By Sunday I was dead on my feet. Falling asleep on the grass up the hill from the main stage for most of the day. Yet I still managed to see a good selection of bands. Nothing to report until Angles & Airwaves came on. All the crowd around me were screaming "go home you homo" and an array of similar sentiments. With Tom Delonge (ex Blink 182 ex Box Car Racer) as the lead singer their offering really was all wishy-washy poor music and quite adequately did the title of Homo sit that day ! I enjoyed Panic!At the Disco and they were the first band that I gave any real ear time to. All the time I was listening I couldn't help but hear a definite Sparks influence. And I have them to thank for making me think this as I have re-discovered said band as a result.
Following was Bloc Party who I must confess do not like BUT did an excellent live set. Now don't quote me on this but I am pretty certain that I saw singer Kele Okereke smile. During Arcade Fire I was force fed some food, which kinda went with the set for me. Exceptional musicianship and such a variety of instruments played but they just did not excite me in the slightest.
So apart from Panic! At The Disco I had not really been having a good day. Then again my state of health plausibly had much to do with that particular factor. I must admit to a somewhat cynical state of mind that day. However, after the food I summoned the energy to go exploring. I saw several bands whose names I will never know at the Unsigned stage and the alternative stage. And ended up at the dance tent for the end of Data Rocks set. Which set me off on an upward tangent from where I sat at rock bottom. I wasn't expecting something quite this melodic in a dance tent. Sure they're no pop geniuses but I'm sure you know what I mean. Following these was Digitalism, who were closer to what I was expecting to get from the dance tent. The crowd certainly emulated my sentiment as I watched the tent come alive. With shades of Underworld and some great (albeit standard) beats & fills going on, I was entranced. Those lazy feetses even began to shift weight a bit for the first time that day. Next up were !!! (pronounced - Chk Chk Chk) who absolutely blew me into cinders. They were fantastic and quite frankly my band of the weekend. Between these guys, Nine Inch Nails, Middleman & Brand New I felt justified in the price of my ticket alone.
Needless to say !!! blew the cement off my feet and launched me into a full on jig. Another first time band for me to see and THE most welcome suprise of the weekend. You will have to excuse my ignorance at lack of knowledge about this band but they had a short black guy singing for them (that does not appear on their website) who was phenomenal. Kinda like a boogying Stevie Wonder with plutonium shoved up his arse. These guys KNOW how to put on a live gig, the stage is non stop movement, noise & fun. I cannot recommend highly enough how much it is worth seeing this band live. Sadly they next play in England on 7 November in London. Which appears to be their only UK date at present.
Following !!! came UNKLE. I had been waiting for these guys all weekend and they did not disappoint. A bit heavy on the strobe for their kind of music I thought, certainly the guitar driven tracks but I'm only an observer, what do I know ? Strobes probably send the crowd nuts but I couldn't see the crowd for the starburst in my eyes. They had on several guest singer spots but unfortunately non of the big names that they have worked with. Just imagine that the guest list had been : Ian Brown, Thom Yorke, Ian Astbury & Josh Homme - wa waaa woww, Hi Fiive !!!
All in all a fantastic weekend. Felt so much better than Glasters did but then again was that the sun ? Actually no. Glasters had 50,000 extra people - no extra toilets and it told. It told in festering bogs and it told in getting around but most of all it told in the 4 way crowd crush after Bjork finished. Leeds gets the crown from me this year - Top Drawer.
Following was Bloc Party who I must confess do not like BUT did an excellent live set. Now don't quote me on this but I am pretty certain that I saw singer Kele Okereke smile. During Arcade Fire I was force fed some food, which kinda went with the set for me. Exceptional musicianship and such a variety of instruments played but they just did not excite me in the slightest.
So apart from Panic! At The Disco I had not really been having a good day. Then again my state of health plausibly had much to do with that particular factor. I must admit to a somewhat cynical state of mind that day. However, after the food I summoned the energy to go exploring. I saw several bands whose names I will never know at the Unsigned stage and the alternative stage. And ended up at the dance tent for the end of Data Rocks set. Which set me off on an upward tangent from where I sat at rock bottom. I wasn't expecting something quite this melodic in a dance tent. Sure they're no pop geniuses but I'm sure you know what I mean. Following these was Digitalism, who were closer to what I was expecting to get from the dance tent. The crowd certainly emulated my sentiment as I watched the tent come alive. With shades of Underworld and some great (albeit standard) beats & fills going on, I was entranced. Those lazy feetses even began to shift weight a bit for the first time that day. Next up were !!! (pronounced - Chk Chk Chk) who absolutely blew me into cinders. They were fantastic and quite frankly my band of the weekend. Between these guys, Nine Inch Nails, Middleman & Brand New I felt justified in the price of my ticket alone.
Needless to say !!! blew the cement off my feet and launched me into a full on jig. Another first time band for me to see and THE most welcome suprise of the weekend. You will have to excuse my ignorance at lack of knowledge about this band but they had a short black guy singing for them (that does not appear on their website) who was phenomenal. Kinda like a boogying Stevie Wonder with plutonium shoved up his arse. These guys KNOW how to put on a live gig, the stage is non stop movement, noise & fun. I cannot recommend highly enough how much it is worth seeing this band live. Sadly they next play in England on 7 November in London. Which appears to be their only UK date at present.
Following !!! came UNKLE. I had been waiting for these guys all weekend and they did not disappoint. A bit heavy on the strobe for their kind of music I thought, certainly the guitar driven tracks but I'm only an observer, what do I know ? Strobes probably send the crowd nuts but I couldn't see the crowd for the starburst in my eyes. They had on several guest singer spots but unfortunately non of the big names that they have worked with. Just imagine that the guest list had been : Ian Brown, Thom Yorke, Ian Astbury & Josh Homme - wa waaa woww, Hi Fiive !!!
All in all a fantastic weekend. Felt so much better than Glasters did but then again was that the sun ? Actually no. Glasters had 50,000 extra people - no extra toilets and it told. It told in festering bogs and it told in getting around but most of all it told in the 4 way crowd crush after Bjork finished. Leeds gets the crown from me this year - Top Drawer.
1 comment:
Sounds like you had a great time. I simply must make it next year. Thanks for the write up it is good to see a festival through someone elses eyes. As opposed to some sterile matter of fact report like the one in the Guardian online or NME. They just talk down to us as if they know best. A festival report should be an experience and yours was, even if I don't agree with some of your opinions on bands - at least they were written as opinion & NOT fact.
Thank you
Hayley
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