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Holmbush 2007 was a spectacle to behold. How we will ever top the atmosphere, look and the line-up we had we just don't know. Massive thankyous to the Holmbush team who put this together be they decorators, lighting artists, sound engineers or e-mail senders. And the bands. Piss-the-bed. every single band this year had exceptional moments, breathtaking highs, consistently the most fantastic line up. We should have some footage up here soon and photos too, theres already some doing the rounds on facebook. Keep your eyes peeled. Thankyou to everyone who was there (apart from the f'ing window smasher).
These are the bands that played wot. Apart from the rickies.
Django Spears (Holmbush Records) - We've tried everything we could to stop these guys playing but due to some indelible link with the Holmbush it seems our efforts have been fruitless. Django Spears will lower the tone of the whole festival with their Hi-NRG pump skiffle covers of 90's pop classics. They may try and convince you thats it's subversive, funny and actually darn right exciting but don't believe a word. And yes they seem to have been touring the festivals this summer, and yes we've recieved an awful lot of messages asking if they're playing by excited punters... but it all goes to prove, as Slipknot almost said, that 'people eat shit'. or something. Last band on the Holmbush stage Saturday night (and I like the way you move), arrrrrrgghhhhh!!!
Shoreline - The third and final band from our collaboration with the Willkommen collective. Astonishingly beautiful, delicate, heartwaking harmonies. The instrumentation is like dipping your ears in a bath of honey and roses. Ummmmm yes, did I just write that? how do I get across how emotionally overwhelming and empowering this band are without resorting to cheesy metaphors? give up...nu-folk innit. Yeh buoy!
Thunderknuckle (Holmbush Records) - The Thunderknuckles knuckles grew Thunderous not, as popular myth would have it, due to the hours spent programming his music but actually due to a venezuelan thunder sparrow singing down his earhole one fateful monday morning. Since then his magical powers have grown to the point where his music is capable of being both delicate and pummeling, grotesque and sublime all at the same time. And how does the music sound? Lets ask that paper thin journalist Stacey Pinder, "Majestic Eno-esque soundscapes coupled with bowed, Icelandic sentimentalism ride compressed, low-end Casio rhythms; tussling with vociferous breaks.". Yeah ta Stacey, ta very much. Holmbush regular returns, this time with super-human powers.
The Ratfinks - It is an absolute pleasure to announce the return of the Ratfinks to the Holmbush after one of the most revered sets of last year. After last years weather baiting and ultimately weather beating performance the Ratfinks will, this year, treat us to some late night fun. Bouncing around like hamsters on badger sweat, horns-a-cooing, bass-a-cawing, drums-a-scratching at the flea bites the Holmbush is-a-giving, The Ratfinks are purveyors of Avant Ruralism. We will eat their cheese, we will moo like dogs and we will dance to their ska/dub/rap/moor-hop mash up be there rain or no rain!
Das Fenster (Holmbush Records) - Das Fenster's acoustic offshoot is akin to wandering across a pagan breakdance memorial in a forest clearing on a moonlit night. Gothic folk, celebratory sing-alongs, keep away from me sneers and haunting bassoon fun. Emotions are scaled then tumbled back down before being reconquered, sounds crash into each other then unite, Eva loses it then finds it then finds out. On more than one occasion I've had to request my breath back from them. Have you found it, cos I've lost it etc.....
Colin and Dot's two hour rage!!! (Holmbush Records) - A preview of Colin and Dot's ten hour rage in 2008. Taking George Orwells idea to its climax this years rage will mainly see the pair red in the face ranting about how Holmbush isn't as good as it used to be, how no-one ever credits them even they do the donkeys share of the work and how there isn't enough sodding hardcore this year. Bring ear muffs and spit shields. Unmissable (due to it being so loud).
