If you woke up on Saturday morning and heard a cheer ripple out across the city, it was because it was day two of Sound City 2015, and it was sunny. Yes, the sun had come out to greet the festival punters and to show them that for once, they could go outside in May, enjoy some music, and not worry that they will end up resembling a drowned rat by the end of the night.
Saturday had a whole host of things going on, and it was hard to know where to start. Sound City brought the international to Liverpool, with the Aussie BBQ taking place on the Kraken stage. Brisbane crooners Millions were stand out amongst the sun-drenched offerings. Their debut album only came out last August, but their easy-going and melodious guitars make them perfect festival material.
Showcasing some of the best of the city’s home-grown talent seemed to be the focus for Saturday. Hooton Tennis Club were inside the Baltic stage, a cavernous warehouse, complete with Tim Peak’s Diner, which made Camp and Furnace look small. The pop/garage band from the Wirral could easily have been drowned out in such a space but they thrashed through their set with vigour, which wouldn’t sound out of place in a Michael Cera indie film. A mixture of known tracks such as ‘Kathleen Sat on the Arm of Her Favourite Chair’, and new material from their upcoming debut, stand out song is always going to be their single ‘Jasper’, a melancholic indie anthem in the making.
Psychedelic folk band Stealing Sheep put on one of the most interesting shows of the weekend, apart from the spectacle The Flaming Lips would be throwing later on in the evening. The minute the introduction for ‘Shut Eye’ started up on the main stage, alongside impressive drumming from band member Lucy, they had the audience entranced. Flanked by weird videography, re-worked from videos like ‘Deadlock’, the band made their way through the set and dazzled the crowd with their incredibly detailed songs, barely taking a break to switch music. They were also joined on stage by Andy from Outfit, another Liverpool band that were surprisingly absent from the line-up, and lead singer Duncan from Dutch Uncles for their final song, in a beautiful mashup of the different voices and influences.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra brought their psychedelic/indie/soul vibes to the Baltic Stage and had the crowd grooving along. Their show took place alongside the Lantern parade, so the audience may have been slightly distracted by the floating dogs, stars and majestically adorned skeletons that were moving past the outside of the warehouse, but the band took it in their stride. Their music is normally quite calming and hazy, but live it was a full on, euphoric show with tracks like ‘So Good at Being in Trouble’, and new single ‘Can’t Keep Checking My Phone’ reworked for the live show to be bursting with energy and funk. It was again during this performance, that the strict 30 minute set for bands felt way, way too short.
After Unknown Mortal Orchestra, there was an impromptu dance rave on the North stage with Garden City Movement providing some dance relief amongst the heavier rock offerings of the weekend. Despite their Soundcloud tracks being more lo-fi and chilled out, this group really brought some energy to the Saturday night revellers, with jazzy jackets and infectious beats.
In keeping with the psychedelic theme, The Flaming Lips were the headliners on the main stage. Known for their insane stage shows, including Wayne Coyne rolling around on top of the audience in giant inflatable ball, we decided to abandon the American rockers for one of Liverpool’s most exciting exports, All We Are.
The trio closed the night on the Cavern Stage and it was exciting to see them in such an enclosed space. Bassist Guro Gikling was doing some exceptional dancing alongside meticulous playing, and guitarist Luis Santos played his guitar like a violin during the final song, adding an exciting dimension to their lethargic, almost trippy music. All We Are ooze cool, and their re-working of Caribou’s 2014 hit ‘Can’t Do Without You’ really got everyone dancing. Wayne Coyne’s shows may be majestic but witnessing All We Are playing in such an intimate space really gave you the feeling you were watching something special.
