CLEETHORPES ROCKS
Meriden Showground, Cleethorpes, UK
The downpour that greeted the early birds didn’t bode well for the inaugural Cleethorpes Rocks Festival but mercifully the rain stayed away after the initial coastal drenching. FILTHY FILTHY create a glorious Rock ‘N’ Ramones brushed noise with cuts like ‘Baby Got The Shakes’ and ‘Too Far Gone’ before THE SUBURBAN TOYS weighed in with some nineties kissed American Punk meets its British counterpart with a sprinkle of Ska to boot. Old school Rock arrives with THE BREW who swirl, riff and posture with a beautifully captivating Seventies vibe that cuts to the very core. DR FEELGOOD gets the many tea time arrivals nicely simmering along with a Rythym ‘n’ Blues greatest hits set of tip-top winners. ‘She Does It Right’, ‘Down At The Doctors’, ‘Roxette’ and ‘Milk And Alcohol’ and are all superbly delivered. BIG COUNTRY brought their A-game with an hour-long collection of Celtic riffs, heartbreak and anthemic happiness. The biggies are played as ‘Steeltown’, ‘Look Away’ and ‘Wonderland’ all-cause outbreaks of infectious post-punk pogoing. ‘Chance’ gets the afternoon’s first sing-a-long going as does the set-closing ‘Fields Of Fire’. THE WILDHEARTS kick off their headline set with the stunning ‘Diagnosis’ before ‘Everlone’, ‘Mazel Tov Cocktail’ and ‘I Wanna Go’ get the hugs and high fives going in the mini-pit. The hour-long smileybones celebration is topped with a brutally emotive ‘Dislocated’ a full-throttle newbie, ‘Splitter’’ and the throwaway rock n roll majesty that is ‘Love U Till I Don’t’.
Words and pic: Guy Shankland
