On the former industrial plains of Hull Docks and the rejuvenated Fruit market area, Street Sesh has seen some quality British bands come through in the last few years. This year’s line up of touring groups was quite honestly remarkable when you consider Hull is a city that has only just got a venue that fits more than Welly Club’s 500 capacity, and less than the KCOM’S 26,000 capacity. Backed by mountain piles of salt and derelict and new buildings, most of these lot below put on an impressive show, most…
Yonaka: A-
Most likely to…win the school talent contest.
Theresa Jarvis – clad in a safety pin necklace – and co really set the bar for the weekend. Her dance moves, the unison crowd jump and the guitar player’s strip poker routine – started in a suit, ended sweaty and shirtless – were a class act. To top the atmosphere off a vape lord in front created a human smoke machine; he must have lungs like a bloody whale. The judges were impressed all round and they showed it.
LIFE: B-
Most likely to…kick a teacher, get suspended and move schools.
A home return started shakily as lead singer Mez’s introduction of the band ended with him referring to himself as “and I’m a fucking legend” – calm down. But, soon enough the LIFE that I remember being bowled out for a duck by first time seeing them came out swinging. Mez’s chicken-on-coke and unmasked Frank Sidebottom routine kept the class, smiling throughout. Whilst, the new bass player sidekick (little Frank) added a much needed extra dimension to the group. Oh, and whoever shouted “I love Boris” when Mez said “Fuck Boris”, behave yourself.
The Blinders: A+
Most likely to… start an in-class rebellion against the supply teacher.
Well well well, the Donny soldiers with war paint mortared us with poetic and political anarchy. At one point I saw a double-decker piggyback, yup that’s right, a three-person tall tower of swaying bodies rise and fall, it was true chaos. But, it was also profound, people were there for the mosh but the lyrics are hard-hitting stuff. It finished with lead, Haywood, stabbing his guitar into his amp in a ceremonial sacrificial act. Apocalypse now I say.
Bdrmm: B+
Most likely to… move up a set
The Hull boys did really well in a partially renovated and cramped corner of Fruit Market. They were tight and dynamic, using moments to take a step back and bring the volume down before raising it all in a Thom Yorke esque manner. All in all, they were a cut above the class average of Hull’s mostly bland post-punk craze, they’d clearly revised a lot.
The Hunna: D
Most likely to…wear a demon cross necklace to school and fingerless gloves.
I’m not going to lie here, I stayed for all of one song because it was shite. Feel free to disregard that entirely if you, A) stayed or B) like their music in the slightest, but an emo in a rugby shirt? Something straight off the bat didn’t add up there. To be fair, I usually turn off as soon as a band’s logo is their name written in blood anyway, it’s as corny as the corn syrup they probably used to write it. I’m sorry but I can’t take it seriously if you do that.
