The full line up for X&Y Festival is now out and it’s probably the best yet. X&Y, as a small local festival in the heart of Liverpool, only wants to charge you £20 for a day full of fantastic live music – BARGAIN!
After an incredibly well received previous 2 years at Liverpool’s O2 Academy and other various venues like The Shipping Forecast and EVAC, X&Y is upgrading to Liverpool Uni’s Mountford Hall. This upgrade however does mean that the usual two day festival has become a one day festival, but hopefully the excellent array of artists booked to play will make up for it. It also means I only have to pay for one train journey from Manchester, so I’m pleased.
Headlining this year is the incredible Canadian folk rockers and Gigslutz favourites Half Moon Run. Having recently come off tour with City and Colour following their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Dark Eyes’, Half Moon Run should be set and ready to headline their first festival. Although I have no doubt they will perform a storming set, the band have a lot to live up to after Nottingham lads Dog Is Dead headlined the festival last year.
Another band who totally rocked the X&Y stage in 2013 was Catfish & the Bottlemen, who are making their return to Liverpool this year for X&Y for the 3rd time. The band are set to play almost every UK festival you can think of this summer, so you must be trying pretty hard to miss them – which I wouldn’t recommend. Llandudno indie rockers Catfish release their debut album later this year, so a blinding set of already loved tunes such as ‘Kathleen’, ‘Rango’ and new single ‘Fallout’ is sure to get the room bouncing.
Preceding the headliners this year is the lovely Newcastle boys Little Comets. It’s impossible not to have a great time seeing these guys live, their set is a mix of upbeat, catchy unforgettable tunes like ‘Dancing Song’ and ‘Bayonne’ and some beautiful songs that never fail to give me goosebumps. The change in atmosphere when an entire room intently listens to new tracks from The Gentle EP, like ‘The Blur, The Line and The Thickest of Onions’ is astonishing. An intelligent, superbly formed song about our misogynistic media culture written and sung by Rob Coles perfectly shines through when performed live.
X&Y has always focused on local emerging talent from Liverpool and the Wirral, which is no different this year. This long list of upcoming bands comes with lots of musical variety from folk, rock, indie and pop. If you’re after some lovely acoustic or relaxing folk music you must check out Yarbo, Matthew & Me and Black Mountain Lights. Fancy some cool indie goodness? You need to see Vynce, 23 Fake Street, Run Tiger Run, Matthew & Me – there’s just too many good new bands to name. More emerging talent on the line up includes Broken Men, Natalie McCool, Sugarmen and Tear Talk.
Andrew Metcalfe of Sound of Guns fame is also set to grace the X&Y stage this year – having played his first solo gig in Liverpool at the Korova Club in May, Metcalfe is returning to play for his hometown crowd again. Further musical goodness at X&Y comes from the wonderful Lauren Aquilina, The Family Rain, Matthew & the Atlas, Stu Larsden, Thomas J Speight and Racing Glaciers. The only issue I have now is to choose who to go and see, this is going to be tough.
Elli Brazzill
Elli Brazzill
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