
Heavy Lungs
Benefits, Meryl Streek, TTSSFU, Heavy Lungs, Chappaqua Wrestling
Left Of The Dial 2024, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, October 17-19, 2024,
Oct 28, 2024
Photography by Jimi Arundell
Web Exclusive
The Dutch music scene has long been revered by touring bands and gig-goers returning home with enticing tales of a thriving scene with a taste for cutting-edge bands and truly alternative artists. Rotterdam’s Left Of The Dial is often picked out as a pinnacle of the European festival circuit thanks to its impeccably selected roster and wild club nights. So, when Under The Radar was invited to attend, we couldn’t wait to see if it matched the hype.
The three-day multi-venue showcase event uses a wide variety of interesting clubs, pubs and art spaces to present shows, including the famed WORM bar, Sahara, 160K retro arcade bar, the stunning Art Nouveau church Arminius and even a handful of gigs held on boats sailing the Nieuwe Maas River (with VERY limited spaces, obviously). Despite its austere appearance, Perron proved to be the best site for 2024 as the brutalist dual-roomed club built from massive slabs of concrete and red-lit corridors hosting many of the best artists.
The first to impress early Thursday evening at Perron’s smaller stage were Teesside sonic terrorists Benefits. Now reduced to a two-piece, Kingsley Hall and Robbie Major can get straight to the core of what makes the abrasive act so vital and compelling. They shed almost everything organic, swapping drums for beats, enabling their set to become leaner, louder and nastier. Layered synths produce colossal walls of ominous sound, and a massively distorted violin becomes a terrifying backdrop. Such changes place a far greater emphasis on the caustic lyrics, which are the true driving force of this vital act.
The lurid purple lighting is the perfect backdrop for Hall, as he describes the anguish of those lost through the cracks in the neglected post-industrial North East. A brooding intro leads into hard techno-led tracks, enabling the duo to circumnavigate any issues of context being lost in translation for the largely continental European audience. Not that there appeared to be any language barriers, as most of the room knew exactly when to scream “Wave your fucking flag!” during an acapella version of the anti-xenophobic anthem “Flag” and “Warhorse” doesn’t fail to prompt an enormous reaction. The pair also showed off their new single “Land Of The Tyrants” which could easily become the identifying single for the broken BREXIT Britain generation as “Born Slippy” was for 90s working-class ravers.
Wisely opting to adapt the set to forgo ballads in favour of their dance-orientated songs ensured the energy remained high. It’s just a shame that the sound tech stuck so rigidly to the set times, cutting Hall’s mic as he was about to make a poignant final statement to the disappointment of both the band and eager onlookers. But then, it’s always good to leave a crowd wanting more.
The following day saw Heavy Lungs tear it up as the final Friday act on Perron’s main stage. Having previously impressed with their debut LP All Gas No Breaks last year, the Bristol boys are currently preparing to unleash their new record Cavier set for release on April 19th via FatCat Records.
Despite being largely described as a punk band, the four-piece led by frontman Danny Nedelko gleefully abandoned any commitment to any one style to dash between proto-metal, hard rock and zany post-punk. And it’s this punishing combo of rampaging riffs, crushing bass and erratic rhythms that makes them so damn satisfying to watch.
Nedelko spent his time relentlessly working the crowd, spending almost as much time off the stage as on. The mic was later seized by the ever-charming drummer George Garratt delighted the Dutch audience with his mash-up of Kelis’ “Milkshake” during “Stutter”. And fans were treated to the new songs “Get Out” plus the forthcoming album’s title track too.
Their crazy antics continued till the furious finish as “Descend” saw the singer split the room into a charging wall of death. Then closer “(A Bit Of a) Birthday” was given the extended treatment, with Nedelko ordering the entire club to crouch to the floor before leaping in unison for a euphoric end.
The final night saw an epic appearance from Chappaqua Wrestling who stormed Perron’s main stage on the Saturday night. The indie rock hopefuls, starring guitar-wielding dual singer-songwriters Jake Mac and Charlie Woods, have been threatening to become Britain’s biggest breakthrough band since they dropped their crucial anthem “Full Round Table” as heard on debut album Plus Ultra. And this triumphant appearance at Left of the Dial leaves no doubt that the band are a non-stop anthem machine.
Kicking off with the aforementioned banger ensured a strong start, allowing the five-piece space to test out their new offering “Forgive And Regret” which hints the next record will be even better. Then the impeccable timing of “Kulture” with its irregular rhythms reveals the band’s tight bond, playing with a perfect telepathy that can only come from complete unity and constant dedication to their art.

