The sunshine’s coming back which means all of those festival weekends you’ve got circled on your calendar are just around the corner. Thousands of people shook last year’s dirt off their tents at Bearded Theory festival last weekend for a stellar line-up of rock legends, post-punk up and comers and some of the more off-kilter, hidden gems the UK music scene has to offer. Bring The Noise headed down to Catton Hall to get stuck into all the action.
Thursday
Bearded Theory is not just the standard three day festival affair – festivalgoers have the option to boogie on down for a whole five days, should their annual leave allow it. While there are just a handful of acts performing on the opening Wednesday of the festival, the agenda for Thursday was pretty stacked. One of the first bands to greet the bright eyed and bushy tailed Bearded Theory campers on Thursday was medieval fantasy doom metal band Castle Rat on the Woodland stage. Suited and booted in costumes straight out of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, the five-piece let rip with some swirling, droning riffs in sync with their ominous personas; think plague doctors, vampires and deer kings. Vocalist Riley Pinkerton aka. ‘The Rat Queen’ cast magic ritualistic spells both during and in between tracks, fully committing to the theatrics of it all. A brilliant way to kick off proceedings for Bring The Noise – campy, fantastical goodness amidst the trees. This band was well received by returning attendees that loved Battlesnake on the main stage the previous year, and love their doom metal in a fun, twisted and dark package. D20 metal is clearly on the rise! 7/10
The next band to take to the Woodlands stage was post-punks Adwaith, hailing from Carmarthen in South West Wales. The trio’s double album Solas has been highly praised by music fans since its release in February, and their live set demonstrated that their genius extends beyond the recording studio. Adwaith proved that good music transcends language as their music, written in Cymraeg, enchanted this Derbyshire audience. The band successfully flirt with so many different genres from the electronic side of life to gritty guitars and even Arabic influences chucked in there as well, but always thoughtfully. Hollie Singer’s vocals were buttery smooth and wove beautifully with beautiful psychedelic guitar lines to create something really quite special. 8/10
Fat Dog’s performance on the main Pallet stage was easily the most hotly anticipated set of Thursday at Bearded Theory – and for good reason. These South London alternative darlings of the scene have been making waves long before their tracks started to rack up plays on streaming services – tales of their legendary saxophone fuelled mosh pits as a support act on Sports Team’s late 2022 tour generated a tonne of buzz for the band, and got music fans from across the country asking ‘who are Fat Dog?’ This festival season is the band’s first since the release of their debut album WOOF. and as a result, the Pallet stage was absolutely packed with eager fans. Their electronica-infused punchy alternative fusion brought an absolutely electrifying wave of energy to the Bearded Theory stage which had the crowd going wild and the pit going even wilder in response. Unfortunately, the set was cut short half-way through due to an unfortunate medical emergency which took a long time to deal with. The crowd were respectful, and the band treated the situation with consummate professionalism before bursting back into life with one of their heavy hitter singles – Running. Frontman Joe Love came down to the barricade to get stuck in with all the commotion which only drove the fuel of the pit further. Perhaps Fat Dog can resume what they started at a future edition of the festival? (punters will certainly be hoping the same after getting a taste of the shockwave the alternative powerhouses are clearly capable of emanating) 8/10
Capping off a brilliant first day for many of the festival’s campers were 2024 Mercury Prize winners English Teacher, another band that returned for a second year in a row to the Catton Hall fields after a standout set at the Meadow tent. The Leeds quartet offered a set-list which blended deeply emotive song-writing and storytelling with hefty tracks that really allowed them to throw their weight around on a main stage as big as the Pallet. Fan favourite tracks like R&B elicited huge reactions from the audience, while cuts like Albatross and Mastermind Specialism stunned with their intricate melodies which twinkled beautifully under the setting sun on such a gorgeous day. There’s a lot of hype surrounding English Teacher which is always a danger, but they continue to impress with their slick production, multi-instrumental depth and powerful atmosphere curation. 8/10
Friday
