Rock 'n' Roll Circus - Friday
If a certain Danish brand of lager did music festivals, they’d do this one.
It’s a scorching hot Friday afternoon; the weeks work is done so it’s off to the park we go. The pop-up venue and giant circus tent is looking absolutely amazing with performers greeting us as soon as we walk in. First up are PleasureInc, live from Norwich.
And wow! It's a very loud and raucous start to the afternoon as they explode onto the stage, quite literally. They are looking and sounding absolutely fabulous at 15:45 and they come fully loaded with tons of energy and the tunes to boot. Their performance is extremely entertaining and thoroughly watchable, plus you can't beat a band that has a singing drummer now, can you?
The early festival goers are already swelling the tent and by the close of their thirty-minute set it's getting very busy in here. I can’t wait to see them again sometime soon to further check them out.
Next up is Scotland’s Brooke Combe, (pronounced Comb, we are soon informed) she’s looking very resplendent. Delivering a jazzy soul mood with ice cool beats and grooves; I am feeling a Neneh Cherry vibe here just now. She’s a quite beautiful vocalist with a thoroughly charming personality to match, coupled with stylish, sassy looks in her Doc Marten boots and cut-off jeans, the girl is oozing class and sophistication. Hopefully, she will also be back around here to also play again soon.
The girl is on a roll, just five years into her musical career, she already has a debut album out and her first house under her belt, long may her success continue.
And so, to The Lemonheads!
Chief, Lemonhead Evan Dando, is looking ever so slightly dishevelled as he half staggers onto the very large stage!
He looks a little lost and I think that he’s maybe had a couple of sherbets on the way in. He throws off his ruck sack and half volleys it’s into the middle of the floor! He then gives us ten minutes of just Dando on his battered acoustic; it’s looking as well-worn as its rightful owner!
He has been acoustically ours in his full-on raw state, his sole has been laid bare, he confesses that they may not be the most professional band around, but that doesn’t bother us as right now he does have our full attention!
His band join in after ten minutes and it all kicks in as it goes up a couple of gears, it is quite chaotically brilliant stuff. As the song (Rudderless) say’s, ‘like ship without a rudder’ at times but it works.
He has played most of the set with just three strings on his electric guitar (also very battered), and despite calling for assistance to get it restrung, his request appears to have fallen on deaf ears, but maybe, just maybe the roadies couldn't understand his ramblings? We, couldn’t so why should they?
It’s been a thoroughly engaging, memorable, joyful, nostalgic, and intriguing set, you just have to love The Lemonheads now don’t you.
We never did find out what was in the precious ruck sack!
And so, we go onto, Reverend And The Makers.
The atmosphere is building into a crescendo in the congregation and its only 18.45 as we eagerly await the Reverend and his flock to the tent, cries of Yorkshire, Yorkshire, Yorkshire ring loudly round the canvas and he’s straight on the front foot, whipping up a frenzy, just like any good preacher man knows how to do.
“Were a five-piece band, every tune is a banger, we’re indie sensations from Sheffield.”
Lacking in confidence is not something that can be said of main man John McClure.
He announces the next song as Heavyweight Champion Of The World, but he’s got it wrong! We're advised to always check our set list out if we are aspiring singers! But when said song does come round on the set list, we are told that if we don't sing, he's gonna set his dog on us!
If you haven’t already done so, then do let the preacher man into your life if he's not already got a place in your record collection. They more than deliver the goods and It’s a set packed full of great songs with bucket loads of energy!
It’s my first time of watching the band this afternoon, I have clearly been living under a rock! But it most definitely will not be the last of that, I am sure. I have joined his congregation; it’s been like a new religion conference these past forty-five minutes.
I've seen the light brother Jon. Wow! What a presence? We have all felt the love as The Reverend And The Makers have delivered a knockout punch of a set, they have most certainly left their mark, so can the day really get any better than this as The Reverend leaves the building.
What next?
How about we head over to Lancashire for Wigan’s finest, The Lathums.
That atmosphere that I have mentioned is still going up a notch or three! But the band for some reason are running ten minutes behind schedule despite the strict timings!
Just looking at the bands stage set up before our very eyes, those big Lathums letters that are glowing brightly, informs you that they are now playing in the big time.
They seem much more confident and have greater stature, swagger and balls with Alex Moore really leading from the front, he and they have so much more of a presence than the band that I saw at the Waterfront on their previous visit to Norwich.
Moore is owning the floor this evening right from the opening chords of Stellar Cast, it’s a blistering start. They are some three albums in now and the set is rich in quality if not in quantity! Every track is of a very high standard from Say My Name to new song Heartbreaker (have they been listening to Slade?).
On a day that Vladamir Putin and Donald Trump met to discuss potential peace talks in Ukraine, The Great Escape’s lyrics resonate more than ever as he sings, ‘can we give peace a try!
These guys are the voice of love and happiness, but very sadly a fight breaks out during the epic Artificial Screens, but the very perceptive Moore spots it, flags it and its dealt with super efficiently by the security staff, as he says, ‘there’s always one idiot that wants to ruin the fun’, the track is extended until the individual is ejected from the tent. Next up rather aptly is Fight On.
The vocals of both Moore and the crowd are in fine form, it’s a magical glittery set list, sprinkled in Wigan gold. You don’t need no diamonds or pearls when you’ve got The Lathums in your house. Their song writing craft is already way beyond their young years.
They have reminded tonight of us of just how beautiful life can be (thank you).
So, a great setlist from the Lancashire hot pots, but I am left feeling somewhat deprived at those lost minutes, fifteen minutes in total as they depart five minutes earlier than scheduled!
And so, to the headliners, Courteeners
A few minutes before they enter the stage, to their walk out music, What’s The Story Morning Glory by Oasis is booming out and everyone in the tent is singing it at the top of their voices, and naturally we are all sounding the business!
They start the show with Are You In Love With A Notion and it’s a chaotic scene, flares are being set off, limbs are going everywhere, audience participation is on full throttle right from the off with Liam Fray holding us in the palm of his hands.
He is looking great and sounding just like a dream, he is an effervescent front man if ever there was one, if he wants us to sing, then it would be damn right rude not too, wouldn’t it?
The crowd are lapping it all up hanging on his every word, with Liam, Liam, Liam chants ringing around from start to finish. The set list does seem to go a little wayward at times, with several classics missing but you cannot fault the delivery at all.
Fray informs us that tonight has got to him, he’s been doing this for twenty years now and tonight is one just one of those nights where there has been magic in the air.
Tracks from the most recent album (Pink Cactus Café) get an airing and it’s obvious that these have already been adopted by the masses.
They close with Not Nineteen Forever and What Took You So Long, what a terrific way to wrap a great show from one of the greatest indie bands of all time. It’s fair to say that its gone rather barmy in here just now but there’s kids on their parents’ shoulders having a wail of a time, there’s kids falling asleep in their parents’ arms, while us grown-ups go crazy!
It’s been a quite magical day and for that the organisers deserve a massive pat on the back for creating a very safe and special environment, a very well executed occasion, one that will live long in the gig memory bank. There has been plenty of things to see and do, with some great relaxation space also, along with lots of toilets, food options and bars!
If a certain Danish brand of lager did music festivals, they’d do this one. Hopefully, it will be back sometime soon, until then all hail the Rock N Roll Circus.
Hail, hail Rock N Roll.
Steve Plunkett
Dedicated to one of life’s good guys. Rich Hutchins. 12.6.68 to 22.7.25 RIP x
