Invisible Wind Factory, 30th April 2017
Festevol is an annual event which began in 2008. Unusually for these kind of events, it hit it’s stride on the first outing and just keeps getting better.
Unsurprising when you realise Rivo Ziganda (EVOL Promotions) is behind it, a Liverpool promoter extraordinaire famous for his ear for awesome music and putting together lineups which are a bit special.
This year, 34 acts were on offer across 3 stages on 1 day this year. But, there are no “filler” acts here – every single act was a musical gem.
This does of course lead to nightmare clashes. When I look down the list of acts there are so many acts I really wanted to catch. Sometimes you just can’t pull yourself away from another act!
Many festivals have predominantly male lineups. It is therefore refreshing to see so many female dominated bands at Festevol. Whilst great music is great music regardless of the gender of the people making it, it’s good to see a bit of balance.
So who were the standout acts for me this year?
Generation
Generation are a Liverpool punk band oozing with attitude and energetic tunes. Visually and musically entertaining, I wasn’t aware of them previously but based on this outing all I can say is catch them live as soon as you get the chance.
Anteros
Anteros are another act who’d previously slipped under the radar, but upon checking youtube it seems they have already released several excellent singles. They hail from London via Barcelona. I picked up on influence of Blondie, which is no bad thing at all.
Dream Wife
Literally everyone I spoke to or read their posts on Facebook seemed to be unanimous that Dream Wife were the set of the day. And whilst i didn’t catch all 36 acts, on what I saw, I’m sure they are right.
I’ve heard nothing but good things about Dream Wife, and they clearly live up to the hype.
Shy Billy
Shy Billy used to be called Lying B’stards, but for some strange reason this caused radio stations to have issues playing their tunes. Whilst they might have toned down the controversial name, the music is as great as ever and their energetic performance remains. They aren’t shy, and they aren’t called Billy so they will always be Lying B’stards to me!
The Big Moon
My missus has been raving about The Big Moon for a while, so when I saw they were playing FestEVOL I made sure I caught them, and I wasn’t dissapointed.
Their album “Love in the 4th Dimension” was released in April of this year on Fiction records, and is well worth a listen.
Sundowners
The Sundowners always provide an irresistible mix of Alternative Indie/Rock and Folk, and it is always a pleasure to catch them live.
This outing was no exception, and it was great to hear some of the tunes from the new album played live. It’s called “Cut the Master” and it’s a must hear album.
Black Honey were one of my highlights from last year’s FestEVOL. Sometimes when you see a band you aren’t familiar with and they blow you away, your expectations are set so high that the next time you see them they dissapoint. Not so here, they played a totally phenomenal set.
Pink Kink
Pink Kink never disappoint with their outrageously energetic sets and inventive outfits. Never a dull moment musically or visually. An awesome treat you shouldn’t miss!
And that’s it for another year. Revo thinks of everything – he even stages FestEVOL on a bank holiday weekend so we have a day to recover.
Same again next year?
