Ben & Jerry's Sundae Festival - Clapham Common, London - 23rd July 2011 (Live Review)
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Written by Gemma Taylor
Ben & Jerry’s Sundae Festival kicked off on Clapham Common on Saturday, with acts including Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Ash supporting headliners Ocean Colour Scene.
The seventh annual event also took place at Manchester’s Heaton Park for the first time, allowing the involved bands to essentially swap venues over the course of the weekend. This was, to some extent, a family affair, with revellers of all ages setting up picnics and enjoying the endless free ice cream from midday. With such an eclectic mix of people, one could be forgiven for thinking that this was not so much a place for music fans as food fans: not so.
Brighton-based five-piece band ‘Munich’ opened the show to a growing crowd, though were somewhat upstaged by a pair of air-guitar-wielding rock fans, accompanied by a sizeable amp and AC/DC attire who set up camp beside one of the ice cream tents. This unusual performance set the scene for the day in true festival style; so many things happening at once with thousands of attendees to witness whatever they felt most interesting. With fairground rides, an unending amount of restaurant offerings and a main stage, this event seemed to cater to everyone’s tastes.
In the late afternoon, following performances by Steve Cradock, Rose Kagona and Misdirectors, New Yorker’s Fun Lovin’ Criminals took to the stage. Frontman Huey Morgan’s gravelly voice bounded through the band’s best-known records, from ‘King of New York’ to ‘Love Unlimited’, the bluesy Barry White tribute that encouraged the crowd to respond to Morgan’s calling of the love legend’s name. While the band gave a solid performance, the sound system failed them somewhat, a problem that occasionally returned throughout the evening. Ash (main pic) frontman Tim Wheeler’s melodious offerings were drowned out as a result on more than one occasion, though headliners Ocean Colour Scene (small pic) seemed to avoid the problem.
Ash drew a larger, more energetic crowd than Fun Lovin’ Criminals, with their elongated instrumental interludes increasing crowd participation. They played a number of well-known anthems, including Joy Kicks Darkness, during which drummer, Rick McMurray, commanded the number with heavy, long-winded beats that juxtaposed the soft approach of Wheeler’s vocals. This was undoubtedly a crowd-pleaser, particularly when Wheeler and guitarist, Mark Hamilton, brought the track to a climactic finish.
The 90’s Britpop heroes impressed the audience with a number of classic songs, notably ‘Orpheus’ - probably a crowd favourite – ‘Shining Light’ and a cover of ‘Teenage Kicks’, dedicated to friend Danny from the Undertones.
The three-piece band from Downpatrick interacted with the audience in a more natural and honest way than Morgan and his band, and this set a comfortable and excitable atmosphere for headliners Ocean Colour Scene.
The Birmingham trio began their set at around 7pm, by which time, despite bad network coverage on many mobiles, news of Amy Winehouse’s death had trickled through the open space. Lead singer Simon Fowler and his bandmates Steve Cradock and Oscar Harrison appeared, smiling but sombre. In spite of this apparent sadness, the folk-rockers opened their set with ‘The Riverboat Song’; a tune with a glorious sing-a-long chorus that livened the spirits of onlookers.
Unsurprisingly, tracks from their 1996 debut ‘Moseley Shoals’, were the most well-received, with songs such as ‘You’ve got it Bad’ and ‘Get Away’ gaining a raucous response. One particularly exciting moment came when the ageing trio were joined on stage by James Buckley, most famous for playing Jay in ‘The Inbetweeners’ and a collaborator of Cradock’s on his upcoming solo album.
The mood, however, inevitably became more melancholic, when Fowler announced the news of Winehouse’s passing. The band then played ‘One for the Road’, which includes the fitting lines: “What do you do when someone’s been taken that way/Before they’ve had a day to fly in the sun”.
The band’s tour marks fifteen years since their debut album, which embodied their unique mix of rhythm and blues influences and folk rock. It is true that they may not have penned many anthems that spoke for a generation, as Ash arguably managed. Undoubtedly though, they continue to bring a nostalgic Britpop sound to a loyal and elated the crowd, and ended the event on a high.
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Ash drew a larger, more energetic crowd than Fun Lovin’ Criminals, with their elongated instrumental interludes increasing crowd participation. They played a number of well-known anthems, including Joy Kicks Darkness, during which drummer, Rick McMurray, commanded the number with heavy, long-winded beats that juxtaposed the soft approach of Wheeler’s vocals. This was undoubtedly a crowd-pleaser, particularly when Wheeler and guitarist, Mark Hamilton, brought the track to a climactic finish. 
