jealous

Strummercamp
Category: Music
StrummercampYou see, the thing with Strummercamp is, unlike all the other big summer festivals its not tarnished by all the corporate trimmings. You know, the sponsored shots bar, the sponsored chill out tent with widescreen TV's etc that make going to a 3 dayer in a field more like a night out in Manchester! It also gives you a massive array of local bands, some signed and some notSo before if make my way over to the main stage to sample some Classic Alarm and one of my heroes Billy Bragg I wander into the small tent to see what looks like a shambolic sound check. It turns out to be the start of the first song but its chaos! The drummer is stood at the front of the stage, eyes wide open and wearing a bowler hat while thumping a single drum. The other members of the band are still plugging in guitars and do not seem at all interested in what’s going on, while bizarrely the singer is jumping up and down on the spot spitting out random yelps and wearing a white suit. Second song in and the drummer assumes a more conventional position, i ask at least 3 people who "this lot" are and no one knows but a glance over my shoulder reveals a full tent and nodding heads all round.
Finally the singer informs us the band is called Jealous, swears at people and introduces "Stardust". Its a gem of a tune and is almost too catchy. Jealous seem at odds with their surroundings but it almost adds to the tension and seems to propel them into the crowd with real purpose. I am starting to make sense of the last 25 mins as Jealous crash into the last song, “We Love You". They are engulfed by feedback, screams and more ill advised stoned pogo dancing. If they are unsigned, its an injustice!
As festivals go, Strummercamp might not be able to compete with the Stella cast that lights up Glastonbury or Download. But what it lacks in unit-shifting Megastars it makes up for with an atmosphere and feel good factor not seen for many a summer - Manchester Radio On Line