It’s rare that a festival can get me so excited when I’ve seen every act on the lineup before; but such is the case with Future Days festival in Birmingham at The Crossing, a one-day alternative event curated by This is Tmrw – the promoters having spotlighted some of the best rising stars in the industry. Opening with the aptly named Piss, who have two shows in London the week before, rising up to Irish firecrackers Gurriers – it’s sure to be a night not to forget.
Situated in the heart of the South & City College on Birmingham’s Digbeth Campus, The Crossing has a capacity of 600 and a very tightly packed venue for plenty of live shows that gives the venue its edge. They’ve had Kurt Vile, Deerhunter, Hot Chip and more play in the past so you know it’s got pedigree – and when that list goes onto feature iconic talent like Pond and The Comet is Coming, you know that Gurriers and Lynks have a hefty reputation to live up to. This is not a new festival – last year featured Los Bitchos and Bodega and they also named Lambrini Girls and Panic Shack before their breakout – even Pigs x7 were opening support way back when with Big Joanie. You’ve always had super fun, lively bands – but this year may be its best iteration yet.
Piss have only had two songs out on Apple Music so far but they’ve already made a name for themselves in the metal/punk scene – with a name like that you’re not going to get a quiet folk show and they don’t disappoint with their raw, angry energy. Time loop at hot slit is appropriately provocative, a real touch of energy to early Lambrini Girls and Amyl and the Sniffers. Sonically think Bikini Kill and thematically familiar revolutionaries – the four piece getting ready to generate a pit from the opening act and sure to please the fans involved. Its deliberately ironic lyrics “women don’t cum” provokes a statement piece – if you don’t agree with them; you’re not welcome in this pit – it’s a safe space designed to swing for the fences and see what sticks. I can’t wait to see what unreleased songs they have in store.
There’s a lot of piss over this lineup and that’s a compliment. TTSSFU open up their latest EP with Cat Piss Junkie, that showcases the dreampop act’s turn into alt punk. Manchester’s Tasmin Nicole Stephens is capable of conjuring entire worlds on her songs; letting them bleed through into the dancefloor with sheer transformative visual energy. Designed to amp the crowd up – TTSFU are firing on all cylinders with Stephens setting out to submit to the charm that the spotlight provides and make sure that everyone feels uncomfortable at every turn – it’s deliberate – crafting a brooding sonicscape anthem that is impossible to ignore. The artists that she’s played with are enough to make her worthy of consideration alone: anyone who shares a stage with Kim Deal, English Teacher and Mannequin Pussy you know are going to be good and TTSFU are no different. You feel touches of The Cure in here at times – and its influence of 90s grunge plays a key role in making this sound so unique.
Man/Woman/Chainsaw are up next and having seen them the most times out of any of the acts here you never quite know what you’re going to get and that keeps them refreshing. They’re at the forefront of the next wave of British bands voted “most likely to” and their talent matches their ambition; having already played at Primavera Sound festival and racked up over a hundred shows under their belt – given the young ages of Billy Ward, Emmie Mae-Avery, Vera Leppanen, Clio Harwood and Lola Waterworth, that takes some going: their swooning emotions and old-fashioned live performances give them the edge that separates them from the rest of London’s scene that they’ve birthed out of the Windmill – are they the next Black Country, New Road? You wouldn’t put it past them. Art rock has new champions.
I’ve been a fan of Honeyglaze ever since their second LP, Real Deal; bold and vulnerable in its emotions – formed four days before their first gig when soloist Anouska Sokolow drew in Tim Curtis and Yuri Shibuichi; forming the band to last longer than what the original plan was. It’s some staying power to stand out in a crowded field even at Future Days but Sokolow’s band has done just that – calling to mind English Teacher in their lyrics “alcohol makes me feel sad/I want nothing to do with that” Pretty Girls is a vulnerable descent into self-doubt and confidence in femininity, making a real step forward in their evolution of sound. Hopefully it won’t be long before we get the full album.
The first time I saw Lynks was only recently when the queer anonymous popstar launched an impromptu secret set in the middle of a carpark at Selfridges. I’d never been to a gig in a carpark before and you understood instantly the appeal that Lynks captivated over their audience, blazing techno lights and provocative queer songs that exist in their own artform – the techno-infused drum and base that mark for a bold transition from producing hardcore into more of a statement piece. You’d think this would be a departure from the rest of the bill but Lynks’ energy is designed to fit right at home – their whole mission objective reclaiming the ‘abomination’ and succeeding in doing so. They was once trying so hard to be James Blake; like everyone in the late 90s – but now, why not try something new – and his records suggest that embracing the queer scene head on: the lyrics “on the DLR to f*ck a stranger” encourage the locality of London to sing along but should play equally well further afield in Birmingham – and their studies of British gay culture really leave a mark on the audience and it’s evident in the lyrics that it comes through proudly.
This is going to be my fourth time seeing Gurriers and they do not disappoint. Every time they come onto Franki Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and it’s sure to get the crowd going from day one. The mosh is always safe; be they at Wide Awake, Outer Town or Rock Werchter – and the mosh is always chaotic. Both things can be true for the band that call back to 70s rock and the evacuation of all their friends from Ireland; borrowing their title from the mega-depressing movie Come and See to turn their album into something that’s pure fun: des goblin is practically begging for a crowd surf and Dipping Out strikes a chord. You need only look at Sprints, Fat Dog and Enola Gay for similar vibes – the band making the move over from Ireland into mainstream Radio 6 music. They’re worthy headliners – designed to operate in a field entirely of their own making.
Lower down the bill artists like Fergy LH, Lobby, Ollie Cook, Pip and Monoxide Brothers operate in a range of psychedelic pop and grunge that offers the chance for local bands to have their day in the sun – surely Lobby are a name to watch in particular from that scene. Check out Fergy LH’s Serfs Up if you want a taster to expect – the real gems here at Future Days are the hidden ones. I can’t wait to get stuck in.
Future Days Festival is taking place on October 18th.
Learn more about the festival, including how to buy tickets, at the official website for the event.
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