Tramlines - Sunday 26/07/2015

So the final day was upon us and unfortunately the sunshine that had graced us the previous day was replaced with unrelenting rain and cold temperatures. So much for British Summer Time eh?

Pulling on our waterproofs to brave the weather we headed out to Devonshire Green in order to see what all the fuss was about with local band The Sherlocks. The short answer is simply not much. They recall the landfill indie days of 2006 when anything with a Northern accent and a guitar got a record deal due to the rise of Arctic Monkeys, with past single ‘Escapade’ sounding like a carbon copy of The Courteeners ‘Push Yourself’. But the saddest thing is you can see why they would be popular and why they have amassed the fan base that they have; they’re shamelessly riding the coattails of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s equally as puzzling rise to fame, so any fan of one band would be a fan of the other. The Sherlocks will probably continue to get bigger and will always be a band you either love or hate and unfortunately for me it’s more of the latter.

That disappointing start aside and food consumed we arrived back at Devonshire Green to see the long awaited return of hometown favourites The Crookes. After having a year out the 4 piece sounded as tight as ever despite changing their line up following the departure of drummer Russell Bates and frontman George Waite looking as if he hadn't had a haircut in that amount of time meaning he now resembled Jesse Eisenberg. To prove they hadn't spent their afternoons "watching cash in the attic" they debuted a new track which was typical of the band's quirky take on songwriting, with a quicker pace and backing 'ooooooh's'. Apart from this the set drew heavily on the bands second album Hold Fast with airings for the sultry 'Maybe in the Dark' and laid back 'Sal Paradise', with the latter creating a total hush over the crowd. Finishing on the tried and tested 'Afterglow', it was a welcome sight to see The Crookes back and on form and with the brief airing of new material it looks as if they're back for good. Yes I did just quote a Take That lyric, deal with it. 

After surviving a downpour by taking cover under some trees near the temporary bar it was time for the headliner on Devonshire Green: Sheffield’s very own cult hero and former Milburn man Joe Carnall Jnr. Launching his solo career with brother Louis (also formerly of Milburn) and Reverend and the Makers' Ed Cosens as part of his live band, he opened with a dark, brooding number reminiscent of former Sheffield band Dead Sons. The tone got lighter from there with the help of some wit from Joe himself poking fun at some crowd members from Barnsley and the ballad of first single 'Three Things (Only a Fool)'. Interspersing the new solo material with blasts from the past provided the nostalgia the crowd were looking for with Milburn's 'Summertime' being played for the first time in 7 years, whilst an acoustic version of 'Chesire Cat Smile' added an air of maturity to the track so it didn't feel too far removed from the rest of the set. Although the nostalgia was nice, the old tracks were outshone by the fresher material. Both 'The Boy Who Was Struck By Lightning', which is possibly the most feel good and catchy thing Carnall has written yet, and 'Sharpshooter', with its Soft Cell type electronic drum beat and disco keys channeling the 80's perfectly, were, say it quietly not to upset those for hoping a Milburn reunion, streets ahead of any of the older cuts from the set. But this didn't stop the crowd losing their shit to 'Well Well Well' proceeding to send the security into a panic as crowd surfers came tumbling over the front barrier, which all in all sent everyone away happy.

Due to Joe Carnall running over we had to jump in a taxi down to possibly the best venue in Sheffield, Queens Social Club, to see the battle of the two pieces between Sheffield's adopted sons Nai Harvest and Scottish duo Honeyblood. The rush to get there was, thankfully, worth it, as up first were Nai Harvest despite frontman Ben Thompson visibly being under the weather due to a heavy weekend. This did mean there were a few sloppy mistakes but this didn't impact on the band's performance to the extent that it could've done as the polish that coated tracks from second album Hairball, which made up the majority of the set, was stripped off and replaced with fuzz and feedback. The punky yet sweet 'Ocean of Madness' proved a highlight whilst the normally rough around the edges 'Buttercups' might as well have been sandpaper due to Thompson's hoarse voice but that made it even better. The sprawling title track from the second album brought proceedings to a close complete with Ben's best rockstar moves draping himself over the speakers on the stage and standing atop Lew Currie's bass drum, much to the drummer's amusement. 




Honeyblood were next to grace the glittery curtain and they still remain as pessimistic as ever about love and relationships. This is most evident on the biggest fuck you to an ex ever recorded in song 'Super Rat' and the bittersweet contrast between breezy guitars and downcast lyrics on 'Bud'. But the duel sides of the band are made clear on two new tracks 'Love is a Disease' and 'Babes Never Die'. The former is heavier and hits like a kick to the gut whilst the latter is more melodic and poppy with a killer chorus, showing that although they can rip your guts out Honeyblood will at least give you a hug afterwards. Before closer 'Killer Bangs', frontwoman Stina Tweedale announced that they were the secret headliners at The Great Gatsby the same night, so there was only one thing for it; go get some drinks down us and then venture to Division Street to see them for the second time in one night.  

Arriving later than planned at The Great Gatsby we had to enjoy the first half of Honeyblood's second set from outside but we eventually made it inside to see a significant portion of their set. Adding the cheery jangle of 'Fall Forever' and darker, sneering 'No Spare Key' to their earlier set, things were a whole lot more chaotic in the small confines of the tiny upstairs room. With members of Nai Harvest, Abattoir Blues, Radical Boy and Best Friends in attendance, the crowd were much more mobile than earlier in the day with stage invasions (albeit with permission from Stina), moshing and crowd surfing, including Ed Crisp from Best Friends going atop the crowd at one point. The second set was easily the better of the two proving that although they're suited to the bigger venues, Honeyblood are truly at their best when pandemonium ensues. 




So with that, Tramlines 2015 was over and as my night disappeared down the bottom of a pint glass in celebration of the weekend, the only thing we could do was begin the countdown until next years festival. We'll see you soon Tramlines, you gorgeous little creature.