Wickerman 2011
Now in its tenth year, The Wickerman Festival is no longer a fledgling on the circuit. Back in the early days, it’s unlikely the organisers would have dreamt of bagging the likes of The Human League , The Charlatans or James to play their humble festival, but it has gained in stature over the years to allow for such lavish headliners. However, the ethos has remained the same with a concerted focus on a family-friendly affair, an ethos which is very much evident from the moment you arrive on site.
FRIDAY
So after negotiating some hellish farm traffic, running about, pitching tents (badly), and getting that all-important first alcoholic beverage of the festival, this writer finally arrives for a 4th year at the festival. Feeling somewhat of a veteran, I’m able to negotiate my way straight to the Solus Tent for my first act of the weekend in Glasgow’s RM Hubbert. ‘Hubby’ to his friends, is a former member of Glasgow math rock outfit El Hombre Trajeado but has garnered praise for his outstanding solo work as a virtuoso guitarist. He has also recently supported Mogwai on a string of European dates and today’s performance is a primer before opening for Godspeed You! Black Emperor at The Arches (the second time he’s supported the cult Montreal post-rockers). Before he goes though, he leaves the sizeable crowd clearly impressed with his deft finger work and heartfelt songs. It’s always difficult to display emotion without lyrics but you do get an overwhelming feeling when watching this guy play that he is almost baring his soul through his music. Although some noise from outside the tent coupled with some unwelcome chatter from inside threatens to encroach, his setlist ensures that Tipsy/Tapsy increases the volume at just the right time.
Next door to the Solus is a new addition to the Wickerman in the shape of a tent programmed by GoNorth which features a range of diverse acts from their submission pool. As one band finished in the Solus, another started on the GoNorth stage, so we make our way to watch Indian Red Lopez. Dashing my inexplicable expectations of a 90s shoegaze influence straight away, their set nevertheless bristles with confidence and there’s a lot going on. Perhaps IRL aren’t exactly reinventing the wheel, but the quality of their set belies their early afternoon stage time and the reception they receive suggests that there are good times ahead for this Peterhead outfit.
With no time to even grab refreshment, it’s back to the Solus to check out Glasgow’s Bear Bones. Immediately impressed by their musicianship, they very quickly create an intimate atmosphere and singer Ben Harrison informs us that there are a lot more people here watching than the last time he played with his previous outfit, who it turns out were Dance Lazarus Dance. The musical palette is a fair bit away from what it was before, with accordion and banjo now the weapons of choice. Sounding very much like they have trained at the school of Scottish indie folk with nods to the likes of My Latest Novel, We See Lights and Endor (they’ve even borrowed the drummer) in their sound. They do have a charm and more importantly great songs in Oil And Lacquer and Diving Bell to name but two, and are most certainly a highlight already at this early stage of the proceedings. Also kudos to the stand-in banjo player for his pristine Adidas Sambas!
Last year, the Solus stage programmer tipped us off about a strange ensemble called The Lost Todorovs and this year we were given a similar nudge in the direction of an outfit called Black Sun Drum Corps. On arriving back into the tent we’re met with the sight of seven individuals dressed in black, some with bearskin hats, faces painted black and lead singer Russell McEwan wearing an apron. There are 3 drummers, two guitarists and a piper – yes, bagpipes! Now to the music, I’d take a shot at describing it as Highland Death Metal, truly brutal and I don’t think a lot of folks knew what to make of it, really. It certainly isn’t the sort of thing you’d put on for a Sunday afternoon drive, more likely it would be the soundtrack to the end of the world. I did definitely pick up on a bit of Black Sabbath to give some sort of musical reference point, but these guys have to be seen to be believed.
Having worn a sticker emblazoned with ‘I’ve got the Davey Horne’ given to me by someone promoting the band, I thought it only right to go and check them out. It turned out that the sticker campaign had rallied several others to check out Falkirk band Davey Horne. Abandoning his duties temporarily as keys man for The Ray Summers, Horne is certainly no shrinking violet and seems a natural frontman in this impressive country rock outfit. Evoking thoughts of The Band and Aztec Camera, they are totally on the money and play with a swagger that stays on the right side of arrogance. It must also be mentioned how much their guitarist resembles a young Judd Nelson circa The Breakfast Club.
It’s a quick trip for a hog roast roll before Endor take to the Solus tent stage. The Glasgow band seems to have been around for ages and their reputation has clearly stirred a lot of interest with the Wickerman crowd. The tent is packed out to watch a band that counts the likes of Frightened Rabbit and We Were Promised Jetpacks as fans and friends. Watching them, you can’t help but think they should be so much bigger than their current status with songs like Without The Help Of Sparks bringing jubilation to those people who know it and those who don’t. Their enthusiasm is infectious and they have the ability to bring a smile to your face with these anthemic gems – an absolutely triumphant set.
Despite Ian McCulloch berating the sound engineer for the majority of their set, Echo and the Bunnymen deliver an impressive show over on the main stage. They have a rich back catalogue, and despite possibly not being as good McCulloch believes they are, you can’t argue with songs like Over The Wall, Lips Like Sugar, Nothing Lasts Forever and of course The Killing Moon – all of which are included in the set here. It’s a shrewd booking on the organisers’ part as they do seem absolutely perfect for the festival line-up, despite McCulloch’s hissy fit.
