Bingley Music Live: A Review

The last time I crossed the threshold of Myrtle Park as a punter at the annual Bingley Music Live festival was 2012. Five years on and with the music line-up this year more to my personal tastes, back to the earlier indie rock rather than more contemporary acts, I thought it would be worth buying a ticket to enjoy some of my favourite acts of all time like Maximo Park, the Kaiser Chiefs and the Wombats, plus bands I'd like to see like Manic Street Preachers, Sundara Karma and Feeder. So what do I think of BML 2017?

In Summary

It's been five years since I've been to Bingley Music Live, the more indie-rock orientated line-up attracting me back. Did I enjoy it? Yes, it was a great weekend with three strong headliners, great supports and some very interesting new discoveries. The cocktail and gin tents were great additions and the atmosphere, lighting and facilities were all on top form. The bars could have perhaps been better staffed, the food a little cheaper, and some of the acts maybe a bit more energetic than chilled out but these are minor quibbles about a friendly and welcoming festival with a great line-up at a good price. I might even start coming regularly again from 2018!

My top five sets from the weekend:
Kaiser Chiefs
Maximo Park
The Wombats
Anteros
Milburn

Day Three

Sundays are the day of rest, right? Which probably explains why I was a bit later to the festival than usual. Either that or it was the 45-minute for a pre-festival full English in a nearby cafe. Anyway, enough of my eating habits, it's time to talk about the day!

The third day wasn't as glorious as the Saturday but the rain was light and didn't dampen the mood. It was perhaps not as busy and the venue seemed to be swarming with chuggers with buckets at every opportunity which got a bit tiresome after a while, but there was a great mix of acts and it made for a quieter, but no less interesting, final day.

On the discovery stage I sadly missed Able's Army and Marsicans but got the chance to see Tom Walker who I've actually seen before acoustically, but with the addition of a drummer and electric guitar he was even better, his powerful, loud and booming Maverick Sabre-like voice and Ed Sheeran-esque set-up playing well, his soulful sound on songs like 'Play Dead', 'Leave the Light On' and 'Sun Goes Down' really entertaining the crowd, which was already huge for the time of day.

Neon Waltz followed and this six-piece retro-sounding sixties-style band from Scotland entertained with their mid-tempo indie with strong synth work, with songs as sombre as Scotland, sounding like a cross between Glasvegas and the View, but they were a strong group.

I missed Island due to clashing sets but was lucky to catch Get Inuit whose catchy guitar riffs and harmonies, in particular on a song that came across as dramatic as the soundtrack to a 30s film, won me over, their pop-punk-rock working well. A song that began with 'All my friends are dead' was more uptempo than a song starting like that had the right to be, and there was plenty of energy throughout their set which came at a welcome contrast to the main stage. "Thank you for joining us and not spending thirty minutes in the toilet", the singer declared at one point before finishing on track 'Barbituate'. It was a great set and far, far superior to half an hour in a Portaloo!

Muncie Girls, the penultimate act on the Discovery Stage, were loud, proud and very entertaining, sounding like a heavier Paramore when singing and very posh when talking. Full of energy this was a great, high octane set including songs like 'Balloon' and 'Locked Up' and they sound promising for the future.

The second stage came to a finish with The Orielles who were an energetic band to finish on and despite their young age really delivered, and they deserved the headline slot.

Over on the main stage I was unable to see the first two acts and High Tyde, who I wanted to see but clashed with Tom Walker, but I did get to watch Little Comets who I'd heard lots about. Their gentle, calming music was a nice addition to the festival but the songs were a little too laid back and bland for my liking. The songs were the perfect accompaniment, say, for a summer barbecue, just not necessarily a festival.

Up next was Badly Drawn Boy and though he was on top form his sedated style felt once more a little too quiet for the time of day and my mind soon drifted from his set which was punctuated by more familiar songs.

Soul II Soul brought a bit more much needed energy to the main stage with their chilled out vibe, multiple vocalists and strings, headed up by Jazzie B who interspersed the songs with commentary and shout outs to various UK places as if he was rehearsing for a Geography exam. Naturally they waited until right at the end to play their biggest hit 'Back to Life' and though the set perhaps meandered a little long it was a strong hour.

