A Life In The Day

Jesus, these old BBC reviews get worse and worse. Should I be depressed at how bad I used to be, or happy that wahetever else may have happened, at least I've improved slightly? Or should I have another cup of tea and then go and do something useful?

MAYFLY, South Park, 4/5/03

It almost seems churlish to start being critical about a free family fun day in the park. Then again, Blind Date is free family fun, and who could watch that and hold back a (probably violent) critical reaction? Also, I'm insecure enough to need to see my half-formed opinions in print. Not that this website is precisely "in print". Unless you print it.

Oh no, I've wasted all these words and I haven't even started to talk about X-Hail...which is lucky, as I didn't see them. I've got a good excuse though - I had to go and buy beer. Sorry.

I did, however, see Eeebleee, the wild card in the day's line up. Take one part shimmering guitar, one part double bass, and three parts crunchy loops, then shake until barely recognisable, and that's the 'bleee, as they are surely not known, and never will be. When it works, it's an unexpectedly poppy cocktail; when it doesn't it sounds like an old OMD B side. This performance is about 50/50.

Let's be honest, Chamfer are pretty much Kula Shaker, albeit a less pompous version. Plenty of rock riffs, keyboard hooks and Indian percussion. This sort of thing probably works better in the (intermittent) sunshine, but it sounds mighty fine, the band turning in a tight, spirited performance, irrespective of amp troubles. Unashamedly positive music played by unpretentiously decent people is pretty hard to dislike, especially on a bank holiday.

Nation open up the covers half of the afternoon, cracking out some rock chestnuts, from Elvis to Oasis, interspersed with a few originals. They're a pretty neat little unit, although they do take on vocal hurdles that are a bit beyond them: Michael Jackson? The Beach Boys? The keyboardist takes over vocal duties for "Heard It Through The Grapevine" and proceeds to sing better than the frontman...and he's not wearing a lino dressing gown, whihc is also in his favour.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch The Cheesegraters, but seeing as their slogan is "Right about now, the funk-soul covers", you can probably draw your own conclusions.

I don't know how many of your days out end up with people dressed in 19th Century bathing suits playing skiffle versions of well known tunes, but for me The Boxhedge Clippers was a first. Talking of things sounding better in the sun - we were earlier, do keep up - The Clippers are made for a whimsical summer afternoon. The call it "skuffle", I call it hilarious. They're very much in the vein of earl Bonzo Dog Band, and to me the sight of an old chap, resembling a drunken badger, accordioning his way through "Anarchy In The UK" is more than satisfying. If it's too silly for your tastes, you may wish to focus on the tight tempo changes, and the lush harmonies. Or you may wish to go and have an overpriced burger instead.

All in all a varied and well-chosen line up, with some excellent sound from a man called Mark Kelly, made for an enjoyable day in South Park. Let's see if we can repeat this line up later in the year, in place of Fox Fm and their hordes of Atomic Kittenettes...