Peacock Freakshow

The Queens Bar & Coffee House, Bridlington
Saturday, 9th August 2025

On looking up the acts, prior to the day, it all seemed to be such an eclectic line-up that I struggled to see a common thread and not all of them seemed to fall within the nebulous parameter of the various Prog definitions, but variety is the spice of life and it piqued my interest.

Then, on the day, I had the opportunity to have a brief interview with the Peacock Freakshow organiser, Tom Morris, which helped me to get my head around the choice of groups and the ‘big motivator’ for the event. My first question was related to the origin of the event’s name and despite him thinking that having taken it from a 1960’s speech about freedom might be seen as pretentious, he still used it and, to me it made sense, or as much sense as anything does these days. Being subtle and self-conscious, the idea of being gregarious and standing out might go against my nature but for bands, individuality is a good thing. In fact, it is a great thing, especially if there is talent that goes beyond any projected image and new, or unfamiliar bands, deserve to be seen.

As for the choice of acts Tom had the laudable philosophy that far too many bands have a loyal following in their own geographical stomping ground, but when it came to any form of visibility beyond that they are barely known, if at all. The opportunity to tour is financially prohibitive and even one-off concerts would not get enough bums on seats to make it worth their while. Even being a support act is a hard gig to find. Therefore, by Tom’s thinking, why not have a mini festival where a select few bands are invited to travel outside of the area of their normal fanbase and have an audience eager to find a ‘new’ band and be entertained, and with Prog fans that is often a case of pushing on an open door.

The venue, although wonderful, was brave, after all it was in the beer garden of the Queens Bar and Coffee House in Bridlington. Even though it was in summer the weather was a gamble and, despite a few brief drizzles that seemed to stop as soon as they started, the sun was kind and ensured that the audience stayed in the open, in front of the stage, and they were happy to keep merrily hydrated. In, fact the more hydration there was, the merrier they were.

It was in this spirit of jovial acceptance that a great day of music was delivered and received.

JANATA

First up was Janata, a band made up of four people who seemed to be far too young to be making such good music. But, having all met while studying at the Leeds Conservatoire and they all know their way around their respective instruments, it is hardly surprising that a group was formed. They played with confidence and skill, but, like many young bands that are still in the early stages of their musical venture they suffered from one upmanship syndrome.

Each one wanting to show off their talents by playing as loud and in your face as they could. All well and good for a deafening metal band, where drowning out the lead singer is no loss, but more of a problem if you want to appreciate the songs as well as the playing. But, ignoring that, Janata definitely have potential and could be one to watch in the future. They might be more Metallica than Marillion, with the guitarist displaying a hint of Ritchie Blackmore, but that is not a bad thing. I hope to see them in a year or so to see how far they have progressed and defined their own style and sound.

COWFISH

Next up was CowfisH, a name I had to ask about and it appears to be the a type of fish and not a description of an ex girlfriend I used to date. Although normally a quartet the membership was halved due to one of them having a prior engagement in a different band and the other being stuck in some airport after working with Tony Hadley. But, despite there only being half the number of players that didn’t stop them from delivering a great set. Tim O’Connor, the lead singer and guitarist is one of those musicians who seems to be able to wear many hats and plays in a few bands, with various names so you might have seen him in concert before and not even realise it is the same person. But in all the permutations I have seen him in he has always delivered great music.

When making notes during their set I was looking for suitable descriptors and I scribbled down ‘fun and chunky music, with sharp edges’ and I think that those words, written while I was focusing more on watching them play, are still a perfect description of the half band. It is always the sign of a great group when the set is over, and you feel cheated as you think that they have only been on for a few brief minutes and you are left wanting more. CowfisH did just that. All great songs but England be Damned was, to me, the standout song. Although East Yorkshire based, they do play elsewhere but hopefully they will soon be able to perform, and find new fans, all across the land.

ARGHAM

With wild moustache, long hair and old-style scout hat, the avuncular lead singer, and event organiser, Tom Morris, looked like David Crosby – if he was planning on going on a camping trip in the Rocky Mountains. His bubbling personality there all day, both on stage and off.

Argham were most definitely the most ‘Prog’ band of the day and they knew every trick of the trade to ensure the fans of that genre were not disappointed. Starting off with Wakemanesque keyboards. Then, in other places, added flourishes that sounded like a psychedelic carnival. Their song Partridge in the Chalk had elements reminiscent of Watchers of the Sky and could easily have been a whimsical early Genesis song.

It was during their set that the weather decided to taunt us, clouds appeared, drizzle briefly fell, but thankfully it soon changed its mind and left as quickly as it had arrived, allowing the sun the take over again.

