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Brilliant yet modest, Stuart Murdoch himself came out to the stage in the very beginning to welcome everyone to the festival curated by Belle and Sebastian as well as point out the lovely sections of the festival grounds complete with a garden, craft area, and the ability to create and record your own band! There is art, poetry, nature, music and fun for the whole family!
Butcher Boy
Butcher Boy’s sensitive folk were quite lovely as the first band on the main stage. Lead singer John Blain Hunt was accompanied well with violin, cello, bass, keyboards, drums, and a second guitarist to create a rich fullness to complete each sincere lyric. Even though 2022 marked the release of their fourth full length, You Had a Kind Face, Butcher Boy hasn’t played in seven years so it was an incredible treat to see them play!
The Tenementals
Continuing with keyboards and strings, The Tenementals continued the melodies but added a stronger rock influence with a more pronounced drumming and guitar riffs as well as a vigor defined by pro worker sentiments and opinions on Scottish history. Lead singer David Archibald’s passionate delivery and intro to the songs set the stage for exploration of alternative perspectives and it was lovely to see him joined by Sarah Martin from Belle and Sebastian on vocals. This is an incredibly intelligent band celebrating true history and creators in the city.
The Joy Hotel
Featuring more straight ahead rock music, The Joy Hotel struck a nice presence for such a young band with hopefully a long career ahead of them. The seven piece Glasgow group have just recently released their debut album, Ceremony, and were giving it their all. Singer Emme Woods was especially hamming it up and the vocal harmonies between her, guitarist Luke Boyce and keyboardist Juan Laforet worked remarkably well! Additionally, there was just enough edge in the chord progressions to give the songs an engaging momentum!
Mary in the Junkyard
Three piece Mary in the Junkyard initially appeared stripped down in comparison to the bands who had played with many more musicians on stage. They really maximized the sound of their guitar, bass, and drums (with a viola substituted for bass at times) and succeeded in captivating an audience. The sugary sweet and sometimes breathy vocals of Clari Freeman-Taylor helped give the band a distinctive sound and bassist/viola player Saya Barbaglia certainly amped up the energy as well!
Camera Obscura
Camera Obscura, like Belle and Sebastian, is a long time favorite of so many across the world but perhaps especially so in their home city of Glasgow! The band recently released their 6th full length album, Look to the East, Look to the West and were in prime form as usual. With a lovely mix of pop with twee sounds, they had the audience dancing with glee and forgetting about the dreary weather soon enough.
Walt Disco
Perhaps the most melodramatic of the night, five piece Walt Disco knew how to woo and wow an audience. Lead singer James Potter’s glammy vocals have a thick vibrato quality with a great range and a delivery that feels disarming. The keyboard progressions soared especially while the band had a dynamic presence as a whole.
Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian have been a band for over 25 years and they have yet to disappoint with any of their albums or shows. Like a fine wine, they just keep getting better and one can’t help feeling more nostalgic the longer you’ve lived with their music as a daily comfort. These Scots were in their element all day mingling with the crowd, having fun watching the other bands playing, and finally having a blast on stage themselves. You just know every word was sang with love.
Murdoch was also in a great mood joking about meditating in the middle of his set and how he and indie rock superstar Stevie Jackson had coordinated their fashion with stripes. When he danced with his kids and fans on the stage for “Boy With the Arab Strap,” he made a hilarious joke about West Side Story being set in Glasgow. He’s always been an engaging showman but there was something extra special about this set as he danced and sang in front of colorful projections. He also came down to twirl with the audience towards the end of the set for “If You Find Yourself Caught in Love.”
Featuring songs from throughout their long career, they played a perfect balance of ballads and more upbeat tracks the crowd could dance to with reverie for their 90 minute set. Highlights included “I Want the World to Stop,” “Nobody’s Empire,” “Get Me From Me Here, I’m Dying” “Fox in the Snow” and “Judy and the Dream of Horses.”
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