Photo: Jon Mo
Margate’s Dreamland and Old Town turned into one big indie playground this weekend as By The Sea returned to the Victorian seaside town.
The weather was, predictably for any British resort, pretty mixed. A glorious sunset on Friday evening contrasted with driving hail on Saturday afternoon. But thankfully the organisers had the foresight to host the music under cover and the show went on as planned.
Dreamland proved a charming location, with all festival-goers granted access to the fairground rides and many taking full advantage of the privilege. Added to this, a fringe line-up took place in Margate’s picturesque Old Town. Margate Museum proved a very popular venue for a host of acoustic acts that kept weekend attendees entertained until the volume was turned up high for the evening’s offering.
So who stood out across the weekend? Who is destined for greatness, who has cemented their place at the top and who is set to scale even greater heights?
Wolf Alice are…unstoppable
Wolf Alice’s Saturday night headline set was the last show of the cycle promoting hugely successful debut album My Love Is Cool. Bassist Theo Ellis, the band’s unofficial hype man, admits it’s an emotional night for the North Londoners. But thankfully the crowd seem determined to give them a worthy send-off before their live hiatus.
There is so much love for this band among young fans it’s impossible to see anything other than superstardom in the near future. And at By The Sea they showed they deserve this acclaim. More power to them.
Jarvis Cocker is…iconic
By The Sea’s main coup was persuading Jarvis Cocker to travel to the Kent coastline to DJ on the dodgems on Saturday evening. It proved hugely popular, with queues of up to an hour to take a drive to Cocker’s iconic Sheffield drawl and listen to tunes including ‘Killing in the Name Of’ and event-appropriate ‘Daytripper’.
Gigwise had a go and can confirm it was tremendous fun. A slightly surreal and welcome treat you wouldn't find anywhere else; a triumph of imagination.
Mystery Jets are…survivors
Mystery Jets pulled a large and appreciative crowd to the Roller Disco stage on Friday night and put on a show to confirm they’re just as relevant now as they were when they burst forth onto the scene more than a decade ago.
‘Young Love’ is a wonderful standout, even without Laura Marling, and the band show they can more than hold their own among a new generation of acts on show across the weekend.
Strong Asian Mothers are…ones to watch
Londoners Strong Asian Mothers showed why they’re rapidly winning a reputation as one of the country’s most promising bands on Saturday. Mixing hip hop, R&B and straight up pop music, their pounding beats and smartly observed lyrics were an instant hit.
They’ve also got an easy on-stage manner that makes them easy to watch and genuinely funny chat between songs. Keep an eye on this lot, they could be destined for big things.
Super Furry Animals are…peerless
Super Furry Animals headed up the Friday night line-up and reminded everyone how lucky we are that they have decided to get back together.
There is simply no other act from the 1990s crop of guitar bands that sound so fresh and relevant today. Everything from ‘Hometown Unicorn’ from debut Fuzzy Logic to recent single ‘Bing Bong’, released in support of the Welsh football team at Euro 2016, hits home beautifully.
They are a gift that we must not take for granted; a unique joy that must not be ignored. Hopefully the upcoming tour, showcasing the first two albums, will be followed by a look to the future with more new music for us to feast upon.
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