They’re certainly not shy of using distortion pedals, ramping up the volume in all the right places. Plus, the thrilling dynamic of Mac and Woods mixing it on the vocals means there’s never a dull moment. They sample from a wide palette of styles too, tapping into dream pop, shoegaze and grunge with the newly written “Catherine Wheels” taking them to their hardest edge yet. Chappaqua Wrestling parted with the closing numbers “Wide Asleep”, which is impossible to forget thanks to its endless feel-good vibes, ending on a big finish with “The Rift”. Mark my words, 2025 will be their year.
Showcase festivals are the perfect place to make exhilarating new discoveries, and the best of the LOTD discoveries must include Mermaid Chunky who easily won the most innovative award. The term genre-defying gets tossed around far too often these days, but their euphoric appearance at De Doelen saw Freya Tate and Moina Moin playfully skip between folk, electro, spoken word and house.
It’s often hard to distinguish if you’re watching a music gig or a piece of performative art and that’s likely their point, there shouldn’t be a line. The surrealist stream-of-consciousness lyrics, novel approach to songwriting and striking costumes all combine into a joyous and miraculous experience that is as visually arresting as they are sonically exciting. Who knew the humble recorder once given the loop-sampling treatment could be so rousing?

Also, politically charged punk producer Meryl Streek was another fantastic find. Sporting his spooky trademark blanked-out contact lenses and a Lenin-esque cap, the one-man army takes on the corrupt Catholic church and reveals the evil abuses of power by the rich elite.
The defiant Dubliner paced like a caged animal, spurred on by the power of his own raucous sound of pre-recorded blazing guitars put to a punchy drum machine, and it’s impressive how he filled the stage without the backing of a live band. Imagine a deadly serious Kneecap, an Irish Death Grips or Sleaford Mods with far greater intensity. Such force of passion generated the wildest mosh pit of the whole festival, spurred on by the enraged polemicist who leapt into the throng to scream his truth into the faces of his many new fans. Do yourself a favour and go grab his brand-new album Songs for the Deceased released on Venn Records right now!

But the best new find of the festival must be Manchester-based dream pop songwriter TTSSFU. Newly signed to Partisan Records and under the wing of Mother Artists (who also look after IDLES and 86TVs), Tasmin Stephens is quickly adapting her GarageBand bedroom-recorded tunes for the big stage and her set at Sahara was nothing short of remarkable.
It’s clear she’s just starting out but what Stephens lacks in experience is massively outweighed by both her clear potential and emerging star power. Every song has all the hooks and single-worthy status. Dazzling yet dreamy, this Manc lass has clearly listened to such greats as Wolf Alice and Alvvays, taking the best bits and making them her own. And flanked by her band wearing a uniform of white shirts and black ties, it’s clear she’s looking to draw comparisons to Parallel Lines era Blondie too.
“Studio 54” is destined to become the soundtrack for the next Sofia Coppola movie masterpiece. And despite being the picture of youth, “Growing Older” is an achingly beautiful track that unfolds into an awe-inspiring epic that somehow channels a world-weariness that belies her years. The stunned audience continued to grow the longer they played, drawn in by the realisation they were watching something truly magical take place. The future hits just kept coming, and just when you think it can’t get any better, Stephens tears into “I Hope You Die”, snarling like the bastard child of Courtney Love before dropping her heart-shaped guitar and disappearing offstage. You’ve heard it here first, TTSSFU will be your new favourite artist.
Inevitably, there will always be clashes and with venues sometimes being twenty minutes’ walk away, it’s impossible to see everything even though most acts will have multiple slots. And it was a massive shame to have missed out on seeing such awesome aspiring acts as Really Good Time, Dog Race, Gia Ford, The Rats and Adore. But that’s a real testament to just how much LOTD has to offer. Chuck in the conference for those who got a pro-ticket, including fascinating insights from Dan Carey of Speedy Wunderground and Mother Artists’ Mark Bent, and you have all the right ingredients for anyone seriously interested in music and future sounds.

Rotterdam certainly lives up to its reputation of being one of the world’s greatest party towns, rivalling (if not bettering) the nightlife of such major metropolises as London, Berlin and New York. The city’s optimism and progressive attitude are intoxicating, with the abundant street art, sculptures and radical architecture emphasising a constant pursuit to strive towards the future.
Left of the Dial lives up to its leftfield reputation, summarising Rotterdam’s bold spirit and providing a seemingly endless roster of essential artists you need to know. By placing the emphasis on a constant stream of next-gen names bound for big things rather than relying on major names or obvious headlines, revellers can enjoy a non-stop high-quality experience. Grab a ticket for next year and get ready to discover the new direction of alternative music.
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