The Fratellis, Scouting for Girls, The Feeling, The Hoosiers, Toploader, and Dodgy

Among the likes of fellow indie rockers The Vines, The Strokes, and The Black Keys, Scottish indie rock trio The Fratellis are the epitome of indie-rockers; just as comfortable commanding the festival stage as they are in more intimate venues. Their lives performances diverge little from their studio albums, showcasing both their talent and their technical skills with seemingly effortless instrumental and vocal performances that are just as energetic as their music. Lead vocalist Jon Fratelli most closely fits the indie-rock persona, frequently donning the token skinny jeans and dark sunglasses while casually moving around the stage, belting out seemingly effortless vocals. Drummer Mince Fratelli rocks out fervently in the background, while bassist Barry Fratelli exudes the stoic and controlled tempo that all good bassists possess. The Fratellis are no strangers to the festival circuit, having played at T in the Park and V Festival, showcasing a variety of music from all three of their studio albums. The crowd sways back and forth to hits like "Whistle for the Choir," while their biggest single "Chelsea Dagger" always elicits excitement from the crowd.
After a short hiatus that saw each member pursue other projects, the band regrouped in 2013 to record their third studio album and continue performing the festival circuit, as well as selling out out venues on their own.

After winning the title of Best British Breakthrough of 2009 at the Brit Awards, Scouting For Girls made their mark in the indie rock charts with their second album Everybody Wants to be on TV. Whilst I have always enjoyed their music, it wasn't until I saw them live, initially as a support act, that I really became a true fan. I knew the music, but not inside out, but it materialised that that didn't matter at all. Their performance was full of enthusiasm, fun, and life, and I found myself singing and dancing along regardless of my knowledge of their material.
After becoming enthused by their live show, I booked tickets to see them headline, and was not disappointed. The entire set was a theatrical performance with fantastic lighting, great sound and acoustics. The band worked together blending their harmonies, whilst maintaining their intense dancing and performances.
The vibe was absolutely fantastic, even people who seemed unsure initially, seemed to be their biggest fans by the end of the show - that just seems to be the effect that they have on you! I'd really advise that you take the opportunity to see them (in a standing venue - because you'll want to dance!) before you miss your chance.

The Feeling gig - as always - was superb.
The guys put so much heart, soul & energy into their music that it never fails to be dynamic. As if that it is not enough, the guys will always make time after a gig to say hi to fans. They are not only an incredibly talented band but they are 5 very nice guys too.

Saw the Hoosiers at Kiln Farm MK11. The venue is amazing- well decorated with vinyls on the ceiling at the bar and comic book covers on the walls. There's no seating near the stage but the standing area is big enough for a small crowd of maybe 200 people, making shows here quite intimate and fun. Having never been to a concert in such a small venue before, I wasn't sure what to expect, but the show was better than I could have imagined. The lead singer went out into the crowd for a guitar solo and even gave people hi-fives. The best part was at the end when the band stayed by the door, having said they "wanted to shake the hand of every member of this wonderful audience", and let people take photos with them. As for the music, they played all their most popular songs as well as some newer stuff from their latest album.
The support acts, Betraying Franklin and the Sons were also great and I think the Sons did an excellent job of warming up the crowd.
My advice would be to get a spot near the front in this venue while the support acts are still on so you can get a good view of the stage and if you have to go anywhere, do so in the breaks and get your friend to hold your spot- but the same advice applies for pretty much any standing concert.
Overall a good night, a friendly band (even the drummer talks!) and at a reasonable price for tickets and drinks.

Toploader’s cover of ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ - and it is a cover, as is frequently misconstrued, with the original by King Harvest dating back to 1972 - will probably, depending on how old you are, conjure up images of Sainsbury’s, a rather yuppy-ish house party and, most heinously of all, Jamie Oliver; the song rose to prominence when it was featured in an ad for the supermarket chain back in 2000, ending up in the top ten - the highest chart position that that particular song has ever enjoyed - and helping Toploader’s debut album, Onka’s Big Moka, to a number four placing on the albums chart. Despite the fact that the era in question was already fizzling out by that point, Toploader pushed ahead with a Britpop sound, and despite the fact that they enjoyed some chart success and high-profile support slots - they were the last British band to play the old Wembley when they opened for Bon Jovi - they soon ran into difficulty keeping the public interested in a tired sound, and disappeared after album number two, Magic Hotel, met with a scathing critical reception. Their 2011 comeback album failed to chart, but with four original members still present, they continue to tour across the UK, taking in provincial towns and leaning heavily on Only Human, where the temptation to fall back in Onka’s Big Moka must be considerable. They’ve a slew of festival dates lined up across the country this summer, should the mood take you.

A night out to see Dodgy always proves to be an enjoyable one. Not only do you get to hear some cracking tunes but the relaxed atmosphere, cosy venues and great banter always make it a favourite. One interesting twist on the night was that rather than having the same support for the whole tour Dodgy had adopted an “open mic” night type of affair with in our case four acts playing before the main event. The venue we were at was part of the Mary Hare school for the profoundly deaf and so it was appropriate that the first act were from there. The belted out six numbers and were pretty good. Got to give them credit for getting up there in the first place. Next up were a couple of weak solo artists before the final support, Darling Boy, who I had thought were a band but turned out to be an individual supported by others a la Duke Special. He (they?) had a real good energy about them that reminded me of The Zutons. And then it was time for the main event. The tour had been advertised as being acoustic but actually it was semi-acoustic and, somewhat weirdly, no drums, though we were treated to tambourine and “egg”. The music was great but the inter song chats were even better, giving a good insight into the band, particularly when there was a dispute over whether a song was to be played or not (as it was crossed off on the set list)! I also respect Dodgy’s honesty in saying that it gets a bit “tedious” playing the same things over and over which is why we got to hear three songs by other artists that I wasn’t familiar with. If this is what it takes to get them to come out on a Wednesday night to Newbury then I am all for it!