the ones after because we’re knackered already.
On the train home, we compare badges bought and text everyone to tell them to look out for us on the TV coverage. A woman moves away from us to sit with her boyfriend and says: “Sorry, you don’t smell or anything.” We point out that yes we do; we’ve been sweating and dancing for hours. She seems to think we’re joking and laughs. We honestly stink.
A fantastically lively start to Carling 24 – but will people still be feeling this buoyed up at 8am? To be honest we don’t care – we’ve had a great time and are looking forward to more alcohol, a decent sleep and watching the gig again on telly. Hurray for telly, and Kaiser Chiefs.
http://www.kaiserchiefs.co.uk
http://www.thepipettes.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/captaintheband
http://www.carling.com
-----
THE HOLLOWAYS / THE PIGEON DETECTIVES / SIXNATIONSTATE
@ Southampton Joiners, 18th July 06
Summer heat and stage invasions
Five stage invasions, three water pistols, one fist fight. It’s possible the July heatwave which is lazily covering the south in some sort of thermal blanket is affecting people’s brains.
Tonight is a revolving headline tour between the Pigeon Detectives and the Holloways, promoted by the Joiners as ‘Two NME Faves… One Great Bill.’
First on stage are local band SixNationState, whose lead singer has a belting voice. There’s lots of comedic bobbing up and plenty of knees-up in turn to their summery indie ska. They are joined on stage by two girls bouncing up and down (these two make a regular appearance through the night. Luckily it’s the bands getting a cut of the ticket price, not them).
Next are the Pigeon Detectives, the band I was most looking forward to. The member of this fast upcoming Leeds band are singer Matt, Oliver and Ryan on guitar, David on bass and Jimmi on the sticks. Matt was clearly hot already, one his first acts being to pour a bottle of water over his head and then sprinkle the rest at the crowd. Someone in front of me threw water at Oli. He looked seriously pissed off. The band has been seriously hyped up, mostly by NME and an overexcited Kaiser Chiefs drummer, but they’re worth it (just like L’Oreal).
This band are so in demand, apparently even the members can’t buy a copy of their new single ‘You Know I Love You’ because it’s sold out everywhere. The Pigeons play a nice raw slab of rock music with the biggest, sweatiest mosh pit I’ve seen for a long while. Matt is full of energy, running from one end to the other and leaping face-down into the crowd.
The girl in front of me turns round and shouts: “I’ve never been to a gig before!” She loves it, bless her cottons. There’s another teenager stood on a stool at the front, blocking a lot of people’s views. (Stool Boy later apologises nicely to the people and said he realises it annoyed everyone).
Pigeon Detective fans tend to have a large number of tracks in their collection (hurray for MySpace) and so there are a considerable number knowing the words. The band tear their way through ‘I Found Out’, ‘Wait For Me’, ‘You Better Not Look My Way’ and ‘Don't Know How To Say Goodbye’ among others, getting the crowd to join in on various choruses.
Matt amuses himself by climbing the speaker stack and sitting on the shoulders of a stage invader, dropping the mike and motioning until someone passes him another. “Thanks to the guy who let me rub my sweaty bollocks on the back of his neck for the last song,” he announced. Charmed, I’m sure.
The Pigeon Detectives finish with ‘I’m Not Sorry’, a cue for everyone to climb on stage (shortly followed by a few security personnel).
And inbetween bands, there is a mass exodus outside. People collapse on the cool pavement holding drinks and chatting across the road. Cars are driving through the centre real slow, looking nervously at the gig goers. Perhaps they’re expecting a riot, but it’s far too hot for that type of shit.
Back inside, the heat is heavy, the Holloways are chatting by the bar in fetching straw hats and a group of guys are walking past the bar singing Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’.
And here come the Holloways, ready to cheer up the crowd with some upbeat indie. “Anyone here not sweating?” asks chatty singer/guitarist Alfie, and the drummer picks up an enormous water gun and fires at the audience. The other band members are Rob on vocals/guitar/fiddle, Bryn on bass and Dave on drums (luckily their names fit the part). Alfie walks around the stage randomly commenting on the previous act until the band say: “Just pick up the Mustang and play a song.”
And tonight’s songs include ‘Diamonds and Pearls’, ‘Great Britain’, ‘Generator’ and plenty of others I don’t know (sorry). We’re told they’ve played Southampton lots before and we’re usually rubbish, but tonight we’re, oooh, second best on the tour.
