Music / Reviews
Review: Ritual Union – ‘Flailing guitars, hair and limbs’
There’s a queue through the store and out the other side of Rough Trade; sauntering to the front for what I think is the beginning of the band in question, I hear the indistinct strains of guitars leaking through the live room doors.
“Oh, they’ve started?” I ask a man waiting to my right. “It’s one-in-one-out,” he nods, to my surprise. “Best band of the festival.”
And so it is that, in the early afternoon of the sunniest weekend of the year so far I eventually find myself squashed into a dark room, bumper to bumper with 100 or so earnest black-clad head-nodders, having my ears assaulted by searing guitars and some thunderously heavy bass.
is needed now More than ever
Yep, it’s Ritual Union time again.
It’s pedals galore at this day festival of rock, fuzz and experimental indie curated by Crosstown Records – photo: Ursula Billington
The Shania Twainsaw Massacre – irresistible in name alone – are the band that have caused such an early-doors logjam in a 12-hour day of back-to-back music.
Their pleasingly heavy rawk fills the room, Lisa Matthews’ smooth monotone a calm spot in a storm of flailing limbs, guitars and hair. They might call it ‘horrible music for horrible people’ but the crowd here seems, generally, pretty innocuous.
“Having a silly band name is likely the reason most people came along, but we hope everyone also enjoyed our stinky songs,” they said.
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Strange Brew is the next stop on this schedule that navigates a triangle of venues in the centre, the third point corner being the headline-act territory of SWX which utilises both its rooms to maximise venue space today.
Hank take to the luminously lit room, the mid-sized venue’s colourful lights and decor sucking us into an alternative musical realm that obliterates all thoughts of the sunshine outside.
Hitting the scene in autumn 2024, Hank have been turning heads with their grunge/shoegaze influenced sound – photo: Ursula Billington
Lead guitarist is Mr Cellophane, fluid like an inflatable tube man in the wind; the vocalist (also sporting a guitar) hits her pedals with a white spiked courtshoe while the jolliest drummer in rock twirls an actual analogue radio against his mic for static sounds.
Seemingly fairly new on the scene, this feels like a big moment for the band. There’s a shiny nugget of promise here which just needs a little more polishing.
Hank dropped in from London for their mid-afternoon show – photo: Ursula Billington
Over at SWX2 the contrast is palpable: Theatre are immediately captivating, hooking the crowd in with oodles of effortless groove, the slick drummer rocking a woolly cricket vest and Graham Coxon glasses.
Vocalist Maeve O’Shea is an enigmatic presence, composed and self-assured with great moves, her voice clear and powerful as a bell.
Bassist Sonny Foy wins the ‘most 90s outfit’ award, sporting baggy NIN t-shirt, wide-legged Dad trousers and black Clarks school shoes hitting the pedals – numbering more than 20 on this stage alone.
All in all a real quality performance from the Limerick band surfing the cresting wave of Ireland’s inimitable contemporary alt-music scene.
Inherently un-Googleable, but then they don’t have much online anyway: Theatre are supporting Gurriers on tour in April – photo: Simon Alexander
In the main room, KEG get busy being seven dudes being dudes. They’re pulling out all the tricks but it’s falling a little flatter than they’d probably like. Frontman Albert Haddenham throws himself around the stage like a children’s entertainer let loose, or James Murphy gone rogue.
It is heavy though and there are some fun moments of big, speedy riffs ripped out variously by guitars, synths and even – improbably – a trombone. Someone screams “get your conch out!”, possibly an in-joke or more likely a reference to more chaos yet to come.
Set closer Nothing But Strangers is fitting for this reviewer who feels largely disconnected from the atonal music of these ‘boys at play’.
KEG combine angular post rock with varied instrumentation – photo: Simon Alexander
Not so with the Orchestra (For Now). Back at Strange Brew, elation rises from stomach to throat with one sonic glance. Finally, some truly original music!
This youthful seven-piece is controlled chaos with a melodic heart, the perfect collision of exquisite agony and playful ecstasy.
