NEIL: Sunday 1st December saw Day Two of our unique festival Fresh On The Net Live. With Day One having taken place at The Lower Third in London’s West End, we headed to the East Midlands for Day Two at The Musician on Grafton Street in Leicester; a lovely venue with a proud musical heritage. While I focused on managing the stage, liaising with sound engineer and artists and compering the event, Sherry was hard at work, sharing our pics and her posts with live updates across multiple social media feeds throughout the day and evening. Fortunately she was able to watch the live acts on a big screen at the rear of the venue while working.

SHERRY: Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending an incredible festival, my second one ever—and what a day it was! The journey from my place [in Basingstoke] to Leicester took three hours, but it was my first time visiting the city, and the experience was absolutely worth it. The day was packed with fantastic music, energetic performances, and plenty of fun. Here’s a recap of the highlights.

SHERRY: The festival kicked off with Pulses. It was a powerful and energetic start. His set was lively and set the perfect tone for the day.

NEIL: Yes, kicking off the day we had Nottingham’s Electronic and Ambient Groovester and ace guitarist Chris aka Pulses. Mixing pulsating beats and hypnotic elecro-bass grooves with inventive synth play and his live guitar skills, he got the event off to the perfectly energised start while also reminding us of his versatility as an artist and writer. This set the mood for the rest of the day and evening and was a joy to experience.

Pulses @ Fresh On The Net Live, Day Two

NEIL: Next to grace the stage, all the way from Hull, was the inimitable Graham Graham Beck; an artist whose long track record includes supporting Tom Robinson and appearing on Britain’s Got Talent (!) among a host of achievements. Graham is well-known to Fresh on the Net readers for his unpredictable, quirky but musically sophisticated works and he was on fine form, sporting an array of accessories at different points, flying flags and bringing his dry humour both to his on-stage patter and his lyrics. He is also a highly accomplished keyboardist and a bundle of positive energy as this live set amply demonstrated. His rendition of recent fresh fave Some People Think I Look Like Kevin McCloud was one of many highlights.

SHERRY: Next up was Graham Graham Beck, my absolute favourite of the lineup. He was highly entertaining, and his music was a pure joy to experience live.

Graham Graham Beck @ Fresh On The Net Live, Day Two

NEIL: After the brilliantly eccentric alternative musical universe of Graham Graham Beck, the mood changed again with a stunning performance from West Midlands’ Queen of Hip Hop Poetical Nadz. From the moment, she took to the stage, the intensity of her rapid-fire rap and astutely observational lyrics captivated the audience while her backing tracks displayed the eclectic mix and clever hybrids that also characterise her sound. Echoes of Flohio, Megan Thee Stallion and older skool artists like Missy Elliott came to mind at times but Nadz has very much her own sound, slightly otherworldly and highly charged. There were plenty of highs but recent single Live To Die was thrilling. This was a performance that bristled with energy and creativity. Truly invigorating.

SHERRY: Poetical Nadz delivered a wonderful performance that I thoroughly enjoyed. Her set was captivating, blending rap and singing beautifully.

Poetical Nadz @ Fresh On The Net Live, Day Two

SHERRY: Susy Wall took the stage after that, and she was truly remarkable. Her talent as a singer-songwriter shone through every song, with her unique and catchy style leaving a lasting impression.

NEIL: Time then for another complete change of mood and the introduction of Welsh singer-songwriter Susy Wall. Accompanied just by her skillfully picked and played guitar and some mind-boggling tunings, Susy’s distinctive voice melted our emotions, combining historic influences that had shades of Judee Sill, Joni Mitchell and Janis Ian with more contemporary references that recalled the likes of Laura Marling, Hayley Bonar and others. But that is not to suggest Susy sounds like any of these artists. Her sound is her own and her songs oozed quality while her personality shone through and enabled her to bond with the audience.

