French dream-pop pair As Animals expanded to a full band at the Prince Albert, creating a wash of melodies without truly capturing the transient early crowd’s attention.
Amatorski, from Belgium, rectified things, aligning Inne Eysermans’ ghostly vocals with choral piano, twinkly cinematics and great swells of percussion.
At Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, Neighbour squarely targeted the shoegazing side of Britpop, rendering any expectations of originality far-fetched. Enigmatic bristling was the hallmark of Charli XCX, though, who tried on various shades of pop in an entertainingly unpredictable Corn Exchange set.
White Lung, from Vancouver, took on punk rock and doe-eyed affectation, achieving a sound as drab as it was loud at Coalition.
Swift relief came from Mazes, an understated trio who make straightforwardly excellent, clever indie, tailored for a half-hour rush of gravelly guitars.
East Wing’s atmosphere had a surprising amount in common with the nearby clubs of West Street, so dance act MØ – Dane Karen Marie Ørsted – might have been playing to the converted with a bizarre, dub-infused cover of the Spice Girls’ Say You’ll be There.
Clean Bandit were often equally bemusing for the right reasons, encompassing live violins in their quirky hybrid of heavy dance beats.
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