Southsea Fest 2009

Southsea Fest is modelled on events such as The Great Escape in Brighton and Swn in Cardiff but on a smaller scale. Established in 2007 the first event was held to raise funds for the promoter Josie Cutis’ younger brother, a musician, to record an album after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The event has now expanded and this year took place in twelve venues with over one hundred and fifty acts performing with some profits given to charity.

An entry wristband was budget price, being the same cost as a standard gig ticket, allowing access to all venues which were situated within close proximity to each other, mainly on Albert Road in the south coast town. Unlike similar larger events such as The Great Escape there was no need to turn up at a venue early and queue to guarantee entry, wristband holders were able to freely wander between locations as they chose. At times the event resembled something more like a giant pub crawl than a music event, with bands providing a backing track for happy drunken punters roaming the street. Breaking More Waves took a more conservative approach however, remaining in one venue all day, (Little Johnny Russells) except for our surprisingly well received DJ Set early in the day under our DJ Hojo Hits guise at Cafe Citrus, where we managed to bring dubstep, synth pop, vintage rock and roll, and seventies disco to the artists VIP area.

This years event was crammed so full of bands that it is no surprise that several stages ran behind the scheduled timetable, but most punters seemed unconcerned, happy to catch whatever artist they stumbled across at any particular time. The line up for the event consisted of a number of small national bands previously featured on this blog such as Peggy Sue, The Joy Formidable, James Yuill and Alessi’s Ark as well as plenty of local artists. So to the bands we saw..

With lead singer Clym Arnold swinging from the stage balustrade till it almost collapses, diving onto the floor and his band raping your ear drums with a fistf*ck of visceral punk, The Deads mean business; and we don’t mean the kind that involves hot desking, water cooler moments and power lunches. No this is business that is primitive, brutal and likely to find you sprawled over the photocopier with a microphone stand thrust up your backside. We have no idea about the songs they play, except for a dirty cover of Helter Skelter, but finding blood gushing from our ears actually seems like fun.

The Hall Of Mirrors are about as far removed from The Deads as you can imagine. Every song is a delicate spoonful of sugar adventure of perky tunefulness. “This next song is all about love,” gushes singer Jessica Spencer and we are sure we see fairy dust sparkle from her keyboard and Mary Poppins skipping around in the background. Only at the end when she kicks back her piano stool and delivers a harsher bluesy number do things become a little more unsettling.

The keyboard remains for a short set by Loz Bridge , this time without his backing band The Box Social, who we have featured here before. Bridge produces a short, accomplished set of jazzy rootsy sounds, full of earnest musicianship with just a hint of Chris Martins more reflective moments. One for the more mature listener, his sound is better suited to a quiet theatre or lounge bar than a chatty south coast pub on a Saturday afternoon.

Little Johnny Russells fills up rapidly after Bridge finishes for the megaphone wielding Holdfast, who having recently bagged support slots with White Lies, These New Puritans and in the near future The Chapman Family. The band have developed a confident swagger as they race through their charged punkish riot of keyboard and energetic guitar laden noise with glittery dress clad singer Roberta stepping into the crowd. They may not yet have perfected any killer songs, but they have a dark raw shout about them that takes them above the level of your standard local indie no hopers.

Breaking More Waves regulars The B of the Bang have been peddling their wares for some time now and tonight feels like one of closure, songs from their debut album Beginning Middle End being performed for possibly the last time before some new material is unleashed. Lung is still a colossal beast of a song, triumphant in its sadness and set closer Alaska bristles with taught atmosphere, but their live centrepiece remains Last Day On Earth which is performed with members of The Dawn Chorus; full of soaring trumpets and men singing the words “La la la,” as if it were the most important thing in the world.

Rather like a game of tag The Dawn Chorus continue where The B of the Bang left off. The band are a menagerie of multi instrumentation and subtle tunes with heavenly trumpet fanfares that uplift and involve, and on one song the band even have a little stab at some ska which seems rudely off centre to the rest of their country tinged rock sound. Strangely endearing and glorious.

