Spexfest

 
 

From Top left to right: Image 1: Times New Viking; Image 3: Icy Demons; Image 2: Rainbow Arabia;

Yesterday night I went to a mini festival, I say mini for two reasons; one, there were only seven bands playing and two, the headliners were not mainstream or even hugely distinguished within the small sub-sections of music, I make this assumption based on the knowledge that the ticket vendors including me expected the event to sell out but unfortunately it did not. However, the US bands (four of the bands) were not short of UK fans, with all the US bands being the must-see bands. The first two acts, Lovvers and Shitty Limits (only UK acts), just like their name were dismal; every song was the same, and I couldn’t hear anything they were saying, and it wasn’t because of the sound, it was intentional! I also know when I don’t really like an act, because I start to look at people in the audience, inspecting their ‘gig outfits’ and their style. I have to say the audience as a collective unit were very good looking, only a few looked like they were trying; oddly enough the audience looked more like they could be in a band than the actual bands.

I had no distinct idea of how any of the bands would sound, which was weird because I normally go to a gig with some sort of expectation, if it’s not the sound at least the image, but I did know the collective broad genre they would all fall into was noise music, which is something I’m not really a fan of, but my sister talked me into going. I don’t regret going, because I now have two more bands to add to my list of ‘new bands I like’. The first being, Icy Demons, who brightened up my evening after my hope had diminished from the first two acts. Icy Demons, I knew from when they were setting up they would be good for two reasons; one, they were vastly ethnically different, which I kind of assume their music taste and background is diverse, second, there was more than three of them which means there are more variant influences and sounds that run in the veins of the band. Their sound, how to describe it? It was a beautifully orchestrated mess of sound, beats and music. It was the mess that I liked, the ‘we’ve just thrown this together and randomly found it sounded good’ sort of sound, my ears were ensure whether to like them; they had old school hip-hop beats, dreamy simple vocals and lyrics, geek chic rhythms (Hot Chip elements), 70s ‘free love’ sound; what was I to do with such a toxic concoction? Tell me? I bought the album, and haven’t looked back, oh and I got it signed by the lead vocalist and the incredible drummer. Love, I’m sure it was. Times New Viking were very good, the crowd went wild, and there was another band I liked called Rainbow Arabia, they sounded like M.I.A, but they had no great stage presence, unfortunately for the preceding acts, my mind was happily occupied by Icy Demons for the rest of the night.

Recommendation: Icy Demons – Miami, Times New Viking – Drop-Out

Image source: Google