Blow Your Mind
SixNationState must be one of the hardest working bands around at the moment, they seem to be permanently on tour and arrive at Guilfest fresh from the previous evening's Lamer Tree Festival. Well I say fresh but as they pile out of the van they tell me their lighting tech managed to puke all over the drummer on the way here! It's all rock and roll though and they take it in their stride, even the lighting tech is looking remarkably chipper.
The reason SixNationState work is because they present a whole package rather than just relying on the music. The stage show is excellent and amusing, as is the interaction with the crowd and it all backs up the songs perfectly. The tunes themselves tend to be upbeat, fairly fast indie with a good time vibe. The guitars sound big, the harmonies polished and the songs are littered with hooks and surprises. 'Taking Me Over', 'So Long'. 'I Hate the Summer' and 'Everybody Wants to be My Friend' follow each other in quick succession and the crowd really warm to them, giving a rousing reaction after each song.
They repeat the cute piece of choreography that we saw them do earlier in the year with Jerry and Rich playing off Neil and John in a well rehearsed routine. The speedy ska feel of 'Up & Down' impresses and gives the crowd some excellent opportunities to sing along. By the end of the set you can't help but feel that SixNationState are everything a band should be, they're good fun, good to watch and the songs are great! What more do you need?