I’m just back from the International Pop Overthrow Music Festival in Liverpool, where I was privileged to be asked to make a small contribution by playing a couple of gigs. The whole thing was an absolute blast and I managed to check out some brilliant acts.
Festival organiser David Bash has truly superhuman reserves of energy and one can only wonder at the astonishing level of enthusiasm that he manages to keep up throughout the event. Every day, from early afternoon until the wee small hours of the morning, he bounds from stage to stage, introducing the acts, making various festival announcements and encouraging the audiences to check out the contents of the merchandise table.
I spoke to David briefly and asked him how he managed to keep it all going over the course of the week. He said that he does it because he loves the music and that it is this passion that generates the energy required; the fact that these are his favourite artists keeps him going. In that sense, you could say that he’s always drawing water from the same well, but it would appear that the well is continually replenished by a never-ending supply of great acts from Milan, Seville, Edinburgh, Gothenburg, San Francisco, Dublin or wherever. I’m sure that all of the artists who have experienced the IPO festival –and this was my first, so you’ll forgive my gushing enthusiasm- are grateful for the opportunities provided by this superb event. The sound engineers also do a tremendous job and I don’t think I attended a single gig where the sound was anything less than excellent. Mr. Bash and his crew deserve massive respect and maybe even a knighthood or two.
Playing to a busy Cavern Club was a personal highlight. OK, I know that the Cavern would probably be packed for a weekend gig if the headline act was a man balancing a pencil on the end of his nose, but there is no denying the sheer thrill of treading the boards at that venue. It’s a perfect setting and any musician worth his or her salt will be aware of the historical significance of the place; so many people will have dreamed of playing there and it was such a pleasure to soak up some of those vibes. As the drummer from the Lucky Rubes put it to me as we spoke backstage after their set: “This is ground zero.”
I was only in Liverpool for a couple of days, but I witnessed so many good performances and excellent acts that I’d like to bring a handful to your attention. You’ll find them all on myspace and I strongly advise you to check them out:
The Fore
If you ever catch their set, you’ll believe that these charming young fellows have never heard any record made after 1965; either that, or you’ll think they were transported to the 21st century in a time machine. They were recommended to me by Barry (an Eisenhowers fan from the states) and his tip was absolutely spot on. I had a big smile on my face all the way through their set and, if I shut my eyes, I could easily have imagined that I was listening to Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Swinging Blue jeans or maybe the Dave Clark Five.
Honeybug
I’m ashamed to say that I had never heard of this Edinburgh band, but from the moment their beautiful harmonies kicked in, I was hooked. Their set was full of bouncy songs that, in an alternative universe, would already have been hit singles. They describe themselves as ‘kick ass fizzy pop’, and that’s a pretty good description. The fact that they covered both Jellyfish and The Buggles in their set also qualifies them for some major brownie points.
Mellowmen
A Swedish powerpop band with a real idiosyncratic flair and some brilliant songs. Their set had little touches of Abba, Jellyfish, The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Bach thrown into the mix. The lead vocalist /keyboard player had a great range and the whole band, in addition to being ultra-tight, just exuded stage presence. They played an absolutely electrifying gig, looking every inch an act that is destined for bigger things.
Smash Palace
I saw them late on Sunday and their gig demonstrated the reviving power of great music. I had had a really long day, trawling the streets of Liverpool, checking out a number of bands at various venues and playing a gig of my own earlier in the evening. Smash Palace weren’t due to hit the stage until half past midnight and, at around a quarter past, I considered setting off back to my hotel as my energy levels had started to sag and I was beginning to think about getting some quality shuteye. I know that’s not very rock and roll, but I felt like I had walked 500 miles and had maybe walked 500 more (just to be the man who fell asleep at a gig). Having heard good things about this band from various folk, I decided to stick around to catch at least the start of their set. I’m so glad that I did, because within two minutes of opening their set, they had me wide awake once more. They delivered an absolutely storming 30 minutes of catchy and powerful numbers, sounding for all the world like a cross between Tom Petty, Badfinger and The Kinks. It was a real delight to experience so many great tunes and beautiful harmonies, all underpinned by a rhythm section so hot and powerful that you could have hung a wet jacket on some of the grooves they cooked up. Needless to say, I purchased their latest album from the merchandise table and have now got it on solid rotation.
In a festival that had so many fun moments, I got the biggest laugh when the singer from Irish rockers DC Tempest, towards the end of what I think had been their third or fourth gig in less than 24 hours, moved rather hesitatingly towards the microphone halfway through their late-night set. It looked pretty obvious that the lads (not to mention the boisterous party that had come over from Dublin to support them) had been enjoying plenty of the famous Liverpudlian hospitality, particularly the kind that comes in pint glasses. In a delicate pause between numbers, the vocalist announced, with brilliant, deadpan comic timing: “I’m not going to lie to you … we’re a wee bit the worse for wear”.
A great punchline and a masterpiece of understatement, all in one. Roll on next year!