Neighbourhood Weekender, Victoria Park, Warrington, 24-25 Could 2025
★★★★☆
Though specialising in showcasing new expertise, this yr’s Neighbourhood Weekender was headlined by two veteran bands providing masterclasses in the right way to high the invoice at a pageant fully on their very own phrases.
Though specialising in showcasing new expertise, this yr’s Neighbourhood Weekender was headlined by two veteran bands providing masterclasses in the right way to high the invoice at a pageant fully on their very own phrases.
James are famed for enjoying reveals in precisely the best way they need. In Warrington, they have been at one with the group from the off, Tim Sales space first leaping into the viewers throughout Waltzing Alongside lower than 10 minutes into their set.
In outsized fluffy white jacket and matching slouchy hat, Sales space appeared each inch the popstar, his look’s type matched by an unpredictable set, typified by the ferocious percussive assault of Heads instantly being adopted by a starkly-lit impassioned Shadow Of A Large.
Asserting “For the youthful members of the viewers who would possibly need to dance” may very well be a thought-about a tease, because it launched a prog-house tackle Consideration, moderately than one in every of James’ extra acquainted songs. But it surely was adopted by a titanic run of Getting Away With It – full with Roxy Music-style sax breakdown – Come Residence and a drum-heavy Sit Down.
Moderately than disappear for an encore, Sales space insisted the band keep it up, which means the hits continued with a celebratory Tomorrow. The 105 minutes ended on Laid. That’s the right way to get delirious with out being an apparent hits roadshow.
Stereophonics – image credit score: Liam Maxwell
Sunny Ambiance
Much less delirious, Stereophonics closed the Weekender in additional sedate temper. They appear to alternate between gradual and quick albums these days. The latest Make ’Em Chuckle, Make ’Em Cry, Make ’Em Wait stored them at No.1 after 13 LPs with one in every of their most mature affairs.
That was additionally the vibe for an easygoing singalong set. There have been massive songs aplenty from the off: Have A Good Day, Possibly Tomorrow, Vegas Two Instances. If Kelly Jones didn’t leap into the group, he was glad to prowl throughout the stage, wanting Most Rockstar whereas throwing guitar shapes underneath the massive display screen.
But it surely wasn’t till asserting “That is the place it began” for A Thousand Bushes that the tempo picked up, 50 minutes in. Bartender And The Thief was a dependable riot and Mr And Mrs Smith enjoyably intense, with large beachballs and fireworks for Dakota closing proceedings with a fountain of color which perhaps took three songs too lengthy to reach.
Starsailor – image credit score: Liam Maxwell
Competition Favourites
Different wilful veterans included Ocean Color Scene, frankly the weekend’s massive disappointment. They opened with nostalgic classic band video footage, but the look ahead to The Riverboat Tune and The Day We Caught The Practice felt very “Eat your greens” in a soporific present the place Simon Fowler’s grumpiness and the concentrate on their bluesier materials would have been extra acceptable for the Large Prime’s intimacy than puncturing the principle stage crowd’s sunny ambiance.
The Bluetones have been rather more enjoyable, Mark Morriss’ self-deprecating humour – “It is a new one and, sure, we are at a pageant” – was pointless, given how buoyant their hits nonetheless sounded and that newie Low cost Lodge was infectious sufficient to forestall a rush to the meals stalls.
Of the opposite veterans, native heroes Starsailor celebrating their 25th anniversary to an overflowing Large Prime tent have been the most important triumph. For casuals, it’s nonetheless a shock how rugged these early hits are in live performance, a rumbling presence matched by energetic newer songs like The place The Wild Issues Develop.
The Okay’s – image credit score: Freya Barber
Not Simply A Nostalgic Journey
Usually, Neighbourhood Weekender deserves its popularity as giving newer artists a step as much as a welcoming crowd. There have been excellent artists flourishing away from the media highlight in all places you appeared throughout the three levels.
Wunderhorse and The Okay’s have been the most important sensations, each leaving followers locked outdoors the Large Prime and drawing word-perfect audiences yelling alongside to each phrase. About to launch their second album, The Okay’s have honed their set to perfection, a mixture of seemingly easy rock & roll thrills and skyscraping ballads displaying off Jamie Boyle’s operatic vocals and Ryan Breslin’s ingenious riffs, delivered with the enjoyment of years of help slots lastly paying off.
Seemingly much less about showmanship, Wunderhorse mainman Jacob Slater let the salivating crowd do the work. In entrance of a neon-lit satan brand, Slater definitely appears to have executed some sort of nefarious deal to make a crowd so hysterical, although there’s no denying songs this anthemic deserve the rapturous response.
Lottery Winners – Image credit score: Freya Barber
Breezy Singalongs
Lottery Winers typified the overall good temper. About to help Robbie Williams throughout Europe’s stadiums, they appear a pure match: Thom Rylance is as extravagant as Robbie and songs imbued with equal ranges of persona ought to match proper in on the most important levels. Anticipate the dance routine to Flip Round to quickly change into ubiquitous.
Jostling simply behind them in hoping to rack up two No 1 albums, The Clause and The Royston Membership additionally introduced a singalong vibe, with the previous’s closing bounce In Your Aspect kicking off Sunday’s first moshpit, whereas the latter’s fiendishly catchy essence was distilled neatly into half-hour that bodes properly for August’s new album Songs For The Backbone.
Many new acts but to launch an album additionally triumphed, whether or not by Seb Lowe’s politically infused shamanistic rabble rousing, Cliffords evoking Rubbish and the long-lost histrionic drama of JJ72, or Alex Spencer rattling off breezy singalongs like a one-man Fountains Of Wayne topped off by a backflip in his finale.
Sunday 1994 – image credit score: Liam Maxwell
The Subsequent Era
Nonetheless solely 18, Tom A Smith has nonetheless been a reputation to look at for a few years. His songwriting is now outstripping his charisma, new tunes What and Style a wild midpoint between Ian Dury and Cabaret Voltaire, whereas Sunday (1994)’s dreampop lived as much as their rising hype, wistfully summery regardless of a mid-set hailstone bathe. On the different finish of the size, Villanelle have been as tunefully snarly and snotty as you’d hope from Gene Gallagher’s parentage, the confrontational ruck of Lazy particularly infectious.
Better of all, The Visitor Checklist have been Canine Man Star-era Suede one minute, The Rakes the following and with a charisma all their very own, earlier than Chloe Slater detonated fizzbomb sugar-rush guitar pop topped off by icily passionate vocals: Loss of life Entice is Heat Leatherette for the housing disaster technology.
A mighty technique to present that there’s nonetheless loads of nice new music on the market, no matter you’re into, mixed with singalong favourites of outdated, principally capable of present they’re nonetheless blessed with a preventing spirit. Extra of the identical subsequent yr, please.
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Featured image credit score: Freya Barber
