Friday at Wickerman 2015: Errors, Kathryn Joseph and WHITE

Live Review by Chris McCall | 28 Jul 2015

This is a year of change for Wickerman. The festival occupies its usual scenic plot among the rolling hills of coastal Kirkcudbrightshire, but regular attendees will have noticed some subtle – and not so subtle – modifications. The Solus tent, site of so many barnstorming performances by new Scottish bands, now carries the branding of a commercial radio station. On-site security has been beefed up considerably. Not so long ago you could spend an entire weekend without seeing a single police officer – now sniffer dogs patrol the campsite perimeter at all hours. The 2015 festival is given added poignancy as it is the first without founder Jamie Gilroy, who died last year. An appeal from daughter Jennie Camm for revellers to wear waistcoats – Jamie’s signature look – in his memory is taken up by many.

It’s also been a watershed year for Kathryn Joseph. The profile of the singer-songwriter was boosted immeasurably in June when she won the Scottish Album of the Year award for Bones You Have Thrown Me and Blood I Have Spilled. Sitting behind a battered upright piano, accompanied by percussionist Marcus MacKay, her gentle music and captivating voice draws a warm response from the Phoenix tent crowd.  It’s a shame then her vocals are occasionally drowned out by the booming presence of Stereo MCs – playing downhill at the Summerisle stage. Joseph will not be the only artist to suffer from scheduling collisions this weekend, however.

Washington Irving have no such problems in the Solus tent. They have the added advantage of no less than three guitarists, meaning it would require a serious metal band to knock this Oban-based group off their stride. Their rambunctious brand of folk-rock has led to comparisons to their pals Frightened Rabbit and even chart-botherers Mumford & Sons, but there’s enough spirit in their performance to make them worthy of further investigation.

Armed with an excellent new single and a fistful of rave reviews for a recent headline show in Glasgow, WHITE are the undoubted buzz band of the day. Three things make them stand out: their tunes, of which they have plenty; on-stage bravado, of which there is much; and their look. In a world of bedroom producers and online blogs, style can count for little. But WHITE look as if they are the cover stars of some 1980s glossy magazine. It also helps that singer Leo Condie, rocking a pink roll-neck and white jeans, possess a voice of Davie Bowie-proportions. It’s a matter of record that three of them once played in the much derided Glasgow country-rock outfit Kassidy, but who cares about the past when you can indulge in Future Pleasures, which offers the best chorus that Heaven 17 never wrote? At 30 minutes, this set is no more than a WHITE taster. Those assembled will no doubt be eager to sample more.

Ubre Blanca play to a half-filled Solus tent but deliver a set of headline quality. Such is the intensity of guitarist/programmer Joel Stone’s focus he could command the attention of audiences ranging from 40 to 4000. While they’ve attracted reviews for over two years, the group’s music retains the ability to startle those unfamiliar with them. With his shoulder-length hair, Stone might resemble a prog-rock hero, but Ubre Blanca are more likely to get you dancing than head-banging. With club-friendly bass lines and the powerful work of drummer Andy Brown, like that of a later-day Jaki Liebezeit, you can’t help but move your feet. The climax of Red Skies – from 2014’s stellar Terminal Islands EP – earns them a roar of approval.

“Are you having the fun?” asks Errors frontman Steev Livingstone, half-way through his band’s appearance in the Scooter tent. The answer among the sizable crowd appears to be a definite yes. This is partly due to the preponderance of material from recent album Lease of Life, arguably the Glasgow trio’s most cohesive LP to date – packed as it is with strong melodies and blissful vocals to guide the always razor-sharp electro passages. There’s also several reminders of the path that brought them here; tracks like A Rumour in Africa, which sounds more like a classic with every listen. They might not be the most exciting band to look at on stage, but they remain something special thanks to their strength and variety of their material.

Headlining the Scooter tent are The Vaselines. It’s worth reminding ourselves how unlikely such an event once seemed. Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee showed no appetite throughout the 1990s for reviving their songwriting partnership, a time when it would have made the most financial sense by cashing in all those Nirvana endorsements. The duo’s small-scale 2008 reunion proved the world has long since looked past the Kurt Cobain covers and grown to love the Vaselines in their own right. This surprised no one more than Kelly and McKee themselves, and they have in turn rewarded fans with not one but two albums of new material which happily stand-up against the songs that a generation of Sub Pop fans fell in love with. High Tide Low Tide, from 2014’s V For Vaselines, is an early set highlight, a perfect example of the Glaswegian wit and Lou Reed-style guitars that’s their trademark.

Although playing to a near-full tent, McKee can’t resist a cheeky dig at those congregating around the main stage to hear Mike Scott. “My ex-husband liked The Waterboys… That’s why he’s my ex-husband.” As if to prove the point, the duo then play 2010 single I Hate the 80s. Fans of Scott and his more grandiose work would no doubt sneer at The Vaselines’ reliance on four chords and their early records’ fondness for smut. But when they’re on form, there’s no contest as to which act offers the more fun.

Wickerman festival took place on 24-25 July http://thewickermanfestival.co.uk