Live Review: Our Festival

Always going to be an interesting proposition, Our Festival takes over The Bakery for a night of “guitar music”. More at home in a beer-drenched bar, the pub-rock sound of The MDC faces a lofty challenge in warming up a modest crowd at 8pm, but give it their darndest before 44^th Sunset take over with a bluesier set. An interesting proposition, with male and female vocals, the act showed a whole lot of potential, despite the hindrance of youth and the over-the-top Iggy Pop emulations from the frontman. However, their mastering of dynamics and volume showed that with a bit of time to mature, these guys could be something.

The Tumblers followed with another lesson in drama from their nipple-flashing frontman. A very good band with some big, big dirty grooves that draw from Vasco Era's reckless abandon. Having developed a broader sound that doesn't rely upon the garage rock loud/soft dynamics too much, the band were very impressive. Lanark took the reigns and again highlighted the eclecticism of the night that unfortunately worked against each act individually. Their Interpol-esque sound drew the largest crowd of the evening though, rewarding the band for a fine set with a broad sonic palette punctuated by control and restraint.

The Brit-influenced rock of The Spitfires was also faced with the challenge of entertaining a very large, mostly empty room. Documenting the struggles of suburban life, like many of the nights act had they been in a setting that was complimentary to them, the three-piece would of gone down well. Benefiting from the only continuity of the night, Wash followed with a high-energy, if a little inconclusive set. Hard to categorize in any one sound, yet not really mastering their own, the band took advantage of a nice crowd, entertaining the audience with plenty of rockstar antics.

Odd band on the bill Foxes followed with a lesson in intensity, both in performance and musicianship. A band torn between two worlds, and evidently nailing both, the ambitious progressive sound of the band took precedence over the heaviness in a set that unfortunately suffered from a muddy sound – most likely a victim of the rushed change over times between bands. The bohemian bunch of The Morning Night closed the evening, to a small crew of dedicated late-night groovers. Surprised by the brisk set length, it was nonetheless a pleasurable set with plenty of comedic banter.

It's clear that the organisers of the event's hearts were in the right place, and the quality of musicianship on display from all bands could not be questioned, but perhaps a couple fewer acts to ease logistical issues, and a more appropriate rock'n'roll setting would be preferred for future nights of 'our music'.