Listening to Music Again – Isle of Wight Festival Round Up

My festival coping strategy of avoiding the Main Stage (with one exception), along with using Clashfinder a few days before to sketch out some sort of schedule seemed to work pretty well this year, so here’s a quick playlist of what I enjoyed…

Thursday was camp-pitching day, and whilst sight of Status Quo from the (out)side of the Big Top suggested they could still cut it, settling in with Ska’d for Life (though still outside the tent) seemed a better way to round off the day…

I wish I’d taken a pen, because I’m not sure what I saw Friday afternoon, although I do remember walking late into Blossoms and thinking I should have stuck my head in when I’d walked past the Big Top at the start of their set:

With a gap im my schedule till the evening, I gave that tent a bit more of a go in the form of Black Violin, who had a nice edge to them, at least, when they were doing the violin thing…

I’d been looking forward to an early evening slot by islanders Bully Bones / @BullyBonesMusic, so was sad to see it hampered by feedback issues (the sound engineer seemed out of his depth when it came to debugging and was no help to the band) – I think they need to get their lines and plugs checked, though, because this could – should – have been a great start to the evening.

Ne’er mind, though, because Barnsley band Hands Off Gretel / @HandsOffGretel more than made up for it… (Playing in Huddersfield this week if you get a chance… I’m wondering whether a visit back to family home is in order…!)

And props to them for taking some merchandise… I can’t remember the last time I bought a band T-shirt (erm, not strictly true: it was last Friday…), and the CD’s playing now…

Clashfinder told me of a triple clash on Saturday evening, but before that was time for a swift half or two watching Manchester band, Cupids / @CupidsBand:

Popping in to the Quay Arts Kashmir tent to make some more charitable donations by proxy via their real ale bar, I hadn’t expected to see any farmer rock, but Paul Middleton & the Angst Band had me in stitches. Exactly the sort of thing I’d have expected to see at Festival at the Edge in years passed, though I don’t think I ever did… Absolutely the best way to spend an afternoon…

Then decision time – only, not really… Iggy had to go by the wayside, unfortunately, because my festival faves The Orders / @The_OrdersUK, who seemed to have spent the afternoon flyering, (or at least, got someone to do their flyering):

were up for their first set of the weekend:

Then it was a quick dash, set list ephemera in hand….

…to catch the end of The Buzzcocks, who I’ve never seen before, but whose songs were as familiar as familiar could be!

Then it was time for a sit down…

Sunday was set two for The Orders, but on the way I happened by Southampton band Bel Esprit / @BelEspritUK, which provided a pleasant enough way to start the day:

Then my one proper trip to the Main Stage for the short opening set of the day by The Orders / @The_OrdersUK, which included the following (which is a bit rockier live and seemed to go down pretty well…)

I’m looking forward to seeing them climb the Festival bill over the coming years… Book ’em now, if you can… (and I’ll maybe cover their ferry fare if you’re on a tight budget…)

Back then to see the other band that had been laying out flyers, Scottish band The Phantoms / @Phantoms_The, who for some reason put me in mind of The Almighty:

And time for another quick sit down for a quirky circus slot in the form of Mama Jerk & the Lady Fingers / @Mama_Jerk (another band I could imagine doing a storytelling festival):

I’d had Cabbage / @AhCabbage down on my “to watch” list, but spotted they were doing a short set in advance of the one I’d highlighted, which didn’t require such a walk, yet did provide the additional benefit that if they were any good I could watch them twice.

I watched them twice. My second flailing mayhem dance of the weekend. Just insane…

…before finally rounding off the weekend with Dublin’s Otherkin / @OtherkinOK:

And now, buzzy ears, still buzzin’…

PS more conveniently, perhaps? A playlist. And a Twitter list.