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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
4:27 PM 1st September 2014
arts

Review Of Bingley Music Live - 29th - 31 August 2014

 
View of the site and audience in front of main stage
View of the site and audience in front of main stage
Bingley Music Live is gaining a reputation as one of the best small festivals in the UK to see established acts along with new artists. This year's festival was no exception and with good weather, a strong line-up and a sell out crowd it was one of the best yet.

Gaz Coombes
Gaz Coombes
Friday night had Gaz Coombes (ex lead singer of Supergrass) on stage to entertain the crowd. His new solo work does not have strength of his former band although the track Break the Silence showed promise. Although it was the old Supergrass tracks like Moving that got the best response.

Shed Seven
Shed Seven
Keeping on the Brit pop theme, York's own, Shed Seven were the headliners on the main stage on Friday night. Playing a greatest hits set the band were embraced by the audience. Lead singer, Rick Witter decides to jump from the stage and hands his microphone to the front row to sing opening number, Its Getting Better All the Time.

Chris Helme from The Seahorses joins the band to perform High Hopes before the band perform Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run. Chasing Rainbows closes what had been a brilliant set from the band.

Dexters
Dexters
Saturday saw new London 5 piece, Dexters take to the second stage. The band have some good songs such as The Hard Way and Can't Sleep and their short set was snappy and sharp. A band to watch out for.

Example
Example
Example have been one of the UK's prolific dance acts over the last few years, lead singer Elliott Gleave informs the audience that his Nan came from Yorkshire and it was good to be playing "one of the best festivals in the UK". He chose to play some tracks from the new album but it was the hits such as Kickstarts, Say Nothing, One More Day and closing number Changed the Way You Kissed Me that were the highlights. For one night only Bingley became the hottest dance floor in the UK.

The Wytches
The Wytches
Sunday brought fine weather again and new band The Wytches were an energetic band to watch on the second stage: part Nirvana and part The Cribs, Beehive Queen was the best song in their short set. This young band will attract a huge following in the months to come.

Simon and Oscar
Simon and Oscar
Simon and Oscar from Ocean Colour Scene performed an acoustic set on the main stage, with tracks such as The Circle and The Day We Caught the Train sounding good in their stripped down version it showed how good the songs are..

Naughty Boy
Naughty Boy
Naughty Boy decided to perform a full set on the main stage instead of a DJ set, with a selection of vocalists his tracks shone. With Naughty Boy brought a major contribution to Emeli Sande's debut album, so it was no surprise to hear some of the tracks she has sung such as Lifted which also appeared on Naughty Boy's album. Finishing off his set with La La La, his big hit from last year it was the end of a polished and entertaining performance.

The South
The South
The South appeared to be having sound problems on stage but you would not know it out in the crowd. Need a Little Time and Song for Whoever came early on in their set and are now pop music classics, the audience knew every word to the tracks and sang out aloud.

Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
The headliners on Sunday night on the main stage were The Pet Shop Boys, it was a coup for Bingley Music Live to book the duo as they still can fill arenas. Arriving on stage later than scheduled due to waiting for the light to fade so that their spectacular light and laser show could have full effect.

Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
With 2 dancers and several costume changes it was a well thought out show. To hear lead singer, Neil Tennant say "Hello Bingley" is something you would not normally hear him say.

It was a mix of new material along with the hits like It's a Sin, West End Girls, Domino Dancing, Suburbia and Go West. Confetti cannons showered the audience with confetti after what had been the performance of the weekend.