This sounded right up my street. A weekend festival of up and coming bands, a handful of whom I had heard of, or even actually heard play. A friend described it as a "taster menu" and for me I guess it was. (It was also a charity event to raise money for War Child, so not totally for my personal benefit!!!)
An early start for a gig - I was there for 2pm to catch the opening act. Which I particularly wanted to do as I had seen, and really rated, the openers when I saw them on another bill. And they didn't disappoint. One of the best acts all day, although sadly playing to a truly paltry audience. Music fans don't really expect to start a gig at 2pm. Scarlet Sometimes.
Inevitably this was going to be mixed bag. you don't get about 20 acts on and like every one of them, not least because of the different styles of act on (including poets). So after really enjoying the indie guitar rock of Scarlet Sometimes, up comes Sean Finn just with his acoustic guitar. Now he normally has a band apparently, and he seemed a really nice bloke. But this bored me rigid. There are no doubt many people who like this semi-folk sort of thing. I just don't happen to be one of them. And of course this is an issue with this sort of event. None of the acts played above 30 minutes. Which for the acts one likes is too little. And for those that you don't, 30 minutes feels a long time.
Another solo act up next, again someone who it seems normally plays with a band This is Luke Glazsher. Afraid even the swap from acoustic to electric guitarist didn't make him much more palatable to me.
Then the Forty Fours. Had no reason to expect to like them either, but in fact they were terrific. Got the by now rather more respectably sized crowd properly rocking. One of the best performers of the day. I am not a big fan of old style rock n roll, and these lads were super retro. But also just amazingly good. They played a mix of covers of old standards and their own tunes, and as the MC observed, you couldn't tell the difference. I would definitely see them again even if not my normal taste.
I also liked the cool dress. Again not something I would wear or expect any of my young friends would, but it just looked cool to see on stage (although in practical terms, can't help feeling the suits would be uncomfortably hot. Guess one suffers for one's art😀)
I have omitted the poets who stood up and did the odd turn. Cringeworthy in my book. Well here is one.
And least promising by appearance would have been this lady who got up and did some comic songs with her guitar. I thought this would be awful, but she definitely wasn't. Genuinely funny. Wobbie Wobbit. Just to prove that the unlikely can be very likeable. Is why you have to try everything.
This, I think, was Chris Daley of the Deniros just coming on for one song. Didn't get too excited by the song, but he then merged into the audience and seemed to really enjoy the day, the other acts, and was real life and soul of the party.
Another act I had never heard of were McDermott and North. I expected a duo and I believe they were originally a duo but who now had converted into a four piece, while retaining the name, which suggests they would be more like estate agents. But they sounded like they have a future in this business.
Another short set from man with guitar - this one being Stephen Marriott. Best of that genre in my opinion
A comedy music act next - Three Wise Men, the joke being there are two of them. Unfortunately nowhere near funny enough to be entertaining.
Almost all bands on the bill were proper youngsters. Not so the Altermoderns. From Brazil. (I tried asking the drummer how she had washed up in England but she would only say it was a long story.) Yes, at an event like this you do get to chance to chat to the artists as they mill around. Imagine a middle aged White Stripes (except to be fair if they were playing, the real White Stripes would also now be middle aged). But you get what I mean - a basic duo of drummer and guitarist, but here the female drummer does most of the vocals. True force of nature and fitted in extremely well with their younger compatriots. There is a place for the older generation!
The Station are a band I really rate, based just on one support spot I saw them do at the Dublin Castle, low down the bill. They were significantly better here, and I liked them the first time! Top drawer for a young band. First time I saw them I thought the two guitarists looked alike. Turns out they are twins. That would account for it.😂 They both play guitar and sing vocals. Good to watch on stage too. Sixties vibe about their dress more than their indie guitar music. The third guitarist, who doesn't look like the others, not least as he is very tall, contributes a lot to the stage show. Just a very good band and would love to see them headlining.