The Holloways should also be highly commended for using an electric fiddle, an underestimated instrument in indie rock (although it keeps detuning in the heat so is only brought out on special occasions).
The heat was affecting a few people the wrong way, with two guys choosing a break between songs to try and punch each other. “What are you doing? You daft bastards,” Alfie says as the crowd try to separate them. One of the guys keeps trying to launch himself at the other, but is being held back by an audience member. The mosh pit, which seemed so frightening ten minutes ago, completely empties.
“He’s trying to punch him… Stop that!” says Alfie. The band decide the heat and the energy is a bit much and play a slow track to chill things down a bit. The gig’s overrunning and they’re not allowed to play everything, but of course there’s time for new single ‘Two Left Feet.’
“If you’re here for the music, take a step forward. If you’re here for a fight… er, just fuck off,” says Rob, who receives a round of applause for his wisdom.
Singer Alfie is having such a good time chatting he forgets to play, then imitates the crowd yelling at him in a high-pitched voice: “Alfie! ALFIE!” So the rest of the band (mainly Rob) blast him in the face with water pistols. The last song is greeted with a queue of people climbing on stage, patting Alfie, trying not to fall off, waving at their friends then launching into the moshpit. It’s overrun by half an hour but no-one cares.
Indie ska is here, boys and girls. And never underestimate the power of sweaty summer rock.
http://www.theholloways.tk
http://www.thepigeondetectives.com
http://www.sixnationstate.co.uk
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TENNENT'S VITAL FESTIVAL - DAY ONE
The Tides, The Pigeon Detectives, Mumm-Ra, Be Your Own Pet, The Raconteurs, Kaiser Chiefs.
The Botanic Gardens, Belfast, 22nd August 06
Norn Iron’s biggest rock/pop festival comes into town
Why are major festivals always sponsored by lager? I am a girl. I don’t like lager. I don’t want lager. I want more choice than warm cider or lemony vodka in the bar. Nothing against any brand in particular, I just don’t like it. Sorry.
If I did have to choose a lager right now though, Tennent’s is the best, judging from the events they put on (think I got out of that one all right).
There had actually been plenty of complaints, not over the choice of beverages, but over the line up for Day One of Tennent’s Vital Festival in the beautiful city of Belfast. Who knows why, because it seemed very impressive. Any line up with Jack White and the Kaisers is not to be sniffed at. ¡Forward, Russia! were headlining the second stage, although I didn’t catch them because I was stuck in front of the main one.
First on stage were Northern Ireland’s rising stars, The Tides. Rising Tides. Arf. They had brought a number of screaming fans/friends along with them for the ride; well, it’s not every day you open the biggest festival in the area. They were pretty enjoyable with catchy songs and looked proud to be up there.
Next up were the Pigeon Detectives, who frankly deserved a bigger audience. I found myself standing slightly apart from their main bunch of fans, so I held my own mini mosh pit (with just me in it, I had no chance of getting crushed/killed. Now that’s festival luxury). The band opened with ‘Romantic Type’, charging their way through ‘You Know I Love You’, ‘Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye’, ‘I Found Out’ and more, saving best known hit ‘I’m Not Sorry’ until the very end. Plenty of jumping up, getting tangled in the mike lead and leaning into the crowd from seriously energetic frontman Matt Bowman. The girls in front of me chose to ignore the band because they could see the Kaiser Chiefs watching from the side of the stage and they were trying to take pictures of them. Little bit rude, but there you go.
Up popped Mumm-Ra, the best band from Bexhill-on-Sea, and with one of the best names on the bill (I’m afraid the Pigeons take top honour there, but only after gaining points for surrealism). The lead singer stood on the amp on tiptoe, leaned forward and almost plunged headfirst into the crowd. He also made use of a plastic duck on stage, singing to it and putting it on his head. The audience looked confused. Tate, Noo, Oli, Niall and Gareth play a bewildering yet beautiful mix of styles in each individual song, and everyone is impressed. I'd most definitely go and watch their curious set again.
In the break, Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson decided to wander across the stage, wearing shades and sporting an enormous grin. When he was done, one of the girls in front of me turned around screaming ‘Oh My God… I think I just saw Ricky!’ There’s nothing like an overexcited fangirl almost weeing themselves on your shoes to make the time spent waiting between bands pass oh, so much faster.
