Tortoise Shout - Indietracks

The night before, me and Robbie were sat in a train carriage, drinking local ales, and talking crap, flyers had been left on the tables for n act playing on the Saturday afternoon. Quite a neat marketing trick, advertising an individual set at the festival. The flyer had a photo of two women, presumably from the band, and there was small print about an album, Robbie had heard of the producer. Anyhoo, I read out aloud the name of the band.

A girl from the band materialised in front our table, "Thats us" she cried, "Crikey!" I replied. Anyhoo, we assured her that we'd go to the show, Robbie asked about the producer chap, and I asked what the band, Tortoise Shout, what they sounded like.

"We don't sound like anyone else." was the reply.

Having seen them play, I think a more accurate response would be that they sound just like two women with acoustic guitars.

At the start of their set on the main stage at Indietracks the drummer hadn't turned up, so they pleaded with the audience asking if there were any drummers who could cover for them.

Earlier, on the outdoor stage, the Town Bike set had been quite emotional cos their drummer Charlie was leaving the band, leaving the country too, Indietracks was his last gig. I can only imagine Town Bike were stood at the side when Tortoise Shout were on, they were chatting about the wonderful times they'd had together, the crazy adventure, that time they taped flyers to stray dogs, that time they surfed buses on the was home from a show, etc, and this reminiscing is interrupted by the drummer's call.

So Charlie's on stage with Tortoise Shout, just providing fills and timing, and he's doing a good job of it. The rest of the music was pants, sounded to me like bog standard girls with acoustic guitars sound.

Maybe that's harsh and they're victims of circumstance, Tortoise Shout were playing in the Twist and Spout acoustic tent thing the next day and they sounded a little better, more relaxed, at a pinch I'd say it was Jennifer Warnes-style music. If you like that sort of thing, then Tortoise Shout might wet your whistle.

About two songs from the end of the set on the main stage, the proper drummer turns up. I was quite looking forward to a fight, they they all seemed quite friendly in setting up the the snare and the usurper returning to bubblegum family.

For the final song, they handed out kazoos to the audience, marched a dozen folk onto the stage and made them join in with bits of the chorus. A rather jolly shambles.


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