What better way to dust off the inevitable post first-night hangover than with the mighty post-hardcore force of Dream State. These guys have energy and stage presence in swathes, which summoned hundreds to dust off their queasiness and head over to the Meadow tent for a gnarly wake-up call. Jessie Powell rocked the mic with some impressive screamy vocals, while the rest of the band combined Metal, EDM and Pop-Punk sounds that combined together a really cohesive signature sound that’s clear on its influences while still sounding defined and unique. Dream State have been around for a while in various different line-up configurations, but it’s clear to see that the excitement surrounding them continues to be justified. 7/10
Next up in the Meadow Tent was Newcastle’s Du Blonde, rocking an awesome pink corset and zebra print undershirt. The whole band moved and grooved on stage throughout the set, clearly having a blast up on the stage. After realising that they might be a little strapped for time, Du Blonde asked the audience whether they’d prefer Radio Jesus or I’m Glad That We Broke Up, which the crowd narrowly chose. They admitted that collaborator Ezra Furman had originally planned to join in on stage for this song but the set times hadn’t quite aligned to make this possible, which was unfortunate. Regardless, the track hit the spot and inspired a great deal of movement to warm fans up ahead of the rest of the day, and the supporting vocalist that harmonised alongside Du Blonde sounded fantastic, and gave it their all on the movement front which was much appreciated. But then, a second treat was on offer – there was enough time for Radio Jesus after all! This grungy track is both catchy and relatable which is exactly how Du Blonde comes across as a performer – welcoming, humble and warm which is emphasised by their engaging on-stage chat as well as their emotional depth lyrically. That automatic feeling of being included is probably why they have so much success collaborating with such a wide range of their musical contemporaries, and why they’ve captured the attention of so many. 7/10
Deja Vega were another Meadow act that impressed on the Friday of Bearded Theory, with a unique psych rock sensibility that made it impossible to move past without checking out. This Mancunian outfit is driven by psychedelic guitars and unrelenting, explosive drum patterns from Tom Webster. Behind the band was a massive image of a cowbell with “more cowbells please” which is honestly a motto all bands should adhere to, and only further goes to emphasise the band’s love of a good old blast of percussive elements. Tracks like Mr Powder. and Spitting Gas are huge, noisy mammoths delivered with sharp precision and an addictive rock and roll energy. While still a hidden gem, the band definitely turned some heads and generated some new listeners. An impressive performance. 8/10
Meanwhile, on the Pallet stage, one of the most emotive, raw storytellers in modern music was ready to take to the stage, offering something entirely different. Ezra Furman joined Bearded Theory off the back of her tenth studio album Goodbye Small Head, back performing live after two years away from the stage. Not many artists make it to ten albums, but Furman’s deeply personal, jagged and honest lyricism and DIY spirit resonates strongly with fans around the world, and certainly with the off-the-beaten path spirit of Bearded Theory. For that reason, this was a perfect booking which could be seen with the huge crowd that she garnered. A stand out performance came with Forever in Sunset – a track which goes from delicately sung verses to a crashing, punky chorus which saw Furman let loose on her beautiful white guitar, music flowing through her body. It’s clear that every strum and every word is an extension of her, and it’s a beautiful sight to behold. 8/10
Bearded Theory has a bit of a reputation for being the perfect festival for the 6 Music Dads in your life, so it’s only right that Billy Nomates made an appearance on the line-up, fresh off the release of new album Metalhorse. Previously, Billy Nomates aka Victoria Ann Maries has performed on stage solo, tying in with the namesake, but turned up on the Meadow stage this time joined with a bassist and a drummer, adding an appreciated depth to the set to match the fuller sound on this new project. New tracks like The Test somehow felt just as established in the set list as much-loved hits from CACTI like blue bones (deathwish) and balance is gone, and brought about just as much hip-shaking and foot-tapping. The songwriter successfully combines some dark themes with infectiously catchy 80s synth inspired, bouncy numbers brought to life on stage with Marie’s passionate and energetic dancing to punctuate each song. 8/10
