ELECTRIC FIELDS 2015 in review

DESPITE ominous predictions, skies were blue over Drumlanrig castle as music fans from all over Scotland arrived for the second year of Electric Fields to witness a line-up as eclectic and as strong as anything which had been put together by the organisers. As it turns out, Electric Fields may well be Scotland’s best new music festival.

The day was kicked off by the ever-energetic FOREIGNFOX, whose Scottish brand of alt-rock helped blow away the morning cobwebs for Electric Fields’ earliest revellers. Following the Dunfermline boys, CRASH CLUB took to the Carse Valley Stage with their swaggering electronica, sounding like Kasabian’s more experimental little brother and looked to make easy work of winning over a growing crowd.

Up next were Glaswegian 8-piece RANDOLPHS LEAP whose brass-heavy folk songs fitted the festival’s setting among the hills of the Dumfriesshire countryside perfectly. As the afternoon heated up and anoraks and ponchos were discarded by crowd and band alike, keyboardist Pete Macdonald joked, “Oh crivens! He’s down to his woolly jumper” as the band began an impromptu slow jam at the sight of frontman Adam Ross removing his jacket.

Heading over to the slightly smaller To Lose La Trek Stage after the Beirut-influenced folk sounds of Randolph’s Leap, Paisley’s own THE VEGAN LEATHER had amassed a respectably sizable audience for their exuberant art-rock-come-dance tunes. Dressed entirely in purple and embracing musical eccentricity, The Vegan Leather sounded fantastic.

PRONTO MAMA and CATHOLIC ACTION sadly had clashing set times but both bands were on top of their games on Saturday afternoon. Opening with the catchy ‘Goose Steps’, Pronto Mama set the bar high and maintained the quality throughout. Their interestingly arranged odd-pop songs are infectious and great fun, perfect for any festival.

Meanwhile, the dreadfully suave Catholic Action’s frontman Chris McCrory meandered onstage in The Skinny tent, murmuring “I’m Nigel Catholic. We are The Dental Dams”. Their angular indie-rock has gained the 4-piece a great deal of coverage over recent months and the hype has not gone unnoticed, resulting in the the tent becoming absolutely packed with festival-goers keen to see one of Scotland’s most hotly-tipped bands in action and it’s safe to say that they didn’t disappoint.

FAT GOTH and UNITED FRUIT played consecutive sets on The Skinny Stage, raising the volume of the day considerably. Fat Goth didn’t quite hit the spot with the Electric Field’s crowd and though there is no questioning the technical musicianship and intensity of their live performance, it may well be more suited to a sweatier setting. United Fruit on the other hand, were one of the highlights of the day. The Glasgow four piece tore through their set with a measured aggression; marrying raw intensity with memorable choruses and ultimately producing an especially exciting performance.

Another stand out set came from duo  HAPPY MEALS, whose incredible electronic music sounds like Crystal Castles have mellowed out and teamed up with J.U.S.T.I.C.E. Their groove-laden sounds pounded through The Skinny Tent and, amidst the shrouds of smoke within, the first real dancing of the day began.

Fellow electronic acts MIAOUX MIAOUX and EAST INDIA YOUTH were also on Saturday’s bill. Though at points Miaoux Miaoux treat the crowd to glimpses of what they’re capable of when the band really lock together and hit their stride, their set was pervaded by a frustrating sense of flatness. By comparison East India Youth is a man possessed, lurching between a bass guitar, synths and drum machines to bring his heavy electronic sounds to life. As entertaining to watch as to hear, William Doyle’s one man project sounds nothing short of monumental.

Unquestionably the highlight of the day was THE TWILIGHT SAD’s stripped back ‘secret’ set announced only a few days before the festival. James and Andy of the band drew the biggest crowd of the day without a doubt and their intense, entrancing performance was sheer and utter class.

Being one of Scotland’s best bands, it was perhaps not surprising that The Twilight Sad boys got such a rapturous response from the Electric Fields congregation but they certainly seemed immensely grateful for the ovation. In between the darkness of songs such as ‘I Became a Prostitute’ and ‘Drown So I Can Watch’, James took a little time to lighten the mood with a bit of back and forth with his very own dad from the crowd and to endorse fellow performers Man of Moon and Blanck Mass.

PAWS spiralled through a ramshackle set full of quick-tempo lo-fi pop-punk tunes and mum jokes before HECTOR BIZERK exploded on to the Carse Valley Stage as evening descended on a glorious day in Dumfries. Led by the brilliantly enigmatic Louie, and with onstage mural painting, dancing, and flag waving, Hector Bizerk put on far and away the most entertaining show of the day and were fully deserving of the huge crowd which went absolutely mad for; arguably, Scotland’s finest hip-hop act as they delved into tracks such as ‘Party A&E’ and ‘Rust Cohle’.

Aberdeen’s favourite sons THE XCERTS drew heavily from their AIM Album of the Year-nominated record There is Only You as they blitzed through a whirlwind set of fan favourites including ‘Shaking in the Water’ and ‘Kids on Drugs’. A solo rendition of oldie ‘Aberdeen 1987’ conjured up a nice sing-a-long from what was a fairly small crowd and though The Arc Stage again suffered from some sound problems the band powered on through a committed performance, encouraged casual campsite relations and ended on a piano ballad… Odd but nonetheless entertaining.

Next up MAN OF MOON, the band who can do no wrong, had a lot to live up to given the current hype surrounding them and the Edinburgh 2-piece did just that In front of one of the day’s bigger crowds. Under dark Scottish skies Man of Moon’s expansive, atmospheric rock sounded pretty special and as they closed on recent single ‘The Road’, there’s a palpable sense this may well be a band on their way to very, very big things.

As Electric Fields 2015 drew to a close, pre-headline sets from both MONOGRAM and THE PHANTOM BAND sounded absolutely huge. Where Monogram’s electronic-rock tunes are catchy and accessible for any festival crowd, there’s something defiantly impressive about The Phantom Band’s intense, experimental rock; especially with the back drop of a huge moon in the sky and a truly awesome light show.

With Headline sets from BLANCK MASS and KING CREOSOTE, Electric Fields again showcased the sheer variety and quality of music they have on offer. Given that it is only the festival’s second year and that it is very much still in it’s infancy, Electric Fields has untold amounts of promise and, as they have so clearly shown, so does Scotland’s unbelievable music scene.

In a gorgeous setting, with brilliant weather, a tremendous crowd and a never-ending well of brilliant music, Electric Fields has absolutely nailed everything that a festival should be.

Thanks Electric Fields, see you next year!