Handmade Leicester
Great venue, staff, reasonably priced drinks,
Best of all superb music. highlights LIFE and IDLES
Posted by mitch on 03/05/2017
Handmade 2017, Leicester, Leicester - 29th April 2017
Perfect festival
I took my daughter to the Handmade festival on Sunday. She had just turned 14, we live local; it was time.
We arrived early and met a friend of mine and got ourselves orientated. This did not take long. There is the main 02 arena, go upstairs and you have the much smaller cave and Scholar rooms and go upstairs again and there is the second largest room Academy 2. Only two rooms have bands on at the same time and each band plays for 30 minutes whilst the other venues set up. So once one band finishes, you make your choice and go to the room of your choice and arrive just as the band in that room is starting up. What a concept! It ran flawlessly and the only difficult choice was when to dip out to get some wonderful Mexican food or a coffee and a cake (from a cake stand - genius!) for the small courtyard area outside.
The great thing about this set up is that you get to see many bands quickly who you do not know which can throw up some excellent surprises. On our day we saw Yr Poetry in the Scholar room playing to more people than they have from their collective gigs put together and for me were one of the bands of the day. Noisy - yes. Melodies and harmonies buried within - Oh yes. Highlights came thick and fast: God Damn (who my daughter loved), Blood Honey, British Sea Power, Superfood and the completely wonderful Happy Accident. The place filled up as the day went on and the atmosphere was one of the best at a festival that I have been to.
A festival, indoors, not much leg work, no loo queues, great bands, great audience. You can say fairer than that.
My daughter still has her wristband on.
Posted by Calum on 02/05/2017
Handmade 2017, Leicester, Leicester - 29th April 2017
