music overview - Saturday

Ah once again the tent starts to become an oven, so we fall out of it, residing under a gazebo to breakfast while listening (amazingly clearly) to Boy Le Monti and Meat Draw who open the show and so it's a while before Fat Drunk Stupid draw us to the karaoke and the hilarity that ensues is almost as blindin’ as some of the performances.

Taking up a bench beside the main bar we have to move a little further away from the 3000 bpm arms in the air DJ in the tent to hear the Martin Harley Band, very enjoyable country twang. The Curst Sons accompany our veggie mezze and I’ve got my back to the stage when I realise last night’s ska-punk-metal-rock fusion fun exponents are playing unexpectedly – so off down the front to shake my head to Magic Skool Bus!



Suddenly there’s a crowd in front of the stage, and a few new tracks get an airing. Once the lads have got our blood pumping the crowd heads off to the Desmond Decker stage – I go along with them and discover the cover-tastic Chickenshed Zeppelin, before wandering about to glimpse a little of Hobo Jones, Bookhouse Boys and the irrepressible hip hop of Lazy Habits.

Returning to the DD Stage for Fat Drunk Stupid who are the best shit punk tribute band in the world! From the SLF first tune to the last one by the Clash it were a fantastic trip down my Ramones laiden record collection.

Back at the main stage Billy Childish and the Members Of the British Empire are slightly odd. I’ve not heard him before and there’s a lass in a nurse’s uniform to draw me to the barrier and lo he’s actually rather funny. Those further away and clearly not listening disagree when I return to the bar, still kicking out it’s bpm laden singalong tuneage.



Another look at the music menu and two band from last year are up head to head. The Big and Toupe I’m about to leave for the bass fuelled fun of Toupe when The Big start with their man mountain fronting some dance about energetic tunes. Needless to say I miss Toupe.

I do however catch The Fabulous Freaky Vampire Circus – circus skills, eye watering piercing and passing through a tennis racquet. But there’s the constant background noise of the excellent Middle Man to draw me away. More frenetic dancing and jumping about ensues and a dash to get a CD from them afterwards. Bison are a very, very orange big band with a great sound and a lovely saxophone player. Hardly time to catch my breath before the turn of the mighty Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry who has assembled a make shift band from members of Bison and The Big and yet they still sound awesome. Punctuating the gaps between these bands is comedy in the Wildcat tent, a nice idea and one repeated on Sunday.



And then the mighty Dreadzone, play for an hour and three quarters (all the best stuff, old and new) so I don’t make a move to the Cropdusters! Damn! Can they come back again? And my legs are too knackered for Eat Static so a return to the tent, it’s a little chilly (any chance of a communal fire, organisers?) so I end up in my sleeping bag listening to Eat Static and DJ Greg Wooly. The early morning rain brings with it a couple of hours kip in a cool tent.

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