Nasty Fest IX

So this weekend was spent in Leeds with a fellow contributor Jamila and friends, a few bands, a venue, and talking to characters like an alcoholic who'd been ripped off by a prostitute and a former heroine addict whilst waiting for the first train home.

It was Nastyfest IX at the Faversham, hosted by the great people of Bad Sneakers and what a weekend it was. In a night where the lesser known bands seriously outshone the more hyped ones, here are some of our highlights...



First up are Bradford ...seven piece(?!) Spodní Prádlo, definitely not your usual sixth-form band. With nods to influences that stretch from Beirut and Os Mutantes to as far as Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, it's astounding to find a band as talented as this - who are all (as far I'm aware) still at school.

Spodní Prádlo - Fuck This, Let's Buy A Barge
Spodní Prádlo Myspace



hey! Panda are four teenagers from Halifax who specialise in rapid-fire, balls out dance-punk and have a mantra of "We want to fuck shit up." Whilst there is still much room for improvement, I couldn't help but feel my feet starting to move to their sharp guitar work, thumping drums and "don't give a shit" attitude. Ones to watch.

Hey Panda - Square (Live)
Hey Panda Myspace





Well... the demos on his page just do not prepare you for the live performance of Matt Bigland & co. aka Dinosaur Pile-Up. Full of passion and energy, and songs that sound absolutely huge. Even this early on in the night, it was a packed room and you got the sense that a lot of people had been looking forward to this performance, they didn't go away disappointed.

Dinosaur Pile-Up - Love Is A Boat And We're Sinking
Dinosaur Pile-Up Myspace



And the final highlight were the penultimate band of the night, LA based The Mae-Shi. While I hadn't had the chance to listen to much of their stuff beforehand, I was impressed within seconds of them taking to the stage - albeit from their pre-gig gymnastics - this is a band who are as much about making the event an experience as playing their instruments.

Having been blown all previous bands out of the water, their set involved a voluntary stage invasion, a huge white tarp being draped over the audience whilst various band members play in the crowd, a mass sit down during 7 X X 7, and Slow Club's cover of Run To Your Grave.

DIY Footage (Not Mine) Of The Mae-Shi Stage Invasion


Srsly, get their album or even better; go and see them at one of the Dot to Dot festivals in Nottingham or Bristol.

The Mae-Shi Myspace

Carl