Venue: O2 Academy, Islington
Date: 22/12/2013
22nd December saw the first ever Festive-All take place across both O2 Academy venues in Islington. An incredible bill of over twenty acts took to the main stage in the larger venue, as well as the LastWord PR stage next door. The festival gave many unsigned and up-and-coming bands the chance to showcase their talents. Here’s the lowdown on some acts from the event.
Tides
As the opening act on the main stage, Tides had a tough job on their hands in getting the crowd warmed up. Despite this, the band did a great set, performing five songs including their latest single ‘So Close‘ and the brilliant ‘Goodbye‘. With a pop-funk sound similar Maroon 5, but clearly distinguishable by the unique voice of frontman Aaron Trowbridge, Tides certainly proved their worth and deserved a place higher up on the bill.
8/10 – HD
Rascals
Given that nearly all the other acts at the festival were closer to pop-rock, it was rather surprising to see rap group Rascals were to make an appearance. Much of the crowd appeared disinterested in the act, this being more down to music taste rather than a lack of talent. During ‘Memories‘, which member Big Shizz touchingly dedicated to a relative who recently passed away, Merkz put in a good vocal performance. However, the group were slightly let down by their decision to let the backing track do a lot of the work on ‘My Different Side‘, an otherwise fun, urban track.
6/10 – HD
New Manor
Recently-formed band, New Manor, were – without a doubt – the most enthusiastic band to grace the main stage at Festive-All. Fronted by 20-year-old Marty Jackson, who has clearly built up a loyal fanbase judging by the many fans waiting to have a photo with him, the band’s line-up is completed by guitarist Brad Elliot and drummer Alex Taylor. Seeing as the band only played their first gig together five days before, you would expect tensions to be running high but they showed no signs of nerves. Although the vocals were not perfect at all times, New Manor brought fresh energy to the stage as they performed self-penned tracks including ‘More Than Love‘ and ‘Teddy Bear‘. Hopefully, the current line-up is here to stay as we enter 2014.
7/10 – HD
In Hindsight
Despite being one of the youngest bands, with all members aged between 15 and 18, In Hindsight confidently delivered a strong set. The band performed a few of their own songs including ‘Sweet Valentine‘ and latest single ‘Steal The Show‘ as well as adding a pop-rock twist to festive favourite ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You‘ and Swedish House Mafia‘s ‘Don’t You Worry Child‘. It was also nice to see the group add a little humour to their set by making member Isaac Anderson do ten press-ups for dropping a pick – maybe a bit harsh? Yes, but amusing nonetheless. With great stage presence, and successfully keeping the crowd engaged throughout, this band could well be the next Lawson.
7/10 – HD
Paighton
Remarkably talented Paighton hit up the main stage at Festive-All with their unique brand of country pop rock at what was ultimately their final show together after they announced their split earlier today. They managed to draw a huge crowd who reacted positively despite a small percent having never heard of or seen Paighton before. Tracks such as “Somebody” and “Drive (A Little Piece Of Me)” had the crowd singing along and even the previously bored-looking bar staff were interested in what was happening on stage! They put on the most professional of performances, and it truly is a tragedy that they have broken up considering their stint at the O2 Academy gained them even more fans to add to an already huge (and heartbroken!) fan base.
9/10 – MC
Twenty Twenty
As one of the biggest unsigned pop/rock bands in recent years, Twenty Twenty were notably absent for the majority of 2013. Festive-All brought with it the anticipation that, now as just a duo, brothers Sam and Jack Halliday would not live up to expectations. Instead, the band performed an excellent set of hits from their back catalogue, starting with ‘Worlds Apart‘ and receiving a great crowd response right through, with catchy tracks including ‘Love To Life‘, ‘Burning Up‘ and ‘Get Down‘. No one would have guessed the band were “rusty” if they hadn’t repeatedly apologised to the audience for being so. Hopefully 2014 will see Twenty Twenty back on the scene for good, as they still clearly have a loyal following.
