More about: Frank TurnerBilly BraggCatfish + The BottlemenRoyal Blood
'With a line-up like that, we couldn't have asked for a better present'
Every year XFM put on one hell of a Christmas bash, showcasing some of the best up and coming acts around, standing alongside some the most accomplished and show stealing artists. This year was no different with a line-up boasting the very best of the past, present and future.
XFM couldn’t have picked a better surprise stocking-filler band to open the show than Royal Blood. Having smashed 2014 into pieces, seemingly out of nowhere, the duo end their fairytale of a year by giving you a raw taste of what to expect from them in 2015. With incomprehensible riffs being lashed out by bassist/vocalist Mike Kerr on tracks such 'Little Monster' and 'Out of the Black', it's no surprise they’ve managed to single-handedly light a fire under the entire hard rock scene. The substance of their no nonsense live aggression certainly matches the mainstream admiration they’ve received.
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The only international act on the bill, Canadian singer songwriter Billy the Kid is seemingly unknown to most of the audience. But her short set of acoustic country/folk songs from latest album Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (produced by the night’s headliner) proved to strike a chord with the crowd who soon worked out what she was all about. Managing to captivate Brixton Academy in just a 15 minute set, Billy the Kid gives you just a mere glimpse of her full potential that's bound to unfold next year.
Catfish and the Bottlemen proceed to remind everyone exactly why they’re one of the most talked about up and coming bands in the UK. Despite lacking a certain flair to their songs, the Welsh rockers channel - and in some ways revive - the Brit punk spirit of the likes of The Libertines and early Manic Street Preachers.
With seven bands on one bill and with little down time between each, it's not easy to catch a breath. The Horrors helped, but only due to being clustered in the middle of a line-up of the more fast and furious. Their set quickly sees the bar fill up, once the audience realise they’ve lost the chemistry that made them so alluring when they first arrived almost 10 years ago.
The XFM inspiration award winner and outright dude Billy Bragg added a taste of nostalgia to the night. Finishing of course with the working man’s anthem 'A New England', the singer puts on a performance that shows the rest of the much younger lineup the standard that they need to consistently play at when they’re 50 years into their prime.
Punk rock troubadour Frank Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls end the night literally one day after finishing the recording of their new album in Nashville with the mighty Butch Walker (have you heard that Christmas song?). Rushing through a career-spanning setlist, including tracks like 'I Still Believe', 'Recovery' and 'Four Simple Words', it’s clear why Turner is headlining - his sheer mix of showmanship, honesty and knack for a chorus that can be screamed to the rafters is something to behold. And hell, by the fifth hour into the show, most people have had a fair few trips to the bar for that extra drink ‘just because it’s Christmas’. By the time Frank gets into his stride, everyone is well oiled enough to belt out every word.
Testing out new track 'The Next Storm', it’s clear that unlike the atmosphere surrounding his previous record, Frank seems much happier and genuinely excited for the release of an album that strolls back to his punk rock roots.
With the new album due out at the start of the new year and a fire in his belly like never before. Frank Turner proves that he’s not ready to slow down just yet, he’s barely cracked the surface of the heights he’s intending to head to.
Merry Christmas XFM we couldn’t have asked for a better present.
Photo: WENN
