Review: Monuments and Melodies all-dayer at Rough Trade

Rough Trade Nottingham’s upstairs venue has hosted a staggering number of incredible acts over the years: the walls are covered with far too many band and artist names to count. Despite that impressive legacy, this year’s Monuments & Melodies Festival promised a “musical odyssey that pushes boundaries and sets a new standard.” Such a task seems impossibly difficult, but Rough Trade did its absolute best.

The event started slightly later than planned due to some small technical issues, though by the time doors opened, these had clearly been ironed out— throughout the entire 10-hour gig, the live mix was consistently excellent, bringing out the best of each act. The acoustic guitar playing and willowy vocals of opening performer Jemma Johnson had both been captured beautifully, ringing out across the venue with a bright and luscious sound, and her playing was no less enthralling.

Johnson’s sound is very stripped back, throwing out any pedals or backing musicians in favour of a highly intimate atmosphere. Her voice was in top form throughout the set, ranging between breathy lows, gentle falsettos and powerful belting with the confidence of an experienced performer, and her guitar playing, while understated, fit the mood beautifully. Many of Johnson’s songs took on a slower and more vulnerable atmosphere as she told stories of the personal events that had inspired many of her more impassioned lyrics: Let It Go was the undeniable highlight of the performance as Jemma sang about mental health during the pandemic in a dazzling display of emotion. 

Despite this, the singer was remarkably upbeat and charming between songs, engaging in a number of jokes with the crowd despite a fairly low turnout so early in the day. Her more energetic tracks, such as the romantic Sing It With Me, also went down well, rounding out the set nicely.

Johnson’s sound is hardly a reinvention from her indie roots, and her set was perhaps one of the less memorable of the day as a result: that’s not to downplay the quality of her performance, however, which was a gentle and inviting beginning to the festival.

The acoustic performances continued with the Herron Brothers, who’s antics couldn’t even be confined to their set as they began to joke around during the soundcheck. The duo were undeniably charming, with numerous skits between songs being flat out hilarious— the pair have a remarkable chemistry that makes them a joy to watch.

Their music was similarly upbeat and jovial, with the opening song Going Down The Plughole being an energetic romp with plenty of catchy moments (though the track’s real meaning is apparently somewhat darker than it appears). The Herron Brothers’ singing was a clear match for their mood: neither are show-stopping vocalists, but they suit their particularly brand of indie / country and harmonise well with one another. Their guitar playing was, unfortunately, somewhat less enjoyable as the pair proceeded to strum their instruments with an unnecessary amount of force, leading to a needlessly harsh and brittle sound.

Tracks such as the bouncy Ideology were brought down as the guitars were clearly pushed to their limits, though it was obvious that the crowd was still enjoying cheeky cuts such as Sticky Toffee Pudding or Tall Doors. The most memorable moment of all, however, came in the second half of the set, when the Herron Brothers had fun jamming on some unreleased (and unrehearsed) ideas: the duo were clearly have a blast, debuting a number of groovy country-infused riffs and bizarre lyrics. The pair’s greatest appeal is clearly in their on-stage antics and brilliant chemistry. They’re a great choice to see live, even if some listeners may not find themselves drawn to their studio output afterwards.

Next up to bat were rising talents Set In Motion, bringing their unique brand of indie rock into the fold. The soundstage was incredibly impressive, with the bass and drums cutting through a sea of delicate guitars to create a well-balanced mix: the four-piece act was only formed this year but the members have clearly settled in together with confidence, playing off of one another in a commendably professional manner. Frontman Alfie Wallace’s voice is perfectly suited to this style of alternative music, selling the chorus of a track like Flying Too High expertly, and Dillan Telford’s guitar solos, while understated, were the cherry on top of a stunningly well-executed package. The group’s setlist was also excellent, running through a number of the band’s singles that are primed to take advantage of the rise of indie rock.

Closing on their breakout hit Break Free was surely the right choice with the song’s anthemic chorus and memorable lead guitar lines standing out as a climactic moment of the festival thus far. It was also wonderful to see so many bands debuting new material across the day— Set In Motion’s new track fit in well, using its infectious drum grooves to great effect. Performances like this make it easy to see why the group are such a rising star in the alt scene. Between their impeccable soundstage, tight performances and memorable songs, the four-piece are primed for success, and are definitely a band you should have on your radar moving forward.

