Indietracks

Any ILX0rs going to Indietracks this year?

Any ILX0rs been to Indietracks before? I haven't, but we're thinking of going this year cos the Pooh Sticks are playing and that would be awesome.

How hard is it to get to if you don't have a car?

My band played there in 2008, was good fun. The steam trains add something a bit special to the whole event. Musically, it entirely what you'd expect really, Hopefully the Bobby McGees will play (they usually do). You do tend to meet people you haven't seen since a Sweestest Ache gig in 1992 etc. The place where it's held is not good for vegetarians, so stock up.

I played the 2008 Indietracks too. The whole weekend was a real laff riot, very enjoyable indeed.
In terms of practicality, we stayed at the Alfredton Travelodge, maybe a half-hour walk from Butterley station, and not really walkable from the IndieTracks site itself (the idea being that you arrive at the site on the train from Butterley...at least, I think that's the idea). There's another hotel which is a more manageable distance from the site, or you could always camp.
Flowersdie: according to reports the catering has improved substantially since 2008, when it basically consisted of a burger van and...er..that's it.

I played the 2007 one (I prefer the earlier stuff), and yep, it is an awesome time.

Missed last year as it all seemed a bit too dreary boys'n'guitars (until the addition of Stereo Total, whereupon I kicked myself repeatedly), but this year has shaped up nicely with acts like Printed Circuit adding a bit of variation.

I've always got a lift so can't really say about ease of travel otherwise, but I think getting the train from Butterley is what most people do. Also: camp if and only if you don't hate fun.

Also, I didn't know you posted here, Harvey. Hello there.

Is it practical to stay at the festival site til it closes and then get a train back to Butterley, or would we have to skip the end?

I'm thinking of just camping but even the campsite is over a mile away apparently.

I do not hate fun, but I'm not sure about my wife. I assume by fun you mean the usual festival campsite malarkey, shouting etc til dawn every night?

Is it just adults or do you have kids to worry about too? That changes a fair amount. The walk back to the campsite isn't bad at all (and in the mornings they put on a free tractor ride to the festival area), but if you're taking tired kids then it'd probably be hell.

And yeah, drinking and rowdiness - you don't tend to get the chorus of 'bollocks' going from tent to tent but you will get indie kids clambering on the adventure playground with cheap booze. Also, I think the festival has expanded to the extent that the campsite is now festival-only, whereas the years I've been they still had a bunch of non-festival campers... so there'll probably be more people up and drinking.

I'm guessing you've had a look at this, but I'll put the link up anyway:
http://www.indietracks.co.uk/directionsandtransport.html

Nah, no kids. I can function on next to no sleep at all at festivals provided I keep myself topped up with the right amount of booze, but the wife doesn't do well if she doesn't get enough sleep. Probably be OK though.

I'd say camp, then. But camp away from the house/playground bit.

Ahh, I am just reminiscing about good times at the 'Tracks now. Like Comet Gain turning up with only one member and recruiting everyone from other bands to play. Hahahaha.

Or the time when the drummer from the Mai 68s tried to throw his felt beaters into the crowd and ended up concussing his guitarist's wife, who was standing in the front row. Oh, wait....

I'm unfeasibly excited about this. Even despite the excellent Love Is All cancelling and being replaced by Tender Trap, who're ok, but I saw them 3 weeks ago. That new Love Is All record is massively great.

Shame that Printed Circuit cancelled and Best Coast couldn't make it, would've rounded out and varied the fest even more nicelier.

We're not going any more cos some creepy dude that used to bug my wife emailed her saying he was coming over to the UK for it and we should meet up. I tried saying well it's a festival we can probably just avoid him, or just tell him to fuck off, but she said it would ruin her whole weekend so best just not go.

:(

i wonder if it's someone i know

Awww baws that's harsh. Festivals are about feeling carefree and frivolous, I can understand sacking it off to avoid stress.

This was awesome, again. So much good stuff I didn't go on a train or in The Church. Would've for Betty & The Werewolves and The Parallelograms but the queues were massive. Bit of a scheduling chuff up that one. Ho ho.

Some photos of the bands and that

i thought the parallelograms split up!

lol Jimmy McGeesus

The Parallelograms got back together for a couple of gigs as the one of them that moved to NZ was back in the country (hopefully not the same guy who stalked the Colonel's wife). Claire from Navvy/Nature Set drummed for them at Indietracks though as Ian couldn't make it.

I tried saying well it's a festival we can probably just avoid him, or just tell him to fuck off, but she said it would ruin her whole weekend so best just not go.

you probably chose wisely, as it is very difficult to avoid people at little Indietracks.

It is a nice festival, but for myself I feel that going there twice is more than enough to get the idea.

It's OK anyway cos we saw the Pooh Sticks last week in London :)

Were they good? They were unexpectedly amazing at Indietracks last year.

They were good! From what I've seen on Youtube etc of the Indietracks gig they played pretty much the same set - lots of early funny ones towards the end.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them at Indietracks... on the strength of "I Know Someone Who Knows Someone Who Knows Alan McGee Quite Well" I thought they would be a bunch of irritating fuckwits. That said, I was a bit sorry that they did not play "Float On" from "Alvin Lives... In Leeds" (or maybe they played it while I was somewhere else).

One thing that really rules about Indietracks is all the real ale there for the drinking... though they do start running out by Sunday afternoon.

The Pooh Sticks were way better than I expected at Indietracks last year, and I say that as a huge fan of 'Orgasm'. Felt like a proper event, with the placards and shit.

