Festival Fever Rising

 

 

Primavera Sound, possibly the best European festival of the summer is on the horizon.  Ireland's premier music festival and one that brings the season to a close, Electric picnic, is just 100 days away.  This means it is time to pull the wellies and whatever remains of last years tent out of the attic.  It signals the arrival of festival fever, a time of year music lovers crave.  Living outdoors, going to see your     favourite bands playing in the same field and drinking day and night with friends, experiences that live long in the memory.

 

I have compiled a list of what I deem to be 5 must-see European festivals for alternative music fans in 2013.

Primavera Sound

 

Barcelona, Spain (May 22-26)

I will start off with this weekends festival (and the one I would cut off my pinkies to go to).  It caters for alternative music purists, always providing a stellar line-up of international artists.  It normally has the best in underground music and exciting movements from the US such as the garage rock contingent the past few years. 

WHO - Deerhunter, Fuck Buttons, Goat, My Bloody Valentine, Shellac, Savages, Swans, The Breeders, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Thee Oh Sees, White Fence.

Price - Full festival tickets started at 145 Euro, are still on sale at La Botiga del Primavera Sound on C/ del Ases, 1(Barcelona) at the price of 250€.

 

 

All Tomorrow's Parties

Keflavík, Iceland (June 28-29)

Named after the Velvet Underground song, just like the band itself ATP - run events often reach a standard unmatched by other rock 'n' roll proprietors.  Their aim when starting out was to offer a more intimate alternative to larger festivals.  The organisation aided in the selection of bands for Primavera in recent years.  Respected musicians are asked to curate events, they delve into their record collections and invite musicians, consistently creating special line-ups that would otherwise never come together.

Who - Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, the Fall, Deerhoof, Thee Oh Sees, Dead Skeletons 

Price - Weekend non-camping 16,900 ISK (£95)

 

 

 Glastonbury

 

Worthy Farm, Pilton, England (June 26 - 30)

 





The ultimate festival in many people's eyes, it has earned its place in festival folklore.  It has been influenced by hippie ethics from the beginning and this movement is still celebrated there today.  The weather has played a role over the years and when many of us think of Glastonbury we think of the images of people covered in mud, as their tents float past them.  But more than anything it is remembered and respected for impressive performances by the biggest acts in the world, among them The Kinks, David Bowie, The Who, Pixies, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Johnny Cash, The Smiths, The Cure, Oasis and in more recent times The White Stripes and Arctic Monkeys.  In essence it has showcased rock icons for the past 40 years.

 

 

Who - The Rolling Stones, Portishead, Arctic Monkeys, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Public Image Limited, Fuck Buttons, Django Django,

 

Price - Standard Ticket: £205

 

 

Festival Beauregard  

Normandy, France - (July 5th - 7th)

 

I have decided to include this festival for the combination of an idyllic setting along with a respectable line-up.  Any line-up including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion is worth the fee alone, especially when taking the reasonable ticket price into consideration.

 

 

 

Who - The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Hives.

 

Price - 95 Euros for 3 days,

115 Euros for 3 days +camping

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electric Picnic

Stradbally, Ireland - (August 30 - September 1)

 

It has become known as Ireland's version of Glastonbury.  Always has an eclectic line-up of rock, folk and arts and is based in the Irish countryside.  Every aspect of the festival experience is given attention.  The whole site is turned into an art project for the weekend with different themes taking shape as you travel through your surroundings.  The Salty Dog Stage (a boat made into a stage) is always worth catching at the end of the night for some after-hours entertainment.

And as opposed to the normal greasy fast food festival fare you'd expect at most festivals, EP provides a high standard of food to keep it's punters nourished and energised throughout the weekend. From experience it tends to have a good, family-friendly atmosphere with a good mix of ages in attendance.

Who -  My Bloody Valentine, Arctic Monkeys, Bjork, David Byrne & St Vincent, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Johnny Marr, The Strypes, Savages,

Price - Weekend camping from €189.50 (£162)

 

 

 

 

 LET'S HOPE WE AVOID THIS TYPE OF SCENARIO, BUT WHATEVER THE WEATHER TRY TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT. 

 

 

 

AND FOR GOODNESS SAKE, DON'T LET IT GET IN THE WAY OF FESTIVAL FASHION WHATEVER YE DO!

 

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The Fall – Re-Mit

The Fall, are a band that don’t just divide opinion they thrive on it.  When many people think of The Fall, they think Mark E. Smith.  His unerring belief and devotion to a project that started out 36 years ago, and has seen countless line-up changes, seems to have given him ownership.  He began carving his own path, following his rules, and if anything he has made the band more impenetrable for outsiders with the passing of time.  An increasingly incomprehensible, and distinctly E.Smithsian lyric and vocal style has developed over time, which usually takes some deciphering.  For newcomers this may be off-putting, for the devout they are quirks and traits that further distinguish the band from the rest of the pack.

Musicianship has always been at the forefront of albums by The Fall, and on the last four with the current line-up there has been a real push towards a heavier-sound, with dynamic hard-hitting drums and punchy bass-lines at the forefront.  The drumming remains hard, but gymnastic guitar work from Pete Greenway predominates.  Smith has always been a tough taskmaster and doesn’t seem to have mellowed with time, the uncompromising idiosyncrasies on Re-mit signal his intent once again.  He may be getting on in years but youthful vigour and vision remains intact.  

A characteristic that sets Smith apart from other post-punk musicians or even contemporary bands with abstract lyrics and arty sentiments is that he has always been in touch with popular culture, and isn’t afraid to dabble in derision of musicians or television personalities.  Snow Patrol and Lauren Lavern deemed legitimate targets in recent years; Gossip Girl was even referenced on Nate will Not Return.  And upon seeing the band at Electric Picnic he started off by proclaiming: “I am Ryan, from The OC-UH!” (which I enjoyed anyway).  Those who brand him a miserable old git, fail to recognise his acerbic wit.  James Murphy gets a mention this time round on Irish, I’m unsure if it’s complimentary or not; “James Murphy is their chief, they show their bollocks when they eat.”

