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Friends Of Mine Festival, Friday 20th May 2011

Live Reviews

An event that brings young and old together.

20th May 2011, Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire / By Simon Butcher
Mr. Scruff The first ever Friends Of Mine Festival is the product of a series of underground club nights in Manchester which rapidly gained a cult following, putting on shows in nearly every venue in the city. Now the fans of this renowned string of nights are emerging from the darkness, donning wellies, and decamping to a serene manor estate only 13 miles from the city centre. For the next few days the tranquillity of this beautiful park is to be disturbed by a diverse array of musical talent, both local and international. With an overall energetic Punk feel, this festival pairs the likes of The Cribs with the Buzzcocks, in an event that brings young and old together.

After wrestling with pegs and poles while being jealous of those with pop-up tents, we decide to pitch up at the Satellite Stage to catch The Lightning Seeds warming up an overcast day with their famed repertoire of indie-pop. From 'Life Of Riley' to 'Change', the hits are there, even if Ian Broudie’s voice isn’t. The frontman struggles to hit the high notes as his voice has inevitably withered somewhat with age, nonetheless the Britpop anthems have only proven to be timeless.

One of Manchester’s hotly-tipped local acts, Silverclub, are the next act to catch our ear while playing at The Bowl Stage. A mixture of Depeche Mode ‘80s influence and contemporary electronic edge had a snowball effect, as the crowd continually grows throughout a powerful set. Lending from Eurythmics, 'Sweet Dreams, All In All'’s squelching bassline booms as the sun set. Silverclub aren’t simply another mindless throwback to a lost decade though, the Turntable skills of G-Kut are a sure sign of forward thinking innovation, bringing a fresh approach to live performance. The best thing about the band however is the on-stage demeanour of Duncan Edward Jones. Standing with hands placed firmly in pockets, only bringing them out to occasionally clatter a cowbell, his laid-back nonchalant, presence oozes self-assured confidence in the outfit he is fronting. In between songs he even finds the time to answer a text from his mum. “How did the gig go?” he reads while facing the crowd, “Ok. Running late, speak later,” he replies. 'Short Sharp Shock' provides the best moment with everyone on stage and in the crowd bouncing around in unison.

The next act we see proves that the main stage isn’t always where the action is. Goldblade enter The Bowl Stage with unparalleled ferocity and whip a crowd of around 50 people into a fully fledged riotous Punk-Rock mob, with frontman John Robb taking the role of a Southern Minister baptising the crowd into believers in the power of rock’n’roll. Pretty soon, the place is littered with faithful fans. Robb, shirtless and full of conviction bounces around as though possessed with good natured anarchy. With each moment of mayhem the band pulls female fans onto the stage because, in the words of the frontman, “without girls, Punk-Rock would be nothing but a rugby club.” Eventually, when no more women are allowed onstage for security reasons, the gig is taken down into the crowd, with Robb trying desperately to sing and survive in a mosh pit of his own creation.

After such a frantic rebellion we go for a nice cup of tea in The Big Top Stage, where Mr Scruff’s famous Make Us A Brew stall is up and running. His marathon DJ set grooves on well into the early hours, mixing funk, rare Jazz, soul, and hip-hop in an eclectic night. His signature animations goad the clubbers to lift their feet and bend their knees as he moves through the genres with subtlety. The sound quality is fantastic as Scruff’s own track, 'Pickled Spider', shakes the venue with its half time dubstep bass wobble. It’s his amazing ability to blend brass with contemporary beats which makes him such a joy to behold. Rating: 7/10
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