Well it's all over & I already feel incredibly sad as this was easily the best Great Escape I'd ever attended, special thanks to all those involved who made this weekend incredible. Didn't see many bands today, was rightfully exhausted after last nights festivities!
1) French Films [Komedia Downstairs] 2.00pm - No better then yesterday they were still the same pop driven indie pop band I saw yesterday and did nothing for me, this was heightend by the hangover I was suffering form at the time. Again solid enough set for what they did and if you like this sort of thing then go for it. 4/10
2) Cheaveu [Komedia Downstairs] 3.15pm - This was great fun, think Fuck Buttons if they did hardcore and you'll have a vivid idea of what these guys do. It's great fun and dancetastic however the live rendition of 'Charlie Sheen' had a lot to be desired, still a great set. 8/10
3) The Soft [Digital] 7.15pm - Fairly decent affair here, it was really pleasent electronic music with a nice pinch of atmosphere as far as opening acts go they were very good at setting the mood for the rest of the gig but it's unlikely I will remember this set for very long. 6/10
4) New Look [Digital] 8.00pm - These guys were pretty good, I was nicely surprised, following the electronic theme of the stage these guys braught a pretty retro 90s club feel over some nice new quirky dynamics and covered the set with hooks. 7/10
5) When The Saints Go Machine [Digital] 8.45pm - I enjoyed this a lot, a hell of a lot, constantly had me guessing and some thrilling climaxes this act reminded me a lot of animal collective with Anthony Hegarty fronting. Great use of dynamics and a good collection of hooks to hang off & complete with energy this set is one I'm remembering. 9/10
6) Errors [Digital] 9.45pm - This set was way too fucking short! I enjoyed it a lot, I danced loads but I some how expected more! As much as I like the albums I feel Errors are a band I'll never fall in love with & I think this is mostly due to the emotional disconnect between the band and the audience. It's clinical guitar & synth driven dance music and if thats what you want then fantastic but I felt they were a slight disappointment in comparisson to 'When The Saints Go Machine' 7.5/10
Best acts of the festival:
1) Trippple Nippples
2) Niki & The Dove
3) Rolo Tomassi
Overall thoughts: Pound for pound I think this was easily the best Great Escape I've ever attended! I think the variety in acts was far superior to previous festivals & it seemed a lot better organised then previous years, the larger emphasis on the Alternative Escape and daytime gigs really helped a lot and made sure the was never a dull moment. Other then the quibble of the Saturday having way too many clashes and the set allocations at the Drownedinsound stage at Digital being a tad questionable where Errors appeared to have the shortest set it was a very good festival with few let downs & I look forward to doing the same next year. The atmosphere was electric all weekend. For the inexperienced Great Escapees I still imagine Great Escape to be a soaring let down as the is still the pressing issue of too many delegate passes and not enough space but for the savvy festival goer this is great value for money.
