The Beerfest is problematic. I don't know about the rest of you but I
can't stand crowds, parents with pushchairs, screaming infants and those
rotten tweens in their leggings worn as pants. At this year's Beerfest I
found something I hate more and that is Maltese presenters, promoting
brands with ridiculous competitions on a stage. I remarked at their
oblivious use of the microphones: why would you yell into a mic? I
suppose they were less aware of their sound amplifying tools than the
glorious products they were peddling. At this point I realised I was at the wrong stage.
Three Stops to China started off a little late at 9.15pm with an
uncharacteristically low-energy track about summer that ironically
sounds more like winter. However their second track 'Arcadia' picks up the
familiar 90s alt energy, although lead man Kurt Kind does tend to whine
through it as though he's very bored of singing it. The third track,
'Following', stars out so promising with a contemporary underlying bass
beat pulling the guitars along. If only 3STC sounded more modern. They
care about their music and they know how to play their instruments, but
they lack a modern sensibility that makes their music sound dated. It's
not bad but it's not great --- it's far worse: mediocre. With the fourth
track, the band sounds quite like a punk version of Placebo. A little
whiny, but that's ok.
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| Three Stops to China |
'Back for You' was a refreshing song, dark and creepy, slow and haunting
with jangly post punk chords. The energetic lyricless
interludes would be great in an epic video game battle sequence. The band's tempo control was quite lacking,
as they bounced between high-energy and low-energy songs without
maintaining any kind of momentum which was very tiring.
As I said , the Beerfest is problematic. I get the sense that most
people, even at the rock stage aren't here for the music. People
talk so loudly it's impressive that the music can be heard. So why are
they here? Could it be the 40 different food stalls? The special limited
edition mass produced beer mugs? The glorious Maltese night air (read:
humid stuffy airless conditions)? perhaps these people enjoy the
significantly reduced personal space, or violating the personal space of
others. I swear the next fool to knock my handbag is getting a slap.
Dolls for Idols started at 10pm. The guys took over the stage with their cooler than ice image and flashy cover art on the projector screen. I
think the crowd is pleased by the music because it has a clubby
quality. They burst into their new(ish) electronic style, with Daft Punk inspired digital
keyboard effects; which was more advanced than on their last album 'Cut, Paste and Rave'n'Roll'. Weren't they a rock band?? Their performance at the Beerfest shows such an intense progression from the last time I'd seen them live - at Sickfest last year. They've evolved from a rock band into a blend of nu-rave, punk and British indie.
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| Dolls for Idols |
I think the instrumental first track was a gutsy move
at this venue, where people could easily be taken aback by something unusual, however they pulled it off perfectly. They play for the crowd as though they're performing at
Glastonbury: cocky, confident, in the zone; an energy found in all their music videos.
They maintain the fast-paced digital energy throughout the set. 'Wonderlust', another instrumental, which keeps up the tone with some
ridiculous keyboard beats, impressively matched by the guitars and
drums (and it's a B-side!). The alternating between vocal and
instrumental tracks works really well. Following is 'You' which sounds more like The Kooks or Razorlight
on speed - fluffy British indie - because of frontman Clint Spiteri's hunky gruff vocals. This is more like the
old Dolls for Idols, and this fusion of punky British indie and electronica gives the impression of a split-personality within the band. Not that I'm complaining - the
versatility of this band is impressive, they are clearly overflowing with talent.
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| Stolen Creep |
The ladies of Stolen Creep took to the stage at 11pm to lots of
cat-calls. Thank you, men of Beerfest for showing your sexism before the
band even begins. By this time, it's pretty obvious that certain members
of the audience are drunk.
The regular line-up of Katryna, Martha, Rebecca and Marie are joined by Yasmin Kuymizakis (Yews) on keyboard and
vocals. Katryna, Marie and Yews on vocals for this song provide a quiet
intensity as Martha and Rebecca match them on bass and drums
respectively. They start off very slow, with some light haunting bass that
shows the sound engineer's faults all too clearly, as feedback echoes
around. This problem was present but far less noticeable through the other bands' performances; the poor sound quality ruined an otherwise good opening
song for the band.
As a fan of Stolen Creep I worried that their style wouldn't be suited to the Beerfest as a
venue. I couldn't have been more wrong. Perhaps it is the nature of the group that they adapt to their setting and fill it with music, music which is actually very versatile. It would fit well in a bedroom, a pub and an open air
venue.
At the end of their opening number, the girls stopped playing to communicate with the sound
engineer. After a pause they carried on to the next song which sounded better but far
from perfect. The track about escapism uses bright summery chords for a
cheerful effect, but it is somewhat dulled by the lacklustre vocals and
slow-paced progression. After all this is Stolen Creep's style.
They set a tone at the beginning of each track with the bass and throw in just a few
vocals allowing the guitars and drums to pick up the pace, building up to the climax
of the song and then fading out softly.
As a venue, the National Park at Ta' Qali is... ok. The lighting effects were poor, the sound quality was poor, but there was enough space for people. It's difficult to complain about a free event. My main gripe with the place (and the reason I left before Cable35 performed) was the loutish behaviour of certain people and the intense heat. All three bands put on a good performance, with the Dolls standing out for their outrageous talent.
Images: (1, 2) David Grech Urpani, (3, 4) personal photos
When: 31st July 2013
Where: Rock Stage at the Beer Festival, Ta' Qali National Park
Who: Three Stops to China, Dolls for Idols, Stolen Creep
Price: free
