James and more, Ayr Pavillion

Ayr Pavilion, 2 May

Support Acts

A wonderful day trip doon the water to see a host of bands in support of headliners James, some may be better known than others, but each offered a depth and breadth of music that festivals are expected to provide.

It’s a chance to see bands on the way up, while some are just starting off with the enthusiasm of youth. Others still, like Starsailor, have been around for almost as long as James, with the aura, personality and musicianship built up over the years.

For me though, the interest remains in watching bands on what were promoted as the Breakthrough and Powerhouse stages.

Breakthrough Stage

The Marches

Kicking off our festival experience were the all-female band The Marches with their power pop songs. Listening to the couple of tracks they have on Spotify there is a strong resemblance to one of my favourite bands, The Sundays. With all four contributing to well worked song structures and a tightness as a unit that belied their youthfulness, they made the most of the opportunity to entertain a fair few people, not all of whom were friends and family members, a sure sign that they are already starting to build their fanbase. As a ‘breakthrough’ band they ticked all the boxes. An unknown quantity with the credentials to go far.

Mixed Signals

The Pavilion Festival prides itself in showcasing local talent and Mixed Signals fitted the bill perfectly with the Ayrshire band delivering a short set of indie rock music that filled the tent with sounds reminiscent of local heroes Biffy Clyro.

Their songs were a mix of rock ballads and indie rock toe tappers, and they gave each of the band the opportunity to showcase what they bring to this particular party.

Getting noticed in a crowded marketplace for indie rock bands may be the key to further success. On their showing at the Pavilion Festival, they have the songs, and they have the musicianship to bring these to life. They might just need an extra ingredient to make them standout.

Oscura

Oscura don’t hide their credentials under any bushel. Full in your face metal with heavy drone like sounds fighting for attention with the lyrics that one minute blend melodiously around the tent, the next thrashed out in a series of screams.

There is a thriving fanbase for this genre of music and, while it may sound like just a loud noise to some, there are musical intricacies across the songs played on the day that make you appreciate what the band are able to achieve with the instrumentation and vocals.

Three bands. Three different styles of music, though there were more similarities between The Marches and Mixed Signals. Will they make the ‘Breakthrough’ that the stage name suggests? Only time, further exposure to events like this and a continued will to succeed will tell. If pressed on the band most likely to make it, I’d have to say The Marches.

Powerhouse Stage

One major benefit on offer at The Pavilion is the proximity of all three stages resulting in as much music time as you would want with little physical effort required.

Pelikan Rogue

As we meandered down from the Breakthrough Stage we were hit with the ska/punk sounds of Pelikan Rogue, not too dissimilar to the band that kick started our #AtoZMusicalTour Rudebeard. 

While the similarity lasted only for this first song, what followed was a blend of fun filled blues allied to power pop and ballsy rock music. Every track seemed better than the last, with lead vocalist Scott Russell leading the crowd on a wave of enthusiasm to match the location and sun filled sky above.  The band have been on the go for almost 10 years and the musical maturity that has developed over this time was evident in the way all the band members wove their own magic as and when required. The band have been quietly building their repertoire and fanbase over the years too as evidence by the crowd that built up during their set.

Static Sky

In terms of the weather at the festival, there was a Static ‘blue’ Sky as the band took to the stage to an enthusiastic welcome from their local fans. Playing a set of indie rock inspired songs there is a similarity to a number of acts currently recording and playing live across the country. Of the acts that have made it into the mainstream, Static Sky reminded us of both The Arctic Monkeys and The Fratellis. Frontman Marc James has charisma to spare that leads the band into the tracks with a measure of panache that keeps the energy levels high amongst the audience.

As identified above, there is a vibrant and crowded indie rock scene. Like other acts on the day there can be no denying the songwriting or musicianship. What might help them power up the music ladder is to have a unique selling point that future fans can hang onto. It might not take much, but it could make a huge difference.

Box Of Trash

Musically, Box Of Trash provided one of the highlights of the festival with their psychedelic rock infused with some indie attitude.  The songwriting due of Barry Fisher and Lyle Kennedy have provided songs that are as equally intense as they are toe tapping/head bopping for those watching in front.

Their debut album Candelwood 230 is certainly worth a listen, as is seeing the band roar through a live set with vocalist Kennedy in particular having the air of someone who isn’t too flustered about everything that’s going on in the world. His world is music and with his bandmates they deliver in spades.

