The National Student Magazine - September 2008

September 2008

nude

and other highlights of the Edinburgh Fringe

Jim Jeffries Hammered

reviews by

Ian Phillips

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im is pissed. He’s in a shouty and belligerent mood; which is relatively par for the course. He’s also been fed tequilas beforehand by some of the punters; which isn’t. Jeffries is a contradiction. Huggably vulgar; he comes across as aggressive and gentle, assertive and fragile, angry and sensitive. He carries a strong sense of right and wrong, despite the rape gags and the hostile gender politics you get that sense that he really just wants to love and be loved… But just as you start to consider this he remembers himself and asserts that he really just wants to fuck and get fucked. Whilst he does have strong and noble principles, he firmly believes they should never get in the way of what his dick wants. He’s got a bit of a rant on this year, demoting his trademark dirty stories to a supporting role; he casts his unforgiving sights upon religion for much of the gig. It’s an easy target, but one that Jeffries attacks with relish. The audience are keen to follow. Shrieks of disbelief fill the auditorium. Upon opening the show Jeffries asks what proportion of the crowd is seeing his act for the first time (his usual material isn’t really welcome on television or radio), it’s a large number, and this fuels him. He takes every possible opportunity to surprise and alarm the audience, dropping shockbombs left, right and centre. But despite his eagerness to repulse and offend, he manages to make himself a very welcome abrasion. A loveable cunt.

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his import from Israel made its UK debut at the Fringe before setting off on a nation(s) The Aluminum wide tour. Filling the Pleasance Grand with silvery shiny wonder, it was easily one of the big talking points of the festival. Pipes prance and ducting dances in this visual splendour. It certainly is a feast for the eyes and the soundtrack doesn’t disappoint either. As though that wasn’t enough, there are also tactile pleasures to be had! It’s a stunning spectacle; for the majority of the show, the aluminum (aluminium goddamit!!) has a life of its own, bopping pipe-people strut about the stage together with cutesy little offspring that herald a wave of condescending awe (and arrs) from the audience. Don’t doubt that you could fall in love with a metallic slinky, ‘cos this show will prove that you can. Later on we get to fully appreciate the energy and flexibility of the dancers through sequences that shield them less from our view as they interact and manipulate the pipework and foil from which the show gets its title. The sights and sounds are wonder enough, but The Aluminum Show doesn’t stop at that. Aided by hefty industrial wind machines and leaf-blowers pilfered from a giants’ garden shed, those sparkly pipes come right out at you, across and over the crowd making this an enchanting, all-inclusive experience and an undeniable showstopping treat for all ages.

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ea and Cake return doubled in strength and number. They bring extra helpings of everything in their second year at the Fringe, lashings of joy and a huge dollop of depravity. Last year Lauren Shearing and TiernTea an Douieb introduced their very special brand of smiling immorality, this year Tea they’re joined by Sam Bern and Mat Wandless enabling the team to further explore their perspective with more activity, vigour and energy. At face value, it’s lively, cheery and energetic stuff, but scratch the surface and you find the wealth of obscure pain and suffering they can’t seem to help themselves but revel in. Their characters thrive on harshly abusing each other, with rejection and betrayal playing a major role in many of their sketches. They also like putting on hats... And quite right too.

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The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest open arts festival. 2008 saw an estimated 18,792 performers appearing in 31,320 performances of 2,088 shows in 247 venues… and 350 of the 2,088 shows on offer were absolutely free. This year’s Fringe offerings originated from 46 different countries. 838 shows were World Premieres. This year saw the launch of the Edinburgh Comedy Festival with more comedy taking place on the Fringe than ever before. Acts appeared in tons of different performance spaces including huge concert halls, Portakabins, cellars, a caravan in a car park and even a swimming pool. As usual, magazine was there for our annual Fringe Binge… we laughed, we cried, we sweated profusely (some of the venues get very hot and have little ventilation!), we stayed up late, we slept little, we drank, we ate (some quite dodgy fast food), we got picked on by stand-ups, got danced with by randoms, shouted at, rained on (a lot), we queued, booed, stewed and loved (almost) every minute… Here are just a few of our highlights… Extended reviews and further coverage at: thenationalstudent.co.uk/fringebinge

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d Byrne is a big venue man these days, huge venue in fact and he certainly deserves to have reached these heady heights. Addressing the vast hall, smartly suited on a large empty stage with a radio mic clipped subtly to his tie, this is a far cry from the Fringe intimacy that I’m accustomed to but Byrne does little to sustain any feelings of separation, he engages the crowd as though it were a much smaller space and when someone pipes up with an interjection from a few rows back he un-flinchingly engages with them and interacts with complete ease, his flow unaffected. The notion of class forms the basis of this show, predominantly focussing on reflections of pigeon-holing himself by assessing his own actions. As a newlywed, his recent marriage features strongly, the long-winded build up of proposal, planning and preparation providing him with a great wealth of material and some particular highlights. Byrne holds skilful mastery of the stage presenting a steady show full of strong and well-received comedy. It’s fluid, charming and witty.

Ed Byrne Different Class and Cake and Cake II: In The Gateau

Andrew Maxwell Andrew Maxwell’s Supernatural

pending time in the company of Andrew Maxwell just makes you want to be his friend. You can’t help but yearn for a time when you can call him up after a shitty day and go down the pub together. He’s a beautiful medicine for a dreary life, always on hand with a witty anecdote or a wandering yarn. His cheery loveliness is encapsulated in the happy chuckles that spill out as he performs. You can’t take these escaped giggles as conceited or self-satisfying, he’s just having a good time, enjoying his job and taking great pleasure in having an audience to bounce off. He revels in his craft and it’s a joy to see.

Jonny and Joe The Jonny and Joe Show

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he aforementioned show of Jonny and Joe is a slapdash affair. By the halfway point the stage is littered with paper and props – casualties from the sketches that have gone before. Even the chairs they use throughout the show are battered and torn, this is not a sketch show with pretence or airs and graces, this is homespun and shabby like a warm old jumper. Jonny is eager, slightly smug and a little bit camp, Joe is stiff, bothered and delicate. Together the pair are warm and engaging; their youth adding considerable appeal to their approach. Their relationship and style is reminiscent of Fry and Laurie, well-mannered and chummy but endearingly dysfunctional. Swiftly passing from sketch to sketch, with ongoing linkage as themselves (as if they ever really stop being themselves) the pair create a randomly blemished comedy landscape, nothing is perfect, everything is slightly untempered. This double-act are carving their own niche in sketch comedy, incomparable to any of their contemporaries. We’re sure to see a lot more of this great comedy pairing, and that is a very reassuring prospect indeed.

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atson and Oliver just get better and better. Their wild fancies and cheeky comedic playfulness continue to tread new ground whilst dancing joyously through the traditions of two-hander sketch comedy. There is not one dud, not a moment that misses the mark as they throw themselves wholeheartedly into their (often obscure) characters and situations – their very animated faces, physicality and vocal abilities are pushed to the limit, never reserved or restrained for a second. At times they slip out of sketch personas and into characterisations of themselves, reminiscent of a French and Saunders approach to self-mockery and the conceit that behind the performances and professionalism of the partnership, a bitter and stubborn rivalry bubbles away. This is a master class in double-act perfection.

Pluck The Titanic Show

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ell there’s a title that’ll grab your attention. It’s caught a fair bit of press attention too, much to Laurence Clark’s amusement. I’m reluctant to label it as such but this will be pigeon-holed as issue based comedy. As a standup, you draw upon your life and experiences to feed your material. Comics often talk about their nationality, gender, sexuality or race, but with Clark and his cerebral palsy, it’s more of… well… an ‘issue’. Despite this, Clark brushes off any suggestion that his role is to raise awareness, he’s a comedian, it’s his job to make people laugh and he certainly does that… a lot. You can’t escape from the facts though, watching Clark perform is a different experience, it demands a little more concentration in order to catch every word, and tough shit, as Clark would say – there’s nothing he can do about that. Through video inserts of prankish behaviour on the streets of London, Clark toys with the general public and their preconceptions of a man in a wheelchair who can’t speak properly. These clips follow a simple premise but consistently amuse and entertain. Clark is tremendously cheeky, jabbing away at society’s sensitivities; teasing and testing those who misguidedly mean well. Clark is a stimulating, witty, intelligent and genial host who’ll compel you to examine yourself and others; a genuine pleasure to spend time with.

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Laurence Clark Spastic Fantastic!

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att Green looks really young (perhaps twelve?), but he isn’t (he’s twentynine). So this, his debut show, focuses on how we all from time to time find ourselves being treated like children. His set encompasses a range of topics taking in nannystate warnings, dad pranks and sperm samples along the way. He completes his show by revealing to his audience exactly why he looks much younger than his years, and in choosing to take this path he guides us in a rather serious direction. It’s not easy to derive laughter from talk of ‘the big C’ and Green adequately recognises this. He handles the self-imposed challenge well and doesn’t let the subject matter distract from the fact that this is a comedy show. Green has made a bold and brave choice in taking that path in his material, and why not quite frankly, it’s his life, of course he should talk about it and he manages the task agreeably. Green holds the audience admirably, displaying a considerable talent and ability. We can expect to see much more of this youthful faced fellow.

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Jon Appleyard

here’s a certain type of smile you get when you leave a Terry Saunders gig. That indefinable smile of fully-enveloping gentle satisfaction. You want to hug strangers and do one of those happy jumping sideways foot clappy kicking things (whatever they’re called) as you wander off into the sunset. Saunders has created a very unique style, something brilliantly fresh and simple, and no-one else is doing it. His mix of stand-up and Jackanory story-telling is distinctive and wonderful. Armed with a bed sheet and a projector (plus an easel this year – no expense spared!), Saunders tells meandering stories of often lonely individuals; misfits and outsiders, and he shows us how they can find love and warmth in an unkind world. Aided by his own projected illustrations his storytelling paints beautiful pictures of humanity and destiny that would melt even the coldest of hearts. This year’s offering introduces Trevor; a man cursed by visions of other peoples’ futures, and of Adeline the girl he loved and lost – the girl without a future. It’s magnificent and charming and funny, Saunders’ broad narrative brush strokes sowing seeds and laying down loose ends throughout the tale leaving you yearning to discover the resolution. Then in his trademark style, when the many strands of the story finally come together its all so wonderfully fulfilling. I want my very own Terry Saunders. I could keep him in a cupboard (a nice comfy cupboard, I’m not an arsehole) and bring him out at bedtimes to tell me stories. You’ll want one too.

