CULTUREBERG VENTURES OUT TO BEACONS FESTIVAL 2014

As this was only some two miles from Cultureberg Mansions so allowed a taxi home at close of play and the avoidance of trenchfoot and pneumonia.  Beacons' reputation is rising with the cognoscenti, an enterprising mix of up and coming acts, indie favourites and a number of Titans of Donk. So, Residents' discounted ticket in hand, Cultureberg strode forth and can report seeing, amongst others.....

DZ Rayguns -The bastard sons of Royal Blood and Cheap Trick

East India Youth - The bastard son of Thomas Dolby and Doctor Who

Action Bronson - The bastard son of Eminem and Giant Haystacks

Darkside - The bastard sons of Jean Michel Jarre and Dire Straits (If feeling generous, Pink Floyd, if feeling cruel, Chris Rea)

September Girls - The bastard daughters of The Go-Gos and Jacqueline Suzanne

Daughter - The bastard daughters (!) of The Cocteau Twins and The Corrs

Sleaford Mods - The bastard sons of a bastard and an even bigger bastard

Tall Ships - The bastard sons of Coldplay and cold sick

Money - The bastard son of Morrissey and Jonsi

The Fall - The bastard sons of no-one and everyone

British Sea Power (accompanying a film) - The bastard sons of Powell and Pressburger and Carl Davis

Golden Teacher - The bastard sons of Was (not Was) and Wayne Sleep

I could go on.  Well, I do, so I shall....

There were a lot of bands who sounded a bit like Hawkwind in 1975, pounding drums, motorik guitar and synth, which was no bad thing.  Take a bow Championlover.  Menace Beach played a set like it was 1995 - 90's American guitar bands are  far enough in the past now to be apeable. Not unremarkably for a festival, some big names disappointed a bit and some total unknowns shone out. Joan As Police Woman (whose records I like) was curiously out of place, her muso band slick but vapid, Neneh Cherry didn't do it for me, nor did Toy's Classic Rock By Numbers, but I was impressed by Jaws (young indie band, terrible name, got something) and Galaxians (a hit last year, I'm told, and I was not suprised, the best of the two man drum and synth combo of the weekend, cooking up a maelstrom.  Vessels from Leeds, Money, Metz all impressed.  Though Dam Funk's mentor Snoop Doggy Dogg didn't venture into the Yorkshire Dales (he was in Manchester the next night, so who knew?), Mr Funk served up a tasty mix of P-Funk and 80's Solar Records  which got the marquee moving. I ventured in the dance tent where Cultureberg junior and friends spent  a lot of their time. Without prior knowledge I wouldn't have known Daphni is the same guy who records as Caribou - the segment of his set I caught was hypnotic and organic and alongside Jon Hopkins Saturday night headliner florescent beach-ball extravaganza the best dance music of the weekend.  Any way, I'm posting some more in depth stuff,so see below, or above...