There is a short energetic intro at the start of Re-Mit before Record Store Day release William Wray kicks off proceedings properly.  Musically the song has real purpose and sees Smith rambling about William Wray, seemingly attempting to pronounce the name in as many different ways before the song ends, good start.  Kinder of Spine, adopts a simple garage rhythm, it has the off-kilter feel of 1960’s garage rockers The Monks (a band The Fall have covered in the past), only Smith’s demented patter replaces that of Gary Burger, and organ absconds in favour of keyboard.  MES inhabits a distressed damsel, as he shouts “oh captain, oh captain, help me-uh!” and growls incoherently about “spiders!” 

Spritely guitars greet No Respects Rev, making it similar to a song like Pacifying joint from 2005’s Fall Heads Roll.  Victrola Time, makes use of overlapping vocals, a heavily-used feature of this album, and also used to good effect on Jetplane with keyboardist and wife Eleni Poulou interjecting, sounding like tape-recorded interpreter.  As the title suggests Jam Song, is a builder, starting out with 1980’s keyboard sounds and MES trying his best to sing before guitars and drums join the party, drowning them out. Album closer, Loadstones, all twisting guitars and snarling vocal is a single in the waiting and wouldn’t have been out of place on Your Future, Our Clutter, their impressive 2010 album.

The Fall are at times unfairly criticised, due to the fact they are a band steeped in great and good albums, and why this may not be the best Fall album ever made, it certainly passes the acid test.  It's dishevelled nature is appealing.  When MES says defiantly on Hitite Man that, “Death does not exist,” it makes you question whether it does for him, he ploughs on and continues to churn out albums and tour with the resilience of a man granted eternal life.  Admittedly, there are tenuous signs of aging...but his rampant musical output and unflinching self-belief continue to breathe life into his music, and that is why after 30 albums his visionary attitude endures, whilst so many of his contemporaries pale in comparison.

DISCLAIMER:  If you’re a Mumford and Sons fan you will not enjoy this album.

 

https://www.facebook.com/DarkandDirtySounds

 

By Garrett Hargan

 

 

Dark and Dirty Sounds

“I like music that's more offensive. I like it to sound like nails on a blackboard, get me wild.” 

― Iggy Pop


This blog is an attempt to represent the gritty side of rock, musicians who weren't/aren't afraid to shake things up or freak people out. For those of us grateful that rock 'n' roll has a rich history steeped in the blood and sweat of greats like The Velvet Underground, The Birthday Party, The Pogues, Iggy Pop, Suicide, The Fall...It will recognise past musical greats, have it's feet firmly planted in the present and wild eyes fixed on the future.



My sole aim is to discuss music I am passionate about (those records that only ever seem to receive airplay after dark) and hope
that there are other like-minded souls who may come along for the ride, share their opinions or discover something new along the way.

"And some people say it's just rock 'n' roll, aw but it gets ya right down to your soul." - Nick Cave

Savages – Silence Yourself

All female rock bands with the attitude and poise of Savages are a rare commodity.  Their intensity both on and off stage, (judging by interviews) sets them apart.  A reputation for powerful live performances has already been established; they do not ask for attention, they demand it from their audience.  There is no pretence, they do things on their terms and are unapologetic about it.  For instance, the album title Silence Yourself is a message in itself, urging us to forget modern frivolities, by taking stock of our lives in an act of self-discovery.  In terms of fortitude, they have thrown the gauntlet down to their male counterparts

Joy Division is an over-used comparison when it comes to any band extracting post-punk sensibilities, but any obvious parallels tend to be refined to a live setting when it comes to Savages. Onstage, you can detect Ian Curtis mannerisms, an unrestrained intensity as Jehnny Beth feeds off the sound waves around her, before expelling them through sporadic movement and brooding lyricism.  

But songs like City’s Full, with Gemma Thompsons thunderous guitar and Ayse Hassan’s ballsy bass lines accompanied by Beth’s vocal ferocity, are more aligned to noise rock.  In an interview they remarked, instead of playing conventional chords and guitar lines, they preferred to experiment with sound, distorting notes to create an unsettling atmosphere, similar to a band like Swans.  Waiting for a Sign has these piercing waves of guitar and the repeated snap of a snare drum, whilst Dead Nature has unsettling prods of bass and what sounds like distant church bells, all eerie touchstones of Swans albums over the years. 

They confront issues of sexuality head-on in She Will; “She will forget her pain/She will come back again/Get hooked on loving hard/Forcing the slut out.”  The sharp punchy feel of Hit Me has a no-wave feel to it, calling to mind Lydia Lunch’s (Teenage Jesus and the Jerks), aggressive vocal style. She Will, sees pulsating drums crash along with ecstatic screams as the song climaxes, recalling the rawness of Fever to Tell era Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  Closer, Marshal Dear could be PJ Harvey at her emotive best, it displays a gentler touch, with piano and spurts of saxophone adding further texture to their sound.  But with lines like, “There are suicides in every dream, Marshal Dear,” dark imagery which haunts the album doesn’t remain dormant for long.

As a band in its infancy, the level of self-assurance on Silence Yourself is refreshing, it displays the kind of confidence which many truly memorable musicians encapsulate.   They take elements of gothic post-punk and transplant them into a heady world of feverish feedback.  You get the sense they are a band that immerse themselves in their music, they have a message and the conviction to deliver it.

https://www.facebook.com/DarkandDirtySounds

By Garrett Hargan