Five years in, David Gedge’s annual shindig has gone from strength to strength.
With a following as dedicated as ever, day one of this now two-dayer saw a packed Concorde 2 lap up The Wedding Present’s 1987 signature record, George Best, played in full.
Early sets from groups featuring former members of Gedge’s band, including Cinerama, Flying Wing and The Fireworks, prompted the sight of middle-aged fanatics losing themselves brilliantly on the dancefloor.
Still, it was perhaps the younger acts that really lit up the support slots.
Local duo Dog In The Snow provided an early evening calm in appropriate 1990s style: swirling, ethereal synths in the vein of 4AD favourites Cocteau Twins lulled the crowd into submission.
With a pared-down, three-man line-up rather than their usual full band theatrics, Scottish folk-rockers The Twilight Sad’s intense melancholy and soulful vocals were far more engaging than their self-deprecating “jazz club band” comments would suggest.
But the night was always the headliner’s.
Despite a patchy start with weaker newer songs, once the catchy jingle-jangle indie of George Best hit home, this was unstoppable.
With every track a possible singalong, favourites such as Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft and Give My Love To Kevin rolled back the years impeccably.
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