Who knew Camden had so many many music venues? We hit up almost all of them for our review of this year’s festival and it was one heck of a weekend!
Festival Day 1:
Modern Error @ The Black Heart
Modern Error kicked off the day with a set that was enjoyable but were ultimately left in the dust by the bands that came. It was loud, energetic and passionate from the band and they have a handful of genuinely great songs up their sleeve but the problem lay in stretching them over a 30-minute set as everything began to blur into one. All this does is make me even more excited for this band to tour album 2 or 3 when it eventually comes. They’ve clearly shown that they have the ability to write heavy songs that are singable, they just need to write more of them that stand out with their own identity. 5/10
Milk Teeth @ Dr. Martens Boot Room & Electric Ballroom
Milk Teeth played two sets across the weekend, bringing their energy, great songs and attitude to both without ever showing a hint of being less than excellent. Whether a band with only a handful of songs in their arsenal need to play 2 40 minute sets is questionable, especially when considering the lineup has only recently changed, but who can complain when the songs are that good? 8/10
Gold Key @ The Camden Assembly
Gold Key are a band that excite me. Not necessarily because I think they’re going to be the next Muse but because their experimentation and love of the craft gives them endless possibilities. Sounding like a strange combination of Baroness, Muse, and Deftones gives them a rather intriguing quality and they’re not just a musicians band either, I think it’s always exciting to see where they go next. The band were never going to match the high punk energy that Milk Teeth brought before them and why would they try? But it didn’t hit as hard as it could have after what I had just seen. 7/10
The Soapgirls @ The Fest Stage
Black Futures
These had the opposite problem to Gold Key, Black Futures made it impossible for anyone to even attempt to follow them. The two pieces were joined by their two hazmat suit, mask-wearing instigators of fun and put on a set of carnage. Sometimes bands fly up festival lineups with very little music out and that’s because they’re just born to set crowds on fire and that’s what Black Futures are doing shamelessly. These are proof that any crowd can get jumping around when you put on the best show you can, this set was incredible and the band is an absolute must see. What do they sound like you ask? Like The Bronx and Clutch had a baby that loves electro music. Imagine how good that is. 9/10
Thecityisours
Bitch Falcon
Unfortunately, Bitch Falcon seemed merely good as they were packed into the sweatbox that Dingwalls became. They were energetic, nasty and backed it all up with songs from their excellent back catalogue, but majorly suffered from the boiling weather conditions and a lousy venue where most couldn’t see a thing. 5/10
Wheatus
Funeral Shakes
Now this is a band that know all too well about packing people into venues, Funeral Shakes didn’t just pack out The Good Mixer but had people standing in doorways, toilets and hallways just to hear their heavy yet funky tunes. The band seemed like they were having the time of their lives and as a result, so was everybody else. Give this band some big support slots and watch them smash it. 8/10
Queen Zee
Queen Zee are one of the very best punk bands around and an icon for the weirdos and queer kids, but the most exciting part about them is that people are actually starting to take notice. Similarly to Black Futures, when a band is simply excellent, they can find themselves getting noticed fast and Queen Zee have gone from supporting Marmozets in decent venues to even being taken on tour by Skunk Anansie. They’re a band for punks whether you love the Sex Pistols, Sleater Kinney or The Bronx and I hope more and more people become exposed to them. 7/10
Frank Turner
Nervus
Rounding off the day in the best way possible was Nervus. You’d be hard pressed to find any band more anthemic, heatfelt and simply fucking cool as this Watford 4-piece and although their discography is almost entirely perfect, their ‘hits’ as such hit harder than most of their contemporaries. Playing a set comprised mainly of new material from 2018s ‘Everything Dies’, Nervus reminded me of just how unparalleled their song writing is, and how good it feels to sing like nobodys watching.
Festival Day 2:
Lotus Eater
Our Hollow, Our Home
Shvpes
A
Ryuketsu Blizzard
The Virginmarys
Soeur
Ash
Hands Off Gretel
Deaf Havana
Photos by Lisa Hanes
steveforthedeaf
It’s one of my favourite festivals. Been to the last four of them. Ginger Wildheart playing the whole new Wildhearts album unplugged with Frank Turner on backing biz was a highlight for me