{"id":10791,"date":"2013-07-21T11:05:04","date_gmt":"2013-07-21T10:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nusic.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=10791"},"modified":"2013-07-25T13:59:35","modified_gmt":"2013-07-25T12:59:35","slug":"splendour-2013-the-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nusic.org.uk\/wordpress\/splendour-2013-the-review\/","title":{"rendered":"SPLENDOUR 2013 – The Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday bore witness to musical history. A Notts artist headlining a Notts festival alongside three other Notts Main Stage acts, here\u2019s how it went down at Splendour 2013…
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\nTHE GORGEOUS CHANS<\/a><\/strong>
\nI\u2019ve 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<\/a><\/strong> 2012 runner-up JOE DANKS<\/a><\/strong>). The other part is them just being pretty fucking great. As always, this year\u2019s 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<\/strong>-esque in it\u2019s erraticness. It\u2019s a set deserving of a winner – it\u2019s chantastic.
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\nSAM JONES<\/a><\/strong>
\nA dash across to the Courtyard Stage to see our FSN runner up SAM JONES<\/a><\/strong> . I confess – I knew very little about Mr Jones prior to this year\u2019s 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’<\/em> is a fantastically catchy tune, the lyrics resonating with anyone familiar with Nottingham nightlife. This Mansfield lads done good. Really good.
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\nFEROCIOUS DOG<\/a><\/strong>
\nOpening up the Jagermeister Stage we have those mad hounds at FEROCIOUS DOG<\/a><\/strong>. One of our most established bands, it\u2019s 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.
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\nINDIANA<\/a><\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s amazing to think that in just over a year, INDIANA<\/a><\/strong> has gone from playing her first ever live performance to one of the four local acts on Splendour\u2019s Main Stage. The significance of this is clearly not lost, shyly mouthing \u2018wow\u2019 at the size of the audience gathered just two songs in. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever fall out of love with \u2018Blind As I Am<\/em>\u2019, her delicate vocals beautifully contrasted against the ground-shaking beats. Whilst she jokes \u2018it\u2019s hard to concentrate when you\u2019re being kicked\u2019 (she\u2019s pregnant – we haven\u2019t just witnessed onstage violence), INDIANA<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s performance is as captivating as ever.
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\nONEGIRLONEBOY<\/a><\/strong>
\nI\u2019m only able to catch a small bit of their set, but I am a firm believer everyone should experience a bit of ONEGIRLONEBOY<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s 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<\/strong> 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 <\/strong>cover) in just 15 but hey – a little ONEGIRLONEBOY<\/a><\/strong> is better than no ONEGIRLONEBOY<\/a><\/strong>.
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\nSAINT RAYMOND<\/a><\/strong>
\nIf you compare his performance yesterday with his one last year, you can see – and therefore marvel – at how SAINT RAYMOND<\/a><\/strong> 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\u2019d 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. \u2018Bonfires\u2019 & \u2018Everything She Wants<\/em>\u2019 become highlights of the show, if not the day, both displaying SAINT RAYMOND<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s extraordinary talent at writing unforgettable choruses.
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\nRYAN THOMAS<\/a><\/strong>
\nIf you listen to RYAN THOMAS<\/a><\/strong> blindly, it\u2019s difficult to believe this lad is only 20. He writes the Blues with such authenticity you\u2019d be forgiven in thinking he was a middle-aged Texan with whiskey, rocking chair and rifle in hand. Songs like \u2018Home<\/em>\u2019 beautifully demonstrate Ryan\u2019s versatility with a more melodic guitar and folkier touches, whilst \u2018Hangover Blues\u2019 <\/em>is packed with the grit, power and Americana that we\u2019ve come to love. It\u2019s a finely honed performance that can only get better.
