FestEvol2021 FutureYard
I knew it was going to be a big one when the first installment of the Festevol trilogy sold out the day it was announced, and what better place to hold it than Birkenhead’s gem of a venue, Futureyard. I’d been meaning to check the place out for a long time but still hadn’t made it until Saturday, you could spot it a mile off from its bright pink exterior and band kids outside smoking rollies. I was unsure of what to expect from the atmosphere and the type of people that would be there, especially since it’s one of the first live events I’d been to since the pandemic. As soon as I got inside though, the energy was completely chill and I genuinely felt at home, which is what I think you should feel like at gigs.
Munky_Junkey_Festevol:(Credit: Billy_Vitch)
Kicking off the day in the live room inside was Razzmatazz, who were straight up rock ’n’ roll blues with a Britpop attitude and aesthetic. The live room already had a decent sized crowd this early on at 2pm and you could tell just how desperate people were to hear live music again, including myself. It’s worth mentioning too that the live room has had a new system set up which keeps the room super ventilated, almost like being outdoors. With the pandemic still not completely a thing of the past, this is definitely a smart and needed step forward for live events in my opinion.
Razzmatazz_Festevol:(Credit:Billy_Vitch)
The outside area was already pretty packed and filling up quickly early on, it was amazing to see people of all ages and totally different crowds all in one place and here for their shared love of boss music. Tilly Louise’s set was no exception, she and her band had some undeniably mega pop tunes and great energy to them, although I got the sense that it was still a bit too early in the game for people to be up on their feet and grooving properly. The laidback atmosphere began to pick up though when Munkey Junkey got on stage. His set took the afternoon in a whole new direction from the mostly indie rock sound that was happening outside, to infectious lo-fi hip hop with a ridiculously tight band behind him that sounded massive. His song ‘Bury Her Bones’ certainly turned heads with its brazen vocals and doomy half time bass line that forced everyone to pay full attention to this super exciting act.
Cult_Icon:(Credit:Sarah_Sidwell)
Another band in the afternoon that really stood out for me was Seafoam Green, these guys were playing indoors and pulled in a really good sized crowd in with their soulful Americana sound that had the energy of Janis Joplin and perhaps an early Fleetwood Mac, I was transported from a cloudy Birkenhead to 60’s summer of love. By around 8pm, the atmosphere was starting to feel way more lively and the venue was fully packed by now. This is when Zee Davine, along with their ‘witches’ dressed in black cloaks and white plague-esque masks, stepped on stage and blew it UP – quite literally as the speakers actually blew and started smoking at one point.
Pixey_Festevol:(Credit: Sarah_Sidwell)
At the front of Zee’s desk was a sign that said ‘Birko Uber Alles’ which was actually fitting as this Birkenhead act completely took over the crowd, forcing them to down their drinks and go mental to the mind numbingly heavy rave emanating from the stage. Zee’s upcoming single “Tranmere Raver” had an astoundingly large portion of us chanting “fuck Paul McCartney” which was not something I can say I was expecting from the Merseyside music festival but was definitely a highlight of the evening for me.
After Zee Davine’s game changer of a set, punk trio Lines kept the energy going outside with their stone cold driven rhythm section and sickeningly crunchy guitar – definitely not a band to be missed.
Zuzu:(Credit:Sarah_Sidwell
I of course must mention the incredible ZuZu who had the live room full to the brim and the crowd very much in the palm of her hands. After so long of not being in a sweaty and loud sea of people, hearing everyone sing along to her songs with so much genuine joy and love for her music was absolutely amazing to see. The Mysterines were fantastic as always. Lia’s vocals shake you to the core and the whole band sounded massive and had the whole room booming, an epic close to the night of bands.
Seafoamgreen_Festevol:(Credit:Billy_Vitch)
I have to say, Birkenhead is arguably blowing the other side of the Mersey out the water right now with the music and raw creative culture it’s culminating.
A massive hats off to FESTEVOL for an amazing event!
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