Freevolution review

So it rolled around again. The annual excuse for the young and the beautiful of Newcastle and Gateshead to spend an entire week sampling the best up and coming acts alongside some firmly established stars, all without leaving the city walls. From Yourcodenameis:Milo opening the week with an incendiary set at the Baltic Centre for Comtemporary Art, to Patti Smith paying homage to her influences at the Sage, to the icing on this very tasty cake - the Freevolution all-dayer along the banks of the River Tyne, headlined of course by local boys done very good indeed, Maximo Park.

Freevolution (as it was regrettably dubbed) had the battle lines drawn clearly. On the main Spillers Wharf stage, we were treated to up and coming guitar bands including Seven Heroes, The Enemy, and of course the aforementioned Maximo Park, whereas on the other side of the river, on the Baltic Square stage, the promoters had chosen to showcase the best of the current promising wave of 'indie-dance' acts, and this is were the real excitement was today, with Chromeo, Calvin Harris, Datarock and Radio Soulwax all getting the kids moving. Of course, in the efforts of journalistic integrity, your reviewer ensured that each stage was sampled in abundance, which generally meant a hell of a lot of running between the two main stages, which, to be honest, couldn't really have been placed further apart.

First up on the Main Stage were Seven Heroes, hailing from just down the road in Sunderland. How they don't yet have a record deal I don't know. They took the main stage by storm and vocalist Dan Gibson appeared positively euphoric. He had good reason. Those who had turned out early to see them were clearly impressed with the fayre on offer, with 'Don't Call' and 'Solid Ground' receiving the most positive receptions. There is no doubt that they will have picked up a few hundred new fans, and if they continue in this vein, the future could be very bright indeed.



Sticking around the main stage, and sticking with the local theme, The Motorettes were up next to rock the Newcastle Gateshead crowd. Their sound on record is marvelously riotous, and I am delighted to say that the same quality flows through their live show. With enough energy in them to power the quayside on a Friday night, there was no way they were going to fail to get people dancing. The stupidly happy 'Super Heartbeats' thrilled in ways few songs can, and the wonderful 'We Are Solution' was so good that we were starting to believe them. Yet more proof to this writer thinks that Newcastle has the most exciting scene in the UK at the moment.



Sated by skinny boys with guitars, it was time for some skinny boys with synths, so it was off to Baltic Square just in time to see Shy Child taking to the stage. The square was packed, and it was clear that Shy Child's reputation had preceded them, and for good reason. They play some of the bounciest pop-dance heard for years, and for two blokes, a synth and a drum kit, they make a hell of a lot of noise.

It is simply impossible to dislike Chromeo, of that I am sure - they simply will not let you frown during their set. Whether they are instructing indie-boys in the art of getting laid in 'Fancy Footwork', or satirising r'n'b culture in the storming 'You're So Gangsta', the beats laid down by the Montreal two-piece have a habit of getting under your skin and staying there until you dance them out. With a self-effacing nature and a wit which is irrepressible, a good time is had by all during this criminally short set.



Oh dear, it was all going so well, and then Joe Jackson somehow managed to convince someone to let him have a go on the main stage. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Joe Jackson, but whoever thought he would fit into this lineup needs shooting. Never have I seen so many people look so bored. The performance itself wasn't bad, with the most recognisable and therefore de-facto highlight being 'Is She Really Going Out With Him', but this was the wrong time and the wrong place for Joe Jackson, and sadly he sank without trace in front this crowd, the majority of which hadn't been conceived when he released his biggest single in 1978.



If I hadn't received a sneaky message to let me know, I would never have found out that local heroes People Of Santiago were headlining the completely unadvertised Newcastle College Stage, and one of the undisputed highlights of the day would have been missed. Despite the lack of advertising, there was a considerable crowd gathered for their set, which is surely testament to their growing fanbase. Upcoming single 'War' sounded fresher than ever, and 'Hope is a State of Mind' simply soared in the late afternoon sun. Frontman Andrew Young was at his scathing best and the band, now invigorated with the addition of new boy Matt on guitar, tore through their impressive set with a composure and an abandon that is only seen in bands that are completely at ease with themselves.



It was clear from the direction that the majority of the crowd was heading in that Calvin Harris over at Baltic Square was the most anticipated act of the day. The poster child for the Myspace generation had been creating the biggest buzz around the quayside all day, and by the time I got to the stage, security were considering closing off the area to latecomers. Of course, the biggest reaction was saved for breakthrough single 'Acceptable In The 80s', but the rest of the set was received very warmly indeed, proving that any thoughts that Harris might just be a one hit wonder could very well prove to be unfounded.



Bouncing around the stage like a man possessed, Harris seemed intent on ensuring that each and every person in the crowd was dancing, and by the end of his set they were. The wonderful thing about this set is that it seemed to transcend generations, with age apparently bearing no influence on anyone's appreciation of the music. In the shadow of the Millenium Bridge, Calvin Harris seemed to do the impossible, and ensured that everyone watching walked away happy.



But of course, the day belonged to art-rockers extraordinaire Maximo Park. Clearly delighted to be playing their biggest show to date in their home town, Paul Smith and co tore through a set of fan-favourites, including opener 'Graffiti' and the always phenomenal 'Apply Some Pressure', as well as a decent selection of soon to be fan favourites from new album 'Our Earthly Pleasures'. 'Our Velocity' stood out a mile, and upcoming single 'Books From Boxes' was simply sublime in it's beauty.

Visibly moved by the reaction of the hometown crowd, Smith was on explosive form, leaping around the stage like a man possessed, and the interplay among the band suggested a slight nervousness hiding beneath the bravado. The delight at being given this opportunity was irrepressible though, and more than once Smith was caught grinning from ear to ear as the 18,000 strong crowd screamed his words back at him.

Sadly, it all ended too soon, and Evolution was over for another year. As the crowds dispersed, it was clear that this year's festival will go down as one of the most successful yet, and the forward thinking attitudes of the programmers, particularly on the Baltic Square stage, will surely pay dividends when some of the acts break through into their deserved place in the mainstream.

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