The highlight of my weekend was Everybody Was In The French Resistance...Now! Christopher Laird interviewed Eddie Argos (above) for the RadioNowhere Indietracks Special (go to http://www.radionowhere.org/ to listen) and he was a really lovely bloke. I had briefly met him before at a gig in London but everybody in the place was wasted (myself included) and I don't exactly remember making his acquaintance! Eddie was rather annoyed that he was able to play Indietracks but was not able to stay for the whole event, therefore missing the Pooh Sticks on Sunday. His on-stage persona really appeals to me, and the 'reply' songs on the EWITFR...N! album are funny AND clever. I really liked him as he appears to have no ego at all and was just pleased to be there. I also like him because he's bloody talented. My favourite bit from their show, though, was the two 'blokes with beers' standing in front of me for a while watching the show, then seeing one turn to the other and mouth 'what the fuck?' - ace!Other highlights for me included Yokoko who played a set on one of the vintage trains. Apart from my legs going dead while sitting on the train floor watching them, it was great and the band were also very lovely people who just want to get their music out there and get people to hear it, a really down-to-earth attitude about making and sharing music (hooray). One of the best bits for me was their innovative use of a friend as a set list holder (below - front and back:)
The Blanche Hudson Weekend (below) were a breath of fresh air for the festival on Sunday - just as we were all beginning to get slightly twee'd-off, they played the engine shed and blasted the entire audience on the arses with their wonderful feedback-laden sound. On stage, unsmiling and dark, they look like intimidating rock stars, but off stage, the strong Leeds accents and Yorkshire warmth knock you over like an eager puppy - a really cool bunch who make fine music. Clearly influenced by my favourites, The Jesus & Mary Chain, but also bringing to the party echoes of the 60s 'Spector' sound, they surprised me greatly when they said this was only their second gig!
Slow Club were their usual amazing selves (below) - not too keen on festivals by the sound of it, but they played a wonderful set, including my favourite: I Was Unconscious, It Was A Dream. Charles and Rebecca chatted to Christopher Laird and me before their set and told us how excited they were to be going off to Japan, playing a few gigs after that, then taking a break for most of the rest of the year - I think it's about 2 and a half years since I first saw them and they have been gigging relentlessly since then, I think they deserve a holiday!
One of the main reasons for us heading to Indietracks this year was the announcement that Linda Guilala were going to be playing. We were sad that they weren't at last year's festival as it was partly curated by their label, Elefant to celebrate the label's 20th birthday. However, the wait was well worth it. They were wonderful, playing a selection from their album Bucles Infinitos and being joined onstage by Paula and Adria from Papa Topo for their last song, Torremolinos. I LOVE Papa Topo (below) and very much enjoyed meeting them with Linda Guilala after their set. If you haven't seen the video for Oh So Panda, head to YouTube NOW!
