What is This, Sound City?

Words: Darci Jackson

Photos: Izzi Glover

‘I love day festivals, they’re chaotic but they’re good fun!’ Siobhán Winifred told Dizzy Magazine as we stood in a bustling Concert Square in Liverpool, teeming with fans at the city’s multi-venue festival Sound City.

Known as Europe’s leading independent festival for discovering new music, Sound City took place over the first of the two bank holiday weekends in May, really solidifying the fact that festival season has dusted herself off and is ready to step outside into the sunshine.

‘It’s the epitome of the Liverpool music scene isn’t it really. It’s all really close-knit, you can’t really walk down a road without seeing someone you know or without at least seeing a band you want to see,’ mentioned Red Rum Club’s Fran Doran.

And we couldn’t agree more, the close-knit community feel ran deep in the veins of the festival, with bands and artists milling about with fans, fellow artists and enjoying the general friendly feel. Although not being from Liverpool, Dizzy Magazine felt like adopted Scousers for the weekend after catching sets from local artists The Kowloons, Keyside and The Balla, with Sound City being the latter’s first ever gig together.

Keyside bassist Max Gibson summed up their Sound City journey perfectly: ‘First year, not that many people there. Second year, a few people there. This year? Mental.’

Saturday’s Sound City felt like we were easily in the Costa del Sol, with the warm weather really creating that festival feeling. Alas, we were in Costa del Concert Square at the Spanish Caravan (still counts as feeling like you’re abroad, right?) with wristband collection being a mere 10-minute walk away from Liverpool Lime Street, meaning ease of transport for outsiders.

‘Thank you so much for coming down, I genuinely thought no one would be here!’ beamed Dorset raised, London based Siobhán Winifred as she graced the Arts Club Theatre. Debuting several unreleased tracks, by closing your eyes, Winifred’s angelic tones really take you to a different world entirely. Her emotive and driven presence is enough to get completely lost in for half an hour.

‘I think it’s a bit more evolved, bit more fun, bit more interesting, bit more me, I think.  I feel like it’s a bit more like the stuff I’ve been listening to, and I love playing it,’ added Winifred at the mention of her unreleased material.

‘It’s probably just as open book, vulnerable lyrics as usual but the sounds around it are a bit more interesting.’

Staying on at the Arts Club Theatre, Manchester’s cool cats Arkayla swaggered through their set with their suave singalong ballady tunes. The only exception to that is when frontman Cal Blakebrough switched places with guitarist Finley Rubens for unreleased track Take the Kash, a lively, punchy number that begs the question of what else they’re sitting on, waiting to release to the world. Oh, and throwing free T-shirts into the crowd as they walked off stage? We reckon more people need to do that!

Headliners Nieve Ella and The Royston Club were a huge hit with the Sound City goers, rounding out the day under Grand Central’s dome shaped roof.

‘This is for people who like to scream!’ declared Nieve Ella before diving headfirst into wildly fun and free anthem Ganni Top (She Gets What She Needs).

Now, we had a Sunday full of Scots and Scousers, with Brogeál bringing a touch of quirky Irish traditional folk charm to the early evening. Unfortunately, on this occasion, we were Guinness-less, but we feel as though having a Guinness to hand would’ve greatly enhanced our experience, as the Scottish five piece prefaced one tune with ‘this song’s about getting pissed.’

Bringing a taste of the Scottish Lowlands to Liverpool, Brogeál were a little gem on the lineup, procuring accordions, banjos and whistles throughout the set.

But kudos to Liverpool’s crown jewels The Cheap Thrills blowing the roof off main venue Grand Central. We’ve never seen anything like a room full of people, arms round each other belting out Codependence like their lives depended on it. According to The Kowloons guitarist Mason Jones, they’re ‘the best band in Liverpool.’

No festival is complete without a singalong rendition of Not Nineteen Forever is it, and that’s exactly what we were swept up in before headliner Dylan John Thomas. His music is the type you’d want to swing on a hammock in your back garden to. We’re brand new to a Dylan John Thomas party, but we hope we’re invited back for another one because the pure organised chaos that ensued during the first tones of Jenna was something to behold. And Thomas, nonchalant as ever, drank it in as we wrapped on the weekend.

Keyside frontman Dan Parker has a lot of love for the festival: ‘When you’re at Sound City, you just experience the culture of Liverpool, you’ve got festivals in big parks and all that but this is multi-venue, you’re on the streets just experiencing what Liverpool is about.’