2Q FESTIVAL 2019 // LINCOLN
With the aftermath of localised flooding and torrential down pours, 2Q Festival hosts a musical extravaganza in the city of Lincoln!
BLACK HONEY PERFORMING AT THE ENGINE SHED , 2Q FESTIVAL, LINCOLN - 09.11.2019
PICTURE BY: | MICHAEL HUNDERTMARK PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★★☆ (4/5)
This year is the third incarnation of the 2Q festival hosted in the historical city of Lincoln with its quaint cobbled streets, narrow alleyways and hidden gems of musical venues. Luck was with everyone this Saturday afternoon. With a break in the rain clouds and floodwaters subsiding. Lincoln has the River Whitham running through the heart of city, susceptible to bursting its banks. It was an opportunity not to miss to explore new venues, the city and the bands the Festival had to offer. Ten Venues and host of excellent bands old and new to discover. With the likes of Hourglavss, October Drift, Saint Agnes, Black Honey as well as old favourites The Blinders and The Futureheads.
After a few train delays and missed opportunities from Kings Cross, the Saturday started with a brisk walk to the smaller ‘Red Five’ venue, probably be normally a lively student haunt and club on a normally Saturday night out, a short stroll from the waterfront.
HOURGLVSS, Red Five, 2Q Festival
Brighton’s very own ‘Hourglvss’ start with an early show. One of the up and coming artists with their mesmerising infused electronic pop sounds. Their lyrics are inspired by personal experiences and the audience is already in full force listening, content in catching their full set. Definably, ‘Hourglvss’ get the right chemistry to get the songs across to the watching festival goers of all ages.
As it goes with multi venue festivals, difficulty was to choose the next act as bands were starting around the same time. But the ease of the close proximity of the venues the next stop was Home venue to catch ‘Calva Louise’ another venue that hosts food and drink during the day and club nights when the sun goes down. For the festival a perfect sound set up with stage and lighting rigs.
CALVA LOUISE, Home, 2Q Festival
Calva Louise was on top form, portraying her energetic style, showcasing her new track ‘Sleeper’ as well as old favourites ‘getting closer’, with the venue already full to capacity fans loving every minute of it. The band certainly have come a long way since her first headline tour at the beginning of the year and tearing away the airways with support from the BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac!
Swiftly moving on to the Loft, conveniently located upstairs to Home venue, to one of ‘Saint Agnes’ infamous chaotic raw Rock sets. They released the explosive debut album Welcome to Silvertown, which this afternoons set feature many a track from! Without missing a beat the band veer from pure raw rock power to indie garage, Psychedelia to captivate the crowds. As for the venue, she deserves a bigger stage as the lie show is a melting pot of crowd surfing and jumping around, barley room to move an inch! Saint Agnes’ Sound can be described as ‘bass heavy’ with the influential sounds of ‘The Queens of the Stone Age’ and with a hint of gothic undertones.’
SAINT AGNES, The Loft Q2 Festival
With not a breather in-between bands and a new discovery to today’s musical extravaganza ‘October Drift’ conveniently played at Home long after catching just the one last song from ‘Saint Agnes’ and squeezing one’s body through the amassing crowds.
OCTOBER DRIFT, Home, 2Q Festival
Rising newcomers October Drift have gained a strong word of mouth following exploding onto the music scene, with live performances already played at ‘The Great Escape’ and this year at ‘Y Not’ and ‘Tramlines Festival’. You can tell the crowd are ecstatic with the band’s raw energetic power and interaction, they will be the ones to watch out for in the imamate future. The four piece band launch themselves into the show and audience, the moment the guitars are are held at rifle Height. As soon as the loud guitar courses start, their throw their torsos around in an explosive manner. October Drifts performance explosive performance was one highlight and well worth going to see a full headline set in the near future and the release of their debut album in early 2020 to look out for.
After a brief reappraise and food energy stop, it was time to See Brighton’s ‘Black Honey’ at’ the Engine Shed’. Lincoln’s largest venue located at the University, especially built hold larger events and more established acts.
BLACK HONEY, The Engine Shed, 2Q Festival
Izzy B Philips, Black Honey’s front woman is no newcomer to the music scene. Realising the self-titled debut album last year and selling out many a venue on her past tours around the country and even gaining recognition in the US of A. The band combine gritty sounds with guitar riffs reminiscent of a Californian road trip. The band’s music videos are very cinematic and Izzy’s lyrics build on human relationships. Tonight’s set is quite melancholy and feature some of the favourites ‘Corrine’ and ‘Spinning Wheel’ as well as older rawer song ‘All My Pride’
With no time to catch one breath, it was time to head back to see ‘The Blinders’ play at ‘home’, were queues already formed to watch a festival favourite ‘The Blinders’ play. A more darker, moody guitar sound was to great everyone, with the song ‘ L’eat C’est Moi’. Lead singer Tom Haywood wears paint on stage like its an opening of a tribal war dance combined with stomping rock to get everyone in the mood to clap and jump about.
THE BLINDERS, Home, 2Q Festival
As a compromise with any multi Venue Festival, the possibilities are great that one misses a band. Only catching a glimpse of ‘Yonaka’ because of the overcapacity filled room at The Loft. Their deserved a larger venue with the recent release of their first album and already selling out venues such as the Concorde 2 in Brighton as well as a support slot with ‘the Cult’ touring the uk!
THE FUTUREHEADS, Home, 2Q Festival
In comparison to earlier carnage of ‘October Drift’ guitar swinging riffs, ‘The Futureheads’ offered a more melodic 80’s post-punk harmonious set. A band stemming from Sunderland, have just released their first album, ‘powers’ in seven years.
RED RUM CLUB, Red Five, 2Q Festival
To round of the whole day’s affair, the decision was made to tread on unfamiliar territory and watch ‘Red Rum Club’ back at Red Five. With its six members, playing a host of instruments including a trumpet, in an ubeat americana Alt-Rock style and listening to the single ‘Honey’, a highly enjoyable insight into the bands world. ‘Red Rum Club’ did not disappoint, playing the catchy, fan favourite, “Would You Rather Be Lonely”, with everyone in the smallish bar area dancing with ecstatically high energy! The song summed the whole day of, perfectly, with its harmonies and poetic lyrics. The bands multi instrumental take, did make Lincoln’s 2Q Festival finale a memorable one!