Wednesday 5 February 2014

Gig Review: The FactorY Festival 2014


The youngest, loveliest, craziest event in Northampton's calendar - it's The Y Factor

Hey good looking,

I'd like to begin by apologising for my slight tardiness with this article. But isn't that one of the many beautiful things about music: it has no expiry date. Still, as a celebration of young local musicians aged 25 and under, it'd be preferable to have this up before the acts reach their mid-sixties.

Speaking of not getting any younger, I should probably get cracking with this 'ere write up. Twas the eve of Saturday 18th January, the fantastic folk of The Y Factor had organised a whopping twenty-one talented young acts to perform and compete over three different stages, and in the words of The Four Seasons' mid-70s classic: oh what a night!


The Y Factor festival is without a doubt one of my favourite events of the year. I love it!

Where else can you wander out of one room - your mind brimming with the heartfelt poetry of a stunning singer-songwriter - and end up accidentally meandering slap bang into the centre of a raging heavy metal mosh pit? And having battled through the crowds of frenzied gyrators where else can you suddenly arrive in a dank, seedy backroom listening to a Gothic country singer?

Both us in the crowd and them on stage had an amazing time enjoying ourselves (trust me it's so much more fun than being snide and judgemental, you should try it some time) and, even with the competitive edge, I doubt anyone could have been any friendlier if they'd tried.

One of the very youngest artists of the night

However if you thought The FactorY was merely a showcase of talent then I'm afraid to say you're very wrong indeed. The Y Factor is, first and foremost, a competition. And this was their semi-final.

Worry not, there's no sabotaging of sets or yanking out opponents' hair (or at least if there is it's all very much behind the scenes) but, with previous winners including globe-trotter Billy Lockett and the mesmerising Scott Booth, merely being selected for the final from a such brilliant bunch of "rivals" is a real achievement to be proud of.

22nd March is the date for your diary, and despite having seen all eight of the acts before I would still absolutely hate to have to call it.

Nevertheless it's going to be a spectacular evening. Bring on the final!


Click here to find out what all the acts that I managed to talk to had to say about themselves in thirty seconds. Or don't, I'm not really all that fussed.

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