Be Your Own Pet are probably a fantastic band if you’re a rebellious 15 year old. I’m not, and I found their rolling on the floor, hand gestures and spitting slightly ridiculous. But hey, if it’s what the kids like. Good shouty punk though, which got the crowd going. Tough frontwoman Jemina Pearl was booed for thanking the audience with a drawled ‘Thanks, you’ve been great. NOT!’, but as this was the lady who also reportedly started a gig in Newcastle with a phrase along the lines of ‘I hear all Geordies are wankers’ this was most amusing and actually good manners on her part.
The Raconteurs caused a few crowd surges well before they came onstage. It’s amazing the effect a golden curtain with a logo on can have on several thousand festival goers. On walked Brendan Benson and the crowd went wild, but it’s the sight of Jack White which caused a frenzy. The band launched into ‘Steady As She Goes’ fairly early on and the place was bouncing crazily. Jack White is a superb guitarist and the band play together tightly. One of the highlights is a corking, spine-tingling version of ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)’ featuring White’s screeched vocals and some heavy guitar hanging in the air. There’s one reviewer here who has made it a mission to get hold of their album. (Well, when the stores start their 3 for 2 sales anyway).
And it seemed to be raining again. It’s been on-off all afternoon, but luckily the organisers have put some metal flooring down to stop the first few metres of fans disappearing into some kind of quickmud (“The audience members seem to be barely a foot tall, but it’s because most have sunk into the grass and will next be seen arriving feet first in Australia”).
And look who bounded onto the stage next. That’s right, they’re the Kaiser Chiefs, and boy do they look pleased to be here. The headlining act exploded with ‘Na Na Na Na Naaa’ and everyone went wild. Sadly I had arrived a minute too late to hang onto the barrier, so I spent most of the night gripping the person in front with fear in my eyes (spot the mosh pit coward).
The Chiefs treated us to many a track off ‘Employment’, including ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’, ‘Caroline Yes’, ‘Born To Be A Dancer’ and ‘I Predict A Riot.’ There were new stage lights (oooh) which were lit to a cry of ‘Kaiser! Chiefs! Kaiser! Chiefs!’ The band also made UK debuts for several new tracks, including ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’ and ‘Heat Dies Down,’ which went down well.
Things went a little awry later on during ‘Modern Way’. Ricky was crowdsurfing as usual when suddenly the vocals stopped and he fell from sight. Turned out a fan girl had leapt on him and wouldn’t get off. Security craned their necks and the band carried on playing but looked a little concerned. Eventually Ricky surfed his way back to the front. He landed squarely on a girl’s head a foot away from me, doubling her up so I reached out a hand to try and lift his weight off her. Unfortunately the only part of him I could reach was his bum. Damn shame, but I honestly wasn’t making a grab for it. “Thank you,” he said sheepishly after making it back on stage. Keyboardist Peanut laughed at him.
It ended with a lengthy version of ‘Oh My God’ (always amusing to the KC Hardcore Massive when some of the crowd launches into the chorus a verse too early) with everyone screaming their lungs out. A top class finish to the day, with the Kaiser Chiefs living up to their excellent live reputation and the Raconteurs proving a fantastic choice and one of the highlights.
I got lost on the way back to my hostel and asked police for directions into town. My legs hurt, my wet hair looked like there were birds nesting in it and I had accidentally spent nearly £20 on a new band t-shirt. A nice man by the cashpoint offered me some chewing gum, so presumably I smelt bad too.
I like this festival. It’s a lot smaller than Reading/Leeds which makes it a lot nicer, seemingly more about the bands than about how many people you can cram into one field. Shame it’s quite short and isn’t suitable for camping or a longer stay though – but maybe next year…
http://www.vital06.com/lda.php
Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv in Jan 07 http://www.native.tv
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
CARLING 24
Kaiser Chiefs / Captain / The Pipettes @ Brixton Academy, 24th April 06
This is the kind of ‘24’ that Kiefer Sutherland wants to be doing
“Excuse me, have you got a lighter?” slurs a man as he staggers towards the queue at the Brixton Academy. “I just want to light my joint.” No, sorry. A security man asks him to leave and stop harassing the crowd.
“Or what? You gonna fucking fight me?”
“Yeah.”
My friend panics and turns his back slightly, as if that’ll protect him from a crazed and drugged up Londoner tussling on the floor with a hefty bouncer about five feet away from us. Luckily that fight doesn’t materialise, so we can all breathe a bit easier. Thank goodness.
