I wish she was a punk rocker too
Being perfect Radio 2 fodder, Sandi Thom is an ideal Guilfest main stage artist.
She drew a healthy sized crowd; doubtless plenty coming in search of her number 1 smash 'I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker'.
Anyone who doesn't own or isn't familiar with her debut album 'Smile, It Confuses People' had to wait through half an hour of tracks they didn't know, before the two singles were played at the end of the set.
Sandi Thom has a fine voice on her, and her brand of rock that mixes pop and folk elements is at times enjoyable in a laid back, easy on the ear way. However all too quickly it becomes clear that there is a lack of real grab factor to her music and the atmosphere did see a noticeable lull midway through the set.
When it came the 'Punk Rocker' song was impressive to watch, as much for the reaction and audience participation it generated. The song itself is already fairly stripped down, with a large amount of it being played either with Thom singing unaccompanied or with just drums as backing.
For me her strongest song is the follow-up single. 'What If I'm Right?' closed the set, sending the Sandi Thom fans away happy enough with what they got. There would have been plenty though that left still really only remembering the two songs they already knew.