The annual Ceremony Pageant held in Bedford has now entered it’s fifth yr. Keith Goldhanger jumps on a practice from Central London to expertise one other spectacular listing of acquainted names which might be performing alongside some extra new acts throughout this continuous day of leisure.
One constructing, two venues, a dozen bands, a flight of stairs and simply over seven hours to cram every thing in is all now we have on our minds immediately. If we need to see as a lot as attainable then journeys to the bathroom, the bar and the small exterior space will must be omitted from our plans.
Not possible after all.
We’ve got buddies to meet up with, bands to meet up with, the pizza on sale exterior smells good and you may’t beat inhaling some cigarette smoke with regards to popping exterior for some ‘contemporary air’.
For some cause or one other the quantity of individuals contained in the bigger of the 2 venues plus these exterior sheltering from the rain beneath the large gazebo arrange for the day doesn’t imply we will’t get contained in the smaller venue. Perhaps everybody isn’t as eager as us to see everybody performing. We get to see a giant chunk of each band enjoying, there’s little or no overlapping of gigs and we nonetheless handle to sit down round exterior within the rain a couple of times. It shouldn’t work but it surely does. Simply because it has executed yearly that we’ve been lucky to attend.
Ceremony 5 supplies us with a couple of bands we’ve caught at earlier occasions not too long ago which might be all somewhat good, plus a few new names we have to get again to as soon as we’ve sat down and heard what the remainder of the music loving public have been listening to while we’ve been…..properly, listening to most of the different bands which might be round for the time being. Lots of people are speaking about lots of bands that lots of us nonetheless haven’t heard but. It isn’t at all times like this and we’re certain this venue had an enormous listing of bands that will have additionally loved enjoying right here in entrance of immediately’s appreciative crowd. If the logistics had been obtainable to host a 24 hour occasion (now there’s an concept) then filling up the schedule wouldn’t have been too tough.
5 bands are showing immediately we should always have been listening to a bit greater than now we have been within the lead up. Bands comparable to Ugly Ozo, and Scorching Stamp who open up the proceedings on every stage had been unknown names earlier than the line up was introduced. Likewise Sandhouse, whose mid afternoon slot appears to be in style with these already on their fifth present of the day. Chloe Slater and Westside Cowboy had been famous as acts to not miss after one other hear on the practice that introduced us right here. Listening to those bands sufficient instances to be acquainted with their music isn’t going to be problematic although, as a result of we already knew from earlier years that these answerable for collating these Ceremony occasions have monitor document in getting it proper.
It takes opening band Ugly Ozo lower than 5 minutes to reward the venue they’re performing inside. All through the day different bands voice related opinions and inform us that that is their first go to to Bedford. Not solely is that this a wonderful venue that native punters take pleasure in visiting. however the bands appear to fall in love with the environment on their first go to too.
Regardless of differing opinions on who gained the Blur v Oasis battle in 1995, one absolutely has to agree a couple of many years later that the bands that we see in 2025 that lean extra in the direction of the previous are at all times going to be extra entertaining to observe than the bands that started with somebody studying how you can play Wonderwall on the sting of their mattress. My First Time, with their commerce mark indie dance drum patterns, sarky lyrics and gung ho method to the way in which their music is delivered are definitely extra Blur-orientated and supply the group in entrance of them with some good old school catchy, thrilling and typically angry-sounding pop songs. It is nonetheless, a little bit of a battle for many people to hitch in with all that crouching down and leaping up stuff sure bands preserve asking us to do these days.
Satisfying Listens appear to show up yearly at Ceremony Pageant and, regardless of one or two witty quips being repeated but once more, it’s one other entertaining show that everybody adores. If Nick Cave had spent his life within the English countryside as a toddler with a pile of Vic Reeves movies subsequent the the telly, he’d haven’t grown up too far faraway from the efficiency Luke Duffett is offering immediately. These songs want repeating time and time once more and everyone knows by now that nobody walks away from Satisfying Listens dissatisfied.
Lots of us have already got tales to inform of magical moments shared since first crossing paths with this duo and can proceed reminding the world that American singer Andy Williams was given a Saturday night time TV present so he might carry out stuff like this within the Nineteen Sixties. Why are this duo not family names but one has to ask? These songs are fabulous and it’s clear that there are nonetheless folks watching this duo for the primary time being completely entertained by what’s being served up. Together with these on the identical invoice in 2025 as Welly, Good Well being Good Wealth and My First Time actually had lots to do with a few of us being right here immediately; all related of their straight confronted method to their particular person performances and conscious of the worth of leisure. That is the usual of leisure that must be allowed to look on prime time TV on Saturday evenings (tright here’ll be a couple of of us right here immediately that quickly gained’t be capable of do anything besides keep dwelling on a Saturday night time to be entertained by way of the TV distant management).
Manchester band Westside Cowboy have attracted a big and impressed crowd with their assortment of songs that at instances silence the entire room earlier than exploding into loud euphoric choruses, reminding us of Teenage Fanclub, Pixies and even The Delgados (whose music wants revisiting someday). The three-way vocals make this an awesome new discover for these of us unfamiliar with their present actions.
