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Festival Coverage: Y-Not 2015 - Saturday

  • Published in Live

With Saturday comes the only threat of bad weather of the entire weekend; a thick fog enveloping the hills that surround the site bringing with it sporadic pockets of light rain. For some, there's no such thing as bad weather however, just the wrong clothes, so with last year's thunderstorms playing at the back of our mind, and making sure we're dressed accordingly, we venture to the Giant Squid stage for some early afternoon technical wizardry in the form of Alright the Captain.

Whether it's the threat of rain bringing people in to the tent, or whether the people of Derbyshire and Staffordshire just love a good bit of musical complexity to ease their hangovers away, the fact remains that the tent is impressively full for the first act of the day. From breakneck to breakdowns, Alright the Captain's refusal to be bound by the constrictions of standard time signatures clearly is a little too much for some of those who have wandered in to escape the light drizzle outside. For those of us who have made a concentrated effort to catch the trio though, we couldn't have been more impressed.

Some Main Stage poppiness next in the form of four-piece Brightonians High Tyde. Whilst the band are clearly musically proficient, it unfortunately comes at the expense of also being musically boring. They're tight but not attention grabbing, and though there's a reasonably large crowd present most are families sprawled on picnic blankets and are clearly here for the day's duration. There are small pockets of excitable teenage girls though, something evidenced by the throng of denim shorts and Hunter wellies that crowd around the entrance to the backstage area when their set finishes. The band might not be to our personal tastes, but they're clearly doing something right!

Back to the Giant Squid now to catch West Yorkshire's Allusondrugs, whose sole intention seems to be to eviscerate any lingering collective headache the audience might possess. Fortunately, a steady stream of festival food and gin seems to have rendered us immune to such issues, and their blend of light grunge, neo-psych and even emo makes for an eclectic but otherwise impressive show; their energy and antics onstage making it clear why there's such a buzz about them at the moment. Front-man Jason Moules might well have earned early comparisons with Kurt Cobain but his complete lack of stoicism this afternoon renders any such comparisons moot; the chemistry between him and his band-mates is palpable and infectious - the crowd turning in to a flailing mass of limbs before even the first track is over.

Following a liquid lunch of some of the best, and most reasonably priced craft ales around, we take our place at The Allotment stage. The smallest of the site's four main stages, The Allotment plays host to some country's best unsigned (and independent) acts around. For us, it's the pull of Manchester tropi-poppers Pale Waves, whose shimmering synth-pop is the perfect antithesis for the Peak District's trademark weather. Deserving of a bigger crowd than is in attendance the band still play a quality set, and though it's their first festival experience they take it their stride.

Remaining at the Allotment, next up is almost home-town heroes TRASH who manage what is arguably the most impressive pull of the weekend. Having just signed to Clue Records (also home to Allusondrugs) the band offer a brand of fuzz-laden slacker rock which, whilst not as heavy as other Clue exports, keeps a constant stream of punters flowing stagewards. By the set's conclusion, we've been forced to the back of the tent in fear of a beer soaking, such is the amount of it sent skywards by lairy crowd members. Not that that's a negative though, not by a long shot, and the sheer buzz that tears through the crowd with each individual track is nothing short of astounding. If there was one band from the weekend to keep both eyes, ears and maybe even your tongue on, should you be that way inclined, then TRASH are definitely it.

From grassroots to glassy-eyed now. Ocean Colour Scene take to the Main Stage in what one would have assumed was a booking to appease anyone old enough to remember TFI Friday on its first iteration, and of those there aren't too many. Thankfully though, what the band actually do is cement themselves as one of brit-pop's most overlooked acts as they tear through a set of classic '90s anthems. The crowning moment of the set, and the first real “festival moment” of the weekend comes in the form of 'The Day We Caught the Train'; anthemic and utterly exceptional, the chorus' hook rings out across the Main Stage and for the several thousand of us in attendance we know we've witnessed something predictable but more importantly, something special.

With an hour to kill before headliners Basement Jaxx, we make the journey to the Quarry stage for the first time that day, in order to catch American's We Are Scientists. Unfortunately though, just about everyone else had the same idea and we're relegated to the tent's periphery for the handful of tracks that we catch. Having seen the band before, we know they're capable of giving a better impression than they do tonight. Giving them the benefit of the doubt however, we put that down to our position outside the tent, and make our way back to the main-stage for the final time that day.

No matter what your opinion on Basement Jaxx, booking them as Saturday night headliners means that the festival's tenth birthday celebrations was always going to be just that, a celebration. Personally there's at least two separate Summer holidays of being unable to escape their music. Hearing the likes of 'Oh My Gosh' and 'Where's Your Head At' pumped out of a festival PA, however more than makes up for those repetitious weeks, and the party vibe they perpetuate seems to defy any age restrictions and make for one of the most emphatic headliners we've seen. Topping it all off with a massive firework display that goes on for the duration of the aforementioned 'Where's Your Head At' surely converting any naysayers.

