12th June 2014
Glastonbudget 2014 Sunday
The Glastonbudget Music Festival took place on 23rd to 25th May 2014.
See the home page of the report on Glastonbudget 2014 (for all links to Glastonbudget 2014 pages on this website)
Photos from the festival will be added soon, please come back later.
Other pages in this report : Friday | Saturday
My Sunday at Glastonbudget
by Jamie Borland
The Bench That Rocked – The lads from TBTR opened up the Big Top stage on the Sunday and did a great set. Personally, I thought they suited the Big Top and acted as though it was their own stage. Due to the weather conditions, the Big Top stage was more or less avoided by everyone; only a few turned out for the guys, which is a major shame. Had the stage been full, I do believe it would have been the best band of the whole weekend. I was fortunate to spend much of the weekend with the members of this band, their family and friends, and get to know their manager Jackie and Luke the guitarist. It was great set – definitely one to remember!
Real Nirvana – You hear stories of Nirvana back in the late 80s early 90s about how crazy and mental they were. No one, these days, will ever experience them live, unless you watch films of them at Reading on DVD. Real Nirvana, the tribute act, will give you a slight feel of Nirvana and how they were, back in their day, playing the hits Lithium, In Bloom, Smells Like Teen Spirit – all the top hits of Nirvana. The set became even bigger, when, like the late Kurt Cobain, they finished it off in true Nirvana style as the guitarist smashed up his guitar!
Green Date – the Green Day tribute act. Green Date played on the main stage, performing the classics from Green Day, as well as the band’s new material. Everyone wanted to hear Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, American Idiot etc. but I personally wanted more Dookie Era like Basket Case, She, When I Come Around, which is what we got – so that was totally awesome. The band got a guy from the crowd to play a song with them; which song I can’t exactly remember, though I do believe it was Longview. The front man of Green Date jumped off the stage to get the guy from the audience so luckily he sang Longview from the front of the stage.
Blurb – The tribute to Blur played the main stage. Now, I like a few Blur tracks although I’m not a huge fan of the band but I was looking forward to seeing Blurb play and to hear the hits like Universal, Song 2 and Parklife, was brilliant!
Four Point Oh – One of my favourite local bands and good friends. This was the first time Lewis Danes played the band as he is soon to be replacing Rob Hamilton who is due to leave them, which is a shame but I would like to wish Rob good luck with his new band Leaving Earth. So the mighty Four Point Oh played on the Loco stage and it was a great show. I found it strange, however, that there were no mosh pits or people reaching for Rob’s guitar as he did a guitar solo. There were kids no older then five at the crush barrier – which was awesome – because they were starting young and witnessing a great band. I am certainly looking forward to the ‘Still Wrecked’ gig at The Shed 28th June when FourPointOh will be playing again.
Knotslip – I am a huge fan of Slipknot, having seeing them four times now. Knotslip had the exact energy that Slipknot had back in their early days. I was super impressed with their set, playing stuff like People = Sh!t, Duality, Psychosocial, Left Behind. The band was outstanding and I loved every second of it and it was possibly the best tribute set of the whole weekend.
Background to the bands
by Trevor Locke
Another batch of local bands were on offer today.
The Bench That Rocked
A band that has a strong lead vocalist and a set of entertaining songs that have appealed to a wide variety of music-lovers. The Bench That Rocked is another band that has made its mark on the local music scene.
See our feature article on The Bench That Rocked
FourPointOh
Hard rock music with a female lead singer and some stunning guitarists, FourPointOh has played many festivals and numerous gigs since their formation in the summer of 2011. The band is noted for it exhilarating songs, spectacular guitar-playing and a strong lead singer.
FourPointOh at The Young and Wasted album launch
FourPointOh were at Glastonbudget last year (2013)
They were our Band of the month 2014
Furies
In my opinion, Furies is one of the best original rock bands in Leicester. Back in September, Furies launched their album Death Valley at The Firebug.
