There hasn’t been a good track record this year for small festivals. After the abject failure of Liverpool’s Hope & Glory Festival, the news of another new city festival surely must have set off a few alarm bells. I am delighted to report however that Lincoln’s inaugural 2Q Festival broke the downward trend, and provided a jam-packed day of entertainment for music fans from across the county and beyond. The event really brought out the best of this picturesque city and set the foundations for yet greater festivals further down the line. Continue reading
clean cut kid
Live Review: Barn on the Farm Festival 2017
My favourite weekend of the year, bar none, has sadly been and gone. But in its wake it has left behind memories that will stay with me for many more years to come. The line-up for 2017 was a curious one. Though it was lauded as their most ambitious to date, there weren’t actually that many names I was familiar with. While previous festivals had gathered together some of my favourite up-and-coming artists, 2017 was all about adding new names to that list… as well as checking in with a couple of old favourites of course! I wandered around the pastoral paradise clutching my programme like some racing punter following his gut; the key difference being that Barn on the Farm kept up the trend of providing nothing but winners. Continue reading
Playlist: July/August 2016
Spotlight!: Clean Cut Kid
There are many ways to make a hit and this quartet from Liverpool have a whole recipe book for weird and wonderful top tracks. ‘We Used To Be In Love’ is a golden 80’s throwback reminiscent of ‘Jessie’s Girl’, ‘Loud Places’ boasts a nerve-tingling bass line, the disjointed fuzz of ‘Vitamin C’ is in a whole different class and the thrilling indie hit ‘Pick Me Up’ is sheer rapturous joy. Clean Cut Kid blend together the best of the indie scene bands such as Vampire Weekend with a dash of deliriously infectious 80s vibes from the likes of Peter Gabriel, Bryan Adams and Bruce Springsteen. If you add into the mix all the little eccentricities that show that they have nothing to fear from forging their own path, you’ll find that you have all you could ever want from a band …and don’t even get me started on frontman Mike Halls’ magnificent beard! Whatever your tastes Clean Cut Kid will assuredly make your life brighter.
Fans of Fickle Friends, Eliza and the Bear and The 1975 should check out their latest EP We Used To Be In Love
Belwood Music 