Friday 07/04/07 Adventures In The Beetroot Field @ Bungalows And Bears, Sheffield

Today is the hottest day of the year so far. Along Division Street people wander around in t-shirts lounging on the Green eating ice cream, so it is reasonable for people not wanting to watch a mighty fine line up inside the dark Bungalows and Bears. After all it is only 5pm, and as shoppers walk past the full pane windows, slowly turning their heads to see the crowd inside, there's a feeling you shouldn't be wasting your Saturday afternoon watching local bands in a bar. Yet inside the room isn't the murky place it is perceived, instead people are quietly drinking, sitting on the array of sofas relaxing. It feels like you're at a garden party, apart from this time the grass has been replaced by a dining room set up, and instead of pulling out your 'Summer Hits' CD you can enjoy your very own live mixtape, starting the company of Slow Club, which on a day like this, is the perfect soundtrack to the summer.
 
Their twee melodies along with the two part harmonies are complete perfection, as the two members provide a set impossible to fault. Despite the ramshackle instrumentation everything is rehearsed to an impressive standard, right down to the tiniest detail. Percussionist Rebecca hits the neatly arranged bottles almost like a child, completely enthralled in the sound they generate as her stage partner Charles plucks strictly at his guitar reaching onto his tip toes for the next beat. As they finish with their future single 'Sunday' the crowd, with a beer in one hand and a comfy sofa couldn't be more relaxed.
 
So it comes as a shock to the system to find, so early on the bill the one angst ridden act to your summer soundtrack in the form of Lets Bitter Cinema. Shouting at the top of his lungs, the pale skinny one man band is bitterly loud, yet through the raw beats and harsh guitars, something about Lets Bitter Cinema reaches you. As your ears become accustomed to the sound, the twisted punk and electro just begins to break through as the performer stands, pushing all his energy into a warped guitar and distorted vocals.
 
But then, just like that, we're back to the sunny day, the ice cream, and the flip flops in the form of The Wallbirds, who take a similar aesthetic to Slow Club. With their blues melodies, hard vocals and the inclusion of a harmonica, the set up appears quite dated yet there is something distinctly fresh about The Wallbirds. As they dance around the crowd inviting audience members onto the stage, they provide the fun of the afternoon. In these surroundings they seem the ideal band for a barbecue, entertaining, free and a pleasure to listen to.
 
By this time the announcement that tonight's headliners Tiny Dancers will not be appearing comes in the form of a shoulder shrug as Harrisons squeeze onto the tiny stage drawing the biggest crowd of the day so far. The bar suddenly seems to fill with the day's football supporters as the band delivers a mediocre set. Without the usual night atmosphere and boozing background to support them, they appear rather empty. Even on this small stage they rarely muster a move from the audience, apart from their small cluster of fans lurking towards the front.