rowf! rowf! rowf!
Well I promised a review of Rowf! Rowf! Rowf! - my favourite indoor Manchester festival of the experimental and noisy. Sadly it's not much of review because not only was I unfamiliar with most of the acts, which is why I go after all, but because the bill had been so chopped around (presumably by cancellations) that the only way to tell who was on was to refer to the sheet of paper taped to the door. And to be honest I wasn't there to take notes, or keep checking the door.
First the venue. Although it does many great things, for a festival of this kind Islington Mill just didn't have quite the atmosphere of Fuel. It does have more space. A lot more space. Especially toward the end of the second day when the place emptied, which was a shame.
And so to the bill. I thought this year was a little less exciting this year than last, when Smear Campaign, Blue Sabbath Black Fiji, Agripon, David Thomas Broughton, Gnod, Eye Hai, Health and others ripped my ears right off and kicked them down the street. This year there was rather too much wide open skies Americana, and woodland folk tweeness than I'd like. Especially on the first day I frequently felt pretty bored.
The first day. As I've said, a lot of the first day I wasn't entirely gripped, but both David Thomas Broughton's performance pranks (held together by excellent musicianship) and Ashtray Navigation's sheer noise went a long way to justifying the (pretty low) admission price.
The second day was a lot better. The opening act (I think one of Gnod plus a couple of others - I didn't catch the name) were a good start, both in term of being more experimental, and very loud. The final four acts of the day - as discussed, I couldn't really tell you all the names - really lifted the festival. Part Wild Horses Mane On Both Sides closed, with a combination of noise and sound poetry type vocals. In fact sound poetry type vocals were kind of a theme of the festival. The undoubted hit of the second day, and of the whole festival for me, was Solar Fire Trio, who were utterly amazing. Along with David Thomas Broughton you really need to see them before you get much older. I'd advise it be in somewhere uncomfortably intimate for the full impact.
Overall I felt it wasn't quite so exciting as last year. Probably a combination of high expectations, the venue not quite being right and not quite being full enough, and apparent problems with the bill (although it must be stressed the event went pretty smoothly from the audience side). But as soon as tickets go on sale for next year I'll be spending my hard-earned on one, and I'd recommend you do the same.
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First the venue. Although it does many great things, for a festival of this kind Islington Mill just didn't have quite the atmosphere of Fuel. It does have more space. A lot more space. Especially toward the end of the second day when the place emptied, which was a shame.
And so to the bill. I thought this year was a little less exciting this year than last, when Smear Campaign, Blue Sabbath Black Fiji, Agripon, David Thomas Broughton, Gnod, Eye Hai, Health and others ripped my ears right off and kicked them down the street. This year there was rather too much wide open skies Americana, and woodland folk tweeness than I'd like. Especially on the first day I frequently felt pretty bored.
The first day. As I've said, a lot of the first day I wasn't entirely gripped, but both David Thomas Broughton's performance pranks (held together by excellent musicianship) and Ashtray Navigation's sheer noise went a long way to justifying the (pretty low) admission price.
The second day was a lot better. The opening act (I think one of Gnod plus a couple of others - I didn't catch the name) were a good start, both in term of being more experimental, and very loud. The final four acts of the day - as discussed, I couldn't really tell you all the names - really lifted the festival. Part Wild Horses Mane On Both Sides closed, with a combination of noise and sound poetry type vocals. In fact sound poetry type vocals were kind of a theme of the festival. The undoubted hit of the second day, and of the whole festival for me, was Solar Fire Trio, who were utterly amazing. Along with David Thomas Broughton you really need to see them before you get much older. I'd advise it be in somewhere uncomfortably intimate for the full impact.
Overall I felt it wasn't quite so exciting as last year. Probably a combination of high expectations, the venue not quite being right and not quite being full enough, and apparent problems with the bill (although it must be stressed the event went pretty smoothly from the audience side). But as soon as tickets go on sale for next year I'll be spending my hard-earned on one, and I'd recommend you do the same.
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