Blog: Leicesterval

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I was up in Leicester on Saturday for the Leicester Indiepop All-Dayer (aka LEICESTERVAL) organised by Mr S Tyers of Sweeping The Nation. on the way I popped into Kings Cross Station to have a look at the new ROOF there. COR! It was AMAZING, also BEAUTIFUL, and I headed off to The Midlands full of the joys of SPRING and LIFE. This feeling would only GROW throughout the rest of the day.

I arrived an hour and a bit later at The Firebug to find it FULL of lovely people. I went first into the beer garden to find THE TIGER talking to Mr S Metcalf, with Ms E Kawasaki and Mr C Wood close at hand. Upstairs I found Mrs S and Mr I Hodgkiss, and then a whole HOST of friendly faces led by Mr P Green - I could go on and name EVERYONE I bumped into throughout the day, but out of about 100 people there I think I ended up hugging MOST of them!

For LO! it was like one of the first Indietracks, where I not only KNEW nearly all the people but also was pals with nearly all of the BANDS! Up first were August Actually, who CONFUSED me mightily at first by playing at the OTHER end of the room - every few years they seem to swap the location of the stage at Firebug, so it wasn't really their fault. They were ACE tho - Russ the sound guy was doing a STERLING job all day, initially I thought "Something is very odd indeed about the music" and then realised i could HEAR what was going on. It sounded LUSH.

After that it was two OLD FAVOURITES with NEW NAMES - The Sweet Nothings (AKA The Pete Green Corporate Juggernaut) and Anguish Sandwich (AKA Winston Echo) - both of whom were ACE, and reminded me what a long old time it is since I'd last SEEN either of them in full band mode.

By this time ALL Validators were in attendance, so there was MUCH larking/yakking/hugging going on, also consumption of BEER. It's ALWAYS lovely to be back together as a band and we stood around DELIGHTING each other. This did sadly mean we missed nearly ALL of Just Handshakes We're British, unfortunately, but we DID get our setlist in order, which led to us stomping on stage and doing THIS:

Theme From Dinosaur Planet

My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once

Don't, Darren, Don't

Please Don't Eat Us

Being Happy Doesn't Make You Stupid

A Little Bit

Do The Indie Kid

The Lesson Of The Smiths

Easily Impressed

It all seemed to go RATHER well - the new material did all right, especially A Little Bit, and if SOME members of the band made the TINIEST OF ERRORS occasionally, well, that's all part of the fun, right? I manage to keep my REMARKS fairly short (i think) but VERY MUCH enjoyed doing them, and there was JOINING IN where JOINING IN was required (especially an EXCELLENT Music Of The Future) and DANCING also.


The rest of the evening descended into BEER and LARKS and general goodwill to ALL. We missed ANOTHER band, shamfully, The Rosie Taylor Project, via some of the aforesaid beer and larks, also PACKING AWAY, but did get to see Tender Trap, who coped HEROICALLY with half the drumkit not being there anymore.

They were ACE, and the whole DAY was bloody marvellous. After all sorts of gigs lately where I've felt out of my depth, or too busy to enjoy it, or out on the peripheries, it was BRILLIANT to feel that I was back amongst MY LOT again. Well done everyone, it was GRATE. See you next year!

posted 27/3/2012 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

I think you'll find that The Sunbathers were up first.
posted 29/3/2012 by Anon

Yes, sorry - up first for me!
posted 29/3/2012 by MJ Hibbett


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