Stag and Dagger, Glasgow

So, ten quid gets you a bunch of bands and a lot of free rum these days.

Vice magazine's one-dayer returned to Glasgow for another year bringing with it a mixture of big (ish) names, up-and-comers and some local talent. First up for me were Erland and the Carnival. This bunch of young 'uns got things started at ABC2 with a mix of The Coral fronted by Neil Hannon - harmless enough, but tarnished slightly by a touch of the "funky drummers."

Upstairs in the main hall, much, much better was to follow. Having witnessed The Antlers parade their fragile beauty at the living room sized 13th Note a few months back, it was always going to be interesting to see how they'd cope in a bigger space. I needn't have worried. The songs that make up the Hospice album became stadium-rock (in a way that The National are, not say, for example, U2 or Keane) but still managed to move the audience. This is a band destined for greater things.

There are so many things about Wild Beasts that are intrinsically wrong - the denim waistcoats, the bad moustaches, the 80s suit jackets and the guitars and bass being held in that Level 42 too-far-up-the-body way. Having said this, they seem a band perfectly suited for the big stage. It was a terrific set from a genuinely unique indie band, with Hayden Thorpe's incredible falsetto stealing the show - as always.

A quick dash up an unnecessarily steep hill to The Art School allowed us to catch one brilliant song from Egyptian Hip Hop. Despite the name, this was Sonic Youth style art rock, played by what looked like a bunch of 14-year olds.

Another dash down the hill, and fifteen minutes of the usual Mary Chain/New Order played at ear bleeding volume from A Place to Bury Strangers. It can sometimes appear derivative, but the experience of guitars, dry ice and noise really is enjoyable.

Another band, another hill. I wish I had seen more of the set from Titus Andronicus, because what I saw was terrific. They're like what The Pogues would have sounded like if they were on Dischord records. Sloganeering, riffs, shouting and the sight of a band having a real good time.

Finally, Sleigh Bells. One word for this - loud. Jackhammer riffs and electro beats (think Steve Albini messing around with mid temp hip hop and dance records) married to the singing, chanting and screaming of the absolute star in the making and focal point, Alexis Krauss. It shouldn't work, but it does. It doesn't sound to me like anything else out there right now, and it's a visceral treat. How convenient then, that the duo's debut album is called Treats.

A fine way to end the evening. See you in 2011.