AN event that has barely left the minds of Glasgow’s music lovers since it was announced, The BBC 6 Music Festival had high expectations to live up to as bands from across the world descended upon the city for three nights of fantastic live music.
Getting things underway with a bang, Friday night at the O2 Academy not only played host to impressive showings from returning art-pop icons Sparks and Goldfrapp but what easily went down as one of the highlights of the weekend was Future Islands’ fantastic set in what will likely be their final supporting role at such an event. What would’ve been the first set of the weekend for those who abstained from attending any of the equally impressive fringe events, the Baltimore trio commemorated the release of new single ‘Cave’ with a set that signposted everything that has made them such an enduring force in recent years. With their latest LP ‘The Far Field’ slated for release next month, their set on the large stage billowed with a smattering of as yet unheard material from the record such as ‘Aladdin’ and the beautiful ‘Candles’ and have served to build the hype which has manifested around its impending release. With recent single ‘Ran’ proving itself to be a track which will stand the test of time among their canon of hits, the biggest cheers of the night are naturally reserved for the modern classic that is ‘Seasons (Waiting On You) and an emphatic performance of ‘Spirit’ which brings frontman Sam Herring’s entrancing gyrations to a whole new level.
Meanwhile, the legendary Barrowlands played host to a thrilling line-up that was truly worthy of its hallowed reputation. Notorious punk rockers Sleaford Mods marked the opening of the festival with a typically raucous performance; the duo went down a storm with the bustling crowds despite an early stage time of 5.30pm. Performing each track with a ferocious intensity and brutal force that was nothing short of thrilling to witness, the duo displayed exactly why they have become known as one of the UK’s most compelling live outfits in recent years as James Williamson spat his socially conscious diatribe over Andrew Fearn’s menacing compositions and sparse beats. After an entrancing set from effortlessly cool art-rock outfit Warpaint, nineties shoegaze icons Ride turned in a truly mesmerising performance in their pre-headline slot later in the night.
Having announced the release of their brand new album Weather Diaries earlier on in the day – their first in 11 years – the band were welcomed with a deafening roar when they took to the stage. Revisiting old favourites from classic albums Nowhere and Going Blank Again, their expansive noise-driven arrangements and airy melodies were bolstered by Andy Bell’s electrifying guitar lines and a driving rhythm section while Mark Gardener’s wistful vocals were as dreamy as ever. Giving their two new tracks ‘Charm Assault’ and ‘Home Is A Feeling’ an impressive run out, it was the Andy Bell-fronted ‘Vapour Trail’ that received the most euphoric response.
It was all about The Jesus and Mary Chain on the Friday night though. Returning to the Barrowlands on the very day that they had released Damage And Joy – their first new album in nearly 20 years – a tangible buzz radiated from the crowd as they awaited the arrival of the legendary East Kilbride outfit. Launching into the thunderous sounds of latest single ‘Always Sad’, the band tore through classic tracks such as ‘April Skies’, ‘Head On’ and ‘Far Gone And Out’ with great urgency and vigour; all while eliciting a rapturous response from the appreciative home audience throughout. Without inciting the same unpredictable chaos and anarchy of the past, Jim Reid has firmly retained his surly onstage persona and effortless cool; his distinctive gritty vocal filled the room against a feral backdrop of squalling guitar lines. After performing a plethora of early material from their hugely influential and varied back catalogue alongside new tracks from Damage And Joy, their set came to a rousing finale with a powerful encore featuring ‘Just Like Honey’, ‘You Trip Me Up’ and ‘The Living End’. All in all, it was a triumphant opening night which brought two of Glasgow’s biggest musical institutions together in truly momentous fashion.
Given the multi-faceted nature of the city’s music scene and those who dedicated their hard-earned money to watch the most exciting live acts, it was no surprise that they’d flocked to the Barrowlands on Saturday to catch the man known simply as Thundercat. Rising to prominence after a string of high profile collaborations and his stellar work on Kendrick Lamar’s landmark album To Pimp A Butterfly, the world renowned artist and bass virtuoso brought an entirely different aesthetic to the 6 Music Festival but it was one that deeply resonated with those in attendance. Performing a selection of material from the sleek soul-pop of Apocalypse before delving into the world of jazz-fusion at its most pungent as he did on new album Drunk, his set is a dizzying array of compositions which simultaneously makes you want to dance and yet causes you to stand rigidly as he and his band showcase their incredibly dexterous live sound.
More than willing to contort and twist his material in ways that expand or reinvent the songs in brave new directions, tracks such as ‘Heartbreaks + Setbacks’, ‘Lotus And The Jondy’ and ‘Them Changes’ leave the uninitiated awestruck while those in the know rejoice at his riveting performance. Just when you think he’s settled into a groove, the songwriter that’s seldom known as Stephen Bruner smiles wrly and delivers impromptu excerpts from Kendrick Lamar’s ‘These Walls’ and ‘Complexion (Zulu Love) that are fascinatingly stripped back yet retain his own trademark sound.