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\nROB GREEN<\/a><\/strong>
\nFresh from his School Tour with us, ROB GREEN<\/a><\/strong> 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<\/a><\/strong> out there, I haven\u2019t found them yet. (Shout out to the shirtless Scot who did not stop moving once throughout the set – he just loves the brass)
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\nGEORGIE ROSE<\/a><\/strong>
\nHaving played over 140 gigs in the past year, GEORGIE ROSE<\/a><\/strong> is easily one of our most hardworking musicians. If yesterday\u2019s set is anything to go by however, it\u2019s 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. \u201820 Mile Road\u2019<\/em> – a song about the road from Mansfield to Notts – is gleaming with Cash-esque inspiration, showing off Georgie\u2019s raw, stripped back talent. I think it\u2019s fair to say I just witnessed a whole crowd fall in love with GEORGIE ROSE<\/a><\/strong>.
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\nINJURED BIRDS<\/a><\/strong>
\nThe bearded quartet step onto stage with sunglasses on and \u2018plinky plonky\u2019 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<\/a><\/strong> 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\u2019s ballerina box proving totally compelling. Lovely, lads.
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\nDOG IS DEAD<\/a><\/strong>
\nFrom Injured Birds to Dead Dogs, DOG IS DEAD<\/a><\/strong> are another band I\u2019ve seen so many times I\u2019m 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<\/a><\/strong> 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 \u2018Young\u2019<\/em> showcases the guys incredible choral harmonies. Penultimate song \u2018Glockenspiel Song<\/em>\u2019 sends the crowd into a frenzy, the glorious refrain screamed back at them before being concluded by a signature Joss crowd surf. \u2018Teenage Daughter<\/em>\u2019 brings the set to a phenomenal close, each \u2018A-ah\u2019 reverberating across Wollaton Park.
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\nKAGOULE<\/a><\/strong>
\nA dark and heady Grunge aura fills the Jagermeister Stage as soon as they step up and KAGOULE<\/a><\/strong> 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 \u2018Gush\u2019 is alight with 90s vibes. KAGOULE<\/a><\/strong> are my new band to stalk.
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\nJOEL BAKER<\/a><\/strong>
\nWhen he\u2019s not busy in Parliament, JOEL BAKER<\/a><\/strong> is writing awesome music. A husky, rock voice and an acoustic guitar, this \u2018fantastic singer-songwriter\u2019 (Zane Lowe\u2019s words – not mine) has a Soulful edge that sets him apart. Someone who\u2019s gained a lot of attention with some pretty fantastic covers, Joel\u2019s original material is even more addictive. A born performer, he even manages to get a boys vs girls singalong during \u2018Every Vessel, Every Vein<\/em>‘ as well as a cheeky cover of, oh sorry I forgot we don’t talk covers at Nusic. Grab his \u2018Long Sleeves\u2019 EP which is out today.
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\nHARLEIGHBLU<\/a><\/strong>
\nFor half an hour, the New College Nottingham\/ LeftLion stage is transformed into a jazz lounge and HARLEIGHBLU<\/a><\/strong> is front and centre. It\u2019s 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<\/a><\/strong> 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\u2019s an electric performance from a future superstar.
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\nJAKE BUGG<\/a><\/strong>
\nThis 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<\/a><\/strong> steps on stage with that renowned nonchalance that has made him a bonafide music sensation. \u2018Trouble Town<\/em>\u2019 brings with it the deafening roars of 20,000 people, the line \u2018stuck in speedbump city where the only thing that\u2019s pretty is the thought of getting out<\/em>\u2019 filling the grounds of Wayne\u2019s Manor. Latest single \u2018Broken\u2019 is painfully beautiful, awash in soulful melancholy that is heart-stopping in it\u2019s delivery. Contrast this with \u2018Two Fingers<\/em>\u2019, who\u2019s 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\u2019s a mind-blowing set filled with the kind of songs people will listen to in 40 years and say \u2018they just don\u2019t make them like this anymore\u2019 and a set the whole of Nottingham can be proud of.
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\nThat\u2019s it folks! History has been made and I am done. Goodnight Nottingham – I love you.
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\nYours in Love of New Music,
\nMaddie Hammond.X <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday bore witness to musical history. A Notts artist headlining a Notts festival alongside three other Notts Main Stage acts, here\u2019s how it went down at Splendour 2013… THE GORGEOUS CHANS I\u2019ve seen this band so many times in the past few weeks I think I may have become their unofficial stalker. That said, I…<\/p>\n

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