Sunday- Day 3 Summer Sundae

The sun came out! I woke up absolutely boiling in our tent and then opened the zip to see blue sky which meant the shorts could come out and the wellies could go away. With two of my favourite bands playing and the sun shining, I was buzzing with excitement.

The day began at the Rising stage. We headed over there at 12 and went and sat down in an empty tent watching David Gibb do his sound check. More people began to arrive as David Gibb came on to play. His performance was really sweet as he explained the meaning behind each song, something I really liked. He said it was strange having an audience sat down which is understandable as the majority of his songs were catchy and upbeat. After his delightful set he came out into the crowd to try and sell his album and was kind enough to take a picture with us and to sign my programme.

It is hard to put into words how excited I was to see Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit. I had been looking forward to seeing Johnny Flynn as soon as his name popped up on the line up, I absolutely adore both of his albums and can not get over how extremely talented the man is. I was supposed to see him in May but unfortunately he had to reschedule to a date when I was on holiday, I actually shed tears when I found out, I was heartbroken. My brother has had the opportunity to see him numerous times but finally it was my turn. I made sure I was right at the front, I wanted the best view possible. During the sound check I was finding it hard to contain my excitement, my friends hadn't really heard much of his stuff but they knew how much I loved him, so I forced them to come and watch. As soon as the set began and 'The Box' reached my waiting ears, I almost burst into tears, it was just perfection. Mr Flynn's impeccable good looks and powerful yet soft vocals certainly did draw in a crowd, it seems I'm not the only one in love. He played a combination of songs from 'A Larum' and latest album 'Been Listening', including latest single 'Barnacled Warship' which allowed him to show off his talent on the violin, one of the many instruments he plays. His set was everything I'd hoped it would be-  with each song, I found myself falling even deeper for the crazily talented Johnny Flynn. I have already booked tickets to go and see him in December and I cannot wait.

After the marvellous Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit, I was on such a high, loving every minute of the final day of Summer Sundae and the gorgeous sunshine. We then stayed to watch Junip, Jose Gonzalez's band, on the main stage. I had listened to a few of Junip's songs before coming to the festival and being a fan of Jose Gonzalez's solo work I found it hard not to like them. However, they may sound pleasant as background music whilst sat at my laptop, but when performed, they didn't create the most riveting of sets. I think when the band is playing sat down, that hints that as the audience, perhaps we should sit down too, which is exactly what I went to do after a couple of songs.

The next act on the main stage was The Low Anthem. I hadn't ever heard any of their music so wasn't really sure what to expect. They had a similar effect on me as Junip did- they bored me. The best part of their set was when the microphone broke so they ended up doing a couple of songs completely unplugged to a silent crowd which was pretty special. However, the band didn't really look to be enjoying the performance and to be honest, neither was I, which I why I found myself leaving half way through to grab some yummy chips.

After a couple of, I hate to say it, fairly boring bands, it was a breath of fresh air to see the more upbeat Local Natives. Their performance, which mainly comprised of songs from their album 'Gorilla Manor', was amazing. I loved their final song 'Sun Hands' which I now cannot stop listening to, it sure got me back into an upbeat spirit. They were an excellent band to warm the crowd up for headliners Mumford and Sons. I liked them so much I have got tickets to see them again in November.

As soon as Local Natives had finished we didn't move an inch in order to hold onto our places right at the front ready for the headline act Mumford and Sons. The crowds began to fill in behind us as we waited for the four piece to grace the stage. It was definitely worth the wait.

I can remember watching Mumford and Son's Glastonbury set on tv this year and being overcome with excitement at the thought of seeing them. When they stepped onto the stage cheers and screams blasted out from the crowd. I was unbelievably excited, I knew this was going to be incredible! My friend next me had to try and stop herself from crying, the atmosphere was just crazy, everyone singing along with each song. The band's energy was mirrored by the crowd with everyone dancing to every song. During 'Little Lion Man' (which was dedicated to bassist Ted as it was his birthday), it was hard to hear the band due to volume of the crowd singing along, it was a truly incredible moment. The band were clearly thrilled and loving it just as much as we were as this was the first time they'd actually headlined a festival. At times they even seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the audience's response.  Their set lasted around an hour and 20 minutes and I think every song from 'Sigh No More' was played along with some new material. Songs that stood out for me were 'Awake My Soul' and 'The Cave'. Whenever I remember this performance, I just think WOW. Every time I now listen to a Mumford and Son's song I can't help but smile as it takes me back to probably one of the best nights of my life. I loved every second of it and it was the perfect way to end a fantastic weekend.

