Buses, churches and silenced rooms: Day two at Left of the Dial 2025
On day two of Left of the Dial, everyone opens their curtains to relative sunshine.
Storm Benjamin, now somewhat ceasing, is part of the reason for high spirits, but the majority share lies with the festival itself. On the second day, the reason why this Rotterdam festival is so beloved becomes crystal clear.
The first hint of that clarity is partially revealed when I learn that all weekend, artists drink for free. There’s an open bar for them to flock to – so it’s really no wonder that cash-strapped up-and-comers everywhere talk about how much they love the event.
However, it of course runs deeper than that. Bands are also put up in accommodation and fed well. They’re incredibly well looked after in a way that the UK music scene seemingly would never dare to deliver. With their basic needs met, the artists are feeling good, and that atmosphere radiates through every venue.
But it also seems to shine through every attendee and, once again, it all comes down to the festival itself as Left of the Dial prides itself on doing things differently. They’re not a team that plays it straight, as, overwhelmingly, the joy on day two comes from instances of outright silliness from buses to hymn sessions.
YAANG take on a balance challenge
The day begins with a very simple concept that feels like it shouldn’t be legal: YAANG, a Manchester band, were playing live on a bus, and that bus was driving around the city. The name of the game is less about enjoying the music and more about a challenge of balance, or even a challenge of survival, as the band and their crowd face speed bumps, roundabouts, and all get to know each other intimately well as people stumble and fall in a melee of contact.
YAANG are joyously falling apart, too. Their guitarist, Ollie, always seems to retain balance for a single verse before stumbling back, collapsing into his seat at every sharp corner. The singer, Davey, gets lucky as he spends the set holding onto the bar like a regular commuter, all while dancing as we pass by bewildered shoppers.
Miraculously, they sound great. Left of the Dial not only pulled off a great time via a borderline stupid concept, but they also managed to make the sound quality on that bus rival any static venue. It’s the perfect example of the type of event this is, which is one that truly cares about the experience of all involved, getting both the band and ticketholders in on something fun, but also ensuring it’s still a place where artists can shine. In tough times, this triumph of daftness feels vital.
A pause for hymns
After that good energy, we kept it going, seeking out more wholesome laughs at what was dubbed a hangover singalong. Shuffling into the pews of a church, anyone who wandered in was handed a hymn book, and then the music began: “Turn around, bright eyes,” the congregation sang, all in unison.
Plenty of bands are also in attendance, revelling in festivities between sets. We sing our way through rock classics before being handed festival-branded cowboy hats and ordered to put them on as we turn a little country with some Johnny Cash. Around town all day, people wear those hats with pride. It’s the sort of moment that feels like a fever dream as I recall the grandeur of Paradijskerk contrasted with the not-so-grandiose sound of my weak vocals – but it’s also the sort of moment that sticks in the mind and will stay there as a highlight.
Pollyfromthedirt silences the Arminius
If you’re an artist from Darlington making genre-less alternative music, the chances of playing a 19th-century church are slim, but Left of the Dial can make it happen.
Contrasting his sample-laced, gentle electro sound with the looming architecture of the Arminius, Pollyfromthedirt silenced the room. There was the sense that people were really, properly listening, especially as the artist dedicated tracks to friends back home or started touching on topics of grief.
Swaying between the political and the deeply and poignantly personal, it was a set that caught people off guard following the frivolity of the morning. I knew it would be good, but I didn’t expect it to feel so emotional as Polly sang of my own hometown while we were both hundreds and hundreds of miles from it.
Junk Drawer wear many hats
During Junk Drawer’s set, the guitarist moved from his post to the drums and then to bass. As someone with no musical talent at all, seeing one person hog it like that makes me at once both utterly jealous and completely awestruck.
Pair that display of skill with the hooking sound of math rock meets indie pop, and the result is that the Belfast band also became winners of the day with the whole smoke-smothered room swaying, making it clear that Ireland’s stronghold on music at the moment isn’t loosening with quality this high.
Piss live up to the whispers
All weekend, and for weeks before, there has been one clear name discussed as the ultimate must-see of the festival: Piss. The Canadian band have the crowd captured in a way that reminds you how powerful word of mouth is. Every person I talk to tells me to go see them, and every other band raves about them. From what I’ve heard, this is an act to dedicate yourself to.
Left of the Dial proved massively impressive in my estimation when they put out a trigger warning about the band, informing people in advance about the group’s content being emotionally intense, dealing viscerally with sexual violence. Their singer, Taylor Zantingh, echoes that warning before they even begin, explaining a system where if anyone, at any time, needs to leave, they should raise their hand and the crowd needs to part for them.
It’s hard to even really know what to say about Piss. I could write 1000s of words on my experience, leaning against a wall with my hand on my heart, feeling it. Backed by the thrashing punk of the band, it all somehow fades as I locked in on what Zantingh was saying.
“Violence against one woman creates an atmosphere of threat against all women,” played on repeat in my mind hours after the show. I join the masses, telling everyone I meet what they must go see them.
Honest Work – Somebody has to do it
Once again, it’s proven that the best plan at Left of the Dial is no plan at all. Instead, simply follow a stranger turned new friend around the corner to one of the other many, many venues and trust their recommendation.
In this case, it was Honest Work at Club Centraal. Despite their debut single, ‘Horses For Meat’, only dropping a few days ago, they feel like a polished force. From the energy of their crowd, which seemed to collapse into one giant mosh pit, you’d think that the band have been going for years, slaving away to build a following that is dedicated and locked in. Instead, it’s just a strong reminder of the power of a good band with good songs filled with good energy, mimicking the festival’s ethos.
