MOOD SWINGS30th April 2000Level One (ground floor; mainly acoustic): 2.30-Fiel Garvie 3.30-Um 5.00-Magoo 6.30-Hofman 8.00-Matthew Jay Level Two (upstairs; electric): 2.00-Nikita 3.00-Hirameka Hi-Fi 4.15-Reynolds 5.45-Phobia 4000 7.15-The Dandys 8.45-Seafood 9.30-Twinkie FIEL GARVIENoisebox's latest discovery Fiel Garvie were the first of many laid back lo-fi indie acts to grace the cold tiled floor of Level 1. Having not seen or heard this band before I was approaching the situation with an open mind, as always. My reaction? A cross between Bettie Serveert and Drugstore with some classic knee bending and some potentially groovy but laid back tunes. The singer looks younger than she is, due to size and stature, but has a presence that invites you to warm to the band and respect them for what they are. Their latest CD single Better Gaze was on sale at the venue and was worth a purchase at £2.50 with two B-sides. Having got it home and carefully peeled away its originally designed casing, I realised in hindsight that Fiel Garvie were one of the best bands of the event and the CD didn't let me down. With a debut album out on Noisebox later this year, they are my "one to watch." (T.F.)UMI think that this one man show decided to call himself Um as it was the reaction that he got when performing for the first time to a live audience. As you can imagine, this is not your conventional live set. Firstly, there's only one of them, secondly, he doesn't play an instrument (well I tell a lie; he played a few short bursts on his mouth organ) and thirdly, even then, it's not what you'd expect. It's like watching a nervous stand-up comedian on his first night of showcasing his new material, except it's in the form of computer written ditties and live vocals. "I Want To Kill Myself (Like Kurt)" and "Dogs Speak English" are about suicide and miscarriage, not the sort of concepts that a stand-up comedian would use, so you catch my drift?! Highlights of the set were the memorable "Bum Titty Whine" performed with the help of Steve from Hofman, and "Holy Fire Holy Water" which captures the best of Um's songwriting ability in a Beck/The Doors kind of way. (T.F.)MAGOONext up, the mighty Magoo from nifty Norwich. Of all of Norwich's musical exports, Magoo are certainly the ones to have made the most headway, and are a clear inspiration to their contemporaries - three albums on Chemikal Underground isn't bad going! Their performance today was melancholic, thoroughly enjoyable and fully appreciated. Andrew's presence was felt around The Park, bringing a touch of class to the proceedings. Minus a drummer, and with more shake-endre than usual, Magoo ploughed through a set crammed with quality, none more so than "A To Z And Back Again" and "The Guilt Club", featured on their many-tracked album The Soteramic Sounds Of Magoo. My highlight of the festival! (M.J.)HOFMANIn their own little "Oh well it's time to um play a gig again" kind of way, Hofman really do get into all those hard to reach places, providing you with something to feast on - this time with an (not really at all) acoustic set, which really exposes Hofman for what they are, a relatively calm but cunning bunch of characters. It's a strange old world, when wacky wild and wonderful, coupled with the ability to satisfy the masses, fails to reach the top of the mountain. Maybe Hofman have pitched their tent half way up with no desire to continue what now looks like an impossible mission. It's jiggery-pokery mayhem with singer Steve all the way through the set. His improvisation sets the band apart from their contemporaries. Hofman excite without doing anything, how? The band frustrate. Like that team continually missing out on the play-offs, every year. But why? Can they be arsed, can't they be arsed? Is it just a laugh, or is it their burning passion to conquer the world? (R.W.)MATTHEW JAYI was told beforehand that I should quite like Matthew Jay. Tuneful and not too heavy is what I imagined. As he sat alone on his stool with his acoustic guitar, I realised that I was not going to be too far off the mark. The first couple of songs, "Hope She's Right" and "Recharge", illustrated what was to come - nice guitar with clear and pleasant vocals. The songs were a bit samey with the obvious limitations of a single performer. 'Is this the same song?' I overheard someone ask towards the end of the set. Well, no, it wasn't and some songs were more distinctive with deeper vocals and lower notes contrasting the lighter moments. Matthew Jay had the audience clapping along to his final two songs which were slightly more upbeat. The performance that he put on was great and he is obviously a very talented musician, however he just needed a bit more of an edge, which, when with his band, I'm sure he provides. (R.W.)The Hexx 002 fanzine, 18 Frognall, Deeping St. James, Peterborough PE6 8RR. |