The penultimate act was Feeder whose catchy fun and rock songs kept the crowd entertained. 'Lost and Found', 'Just the Way I'm Feeling', 'Buck Rogers' and 'Just A Day' were just some of their many hits that were played out alongside more recent songs like 'Eskimo' and though I'm not familiar with much of their other material enjoyed them!

Before we got to the final fireworks we had the last headliner to enjoy, and that was The Wombats. Confessing on stage that half their equipment had gone missing in transit and they'd had to cobble together the kit they had with bits lent to them kindly by Feeder, it gave the set a kind of urgency and off-the-cuff nature and, coupled with the 30-minute late starting time, led to a shorter set, but to be honest it didn't really have a huge impact and the band delivered a solid greatest hits set list that gave us 'Kill the Director', 'Moving to New York', 'Jump Into The Fog', 'Give Me A Try', 'Patricia the Stripper', 'Here Comes the Anxiety', 'Party in a Forest (Where's Laura?)'; 'Techno Fan'; 'Emoticons'; 'Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves)'; 'Greek Tragedy'; and 'Let's Dance to Joy Division'. If they hadn't confessed perhaps no one would have noticed, the set full of energy and great tunes and a strong way to end the festival and a band finally ticked off my own personal bucket list. The absence of 'Anti D', 'Backfire at the Disco' and maybe a smattering of songs off their new album was a shame but looking back at the set-list these are minor grumbles!

Day Two

The second day of Bingley Music Live was glorious thanks to the bright weather and the complete lack of rain, and a sell-out crowd meant the site was rammed with families and music lovers keen to enjoy a strong line-up.

Heading to the Discovery stage, my late arrival meant I missed opening act The Harriets but enjoyed second group The Shimmer Band whose shades and long-hair made them look like the archetypal rock band. With hefty drums and a catchy songbook including the very enjoyable 'Sunkick', they were a strong start to the new band line-up. 

The Old Pink House, who followed, echoed the main stage with delays meaning the times went out of the window so it was harder to plan when to see acts. However I did get to see a bit of them, their soft-rock sound with harmonised choruses a joy and much more enjoyable than Yak, from whom I'd just left. They finished on a catchy, festival-friendly closer with lots of fun sing-a-long elements.

I was looking forward to hearing Anteros as I discovered their single 'Breakfast' this year and really enjoyed it so was keen to see their set, but even I was surprised by how thoroughly enjoyable their set was and it became the only one on the discovery stage I stayed for the entirety of. Led by a stylish-looking lead single they rattled through a series of very catchy hits that seemed to grab me even though I'd never heard them before. Appearing on stage to a recorded 'Oh My God' the band had a great stage presence and looked like they were having lots of fun, the energy from the singer particularly noteable. Songs like 'Drunk', 'Fade to Grey' (not a cover); 'The Beat'; 'On the Moon', 'Ring Ring', 'Running' and one final track all boasting great pop-hooks, and 'Breakfast', their penultimate number, sounded even better live than on the recording, the energy and faster tempo really suiting it. Outside of the big headliners, this was probably my favourite set of the weekend.

Tigercub who followed were a fun, rockier band with a lead-singer with a dramatic fringe, though they weren't really to my personal tastes so didn't stick around for too long, so maybe it's a band for me to check out more from later.

The last act I saw on the Discovery Stage on Saturday was Stevie Parker whose light and airy 'Be The Bear'-like indie and Danish-styling was fun to watch, tracks like 'Someone Like You' with their quirky, experimental and gentle vibe, a nice addition to the line-up. Sadly I missed The Big Moon as, even though I could have done with them as a break from the awful Pete Doherty (more on that soon) I didn't want to relinquish my good position for the Kaiser Chiefs, so I need to check them out at some time.
On the main stage there was an equally strong set of acts. I was too late for Sifaka (I saw them at the recent Bradford Festival and they were great so was sad to miss them) and Willie J Healey but Dan Owen was a great introduction to the main stage for me. Though visually the singer-songwriter with a guitar should have swapped stages with The Shimmer Band he still commanded the crowd with his own compositions, held together by his powerful and distinctive voice. Tracks like 'Splinters', a touching ballad, and 'When I Die' ("So it's a happy one" he declared) with its clap-a-long moments worked really well, and there was a Mumford and Sons-vibe to his stompbox-songs. Throwing in audience participation and some sing-along sections, he's definitely an act to keep an eye on. His ballad 'If I was made to love you' and energetic cover of blues classic 'Little Red Rooster' really tied things together.

