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A cave in the middle of the Peak District isn’t the most conventional choice for a gig venue, but Jack Daniel’s birthday party isn’t a very conventional gig – and it was easy to see why the cave was chosen. Looking straight out of Middle Earth, the unusually named ‘Devil’s Arse’ cave was almost hidden from view – or it would have been, if not for the Jack Daniel’s logo projected directly onto the front of it.
There was definitely a faint sense of the magical, whether it was down to the lights lining the winding path to the cave from the picturesque village of Castleton, or the fact that once inside, the cave is breath-taking in its size and sheer... well, cave-ness.
Tribes had just stepped off a plane from LA a few hours before the gig – talk about a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle – and yet still managed to take the stage and get ready to debut in the cavern. Although they seemed slightly drained at times, and the lack of real response from the crowd didn’t help, the band still managed to impress with their relatively short set and even took the opportunity to showcase two new songs – one as yet unnamed, with a mysterious 60s feel to it, and ‘Dancefloor.’
After a short break – just enough time for a trip to the Jack Daniel's bar, then – the Mystery Jets were the next to take their chances in the Devil’s Arse. They definitely managed to bring the energy level up, although it was still a disappointingly lacklustre reaction from the crowd. Nonetheless, ‘Two Doors Down’ was a shot of adrenaline, and ‘Flakes’ also managed to generate a little bit of atmosphere.
Headliners The Vaccines at last managed to gain a roar of approval from the audience, and ripped into lead single ‘No Hope’ from their new album ‘The Vaccines Come of Age’, which was borderline raucous in the cave setting. Their no holds barred brand of indie rock was almost intoxicating, and ‘Teenage Icon’ was a surprise highlight of the set – although originally disappointing as a single, it really came into its own in the live setting and almost took on a life of its own. ‘Ghost Town’ and ‘I Always Knew’, as slower songs, were risky choices but when mixed in with the more lively songs managed to create a haunting and almost hypnotic effect in the setting – although barely anything came close to the favourite ‘Norgaad’ as a set closer.
The evening finished with a surprise live set from the Palma Violets at the afterparty, which took place at The Leadmill in Sheffield and included ‘Best Of Friends’ and ‘Last Of The Summer Wine.’ All in all, Jack Daniel had a very happy birthday indeed.
