Underage Festival
Location: Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets
Date: Friday 5th August
Line up: Bombay Bicycle Club, The Midnight Beast, Viva Brother, Janelle Monae, Crystal Fighters, Miles Kane... (Click for full line up)
Price: £31.50
Bands discovered: Cock n Bull Kid, Yaks, Mammoth Sound and Janelle Monae
If you were somewhere between Mile End tube station and Vitoria park last Saturday you might have noticed the stream of “13 to under 17’s “(ahem) gracing the streets. Chinos and boat shoes holding up traffic, buttoned up shirts and brogues clogging the tubes, you would be forgiven for mistaking it for some kind of indie school trip. Alas no, they were making their way to this year’s Underage Festival to see the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, Miles Kane and Crystal Fighters, a somewhat lacklustre line up following previous years.
Playing an afternoon slot on the main stage, Miles Kane came on in a suitably retro Nehru shirt and paisley patterned trousers. His 1960’s apparel totally in synch with what he was playing. Each song sounded as if they were a classic Bond theme, and had that distinctive whiney guitar sound that Kane gave to the Last of the Shadow Puppets. For the final song, the crowd were whipped into shape by the gargantuan tune that is Inhaler.
The Midnight Beast played a rocky set, battling technical difficulties with a unique concoction of Beastie Boy style parodies and charmingly juvenile humour, and drew a frenzy of screaming girls. (The phrase Beatlemania springs to mind) Accompanied by two male dancers, a cheerleading squad, comedy props (including a massive Kanye West mask), and with a selection of well loved parodies in their back pockets- The Midnight Beast could do no wrong.
This year’s festival played host to a vast amount of stalls, some selling niche clothing and artefacts, others bespoke cupcakes. But dwarfing these was the amount of charity and promotional tents this year: War Child, Breast Cancer awareness, the Independent’s sister newspaper “I”, the Tate Gallery. The list goes on. The Tate tent ( it’s fun to say it fast) had people making badges from magazine clippings and spray painting tote bags, as well as giving away free travel cases. With a copy of the “I” you got a souvenir canvas bag, a publishing company were giving away free stacks of vampire books. The Olympic torch was even present and available for photo opportunities. Also, an ingenious scheme to get people to tidy up by collecting bottles from around site by enticing them with free t-shirts, ponchos and bags. The amount I invested in a ticket was probably re- gained in the amount of fee stuff I hauled home.
Over on the intimate “Music Space Stage” London based band Mammoth Sound played a high energy set to an excitable crowd. With a distinctive sound that comes from having both a sax player and an MC, Mammoth Sound brought a fresh mix of ska and hip hop to the festival. Definitely ones to watch.
It’s clear to see that Janelle Monae has had a background in theatre. A band dressed in uniform white shirts and bow ties come to the stage, while a circus ring leader hypes the crowd up and announces the star’s arrival. A short film is played before three hooded figures walk on; their backs turned to the crowd and begin to move in a way that can only be described as groovin’to the beat. As the vocal kicks in the middles figure whips round and is revealed as Janelle Monae herself, wearing the androgynous outfit of black trousers white shirt and tie, hair coiffed to perfection. The band are as much a part of the performance as she is, there are dancers an orchestra and a brass section. For a stripped back rendition of Nat King Cole’s Smile Monae’s vocals stun the crowd and dance through the song with ease. Everything is seamless. Her set is perfection.
Underage Festival has been renowned for having its finger on the pulse of the UK alternative scene: Announcing names that you’ve never heard of early in the year, but by the time the summer rolls round you find that most of the line up are the hottest bands on the block, making appearances on Later with Jools Holland and featuring on BBC polls. However this year has seen a lull in proceedings, last year’s indie/hip-hop headliner MIA, replaced by a folksy Bombay Bicycle Club- who frankly (as much as I like them) aren’t a headlining act. Granted the festival hasn’t stooped so low as to delve into the mainstream, it’s maintained its reputation for housing what’s cool and alternative. But it would have been nice to see some bigger names, maybe a touch of Friendly Fires or Hurts would have just brought more weight to the line up. Why not just go the whole indie hog and book Best Coast?
Nevertheless, Underage festival is still perfect for the music obsessed teen seeking that festival experience, you don’t have to be 18, the tickets are relatively cheap, and you get to see a load of great bands in one day.
