
Blog: Archives: 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 About/Contact	Alright ladies? Any youse into Talulah Gosh? Indietracks Festival 23, 24, 25 July, 2010 Midland Railway, Butterley, Derbyshire We arrived about 8 30 on Friday night, after about 3 hours of lush midland motorway, passed through the prick barriers and nothing beeped, so continued into the stunning midland railway site with just enough time to get a Nutty Black ale in before Eddie Argos took to the stage with his side project Everybody was in the French Resistance… Now! Argos has a great presence about him as he struts about the stage, his unmistakable singing voice pouring out with great honesty and wit, and he’s glowing with charisma with his suit and earring. The songs are great, coloured by Argos’ personality, big beats and keyboard flying throughout and then Argos’ lyrics taking Avril Lavigne to the cleaners and taking Martha Reeves down a peg. During ‘Think Twice (it’s not alright)’ Argos jumped the barrier and ventured into the crowd and broke into some U2! At Indietracks! Fucking great stuff! He even made that sound good. They didn’t play one of my favourite tracks, ‘He’s a Rebel’, but ‘Superglue’ as appose to Elastica’s ‘Vaseline’ was amazing. It happened last year with Au Revoir Simone, and it happened this year too, one of, if not the best band I saw all weekend happened to be the first one, it was so good that I got carried away started slugging the ales and ciders down and before I knew it, I was dancing like a madman in all three of the discos at the same time. Saturday I didn’t surface until late afternoon due to the extent of my ale and cider mixing antics so ended up missing Betty and the Werewolves. I wanted to watch them because of the Hesse references on their MySpace but I was quickly over it, “Alright ladies? Any youse into Talulah Gosh?” The Just Joans took to the stage. As well as having the best dancer at Indietracks they also have some of the most amazing songs and a ginger choir. Tear stained ballads about losing touch with old friends, growing up, and old girlfriends that at one point set Jimmy McGee off crying his heart out. The beautiful ‘What Do We Do Now?” closed a magical set and after that, similar to Gordon McIntyre in the church last year, it was so good that I couldn’t face watching another band for a while. A few hours later Ballboy took to the outdoor stage where I first fell in love with them 3 years ago, Gordon’s songs like an overflowing cauldron spitting out true emotion and an honesty that’s just truly beautiful. They played a great set consisting of old nuggets and brand new gems; amazing full band versions of ‘I am an Indie Pirate and I Will Scuttle Ye!’, ‘Sex is Boring’, ‘Essential wear for Future Trips to Space’, and the stunning ‘I’ve Got Pictures of You in Your Underwear’. Straight after Ballboy I headed to the church to see if I could get a glimpse of David Tattersall but it was packed in there, so we went around the side of the church to peer through the window. I was a bit gutted I couldn’t get in because he's the best guitarist I’ve ever seen. Whilst around the side though my friend notified me of what has to be the funniest thing ever to happen at Indietracks: someone was taking a wildy next to a car and shouted over to my friend to find some doc leaves for her arse! Well I thought nothing could top that but The Primitives took to the stage and played a thunderous set. Singer Tracy Tracy bounced around the stage like she was 17 again and set the night on fire when ‘Crash’ burst out of the speakers. Then it was time for more disco action. Back at the campsite Jimmy McGee of the Bobby McGee’s played an amazing little set at the top of a wooden climbing frame. The hits kept on rolling; ’69 Ways’, ‘Song for Kylie’ and then ‘Old Mining Town’, it’s another stunning song from Jimmy; I haven’t stopped listening to it since I got back. Sunday I didn’t struggle to get up as much, and made it down to the festival in time to catch some of MJ Hibbett and the Validators set before heading into the old shed to watch the fiery Specific Heats. The singer/guitarist was going like he was shot from a cannon, surf pop flying around the shed 100mph, the keyboard player had a sparkle in her eyes and looked like she’d just fallen from a dream I had, there was even a mini moshpit at the front, and when ‘Baby, I’m an Existentialist’ roared from the speakers with its great guitar line the whole shed was bouncing! The loves continued to keep the excitement up on the outside stage with a high tempo set, Simon taking to the stage looking like Count Dracula in the best suit and cape I’ve ever seen, blasting out ‘I My She Love You’ and ‘Xs and Os’, Jimmy McGee entered the stage as Jesus, and there was even onstage dancers. At some point, although I can’t remember when, I had a ride in the first class carriage on a steam train. It was so good I wanted to travel the world in it there and then, so then we discussed the possibility of laying our own track. Still looking into it. Shrag were next on the outside stage with their fuzzy guitar lines and screaming female vocals. ‘Ghosts Before Breakfast’ sounded great echoing around the growing crowd and then it was straight off to see Gordon in the Church. We queued for around 20 minutes but it was always going to be worth it. When Gordon plays a small gig with his acoustic guitar its always going to be special. He dedicated the beautiful ‘Slow Days’ to his old friend John Peel and just thinking about it makes the hair on my neck stand up. It’s almost as if Gordon’s songs were wrote especially for this overcrowded small church, you can almost hear hearts breaking when he breaks into ‘Two Hearts’. The set went on to include ‘Cicily’, ‘I lost you but I found Country music’, and ‘Public Park’ and if it wasn’t for last year it would be the best thing I’ve ever seen. After that I just wanted to go to the car and listen to Ballboy all night but I resisted temptation and got a beer in and stumbled over to watch the Pains of being Pure at Heart. The festival was drawing to an end for another year but not before some dancing. The discos were good all weekend; Hefner, Jens Lekman, Le Tigre, Art Brut and Half Man Half Biscuit’s ‘Joy Division Oven Gloves’ all went down, I didn’t hear any Jonathan Richman though! On my travels around the festival I spotted Darren Hayman looking at some old train memorabilia, I would have preferred to have spotted him playing a set but I suppose he’s allowed one year off, I also spotted some guy in a ‘Some Call It Godcore’ Half Man Half Biscuit t-shirt, and walking through the merchandise tent, at the front of the table, was Biscuits for Cerberus by Flipron, if anyone bought that then they know where it’s at! There are just so many things that make the most indie of festivals so special, zero commercialisation, the line-up every year, Jimmy McGee’s guerrilla gigs, Gordon’s magical sets in the church the past two years, dancing to your favourite bands with friends old and new, indiepop Guess Who, the bar on an old train carriage, and free steam train rides. I headed back to Wales with a heavy heart but spirits were lifted in the car with talk of who we’d like to see next year; Half Man Half Biscuit, Brakes, Art Brut, The Indelicates, Jens Lekman, Jonathan Richman, Au Revoir Simone, any of them would be great, but let’s face it, whoever is playing I’m going to be there. Coming home after having such a great time is just shite! I’m now depressed beyond tablets, and gone beyond pills! © 2010 Scott Jones
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Alright ladies? Any youse into Talulah Gosh?

