The big one: Summer Sundae Weekender

United Kingdom | | 04 August 2008

Summer Sundae Weekender stands apart from other festivals by ensuring proceedings remain family friendly throughout, providing something for any age. It’s also one of the few festivals which are based so central to their connected city (De Montfort Hall is just a few minutes walk from Leicester train station). With atmosphere and location on its side it’s only necessary to cast an eye over the consistently impressive lineup to understand why purchasing a ticket for this weekend’s event should be top of your to-do list.

Friday

One of the best things about this year’s SSW is the focus on artists who will be firm fixtures on main stages the land over in the coming years. Opening proceedings on the Rising Stage with Youthmovies and The Mae Shi goes so far as to risk shooting their load way too early. Kicking things off with two of the best live bands around is a bold move and one which is sure to pay off, and hand you two ‘favourite new bands’ for the price of one. Elsewhere the fantastic Errors are sure to deliver their 65DoS inspired instrumental rock with typical perfection. Songs like ‘Salut! France’ are the perfect infusion of rock and dance, hitting a target which so many others have missed since Franz Ferdinand’s famous comment of “making rock music for girls to dance to”. On the mainstage the big guns are present in the form of an acoustic set from Liverpool’s The Coral, sure to provide an interesting take on some of the past decades irritatingly catchy singles. Friday headliners Supergrass have so many anthems in their arsenal I could easily reach my word count just listing them. With the excellently eclectic lineup throwing up the fantastic Fuck Buttons, mainstream-headed Noah and The Whale and future stars Fight Like Apes the opening day provides some of the highlights of the entire event, hitting the ground running is always the best way.

Saturday

The Saturday is probably the weakest of the three days, but there’s still plenty of musical talent on offer. Maybeshewill are one of the more ‘out there’ acts that SSW have put on in recent years, giving a touch of local talent to proceedings. Envy & Other Sins have been unable to fully capitalise on the limelight earned by their victory in that TV talent competition most of us have now forgotten about, but they’re well worth a look. They may not be as eclectic as they once were but they’re still a deliciously poppy prospect from some afternoon entertainment in the sun. Punk legend Henry Rollins brings his spoken word show to the festival, providing often funny and always honest observations on his life and the world around him. It’s innovative festival programming such as this which ensures that SSW stays one step ahead of the (ever swelling) festival pack. On the mainstage Belle & Sebastian offshoots Camera Obscura provide a deliciously twee flavour and indie stalwarts Dodgy return to the live circuit with a barrel-full of hits. Roisin Murphy is sure to balance her fantastic solo work with diving into her timeless Moloko back catalogue, setting the evening up nicely for the fantastic Macy Gray to bring proceedings to a close.

Sunday

The final day of this year’s SSW has more talent packed into a few short hours than the majority of festivals manage throughout their entire event. The main stage alone plays host to the fantastically weird Wild Beasts, as well the always-interesting-but-starting-to-become-mainstream Mystery Jets. There’s also the luscious tones of Jose Gonzalez to ease the Sunday morning hangover, before Cold War Kids hammer their piano keys into submission, whilst plying their soulful wares. On the Indoor Stage Jeffrey Lewis offers up anti-folk narratives, followed by the incredible Efterklang delivering one of the bigger curve balls of the weekend. The mainstage reaches commercial indie meltdown with the climax of Reverend And The Makers, followed by the twisted dance stylings of Simian Mobile Disco. With recent news reports that Reverend And The Makers may be calling it quits after their next album it may well be one of the few opportunities to see them before things start to wind down. The climax on the indoor stage is very much the ‘alternative’ to this commercial breakdown, with the fantastically flamboyant Kevin Barnes bringing Of Montreal’s disco-indie to the stage. Anthony & The Johnsons collaborator Joan Is Police Woman will follow that party with a much more sombre, reflective, but equally breathtaking, collection of tracks, before Lightspeed Champion brings the event to a climax with his melodic thoughtfulness and Star Wars infused jams.

Altogether this years lineup is one of the strongest so far for the Summer Sundae Weekender. It manages to avoid pigeon-holing itself genre-wise, a trap which many other smaller festivals fall into, giving itself a huge advantage over similar events and providing a pleasingly eclectic affair for those attending. Definitely one of the stronger events this year, with one of the nicest atmospheres a festival can provide.