Even long before the rain came The Allotment – home to This Feeling & Pirate Studios – was the place to be all weekend long at Y Not Festival. Simply put, behind this tent and wider movement is a selection of heads right at the centre of all that’s good for bands and grassroots music in UK right now. This Feeling and Pirate Studios know where it’s at and watching that play out over a weekend is poetry in motion. The bands rocked, the crowds flocked – zone o’clock.
Friday kicked in to gear in no time with scousers Generation ripping it up. They’re a band that excite you live – you always feel like you’re witnessing something with a ceiling that’s much bigger, whether they’re playing 200 cap clubs in Liverpool or festival stages.
Sophie & The Giants are also a band to be very excited about. They’re so tight and come across wonderfully live. It’s no wonder they’re off on a european tour with Tom Grennan. They have a new EP on the way, some of which was showcased. Keep an eye out for that.
The Surrenders kept a solid Friday run going and straight up wicked live. They bring the groove and the crowd just loves it – Shouldn’t Have To Dig is an anthem.
The crowds flock for Trampolene and headliners Otherkin. The secret’s well and truly out with these two and it’s great to see lots of love about in the tent. Swansea boys Trampolene always deliver, their sound is huge. They have loads of ace new material spread across a hotbed of fan favourites and Jack Jones’ cult poems, of which hundreds shouting back the words to Ketamine sticks out.
There was loads and loads of love for the irish too as Otherkin delivered a manic and frenetic headline set to close out a stellar night.
On Saturday the rain came and so did the mud but The Allotment zone soldiered on with the wicked Dead Royalties grooving and slinking. Get strutting new single Phantom Hearts in your playlists.
The Seamonsters also put in a wonderful mid-afternoon set. They’re a band really going places. Max and Archie who the f*ck do you think you are? The Sheff six hit the road for a few dates with This Feeling in the autumn and you really should check them out. They’re ace.
One takeaway from the Saturday was that Wulfman Fury are indeed wicked. Huge love for Nightsweats, absolute monster of a tune.
There was the makings of a scouse takeover on Sunday with two great sets of lads The Jjohns and Red Rum Club making their marks. The Jjohns pulled a solid crowd for an early afternoon slot and had the tent singing along to an exhuberant, anthemic set headed up by infectious belter Lucy and new single Sewn. In another great nod for Liverpool Red Rum Club packed the tent out far and wide for a huge set. The secret is creeping out with these lads and it’s really great to see. People have a really good time during their sets, there’s a vibe that most can’t rival. The switch gets flicked and it’s going off. Sound the trumpets.
Talking of huge sounding tight bands, The Pale White capped off the weekend in style. Whether it’s Deceiver, Reaction, Peace Of Mind or anything in-between it sounds massive. Shout to the drummer too. Unreal.
Nobody does a zone like This Feeling.
