Sour Grapes brought back their one day festival for the fourth time this month. Hosted at Projekts Skatepark, with free skating for tickets holders, Sicilian street food to hand and an enviable eight band bill, the event was truly a feast for the senses.
With two of the heavier hitters unfortunately dropping out very late in the day, the promoters showed not a drop of fear drafting in a local band to fill the gap, and the day commenced with a tingle of excitement.
Opening proceedings are Leeds avant-guarde act Divorce Finance, who are one band who could never be accused of being boring. They exude an energy that is so infectious, it just makes you smile and want to bob along happily. The catchily titled ‘You Can’t Say Whore on the Radio’ is always a hit and it goes down brilliantly today. The whole sat has a carnival feel about it and despite being incredibly talented musicians, they don’t take themselves too seriously and have a laugh while playing, a mentality that gets lost a lot now with the high pressure on the music industry. A breathe of fresh air and a brilliant start to the day.
Next up are local punks Dead Stilettos who have been systematically carving a path through the underground scene in a way that is forcing people to stand up and take note. Their high octane sound and explosive energy is ramped up to 11 today, with a catherine wheel strapped to a guitar head just the start of the fireworks. Stand out tracks include their name sake which is catchy in extremis and new single released on limited edition, sold out 7” vinyl ‘American Boy II’. These lads are going places, if you want to see them in smaller settings like this, do so soon because they could, and should be filling arenas.
Toronto’s post punk rockers Gloin are an unknown entity to most, and intriguing name on the bill that draw the curious close. And they do not disappoint, in any way. Their set is mostly made up from their latest release and its clear they absolutely love what they do. Think A Place to Bury Strangers meets Suicide, add in a dash of Canadian panache and you get a complex sound that works perfectly in the echoing underpass. Nothing personifies this more than ‘Dark Moto’, a haunting track whose riff you are humming for days after. A new name to most, but one that people will now keep an eye out for with keen regard.
A last minute stand in, Wax Head are a very welcome addition. The psych-tinged garage rockers pull out a set that shows why they are such hot property at the moment, every beat is laden with an intensity that ricochets through the crowd setting cells tingling. They have seriously upped their game since I last saw them, with a sophisticated heaviness that suits their style. Queue some crowd surfing and you’ve got the perfect festival experience.
Springing from Yorkshire, Keg, are a seven headed, jazz tainted sonic explosion that probably defies any genre you wish to stick it in. They have hints of Squid here and there but offer up something all together more exciting. On a day packed to the rafters with talent, they more than hold their own and carve a path unlike anything else on the day. They tease and tantalise and have made themselves many new fans today.
And just like that, Snapped Ankles are sound checking. The London based, tree clad ravers are a band like no other. They defy logic, and defy all expectations, always. They are fantastically weird and wonderful and the worthiest headliners of such a special day. They produce dance bangers, with homemade oddities and wherever their name appears, you know its gonna be good. As the light dims and the atmosphere intensifies, they open with ‘Jonny Guitar Calling Gosta Berlin’, one of the many jewels in their crown. It doesn’t take long for everyone to crowd round and lose their minds, dancing unashamedly. They bash out a few new tunes from their latest LP aptly titled Hard Times Furious Dancing, including ‘Pay the Rent’ and ‘Personal Responsibilities as well as fan favourite ‘I Want My Minutes Back’ which has the entire crowd ooohhhhing. They deliver to the highest standard and its over all too soon.
With these events, when you look at the billing you always think blimey, seven hours of live music, can I make it that long?! But then you get there, blink, and its all over. That is what happened at Meltchester, and in the way it’s the biggest compliment you can give. The day ran seamlessly, not a delay or word said in anger. All of the bands delivered in a big way, stepping up to the occasion.
Huge praise has to be given to Sour Grapes, the organisation needed to get days like this off the ground and then to run so smoothly is no small task, and for an independent promoter with two day before dropouts, its extremely commendable. Same time next year then…? We can only hope!
