King Charles – and so she thinks

A Sunday afternoon in Reading – Festival 2012!

admin — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 17:50:38 +0000

A little bit corporate, somewhat dirty, with its big wire fencing, dusty paths, and discarded chip trays, Reading Festival isn’t one I usually cite as one of my favourites, sometimes lacking the spirit and joie de vivre that percolates smaller festivals. However, with a big reputation, big bucks, and a big profile, it does attract some of the world’s biggest names and often has a line up glittering with long time stars and those rising up. This year was no exception, and with a Sunday day ticket and one heck of a hangover, we set out to Berkshire.

Django Django inspired some of the best dance moves of the day, with the jerking chicken dance coming out for Default, and some brilliantly synchronised Egyptian style moves for Cairo. At 2pm on a lazy Sunday afternoon, their slot probably wasn’t the best one for such infectious party music, but the NME tent still want off with a bang. In what can only be described as a Bolanesque sequined ensemble Johnny Lloyd, lead singer of Tribes, led the band in a vital and intense performance showcasing their new album Baby. Their rougueish spirit was evident, and Sappho and We Were Children in particular wrapped the crowd into their tearaway fold.
Next it was a dash to the BBC Introducing session, to watch the lovely Rachel Sermanni entrance the crowd. Rich and warm vocals, tantalising strumming, all enhanced by the ‘girls’ and their supporting strings, Miss Sermanni managed to captivate even the most unassuming members of the crowd just looking for a place to sleep off the night before, with one member of the audience articulating what everyone was thinking when he shouted out ‘I want to give you a cuddle!’ Selected by the BBC’s Ally McCrae, and about to embark on a European tour, Rachel’s debut album Under The Mountains is out on September 17th, and this performance will have driven a fair few new fans to purchase.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0AWv7ATa34]
Those familiar with It’s All Happening will know that wherever The Joy Formidable are, we’re not far behind, and today was no exception. The fandom of a certain Mr Grohl has certainly done them no harm, and it was great to see thousands of people singing out long time live favourites such as Austere and The Greatest Light… From the first quivering notes of Whirring, to the final elongated feedback drenched chords of the set, Ritzy, Matt and Rhydian did what they always did – made one heck of noise, but also experimented more with volumes and tempos than previously, soothing and softening before another fuck off massive crescendo, creating glacial soundscapes that explode on a moment, perhaps a sign of what is to come from the forthcoming second album.

2:54 are dark, brooding and visceral to listen to and to see live, and Collette Thurlow’s warm and charming pleasure at seeing the crowd moved by her music made the Thurlow sisters performance all the more disarming. Kicking off with new single Sugar, they slinked and stomped through the set, all thundery skies and gritty basslines, their sweet and sinister songs proving a highlight of the afternoon.
‘Guess who’s next’ Dan asked, ‘I’ll give you a clue. It’s coming up in several months. ‘
Christmas?
My birthday?
Er, a holiday?
It was ‘winter’ and the band Zulu Winter. Dreadful game to play, brilliant band to watch. Swimming has been one of It’s All Happening’s tracks of the summer, introduced to us by the lovely Amazing radio, and its hypnotic halcyonic vibe is not alone in Zulu Winter’s live set. Bolshy and defiant drums underpinned smooth electronic feeling melodies, in what was something of a surprise stand out, full of refulgent splendour.
The respective members of Deaf Club don’t look like they should be a band, nor capable of emitting such menacing and mesmerising indie noir, but their lack of contrived image only serves to highlight the truth – that Jen Long has definitely picked up on of the UKs most talented new bands. Also on the BBC Introducing stage we caught the end of Dinghus Khan, an 8 piece band whose stage set up is almost confrontational, lining up in a row to face the crowd and deliver their raucous and rambunctious pop.
Ricky Wilson is always an entertainer, and The Kaiser Chiefs performance got any of the festival site who weren’t yet in the party spirit ready for a riot. A scratchy throat meant that some of the vocal delivery wasn’t as strong as it could be, but since the slight musical decline post their debut album, The Kaiser Chiefs are all about having fun and putting on a performance, and thus didn’t disappoint. Another band who whack up the fun factor are King Charles (and not just due to the questionable hair styles inspired by the band’s namesake) but a result of their shambolic sea shanty style tunes that had the whole of the Festival Republic stage tent bouncing and bounding.