Eight piece Revere (pictured) are physically and musically too big for such a tiny stage as Southsea Fest. The band bring military jackets, waistcoats, strings and a big big sound that comes from the same musical space as bands like Broken Records and Arcade Fire. Their songs sweep and soar gloriously high, powerfully evocative and beautiful. With due respect to all of the bands that have come before them, Revere stand that much taller, that much stronger and bring the most illustrious sounds we hear all day.

After Revere ‘dirty folksters’ Billy Vincent have a tough job. A slimmed down check shirted version of the whole band, they play with just two acoustic guitars, and as the beer flows more readily you have to feel sorry for any act that really demands quiet attention.

Next up are San Francisco’s Love Like Fire who play a fairly straightforward female fronted blend of indie rock that has a vaguely early to mid nineties feel to it. The band suffer from an audience that now seems more interested in alcoholic kicks than actually listening to the music. There are hints of something epic trying to break out, but it’s a case of seen it all before with this band.

“Give me some love it’s tough up here,” announces Chris T-T. Good god the man’s right. At this point in the evening we wonder if anybody is actually interested in the music at all. Chris T-T could have probably come on stage, pissed in a pot and walked off again and nobody would have noticed. So all credit to the man who has played on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square for having the guts to force out his political acoustic folk rock to those who care. Breaking a guitar string after his first song, he continues a cappella, before thrashing out tunes about getting older, hunting and the wonderful Preaching To The Converted which has thrusting intensity and humour in equal measure. “Billy Braggs gone fishing in his 4 x 4,” he sings to a an audience who are drowning in lager.

At this point it doesn’t look good for James Yuill , but miraculously his beats, loops and geekoid electronic wizardry win the day. The inebriated crowd are ready to dance and the heavy beats and laptronica that Yuill produces work well. His sound mixes elements of Nick Drake, Radiohead, Aphex Twin and Calvin Harris into something that is uniquely his own. As songs such as the dreamy rotating No Surprise and the gentle bounce of This Sweet Love are played out it reminds us why we put his Turning Down Water For Air album in our Top Ten of 2008. Enchanting electronic melodies with a human side, from one of the nicest men in music make a fine way to end the evening.

Loz Bridge and the Box Social - Welcome To The Beautiful South

We recently introduced Loz Bridge in our New Waves At Breaking More Waves feature. Now it’s time to meet the man himself.

Hello, please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your band and the music you make.

Hello, I’m Loz Bridge and I front Portsmouth-based band Loz Bridge and the Box Social. We’ve come up with a style loosely termed Dark Americana which encompasses old time blues and jazz elements brought up to date. We sing about witches by the fax machine, breaking china and drinking cider, and the many awful things that go on down by the river. We’ve just released our first EP “Witches” and we’re currently trying to spread the word all over the south coast scene.

As a musician what do you think the best and worst things about coming from Portsmouth are?

I couldn’t tell you I’m afraid, coz I don’t – I was born and raised in Preston, and (after a 3 year stint in Amsterdam) moved to Portsmouth in 2003. I can tell you what the best thing is about coming to Portsmouth, is that I’ve made some amazing friends here, some of the best I’ve had. All that bullshit they spin you up North about how people aren’t friendly down south should be ignored. I found the accent incomprehensible when I first arrived though. “Rynd the rynd-a-biyt”? what’s “Rynd the rynd-a-biyt?” I’m into it now though, I’ve started doing my shopping at “Asdas” and all women have become “hon”.

If I had a weekend to kill in Portsmouth where would you recommend I go, and what should I avoid?

Despite what people will tell you, there is a thriving music scene in Portsmouth, and you should definitely head to The Cellars, The Wedge, The Drift (upstairs, never downstairs), and now that they’ve installed a new PA Little Johnny Russells to check it out. You should definitely eat at The Agora (Greek and Turkish), the Kum Pan (Thai), Rosies or Lemon Soul. If you want to see a film try and bypass the tyranny of Vue and nip round the corner to the No.6 independent cinema in the Historic Dockyard. Anywhere on Albert Road should guarantee you a good night, but whatever you do stay well clear of Guildhall Walk. Unless you want your face glassed off that is, in which case knock yourself out…

To be provocative for a moment, one of Breaking More Waves criticisms of the Portsmouth music scene is that there is too much back slapping with not enough constructive criticism. This can lead to artists becoming inward looking in a ‘big fish in a small pond’ kind of way. We think it has something to do with the geographic nature of Portsmouth – it’s almost an island. It possibly explains why so few bands from Portsmouth achieve any commercial success nationally. Would you agree or disagree, and explain what you think about this criticism.

