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home » festivals » All Tomorrow's Parties » All Tomorrows Parties - Nightmare Before Christmas 2009
múm, and School of Seven Bells end a fantastic ATP weekendAll Tomorrows Parties - Nightmare Before Christmas 2010reviewFriday 11th December 2009 The final day of the festival, the mood around the site seemed much more sombre, as the thought of work of Monday morning set in, but the musical talent on offer certainly didn't dwindle. First up were Lilys, who were formed in 1988 by Kurt Heasley, who through the 1990s, became one of the most highly regarded figures in American indie rock, and having released 12 full length albums is certainly a productive figure. Drawing a reasonable sized audience for early in the afternoon, Heasley and the band went through a whole host of their albums, with 'Day of the Monkey' and 'One on One' really impressing and going down well with the audience. Following on from the Lilys were New York three piece, the acclaimed 'Loudest Band in the World' by many, A Place to Bury Strangers. Their live performances have become something of a must see, and having seen the band on two previous occasions, I can definitely back this up, as the band are definitely a must see. Showing their shoe gaze influences, tracks such as 'I Know I'll See You', 'In Your Heart' and 'Dead Beat', all sound simply incredible live, and at 4 in the afternoon, although seeming slightly surreal, as the band definitely suit a night time slot, the band were offered one of the performances of the weekend. Having split up in 1999 after falling out favour with their record label, Oxford alternative rock band Swervedriver reformed last year, performing at Coachella and re-issuing their first three albums. They were often compared with the likes of Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth and ex label mates My Bloody Valentine, the band arrived on stage to an almost 'hero's welcome', having only played a handful of UK dates previously. Songs such as 'Rave Down' and 'Laze it Up' were received very warmly by the crowd, and the 1990s alternative rockers were clearly enjoying their experience, with the band clearly enjoying their experience. Back over the main stage, the often forgotten múm, took to the stage with their brand of experimental, electronic based music. Hailing from Iceland, they have had to spend much of their career in the shadow of fellow Icelandic band Sigur Ros, and whilst they both make similar music, it's fair to say that Mum are more than capable that standing in their own light, and make simply stunning and often beautiful music. Their latest album 'Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know', released earlier this year received great, deserved acclaim, and in their set they played much of this new material. Having formed in 1997, the band then continued to deliver a whole host of album songs from their previous efforts, including 'Moon Pulls' and 'Dancing Behind my Eyes'. New York 4-piece 'The Pains of Being Pure at Heart', having been making waves on both sides of the Atlantic, and having seen the band only 5 days previous, I knew exactly what to expect, and I was not left disappointed. With the band being hailed by the likes of American music website Pitchfork, as well as several other media outlets, the band, who have only had one full length album, their self-titled debut being released in February of this year, and one EP released in 2007, an in that time have always been an exciting prospect. Their Cure-like sounds are infectious, and 'Higher than the Stars', emphasises this no further, and the audience, as well as the band, were clearly out to enjoy themselves, and as the band closed their set to rapturous applause, myself, and many others feel The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are definitely ones for the future, and I'm excited to see where the band head next. Ending the weekend for me were the School of Seven Bells, a New York three piece, fronted by Benjamin Curtis, formerly of the highly acclaimed Secret Machines. With his new band it seems to me that he's been able to go, musically, where he wasn’t able to go with the Secret Machines and this new freedom has translated into some of his finest music, in my opinion. Having toured with the likes of White Lies and Bat for Lashes, the band come with a wealth of touring experience, and with this being the second time I've seen the band, with the first time being last summer, also at All Tomorrows Parties, and since then, for me, they’ve come on leaps and bounds. Highlights of the set included 'Prince of Peace' and 'Half Asleep', both of which went down very well with the audience, and for me, the band proved to be an excellent end to a fantastic weekend, and the end to another very successful All Tomorrows Parties. review by Anthony Hetherington |
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