When they played at The Soundhouse in 2010, we said:
Indie band The Furies took to the stage with a set of ballsy rock songs, lead by vocalist Alex Beattie. The crowd soon got into the swing of things with the big vocals and rolling instrumentals pumping up the atmosphere. Vigorous and passionate tunes full of compelling dynamics got a strong response from the audience. At the back was ace drummer Neal Hill, brother of the lead singer from Skam#, who pushed the tempo along while the rest of the quartet kept together with a razor-sharp tightness. Fired up and bursting with vitality they dished out a set of thumpingly good songs. Excellent! [Arts in Leicestershire magazine]
My recollections of The Furies goes back to 2009:
The Furies. I had heard good reports about them from top bands in Leicester and I certainly was not disappointed. They launched into their opening song with a large slab of raz, laced with some lovely twangy riffs and driven along by infectious beats. The songs had a crisp, contemporary sound and they played with passion and style. Lead singer Alex Beattie was backed by vocals from ace drummer Neal Hill (brother of Skam’s lead singer) and riveting basing from Alex’s brother Dan. This band of brothers lived up to their reputation as a group with an exhilarating set of songs and enthralling presence. Piling out volumes of sound, laced with delicious chords and pulsating beats, it was sharp, tight, occasionally darkly coloured and massively engaging. A remarkably good band full of dynamism and energy, their razor-sharp delivery, sizzled with modern idioms and sparkling guitar solos, anchored down by the virtuoso drumming of Neal Hill. A splendid performance by a band with a oodles of potential. [Arts in Leicester magazine]
I remember their set at Summer Sundae in 2012 (the same year and the same stage that was graced by the now hugely popular Bastille):
Leicester band The Furies won themselves a place on the SSW stage when they smashed their way through the OBS earlier this year. The powerful vocals of Alex Beattie and the Olympian drumming of Neal Hill makes this band stand out, with their set of relentlessly rocket-fuelled songs. Their delivery of blistering belters rocked it up big time. Stormy riffs and scintillating guitar work shows how well this well-oiled team of rockers knows how to power up a gig. Sensational. [Arts in Leicestershire magazine]
The Furies played at the Play@LMF shows this year.
Skyves
Playing at The Donkey in February, Keith Jobey wrote about Skyves:
We loved their t-shirts as an immediate impression but were slightly wary when the lead singer said he had never used the distortion channel on his amp. He played effortlessly well on guitar and pushed through a cold to do some damn good singing. The bassist and other guitarist were also really good! So competent and talented. The drummer was something special. Very varied, interesting drumming and never out-of-place. In fact nothing was out-of-place in the whole band, they had a wonderful vibe and made the room feel comfortable. They had us rocking one moment, chilling another and dancing the next… but without losing their unique style. A bit ska in places and a Californian rock in others we’d be interested to see a longer set. [Music in Leicester]
Albion
When Albion supported The Strangler Figs and Casino Empire at The Shed in February, we wrote:
The Peterborough five-piece band Albion came to the stage with their fine lead vocalist, Harry Preen, and no shortage of stage presence. We saw them back in December when they put on a quality performance, no less invigorating than the one they gave us tonight. With their impressive musicianship and lively set of songs, Albion was an asset to the evening. The band has been in Wales recently, recording their new EP. They certainly knew how to rock and pumped out of a set of ear-grabbing sounds. Clearly, a very good band. [Music in Leicester]
Last year, Albion were at The Shed in December. We wrote:
Indie rock band from Peterborough, Albion, delivered a brilliant set. The five-piece band, with their free-standing lead singer Harry Preen, tore up the stage with a set of songs that had the crowd committed. Their infectious tunes and stage presence, that was not lacking in confidence, made a set of highly enjoyable songs come alive. Harry Preen’s voice was clear and articulate and as a front-man he certainly made it happen. [Music in Leicester]
The Fores
A local band that has been around for a long time, despite some changes to the line-up (in fact, only one musician from the original group is still in the band.)
Four member indie band formed in 2006. “The Fores sound is guitar driven rock n roll, with elements of blues and classic rock. Excellent guitar ideas, from complex, interesting baselines to progressive, winding guitar solos they created satisfying tracks, and played with skill and precision. Solid percussion from Shaun and a strong rock n roll voice from Guy completed some well-written and well-structured songs. Clearly having impressed the other bands, they went through to the second round on the musicians vote.” (BBC). In the short time the band has been together their accomplishments include an excellent performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, a fantastic demo recorded at Blitz records in Coventry and an original sound that’s got more than potential. Dexter Kingston recently joined the line-up as the band’s new drummer. [Arts in Leicestershire magazine]
Eden Avenue
I remember seeing this band at Glastonbudget soon after they had been formed, when they were called Vengeance. Under that name they played the Charnie Arnie stage in 2011.
This four piece with their female vocalist only recently appeared on the local music scene but already are showing people what a lot of potential they have. Their set of own songs and covers went down well with the audience in the Charnie and have clearly improved a lot since they first started playing. [Arts in Leicestershire magazine]
Still under the name Vengeance, they were at the festival in 2012:
There was a bit of a stir on The Saddle Span stage where a very big crowd had gathered to enjoy the music of Vengeance. A band that is definitely going places, even festival organiser Murray (Muz) Stewart briefly appeared on stage with them for a guest vocal performance. Although a still quite young band, Vengeance played with all the confidence of Wembley Arena veterans. Their performance punched well above their weight. They were fantastic. [Arts in Leicestershire magazine]
8Miles High
A young band that has made its mark on the Leicester music scene; the band’s menu of songs and sparkling stage presence has attracted a large following and much plaudits from the music press. They were at the first of the two semi-finals of the Play@LMF gigs and got through to the finals of OBS ; we said
After a short instrumental intro, lead singer Oliver Kidd-Martin comes in, leading an impactful song with a performance that clearly meant business. Tonight was a showcase of talent and 8 Miles High was a band that had talent to show. It was a strong number that resonated with power, mood and colour. These four young musicians all gave it some welly on stage. In between the songs it was the bassist who did the patter for the audience… The band’s stage presence is energetically committed, without being over-the-top and by their third song, they had the crush at the front clapping along with them. The band worked up the crowd and made a vibrant start to the evening with a set of high-energy tunes. Apart from the lead vocalist, only the bassist had a mic, so not a group with an augmented vocal layer. The band’s performance was well-oiled, confident and technically laudable but if there was a weakness it was, I think, that they lacked that killer song that everyone would have their heads on the way home. [Music in Leicester]
Ferris
One of Leicester’s veteran rock bands, Ferris has been part of the backbone of musical entertainment in the city for many years. With a string of albums and EPs behind them and a gigography of much substance, Ferris is a band that has a strong profile in the annals of local music.
