Drowners Borderline review

On the 20th of August New York's own American-Welsh 'indie rock' band Drowners performed - as the title suggests- at the Borderline in Soho. The band as mentioned is a combo of American and Welsh musicians, and although it seems odd that musicians from across the ocean would combine we praise the lord that they did as the mixture of the two creates exquisite indie goodness for our ears. Drowners' first EP 'Between Us Girls' appeared on the music scene early 2013, their first single 'Luv, Hold Me Down' shortly followed a year after in January 2014. As expected the band has acquired much hype both in the UK and USA. Due to the fact they are predominately based in New York it feels as though England has been lacking in Drowners goodness therefore this intimate gig was highly anticipated.

Brief Drowners' history over let's get to the gig. First things first the venue: having never been to the Borderline before I wasn't too sure what to expect, however I was pleasantly surprised. If, like me, you enjoy a venue that's so small you know the band can see your face, making you feel up close and personal with them, then this venue is for you. The Borderline comes equipped with not only the cosy stage in the corner but  a bar on the far side, so if you fancy a cheeky drink you have the opportunity to do so. The stage itself is small and tucked in the corner; it's decor of draping curtains gives it almost an epic karaoke bar feel, all it is lacking is the glitter from a disco ball.



Happyness
source-www.amazingradio.com

Despite the size of the venue we secured a good space in the corner that allowed enough space to dance and only a few people from the front. We were then greeted by the warm up act: the south London trio Happyness- and yes that's spelt with a 'Y'. Happyness have been described as part of the revival of classic 90's US rock and they sure do deliver. Their chilled stage presence along with jangly guitar sounds and clever lyrics combines to make not just an enjoyable show but one that somewhat echoes artists such as Weezer or Wilco or even Dinosaur Jr. Happyness are definitely worth seeing if you have the chance and we can certainly anticipate big things from/for them.

Drowners.

Shortly afterwards, Drowners' finally arrived on stage; simultaneously the sound of the crowd went from the mumble of casual chatter to the caterwaul of high pitch screaming- like a clip of the girls during a Beatles concert. Although, this reaction wasn't  too unexpected as the sight of lead singer Matt Hitt's face is enough to make any human swoon just a little. They kick off the show with track You've Got It All Wrong setting the tone for a loud and fast tempo filled evening. They perform the rest of the set-list with equal force throughout, performing crowd favourites such as Long Hair, Unzip Your Harrington and Ways To Phase a Rejection enabling a hearty sing-a-long and a good jig. All in all Drowners performed the entirety of their album, however pleasing this was the show only lasted under an hour making their London gig short but sweet.

Somersault Festival 2014

So, thankfully my summer this year started early giving me the opportunity to go to Somersault fest. in North Devon. Having 'eyed up' the festival for six months prior to the event to say I was excited to go is an understatement.

The five day festival began on the Thursday and consisted of travelling around 5 hours to Devon. On arrival the picturesque views and surrounding forests of Castle Hill were breath taking to say the least. My friend and I set up camp almost instantly as the space between tents was insanely vast (for a festival that is) and the camping was super relaxed and made up mostly by families.


Somersault entrance
source: www.somersaultfestival.com

The festival itself was fairly small -and although this doesn't apply to some- I found that to be one of it's perks. The size made it easy for swift travel from area to area and most importantly from stage to stage. The close knit size made the experience some what communal as frequent interactions with the same people became common like casually bumping into friends.

The first day/night was essentially just becoming accustom to the fest, that night we found ourselves dancing until midnight in the 'Chai Wallah' which became nicknamed the 'disco tent' throughout the festival. This was a place to really let go and dance like a loon to so-bad-it's-good 80's-90's disco-pop tunes (you know the classics). The only let down of this particular tent was the lighting; it allowed others to see your face that was dirty, sweaty and most probably smeared with make up. When the night was over, the Chai Wallah left you with the sweet sent of Chai latte lingering in you nose and Fleetwood Mac ringing in your ears as you make that slow return to your tent.

