Review: 6 Music Fest – Saturday, Motion

Former Moloko (remember them) singer, songwriter and acclaimed solo artist Roisin Murphy opened Saturday at Motion with a theatrical, quirky and engaging set. Imagine a costume change, mask and/or hat for every song, that occasionally gave you the sense that you were watching performance art illustrating one of the few hip songs in the Top 40 and you’ll get the idea. Her jazz inflected dance music may not stretch any sonic boundaries but big tunes like ‘Dear Miami’ and ‘House of Glass’ that smartly elided with Moloko’s ‘Sing It Back’ kept the fans happy. 

Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated artist of the night was Knowle Wester Tricky. Tricky’s live shows can be intense, brooding events which leave the audience wrung out and strung out. This was not one of them. His performance can be charitably described as lazy and unengaging. He spent much of the set wandering around fiddling with his vest, and languidly muttering. Still, the drummer probably had some great views of his ripped abs. Meanwhile the band played fairly pedestrian bass and squalling guitar laden versions of tracks from the new album ‘Skilled Mechanics’. Could have done much, much better.

In the second room Mercury Prize nominated Glaswegian song-writer C Duncan and his band delivered a set of pleasing if difficult to categorise set, lyrically deft dream pop, choral pop, folktronica can all apply. If the legendary Postcard record label were still going they’d be dead certs to be signed to it. Jangly guitars and big chords too, Hammond organ, plenty of cracking harmonies and a cheery stage presence hinted at the possibility of more than one Belle and Sebastian album in Mr Duncan’s record collection. The sound of young Scotland indeed. 

Daughter are a band who sound great in your bedroom or at a dinner party but live they miss the mark by a mile. The sound throughout their set was crystalline, every note, every word delivered with a tinge of regret could be heard by the crowd. However, after 20 minutes the plodding and predictable nature of their show grew ever more apparent. There’s only so many ways you can play ‘Quiet-Loud-Quiet-Really-LOUD’. This was irksome, as was singer Elena Tonra’s almost apologetic stage presence. For goodness sake, you’re a band with a devoted following, two acclaimed albums and great musicianship. Have a bit of confidence. 

Confidence is definitely not something headliners Suede lack. Frontman Brett Anderson, looking fitter and healthier than any long-time Suede fan might imagine threw himself into a crowd-pleasing selection of Suede’s greatest hits from the off. Anderson was frequently in the crowd, not missing a beat and a note. On stage he leaped, crouched, posed and preened as a real pop star should. All the while the band played on, cranking out note perfect versions of ‘Trash’, Animal Nitrate’, ‘So Young’, ‘The Drowners’ and even fan favourite B-side ‘Killing of a Flashboy’. Suede delivered a master-class in how to REALLY put on a show and for this nostalgia and Britpop hater could be a contender for best live band of 2016. 

Photos courtesy of BBC. Click here for more photos, features and clips from the 6 Music Festival.

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