Radstock 2014

Yashin, Canterbury, Fearless Vampire Killers, LostAlone, Verses and Bentley Park

March 30th, 2014

Liverpool O2 Academy

Last year we decided to try the new one day music festival, Radstock, which was hosted by the O2 Academy in Liverpool and saw 24 bands across three stages.  It was a brilliant day and we were looking forward to this years following the announcement in October that Kids in Glass Houses, Funeral for a friend and Yashin would be on the set list.  Our excitement was to be short  lived.....

In February Kids in Glass Houses announced that they would be doing a final tour and then splitting up, which was quickly followed with an announcement from Radstock that Kids In Glass Houses had been pulled from the line up and that the festival would now be split across two shorter days, with only six bands appearing on each night. 

As there was only Funeral for a Friend that really held any pulling power for us on the Saturday night we decided to miss the Saturday show and just go for the Sunday.

I had seen all six of the bands on the bill before so I knew that we would be in for some good music but when we got there we found that it was in the small two tiered room and that each band would only be playing for half an hour each, with the exception of headliners Yashin who got 45 minutes.

Unfortunately, due to the amount of smoke and the lighting used in the small Academy room at Liverpool none of my photographs of the actual show are good enough to use, but I have included a few taken when I met some of the bands after the show.

Kicking off tonight were Bentley Park, from Manchester.  I saw these guys back in February when they supported White Clouds And Gunfire, and I wasn't over impressed with them, but tonight they did impress me.  Their performance seemed better rehearsed and a lot tighter than the last time I saw them.  If they continue the way they did tonight I think they will do well.

Next up were Verses, a band I saw supporting The Dangerous Summer last year.  I really enjoyed Verses the first time I saw them and I really enjoyed them again tonight.  Their music sounded great and they had a great presence on stage.  Although they are not a band I have paid too much attention to in the past, I am going to look see what material they have out there and invest in some.  These guys looked like they really enjoyed what they were doing which made us enjoy it more too.

Third band up are an old favourite of mine, Lostalone.  LostAlone used their Radstock set well by playing just the right amount of old songs to keep the fans happy ('Vesuvius', 'Creatures' and 'Do You Get What You Pray For') as well as showcasing a few songs from their new album 'Shapes Of Screams' which is released on April 6th, such as 'The Bells The Bells' and 'Scarlet Letter Rhymes'.  If the live songs are anything to go by then the new album will have been well worth waiting for.

Next up is another old favourite of mine, the Fearless Vampire Killers.  Kicking off with my favourite 'Bows Ties On Dead Guys', they got the girls (and boys) screaming and bouncing.  These guys really know how to put on a good show and never fail to disappoint.  Also taking the set as a good time to showcase new songs we were treated to 'Danger' from their album which will be out later in the year. Finishing with 'A War With The Thirst', they left the crowd on a real high.

Next were Canterbury.  I last saw these guys last April at the Deaf Institute in April and I will admit that they didn't really thrill me that night and I have to admit that of all the bands tonight these guys impressed me the least.  Don't get me wrong, they were good and had good melodies and lyrics, but they lacked a certain something.  Maybe if they had have been on the bill before LostAlone and Fearless Vampire Killers it may have been different but their less energetic set seemed a bit of an ante climax (although it did give us all a chance to recuperate before Yashin).

Last up were the Yashin, another band that never fails to impress.  Their blend of Kevin's screamo lyrics mixed with Harry's melodic singing are the perfect yin and yang.  These guys also treated us to some songs from their new album which is to be released later in the year as well as favourites such as 'Friends In High Places', 'Stand Up', 'Runaway Train' and 'New Year, New York'.  Yashin are a burst of energy and charisma, and whether Harry is climbing around the ledge that runs around the arches to the lower part of the room or hanging upside down from the lighting bar above the stage, there is never a dull moment when these guys are on the stage.

One thing that I love about the Radstock Festival is that the artists wander around the venue throughout the night and hang with fans or simply watch their friends perform. During the course of the show I got talk to Mark from LostAlone and found myself stood next to the lead singer of Canterbury at the bar.  After the show I got to chat to Alan Williamson from Lostalone, Drew, Kier and Laurence from FVK and Connor from the Yashin.

Radstock is a fangirl heaven and even though I wasn't a big fan of the change in the way it was presented over two days instead of one this year, I still had a brilliant time and would still go again next year.