After a long and much needed sleep, a pesky shift in work out of the way and several coffees I was geared up for round 2. With Monster Sound Collective's Versus stage set to astonish, a crammed card at District, a hunt for a secret location and a bunch of talent at Unit 51 our work was cut out for us.
All in all, the night ended with a head full of tunes and a belly full of beers, Threshold does not leave you wanting.
Work done, passes at the ready, LETS DO THIS!!! #ThresholdV @ThresholdFest @monsterliv @BladeFactory pic.twitter.com/fkEHHmCpvg
— Yeah Buddy (@YeahBuddyDIY) March 28, 2015
Thieves (because they stole the show);
Hmmm this is a tough one, although I didn't bare witness to it myself, my colleagues raved about Broken Men and Etches. Having worked with BM in the past I do not doubt their excellence. From my personal experience though I would have to go with Pocket Apocalypse Vs (Atlas) at Blade Factory.
Both bands are a testament to how special the independent music scene can be when bands connect and support each other. Both bands took turns in slugging it out, comical banter in between each song made for some fine entertainment. Both bands hammered out a tremendous set out their finest tracks including signature manoeuvres (The Stone Cold) Cycles, (The Peoples) Hollow, (Power) Blossom(b) & Glass (kicker). It was pure entertainment to behold.
First round, seconds out FIGHT! @SingaporeStrat v @Alrightthecapn was a real barn burner! @monsterliv #scoredraw pic.twitter.com/HaQ0eVuXFP
— Yeah Buddy (@YeahBuddyDIY) March 29, 2015
Coolest Venue;
Spent a bit more time in Unit 51 this evening, delving into a packet of wonderful crisps and guzzling a superb Toxteth IPA, which were both as tasty as you like. It is definitely worth checking out all year round for a fine, stylish snack or two and some special lager. Top venue.
Best Line Up;
Without doubt it has to be what Monster Sound Collective put together at Blade Factory. 3 sets of 2 bands taking the stage at the same time, taking turns in playing a song. 6 incredible post, prog and math-rock acts were on display in the zestful & dynamic Polymath, the positively harmonious (ATLAS), the defined chaos of Alright, The Captain, the sleek and fluent Singapore Strategy, the mighty Pocket Apocalypse and the surgically precise Lost in the Riots. A show of undeniable quality and potential the line up of the weekend in its uniqueness and its main event talent.
Next up was @atlasliverpool vs @pocket_apoc in a real grudge match, riffs were fired, #doublecountout @monsterliv pic.twitter.com/3YchASuhi9
— Yeah Buddy (@YeahBuddyDIY) March 29, 2015
Boundary Pushers;
Well this tag could go to Threshold for their secret location idea, to Natalie McCool for her quality team up's with D R O H N E and Silent Cities, to Queen Maud for their surrealist ramble into bizarredom at Unit 51, they were all noteworthy forays into artistic exploration.
Not one to dwell on a point but I would be foolish not to hand this title to Asher and all at Monster Sound Collective for pulling off their Vs stage deftly. Any idea that was taken as a point of great interest by most, it still had certain naysayers. Well last night they proved that hairball ideas like this really are worth busting your ass over. Kudos all round
Pleasant Surprise;
Without doubt this award goes to the sugary treat that was Luna. Caught her at Drop the Dime in between Natalie McCool 2 excellent combo sets and Luna really did hold their own. Delicate tones that coo in the listener. I expect to hear the name a lot more in future and I will certainly look forward to my next experience.
FINISH HIM! @polymathrock went for @lostintheriots jugular. LITR kicked back #brutaldoubleDQ @monsterliv @ThresholdV pic.twitter.com/AXrjALlTMW
— Yeah Buddy (@YeahBuddyDIY) March 29, 2015
YB! New Darlings;
Got to throw it the way of Polymath who scorched Blade Factory with during their battle with Lost in the Riots (who by all means pushed them to their very limits). It was the sheer energy that Polymath exuded that pushed them on an extra level.
Now they are not completely new to YB! and admittedly we did completely cock up a booking with them for Liverpool Calling last year (which we take full responsibility for) but it was the first time we caught them live and they did not disappoint. We will try much harder in the booking department to bag these guys up next time...and Lost in the Riots too, they also kicked the shit. Epic battle.
All in the Detail;
Gotta throw some applause the way of the Threshold organisers or whomever came up with the Drop the Dime idea. Friday night the Liverpool Craft Beer Stage was a refreshing delight as a derelict warehouse come electro HQ, I would go as far as to say though that although it had a modest crowd in attendance, it was not quite done justice. So, when 'Thresholders' were put to the test Saturday night having to solve riddles and collect dimes, the very same venue coaxed a much larger audience to up their gig game and be in attendance for what was another top line up of upcoming talent. Well played
Biggest Regret;
As I only arrived at 19:20 due to work commitments, I was devastated to miss Blood Lips, Scarlet & Emilio Pinchi, next year I'm just gonna take a holiday in work.
Due to clashes I also missed the excellent Broken Men, Joe Symes & The Loving Kind & Etches but luckily the lovely folk at Threshold (Thats you Ally) sorted YB! out with a couple more wristbands so we had full reach. The reports back were glowing;
Broken Men were Matthew's act of the night, he 'was surprised that they aren't plastered all over the radio'
Joe Symes & The Loving Kind were consummate professionals who didn't miss a beat. They've got a bagful of indie pop hits according to Paddy
Etches were well worth the hunt and another band that may well be snapped up as a big time attraction in the near future. Another one of Matthews fave's
Well I've got a few hours to get round this evening but if I can squeeze in any of Farm Feast Vs Mellowtone at Constellations then I'll be delighted. I'll also do my best to sight Michael Bennett, Sheepy, Dominic Dunn & Detail & The Visitors. That would make for a very succesful weekend on the whole
Words by: Krystian Hudson (with help from Liam Gaffney, Paddy Lucas & Matthew Burke- Cheers guys)
Reviewer Profile-
Krystian Hudson is one half of YB!HQ. He is co-founder of Yeah Buddy! and the proud owner of a Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee machine that (potentially) cost over £50.
Front man of defunct unsigned acts Anodes and Dirty Vagrants. Krystian writes from time to time but spends most of his time helping to make Yeah Buddy! awesome.
He is a support worker by trade but moonlights in promoting unsigned bands via Yeah Buddy! online, live and co-promoting Liverpool Calling festival.