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In
the 5 years since it's conception, the Uxfest has earned itself
a place as one of the UK's most talked-about underground festivals.
Having featured early performances from the Lost Prophets (then
known as lozt prophetz), Raging Speedhorn, Nedulla Nocte, King
Prawn and Capdown to name a few, the festival is fast gaining
a reputation as the place to check out tomorrow's big alternative
names.
So
Uxfest 2002 features a mixture of already-established bands
such as Vacant Stare and Sikth, with 30 bands appearing in total
throughout the day. With 10 minute changeovers between bands
and two stages running at the same time, there's a lot for one
person to take in, but thankfully the short distance between
the outdoor stage (with bands playing off the side of a truck)
and the smaller indoor stage allows punters to check out everyone
for at least half a set. The general vibe of the festival is
in a hardcore/punk/nu-metal style, with exceptions coming in
the form of Anal Beard (funny-for-the-first-2-songs-core) and
Area 54, who were flying the flag for trad metal. Of the early
afternoon's bands, Something In The Water deserve a mention
for their heady blend of gritty vocals and stabs of distorted
noise, as do Left Side Brain who came on like a younger, fresher
Wildhearts.
By
the time Zero Cipher hit the indoor stage, things are starting
to heat up, with a healthy pit starting to break out. The crowd
continues to go crazy throughout Subvert's set, with short breather
supplied by a complete power outage half way though Mannequin..
Meanwhile on the outside stage, [16] and thisGIRL are enjoying
the afternoon sunshine, with thisGIRL making the stage their
own with their characteristic energy and presence. Unfortunately
the sound outside is somewhat lacking throughout the day, but
thisGIRL more than compensate for sound quality with killer
songs and infectuous enthusiasm.
With
Area 54 due next on the main stage, it's a quick trip indoors
to catch Pale Horse. Since first seeing them with Subvert back
in late 2001, Pale Horse have added a more twisted, dark edge
to their sludged-up intensity, and it's paid off. If their upcoming
debut CD captures this live excellence it'll be a must-have
for fans of heavy music of any kind. On to labrat, then. Having
promised to offend even the most hardy of 'rat gig goers, no-one
really knew what to expect.. Entrails? Corpsepaint? Rockbitch
covers? Well, Rockbitch isn't too far from the truth, and we
were treated to five he-shes looking like they'd been dragged
from the gutters and forcefed enough smack to blag their way
though songs from Labrat's debut longplayer. If the sight of
Adam in a dress wasn't enough to make a grown metaller cry,
the unholy noise coming from the PA will have done the trick.
Great set, tight as fuck, and altogether a little unsettling.
Result.
Sikth
are up next, and their slot outdoors is undisputibly the highlight
of the festival for many, with hordes of kids eagerly awaiting
their taking the stage. From the first note played, the atmosphere
goes crazy, with the pit stretching halfway to the back of the
venue. Despite a terrible mix for the first couple of songs,
the talent is there for all to see. Complex guitar patterns
are kept in check by some powerhouse drumming, and once the
barking vocals are turned down below 'karaoke' levels everything
slots into place fairly nicely. Tonight magnifies the fact that
bands such as Sikth rely on a razor-sharp sound to get their
vision across effectively, which is a shame as there is clearly
a massive amount of talent at play here.
Which
leads us on to the headline band, Vacant Stare. Having made
a name for themselves as the UK's premier nu-metal rap crossover
band, expectations are high with glowing reviews of their debut
album's release through Copro. Showcasing a new, more melodic
style, VS have a lot to prove tonight to those doubters who
wrote them off as nu-metal pretenders. For the most part, they
definitely achieve this - the new material is a far cry from
the early demos, with far more melody and less emphasis on the
rap-metal and turntables. However, it's unclear whether the
piss-poor mix or just a slight lack of direction musically is
the cause, but this sounds like half the band Vacant Stare used
to be. The songs seem to blur into one another, and dynamics
seem to become lost in the night air. Hopefully this is just
a case of wrong time, wrong place, as this is a band who have
always been awesome live. Given the hit-and-miss sound all day
on the outdoor stage, the jury's out on this one.
So
all in all, a mostly great day, respect has to go out to all
the volunteers who made a potential nightmare day run smoother
than most. It's clear to see why the Uxfest has become such
a buzzword on the scene, and long may it continue. For more
info on the festival, check out the official website: http://www.uxfest.co.uk
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