Buying me and emil.y's Indietracks 2011 tickets today. Our fourth! Still kicking myself for not going in 2009. We're having to miss the Saturday night to attend a friend's wedding reception in Nottingham, bah.

omg those band photos http://www.indietracks.co.uk/artists.html

? What about them?

LOOK AT THEM

Do you want me to post up pictures from all the bands you've been in, mister? Huh?

Frankly so far they just look like pretty normal bands to me (I mean, what's up with that Jeffrey Lewis photo, OMG it's a guy with a guitar, OH NOES), and I actively like the Hidden Cameras one. Have seen much much worse in previous years, not to mention for other festivals. The only thing that makes me go 'aaaargh kill them' is the write-up for Very Truly Yours.

i think i'm having some sort of existential crisis or something, the most mundane things are terrifying the hell out of me.
maybe i should cut down on the PKD/Ballard huh.

Ha, well, I'm sure there will be plenty of evil robot girls amongst them, I just don't think that this initial crop are anything to be put off by/disturbed about.

no its the mundanity that's freaking me out. the ultranormality. the unotherness become alien. not a cup of tepid tea, but a childs drawing of a cup of tepid tea. the scrawl is not the territory. ARRGHHH.

So, did anyone else go this year? Or is it a bit too twee for ILM these days?

It was my first indietracks and I had lots of fun.

Think I spent most of my music-listening time in the church, but also enjoyed the Hidden Cameras, especially the acoustic set they played when the generator failed on the main stage.

Me and Craigo Boingo went again.

Had to miss the Saturday night due to wedding reception duties so was incredibly bummed to miss the Hidden Cameras and Milky Wimpshake (though I have seen the latter a million times). I think Suburban Kids with Biblical Names were my musical highlight of the festival, a great headliner for opening night. My *actual* highlight of the festival was undoubtedly our team maintaining the pop quiz champion crown.

Also: too twee for ILM these days - it was always too twee for ILM! The music did seem a bit less varied again this year, but a) I had to miss a bunch of stuff so that might be not quite accurate, and b) I think a lot of it depends on who's touring, who asks to play etc, so hopefully we'll get a few more odd things next year.

Stage times announced tomorrow..

and me and emil.y are putting on a pre-Indietracks show in Brighton with two of the toppest turns..

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7157425368_e02ac8a832.jpg

Full fest lineup:

Veronica Falls, Allo Darlin', The Vaselines, Summer Camp, The Monochrome Set, Go Sailor, Darren Hayman, Stevie Jackson, Gordon McIntyre, The 10p Mixes, 14 Iced Bears, The ABC Club, Bart Cummings (with Pam Berry), The Birthday Kiss, Colour Me Wednesday, Cosines, Doggy, Echo Lake, Electrophonvintage, Evans The Death, Girls Names, Gold-Bears, Golden Grrrls, The Hobbes Fanclub, The Jasmine Minks, Joanna Gruesome, The June Brides, The Just Joans, Language of Flowers, Liechtenstein, Love Dance, The Making Of, Markie Plays Girlpop!, Mikrofisch, Minibar, Orca Team, The Proper Ornaments, Robberie, Rose Melberg, The Rosie Taylor Project, The School, Sea Lions, September Girls, The Silver Factory, The Smittens, Standard Fare, The Sunbathers, T.O.Y.S, Tender Trap, This Many Boyfriends, Tigercats, Vacaciones, Velodrome 2000, The Werewandas, White Town, and Young Romance.

Almost time.

HELEN LOVE OMG.

Also owls.

And I got to hang out w/ Ailsa!

i quite like owls*, their singer is dude from cranebuilders?

I have no idea what you're talking about. I am talking about OWLS. *hoot hoot*

I think this one was my favourite you know. Sunday was perfect, and the bands I'd seen before had total blinders. Magic!

ALSO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KHfhXffUuc

Helen motherflippin' LOVE! Amazing.

still going???

Helen Love were great and I got to hang out with emil.y ! Also, owls.

(my pal is on stage in that Helen Love clip. We were asked if we wanted to go too, but I said no, because, y'know, the internet)

This year will be our seventh attendance at a summer Indietracks. And I still cannot wait. And emil.y's band is playing this year!

I can't go because I'm working. GIANT TWEE SADFACE.

that Helen Love video might be one of the most embarrassing things ever recorded

Only if you're overly selfconscious m7! Not as embarrassing as being a Vice wanker.

you know me better than that bud ;)`

Any ilxors going this year? This will be my first one since me & C split up and this thread is making me a bit teary.

I may go to this one day but not this year

lol didn't realise I started this thread. where does the time go :(

I know, it's ridiculous. Would be great to hang out getting twee while simultaneously denying that we're twee one day in the future. I might be back visiting Brighton in the autumn btw, but I guess where you are isn't actually all that close or convenient?

it's not too bad - it's 1h15 on the train but it's direct (usually) and the trains are pretty frequent. I do go there every now and then for gigs. so if you let me know when you're coming I might be able to make it

Cool, will do!

I was meant to be going to Indietracks this year, but real life has intervened and we're not there. Which is shite because I would very much like to be sitting outside the wee campsite bar with Emily talking shite and waiting for the space station to pass over like it's 2014.

I was actually talking to someone on Saturday about how that was one of my very favourite Indietracks memories.

It was great this year despite atrocious weather - Spook School were the best as they always are (though not for much longer, sob), Child's Pose best first live experience of a band I already wanted to see, Stealing Sheep the surprise new faves (I'd heard people talk about them and maybe one song I was ambivalent about but they 100% killed it, I adored their set so much). Also came joint second in the pop quiz despite murderous hangover and incredibly tough questions imo.

Child's Pose EP from last year was good. dunno much about them otherwise