#1-5 Others Way Festival, K'Rd
1 September 2017
#1 Grayson Gilmour, Galatos
A detail of really big security guards emerge from backstage. I'm just hoping it's smoko rather than anything serious. And immediately afterwards Grayson Gilmour appears on stage. Maybe the band were given the hard word that there's a timetable they're running to.
Intense, moody, atmospheric stuff, made all the more so when the stage lights go out momentarily. Some of it reminds me of Wilco's more reflective pieces, with a bit of Bon Iver in there too, but there's nothing introspective in how they perform, Grayson especially is clearly enjoying himself.
The combination of two keyboards, guitar and drums with no bass puts the melodies front and centre, and the drums give the performance a menacing edge.
A great way to start.
#2 Bic Runga, Galatos
It only took two and a half songs of Kane Strang for me to realise that there are limits to being exposed to edgy new sounds with this 52 gigs challenge.
So I took advantage of being at a festival and made my way back to Galatos. Walking in to the loving embrace of Something good will come my Way restored my sense of purpose.
Bic, playing acoustic with Cass Basil of Tiny Ruins on bass, took us through old and new, traversing songs like Winning Arrow and Arthur Lee's And More Again.
Over all too quick, but that's the beauty of The Others Way.
#3 Hopetoun Brown, Neck of the Woods
"Tuba and bass clarinet, how many times do you hear that combination?"
Not often, but we loved it. Very cool what the horns section of Supergroove can come up with.
#4 Sneaky Feelings, The Studio
That was a treat. Opened with Husband House and delivered old favourites like Coming True, and Cry You Out of My Eyes, along with new songs from their Progress Junction album. Lovely to have special guests Bic Runga, Don McGlashan and Alice Bulmer to share the stage.
Last time I saw them was at a sparsely attended gig at the Gluepot, I think in 1989. It may have been their last performance. This time around people knew that this was something special not to be missed, and the large crowd at the Studio weren't disappointed.
#5 Lawrence Arabia
A sweet indy pop set to finish the night. Gorgeous songs with a southern flavour mixed with some almost Beach Boys harmonies. James Milne and his crew barely spoke to the audience as they packed as many numbers as they could into their gig, but the rapport was evident, both among themselves and with the audience. As they said at the end, it's been really nice.
