Live Review: Flying Vinyl Festival @ Hackney Shapes

Words originally for Vapour Trail Blog

Normally, Flying Vinyl spend their time manufacturing exclusive 7” singles for their growing audience of wax enthusiasts. But today, they turn their attention to the performance side of music, bringing ten of the hottest bands on the indie scene to a smoky warehouse in Hackney for twelve hours of beer, sweat and confetti.

Birmingham quartet Juice kick things off. They’re loud and brash, pumping out tropical riffs, similar to early Peace. Continuing the dirty, fuzzy theme, Asylums follow, raising the bar considerably in their 30-minute slot. They’re spunky and snotty, giving no fucks that it’s not even 3pm yet.

The Orielles are the day’s first must-sees. The fresh-faced power trio from Halifax/Liverpool make ambient surf-pop music, which they perform with an innocent charm. Wide smiles onstage are reflected in the audience, cuts from the group’s recent release Jobin EP achieving the most love.

Up next are Yonaka, who a brief brush with at The Old Blue Last in January left us hungry for more. Theresa Jarvis fronts the outfit, a force of nature in high-waisted trousers with vocals to die for. Run stands out with its scratchy introduction and incendiary choruses, Jarvis’ enormous vocals the catalyst in the inferno. Hip-hop elements are intertwined with gunshot drum smacks, no more than for rampageous closer Innocence.

The middle ground between Sundara Karma and Catfish and the Bottlemen come soon after, in the form of Reading quartet The Amazons. Their refined, indie-rock sound stands out as being notably ordinary in comparison to the rest of today’s acts, but there’s no denying that their huge sound has a definite appeal; their set sees the first mosh pits of the day, culminating in an almost stage invasion when time is called.

A break in the schedule permits a quick peruse around the rest of the venue. Seating it seems is in short supply, and if the cold doesn’t put you off outside the volume inside will. Nonetheless, alcohol is reasonably priced and the room provides an eccentric energy, courtesy of some dazzling neon lights.

Eccentricity remains the primary theme as The Jar Family grace the stage. Looking like a bunch of school kids who’ve raided the drama cupboard, their array of stage props spans from hats with feathers to enormous drums, and everything in between. The collective’s bizarre folk-meets-cabaret music bemuses for the most part, but the mostly young audience quickly clock on to the novelty sensation and the set goes down well.

Brighton band The Magic Gang are blatantly the most popular act of the day so far. They gather an enormous crowd before they even start, the occasional wave from guitarist Kris or bassist Angus setting off screams in abundance. When they finally launch into the charming melodies of Lady, Please the crowd is rowdy and anarchic. The first of many mosh pits and chant alongs fire up as the band beam at their phenomenal reception. But things quickly turn sour, as the fragile barrier at the front of the audience is thrown forward, trapping photographers against the stage. Despite frontman Jack Kaye alerting security after one song, it takes almost 15 minutes for anything to be done, by which time the set is seemingly ruined for myself and others. But despite blatant health and safety issues, the foursome play exceptionally, and everyone escapes unharmed and satisfied.

Nottingham three-piece Kagoule lead the charge towards headliner time. With the barrier issue resolved, duo Lucy Hatter and Kai Burns front a dark assault on Flying Vinyl, consisting of material from the trio’s 2015 debut Urth. Lawrence English’s drums back up the beefy performance, which appeals more to those left out by The Magic Gang’s happy-go-lucky charm. Grungey anthems Glue and Adjust the Way are firm favourites, but cuts from the trio’s upcoming sophomore album slip in comfortably. Kagoule stand out as one of the more credible acts from today’s line up, with a comfortable stage presence resonating from each member – a far cry from the nervous showmanship of some of their predecessors.

Black Honey are a Vapour Trail favourite, so it’s their set we’re most primed and ready for. Also from Brighton, the four piece have made a name for themselves as being rampant and energetic with a vintage twang, both on record and off. So it’s no surprise that tonight fits that trend. Spinning Wheel was crafted to be an opener, its bewitching first verse an open invitation for some sassy theatricals from frontwoman Izzy B Phillips, before an almighty scream gets us down to business. Older material like Teenager and Sleep Forever pack neatly in next to latest single All My Pride, the defining factor being a slick swagger that makes this band so outstanding. Corinne is the fan favourite, bringing new levels of life to the cloudy room, a tour de force from a band with an undoubtedly bright future ahead of them.