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Festival Preview: Y-Not 2015 - Top Ten Ones To Watch

  • Published in Live

 

Though it may not have the same bank balance as the country's bigger festivals, for its size Y-Not can still pack a pretty big punch in terms of line-up. Previous acts over the years have been the likes of Jake Bugg, Maximo Park, Feeder and Miles Kane have all graced the various stages on offer, but with this year marking the festival's tenth anniversary, organisers have pulled out all the stops to bring Y-Not regulars something really special. And though we can't highlight every band on offer, below are a few Muso's Guide will be making sure we see.

 

Snoop Dogg: Someone who needs no introduction, Snoop will be headlining the main on stage on Friday, and with a career that spans three decades, you can guarantee he'll drop some absolute classics in to his set list. From gangster rap to his bizarre sojourn in to reggae as Snoop Lion, even the occasional foray in to pop, there's not much Snoop hasn't touched on over that time. Thankfully it's been a good few years since his visa ban, so we can rest safe knowing that those of us at the main stage come the Friday evening, will definitely be in for something special.

 

Honeyblood: Another of Friday's Main Stage band's, Honeyblood are a Scottish duo, whose fuzz-soaked indie-pop is sure to brighten up anyone's afternoon. With their debut self-titled LP released last summer to much critical acclaim, their sun-bleached fuzz-pop is the perfect antithesis to the Peak District's often grey weather. And if, above all expectations, the sun does make an appearance, it'll go down even better.

 

Less Than Jake: Anyone who has seen Less Than Jake before can attest to how good they are live. Upbeat and somewhat anarchic, the Gainsville ska-punks will headline the Quarry stage on Friday. A definite difference to Snoop over on the Big Gin, but for those who prefer their music to include a less bass and a lot more brass, Less Than Jake would be the ideal ending to the first day.

 

Alright The Captain: Fans of crazy time signatures and noisy post-rock could do far worse than spending an hour with Derby's Alright the Captain. From the abrasively discordant to puzzlingly harmonious, for just a trio the band make a noise that's as uncompromising as it technically proficient. Leave any preconceptions as to how songs should be structured behind and go and kick off Saturday by losing yourself at The Giant Squid stage.

 

Allusondrugs: Arguably one of last year's break-out bands, Leeds grungers Allusondrugs have been tearing the UK a new one since the summer of 2012. Tipped by the likes of Kerrang! and NME amongst others, you can almost be certain it won't be long before the band are gracing the main stage at the likes of Reading & Leeds or Download. Catch them on Saturday afternoon on the Giant Squid stage to see for yourself what the buzz is about.

 

Summer Camp: Influenced by both '60s girl groups and '80s synthpop, husband and wife duo Summer Camp will be bringing their own brand of indie pop to The Quarry Stage on Saturday afternoon, offering festival goers a break from the weight of The acts on the Giant Squid stage. With the band's somewhat downtrodden lyricism juxtaposed by their sunny exterior, it's sure to be a set you don't have to feel guilty dancing to.

 

Ocean Colour Scene: '90s legends in their own right, Ocean Colour Scene take to the main stage on Saturday before headliners Basement Jaxx. Much like last year's Shed Seven, OCS offer those old enough to remember them a chance to relive the '90s in a much purer sense than hearing 'Common People' played for the fiftieth time at your local indie club. Also, having given us the soundtrack to TFI Friday as well, it's easy to imagine the band enjoying a pending surge in popularity.

 

Johnny Marr: Perhaps one of the most prolific artists on the line-up this year, former-Smiths man gone solo (by way of Modest Mouse and The Cribs, amongst others) Johnny Marr is Sunday's penultimate main stage act (Primal Scream will close out the festival). Easily one of the country's most loved indie musicians, his set promises to blend tracks from his days in The Smiths with his more recent solo material, making for a memorable final evening.

 

Augustines: Before Johnny Marr however, Augustines are on the main stage, making for a clear choice of where we'll spending our last few hours. Known for their intense live shows and fraught lyricism, the Brooklyn-based trio will set the bar fairly high even for the headliners. Having lost the 'We Are' prefix from their name last year's self-titled Augustines, and segued in to the realms of stadium rock, there's no doubt that, even for a three-piece, they'll make a huge impression.

 

Rolo Tomassi: More noisy math-rock on Sunday courtesy of Sheffield's Rolo Tomassi. Taking their name from the fantastic LA Confidential, the band were making big waves on the underground before breaking through in the mid-00s. Now on their fourth album (as well as more than a handful of splits and EPs, Rolo Tomassi are proof that being a little bit different works. You can catch them on The Giant Squid stage on Sunday afternoon.

 

King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys: A count-down of some of the best acts of the weekend wouldn't be complete without the bonus inclusion of Y-Not staples, King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys. Having become a regular feature of the Y-Not line-up it wouldn't feel like the festival without getting to hear some swing. Taking to the main stage on Sunday afternoon, they're sure to inject a little silliness in to the weekend's timetable.

 

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