It starts off as one of the hottest, most sunny days of the year as I travel down to the Grillstock Festival, which is at The Lloyds Ampitheatre on the docks in Bristol. So far so good.
By the time the bus gets me down to the venue, THE FUTURE SHAPE OF SOUND are already up on stage and well into their set which mixes blues, soul and 1960s style cinema soundtracks to provide an interesting and exciting blend that goes down really well with the packed venue. It's absolutely boiling, with the sun beating down mercilessly, and the ampitheatre rammed to the gills with festival goers all here to sample a variety of grilled and griddled meats, music, mayhem and much more.
THE URBAN VOODOO MACHINE is ready to hit the stage for three o'clock, and just before that, the festival organisers manage to squeeze in a chilli-eating contest on the main stage. This is not something for the faint of heart or faint of palate, and I see several contestants coming away with bottles of milk looking decidedly unwell. By this time, the sky has begun to darken over Bedminster and Ashton, although at the venue things are still sunny.
Then it happens, just before The Urban Voodoo Machine get to the stage, the heavens open with a sustained downpour that has me and several other festival goers using their free festival newspapers to take shelter. The guy selling the plastic raincoats is doing big business and smiling gleefully at his good fortune.
Undeterred by the treat of possible electrocution, The Urban Voodoo Machine take to the stage and deliver a set with such energy that even the rain isn't going to dampen the crowd's spirits.
Opening with their customary 'Theme From The Urban Voodoo Machine', the band produces an hour long set that keeps the audience in front of the stage despite the inclemency of the weather.
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Running through tracks from both albums, and a couple from the forthcoming 'Love, Drink and Death', the band is firing on all cylinders. Debuting a new track entitled 'Bucket Of Blood', which details a dingy dive with a stingy landlord, where the band used to play, everything is very well received, especially the new single 'Pipe & Slippers Man', but the band as ever save the best for last, an absolutely cracking version of 'Help Me Jesus', their last single that was recorded with Wilko Johnson on guitar, and is due for a further release, this time as a limited blue vinyl variety.
For this track, Captain Future from Future Shape of Sound takes on guitar, and Yolanda is on backing vocals which assists the track as Paul-Ronney Angel blasts out some mighty fine harmonica, and fire eater Trixi Tassels struts her stuff.
This was a brilliant end to the set, and just reaffirms that The Urban Voodoo Machine are one of the most watchable live bands on the planet. The band will be playing Grillstock in Manchester on Sunday 29th June, and if it's anything as good as this gig it will be completely unmissable. The latest single is available from Urban Voodoo Machine online shop.
The Future Shape Of Sound's latest single is available as a download from The Future Shape Of Sound at iTunes
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