ZOO8 (or Queue-Thousand as a few disgruntled attendees renamed it) was a feat of a festival to pull off, boasting one of the strongest line-ups of the year and able to rival the likes of the more established festivals across the country. Such an exploit for a debut event ultimately doesn’t come without it’s difficulties, which unfortunately for the weekend saw a number of cancelled acts and disappointed music fans. Despite the backstage politics though, the sun came out, the majority of festival goers were raring to go, and some truly fantastic sets were witnessed. Here’s our pick of them…
Friday
Opening fashionably late made bearable thanks to some excellent weather, it was time to check out the rockiest stage of the festival hosted by Chatham’s infamous venue, the Tap ‘n’ Tin. London rockers SLAVES TO GRAVITY showed how it should be done with a suitably loud and infectious grunge-fuelled set, followed by the mighty HEXES, who set to work shattering eardrums with their own take on punk hardcore.
Keeping the atmosphere electric were a late edition to the line-up, the GHOST OF A THOUSAND, and never do these boys disappoint. Electric and brutal from start to finish, the band also showcased new material which is amongst their strongest yet.
In of the smaller tents then was a u-shaped crowd, in the middle of which writhed and shouted the lead singer of THE NEW 1920 - if you don’t know about this band yet, you soon will. Twisting pop rock into something original but still immediately catchy, they performed a set showing experience and confidence of a band far beyond the length of time and amount of shows these guys have played together. Definitely destined for great things.
Back to the Tap ‘n’ Tin stage then, SKINNYMAN warmed up the anticipatory Lethal Bizzle fans a treat, raising mutual support with his anti-smoking ban song, before fans left en-masse at being informed that the Bizzle would now be playing the main stage in place of no-show Dizzee Rascal. Never ones to let down music fans, GALLOWS were luckily still around to headline the smaller stages as one of the most anticipated bands of the festival, with their performance showing exactly why. Raucous and unforgiving, the band were electric, with lead guitarist Laurent particularly shining as an excellent musician and crowd-pleaser, the whole band showing impeccable timing and consistency in addition to that infamous attitude.
Meanwhile, BRIGADE had already begun their set on a smaller tent and performed with utter showmanship despite the disappointingly few people there. Ending with an atmospheric number that showed the band’s ability to craft quietened rock numbers to perfection, they hooked those of us who took the time to check out their set and did themselves proud.
Saturday
A little past mid-day and with yesterday’s sun still relentlessly shining, ZOO8’s main stage began attracting a small crowd for one unknown man and his keyboard. Anyone who took the chance to watch this man perform possibly got treated to one of the most moving festival sets of the year. Describing JACOB’S STORIES then is a difficult job, but think heart-felt haunting vocals and an orchestra with a DJ and you might be getting somewhere. Stunning.
Local lads UNDERGROUND HEROES turned out to be very much the latter half of their name for the fans who’d turned up to see their set on the main stage, which was tap-along, sing-along indie-rock of the most radio-friendly and arguably generic kind.
Due to stage and time issues, SAM ISAAC found himself playing on the main stage with his band, and what a great set - stripped-down song-writing played by excellent musicians; you need nothing more. French pop-dance kids THE TEENAGERS weren’t going to let anything stop them from having an electric time on the main stage and they absolutely made it their own - infectious dance riffs with cute accented vocals brought out the sunshine in everyone and made for a great festival band and memorable set.
The Teenagers had everyone firmly in the mood for the love-or-hate band everyone now loves, Hadouken!, but with continuing time issues and line-up changes, NICK HARRISON had the daunting task of providing some music beforehand. One man and an acoustic guitar versus a crowd of neon-wearing nu-ravers - it looked tough. Luckily though, most people appreciated simply having someone to watch up there, and with some light-hearted banter and nicely written pop-indie tunes, Nick quickly had the audience won over.
Now then was the time to get messy to James and friends, and messy it got. An arcade come to life, HADOUKEN! were the life of the party and, as ever, more than raring to go with their electro mash-ups, performing new material and old skool favourites to a loyal crowd. Slightly scared that they were going to slaughter a classic from The Prodigy, they were luckily able to make the track their own - bandz got skillz.
The good news regarding the line-up continued with the Tap ’n’ Tin stage back in action for the mighty headliners THE YOUNG KNIVES - quirky indie beats, fantastic witty vocals, great between-song banter, and some excellent facial hair from drummer Oliver; you seriously cannot ask for anything more. An eclectic set list including some guest string accompaniment from Echo and Frederique of The Outside Royalty and finishing with the lesser-known ‘Current of the River’ made for a fantastic headline set from the Oxford chaps.