Bringing things back to a more intimate atmosphere were True Affection. Settling into a much darker and moodier take on indie music than had come before, the pair explored themes of heartbreak and womanhood using just a pair of guitars and harmonised singing— the combination of richer and bolder vocals against more hushed tones created a strong chemistry between the duo. Tracks such as Wayfaring Woman or Kill Me With Kisses were far more serious and harrowing than anything previous but were nonetheless engaging— the pair had clearly put a lot of thought into their lyrics, with the line “I break my heart better than anyone else” standing out as a prime example of their intended sound.

Unfortunately, True Affection’s underscoring was less impressive, with songs such as In The Blues feeling rather empty as the muted guitars felt rather thin and insubstantial. Many tracks could feel a little directionless, resulting in a drop in the crowd’s energy, and the infrequent inclusion of a tambourine did little to solve the issue. Thankfully, the pair admitted later in the set that they had been working on securing a backing band, which is surely the right decision for the group: with a greater variety of instruments and musical voices in the picture, many of these tracks could grow and evolve into highly memorable and touching experiences.

As it stood, however, the duo’s performance was one of the slightly less exciting of the entire festival, despite their clear passion and emotion throughout.

No! Disco brought the festival’s energy back up in a flash as they set up their own banner before launching into a fun indie rock setlist. The band announced it to be their first show in more than seven years and were clearly have the time of their lives up on stage again, laughing amongst themselves the entire time— they also brought the biggest crowd thus far, who were keen to dive into their carefree sound.

Their opening songs were delightfully punchy, dialling in a crisp drum sound that inspired the crowd to clap along, and though the bass was initially lost in the mix, it was quickly brought up and only added to the momentum of everything. All three members of the band contributed vocals throughout the set, though none particularly stood out: the greater appeal of the band was their atmosphere, clearly have a blast playing for a number of family and friends in the audience.

The group had a number of fun and energetic songs to perform, including a variety of punchy grooves that had the venue buzzing, but ended up as a slightly less memorable performance than other similar sounding bands on the day. Even still, the band did a great job getting everyone on their feet, and it’s wonderful to see them come back after such a hiatus.

From here on out, the crowd was a perfect size to comfortably fill the venue, ensuring the energy would stay high for the rest of the event. Joey Collins and the Bushido Code took full advantage, providing a detailed and powerful performance that had the entire audience engaged.

The band’s opening track was full of gorgeous clean guitar melodies and some excellent drumming, settling into a muted but still rock-infused soundscape: the titular Collins (who organised the festival) was absolutely in his element, displaying an impressive vocal range, and the ending guitar solo was a perfect close to the song. From here, the band only continued to build on these sounds on Shame, which introduced some brighter and more melodic passages while remaining infused with an indie/grunge energy. The band’s sound was stylishly held back, almost like it was being heard underwater (to great effect), but they were able to crescendo nonetheless in the almost funky grooves of Fade Out or the anthemic riff of Hollow. The lead guitar parts, while not too technical, were a perfect fit for the band’s mood and often carried each track to a satisfying, if a little abrupt, ending.

As for the set as a whole, a persist chant for “one more song” led to an encore performance— a live debut at that! The track was one of the more memorable of the set, centring itself around some beautiful, slow-moving melodies that the group built up to impossible heights. Joey Collins and the Bushido Code deserved to pull as big of a crowd as they did, and stood as the most impressive act so far: if you liked Set In Motion, be sure to check these guys out as well.

The venue was buzzing at this point, packed full with a crowd eager for more energetic music: as Dorothy Ella took to the stage wearing heart-shaped sunglasses, it looked like those prayers would be answered swiftly. Ripping through an energetic funk setlist, the band were absolutely locked in from start to finish, keeping the entire show lighthearted and fun. Ella was a treat to watch, coming into the audience frequently and providing a dazzlingly confident vocal performance. Her band was similarly talented, with the group’s bassist laying down a plethora of infectious grooves that carried the entire performance forward. Fun cuts such as Do You Still Lie? (Probably) had the entire crowd engaged, singing along in a manner we hadn’t seen so far in the festival. Ella and co. also employed a number of minimal dance routines throughout the set, which were cheesy no doubt, but so understated and in keeping with the performance’s tone as to only enhance the experience.