8/10 – HD
Futureproof
When electro-pop trio Futureproof are around, you know that a party is about to go off. Their songs are packed with heavy synth beats, electric riffs and feel-good lyrics that even unwilling parents were tapping their foot to. The group’s set featured tracks from their latest EP release ‘Bad Dreams‘, as well as old favourites ‘One More Chance‘ and ‘How Low Can You Go?‘. The lyrical clichés during ‘Be Alright‘ made it seem like we’d been taken back to a school disco with the synth in each song perhaps a little overpowering in places. However, the overall performance was good, with a similar sound to Scissor Sisters on ‘All In Your Head‘ and their 2013 Summer single ‘Hit Me With The Lights‘ certainly getting the crowd jumping on the night.
7/10 – HD
The Concept
LastWordPR stage openers The Concept hail from the West Midlands, and after supporting In Hindsight on their December tour they managed to gather a modestly sized crowd. Sadly the band suffered a few technical difficulties which resulted in them opening their set with a decent cover of Lawson’s “Juliet”. Despite not being able to get every kink ironed out, The Concept powered on through their short, 3-song set and managed to get the crowd somewhat warmed up in preparation for the rest of the day.
6/10 – MC
Rumours
Bristol-based newcomers Rumours have come a long way this year considering they only formed in March, but you wouldn’t know that straight away as their stage presence and set-up is incredibly on point. The band took to the LastWord PR stage early in the afternoon, but that didn’t stop them from putting on a show that had the crowd going crazy – whether they’d heard of them before or not. With drummer Jamie Hadley taking a break from the band, fellow Bristol band We Start Partys’ drummer Matt Jenkinson filled in without a hitch as the band played fan favourites such as “Forever Young” and “Just A Kiss”. Rumours are some of the most down-to-earth guys in the smaller scene, and definitely worth a listen.
9/10 – MC
Orchard Hill
In the o2 Academy2, five-piece Orchard Hill took to the LastWord PR stage. Female-fronted bands are far from the norm these days but lead vocalist Tiffany Nicholson certainly proves her band has potential. The crowd was rather lacking in numbers, which was unfortunate because the group arguably did the best set of the day. Despite having minimal space on stage, they performed tracks including ‘What A Waste Of Time (That Boy Can Be)‘, and latest single ‘Gravity‘ effortlessly. An impressive cover of ‘Wrecking Ball‘ certainly did the Miley Cyrus hit justice, whilst showcasing Tiff’s vocal talents once more, and a solo from guitarist Jamie Rogers in ‘In Bliss‘, showed everyone this experienced band have the whole package and the ability to keep bringing more.
9/10 – HD
Hello Monroe
British-Irish pop band Hello Monroe have gathered together a thriving fan base since they first formed, which reaches the likes of mainland Europe, Canada and the Philippines, but that didn’t stop them from putting on an intimate performance for their more local fans in London. Irish vocalists Aimee Prizeman and Rona McHugh captivated the crowd with their stunning vocal ranges, and initiated a ‘dance contest’ in which two lucky vans managed to score free t-shirts. Their set featured tracks such as “Boyfriend” and “You Got Me” which sparked an insane party over at the LastWord PR stage, formed of fans new and old.
8/10 – MC
The Last Carnival
The Last Carnival truly lived up to their name by providing the crowd with half an hour of pure party, the soundtrack of which was the band themselves call “new breed rock + roll”. Songs such as “The Call Of ’56” showed off singer Russell James Williams’ brilliant vocals and guitarist Justin Morris’ mad skills, as well as a sound that rivals the likes of The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen. A crowd-pleasing performance that was different from the pop rock majority that had been gracing the stages for most of the day, it is definitely worth checking these guys out on their UK headline tour next year in April.
8/10 – MC
Stakeout
As the penultimate act on the second stage, Stakeout were a Festive-All highlight, with a set that showed their versatility as a group. Performing their pop-rock tracks such as ‘Heartbreak Overdue‘ and ‘Hero‘ as well as their latest single ‘Earthquake‘, the crowd were certainly given an excellent 30-minute show from the trio. ‘The Outcome Of Saying Goodbye‘, a much sadder and slower song was also executed brilliantly, with a pitch-perfect solo from featuring guitarist Arthur Walwin. Their final song, a rendition of Slade‘s ‘Merry Christmas Everybody‘ gave Stakeout’s set a fun, festive finish. This band is undoubtedly one to watch in 2014.
9/10 – HD
Hopefully Festive-All will return for a second year as it was well-organised and a great idea to bring so many bands together!
Reviewed by: Hannah Dix and Madison Convey