Hmmm, this is a tricky one…

Let’s say you’re right and what Portsmouth needs is more constructive criticism, from where is this criticism going to come? I once read a piece of advice by a record company big shot to struggling young bands that said no-one in the business will ever tell you to your face that you suck, just in case you do make it huge and they become the one idiot who didn’t believe in you. I think that holds true for most elements of the local scene, but it’s established critics like this blog that do have an obligation to be impartial about the material they’re reviewing. I’d argue however that the main point of these critiques is not to educate but to entertain. And let’s be honest for a moment - as an artist the only real reason I expose myself to criticism is in the hope of receiving some positive criticism. I’m not genuinely interested in a constructive analysis of my latest EP, I want a sweet sound bite from a recognised name that I can slap all over my website to generate more interest. If the EP is slated then I’m not going to change my whole style to fit in with his or her comments, I’ll do my best to ignore them and carry on as before and I’d advise any self-respecting artist to do the same! Which raises another interesting point – who’s advice is right, and why should I listen to your opinion? Surely it’s the obligation of any artist to follow his own judgement, and conduct himself and his work according to his own values. I wonder how many times the artists we all now hold in high regard for their individuality had to endure and ignore the opinions of those around them who were all too keen to offer their ‘constructive criticisms’?

I’d argue that if as an artist you don’t possess the ability to judge your own work objectively then you don’t have what it takes to make it in the competitive market. It’s not the plaudits or slatings of your peers that define you, it’s whether what the product you produce is what people want to hear. If you want some criticism then ask yourself this question: do people come to your gigs? Surely that’s the only bottom line that really counts. If not then you’re doing something wrong, and by that token the only critics with a truly meaningful voice are the ticket-buying public.

Now, if you’re the band arguing that you’re not getting your big break because you live on a peninsular…move! Sorry, but I just don’t think that excuse cuts it when there’s local bands like Tremain regularly transporting their fanbase to London and back to secure gigs like their recent show in the O2 Indigo2! Bjork made it global and she’s from Iceland - you don’t find a more desolate rock than that. It doesn’t even have trees for God’s sake!

If you set your own limitations at the edges of your hometown then that’s as far as you’ll ever get, and that’s as true in Preston as it is in Portsmouth…or Iceland.

Some really good points there Loz, and at some point in the future Breaking More Waves may well discuss the value of criticism, as we believe it does have value, both in the sense of professional journalism and amateur music blogs and fanzines. But for now let’s move on. What is ‘the box social’?

A ‘Box Social’ means different things depending on which country you find yourself in. In America I believe it’s fundraiser where they auction off lunchboxes. In Canada I think it’s like a big car boot sale, but my favourite usage is from Victorian Britain. It was deemed inappropriate at this time for young people of opposite sexes to mix together unattended, so the responsible parents would throw parties in their houses called Box Socials where the kids could mingle and the love would flourish…

In my world it comprises Andrew Foster: genius intuitive guitarist and some-time banjo fiddler (and singer/songwriter in his own right), Andy Booth: double bass wrangler and ladies-man, and Matt E: man-mountain and simply the best drummer I’ve ever known.

We hate the word ‘influences’ as it infers ‘who do you like to copy’ which is not always true. So instead, tell me about five albums that you love, irrespective of if they are influences on your band or not.

Alice, by Tom Waits
I’m obsessed by anything and everything that Tom Waits produces, but I think this is the album I come back to most often. It was described by Waits as an album of ‘fairy tales for grownups’ and that encapsulates everything I love about it. Magical and innocent, terrifying and monstrous.

The Bends, by Radiohead
For all of the disconnected, Radiohead offer a horribly disconnected friend to be weird with. I’ve found that the images from this album (the machine that can’t communicate, the fake plastic trees, the gunboat in a sea of fear) are the ones that most articulately define the feelings of alienation, so it’s the album you come to when you feel the most alienated. And that’s a pretty special thing.

