1234 Shoreditch Festival 2009

It promises to be a fine festival, and with 1234 Festival beginning in strong sunshine, omens are good as the opening strains from each stage are sounded. However, swiftly the sunshine evolves into firstly clouds and then uncommitted drizzly rain.

Early on at the main stage Lion Club showcase their musical depth and wealth of talent. Playing their forthcoming debut single ‘Our Hearts’, their vast anthemic songs easily impress those who aren’t skulking backstage, which is fast becoming the hubbub of the festival – not surprising given the nature of the Shoreditch/1234 “scene”. The combination of youthful energy and a mature approach to music is a defining feature of Lion Club, and under the tutelage of 1234 chief Sean McLusky, these guys certainly have a fruitful future ahead of them. Ox Eagle Lion Man soon follows, giving the half full (half empty?) field an impressive and intense show, which will have stoked the fire for comparisons between singer Frederick Blood-Royale and Nick Cave. Their set, mainly comprised of songs from ‘Obscured By A Setting Sun’, is passionate and indicates the range of genres that build their sound.

Bordering the VIP section, the second stage is by far the most popular and with bands such as Chrome Hoof, An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump, A Place To Bury Strangers, S.C.U.M and Kasms, the performances there are undoubtedly compelling. A Place To Bury Strangers are just trumped by Chrome Hoof for the best performance of 1234 Festival; their Joy Division-meets-Jesus And Mary Chain shoegaze-post-punk-rock well received amongst the crowd. They play a mixture of songs from their self-titled debut album as well as from their forthcoming record, ‘Exploding Head’.

Perhaps the best audience of the entire festival is drawn by second stage headliners Chrome Hoof. Inspired by the insistent ‘mooing’ by the crowd (something to do with cows having hooves presumably), the experimental mini-orchestra are superb. With twelve people on stage, all dressed in dead-shiny silver hooded cape-type garments; it soon becomes a writhing mass of particularly dazzling synchronised bodies. Led by a singer with hair and sunglasses right out of the 80s, they play a fantastic set full of tracks from their 2007 album ‘Pre-Emptive False Rapture’. Their sound certainly cannot be limited to one or two genres, no, Chrome Hoof emit a combination of countless styles – death metal, psychedelic funk, progressive elements and of course a generous smattering of electro. The pulsating Tonyte is particularly wonderful, a syncopated opus that builds up to the most wonderful pinnacle, which really exemplifies the brilliance of their mass instrumental nature.

To be found in abundance at 1234 Festival are: ‘90s haircuts, some fashion successes (yet more numerous failures), and a widespread shielded and surly eagerness to out-cool everyone else; the latter being a substantial factor behind an extreme lack of atmosphere. The rain doesn’t help either.