Tom Vek
Where exactly has Tom Vek been for the past six years? Even his much vaunted comeback spearheaded by the well received album, "Leisure Seizure", had failed to attract a sizeable crowd to the Festival Republic Stage. Such early promise but this slot felt like a chance to start over and one that Vek would sensibly seize. For live performances, Vek's solo output is bolstered into a quartet then aided by an eccentric projection screen. The band added meat onto the vital grooves from Vek's bass guitar, notably for the forgotten single 'C-C (You Set The Fire In Me)' even if the track's breakdown lost vital tempo. Likewise, 'We Do Nothing' suffered from a loss of inspiration as Vek's bizarre rhythms failed to translate until 'Someone Loves You' returned a smidgin of confidence from casually delivered basslines smattered with big beats.
Despite the advances in technology, the maturity in his new material sat well alongside tracks from his debut album, particularly 'A Chore' which bristled with intent. 'I Aint Saying My Goodbyes' offered the effects of a sound that you could label as wholly organic whilst 'Apology''s chilling synths descended into a glorious rave. The reaction amounted to turned heads from the passing thoroughfare outside which is probably just what Vek had hoped for.