Throughout the day time it became clear that the festival mainly centred night life, making the days incredibly chilled. The festival in the day offered a chance to unwind and revitalise in the 'Well Being' area or become educated on how to save our seas in the Surfers Against Sewage tent. OR if that didn't take your fancy clothing brand Jack Willis provided a stage with music running throughout the day. There was also the clothing brand O'Neill whom had their own tour bus with the slogan 'Today is Perfect' offering free seminars and exclusive acoustic sessions- which became a frequent spot for us over the weekend. The record label Communion also showed it's face through their own stage and 'Record Store' tent- where you could buy the obvious (records).

Half Moon Run on the Main stage

The night life- as I've said- was when the festival really came alive. The main stage began to rumble in the late afternoon and lasting through til midnight; with performances from Dry the River and Spirtualized on the Friday, Amadou and Miriam and Jack Johnson on the Saturday and then Sunday we were greeted by His Golden Messenger, Half Moon Run and Ben Howard. Obviously there were a lot more performers offering a wide range of musicians to suit everyone's music needs.
My musical highlights: Nick Mulvey- his chilled stage presence combined with his gentle voice was definitely one of the best ways to relax on a Saturday afternoon. Amadou and Miriam- such a sensational couple, they over came the language barrier making their stage presence and rapport with the audience incredible. Jack Johnson- drew up an unexpectedly big audience for such a small festival, he's one for all the family and if your in the mood for a good jig. Catfish and The Bottlemen- just brilliant, if you want a good sing a long and to have a jump around they are most definitely the ones for you. Half Moon Run- were fantastic, hearing their tracks played before my very ears was one of the highlights of the year let alone the festival- their performance made the five hour wait worth while. Ben Howard- the main man himself, not only does he support the Surfers Against Sewage, his performance was out of this world. In addition to this, seeing Lewis Watson do a completely acoustic session (due to the rain which caused his equipment give him the odd electric shock) was also pretty amazing.

Lewis Watson @ O'Neill bus

After the performances there was a chance to boogie until three in the morning in the Forest Party. The space was dark, but lit up by a huge disco ball that hung from one of the trees, and lights the shape of tulips. There was also a DJ who provided the tunes that caused you to dance non-stop for three hours, until you feet felt like they were going to fall off.

The main thing about Somersault was how relaxed the whole atmosphere of the festival was. It provided a break from reality that took you away from the busy streets and surrounded you with hills and valleys as far the eyes could see- almost like someone had swaddled you with a forest-y blanket. And ultimately leaving you with a feeling that you never want to depart. Not only does it provided an excellent collection of artists, it also promoted the well being of your body and most importantly our environment. For such a small festival it had a big impact, and all i can say is roll on Somersault 2015.

If you wanna make a blog you gotta do it yourself.

Well Good day to you (if there is a you reading this). Now, where to start... ah yes! If you hadn't already guessed my name is Aimee, I'm your pretty average female...

Specifics you ask? Oh alright, I'd like to think of myself as having a good taste in music it's definitely something i am proud of (it's the only thing i pride myself on really), I enjoy my cup o' tea- regardless of how stereo-typically English that sounds- and I also am a self confessed cat fanatic (which may not be best to admit but hey ho, if we are being honest why not).

What this blog may or may not consist of: music/gig reviews, tea recommendations and (basically) a stream of thoughts which I will most probably regret or cringe over after posting it (much like this opening post). So if for some reason my rambling may be something that tickles your  fancy, maybe you'd like to take a seat with a nice warm cup of tea (or any beverage you like, we don't discriminate against beverage choice here) put on a good song and stick around by all means please do. I can only but hope that your journey through my thoughts is as fun for you as it is for me.

So now awkward intros are out of the way, lets get down to the real deal and in the words of Flight Of the Conchords "it's business time."