Beyond the Tracks Day Two, 16th September, 2017
Beyond the Tracks, a new Birmingham music festival, started Friday with an electronic revival. As festivalgoer’s danced and swayed with the electronic music, good endorphins flowed, leaving the group energized and excited. Saturday continued the liveliness, but took a different sonic path from the night before. Bringing in heaps of rock magic, Saturday at Beyond the Tracks painted a high-octane atmosphere despite the rain. Highlights include sets from local JAWS, Superfood, Maximo Park and headliners Ocean Colour Scene.
Birmingham’s dream pop rock band JAWS opened the day. If you haven’t seen JAWS, then you should really add their name to the list of bands to see. The band is no stranger to Birmingham stages, playing regularly in their home town they continuously deliver rambunctious and charismatic shows. As their indie pop rock sound danced around the festival, JAWS pulled together a compilation of songs from their 2016 album and previous EPs, wowing the crowd. Their high-energy performance was no doubt the best way to kick off the festival.
JAWS was later followed by experimental alternative rock Superfood. With a handful of shows this summer, the band took time from their packed schedule to play the second stage at Beyond the Tracks. Pulling from their recently released album Bambino the band demonstrated their unique sound with songs like “Unstopabble” and a slew of older favourites. The concoction of sound that Superfood throws at you is truly remarkable. They combine deep and breathy base notes with ethereal electronic. All of this is wrapped nicely into an alternative punk rock casing, a real cacophony of noise that shouldn’t work but does. The band was a pleasant surprise for many, a new addition for the playlist.
Maximo Park and Ocean Colour Scene rounded the night. Formed in Newcastle, Maximo Park is a alternative rock band that have graced some of the biggest stages all over the world. With six albums in their docket, the band mixed new favourites from Risk to Exit with a bundle of older album highlights. With such a breadth of possibilities, the band curated a set that had emotional pulls and sonic shifts, creating a euphoric rock show that was cohesive but still entertaining.
Ocean Colour Scene, the headliner for the night, is Moseley’s own rock gods that has for a long time (since 1990) crafted a wide range of rock songs. Starting with an acoustic song, Ocean Colour Scene wowed fans with their myriad of sound. Jumping from acoustic to mid tempo rock the band displayed their depth, that certainly only comes with age and time. Along with the sound, their time on stage has allowed them to expertly craft a really engaging and welcoming show.
Whereas some rock bands seem forever separated from their audience, Ocean Colour Scene were incredibly engaging and witty, a winning combination when shared with their music. Their anthematic music grew throughout the set, ending with a handful of songs that were bombastic and brilliant. Ocean Colour Scene perfectly capped off a day of rock in all its fashion. With a brilliant sonic set combined with a visual display that was magical, Ocean Colour Scene demonstrated why they have adorations of fans in their local area.
Reviewer: Kylie McCormick
Photographer: Katja Ogrin