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To put it simply, words cannot do this production justice. ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ follows the inmates of a mental health establishment in America and their burgeoning friendship with new inmate RP McMurphy, a rogue of a man sent to the facility dodging a prison sentence by faking mental illness. This production is a full-on experience; you are part of the facility, you take your pills, you conform to the rules. To give a full description would spoil it for you; just take my word for it – YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!!!! Intense, thought-provoking and absolutely brilliant.

The Happy Cell Factory, 14 May (running May 20, 21 & 22)
Rating:
Lee Stevens

They say big things sometimes come in small packages, as was the case with the hailstorm of a voice blasting from the tiny frame of catsuit-clad Comanechi frontwoman Akiko Matsuura. Screaming, crunching punk guitars mixed with riot grrl rage to devastating effect, somehow following the excellent Die! Die! Die! and even almost obliterating their memory. Again, their sound presented little that was that new but this raucous London trio proved highly accomplished at leaving the ears ringing/bleeding as a nice reminder of an awesome Saturday line-up at The Hope.

The Hope, 14 May
Rating:
Nick Aldwinckle

Calgary psychedelic rockers Braids certainly looked the part. Geek-chic cool, hybrid retro wispiness and a singer resembling Maggie Gyllenhaal on a sixties commune, their sound was just as idiosyncratic. Mixing Cocteau Twins ethereality with complex rhythms and world music-aping rock somewhere between Jane’s Addiction and Yeasayer, the hypnotic lull and seismic pop thump when the hooks finally kicked in were occasionally spectacular. Unfortunately, Toronto support, Young Empires, also sounded as they looked: the trio might as well have been identical triplets with their sub-Rapture indie-dance just as cloned. Still, their competent energy provided a neat counterpoint to the slowburn theatrics of their fellow Canadians.

Komedia, 14 May
Rating:
Nick Aldwinckle

Who says punk’s dead? At a heaving, sweaty Hope, kiwi garage punk-poppers Die! Die! Die! played an energetic set. Invading not only the crowd but bar area, speakers and all the way to the back and even out the venue entrance, this was a frantic exercise in the power of pure punk spirit. Though their sound is nothing new (and doesn’t work as well on record), this was forgotten in the haze of abandon. With tremendous word of mouth and madly long queues to get in, Die! Die! Die! were one of this event’s buzz bands and may emerge as this year’s big winners.

The Hope, 14 May
Rating:
Nick Aldwinckle