Watson and Oliver

hil Kay just rolls with it. Constantly receptive to any influence, more than any other comedian around, you truly never know what you’re going to get from one second to the next. Able to find joy and pleasure in everything, for Phil Kay the glass isn’t just half full; it’s positively overflowing with beauty and wonder. Where mere mortals like us can’t help but allow our lives and energy to be deflated from time-to-time by the things life throws at us, Kay is ceaselessly overjoyed by life’s hiccups and blemishes. He’s a free-wheeling livewire of comedy, overflowing with instinctive wit and bizarre Phil Kay mental digressions, unpredictable to the end. A Phil Kay show is all about impulse, and this can come from anywhere. It would only take something like a sneeze from the third row and he’d grab his guitar and launch spontaneously into an improvised song about nasal passages. Phil Kay is the pinnacle of comedy excellence; you’d have to search a very long time to find anyone on a par. In fact there simply isn’t anyone. He’s peerless. He lives and breathes this stuff, throwing his heart, soul and entire physicality into performing. Embracing life at every turn, he does nothing by halves. No-one does joy or sorrow like Kay. No-one does anything like Phil Kay.

Matt Green Grow Up Green

Terry Saunders Figure 8

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ripes oh crikey! An acrobatic comedy country and western burlesque duo no less. Not something you come across everyday… although some of their close friends and relations probably do!! This is a truly unique act; sassy, sexy and fearless - in choosing to join their frivolity you’re truly running the gauntlet. There is every chance you may find yourself on stage with them. There is every chance you may find yourself wearing their clothes. Burlesque acts have become increasingly popular and mainstream lately, but no-one does it like the Wau Wau Sisters. Why take your clothes off yourself when there is an audience to do it for you?! With slightly incestuous undertones, they climb upon, grapple, stroke, lick, kiss and manoeuvre each other through an astounding show full of spectacular silliness, seduction and songs. When they launch into their big show-stopping routines, the acrobatic expertise on show is positively jaw-dropping, and for many of the blokes in the audience their jaws have already dropped as far as they’re ever physically capable of going.

The Wau Wau Sisters After-Party

Don Spiro

The National Student’s Fringe coverage is supported by:

usic, slapstick, cross dressing, an iceberg and the biggest dancing peanut on the Fringe; there’s something for everyone in Pluck’s latest offering! The skilled string trio present a collection of tunes we know and love in a comedy tribute to the famed musicians who played on as the Titanic sank. It’s a slightly silly yarn that they spin but a very lovely one. A young lady disguises herself as a bloke in order to sneak aboard the ill-fated ship and be with the man she loves. This particularly pleasant plot serves well in holding together many wonderful set-pieces where the performers show off their considerable talents and play about. If you’ve ever wanted to see people playing violins while putting up deckchairs then this is the show for you!

Dan Antopolski Penetrating Gaze

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att Lucas and Catherine Tate have both made enormously popular contributions to the world of comedy by lampooning chavettes but we are yet to see a mainstream parody posterboy for their chavvy male counterparts. Lee Nelson could well be that man. Perfectly attired for the role, Brodkin takes the stage for an hour of standuppy banter in the guise of Lee Nelson – baseball-capped and dressed Simon Brodkin in three-quarter length Adidas tracky is Lee Nelson bottoms he looks every inch the despicable tosspot benefits-leach, right down to those little touches of Elizabeth Duke bling. Nelson is so cheery and personable that you actually find yourself warming to the character despite all his loathsome qualities. Lee Nelson has an eagerness and dumb fascination for the complexities and diversity of society whilst happily making no constructive contribution to it. He is so endearingly reckless and stupid; Brodkin brings the character to life with such astute ignorance and truly exposes just how two dimensional the catchphrase dependent Vicky Pollard and Lauren Cooper are.

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an Antopolski has undergone ‘the change’. You see this happening to comics quite often, it happens at different times in their careers, its often reflected in their manner and attitude on the stage, but its always most evident in the change of direction in their material. They can’t escape ‘the change’ or skirt around it no matter how hard they try. It’s triggered by parenthood. When your job centres around talking about your life experiences it’s inevitable. It’s quite fascinating to observe really, particularly with the blokes, it’s a bit like some kind of stand-up puberty occurring. Antopolski’s wily tangential approach and sense of surrealism is still intact but his routine now includes views and observations on fatherhood. These family focussed meanderings still carry a clear Antopolski vibe but it is clear that this is a fairly different person we now see holding the mic. Amidst the usual joys of Antopolski’s skew-whiff view of the world, he has become partial to a bit of rapping in his act. These moments are an absolute delight, superbly written with brilliant timing and delivery. It’s quite right and fitting that he is partial to donning a cape; he is after all, a bit of a hero.

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anielle Ward is the second most famous person from her school, and her placement in this most revered of achievement charts is sure to rise in the very near future. On the subject of one’s past catching up with you, particularly in the internet age, she revels in the amusement of Facebook profiles of old school acquaintances and finds delight and amusement in the curious statements and behaviours of others. Working regularly as a writer on radio shows, and developing a career as a comedy panellist with a growing number of appearances on television, she has a strong passion for topicality. Ward keenly reflects upon current events in the news displaying her reassuring reluctance to cling to practised material. She makes no apologies for responding to recent events off the cuff and her skill and talent means she certainly doesn’t need to. She’s definitely one to watch, a big name of the future.

Danielle Ward Danielle Ward In Glorious Technicolor

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ill and Greg are heading for greatness, which is fitting because they’re pretty great. Their sketches range from achingly uncomplicated to the beautifully absurd. Their genius is marked out by the sheer simplicity of their police interview sketch (an astonishingly straightforward yet brilliant idea) or the fact that one sketch basically just consists of them counting to ten but works like a dream. They’re an impressive partnership, highly skilled and incredibly talented; the powers that be in TV-land have recognised this and with a Comedy Lab episode (Blowout) already under their belts, they’ve also now clocked up an episode on Channel 4 in their Generation Next season with ‘The Incredible Will And Greg’. These chaps are hot property and won’t be performing in Portakabins for much longer! Will and Greg are tremendously likeable and through the subtlest of darting eyes or twitching smirks they develop a keen rapport with their audience. Not too immersed in their work to show that they’re enjoying themselves, they are clearly very good pals and aren’t afraid to let a little bit of corpsing slip through the veneer (but quite frankly who can keep a straight face when they’re having a Tunnock’s Tea Cake shoved in their mouth!?!) which only serves to make them even more likeable.

Will & Greg A Sketch Show

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dward Aczel (winner of the 2008 Malcolm Hardee Award for comic originality) is an anti-comic. This has to be one of the bravest stand-up performances I’ve ever seen. Beneath the ineptitude and overwhelming lack of effort, Edward Aczel is flying by the seat of his pants. He’s taking his life in his own hands, and he doesn’t seem to give a toss. Every moment you’re expecting him to fail and die a miserable on stage death, but somehow he doesn’t. It shouldn’t work but it does. It’s awful but it isn’t. Aczel’s forlorn dead-pan delivery perfectly suits his image. Chubby, shabby, scruffy, balding and weary; he’s a walking talking shrug. Moments of slight discomfort fill his act as the audience don’t really know how to receive Aczel. He practically encourages revolt by pushing the crowd further towards a feeling of disappointment. By the end you’re left a little dazed, completely unsure of whether that was a well-pitched and very clever show or just an indolent mess. I promise you it’s the former of the two. Aczel’s act is a tight-rope walk from start to finish and it’s amazing that he never loses balance. Edward Aczel is one of the most daring and intriguing comedians around today, a brilliant contrast to all those that show you how hard they’re trying. He’s working ten times harder than most but you wouldn’t have a clue.

Edward Aczel Do I Really Have To Communicate With You?

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es he is… and he’s one of the best ones we saw this year. Mohammed injects the solo sketch genre with exciting elements of interactivity and his speed and energy is striking. He kicks off at an unrelenting pace with rapid character switches and lighting cues. Then it all starts to become quite uncomfortable, but luckily not for us. Zoe Gardner joins him to take on the role of candidate and victim in a very unconventional job interview with plenty of cringe-inducing moments of silliness where you just want to rescue the poor lass. Mohammed’s impressively clever finale turns the room into a parapsychology lecture and our host seeks to discredit the notions of ESP and mind-reading. Nick Mohammed is a character comedian but he’s also a magician and the Nick Mohammed situation is amusingly turned on its head as an audience is exposed as a witch. Is A Character Comedian volunteer Sharp, clever, creative and very funny.

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ndrew Lawrence has mellowed considerably compared to previous years/incarnations (he’s not singing about eating his mother anymore!), but the fear factor is still there bubbling beneath the surface. Andrew Lawrence He is much less scary this year, but when the bilious rants do come out Don’t Just Do Something, Sit to play you get the sense that this is just a dormant volcano and death, destruction, fire and rage will always be threatening to strike when the mic is in his hand. Lawrence has always traded heavily on selfdeprecation; well to be frank (but perhaps a little unfair) he’s got a lot to play with in that area. Being ginger, pale, gaunt and slightly squeaky he knows exactly how to attack himself before he sets his sights on other victims. When he does fall upon a topic, people or persons that rile him he launches off into long streams of hateful phrases and adjectives. It becomes rather poetic as he stares almost trance like off into space, lost in the rhythm and catharsis of his seething revulsion. When he eventually comes round he seems slightly inclined to excuse his moment of possession before resuming in his newly found amiable and approachable mode. Lawrence is an inspired performer who gives you a reassuring sense that his material and delivery has been painstakingly tweaked, measured and tested. His current choice of direction must surely be a sign that he has set his sights on a wider appeal and larger audiences but whatever he does next you can be assured that it will be stimulating. Lawrence may have started purring, but he hasn’t lost his bite.

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Josie Long All Of The Planet’s Wonders (Shown In Detail)

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ichard Herring is a stalwart of Fringe comedy, an old hand. This year he delved into his rather unfortunate childhood scholastic circumstance; his headmaster at school was his dad. It’s such a veritable goldmine of comedic opportunity that Herring can’t understand why he’s not gone here before. It’s an impassioned set with Herring pleading for sympathy. He admits that despite the headmaster dad thing, he had a pretty good childhood, and that he feels was wrong. He calls out for understanding; his upbringing was unjust – it’s not easy not having a hard childhood to blame. In the arguments and comparisons he lays down in this plea Herring dances gleefully on the boundaries of taste and decency. This isn’t just shock tactic comedy like some of the [ooh-look-at-me-I’m-being] ‘offensive’ comedians might employ; this is cleverer than that. He deliberately taunts the audience with his material, testing their judgement by crossing the line and then proving he hasn’t. No-one knows how to take it – is it ok to say these things? The things he says should be completely abhorrent, but they aren’t because they’re not, but they feel like they should be… oh god it gets confusing. Uncertainty fills the room and Herring revels in it. It’s an accomplished show from this comedy veteran and comedians half Richard Herring his age should take note.

