Threshold Diary Day Three
The third - and final - day of Threshold 2012 brought much make you smile and there was every reason to be slightly sad as the action stopped until next year. But enough of the tears, what did I get up to on this exciting day? How about I tell you!
Ever the early bird I arrived mid afternoon, passing the yarn bombed lamp posts and street furniture that heralded the path to Camp and Furnace, and wended my way through the galleries. Even at this early point you could feel the magic in the air as bands passed me with various instruments, beverages and food to hand. The CALM stage was hosting a Funk Fight, in musical form although a genuine funk fight would have been a entertaining proposition, and there were many people being drawn to Mello Mello’s food stall as the funk battle continued. The Blade Factory Gallery was hosting Showrunners Tv and some excellent things were going on but after watching their performance for a short while I decided to leave the warm surrounds of Camp and Furnace and head down the road to a venue of some repute.
A mere six minutes down the road The Lantern Theatre was due to host a script reading, and I had been looking forward to sampling another aspect to the Threshold experience but it unfortunately wasn’t due to some confusion as I arrived to a quiet scene. But despite this I spent some time in the intimate and stunningly decorated venue that is truly a hidden gem of The Baltic Triangle. Heading back in the direction of Camp and Furnace I headed towards the always surprising Elevator Bar. On this occasion they were hosting a craft fair from Made Here and the bar setting was transformed completely from it’s usual expansive surrounds into a vintage craft paradise where your favourite drink and an art print or pithy quote emblazoned T-shirt could go hand in hand.
One choice item later I was back at Camp and Furnace for the Chai Wallah’s take over of the Liverpool Live Stage that began with John Fairhurst’s distinctively rough edged guitar and in between genre jumping sets from DJ Moneyshot we were treated to the excellent Yes Sir Boss, who got the crowd moving in ways that not even Parliament could manage were they here! My personal highlight though was the voodoo that We The Undersigned worked on the crowd with even more people throwing funky moves than previously, including many in what seems to be the unofficial Threshold 2012 accessory of an unusual hat. (Hint: How about a stall next year?!) There really should be more people in these hats and the band were on that list too, with the sax player attracting many flash lenses over the course of the set.
Elsewhere in the day I caught The Roost’s occupation of the Blade Factory Main Stage with, among others, Antoinette Egan, the completely brilliant Gastric Band’s (self described) ‘Avant folk electro punk’ which included some songs to treasure and one particular song about self-induced vomiting that really was amazing.
My other wanderings lead me briefly to The Brewery Tap where Philosophy in Pubs were bringing their distinctive brand of discussion to Threshold, a bit further down the road where some impressive street art caught my eye and right back to the galleries for a final look around.
And so the final day of Threshold finished and you can’t help but wonder what happened for three days as another reality where spotty walls abound and music lives around every corner faded away into the night. I certainly enjoyed this years Threshold and in whatever form it returns next year you know that it will just as eclectic and full of highlights as ever.
Words and wandering by Sebastian Gahan.
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