Want One, by Rufus Wainwright
There’s moments that come along once in while where you hear something genuinely new, things you didn’t know existed in the world until that moment. That’s how I felt when I saw a clip of Rufus Wainwright performing ‘Vibrate’ from Want One on some late night review program back in 2003, and was hooked. His mix of the classical and the contemporary and some truly awe-inspiring song-writing is something incomparable. He’s one of those guys that makes you wonder why you’re bothering to try since you’ll never say it as clearly or as cleverly as him. Incidentally, seeing Rufus live performing songs from Want One and Want Two was one of my favourite gigs ever.

Without You I’m Nothing, by Placebo
There’s just no-one in the world who can do what these guys do as well as they can do it, and there’s something incredibly appealing about that. When Molko sings the chorus line from the title track “Without you, I’m nothing”, you really feel it – that’s something you can’t fake.

On How Life Is, by Macy Gray
Maybe it was just that this album arrive at a point in my life where I started to write music that I’ve got such affection for it. Or maybe it’s just the groove. This sits in the category for me of a perfect album, there’s no waste, no fat, nothing I’d loose to improve it. It’s ten perfect tracks, a killer voice, amazing feel – and if you ever doubt Macy’s songwriting abilities just listen to ‘Still’ and tell me she can’t write a good tune.

How do you approach playing live, and do you enjoy the live experience?

Playing live for us is like cooking Chinese food; it takes us a month’s worth of serious preparation to play for half an hour. And I’m happy with that - I’d far rather spend a month producing half an hour of really honed material than go out gigging three times a week playing stuff I don’t really care about. I basically want every show we do to be worth the ticket price. Everybody has bad nights and that’ll never change, but if we fuck up because we haven’t rehearsed enough then that’s our fault and there’s no excuse for charging people money to see that show. Also, I have trouble persuading people to come and see me support a band that I wouldn’t want to see myself so I now try to wait for shows that I have a genuine emotional investment in, then I can get enthusiastic when I’m trying to sell it to people.

What are your plans for the band this year?

Well after my rant earlier about setting your own limitations I think my priority has got to be getting out and about gigging outside of Portsmouth!

And finally, as this article is called ‘Welcome to the Beautiful South’, what is your favourite Beautiful South song?

Rotterdam, for a particular reason. As Chris Rock said, “Whatever music was playing when you started having sex, you’re going to love that music for the rest of your life.” So…

The Witches EP by Loz Bridge and the Box Social is out now, and you can read more about it here.

Polly Scattergood + Loz Bridge And The Box Social + The Marvellous Mechanical Band + Le Plat Du Jour @ Portsmouth Cellars

Before Polly Scattergood parades the stage at Portsmouth Cellars three local acts bring a diverse range of supports for this evenings gig, each of which is worthy of some attention.

Breaking More Waves had the pleasure of attending the very first Le Plat du Jour gig, and two years on we witness an artist slowly finding her musical feet with an ever deepening maturity. She brings scratchy violins, deep literary references, banjos, acoustic guitars and bluesy PJ Harvey meets KT Tunstall vocals to the stage; all highly satisfying for a first on the bill artist. See You Next Tuesday (C.U.N.T for short) is a sad, but self assured song of betrayal about someone that the singer despises “I don’t need to confirm who I am to you,” she sings with an inner strength of someone finding herself against a simple downbeat guitar backing.

“I hope you’re all limbered up,” asks Matt the lead singer of The Marvellous Mechanical Band, with the promise of involving the audience at a later point in their set. Dressed in orange boiler suits, bunny hats, and scary masks the Marvellous Mechanical Band do not take themselves too seriously. They are here to banish those who think that all music should be solemn and weighty with a performance that brings to mind the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, a third division punk group and some hoary old rockers from the 70’s. It is quite frankly bizarre, possibly rubbish, but perversely enjoyable. “Those of you who are stats fans, that was about 8% correct,” they announce after one shambolic song of insanely stupid rocking riffs. Later they engage the audience in quite possibly the first ever call and response drum solo, with the audience asked to replicate what the drummer plays. “We’re very aware that we’re very silly,” they announce. Correct, but nothing wrong with that. It is at least entertaining.