Sadly I can't say the same for the next act up on the main stage Yak. Their multi-layered rock was well done but the hefty feedback and distortion over synth sections with a grungy feel just wasn't my sort of thing, and they came across as a band attempting to make as much noise as physically possibly with the drums without really focussing on the actual songs. Ending every bridge with a swear word and a drowned-out drum-heavy chorus does not a great set make.

With the aforementioned stage delays kicking in there was a gap for me to soak up the general atmosphere of the festival, enjoying some of the pop-up acts repeated from the friday, with my favourite at one point saying his dad would give anyone a free cocktail if they named every song in his mash-up. I got about twenty in when I lost the flow, but that was a fun distraction whilst sat on a deckchair by the continously building queue for cocktails.

I also got to enjoy the DJ on the main stage whose choices of Mylo's 'Drop the Pressure' and Reverend and the Makers' 'Heavyweight Champion of the World' really setting up the mood. Soon it was time for British Sea Power, or from the amount of fake foliage brought onto stage, it was more like British Tree Power. The eclectic band rattled through their long back catalogue and I was delighted to hear recent single and personal favourite track 'Bad Bohemian' appear second. I can't say I know much of their material but I enjoyed what I heard though the songs, delivered flawlessly by a large band including some strings, did blend into one each other a bit too much due to my unfamiliarity.

Sundara Karma were up next and delivered some fun summery songs including 'Vivian' and personal favourite 'Flame', which really got the crowd going. We also 'She Said' from the hippy-looking band who felt like they captured the sound of a classic festival.

The early surprise for me was Milburn whose Sheffield origins were clear in their Arctic Monkeys / Reverend and the Makers sound and though i'm not hugely familiar with their work (they did drop 'What Will You Do (When The Money Goes)?' which I'd forgotten was by them and I loved it) they had the crisp sound and stage presence to really make an impact, songs about going on holiday and 'Lucy Love Me Not' really grabbing me, alongside 'Cheshire Cat Smile'. I might not have had big expectations for them but they were one of my favourite sets of the weekend.

The same, however, cannot be said for Pete Doherty. I can't say I was particularly looking forward to his set but turned up with an open mind. Sadly, however, his sprawling dirge of a set confirmed all my fears and the most interesting parts were when he stopped two minutes in to check someone in the mosh pit was ok and the guitarist started up the White Stripes / Jeremy Corbyn chant; when he threw a guitar halfway across the stage into the arms of a very lucky crew member; and when the band all did a freeze-frame two-thirds into the set.

Dressed like an RAF pilot with a haircut against regulations, Doherty's set was a drawl from start to end only occasionally livened up by some faster paced musical sections, though for the most the band, which included a portable xylophone, sounded like they were a clock that needed urgently winding up. 'Last of the English Roses' was the one song I did hook onto and there was some nice moments in 'Waterloo' but there were too few moments like this in the set to call it a success, and there was lots of yawns and raised eyebrows from those around me. At least his last song had a bit more energy so he ended on a high, though declaring 'Thank You Lancashire' to the Bingley crowd wouldn't have enamored many more to him. I sort of felt sorry for the sign language chap having to translate his drawly lyrics for the hard of hearing who, without making a dodgy joke, were lucky not to have to listen to him.

Thankfully all this was forgotten when headliners the Kaiser Chiefs appeared on stage, and they single handledly pulled together the best set of the weekend with more energy, laughter and stage presence than everyone else put together. From lead singer Ricky Wilson's wry observations about speakers with 'no step' written on them; why there was a clock on the front of the stage (which he threw into the crowd); and his jokey threat to drummer Vijay when he missed a cue ("You saw what we did to Nick") to their songbook, this was hugely enjoyable from beginning to end. With visuals on the big screens for the first time, a huge light-up 'KC' behind the band and so much energy from Wilson as he zipped back and forth across the stage, this was a festival set as it should be.

