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It makes DrownedinSound feel positively ancient. It seems like only yesterday that Dot-To-Dot, Nottingham's finest (read only real) festival was born, and on the weekend of the May 24 it celebrated its third birthday. This year the festival spread to both Bristol and London, but like the most metaphorical of paedophiles DiS was at the weekend's spiritual home to relish every moment of it. Here are the highlights and lowlights, presented in a simple A-Z format that even you can understand.
Words: Jordan Dowling, Dom Gourlay, Joshua Cole
Born Ruffians
On the eve of their debut album release (review), Canadian indie-rockers Born Ruffians are one of the festival's brightest lights. 'Hummingbird' jumps out as the Ace in The Pack, but there are numerous other high points sprinkled throughout the set. Considering their yelpy immediacy and appearance on that bastion of teenage cool, Skins, the band remains surprisingly un-hyped at the moment. But if this tight, enjoyable set is anything to go by, that status will soon change during the long course of festival season. *JC*
Bumblebeez
The worst act I saw this weekend was Bumblebeez, an Australian hip-hop/rock/electro mess who were on at Stealth before Dan Deacon (what a contrast). Frontwoman Queen ViLa' is a lot like the girl from The Ting Tings only more lyrically dreadful (I tried drowning her out by shouting the lyrics to 'That's Not My Name', but to no avail). And people were singing and dancing along! Shocking. This wasn't some sort of fun throwback shtick_ a la _Chromeo. This just sucked. Also, try visiting their flashing MySpace without being sick. Actually, don't. *JC*
Caribou
According to many one of the strongest bands on the line-up, Caribou are disappointingly dull. At best, this was a well-constructed, well-intentioned and vaguely distorted yet harmonious set of indie-pop. But vocally, tracks such as 'Melody Day' rip off Elliott Smith to an unbelievable extent, while lyrics are lost in the thickness as each song drags to a tired, familiar conclusion. Of course this is a subjective opinion, and several people told me how much they had enjoyed the set. Each to their own! *JC*
Cheeky Cheeky & The Nosebleeds // Mirror! Mirror!
At a time when we are encouraged to recycle and get the most out of our resources it feels criminal to give Mirror! Mirror! and Cheeky Cheeky and The Nosebleeds separate reviews. They both shamelessly rip off the dance rock of Foals, they both have less than a thimbleful of genuine talent or ingenuity and they both deserve to meet bloody deaths, at least as groups. Simply another case of bandwagon jumping and the flogging of a (youthful) dead horse. *JD*
Cutting Pink With Knives
Spluttering disco-noise combatants Cutting Pink With Knives divide opinions with the sharpest of blades; it is impossible to categorize them as average or mediocre. Their show seems to find more people on the side of negativity, but their energy and ambition has to be admired. That their stop in Nottingham is to be one of their last shows is a great shame. *JD*
Dan Deacon
A midnight jog through town back to Stealth is in order to catch the unique talents of Dan Deacon. However, what we get isn’t quite what we were expecting. Having never been one to quite conform to audience expectations, Deacon plays a barrage of minimal techno rather than a structured song-based set that, while being largely unrecognisable from his recorded output, at least keeps the late night club vibe going into the early hours. *DG*
Glasvegas
As with last year, the queues to get back into the Rescue Rooms are proving to be a bit of a ball ache. Thankfully, the contrast between the last band onstage (Santogold) and the next one means we get a changeover that’s akin to rush hour at King’s Cross. Adorned in their now customary black, Glasvegas seem to grow in stature, not to mention confidence, with every live show they notch on their belts, and even the fact a few beer-throwing, slam-dancing morons have found their way to the front much to the annoyance of everyone around them doesn’t deflect from yet another astounding performance. ‘Geraldine’, ‘Polmont On My Mind’ and ‘Daddy’s Gone’ are simply breathtaking, while new song ‘Ice Cream Van’ (featuring just James Allan on vocals and cousin Rab on keyboards) is truly spine tingling. A fitting finale to an entertaining weekend. *DG*
Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit
Despite the frequent embarrassingly flirtatious catcalls aimed towards Johnny Flynn by two girls standing next to me, the singer is more than just a pretty face. A talented singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (he later crops up playing trumpet during Noah and the Whale's set), Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit's set was a lovely collection of folky indie-pop. 'Tickle Me Pink' was the highlight, and the song that should set the band on the way to bigger and better things. Not that that will stop the catcalling, though. *JC*
Jeremy Warmsley
For someone who’s been around for what seems like forever, Jeremy Warmsley still hasn’t quite found either the most appropriate kind of genre and sometimes, if his dour demeanour is anything to go by, the correct vocation in life. It probably doesn’t help matters that he finds himself sandwiched uncomfortably between some of Saturday's brightest performances, and it’s no surprise that his slot has the impact of a toothbrush hitting a nail. *DG*
Midnight Juggernauts
We’re not quite sure what to make of these. Someone compares them to Hot Chip; another (older) voice assures me they’re more like Erasure. Being someone who has little to no time for either means that neither comes as much of a recommendation, so we head upstairs for a much-needed drink and a sit down. The fact they’re still playing when I return downstairs makes me watch them for a full ten minutes. And then I leave safe in the knowledge that me and camp, ‘80s-tinged electro music will never really see eye-to-eye. *DG*
