Dot To Dot 2010 took place over the bank holiday weekend, heading to Bristol, Nottingham and Manchester. I stopped in at Nottingham to check out the wide range of artists and bands the festival had to offer.
The first act I ventured out to see were Chapel Club, the London based band offered up a brooding combination of synths and guitars. By the time the band took to the stage quite a crowd had gathered, the atmosphere seemed subdued and it appeared these guys lack a track or two to liven up a crowd. Comparisons with the likes of Editors, White Lies and even Coldplay (frontman Lewis Bowman has the look of a young Chris Martin circa ‘Yellow’) have been thrown around over the past few months; thankfully it seems Chapel Club have enough about them to step out of the shadows and offer up their own individual sound.
Washed Out followed Chapel Club on the Trent Uni main stage. Producer Ernest Greene, who goes by the Washed Out stage name, held a lonely figure on stage as he tweaked his way through the opening tracks. Thankfully Brooklyn based band Small Black took to the stage for the rest of the set and provided strength in depth to popular tracks ‘Belong’ and ‘New Theory’ with live drums, guitar and keyboards. Greene’s jovial mood and enthusiasm to engage with the audience ensured that by the time set ending track ‘Feel It All Around’ was in full flow the sombre crowd’s spirits and willingness to dance had been truly lifted.
Sadly I only managed to catch the end of what seemed to be a highly enjoyed set from Wild Beasts. The band finished on a high with popular single ‘We Still Got The Taste Dancin’ On Our Tongues’ and received a great reception from the crowd.
Ellie Goulding was surely lined up to be the show stealer at this years festival; a big position to fill for such a new artist. Thankfully hype is something Ms. Goulding must surely be used to by now and as she took to the Rock City main stage the beckoning crowd, which by this time had totally packed out the venue, seemed to pose no problem for the 23 year old as she launched in to her set. Playing new single ‘Guns & Horses’ near the beginning of her 45 minute slot Goulding left the crowd waiting with baited breath for sing-a-long singles ‘Under The Sheets’ and ‘Starry Eyed’, the latter of which receiving the biggest reception as the set’s final track. Backed up by her live band, Ellie commanded the stage with all the confidence of a veteran, mirroring the stage presence of more experienced female leads such as Hayley Williams of Paramore, a great spectacle from someone who’s debut single came out only 8 months ago. The addition of a single drum and cymbal played by Goulding added to the performance and offered up a little bit of something different.
After the amazing reception Ellie Goulding received Mystery Jets had a tough act to follow as they headed out on to the Rock City main stage as the headlining band. Unsurprisingly the boys from Eel Pie Island delivered emphatically, using the festival as a chance to preview a number of new tracks from their upcoming new album Seratonin. After most of the crowd dispersed following Ellie Goulding I was concerned they wouldn’t return, however come the set opener the crowd had returned in force to add their intoxicated chorus vocals to the likes of ‘Half In Love With Elizabeth’, ‘Two Doors Down’ and ‘Flakes’. New material, including album title track ‘Seratonin’ and the already previewed ‘Flash A Hungry Smile’, were well received and promise more of the same from Mystery Jets. The band themselves were in great spirits, William and Kai bounced around the stage throughout the set, enjoying themselves just as much as every fan inside the venue.
Next up were Manchester youngsters Egyptian Hip Hop at The Rescue Rooms. By the time the band had finished their soundcheck and took to the stage quite a crowd had gathered to see a band who have been receiving a large amount of press lately. Sadly the band seemed to lack the stage presence of some of their peers and seemed uneasy with themselves in front of such a large crowd. Some temporary sound issues seemed to hinder the band and gave pockets of the crowd an excuse to leave before the band found their feet for popular tracks ‘Wild Human Child’ and ‘Heavenly’.
Back at Rock City Jakwob was spinning his dubstep remixes of the likes of Ellie Goulding, Deadmau5 and more to an appreciative audience who were now in full flow each time the heavy bass beat dropped and shook the room. This was too much for Zane Lowe to follow, who couldn’t offer up the same high standard with his somewhat dated drum & bass sound. For a man who provides the country with so much new music on a weekly basis it seems his DJ set lacked that killer edge Jakwob had just provided the crowd.
Overall Dot To Dot 2010 was a huge success. There were no late acts and I didn’t spot a single queue all day. Over it’s six year existence Dot To Dot has made it’s name offering a wide range of different sounds; this year’s festival continued that tradition, offering a different experience to each individual depending on where you headed to throughout the day.