The set-list was also pretty perfect. We got 'Everyday I Love You Less and Less'; 'Everything is Average Nowadays'; 'Ruffians on Parade'; 'Na Na Na Na Naa'; 'Parachute'; 'Modern Way'; 'We Stay Together'; 'Ruby'; 'Hole in my Soul'; 'Still Waiting'; 'Never Miss A Beat'; 'The Angry Mob'; 'I Predict A Riot' and 'Coming Home'; with an encore of 'Misery Company' and the huge sing-a-long finale of 'Oh My God'. Throw in a snatch of 'Born to be a Dancer' and Wilson's banter with the sign-language chap and those leaving before the encore 'to get to the car park' and it was a joy to unfold, the sound, lighting and stage presence all coming together in one huge moment, and the crowd lapped it up. If I were to find some criticisms it would be that 'Still Waiting' was an unusual inclusion and 'Misery Company' didn't quite have the energy for the encore, but these are minor quibbles in one of the best live performances I've ever seen, and it really wrapped Saturday night up perfectly.

Saturday at Bingley Music Live was a joy. Long bar queues meant I only partaked in one pint but I still had enough of a buzz to enjoy the spectacle, good weather and strong line-up. The pie stand, which I sampled, was great, and aside from the questionable inclusion of Pete Doherty the line-up was superb. Roll on Sunday!
Day One

It was a mixed day weather wise for the first evening but actually, compared to previous years and other festivals, the rain was light and didn't really dampen the impact. After a relatively lengthy queue through security, which in light of the big incident back in May I can understand, I got chance to explore the site and it was as buzzing as I remembered it. There was some entertainment, though, to keep the crowd entertained in the ticket queue including a stilt walker and some acoustic acts performing in the band stand, though this would have been better keeping those queuing for security happier. At least there was some people watching to do whilst waiting including those quickly downing as much alcohol as they could before going through security and some young girls sending messages to their friends already in the venue and discussing whether what they were waiting in was the 'que' or 'queue'.

The discovery stage was surrounded by stalls, a bar and catering outlets including pizza and poutine, while the middle area including plenty more stalls and attractions from games to fashion to those flower crowns that bring Snapchat to life. There was also a gin bar and, best of all, a cocktail bar whose pop-up tent filled with straw, deckchairs, chinese lanterns and lights was the most atmospheric space of all. Both bars featured acoustic pop-up acts which were some of my highlights of the day and it's a shame these acts weren't given more prominence in the marketing.

The main stage, in its usual place, was surrounded by more food stalls alongside the big bar and a fairground ride, with food and drink to cater for the wide audience at the event. My tip for those going over the weekend, though, is to queue early as the bar staff don't seem particularly versed in selling, with a 25-30 minute wait to be served in a queue of 20 people.

Moving on the acts and the Discovery Stage was a mixed bag. The echo and reverb heavy Lea Porcelain, the first act on it, were not really my cup of tea. Their trippy, Britpop-esque sound was a bit of transcendental for my tastes, their experimental and freeform style coming across as a little monotonous. 

Thankfully the Dead Pretties had a clearer sound and to me were a little Red Hot Chilli Peppers in style, with their catchy guitar, grunge-rock and a song called 'Teeth - for those with our without'. For a little part I got distracted by an audience member who had turned performance artist by putting on a mask of a pigeon - complete with a pair of spectacles balanced on their beak - who was going around pecking at people. Quite.

The Pale White followed and they boasted some crisp, indie sounds and harmonies, with a song potentially called 'Let You Down' particularly catchy. The final act on the Discovery Stage was a highlight for me. Tom Grennan, with his gruff voice and fun banter between songs, showed confidence and a great song book, throwing in personal favourite 'Praying' as his final song but also doing a version of his Chase and Status collaboration. 'Something in the Water', a mid-tempo number, proved popular and the huge crowd that had gathered to see him responded with energy.

Between acts I took time to enjoy some of the pop-up artists in the cocktail tent and one particular singer really caught my attention, performing a range of covers from 'Uptown Funk' to 'Dakota' by the Stereophonics. He had a great confident vocal style that belied his young age and rattled through a great songbook of covers in a chilled-out setting that included an Oasis mash-up, the full version of their song 'Half the World Away' and snatches of 'Purple Rain', 'American Pie' and 'Feeling Good'.

