Norwich Sound & Vision Day Two
Day two in full effect
Day two, and the intention is to catch at least 15 minutes from as many of the acts as possible.
Things kick- off at NAC with the polished pop of Ekkah. Decent enough and they should probably be bothering the charts and I can admire the craft but it’s not really my bag. (6/10)
At the Mash Tun, things pick-up with PINS’ strong poppy post-punk. (9/10)
Back at NAC and Tear make an assured debut. Not the finished article but intriguing and promising like Kathleen Hanna fronting the Bad Seeds’ rhythm section circa The Mercy Seat. (8/10)
At the Murderers, Sefo Kenuteh produces something that is gentle, warm, hypnotic and far removed from anything else on this year's bill. (8/10)
Beach Baby are running late at the Mash Tun so I missed 'em as I wanted to catch Hannah Lou Clark at NAC. With Graceland's Ellie sitting in for part of the set, this is classic, timeless, dark pop. (9/10)
Having been away for what seems to have been far too long, Mega Emotion (NAC Bar) are back. Heavier, more industrial but still with a pop heart. (8/10)
Crushed Beaks surprise me at the Mash Tun, veering from indie to Explosions In The Sky style post-rock to dub. What could be a mess is damned fine fun. (8/10)
There's no time to get to for Chrome & Ill-Inspired at the Murderers but LoneLady gets NAC dancing with her Talking Heads-go-electroclash post-punk/funk thing. There's enough twisted noise to prompt further investigation. (8/10)
At the Mash Tun, things are running ever later, with Black Honey getting on stage half an hour after the scheduled start. It is worth the wait. This gothic – but not Goth - rockabilly-swamp-rock hybrid is nothing new but it is played with such enthusiasm and enjoyment, this is the set of the festival so far. And they turn out to be equally enthusiastic when chatting to the fans after the show. (10/10)
All of which means that I miss out on Rope Store, but such is the nature of NS+V.
