glasgowbury ’10: spurs of rock3

The Spurs of Rock stage for the most part covers the heavier acts at Glasgowbury ’10 (with the exception of the well respected Deep Fried Funk DJs, who will provide a two hour set covering most kinds of dance music).

10.00 – 12.00 – Deep Fried Funk DJs
9.00 – 9.45 – Here Come The Landed Gentry
7.50 – 8.30 – Pocket Billiards
6.40 – 7.20 – Adebisi Shank
5.50 – 6.20 – Triggerman
5.00 – 5.30 – Swanee River
4.10 – 4.40 – Team Fresh
3.20 – 3.50 – The Riptide Movement
2.30 – 3.00 – The Last Tycoons
1.40 – 2.10 – Standup Guy
12.50 – 1.20 – Fingersmith
12.00 – 12.30 – The Rupture Dogs

Here Comes The Landed Gentry: possibly my favourite act at last year’s Glasgowbury, the five piece are once again high up the billing at this year’s festival. Their blend of rockabilly and classic rock provides for an exciting live experience, and boy do they know how to play a crowd. They’re a bunch of hard drinking, no nonsense and talented musicians that can crank out a great tune in the blink of a eye- expect fan favourite “Leadbelly” to get the entire tent dancing and singing along, with Marty Doherty giving a masterclass in how to be a true frontman. Miss this act at your peril.

(photo courtesy of Matthew Alexander Patton)

Pocket Billiards: This band have gone from strength to strength in the past year. After their storming performance at ASIWYFA’s album launch in Mandela Hall they’ve garnered many new admirers: with a glorious combination of ska and punk Pocket Billiards are guaranteed to be a hit at Glasgowbury. Even if ska isn’t your usual cup of tea there’s a lot to enjoy here with a dynamic relationship between the two frontmen (who are guaranteed to come out with some hilarious and even insightful lyrics), a lot of emphasis on brass and some damn fine tunes. Check out “Big Mistake” and “Belfast Town” for a taster, and keep in mind that this kind of music flourishes at festivals. They’ve got a tough time slot to fill but you can be assured they will give it their all.

(photo courtesy of Niall Byrne)

Adebisi Shank: this is a preview of a band called Adebisi Shank. Seriously though, a lot of people are looking forward to this performance from the Wexford threepiece as their unique glitchy cyberpunk sound starts spreading around the globe.  It’s not for everyone, but this instrumental act has a lot of appeal: fans of Battles will enjoy the unusual rhythms and the seemingly limitless energy contained within Adebisi, while most of us will be dropping our jaws at the insane guitar riffs and solos. The Cast of Cheers have burst onto the Irish music scene as the young pretenders, but Adebisi are the masters. Check out “Snakehips” as a nice introduction to the band.

(photo courtesy of Graham Smith)

Triggerman: this band is not for the faint hearted. They’re heavy. Real heavy. With licks dirtier than your favourite fast food establishment on the Dublin Road and sprawling guitar solos as well as some thundering drums, you may think that they’re your standard heavy rock act. In fact, they’re more than that. There’s some real inventiveness in terms of time signature and rhythm changes (especially in Road to Damascus) and the lead singer isn’t constantly throwing out rock clichés. Very enjoyable.

Swanee River: Swanee owe a huge debt to classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Cream (especially Clapton). However in this genre, that debt is inevitable, and Swanee do one hell of a  job in trying to pay it back. The lyrics can be a little bland at times, but Stevie Horner has an incredible voice, effortlessly hitting the higher notes and driving home the various choruses. Track “Baby Better Lady” is a good representation of the band with some mindblowing guitar work from Graham Baldrick and even a decent sing-along chorus.  They’re polished, professional and will undoubtedly follow on from their popular appearances at the festival in the past few years.

(photo courtesy of Matthew Alexander Patton)

Team Fresh: “North Coast hip-hop” will be one of the more unusual phrases uttered in 2010. This local supergroup are one of the most original bands to ever come out of Northern Ireland, bringing the funk and the noise to every gig. With ASIWYFA’s Rory Friers on guitar delivering some trademark punk neo-metal riffs and some fascinating lyrics (ranging from a dedication to Buckfast to a holiday in Croatia) delivered by the various MCs, they provide one of the best live performances you will ever experience from a Northern Irish band.  Portrush’s answer to the Beastie Boys? The only point to note is that they’re playing at the same time as the special guests: choose wisely.

The Riptide Movement: this Dublin bluesy-rock four piece have had a decent amount of success in the South, making the album Top 20 (the first independent label release to ever reach it). They’re inoffensive classic rock, with the usual influences of Rory Gallagher and AC/DC.

(photo courtesy of Dave Barry)

The Last Tycoons: this band have reminded me that extended slide guitar solos can exist in modern music. The Last Tycoons identify themselves as purveyors of American Depression folk, delivering ballads such as “The Dry Law” full of haunting organs and soulful harmonies to back up the Beck-like vocals of Stephen Fanning. That is not the limit of their talents, however: track “Speed” is an absolute gem of a folk pop song, wandering through the lands of the American spiritual or gospel genre.

Fingersmith: this trio from Suffolk are certainly a leftfield addition to this stage lineup at Glasgowbury. Their piano pop rock/jazz style would perhaps be better suited to the G Spot, but scheduling issues aside: Fingersmith really are a great band. They channel early Ben Folds Five material and even Easyworld into some tight upbeat catchy melodies. Synth laden track “Debut” is a radio-friendly poppy number, but the lyrics are often reminiscent of Scouting for Girls (and that’s certainly not a good thing). “Crazy Jay” suffers from the same problem: great melody, some lovely instrumentation (especially in regards to the percussion) but the lyrics let the track down.

(photo courtesy of Matthew Alexander Patton)

The Rupture Dogs: This is the band you want to kick off proceedings at the Spurs of Rock stage. With a sound reminiscent of early Queens of the Stone Age material and an almost unrivalled energy live this trio are gaining many admirers. Following on from bands such as In Case of Fire and LaFaro is a tough task, but it’s an even tougher task to stand out while using William Johnson’s formula of “riff + rhythm + dirty, sexy vocals you can barely understand = good times”. Track “Rupture” graciously builds and builds before an explosive chorus, while “Shoots to Thrill” is the closest the band have to an infectious track. Growly vocals and some great rhythms combine into a package that demands your attention.