For those who haven’t heard of it, the premise behind Carling 24 is simple. 24 hours of solid live music in one city, hence the 24 part; and it’s quite obviously sponsored by Carling. That means a free drink, unless you skip the bar and run straight to the front row. Either pick and choose one gig or go to as many as you can.
Ian Brown, the Ordinary Boys, Larrikin Love, Goldie Lookin’ Chain, Dirty Pretty Things and co. are setting up to play in venues across London, but we only had tickets for the first match. Kaiser Chiefs – Best Live Act at the Brits, moshpit fans - promised to be a stunning opener.
My partner-in-crime on this trip shyly let on that he’d never actually been to a proper concert before (What?!) so I gave him tips in clinging onto the barrier and prayed he wasn’t going to get a crowdsurfer on his head.
If there’s one thing which can liven up a few hours waiting outside Brixton Academy, it’s the Wall of Cock. (We knew what it was called as someone had thoughtfully written it in large letters on the bricks). For those of you who have never seen it, the name pretty much describes it – 6ft plus of dirty jokes, band names and drawings of quite impressive appendages, which almost help take your mind off the fact it’s actually quite cold out and you didn’t bring a coat. We were slightly jealous at the people who seemed to have backstage passes slung round their neck, until we were given one and discovered it was just a list of times that bands were going onstage.
The Pipettes had the honour of kicking off the whole event, although sadly they missed out on being filmed for Channel 4’s coverage. The three girls Rose, Becki and Gwenno sing sunshiney 1950s pop, aided by various groovy dance moves, stylish polka dot dresses and an indie backing band called the Cassettes. Cute and fun, especially ‘Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me.’ What are cassettes?
Channel 4 presenter Alex Zane then walks on, trying to bellow ‘Hello Brixton!’ in a microphone which isn’t on and he looks suitably embarrassed. Ooops.
Next onstage were Captain. They didn’t look entirely comfortable, although rumour has it most were suffering from colds. Captain have been hyped up everywhere over the last week, which has timed quite nicely with new single release ‘Broke’. Poppy, with a dreamy fairground keyboard at times, lead vocals are shared by the sweet-voiced Clare and the big hatted Rik. The stage is then hidden away by a sweeping red curtain with ‘KC’ on it.
And at last – the Kaiser Chiefs came on. The crowd goes crackers (we tighten our grip on the barrier – without this, we might be a blob under someone’s trainers in no time) as Ricky Wilson strides down the centre to begin ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less.’ The last year has been amazing for the band, who went from boisterous unknowns to even more boisterous Brit-winners and Live 8 openers.
Of course it’s not only Ricky’s band; the man lording over the back of the stage on drums and backing vocals is Nick Hodgson, a favourite with the ladies for his cheerfulness and shiny hair; Peanut (aka Nick Baines) is on keyboards in his traditional hat, clapping away and loving every minute. Big-haired Simon Rix is rocking away on bass to the right, while Andrew ‘Whitey’ White is calmly playing his guitar and occasionally smiling in quiet amusement.
It’s nearly the end of a long tour for t’Chiefs – they’re closing in their hometown of Leeds in a couple of days – and Ricky is starting to look a little worn, although he still has the energy to climb the odd speaker stack, run along inciting Mexican waves, start a few crowd singalongs, dance with a fan during ‘You Can Have It All’ and lean into the crowd while trying to prevent his trousers being ripped off by a) fans and b) the bouncers.
Ricky announces they will play one of their new songs, although he’s less than happy about the media taping it and walks over to a camera, randomly pressing buttons to turn it off. The band is grudgingly allowing cameraphones, as trying to turn off 5,000 of those is a little trickier. The audience is a little quiet during the new songs, possibly because the only recognisable parts are the clips that a sharing person has uploaded to YouTube.
Things get a little worrying during ‘I Predict A Riot’. For obvious reasons some people think the name of the song is an invitation to charge at the person in front, maybe swing a few elbows or try and climb up someone’s back. Looked round to see a crowdsurfer heading for my face, so ducked while the bouncer made a grab for them. A couple of people become ill and have to be pulled out. Later on while speaking to someone who had the luxury of an upstairs seat, they asked: “What was going on down there? It looked mad!” One man is attempting to push his way to the barrier by putting his hands very close either side of me and practically mounting my back. I pull a face which a bouncer notices – he bounds forward and starts yelling at the bloke to give me some space.
