Today’s acts are, in order of appearance: Mystery Jets, Pylon Less Wires, Zambula, Lo Fi Lung, Rebel Control, Tough Love, Max Raptor, New Groove Formation, The Fallout Theory, 51/50s, Frank Turner.
Update: Mystery Jets have had to cancel their appearance, as their lead singer has fallen ill and been taken to hospital.
1. Pylon Less Wires
“Five boys from Nottingham, well aboard the new-wave indie scene, heralding dirty melodies and guitar driven harmonies.”
“These chaps freewheel in a melodic haze of punctuated rhythms cultured from a cross DNA hybrid of uptempo math rock antics and jabbing chords a la ’Regret’ era New Order.”
“Their tunes bounce along on a bed of punchy guitars and synth parts, and singer Craig Hurst supplies enough hooks to keep the whole thing interesting.”
Songs include: I Don’t Know What It’s Like, Wake Up Call, Feels Like, 2 Left To Go, Too Much Love.
2. Zambula
Zambula are a seven-piece Afrobeat band, hailing variously from Uganda, Congo and Cornwall. Their influences include Franco, Remy Ongala, Papa Wendra, Baaba Maal and Salif Keita. Formed in the early 1980s, they have performed regularly at WOMAD and Glastonbury.
Songs include: Bandico, Maliaka, Katalina, Station, Mataba, Milé.
3. Lo Fi Lung
“Julian Butt and Chris Harding are as original a duo as you will ever find: glockenspiel solos, insane percussion lines, accordion based songs, meditation chimes and the interesting addition of a spinning pink tube. Expect nothing less than an awe-inspiring performance.”
“The diverse nature of their influences and broad musical experience has culminated into what has been described as “a broadly ambient acoustic driven sound.” Their lyrics are founded on social/cultural themes, influenced by natural and environmental ideals.”
“Rough and raw traditional folk, all gruff voices, whiskey, preachers and loneliness in the dark. Frantic, mysterious, sort of exotic and edgy enough to be more than background music for BBQs and montages of summer festivals.”
Songs include: Breathe, Letter To A Friend, Pay It Later, Revolution Trains, Naked Sound.
Sample lyric: “Don’t let time pass you by. You’re the child of your time. It’s time to set all things right. It’s your vision, it’s your sight.”
4. Rebel Control
“These guys are the direction in which reggae should be heading.” – Dennis Bovell
“They are brilliant, I’m a fan.” – Mad Professor
Influences: “Bob Marley, Curtis Mayfield, Punk, Martin Luther King, Marvin Gaye, Blues, Gil Scott Heron, London, Steel Pulse, Gandhi, Funk, Jamaica, 24 hour news channels, REALITY.”
Songs include: One Life, Rise Up, Gangsta, Mindflow, Little Superstar.
5. Tough Love
Blending wild, clattering drums and percussion with acerbic lyrics and chanting backing vocals, Tough Love have been described by The Guardian as “the Afrobeat Scissor Sisters”
Their dressed-up live shows are a riot of chanting backing vocals, face paint and Victorian-inspired finery, which might explain why Record of the Day has said that “they look and sound like nothing we have seen in recent times” and why Music Week called the group “brilliant – packed with pop hits and charisma.”
Having supported The Crimea, British Sea Power and Yeasayer, Tough Love are making an impact on audiences in London’s more eccentric and quirky clubs; one gig has seen Dexy’s Midnight Runners singer Kevin Rowland stood in front of the stage, mouth agog, looking quite appalled at the boundless energy coming from Tough Love’s two drummers.
A review from trendy blog Boing Boing called the band “completely kick-ass”, continuing “Tough Love played a show that felt like something from Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense tour, with funky, rhythm-heavy numbers that I enjoyed from the first song.”
Songs include: Film Of My Life, Dumb Blonde, Stress, Getting Over It.
Sample lyric: “I’m quite bad, a bit dramatic. A head like a cat and just a bit brattish.”
6. Max Raptor
Sounds like: “The Who meets Soundgarden” / “a GOOD version of Kula Shaker crossed with The Kooks” / “Dinosaur British Rock with a bang”.
Songs include: Cavalier, Sparks, Cuba Libre, Footprints.
Sample lyric: “There goes your mother. There she goes. Approaching fifty and still striking a pose.”
7. New Groove Formation
This eight-piece Bedfordshire band plays “music they all love, from dirty funky beats, grooves and breaks to reggae, dub and ska.” The line-up includes a singer, a rapper, a didgeridoo, a trumpet and a trombone.
Influences: Jimi Hendrix, The Specials, UB40, The Police, The Cat Empire, Ozric Tentacles, Gregory Isaacs, Dub All Stars, Damien Marley, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Beck.
Songs include: Love Is Funky, Didgeridoo, Music, International Waste Of Time.
8. The Fallout Theory
A five-piece pop-punk/emo/rock band from Malvern, The Fallout Theory’s “Don’t Show Up Perfect” has been described as “the Hereford anthem”.
Songs include: I Know What You’re Thinking, A Good Fight Is Never Clean, Don’t Show Up Perfect, Transaction Attraction, You Got Me Good.
Sample lyric: “Stop trying to rewrite what was said, because I don’t like the way you dress. I’m screaming out, come back for more.”
9. 51/50s
- “This is true, honest, British Rock ‘n’ Roll!” – Zane Lowe, Radio 1
- “They swagger like hell bent hedonists” – NME
- “51/50s are a band who will get a tent full of people who have never heard of them jumping up and down” – Alternative Nation
Songs include: Lies, Hypnotised, In It For The Money, Bring It On.
10. Frank Turner
Frank Turner is a on a mission: to prove that “It is possible to write simple acoustic music without sounding like James Blunt, and whilst retaining some passion, anger, and a sense of humour.”
“When I was a kid I listened to a lot of Counting Crows, Weezer, The Levellers, The Beatles (thanks mum and dad), that kind of thing. Then I had my punk, hardcore and metal period. In recent years my eyes were opened by the Johnny Cash “American Recordings” series, which in turn set me onto (among many others) people like Neil Young, Damien Jurado, Jim Bryson, John Rouse, Bruce Springsteen, Ryan Adams and in particular Billy Bragg.”
After playing the Y-Not, Frank will be supporting Evan Dando (The Lemonheads) on tour. His album Love Ire & Song is out now.
Songs include: Worse Things Happen At Sea, You Are My Sunshine, The Ballad Of Me & My Friends, Long Live The Queen, I Knew Prufrock, Photosynthesis.
Sample lyric: “Well I guess I should confess that I am starting to get old. The latest music fads all passed me by and left me cold. All the kids are talking slang I don’t pretend to understand…”
See also:
PARWICH.ORG 
Thanks for the info Mike. Any band that references Marquee Moon has to be worth seeing in my book.