More than 700 turned out to see indie five-piece Suspect Alibi put on an epic show in front of a panel of judges made up of industry professionals, including Jake Bugg‘s Manager Jason Hart; Nottingham Post Entertainments Editor Simon Wilson and our Head of Festivals Ali McLean and Promotions Director Anton Lockwood.
Sam Nahirny, Nusic, said: “Suspect Alibi‘s anthemic indie-rock had people going crazy, with people singing their songs back to them at very loud volumes. They also kicked off one of the biggest mosh pits FSN had ever seen.”
The voting by the judging panel – which also included BBC Radio Nottingham‘s Mark Dennison; Drowned in Sound‘s Dom Gourlay and Confetti founder Craig Chettle – and the live audience saw Suspect Alibi take the crown with acoustic soft folk of singer Ellie Keegan earning her second place and the indie-pop delivered with a dark twist by Josh Wheatley coming in third.
FSN Judge and LeftLion editor Ali Emm said: “A great show, it was no easy task having to decide between the six acts – all of them took to Rock City‘s main stage like ducks to water. The crowd were loving every minute of the night, and from the way that Suspect Alibi had them in the palm of their hands during their set, it came as no surprise that they were the band that came out as the overall winners of the night.”
Fresh from their winning set, Suspect Alibi said: “The FSN final was ridiculous. We’ve been buying tickets for gigs at Rock City since we were old enough, but never did we think we’d get to play on the same stage as all our favourite artists. The whole experience was amazing. Hanging around backstage was the most nervous we’ve been, knowing what a great platform for us it was.
“The audience responded really well to our songs and we’re just so grateful for the opportunity. It’s testament to the work Nusic has put in to the Nottingham scene that there was such a good turnout, and the atmosphere was great. Also, the standard of the other artists was so high, we feel like we have cheated. They were incredible, any of them could have won and all five I’m sure will be on big festival stages in the future.”
Sam added: “All acts put on great performances. Cheshire & The Cat kicked things off with high-energy Jazz and great dance moves, As December Falls were bouncing around the stage like crazy to their super catchy Pop-Punk, Josh Wheatley showcased his new sound – which warmed plenty of souls in the crowd. Ellie Keegan stunned solo with just a guitar and loop pedal to accompany her, and The Chase hit the crowd (in a good way) with an epic wall of sound.”
Suspect Alibi will now join Splendour’s impressive roster of Nottingham talent, with debuts from The Swiines, Eyre Llew, Daudi Matsiko, Molly & Jack, RJMarks and Cedric Peters this summer. As well as a strong showing on the Acoustic Rooms stage, local musicians Ferocious Dog, Keto, Georgie and last year’s FSN winner, Joy Mumford, will also take to the stage on 18th July.
Recently added to the Splendour bill fresh from playing Dot to Dot Festival are Pierce Brothers, the twins who started busking on the streets of Melbourne and are now selling out concerts around the world. Multi-instrumentalists Jack and Pat have graced the stage of many major festivals across Europe and Australia and with deals freshly inked with Warner Music Australia, Sony/RCA Benelux and UK’s Free Trade Agency, things are set to really explode for Melbourne’s favourite sons.
Also added to the line-up, Martin Luke Brown, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist who has been writing music since his early teens, and soon earned attention from the wider world for his song ‘Nostalgia’. Equally adept at delivering gritty impassioned soul as folk-infused falsetto, ‘Nostalgia’ shows Martin Luke Brown to be a troubadour with an organic Sixties–inspired vintage sound.
Championed by BBC Introducing, the Leicester lad’s support from BBC Introducing in the East Midlands filtered through to Radio 1 with Greg James, Fearne Cotton, Huw Stephens and Zane Lowe all giving Martin some airplay.
The new additions join the bill headlined by two-tone legends The Specials, indie rockers James and Bananarama with support from pop rockers Lawson, MOBO award-winning rapper Roots Manuva and bands To Kill a King and Amber Run.
Tickets for Splendour start at just £20. To get the latest line-up announcements and festival updates go to www.splendourfestival.com or like www.facebook.com/splendourfestivalUK or follow @splendourfest.