Written by Charlie Sweeney and Joey Grindrod
I should probably footnote this whole review with the disclaimer that I work for Jarred Up (but then again, this magazine is called “Jarred Up Magazine”, so if you are surprised by that fact I would worry about your comprehension abilities).
But you know what? Trying to be unbiased is BORING.
Well, maybe only in terms of music journalism.
Maybe only in terms of independent, DIY music journalism.
But disregarding my (admittedly) huge bias, it is undeniable that Shakelines 2023 was an incredible day, a real showcase of the immense music talent that Sheffield has to offer. Despite dreadful weather, it was a marvellous day with some truly fantastic performances, some great food (courtesy of Piper’s Artisan Sausages) and some great beer.
I must admit we started the day badly; a heavy night of drinking at Sidney&Matilda the previous night watching Jarred Up bands Minds Idle and BlackWaters had left us slightly worse for wear, and doomed us to a few hours downing as many pints of water as we could manage. At 1pm, a whole hour before the first act had even come on, the Shakey was already busy. We managed to find a small table to nestle ourselves onto in the corner of their front room whilst we nursed our regret-filled hangovers, savouring every sip of the nectar of the Gods that we were drinking (it was tap water). I was slightly questioning my decision-making at this point; was a day filled with loud music in a pub really the best cure for this hangover?
Yes.
Yes it was.
After we had drunk enough of what was clearly the elixir of life (again, simple tap water in a plastic cup), we made our way upstairs to catch the second act of the day, Bean Weevil. I had already seen Bean Weevil at the Tuned In festival in late June, and they had quickly become one of my favourite acts in Sheffield. A self-described “grunge pop” band, they combine aggressive, punky riffs and basslines with some pop sensibilities and vocals so incredible that you will wonder why they aren’t any bigger. The biggest statement I can say in support of how good Bean Weevil are is that, considering their set was at 3pm, the room was heaving. And it was great. The band looked like they were having a great time, which only made for a better show. A particular highlight of their set was the last song, which they sang in German! Sehr gut, ja!
After Bean Weevil’s set had finished we made our way into the Shakey’s beer garden, where purveyors of pork perfect Piper’s Artisan Sausages were BBQing up a storm of delicious hot-dog enthused mania. A simple offering: a Debrecen sausage, which is a smoky paprika pork mix, or a vegan option. For £7, I thought it was a bargain, and it proved to be the ideal resuscitator in my rough state. I was seemingly lucky to get one, however; they proved to be such a hit that they sadly ran out within the next two hours! Note to anyone interested: if Piper’s is ever doing any sort of catering at an event you are at, get food quickly, otherwise, like one of my friends, you’ll be left seething with jealousy as you watch your hungover mate wolf down a Debrecen with ketchup, mustard and coleslaw. [Editorial Note: Joey is still salty about this.]
Next up, musically, we had Ye Woodbeast. Now, I had never seen Ye Woodbeast, but I had heard a lot about them. Namely, that they were incredible. And weird. And incredible. I was VERY excited for this. As I walked into the room the first thing I noticed was the amount of equipment on the stage. It was as if they had raided PMT beforehand for literally every item in the store. I wasn’t sure if there was actually even a stage, as I was just seeing cables or wires. But then, the music started, and I understood why the need for all the equipment. The band sounded utterly magnificent. Ye Woodbeast are the sort of band that are hard to pin down: they’re so out-there, to characterise them would be to short-change them. They are like cross between Pixies and Ezra Furman, if said cross was then dipped in a bath of Ennio Morricone compositions and then used as an Ari Aster film score. Their set was just so good. Easily one of the most entertaining of the day (a special shout-out to the drummer for just going for it). If Ye Woodbeat are ever playing a date you could go to, go. I promise you, at the very least you will have fun.
Following Ye Woodbeast was one of my favourite up-and-coming Sheffield bands, Django Jones and the Mystery Men. How they were alive for this set, I do not know, because Django Jones played 11 shows over the whole of the Fringe. That’s right, 11. Across three days. 11! They had arrived at the Shakey just after doing a show at Sidney&Matilda. I felt exhausted after waking up at 12pm; how were they managing this?! Even if they were exhausted, their performance didn’t show it. They were brilliant as always. To be honest, I am wasting words writing about this. I feel like every review concerning Django Jones is preceded or succeeded by the words “fantastic”, “brilliant”, or “insane”. Honestly, they should just save themselves the hassle and rename the band “the fantastic Django Jones and the amazing Mystery Men”. Their name is already long enough I wonder if people would even question it. Someone should really book them for another gig soon (pssst… keep your eyes peeled on @jarreduphq !).
