Les Fest Day Three – by Rowena

The third and final day of Les Fest 3 started off bright and very early indeed with my first interview a 10.30am.  The previous days had been interview light in comparison, as many of the bands I both wanted to see and were due to interview were set for today.  As I unfortunately had to leave early evening to head back down to London I was having to miss the some of the bands I wanted to see such as Massive Wagons (whom I missed last year due to their set clashing with an interview) and Falling Red, who I haven’t seen in ages.  Though I heard really good reports about both from those that could stay.

However, I did manage to catch a fair few of the bands that I had travelled all this way to see and the first for the day for me was the first of the day for everyone; Defy All Reason.  This band is just brilliant with a good mix of rocking songs to get anybody going.  At that time I was still seriously tired and though I knew I love watching this band I was still wishing I was back in bed.  But memories of the first time I saw them took me straight into the main stage tent (via the coffee stall) and I am as always glad that I

did.  They have that energy and likability that just lifts you up and makes you happy.  When I went into the tent I knew I’d love watching their set, but I honestly didn’t expect to be dancing away at the front with a mug of coffee in my hand that early in the morning.  They really were the perfect start to the day as you came away feeling wide awake and energised, and there’s not all bands that can do that.

After that I was in and out of interviews all day and so only got a chance to see or hear less than a minute of many of the other bands up until mid-afternoon which is a shame.  I did manage to briefly hear some of The King Lot which went down a storm and see the last part of Captain Horizon’s acoustic set on the Cackblabbath Stage.  From the couple of songs that I did manage to see I really wanted to see what they could deliver from their set on the main stage, but again, interview clashes prevented that and looking through the various photos it looked like I missed a lot, which was a real shame.

By mid-afternoon all of my interviews were done and I had just a few hours left before I had to head back for the long bus journey to London and the 9-5.  However, those few hours would be solely dedicated to watching the main stage and a series of bands I had been looking forward to seeing. The first up was Fireroad who I had seen for the first time at The Cellar in Oxford for OXROX earlier just the previous weekend.  I was impressed the first time I saw them just as I was with their set at Les Fest.  There were many bands on the list today whose music is designed for you get in the dancing mood and raise your spirits and Fireroad is one of them.  ‘I Got Sound’ has that Southern roadhouse sound and mood that that I just love.  It’s both relaxed and forceful at the same time.  Go and have a listen, just one listen and that will be enough for you to want to see them live…and yes, they’re cracking live.

The next band on my must see list was Voodoo Vegas who again I had only discovered recently, but this time at Camden Rocks in London.   They were in fact the first band I saw for the day when I was, shall we say, very much still feeling the effects from the night before and so was not completely open to being entertained.  However, as good live bands should do it only took about one song to completely change and lift my mood.  Though their songs have a lot of elements in, for me it’s the straight forward rock stream that catches my attention.  As does their

delivery; it’s open, there’s showmanship as well as clear interaction with the audience and a desire to really pull them into the performance and for both sides to enjoy it equally.

The penultimate band for me at Les Fest (though not for everyone else) was Bad Touch.  After having interviewed them earlier today I was really interested in seeing what they could deliver on stage.  Having never seen them live before I was really impressed with their energy and heavy rock sound.  It was clear to me before their set that they have a loyal fan base (including wearing fake moustaches, and not just the men) and I could clearly see why.  I love fun bands that are about creating a party atmosphere, and they managed it well.

This continued smoothly into the next set with The Burning Crows.  Another

delivery of good old fashioned rock and roll, delivered straight in your face with confidence.  With the infectious groves it’s impossible to keep still, this is a band you’ll want to listen to with your mates in the summer drinking beer and having a laugh.  The line-up for the day worked really well and I loved the choice to have different genres on set days and this for me was my favourite day.  It was an absolute shame that I had to leave about half

way through this set; it also meant that as I was constantly conscious of the time I wasn’t able to give my full attention to their performance.  But I saw enough to know that I would pay to see this band again for sure!