Summer Sundae 2009 DeMontfort Hall, Leicester 14/15/15 August. It’s that time again - Leicester’s very own Summer Sundae festival - 3 days of super fun, featuring the brightest new bands, hip comedy, cult films, a silent disco, spoken word and a brand spanking new chill-out zone. And while we’re on the subject of chilling, the organiser’s policy of allowing punters in with as much shop bought alcohol as they can carry (though no glass containers) certainly loosens things up pretty quickly, eases the finances, and instantly removes a burden from security staff. No heavy handed searches at Summer Sundae, thank goodness, and there’s an easy going atmosphere from the moment the gates are opened. As you’re probably aware, Summer Sundae provides an essential boost to Leicester’s music landscape, and it’s especially important since The Charlotte went under. Of course, the city’s other premier small venue, The Musician, is still going strong, and as ever they’re represented at Summer Sundae with their own stage, providing slightly rootsier fare than the rest of the festival (though less so this year) and attracting healthy crowds throughout the weekend. This year’s line up looked chock full of potential, so I’d dutifully sat down at my computer over the previous few days and studiously checked times, stages and MySpace pages and put together a long list of must-sees and other bits and pieces to check out, and for the most part, I stuck to it. Friday As The Easybeats might have sung, I’ve had this Friday on my mind for sometime. First impressions of this year’s festival are mainly shaped by the extension to the site and the amount of space to wander and explore. The Rising Stage is now out on its own in the park, a good walk from the main arena, and it’s a much more sensible arrangement. There’s no sound leakage from the other stages and because you’ve made a proper effort to get there, you tend to stick around for a few numbers at least, rather than flit around to other things, which had been the case in previous years. Also, as you’re walking around the site, you’re literally inundated with free stuff. Condoms, CDs, 7” singles (both from Leicester’s Pink Box Records - see below), cider (only Bulmers, but the price is right), welly boots, and best of all, endless sunshine. First on my list of things to hear was Echolocation on the Musician Stage. A local band with a long checklist of post-punk influences, from Delta 5 to Pigbag, all focused through frontman Pete’s targeted beat poetry. Think a Midlands Mark E. Smith and you’ll be in the right ballpark. They’re properly impressive, with no shortage of bilious intent and wordy fire. I very much wish I’d grabbed their CD when I had the chance. Check out the videos below, or find their MySpace page (link below). Echolocation - Revenge Of The Yes Men Echolocation - Put Up Or Shut Up Nevertheless, there was plenty more things to see yet. Next up, a first visit to the Rising Stage for much acclaimed South African quartet BLK JKS. Rumours of a psychedelic, dub rock rumble bought in a reasonable size crowd for a 3:15pm start time, but whether it was the early hour or the short playing time, things really didn’t take off until the final number, a thunderous mishmash of wild drumming and angular guitars. Their album’s out in September on Secretly Canadian. I might have to be there or appear to be square. BLK JKS - Lakeside Back to the Musician Stage for The Deap People. Fronted by Happy Mondays’ Mikey Shine, I had no real expectations, but their good-time vibe and genuine enthusiasm carried them through. They played a particularly lively number called “So Glad You Made It” which summed up their whole shtick and I’d have happily stuck around for their complete set, but for a clash on my list. So it was up to the Rising Stage for a brace of songs from much heralded Glaswegians My Latest Novel. Unfortunately their head-down skinny-white-boy indie guitar chops were just what I didn’t want to see (or hear), so it was back to see the final 15 seconds of The Deap People. Judging by the many smiles on happy faces, I hadn’t been the only one impressed. Next it was Oi Ve Voi on the main stage. I’d never heard them but I’d been sucked in by piccys of the band holding strange and magical instruments and a few