Susy Wall @ Fresh On The Net Live, Day Two

SHERRY: In between acts, we had an incredible DJ set by Neil March. His selection of tracks was amazing, and both Sue and I couldn’t stop vibing. Every song was a treat! (Awww thanks Sherry – Neil)

NEIL: The Fresh On The Net DJs were scheduled next but, with Del too poorly to join us on the trip, that became DJ (singular) so I gave the brilliant sound engineer Gabe a break while I mixed up some bangers from yesteryear (Stevie Wonder, Chic, Chaka Khan etc.) with plenty of current ones (Little Simz, Greentea Peng, FKA Twigs, Ezra Collective, Jorja Smith, Kelly Lee Owens, Khruangbin, Fontaines DC, She’s In Parties etc.) and finished with a blast of Cocteau Twins classic Iceblink Luck, a bit of a signature tune!

NEIL: Then it was time for Minimums, an artist I have put on at several previous gigs and festivals and who never plays the same set twice. Sporting trademark disguise (since only a few of us know his real identity), he was joined by excellent singer and flautist Liz Read who also sported a mask for the occasion. Trademark rich cinematic synths and strings soon swirled into action, filling the room with their resonance while Liz’s clear-as-a-bell vocals and flute playing added another layer of quality. The composing and arranging skills on offer were of a truly high standard and the attention to detail enhanced the sound, adding kaleidoscopic colour. Another stellar performance from Minimums.

SHERRY: Minimums brought an exciting stage presence with their cool costumes and captivating performance. Their music had a distinctive vibe that stood out.

Minimums @ Fresh On The Net Live, Day Two

SHERRY: Finally, the show ended on a high note with Project Blackbird. This band was simply outstanding! I loved every track they played, and their performance left me in awe. Ming’s vocals were soft yet powerful, and Jon’s trumpet added a unique touch. Ming even gave me a merch t-shirt, which was such a nice gesture—it’s a souvenir I’ll treasure!

NEIL: The event was rounded off by a live performance from local heroes Project Blackbird and, boy, was it worth the wait! I worked out that this was the seventh time I had seen Project Blackbird play live and they just get better on every occasion. Tonight they were sublime. Eddie’s crisp, funky drumming locked in with Jamie’s deep, inventive Bass Guitar, providing the perfect bedrock along with pre-recorded tracks that Eddie synced in with. Jon wowed the audience, often playing goose-bumping keyboard chords with one hand while demonstrating his breathtaking trumpet and flugel horn skills with the other and Alan’s guitar playing is always creative and responsive to events around him. Against their dub-infused, Ska-influenced sophisticated Pop backdrop, Ming’s instantly recognisable and striking vocals soared and swooped, delivering sweet melodies and thoughtful lyrics. Between tracks, she explained the inspiration for some of them and the audience responded to her and the rest of the band with plenty of love. Renditions of tracks old and new were highly welcome, none more so than the sad but beautiful Carmen and Same Heart. This was a stunning set and, in every sense, the perfect finale to a special event.

Project Blackbird @ Fresh On The Net Live, Day Two – upper one with full band, lower one with Jon in ambidextrous motion!

SHERRY: Overall, this festival was an unforgettable experience. From start to finish, it was a day filled with great music, positive vibes, and wonderful memories. I can’t wait for next year’s festival.

NEIL: The day was also made a success by the skills and attitude of sound engineer Gabe Fernandes who, as well as being a model of calm and reassurance, created the most amazing sound all day. And it would not have happened at all had it not been for the hard work of Project Blackbird’s Jon Read who did all the liaising between the venue and our team, made sure everything was in place and drove down early in the day to make sure all the backline was set up and line tested. Jon’s energy and commitment were an inspiration. Major thanks also to Sue Oreszczyn without whom Sherry and I may not have been able to get any lunch! As always, she and Tadj were super generous and thoughtful. They also have the unique distinction of being the only audience members who attended both days of the festival.

Thanks also to the venue, especially the patient bartender who put in a long shift, and of course the wonderful audience. It was lovely to meet, in addition to the artists and their friends and families, Monochrome Motif Records owner and talented composer Andrew Hartshorn, FOTN regular and unique artist Chris Mills aka C-Beem plus various other lovely people and to hook up with our great friend and music legend Tomás Doncker, over from New York for the weekend. All in all a truly special day. Quite a lot of people asked us, before heading home, whether we would be back next year with a similar event. We certainly hope so.

Audience @ Fresh On The Net Live, Day Two