It was that time of year again. The bars in Hockley were buzzing, the streets were alive with dancing, music and fire everywhere you turn, and the food vans were out in force. It was Hockley Hustle, of course - the festival that takes one of the liveliest parts of Nottingham and turns it into one hell of a day out (and night out, if you can last that long)...
Jam Café was one of the bars involved in the eclectic event. One artist in particular that played at this cosy, atmospheric venue was Stacey McMullen. His music has a real global influence, with various musical cultures being heard in each song, and singing about political and emotional topics such as the loss of his mother. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. He managed to get everyone singing along to his cover of Killing In The Name Of by Rage Against the Machine. But the real strength to his set was his fantastic vocals to match his talented guitar skill.
A rather larger venue was Broadway. However, don’t presume the size took away from the atmosphere, quite the opposite. Tash Bird, a solo artist boasting a strong, unique voice, a guitar and skilful use of a loop pedal drew a growing crowd throughout her set. Although Tash was very open about still trying to find her sound, each track sounded unique to one another and were all equally enjoyable.
Little Bribes was one of the bands given the task of keeping the rockers happy over at Rough Trade, and they certainly did that. They were full of energy and the fun they were clearly having on stage spread to the crowd, with every band member proving his musical talent.
A certain name was heard throughout the festival, in whispers, in excitement, in anticipation. That name was Rob Green. He’s been making waves in the Nottingham music scene and beyond recently. His performance at Revolution certainly didn’t disappoint. He is after all a true entertainer, and that’s exactly what he did for 45 minutes, he entertained. There wasn’t a single solemn face in the bar while he was performing. Add a great voice and some catchy tunes to this and you have an audience that grows bigger at every gig.
Ryan Farmer was one of the artists set the task of performing on the acoustic stage downstairs at The Bodega. He came on at 8:30pm when many festival attendees had had a drink and were becoming easily distracted. But Ryan still managed to keep all eyes and ears on him. He and his voice simply owned the room, getting everyone table-tapping. His vocals are strong enough that he simply doesn’t need anyone on stage with him, and he absolutely does the folk and blues genres justice.
And that’s it, another year done. Even more successful than ever before, this festival gains momentum every time it takes over Hockley. It surely won’t be going anywhere any time soon, and is a true representation of the immense musical talent coming from Nottingham.
Hockley Hustle took place on Sunday 8 October 2017.
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