A small corner of Sheffield: Hutch, Jarred Up and music’s need to support DIY festivals
I stand in the midst of a Hutch set, lost in a pocket of harmony. If I could cut off a corner of a live set and keep it with me forever, I would take a segment of these 30 minutes.
It’s tricky to describe a band like Hutch, so I’ll try by telling you about their final song. It was introduced as a track about snails (or slugs, I apologise, that detail escapes me). Whatever slimy mollusc forms the foundation of this track, what the band manages to build atop is something more beautiful than words can allow. As someone who writes about music for a living, and listens to more than his fair share of it, I don’t for the life of me know how you arrive at a sound like that.
“They’ve been friends for 20 years,” friend and photographer Ele Marchant tells me. Ele is the reason I know who the band is in the first place, and she gives me a brief background to the group during a chat after their set. So, is that the secret to coming across psychedelic harmonies that would make Crosby, Stills & Nash fume with jealous just familiarity and friendship? No, of course not, otherwise my friends and I would be banging out tunes left and right. There is a hidden magic to the quality that this band dispel; I don’t know what it is, and quite frankly, I’m fine never finding out. This is a sound I’m content being a bystander for in the same way I am for different constellations: a lack of understanding doesn’t detract from its beauty but adds to it.
There was something else in the room elevating that performance, though, and it wasn’t just the band’s great music, but all of those who were listening to it. The room was a small space slotted into the corner of Sydney + Matilda in Sheffield, one stage out of three that made up the DIY showcase Jarred Up Festival. For those of you who aren’t in the know with the Sheffield music scene, if you’re ever in the city and want to watch some interesting music, your best bet is any event put together by Jarred Up.
Jarred Up have been putting on events in there for years, and this year the festival felt like their biggest offering yet. The line-up was flooded with quality, as bands such as Do Nothing, Life and Our Girl were all set to play. Even with quite big names, the day felt incredibly grounded, as people were there, ready to experience new music and celebrate the exciting DIY scene across the UK, which continues to expand exponentially.
The two organisers, James Watkins and James Lawson, were interviewed by the local Sheffield magazine, Exposed, where they spoke about their desire to keep shows grounded, despite the line-up getting bigger. “It’s still DIY,” said Watkins, “Still us running around putting bunting up and blowing up balloons, but it feels bigger, more fun. That’s how it should be”.
I would argue, as someone who has had a very love-hate relationship with festivals over the summer, that these smaller DIY festivals are the places to go if you genuinely want to experience music. Watching Hutch in that room was special, not just because they’re a band I like who I finally got to see live, but also because I was watching them with a load of other music lovers, hearing their sound for the first time. Those harmonies don’t have a specific fanbase; anyone with an affinity for sound will latch onto that cinematic tone and hold on for dear life.
This was an experience that transpired throughout the day, from the first acts to the headliners: you had musicians passionate about what they did and fans who were hanging onto every single note. Jarred Up, amongst other DIY organisers, manages to straddle this wonderful line that celebrates great music and revels in the quality of the DIY scene scattered around the country, while continuing to grow bigger and better. I’d take that freezing cold venue in October over half of the summer festivals I ventured this year, both to see great music and be amongst those who want to listen to it.
These are festivals dotting the country, and the moment they’re taken for granted is the moment we run the risk of losing them. There is nothing quite as exciting as great music, played by great musicians, organised by music lovers, and as fans, it’s our responsibility to continue supporting such events.