We took a break after Django Jones had finished to grab a pint and escape the warmth of the gig space (despite the bad weather outside, the Shakey was itself slowly becoming a sauna). The Shakey is definitely one of the best pubs in Sheffield. It’s got a great selection of pints, and more importantly, (if you are skint like me), it’s got a great selection of CHEAP pints. But good cheap pints. Not £3.30 Carlings. I mean £4 for a lovely Dortmunder. And, sometimes, there is something so nice about pints in plastic cups, with live music on. I don’t know, it might just be me, but it just serves as a good reminder of festival season, in summer. The Shakey itself is a beautiful old pub, with various side rooms and an amazing beer garden. We had managed to squeeze ourselves into a really cosy corner, where the walls were covered with old beer tap covers and cool posters (including a Red Stripe poster which had me checking how the posters were fixed to the walls. To any Shakey operatives reading this, I promise I did not steal it. Honest.) Even if there had been no music on, it would have been a lovely day. But then I would have nothing to review, so let’s not dwell on that.
The next act we saw was the always-brilliant Minds Idle. Probably one of the most exciting bands currently coming up in Sheffield, Minds Idle’s set was the first performance where I really felt the crowd transition from “packed” to “I can barely move”. And it was fantastic. I had, admittedly, seen them the night before at Sidney&Matilda, and that had been great, but this was even better. All the lads just seemed at ease, and they made the stage their own. In between jokes with the crowd, and each other, were some of the best songs I have heard recently. Honestly, I don’t think I can rave about Minds Idle enough. They are just so talented, so unique, and it really does seem like they are one of those bands where every gig somehow accomplishes the seemingly impossible task of being better than the last. The best song, out of a fantastic bunch, would probably be ‘Harry’, which is the band at their absolute zenith. For now, at least, as I am entirely sure that Minds Idle are only going to keep getting (impossibly) better from here. If only they had another gig coming up soon…
After a break for another pint, we went up to see the immortal Mickey Nomimono. For anyone who is not familiar with Mickey, I am truly sorry that you are missing out on easily the most entertaining live performer in Sheffield. What a set. We walked into the room and he was just staring. At the crowd? At the back of the room? At the slightly jarring murals that cover the Shakey’s gig room walls? I have no idea. But already, we were captivated. Mickey’s music is totally unique, and truly incredible. Combining elements of punk, electronic, garage and trance, as well as a host of other influences, into one of the best sets you will see in Sheffield. Performing his new single ‘Hot and Cold’, as well as previously-released hits like ‘Mr Relatable’, ‘DHL’, and ‘How does it taste?’, what really sticks out about Mickey, aside from his clear musical talent, is his talent as a frontman. He is so engaging that you can’t help but want to mosh and dance to his tracks. He definitely has that cool arrogance nailed down. By far the best bit of Mickey’s set, however, was his wildly entertaining cover of Nicki Minaj’s ‘Anaconda’.
Drastic//Automatic were after Mickey, and if Mickey had captivated the crowd, then Drastic utterly enthralled them. I would put Drastic up there with the best live bands in Sheffield, and they did not disappoint at all. They were incredible. And Loud. Incredibly loud. But still incredible. They launched right into it, and so did the crowd. I have seen Drastic countless times and, like Minds Idle, they just seem to get better and better. They were just fantastic, and the crowd clearly agreed, as this is when the moshing really started for the night. To the extent where I was genuinely concerned for the structural integrity of the Shakey’s floor. It was bouncing. Sean, Sissy and Benji genuinely do provide one of the best live shows in Sheffield, and I would go as far as today that they are the most entertaining band in Sheffield at the moment.
Finishing off the night, we had Jarred Up’s very own Nervous Pills.
Wow. Just, wow.
It was incredible.
Nervous Pills might just be the most talented band in Sheffield. They were just insane. The lyricism, the guitar, the bass, and especially the drumming, was all magnificent. I might have been partially deaf, and sweltering, and knackered, but when Nervous Pills started playing all I could think about, all that really mattered, was how good they sounded. The reaction of the crowd was even better; they were moshing and dancing and raging like you have never seen. It was chaotic and mental and just the perfect end to the night. Their song ‘Necrophilia’ sounded especially good. And they ended with a ten minute song. Who does that at a Fringe event? Nervous Pills do. Fuck me was it good. Just, wow.
It was difficult to come away from Jarred Up’s fringe event without hope for the future of Sheffield’s music scene. It was also a stark reminder of the importance of the Tramlines Fringe events, bringing people into the Steel City to bear witness to the host of immensely talented local bands playing at charming local venues. If the choice is between that and seeing Courteeners play in a soggy field, we know what we’re choosing.
Jarred Up 
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