10.02.08
It’s not for the cock, it’s for hitting the nail on the head.
Nail The Cross, 27.09.08
It’s that magical time of year again, when the students of the country are riding high on a new injection of what feels like free money, the sun is still shining and in East London there are the hippest of events to attend. Being added to the list this year is New Cross’ ‘Nail The Cross’ festival, a mix of art, music and barbeque filled beer gardens.
Once the sun had set on the various exhibitions the festival had to offer, bands started making their way from the smoking areas to the stages around the town and one of the first to do this were current ‘it band’ Ipso Facto in the Goldsmith’s student union. While style seems to come firmly before substance with every aspect of this band there was still something completely mesmerizing about the morbid garage sound the four dark creatures before us managed to produce. It’s true that the only effort seemed to come from drummer Victoria and it’s true that singer Rosalie’s voice sounds so much like Kate Jackson that you could almost believe that this is what she’s doing in her time off from Long Blondes but Ipso Facto have that something you can’t quite put your finger on but it will keep watching and listening until you can.
Next it was to the Amersham Arms where the sound quality was doing Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man very little justice. Despite that rather significant hindrance front man Frederick’s deliciously dark and deep voice still managed to devour the ever growing audience throughout the set. To go with their unique goth/metal/indie sound the band gave an erratic and animated performance, Frederick loomed around the dimly lit stage with a tormented grimace while the remaining three threw themselves into their instruments displaying expert musicianship worthy of a far greater platform. More than just hype and haircuts, Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man are an underestimated treasure.
With all evidence of the previous set removed from the stage a small table gracing a MacBook was brought on stage and the room knew what was, for many, finally in sight. One of the festival’s biggest names were on their way and the walls started dripping with a mixture of sweat and excitement. These New Puritans are known for delivering either a hit or a miss when it comes to their shows but the chance to see their debut album ‘Beat Pyramid’ performed to perfection is worth the risk. Thankfully, the young four piece were on top form, singer Jack Barnett threw angular shapes around the stage whilst emotively thrusting his vocals into the crowd. If you’ve been disappointed or underwhelmed by a These New Puritans show before definitely consider giving them another chance.
To end the string of live acts for the Amersham was The Cocknbull Kid, a name which has recently been doing the rounds on various ‘ones to watch’ lists. Image wise it’s not difficult to see why, fronted the perfectly styled Anita who looked part hipster part soulstress and although the venue had emptied considerably her entrance turned heads and pulled them to the stage. Sadly, it was for very little as her soulful pop tunes were given a completely lackluster performance which failed to excite even the most enthusiastic of onlookers. Thankfully, the Djs that followed her were there to save the night and get people back into their dancing shoes. The first of what will hopefully be many, Nail The Cross festivals was a great success in every aspect.