Tennents Vital Day 2
Stone Roses, Florence & the Machine, Rodrigo Y Gabriella, Maverick Sabre, Gerard I2
Boucher Playing Fields, Belfast
Wednesday 22nd August 2012
It was always a tough sell. Foo Fighters are the quintessential festival band, well trained and reliable, an absolute banker. Stone Roses - well, we all know that Ian Brown misses more notes than he hits, we're told they don't get on behind the scenes and we know they haven't released a record in almost twenty years. But Vital is up for it, determined to make the most of it. The babysitters are booked after all.
It started with Strabane man, Gerard i2 with his blend of hip hop and electro breakdowns. He gives it his all, clearly enjoying every second, and although today sees a slower rush from the crowd he steadily gets people on board. Complemented by his drummer, array of samples and in your face backing tracks, Gerrard's fierce and passionate vocals shine through at all the right moments.
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Emeli Sandé, Foy Vance, Duke Special
Custom House Square, Belfast
Thurs 16th August 2012
August in Belfast has various traditions. One of the more modern ones is Belsonic, and unfortunately one of the older ones is rain, which is pretty much ever present this evening. It starts during opener Duke Special and continues in varying degrees of heaviness throughout the rest of the night.
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It could have, should have been better for The Wonder Villains. In a strange way they're a great fit for this - a fun pop band eager to please, keen to contribute to a fine evening's entertainment. But they're on a little early (possibly because of their Sunflower Fest appearance later in the evening?) and make do with a mere handful of punters. A handful that lap it all up, of course. Every moment has its own charm - those old favourites and a couple of new tracks so instant they're strangely familiar. Eimear Coyle doesn't need a crowd - every show is drenched with the same levels of infectious enthusiasm. No show is ever a chore.
Neville Staples is a comparatively gentle warm up, The Specials singer returning to an event his band headlined last year, this time to walk us through a predictable yet completely apt selection of his reggae and ska influences. That said, we're hungry for interaction, the human touch. We need told what to do...
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