After the excellent first day at Threshold, I was looking forward to seeing what the festival could bring me to liven up my Saturday. Continuing my plan to see as many diverse acts as possible, I started my viewing in the outside space at Constellations with a set by the excellent Nini. The verve and gusto brought to the stage by this Brazilian singer and her band brightened the grey Liverpool afternoon, bringing a taste of South America to liven up our Saturday afternoon. Nini showed her confidence and ability to entertain the crowd with both her own songs and a little cover of the classic ‘Blue Moon’ thrown in for good measure.
I stopped by The Liverpool Craft Beer venue on my way to the Lantern Theatre to catch some of the set by the Liverpool singer/songwriter Billy Kelly. Having seen Billy perform last year at another festival, I knew he produced top quality music, with songs such as ‘Deaf, Dumb and Blind’ and ‘Thunderstorm’ showing his passion and versatility both as a performer and a writer. His slot at Threshold was no different. The standard was high and the depth and sincerity of the delivery remained as steadfast as ever.
I was a little late getting to The Lantern Theatre, so missed my opportunity to actually see the What We Did Next Choir. I did, however, get to hear them, seated as I was in the comfortable little café area behind the auditorium. The voices were pristine and the music uplifting and joyous. I don’t listen to choral music a great deal, but I know good music when I hear it, and this choir gave a polished performance.
As an aside to the actual review, Threshold has made me realise just how many excellent, intimate venues the Baltic Triangle has to offer. The re-appropriation of the industrial spaces in the roads around Jamaica Street shows the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the city, with the area becoming the place to go for the creative community in Liverpool’
The next act I caught was Grace Hartrey at Unit 51. The gutsy, folk based music was an obvious winner with the crowd and Grace’s fine, strong vocals rang out, ably supported by her backing singers and musicians. This was an up-beat set full of great folk/pop sometimes with a little Latin rhythm thrown in for good measure. A great set.
It was off to District for the next bands. Go Fiasco stated their intentions from the outset. They produced a barrage of excellent indie rock from word go, and I quickly realised how lucky I was to be seeing this band at the beginning of their career. The blistering sound was tempered a little by the vocals, which had an indie feel and reminded me of Joy Division and The Editors, but fitted with the overall sound really well. The shimmering lead guitar made a perfect foil for the depth of the vocals. I also like a band who know how to move on stage, and Go Fiasco did, giving edge and passion to the performance. I couldn’t really pick a favourite track from this band, the quality was so good. I loved the first track ‘Calm’, but they were all excellent, right up to the final track ‘Heaven’. I will be following this band closely from now on.
As Filter Distortion began setting up, we were treated to a great performance from Mimi Amore. Burlesque is an amazing, empowering art form, and Mimi is excellent at what she does, the act being full if energy and movement. The use of the fans and general athleticism of the dance made this a mesmerising act.
Filter Distortion, the Liverpool kings of synth, didn’t disappoint. Tracks like ‘Midnight Drive’ and ‘Transmission’ are classics in the 80’s electronic style, played to perfection by this stylish band. This is pure retro pop, but none the worse for that. ‘Neon Nights’ was another favourite, and the forthcoming single, ‘Lost Boys’, due for release in May, only adds to the quality portfolio of music Filter Distortion produce.
Joe Symes and The Loving Kind produce good, atmospheric indie rock. The set was tight and well played, showcasing the great, drum heavy sound these Liverpool Boys produce. They are a solid part of the Liverpool scene at the moment, and with excellent tracks such as, ‘Falling Down’, look set to be contenders for quite some time to come.
The London band CuT had the mis-fortune to be playing to an almost empty venue, which was a pity, because they gave a great performance. The music was a little feedback heavy at times, but the rock they produce is dirty and full of great riffs and energy. Another band who have a white-hot stage presence, like a messier version of The Ramones, the band know how to play top quality rock; punky and lo-fi at its blistering best. With tracks like ‘Time Traveller’ and ‘Polaroid Picture’ giving a good indication of the band’s potential, expect to hear a lot more from CuT in the future.
Kids on Bridges played to a similarly empty venue, which was a crime for such an excellent band. The sterling set they produced was easily amongst the best I have seen so far at Threshold, and I would like to see them again, definitely ones to watch with their strong vocals and pop punk styling, there were hints of bands such as New Order thrown into the mix, all played to perfection. With no drummer, the three band members used some excellent synth rhythms to back up the immaculate lead and backing vocals. Some of the tracks, such as ‘Say OK’ had a real disco feel, and it was hard to keep still whilst listening to them, the rhythm calling you to the dance floor. A lot of the set was dancey and tight. ‘Kidology’, the title track from their recent album, is a blinder of a song, featuring some really excellent synth interludes, as well as the strong vocals and guitar. They slid a bit of a Doors cover in too, which a lot of bands couldn’t pull off, but Kids on Bridges did it with ease. All I can say is the Threshold punters missed out.
I ended my evening at The Observatory for the renowned and ridiculously popular Broken Men. A stalwart of the Liverpool scene, this band are never going to play to an empty venue in this city. The nuanced and amazing vocals produced by Bobby Westhead lead the talented line-up of musicians who play with this band. There is real weight to the music, indie rock and funk elements permeate the set and the crowd love it, dancing and really getting into the exciting vibe Broken Men always seem to produce at their gigs. The introduction of the brass section part way through the set adds to the excitement, fleshing out the already rich sound even further. The sheer professionalism of the band is apparent on tracks such as ‘Oversold’, which show the bass-heavy excellence the band are known for. With a new single, With tracks like ‘Parting Shot’ due for release later this year and a tour of Russia under their belt, Liverpool’s best kept secret look ready to move into the limelight and take over the world.
Roxy Gillespie