glowing reviews. What can I say... I wasn’t keen. Their gypsy inspired sound quickly grew tiresome as one song merged into the next, and even a speedily consumed half litre of red couldn’t get things going. I consoled myself with thoughts of great things to come, and had every intention of catching Ash Grunwald in the Musician tent but - maybe it was the wine - I managed to miss him completely. I did raise the energy for Wild Beasts on the Rising Stage, and was pleased I did. Very impressive. Two vocalists - one sounding like the late, great Billy McKenzie of Associates fame, and some epic guitar tunes made for a stirring 40 minute set. “Hooting and Howling”, indeed. Wild Beasts - Hooting & Howling As you’re probably aware The Streets cancelled on the day, at 2pm via Twitter - so grown up - which left a gaping hole at the top end of Friday’s bill. Some chopping and changing saw children's entertainer Beardyman moved to the Main Stage (from inside) and the reliably dull Idlewild taking the headline slot. Not ideal, though The Beat cleaned up on a packed Indoor Stage, rattling off a set full of proper hits (and a Joe Strummer dedicated, “Rock The Casbah”) and getting a heaving dancefloor moving like it was 1979. The Beat - Rock The Casbah All in all, a fine start to the weekend. The usual mix of musical hits and misses, but the sun shone, the site was in great condition (considering the weather in July and early August) and more so than any other year, there were a multitude of alternative attractions to keep us busy and entertained. Friday’s Best Bit: Echolocation’s early set in the Musician tent, with Wild Beasts and The Beat coming in an honourable second. Saturday “Saturday Night” is a Noisettes song, and Saturday night is when they were supposed to be playing Summer Sundae, but they’d long cancelled. Still, on paper, Saturday looked like it was going to be a busy day. We arrived early to catch the second half of Woodstock’s set, a local band, taking their inspiration from the 1969 festival from which they borrow their name, and that whole CSN, Laurel Canyon, West Coast scene. Their final song, an 8 minute medley of Joni Mitchell’s “Chelsea Morning / Big Yellow Taxi” was excellent, with lead vocalist Liz Scattergood catching the essence of the songs and Mitchell’s delivery without resorting to imitation. Should I ever get the urge to recreate the Woodstock festival in my back garden (we had a go at Altamont a couple of years ago), they’ll definitely be getting a call. Next it was the Main Stage for Mr. Plow who, I think I’m right in saying, is a Leicester based Canadian. He sounded not unlike half the Handsome Family. Disaster songs and murder ballads provided the majority of his set, both of which cheered me right up, as they gently saw off the remnants of a niggly hangover. I’m not sure he takes himself, or the doom and gloom, too seriously - I know I didn’t, but it was a solid start to the main proceedings. There was a little wait until the next attraction, the 3:30pm appearance of The Yellow Moon Band on the Indoor Stage. Their folky, mostly instrumental, psyche-prog rock instantly enthralled a curious audience and blew away any remaining cobwebs. Featuring the talents of Green Man organisers Jo and Danny (of It’s Jo & Danny), augmented by guitar wiz / mandolin botherer Rudy Carroll and Dodgy drummer Matthew Pries, their one proper vocal track “Chimney” reminded me a little of early Jefferson Airplane. How good is that? Good enough that I went straight out to the merchandise stall to pick up their “Travels Into Several Remote Nations Of The World” CD. The Yellow Moon Band - Maybach Back to the Main Stage for Edinburgh’s Broken Records. I’d been looking forward to them all day, but for some reason they didn’t click - not with me, anyway. Time for a proper explore of the site, enjoy some free cider and try on some wellys. One of the main new sections of the festival is The Garden, a family friendly, alcohol-free, chill-out zone. It’s there to deliver some much appreciated respite, a place to get away from the bustle of the main site, and enjoy something a little more gentle and quieter. I’d made my way there particularly to see a sitar led, Indian inspired three piece called Alap, who were providing a little improvised