A Blast From the Past

Posted on Facebook tonight.  I've re-posted on my wall and here so two for the price of one.



My handwritten scrawled review of (The Teesside) Discharge's concert at The Teessider from me and Richard Sanderson's (too many links - just Google him) Print-Out fanzine from 1979.  Obviously you had to be there.

Also, not only from the pre-digital age but also Tippex hadn't even been invented, or at least found it's way to Middlesbrough!


Cheers John.

Geoff

Lets here it for Tisbury

As a slight aside from my End of the Road festival posts.  On the way down to my satnav seemingly took me way off track not far from Larmer Tree Gardens and I went through the village of Tisbury in Wiltshire.

I mention it for no other reason than a reference point to myself should I win the lottery I might consider moving there.

Well?  It's another post.

Big Top Stage

If I had to describe this years Big Top Stage in 3 words I would say lots of laptops.  Small bands making big sounds.  Interesting sounding names like East India Youth and Deptford Goth turned out to be just lone boy's on stage tapping a few keys with a laptop.  Not unpleasant but just a bit dull.

Lots of excellent stuff as well though.  Brooklyn duo Widowspeak made a lovely sound with pretty vocals from Molly Hamilton and great foot tapping (to me) guitar lines from star of the band Robert Earl Thomas.

 

 

 I rather cared for rather weird and soulful Graphite Set.  Needless to say they were on in the Tipi last time.

and by latish Friday evening after seeing some very nice pop and fine country music, lots of weirdness and The Eels I got a serious craving for some rock'n'roll.  Low and behold up popped a band I'd never heard before who turned out to be one of my faves of the week-end, New York's Parquet Courts.

 

Likened to Talking Heads and Television by those supposedly in the know, there was certainly lots early US punk about them but to be honest more like The Ramones and Richard Hell.

I also enjoyed Mercury Prize nominated Savages and Saturday night top of the bill Polica (just testing) who used looping technology (think) and their laptop (definitely) to great effect.  Bizarrely they had 2 drummers.  Why not put one on the mac?  No offence like.

I never got in the Big Top on Sunday so missed Palma Violets who I was hoping to give another go (not overly impressed in the Boro) and Public Service Broadcasting who I did enjoy in the Boro.

CD's ordered - Parquet Courts and Polica

 

 

 

EOTR 2013 Tipi Stage

It actually used to be in a Tipi but you couldn't swing a cat in it let alone hold a decent size audience.  Then they erected a marquee type tent next to the tipi.  That was better and for a couple of years perfect.  You could get in to see anybody and in the past I've seen amongst others The Low Anthem, The Felice Brothers, Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell, the mighty Slow Down Molasses and Boro faves Woodpigeon and Horse Feathers. 

It's always been my favourite stage with lots of beat folkie acts and solo country singers.  Pretty much my cup of tea really.

Only this year apart from the warm up night and the after hours secret shows virtually every time I tried to get in it was heaving.  I managed to catch the wonderful harmonic folkie/ethereal Golden Fable and (almost a late show) brother and sister spoken word guitar/bass/tapes duo Jo Gideon and the Shark.  Not too bad. 

I've already written about the Thursday show so that just leaves the 3 late 'surprise' shows apart from the programme gave away the fact that Dawes, Barr Brothers shows and the new first lady of country in my musical universe (nb Ian) were going to play.   That was great in itself but the fact that nobody else I spoke to seemed to have sussed out made it seem like I was well in the know.  It doesn't sound much but well worth the kudos amongst the anoraks at EOTR.

Hands up whose heard of Dawes?  I hadn't either but they were great. One of my faves of the festival.  A wonderful west coast sound with songs about LA (their home) and California and the like.  In a previous life I would have hated them but Americana loving Goffa, circa 2013 just loves this sound.

 

Dawes - Friday night in the Tipi

 

I'm not just saying I loved the Barr Brothers because they played the Boro although the fact that they are from Montreal and they played the Westgarth just before EOTR was actually enough but they looked great and their sound was big and soulful. They were just  beautiful.

I was hoping to ask them how they got the harp upstairs in The Westgarth but I didn't get chance to speak to them.  Hey ho!

I might have mentioned the new first lady before.  She seems to have been around for ages but she's still only 26.  She's from Nashville and a pal of The Felice Brothers.  She was sweetness and light in the afternoon, charmingly signing autographs but by midnight she was falling around the stage drinking lager and red wine chasers, forgetting the words to her songs and drunkardly bantering with the audience.  Her songs are great, her voice is sweet but you get the impression that if you messed with her she's chew you up and spit you out.  I give you Miss Caitlin Rose.

photo courtesy of Richard P W Greenhalgh

 

And that was about it, it was 2am Monday morning.  The festival started and closed in the Tipi. Big Jeff from Bristol said Palma Violets were due to play but had to leave early so they left it to a noisy 5 piece from San Diego, Crocodiles to close the festival to the remaining hardcore (punks). 

 

 

 

 

 

With a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.

I really need to capture my thoughts on EOTR 2013 before the memories start to fade.  Whilst still in Dorset it was difficult to focus on anything other the journey home but it was great, probably my best of the 4 I've attended.  Why?

The weather was fantastic, wall to wall sunshine.  The headliners were all top class  - however good the undercard is the top order is the biggest draw to me.  And never say never but this might be my last visit so I was really taking it all in.  Artist after artist commented on the  beauty of Larmer Tree Gardens and several said it was their favourite festival (they probably say that everywhere they play).  Christian Hardy from The Leisure Society went as far to say "you lot should be feeling very smug because this week-end you are at the best place anywhere in the world".

We all looked at our surroundings at the

 

peacocks roaming in the grounds



 at our own recording studio (really).  EOTR are going to release a compilation of the best recordings.

 We had our on site mail service.  You could send letters to the artists or even to other peoples tents



and the woods are just magical.  We nodded smugly, yeah, that's right.

I've never been to any other sleepover festivals so I can't speak for them.  Maybe there are other festivals where you can get between all the stages or back to your tent in less than 10 minutes, or where the site is kept tidy throughout, or where you can have organic falafel for lunch and then Goan Fish Curry for your tea, or where the toilets are generally clean (people who know me will know how fussy I am), or that has their own Cider bus

 

but I wonder how many have them all. 

I couldn't imagine another festival matching my musical tastes so closely.  It's smallness in size suits me and I can just about tolerate it's poshness (it is in North Dorset after all)  but I've had a good run and I know how miserable I would be if the weather was bad.  It's a near 700 mile round trip so unless they come up with some must see names or I can win the lottery and can afford one of those fancy euro camper vans I'm going to quit while I'm ahead.

My next posts will be about the music (a promise).

Can't believe a week has passed since I arrived at EOTR.

This time last week I was probably experiencing the thrills of  Californian heavy blues duo Deap Vally (think I previously mis-spelt their name - apologies go out to DV). They warned the audience it was going to be loud (unusual) and it was.  The warm-up night audience generously lapped it up and unlike Dinosaur Jr who were similarly loud/heavy on the final night (more later) there wasn't a melody in sight.  That's no good for me in 2013.  In truth it never has been.

As I said last week there 5 bands on the night all from the Communion record label/promotions roster including soon to be Boro faves Catfish and the Bottlemen.  The singer, Van McCann (I'm not buying that's real) is a genuine hoot and a half as well so Teesside people join me at The Westgarth on 8 October.

  
Overall I counted up that I saw 50 bands/artists over the 4 days and much of it very good or better and over the next few days I will share some of my thoughts with you. You may also want to have a look over here  for another point of view of the festival.