Later acts included the trumpet-wielding duo of Marc and Abi from Issimo, who mixed covers (Paulo Nutini's '10 out of 10' a particular highlight) with new material ("Let's Just Wait"), and several other singer-songwriters covering all bases. Sitting on a deckchair, relaxing to these pop-up acts, was actually one of the highlights of the day. Maybe I'm just getting old.

Onto the main stage and openers Cabbage were a catchy and quirky indie group, and their line-up included a fun little song quite possibly entitled 'Born in the USA'. The lead singer pulled some rather unusual shapes on the stage but their observational and fun numbers were enjoyable - they also announced a song called 'Terrorist Synthesizer' - and someone in the audience got into the spirit by tossing around leaves from a cabbage.

Against a large backdrop of a tunnel and the letters 'GLA', Twin Atlantic were up next and proudly declared themselves to be from 'Glasgow. In Scotland', just in case anyone's geography was letting them down. Although I only really knew one song by them - the incredibly hooky 'Heart and Soul' which the band ended on, I really enjoyed their set, the bass-heavy vibe and energy from the Scottish band addictive, their indie-rock vibe ticking those festival boxes. As a friend said, they should have been on later in the weekend due to their stage presence. 

My personal highlight of the day had to be the appearance of one of my favourite band's of all time, Maximo Park. Though I got stuck in the slow bar queues for the first two songs the sound was loud enough and clear enough to be heard and the band, returning to the festival were on top form. Their set might have been a little bit new-song heavy for the setting, but as a fan this wasn't a problem as I knew all the songs, and the energy from frontman Paul Smith and the rest of the band was addictive. Starting with new songs 'What Did We Do to You to Deserve This' and 'Risk To Exist', we also got 'I Want You To Stay', 'Books From Boxes', 'Leave This Island', 'The Hero', 'The National Health', 'Going Missing', 'The Undercurrents', 'Work and then Wait', 'Our Velocity', 'What Equals Love', 'By the Monument', 'Girls Who Play Guitars', 'Get High (No I Don't)' and 'Apply Some Pressure', the energy of the last song getting the crowd going. Throwing in the Yorkshire chant, some political undertones but most importantly lots of buzz, I was excited for this set and the band delivered. 'Let's Have Some Water', Paul Smith said at one point, referring to needing a drink break, but coming across more like an observation about the weather. When it finally cleared half-way through the set we got treated to a double rainbow.

This wasn't Paul Smith's only topic of conversation. He also talked about Salt's Mill and complained about the poor bus service!

Having never seen them live before I was keen to see headliners Manic Street Preachers and though they got a good reception from a lot of the crowd didn't seem to grab me like I thought they would, and in hindsight felt that Maximo Park gave a far better set with more energy. The Welsh band - flags on stage, a Welsh badge on the lead singer, giving some not-so-subtle hints of their nationality - were well received but not really doing much for me.

James Dean Bradfield and friends rattled through lots of their big hitters, with an opening that included 'Motorcycle Emptiness', 'Everything Must Go' and 'You're Love Alone', but the vocals seemed low in the mix and I started to lose focus, not helped by the next songs being not as familiar to me. Songs like 'My Little Empire' lacked power but 'If You Tolerate This' perked everyone up. Sadly, a three-song acoustic set, admittedly including a great cover of 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head' zapped my energy and stuck between the choice of waiting to hear eventual big hitter 'Design For Life' or setting off early to beat the crowds leaving and the travel issues which would be present due to Northern Trains' delightfully timed strike, I chose the latter. Many enjoyed them, I wasn't so keen.

Overall I really enjoyed the first day of Bingley Music Live 2017. Most of the bands were great, the extra activities around added interest, and the atmosphere was there. On the negative side, the Manics felt like a more subdued end to the day, the bar staff seemed far too slow, and the food is expensive. But hopefully if those serving the drinks can be given a kick up the bum and the organisers also promote the smaller acts around the bars then the weekend will be as great if not better. Today - it's the Kaiser Chiefs!