| Soaraway Sundae | - Some of the artists taking part in the festival will be available for signings after their performance in the Signings Tent located to the right of the main outdoor stage.
- There will be a variety of activities taking place for children from 12pm - 7pm on Saturday and Sunday only.
- Despite announcing that they are splitting up, The Beta Band will still be performing on the main stage on Saturday.
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| "All you can hear is people commenting what a good time they’ve had and how they can’t wait to come back next year. Know what? Neither can we." | | Ruth Pott-Negrine |
Whoever said there were too many festivals? Sure, every town across the land seems to put up a stage and get some local bands to play at some point during the summer months, but the great thing about Summer Sundae compared to any of these aforementioned festivals is that it’s, well, fantastic.  | | Air headline on Sunday |
A beautiful day, sun beating down, good company and if it all gets too much, those lovely people from the Orange Tree in town are selling pitchers of cocktails. Multi-coloured flags are flying across De Montfort Hall and toddlers are dancing on tables. Our first port of call is to see Leicester band My Awesome Compilation, whose keyboardist was in the same GCSE music group as your correspondent. Their emo sound is more in keeping with bands from across the pond, but thankfully we are pleased to see all those Monday mornings in the music room taught them a thing or too. First up on the main stage is Los De Bajo, a band from Mexico City who dabble in musical styles from across the world spectrum. By the time they break into a ska number and don masks, they’re demented enough to have won Leicester over. Next, we make a point of seeing Kasabian, another Leicester band – only this one is all set to go Top Ten. A gripping live band, everyone dancing seems to know the words to new single ‘LSF’ and from the reaction of the crowd, set-closer ‘Club Foot’ is set to become possibly the first ever Leicester anthem. Part Primal Scream, part Happy Mondays, Kasabian move the festival up a gear. After all that excitement, Dogs Die In Hot Cars are something of a letdown. Though melodic and quirky, songs like ‘I Love You ‘Cause I Have To’ fail to ignite any rock n roll fires in quite the way that Kasabian managed. The interior of the De Montfort Hall has been transformed into a jazz lounge, with burgundy curtains hanging from the ceiling and candelabras providing light, and Zero7 vocalist Sia fits perfectly with her environment. At times reminiscent of Chrissie Hynde or Tori Amos, the beauty of songs like ‘Taken For Granted’ makes us wonder if Sia will break out and steal Dido’s throne from under her. Next up on the main stage the Ordinary Boys, a Morrissey-referencing band of boys in Burberry who sound like they belong in 1996. Recent single ‘Talk Talk Talk’ couldn’t be more wrong about the weather being grey and boring, but nevertheless the rabbles are roused and chant along, dancing to this nu-Britpop band. Norway’s Kings Of Convenience make Belle And Sebastian appear positively masculine, a collective consisting merely of two guitarists. Although at the beginning of their set, most of the audience seems set on terming them ‘twee’, by the end of their 45 minutes, songs like ‘I Don’t Know What I Can Save You From’ have completely won over the crowd. The Beta Band, on the main stage, are performing one of their last shows before they split up. Loved by indie fans for their experimental nature, the Beta Band prove to that really, they’re an alpha band and from the reception they get, their fans will certainly be sad to see them go. But for most people, the draw of the day is the Super Furry Animals. Arguably the best British band around today, their set dips across their vast back catalogue and is a treat for fans. Despite assurances that they were set to play Welsh-language album Mwng in its entirety, the vast majority of the set is in English and the fans know every word. Though musical highlights, such as ‘Juxatposed Wit U’ and ‘Calimero’, are just sublime, it’s a 20-minute airing of the band’s final song, during which they dress up as yetis, that’s going to stick in people’s memories. As the good people of Leicester go to catch buses, and campers trundle back to their tents, all you can hear is people commenting what a good time they’ve had amongst the tipis and the yetis, and how they can’t wait to come back next year. Know what? Neither can we. Ruth Pott-Negrine Were you at Summer Sundae this year? What were your highlights?
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