Rock The Planet - Lydiard Park 12/7/08
Posted Wed 16 Jul 2008 13:23 by popartangel.
We decided to go along to this event as we had heard that one of our favourite local bands Jeff Like Usual were playing there. Unfortunately a few days before the gig we got a message from the guys saying that one of the band members had met with an unfortunate accident and would be unable to play due to a broken arm. I wondered how this would effect the sound of the band as they would be in essence one man down but at the end of the day it made very little difference although Steve seemed to feel a little out of sorts personally as he was unable to hide behind his guitar and was probably also in a lot of pain. However the guys are always very professional and refused to let their fans or the organisers down so the band played on.
The weather was atrocious. It was raining almost all day and at one point one of the bands had to stop playing momentarily due to a thunderstorm. They carried on for as long as they could but had to stop for safety reasons and because the stage had become waterlogged. Some hardcore fans were prepared to stand out in the pouring rain to listen to the music and endure the storm to cheer the band on but most sheltered in the creative tent and and in the end practicality prevailed for health and safetys sake.
The festival was sponsored by N Power and was aimed at the youth in the area and young families. It was free to attend and there was plenty going on with team games, water sports, competitions, art and craft, song and dance and a massive slide. The headline band was a spiritual rock band called Collective and many of the activities were spiritually based. It made me think back to my school days when a spiritual rock band played at our school but their song lyrics were more religiously based. On entering the site we were given a postive message and there were opportunities for people to make cards for people they care about and to make a wish on the wishing wall. Many young people wanted wars to cease and for their lives to be happy and full of fulfillment. Some of the youngsters performed song and dance numbers that they had learned by attending a local club and there was a fashion show with clothes which they had made on the day and decorated. There was also a colouring wall for those artistically minded. The emphasis was on good clean fun (apart from the bath of baked beans)
The bands were also very popular as well as the food which was on offer. Fast food and home baked cakes were available although some people brought their own refreshments along. I was very impressed by the brave young man who sat in a bath of beans and there was talk of Jeff Like Usual being bombarded with water filled sponges but in the end this challenge never materialised much to our chagrin.
Seven Years On were the first band up and they played a very energetic set although there were some technical difficulties. They are always very popular and a crowd had started to gather around the stage at this point. My favourite song is Nails which has an Oasis feel to it but their other more recent numbers were also lyrically and musically sound and emotive. The organisers also conducted interviews with band members and it was nice to hear James from Jeff Like Usual say a few words as well. although the organisers had been trying in vain to get Chris to say a few words which would have been interesting too. James responded very honestly to the questions posed to him. Steve also injected some humour into the proceedings and was prepared to try a few dance moves even though he confessed he was not that confident in this area.
FMFU were extremely popular as we had anticipated with such a young crowd. They shoot from the hip these guys telling it exactly how it is. They are a local ska punk band with tons of energy and enthusiasm and some very strong opinions. Maybe not to everyones taste but great fun to listen to and to observe.
I was looking foward to hearing the Pantonz play although they pointed out that their name is pronounced the Pantones rather than are a reflection of the already popular Alfonz. They played an incredible set particularly considering the weather and tried to rally the crowd on. They are the featured band of the month in the Frequently magazine at the moment. They were very professional carrying on despite the thunder and were also very tired as they had been working in the studio all day.
Then came Jeff Like Usual along with a surprise announcement for us as regular attenders at their gigs. We did not try to outdance the crowd in order to win a free cd but we did sing along to the songs and swayed a little. I always feel a little strange singing personal lyrics that have come from real life events and are very personal to the artist as I feel that airing this publically could feel as if these are emotions are being shared with an empathetic crowd but could equally be annoying as strangers sing along to very emotive personal lyrics the circumstances of which they really know little or nothing about but I suppose that is what happens when you release your songs to the world. Maybe I just worry too much. I am sure most people just enjoy the music. I really felt sorry for Steve who was obviously feeling uncomfortable out front without his guitar and who had to kneel down on stage because of the weight of his arm in plaster. It was very hard to disguise being luminous green in colour. Although they were one guitar down there was still a great sound and Steve joined in with the vocals. James took his place at the keyboard in Don't Leave Me Back and Chris carried on with the main vocals although Steve also shared with this on some of the covers. I actually thought that Steves vocals sounded even better this time around as he had more time to concentrate on the lyrics then when he is jumping up and down playing the guitar and Dave was there to pump up the guitar sound along with Chris. I often feel that Dave is rather underestimated as one of the quietest in the band but he does a lot behind the scenes as well as his contribution on the stage. They seemed to have brought some fans along with them who were very enthusiastic during the performance and lightened the mood.
The band are next playing at 12 Bar with Instill and this also promises to be a great gig. The band would really like some support at this gig from fans and other bands. It would be really great if we could pack out the 12 Bar to show our appreciation. There are some fantastic gigs coming up as they are also headlining at the Childrens Festival at the weekend, so if you are in the area this week and over the weekend make sure you get along to one of these gigs and lets give the lads some local encouragement. They could use it after recent events. Steve joked that power failure on their sets seems to be becoming a habit and they have put in a great effort to keep going despite various setbacks. The band also helped the organisers out not only by being present but by allowing the use of some of their equipment to the other bands. They were enthusiastic despite the weather and their own personal pain and problems.
The band have now launched their own website in addition to their my space site and will soon be working in the studio ready for a launch of their new EP in October and are also really looking forward to The Swindon Shuffle and The Sugarhill Festival although it is doubtful whether Steve will be able to play at these events which he said that he was very disappointed about.
Dominic French had some very personal experiences to tell and had an amazing voice for a young man. He sang with great power and feeling.
The event finished up with Collective headlining who work in schools with young people talking about their faith but their music was not all about religion. They played high energy pop which was on a level with the likes of Atomic Kitten and they seemed a very bright and bubbly bunch and they showed great enthusiasm for the music of the other bands playing as well.
Comments (11)
Unless of course Dave's started writing under a new pseudonym?Good work though, obviously some time spent writing that review. JLU did do a superb job at that gig.
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