It’s hard to miss Icebreaker Festival, an annual music event held in Portsmouth – a plethora of acts across the heart of the city. But, if like me, you have never been before, it can be a little overwhelming – over 80 acts across a wide range of genres across nearly 12 hours – where to begin?!
Well, the Icebreaker Festival website was the answer to that – the festival is well organised into different venues for different genres, and the Clashfinder tool made it easy to plan out your day. Looking to sample a broad spectrum of what the festival had to offer, I started the day at the Wedgewood Rooms for an “Edge of the Wedge” showing, and a printout of the Clashfinder in hand!
The wide variety of venues across the centre of the city included two stages at the Wedgewood Rooms, Back to the Belgrave, two stages at the Vaults, The Loft, Lord John Russell, The Atrium, two stages at the One Eyed Dog, and the Deco. With the walk end-to-end at under 10 minutes, with a wide range of shops and restaurants, this is not only convenient but also a very cost effective way to enjoy up and coming talent.
The Music
With such a packed bill, it is of course impossible to get around to everyone, and so I chose a selection from a range of venues and genres. To start off the day, I went to an already packed “Edge of the Wedge”, which had kicked off Icebreaker Festival with the “junior” category. Lilly Denyer, who’s single “I Won’t Lie” was featured on the South Coast Music Chart of the Year played to a warm and energised crowd.
Trundling across town, I got ready for an early afternoon of metal. Kicking off, were Embers, with singer Sam climbing around the venue whilst screaming against a backdrop of gnarly riffs. Next up, Common Tongue, local rock duo bringing heavy riffs that seemed considerably more fierce than Royal Blood who they are often compared to. Next up was the Brighton metal heads, Sypha, with small but mighty Alicia Pilling screaming down the now packed venue. Finally, as the outdoor light started to fade, The Monday Smile brough a powerful heavy rock that brought a metaphorical smack in the face that 90s grunge never quite managed.
Ready for a change of pace and some fresh air, I took myself along to the One Eyed Dog, where I caught the second half of Irish folk singer Naomi Campbell on the Tonic Music stage. Her delicate melodic style made us forget that it was mid-winter with a set that felt like a warm summers breeze. On the second stage in the venue, a busy crowd gathered for the incredibly talented Waif & Stray, a four-piece fronted by very charismatic Sam Brawn.
Back on the road and I squeezed into the incredibly packed Vaults, for the return of Submariner. An act that was prevalent in 2017, this was the first gig the band had played in 7 years. Still writing and performing individually, the controlled ambient vibes and wailing riffs kept the room heaving throughout – hopefully this is a start to plenty more from this band of years gone by.
My final stop before a much needed rest at infamous Ken’s Fried Chicken, was where I had started, but this time on the main stage at the Wedgewood rooms. Twin Skeletons are a young band; formed in Bath in 2022, they already have the confidence and precision to be heading up the Wedge with ease. Fans of Paramore and Wolf Alice will love the tone that this female fronted band brings, bringing tracks with a raw aggression that belies a seemingly sweet group of people.
After some of the best chicken nuggets I have had in a long while, I headed back to the Wedgewood Rooms to finish off the night with 5 bands back-to-back between the main stage and the edge of the wedge stage. I joined for some eclectic and joyful post-meal chill from Moon Machine, Southampton’s progressive psychedelic rock band who can’t help but put a smile on everyone’s faces. Next up, Ear Candy returned from their previous year at Icebreaker. Smooth vocals led a pop-indie vibe that occasionally melted into a more grungy alt style. The energy of the band was met by the crowd for plenty of dancing and enjoyment all round.
Mackenzie is a singer songwriter that brings a pop-rock vibe, a new era of rock chicks for those who loved Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson in the noughties but with a very modern indie tone. Friend of Mackenzie, south-east London’s Flo Gallop brought a more pop vibe, with sounds that ranged from Lily Allen to Caity Baser. Extremely catchy, and with an infectious joy, Flo filled the air with catchy lyrics.
Headlining the main stage, and indeed Icebreaker, local indie-pop star Jerry Williams showed us all why she has been rocketing to success over the last few years. Considering the long day of the festival, not a person was flagging, with a full venue dancing in delight.
Looking Back
Icebreaker really is a celebration of local talent, packed full of the best up and coming artists into the best venues Portsmouth has to offer. I can’t really think of better value for money when it comes to live music, extremely well organised by Lizzie, Mike and the team; it’s no wonder the festival was sold out. The only disappointment is that I couldn’t enjoy the day more than once to see more of the incredible acts!