In demand this year, the Orchestra for now hit festivals as far away as Iceland and will also be appearing at Dot to Dot in Bristol in May – photo: Simon Alexander
They flip abruptly between graceful, luscious strings and a maelstrom of noise with Nord keyboard at the centre, played at one point delicately with a paintbrush. It’s In Rainbows meets Black Country, New Road with an Opus Kink attitude.
Drummer Charlie Hancock is work hard-play hard, with huge emphatic skin-thwacks and tightly precise breaks that, in a first today, get the crowd properly dancing.
The Orchestra (For Now): at once subtle, nuanced and wild, they’re winning support from BBC 6 Music and pundits far and wide – photo: Simon Alexander
Next up, Spacestation at first glance feel somewhat…. unsubtle in comparison. But they somehow get away with their straight-up Britpop-adjacent guitar-centric rock and roll delivered by five men in blue jeans and white shirts, partly because they’re from Iceland and, well, cultural context is everything.
Tapping pedals with the best footwear of the festival – hello, blunnies, suede boots and brogues – they warm up into the atmosphere and, although winning a crowd over in a half hour set is a challenge, the lead vocalist’s endearing dancing, fetching neckerchief and a song “about white wine and ketamine” do some seriously heavy lifting.
Over from Iceland just for Ritual Union, the band also played the festival’s afterparty at Strange Brew before heading home – photo: Simon Alexander
It’s high time for a breather and, surveying the many choice options available in this central location, our party opts for the Little Chinatown Food Hall – three floors of Asian eateries in an unassuming building on Nelson Street.
Due to a waiter’s minor spillage incident, we leave an hour later full of delicious Thai curries and twice the volume of beers we’d expected. An excellent experience all-round, would recommend.
It’s nearly 8pm, and about time for a big name act. Cue CVC, main support for tonight’s headliner Billy Nomates.
Smushy crooners and funk-pop bangers: CVC deliver the goods – photo: Ursula Billington
From start to finish the Collective named after their Welsh Valleys home, Church Village, do not disappoint. Their musicality is faultless and the songs are perfectly crafted funk-psych-pop packages with catchy choruses that hit home like mid-2000s indie bangers or tug beautifully painfully on the heartstrings.
CVC: proper headline shiz – photo: Ursula Billington
That’s when they’re not serving up genuinely sexy music to smush to – perhaps the implausible mosh pit that erupted towards set end was actually provoked by the audience’s sudden and irresistible urge to touch each other.
A companion sums it up: “This is proper headline shit. You know when you just know?”
The band, acclaimed for their stunning live shows, are on tour over April and May – photo: Ursula Billington
The same could be said for Paige Kennedy, next on upstairs at SWX2. They’re a star frontperson, self-assured, carrying the crowd with their upbeat confidence, yet relaxed, friendly and relatable.
In suits because, apparently, the trio (usually a quartet) had been filming a video earlier that day, they retain a down-to-earth presence that isn’t posey or posturing while simultaneously delivering up big pop with disco beats, filthy basslines and one out-there screaming guitar solo.
After a long day of boys’ club vibes, it’s a refreshing change that loosens up the whole room to laugh and dance in joyful abandon.
Paige Kennedy is one to watch, with a La Roux like rock-rave sensibility, big heart and personality to match – photo: Ursula Billington
Billy’s playing to a full house downstairs, but after a few songs – the hits, including 6 Music pummelled The Test come out early, to the delight of the now apparently emotionally wrought (tired or tipsy?) crowd who’ve been at this all day – this reviewer decides instead to head up the road to the Exchange for Fishstock, an annual scrappy punk gathering / makeshift birthday party organised by fiercely-DIY promoter (and Get Fucked drummer) Chris Fishlock.
As Faintest Idea set the stage alight with their full-blast horn-heavy social justice punk energy, the crowd ignites in a fierce overjoyed tangle of supportive moshing.
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The band lead the gathered in a rendition of ‘happy birthday’ for Fishlock. He proceeds to stagedive and is carried heroically around the room by grateful members of his community who have attended these parties since the band performed at his 21st however many years ago.
It seems today’s multi-venue fest was not the only ritual union in town.
Main image: Simon Alexander
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