SGP - Petite Meller

SGP

Whilst Sunday maybe a festival's quietest day, their stages are still as alive as ever. Hidden on the east side of the fields was The Next Stage, new to SGP this year. On which you could have found the french powder-puff mademoiselle, Petite Meller (yes that's her real name) and her extremely talented Afro-French band, enact the most aesthetically pleasing performance that required three outfit changes and looked as if it was extracted from the dreams of Wes Anderson.

Outfit number 1 (bar the heels)
source: @Petitemeller

For most people, the sexualisation of adolescence or the appropriation of culture are areas of discomfort, however, for this Lolita archetype, who is enamoured with African culture, these are topics which should be so obvious that they are neither damned or damaged nor are they glamorised. And with her degree, and soon to be masters, in philosophy this girl knows her stuff when it comes to repression, Lacanian theory, sexuality, and what we see as literal- something she likes to release when on stage. With this in mind, it becomes clear that her imagery isn't just an artistic stunt, instead she claims that "bringing the libidinal unconscious dreams into reality is what fascinates" her and for this reason she aims to create realities that are "more real" than the unrepressed ones we have in our consciousness.

Whilst her philosophical passions can be hard to get your head around, her performance of fun electro-pop-eurotrash-inspired French chansons (in English) are easy to get along with and groove down to. Unfortunately for Petite her set happened to be during the Sunday headliner, Air, so the crowd was a petite as she is. The size of the crowd even left one member asking whether fellow gardeners knew what was about to happen and then deciding it was better they weren't there as it left more space to dance. And how the crowd did.

Petite and co.

Filling the stage with bizarre instruments of the jazz and electro variety, were her band, dressed in coordinating blue and mustard garments, and looking as cute as hell. Then without a moment to spare Petite greeted the stage with her sugary sweet presence in her first outfit of the night: "a Russian hotel blanket", 70's velvet platforms, and what looked like a safari helmet. With only a few singles out in the mainstream, her setlist wasn't as chunky as her heels, yet she still played her pop-jazz fusion with an unstoppable tenacity (despite a few stumbles and nip slips). And although her set was small it was solid, squeaky gold that called for dancing that seemed to be a hybrid of structured motifs and eye rolling seizures, that the crowd seemed to conquer with by flailing their bodies to the beat. After performing such crowd favourites as Babylove, Barbaric, and Milk Bath, and wearing three different kinds of hat, Petite finished a set that felt like she could have gone on forever, and given that the crowd were the "best ever" (according to Petite) they probably would have let her.

With her high notes and sax sounds still ringing in gardeners' ears she left the crowd confused by a mysterious blindfolded character on stage (that she left there) and a toothache from just how sweet she was.

Take a bite out of this cupcake and find out for yourself:
Petite Meller/Website
Petite Meller/Twitter

Petite Meller/Facebook

SGP - Caribou

SGP

Being the headliner at a festival is tough, but headlining a festival and performing after a six year firework spectacular tradition seems impossible. Yet, stood dressed all in white and silhouetted by strobe lights on The Great Stage, Caribou seemed to handle the job with the slickness of liquid velvet.

Caribou 
Source: Andrew Whitton

Having been around for the past 11 years, Caribou knows exactly what it takes to make a crowd weak at the knees and their bodies flail. Known almost as the cult classic of psychedelic electropop, Caribou creates house music like no other. And with their clump of limbs and instruments set up, front man Dan Snaith and co make for an performance of multiple climaxes with a sweaty finish. 

Having had the entirety of the festival on the stage side of the fields, Caribou had no option but to perform to the masses. Although they only had an hour long set, it seemed like the band could have gone on for days and I have no doubt their audience would have let them. As they trickled through the setlist, Caribou made the individual songs into a seamless sea of sounds, with every beat and strobe rolling over the crowd like waves. Performing such tunes as Can't Do Without You, Odessa, and Silver, there wasn't a dry face in the crowd. 

