Summer Party 2011

The Summer Party was a surprising success last year. Warwick SU doesn’t have the best reputation amongst some when it comes to events (let us not forget the power-cuts of last year’s Summer Party) but with tickets priced at £38 – costly for the average student – you could forgive the droves of fresher’s for having high hopes. That said, as I arrived on Warwick campus, with the sun beating down, I couldn’t help but feel that the Summer Party had the potential to repeat the triumph of its predecessor. With an impressive (if somewhat unnecessary) array of fairground rides, a dance-off-come-free-shot-of-alcohol stall, and a rather eclectic, if not expectably mismatched line-up, the day shaped up to be a pleasant affair in the Bubble.

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**Fly By Night** kicked off proceedings. The student Battle of the Band winners this year were placed first on the bill, with the stage-time of 1pm. To some this may seem like a perfectly reasonable hour, but to the students that have finished their exams and spent the last night expelling their beans on toast into the Copper Rooms toilets, it was to be expected that they would draw the smallest crowd of the day. Regardless, the pop-punk quartet played their hearts out, with the enthusiasm and smiles of a band that was desperate to make every second on the main-stage count. Playing a relatively short set, co-vocalist Dean shone with his outstandingly professional vocals, meanwhile front-man Mike entertained the crowd with his head-bobbing and banter between songs. ‘For All Its Worth’ was the highlight of a set very fitting to the thirty-degree heat and as the Summer Party opener drew to a close, Fly By Night had drawn a considerable crowd and undoubtedly did themselves proud.

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**The Antics**, being perhaps the most unknown band of the Summer Party, managed to surprise their apathetic crowd by exceptional standards with funky, upbeat electro pop sounds and a wonderfully slick and professional onstage presence. The crowd was mainly lured in by the frontman’s commanding vocals which instilled energy, enthusiasm and vitality in the crowd who were moved from being uninspired to engrossed in the onstage antics. The band constructed a smooth vocal interplay amongst three of their members that added much texture and richness to the already finely crafted, catchy, in-your-face indie-punk melodies, making it hard for the audience to not be very pleased by what they heard. As their set progressed, The Antics drew the crowd further and further in to their friendly, inviting indie pop and the song craftsmanship only ascended to greater heights.


The band clearly knew how to form memorable hooks that appeared in abundance in a multitude of their songs. Perhaps their greatest feature was the fact that they were consistently on top form despite their minimal crowd following. Some of the Warwick crowd treated the band as nothing more than background music, while a considerable few noted the bands exceptional talent for song writing and performance. Nevertheless, The Antics soldiered on as if they were performing to an audience of stadium standards. The band was slick and minimalist between songs creating the impression of a well oiled machine that had perfected their stage shows to sublimely compliment their finely-tuned sound. The Antics left the stage with many crowd members noting them as ones to watch for the future, meaning by all accounts, a job well done. (_Anishka Sharma_)

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British DJ and singer-song writer **Yasmin** gave a solid performance of her debut solo material. The Manchester born 21 year old has put her highly successfully career as a DJ on hold (having made herself a huge name on the underground scene and toured as a DJ with the likes of NERD and Taio Cruz) to pursue a career as a solo artist. Although fairly unknown to most music fans, Yasmin managed to draw a fairly large crowd, performing her aptly named debut solo single ‘On My Own’, which reached number 39 in the singles chart, and her second release as a solo artist ‘Finish Line’, which was produced by Tinie Tempah and fellow summer party performer Labrinth. After writing and featuring on British MC Devlin’s second single ‘Runaway’, providing vocals for the chorus, Yasmin performed to the summer party crowd what she called ‘Runaway Part II’, describing it as conclusion to Devlin’s single. She also gave a solid performance of ‘Missing’, covering the classic nineties track by Everything but the Girl.


Overall, Yasmin gave a great performance. She provided steady vocals and got the crowd to join in with her songs, attracting the first reasonable sized gathering of the afternoon. The main criticism of Yasmin would be that her songs sounded somewhat dated in comparison to the dubstep based dance music that it so popular now. However, her powerful voice will no doubt bring her success if she continues to collaborate with successful artists such as Devlin, Tinie Tempah and Labrinth. Oh, and of course her fatal error of calling the crowd ‘Coventry’- not a particularly strong move to win the attention of Warwick students. (_Fionna Mclauchlan_)

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Hearing that Timothy McKenzie, known by his stage name **Labrinth**, was the first performer in six years to be signed to Simon Cowell’s label _Syco_ outside of the framework of a televised talent show, it was interesting to discover what attracted the high-trousered media mogul to the London-born R & B and Hip-hop singer-songwriter and producer. The 21 year old Labrinth, is fairly unknown, but his production and writing skills are behind some of the biggest hip-hop and club tracks of the past few years, namely Tinie Tempah’s ‘Pass Out’ and ‘Frisky’, and Professor Green’s ‘Oh My God.’