Marcus Hessenberg and the Tulips - Quivery, electro scratchy and darn-right funky Marcus Hessenberg throws some mean shapes. Prone to swinging flowers whilst hopping on one leg this man caused the strangest dance craze last year. Residents of the Holmbush were seen rolly-pollying in front of the stage whilst Marcus wove his magic melodies. Syd Barret, Graham Coxon and Talking Heads inspire but no-one can quite define the tulips, certainly not Tiny Tim and his tip-toeing. Not even close. Early Afternoon rolling at the Holmbush.
Elmo Calkins (Holmbush Records) - Elmo Calkins is a robot whose circuits have been crossed. Veering from sopilsistic salmon ballads to revelatory imbecile chants Elmo Calkins is THE schizophrenic robot of our age. Follwing in the grand tradition of HAL, Johnny 5 and The Terminator Elmo Calkins will confuse, delight and quite possibly, terminate.
King Porter Stomp - Horns, groove, insightful lyrics and Rotis, King Porter Stomp will spray you with their 'involuntary bounce' gun. Appearing after all the emotions have been wrung out of you, the rage excised, King Porter Stomp will make you look to the stars and hope (they make Roti's this good in the rest of Devon). Space Hopper compulsory.
Mechanical Bride (Transgressive Records) - Ohmeohmi, after stunning the crowd into a shambolic silence on the Sunday last year Lauren 'Mechanical Bride' returns to the Holmbush. Now complete with some evil male robots backing her. Mechanical Brides music is ethereal, her melodies resoundingly rememberable. Her voice from some future race read about only in history books. Since last years performance she has signed to Transgressive Records (home of the Young Knives and Iron and Wine), released her debut E.P. and had a track on an NME cover CD. The next step is of course the Holmbush. An opportunity to see an artist with a beeg future ahead of her...Saturday...Late Afternoon...Holmbush records Launch Party....DO NOT MISS.
Rick Leach (Holmbush Records) - What can we say?
Sons of Noel and Adrian - And as the sun fizzles into the west the Sons of Noel and Adrian will stride unto the Holmbush. Straddling delicacy and raw power 'neath their dark sea shanty thighs 'The Sons' may well make you cry before loading you up with rum and hollering sweet nothings into your ear until your brain is a fragmented quivering wreck. It has happened before (the relative parties were informed but they just wanted to get drunk with grandma and wondered why we were telling them anyway). The second band from our collaboration with the Wilkommen collective will guide you through the first dark by lantern light.
Hans Blix and the Inspectors (Holmbush Records) - Raucous, rude and resentful are just words. Hans Blix aand the Inspectors are just a band. Love is a lie, death is a con, fucking is the way forwards and backwards. Hand yourselves over to the inspectors immediately.
Steve Elston (Holmbush Records) - Guitarist extraordinaire turns in a bravura song writing performance. Steve’s guitar playing is second to none, as original as it is inspired by Nick Drake, Primus and that Greenwood fella. His songs often are stories, stories about animals, about jobs getting lost and blood being sampled. This is heartfelt music, beautiful melodies played with raw passion. His debut E.P. ‘Reveries for lost dogs’ was recorded live in a church and captures the moment that this batch of songs blossomed in an exquisite sonic space. Steve will treat us to tracks from the E.P. and new songs live at Holmbush. Jesus is with him (not Kaka).
The Miserable Rich - The Miserable Rich are a sumptuous treat. Beautifully rich 'burnt chamber' music led by the velvet-a-like voice of James De Malplaquet. Strings soar and threaten, guitars drift in the wind whilst the bass bobs in the waves, James stands stoically in the middle of it all riding it out. First band announced from our collaboration with the Wilkommen collective making a real (quiet) noise in the South East at the moment. Unmissable.
DeerDan (Holmbush Records)- he’s finding beats in places others wouldn’t look for them. Footsteps outside his window, birds landing on pebbles, the breath’s in between sentences. His recent work is heavily focused on texture, whether it is a Lucier inspired work where he sculpts sound using space, or recording ambience and organ inside Bath Abbey. Dan’s music is experimental and exploratory. This is music to let your mind drift away with, meditative and highly original. And it might be played to you through some of his 'animal sculptures', you've been warned.