Unfortunate for any band to have to pull out of a commitment, but when Clock Opera announced they would have to, Beacons quickly worked a piece of magic and Cardiff’s FUTURE OF THE LEFT were summoned to fill the gap on the Stool Pigeon stage. Third album ‘The Plot Against Common Sense’ amazed this reviewer on its release earlier this year and continues to do so. A career now spanning three albums, they rapidly hammer out songs from each. ‘Adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood’ barely gets off the ground before singer/guitarist/frontman/lyric-genius Falco brings it to a halt to insult the chap at the front whose foot-against-barrier-kicking timekeeping is far from adequate. Eager to play as many songs as possible they perplex most with ‘Robocop IV…’ cause a stir with a couple of Mclusky songs and generally play most other bands off the stage this weekend with this set. Total Win.
www.futureoftheleft.net

H. And we’re back in the Vice/Noisey tent for not one but two notable Leeds bands of the weekend. Poles apart in their music creation and output but equally enthralling and wowing this busy tent of noise enthusiasts. I’m popping my Hookworm cherry today and just where HOOKWORMS are taking us back to in time I’m not entirely sure. But it sure is nice. Lashings of distortion, squeals of two frantic duelling guitars, and driving bass and drums, mixed up with all manner of noises from the keyboard and vocal effects.

Hawkeyes

Hookworms

A world away from the guitars, feedback and general amplification overdrive is the cosy ‘INTO THE WOODS’ tent tucked behind the kids area. Beautifully decorated inside with colourful drapes, cushions and rugs, it’s a mandatory ‘shoes/wellies off’ area and a chance to chill to the max. Either watching some delicate musicianship or getting lost in the pictures created by poetry and story telling.

Back to the world of electric guitars, rock music and showmanship with J, Vancouver’s JAPANDROIDS created quite a stir in the Stool Pigeon tent (Saturday) as the duo let loose their frenetic show to an up for it assembled Beacons goers. The two guys play off one another with a ferocity many bands can never muster up with double the staff on board.
www.facebook.com/japandroids

Future Of The Left

Food - often the great disappointment for a festival gathering. Overpriced, undercooked, overcooked? Generally you’re left feeling unsatisfied and lighter of more than a fair few quid. Should you happen to be at an event where GHANDI’S FLIP FLOP are cooking up a treat or two then we wholeheartedly suggest you dine there at least once. This authentic, vegetarian and vegan Indian cuisine isn’t your usual festival rubbish. Ranging from snacks – Samosas, Poppadoms, pickles, to complete thali meals guaranteed to fill. And stay there to eat if there’s room on a small table or comfy cushion. THE food stall of Beacons festival, hands down.
www.gandhisflip-flop.co.uk

L is for LOVE.
NEON LOVE at that. Two artists combined their own loves of neon light and time. Their project ‘celebrates expressions of intimacy, adoration and heartbreak, using the time-based properties of light’. And they looked fabulous’ lighting up the night with lanterns lit beneath each.

Nope

O is for OUTDOORS. This is for two reasons and the organisers might ponder this for next year. Beacons vastly different stages were all housed inside big top style tents. An advantage it has to be said when the heavens opened and the rain fell. It was never a problem getting in and we all kept ourselves dry as a bone. However the lack of an outdoor stage definitely gave it a ‘something missing feel’. Practicalities of the tents as said were ideal for the wetter times of the weekend, but is there a better feeling than being stage front under the sky when a favourite band are playing? Secondly, the lack of this presence meant a vast area between the Beacons letters over by the far fence and the crafts area was left unattended. Don’t get me wrong, the squeeze of bodies and bottleneck situations that arise at other certain festivals were not missed. and the freedom of having a large area to move around in added to the laid back and chilled vibe of the place. But if there was a tip for next year I’d say an outdoor stage here would benefit the entire festival experience of Beacons.

