Live Review: Unfun '13

Eight and a half hours might seem like a long day of music, but with 19 bands trying to squeeze into that timeframe, UNFUN '13 could've really done with a couple extra. Although the operation ran incredibly smoothly, the back-to-back playing times meant there was not a single interval between bands, no time for sound checks except during the preceding performance and no time for audience members to go outside, have a smoke and a chat. As a result, bands you'd never before heard of were reserved as being the chance to cop some fresh air, and it was because of this unfortunate situation that acoustic acts Jen Buxton and (to a lesser extent, with his set being at an earlier and less restless point in the day) Glass Fingers suffered the disinterest of audience members – not for their lack of musicianship, rather the unfair disadvantage of demanding far less attention than the remaining heavier actse.

Whilst the quick transitions weren't always effective, there was enough variety on the bill to offer something for everyone, the transitions from one act to the other providing a brief window in which to decide whether this or that particular band was worth sticking around for based on personal taste – but that selective process wasn't always an entirely fair one. Sandwiched between the smoky-voiced, sweet Jen Buxton and melodic hardcore outfit Trophy Eyes was punk-tinged indie outfit Super Best Friends. Being at the centre of that spectrum (both in position and level of sonic intensity) left Super Best Friends performing (undeservedly) to a depleted crowd. The variety across the bill kept things interesting, but, by the same token, made it incredibly difficult to stay attentive throughout the entirety of the event given the jolting nature of the constant changes.

Towards the latter half of the evening, things started to come full circle; the attention given to the first couple of acts was then applied to Corpus, Paper Arms and Endless Heights. That said, there's a high chance this had less to do with their position on the bill and more to do with the fact that each of the aforementioned bands had both a strong following behind them and the musical chops to back it up.

The day was perhaps tricky to navigate and fairly exhausting, but it was also a brilliant showcase of some of the best melodic hardcore and '90s-influenced emo and a really positive atmosphere to be a part of. That last statement rings particularly true thanks to some positive reinforcement from Paper Arms, who reminded the crowd that gender equality is an important part of live music and that shouting “boys” at any given chance (be it jestingly or otherwise) is actually rather alienating for the female attendees.