relaxation music of a soothing Eastern bent (the fact that they’re a side project of Leicester avant-gardists Intermission To Saturn added to the appeal). The Garden’s a great concept. An arts and crafts tent, a knitting emporium, and a well stocked tea stall sit upon a manicured lawn surrounded by well kept flower beds, topiary and ample benches and other seating. Just the right spot to enjoy Alap’s extemporised vibe. Unfortunately, parents were using the area as a safe zone, to drop of their (bored) offspring for a couple of hours, while they went off to do their own thing. The resulting din of 30 mostly unsupervised kids, re-enacting the Battle of the Somme in a Jackie Chan stylee couldn’t be described as either chilled out or relaxing. It’s a shame, because with better defined supervision and less selfish parenting, it’d be a great space to drink chai, ease up for an hour, and enjoy something a little different. I hope the organisers don’t give up on it - and let’s be honest, Summer Sundae already provides one of the best kids areas to be found at any small UK festival. Just in time to catch the end of St. Etienne on the Main Stage. Perfect summery electro-pop for the early evening. I’d caught a couple of their numbers at Latitude a few weeks earlier, and like then, I’d have been happy to have heard more. They seem to be not only back, but back in fashion. Their sound doesn’t seem a million miles away from Ladyhawke, Little Boots, etc. Saturday was approaching its peak, so a visit to the Musician Stage for ex-Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell (and his band) seemed like the thing to do. They were immense. Beginning with an urgent version of “Tank”, they ripped through an amazing set of half classic Stranglers and half newer material, finishing with a 10 minute version of “Down In The Sewers”, with Cornwell replicating the keyboard parts on his guitar. The rhythm section of Caroline Campbell (bass) and Chris Bell (drums) are as tight as a gnat’s hole and they kicked up a storm throughout, the three of them inspiring a mini-mosh pit and lots of argy-bargy. As someone mentioned afterwards, Cornwell, Campbell and Bell are much more of a punk band than The Stranglers ever were. The Stranglers - Tank / Curfew (Revolver 1978) Quite something for The Charlatans to follow on the Main Stage, and they gave it a good go, getting the crowd up and dancing, but they didn’t altogether pull it off. The sound wasn’t great and I didn’t stay to the end. I was tired and there was plenty I needed see on the Sunday. Saturday’s Best Bit: A tie, The Yellow Moon Band in the afternoon and Hugh Cornwell’s headline set on the Musician Stage. Sunday “Monday, Monday” sang Mama Cass. Well done Mama - close enough. Fully laden with ham sandwiches and a bucket of red wine, I arrived good and early for what appeared to be another full day. First thing, a clash. Kevin Hewick and You Fellows Of All Souls both hitting their respective stages at 1pm, on the dot. But it was okay - I had a plan. Get to the Indoor Stage first for a couple of songs with Mr. Hewick - I’d seen him a few times over the years and knew what to expect - then onto the Rising Stage for YFOAS, who’d sounded pretty good on a MySpace visit. It never feels right venturing into the confines of the indoor hall in the middle of a sunny day, but here I was, leaning up against the crash barrier awaiting the arrival of our Kev, a local Leicester legend, pioneer of the “Eyres Monsell Sound”, whose career goes back to a stint on Factory Records in ‘79/80, and a prime cut on Pillows & Prayers Vol. 2. Today was his first ever appearance on DeMontfort’s main concert stage, and he went for it. Performing with his power trio HHJ & OMFUG (very good...), they were here to rock, and rock they did, like a garage band version of Cream, with much rolling about on the stage, screaming guitar solos and thunderous rhythms. I got so wrapped up in the whole experience, I completely forgot about the other lot playing ‘round the corner. HHJ & OMFUG - Billion Pebble Beach (@ Summer Sundae 2009) Apologies to YFOAS. Those who saw and heard your set were complimentary, but for me, it was back to the Main Stage for a long stint. First up, Shortwave Fade (enjoyable indie rock), then Maybeshewill (meaty, noisy, instrumental indie rock - very good), followed by Devon Sproule (hokey and bland) and Port O’Brien (big, spacey Neil Young, Mercury Rev inspired Americana). Port O’Brien - I Woke Up Today Somehow, in-between, I’d managed to miss Israeli loons Monotonix on the Indoor Stage. Folks who saw the show came back raving about anarchic, primal rock ‘n’ roll, the band’s refusal to use the actual stage, lots of liquids getting splashed around electric cables, sub-garage guitars, audience members thrashing about on the drums and the singer leaping off the balcony into the crowd. Their MySpace page informs us that Monotonix use GHS Strings. Mad! Monotonix at Bumbershoot ’08 Anyway, I didn’t see them, but I did get to witness the Easy Star All-Stars. Striding onto the stage with all the roots rock authenticity of a Swedish UB40 tribute band, what theoretically might have been interesting and fun - it’s Sunday afternoon, the sun’s out, let’s have some reggae - could have, in reality, turned quite ugly. I, for one, was grateful there were no glass bottles to hand. Midway through their “unbelievable” version of “When I’m 64” (their third of five Sgt. Pepper covers) I was ready to run amok, slashing and stabbing at any and every middle class, middle aged whitey, doing the bendy knees skank and mouthing along to Ringo’s paean to ageing love. Fortunately, disarmed, I satisfied myself by stuffing free johnnies into my ears and weeping quietly onto my tear-smudged Observer Sunday Supplement. Every festival needs a low point, so well done the Easy Star All-Stars for stepping up to the plate. Still at the main stage, Bon Iver, a real booking coup for the organisers, and a very popular one amongst a large part of the audience. I was in the minority. I’m not a huge fan of the album, which tends to wash over me rather than engaging in any meaningful way, and it was much the same with the live experience. I think he’s one of those artists I just don’t “get”. He’ll be pleased to hear he’s in good company, rubbing shoulders with The Beatles, classic Radiohead and Mozart. Time was running out, and the site seemed to be extra busy today. Kingsize absolutely rammed the Musician tent, with as many people outside as in. On the Indoor Stage, The Lightning Seeds were just as popular, and entry was restricted to a “one comes out / one goes in” system. So nothing to do but hang out at the Main Stage for The Zutons headline show. They’re one of those bands that, apart from a couple of singles, have passed me by completely. I prefer my Northern beat combos depressed, dour and from Manchester, rather than chippy, bright and Liverpudlian, but again, I seemed to be in the minority. They were home and dry from the moment they launched into their big guitary pop songs - equal parts The Coral, T-Rex and The Beatles - and the crowd were more than up for it. They did all the songs they were expected and left the stage to rapturous applause - which turned into disgruntled boos when MC Richard Haswell announced there wouldn’t be an encore. And that was it. Hardier souls than me went looking for the silent disco or a film to watch, and I toddled off home. Same time next year? I hope so. Sunday’s Best Bit: The remarkable half hour set by Kevin Hewick. Port O’Brien were excellent and I missed Monotonix, but for me, it’s got to be our Kev. Myspace Links: www.myspace.com/echolocationmusic www.myspace.com/blkjks www.myspace.com/thedeappeople www.myspace.com/ashgrunwald www.myspace.com/wildbeasts www.myspace.com/thebeatofficial www.myspace.com/woodstockband69 www.myspace.com/mrplow www.myspace.com/theyellowmoonband www.myspace.com/saintetienne www.myspace.com/hughcornwell www.myspace.com/kevinhewickuk www.myspace.com/sitaralap www.myspace.com/youfellowsofallsouls www.myspace.com/shortwavefade www.myspace.com/maybeshewont www.myspace.com/portobrien www.myspace.com/monotonix www.myspace.com/boniver www.myspace.com/thezutons CDs to give-away: I grabbed a handful of the Pink Box sampler CD, featuring tracks by Kevin Hewick, You Fellows Of All Souls, Mr Plow and several other fine Leicester bands. If you’d like a copy, drop me a line at leicesterbangs@hotmail.co.uk with your address (UK only please) and we’ll shoot you off a copy. We’ve only a dozen or so copies here, so be quick. Next