11

A Stellar Performance

The Rascals play to a Sandisk Stage tent that is approximately a quarter full; you might put this down to their early stage time, but the fact that the tent is packed just under an hour later for Black Kids might ruin this hypothesis. In any case, the band put on a stellar performance with the additional of Miles Kane's collaborator in The Last Shadow Puppets, Alex Turner for the end of the set. The band's ecstatic sound with a psychedelic tinge rings out through the tent as they whisk through the frantic 'Ratcatcher'; if The Rascals are Arctic Monkeys stuck in a time warp with some 60's flair, then this is their 'Teddy Picker' with a jabbing coda and fierce onslaught of echoing sound. The lyrics are sadly a little lost in such a cavernous tent but the tunes are invigorating enough to get some dancing going as eerie tones and booming bass rock the front rows. 'Out Of Dreams' is a highlight with pulsating lights at its fierce peak and single 'Freakbeat Phantom' also stirs up a frenzy. The band seem to be enjoying themselves as much as the crowd as they launch into the fabulous, 'I'll Give You Sympathy', which would surely be a safe bet as a single as it goes down so well here. Turner joins the band for 'Is It Too Late?' which leads to some nice vocal harmonies and exciting guitarwork. The Rascals channel Arctic Monkeys' raconteur-style lyrics and furious energy into a sound that feels a little more retro and more mature than that of the Sheffield group. In this environment it's hard for individual songs to stand out, but some are catchy enough to remain in your head days later, which bodes very well indeed for the Wirral trio.