Brainlove Festival Review

It is not every week that you are sauntering somewhere and imagine that you will be walking to a windmill but instead be more impressed with what you stumble upon. The Brixton Windmill is hidden down a side street in Brixton and from the outside it oozes character. So in these ‘finally’ sweltering May temperatures, it was time to chat with like-minded music fans – and of course to eat free BBQ. How could you say no to that?

Brainlove Festival is the brainchild (sorry) of John Rogers who, to his friends and like-minded musical peers, is known as John Brainlove. The Brainlove label has always been on the leading edge of new music and acts that have a certain unique quality to them.

Magic Eye

Kicking off the Brainlove Festival experience was Magic Eye, a four-piece whose facebook page lists their genre as Aquarium Rock, but uniquely coined genres aside – Magic Eye had a tough task ahead of them as they brought their summer vibes to the opening crowd.

The fact that not many people were there could hardly be surprising, as the festival was still being set up when Magic Eye took to the stage. Even with the limited punters watching, Magic Eye put on a solid show that was only let down by the seeming lack of enthusiasm by lead singer Roma. This could be the stage mentality that the band want to put across but that was not so as for the band’s cover of Wicked Games, as guitarist Bek had some crowd interaction.

Lead track and most blogged about song Japan oozes summer and it’s slowness and steady beat is enough to drive you to the sun. However, we all stayed indoors and I for one was glad that I did.

What makes a festival is what happens between the bands

Outdoor weekend festivals provide hours of entertainment, between bands, as there is always so much to do, from trudging your way to the next tent through mud to rolling down hills after indulging in too much cider – make mine a Brothers festival strength. At an indoor festival, albeit one with a single stage, there is a different dynamic that I for one adore. Conversation is king.

Sat outside in The Windmills beer garden it was obvious to see that those present today were individuals with a penchant for conversation. For instance, between Magic Eye and Bleeding Heart Narrative, I stumbled upon topics such as dark patterns and why my Hawaiian shirt is socially disconcerting. It is atmosphere that makes a festival and Brainlove had it in droves. Sadly, Female Band did not see this as they only played for ten minutes before shooting off due to the luxurious rays that were hitting the outdoor area.
Music and banter were put to the side sometimes as questions about the free BBQ started to take over, but that did not stop Bleeding Heart Narrative from putting on a fantastic set.

Bleeding Heart Narrative / AK DK

Two bands completely different in genre but somehow they felt right on the same bill. BHN bought their own unique brand of folk-math rock to the stage with confidence beyond their years. To say that the audience were getting into them would be an understatement and a half. At times sounding like a successful car-crash between Foals and Mumford and Sons, BHN made sure that you would remember them well after they had left the stage. As a side note, don’t read their bio on their website as you will come away embarrassed if that’s what you were expecting.

AK/DK are a Brighton band who do nothing by halves; You can see that as they have two drum kits instead of one. On seeing this, I gave an instant fist pump and decided that this electro insanity two piece were going to be my favourite band of the day. Linking up with Brainlove hero, Napoleon IIIrd, AK/DK put on an absolute stormer of a set with ‘Lorem Ipsum’ hijacking my subconscious for the rest of the day. The large crowd that gathered to watch them play is a sign, if anything, that they are due for recognition in larger musical circles. Imagine them as a sort of Battles but with a level of intensity and sound that make earplugs null and void. See them whilst you can in Brighton in a few weeks.

Sadly it is here where this one reviewer bid farewell to his inaugural Brainlove festival due to trains. Bastards. So the epic finale that was going to be ‘Dad Rocks!’ escaped my clutches for another gig but there are a few things that I can take away from the festival. Brainlove festival is a brilliant example of how one day festivals can work with limited space. A community atmosphere combined with some fantastic music is enough for me to come back again next year. At least I wasn’t stranded in Iceland.