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ep, Michael McIntyre. love a good quest. This is one of those charming No theme, documentary style comedy journeys where the perno subject matter, formers’ passion for the subject matter sweeps you no title, just Michael along into an eager supporting role. You can’t help but McIntyre. And that’s become absorbed by the ride, willing him to succeed, all you need to fill wanting to lend a paddle. the theatre frankly. Horne wants immortality. A modest aim if ever there The man who’s was. He wants to live forever within the pages of the been likened to dictionary; he wants to spawn new words. His energy a noughties Bob and enthusiasm for the weighty task he’s set himself is Monkhouse has unabashed and he’ll leap upon each and every opportuenormous widenity to slip his foetal words into the media - he leads us reaching appeal. Michael McIntyre eagerly through months of unrelenting word planting… Michael McIntyre what he fondly refers to as verbal gardening. always gives an As with any truly engaging comedy quest, the peaks excellent performand troughs of ance, ceaselessly his journey have slick, forever faultthe audience less. You could sighing forlornly easily dismiss this and cheering at brilliance as being well-rehearsed and finely tuned, every turn. but this is a live and unpredictable medium and This was you have to dismiss such dismissal the moment enormously he goes off script. When opportunity or circumAlex Horne captivating fun, stance instigates an adlib or complete digression with strong timWordwatching he proves his absolute control of the stage and the ing and brilliant mic. He doesn’t hold a mic, I should add, preferhumour. ring the head-mounted radio mic approach, thus Well worth the allowing him to make the best of his very animated honk. delivery. It hardly needs saying, as McIntrye sold out, had extra shows added and sold out again, but he’s quite plainly one of the very best stand-ups working today and absolutely at the top of his game.

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Ivan Brackenbury Ivan Brackenbury’s Hospital Radio Christmas Show

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made a terrible error last year. With so many shows to choose from, it’s impossible to avoid random details influencing your choices. I am zany intolerant; this has been clinically proven by proper doctors and everything. So with my own personal health and well-being in mind, one glance at the promotional image for Ivan Brackenbury’s Hospital Radio Show sent me running for the hills. I was a fool, a stupid fickle, flyer judging fool. Will I ever learn my lesson? Probably not. Thank god Mr Brackenbury is back and this year I finally had a chance to see what all the fuss was about. Broadcasting live from the Fringe to his bedridden listeners back in Chesterfield Hospital, the ruthlessly hewn portrait of “I’m bonkers me” volunteering invited us to become his ‘posse’ for the day’s show, and it took little time before all assembled were whipped up into a whooping and giggling frenzy as the broadcast unfolded. Ivan Brackenbury (Tom Binns) is brilliant. The characterisation is faultless and Brackenbury is translated through Binns’ entire physicality. A very simple but brilliant joke runs throughout the show as Brackenbury plays inappropriate dedications and tinkers with his jingles. So to speak! Its concept is so devastatingly simple but its execution shows considerable technical prowess. Sometimes you’re ahead of Brackenbury as he prepares to drop his next horrific funny-bomb, at other times, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t see where he’s going and he completely catches you by surprise. This is half the joy of the show as you mentally play cat and mouse with his material. It has to be the best hour of live character comedy I have ever seen.

Jon Appleyard

The Headmaster’s Son

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ith little to do during the day, many stand-ups find themselves at the mercy of their games consoles. Not Josie Long. She is embracing enlightenment. Fascinated by knowledge, she finds herself exploring a world of wonder and fascination. She is attracted to big ideas, the huge unfathomable concepts that shape our universe, but once she has latched upon such ideas she can’t help but translate them to the everyday and mundane. Her wonderful wit and imagination fills every moment of this intelligent show. Long’s approach to comedy is a refreshingly creative one; her use of props in this show is delightful and ingenious. The obvious time she’s spent preparing items with felt-tip pens, card and glue add to the sense of reassurance that this show has been constructed with a care and passion many comics can only aspire to. Its homemade comedy, put together cross-legged on the living room floor and therein lies its beauty; its gripping, fascinating and a real genuine pleasure.

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Russell Kane

nable to stand still for Gaping Flaws a second, he writhes about the stage bending, twisting and convulsing. His curious gurning abnormality is a beautiful thing though, as his show ‘Gaping Flaws’ seeks to recognise. Perfection is not to be trusted. In this lively, manic show, Kane takes the wellworn conceit that Brits embrace the faulty and fear the faultless. There are plenty of easy targets within this fast paced set; comparisons between American culture and our own for example are staple ingredients but enormous fun nevertheless. But it is when he touches upon racism and bigotry that Kane reveals a little more of himself than we are used to seeing. He seems almost cautious of exposing too much of his own ideology for fear of distracting from the frivolity of it all, but he can’t not take a stand. Good for him too. He recognises a grim future unless we act to prevent the rise of intolerance and during these moments we see an aspect of Kane that is often shielded by silliness. This year we’ve seen a growth in his talent and ability, he is insightful and his jerking, flailing physicality is unrelenting as are his breathless speech patterns - he barely pauses for a moment. It’s a well polished set; ‘Gaping Flaws’ marks Russell Kane’s stand-up ascendancy and for us he was very well deserving of his If.comedy nomination, which for him, as a lover of imperfections, must be terribly upsetting.

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his is physical comedy jazz-rock fusion. Wild, unpredictable, bizarre, frenetic and occasionally confusing… actually lets make that often confusing… but in a good way. With so many characters and only the two of them performing (Mark Chavez and Shenoah Allen), the pyjama clad pair frequently deliver lines and then spin around or dash across the stage to respond to themselves. It’s a bit of a blur and there are so many delightful moments and strands but a personal favourite was their exploration of the complexities and pitfalls of life without thumbs.

Pajama Men Versus vs Versus

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ude is the title, and that’s exactly what you get. Naked men… yes proper naked men, being naked, with no clothes on and everything. The audience are welcomed into a life-drawing class. Before long there it is... Body hair, bell-end and bollocks; male genitalia in all its dangling glory. Shrieks of disbelief and titters of embarrassment scatter the audience, and then it’s down to business. What goes through the mind of a nude model in a life class? His inner monologue is revealed as he struggles with the insecurity of being on full show and scrutinized. This then moves on into the wanderings of a mind simply left to pass the time, holding the pose. Rivalry rears its ugly head (if you’ll excuse the phrase!) when another life model enters the class and the two men find themselves pitted against each other. It’s a brave performance from Owen Roberts and Ciaran Dowd, and an assured debut for them as a writing partnership. It’s an impressively uncommon show and quite unforgettable.

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tephen K Amos can fill a rather big room, and oh boy can he command it. He handles a large crowd like a true pro, managing laughs, chuckles, murmurs and even boos with expertise. This year’s offering ‘Find The Funny’ encourages us to seek out the humorous in life. Stephen With more impending doom approaching in Find The various inescapable forms; it’s a pretty well advised survival technique that we should all consider employing. Amos invites (or should that be volunteers) a member of the audience to tally up the laughs in the show. On this occasion his choice of ‘volunteer’ slightly backfires as the elected giggle-counter takes it upon himself to also tot up the number of times Amos laughs at his own jokes, and its not that small a number by the time we reach the end. Despite being achingly mainstream these days, at times, Amos treads a very fine line. He crosses this line occasionally and I’m not entirely sure that he is aware that he’s doing it until he hears the reception his comments receive. He always handles this well though and rescues the moment within seconds. But personally I do find some of his approach on racial topics to be slightly misjudged, unhealthy and old-fashioned. Nevertheless this is a joyful show, full of fun and brimming with laughs. You even find out how many.

Nude

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tephen Grant should be a household name by now but the cookie just hasn’t crumbled favourably for him or us for that matter. He was almost a Top Gear presenter and has his own unique take on that (Richard Hammond using his own head as a plough) infamous accident. He was also very nearly in The Office, and he can’t even get himself to the top of Google search results for his own name… he comes second – thanks to a murderous American namesake. Grant has plenty to say about coming second and all forms of things labelled secondary and the incredibly witty inspired material never lapses. There are so many wonderful sequences in this tightly packed hour: an interactive warmup computer, the postal service, inventions, second class travel that isn’t called second class, sporting failures and underpaying bills – its no wonder he needs a towel on hand to mop his brow. Stephen Grant is dependable, intelligent and really bloody funny. I’m looking forward to his show next year, as he promises that by then he’ll be legally allowed to talk about his divorce!!

Stephen Grant Second Barry and Stuart Part-Time Warlocks

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here was a fair old bit of magic on offer at the Fringe this year, and it all gets slapped together under the label of comedy, yes there’s funny patter in and around the tricks but they shouldn’t all necessarily be labelled as comedy. These guys however, properly fulfil the promise of comedy to which they’re filed under, and they’re enormously accomplished magicians too. I don’t know how old they are; they’ve been around for quite some time now, but they still feel like cheeky little scamps – even with Stuart’s new beard. This is magicians misbehaving, and its fantastic fun. They take great pleasure in toying with the audience, and take even greater pleasure in toying with each other. The pair are so much in tune with each other and clearly very close pals; consequently they can’t resist digressing from the script occasionally to try and throw the other or simply just take the piss. Matey banter and comic fluency aside, they are superb masters of their craft. Despite the inbuilt desire to convince myself that I know how each trick is done, nearly everything they do is unfathomable. There is plenty to amaze and impress too, I lost count of the number of tricks performed in this hour (well to be honest I wasn’t trying to count them at all, that would have been ridiculously anal, but you know what I mean!)

K Amos Funny

Claes Gellerbrink

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ith a large, clever and intricately manipulated set complete with spongy floor and padding in all the right places, Frank Woodley throws himself (quite literally) into a masterful display of physical comedy. He plays Louis, a kindly loner, who finds his body Frank Woodley possessed by the ghost of a Possessed young lady called Phoebe. Woodley deftly flits between the two characters signalled by swift changes in tone and accent. With a sense of ghostly spookiness in the air, his basement flat begins to take on a life of its own and parts of the set swing and swipe at him often threatening a hefty blow to the head. The timing and accuracy of such sequences is sheer wondrous pleasure and shows the immense skill and cohesion of Woodley and his technical team. Alongside the fabulous physical knockabout set-pieces, Woodley litters the show with poignant interactions between Louis and Phoebe as their curious relationship builds, plus a delightful little musical number as he takes on yet another character. ‘Possessed’ brings awesome clowning, supreme slapstick and constantly impressive physical expertise with surprises at every turn. It’s an absolute joy to behold.

