A review by Sarah Fox

04.07.2009.

Following months of gallant organisation by North Yorkshire’s crack team of planners, co-ordinators, in-the-loop music makers and sprightly young volunteers, Saturday 4^th July saw CultureShock Festival 2009 pitch up and positively burst forth into Pickering Show Ground. Manned with enough biros to rewrite War and Peace, a toppling headful of questions and a makeshift ‘Access All Areas’ pass, I went down to check out the music.     

Following Epic on the Main Stage were ‘Isotopia’, whose juggernaut vocals, wall-to-wall leaden guitar pulsation and thunderous drumming was cast from the speakers to tug a colony of headbangers to the front of the crowd. Described by their frontman as ‘loud and noisy’, ‘Isotopia’ certainly served up a heavy metal showpiece of the first degree.

Isoptopia’s set having screeched to a close, I made my way through an ever-growing crowd of Camden-cool teenagers to the Acoustic Chillout Tent. Peppered by shadow and lowlights and housed in a giant tee-pee, the Acoustic Chillout stage provided the perfect antidote to the heavy strumming of the Main Stage.

A floral-dressed, kitsch patchwork of songbird vocals and balmy acoustic by the name of Ailish Breen was the first to take the mic. Complete with a high-pitched ‘thank you voice’ and dulcet lyrics, Ailish charmed the audience with her self-described ‘folky stuff’ in what was her first appearance at CultureShock.

The next act accommodated by the Acoustic Chillout Tent were ‘The Shadracks’, for whom CultureShock Festival was (unbelievably!) the first ever gig. Frontman Aaron’s tongue-in-cheek description of the band as ‘absolutely brilliant’ was not at all off the mark. Featured twice on BBC introducing, the quirky indie band’s upbeat, synonymous-with-summer sound was excellently supported by quality songs. With catchy, catchy lyrics, sneaky jazz and blues overtones and choruses to keep you humming for days, 2009 could be a very successful year for the Scarborough four piece.   

After having been refuelled by a mighty Quorn burger from the festival’s impressively extensive food supply, I continued to watch a myriad of top-notch acts across both stages. The Main Stage hosted a contortionist named Iona, who had been featured on ITV’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. Seemingly possessing pipe cleaners rather than bones, Iona defied many a solid/liquid/gas law of science through twisting, bending and curling herself into an array of theoretically impossible positions.  

Continuing through the afternoon, the Main Stage saw a seamless line-up of local bands, including ‘Leonard’s Revenge’. The Leed’s band’s grin-inducing chord progressions coupled with their enticing blend of classic pop covers and self written material saw them pip 49 other bands to the post in winning a Battle of the Bands competition, their prize being a slot at CultureShock.  Following ‘Leonard’s Revenge’, Northallerton’s class act ‘Eskimo Sandwich’ took to the stage in their 4^th appearance at CultureShock. Sporting everything from wayfarers to waistcoats, the band took to the stage to unleash an intriguing blend of stripped down wasp synths and heavy guitar blocks, with a light overwash of jazz. To directly quote a phrase of lead vocalist George Boomsma, this was a ‘sweet as’ set from a band definitely worth pursuing. Meanwhile, the Acoustic Tent had not been without its fair share of quite marvellous artists, the most memorable being Mark Boden, a flamenco guitarist and singer, accompanied by Phil Philo on a second guitar and, for a cover of Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’, Holly Shaverdi’s mind-blowingly rich vocals. Mark’s Geordie accent was usurped by impressively authentic biting Spanish tones as he and Phil entranced the crowd. The guitar playing itself was very enjoyable and manifestly highly skilled, albeit it of a genre slightly incongruous with the players! 

‘Unfinished Drawings’ were the final act of the evening to play in the Acoustic Tent. Their passionate stage presence and soulful sound drew a crowd of fans, all of whom participated in celebratory, synchronised party popper popping as the band finished their set. After having waited for the ensuing demand for photographs, autographs and guitar picks from a sea of starstruck fans to die down, I managed to catch a word with a very dazed Toby and Tom, who couldn’t quite get over the surreality of being mobbed by teenage girls… With their album available from July 11^th online, it would seem that ‘Unfinished Drawings’ are set to make even more of a name for themselves.  

As evening started to spread over Pickering Show Ground, so came the time everyone had been waiting for: the headliners. A swelling crowd had congregated at the Main Stage in eager anticipation of Little Comets. We were not disappointed. The Little Comets shot to the stage skinny be-jeaned and every part the epitome of Noughties indie pin-ups to unfold a plenitude of crowd frenzying build-ups, staccato vocals laced with ‘that Geordie twang’ and class melodies. Again exploiting my almighty Access All Areas status, I met the band. They very politely invited me into their van (complete with modish wallpaper and homemade curtains) for a word. With stories of Mark’s past life as a professional contortionist (yes, really), surprise gigs at Uni lecture halls and influences reigning from genre blending and stories, it was clear that this band have something a bit different. With their coveted balance of good music, lyrics with substance and cracking personalities, I for one am expecting Little Comets to light up the 2009 music scene.

For me, the final act of the evening was ‘Infadels’. The very name meaning ‘destroyers of the old, creators of the new’, their joltingly sui generis fusion of electronica and rock combined with a massive stage presence pushed the crowd’s energy through the roof. Influenced by everything from wonky pop and electro to dubstep, ‘The Infadels’ described their sound as being ‘accessibly weird’ and praised CultureShock for its ‘ace’ crowd. ‘The Infadels’ will be touring after the release of their single ‘Future of the Gravity Boy’.  

To conclude, CultureShock 2009 provided a monumental day of spinning excitement and fantastic entertainment – and that was just the music! With so much for to offer, I will definitely be back at CultureShock next year. And the year after… and the year after that…