At Glastonbudget in 2012, they played one of the headline slots:
Very well played soft rock bringing the Jubilee Stage to a close for the weekend. The four piece band played catchy, sing-along songs with some clever writing and good performing. A very good drummer and brilliant voices with nice harmonies made this band a good challenge for the head-liners closing the other stages. [Arts in Leicestershire magazine]
and they were at the Hinckley Music festival last year:
The rain has stopped and the sun has come out, I noted. Leicester’s Ferris are setting up on the main stage. I wrote too soon. Just as Ferris commenced their first song, it started raining again. With their two solidly good front singers, Ferris can always be relied on to provide a set of quality musical delights. “We’re British. We still carry on “, singer Scott Grewcock remarked before delivering one of the song’s from the band’s latest album. [Music in Leicester]
They released a music video Do you mean it – one of the songs from the latest Ferris album, Pathfinder, which had 11 tracks: [Music in Leicester]
and last year they released a new album:
Fans and followers of Leicester band Ferris been warmly greeted with the arrival of a new album. The music video to the song Do You Mean It can be found on YouTube. Pathfinder is the group’s second album and follows last year’s debut Speak Up. The band’s nucleus of Scott and Rob have been song-writing and performing since their early teens and have supported bands such as Radiohead, Crowded House, Corner Shop, Asian Dub Foundation, Honey Rider, The Milk, The Alarm, Modern Faces, Turin Breaks and Menswear, to name a few. The time being right, the band now wants to move forewords under their own steam. …Having played various summer events in the County, including CosbyBigLove and Glastonblaby, the band has teamed up with German promoters Klangfieber Booking Agency, which is looking to tour the band in October and November this year, across Germany and Austria. [Music in Leicester]
Moderators
One of the Leicester’s big ska bands, The Moderators are legends in their own time. The band was at Glastonbudget in 2012:
Big crowd, big stage, big band. A bit of UK Ska to entertain the muddy and cold Glastonbudgers. A fantastic set of perfectly performed classic mod covers. The whole crowd took part in The Moderator’s energetic set. Yet another amazing band. [Arts in Leicestershire magazine]
Axis Mundi
Electro rock that defines description but always gets hearts pounding and feet tapping, Axis Mundi have that exhilarating stage presence that brings their music to life. In 2010 the band won a place in the regional finals of Surface Unsigned, a national competition for bands:
Leicester won three out of four places at the Regional Finals of Surface Unsigned. Charlie and the Martyrs (Leicester),Axis Mundi (Hinckley) and the Great Imitation (Melton Mowbray) will head off to the Millennium Dome on 25th September for the national finals. [Arts in Leicestershire magazine]
They performed a memorable headline set at last year’s Hinckley festival:
The members of Axis Mundi arrived on the stage and soon the crowd were lapping up the music and the moves of lead singer Shaun Garner who climbed up on everything he could find on the stage, in his coat of many colours. It was pure theatre; you could have made a musical out of it. It was like Labrynth and Beardyman rolled into one. It was like the magic I had seen at Download or Strawberry Fields. It was the same experience on a smaller scale. On the main stage, the air was vibrating with the resonances of Axis Mundi’s powerful electro sounds, discharging mega watts of energy into the field. The band delivered a song from their new album Sci Curious. [Music in Leicester]
and their album was greeted with considerable acclaim:
Hinckley band Axis Mundi‘s new album Sci-Curious is one of the best musical listens this year. It’s an impressive piece of work. The album’s eye-catching artwork opens up to reveal a pocket with sleeve notes containing the lyrics. It’s a very professional production. The music is thrilling. The 11 tracks are immense. A collection of smackin’ tracks that blast rocket-fuelled sounds at your ears. This is one hugely good musical offering. E-Bomb is an amazing piece of work. It sums up what the Axis Mundi experience is all about: beltin’ electronic sounds, melodies that hark back to System of a Down and Alien Ant Farm, gripping vocal lines; it’s got the lot. It’s an epic album from a band that has a high wow-factor stage performance. [Music in Leicester]
Other pages
See the home page of the Glastonbudget 2014 report
Glastobudget 2014 on Sunday
See also:
