The Belle Game took the main stage just after 5 p.m. to a tiny crowd. A few dedicated fans were standing at the rails and the rest of the audience was spread throughout the grass. I got the feeling they were presumably there for other acts later in the evening.
And when the band started playing, it was a bit of a disappointment. While The Belle Game aims for an orchestral dark pop feel, the sound they produced was muddled.
Two guitars, a bass, drums, synths and a lead singer were not in sync. They played over top of one another. The dynamic shifts which are necessary for layered music to work never happened. The second guitar could hardly be heard. The rhythm section was alright, except for having the same mistake happen three times when trying to start a song.
The band awkwardly acknowledged their difficulty with the track but insisted to keep going at it. This is admirable, but festivals have small sets, and to waste any of your precious time restarting a song over and over is bad.
The Belle Game takes heavy inspiration from bands like Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire. Unfortunately, they are unable to do what either of these bands do well live, which is balancing all the noise they present on stage.
The performance was flat, and awkward. Most of the audience was chatting with their friends sitting beside them, eating, or running off to get beer. The Belle Game have potential. This was clear with their closing tune “Wait Up For You,” their first single from their newest album. This was the only song that stood out from the rest of their lacklustre set.
Before embarking on a larger fall tour, The Belle Game needs to take some time to refine their live show otherwise any good buzz from their album will be sapped and music fans will be on to the next band.
The next band to take the main stage was Hey Ocean!, a funky pop band with a big personality. This Vancouver-based five-piece takes inspiration from the sea, travel, and love.
Lead singer Ashleigh Ball sings and plays flute and looks like she is having the time of her life. Her energy infects the rest of her band who dance and goof around on stage. This was evident near the end of the set where the entire band started playing on one drum kit, backed away, and allowed for cool solos. The drummer and bassists took turns leaning over each other, battling for the kit. This is a band that knows how to have fun.
The audience was much larger than The Belle Game before them. Hey Ocean! easily drew over 1,500 people, with a mix of fans new and old singing along with the band. When prompted, the audience was even happy to make horn noises and dance.
Their set featured a mix of their material, both old and new, with the emphasis on their latest release IS. Hey Ocean!’s second-last song was a great cover of Arcade Fire’s “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains).” They managed to take the song and turn it into their own without stripping away what makes it beautiful. Overall a wonderful, fun time that put smiles on the entire crowd.
The Sheepdogs took over the side stage within five minutes of Hey Ocean! wrapping up and it was packed. The Sheepdogs have accumulated a large following around the world, but Ottawa has been especially kind and dedicated to them. Last night’s show was no exception. The crowd was alive with enthusiasm.
The Sheepdogs sound like the best of ’70s rock ‘n’ roll distilled down to its core. They manage to package this sound while being authentic and progressive. Like Hey Ocean! before them it was clear they were having a great time on stage. They make rocking look effortless.
Their live rendition of “Learn & Burn” stretched past the seven-minute mark but never dragged. Great solos from everyone in the band and a surprise appearance of a trombone made my night. This is band that is comfortable and uses that security to take risks.
Rain started coming down half way into their set but it didn’t stop the band or any of the fans. Singing, whooping and hollering was constant. The din of the crowd did not hit Kendrick Lamar levels, but it was the next best thing at the festival. The Sheepdogs are one of the best rock bands out there right now—their live show might even make them the best.