The Kaiser Chiefs also play ‘Caroline, Yes’, ‘Time-Honoured Tradition’, ‘Modern Way’, ‘Sink That Ship’ and ‘Na Na Na Na Naaa’ before closing with a storming ‘Oh My God’ which has the whole audience screaming that they’d ‘never been this far away from home’. My friend has a bruise all the way across his chest from the barrier. I have an elbow mark in my back. The night has been amazing fun, but we really feel for anyone going to the next gig (Ian Brown in Islington) and the ones after because we’re knackered already.
On the train home, we compare badges bought and text everyone to tell them to look out for us on the TV coverage. A woman moves away from us to sit with her boyfriend and says: “Sorry, you don’t smell or anything.” We point out that yes we do; we’ve been sweating and dancing for hours. She seems to think we’re joking and laughs. We honestly stink.
A fantastically lively start to Carling 24 – but will people still be feeling this buoyed up at 8am? To be honest we don’t care – we’ve had a great time and are looking forward to more alcohol, a decent sleep and watching the gig again on telly. Hurray for telly, and Kaiser Chiefs.
http://www.kaiserchiefs.co.uk
http://www.thepipettes.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/captaintheband
http://www.carling.com
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THE HOLLOWAYS / THE PIGEON DETECTIVES / SIXNATIONSTATE
@ Southampton Joiners, 18th July 06
Summer heat and stage invasions
Five stage invasions, three water pistols, one fist fight. It’s possible the July heatwave which is lazily covering the south in some sort of thermal blanket is affecting people’s brains.
Tonight is a revolving headline tour between the Pigeon Detectives and the Holloways, promoted by the Joiners as ‘Two NME Faves… One Great Bill.’
First on stage are local band SixNationState, whose lead singer has a belting voice. There’s lots of comedic bobbing up and plenty of knees-up in turn to their summery indie ska. They are joined on stage by two girls bouncing up and down (these two make a regular appearance through the night. Luckily it’s the bands getting a cut of the ticket price, not them).
Next are the Pigeon Detectives, the band I was most looking forward to. The member of this fast upcoming Leeds band are singer Matt, Oliver and Ryan on guitar, David on bass and Jimmi on the sticks. Matt was clearly hot already, one his first acts being to pour a bottle of water over his head and then sprinkle the rest at the crowd. Someone in front of me threw water at Oli. He looked seriously pissed off. The band has been seriously hyped up, mostly by NME and an overexcited Kaiser Chiefs drummer, but they’re worth it (just like L’Oreal).
This band are so in demand, apparently even the members can’t buy a copy of their new single ‘You Know I Love You’ because it’s sold out everywhere. The Pigeons play a nice raw slab of rock music with the biggest, sweatiest mosh pit I’ve seen for a long while. Matt is full of energy, running from one end to the other and leaping face-down into the crowd.
The girl in front of me turns round and shouts: “I’ve never been to a gig before!” She loves it, bless her cottons. There’s another teenager stood on a stool at the front, blocking a lot of people’s views. (Stool Boy later apologises nicely to the people and said he realises it annoyed everyone).
Pigeon Detective fans tend to have a large number of tracks in their collection (hurray for MySpace) and so there are a considerable number knowing the words. The band tear their way through ‘I Found Out’, ‘Wait For Me’, ‘You Better Not Look My Way’ and ‘Don't Know How To Say Goodbye’ among others, getting the crowd to join in on various choruses.
Matt amuses himself by climbing the speaker stack and sitting on the shoulders of a stage invader, dropping the mike and motioning until someone passes him another. “Thanks to the guy who let me rub my sweaty bollocks on the back of his neck for the last song,” he announced. Charmed, I’m sure.
The Pigeon Detectives finish with ‘I’m Not Sorry’, a cue for everyone to climb on stage (shortly followed by a few security personnel).
And inbetween bands, there is a mass exodus outside. People collapse on the cool pavement holding drinks and chatting across the road. Cars are driving through the centre real slow, looking nervously at the gig goers. Perhaps they’re expecting a riot, but it’s far too hot for that type of shit.
Back inside, the heat is heavy, the Holloways are chatting by the bar in fetching straw hats and a group of guys are walking past the bar singing Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’.
