On The Scene // Threshold festival 2014 - Day Two (Part Two)
At this year’s
festival, it seems that all roads lead to District. Helen Basil guides us
around her day’s activities on the second day of the festival…
The second day
started out for me with Christina Malley
in District – at this point I was still reeling from the first day’s
festivities and not fully awake yet. She was a perfect first act to draw me
back into the feel of the festival. Her
voice is something else: crisp, clear and with enough power behind it for the
occasional goosebump moment. And despite her impressive belting abilities,
Christina is one of those rare artists who doesn’t over sing and molds her
vocal prowess to fit the song rather than the other way around. Her piano was
complemented by two backing singers and a guitar: a good combination for her
bluesy timbre that was well received. Christina seems to be a very good example
of a tried and tested performer: a well-rounded set from an artist who is
completely in her element on stage.
The next band up
was Redeye Jedi and, guilty as
charged, they were another act that I drew my attention because of their name.
Without the vaguest of ideas of what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised when
they started playing. Their ska/punk/reggae sound, bundled up with an enormous
amount of energy and stage presence, had the audience’s heads a-nodding and
their feet a-tapping in no time. With no less than four brass pieces in their
line-up, they create their own sound and deliver it with refined finesse.
A bit aimless, I
wandered over to Siren since most venues seemed to be in-between sets as Pyro were just starting. And boy, did
they make me feel like I’ve walked into the School of Rock film. Hailing from
Wallasey, this rock’n’roll blasting quartet know their stuff: with a set made
up of both their own songs and some covers thrown in for good measure, the
talent they’ve gathered between the four of them is just a treat to behold.
With an always-on-point drummer and massively talented lead guitarist, the
package is complete with the addition of two singers who also happen to provide
tasty riffs and basslines when they’re not busy taking control of the stage.
And oh, did I mention that none of them is older than 15?
Nightfall was
drawing closer and I made my way to the Lantern Theatre for The Lemon Collective’s evening of
underwater shenanigans and musical delights. To the theme of dystopian futures
and with the purpose of entertaining the audience as well as providing some
hard truths, the creativity that this group of local artists displays is
impressive. I managed to catch up with them and prod at the brains a few days
after the festival…
HB: So, I’ve personally had the pleasure of
knowing about you guys for a while now but, for the uninitiated, sum yourselves
up in a few words.
TLC: Obscure, slap-dash,
artistic variety lemon shows.
HB: Who is Lemon Head and
how did he end up being your patron and sole benefactor?
TLC: The Lemon Head was a
rogue ex-banker. This is all we know about his shady past. Why is he our king?
The short answer is he forced us. The long answer is he forced us with
love.
HB: In a time when the
future of the arts seems uncertain, how do you keep going? What drives you?
TLC: Mostly 35p energy drinks
from the corner shop, 20p smart price noodles and the hope that someone will
enjoy our shows or like our art work. ‘The arts’ is such an umbrella term it's
hard to predict exactly what is going to happen in the future, what's going to
be popular, what is going to die. We just concentrate on making work that we
think is relevant, and making people laugh in the process.
HB: Tell me more about your
Threshold 2014 project. What was the process behind the story you were telling?
What kind of impact were you looking to make? And, probably something that
everyone’s wondering… will we ever see the Lemon Submarine again?
TLC: We were given the theme
of Retro-Futurism, and decided to go completely off topic and start making
underwater stuff. This led us to imagine a 1960's Hollywood B-movie style
future setting where plastic waste is taking over the oceans. Over the course
of the next few weeks we got really carried away and started dreaming up a
sexless clone workforce, irradiated eels with northern accents, giant LED
jellyfish that fill the sky and, of course, The Lemon Submarine. If you haven't
seen The Lemon Submarine yet, it will be out and about in the build up to
future events.
If we were trying to make an impact, it would probably be to make people think about what they are throwing away, because one day there may be a team of unhappy clones trying to clean it up. I think this message might have become lost somewhere in all the craziness.
If we were trying to make an impact, it would probably be to make people think about what they are throwing away, because one day there may be a team of unhappy clones trying to clean it up. I think this message might have become lost somewhere in all the craziness.
HB: And, finally: what has
your experience of Threshold 2014 been?
TLC: We had loads of fun, watched loads of great music, loads of stress, loads of laughs, loads of plastic fumes going to our heads. The Threshold team have done an amazing job as always, and we would definitely recommend anyone looking for experience in this industry to volunteer for them. In 2013 they took us on, gave us a venue and let us host a stage in our first year of lemoning. We are massively grateful for the opportunities and experience Threshold have given us. It's a great festival that needs to carry on happening.
TLC: We had loads of fun, watched loads of great music, loads of stress, loads of laughs, loads of plastic fumes going to our heads. The Threshold team have done an amazing job as always, and we would definitely recommend anyone looking for experience in this industry to volunteer for them. In 2013 they took us on, gave us a venue and let us host a stage in our first year of lemoning. We are massively grateful for the opportunities and experience Threshold have given us. It's a great festival that needs to carry on happening.
The first act on The
Lemon Collective stage was Abi Wade,
a Brighton-based singer-songwriter that I’ve been looking forward to see play
in Liverpool for a while. Her unique style is built around her cello, layered
with complex beats and a hefty amount of electronic sounds thrown in, a style
that translates even better in a live setting. With her violinist joining on
stage as well for the latter part, they weaved stories and kept the audience
captive with a set that I doubt anyone wanted to end.
The next few hours
were a blur to me as I returned to 24 Kitchen Street where The Harlequin Dynamite Marching Band were already underway putting
on a hell of a show. An eclectic collective of local musicians, this act seems
to be conceived with the sole reason of making people move. Putting their own
spin on brass-infused, drum-heavy music, they redefined ‘music to dance to’ for
me that evening. But just as everyone thought it was over, the party was taken
outside with a retro-futuristic performance from spacemen and women alike –
complete with a giant paper-mache alien, glowing hoola hoops and as much silver
spandex as one could see.
It was my time to
head off to District for Fire Beneath
The Sea. At their beginnings, I’ve seen them play alongside We, the
Undersigned and remembering jumping so much that merely walking was a chore the
next day… I was glad I braved my tiredness to see them in full, 13 member
line-up. Rocking their own style of funky, swingy hip-hop, they skillfully
worked their crowd into a dance frenzy. Floor-destroyingly good, Fire Beneath
The Sea put on an excellent performance and worked the crowd up for what was to
come.
The evening was
topped off for me with We, the Undersigned
in the same venue. As the first local band I got into during my first year in
university, I’ll always have a special place for them. Groovy brass, a
funk-infused rhythm section and spot-on
vocals are just a few of the things I’ve learnt to expect from WtU, and they
did not disappoint! Even with their currently diminished brass section, they’re
still one with their music and put on a great show. The vocalists know just
when to work the crowd, and I was delighted to hear some new songs from the Cosmic
Warriors. An excellent ending to the second day for me, complete with
discovering some great acts that I’ll be on the lookout for in the future!
Words and images by
Helen Basil. Additional images by Scattershot.