Photo: Danny Payne
Best Kept Secret’s third day kicked off in a way that the previous two had threatened to - with a downpour (albeit a brief one). Not that this did anything to dampen the spirits or atmosphere of hotly tipped Londoners Wolf Alice who, under the cover of Stage Two, began the finale of what had been a weekend to savour.
Justifying why such a large swathe of the music press is currently in the process of giving birth to kittens over this band, Wolf Alice’s energetic performance blew of any cobwebs that may have been lingering from Sunday morning with the interplay between the guitars of Ellie Roswell and Joff Oddie proving particularly intriguing.
There was an extra reason to celebrate as the band was playing their finale the day before their debut album was due to hit the shelves. If the energy and intensity of their live performances are captured successfully on the record then expect it to be heading towards the top of many of 2015’s end of year lists.
Scandinavian sisters First Aid Kit provided a dose of Swedish sunshine country-tinged charm to Stage One for the mid-afternoon slot. The audience was treated to a rendition of the band’s 'Our Own Pretty Ways', one of the earliest songs in the First Aid Kit back catalogue and one that is even more remarkable given the fact that it was written whilst the sisters were in their mid/early teens. There was also a cover of the classic Emmylou Harris number Red Dirt Girl thrown in for good measure too as there was folksy rhythms and peddle steel aplenty to delight in the sun.
Vancouver’s Black Mountain provided a much needed dose of Led Zeppelin riffs and Wolfmother-esque urgency during their set. The star of the show was undoubtedly Stephen McBean who mercurial guitar skills recalled the all time greats of the instrument. It wasn’t until one extended jam segued into another and a saxophone appeared on stage that the set slipped worryingly towards the indulgent.
In case you have been on a different planet, you may have missed the fact that Future Islands frontman Sam Herring is famed (quite literally now thanks to that Letterman performance) for his onstage antics. At Best Kept Secret, his favoured dance saw him assume a sitting position whilst in turn alternatively kicking each of his legs - it was the quite the sight to behold. To focus exclusively on Herring’s physical contortions, however, would be unfair as it would overshadow his colleagues in the band and not pay homage to the rest of the set list which will live long in the hazy memories of all those who witnessed it. Not surprisingly the singles from their most recent album of the same name, 'Spirit' and 'Seasons (Waiting for You)' sparked scenes of abandon from those down the front.
In the spirit of diversity that events such as Best Kept Secret promote it was back over to Stage Two to check out native Dutch rapper Typhoon. Given the plethora of English speaking/ performing acts it was reassuring to witness some home grown talent too although unfortunately, due to Gigwise’s non-existentant Dutch language skills, the content of Typhoon’s set couldn’t be fully appreciated. It was obvious that he was doing something right however, as the tent bopped and danced along to his hip hop beats in a way that had not been seen all weekend.
The most unexpected performance snippet that wafted its way towards Gigwise’s ear drums was that of Reigning Sound who played late on Stage Three, and who, at the very moment we wandered by, happened to be performing a rockabilly cover of the Billie Holiday show tune Stormy Weather . Again we’d be lying to say that’s what was expected to be heard at Best Kept Secret 2015, but nonetheless it was one of the innumerable moments to remember.
If push came to shove and you had hang you our hat on the performance of the weekend, you would be hard pressed to beat the one that Royal Blood turned in the penultimate show on the main stage.
All the hallmarks of great rock ‘n’ roll were there (and which have been customary) for their gigs; the treacle-thick riffs from Mike Kerr’s bass, monolithic drumming of Ben Thatcher and sing along choruses that are set to define a generation.
There were a number of highlights including 'Come on Over' and 'Out of the Black' both which demonstrate the band’s ability to weave a complex melody around the most dense of riffs, drummer Thatcher deciding to crowd surf across the first few rows of the audience, and the massive circle pit that was formed throughout the show. The kids were well and truly losing their minds. Surely headline slots beckon before too long.
Finally it was down to Leeds’ very own purveyors of intricate art rock Alt-J to draw to a close the third Best Kept Secret.
Perhaps it was the fact they were following Royal Blood induced pandemonium, or perhaps Gigwise is more accustomed to attending British festivals which more likely than not conclude with an explosive finale, but whilst it can’t be denied Alt-J provided an impeccable performance, which demonstrated the craft and musicianship that has created the platform for them to play shows as big as this, it seemed a rather sedate way to sign-off the weekend.
Clearly we were in the minority for having such reservation as the band rattled through their repertoire of most esteemed numbers including the singles from debut album An Awesome Wave, 'Fitzpleasure' and 'Matilda'.
The pleasure, Best Kept Secret, was all ours however. We will see you next year- just don’t tell anybody about this festival.