As with Joey Collins, the band were begged for an encore song by the entire crowd and answered by launching into a particularly funky cover of Jamelia’s Superstar; it was an excellent end to an incredibly tight and energetic performance, and was certainly one of the best of the entire event. If one had to nitpick, the band’s backing vocalist and guitarist (both of whom appeared to be extremely talented) were somewhat underutilised, relegated to a cramped corner of the stage. The point is extremely minor, however, and it’s hard to argue that Dorothy Ella didn’t rock at Rough Trade Nottingham.

Given the persist high energy in the crowd, you might think that a solo acoustic performer would have an uphill climb to stand out at this point in the event: the fact that Dom Malin went down as one of the most celebrated acts of the day despite this is a testament to his clear talent and dedication to his craft.

Malin’s set-up appeared simple as a solo performer with an acoustic guitar. His brand of indie music was touching, showcasing a pleasing vocal style as well as some lovely chord progressions— tracks such as ‘Overgrown,’ with guitar passages reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, were fantastic inclusions. This was only a taste of what was to come, however, as Malin would soon begin to loop certain elements live, layering up several tracks as if there were an entire band behind him. Take the closing Can’t Say for example, in which Malin proceeded to loop multiple guitar riffs and vocal harmonies over themselves into a dizzying crescendo before dropping everything out all at once in a truly powerful moment.

Malin pulled a similar trick on the show-stopping Hurricane, which brought his performance to new heights of volume, as well as of emotion— the track took a couple of tries to begin successfully but was absolutely worth the wait, delivering the most emotive moment of the entire festival. The performance absolutely flew by, which is surely a testament to the incredible time the audience was happening, and numerous members of the crowd were already excited to see him again soon.

Returning to a somewhat more energetic sound was Jonny Olley, who brought another take on indie rock to the mix. The opening cut Wilderness was a touching acoustic guitar ballad showcasing frontman Olley’s impassioned vocal style, though it wasn’t until The Overwhelmed that the entire band had the chance to shine. Using a keyboard to bolster many tracks was an inspired decision that set the group apart from others we’d seen that day, leading to a number of delightful chord progressions and solos— the drummer and bassist were similarly locked in, although the bass was somewhat lost in the mix behind Olley’s guitar playing.

Regardless, the set was a pleasant romp from start to finish, transitioning between catchier tracks like the crowd-pleasing Change and softer cuts effortlessly. The standout track, Daisy, was saved for the finale, where Olley had the whole crowd singing along to a memorable melodic phrase. At this stage in the event, it was hard for another indie rock band to really stand out— regardless, the band put on a great show, only further cementing the festival as a great event to be at.

Winding down the event was Jimmy Knows, who had swapped set times with Jonny Olley. The band took an unfortunate amount of time to get set up due to some technical issues, finally launching into the set at just past 10pm. Regardless, the group’s music was a nice call-back to a lot of what we’d heard previously throughout Monuments & Melodies, acting as a great chance to reflect on the amazing acts that played across the day.

As another indie rock band, Jimmy Knows and co. fell into some familiar tropes across their setlist— they did, however, go in a more garage rock direction at times, bringing in some crunchier guitar tones to make their opening songs really pop. The band weren’t quite as engaging as previous acts with some self-deprecating jokes and vocal deliveries failing to land, but the festival was a great experience nonetheless. As Knows pulled out an acoustic guitar in the second half of the set, acting as a great call-back to previous acts, it served as a reminder of all the great music we’d heard throughout the day, capping off the event nicely.

With so much experience under their belt, Rough Trade Nottingham know how to put on a great show. Across an 11-hour day, the audience had the chance to sample the talents of a wide array of impressive talents, enjoying indie, rock, funk and more in one delightful package. Acts including Set In Motion, Joey Collins and the Bushido Code, Dorothy Ella, Dom Malin and more should be exceedingly proud of the exceptional performances they gave, and every audience member was seen having a great time throughout.

All in all, Monuments & Melodies Festival was a triumph, showing that the future of local live music is very bright indeed.

Monuments & Melodies was organised by Joey Collins. It took place at Rough Trade Nottingham on 22nd June 2024.

Rough Trade Nottingham / @joeycollinsuk