Caribou @ SGP
Source: Andrew Whitton

Whilst electronica can be a musical umbrella that is often mass produced or overrated, Caribou, however, manages to create such an emotional as well as psychedelic experience that it's borderline extraterrestrial (slotting nicely into Secret Garden Party's space theme). On the night Caribou performed the songs so authentically it was as if they were improvised, even though some of the tunes were as old as most of the crowd. It was a multidimensional experience that suited the every gardener's vibe: whether you wanted to have spiritually uplifting voyage or whether you just wanted to boogie till the late hours, Caribou were there for you that Saturday night.

Let your ears get intimate:
Caribou/Website
Caribou/Facebook
Caribou/Twitter
Caribou/Souncloud

SGP - La Femme

SGP

After a sweaty day in the scorching sun, nothing seemed worse than dancing in the middle of a toasty crowd for the evening, yet La Femme's performance made it all worth while. Having already had the likes of The Skints, Little Comets, and Swim Deep graced the sage that day it was a surprise just how effortlessly La Femme stole the limelight from right underneath this long list's feet.

La Femme
source: Max Miechowski

With a unique sound that, on paper, shouldn't work at all and with lyrics entirely in French, it comes as a shock just how popular La Femme are in England. Performing as a sextet this French lot, make looking cool their day job. Armed with synths up to their eye balls and surf pop riffery these cool kids create a sound that's as if Mary Goes Round performed a cover of Jane Birkin's Je T'aime whilst riding a carousel. And whilst it sounds implausible, La Femme expertly execute the sultry sound of the ye ye girls and the upbeat jangle of surf-pop, whilst in-keeping with the angry doom of the Kraut and DAF punk movement.

La Femme
source: Max Miechowski

After what appeared to be a rushed set up, La Femme entered The Great Stage without dropping a bead of sweat in front of the crowd which had began to form. With a row of synths along the width of the stage and the drum kit just behind, their lay out prepared eagerly awaiting fans for their surf-pop-cold-wave hybrid.  And whilst they seemed unaffected by the heat of the sun or the size of the crowd, they certainly made the audience sweat for them. Performing such popular, hits as Antitaxi, It's Time To Wake Up 2023, and Amour dans les motu, La Femme encouraged a surge of dancing which slowly formed into a mosh pit in the middle. Finishing their hour set, La Femme put the crowd out of their sticky misery whilst at the same time left them wanting more.

If you were lucky enough to spot them around the festival in the evening, they were giving out handshakes, kisses on the cheek, and free t-shirts (at some point).

They're fun and furious, and even if you can't be bothered to translate the lyrics they're like an electro-punk themed carousel on the West Coast that once you've heard it you'll definitely wanna ride. Get on here:
La Femme/Facebook
La Femme/Website
La Femme/Twitter
La Femme/soundcloud

SGP - Blondage

SGP

Having suffered last year with pouring rain and mud baths, Secret Garden Party got to show off their full potential this summer with beautiful weather and glitter covered gardeners, despite the fact they didn't sell out this year. For this year's theme Head Gardeners planned a weekend of intergalactic transportation, taking inspo from the cult classic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and amply naming it The Gardeners Guide to the Galaxy.

Blondage

As a festival there stands to be no kind of set structure, rather it is truly just one big party, although having said this the festival doesn't shy away from providing many a stage, which many a great artist performed on throughout the four days. In this four-post-mini-series, there will be a taster of the bands who stood out as the 'best in show' of each day, starting obviously with Thursday.

Although the festival does officially start on Thursday, The Great Stage remains redundant until Friday, which means that it is left to the mini stages to fill the ears of wandering gardeners. New to 2016, The Urban Forest, was merely one of the stages located around the three fields. Built entirely out of old shutters, window frames, and mirrors, the Urban Forest was an home from home in the strange galaxy that was SGP '16. Headlining the Urban Forest on Thursday evening was the Danish electro-duo Blondage. 