I should have said that the MC for all this mayhem was a chap called Tom McQ. Well that is how everyone referred to him, often with the epithet of "The legend that is.." He looks like a parody of an ageing hippy, possibly out of Wayne's World. And his intermittent peace and love dialogue fitted in with all of that. But credit to the guy for putting this all on. And while I had never heard of him, all the acts referred to him with genuine affection. So he was totally within his rights to do a stint himself at his own show. And I can assure you he was top notch. You would enjoy him if he popped up on any bill.
Tom McQ bigged up the next act, Adult Cat, two lads on acoustic guitar. Couldn't see, or hear, it myself
What first attracted me to this festival was Sweet Unrest on the bill (along with the Station, Scarlet Sometimes and Emergency Break who subsequently had to pull out). I have seen them many times and they never disappoint. I think what marked them out from many of the other acts is their variation in pace and style, from punky numbers to funky ones. Plus lead singer Jack has real stage presence. Properly entertaining. But again they would suit a longer set, headlining. Unfortunately I am out this Friday when they headline the Camden Eye and can't do any of their other gigs this week either, despite the guitarist on the far right below trying to sell me their shows. I am on more than nodding terms with the guys now!
In contrast, the following act, Soaked, were also introduced as the "real deal", but I found them very one paced. And an exceedingly self confident lead singer couldn't make up for that. Noisy, but dull.
Last act, for me, was Another Day. This started with a band member, or at least hanger on percussionist, reading a poem, which was an amusing ode to Guinness. Followed up by the young chap in the striped t-shirt doing a backflip. An impressive party trick for anyone, but especially on such a small stage!
They then proceeded with an energetic indie guitar set, including one further poetry interlude. And they finished with the two guitarists featured below ushering the audience away from the front of the stage and then proceeding to do a synchronised backflip off the stage. Wish I had caught it on camera, but to be fair if I had, with the low lighting, I would only have captured a blur. Did I like their act? Yes. Did I think their music was good? I realised I didn't know. After nine hours of bands and other acts, I was properly jaded. Even with two acts to come, at 11 pm I felt it was time to go as I just wasn't taking this in properly anymore. (Dinner constituting a pint of cider and packet of ready salted crisps didn't help.)
I did however do a bit more research on the band - not that there is much out there - and it turned out that the somersaulting bandmates were brothers, and came from a background in trampolining. Well that accounts for the backflips! And while I found the poetry earlier in the day a bit tiresome, here it formed a nice little break. And it was amusing. So a plus, not a distraction. I have signed up for their newsletter. So hopefully some time I will see them again, but not after nine hours. Then I can judge them properly. Yeah, I like being judgmental!
Overall, what did I think of my day? Well enjoyed it, overall. For my particular tastes there was some editing I would have done. It would have benefitted from being a couple of hours shorter, or with some of the bands getting longer sets, and concentrating on the bands. And Scarlet Sometimes are far too good to play to a handful of punters at tables like a late night cocktail bar. But it served my purpose of catching some bands I already liked, cementing my views on how good they were, and adding a few more totally new to me, especially the Forty Fours and Another Day. But I couldn't face the Sunday all day session too. TomMcQ kept referring to this as a marathon, not a sprint. Unfortunately, with a full day Sunday too, it felt like an Ultramarathon. And that is too much for all but the hardiest of souls😀
But fair play to the guy for getting it all on, and for keeping the whole thing on schedule. Also liked the venue, Walthamstow Trade Hall. You expect a venue to have standing at front, a bar and maybe seating further back, but not an actual pool table too! Also nice that almost all the acts stuck around to watch the others and have a drink and a dance.
Furthermore I found to my surprise, this was a really easy place for me to reach thanks to the Superloop bus. Only half an hour away from me, although at the first stop after the Hall on my way home, the bus suddenly filled with fans on the way back from a Beyonce concert. I certainly got the better deal.
Oh and to finish, my attempt at an arty photo, with me in it!
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