Welly, down within the small venue, are magnificent. Nice lyrics, an viewers already warmed up by the same antics of My First Time earlier, and a collection of catchy punk rock, drum machine-driven songs from the band’s Large In The Suburbs album launched earlier this yr. There’s lots of leaping up and down on and off stage happening right here – every band member is including their very own vocals and having as a lot enjoyable as these of us not performing.
The Sultans Of Ping come to thoughts for the primary time in years, and we discover ourselves about to argue with anybody inside arms size who mentions Chas & Dave or The Fall in the identical sentence till we discover their tongue firmly positioned of their cheek. Welly present one other of the day’s highlights throughout what’s already starting to achieve the excessive normal beforehand set at previous Ceremony occasions.
Image Parlour are a band that burst onto the scene two or three years in the past and have since launch a couple of modest radio pleasant singles that appear to sound higher on each hear. Vocalist Katherine Parlour instructions the room with one other magnificent vocal show prepared made for the large venues that absolutely can’t be too distant from accommodating this band regularly.
Our favorite duo Good Well being Good Wealth appear to be gathering extra new buddies every time they seem and immediately is not any completely different. A restrained clubby really feel to the proceedings takes over from the loud guitars and boisterous percussion we’ve been handled to throughout the day. However it’s the tales being instructed that captivate the watching crowd visibly shuffling their toes, waving arms and lifting pints throughout this playful half an hour of melodic dance music. East London’s model of The Streets say some, which isn’t too far off the mark. The dry humour, social commentary, the cool manner of guitarist Simon, sun shades on for the length and the occasional cheeky wink from singer Bruce retains the viewers linked because the songs circulation effortlessly, and make for what’s but once more one other superb efficiency.
From the opening sound of Guinness via to the closing dance beats of Snatch, the London duo win over a Ceremony crowd that we’re certain will get a repeat efficiency someday. Good Well being Good Wealth have a sound that may flip any area into an attractive night time membership (as proved once we noticed them do that in a automobile wash final winter in East London). They make their debut look at Glastonbury this yr, which must be an important day for anybody lucky to be inside earshot. For a short while on a Saturday night in Bedford Good Well being Good Wealth personal it. They’ll proceed this habits in lots of different places across the UK by the look of their actions being mapped out over the following few months, it’s anticipated.
Earlier than persevering with our journey even additional into laid again dance beats supplied by Leeds band Honesty, it’s up the flight of stairs for a glimpse of Manchester-based Chloe Slater directing her anger in the direction of unscrupulous landlords and pleasing anybody within the room who might have missed the alternatives up to now to see bands comparable to Wolf Alice or Moist Leg inside small venues comparable to this. It’s a refreshing new set of indie pop anthems that impress on first hear that we’re experiencing right here, and little doubt that is somebody price returning to once more on the subsequent alternative.
Honesty carry out behind a big sheet displaying some cool graphics and supply these of us with out dancing footwear on some laid again hypnotic beats to shuffle away politely to. The sharp eyed recognise at the least one determine that when supplied vocals for Leeds band Eagulls a couple of years in the past. That is very completely different from the extreme rock music from the earlier decade and one other memorable efficiency that deserves to be seen in a giant subject one night time. Honesty’s debut album U R Right here is already a spotlight of 2025 and immediately’s efficiency offering some ambient, managed, restrained, trippy items of music is one other joyous event.
Gurriers appear to play reveals wherever we’re these days, by no means disappoint and can most likely flip up wherever we’re once more greater than as soon as earlier than the yr is over. The Dublin band thrill this crowd which have now thrown themselves into this closing hour because the band repeat the scenes which were constant every time they play. These songs have folks on the again and the entrance of the venue throwing themselves round as Nausea, Approachable and Dipping Out are performed, alongside at the least one new tune sounding as boisterous and energetic as every thing on the band’s debut Come And See. Following within the footsteps of Fontaines DC and some different fab bands from Dublin approaching from the wings, a few of us are ordering a couple of gallons of no matter is within the water over there in Dublin nowadays.
One can see from merely transferring across the constructing immediately that a lot of our favorite acts handle to incorporate enjoying this venue when touring the UK. We hope, as we learn via the acts on the posters which might be due right here (Yaang, Canned Pineapple, CMAT, Gans…..and these are simply those which have already been talked about on Louder Than Struggle this yr), that these bands get the audiences we really feel they already deserve. Hopefully these rooms are at all times as full as they’re immediately.
Bedford Esquires is the kind of venue that each city within the nation wants and is just an hour from Central London on the practice. But once more, as we go away the constructing a little bit extra that seven hours since coming into it, we’re reminded that the T-shirts above the bar don’t lie.
Bedford Isn’t Shit.
Many due to Kane Howie for offering the pictures and all of the workers and organisers at Bedford Esquires for his or her continued enthusiasm and assist of recent and rising artist we presently have within the UK on the present time.
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Phrases by Keith Goldhanger. Extra writing by Keith on Louder Than Struggle will be discovered at his writer’s archive. It’s also possible to discover Keith on Fb, Instagram and Bluesky