|
|
| Haigh Hall Music Festival 2005 |
|
It’s 10:40 on a gorgeous Sunday morning at Haigh Hall. The sun beams out over picturesque landscapes from high in a sparkling blue sky. It is a perfect day, almost. For today is the day of the eagerly awaited Haigh Hall Music Festival and things are tragically behind schedule. Various members of the Wigan Music Collective frantically dash from one end of the field to another, lugging equipment about in a frenzy, conversing with the sounds of desperation in their voices over walkie-talkies and seemingly getting into a bit of a tither as they try to get everything done ready for the scheduled 12noon start. Yet ‘Collective main-man Dave Fairhurst remains optimistic. “We’re running late, but it’s all gonna come together,” he says confidently. And indeed, Dave’s optimism pays off. It may be an hour later than planned, but by the time Lowton pop-rocker’s The Randoms kick things off on the outdoor stage, you can’t help but feel assured that today is going to be a perfect day. Front man Greg Derbyshire leads his eclectic musical army through a whirlwind performance of feel-good tunes and summertime vibes that seem to have been destined to play this kind of show. Not even bassist Rob nearly falling off the stage to his death seems to dampen their spirits. “We’re The Randoms, you’ve been ace… And so have we”, quips Greg as their set draws to an end. Indeed, Sir, you have. Having recently signed to play at the legendary Glastonbury festival, Dirty Circus seduce a packed crowd in the indoor stage, before slapping them around the face with their distinct brand of electro-rock and leaving them with the impression that they have just witnessed something fantastic. The crowd surges towards the front of the stage next. Hatemale are on, and riding a wave of popularity that seems to stem from a variety of sources. What is it that makes these girls so popular? Perhaps it’s that in a scene mainly filled with testosterone-fuelled blokes whose primary concern is digging on avant-garde experimental pretensions in an attempt to be cool and unique, this all-girl trio and their uncomplicated brand of post-grunge rock provide a refreshing alternative and something female rock fans can relate to? Perhaps, as some critics would suggest, the fact that they are part of the much reviled, mythical “Collective clique” and that their mates would all support them regardless of whether or not they were actually any good. Perhaps it’s simply the fact that they write, and perform good tunes? It may just be all three, but today, as Stacey, Kate and Jess take to the outdoor stage in the mid-afternoon, you’re more inclined to believe that it is the latter; Stacey’s scathing vocals ripping over Kate’s obnoxious, angsty riffs. It’s a mesmerising performance, and would have been nigh on excellent, if they hadn’t summoned forth dark clouds, pierced them with sharp guitars and let loose a whole shower of rain. * As my dear old Nan would say, the heavens opened, and sent the mass of gig-goers rushing towards the indoor stage and surrounding bars. Unfortunately, there simply wasn’t enough room inside for all of them, and many were left to scavenge any available shelter to hide them from the torrential downpour. To say that anarchy ensured would be somewhat of an exaggeration, but it was pretty crazy; rock fans cramming into the dingy portaloos, fighting for space inside the building and getting more than a little impatient. Sadly, this seemed to have detrimental effect on songstress Nancy Cunliffe's set, her normally flawless soundscapes drowned out by the commotion and frustration of an audience who were more concerned with staying dry than enjoying her performance. “I’m absolutely drenched! But I don’t care, I’m gonna stay here ‘til right ‘til the end. I love watching all the bands in Wigan, so today is perfect!” exclaimed local music fan Jane Donnellan, who was one of the many who braved the rain for almost an hour in anticipation for more great live music, and needless to say, she wasn’t disappointed. Audiorush come across like a modern day Happy Mondays possessed by the soul of an undead Ian Brown, and yet sound absolutely nothing like how that image may suggest. Having handed out many of their demo discs throughout the day, the band attract a decent crowd as they persuade the sun to make a reappearance** with their slick, crowd-pleasing slices of indie rock. The sun never did quite dominate the sky as it had done earlier in the day, but it did at least clear the way for Avarice to perform what singer ‘Damo’ declared was “The best gig we’ve ever done.” Despite his fears earlier in the week that, due to a lack of practice, they wouldn’t be up to standard, Avarice whipped the crowd into frenzy and inspired some seriously chaotic moshing… and there wasn’t a plate of spaghetti Bolognese in sight. As the elements continued to do battle, rain and sun fighting it out for supremacy, the bands, particularly on the outdoor stage, continued to do battle for the crowd’s attention. The Volunteers seem good at what they do, it’s just that what they do doesn’t seem to be anything particularly special. Every song is catchy, but then that’s every song seems, to the casual listener anyway, to have a great deal of repetition. In the words of one audience member: “They sing the chorus, then one guy does a guitar solo, then they sing the chorus again, then the other guy does a guitar solo, and repeat.” No doubt The Volunteers have their fans, they’re just not to everyone’s taste. Things pick up with “physchobilly punks” The Hyperjax, who, despite early technical difficulties and a few powercuts, blast the excited crowd with a riotous explosion of punk and SKA, all mashed up with a big dollop of rockabilly. Visually, they’re like a cross between The Misfits and Rancid, musically, they’re not a cross between anything, they are just fantastic. And so into the evening. In the sky, the sun lost the battle, and thunder eventually took over. And on the stage, the thunder continued as metal heroes Strain blasted their way through a vicious set, bringing the outdoor stage to a close. The biggest disappointment of the day was not the weather, but the fact that local nutters The VCs, arguably one of the most eagerly awaited acts of the day cancelled their set, but with so many other fantastic bands doing their thing, it’s hard to be too down about anything. Free Mojo, who, in a baffling case of identity crisis have recently changed their name to The Zeema Zees, Acrid Fear, Mr Fist, Plasmastorm and Riding Shotgun…, amongst the many others, all played their collective (no pun intended) hearts out, certainly making this a day to remember for many years to come. *The
writer does not actually blame Hatemale for the rain.
Recommended Links: |
|
Trust Home Page | About Us | Leisure | Culture | Tourism | Sport | Arts | Libraries | Contact Us |