The Most Serene Republic
The Most Serene Republic open up Trent University roughly half an hour late on the closing day of the festival, and for the incessant complaints coming from the stage regarding the quality of the sound and the incompetence of the soundman they put on a very impressive show, with a set of unhinged, percussion-heavy indie-pop composed mostly from recent full-length Population. *JD*
No Kids
Some tosser said writing about music is like dancing about architecture. He was wrong. Sometimes, when a band kick-starts the pulse or steals the heart, it is like eating ice cream about beautiful girls and guys; at others, such as is with the case of No Kids, its like drowning about global warming, so infuriating and pointless is the process of witnessing and recollecting such mediocrity. No Kids sounds like Get Cape but, somehow, with less soul and verve, and in a close and well contested battle take home my personal 'worst band of the weekend’ award. *JD*
Noah and the Whale
Noah and the Whale were Sunday night's headliners at a crammed Bodega Social, and they capped off an excellent weekend's entertainment. While seeing the band meant missing Spiritualized, this was a more than adequate alternative, full of wholesome indie-pop and a cover of The Temptations’ 'My Girl'. The crowd's participation was something to behold, turning the occasion into a real party, and it was uplifting to see a band so clearly enjoying the occasion, beaming huge grins throughout the set. *JC*
Oppenheimer
So far, so good. The wet weather’s subsided, Leeds have been beaten, Nancy from Hollyoaks is in the audience and Belfast’s answer to M83 are about to enthral us. Sadly, even though forthcoming single ‘The Never Never’ raises spirits and decibel levels accordingly, Oppenheimer seem to be struggling with a nervousness that reduces their stage presence to a dissonant nil points and we leave before the end amid a chorus of_ meh_s. Disappointingly average, then… *JD*
The Ruby Suns
So here is the deal: for a set limited to five songs due to time constraints The Ruby Suns get paid £50. Take away accommodation costs of £100 and a parking ticket at £75 and the band are playing to make a £125 loss, and still they manage to put on one of the most joyous performances of the weekend, if not the year. Not dampened by a lacklustre, albeit responsive, crowd due to a clash with the equally fantastic The Mae Shi, the band plough through the sun-kissed dream pop of 'Kenya Dig It' and 'Gibble' with infinite jest, dancing and shouting across the stage as though their lives depend on it. For financial reasons I sincerely hope they don't. *JD*
Sarabeth Tuzcek
One-time associate of Anton Newcombe and the Brian Jonestown Massacre she may be, but this evening’s set is purely about taking a similar alt-country route to the likes of Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons. ‘Something For You’ is extraordinary by anyone’s standards, so much so that the rest of the set pales in comparison. However, that shouldn’t be seen as a total negative, as her repertoire and unabashed sense of humour when requesting a drink and being less than subtly propositioned by her suitor make her an unexpected highlight of the day.
Saul Williams
If you will excuse what is perhaps the worst descriptive ever written down then Saul Williams is the ultimate gumbo of personalities. He is a lover, a fighter, a warrior and a cheerleader. He spits against prejudice on 'Black Stacey' and leads a call-and-response sing-along on 'Niggy Tardust'. At all points he is as entertaining as he is intimidating, both a wordsmith and a showman. *JD*
Spiritualized
The return of Jason Pierce is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the weekend, although the fact this current incarnation of Spiritualized consists of three members of Nottingham’s least salubrious musical exports of recent years (The Rolling Clones, Performance and Geezer Safari, we’re looking at you) is even more of an eye opener to say the least. Thankfully, it only takes a divine rendition of ‘Lord Let It Rain On Me’ early in the set to wash any lingering doubts away, and by the time ‘Walkin’ With Jesus’ and ‘She Kissed Me (It Felt Like A Hit)’ literally tear the roof off Nottingham Trent University’s hallowed architecture, the umpteenth coming of Spiritualized is about as triumphant as it gets. *DG*
Swimming
Taking a break from the hubbub of the big venues (and the swarms of Dalai Lama supporters in town for the day - sadly he wasn't on the bill at Dot to Dot), I stumbled into Lee Rosy's Tea Room just in time for a strikingly original late-afternoon set from local act, Swimming. While the band crammed into the tiny downstairs area, the audience sat upstairs, each provided with a set of headphones. The band's performance was then projected onto a large video projection upstairs and filtered through the headphones. What resulted was a largely experimental, highly innovative and beautiful visual and aural experience. Not The Holloways, then. *JC*
Twisted Wheel
They say there’s a time and a place for everything, and although most people will say that for lad-rock that place is at the bottom of the Manchester Ship Canal with a brick tied around its ankles, Twisted Wheel at least give the impression they’re quite humble to be playing so high up the bill at a festival such as this. Or maybe they don’t know what exactly they’re meant to be doing here; on second thoughts, neither do we, and timetables are scanned accordingly for the next aural delight. *DG*
Two Gallants
The alt-rock duo may not have quite fulfilled their early promise, but the enthusiastic audience over at the school-disco/gymnasium like Trent University could not care less. Despite looking skinnier and more raggedy than ever (what Adam Stevens and Tyson Vogel really need is a good Chicken Ramen over the road at Wagamama), the boys are still a terrific live prospect. The controversial 'Long Summer Day' was as affecting as ever, and the twosome remain startlingly angry and impressively righteous. *JC*