The music was most certainly not over yet, with glam-punks THE VIVIANS performing in one of the smaller stages, but with a sound and energy like theirs they could quite easily have taken to the main stage and destroyed it. Their music sounds instantly familiar but original enough to maintain interest and keep their band name lodged in your head - you’re definitely going to want to remember that one for later.
Sunday
By Sunday, everything had turned a little bit grey, and the weather was just the start of it. Nevertheless, no professional band lets that stand in the way of them and an audience having an excellent time, perfectly illustrated by one of the main stages earliest performers, IN CASE OF FIRE. Another group who once you’ve heard them, you’ll instantly want to hear more, the trio controlled volume and aggression perfectly in a skilled set of musical talent and a great, original rock sound.
Continuing the rock vibe were IDA MARIA, the leading lady herself really shining as a rock star in the making with her effortless cool and individual raw vocal style.
As well as seeing the bands you love, festivals are also great places to seek out new talent who you’ve never heard of before, and towards the top of the list were BRIGADIER AMBROSE. Performing in one of the smaller tents, the band boasted a nice name and a great set of songs, however, the I-sing-like-what-I-speak vocals weren’t as strong as they could have been and the songs and set might have benefited from a different sound on the mic.
Meanwhile at the main stage, it was a sea of Kanye West striped sunglasses and neon baseball caps as fans of Does It Offend You, Yeah? waited in hope. Alas, the FLOGGING MOLLY flag was raised on set amid boos from the youngsters and the neon waves rolled back to the D&B tent in disappointment. Flogging Molly though were undeterred, throwing themselves into their infamously energetic set that you can’t help but dance along to.
Keeping the line-up suitably big named, it was time for some rawk with Welsh rockers FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND. Needless to say, they were on top form, with plenty of strong material new and old to choose from and making for a highlight for any fans and fellow rockers in the crowd.
From big names and huge sets, to a little tent and a medley of instruments to be played by local duo Alex and Raj as LIGHTS GO BLUE. Think a more electro-pop version of I Was A Cub Scout, with an equally appealing live performance, and you’re getting somewhere. Proof that making the music you love makes for the most interesting bands, add this group to your list of ones to watch too.
The BBC Kent Introducing… Stage turned out to be a little hotbed of local talent too, showcasing the likes of contagious rockers FRESHMAN, who impressed audiences with consistently strong sets when they played twice throughout the day, and ska-punk alternative hybrid six-piece LOS SALVADORES who were quick to convert new listeners to their energetic and original musical style that very much pleased the Flogging Molly fans at the festival.
Already a day of excellent live music, the entire calibre of the festival was ultimately lifted once Sunday’s headliners and festival closers THE HIVES took to the stage. Probably more wild and energetic than any animal you could find in the zoo itself, from the word ‘go’ the suited Swedes were electricity personified. Leaping about the stage, delivering impeccable vocals, and oozing charm as he interacted with the crowd between songs, lead singer Pelle Almqvist quickly became the saviour of the festival, with him and his band mates lifting the whole atmosphere to one of excitement and appreciation. A practically flawless set and without question the greatest performance anyone could have hoped for to close the weekend with.
A Note From Our Editor
During the course of the Z008 festival, many things went wrong, things which could of and should have been avoided. Over the weekend, we spoke to a lot of people - attendees, fellow journalists, bands and staff - and there was a general feeling of disappointment, mostly caused by the lack of organisation which resulted in people being told either bad news or no news at all, rendering them helpless to do anything to fix it. However, I’d like to point out that there was a lot about this festival that was done well, either down to good organisation, helpful people, or just sheer luck.
At any event, you will have to queue. There will be sound checks that take longer than usual, doors that open late, things that aren’t quite ready - you need to anticipate this with anything and just have the patience to ride it out.
Regarding the line-up and the changes, please just count the number of awesome bands who did play, and who did full-length, excellent sets - The Hives, Ash, Funeral For A Friend, Gallows, The Young Knives - the list continues. Essentials like decent food stalls, suitable camp sites, toilets, water tanks, etc. were all available and no better or worse than at any other festival, even the long established ones.
Personally, I also thought the tech and sound staff were second to none - every band I saw had impeccable sound, and anyone who goes to gigs or festivals regularly will understand how much this can ruin a bands set if done unprofessionally.
Equally efficient were the security staff, and everyone attending the festival should give a lot of thanks and appreciation their way for keeping the festival safe.
Even though there was plenty to complain about at the festival, it’s ultimately down to the individual to make it something memorable for themselves. Thanks to the mostly great weather, fun company, and amazing bands, I had an awesome time at ZOO8, and I really hope I’m not alone in this. While, yes, many things need to be ironed out if ZOO9 is ever to go ahead, I firmly hope that people were able to take away some good memories from the weekend and to keep an open mind regarding the future of this festival.
