IMRO Stage, Saturday 11th July, 10pm



Describe in a Tweet: Nice guys finish first.



What happened:  There's something to be said for politeness. In a weekend that involves a lot of pushing and shoving, mud and dirt, and the occasional over-exuberant reveler, its refreshing to see a gang of four very well turned out and well mannered gentlemen, for this is exactly what Director are. Their brand of bass-driven, 80s influenced indie has been done to death in recent years, but Director bring a refreshing level of restraint to the proceedings, allowing hidden subtleties to emerge.

The textured guitars do the usual reverb-y interplay, focussing on 'feel' rather than 'melody', but there's a level of artifice and construction in the Director sound that it becomes completely intriguing, demanding that you pay attention to the intricate twists and turns that they take you on. All the while, bass carries the melody, whilst the drum keep you moving.

But the real beauty of Director lies in the beautiful voices. These boys can really sing, and when they're not singing, a large part of you can't wait until they start back up again. 

And when it's all over, you feel like they truly are grateful for the warm and enthusiastic response they receive. And as the rain keeps falling, and the ground turns to sludge, wouldn't we all like to feel that little bit more appreciated?

With a few more performances like this, it won't be too long until an awful lot of people are appreciating Director.

This is a high: Final track 'Easy to Me' has a wonderfully intricate coda, and at one point featured Thin Lizzy-style twin guitar attack! But in a wonderfully pleasant and charming way.. 



This is a low: Other than the fact that it's still wet, muddy and a little bit cold, there's noting too much to complain about. 



Oxegen rating: 8/10