The Eden Festival - The Bucket List

With the countdown to Eden 2015 well and truly started it is time to give you the itsaxxxxthing/NHC Music top ten of acts to catch.

So in time honoured tradition it gives me great pleasure to announce in no particular order.

1- Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5.

With a new material on the cards, and a groundswell of support growing rapidly, it seems very obvious that the band is on the cusp of greater things.

With a recent successful outing at Liverpool Sound City festival - and then the headlining of an event to support the reopening of the Clutha in Glasgow - the band has deservedly secured a place on the lips of everyone from garden variety music loving punters to the industry movers and shakers.

And with all the plaudits flying in their direction fuelling their desires it seems safe to say that right now is going to be the optimum moment to catch them.

Sometimes some of us can be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and in hindsight say ‘I was there’.

This is your opportunity to be that bar room bore lording it over lesser mortals whose only claim to fame was serving a failed x-factor wannabe star a burger as they went through the drive-through on their way to the bar mitzvah they are booked to play.

Don’t miss it.

I've said it time and time again, but if a mad scientist stitched together the perfect festival band then the end result would be Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5.

2 - Grandmaster Flash

Terms like pioneer, legend, and icon don’t sit comfortably on the shoulders of many, but some people seem to have no problem at all in carrying the weight of them around.

Joseph Saddler aka Grandmaster Flash is one such person.

Just think about this for a moment.

When you wake up in the morning you’re not Grandmaster Flash and never will be, but he is and always will be.

A pretty depressing thought for everyone except him.

I'm not going to hold it against him though.

3 - Son of Dave

With a stomping foot and a harmonica he will change your life.

Or at the very least make you wonder why music channels on the television prefer to play wall to wall equivalents of acts modelled on the Stepford Wives rather than explore the fringes where genius wrestles with madness.

4 - The Skints

There was a period of time when I don’t think a month went past that I didn't see The Skints.

They could have been on tour with The King Blues, or belting out their skanking tunes in a basement club, but looking back I don’t recall ever losing the buzz through familiarity.

With every set the blasted through I left exhilarated and looking to spread the love.

It’s been a while, but their participation in the Eden line up is still something that sends a thrill running down my spine to my feet and lordy there go my feet to tapping.

5 - Mickey 9s

Along with Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 they are another of the many Yellow Movement bands who promote worshiping at the alter of the gods of Good Times.

You want the funk then they are bringing the funk.

Best bit is that they aren't looking to rip off the bands of yesteryear, but instead are striking forth to bring the funk into uncharted territories.

Once seen, never forgotten.

6 - Papa Shandy and the Drams.

My one and only introduction to Papa Shandy was when I ventured out on my own to a rally in George Square and found myself feeling a tad discombobulated as they ran through a celtic tinged homage to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

I was the proverbial porker in the excrement.

Lost on the moment I swore that I would make it my mission in life to dance drunkenly with rum in hand at a festival they were appearing at.

My time has come.

7 - Anton & The Colts

Friends raved and I didn't listen.

They raved again and I partially listened.

When they raved for a third time I bought their ep and listened.

Then I raved about them and no one listened.

Then I raved about them again and some people listened.

Now I am raving about them and you better listen.

Even better was when I caught them playing two sets in the one day.

The first was an acoustic session, and then the second a full on electric experience.

Since then their CD has never been far from my stereo tray.

8 - Black Cat Bone

Scottish bands have never been reticent about getting down and dirty with the blues, and strangely enough can very often give their US counterparts a solid run for their money.

It must be something in the whisky.

Or maybe that’s just what Black Cat Bone would say.

None the less you couldn't argue that they aren't doing it in fine style.

Expect to hear more about them as the year progresses.

9 - Trongate Rum Riots

Say the name slowly.

Think about what it conjures up in your mind.

You got it.

The name encapsulates exactly what they are all about.

Drunken sea shanties, drunken dancing, drunken singalongs, drunken……..okay, you get the picture.

10 – Feet ‘O’ Clay

Rising phoenix like from the ashes of the manc brit pop sound Feet of Clay make you feel unashamed at owning an Oasis album as you grudgingly have to accept if it wasn't for the mono-browed plagiarists of the mop top four this magnificent band wouldn't have had a springboard to jump off from.

The lazy buggers don't have a video, but like the rest click on the name and check out their facebook page. 

The above ten acts are on 'my' Eden bucket list for this year, but they are not the only ones.

While going through the line up I was like a magpie snatching at the glittering diamonds of talent that are littered throughout.

It was hard enough whittling the list down to ten and if I was to start afresh I am sure that some would be dropped only to be replaced by other equally talented buggers that deserve a mention.

Alas my self imposed ten will have to stay as it is, but do feel free to drop in recommendations in the comments of what your top ten list currently is.