Stag and Dagger, Glasgow
21 May, 2011
On it’s third trip outside of London, Stag & Dagger feels a bit jaded. Possibly it was the wet weather dampening down enthusiasm but even wristband collection is a downer (and where is the mention of the free shot?). Times may be hard too as I’m convinced the wristbands were left over from last year seeing as they were the same colour and didn’t think Firetrap were a sponsor this time round. Free ad for them then if they weren’t.
Mazes (Photo by Kenny McMurtrie)
The London version of the event has naturally always had a larger number of bands involved but the pickings are still noticeably slim in terms of bigger names or even hotly tipped up and comers. Knuckling down to it though the ABC2 is the first port of call to dry off and be entertained. Bad choice, at least as far as the entertaining part goes. Having seen too many one-man-band types already this year it only takes seconds of Ed Sheeran‘s first song for me to turn tail and head upstairs to the main hall. Just not in the mood for all that sampling of guitar thumps standing in for drums etc.
ABC1 only has three bands on this year, the first of them being probably the longest in the tooth of the whole festival and yet the crowd that are gathered to see Clinic is smaller than I’d have expected (that aside from the fact that anyone I’d mentioned them to in the preceeding days just gave me a blank look). Needless to say the lack of punters impacts on the atmosphere so while the band are good and tight, playing a set covering their half dozen albums (‘The Return Of Evil Bill’ being a personal highlight) the overall vibe is a bit flat. Next up are local sextet Admiral Fallow, a group previously unknown to me but whose shows of late have apparently been selling out on a regular basis. The plan was always to leave part way through their set anyway so as to get to another venue on time but a song and a half of their bandwagon jumping indie-folk is all it takes for pints to be downed and the exit to be sought. It’s all really been done before. This means foregoing seeing Warpaint (who for some reason are charging twice what everyone else was for t-shirts) but you can’t see everyone at these things.
A soggy walk up to Great Western Road allowed for arrival at The Captain’s Rest in time to witness the rather long soundcheck undertaken by Kurt Vile & The Violators. That aside the man behind one of the year’s greatest albums delivers a good set punctuated by decent crowd interaction. At times achieving levels of droning like that of Hawkwind in miniature the only negative is the overpowering influence of the drums on ‘Jesus Fever’ but in general the newer material isn’t spoilt by having it delivered by a full band rather than the more minimal approach taken on Smoke Ring For My Halo. Mazes are next on the bill but clearly few folk feel them to be the must-see that I do, with the crowd barely scraping past the 20 mark (with one lass actively trying to have a kip at one point). It takes them till the mid-point of the set to really get into their stride but those later numbers are more than ample reward for not leaving early to try and catch Yuck. Live they achieve the sound of A Thousand Heys with ease and closing with ‘Summer Hits’ is a masterstroke. Incidentally I notice that French Wives are on the bill here at virtually the same timeslot they occupied last year. The sign of a promising career stalling? I hope not.
That unfortunately is that. Not being alone in attending the shows makes for less freedom to run off to venues at will thereby cutting down the number of acts seen to even fewer than in 2010 but the more central venues shut up shop earlier than the previous two times, the Art School therefore having a longer queue outside than anyone sane would wait in in the rain and the ABC just offering access to their regular clubnight that looked decidedly chavvy. I think in 2009 I blathered on about urban festivals being the way forward but on the evidence of this weekend Stag & Dagger, whilst still offering excellent value for money, is losing its way.
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