I’m writing this on the train after bailing mid-afternoon, heading into London to see Opus Kink. Like previous years, so far, there had been very little original music. Safehouse, put a shine on the early afternoon and I’m happy to pay the reasonably priced festival ticket, just to see them. But there appears to be very little else worth staying around to see in the evening. The rest of the lineup was almost entirely cover bands. The few original artists still to play, I had seen a few times. So I quickly booked a ticket for Opus Kink’s album launch show and bailed.

This isn’t a slight on the organisation of the festival or to suggest it isn’t successful. There was a buzz around Stevenage. Lots were clearly enjoying the music on offer in the glorious sun, across the well run stages in pubs gardens and on the high street.

It just is not for me. I don’t find cover bands particular interesting, and in an event like this, they often cover songs from the same popular artists. It becomes boring after a while.

All I want to see is a few stages of local bands being given a chance to put their music in front of a larger audience. After seven years, I think it is safe to say that’s not going to happen and I’m not really sure the audience would make the effort to listen to them either.

So next year, I will give this a miss. They won’t notice that I don’t turn up and it is not a slight on what the organisers have been created. They have done an excellent job of creating a festival for the Old Town that brings people into the pubs. But it’s just not for me. I will leave this event to for people who are happy to sit in the sunshine having a drink listening to covers of music they are comfortable with. That after all, is what the pubs who support this event really want.

Photo album from Joyeria’s album launch at Rough Trade Denmark Station

It is a long time since I have been to the O2. Unusually for a big London venue, I managed to get a photo pass from the very helpful team around Public Service Broadcasting. I call out poor experiences, so I have to say how much of a pleasure it was to interact with PSB’s team. I should not have been surprised, given the guys seem like some of the nicest people in music.

Given an earlier than usual start time, China Bears and Demob Happy both did a great job of setting up the evening, although to a relatively quiet crowd. However, by the time Big Special came on, the Indigo had filled out. It was clear a significant number in the audience were there to see the Big Special. Who can blame them? The band are on fire. I know they won over some new fans tonight.

Big Special continue to impress me. No matter how big the stage is, they own it. I think Joe’s vocals are amazing. I guess because most of the time he isn’t singing, when he does, the quality of his voice is even more obvious. Callum continues to inject humour and infectious energy at all points. Given how strong their albums are, it wasn’t a surprise to see new material bed in so well and there was no weak moment in their set.

I don’t know how many times I have seen Public Service Broadcasting. It must be at least twenty times. I don’t go and see them as often as I used to, simply because they now play venues I don’t like. But they make everything look effortless and are great fun. Tonight we were treated to EERA joining them, who added her ethereal vocals to songs from the ‘The Last Flight’, which sounded stunning live.

If you can measure a person by the actions of their friends. On the evidence of tonight, James must have been a very special person.

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