So – you are heading to Bearded Theory, and somewhere between the bars, the food, and the general camaraderie you probably want to see some bands play.
As with every festival a bunch of names jump out at you… the big-hitters who sell tickets and bring in the crowds.
But then there are all the rest… and here’s our take on bands you ought to see even if you don’t know anything about them.
Too hot to handle:
Nova Twins
Despite what you may have read, Nova Twins are sadly not named after a matching pair of Vauxhall Novas that their parents owned when they were being brought up in the grittier parts of South London.
What they are is a veritable force of nature – a band fronted by two of the sassiest women we’ve bumped into on the circuit over the past few years, and who have been touring incessantly for the last year or so with the likes of Youngblud, Enter Shikari and Bring Me The Horizon. They actually feature on BMTH’s 1×1 track… which has notched up 51million Spotify plays so far!
We first saw them at a small venue in Hastings supporting Kid Kapichi – and right from that first moment we knew they had what it takes!
Bob Vylan
Bob Vylan is/are a name you are going to hear a lot more about before very long.
With the raw and visceral energy of Rage Against the Machine but a style that is borne out of UK urban rap genres, here we have one of those acts you will get all misty-eyed about in twenty years’ time when you stumble across an old 2022 Bearded Theory line-up poster on [insert name of social media platform that won the bloody 2031 internet wars] and tell your disbelieving children that you were there at the start.
Old-school – so why don’t you know them?
Misty in Roots
Misty in Roots formed as punk was still in its infancy. In those heady days of 1977/78 the world was turning upside down in terms of popular music, but those in the know recognised that reggae was here to stay, and Misty in Roots probably prove the point.
44 years after their formation, the band are still going from strength to strength and have over the years absorbed more and more of the music of the African main continent to add to their original Jamaican heritage.
If you’ve never had the pleasure, now’s your chance!
The Vapors
Let’s get it out of the way here – ‘Turning Japanese’ was their One Big Hit.
But whatever you do, don’t discount The Vapors as a one hit wonder.
They may not have achieved the success of their mentors The Jam, but their songwriting was definitely on a par with Paul Weller’s best, and they have a back-catalogue of tunes that talk about similar social issues to those covered by the Modfather back when he wrote about the real world.
This is proper late 70s New-Wave re-packaged to take 50-year-olds back to their youth or – if they are listening closely enough – allow the grandchildren of original fans an insight into the lives of their grandparents back when they were the same age.
Festival circuit faves you might have missed
Subgiant
We’ve been bouncing around to Subgiant’s dub-like-trance (or is that trance-like-dub) at festivals for over 20 years… but in all that time they have never even begun to bother any sort of record chart.
Their whole existence is based around big festivals where they pop up time and again to deliver the sorts of sets that quite simply put you in the right frame of mind for having the best time of your life.
Don’t miss them.
Karl Phillips and the Rejects
One of the (slightly) bad-boys of the circuit, Karl Phillips is no stranger to controversy and his social media life is an open book of someone who takes no prisoners when it comes to his opinions of the world.
For anyone who has yet to tap into this hi-octane ska/rap/punk act, prepare yourself to be propelled onto the dancefloor for some proper knees-up antics.
The Bar Steward Sons of Val Doonican
Legends in their own hometown of Barnsley – and now finally working out that there is big, wide and appreciative world outside of ‘tarn…
It’s fun. That is enough.
Punky stuff we love
The Blunders
This is dance-punk. Think a poor man’s Nitzer Ebb.
Pizza Tramp
Just pure old-school punk. No need to add in any nonsense sub-genre here.
Zombie Met Girl
For fans of psychobilly and hardcore surf punk.
