MUSIC IN MANCHESTER

It's a drab, blustery afternoon on Leeds, but inside Joseph's Well who care. There's an all day indie festival going on, and it's getting sweatier by the minute. A word of warning though, If you are getting there via the train, ignore the directions available on the web site unless you fancy a scenic tour of the roundabouts and flyovers of Leeds. Unless of course you are interested in that sort of thing, but count me out.

Bands have come and gone by the time I get there, so the first one I come across is Manc based Valerie. Not due to appear on the play list they are here in a supportive fashion, but to view bands they've not seem in literally years and generally provide all manner of audience heckling in a good natured fashion.

STATIC WAVES, purveyors of an angular, disjointed noise, accompanied by what seems to be the now compulsory, deranged, bassist. Refreshing they are and the ever increasingly filling venue appear to appreciate one of their own!!!!!

With typical disregard for all things fashionable, a new craze appears to be building - that of pipe smoking. Yes down at the front, kitted out in a dark, 2 piece suit, standing out like a pimple on the arse of Liz Hurley, our sartorial elegant comrade gently taps his briar and puffs contentedly

So if you see Josie trying to light a pipe and pogo at the same time, remember, it started in Leeds first.

I miss the start of PLOUF through dedication to duty (listening for the footie results), and for all I know I may have missed 10 numbers such are the brevity of the songs on "display". If you thought the 3 minute pop song was the prefect encapsulation of music, then give this lot a try. I recommend only in the flesh though, as the full effect may not be appreciated on vinyl, for they are as visually enticing as they are aurally and without one or the other the effect would fall flat.

Frequently comprising of one sentence of less that 10 words, the enthusiasm and sheer FUN exuberated by this lot shines though. A series of short ditties are reeled off, then just before the formula dies of being repetitive and boring, they complete the set with a fully formed 3 minute shimmering beauty. I don't for a minute think that they will ever "make it" or become household names, but I'll remember the unco-ordinated shamble with fondness and a smile

CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT and AIRPORT GIRL display the wares of what may be considered as the more typical examples of the indie scene. Lush sounds, guitars that even get re-tuned between numbers and a "seriousness" or determination to go further in the industry, which appears to be at odds with the ramshackle nature of other parts of the event.

Last band for me are the BEARSUIT. When they originally took to the stage wearing Indian feathers or cowboy hats, I feared the worst, which just goes to show that first impressions can be wrong. Replete with flute, trumpet, accordion & kitchen sink, they unleash a vibrant sound that captivates and entertains. More Riot Grrll than squaw, the mis-mash of sounds works supremely well and

Overall the sounds have been refreshing, the atmosphere good humoured and the line up diverse. No doubt it will be followed by more visits.

If you want any more details on the rest of the line up, catch up with the Valerie crowd who were there before, and long, after myself

Contact www.tclay.free-online.co.uk/plouf/index.htm

www.leedsmusic.scene.co.uk

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