Closing proceedings are Swim Deep, who take their rightful place at the top of the bill. As a solo trumpeter heralds their arrival (no idea) it seems the audience are totally spent post-Black Honey. But the spine-tingling intro to Forever Spaceman is the Mento in a musical Coke bottle. An eruption of bangs and fizzes wash over Flying Vinyl, continuing through into Grand Affection and Namaste. A touching tribute to Viola Beach, who were billed to play at the festival before passing away tragically in February, leads into hit single She Changes the Weather. King City follows, inspiring a new energy within the crowd, before the synthesizer masterpiece that is To My Brother tells us it’s almost home time. “We’ve got one more for you”, frontman Austin Williams announces, “it’s a long one”. Fuieho Boogie, the crowning jewel from the band’s second LP Mothers, closes the festival with eight minutes of madness, a cherry on top of the irresistible cake that has been Flying Vinyl Festival.

Chaos, ecstasy, mosh pits, beer, ten bands, one room and a shit load of up-for-it punters. Cheers Flying Vinyl for a fantastic festival, we’ll be waiting for the next one!

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Preview: Flying Vinyl Festival

Words originally for Vapour Trail Blog

Vinyl is back, and in a big way. Fronting the plastic revolution are Flying Vinyl, a company that sends its members a monthly box filled with the best new alternative music printed onto beautiful 7” singles. This April, FV are celebrating some of its most talented alumni with a special all-day festival at Hackney Shapes. Here’s our breakdown of the fantastic line-up, which hosts some old favourites as well as some fresh new faces.

Headlining the show are Birmingham fuzzheads Swim Deep. After headlining London’s Roundhouse at the end of last year, and with a huge Wolf Alice support slot between now and then, catching these indie dreamboats turned electro pioneers in such a small venue is not an occasion to miss. Expect brain-melting synth madness mixed with chilled out, hazy pop numbers from this dynamic five piece.

Brighton eccentrics Black Honey are next on the bill. Since bursting onto the scene with a string of punky, vintage sounding singles – including the unforgettably raucous Spinning Wheel – they’ve earned nationwide notoriety for their high-energy live shows. Frontwoman Izzy B Phillips is a blonde bombshell with a savage stage presence, and her leather-clad boy band back her up to create an effortlessly sophisticated but uniquely exciting force of rock ‘n’ roll.

Nottingham grunge trio Kagoule are sure to give Shapes a kick in the teeth with their youthful and unforgiving grunge sound. Their debut album Urth was met with widespread acclaim upon its release last August, and Pharmacy, the first taste of new material, is a chilling but rampant explosion of hysteria. For fans of The Wytches, Eagulls, and unforgiving lunacy.

Another Brighton favourite, The Magic Gang, are also scheduled to make an appearance. Their happy-go-lucky indie tunes range from ballads to bangers, but every single release so far has left their growing fan base eager for more. Live they’re even more fun, with a ramshackle appearance and an infectious, bassy groove that’s sure to put a smile on your face and a tap in your footsteps.

Oddballs of the group The Jar Family will bring a folky twist to the show. They describe themselves as sounding like “Steam Punk infused Bob Dylan wrestling The Pogues with Bez in a top-hat. Intrigued?” Yes is the answer.

The rest of the day will see five new bands strut their stuff courtesy of Flying Vinyl. Juice are a four piece who make tropical indie anthems. All t-shirts and thick-rimmed glasses, Asylums will be there, playing their snotty rock tunes. There’ll also be sets from surf pop trio The Orielles, rising stars The Amazons and Yonaka, who previously blew us away at the Old Blue Last with their incendiary music and formidable stage presence.

You can see all of these incredibly exciting performances for just £20. Tickets are flying out, so snap one up quickly from TicketWeb. You can find out more about Flying Vinyl at their official website.

Interview: Kagoule

Words originally for Outline Magazine

L-R: Cai Burns, Lucy Hatter, Lawrence English

Now a cagoule is a kind of an anorak. What does that conjure up in your mind, musically? Limp folk? Some sort of twee indie? Well, you surely have it wrong with this band, who spell their name with a kickin’ K. Kagoule make intriguing rock with twinges of Jane’s Addiction thrown in with some sweet ass feedback and scratchy guitars. They play Norwich Arts Centre this month, so I chatted with guitarist Cai Burns about supporting Johnny Marr and the Nottingham music scene.

How come you’re called Kagoule?