Blondage @ Secret Garden Party

Formerly known as Ragleklods, Blondage is made up of the talented Pernille Smith-Sivertsen and Essen Andersen. With only two singles to their name, Blondage aren't easy to hear, so seemingly the best way to listen to them is live. If you were lucky enough to stumble upon their performance on Thursday, you would have found these strobe-a-holics drenched in all black and producing the juiciest synths since Kraftwerk's The Man Machine. Whilst the crowd was small, their performance was not. Whipping out instruments that didn't seem real, and managing to sing (yes both of them) whilst mixing their own music live, Blonadge's pop-electro performance created bubblegum sweet sounds that made your ears happy, whilst your feet hurt. Hidden by cutely coloured back lighting this duo were merely silhouettes on stage that, even without being able to see their faces, performed with ice cool eclat. 

Described by one in the crowd as 'like Grimes but trying less hard' they are clearly a duo to keep your eyes on. Serve yourself an aesthetically pleasing slice of whatever their having here (because you'll sure want a taste):

Blondage/Soundcloud

Blondage/Facebook
Blondage/Instagram

sealand - Holy Head

sealand

Finding ourselves back in what seems to be the birthing pool of musical talent, the North, we find yet another little musical gem: sealand. Manchester students Rory Calland and Lucio Gray are the ambitious minds behind this post-punk-dream-pop-shoe-gazer combo that some would say is impossible to pull off. With two songs under their belt, this duo show off their musical diversity through a limited playlist.

Releasing said songs on their soundcloud in the same month, it's hard to tell that they were curated together. Their first track Vehicle is one of which is like Stone Roses spin off (somewhat like an indie equivalent of S Club 7's S club Juniors). But don't get it twisted, whilst the song has it's roots deep with the soil of their predecessors, it has a back bone that is completely their own. And even though the song may not sound as enticing as the idea of a fresh Mancunian newcomer, their second song Holy Head definitely changes this.

Holy Head

The song is slow but intense, and sounds as though Joy Division has had an anarcho-punk child, born holding a sitar. Creating a stream of consciousness that's just about audible, mixed with the overlapping drone of guitars and synths, sealand have made a song that makes you feel as though you're wandering round the unconsciousness of our generation. This hybrid of dream-pop and spoken word makes for an interesting listen to say the least, that could be controversial and meaningful but you might need to squint your ears to hear it. However, one thing that is for certain is that it's alluring and hypnotic, and once you've heard it it's as if you've bathed in the holy water of sealand.

Holy Head will also be featured on the band's independent DIY record label Sea of Skin Records (co-owned by their plan Jellyskin no less) first compilation album, which comes out on the 15th of this month. Keep your ears to the ground, as it won't be long until we're soaked through by the splash of sealand.

Swim with them in their serene pool:
sealand/souncloud
sealand/facebook
sealand/twitter

Jellyskin - Grey Glass Hat

Jellyskin

It must be something they put in the water because, like many indie music pioneers, Jellyskin hail from 'up North'. However, this is not their leading feature, instead what stands out about this trio is their ability to make a song whilst balancing the life of a student. According to the band lead singer, and synther, Zia and guitarist, Will have always wanted to make music together, and with friend Olly being a drummer, they one day came together to work with some ideas. And with this the band birthed their first song Grey Glass Hat, and it's a corker.

The song starts off slow, with ominous syths, that are deeper than the voice of Johnny Cash, and elegant vocal's from lead singer Zia. It doesn't take long for the guitar and drums to make their entrance, really showing off the band's late 80s-early 90s influence creating a sound that's almost a grunge-shoegaze combo. With heavy synths running throughout, and mellow drums to compliment them, it's hard to believe that it's only three of them making so much sound.

Grey Glass Hat 

Whilst the song repeatedly asks you why you don't go, us as the listener asks the band why would we leave this dark and mystical place Jellyskin have managed to engulf us in; even if no one truly knows who the man in the grey glass hat is. The song is progressive, dipping right in the middle to finish on a crescendo that ends in a melancholic climax.

With a name like Jellyskin it's surprising that they can make something that is so structured and ethereal compared to the vision of wobbly flesh. Given that this is their first song, they have made their mark as musicians who can create music that is hauntingly beautiful and heavy at the same time. Sounding as if Smashing Pumpkins have had a love child with London Grammar, or as if a grunge band has taken choir practice, I'd watch this space because, as their name suggests, I have no doubt they're gonna make you as wet as pre-mixed jelly.

Wet your ears: Jelly Skin