Photo: Press
The Camden Crawl returned this year at the later date of mid June, moving it away from the May bank holidays. It saw the North London adult playground baked in sunshine across the two day urban festival, with sweaty hipsters regularly bolting out of roasting venues for air at any given opportunity.
But apart from the weather, what else was hot in Camden over the weekend? Gigwise popped along to give you the lowdown on some of the best sets played across both Friday and Saturday.
1. Thumpers
Thumpers easily win the prize for the most onomatopoeic band name of the weekend. With pounding rhythms and playful melodies, they play a set that suits the sunny outside space they play at the Camden Lock Brewery. They play a brand of upbeat indie tunes reminiscent of Los Campesinos in their pomp. Some of the more bombastic moments get carried away in the wind, but overall they play a set that sets everyone up nicely for the Friday evening and beyond. Pretty much the definition of a feel good festival band.
2 Tall Ships
Tall Ships return to the live scene after taking a short hiatus to record their second album. They play melodic guitar music with a tendency towards post-rock at times, but never at the expense of their pop sensibilities. Led by a frontman who looks and sings a little like a blond Jeff Buckley, they wow the Proud Galleries with their walls of sound and tendency towards epic finales. Musically they have real pedigree, with playing so tight it's hard to believe this is their first foray to the stage for some time. Tall Ships leave Camden reeling at the sight and sounds of a band completely on top of their game.
3. ABC
Over at Koko 80s guitar pop stalwarts ABC take to the stage. It's really only original singer Martin Fry and some people who he's picked to play with him now, as there are no other original members left. Still, the quality of their songs shines through, and possibly one of the most mature audiences the former Camden Palace has seen for a while lap it up. Stone cold classics 'When Smokey Sings' and 'The Look of Love' bring the house down, with Fry showing the new generation he can still show them a thing or two about putting on a show. Occasionally his stories about partying with Steven Strange in the 80s drift into Alan Partridge territory, but after a set as good as this he can be forgiven.
4. Atari Teenage Riot
German shouty techno veterans Atari Teenage Riot bring something a little different to the Electric Ballroom. A little like ABC, they have been around so long it is often just founding member Alec Empire and who is around on the day. The set is full of energy and distorted fuzz. The male/female hype duo jump around so much sometimes it gives the impression of looking like a pretty niche German fitness DVD, but they do certainly get the crowd out of any sunstroke induced slumber and moving their feet. Alec Empire really was ahead of time in basically putting a laptop on stage and making a unholy racket come out of it 20 years ago. Now others have picked up on his trick, but there are still few who do it better.
5. D/R/U/G/S
Another who can make a laptop sounds pretty damn good, it's D/R/U/G/S. In reality there is quite a lot more to what he does than that though. He is pretty much the answer to people who say that anyone can make electronic music at home or play it live. Listen to one of his sets and think about whether you could get anywhere near crafting a set as sophisticated as his. It's clear within two minutes that he is a master of his craft, creating beats and breaks that make so called 'superstar djs' look like bedroom chancers. If he keeps making them look this bad, the war on D/R/U/G/S could be coming to a dancefloor near you, and soon.
6. Magic Lantern
Folksy acoustic type Magic Lantern opens the Roundhouse studio theatre on Saturday. An intimate seated theatre is a tough one to play during a festival, with every arrival and departure disrupting the almost whispered vocals and lightly plucked guitar. But Magic Lantern doesn't let this distract him and delivers a set full of whimsy and a lot of just very good tunes. Ranging from melancholy reflections on mortality to French drinking songs, it's a collection that feels slightly detached from the rowdier elements of the festival, but certainly not the worse for that. Even when some bloody guy (ahem) threatens to disrupt the last song by having a sneezing fit, Lantern just gets on with it and finishes a very accomplished set with style.
7. Au Revoir Simone
Transatlatic female electro pop trio Au Revoir Simone bring a touch of glamour to proceedings on Saturday evening. They sway gently behind keyboards while delivering some of the best melodies you'll hear all weekend. They are very much a girl band in the Motown tradition, high on synchronised movements and strong vocal harmonies. They're certainly one of the coolest band of the whole weekend, delivering a collection of songs that showcase their impressive song writing abilities while looking pretty damn smart doing it.
8. Jeffrey Lewis and the Jrams
Jeffrey Lewis is an absolutely class act. Every aspect of human tragedy is so well observed you wonder how he gets through the day without breaking down. 'Support Tour' will be a familiar tale of woe to anyone who's ever played in a band. In truth it's not all about negative subjects, and even when it is the cheery musical backing keeps it out of the realms of melancholy. A song defending the quality of English food goes down well with the slightly beerier elements of the crowd. A slide show and part/sung part spoken work track about the history of Vietnam is absolutely incredible, as is a thought provoking song asking 'What would Pussy Riot do?'
9. Of Montreal
Of Montreal are the answer to the question that nobody is asking - what would happen if you locked Modest Mouse and Suede in a room until they were forced to start a super-group? If this lot are anything to go by, the results would be superb. They play a stunning set of erudite guitar pop that has Camden hollering and whooping its way into the night. Of Montreal are an absolute joy, sounding as fresh as the day they were formed almost 20 years ago.