Having gone through an image change with the release of last year’s album Skying, The Horrors played an epic charge of songs that brutally assaulted the senses whilst fully immersing and swooping you up within them. Somewhat alone in the current climate, they make intelligent and intense rock that absorbs layers from the musical canon, fused together to make their own original output. Watching The Horrors live feels like a natural negotiation, tugging and pulling at the gut and the heart, a tangle of bittersweet vocals, driving bass lines and bristling energy.

Truck Festival 15 is coming…

admin — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:55:02 +0000

Anyone who has listened to the IAH radio show (don’t worry, nobody else does either – check out the listen again here http://rechargedradio.com/), will know that we have a massive soft-spot for Oxford. The scene, the bands – the architecture – it’s got everything we love about medium sized cities. In fact, we love it so much we dedicated a whole show to it! Of all its virtues though it is Truck Festival we love the most.
Our favourite child from the festival family, it has always had a special place in our drunken heart – whether it be breaking into the now defunct barn to interview Alphabet Backwards, keeping a tent going with pedal power, rocking out to ChewLips in a ‘stage’ no bigger than a wendy house, purchasing ice cream from the local priest, Dead Jerichos and Spring Offensive in the Last FM tent in 2011; Los Campesinos and Blood Red Shoes on the main stage in 2010, or Joy Formidable tearing up The Barn and Chew Lips busting out awesome dance moves in 2009

But, it was whilst at last year’s Field Day that we heard that Truck was apparently no more. An actual gasp left our mouths, before a tear formed in the eye. A victim of it’s own ambition and the economic crisis, it had been consigned to the festival waste bin along with Phoenix, Electric Gardens and many others. Or so we thought! With new partners in the shape of the Y-Not festival promoters, Truck is back, marking it’s 15^th Anniversary and coming with the prospect of being better than ever! Smiles of glee all round!
With headline sets lined-up from The Temper Trap (riding a crest of a wave after their second album release and playing their biggest shows to date) and Mystery Jets (festival stalwarts who know how to bring the party), it’s also the depth of this year’s line-up that impresses and excites. Friday’s main stage sees the likes of local heroes Fixers, Irish balladeer Villagers and one-man music machine Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly hitting the stage, with the added touch of variety (in every sense of the word), coming in the shape of Australian big-hitter Tim Minchin. Saturday also keeps the quality levels turned up to 11 with the likes of Emmy the Great, British Sea Power, Dog is Dead and the The Low Anthem in attendance.

Further down the bill on the second stage sees some of the newer darlings of the new music world – King Charles, Lucy Rose, Theme Park to name a few – rubbing shoulders with the more established names of Guillemots and Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit. Not to be out done, respected labels Big Scary Monsters and Alcopop have taken over the Barn stage lining up a stellar collection of acts including Johnny Foreigner, Spring Offensive, Gunning for Tamar, Dead Jerichos, Three Trapped Tigers and Future of the Left.
With only a couple of weeks to go we are too excited for Truck – even with monsoon weather outside the window. With one of it’s strongest line-ups for years, mixing the best local talent with more established acts, we cannot wait to get back to those rolling Oxfordshire hills, grab a pint of ale and dance ourselves stupid till the small hours.
A limited number of tickets are still available at just £69 from www.truckfestival.com
Here’s four of the best local bands, to whet your appetite.

Where next?