Overall, I had an incredible time at Summer Sundae Weekender. It has definitely been the highlight of my summer and I didn't want to leave the terrific live music behind. I want to thank everyone at Summer Sundae for making it such a great festival. My highlights were: Mumford and Sons, Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit, Tunng and Slow Club. Although, I loved pretty much every band I saw, the whole thing was such a great experience. Until next year....

Saturday- Day 2 Summer Sundae

Waking up to the sound of pouring rain on Saturday wasn't the best of feelings. It was so wet for about an hour we couldn't bring ourselves to leave the tent, it was absolutely chucking it down, the wellies were a definite for today. When a break in the rain finally came, we dashed up to the festival site. The Acoustic Cafe in the morning was pretty full so we found ourselves waiting around until one when the first act on the main stage began. After all the rain, the area around the main stage was getting muddier and muddier and was only going to get worse- perfect festival conditions!

That first act was Gaggle, a 22 piece female indie choir. I decided to go and see them after reading the description of them in the programme, I thought they'd be unlike anything I had seen before and, oh boy, was I right. At first, I found myself somewhat scared by this enormous, seemingly angry force of loud and powerful voiced women accompanied only by drums and electronic sounds. Their colourful and fully fringed costumes added to what became an unusual yet fascinating performance. It sure was completely different to anything I'd ever seen before.

Following Gaggle, we headed into the indoor stage to see Dog is Dead, a band from Nottingham that I was really eager to see after hearing their single 'Glockenspiel Song'. The five piece played a fabulous set and the use of saxophone added a unique twist to their indie style sound. Their set was lively, upbeat and vibrant- I cannot wait until they release an album. 'Glockenspiel Song' which is one of my favourite songs at the moment and every time I listen to it, it sends me singing along, dancing around in my room. I hope this band grow in success as I love their sound and would definitely want to see them again.

We saw both We Show Up on Radar and Isbells in the Rising Stage, and in both sets found ourselves just chilling at the back listening to the music. We Show Up on Radio reminded me a bit of one of my favourite bands, Stars, due to the use of electronic sounds and male and female vocals, however, they didn't quite enthral  me as much as Stars do. As for Belgium band Isbells, I like their soft sounding songs however they were still more of a sit down band, although I did stand for 'As Long as it Takes', the only song I know by them.

Arriving to the main stage, I managed to catch the end of The Moulettes' set. I was intrigued by their elaborate costumes and use of bassoon, cello and violin, it's so rare to see a bassoon in any modern band. I really liked their upbeat, summery sound and couldn't help but bob along to their songs. 

After a quick trip back to the tent to dump our rain stuff as the sun had finally come out, we found ourselves in the packed musician stage waiting for the son of Paul Simon, Harper Simon. He received a warm reception from the crowd (a reception that was much better than when the name Diana Vickers was mentioned before the set which caused an eruption of 'boos', I'm guessing she wasn't too popular). It was a pleasant performance, perfect for the musician stage playing songs that didn't sound too dissimilar from his famous father.

Before heading over to see Tunng, I grabbed something to eat and began to watch a bit of Turin Brakes on the main stage but then the ultimate down pour came, oh my did it rain! I just legged it inside and stayed in the indoor stage, allowing my to get a front row position for Tunng.
I love Tunng's recent album, '...And Then We Saw Land' and I was really looking forward to seeing them live. They're performance didn't disappoint. Front man, Mike Lindsay, had a fantastic stage present marching at the front of the stage to numerous songs and then dancing around with band mate, Becky Jacobs. I loved their interesting arrangement of percussion instruments including wind chimes and various other things that were occasionally played using feet. Tunng have a really unique sound and after this performance I am desperate to see them again.

