Evolution Festival // Maximo Park

The Park are back. Finally. And what better way to send a sea of teens into impressionist Paul Smith-style scissor kicks than a north-east homecoming performance at this year’s Evolution festival. Ultimately avoiding temptations to showcase the brilliance of new album ‘The National Health’, the north eat 5-piece pretty much immediately sent the crowd into frenzy as they opened their impressive set with punch-packing  ‘Girls Who Play Guitars’, which set the tone for an hour packed with Maximo Park’s string of indie dance floor classics such as ‘Our Velocity’ and ‘Apply Some Pressure’.

Following a 3 year hiatus, it was difficult to perceive the reception that Maximo Park would get, especially considering the problematic sound that had already spoiled artists’ performances throughout the day, but the group were not fazed. Perhaps the blues brothers-esque uniform, or just the energy of performing in front of a home crowd, whatever it was, Maximo Park went on to perform yet another faultless set (sound aside).

There will always be that misconception on hearing new songs live. They will rarely be as exciting as that first time you hear a song sat alone through blasting headphones, and yet ‘The National Health’ pretty much smashes that theory. We may have heard the title track floating about, but at this time, the album hasn’t really made its stamp, and as the crowd, we don’t really know what we’re in for with these songs. The beauty of hearing a song like ‘The Undercurrents’ live, may scream clichéd beauty as intoxicated and loved up for the day festival goers dance as the sun sets, but really, only those there will experience that, and that was the beauty of this performance. There may have been sound issues, but it wasn’t anything that the atmosphere couldn’t save. The Park are back and better than ever.

Rating: 8/10

Words: Charlotte Stones