And here come the Holloways, ready to cheer up the crowd with some upbeat indie. “Anyone here not sweating?” asks chatty singer/guitarist Alfie, and the drummer picks up an enormous water gun and fires at the audience. The other band members are Rob on vocals/guitar/fiddle, Bryn on bass and Dave on drums (luckily their names fit the part). Alfie walks around the stage randomly commenting on the previous act until the band say: “Just pick up the Mustang and play a song.”
And tonight’s songs include ‘Diamonds and Pearls’, ‘Great Britain’, ‘Generator’ and plenty of others I don’t know (sorry). We’re told they’ve played Southampton lots before and we’re usually rubbish, but tonight we’re, oooh, second best on the tour.
The Holloways should also be highly commended for using an electric fiddle, an underestimated instrument in indie rock (although it keeps detuning in the heat so is only brought out on special occasions).
The heat was affecting a few people the wrong way, with two guys choosing a break between songs to try and punch each other. “What are you doing? You daft bastards,” Alfie says as the crowd try to separate them. One of the guys keeps trying to launch himself at the other, but is being held back by an audience member. The mosh pit, which seemed so frightening ten minutes ago, completely empties.
“He’s trying to punch him… Stop that!” says Alfie. The band decide the heat and the energy is a bit much and play a slow track to chill things down a bit. The gig’s overrunning and they’re not allowed to play everything, but of course there’s time for new single ‘Two Left Feet.’
“If you’re here for the music, take a step forward. If you’re here for a fight… er, just fuck off,” says Rob, who receives a round of applause for his wisdom.
Singer Alfie is having such a good time chatting he forgets to play, then imitates the crowd yelling at him in a high-pitched voice: “Alfie! ALFIE!” So the rest of the band (mainly Rob) blast him in the face with water pistols. The last song is greeted with a queue of people climbing on stage, patting Alfie, trying not to fall off, waving at their friends then launching into the moshpit. It’s overrun by half an hour but no-one cares.
Indie ska is here, boys and girls. And never underestimate the power of sweaty summer rock.
http://www.theholloways.tk
http://www.thepigeondetectives.com
http://www.sixnationstate.co.uk
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TENNENT'S VITAL FESTIVAL - DAY ONE
The Tides, The Pigeon Detectives, Mumm-Ra, Be Your Own Pet, The Raconteurs, Kaiser Chiefs.
The Botanic Gardens, Belfast, 22nd August 06
Norn Iron’s biggest rock/pop festival comes into town
Why are major festivals always sponsored by lager? I am a girl. I don’t like lager. I don’t want lager. I want more choice than warm cider or lemony vodka in the bar. Nothing against any brand in particular, I just don’t like it. Sorry.
If I did have to choose a lager right now though, Tennent’s is the best, judging from the events they put on (think I got out of that one all right).
There had actually been plenty of complaints, not over the choice of beverages, but over the line up for Day One of Tennent’s Vital Festival in the beautiful city of Belfast. Who knows why, because it seemed very impressive. Any line up with Jack White and the Kaisers is not to be sniffed at. ¡Forward, Russia! were headlining the second stage, although I didn’t catch them because I was stuck in front of the main one.
First on stage were Northern Ireland’s rising stars, The Tides. Rising Tides. Arf. They had brought a number of screaming fans/friends along with them for the ride; well, it’s not every day you open the biggest festival in the area. They were pretty enjoyable with catchy songs and looked proud to be up there.
Next up were the Pigeon Detectives, who frankly deserved a bigger audience. I found myself standing slightly apart from their main bunch of fans, so I held my own mini mosh pit (with just me in it, I had no chance of getting crushed/killed. Now that’s festival luxury). The band opened with ‘Romantic Type’, charging their way through ‘You Know I Love You’, ‘Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye’, ‘I Found Out’ and more, saving best known hit ‘I’m Not Sorry’ until the very end. Plenty of jumping up, getting tangled in the mike lead and leaning into the crowd from seriously energetic frontman Matt Bowman. The girls in front of me chose to ignore the band because they could see the Kaiser Chiefs watching from the side of the stage and they were trying to take pictures of them. Little bit rude, but there you go.