Indietracks Festival
23, 24, 25 July, 2010
Midland Railway, Butterley, Derbyshire

We arrived about 8 30 on Friday night, after about 3 hours of lush midland motorway, passed through the prick barriers and nothing beeped, so continued into the stunning midland railway site with just enough time to get a Nutty Black ale in before Eddie Argos took to the stage with his side project Everybody was in the French Resistance… Now! Argos has a great presence about him as he struts about the stage, his unmistakable singing voice pouring out with great honesty and wit, and he’s glowing with charisma with his suit and earring. The songs are great, coloured by Argos’ personality, big beats and keyboard flying throughout and then Argos’ lyrics taking Avril Lavigne to the cleaners and taking Martha Reeves down a peg. During ‘Think Twice (it’s not alright)’ Argos jumped the barrier and ventured into the crowd and broke into some U2! At Indietracks! Fucking great stuff! He even made that sound good. They didn’t play one of my favourite tracks, ‘He’s a Rebel’, but ‘Superglue’ as appose to Elastica’s ‘Vaseline’ was amazing.

It happened last year with Au Revoir Simone, and it happened this year too, one of, if not the best band I saw all weekend happened to be the first one, it was so good that I got carried away started slugging the ales and ciders down and before I knew it, I was dancing like a madman in all three of the discos at the same time.

Saturday I didn’t surface until late afternoon due to the extent of my ale and cider mixing antics so ended up missing Betty and the Werewolves. I wanted to watch them because of the Hesse references on their MySpace but I was quickly over it, “Alright ladies? Any youse into Talulah Gosh?” The Just Joans took to the stage. As well as having the best dancer at Indietracks they also have some of the most amazing songs and a ginger choir. Tear stained ballads about losing touch with old friends, growing up, and old girlfriends that at one point set Jimmy McGee off crying his heart out. The beautiful ‘What Do We Do Now?” closed a magical set and after that, similar to Gordon McIntyre in the church last year, it was so good that I couldn’t face watching another band for a while.

