Are you thinking about festivals yet? Dreaming of warm cider, crepes and the static that lingers in your head after you've flailed around too close to the speakers? Half of you have probably already bought tickets and yearned for the summer sunshine/downpour. Well, me too. I've set my sights on ArcTanGent, a brand new baby sister for 2000Trees, and it's going to be nearby: between Bristol and Bath.
The line-up that's been released so far made me yelp with excitement when I first read it, with further announcements to be made in a couple of weeks. Headlining on the Friday will be 65daysofstatic, who I managed to catch at Tramlines Festival in Sheffield last year. Other favourites include Tall Ships (sold out the Croft in October and are playing the Fleece on the 28th of this month), Maybeshewill (who were phenomenal at Exchange in November) and Three Trapped Tigers (my introduction to them came at Fear of Fiction Festival in November - Bristol, you do treat me).
I first heard about ArcTanGent a few months back, when I spotted a poster for this new "art-rock, math-folk, post-dance, maybe...?" festival that hadn't yet confirmed any bookings, but included a list of bands they liked. I remember seeing 65dos on there so they've pretty much nailed it!
If you're still not convinced, I've made a playlist of the line-up so far and you can listen to it on Spotify.
The festival will be held at Fernhill Farm (between Bristol and Bath) from 29th August to 1st September and there'll be a shuttle bus service from Bristol Temple Meads station. And the best news of all is that a weekend ticket will only set you back £59!
So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets through this link and I look good (and get a tenner for each of you that buys - that'll come in really handy for buying all that cider, so please do). See you there!
The tour is only just beginning! Catch them at your local venue in the next week or so.
Last night saw the very lovely Lovely Eggs begin their Wildlife tour with a free show at Start The Bus in Bristol, with support from local popsters Schnauser (replacing the Thyme Machine in the support slot). Having managed to miss my favourite eggs (hard-boiled aside) twice in the last year or so due to ill health, there was no way I was going to be anywhere but STB this time!
Schnauser were sound-checking (in a very twinkly fashion) when I arrived and then had the good grace not to get started until I'd settled myself with a pint (it's almost as if they knew). I really liked them. Imagine a world where the Indelicates taught key stage 1 and you've got Schnauser. The stand-out track for me was "Moron": I'm a sucker for anything that has me snorting with amusement as well as tapping my foot.
If Schnauser are the over-enthusiastic school-teachers at a suburban primary, the Lovely Eggs are the problem child in year 5 who probably shouldn't be allowed fizzy pop in public. They said themselves: "We write a lot of songs about food. We've been given shit for being childish and childlike, but we say, it's not just kids that eat." It's true: they do write a lot of songs about food (including new'un "Food", which, oddly enough, feels like a pop anthem to me), but who doesn't love food? I can identify with hits about sausage rolls perhaps even better than I can with songs about heartbreak (I was a teenage girl for seven whole years). And that's the best thing about the Lovely Eggs. They don't take themselves seriously but they're great at what they do and that's throwing out carefree pop songs about people being twats, anxiety and how, if you've never heard a digital accordion, you're probably going to burn in hell.
In short, bobbing along with the rest of the giddy, flailing crowd, last night was the most fun I've had in a good while that hasn't involved an episode of Hebburn and half a packet of chocolate digestives.
The Lovely Eggs are on tour until 2nd December (see photo, above) and their new album, Wildlife, is out on Monday (26th November)
Music this month was a solo set from Martin of the delightful Joyce the Librarian (who have just released their new single, Follow Me I'm Right Behind You), something he's not done before but he pulled it off splendidly. Thanks to Lori for introducing me to another band I'll be keeping an eye on around Bristol, and again, one who are perfect to cut, stitch, thread and stick along to.
Martin from Joyce the Librarian
My friend Steph and I also agreed to have our tea at Kino, but in my usual scatterbrained fashion I was running a little late so we ended up ordering at the beginning of MTC. I had a Kino burger with sweet potato fries and coleslaw. I've never been able to stand coleslaw - until now! Over the night I also treated myself to a soya decaf latte (I'm one of those) and a banana soya milk. Yummy!
Kino burger
I'd had an idea earlier on in the day, thinking back to when I was planning my birthday party in June and how my friend Holly and I (whose birthday falls only a day after mine and with whom I was throwing the party) made moodboards of ideas and bounced photos and tutorial links back and forth between eachother. We had a lot of bunting at our party (crocheted, collaged and shop-bought) and had toyed with the idea of banners. I decided that what Making Things Club needed was its own banner, a little thank you to Lori and Chris.
