Lunar Festival review: Day 3

Midnight Bonfires

Follakzoid

Midnight Bonfires (6.8/10) were the closet thing to a conventional indie rock band that played all weekend. Their bright clothes and smiles were a match for the bright summery indie pop that they played. In the Bible Inn I caught Redditch hopefuls, Byron Hare (6.8). The self proclaimed 'post pop' act's music is both retro and soulful, fronted by the amazing voice of Jodie Ollis. They reminded me a little bit of Alabama Shakes, another band who play an updated take on retro soul and blues.

A big surprise was a rare set from Follakzoid (8.4), who played The Sunflower Lounge later that night and filled in for Zun Zun Egui. The Chilean psych band make most of our UK psych bands sound pretty tame. Their songs are funky and groovy yet brooding and very long. The hippys flocked to the front to dance to their spaced out grooves. Evoking the manic drum driven energy of CAN but being much more accessible and tuneful. Follakzoid were my new favourite band from the moment I first heard them. Their lack of English skills was partly responsible for their detached on stage cool. They made brain melting psychedelia seem as easy as 1,2,3. Cd and vinyl copies of their

Sun Ra Arkestra leading the procession

first and second albums sold out within minutes of the set.
For those not in the know the BBC radio-phonic workshop, composed the Dr Who theme tune and were amongst the first musicians to make electronic music as far back as the early 1960's. Unfortunately many of the shows they sound-tracked are now long forgotten.Yet the quality of the soundtracks they produced still stands, Especially the Dr Who theme tune, which I loved being able to hear live. Back in the Bimble Inn RM Hubbart (6.8) played an intimate show. Hubbart is a Glaswegian singer songwriter, winner of the Scottish album of the year and master of the acoustic guitar. Many of his songs are about his struggles with chronic depression, and sound a little bit like Ben Howard. Hubbart has a very dark sense of humour and his very honest and heartfelt talks in between the songs, were as funny as they were sad.

After this I started to pack up my tent so I didn't get a chance to see much music. What little I saw of Sylvan Esso didn't impress me much, their cold electronica seeming far more 'hip' than 'hippy'. I missed most of Julian Cope although his stories and songs were a perfect match for the festivals vibe. I saw most of Sun Ra Arkestra from the burning fire on the other side of the festival. Jazz just isn't my thing. Sun Ra Arkestra's Marshall Allen, had the honour of lighting the giant wooden bird  in the campfire, and a huge procession followed him and the Sun Ra Akestra around the site to watch him burn it. Fire breathers and jugglers kept us entertained for a little bit, while

the fire warmed up my sunburn.
The Bootleg Beatles (9.6) have pretty much perfected their act since forming in 1980, and have a history as long and as strange as the Beatles themselves. They were a perfect closer as everybody knows and loves the songs The Beatles produced between 1966 and 1970, yet many of those songs never got to be played live. Starting out as the tight trousered mop tops of 66' they were able to quickly transform into the Sgt Pepper's lonely hearts club band and then later into the Abbey Road Beatles. With such an eye for detail that even Paul wasn't wearing shoes. It's not like we needed a boost of peace and love at Lunar, but we got it from the bootleg Beatles anyway. The songs were spot on, the clothes, and even little details like the hair and moustaches were spot on. Unfortunately after this I had to leave. A little part of me is in a field in a little village a mile or so away from Solihull.

You can see photos of the artwork of lunar at my instagram https://instagram.com/birminghamstreetart/ a follow up blog or two of leftover photographs will be published shortly