The new ‘Handmade Festival’ is a festival of music and arts set in the city of Leicester in the UK.
For one weekend, organisers took over venues and some more ‘unusual’ spaces across the city to fill them with awesome things. Music, comedy, art, photography.
With a fantastic line-up that included Rolo Tomassi, Nine Black Alps, Dutch Uncles, Arcane Roots, We Were Promised Jet Packs, and The Twilight Sad – among very many others – this promised to be a monumental weekend.
Our thanks go out to all those who contributed, performed or volunteered – to make this 3 day event a huge success.
Stand-out moments included, for us, the Surrender the Coast lads with their furious and ambitiously biting, scurrilous, high-powered & brow-beating rhythms. They set the The People’s Photographic Gallery alight with their blistering heavyweight beavering. It was a pity that it was such a short set. But when the music is this high-octane – the less you have – the more powerfully it explodes. Their show was a crazy storm of barely contained anger and voluminous wrath.
Also worth mentioning was The Twilight Sad – playing a luminous set – brimming with subtle lighting and mythological ambience. And also Tall Ships who played to a colossal crowd at the Firebug with a show that dug deep into our hearts, and left us with some long-lasting memories.
Leicester’s own ‘Her Name Is Calla’ played at the magical venue of Bishop’s Street Church. The pews were fit to bursting for a set that was accomplished and fittingly mythological. The dark and brooding pieces sat comfortably within the strict lines and the reverent surroundings of the church.
The immensely original outings from the expansive indie-rock band ‘We Were Promised Jetpacks’ were also heavy and rousing – and their sounds filled the space at People’s Photographic. Explosive and full of bluster, at times … their artistry was, however, absorbing, effusive and totally addictive.
Oh, and a special mention must go to Chief Clancy Wiggum lookalikey Rob Deering. Rob is the UK’s “Foremost guitar-wielding, loop-layering stand-up comedian.” He played a typically hilarious one-man show at the Firebug – particularly memorable was the “Wonderful Tonight” cover written by Eric Clapton (about Pattie Boyd.) As Rob observed, he was “Obviously pissed … long before he even went to the party…” We urge you to see Rob for yourself (Look out for him at this years Download in June.)
We cannot wait for next year!
Link:
http://handmadefestival.co.uk/
RAW RAMP 