Where has the year gone? It’s been a bumper one again and Scuff of the Neck are rounding it off with Year's End Festival. Tons of bands across multiple venues. If only they’d sorted some good weather too! It’s absolutely belting it down, but I’ve got a plan. Most of the bands on my to see list are at Canvas, so that’s where I’m starting… and staying for a while. Sadly I can’t get there early enough for ARXX, but they sound interesting and I’ve heard on good authority that they were good live too. One to keep an eye on next year.
Instead I start with October Drift. They come on, make a racket and throw their hair around. Of this I approve. We’re in grungy alt territory. Buzz guitars, a drummer intent on killing his kit and disarmingly melodic vocals. The lad singing is great, like a grunge Rick Witter in a baggy white tee, dragging the mic stand up the neck of his guitar, before taking it (the guitar not the mic stand) into the crowd and right up to me! Although I was chatting for a second and didn’t notice him right away. Sorry mate. Brilliant though and great hair too. He also manages some of the most elegantly perfect crowdsurfing I’ve ever seen. The whole band are great though. They do the quiet loud thing well and layer it up with thick slabs of sludgy bass. After just half an hour I’m totally sold!
Next door in Canvas 2, it’s Bex. Much punkier. She’s a ball or rage, joined by a chap wringing a bass guitar for all it’s worth. The rest is on backing track, but they sound good. I would prefer a full band, but there’s plenty of great bands doing it this way right now, so don’t let it put you off. It’s bubblegum punk with a breakbeat. They’re fun, but don’t grab me as much as I’d hoped. There’s a few decent songs though like ‘Slave to the Grind’ and I’m still glad I caught them.
This is a pretty eclectic line-up. Back in Canvas 1, The Covasettes are banging out jangly indie pop. They’re nice, pleasant, safe. It would go nice with a cold beer on a summers day, but maybe a bit too happy for me. The singer seems like a nice lad though, chatty but not arrogant. My favourite bit is the band being introduced before the penultimate song, although to be fair the song that follows is decent too. It’s a bit darker. Make of that what you will.
Anyway, guess where next… yep back to room 2. The security guard chuckles and smiles as we do the nod again. Glass Caves are a slightly funkier proposition, especially the bass on ‘Taipei Nights’. It’s another big summer sound, but this lot are the soundtrack to your decadent weekender, with wide eyed indie pop rock. They’re a party band and have the room bouncing from the get go. Particularly the lad right at the front living his best life. They sound bloody good live and make it look fun too. It’s not what I’d normally go for, but they easily win me over. I have seen them live before, but I don’t remember them being this good.
One last time in Canvas 1 for the excellently named Shambolics. They’re not. They’re pretty tight. They look and sound the part. The drummer is brutal and has the best shirt of the day. They’re straight up indie, but with a bit of a punch. It’s got attitude for want of a much better word. I’m not sure they’re gonna change my life, but it’s a pleasure to spend half an hour with them.
It’s still belting down for the dash to The Bread Shed to catch Uno Mas. I don’t know if it’s the tatted singer showing off his guns like he’s just stepped out of the gym, but they sound a bit heavier. We’re still in indie territory and there’s a bit of bounce, but there’s some definite guitar clout too. I think on record they’d pass me by if I'm brutally honest, that's maybe harsh as they’re entertaining live and pull a decent crowd in a venue I’ve not been in in ages. It’s like an old roadhouse, a bit gritty, but homely too, plus the sound is great. They’re fond of the rock poses, especially the bassist who's going all in and the singer gingerly balances on the Marshall’s that aren’t as steady as they look. They’re hard to pin down, jumping from indie pop, to full on anthems like ‘High’, which sounds pretty immense and is probably my favourite of their set.
After getting soaked again, we find ourselves in the Thirsty Scholar. I’ve not been in here in years. It’s not changed. Let’s be fair, it’s not really a venue, it’s a pub. The stage is tiny, but Luna Blue squeeze on and blast out a rather fun 80s vibe. The singer sounds a bit like George Michael, never a bad thing. I can’t see the other guitarist, poor lad is stuck behind the speaker, but the lad playing bass has some great bass face, he looks like a pissed off Chandler Bing. He plays brilliantly, in fact they all do. Tight sharp guitars, bouncy rhythm and that voice, boy can this lad sing. They’re awesome. Not a word I’m usually comfortable with, but they’re fucking great. They put a shift in and after a few songs, an inflatable crocodile called Gerald gets thrown around the room. I embarrassingly nearly knock out the poor girl behind me with it. Crocodiles in small spaces are dangerous. Driving up from Brighton were told, they really deserve a bigger room. It’s not the perfect set, but there's enough in there to make me want to hear more and that’s what festivals like this are for, to unearth new bands. Worth getting wet for.
Upstairs in Zombie Shack, a band called Zela, or possibly a girl called Zela with a band behind her are banging out some power pop metal. A song called ‘I Want Attention’ is quite on the money, but they sound decent. There’s a nu-metal bounce that’s not really my thing, but I like the dirty synth backline on some songs and they’re not short on energy. It’s a big sound, designed really for stadiums rather than intimate clubs, but again it’s fun and as the set ends I find myself really quite taken. They’re also the first band I listen back to on the way home.
There was a final visit to The Bread Shed, but it was boring and short lived, so we’ll skip over that. This day owes me nothing and with so many different bands, there’s something for everyone. October Drift though I think take my band of the day.