A few hours later Ballboy took to the outdoor stage where I first fell in love with them 3 years ago, Gordon’s songs like an overflowing cauldron spitting out true emotion and an honesty that’s just truly beautiful. They played a great set consisting of old nuggets and brand new gems; amazing full band versions of ‘I am an Indie Pirate and I Will Scuttle Ye!’, ‘Sex is Boring’, ‘Essential wear for Future Trips to Space’, and the stunning ‘I’ve Got Pictures of You in Your Underwear’.

Straight after Ballboy I headed to the church to see if I could get a glimpse of David Tattersall but it was packed in there, so we went around the side of the church to peer through the window. I was a bit gutted I couldn’t get in because he's the best guitarist I’ve ever seen. Whilst around the side though my friend notified me of what has to be the funniest thing ever to happen at Indietracks: someone was taking a wildy next to a car and shouted over to my friend to find some doc leaves for her arse!

Well I thought nothing could top that but The Primitives took to the stage and played a thunderous set. Singer Tracy Tracy bounced around the stage like she was 17 again and set the night on fire when ‘Crash’ burst out of the speakers. Then it was time for more disco action. Back at the campsite Jimmy McGee of the Bobby McGee’s played an amazing little set at the top of a wooden climbing frame. The hits kept on rolling; ’69 Ways’, ‘Song for Kylie’ and then ‘Old Mining Town’, it’s another stunning song from Jimmy; I haven’t stopped listening to it since I got back.

Sunday I didn’t struggle to get up as much, and made it down to the festival in time to catch some of MJ Hibbett and the Validators set before heading into the old shed to watch the fiery Specific Heats. The singer/guitarist was going like he was shot from a cannon, surf pop flying around the shed 100mph, the keyboard player had a sparkle in her eyes and looked like she’d just fallen from a dream I had, there was even a mini moshpit at the front, and when ‘Baby, I’m an Existentialist’ roared from the speakers with its great guitar line the whole shed was bouncing!

The loves continued to keep the excitement up on the outside stage with a high tempo set, Simon taking to the stage looking like Count Dracula in the best suit and cape I’ve ever seen, blasting out ‘I My She Love You’ and ‘Xs and Os’, Jimmy McGee entered the stage as Jesus, and there was even onstage dancers.

At some point, although I can’t remember when, I had a ride in the first class carriage on a steam train. It was so good I wanted to travel the world in it there and then, so then we discussed the possibility of laying our own track. Still looking into it.

Shrag were next on the outside stage with their fuzzy guitar lines and screaming female vocals. ‘Ghosts Before Breakfast’ sounded great echoing around the growing crowd and then it was straight off to see Gordon in the Church.

We queued for around 20 minutes but it was always going to be worth it. When Gordon plays a small gig with his acoustic guitar its always going to be special. He dedicated the beautiful ‘Slow Days’ to his old friend John Peel and just thinking about it makes the hair on my neck stand up. It’s almost as if Gordon’s songs were wrote especially for this overcrowded small church, you can almost hear hearts breaking when he breaks into ‘Two Hearts’. The set went on to include ‘Cicily’, ‘I lost you but I found Country music’, and ‘Public Park’ and if it wasn’t for last year it would be the best thing I’ve ever seen.

After that I just wanted to go to the car and listen to Ballboy all night but I resisted temptation and got a beer in and stumbled over to watch the Pains of being Pure at Heart. The festival was drawing to an end for another year but not before some dancing.

The discos were good all weekend; Hefner, Jens Lekman, Le Tigre, Art Brut and Half Man Half Biscuit’s ‘Joy Division Oven Gloves’ all went down, I didn’t hear any Jonathan Richman though! On my travels around the festival I spotted Darren Hayman looking at some old train memorabilia, I would have preferred to have spotted him playing a set but I suppose he’s allowed one year off, I also spotted some guy in a ‘Some Call It Godcore’ Half Man Half Biscuit t-shirt, and walking through the merchandise tent, at the front of the table, was Biscuits for Cerberus by Flipron, if anyone bought that then they know where it’s at!

There are just so many things that make the most indie of festivals so special, zero commercialisation, the line-up every year, Jimmy McGee’s guerrilla gigs, Gordon’s magical sets in the church the past two years, dancing to your favourite bands with friends old and new, indiepop Guess Who, the bar on an old train carriage, and free steam train rides. I headed back to Wales with a heavy heart but spirits were lifted in the car with talk of who we’d like to see next year; Half Man Half Biscuit, Brakes, Art Brut, The Indelicates, Jens Lekman, Jonathan Richman, Au Revoir Simone, any of them would be great, but let’s face it, whoever is playing I’m going to be there. Coming home after having such a great time is just shite! I’m now depressed beyond tablets, and gone beyond pills!