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his was a truly exceptional show from The Pros From Dover (a M*A*S*H reference in case you were wondering – they’re not from Dover!) three men with an impressive comedy pedigree. They can’t help subverting the form, but not in a conceited or audacious way, rather in a warm, intelligent and welcoming fashion that makes The Pros From Dover you feel immediately reassured and comforted by their approach. Every sketch brings something new and different, attacking the sketch format from all kinds of inventive angles. You just can’t help thinking “oh that’s clever”… And it’s very, very funny too. There were so many highlights in this show; a Star Wars driving lesson in German, a sketch performed half-staffed and the breaking of bad news. But my personal favourite (a press conference for a crash survivor) was a gorgeous slow-burner that I simply can’t bear to divulge any more details of (for fear of ruining it if you happen to have the pleasure of witnessing it yourself!), it grabbed you from the start, then unfolded steadily and brilliantly. This is fresh, brilliant, exciting and inspired virtuoso sketch comedy.

Doktor Cocacolamcdonalds Badly Ranted Thoughts Via The Magic Of Song

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e’ve raved about him at various festivals for the last three years and he’s finally and quite rightfully getting further recognition being retrospectively given the 2007 Malcolm Hardee Award for comic originality. Its wrong, it doesn’t work and its awful – therein lies its brilliance. With painted face, colourful pants and little else, Doktor Cocacolamcdonalds reels about the room knocking his equipment onto the floor and tripping over cables. It’s an absolute mess quite frankly… and we love it! Admittedly, Doktor Cocacolamcdonalds is an acquired taste. Like lime milkshake, it shouldn’t work but it does. He may well have you putting your face in your hands from time to time; overcome by the cringe factor that is inescapable, but it’s absolutely hilarious. His new material continues in the vein to which we’re accustomed, and Ray – Man of Words makes a welcome return with his latest poetic compositions, plus he’s introduced a brand new character known only as The Month Of January!! Unrivalled and as brilliant, exciting and bewildering as ever.

Festivals 2008 Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, Kent, July 4-6

We’re sure you’ve all heard the stories about the biggest disaster in festival history (where no one died). Countless acts pulling out – no Dizzee, no Friendly Fires, no DIOYY – hasty line-up changes, tents being closed, VIP tent sporadically opened to all, complete lack of communication to the audience and general disarray from start to finish – welcome to Queue Thousand and Wait. By the time we’ve fought our way through the biblical queues for tickets and camping then to the main area, only for it to open four hours late (due to, it would emerge later, a fourhour sound check from Mark Ronson), the overriding adjective is already “shambles”. Fighting With Wire Eventually the gates open and Londonderry’s Fighting With Wire are ready to open the weekend with aplomb. With thunderous basslines and growly vocals you’d be forgiven for mistaking this for early Foo Fighters or Feeder as they play a set firmly rooted in 90s rock. No synths or electronics here, just an unapologetic classic rock assault to amply test the limits of the main tent’s PA. Dan le Sac vs Scroobius In contrast the electro beat poetry of Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip is heavy on the beats. Opening with ‘The Beat That My Heart Skipped’, Pip’s delivery already has an edge of anger to it, le Sac’s thumping bass adding gravitas to the message-laden prose. ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’ of course gets the biggest reception, but it’s the super funked-up spoken word cover of Prince’s ‘Cream’ to close the set that inspires the first real hot and sweaty movement of this sun-soaked day. Let the festive part of the weekend begin! Metronomy Metronomy prove one of the highlights, despite a criminally small crowd and a complete failure of their characteristic chestlamps in the afternoon’s direct sunlight. Their synth-led space rock is epic, catchy, resplendent with great hooks and eminently danceable. The boys themselves put in a stoic performance in the Kraftwerk tradition, but it’s all showmanship one way or another, and by next year they should be much further up the festival billings. The Rumble Strips The Rumble Strips give a solid rendition of their brass-tinged indie pop repertoire. The sax squeals as Charlie yelps his way through enjoyably light tunes like ‘Motorcycle’, while

‘Alarm Clock’ and ‘Girls and Boys In Love’ have the crowd jigging with gay abandon, but ultimately it’s an unaffecting set one can take or leave, with the new material showcased providing more of the same. Delays Delays’ set is ironically delayed slightly by monitor problems but it doesn’t stop them exercising their crowd appeal from the off. They burst into a strong set of indie synth pop with showmanship being the key. The first to benefit from the full effect of the light rig in the onset of dusk, they shine live. The first spots of rain go unnoticed in the fiesta of bouncing from both band and crowd, through tunes like the joyous ‘Hooray’ and the epic romance of ‘Valentine’. Gallows Having dedicated their set to “a fucking diva” (i.e. Ronson), there are sure to be no such antics from these boys. The whole tent is turned into a danger zone as they thrash out a whirlwind set of gutter punk fuelled by pure aggression. The circle pit grows exponentially as Frank Carter stretches his vocal chords to destruction through gutbusting tunes like ‘Abandon Ship’ and ‘In the Belly of a Shark’, standing atop a monitor to survey his domain like a skinny, ginger Lord of Destruction. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any wilder, Carter encourages the biggest circle of death most have ever seen for their cover of Andrew WK’s ‘Party Hard’, backing the more mild-mannered right to the canvas to bear witness to the visceral, animal scene in front of them. Things are nearly stopped halfway through, but Carter’s not having it, encouraging the band to play on and reminding everyone that “we’re not here to fight, we’re here to party,” proving that it’s not about violence or aggression, it’s about release. By the end a genuine thank you goes out to the crowd for knowing that and, presumably, not killing each other. Mark Ronson Roll up, roll up for the Mark Ronson Showband and Revue! As usual he’s copping a lot of shit from the “true music fans” for playing other people’s songs, but the spectacle and scale of the show is impressive as you’d expect, and with the conveyor belt of guest vocalists taking the stage you can see that that soundcheck was probably necessary to create this. Highlights include random singer dude’s own song ‘Out of Control’, a cover (quelle surprise) of Sugar Hill Gang’s ‘Apache’ featuring Scroobius Pip and Rumble Strip’s Charlie Brooker giving his rendition of ‘Back to Black’. It’s certainly a bizarre scene that harkens back to the old showband days, but ultimately the majority of the crowd seem to enjoy it. He’s not this popular for nothing, you know. The Teenagers The teenagers are out in force for The Teenagers. Opening strong with ‘Starlett Johansson’, frontman Quentin Delafon oozes cool Gallic charm. He may be above the age of consent but he knows exactly what these kids want, sending adolescent girl hormones surging first as he approaches the barrier, and then as he pulls screaming fans out of the crowd to giggle their way through the female vocal of ‘Homecoming’ on stage. By the time ‘Feeling Better’ closes, with this much adolescent flesh throwing around it’s enough to make anyone feel old, but this is The Teenagers’ power – the sound of capricious youth; the soundtrack to a long lost summer of love.

Mark Ronson

Marner Brown Unfortunately first day teething problems prove to be ongoing as the Tap ‘n’ Tin Tent is closed for structural repair due to Gallows’ raucous performance last night, plus more pull-outs mean a hastily cobbled-together running order leaves the crowd at the main stage highly

Danielle Goldstein

ZOO8

The Cribs confused. They are instead offered the bluestinged rock n roll swagger of Marner Brown. Most would be daunted by a frustrated and sun-baked crowd wondering why they’re not Hadouken!, but the Marner boys take it all in their stride, making the stage their own before a word is even sung. While the diehards leave, those desperate now to just see anything good are not disappointed. If festivals are about surprise discoveries then Zoo8 has managed to get something right by default. Stand-out track ‘Up All Night’ is a modern day ‘Ballroom Blitz’, while other parts of their set evoke the likes of Zeppelin. It’s everything Jet got right the first time and while it may not last, it’s worth checking out all the same. Hadouken! Eventually, after yet more waiting, frustration and sterling work from security who keep the crowd entertained and watered, Hadouken! run on stage ready to go. By now the backstage problems are no secret and it’s obvious they just want to get out and play, exploding off the blocks with ‘Get Smashed Gatecrash’. Replacing the “go back where you came from” line with “pay your fucking artists you C**TS!”, the cathartic release of the day’s delay is clear, but they know who they’re playing for, not letting backroom politics dampen their characteristically riotous stage show. Playing ‘Leap of Faith’, the mist of sweat is visible off the crowd. A rendition of Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’ doesn’t match up to the original, but these kids are willing to go mental for it. Biggest hit ‘That Boy That Girl’ closes and both band and fans, shirtless and sweat-drenched, are glad they’ve finally got what they were waiting for. British Sea Power A less numerous but more mature and sedate crowd replace the youngsters for festival favourites British Sea Power’s set. Watched by the Jarman brothers from the back of a stage crowded with flags and shrubbery, there’s a lot of activity going on as they play their glorious and madcap indie tunes but it’s still ultimately unremarkable and unsatisfying. Ash Ash take things up a gear, exploding in rock fury like seasoned veterans with a set full of favourites, including ‘Kung Fu’, ‘Shining Light’ and of course ‘Girl From Mars’. It seems an age since we last saw Tim Wheeler’s Flying V guitar raised in anger, but time hasn’t slowed them down one bit, as proven by the juggernaut chugging of new track ‘Itchy Burn’. Take a note, Hadouken! fans, this is the sound of my youth, and it’s still glorious. The Cribs Not nearly as tight or slick, but all the more exciting for it, is the headline set from The Cribs. Squealing their way through a set packed with hits, the raw noise is almost indecipherable at times, even on big hits like ‘Hey Scenesters’, but the unpolished nature

captures the spirit of the song rather than the letter, and the band’s philosophy as a whole – just play it fast and loud and have fun doing it. Despite the ear-splitting feedback and distortion, when songs are this singalong – or whoa-oh along, as it were – it doesn’t matter. The news has spread by now that bands aren’t getting paid and therefore are cancelling all over the shop. This combined with Sunday’s driving rain makes it a day for checking out a host of lesser-known acts in the smaller tents. X-Certs Special mention goes to Aberdeen’s X-Certs, a three piece Scot-rock act singing in their native accent obviously draws comparisons to Biffy, but such lazy observations shouldn’t draw away from the passion and sheer intensity they play with. The singer’s yearning vocals bulge his neck veins almost to bursting, with a sound reminiscent of Taking Back Sunday’s more epic moments. The highlight comes when same lead singer jumps the barrier to take a snare drum into the middle of the crowd for the final piece de resistance. It’s an amazing display, and the small crowd aren’t exactly sure what to make of it all, but leave knowing they’ve just witnessed something pretty damn spectacular. The Holloways The Holloways bring some happiness to the main stage – how can we be anything but when they bring their infectious, light-hearted pop into our lives? As if by fate the first clear skies of the day show as they play the first bars of ‘Generator’, setting the scene for some skiptastic bopping through equally joyous tunes like ‘Fuck Ups’ and ‘Two Left Feet’. They’re the modern day Chas n Dave. The Hives So the weather’s improved, the crowd are suitably warmed up and those that are left are ready to salvage something of the weekend by enjoying The Hives. Epitomising the rock n roll swagger that’s been only hinted at by other young pretenders this weekend, frontman Howlin’ Pelle Armqvist struts around the stage while the rest of the band play with an energy that the crowd just can’t match. It’s been a long, draining weekend for most, and Pelle’s faux(?) conceit and calls for clapping and shouting wear thin pretty quickly. It’s an enjoyable set, spanning the last three albums, but collective energy is being saved for what everyone knows will be the finale: ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’. When eventually it does come, the entire crowd’s last reserves are used to go bat shit crazy for three last minutes of cathartic movement as reward for the ordeal everyone has been through. If there does manage to be a Zoo9 then let’s only hope they can learn from the bevy of mistakes made this year. by Phil Dixon