I rifled through the box of paper and found some pastel leaves to cut the letters from, then decorated each letter with felt tips and, finally, strung them all from a piece of thread and hung the banner from the bench along the end of the room. It took a lot longer than anticipated but was worth it! Naturally, I then wanted something to take home as a fruit of my efforts, so I knocked together a quick name banner for myself from old encyclopaedia pages (as can be seen in the photo at the top of this post).
Hard work pays off: my Making Things Club banner.
Aside from a glittering smorgasbord of crafting materials and Martin's sweet and gentle voice, MTC had a couple of other treats in store for us! Firstly, Lori taught us the art of the xerox transfer. My first attempt was rubbish, but I managed to rescue it (just about!). A xerox transfer is a method of - you guessed it - transferring the ink from a photocopied design onto a rigid surface, such as a wooden board. I had a design I wanted to use but was too scared to sneak it into the photocopier at work, so lucky for me, Lori had brought a selection of kitsch images which she'd photocopied at the library.
As if we weren't being spoiled enough, there was also a lucky dip! Upon entry to MTC we drew a slip of paper from a tray and later on in the evening we were invited onto the stage to find our numbered prize. Some absolutely adorable treasures winged their way into our possession, including the sweetest cake bunting set! As for me, I became the proud owner of an adorable little bird figurine to decorate my room a little more. He sits on my shelf with other cute bits and pieces.
Lucky dip!
What'll it be?
My prize: little birdy
All in all, I had another wonderful evening with my new pals and can't wait for the next meet! The next Making Things Club is on 14th October and will be a spooky extravaganza in honour of the halloween month! I for one LOVE halloween so I'm already brewing up some spooky craft ideas. Perhaps I'll see some of you there!
In the time being, why not check out Joyce the Librarian's new video (single out now on Folkwit Records)?
The setlist - I've left it as long as I could to avoid spoilers!
Allo Darlin' have worked their way deep into my heart as one of my favourite live (and otherwise) bands. I first saw them only a few months ago, in February. I was still living in Newcastle and saw them at the Star and Shadow Cinema, my favourite music venue in the Northeast. With no raised stage, we were all on the same level and the setting was wonderfully intimate.
When they announced their autumn tour I was initially sad that I'd not be able to return to that setting to see them again, but brightened when I realised that they were also playing Bristol. I stuck it out 'til payday to buy my ticket, and before then I managed to get a place on the cheaplist as Twitter pal Andy's band Cassette Culture were supporting. Another Twitter buddy mentioned she was going too and a quick half in the Apple calmed my jittery excitement before we burst in to the sounds of Bristol-based band An Axe. They put the same itch in my bones that the Rakes do, with a little more drama and a touch of something else. Very different from Allo Darlin', but deliciously so. Listen/brood/twitch to them here (and if you're in Bristol, they're playing the Croft in a couple of weeks).
Next was a trip to the bar for Crabbie's alcoholic ginger beer before Cassette Culture's set. I hadn't had time to check them out before the gig (I felt a bit guilty about this) and was pleasantly surprised. Different again, and it's always nice to have a bit of variety on the bill. A bit poppier than I had expected, probably because their website describes them very bluntly as "lo-fi indie rock music" and that leaves a lot to the imagination. A favourite for me was The Negative Song (more upbeat than it sounds, but if you don't believe me, check out Cassette Culture here).
Last, of course, was the reason I'd trekked across Bristol to meet a stranger: Allo Darlin'. As with the last time I saw them, I've drifted into a post-gig fog of smiles and humming under my breath all day. It's been a week and I've become utterly besotted with Europe, their latest album. I think I'm a little bit in love with Elizabeth Morris (and she wrote on the back of a setlist that it was nice to meet me so she obviously loves me back) and my Last.fm stats are showing just how deep a dent last Tuesday left on me. As with the last time I saw them, I was lucky enough to chat with the band for a while after the show and they were all absolutely lovely. This time, I'd spent all my money on ginger beer so I nabbed a setlist off the stage and Paul illustrated it for me with cute little pictures for each song, before the rest of the band signed it.
I want to assume that everyone has heard their music because it feels like I've been listening to them forever now (in reality it's probably little over a year) but, if you haven't, take a listen now. They're the sweetest thing (especially if you like ukuleles).