Labrinth’s performance at the summer party didn’t disappoint. He was the first performer to get the crowd truly going, giving an energised performance, either jumping around the stage, or playing guitar or keyboard along with his band. He gave a strong performance of his debut solo single ‘Let the Sunshine’ that peaked at number three in the UK charts. For those that knew very little of Labrinth before the Summer Party, it would appear that he gave a refreshing and energised twist to hip-hop and pop, mixing up his performance by changing instruments and engaging with the crowd. However, aside from ‘Let the Sunshine’, some other tracks seemed easily forgettable; brilliant for a boozy summer’s party, but not for the musical hall of fame. Perhaps more comfortable in the studio than on-stage, Labrinth the producer may yet prove more popular than Labrinth the artist, but with the right audience and Syco behind him, we doubt it’s the last we’ve heard of him. (Fionna Mclauchlan)

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**Los Campesinos**. The band provided the most perfect, vibrant yet soothing summer music that suited the Summer Party ambiance flawlessly. Their swirling psychedelic melodies were an instant hit with the majority of listeners, who wanted nothing more than to dance around to the band without a care in the world. The music of Los Campesinos contains a quaint childlike innocence that made the Warwick following forget their troubles and immerse themselves in the summer sun. The interesting mix of male and female vocals added beautifully to the purity and depth of their sound. The powerful female vocals added a touch of class and elegance to the bounding, runaway, fun-filled melodies, whereas the quirky yet jerky male vocals modernised their sound for the contemporary listener. The piercing razor sharp male vocals were arguably painful to some, as their raging momentum did not cease throughout the entire set, but any possible irritation was swiftly overshadowed by the bouncing, spiralling, whirlwind melodies provided by an array of instruments.


This band literally brought everything to the Summer Party that the crowd were desperate
for. They created a friendly atmosphere through humorous, yet practical festival tips, showing camaraderie between the fans and the band – increased further by a cheeky insult to Coventry, placing them firmly in our good books. However, despite these rather cheap ploys to win our affections, the band was truly on the money in offering the perfect summer performance. Just as the sun began to wane, creating a stunning landscape of pastel colours, the band provided a beautiful melancholic soundscape through their first ballad of the set; a mesmerising piece with an astounding string section that infused the Warwick field with a euphoric sound. The band had perfectly tuned themselves into their surroundings and their crowd, giving them just what was needed at all the right moments. While they may not be everyone’s cup of tea, their suitability to the event and their stunning musicianship was undeniable. (_Anishka Sharma_)

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**The Blackout** came to the stage at a time that was caught between “not-drunk-enough-to-not-care O’clock” and “I’ve-been-stood-in-this-heat-for-5-hours-and-my-pale-skin-is-starting-to-burn past the hour”. Speaking to joker, turned lead co-vocalist Sean Smith before they went on, he was clearly apprehensive about how a middle-class, studious crowd would take to the Blackout. Whilst Welsh rockers Funeral for a Friend had no problems last year drawing a decent crowd, the Blackout didn’t achieve quite the same. The difference is, most Warwick students, whether they’re now into dub-step or “I love my life as a dickhead” indie, probably listened to Funeral for a Friend when they were angst-filled tweens.


Taking to the stage with a crowd not much larger than Fly By Night’s, the sextet became increasingly less patient and ever more frustrated. The music was flawless, from a band that has been touring relentlessly, drawing admiration for avoiding the heavier-side of their catalogue and tailoring the music to the seasonal atmosphere, with ‘This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’ being a particular crowd favourite. However, with a reaction that could be summarised as indifference, Sean Smith took to taking jibes at the Warwick masses for being too “posh” for drugs and then spent the remainder of the set with his back turned (for the most part). Warwick students shouldn’t have to apologise for a band not being to their taste, and The Blackout probably received a nice pay cheque for their 30 minute set, so all in all in, a little bit more passion for the diehard fans at the barrier wouldn’t have gone amiss.

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As the sun set on the Summer Party, a horde of students amassed in proximity to the main-stage. A mixture of tipsy lobsters and hammered freshers, all waited eagerly for **Feeder**, some chatting with their friends and others swaying queasily, with glazed eyes and a stupid hat that they probably weren’t even aware was on their head. Feeder are one band that make frequent appearances at Warwick, and sometimes it’s easy to see why; Feeder’s greatest hits catalogue is an all-rounder, loved by some, but liked by all. Despite the fact that Feeder are one of about five bands that the SU has consistently booked for the past 5 years, everyone seemed very excited, for a band that somewhat reflected their audience: predominantly white, and quaintly tame. As the Good, the Bad and the Ugly theme music rang out across the mob of students, Feeder walked calmly onto the stage, picked up their instruments and unleashed their middle-of-the-road greatest hits catalogue.


Feeder has been around for almost 20 years and it was unlikely that a single member of the crowd didn’t know at least one of their songs. Expectedly, ‘Buck Rogers’ drew the most contagious sing-a-long, but ‘Just The Way I’m Feeling’ and ‘Just A Day’ also got heads bobbing and limp arms swaying, a little more willingly than any previous acts had managed. As front man Grant Nicholas shouted “Fuck Glastonbury” (Glastonbury Festival coincided with the Summer Party this year), you couldn’t help but feel that with his wealth of experience, he would know the right things to say to please any crowd by now. That said, it worked, and the energy levels, which had been ebbing, picked back up to end the set in style.

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The night ended with a DJ Set with none other than Chase & Status. By this point many were too sunburnt, tired or drunk to really enjoy the impact of the set, but it didn’t matter: there were few and far between who weren’t grinning at a fantastic day, and the conclusion to another year.

All-in-all, the Summer Party 2011 may be forgotten by the loss of brain-cells induced by the massive and irresponsible alcohol consumption of the giddy first years that just wanted an excuse to get drunk. But for those that were able to stay conscious for the whole event, then I imagine you walked away from the Summer Party with a dent in your wallet, but a smile on your face.