Steventon, Oxfordshire, July 19-20

Something feels a little skewed, there’s a weird atmosphere I have never encountered at Truck before – I have been queuing in a line of traffic for over an hour, and am feeling a little daunted by the burly added security (some with dogs) – I contemplate that with it’s growing popularity Truck has lost its freedom and innocence. Fonda 500 Luckily all fears are short lived as Fonda 500 shatter any mis-placed doubts with their chaotic disco-indie mish-mash. Front-man Simon burbles, sings and beat-boxes into the micro-phone over a mess of rock riffs and juvenile electronics. Once again Fonda own the stage with their complete disdain for the mundane. Little Fish The sunny start is soon shadowed by Little Fish’s staid, by-numbers alt-rock. Even in the blistering sunshine the two-piece leave me a little cold. The angst, aggression and fiery energy is contrived, pre-meditated and ultimately embarrassing. Little Fish have ticked all the boxes of the genre but forgot to put anything of themselves into either their music or performance making them a sick parody of the band they wish to be. Green as a Primary Green as a Primary sooth with their uplifting and engaging electronic sound-scapes. Laptop driven beats and surges lollop over live postrock instrumentation as guitar, bass and piano build relaxing swathes of ambient noise. The performance is nothing to write home about but the music speaks for itself. Green as a Primary act as one of Truck 2008’s exciting new finds. Lovvers Being a fan of grungy, grotty hardcore punk outfit Lovvers for some time I am drawn to their mid-afternoon set in the Barn for some antagonistic rock debauchery. They might not be at their confrontational best but still put on a show full of flailing energy and carefree vigour. Lovvers blast out heavy hardcore tunes coupled with an intelligent understanding of engaging melodic hooks. They bound on stage, lay-waste to it and leave in perfect punk rock style. Rollo Tomassi 5..4..3..2..1…Rollo Tomassi are go! Waging aural blitzkrieg on the Barn attendees the Sheffield techno-prog-jazz-metal brats sound like the most violent teenage tantrum ever – if you’re going to be an angry teen making angry teen music it should sound like this. They look like petite, polite indie-kids and make the kind of music that will have Christian nut-jobs holding candle-light vigils – all hardcore riffs, pounding rhythms and screeched vocals offset by swirling electronic blips and surges. Single ‘Beatrotter’ is an insane math-metal juggernaut that lays waste to my ears.

Noah and the Whale You have to wonder why indie-darlings Noah and the Whale aren’t on the main stage. The Market tent is filled to bursting. The modernday dandies do a fine-line in traditional folklaments revised in the modern jangly-indie format. It’s a wonder exactly what the buzz around this band is all about, folk isn’t exactly new and neither is indie, so an amalgamation of the two probably shouldn’t get people this excited – or maybe I’m missing the point!! The Lemonheads The day has gone a little limp and unfortunately the Lemonheads aren’t doing much to remedy that. Them playing classic album It’s A Shame About Ray is an exciting proposition and the tunes sound great, but nostalgia aside, if front-man Evan Dando can’t be arsed to perform he should have stayed at home. Dando plays with all the enthusiasm and verve of a eunuch at an orgy, and it totally ruins the moment. The band leave the stage on five separate occasions, and mutter ‘thanks’ a few times as their only acknowledgement that a crowd has gathered at all. The advertised full performance of Ray is cut short as they miss out the brilliant ‘Rockin’ Stroll’ and decide in their wisdom to skip their only major hit ‘Mrs Robinson’. The great thing about being at Truck is the bands seem to be as happy to play it as fans are to attend it, it is a rare event where everyone is happy to be alive… this fact seems lost on slacker-dullard Dando – miserable bastard! Mephisto Grande A gospel choir brings angelic harmonies to an act fronted by a huge man who sounds like Tom Waits, if Tom Waits had been gargling gravel and started banging out the hardrocking sounds of hell. Like the Birthday Party and Slayer covering Christian songs this perplexing act brings some distinct darkness to the light of the summer morning. Is it good, or is it awful... I’m stumped but it certainly won’t be forgotten. Kyte Nu-gazers Kyte unleash epic ‘cathedrals of sound’ during an animated performance which leaves no one in any doubt that this band are extraordinary. Fitting in with the recent revitalisation of the shoegaze genre Kyte bring surging electronics to the classic template of complex arrangements - melding earthshattering beauty with neuron-goading noise. The breathy vocals and subtle percussion give the whole performance an otherworldly feel. Kyte are a living testament to how moving live rock music can be. Le Volume Corde Intelligent French-pop outfit Le Volume Corde bring an air of Velvets’ bohemian cool to the proceedings. They are a band of random juxtapositions bringing a seemingly dark,

Fonda 500

Hannah Morris

Truck

morbid air to classic indie-pop twee-ness to form a truly ethereal pop-sound. Like Francoise Hardy fronting My Bloody Valentine at an indiepop gathering. The ambience is ruined by some knuckleheaded and decidedly sexist heckles, but the band being French don’t seem to fully understand.

exist in their own musical dimension blasting out blistering electronica, Autechre-esque beats pinned to pounding live jazz-metal drumming that is both experimentally challenging and danceable. Despite the obvious limitations of the sound-man in handling the bands complexities this is the most exciting thing all weekend.

Pivot A garage-rock band from a sci-fi future where the machines have taken over; Pivot

The Nuns The Nuns are one of those ‘only at Truck’ bands that make life worthwhile. A female garage rock super-group (made up of members of amongst others Curve, Thee Headcoates and Echobelly) dressed as ‘sisters’ covering tunes by legendary and underrated 60s garage act Monks – nothing could be better! As the chanting brilliance of ‘Monk Time’ blasts from the tiny stage the Monks are recreated in all their glory and it shows just how ahead of their time they were. They play the comedy-card brilliantly in between the chugging, fuzzy nuggets of garage gold. This is the best sermon ever.

Hannah Morris

Maps Maps shoegaze orchestrations now sound bigger than ever. A vast almost omnipresent aural tapestry unfolds from the Barn stage amidst smoke and flashing lights as weird images flash behind the band. The sheer intensity of it all leaves me shattered, it’s like being hit by a musical power shower. In an explosion of noise they are joined by Ulrich Schnauss and a member of Chapterhouse for an extra special and fitting Ride cover and leave the stage with sound reverberating round the cow shed. Chapterhouse Shoegaze legends Chapterhouse make a short reformation appearance but are cut off by the curfew which makes the whole thing feel like a bit of a waste of time – special but not really worth the ‘special guest’ hype. This is not a fitting end to yet another wonderful Truck festival – but you can’t have it all can you? Maps

by Chris Marks

Latitude

Henham Park, Suffolk, June 17-20

Closing the first night of revue is Irvine Welsh in the literary tent. His deep Scottish inflections bound from the pages of his new book ‘Crime’, leaving everyone in suspense when he ends on cliffhanging “scream”. Earlier in the day, Ross Noble treated everyone to a singing session when he managed to persuade the entire comedy tent to yell the whole of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ before diving into the crowd

Headlining the main stage, are Scot-popsters Franz Ferdinand. But unlike the majority of the other acts this weekend, they carry little new material, and though it’s always fun to have a sing-a-long to ‘Michael’ or ‘Take Me Out’, their set is shadowed in last-minutefiller. They only gain a full field when Crystal Castles finish up their volatile performance in the forest, with front-woman Alice Glass taking a leaf out of Noble’s book and throwing herself into the hands of the clammy throng. Day two sees folk-disco sextet, Fanfarlo stepping in for a poorly Ida Maria, showing off a skill for playing any instrument you lay at their feet. Sebastian Tellier meanwhile puts on a sexy stage show in the Uncut arena, parading around his voluptuous shaggy beard with tracks off his latest record, Sexuality. Following him are the Mars Volta with 20 minute long prog-improvs of shrill guitar solos and heart attack-inducing drum beats. But the real show is at the main stage with the Icelandic wailers Sigur Ros, who go all out with a marching brass band in white suits including bowler hats - and set off confetti canons during ‘Gobbledigook’ hefty enough to rival Muse’s live show. Their strange, language-less music is so absorbing that even the kids have stopped swinging their poi around. Another crowd-silencer is the petit squeaker, Joanna Newsom. She has arrived early this Sunday especially to fit two shows into her day. And the midday start hasn’t deterred the hungover revellers, because there is a substantial swarm hovering while she tediously tunes her harp. Her childlike mannerisms are enough to make you blush with awe, but her voice is the clincher. It hangs in the atmosphere and you can almost feel it drop every time her fingers part the strings. It’s even endearing when she forgets her own lyrics and you can’t help but fall for her. Foals just about make it in time to fall about like puppets to their erratically paced math rock after singer Yannis Philippakis spent the night in a Spanish jail following a fight between

Foals

Indietracks

and starting a hundreds-long conga line. He steered it towards the Vegan and Vegetarian hut where they all proceeded to shout “Sausage roll” as Noble crowd-surfed his way out.

