Since their incarnation at the end of 2013 FXD Records have been focussing on making a name for themselves within the live circuit, this time taking over the Fat Fox pub in sunny Southsea for an action packed half day event showing off both local talent and that from across the UK.
An early start meant I missed the acoustic sounds of Ollie Goodwin and although I hadn’t managed to catch the days opener, this did however show the diversity of what was on offer with Ollie being closely followed by that of the full on hard core of Sombulance.
Having not played for quite some time it didn’t take long until the crowd showed their appreciation for Sombulance by forming a human pyramid which set the scene for a quality band – as well as the angry vocals, there were some decent solos and finger tapping bass playing that would put Les Claypol to shame… and thus May the Fest be with You, was well underway.
The melodic punk of Fleets Like Home shared vocal duties and minimal drawn out hooks and a slight reminiscent feel of bands such as Mogwai (although without the effects meaning they were fairly stripped down) but for all the minimal riffs there was that of some much needed shouting.
With Looten Duke it was the turn of 70’s inspired rock n roll and Joshua Elkington presented himself as a great frontman whilst being backed by some funky rhythms and Looten Duke were soon sounding like a group I would be more than happy to see again in their own right.
Another local act again showing what else Southsea has to offer were Capsized, who you wouldn’t have guessed hadn’t played together in over a year, as not only were they tight it was apparent how much fun they were having along the way.
It wasn’t just the stage presence and a man in a dress either that made Capsized a great band to watch though, for you couldn’t help enjoying tracks such as the single “See How Much I Care” with their layered vocals and well written tunes.
Although some of the crowd had left due to commitments elsewhere it was the intricate sounds of Navaho that were somewhat of a personal favourite – with the complex instrumentals being interspersed with tracks whereby they’re joined by their vocalist, Novaho have managed to get the balance spot on utilising the singing to broaden their sound rather than it deterring away from the quality of the more guitar led numbers.
Hailing from the Isle of Wight and citing the likes of the Get up Kids and Taking Back Sunday amongst their influences, Godard bring to the table an element of pop-punk and certainly do the genre proud having formed and allegiance with Navaho whilst taking the more straight forward approach.
It was the The Liabilities who despite taking their time to get started were musically the more out and out punk band of the day. They did have a catchy song in “Dangers of Drug Abuse” although the ska-element of their riffs were often lost due to the speed at which The Liabilities were playing… maybe it was just me, or maybe they were making up for lost time!
When you see a band with as many pedals on stage as All the Best Tapes there’s already certain expectations before they’ve even plugged them in, but Stokes complex three piece didn’t disappoint and were definitely one of the day’s highlights as the event was gradually coming to an end.
It was hard to believe there were only three people playing when All the Best Tapes were on stage, the handy footwork meant a constant barrage of effects being cleverly utilised and the crowd soon showed their appreciation with the days’ second human pyramid.
The controversially titled “I’ve Been Bored Since 9/11” provides a great introduction to All the Best Tapes but it’s the exciting prospect of the full album being out next month via our hosts that’s going to help make FXD Records an independent label to keep an eye on.
So it was down to Essex based Giants to bring the night to a close, the line-up had been nice and varied but Giants were focused and in your face with their skate-punk making for an energetic end to what had been a great day down the pub and one all concerned can be proud of.