Yard Act were another returning band to Bearded Theory festival, after rave reviews from their last visit. These post-punk favourites, much like English Teacher, are managing to tackle all of the hype and acclaim that they’ve acquired head on by continuing to evolve without losing all of the ingredients that got people so excited in the first place. Their Friday evening set on the Pallet stage was one of their best yet. Their blend of gritty punk riffs, chugging drums and sarcastic, conversational lyrics was a recipe for success, and the new injection of colour that their last album saw enter the fray has only added a new maturity and dimension to their work. There were calls from the crowd for the band to play one of their newer tracks The Trenchcoat Museum, which was omitted from the setlist much to the dissatisfaction of some of their fans. Their setlist was otherwise masterfully crafted, with a good mix of old favourites from The Overload and newer favourites from Where’s My Utopia? Alongside a sneak peak at a brand new track. Katy J Pearson, who was later headlining the Woodlands stage, joined the band to perform When the Laughter Stops which was a joy to watch, as the band seemed just as excited as the audience to have her there for this delightfully funky track. Perhaps the most striking thing from this set though was just how young some of the kids leading the charge in the mosh pit. One youngster, who can’t have been older than twelve, was firmly on shoulders conducting the other kids along the whole time, which James Smith praised on stage. Smith was also verbally impressed by another incredibly young mosher who did an impressive worm in the centre of the pit, which inspired a further gymnastics display from other young circus performers in the crowd. Who knew that post-Brexit Britain, gentrification and classism resonate so deeply with literal twelve year olds? Mad. 9/10
Wiping off the sweat from dancing their socks off, the crowd immediately headed back towards the Meadow stage in one huge swarm to catch another highly anticipated set – Antony Szmierek’s Bearded Theory debut. Szmierek’s fusion of spoken word and indietronica is one of the most exciting things in UK music right now, and his album Service Station At The End of the Universe can be expected to dominate Album of the Year lists once the wintry cold starts to creep in. He immediately turned the tent into an inclusive, welcome space; part-nightclub and part-classroom by blending joyful, warm synth dance production with masterful lyrical dexterity and genuine banter with the crowd. In particular, the way he interacted with the dozens of children atop their parents shoulders within the crowd was magical. One of the key characteristics of Bearded Theory is the way that the festival seeks to raise some young punks with its Ofsted registered Festival School and Children’s Village. Szmierek took the time to interact with these young people during the set and gave a rousing speech about how children are the future and should feel free to be whoever they want to be, drawing on his experiences as a teacher. While he’s not been around for too long just yet, he has a whole host of huge tunes at his disposal already; Angie’s Wedding and Rafters being particular highlights. His cover of Robbie Williams’ Feel brought about a huge singalong with the crowd, and the participation only grew from there as Szmierek headed into the crowd to join all of the dancing going on below him. The poet-songwriter is an otherworldly stage presence and performer that facilitates an atmosphere of love, collaboration and unfiltered joy. Easily a highlight of the whole weekend and a must watch act. 10/10
The Housemartins and The Beautiful South both left a big mark on the landscape of pop music in the UK, forming the legacy of Paul Heaton. Joined by “special guest” Rianne Downey, taking on the harmonic duties of Jacqui Abbott, his previous collaborator, Heaton has been spreading the joy of his ridiculously impressive back catalogue with a new lease of life. She has a beautifully bouncy tone, perfect for the main stage at a festival, which compliments Heaton perfectly as they move from hit to hit, covering every era in their stride. Heaton’s not an overly showy man, and yet he still manages to command the stage with ease, making down-to-earth jokes about the football teams his band members support. Kids were dancing on their parents shoulders while the crowd sang along extra loud to hits like Don’t Marry Her, Perfect 10 and Happy Hour for some proper festival feels to see off the first full festival day. The set didn’t rock the boat or set the world alight, but it certainly was enjoyable. 7/10
There’s something peculiar around every corner at the Bearded Theory festival. On the way over to catch the last few songs of The Sisters of Mercy’s set over at the Meadow Stage, Bring the Noise stumbled across something spectacular in the Children’s Village – two anthropomorphised poodles with a keyboard and a drum machine on a strange metal trolley unit pumping out strange electronic sounds with dazzling purple lights and a smoke machine. The creatures in question are known as Dogshow – one of the weirdest and most brilliant acts you could hope to stumble across. Their vocals consist of strange yappy dog sounds to punctuate their video game inspired beats which really scratch an itch in the brain. Punters were completely taken aback and stopped in their tracks by this peculiar pair who embody what this festival is all about entirely – expression, creativity and pure fun. 8/10
Written By: Izzy Morris
