Sunday 28/05/06 Dot to Dot Festival @ Various Venues, Nottingham

Spend a day to and fro-ing from venue to venue in the basking sun, fuelled with many a pint at this over-sold event, feeling as if you’ve gone back in time a few decades as the ‘trendy Wendys’ amongst us look like they’ve been rooting through their grandparents’ wardrobes to prepare their outfit as if it’s the Ascot for the music kids. Everyone here wants to be:
a) in a band, or
b) inside a band.

So can you tell what it is yet?

Why, it looks like the indie-pop, electro-rock masterpiece that is the Dot to Dot festival set in the uber-indie streets of Nottingham. With over 14 hours of music-ing to get through, we feel Pro-plus is in order to survive this musical banquet. So first things first, who’s is the first round….?

The Pipettes @Rock City, 3pm
Starting half an hour late, Gigwise is in the unfortunate position of catching these kitsch girls ‘sing’. Whoring up their trademark look of oh so passé polka dots, these girls have the dance moves of Wigfield and the vocals of ‘uh oh, we’re in trouble’ Shampoo, you’d probably be better off just listening to a Supremes record. They’re just one sugar lump too many.

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. @ Rock City, 4pm
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly = Jamie Cullum with a guitar.
Gigwise =  Disappointed.

Buck 65 @ Rock City, 5pm
Buck 65 is about to create a new genre of music that’s going to get medieval on your ass. Hip hop for pirates. Seriously. He sounds like he’s just jumped off the Jolly Roger and attacked us with his Kid Rock-esque tunes, a voice as rough and throaty as a badger’s arse, like a pirate on speed. Got that?

Victorian English Gentlemen’s Club @ Rescue Rooms, 5.30pm
Less of the gentlemen, more of the women. With only one guy in the band, how is the name justifiable? Perhaps the audiences they attract is the gentlemen’s club (or drunk and pervy lads?), who are gawping at the girls. Girls in bands, playing instruments, whacking out some proper grunge?! Who’d a thunk it possible! With some dirty pretty drums and bass action selling the band, this trio get a surprise thumbs up. But, I think I hear Ricky “I predict a diet” Wilson calling for some of his ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’ lyrics back.

Clarky Cat @ Rescue Rooms 7.30pm
Hang on a minute, they’re not Hot Club de Paris. What do you mean they pulled out? But with a Brass Eye influenced name like Clarky Cat, who can refuse! Questioning whether they’re actually even old enough to be in the venue, you can give kids these days any old toys and they’ll make some wicked fun sounds. These dirty electro bass thundering whores are still in nappies, but confusingly there’s a granny-a-like and an 80s German throwback on stage. Confused? You shouldn’t be.

The Rumble Strips @ The Social, 9pm
One in, one out! Conveniently they just shut the doors as Gigwise squeeze in to watch the Futureheads of the country-ska world. Beautiful saxed up harmonies infused with some trumpet tones, they could rename themselves the Mighty Mighty Rumblestrips if they fancied it.

Mystery Jets @ Rock City 10.15pm
Bit of a rollercoaster set this one. Some good highs from openers ‘Boy Who Ran Away’ and ‘Can’t Fool Me Dennis’ but then the lows mellow the crowd with some album and B-side fillers. There were some hardcore jets fans in arm with giant paper aeroplanes, taking off left, right and centre but unfortunately, they were slightly average tonight so Gigwise dash off for Klaxons……

Klaxons @ Stealth, 11pm
It is literally a case of “You’re names not down, you’re not coming in” in this place. Officially the worlds worst venue, and officially the worlds c**tish crowd full of wannabes with their fingers on the pulse. Whispers have been heard all day about this amazing band and are they really worth that huge sum of dollar? The answer is simply yes. Self admittedly, they need to write some more songs. But ‘The Bouncer’ opens the set and opens the way to full blown sweaty riot fun. Now remember, rave safe kids. Fun and frolics all the way, this electro-crunk with added pube tweezing vocals a la ‘Gravity’s Rainbow’ really does work. The future is bright, the future is Klaxons.

British Sea Power @ Rock City, 11.30pm
The foliage and stuffed birds are out, which only means one thing. They’ve been in hiding for a while (probably in a cave in Czech republic or somewhere), but they still treat us with a bit of old and a bit of new with some abstract jams added to the equation. Changing their vocal roles and instruments like it’s a swingers party, BSP put on a timeless show full of nostalgia and grace, showing the new indie kids on the block how it should be done. Thundering strobe lighting during ‘Favours In The Beetroot Fields’ add a stormy touch. However, someone should tell front man Yan that stuffed seagulls can’t actually fly, as he launches one into the crowd, nose-diving into a sea of grappling hands.

The night is still young, and the partying continues into the early hours, but Gigwise solemnly reflects on the days antics with a pint and realises that:
a) It’s not all about the “I was raped of my money for this second hand vintage dress” image.
b) Music is fun and is what it is.
c) Some of the indie-kids of Nottingham don’t realise this.

Photo by: Jonathan Holmes
See more photos in our gallery...