Your guess is as good as mine. Sometimes I ask myself that same question.

You’re quite a new band in the grand scheme of things.  How did Kagoule begin?

Kagoule is the first band any of us have been in. We met in school at 14. I'd hit broken instruments with Lawrence until it sounded kinda like music. Soon we needed a bassist to do a school show. I asked Lucy; she had cool hair and shoes.

What’s the music scene like in Nottingham where you hail from?

Either there is no scene or the scene is so big that everyone in Nottingham is somehow involved in it. I can't tell. It's a big family where everybody knows and helps each other out. There isn't this sense of competition like you can get in other cities. Because of that it’s a good place to grow as a band but also can trap you in a bubble, kind of like a zoo for music.

Where do you get the best reception to your music? Is there anywhere you consistently have great shows?

People move the most in Nottingham and Edinburgh. We just did our first European tour and Prague was loads of fun. Belgium too. Argh, there're too many!

Your debut album Urth came out in August. What were the main influences for it?

That album was written over quite a long period of time. It started when we were about 15 and we recorded at 19. Each song was never intended to be on an album or even be recorded. The latest single Made Of Concrete was the second song we wrote as a band, whereas Mike was pretty much written in the studio. Each track has its own time in our teenage lives and its own influences. Urth is more of a compilation of all the stages Kagoule has been through since its beginning. Fugazi forever though, right?

You worked with Arctic Monkeys & MIA producer Ross Orton on the record. What was it like to collaborate with such a big name?

Ross is an absolute dude. He’s so easy to work with. He broke the ice by zipping us around Sheffield in his new car. It definitely warmed up our blood. He knows what he's doing and knows it's good so you can just leave him to it while you drink loads of coffee and make GoPro videos. 

You’ve toured with Johnny Marr; what was it like playing with such a legendary a musician?

It was such an honour! You soon realise your idols are just people and they are all loads smaller in real life then they are made out to be. There was a moment when talking to Johnny where I started going on about computer voices that talk in the melody of the funeral song, and had a panic because he was clearly just smiling and nodding at me. I exited swiftly and no harm was done. By the end of the few shows we could've chatted for days. “Back in my day when I was in The Smiths....”. Also when someone that has seen so many bands in their life tells you what songs of yours they like the most, it feels quite special.

If you could support anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?

C’mon now. Nirvana of course!

You’ve had trouble doing what you do, e.g. your van breaking down on tour. Is it difficult being in a band at such a young age and dealing with these issues?

Yes, we are so nervous and young and have no skills and we die very easily. Ha! Nah it’s alright really. People are more willing to help out the young'uns and we can look after ourselves just fine. Also we’ve never made a single penny from this thing, and after a while it can really get to you. But we've stuck with it so far and plan to do it for much longer.

When you’re touring a lot is there ever friction between the three of you?

Put three people in a van for three weeks and of course there is going to be friction. Friction is okay as long as you all know when to stop; just take a breather from each other one morning and then get back to it. There's no time to be arguing.

Do you write songs together or do you have different responsibilities when coming up with material?

I write the songs at home at 3am with an acoustic guitar. I’ll make a demo and bring it to practise. We have a bash at it for a while and you can tell pretty quickly if it's a goer or not; the best ones happen the fastest. Lawrence writes all the drums and we'll all try and work out an arrangement, possibly the hardest part, together.

Glue is one of my favourite songs from the record. What’s the story behind it?

Glue was written on New Year’s Eve 2014 and I have very little memory of writing it. When I picture it I see a blonde man with long, dangling lips holding a frog. The song is about anxiety and what not to do when you feel that way. Which at the time is exactly what I was doing.

As a band you have a very signature look in terms of style. Do you think image is an important part of being a band?

It just happened accidentally. We needed art, and Lawrence could draw so we made the most of it. It grew alongside the music and has evolved together. I think image is very important, yes, but too many bands try to do it with what hair they have or clothes they wear. Base yourself on image before there were photos.

Are you looking forward to your show at Norwich Arts Centre?

Hell yes. Last time we played Norwich we ended up heading over there to watch The Wytches. Inside, we wished we were playing this venue, and now we are!

Are you working on any new material?

All the time. We've got loads of new songs that we can't wait to record and we’re working on the second album now. I’m very excited for it all. I can hear it in my head and boy does it sound good.

Kagoule play Norwich Arts Centre on 24^th November. Their debut album Urth is out now.

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