the first day of SSW offers some surprising musical treats

Summer Sundae Weekender 2011 review

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Summer Sundae Weekender 2011

Friday 12th to Sunday 14th August 2011
De Montfort Hall, Granville Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE1 7RU, England MAP
£115 weekend, £30 Friday, £50 Saturday/Sunday

In the middle of Leicester, in the grounds of the De Montford Hall, you'll find a festival which is now into it's 10th year. It is still ridiculously obvious that the festival still holds a firm grip on the Music and Festival scene. With 5 stages which include an indoor stage and a comedy tent hosted by eFestivals itself, the festival provide something for everybody. With artists including local bands such as My First Tooth, to headliners of Newton Faulkner, The Maccabees, and McFly, the weekend only needed Mother Nature to be on it's side.

Friday at Summer Sundae saw an array of artists from around the United Kingdom and the world. Taking on the Indoor Stage of the De Montford Hall was Scottish based, Admiral Fallow. Beautifully constructed and heart-wrenchingly emotional music, Admiral Fallow started off the weekend for me. Their music has a depth to it that instantly allows you to get lost in their music. 'Squealing Pigs' was a highlight of their utterly stunning set list which demonstrated wonderfully the musical storm which they created.

Louisiana based Givers were incredible on the main stage. Their upbeat, folk-style indie music continued the weekends proceedings and allowed the growing audience to stand up and dance along. Think Vampire Weekend but better. The vocally rich sound which they present out gathered the crowds and underneath a bright sky, led the way and 'set the bar' for the following acts. Their music is packed full of optimism and enjoyment which projected out to the festival-goers which began a buzz amongst the listeners.

Graham Coxon, known for being the lead guitarist in Blur, has also met critical acclaim from his solo work and so set about showing the audience of Summer Sundae why. Coxon just played his music to rapturous applause. He didn't play up to the audience though and there was no fuss or drama which is the great thing about Coxon. It feels as though it is all about the music with him and that's what makes him stand out which is why it is hard to explain his act. He has a truly great voice and just seems completely dedicated to his music.

I am not a huge fan of The Maccabees and so only really know some of their older stuff. The lead singer, Orlando Weeks has a solid, strong voice which bellows out towards the audience. I wasn't blown away by the Maccabees but I thoroughly enjoyed their set. They powered through their set and the audience was completely obsessed by the band, either faced directly forward and attention completely focused, or hysterical involved in the music that nothing else seems to matter. The Maccabees put on an amazing show, which throughout they just get better and better.

Well, what a surprise. I was generally shocked by the audience for this act. The Indoor stage was completely packed out and the biggest surprise of all was that the front row had groups of 17ish girls, screaming hysterically for the band! Jamaican based, Toots and the Maytals are one of the best known reggae and ska vocal groups. Their performance was exciting, funny and vibrant. The musicians and lead singer, Fredrick 'Toots' Hibbert were so energetic that it was hard to believe that 'Toots' is in his 60's yet he acts as though he was in his 20's! The packed out crowd on the first night of Summer Sundae delve into the history of the band and took a musical journey and for many, back to their childhoods.

review by: Hayley Edwards

photos by: Hayley Edwards / Phil Bull