Undeterred they played on with songs that were reminiscent of ELP and one song, Monuments of Empire, seemed to be of epic proportions. Taking the audience to ever increasing heights, like a racing car speeding along a narrow mountain road. At one point Tom even left the safety of his keyboard to do a dance, or a close approximation of one. A trend that seems to be spreading but will have Prog purists sighing sadly. Then it came to their final song, Shallow Grave, a stunner that had a Doors like feel to it. Definitely a case of multum in parvo where they have many influences but manage to make the music all their own.

SWEETPOOL

When researching this Birmingham based band, I watched a few of their videos on YouTube and was unsure of what to expect. Online, at least, they came across as Mods with the lead singer having Peter Gabriel face paint and I have always thought that, if God had meant for me to listen to mod music he would have had the decency to make me deaf first.

So, I approached this performance with uncertain trepidation. However, I should not have worried. Sweetpool might have shown influences from many bands none of them seemed to be the Jam or the Lambrettas. In places there was a fusion of psychedelia with hints of Hawkwind and Man while, in other places, I could hear echoes of Bauhaus, New Order and even Talking Heads. The theatrics enhanced thanks to the lead singer, Nic Beales, wearing white stripes on his cheeks to compliment his matching white beard, definitely distinctive. All of which are not to be sniffed at and when blended in the right quantities, as Sweetpool managed to do, they delivered their own brand of rock that had the audience enjoying every minute of the set.

Fast paced, heads down, foot tapping (stomping) music that was infectious and fun. The songs were more of the three-minute standards rather than the decent prog length, but nobody is perfect and despite that, I would definitely want to see them again and hopefully this sojourn away from the Black Country will entice them to seek out venues further afield.

SEAS OF MIRTH

Last up was another band from the East Midlands and yet again my attempts at watching them on YouTube, prior to the concert, left me asking the all-important question, What the….? Dressed like a central European Eurovision song contest entry they definitely showed that they wanted to make a lasting impression, which they certainly did. The stage setting was underwater themed which even included brightly coloured mock jellyfish hanging from the lighting gantry. As for their clothing tongues were definitely in cheeks, dressing to be seen and, in the case of the bass player, resplendent in tight gold lame shorts, which left nothing to the imagination, the image was unforgettable, even if you wished it could quickly escape from the memory. At least they didn’t cover Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick, otherwise I’d have wet myself laughing. But a good group image is worth appreciating and a couple of loyal fans, who had travelled from the Midlands just to see them, also wearing appropriate nautical costumes as well.

As for the music, the image belied the actual talent. Yes, they didn’t take themselves too seriously, but they knew how to perform and entertain. They were there to have fun and make sure the audience did that too with the music being catchy and infectious as they put the fun into funky.

I must admit I enjoyed all the silliness and, from what I have heard they seem to be gathering quite a large and loyal fan base, which is understandable as they were enjoyable to watch. However, there is a caveat to that praise. Yes, they were a good watch, but part of their charm was the quirky uniqueness, and I am not sure that if I’d seen them a few times this would have worn off and just become a gimmick that would all too soon run its course. Just another Bay City Rollers, The Wurzels or The Wombles. Fun while they lasted but destined not to stay the distance. However, maybe they have created their own ‘Undersea’ genre and it might catch on. After all Pirate Metal is a real thing and seems to have quite a few bands who have captured an audience so why shouldn’t Seas of Mirth valiantly sail the seven seas entertaining people wherever they go? I hope that is the case.

SETLIST
Babies
Bobbit
Jelly Pish
Amphibious Remedy
Hark
Ink
Tiki
Dig Out the Moves
The Night Goes On (and on (and on)))

MUSICIANS
Al Judders – Vocals, Guitars, Percussion
Ball Paul – Guitars, Vocals
Smitty Clamhands – Drums
The Barrel – Bass
Sally Squidbusiness – Keyboards, Percussion, Backing Vocals
[I suspect that those are not their real names]

LINKS: Facebook | Website | Bandcamp | YouTube | Instagram

Summary:

The weather was kind so that gamble paid off and, on paper at least, the eclectic line up shouldn’t have worked and one or two of the bands could easily have gone down like a lead balloon. Thankfully they were all playing on a stage rather than on paper and it all worked. The various bands and styles keeping the whole day interesting, enjoyable and foot tapping (dancing at times) fun.

I know that Tom is planning to have Peacock Freakshow II next year and I for one plan to be there.

LINKS: Facebook (Argham)

Related posts:

NVRF 2025 – Day Three The Brackish / Sweetpool / Jon Hunt Spock’s Beard Southern Empire