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home » festivals » Summer Sundae Weekender » Summer Sundae Weekender 2008
Roisin Murphy, Dodgy, and The Whitest Boy Alive shine on Saturday at Summer SundaeSummer Sundae Weekender 2008 reviewWednesday 13th August 2008 Saturday started with a trip to the Musician Stage to catch local band The Hi and Lo. Playing what they describe as Leicester Bluegrass they were a nice way to start the day, the banjo led numbers coupled with a hint of American accented vocals helped the crowd inside the tent forget about wet Leicester and dream of brighter times in Nashville. Next up was Chris Helme, again in the Musician Stage. You'd probably remember him as the lead singer of John Squire's band The Seahorses, but since they broke up in 1999 Helme has been foraging around the scene as both a solo artist and in his band The Yards. Helme played a superb set containing The Seahorses' 'Hello' and a gloriously stripped down version of 'Blinded By The Sun', both penned by Helme, and also fitted in tracks by The Yards and from his debut album Ashes, most notably a cover of Marrisa Nadler's 'Yellow Lights' which captured the splendour of the original perfectly. Helme finished of with a love song for his wife-to-be who then proceeded to sell bucket loads of CDs at the front of the stage afterwards. The set was a real highlight of the weekend and has given me the taste to track down more of Helme's music.  After a trip to see comedian Robin Ince in the efestivals.co.uk cabaret tent we caught the end of Danny and the Champions of the World, the English folk version of The Polyphonic Spree, both in majestic uplifting tunes and in number of band members on stage. As a collective containing leader Danny George Wilson, formerly of Grand Drive, and members of Brakes, Electric Soft Parade, and Romeo of The Magic Numbers they were never going to be downbeat but from what I saw they managed to stay with smiles on their faces continuously, and also had a guest on the stage in the form of a huge furry animal. Epic closer 'I Still Believe' left me regretting that I didn't see much more of the set. 
Staying at the Main Stage we saw LA band Dengue Fever, a funky psychedelic band infused with the gorgeous vocals of Cambodian popstar Chhom Nimol and some entertaining Farfisa organ playing from Ethan Holtzman. This was followed by Zombie Zombie inside the De Montfort Hall. I had heard good things about them prior to the festival and they played a pleasing set of analogue wonky electronica, if nothing spectacular. Camera Obscura are often coupled together with fellow Glaswegians Belle And Sebastian due to their love of twee, sweet melodies and lyrical storytelling, and to be honest, it's a fair comparison. The pleasant vocals of Traceyanne Campbell replace those of Stuart Murdoch's but otherwise musically there are many similarities. 'Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken' has been one of my favourite songs of the last few years and is another sing-along moment for me, together with 'Come back Margaret' and I return back indoors with a big smile on my face and a nice glowing feeling inside. Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, the folk quartet featuring Northumbrian sisters Rachel and Becky have recently been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and showcased most of the album The Bairns. It was another faultless performance by the girls who have a great chance of being household names by the time next year's festival circuit begins. Being a teenager during the Britpop years meant that I had to venture back outside into the rain to see Dodgy. The original members Nigel Clark, Andy Millar and Matthew Priest are back together after almost 10 years apart and for me it felt like they hadn't been away. All the hits were played, from 'Good Enough' to 'In A Room', and 'So Let Me Go Far' to 'Lovebirds', and the rain even temporarily stopped for 'Staying Out For The Summer', when it restarted drummer Priest decided to join the crowd and pour a bottle of water over his head in sympathy. Set closer 'Grassman' was a grand finish and it was 1995 all over again. 
Roisin Murphy, once lead singer of Moloko, is one of Ireland's brightest talents and it was a real treat to see her performing on the Main Stage in front of one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. A costume change between every song and a spectacular stage show only improved Murphy's electronic dance anthems, and created an engaging and enthralling concert that flew by. Murphy is clearly a distinctive artist and her quirky lyrics and on-stage play fighting with backing singers added a touch of humour that is so often missing from pop. Stand out tracks 'Ramalama (Bang Bang)', 'You Know Me Better', and 'Movie Star' are up there with some of the finest moments in recent pop history and by right her song-writing should provide her with endless hits but it is probably only her idiosyncrasies that have stopped her, and for that reason alone I hope she stays a little bit eccentric and away from the glaring eyes of the wider public. Back inside Tom Baxter was woefully dull after Roisin Murphy but The Whitest Boy Alive provided another highlight with a headlining appearance on the Indoor Stage opposite Macy Gray on the Main Stage. Fronted by Norwegian Erlend Oye, better known for his work in Kings of Convenience, the band played electronic dance music without the aid of any programmed elements. It was a lively performance that ended with an excellent cover of the 1993 hit 'Show Me Love' by Robin S. review by Richard Stevens photos by Phil Bull / Sarah Stevens
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