Up popped Mumm-Ra, the best band from Bexhill-on-Sea, and with one of the best names on the bill (I’m afraid the Pigeons take top honour there, but only after gaining points for surrealism). The lead singer stood on the amp on tiptoe, leaned forward and almost plunged headfirst into the crowd. He also made use of a plastic duck on stage, singing to it and putting it on his head. The audience looked confused. Tate, Noo, Oli, Niall and Gareth play a bewildering yet beautiful mix of styles in each individual song, and everyone is impressed. I'd most definitely go and watch their curious set again.
In the break, Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson decided to wander across the stage, wearing shades and sporting an enormous grin. When he was done, one of the girls in front of me turned around screaming ‘Oh My God… I think I just saw Ricky!’ There’s nothing like an overexcited fangirl almost weeing themselves on your shoes to make the time spent waiting between bands pass oh, so much faster.
Be Your Own Pet are probably a fantastic band if you’re a rebellious 15 year old. I’m not, and I found their rolling on the floor, hand gestures and spitting slightly ridiculous. But hey, if it’s what the kids like. Good shouty punk though, which got the crowd going. Tough frontwoman Jemina Pearl was booed for thanking the audience with a drawled ‘Thanks, you’ve been great. NOT!’, but as this was the lady who also reportedly started a gig in Newcastle with a phrase along the lines of ‘I hear all Geordies are wankers’ this was most amusing and actually good manners on her part.
The Raconteurs caused a few crowd surges well before they came onstage. It’s amazing the effect a golden curtain with a logo on can have on several thousand festival goers. On walked Brendan Benson and the crowd went wild, but it’s the sight of Jack White which caused a frenzy. The band launched into ‘Steady As She Goes’ fairly early on and the place was bouncing crazily. Jack White is a superb guitarist and the band play together tightly. One of the highlights is a corking, spine-tingling version of ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)’ featuring White’s screeched vocals and some heavy guitar hanging in the air. There’s one reviewer here who has made it a mission to get hold of their album. (Well, when the stores start their 3 for 2 sales anyway).
And it seemed to be raining again. It’s been on-off all afternoon, but luckily the organisers have put some metal flooring down to stop the first few metres of fans disappearing into some kind of quickmud (“The audience members seem to be barely a foot tall, but it’s because most have sunk into the grass and will next be seen arriving feet first in Australia”).
And look who bounded onto the stage next. That’s right, they’re the Kaiser Chiefs, and boy do they look pleased to be here. The headlining act exploded with ‘Na Na Na Na Naaa’ and everyone went wild. Sadly I had arrived a minute too late to hang onto the barrier, so I spent most of the night gripping the person in front with fear in my eyes (spot the mosh pit coward).
The Chiefs treated us to many a track off ‘Employment’, including ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’, ‘Caroline Yes’, ‘Born To Be A Dancer’ and ‘I Predict A Riot.’ There were new stage lights (oooh) which were lit to a cry of ‘Kaiser! Chiefs! Kaiser! Chiefs!’ The band also made UK debuts for several new tracks, including ‘Everything Is Average Nowadays’ and ‘Heat Dies Down,’ which went down well.
Things went a little awry later on during ‘Modern Way’. Ricky was crowdsurfing as usual when suddenly the vocals stopped and he fell from sight. Turned out a fan girl had leapt on him and wouldn’t get off. Security craned their necks and the band carried on playing but looked a little concerned. Eventually Ricky surfed his way back to the front. He landed squarely on a girl’s head a foot away from me, doubling her up so I reached out a hand to try and lift his weight off her. Unfortunately the only part of him I could reach was his bum. Damn shame, but I honestly wasn’t making a grab for it. “Thank you,” he said sheepishly after making it back on stage. Keyboardist Peanut laughed at him.
It ended with a lengthy version of ‘Oh My God’ (always amusing to the KC Hardcore Massive when some of the crowd launches into the chorus a verse too early) with everyone screaming their lungs out. A top class finish to the day, with the Kaiser Chiefs living up to their excellent live reputation and the Raconteurs proving a fantastic choice and one of the highlights.
I got lost on the way back to my hostel and asked police for directions into town. My legs hurt, my wet hair looked like there were birds nesting in it and I had accidentally spent nearly £20 on a new band t-shirt. A nice man by the cashpoint offered me some chewing gum, so presumably I smelt bad too.
I like this festival. It’s a lot smaller than Reading/Leeds which makes it a lot nicer, seemingly more about the bands than about how many people you can cram into one field. Shame it’s quite short and isn’t suitable for camping or a longer stay though – but maybe next year…
http://www.vital06.com/lda.php
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