Belmont Street, Aberdeen, Wednesday 9-Thursday 10 June 2004

Glitter Star

goNORTH may spoil you for other festivals. Free gigs featuring some of the best emerging talent from across Scotland, the UK and beyond – good enough to attract record industry professionals from near and far – and it’s on your doorstep. Artists and bands caught on the up whilst you can still get close enough in the audience, or the bar, to make up your own mind. It’s a gift of a festival that makes T in the Park tickets seem like a con.

Shaun Arnold of HAILMUSIC is the driving force behind goNORTH. His ideas came to fruition for the first time in 2002. This year’s festival happened largely down to the collaboration of Shaun and four other dedicated individuals: Dave Stewart (Aberdeen Foyer), Rob Hicks (Beyond Promotions), Iain Hamilton (Highands and Islands Enterprise) and Caroline MacLeod (HI~Arts) plus the support of a large number of sponsors including MusicWeek, PRS, and Channel 4.

goNORTH took over Belmont Street this year. Four venues, concentrated over 150 yards, hosting 30 acts over two nights. Without prohibitive ticket costs, you could pick and choose your bands on the flimsiest of recommendations or the whim of a name.

My goNORTH started with Bonnie Prince Billy on the headphones and a 3 hour train journey from Glasgow. The sun was shining; Scotland seemed big.  Green fields, fluffy clouds, yellow gorse, white hawthorn, blue sea – free of the hum-drum, I was happy anticipating my first music festival with a press pass. Predictably, I fell in love with goNORTH like an over-eager teenager.

I also made some teenage mistakes. The proximity of venues and the staggering of performances meant two things – in theory, you could catch 15 minutes of each act. But if you maintained the 15 -30 minute venue-hop, there was potential for the evening to become a musical pub crawl.

Of the 15 performances on Wednesday, I got to hear 10. On Thursday, I managed a total of 8. At times, it felt pretty heartless to flit between bands, but they seemed largely unfazed by the coming and going of crowds and I didn’t hear any complaints about time slots and venue allocation.

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“People ask whether I know I’m singing out-loud.”

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Titeur, a success story from an earlier goNORTH, opened the festival at an event sponsored by Channel 4 IDEASfactory with songs from his new album Poems and Aeroplanes. (Channel 4 used the opportunity to announce a new scheme MAKETRACKS for young people interested in music management and promotion. If this applies to you, check the website). Titeur has played 239 dates since his last goNORTH appearance and is reported to have bagged a six-figure deal with Universal. Certainly, there’s no denying the beauty of his pared down songs which convey an emotional integrity and a vulnerability to make your heart go pang.

Next on stage was Roddy Hart. How his love songs don’t win over every unrealised love of whom he sang is a mystery. Galipaygos charmed the audience with country songs, low-key vocals and an inspired ability to play guitar. Lead singer Andrew Stills also plays with Lacova and I’d expect quality if you pitch up to hear him in either guise. That just left Poor Old Ben with a bunch of songs which could go straight onto Radio 1’s playlist – wish that they would. Another Day’s chorus line, “Rock and roll is in my head”, is chiming round my head. People ask whether I know I’m singing out-loud.

Whilst on the subject of favourite songs, I have another – “Rise and Fall” by Gem, from Holland. I concede they owe a debt to the Strokes but see the band live and they may bring to mind a few other influences. Lead singer Maurits Westerik dances convincingly like a young Jagger and dresses, alongside rhythm guitarist Vincent Lenmen, in beautiful vintage jackets mindful of Sgt Pepper. Together for a year and half, with an album called Tell me what’s new, they have time to evolve into something original and entertain brilliantly meantime.

On the subject of clothes, a shout-out to Sai the tailor from Hong Kong who crafted the sheeny-shiny suits of Glasgow sharp dressers Hoboken. (I wonder if he realises he’s responsible for a style statement worthy of note amongst the rock and pop crowd of goNORTH?). The band (Jonathan Carr – vocals, Michael Bannister – drums and programming, Neil Cameron – bass, and Scott Twnholm, keyboards and programming) are set to release their first album Crazy Glue on the 26th July. A sneak-peak reveals a CD with covetable artwork. A sneak listen and you hear something instantly unmistakable. It sounds like the 80s, only different. This album (and this band) is the type that if played at a party, would forever be linked in the collective memory with whatever was happening that was important.

One of the highlights of the festival was the assured and inspired performance of Aziz, (guitarist with the Stone Roses), accompanied by Talvin Singh on the tablas. Talking with them later, they mentioned that the British Council recently sent them to Palestine and Pakistan as music ambassadors. Thankfully, the cultural outreach has stretched to Aberdeen with whispers of Shetland sometime in the future.

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“But that’s the nature of goNORTH – so much music, not enough time.”

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Wednesday night finished with the discovery of Tigerbombs. A band from Finland led by Pepe Trouble and Kido Retro, their music will refresh any listeners weary of the charts. High energy rock-pop tunes sparkling with imagination and defined by Italian-made organ and punky vocals. With a joie de vivre incorporating adoration of beer, Tigerbombs will get you dancing. They have an album called “Loves You”, (I love Oh, My Darning (sic) and 1000 Sparks), and I only hope they bag those future UK tour dates.

Maria Solheim from Norway sings “melancholic but hopeful” songs. I particularly liked her Christmas song (The Snow Has Killed), sung in dedication to the summer. Depressing themes were redeemed by a crystal voice and a quiet but commanding presence. The audience demanded an encore and it was clear that Maria, fragile-looking but fierce in her honesty, singing of broken promises and buried fears, had plenty of would-be knights gathered round.

With a hop and a skip down the road, it was time to catch up with the boys from Dionyssus, who were on tour. Aberdeen, Inverness and then Edinburgh to compete in the next round of Emergenza. I’ve already sung their praises elsewhere on this site – but I do have a bone to pick. Trying to help them find a place to stash their equipment, I missed Rolan Bolan, son of Marc, all the way from the US.

Which brings me to a confession, I’m sure I’ve overlooked some fantastic performances in my round up. A fair old buzz accompanied Kain’s performance though I missed most of it, transfixed by the snarl of The Casuals’ lead singer. Listening to the compilation CD, I’m kicking myself about missing Kid Carpet, Half Cousin, and Dead Fly Buckowski. But that’s the nature of goNORTH – so much music, not enough time.

Thursday concluded with an after-show part at Dr. Drakes (which didn’t seem to end), testing whether the bands were all singin’, all dancin’, or just the former. On Friday morning, smitten with my experience of goNORTH – the music I’d heard, the people I’d met – head fugged up with the remnants of an indulgent mix of alcohol, I felt sad as the train rolled backwards to Glasgow. As new CDs whirred and pleasant tunes consoled me home, I realised you’ll never forget your first festival love.

© Catriona Paul, 2004