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 20:18:47 +0000

Blood Red Shoes @ Revenge
Thursday 21.45
Not that they need a bigging up in any way, shape or form with this being a home tie n’all for the Brighton duo, but this Thursday night slot should go off big time as they clatter there way through tracks from both killer albums. I’m physically jealous I can’t get down for this (Pavement in Brixton is a good excuse though yeah?) as newbies such as ‘Don’t Ask’, ‘Light it Up’ and ‘Count Me Out’, for me, stand right up there with fans favourites from Box of Secrets and it’s just going to be intense. I’m done talking and choking up, just check it out.
Stand out tracks – all of them…
Yuck @ Corn Exchange
Thursday 21.30
Having had the Gary Numan synths, the Spandau Ballet cheese, female glamour pop and seemingly every other 80s sound revived in the past couple of years it was only a matter of time before the American Indie of Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth and Pavement got a chance. Take two mem-bers from the remains of Cajun Dance Party (music veterans still in their teens), sprinkle in a Japanese bassist and a New Jersey Drummer and voila, it’s Yuck. Hav-ing only played a handful of dates as yet, but quickly building a good live reputation, they play a blend of scuzzy, melodic gui-tars and youthful, harmonious vocals with little of the urgency or feistiness of CDP which allows for a more mature, laid back sound that shouldn’t be missed.
Stand out Tracks – Georgia, The Automatic
Unicorn Kid @ Dome
Saturday 20.30
Chip Tunes? Happy Hardcore? Tartan trance? Hyper-pop? Whatever you want to call it Scottish teenager Oli Sabin, aka Unicorn Kid, creates some huge tunes which has led him to providing remixes for the likes of Pet Shop Boys and Gorillaz. Sounding a bit like a euphoric Crystal Castles without the screaming banshee vocals, and with Huw Stephens and Zane Lowe firmly on board, tracks such as Lion Hat and new single Dream Catcher are going to sound massive live. ‘Listening to Unicorn Kid ‘is how I imagine Pacman feels when he eats one of those flashing pills and turns medieval on those ghosts. Awesome.
Stand out tracks – Wee Monster, Lion Hat
King Charles @ Queens Hotel
Thursday 22.15
Probably vying with Darwin Deez for the ‘get your hair cut you hippy’ award at TGE, but his unique styles go further than his hirsuteness . Twisting folk, synths, touches of hip-hop and even a couple of guitar solos (woop), King Charles dishes out genre defining liaisons that have been earning him rave reviews of late. Having previously supported the likes of Noah and the Whale and Laura Marling, but seemingly having broken free from the current folk scene, he creates big songs that lose none of their subtleness live. Definitely worth checking out.
Stand Out Tracks – Love Lust, Time of Eternity

Villagers @ Prince Albert (Friday 14.00) Unitarian Church (Friday 21.00) Revenge (Saturday 21.45)
Currently getting a lot of night time Radio 1 airplay with current single ‘Becoming a Jackal’, and being compared to every singer / songwriter from Neil Young to Bright eyes, Irishman Conor J O’Brien and his band play his beautiful, poetic tracks with 3 shows over the weekend. The comparisons are certainly easy to hear with O’Brien’s voice very similar to Connor Oberst’s, and some-times he toes the line of earnestness and pretention, but he’s certainly one to watch especially for fans of Eliot Smith, Bon Iver or the aforementioned Bright Eyes.
Stand out Tracks – Becoming A Jackal

Blackchords
Thursday 19.30 @ Aussie BBQ, Coalition
If you’re heading down to the Aussie BBQ at Coalition solely for Fosters and shrimps, your expectations of Australian music having ignited and extinguished with Kylie and Jason lend an ear to Blackchords. Soaking up everything from Nick Drake and Ryan Adams to The Smiths and The Cure, Blackchords ring out from their musical sponge of influences deep and reflective music that is arrestingly relevant as well as an antidote to everyday life.
Recent debut is twilight record, the songs are the type that are difficult to pinpoint and define, yet feel as natural as the sleepy haze this time of day evokes. Despite being architecturally assured the overarching image is of an open wound that needs healing, especially in ‘Broken Bones’ and ‘Pretty Little Thing.’
This is not to say that ‘Blackchords’ are a despondent band, far from it. Bones’ a rollicking rocker. With every swoop of the guitar and bang of the drums you’ll become one step closer to forgetting the words to ‘Especially For You.’