Following on from last year’s headliners The Charlatans and Ocean Colour Scene, it makes perfect sense that Manchester favourites James should top the bill for the 10th anniversary celebrations. A band close to many peoples’ hearts and with an arsenal of songs fit for such an occasion, they play to a massive crowd eager to hear old favourites. Despite a fairly heavy downpour of rain during their set, it fails to dampen enthusiasm for the likes of Seven, Ring The Bells, and Destiny Calling, it’s sometimes easy to forget how many great songs they have and the band – Tim Booth in particular –seems very moved by the reception they receive. It genuinely feels like a James concert rather than a festival crowd of randoms, and possibly as a result we’re treated to not one but two encores including Sometimes and Laid. We hear afterwards that fairly serious sound issues with one whole side of the PA cast a shadow over the set for those at the back, but us crammed down the front were completely oblivious.
SATURDAY
After reacquainting ourselves with the Headphone Disco on the way back to the campsite the previous night, The Skinny awakes with a slightly fuzzy head, along with vague memories of a mass sing-along to Whitney’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody – but the less said about that the better. We have a day of excellent music ahead of us and start out back in the Solus with a band from Edinburgh called Letters. They certainly look like they’re enjoying themselves as they play like it was one in the morning rather than the afternoon, with a leaping front man and a guitarist who was so involved in the set that it’s a surprise he didn’t topple into the photo pit. New single Flashlights is a standout track from a band that manages to be both dark and simultaneously quite upbeat; they’re fairly difficult to (pardon the pun) pigeonhole.
Next up in the Solus is another band that has employed some crafty snare tactics to rustle up a crowd, although with more than just stickers; Reverieme have been handing out their own homemade tablet and coconut ice to beckon people in for their early afternoon set. And it seems to have worked as there is a tidy crowd assembled to watch the quirky indie poppers from Airdrie. Fronted by a striking red-haired female, they have beautifully crafted songs which are pretty much the musical equivalent of the sweet treats they were handing out. The singer dedicates a song called Weans to a group of kids who were charging people to cross a stream near their campsite. Having played on the T Break stage as well this year, it appears that they’ve rightly been singled out as ones to watch.
It takes some nerve to take to the stage at a festival armed without a vital component of your set and that’s exactly what Miaoux Miaoux’s Julian Corrie is forced to do. He explains to the Solus crowd that his keyboard and pedals had been taken by a Filipino woman at the airport, which, if you’ve seen him play live before, you’ll realise it’s kind of like him having to play with one arm tied behind his back. But Corrie battles on, and despite a few hiccups shows why he is one of Scotland’s brightest and individual talents.
Next, it’s the first trip of the weekend over to the Scooter Tent to see a band called Jericho Hill. Those who have done their homework will know that said band play Johnny Cash covers and judging by the packed tent it’s obvious that word has spread. Always a bit weary of tribute bands and fearful that they will disappoint, we needn’t have worried; as soon as Folsom Prison Blues kicks in, you know it’s going to be alright. ‘Johnny’ tells the crowd that it was the biggest gig they’d ever played and that prior to Wickerman their biggest was a pub outside Falkirk. They cover most bases with versions of Walk the line, Jackson and even Cash’s own latter-day covers of Personal Jesus and Hurt, leaving an extremely satisfied (and hot) tent more than happy with their delivery of the man in black’s music.
After a sweaty sprint to the GoNorth tent, Paws are already in full flight. The three-piece from Glasgow recently impressed at a Song By Toad night in Edinburgh supporting Milk Maid, where a friend remarked that it was like watching Bleach-era Nirvana. We didn’t see Nirvana in any era sadly, but can see where he’s coming from and share his enthusiasm for a band that keep it simple but have absolutely great songs. A very exciting prospect, they have a raw yet refined sound and a lead singer who has an aura about him, one of the most exciting bands I have heard in some time.
Along with Paws, there is another outfit from Edinburgh by the name of Discopolis who have come from nowhere to gain recognition as a name to watch. Having first heard them following the announcement of this year’s T Break acts and being hooked by their track Timber Merchants while listening online, it’s a treat to hear them kick off their Wickerman set with said track. Still at the tender age of 19, they display a maturity way beyond that. They have a rich, lush sound that brings to mind the likes of M83, Boards of Canada and even Cocteau Twins. The Solus tent fills up nicely and by the time they drop the massive When Ghosts Get Angry as their closing number, we turn around to see a sea of hands saluting a new set of heroes.
There’s a fine line between exciting and terrifying; back in the Solus Tent Desalvo manage to straddle that line and dry hump it at the same time. Anyone unfamiliar with the fearsome assault on the senses that is their live show would be slightly taken aback to see Idlewild’s Allan Stewart ferociously throwing himself about the stage on guitar, Twilight Sad bassist Jonny Dok handling the low end and a large man wearing a plastic pig’s nose and an apron screaming into a mic. It’s surreal yet wildly compelling and the riffs are outstanding, you can’t resist the temptation to rock out yet stay vigilant as singer P6 roams the crowd and generally does as he pleases, whether licking your face or simply gyrating in front of you. During an interlude brought about as a result of a string break, P6 threatens the crowd with ‘smooth music’ and asks whether we can keep a secret; there’s an uneasy response of ‘yes’ before normal service is resumed and we find ourselves back in the dark world of Desalvo.
To see out the weekend, we take another dip into the pool of tribute bands. From the Jam’s history is more authentic than your average worship act though – founding member (and original Jam drummer) Rick Buckler left in 2009, but bassist Bruce Foxton remains in a line-up rounded out by players who uncannily replicate the singing voice and rhythms of the new wave pioneers. Unsurprisingly, there’s a queue to get in. Singer Russell Hastings – a veteran of the Jam tribute scene – puts everything into the performance. As does Foxton, who leaps about the stage like it’s 1981 all over again. To hear songs like That’s Entertainment and Down In The Tube Station At Midnight performed with such precision and energy is a real treat, and by the time they close to Going underground we’re bouncing down the front. It’s a fitting end to the 10th anniversary of an excellent festival, and another that will live long in the memory. Next year it will be one louder.