Jul.04.09
That weather is continuing nicely, and when there’s hot weather there’s usually music too. In this case we’re back around to MK4U down in Campbell Park. This year seems a lot more on the ball already with a cosy tea-tent, a film tent, a massive piece of art and not forgetting the main stage and all the other things going on from inflatables to “Tricking” (said displays were amazing, more on that later), so here’s a dive into MK4U ’09…
First off, it goes without saying that the place is pretty quiet around the alternative tents at first and being pretty early, it’s a similar story down at the main stage but at least there’s some music down there. The band opening up the main stage is none other than the Kranx, a young punk band that burst onto the scene quite recently with clear influences of The Clash and The Ramones. The set is a suitably lively start and the guys seem to get into the spirit of the gig, adding a little rock showboating to spice up the start of the day. I have to admit, though, that as soon as the guys confidently blast through their set I’m off to the tea-tent for something a little less racy….
That something being our Josh (he loves being called that, honestly), who strikes up some acoustic work as I meet a few familiar faces and chill out on the sofas, it’s a pretty informal feeling to watch someone play while slumped in an armchair and drinking a mug of tea, but it’s a more relaxed alternative to the Main Stage which seems to involve a lot of running around backstage. Anywho, Josh’s set isn’t exactly like his Waterside efforts, being a bit more of a stripped down “folk indie” work and just focusing on his songs on a six-stringer with the likes of “Recluse” cropping up. That said his crossing of “Almost Had A Baby” and “Monster” makes for an interesting finish.
After Timmins has played us out, I check the obligatory programme to see what else is on offer as I hear some mellow sounds drifting upwind from the other stage, it seems to be a band called Maia and it’s quite a hard sound to pin down. Influences encompass a lot of folky vibes, with hints of latin, Russian and general psychedelia, the same can be said for their range of instruments. In fact, every song introduces a new angle, but there’s one park that doesn’t seem quite right. In all fairness, I’d say the band seems a lot more suited to the Tea Tent which would not only offer closer attention but also fit in exactly with their meandering tunes, but at least there’s still some people chilling out around in the fields…
Like a good few of the people I decide to sit this one out at the mains stage for the next band, namely Zeitgeist who have gone for a bit of an REM look, or at least with frontman Alex having a “Stipe Stripe” across his face. When I first seen these guys they were admittedly a bit shaky, but they now sound a lot more melodramatic and the set carries off well with balanced-out songs with a glistening leads, a laid-back beat along with a bright and whimsical disposition, a good sound for the summer days and incidentally the festival too. Their newer material is sounding pretty interesting too, with a little bit of a darker side with on of their later tracks. With things looking pretty good for the moment it’s time to stick around the main stage for a while as a familiar group of faces set up…
Harassing Anna crew became some good acquaintances after I hung around with the Tombstone Bullets at Waterside, they may share some of the same lineup, but it’s a whole different sound that has been fresh and funky yet still quite familiar for the past few years. In fact I only really get to see these guys and girls in action at the local music festivals and so on which is a bit of a shame, though “that” particular solo from Monkey Vision brings up a bit more classical rock and roll alongside the summery, chilled out and jazzy soul grooves that fit the sunny day quite well. As they say themselves, enjoy with a glass of your fruitiest red, this is one band that’s proud to be different.
I’m soon approached by a couple of the festival staff, out to tell people about the upcoming goings on in the film tent. Over the day the tent has been displaying all manner of indie films, from claymation to documentaries to character pieces. There’s one film that peaks interest though, featuring people spinning on harnesses and forming the visual backdrop for some improvised pieces. Today the person with that task is local cellist Pete Yelding, performing solo with nothing but a loop pedal to fill out the sound. I’ve seen Pete around with other bands and musicians over the past few years, but this is my first seeing him solo, and I’m all the more impressed at what he can pull off.
While we’re talking about solo artists, that brings me neatly to the next act up in the Tea Tent. Going by the name of “Cigars For The Pharoah” this gent manages to weave some sweet soundscapes out of his guitar with pedals, loops, laptop samples, drum machines, the lot. What I love about this kind of music is that it’s easy to get lost in and the slight improvisation that sometimes takes place, what is a mistake of being in the wrong key for one person sounds pretty much normal to everyone else, which is exactly what happens pretty much. Unfortunately, long instrumental songs are obviously long and we only get to hear a few tracks until the set is over.
Rocky Nti is one of my fondest memories from last year’s festival though, pulling in a prompt acoustic set and doing the same again for this afternoon. As a few people say, he’s a bit of a legend and has some charm to him as he busts out a few covers, Micheal Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” is a bit of an obvious one at the time, but everyone is shouting out for the next track and Rocky just rolls with the banter naturally, throwing in songs like “Black And Gold” and “Deeper Than The Wizard”, which is pretty much a story about the Wizard Of Oz. Even after his set there’s a gaggle of people around him, I guess some people just have the touch…
Finishing off the day is Altersketch, who are undeniably one of my favourite bands in the local area, but like most bands they have a bit of an off-day, unfortunately this is that day, so it seems. The stage has already had to me cleared out and moved around leaving the guys in a little rush to set up, but when they have some brand new material early in the set and it’s not quite clicking together.
Other than that it’s a fair set, there’s people in the tent and though the gig is nothing special it does feature mainly their newer material which proves their song-writing capabilities are still going strong and they seem to be received pretty well, though it was probably a bad idea for Jason to suddenly improvise a big finish that led to a mis-matched breakdown where no-one looked like they knew where it was going.
I know all too well that part of gigging is learning from mistakes though, the next gig just needs a breakdown that’s been practised a bit more, as for the new material, Altersketch are getting a little harder to pin down, which is always a good thing.
That pretty much covers the Saturday, and there’s still a little more to go, so keep your heads up for Sunday’s article!
Craig m/
The official MK4U website
Altersketch on Myspace
Rocky Nti on Myspace
Harassing Anna on Myspace
Zeitgeist on Myspace
Josh Timmins on Myspace
The Kranx on Myspace