Suggestions to me of hypnotic late eighties/early nineties bands like The Telescopes and Loop. Hookworms take time to build songs and drag you into their own freaked out headspace. The song of the weekend that days later is still rolling around inside my hypnotised head – ‘Form And Function’
www.hookworms.bandcamp.com/album/kogumaza-split-7
  Another Leeds band sharing our letter H is HAWKEYES. They deliver a devastating set inside this tent on the last day of the festival. Their usual no nonsense approach tears strips off the inner walls of the tent. We’ve seen these ear-destroying riff makers gather pace over the last three years or so from our first meeting (a hurried third on the bill Nottingham rock city basement appearance) to fully-fledged craftsman of rock. Singer/guitarist Paul plays the latter part of the set from the floor (standard Hawkeyes), egged on by converts and the already converted. Magnificent set. www.hawkeyesmusic.com

The KOPPARBERG KUBE was in attendance at the festival and they’ve put a nice little montage together of sights across Beacons festival. Take a look here.

Maybe a little too obvious this one but the MUD gets our M letter award because lets face it, no British festival would be complete without it. Recall those summer festival moments of lazing around on the scorched earth beneath, sipping a cool pint in-between acts you’ve paid to see? Sadly at most festivals this year, flip-flops have given way to Wellington boots once more. But crucially here at Beacons, the rain and mud didn’t materialise into a complete washout. In fact by Sunday eve, the sky was blue again, and the sun blazed down once more. Two fingers to you, wet sticky brown stuff.

Nobody comes away from a great festival without tales of new, mind-blowing, musical experiences they’ve seen. Our day spent in the Vice/Noisey tent on Sunday was particularly inspiring. Most bands familiar to us at Plus One while others were completely fresh to the ears and eyes. One such band was NOPE who captivated with their performance in the early afternoon. We’d read they were armed with two drummers, and one of That Fucking Tank’s members which sold it to us straight away. Vocals reverbed up to the gills, repetitive heavy percussion, marching along with hypnotic guitar. Our little find of the weekend.
www.justsaynope.co.uk

QUSTODIAN. No, not a band, nor a new massage experience. The free Beacons festival app in fact, in association with Qustodian worked a treat and came in very handy. A simple layout and user friendly, it gave all the stage times and attractions over the three days, as well as sending alerts about last minute line up changes, drink promotions and merchandise. Brilliant piece of kit.

SOUND LEVELS need a mention when we come to the letter S. It's a tricky one to get right sometimes in the smallest venues, nevermind festivals and there huge big tops. Beacons was a little hit and miss. The Stool Pigeon stage/tent particularly was often too on the quiet side. Affecting a number of bands output, notably Toots And The Maytals.
 The Greenfields tent on the other hand was pumping out the decibels all weekend long. Perhaps situated too near to the main tent as this was often heard at an untolerable level between songs. Something for the Beacons organizers to ponder over for next year.

Mount Kimbie continues the dancier vibes. The glitch pumping oscillations and twinkly sounds along with the lighting show create shapes and colours, the atmosphere is electric and this is where Beacons really takes off. It’s the perfect warm up for the big man himself ROOTS MANUVA With artists like this there’s always a worry of ‘will they show up? Will they disappoint?’. Finally he appears and the crowd goes wild. The set seems to be aimed more towards the sunnier side of his back catalogue bouncing through with great pace it all seems like a rather short but the iconic anthem of Witness (1 Hope) naturally tears the whole place apart.
www.rootsmanuva.co.uk

That Fucking Tank

Back to the Ale and its housing courtesy of WHITELOCKS. Whitelocks is Leeds’ oldest pub and their knowledge of all things ales and ciders is second to none. They provided the thirsty drinkers at Beacons with a vast selection of ales and ciders, all housed in a glorious setting under canvas. It didn’t make the other bars redundant, and if real ale isn’t your thing then chilled lager and spirits were on offer elsewhere. But the real ale tent became an instant hit, a place to meet and chat, inside or out. Plenty of benches to rest aching legs, a fire burning continuously inside to the left, and a cocktail bar for the more adventurous to the right. Knowledgeable and courteous staff too. www.whitelocksleeds.com