It’s no news at all that there has just been a festival in Hastings – after all, the town and surrounding area has over fifty festivals of one sort or another this year alone.
Trust us – we’ve counted them.
But this one is a bit special.
Hastings Fat Tuesday
It’s Hastings Fat Tuesday, and it’s probably the best Mardi Gras event in the UK.
For five days every February the town gets a shot of musical adrenaline that keeps the party going from Friday night’s grand ball, through the Saturday unplugged marathon, and Sunday’s huge parade and afternoon party, right through to Tuesday night’s ‘tour’.
Tucked around the edges you’ll also find musical masterclasses at the Unconvention, an ‘Under The Radar’ show co-presented by BBC Introducing, some avant-garde sounds at the ‘Sonics’ showcases, and ‘Slim Monday’ (featuring local legend King Size Slim and friends).
And there’s a fair chance that at least one of the newer acts to play this Hastings festival will go on to bigger things.
In years gone by we’ve seen Skunk Anansie, Kid Kapichi, Greentea Peng, and Nova Twins grace stages in The Lord Nelson, The Albion, The Carlisle, and other notable grassroots music pubs and bars.
And this year the festival fixed our eyes firmly on Buddha Triangle, Wytch Pycnyck, Message From The Ravens, and, most definitely, Hotwax and Funke and the Two Tone Baby as names that may well find their way into the wider public consciousness in 2023.
Notable mentions also go to Paris Blue, and Chimer, the latter of which used Fat Tuesday to launch themselves onto the world.
What is so brilliant about much of the festival is that it’s free – and also that it integrates itself perfectly into the wide network of local venues that regularly host live music – at the most grassy grass roots end of the grass roots music spectrum.
So make a note in your diary for Hastings Fat Tuesday 2024, book a room early, and make a long weekend in February feel like a month in New Orleans.
Buddha Triangle
Chaotic but still tight, Buddha Triangle have been building a following and gradually accelerating to escape velocity to play more regularly beyond the confines of Hastings for a good few years now. They specialise in a reggae and funk infused freestyling rap sound that spreads bliss to all who hear it. With regular guest players plus a core membership, Buddha Triangle would be a great booking at pretty much any festival we can possibly imagine.
Wytch Pycnyck
OK – not everyone’s cup of tea… so we don’t see Radio Two beckoning, but for fans of no wave garage metal this is a must.
Furious psychedelia is another phrase that jumps to mind.
Wytch Pycnyck may be a slog to spell, but the band is beginning to lodge itself a place in the little black books of promoters who know a thing or two about what their audiences want.
And if they want original dirty noise with a keenly honed edge, then this is the band for them.
Message From The Ravens
In terms of hitting the zeitgeist, Message From The Ravens are really on point for those of us who hark back to simpler times when songs stood proud and tall, and harmonies ruled the waves.
The band’s strongly feminine credentials are written large, but their appeal is universal, as they conjure up both spirituality and sexuality through sonic soundscapes that drip with both historic references and contemporary themes.
It’s always a delight to see Message From The Ravens play live, and this is a pleasure just waiting to be shared.
Hotwax
Listening to Hotwax is like being thrown back to a Stooges gig at CBGBs in the late-70s. But at the same time it’s a fresh and exciting experience that lifts the spirits of anyone who feels that current music is lacking in heartfelt passion.
The three-piece have been building their stagecraft and developing their repertoire around local venues in the town for the past few years, but a slew of big shows and festivals have found their way onto the band’s tour calendar for 2023, and we’d like to bet a significant sum of money on their making this the year they catch fire.
Funke and the Two Tone Baby
Anyone who has spent the last five years or so going to UK festivals is likely to have caught a Funke set somewhere along the line.
Dan Turnbull is a frenetic one-man-band who is single-handedly re-writing the Blues manual one chapter at a time.
He’s a master of loops and samples, but he also brings a whole lot more to the table as he chops in guitar parts and harmonica riffs to provide a bed for his superb songwriting skills.
We’ve never seen a crowd stand still at one of his shows – and we doubt we ever will.
Hastings Fat Tuesday Photo Gallery
Pictures by www.sarabowreyphotos.com
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