Definitely a band worth following to see how they continue to develop and deliver longer sets as they move from support act to headliner.

Local Authority

Following on from Box Of Trash, Local Authority continued to show how years of practice and development of an individual style can set you apart from the crowd. Energy levels to the maximum from the word go, the band waded into a set list that was part punk, part rock and a little bit of blues along the way.

It’s a measure of how impactful an act can be when you’re quite happy to invest your time listening to them complete their set at the expense of one of the acts under the big tent. ‘Bigger’ name does not always compute with being the ‘Bigger’ draw and on this occasion Local Authority were delivering music that deserved attention until the set was complete. In doing so they’ve been added to the Ones to See again list.

Four accomplished bands detailed to this stage. A couple of whom in Box Of Trash and Local Authority have albums worthy of further exploration. Pick for the top would probably be Box Of Trash though I have a feeling all four will continue to make a positive noise on the local and national scene.

Electric Brae Tent

Under the big blue tent that stood like a beacon of tranquillity on the shores of the Firth Of Clyde, four acts had been selected to provide the necessary warm up, the energy, the expectation for headline act James coming onto the stage just as the sun was setting on a beautiful sunny day.

The Clause

First up was Birmingham band The Clause, a band who have been steadily building their reputation as purveyors of guitar laden rock music, mixing elements of the blues with some anthemic pulses that underscore why they have been making a name for themselves across the UK.  It also helps that other bands like The Snuts and The Enemy are happy to add them as support to their tours knowing they will be walking onto the stage themselves to a fired-up audience.

They have a bit of charisma and don’t lack confidence with the songs played well received by those familiar and unfamiliar with their work to date. Like some of the bands on the lesser stages mentioned above though the question remains, ‘What makes them stand out from the competition?’ Only time will tell.

The rest of the undercard was supposed to.

• offer a chance to see if swim school had developed their sound since we saw them in the summer last year,
• establish whether Vistas could return to the highs of 2020 and 2021 when their debut album and follow up rode high in the Scottish album charts and
• whether the fond memories of Starsailor at their peak could be rekindled.

While the answer to all three questions above is yes, each band suffered from a major technical failure that cut out all sound and lighting halfway through swim school’s set. And it wasn’t a technical failure that was easily resolved with the result being that both Vistas and Starsailor had to perform very shortened sets to ensure that James could start at the allotted time.

In fairness, both took the decision fairly well, at least while on stage. Vistas were on top form musically though no doubt disappointed they weren’t able to demonstrate the breadth of music they would have liked. There’s no doubt the extended delay and decision to cut back on the time available would have dampened their spirits but it’s worth pointing out that they are returning with their own headline tour when we will hopefully get a better understanding of where the band are in relation to their earlier successful releases.

Similarly, Starsailor with a new album of songs to promote decided that a shortened Greatest Hits set would be far more appealing to the very full tent audience that stood before them. Fronted by the magnetic James Walsh, the band delighted the crowd with well-known tracks like “Four to the Floor” and “Good Souls.” The limited stage time made them new friends and hopefully new followers when they return to Glasgow as part of their own forthcoming UK tour.

The biggest loss probably fell to both swim school and Vistas who would have been looking to build their reputation to a wider audience. Starsailor once again demonstrated that the experience gained over many years of playing is vital to overcome such difficulties, to go with the flow and to ensure that wherever possible those watching and listening go away with a sense of satisfaction that they have seen the band perform well.

And so, to the headliners, James who have been releasing albums since the mid-1980s. Who have been in the DNA of mainstream and indie music all that time and who continue to release music which delivers messages which are as relevant for today’s world as they were back in the day.

Along with the vast experience time has provided them with, they have the infectious enthusiasm of front man Tim Booth who was destined to be the star of the day. Listening to their recorded output can be stimulating. Watching and listening to the same music live adds an extra layer of potency. The band fill the large stage throughout the performance some alternating between playing instruments or harmonising with Mr Booth.

I’ve been fortunate to see James a couple of times over the past few years and never been disappointed. The Pavilion set though was genuinely special; from the first note, the entrance of the band on to the stage, the procession of hits and album tracks,  to the final wave as the band left the stage, this was a celebration of the band’s music across the many decades that they have been a conscious part of the music scene.

As we joined the crowds wandering up the road to Ayr railway station there was an added bounce to everyone’s step. What tunes were in their heads we’ll never know, but they will certainly linger in all our memories.

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