Walking into the Rescue Rooms at about quarter past two I didn’t know much about The Swiines but I do now. They’re very, very loud. After struggling to order a drink due to the volume being created from the stage and a barmaid who was a bit slow on the uptake, I stood back as the hometown band created an almighty noise. Although only catching fifteen minutes of their set, they certainly made an impression with their energetic indie-rock and were well received from an increasingly busy venue.
In its sixth year, Dot To Dot has become something of an arena for up and coming bands to showcase their talent, with the likes of The Cribs, Kate Nash, Friendly Fires and Ladyhawke all alumni of the festival.
Next on the musical menu was No Lovers playing just round the corner in a sparsely populated Stealth, with their electro-dance sound. The clear highlight of their stay was the dancing of keyboardist Joe Leigh who had a unique style to say the least.
A quick hop, skip and a jump led me to Rock City and Morning Parade who were nothing out of the ordinary and sounded a bit like background music, which left me uninspired. But lets not dwell on the bad stuff. The Cheek had a bit of something going for them back over in the Rescue Rooms, with plenty of catchy indie-pop lightening the mood and bringing a smile to the face. The briefest encounter of the musical kind of the day was Lawson in Rock City who were to be kind, not my cup of tea (just soft rock really if you must know).
Stretched over five venues in Nottingham (Rock City, The Rescue Rooms, Stealth, Nottingham Trent Student Union and The Bodega Social), Dot To Dot is fast becoming a must for music enthusiasts in the city. With artists like Kirsty Almeida taking part it is no wonder why. A fantastic set of folk-pop was a treat indeed for all those in attendance, with an entertaining backing band of guitarist, saxophonist, trumpeter and trombonist providing choreography on top of their musical duties. Almeida’s vocals are excellent and her songs create a feel good factor, aided in no small part to her companions on stage.
Without a doubt, the band who left me wanting more was Blood Red Shoes, playing the main stage in Rock City. Steven Ansell on drums and vocals was a blur, as his aggressive drumming combined with his strong voice pushed the songs on at a relentless pace. Paired with Laura-Mary Carter on guitar and vocals, the band sped through their set, with ‘You Bring Me Down’ and ‘I Wish I Was Someone Better’ particular crowd favourites.
Wild Beasts continued the theme of indie-rock as Rock City was lavished with some interesting tunes. ‘We Still Got The Taste’ is built around the haunting vocals of Hayden Thorpe, has an 80s feel and, along with ‘All The King’s Men’ is another crowd pleaser. Wild Beasts have a fairly unique sound, relying on the falsetto vocals of Thorpe and tenor voice of bassist Tom Fleming.
After a quick pit stop to refuel, the first visit of the day to the Social was the setting for the folk inspired musings of big Roald Dahl fans Danny And The Champions Of The World. Perched on the tiny stage, the band consisting of seven members jostled for room and produced a collection of wistful tunes. Covers of ‘My Girl’ and ‘Dancing In The Dark’ were excellent but ‘Henry The Van’ was a particular favourite, lead singer Danny Wilson leading his champions through a nostalgic look back at brighter times and in doing so creating an air of tranquillity. Vocal harmonies aplenty, enthusiasm not short coming and one of those bands that are impossible to dislike.
Over to watch headliners, indie darlings Mystery Jets at a packed Rock City was next on the schedule, with the balcony the only place for my tired legs. Greeted by huge cheers, they produced a confident and assured set of indie-pop, previewing new album Serotonin and playing some old favourites too. I woke up humming new track ‘Flash A Hungry Smile’- always a good sign. ‘Half In Love With Elizabeth’ and ‘Two Doors Down’ show the band at their best-jangling guitars, catchy melodies and strong vocals.
I had joined the dots for another year and had seen some pretty good and some pretty average bands. Still, all in a days work for this weary festival-goer....
Posted In Festivals, Jun 08 2010.
Words - Richard