Butterley, Derbyshire, July 26-27

Pulling into Indietracks aboard a classic steamtrain you enter a very special place – a place where C86 indie is bigger than Britpop, where tweeness, politeness and polka-dots are the norm. Indietracks is an oasis in the vast desert of indenti-kit, mortgage indie for like minded indie fans to shelter from the blazing heat of mediocrity. It’s time to sit back with a glass of elderflower cordial and enjoy some REAL indie music. Slow Down Tallahasse The shambolic Spectoresque pop-ambitions of Sheffield’s Slow Down Tallahasse is a fitting start to the weekend, but the nice-enough pop tunes are marred by over-stretched vocal harmonies that grate and don’t in anyway work. The DIY-ethic is admirable but gives them a false idea of their singing abilities which leaves them wanting. Shrag Shrag have it going on!! Angsty riot grrl attitude, lush indie arrangements and a definite love of The Fall that creates perfect artrock played with boundless energy. Each and every one of their post-punk pop ditties enthrals to the last note. Shrag even impress in their more quiet and considered moments, ‘Forty-five 45s’ is beautiful and is an unparalleled and incisive ode to indie-fandom . The band suffer for their art as I see the drummer carried out to the first aid trailer following the set after passing out through the heat – now that’s dedication!

The Parallelograms Tallulah Gosh mimickers The Parallelograms are C86 indie through and through - all jangly guitar, twee intellectualism and even the obligatory stand-up drummer. It’s just that they are obviously trying to copy the bands they love with no effort to be themselves, they become a parody of the ‘scene’ and just sound like a tribute act rather than one in their own right. They even cover Tallulah Gosh to justify the thoughts going through my mind – they’re not bad, just derivative (not in a good way) and dull. Darren Hayman Darren Hayman is an indie institution. Crammed in the walk-in-oven Church it is obvious that to last the whole set is going to be an endurance test, but it is worth the uncomfort. Hayman is engaging, endearing and his songs speak on levels that even the most revered song-writers barely manage. His sense of humour makes the whole affair an event rather than a set, ‘And they told us playing in the Church wasn’t a good idea, they said it would be too small, too hot…well we showed them’ he says sarcastically. He informs us of the indie high-powers ‘xylophone amnesty’ where those turning in their instruments won’t suffer for their ‘crimes against music’ and tells us of his meeting with Wu Tang Clan, before entering into a brilliant song about said hip hop crew. He is so inspiring that by the end of the set, even in the deathly heat, the entire congregation is out of their pews and dancing and singing along in unity – it would be hard to

Danielle Goldstein

Beast meets man this weekend in the heart of Suffolk for the three-year-standing Latitude festival. Four-legged rainbows of wool meander about their pens, checking their sheepish reflections in the lake and watching, thanks to the weather, clean wellies trudge past. Through the art-clad woodland Lykke Li can be heard on the Sunrise stage. A peek through the trees reveals her dainty limbs sweeping vivaciously through the air while her lungs take a firm hold of the audience. Now cross the water and you’ll find Robin Ince relaying his set for the sixth or seventh time this weekend, having taken up regular slots twice a day in the literary tent. Then pass the poetry tree and stumble into the dark of the music and film tent where Johnny Flynn is reading the Epic Tale of Tom and Sue between his folk-laden ditties. Latitude sets out to provide variety to cater for the desires of the kids that are dragged here by their music-loving parents, or the OAPs who are looking for a festival they can still relax at, and of course the regular festivalgoers who want a jam-packed weekend they’re unlikely to remember come Monday morning, and they’ve succeeded.

Sigur Ros Kele Okereke and Johnny Rotten. “I’m sorry we look like we don’t want to be here, we’re just tired,” said Philippakis. To lighten the mood a bit Frankie Boyle tells some cringe-worthy paedophile jokes in the comedy tent that make you feel terrible for laughing, and Mark Thomas reads from his upcoming book about the destruction Coca Cola are causing. But as dark begins to fall and the wormholeesque lights that hover above the lake become visible, the direction of feet starts shuffling towards the main stage to watch Interpol’s shatteringly austere performance. Droplets

find a more special atmosphere anywhere on earth at that exact moment. Tonight the Church is the House of Hayman and everyone is in worship. The Wedding Present Reputation and nostalgia aside, as usual the band’s each and every song sounds incredibly similar to the last. The excruciatingly bad sound in the metal roofed main stage shed makes the repetition hard to bear, with Dave Gedge’s wonderfully insightful lyrics being lost in a sludge of sound that makes what should be the weekend’s highlight a bit of a waste. Winston Echo Echo is suffering from a hang-over and the moving train isn’t helping matters, but regardless he exudes a nervous charm. His obvious modesty and awkwardness makes the whole thing feel less like a performance but a gathering of friends, who laugh and joke with him as he sweats through a run of gorgeous ditties. Audience participation includes making monster noises during ‘Dracula’s Disco Party’ and a mass sing along during the amazing ‘Never Be The Same Again’. Echo finishes his set on the station platform, ending an experience which Indietracks was made for – small, intimate and comforting. Kate Goes Today Kate Goes to the Stone Age….the Brummie wrong-pop collective amble out from their caves, grunt and bang into some of the most gloriously off-kilter music you are ever likely to hear. Maybe it’s their re-shaping of pop structures, their ability to flit between styles or maybe their rather lovely eccentricity that makes the whole sublimely ridiculous set unmissable. A punky, reggae, screwy-jazz, pop party with added animal noises, squeaky toys and child-like rapping – it shouldn’t work but it

of rain begin to descend and front-man Paul Banks complains of the cold, but dressed in black suits and dark glasses, they don’t even hint at discomfort. They intertwine singles spanning all three albums, such as ‘Slow Hands’, ‘Obstacle 1’ and ‘The Heinrich Maneuver’, with other gems. Banks’ Ian Curtislike drawl carries across the site, through the forest, above the cars that are gradually making their escape and lightly ruffles the fur on the grazing fluff balls that will be back next year with the rest of us. by Danielle Goldstein

all comes together as a perfect performance. In ‘Heartbeat’ they may have written the most sentimentally beautiful, yet twisted love song ever – the subtlety of the music and soaring vocal harmonies send a shiver down each and every spine in the room (or at least it should). The Smittens To The Smittens everything here is ‘AWESOME!’ The New Englanders are a ‘fuzzy-wuzzy DIY pop explosion’ who are the total antithesis of the rock n roll ideal – an all colour, friendly and polite bunch of friends peddling poor harmonies and ramshackle rhythms that despite their obvious limitations are so delightfully infectious you can’t help but smile, many people even dance despite the heat. The band inform us of how much they have loved the whole weekend, and their set embodies how I have been feeling – pardoning the pun, I am smitten by The Smittens. The Retro Spankees I’m disappointed by The Retro Spankees set not because of the quality of the performance, which as usual is infectious and interesting, but because the sludgy main stage sound (the band have been moved inside, like so many other acts today, due to some technical difficulties at the start of the day) leaves them sounding a little normal. All the crazy nuiances of the Spankees sound are lost in the mix, making the band sound like little more than a punk band, a really feckin’ great punk band but they are so much more. The new material sees them push their twisted pop adventures into more ridiculous and exciting realms, and new track about building a castle is a highlight. The Spankees are one of the best live guitar bands in the country but today they are let down by the sound. by James Thornhill

Summer Sundae

Youth Movies Youthmovies are an eccentric genre-jumping joy to behold. Hard to pigeonhole, they play what can only be described as a clash of progressive experimental jazz-esque bravely ambitious pop with some great post hardcore moments. Their set leaves an impossibly high benchmark for the rest of the weekend. Fight Like Apes Fight Like Apes give 110% throughout. From the start singer MayKay makes the stage her own. With the energy of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the punch of an eighteen wheeler full of keyboards this is a band impossible to ignore. A cover of McClusky’s ‘Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues’ is a highlight that certainly leaves an impact. Noah And The Whale The indie-folksters draw a predictably large crowd. With almost constant airplay of their new single ‘Five Year’s Time’ the band seem undaunted and play a great set with their trademark folkish sounds. Howling Bells The Australian four piece make their Summer Sundae return and prove my fond memories correct. Providing intoxicating cinematic backdrops for the PJ Harvey-esque vocals of their painfully attractive singer Juanita Stein the band fly through a blinding 45-minute set. This is atmospheric rock at it’s best. Old-fav ‘Setting Sun’ is definately the highlight but it’s not an easy choice with their new material sounding epically brilliant amongst other

Get Loaded Bank Holiday weekends are often known for being a bit of a let down weather wise, thankfully this one day urban festival managed not to suffer from this pitfall. Ipso Facto Recent Mute signings Ipso Facto appear to confuse much of the crowd. They aren’t like normal bands, they are a million miles away from being what may be considered a standard “landfill indie” act, so much so that they could cause some people to start quaking in their well heeled boots. Their sound is haunting but songs such as ‘Ears and Eyes’ and ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ lack instantly identifiable choruses. Occasionally they veer into sounding like Electrelane where organ lines swirl around unconventional almost theatrically touched drum patterns. Yet overall it’s a performance which is ice cold, devoid of emotion and almost robotic in execution. Soulwax Certain bands belong to the night, when the sun is glowing outside them performing just seems wrong, Soulwax are one of those bands best suited for when the day is drawing to a close. After a hefty delay they appear suited, booted and being more than keen to tell us that though it may be Sunday the weekend never dies. It’s extremely difficult to tell what guise these Belgians are in today, elements of the standard traditional Soulwax sound stands proudly alongside equal sized electronic and remix efforts; the ram packed tent is thrown into a frenzy when they drop into playing Daft Punk’s ‘Robot Rock’. The Hives The Hives deliver an energetic set full of charismatic between song banter, archly poses and of course stripped down raw rock ‘n’ roll. Songs such as ‘Walk Idiot Walk’ and ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ don’t fail to bring a smile to many a face. The Maccabees The Maccabees make a return visit to their home turf as one of the most promising

Supergrass Opening with the recent blues-swagger of ‘Diamond Hoo Ha Man’ Supergrass seem to have lost none of their immediacy and energy. With constant sing-along classics like ‘Alright’ and ‘Late in the day’ they prove to be a great headline choice and own the main stage. Maybeshewill Bringing an all together heavier edge, instrumental act Maybeshewill prove lyrics aren’t always needed when the music’s this good. With epic sound-scapes full of drama, highs and lows the presence of a singer would be extremely hard to successfully integrate (and probably unnecessary). The Screening Chants of “Screeeeeeening” prove their hometown fan base are out in full force, combine this with mid afternoon rain and you suddenly have a huge group of people waiting to see one of Leicester’s most hyped bands. With a mixture of new material and older anthemic tracks like ‘Diem’ and recent single ‘God Save The Queen’ (nothing to do with the punk classic) the band are clearly at home on large stages and mainstream success is surely only around the corner. If you like your indie fast, punchy and anthemic these Leicester lads’ might just be what you have been waiting for! Danny and the Champions of the World Featuring members of many great bands including Mercury Rev and the Magic Numbers, Danny And The Champions of the World must be the largest band of the whole weekend. Bringing all their musical backgrounds into one cohesive effort can’t have been an easy operation but it’s clearly paid off. With more than a slight nod to late sixties and early seventies psychedelic Californian rock they pull off a memorable set. They even have a giant deer/moose-like creature onstage with them waving to the crowd throughout. Foy Vance Laptop-pop troubadour Foy Vance is possibly the surprise of the weekend. Singing into a microphone only a few feet from the floor and playing an acoustic guitar with a child drawing

Howling Bells taped on, this set is a special happening. Henry Rollins Henry Rollins’ spoken word set is an amazingly involving experience. Early on the crowd are treated to a vivid description of how the US government tries to stop people visiting certain parts of the world, and how America is viewed in these places. As his performance progresses it would be easy to assume this is all a pre-conceived stand-up routine but time and time again the aggression and distain in his voice and mannerisms suggest this is all heart felt, off-the-cuff and honest. If you get a chance to see him live, it’s well worth the time. You might just come out feeling more alert and interested in the world around you, which can only be a good thing. Roisin Murphy Never one to under dress for a performance

Ollie Millington

Dead Slow Dead Slow make music reminiscent of some of Britain’s best rock acts. This isn’t to say they aren’t original, far from it. With nods to Radiohead this is an extremely tight band that have already amassed a collection of radiofriendly tunes. Dead Slow play an excellent set, by this time next year they will probably be on the main stage.

older gems like ‘Low happening’ and ‘Broken Bone’.

Murphy has a costume change for every single song. Mixing some great dance, RnB and electronic influences she blasts through a highly energetic and polished pop set. Natty A former recording engineer, Natty plays the kind of summery and easy going reggae infused pop music perfect for a summer festival. Bending Jamaican influences effortlessly to suit his own style of lyrical delivery it’s clear this is going to be an exciting year for Natty. The Whitest Boy Alive The European group rip through a staggeringly engaging hour of off kilter dance music. Their unique 100% live dance music has the large crowd in the palm of their hands for an hour. by Ollie Millington

Clapham Common, August 24 bands on the planet. Today in front of an eager audience they do not disappoint and pile through a set of familiar songs such as ‘Latchmere’ and ‘About Your Dress’ as well as recently penned songs which indicate a more sonically adventurous second album is on it’s way. Supergrass Supergrass are keen to show that though their youthful exuberance has been stripped away they still have an ear for a good pop song. While others bands of their era have slipped by the wayside, Supergrass have managed to keep on track by releasing a fine stream of albums that never dipped below the line marked acceptable. So it’s not really that surprising that today they dip into the majority of them with songs such as ‘Sun Hit’s the Sky’, ‘Movin’ and ‘Richard the IIIrd’ receiving the warmest of receptions. Iggy Pop & The Stooges This leaves Iggy Pop & The Stooges to close the days festivities and of course they do this in style. Charges of them being parodies of their former selves have in the past been levered against them but tonight they put on an explosive show that silences any doubters. Songs such as ‘1969’ and ‘Real Cool Time’ are the kind of songs most bands dream of writing and when the first few notes of each are aired tonight the audience are thrown into a mad scrambling sea of bodies. Distorted guitar riffs, thundering rhythms and blasts of sax collide fiercely while Iggy marauds his way around stage. ‘No Fun’ sees the ante upped further with Pop encouraging people to join him onstage, the audience responding and security not sure how best to react, as bodies climb over the barrier half are being grabbed by the neck and escorted away the other half scrambling through successfully before matters are soon returned to normal. Security may not have been happy but The Stooges left making sure everybody else sure was. by Nathan Westley

Soulwax

Mike Burnell

Is it just my imagination or does every medium sized town and city have a music festival this summer? Not that I’m complaining, three days of great music on my door step, who would? This being my third summer sundae experience I have a good idea what to expect and, as always, the weekender doesn’t disappoint.

Leicester, August 8-10

Weston Park, Staffardshire, August 16-17

Goldie Lookin Chain Suitably dressed in their trademark track suits and fake gold GLC give the crowd a predictably light-hearted performance including some of their best known material such as ‘Your Missus is a Nutter’. Having seemed flash in the pan it’s now becoming evident that there might just be some longevity in their comedy rap routines. Love them or hate them it’s hard to deny they know how to make crowds smile. Penis jokes and comedy slurs aside, they manage to pull off being an 11-piece rap group performing to backing tracks quite well. Amy Winehouse Despite everything that’s happened to her recently I am still hoping Winehouse will pull a grand performance out of the bag. She does not. Arriving on stage half an hour later than her band she really doesn’t seem interested in anything let alone performing. After listening to a few songs it becomes clear this is not going to be a performance to remember. Well, not for the right reasons! She may have made her mark singing about not needing to visit re-hab clinics but now it seems like a visit might be the best idea. It’s going to take a lot to repair failures like this. Maybe it’s time someone told her “No No No”. Reverend and the Makers Sheffield electro-indie stars Reverend and The Makers don’t disappoint. Having all the cultural and current issue awareness politicians seem to lack, the band’s leader Jon McClure is definitely not one to hold his tongue. Between recent singles he informs the crowd of his disdain for modern celebrity asking people to seek answers to important issues instead of autographs. Their performances are regularly peppered with little between-song spoken word diatribes and V is no different with a particularly angry and seemingly heart-felt dig at the entrenchment of tabloid racism. Hot Chip Bringing their infectious electro dance Hot Chip provide a much needed refuge from the

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onset of the rain. Having rightfully earned their adoration from UK festival crowds they bring a more danceable edge to the first day. Today the band seem more energetic than usual. Expectantly ‘Ready for the Floor’ ‘The Boy from School’ and monster single ‘Over and Over’ go down a storm. Kings of Leon Once again the Followill boys give a truly remarkable festival show. It’s hard to believe it was five years ago they exploded onto the world with their debut EP. As the set continues the wet masses are treated to plenty of the singles that have led to such adoration. From the incendiary squeal of ‘Charmer’, the anthemic chorus of ‘On Call’ and their newest classic-in the-making ‘Sex On Fire’ Kings of Leon give one of the best sets of the weekend. Verve Taking to the stage with his famous swagger Richard Ashcroft doesn’t seem deterred by predictions of a no show, or by the Kaiser Chiefs ability to take the biggest crowd. It has to be said, they are a great band but hardly the most uplifting to watch in the middle of a torrential downpour. Kaiser Chiefs Stealing The Verve’s thunder the Kaiser’s seem at ease playing in strong winds and heavy rain. With every song receiving euphoric reactions Ricky Wilson’s claims that “We can drown out anyone” don’t seem far off. A brilliant end to the very wet and (almost completely) great first day. Only a twenty minute wait with about 10,000 others queuing for campsite access in such heavy rain on a river like path could put a damper on the euphoric feeling. The Futureheads Drawing a large crowd relatively early in the day the Sunderland four piece kick things off in fine form,.They play an ostensibly greatest hits set including a certain well known cover and recent single ‘Radio Heart’. Despite opening to a crowd that had been made to wait for hours

Alanis Morissette Set opener ‘Uninvited’ begins without Morissette onstage, singing half from the wings then entering to huge cheers and promptly beginning head banging her way through the second half, and the majority of the nine track set. Having made her entrance the Canadian provides more than enough evidence to explain her status as the biggest selling female rock artist. With her powerful vocals truly putting the previous day’s big female star Amy Winehouse well and truly to shame her set is a testament to strength of her seven album back catalogue. Stereophonics The set opens with ‘The Bartender And The Thief’ and consists of predominantly older material including personal favourite ‘More Life in a Tramps Vest’. The band’s 70-minute set is nothing short of brilliant. The lack of more recent material doesn’t seem to bother anyone as the crowd sings along to nearly every word. Maximo Park Erupting onstage with their usual energy Maximo Park start out with “Girls Who Play Guitars”. New track ‘The Kids Are Sick’ features the band’s trademark keyboard parts and hints at a more laid back slower direction. Frontman Paul Smith gives a blinding performance. The band seem to be going from strength to strength and this performance will certainly have gained them some new fans. On days like this it’s clear they are fast becoming one of the most interesting and exciting bands in the country. Newton Faulkner Winning the award for the most chatty performer of the weekend Faulkner speaks between every song, sometimes just a little introduction and in other cases like his ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ cover giving an explanation of the songs origin. With his incredible acoustic guitar skills on show it’s clear that he has an unstoppable ability to make any song his own. Lost Prophets Performing a high profile festival with a member missing can’t be fun for any band but Lost Prophets don’t let it deter them. Showing

a striking resemblance to comedian Russell Brand, lead singer Ian Watkins struggles to keep his shirt on his back as the buttons seemingly undo themselves throughout the set. Both this and the ill band mate are discussed at length. I confess, I was a previously a bit sceptical despite enjoying some of their older singles but their performance certainly changes my opinion. Roots Manuva For some unknown reason Roots Manuva is given the shortest stage time of the weekend. Proving no problem the majority of the Londoners set, backed by two DJ’s (one with a sax) and another MC, is made up of new material leaving crowd favourite ‘Witness’ till last. Despite what many say UK hip hop is long from dead and its undisputed lord proves this fact categorically. Muse Despite being unable to bring a purpose built UFO because of health and safety issues Muse manage to bring some huge satellite dishes complete with laser lights that reach out across the crowd. Not breaking with their traditions they also bring the most impressive stage show of the weekend with far reaching lasers and a multitude of flood lights and flamethrowers. The set consists of 15 epic field-fillers including ‘Dead star’ ‘Newborn’, ‘Feeling Good’ and the ever so slightly over the top monster tune ‘Knights of Cydonia’. It’s true at times their songs border on being a bit O.T.T but when they bring this much energy and extravagance to a cold wet park in Staffordshire no one can really complain. Prodigy Whilst Muse bring prog-rock and lasers, the Prodigy bring the dance across the other side of the site. Their 90-minute set is a breakneck speed, adrenaline-filled trip back to the excesses of nineties rave. Belting out classics such as the classic ‘Out of Space’ alongside newer material such as ‘Spitfire’ they prove they are still just as relevant and enthralling as they were in the early days. Prodigy obviously stand up well against the biggest UK rock band out there. A great end to a very wet and very entertaining weekend. by Olllie Millington

Hainault Forest Country Park, August 30-31

Die! Die! Die! A dose of punk energy comes from Die! Die! Die! Spending more time breaking through the barriers into the crowd than on the stage their singer certainly leaves his mark. Spanning the divide between bands like Black Flag and Sonic Youth the band give a raw and engaging performance that is much talked about over the rest of the weekend. The Strange Death Of Liberal England From the outset it’s clear this isn’t a band you can pigeonhole – orchestral and atmospheric with all the best elements of Arcade Fire and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah the band defy any and all musical logic. They have an enormous sound in places and then they turn it upside down and add some folk-esque sea shanty brilliance with new single ‘A Good Old Fashioned War’. Given some time and a few open minds they could just become a national treasure. If you ask in certain circles, they already are! Young Knives Young Knives have carved a place for their tweed-clad pop-punk offerings and have long surpassed the ‘ones to watch’ accolade. Having lost none of their trademark humour with their increased success the band treat the crowd to between song banter almost as entertaining as their music. They are on fine form with a mixture of older material and newer nuggets of genius such as ‘Turn Tail and Run’. Wire With most of the bands onstage during the weekend owing a fair chunk of their sound to post-punk legends Wire their set is highly anticipated. It is clear how much the band have been imitated in recent years. A trip down nostalgia lane this is certainly not! The 18-track set opens with ‘Our Time’ and as they progress they prove that while there are many imitators and adaptors emerging there is still only one Wire. They may not be the most visually stunning band of the weekend, but Wire don’t need to be. Performing a chunk of newer material from their last album Object 47 alongside the classics; the request shouts came thick and fast from the front few rows throughout. While most bands with such a long history are content to just spew out greatest hits sets Wire certainly don’t and it’s hard to

imagine they ever will. Chromehoof The 10 piece were always bound to have a big sound but it is surprising just how colossal it all is. With a musical armory including violins, a cello and an array of others they are a math-inspired, death metal band, with some orchestral additions and a soul singer. Progressive? They most definitely are, in the best possible way. Gloria Cycles Brighton’s Gloria Cycles plays half an hour of great indie-pop. With a little vocal-duty swapping and some really catchy choruses the band could easily be going places by early next year. Festivals should be about discovering something new that you like amongst the more well known artists and in Gloria Cycles I certainly do. So So Modern Bringing a nice slice of electro-inspired funk laden dance music So So Modern supply a great marriage of synthesizers, two guitars and an excellent drummer. It’s surely not going to be long before every indie club in the country is pumping So So Modern out across the dance floors. While every one of their songs is easily distinguishable from the next their set flows brilliantly and almost feels like one half hour long track. Definitely one to watch, So So Modern prove that they’re not just another electro band, but one who bring the party and manage to perform consistently. Hot Club De Paris Going against the trends at the moment Hot Club De Paris make beautiful afro-beat infused punky angular music. Constantly described as outsiders and at times inexplicably un-popular, the band seem to have no problems pulling a big crowd. Neils Children with SKIPtheatre Having come a long way since the days of ‘I Hate Models’ the band have developed a much more confident and more ambitious sound that’s more indie post-punk than their origins would suggest. It’s not a change for the worse by any means. Joined on stage by dance performance group SKIPtheatre, who had been keeping crowds amused outdoors previously

Wire with their engaging skipping rope routines, the band’s performance is a definite one off. Blood Red Shoes Often weakly compared to The White Stripes this two piece are a pleasure to watch. So the group consists of a girl and a guy… the comparison is tenuous at best and ends there. Be it the confident enigmatic vocals and guitar of Laura-Mary Carter or Steven Ansells’ incredibly passionate drumming and vocals (the two trade lead vocal roles constantly) it’s clear they have the real x-factor. The highlight is probably ‘You Bring Me Down’. With the energy of the Subways and the power of a juggernaut hurtling downhill with no brakes, BRS make it clear they aren’t one to be confined to fashion fads. The Maccabees Clearly one of the most loved bands of the weekend the crowd seems ecstatic throughout with make-shift signs appearing declaring their creator’s undying love for the band. It’s easy to see how they are so loved, their beautifully crafted songs offer a welcome honesty. As the fantastically delicate ‘Toothpaste Kisses” comes to an end it’s clear they were a great choice for Offset and more than capable of providing one of the best performances of the weekend.

Ollie Millington

V

for the gates to open The Futureheads set goes down well and proves a great opener.

Gang of Four Looking through any music magazine in the last couple of years it would be hard to find one that hasn’t constantly referenced Gang of Four when describing new music. Tonight’s performance is not one of my highlights. It is a good, professional and well crafted performance but maybe it’s just the sheer amount of influence they have on modern music or some unrealistic expectation I had sub-consciously formed. I’m not saying I don’t like it, there are some borderline great moments but in general it all seems a little flat and a little routine. Do I like Gang Of Four? Yes, on record I love them, but live they don’t really hold up. Prinzhorn Dance School With their sparse stripped-back style and their trademark momentary silences in songs such as ‘Space Invader’ this is not a band that waste instruments, playing a newly constructed drum kit together the two piece are a real sight to see, facing each other and swapping guitar roles with the greatest of ease they simply make great music and don’t mess around with adding un-needed elements. Featuring three new songs, the first untitled, the second being “Too Much Time On Your Hands” and the third again untitled the band are the perfect end to a weekend of interesting, diverse and in some parts surreal examples of today’s music. by Ollie Millington

Leeds

Bramham Park, Leeds, August 22-24

The Leeds Festival 2008 line-up has a distinctly American feel with US big-guns Metallica, Tenacious D and The Killers all appearing, it provides extensive quality.  Driving up the M1 it’s a daunting task sifting through the band list to decide some sort of itinerary. Pendulum Due to a late arrival drum and bass giants Pendulum are the first band that I manage to catch and they do not disappoint.  You pretty much know what you’re going to get with Pendulum, adrenalin-filled drum and bass, and this performance is no different. ‘Slam’ and ‘Tarantula’ are the two stand out tracks, as the weekend gets off to a great start. The Last Shadow Puppets With an hours break, the NME Stage is again the setting for a storming set, this time from Arctic Monkeys’ front-man Alex Turner’s side-project, The Last Shadow Puppets. Having the extra dimension of the backing of a full orchestra the band’s cinematic pop sound is greatly enhanced.  If Turner decides to call time on the Artics and concentrate his many creative talents on this lot, I don’t think anyone would complain. Metallica Not being a Metallica fan does hinder my enjoyment of their performance slightly.  I may not be the best person to pass judgement on the metal giants but I leave the arena feeling a little disappointed. It may be a simple case of over hype, or maybe Metallica really aren’t all that good. Babyshambles The highlight of Saturday is undoubtedly Peter Doherty’s Babyshambles.  No shows, drug-addled performances and riots are clearly behind the band as they perform a crowd-pleasing hour long set to a packed tent. Appearing at the same time as festival favourites Rage Against The Machine may have daunted many other bands, but if it is affecting Doherty and his mob then they are hiding it well. The 13 track set sees the band at their punk-laced best. The sing-along anthem ‘Albion’ is poignantly dedicated to the memory of 16-year-old fan Daniel Squires, who tragically lost his long battle with bone marrow cancer. The

‘shambles set which includes exclusively post-Libertines material is a massive high to end the second day. Be Your Own Pet Playing their last ever show on British soil trashy teen gutter-punks Be Your Own Pet are coming apart at the seams live on stage. They are under-rehearsed and thoroughly shambolic, and are in death what made them so bloody exciting in life – being a true punk rock fuck you. This may not be their best performance to date but it is one of pure energy and is a fitting testament to their in-your-face youthful abandon. MGMT Leeds is currently having its mindexpanded by the neo psyche-pop sound of MGMT. From colossal Pink Floyd-esque wig-outs to rousing glam-pop stompers the band drag the sounds of the outerreaches back into the acceptable realms of pop – which may be why they have such a large crowd onboard for sounds which are usually inaccessible to most. The good vibes erupt in a joyous outpouring of appreciation during the new Flaming Lips pop majesty of ‘Time to Pretend’. The band even prove that overblown theatrical guitarsolos can sometimes be fun, if you don’t take yourself to seriously. Vampire Weekend The New Yorker’s particular brand of afrobeat inspired, academic-indie has set 2008 alight as one of the best new pop sounds around. With this fact expectations in the packed tent are high. Oozing pure happiness the music covers the assembled crowd in a blanket of euphoria. ‘A Punk’ is still one of the tracks of this year and causes a spine-tingling sing-along. In this case do believe the hype, Vampire Weekend are a class act. British Sea Power The Brighton groups appearance on the main stage early in the day leaves what is usually an exceptionally brilliant live band seeming a little non-descript. Marred by the usual main stage sound issues, the ethereal beauty of their indie-epics drift off on the breeze and at times it sounds like there isn’t a band playing at all.

Dirty Pretty Things Seasick Steve Seasick Steve is a revelation, his pure primal blues is one of the most powerful sounds known to man. Stripped of pretence, fashion, fads and other such hindrances this is rock at its heartfelt best and it’s all the better for it. Now armed with a drummer (and not just a wooden crate for percussion) his sound is beefed up to the max and puts other ‘rock’ bands in the shade. Seasick can do no wrong, and ‘Cut My Wings’ is a undoubted blues classic. Dirty Pretty Things Having loved Babyshambles the night before it seems only fair to watch Doherty’s ex-band mate, Carl Barat and his band Dirty Pretty Things. Despite the poorquality of their second album they have enough quality tuneage to carry off a blinding set, with ‘Bang Bang Your Dead’ and ‘Tired of England’ being particular favourites. A surprise and suitably heavy cover of Nirvana’s ‘In Bloom’ is a welcome addition to the set.

down the best. The set shows the band’s progression and how their new danceinfused direction translates brilliantly to the live arena. The after-dusk slot allows the band to blind with an elaborate light-show, which keeps the crowd’s attention despite the usual mainstage sound woes – with Kele Okereke’s vocals taking precedence over the often inaudible drums. Manic Street Preachers Taking the decision to miss headliners The Killers we head to the NME stage for Welsh indie gods the Manic Street Preachers. James Dean Bradfield and the boys prove the right decision.  Including hits from their extensive back catalogue the band bookend what is a great weekend, with a fittingly strong set.  by James Randall

The Raconteurs The energetic blues-rock of The Raconteurs is a huge highlight.  Seeing them perform the untouchable ‘Broken Boy Soldiers’ live is a musical must.  The hour long set is flawless from start to finish providing perfect rabble-rousing rock n roll taking in tunes from the band’s two exemplary albums.

Babyshambles

Bloc Party Promoted up a time-slot due to the quality of last year’s set, Bloc Party prove they are going from strength to strength. Despite a heavy focus on tracks from Weekend in the City and new album Intimacy it is the band’s indie classic oldies ‘Banquet’ and ‘ Helicopter’ that go

Seasick Steve