We start our Twisterella slightly later than planned but it’s a Saturday and we deserve a lie in too from time to time! Dilettante performs a stunning and eclectic set of soulful pop sounds at the SU Hub, which is a much bigger space than we’d anticipated. It’s busy and the atmosphere is good, the sun shines and Dilettante brings the sun inside with her strong voice and ever-evolving soundscapes built on grand elements and brass instruments.
The warm alternative pop of Weathership fills a busy SU Terrace. Soft vocals and sweet ethereal soundscapes are perfect to ease into the day. Hazy guitar tones and a perfectly building set make for a great introduction to Weathership! We then head to Cafe Etch for lunch and the hushed tones of Kitty Fitz, who provides soft acoustic pop songs guided by warm guitar lines. Next up is local soundscape-artist Me Lost Me who plays with sounds and crosses boundaries without looking over her shoulder. There is nothing as eclectic as Me Lost Me ethereal, theatrical and worldly folk sounds. Cafe Etch is packed and potentially a venue too small for Jayne and her loyal fanbase.
While at Cafe Etch we ran into radio presenters Shell Zenner and Shakk and had some eye opening conversations, one of the reasons a small festival such as Twisterella is such a win for the local scene! We headed to Off The Ground for Irked and moved to The Townhouse for power duo Shelf Lives. The duo make frantic pop tracks with a feral energy a la Royal Blood. Simple and chantable lyrics and thrilling electro rock soundscapes made them a pleasant surprise for us who had never heard of Shelf Lives before!
Next up is our highlight of the festival; alt rock trio CIEL, who we have reviewed a few times before. Their live show is more lively and exciting than we’d expected despite a low turnout. Instantly mesmerising and massively energising, CIEL are what we needed as our early evening pick-me-up. Our day ends with the funky alt rock of Melin Melyn at the SU Terrace. The Welsh band bring a smile to everyone’s face and bring a set of non to serious songs that tell stories of uprisings and cowboys… It’s worth checking the band out if you are wondering what that is all about and you are guaranteed fun and a smile on your face!
With not many bands on our to-watch-list we went to Twisterella without many expectations, which all got blown out of the water by new alternative venues, fantastic local and international acts, and wonderful people roaming the streets of Middlesbrough. Hopefully next year will see some more new venues and more incredible acts gracing the stages, and we’ll be there to document it all again!
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