Over at St Luke’s, revellers were treated to several buzz worthy bands in quick succession. Beginning with hotly tipped Scottish act Sacred Paws before an enjoyable set from America’s Haley Bonar, anticipation quickly rose to a fever pitch as the emergence of New York pop outfit The Lemon Twigs grew ever closer. Despite their relative youth, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the band had years to hone their immersive and swoon-inducing sound as it finds the mark every single time. Incorporating elements of glam rock and punk into their electrifying stage persona, tracks such as ‘I Wanna Prove To You’, ‘Haroomata’ and ‘As Long As We’re Together’ signified the bright future that lies ahead of them if their upcoming EP can capture the same energy as their debut album.
Although the Lemon Twigs would have registered as a tough act for anyone to follow, Car Seat Headrest had little trouble in finding their feet and gripping the crowd’s attention as the catchy lo-fi punk of ‘Fill In The Blank’ seized hold of the venue. Graduating from a ‘one to watch’ and into a fully grown phenomenon with the release of 2016’s Teens Of Denial, what frontman Will Toledo may lack in attentiveness to the audience is more than made up for with the plethora of fantastic alt-rock anthems in the making that populate his set. Among the many highlights are a rousing versions of ‘Vincent’, ‘Destroyed By Hippie Powers’, ‘1937 State Park’ and Teens Of Style favourite ‘Maud Gone.’ Rounding things off with his take on Frank Ocean’s ‘Ivy’, the massive ovation that his set garnered suggests there’ll be many fans anxious to be present for his return to Scotland at the upcoming Electric Fields festival in August.
Saturday night at the O2 Academy may have been billed more in favour towards US indie but it was Glasgow punk rock duo Honeyblood who got things underway with a stellar set early on in the night. Rattling through material from last year’s Babes Never Die and their self-titled debut, it was clear to see just how much the band have progressed in their short time together. Full of relentlessly infectious hooks and crunching guitar lines, their opening set was delivered with a gritty determination and thrilling punk energy that belied their early time slot. Flying the flag for hometown talent, it was particularly encouraging to see one of Glasgow’s best assets being given the chance to shine at one of the city’s premier venues.
While The Shins delivered a career-spanning headline set full of big crowd-pleasers, it was Grandaddy who stole the show with a performance that was truly mesmerising from start to finish. Having only recently released their comeback album Last Place, new tracks ‘Way We Won’t’ and ‘Evermore’ were to provide massive highlights in a set that carefully oscillated between joyful euphoria, wistful melancholy and all-consuming noise. With waves of electronica, crunching riffs and affecting melodies leaving the audience utterly enraptured, it was the band’s wonderfully textured and brazenly unique approach to their craft that stood out.
There were likely a few sore heads in the audience by the time that Sunday afternoon rolled around but there was no better way to wipe away the cobwebs than by heading to Tramway for a stripped back performance from Father John Misty.
A cult figure like no other in modern music, he immediately holds the audience in the palm of his hand as he breaks into ‘Pure Comedy’ with all of the cynicism and hammed up gestures that we’ve came to expect from the USA’s most charismatic singer/songwriter. Evidently shifting his focus from romantic entanglements and their intricacies to the many perils of the modern world, he utilised the set to air a handful of tracks from his forthcoming record and it became very clear that he is disgruntled like never before about the state of the planet. Backed by little more than delicate piano whilst he occasionally provided a spot of acoustic guitar, this intimate affair is an entirely unique way to experience Joshua Tillman’s thrilling live performances and it can’t help but leave fans pining for the next time that he’ll in Scotland with a full band in tow.
Prior to what would be a triumphant set from Belle and Sebastian at the O2 Academy which saw them provide the Glasgow faithful with a career-spanning odyssey that pointed to their position in our country’s musical lineage, one of the biggest revelations of the entire event made their way to the stage. After engrossing listeners with their debut album Light Upon The Lake and attaining a massive following in the UK, Whitney looked supremely confident as they burst into the affectionate ‘Dave’s Song’ and their stellar material highlighted that they most certainly belonged in venues of that grandiose scale. Flitting between optimistic and introspectively disheartened, their music appeals to many of the most prominent aspects of what it is to be a human being with hopes and dreams and their sophomore LP simply can’t arrive soon enough.
Meanwhile, the festival was brought to an almighty finish on Sunday night with a headline set from Depeche Mode who were returning to the Barrowlands for the first time since 1984. Widely advertised as the hottest ticket in town, the masters of synth-pop did not disappoint; sending the crowd into absolute frenzy with one track after another from their popular back catalogue. It was the extraordinary encore of ‘Personal Jesus’ and ‘Enjoy The Silence’ that really saw the audience lose all inhibitions though; the iconic venue will be hard pushed to replicate such a rapturous atmosphere again this year.
Given how utterly amazing it was from start to finish, we can only hope that the BBC saw the readiness with which Scotland’s music lovers embraced the 6 Music Festival and ensure that they bring the event back to our nation in the years to come.
