I started the day with a dose of indie pop from The Cheek (formerly Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds). The young Suffolk boys inject energy into their life performance with lots of exuberant dancing around. They’re definitely a band that all girls seem to love and they’ve managed to craft the perfect disco tune. ‘For Just One Night’ is a catchy winner with its stomping pop brilliance. Other songs emulate the sound of bands like The Departure and White Lies. Their sound is so infectious that they have impressed Huw Stephens and NME and will be playing a bunch of other festivals this summer.
Next I went to get my fix of electronic dub at the Student’s Union main hall. Casey Dienel and Shawn Creeden come together as White Hinterland to fill the venue with their unpredictable sound. You can’t help but feel like you’re in a trance like dream and visually they create a hippie haven with candles next to the electronic decks. Casey sings like Bjork and Bat For Lashes and its obvious she enjoys experimenting with her voice. Shawn Creedon mixes Casey’s vocals and loops them on the spot to create layers which add an euphoric depth. The music hypnotises you with the tribal earthy rhythms and thumping bass influenced by hip-hop, dub and jazz. The pair create suspension and ensure an original sound by throwing in a ukelele in there too.
Next was De Staat at Stealth which was probably the highlight of my day.
The Holland five-piece are a garage rock band that thrashed their way through the set with head banging and epic guitar solos similar to Queens Of The Stoneage. That’s the serious bit. Then infuse cheekiness with humour and you have a great band in the making. They manage to draw the crowd in instantly and almost everybody had a smile on their face. Think the energy of Eagles Of Death Metal and The Hives with a mix of noise rock and you have a band who know they’re bloody good but can have fun with it too. Then add a cowbell and a theremin and you have my new favourite band.
Next it was time for some punk rock with Sharks in the basement. The band who has often been described as one of Gallows favourites manage to bring together punk elements without trying at all. They don’t need tattoos or mohawks and they aren’t afraid to add melodic guitar riffs but the only problem was that more people seemed to leave as the set went on! This looked like it clearly annoyed the singer who pleaded with the rest of the crowd not to go but I think it was more the fact there were clashes than it being anything personal. They’re a pure British rock band who have mastered punk rock structures with songs like Common Grounds and Three Houses.
Next I went to listen to the big bold vocals of Peggy Sue in the pulse bar. On one level they’re a folk band with meaningful pop songs and on the other they’re a blues band with a ballsy and engaging stage presence. Both girls in the band are just as talented as each other and show this by singing powerful ballads and at the same time playing drums standing up. Add an accordion and you have a talented band whose only attempt is to draw the crowd into their Jeffery Lewis, Janis Joplin and Regina Spektor inspired sound.
Next was Wild Beasts in the main hall who had been creating hype all day with lots of people excited to see them play. Their experimental vocals takes them away from the indie drivel mix of bands very similar to them. Hayden Thorpe, known for his countertenor vocals, mixes deep vocals with vocals so high they could give Kate Bush a run for their money. Some parts are a bit sombre and fail to fully engage the crowd but when they do manage it everyone seems to go mad. Their lyrics might be nonsensical but musically they create a melodic wall of transcient uplifting music. Described as quirky and unique by most music moguls they play a mix of both albums and ensure that this is a band that will not be forgotten about any time soon.
Next was the most epic stage show of the day with The Chapman Family and their raucous sound. They aim to be as dark and noisy as possible so that in their words they can ‘get away from all the bands who sound the same’. After a day of seeing many bands who did sound the same it was definitely refreshing but they certainly love to cause a stir with their controversial antics. If dedicating a song to the crossbow cannibal wasn’t enough front man Kingsley Chapman strangles himself with his mic cable, pulls it tight like a noose and then attempts to scream in a chilling manner. They thrive off the crowd’s energy and immerse themselves in the mini moshpit at the front. With lots of jumping around clearly too mundane for them the guitarist jumps on the bar. When the set finished one of the band members saluted to the crowd before blindly falling into it. Luckily the crowd kindly held him up and it was clear that this cult band aren’t in any rush to please the bigwig record labels out there.
Next was Blood Red Shoes who are known to be one of the loudest duos around. Together they manage to write singalong tunes with a dose of rock grunge and its obvious that Laura-Mary Carter is in her comfort zone with her guitar. She’s in her own world with the nirvana inspired riffs and head bangs like a true grunge queen. The pair blast their way through cutting edge songs that have a raw energy that everyone seems to love. ‘I Wish I was Someone Better’ showed the duo’s compatability perfectly with the pair singing at eachother. You Bring Me Down and It’s Getting Boring By The Sea were live favourites with people having a little mosh and it just makes me wish there were more women singers like this!
Next I went to see Ellie Goulding in the main hall to see what all the mainstream hype was all about and it was certainly clear why all the high heeled scantily clad girls were in town! Ellie Goulding the latest woman to grab the mainstream press by its throat might appear to be a girl’s girl but she counter acts this by playing her guitar well and maintaining a down to earth presence. Being very talkative and thanking the crowd after every song shows that her whirlwind success hasn’t got to her head. She appears to mean every word she sings and shows passion with her hand movements and intensity while playing her instrument. Also a fan of standing up playing drums she tries to add a little difference to her mainstream pop persona. She’s an honest lyricist with songs about making mistakes and boys and everyone seems to feed off this charm. She sings big ballads with synths and makes heart break songs sound fun. Her hits Starry Eyed and Guns and Horses went down so well that getting people to sing along to her songs was effortless. It’s obvious why she’s had success and I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in the coming months.
Finally it was time for the headliners Mystery Jets who have played the festival twice before. The only difference is the sets are getting longer and the songs are getting better. Blaine’s 59 year old father Henry may no longer be part of the live set-up but the sound has actually matured into 70s inspired new-wave prog-pop. The set consisted of three quarters of new album Serotonin due for release on July 5th. Flash A Hungry Smile sounds gorgeously happy with its laid back high pitched vocals and the odd bit of whistling. From then on they alternated between old and new with the indie pop classics like Half In Love and Two Doors Down getting the best response. Lady Gray shows the love-induced lyrics are still there with ‘I hope you feel the same way/Will you still love me in the morning.’ The thing is with Mystery Jets is they manage to fully engage the crowd through out the whole set with everyone having as much as fun as they can jumping up and down and basically going mad. And the newer and slower songs are just as appreciated. Flakes was the ballad of the night with everyone waving their arms and singing along with Blaine. Melt, another new song, was heartfelt and dream like and aptly named, it sonically dispersed in the room with it’s uplifting chorus.
Check out the interview with Blaine Harrison and William Rees of Mystery Jets hours before their headline appearance.
http://www.mixcloud.com/kristigenovese/mystery-jets-dot-to-dot-2010/player/
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