As soon as Tunng finished I dashed outside to catch up-and-coming band Stornoway on the main stage. The rain had died down a bit and turned into a drizzle, the sunshine we had seen earlier sure hadn't lasted long. Stornoway's début single 'Zorbing' has had a lot of Radio1 play and Ellie Goulding expresses to be a huge fan in her tweets. I have listened to their début album 'Beachcomber's Windowsill' and I do rather like it however, I found their performance a wee bit boring although I did really enjoy the final performance of 'Zorbing' and their more upbeat songs. 

Before the festival, quite a few people (whose music opinion I trust)  had recommended going to see Caribou. I was somewhat hesitant as their music isn't really my cup of tea, although I went along anyway as I thought it'd be good to see something a bit different to my usual love of acoustic guitars and folk sounds. The indoor stage was completely packed so I had to go and sit upstairs which luckily provided an excellent view. I ended up really liking the set and couldn't help myself moving to the laid back electronic, house music.

The penultimate act of the night was The Go! Team. It was impossible to properly understand a word the singers were saying but they still got the crowd going, getting everyone to join it was 'Ladyflash' and 'Doing It Right'. Chi Fukami Taylor had so much energy it was unbelievable, I had no idea how she kept going. At times she looked like she was doing an aerobics exercise video. Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of the music but it was a really fun set and the crowd seemed to love it. 

I honestly really wasn't too keen to see Saturday's headline act, Tinchy Stryder, as I really do not like his type of music. Therefore, me and my friend spent the first half of the set grabbing some food and just having a wander and chat. Earlier in the day whenever Tinchy Stryder was mentioned there was an outburst of boos, however when we walked back to the main stage the sight before me was incredible. The whole crowd had their hands in the air moving as one huge unit, clearly loving every minute of it. We stayed to watch the rest of the set and by the end, the whole crowd, including myself, was filling in with the lyrics to hit single 'Number One'. I had a few friends who were right at the front and they loved it. Nonetheless, I still feel that both Diana Vickers (who had played earlier, not one I wanted to see) and Tinchy Stryder seemed somewhat out of place in a line up made up of mainly folk artists, though, I can understand that it makes the audience of the festival wider.

Saturday had been another fantastic day even if I was constantly dashing between stages to try and see as many bands as possible, but isn't that the whole point of a festival? My highlight of the day was definitely Tunng who gave a truly memorable performance.

I apologise for the long post but pretty much all the bands I saw were great and I wanted to give them all a mention :)

Friday 13th August- Day 1 Summer Sundae 2010

Summer Sundae had finally arrived!!!
 I had been looking forward to Summer Sundae Weekender since around March/April when I bought the tickets, the thought of it kept me going through the stress of exams. Filled with excitement, me and my friends arrived to the festival site on the Thursday and managed to get the tent up in-between downpours; even the rain couldn't dampen out spirits. However, we discovered that maybe we had arrived a bit too early as we found ourselves wondering aimlessly up and down the festival site in search of something to do.


When Friday came it already felt like we had been at the festival for ages and were therefore desperate to see some live music. We arrived at the Musician stage and sat down to enjoy bands who were playing as part of the Acoustic cafe. We were just in time for two young performers, Nancy Dawkins and Matti Wilson. Both of them had such beautiful voices and together they formed lovely harmonies creating an ideal, relaxed atmosphere to kick start the festival. My favourite song was 'Field of Hope' by Matti Wilson.


We then returned to the musician stage at one to see Kristyna Myles playing her first gig since signing a 5 album deal to Decca. Personally, her music was not really my kind of thing but it was still an enjoyable performance and with a sound not dissimilar to Joss Stone, looks of Katy Perry and a warm stage presence, she could go far.


Following Kristyna Myles was The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart, a quirky new band with a lead singer who reminded us of Johnny Depp. The band opened with a cover of Gogol Borderllo's 'Start Wearing Purple', which they performed with the same eccentricity as when Gogol Bordello perform (so I've heard). This drew the crowds in as they continued to perform in the same upbeat style throughout their set of covers. I liked the performance, however, I would have appreciated it more had they performed some original tracks.