Loz Bridge And The Box Social present a much more elegant blend of musical sophistication. Loz is not your typical rock and roller; he’s suited, bespectacled and drinking white wine (the Cellars has run out of red apparently). The bands sound ranges from elegant cocktail bar jazz to more upbeat bluesy numbers. November sees the band completely immersed in the music, the double bass player eyes shut, the guitarist crouched down , Loz’s vocal effortlessly light yet potent. New single Witches, with audience participation on its bavarian rabble rousing chorus is the highlight, an anthem for anyone who “left the house this morning to a job they don’t like,” as Loz describes it.

Polly Scattergood arrives on stage in high heels with bows, patterned tights and an outlandish shiny dress. She is certainly here to make an impression visually, but what of the music and performance? Polly may not have the big ballsy vocal that seems to be the de rigeur for solo female performers these days; instead she produces a relatively timid girlish sound, reminiscent of a slightly wonky Kate Bush. However its lack of authority gives the sense of attending a delicate whispered confessional; a schizophrenic confessional that often disarms and disturbs with its lyrical extremes. It’s not clear if Polly is singing autobiographically or if these tunes are just characters in her mind, but either way they are edgy and often bitterly dark. The words are open to many interpretations, but there appear to be reflections on drunken betrayal on Other Too Endless, saying goodbye to life on Nitrogen Pink and hints of a dark relationship and the loss of innocence on opening song I Hate The Way which suffers a false start due to the dreaded ‘technical hitches‘.

It’s not all slash your wrists traumatic however, with Polly making fun of herself on the poppy Please Don’t Touch where she lists some of her inadequacies “I can’t play pretty tunes, and my hair is always messy,” she sweetly sings, whilst clawing the air and tussling her hair in a theatrical and possibly contrived way as keyboards, drums and guitar provide a Bjork meets Goldfrapp meets Black Box Recorder backing.

The songs that Polly Scattergood performs tonight are unlikely to bring her into the mainstream, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. However the unsettling air of her lyrics and the left field creativity that she displays musically suggest that her album, when released in March, may be an intriguing listen. Ultimately a Polly Scattergood show is like one of Breaking More Waves favourite puddings. All sensually good looking and sweet on the outside, but as one bites deeper one finds hidden tastes that may be bitter and dark, but are ultimately more satisfying.

Loz Bridge and the Box Social - New Waves @ Breaking More Waves

On their debut EP Portsmouth based Loz Bridge and the Box Social sing of witches by the fax machine and evil in the admin team. Loz Bridge has obviously suffered one too many dead end office jobs and is prepared to let his calloused and vitriolic imagination run wild around the workplace. Witches is set to a stomping and romping bass heavy march that creates images of the monotony of mundane office life as Loz spits “I hate my job,” with a call and response anger at the endless slog. “Come on you scum you can do it, put your backs into it,” he calls towards the end. Loz is not a satisfied man.

Loz Bridge is Preston born, but is now living just round the corner from Breaking More Waves towers. Together with his band the Box Social he claims they are heavily influenced by the likes of Tom Waits and Nick Cave. Whilst musically this may be the case, there is little of either artists savage whiskey soaked growl to the recorded vocal. That is not to say that Bridge’s vocal is not without its own character however. On the smoky jazz of November, Bridge displays a warm unruffled voice reminiscent of Tim Buckley or Chris Martin that beautifully overlays the lightly brushed drums and tinkling piano. This vocal beauty is continued on Sarah And The Wolves, a melancholy number of loss that sees a lonely Loz sing “I don’t want to know what you’re doing locked away behind closed doors.” It could find fans amongst those who enjoy Elbow, Buckley and the more organic side of Radiohead. It’s not all sad and reflective though; the bluegrass of By The River demonstrates that Loz Bridge and the Box Social are a band that are also rooted in the toe tapping banjo sounds of alt Americana and have a mature earthy diversity that will hold them in good stead.

The Witches EP is available to purchase here.