Mean Fiddler's Melvyn Benn had promised that the innovation of last years Lee/Raw Talent Stage would be even better this year. With a new sponsor and a wider regional spread the Topman Raw Talent Stage for 2006 fulfilled the man's promise with plenty to spare.
The proposition is that the energy and the quality of bands operating outside the structure of management, label, publisher, agent and small venue tour has become an established fact in cities like Leeds and is now serious competition for many of those in the lower and middle reaches of that structure. Many of have their own labels and can set themselves higher standards than their contracted comrades have always got the time or independence to achieve.
A sample of 31 (by no means all) of the very best contract-free northern bands were lined up for us to test the proposition on the same splendid stage (1) that did so well last year. The crowds (2) that turned out were even better than last year.
THE BONNITTS (3) from Hull played the opening slot and they did it with an energetic swagger and total commitment. A big crowd was even there to cheer their sound check and the midday stream of festival campers on their way to the main stage bought plenty of new recruits to stay for the full set. It's plain home cooking with a strong vocal from Mike Wright. Drummer Stuart Norfolk was a bit of a star too.
THE:HAIR (4) raise the ante with a set of distinctive songs and irresistible dance rhythms. Sam Robson has a soulful voice that moulds the crowd one song at a time into the dancing fools they would love to be if it wasn't still short of 1 o'clock on a sunny afternoon. Swirling retro keyboards, choppy guitar and stomping beats do that professional thing of making the set build in excitement and pace from beginning to end.
With a shyer demeanour and grey flannel trousers LETTERS AND COLOURS (5) do a Manchester danceable thing, nudging the love bumps rather grabbing the short and curlies. Their songs are subtle and slightly mournful. The bass line is big and pulsing. A wide-eyed girl from security has run over from her shift to see them specially. The attraction of their New Order/Editors/Teardrop Explodes nostalgia ting is bright and clear.
Leeds newcomers SKY LARKIN (6) have been introduced from the Topman Stage by the BBC's indefatigable Alan Raw and from mid-set on the NME Stage by Whiskas of ¡Forward Russia! Katie Harkin has a sinful smile and a voice part way between Patti Smith and Polly Harvey – controlled, strong and confident. The guitar drums and bass are heavy and delightfully intricate. Like bears doing ballet. The songs are beguiling with a dry Malkmus intelligence about them. Watch out for SKY LARKIN, then.
Rabble rousing funky pop rock sounds from THE LANDAUS of Hull do some crowd-pleasing stuff. Great roars of "We Are Hull!" precede the set and THE LANDAUS make a fine fist of providing a KAISER CHIEFS vibe from an East Yorkshire scene.
Veteran widescreen dreamers FOUR DAY HOMBRE (8) roll out 30 minutes of their deliriously perfect songs, played with passion and a lot of polish. There's a nice edge of anger in their performance too. It seems to say "how much better do we have to be before someone takes serious notice of what we do?" Maybe they're simply too good for pop. A big tour with EMBRACE this Autumn should be a decider. To us locals these songs are familiar friends now, we can barely remember how good they are. "The First Word" is an impeccable classic song with a cosmic crescendo.
|
Where FOUR DAY HOMBRE have a very distinctive sound of their own THE GUILD (9) from Sheffield are boxfresh, confident, spiky and a little unfocussed. The clear voice of Joe Rose is how I imagine JAMES BLUNT would be if he was any good. With a strong violin intro and plenty of bits and pieces in the mix, THE GUILD look like a band who could develop into something much stronger. The darker side of things might need to make a contribution to the wholesome High School feel.
THE INTERIORS (10) are another of the seven Sheffield bands on the Topman Sage. They're an unlikely looking four-piece punk band with a radiant Sharleen Fenton alongside two rather gruff teacher-ish blokes - Adam Goshawk and John Ronson. The tunes are convincing enough but the presentation is a bit too staid to match the music's explosive potential. There's a fuzzy Suzi Quatro feel to what they do. But never mind what I think, they inspire the home crowd and drag in plenty of passing trade, and that's where the puddings are proved.
SNOWFIGHT IN THE CITY CENTRE (11) have the cachet of a Manchester base and some regional buzz coming ahead of them. They get the Topman Stage's first sighting of five press photographer jackets in the pit. They are a six piece band with two vocalists. Focal point Andy Jennings has an improbable Robbie Williams air about him – all eye contact and doe-eyed heart break. The big songs, among which "Saving Grace" stands out, have a rough and ready anthemic quality that gets the crowd fired up and singing along. Andy introduces "Sanctuary For You" as being "For all the lovers of Jesus in the audience", which, given his clean lines and sweet music, I'm more than half inclined to take at face value. Such distractions apart, it’s clear that SNOWFIGHT IN THE CITY CENTRE are the sort of mainstream industry contender of whom I will be able to say (much later) "I saw them on the Topman Stage in 2006, you know".
Friday's headliners STONEY (12) are really Mark Stoney himself plus a pick-up band of Sheffield talent. His solo persona is ditched for a entertaining jeans 'n' glam rock band sales pitch with disco moves. There's fire in the performance and the big audience respond enthusiastically. With evening warming up on the Main Stage, the first day's Topman crowds are patting themselves on the back with justifiable self-appreciation.
|