At three we headed over to see the first act on the main stage, Kyte, chosen by BBC's The Beat radio show. Their electronic sound really didn't float my boat so, as soon as the heavens opened I knew that was my cue to leave and head back over to the musician stage.


At the musician stage we saw Kirsty Almeida who produced one of my favourite performances of the day due to the energy exuded by both her and her colourful mask-wearing band. Kirsty's upbeat performance and catchy tunes really brought the crowds in resulting in her having to ask everyone to move forward so more people could fit in along with "the millions of people arriving", as she said. My favourite song was 'If you can't make me happy' which I have listened to numerous amounts of times since returning. Her single 'Spider' is out now.


Erland and  the Carnival were the first band of the day that I had listened to beforehand and was really keen to see. They did not disappoint playing a number of tracks off their debut, self-titled album, including my favourites 'My Name is Carnival' and their latest single 'Trouble in Mind'. If you're a fan of The Drums or Stornoway, then I would definitely recommend giving this band a listen. 

I was then looking forward to seeing Fanfarlo on the main stage but when we arrived we discovered that they'd had to cancel due to a motorway incident. They were replaced by Fionn Regan who I had wanted to see anyway so it wasn't too bad. The Irish singer has a lovely voice however I found myself easily distracted during his set although I did enjoy his performance of my favourite of his songs, 'Be Good or Be Gone'. 

The next act on our agenda was Eliza Doolittle who had fortunately been moved from the musician stage to the much larger Rising Stage due to a cancellation from The Wave Pictures. This was a good move as, unsurprisingly, due to Eliza Doolittle's recent chart success, the tent was completely packed. Luckily we'd got there in time and were only a couple of rows back from the front. The 21-year-old singer produced a wonderful performance with a very powerful voice, getting the crowd going, resulting in everyone singing along to hit song 'Pack Up' and a cover of Justin Bieber's 'Baby' [which I actually prefered to the original, it made the song somewhat bearable]. 

 After spending most of the day on our feet, we were over the moon when we discovered the comfy seats in the indoor stage which we stayed put in for Slow Club. It was the duo's final gig before heading off to write and record their second album. Their vibrant set included a combination of new songs and songs from their début album 'Yeah, So'. I regretted being in the seating section when the band played their final, and my favourite song, 'Giving Up on Love'. Their energy really got the crowd going and  I would have loved to have been in the midst of it joining in.

Slow Club were the first act we'd seen in the indoor stage and I was really impressed with the De Monfort Hall venue, I wish it was my local venue. 

The final act, and the headliner, of the night was Seasick Steve. We were stood at the back but still had a fantastic view due to the slope down to the main stage. I hadn't really listened to much of his music beforehand but I was really impressed by his energy and ability to get the crowd of all ages going. Even when the rain came the crowds stayed put singing along and listening to his unique lyrics and stories, for example, what to do with 'Chiggers'. Seasick Steve's music may not be making an appearance on my iPod but I thoroughly enjoyed his charismatic performance. Also, we were lucky enough to get a picture with him beforehand. 

From left to right: The guitarist from The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart, Seasick Steve, my friend, me

Overall, even in the wet weather, Friday had been a great day and I couldn't wait for the days to come. Highlights: Slow Club and Kirsty Almeida 

First festival = First Post

Last weekend I went to my very first festival, Summer Sundae Weekender 2010 in Leicester. I am a huge music fan and I love going to gigs and seeing live music so I've been wanting to go to a festival for AGES! For the past three years I've always been jealous of brother returning from Latitude and telling me about all the wonderful bands he'd seen. Well, I decided this year would be my turn and I thought Summer Sundae Weekender would be the perfect first festival as it is family friendly, fairly small and had a superb line up including two of my favourite bands, Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit and Mumford & Sons.
It was going to this festival that gave me the inspiration for this blog as it made me realise that music really is my passion and I want to share that with everyone else.