Yesterday bore witness to musical history. A Notts artist headlining a Notts festival alongside three other Notts Main Stage acts, here’s how it went down at Splendour 2013…
THE GORGEOUS CHANS
I’ve seen this band so many times in the past few weeks I think I may have become their unofficial stalker. That said, I never tire of their sets. This is in part due to them constantly multiplying (today they are joined by a TENTH member who just so happens to be FSN 2012 runner-up JOE DANKS). The other part is them just being pretty fucking great. As always, this year’s FSN champs do us proud & open the main stage with their signature enthusiasm, charisma and Indie Pop goodness that is impossible not to enjoy. A crowd is instantly gathered at the front, dancing and clapping along to the Hawaiian shirt-clad group who leap about the stage with various percussion in hand, their performance becoming almost Arcade Fire-esque in it’s erraticness. It’s a set deserving of a winner – it’s chantastic.
SAM JONES
A dash across to the Courtyard Stage to see our FSN runner up SAM JONES . I confess – I knew very little about Mr Jones prior to this year’s competition. Seeing his performance at the final changed that & he gained himself a brand new superfan, as well as seven others in the judges who gave him their top spot. Whilst opening the smaller stage may not initially be the most desirable slot, Sam quickly changes that with an incredible performance, packed with powerful guitars and mind-blowing vocals. ‘Don’t Step On The Moor’ is a fantastically catchy tune, the lyrics resonating with anyone familiar with Nottingham nightlife. This Mansfield lads done good. Really good.
FEROCIOUS DOG
Opening up the Jagermeister Stage we have those mad hounds at FEROCIOUS DOG. One of our most established bands, it’s really hard to think of an act more suited to opening a festival stage because these guys make it look so much fun. Their fast folk literally has people swinging each other by the arms, the Jagermeister Stage is turned into a full-blown Ceilidhe and made all the better for it. Intricate fiddle solos, clever lyrics and sheer showmanship – these guys nailed it.
INDIANA
It’s amazing to think that in just over a year, INDIANA has gone from playing her first ever live performance to one of the four local acts on Splendour’s Main Stage. The significance of this is clearly not lost, shyly mouthing ‘wow’ at the size of the audience gathered just two songs in. I don’t think I’ll ever fall out of love with ‘Blind As I Am’, her delicate vocals beautifully contrasted against the ground-shaking beats. Whilst she jokes ‘it’s hard to concentrate when you’re being kicked’ (she’s pregnant – we haven’t just witnessed onstage violence), INDIANA’s performance is as captivating as ever.
ONEGIRLONEBOY
I’m only able to catch a small bit of their set, but I am a firm believer everyone should experience a bit of ONEGIRLONEBOY. It’s a list of firsts for these guys – their first Splendour, first acoustic performance and the first time they will have enchanted the Courtyard grounds of the New College Nottingham/ Leftlion stage. As always, frontgal Natasha throws her all and a little bit more into her Kate Bush like performance, her passionate delivery meaning every single eye is on the duo. They race through their 30 minute set (which includes a brilliant Portishead cover) in just 15 but hey – a little ONEGIRLONEBOY is better than no ONEGIRLONEBOY.
SAINT RAYMOND
If you compare his performance yesterday with his one last year, you can see – and therefore marvel – at how SAINT RAYMOND has grown. For the first time, Callum is backed by a full band on stage although the tightness of their set would have you believe they’d been together for years. His superbly crafted Indie Pop is taken up a notch and is fervently lapped up by the crowd, one particularly enthusiastic fan demanding an encore before the set is halfway through. ‘Bonfires’ & ‘Everything She Wants’ become highlights of the show, if not the day, both displaying SAINT RAYMOND’s extraordinary talent at writing unforgettable choruses.
RYAN THOMAS
If you listen to RYAN THOMAS blindly, it’s difficult to believe this lad is only 20. He writes the Blues with such authenticity you’d be forgiven in thinking he was a middle-aged Texan with whiskey, rocking chair and rifle in hand. Songs like ‘Home’ beautifully demonstrate Ryan’s versatility with a more melodic guitar and folkier touches, whilst ‘Hangover Blues’ is packed with the grit, power and Americana that we’ve come to love. It’s a finely honed performance that can only get better.
ROB GREEN
Fresh from his School Tour with us, ROB GREEN shows no signs of tiring in his set. Anyone who has seen this guy perform will know that you will not get away with standing still and Rob quickly has the audience mirroring his onstage dancing. His funk-driven basslines, soulful melodies and big vocals are all served up with such confidence and sass that a sea of shaking hips and palms in the air is inevitable. If there is a more charismatic act than ROB GREEN out there, I haven’t found them yet. (Shout out to the shirtless Scot who did not stop moving once throughout the set – he just loves the brass)
GEORGIE ROSE
Having played over 140 gigs in the past year, GEORGIE ROSE is easily one of our most hardworking musicians. If yesterday’s set is anything to go by however, it’s all been worth it. Her set is beautifully crafted, gorgeous vocals soaring above rich guitar lines that fill the Courtyard with an intoxicating air of loveliness. ‘20 Mile Road’ – a song about the road from Mansfield to Notts – is gleaming with Cash-esque inspiration, showing off Georgie’s raw, stripped back talent. I think it’s fair to say I just witnessed a whole crowd fall in love with GEORGIE ROSE.
INJURED BIRDS
The bearded quartet step onto stage with sunglasses on and ‘plinky plonky’ instruments in hand – the sun might be in hiding today but they’re gonna rectify that. Fronted by the incredible voice of Sam Kirk, INJURED BIRDS have perfected their gloriously summer-y anthems with rich melodies that showcase this formidable talent. Their set is skillfully relaxed, the beguiling vocals against piano lines so delicate they could have been lifted from a child’s ballerina box proving totally compelling. Lovely, lads.
DOG IS DEAD
From Injured Birds to Dead Dogs, DOG IS DEAD are another band I’ve seen so many times I’m on the verge of a restraining order. The set is packed with the punchy melodies, tight as hell harmonies and anthemic choruses that have turned DOG IS DEAD into Big Pop pioneers. Two new songs tease the crowd with what we can expect from upcoming work whilst an intimate, stripped back performance of ‘Young’ showcases the guys incredible choral harmonies. Penultimate song ‘Glockenspiel Song’ sends the crowd into a frenzy, the glorious refrain screamed back at them before being concluded by a signature Joss crowd surf. ‘Teenage Daughter’ brings the set to a phenomenal close, each ‘A-ah’ reverberating across Wollaton Park.
KAGOULE
A dark and heady Grunge aura fills the Jagermeister Stage as soon as they step up and KAGOULE waste no time in showing Wollaton just how good they really are. For someone so teeny, bassist Lucy can go from soft backing vocals to raucous screams instantly which sound spine-tingly good against the eerie vocals of Cai Burns. A barrage of bass shudders through the grounds, layered beneath beating drums and soaring melodies that is just impossible to resist and new song ‘Gush’ is alight with 90s vibes. KAGOULE are my new band to stalk.
JOEL BAKER
When he’s not busy in Parliament, JOEL BAKER is writing awesome music. A husky, rock voice and an acoustic guitar, this ‘fantastic singer-songwriter’ (Zane Lowe’s words – not mine) has a Soulful edge that sets him apart. Someone who’s gained a lot of attention with some pretty fantastic covers, Joel’s original material is even more addictive. A born performer, he even manages to get a boys vs girls singalong during ‘Every Vessel, Every Vein‘ as well as a cheeky cover of, oh sorry I forgot we don’t talk covers at Nusic. Grab his ‘Long Sleeves’ EP which is out today.
HARLEIGHBLU
For half an hour, the New College Nottingham/ LeftLion stage is transformed into a jazz lounge and HARLEIGHBLU is front and centre. It’s a stripped back performance that showcases a breathtaking vocal and her flawless Soul fills the air with a smoky sweet intensity. Just in her early twenties, HARLEIGHBLU has a voice that carries the feeling, soul and expertise of an artist far beyond her years. From sultry ballads to scat – this girl does it all and it’s an electric performance from a future superstar.
JAKE BUGG
This is it. The day, performance and artist who have made Splendour 2013 go down in Notts music history. The air of excitement surrounding this act is tangible yet JAKE BUGG steps on stage with that renowned nonchalance that has made him a bonafide music sensation. ‘Trouble Town’ brings with it the deafening roars of 20,000 people, the line ‘stuck in speedbump city where the only thing that’s pretty is the thought of getting out’ filling the grounds of Wayne’s Manor. Latest single ‘Broken’ is painfully beautiful, awash in soulful melancholy that is heart-stopping in it’s delivery. Contrast this with ‘Two Fingers’, who’s anthemic chorus is sung by the screaming crowd before Jake himself, and you get just a titbit of the talent this lad is in possession of. It’s a mind-blowing set filled with the kind of songs people will listen to in 40 years and say ‘they just don’t make them like this anymore’ and a set the whole of Nottingham can be proud of.
That’s it folks! History has been made and I am done. Goodnight Nottingham – I love you.
Yours in Love of New Music,
Maddie Hammond.X
