That's what I offer these days!
Emily did a Dodo in her fabpants.
Friday, 21 December 2012
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Gig Review: Spectacles To Be Proud Of
Spector, The Green Door Store, 25th February 2012
I saw Spector last night. Pardon the pun, but they were spectacular!
The smiles on their faces said it all. 'What a ball! Fucking, eh! This is almost as surreal as we are. Even the support act has more songs than us lot.'
'Yeah boys! Here we are, touring the small gritty venues of this land. We get drunk - sometimes alone (on gin) - in drab Travelodge hotels. Yet fuck a duck and mate a mallard, the venues are rammed to the gills. Check out those mad, "Look hey here" oogling eyes. Gee effing whizz.'
Hey scenesters, hey hey scenesters! Am I one, or am I not? I watch so many bands that have zero scenester value, and flip the birdy to many that do. I have no one to impress with my love of gigging. I walk the walk, but I don’t talk the talk. Considered speech is not my forte. As for writing; about 3 people read this blog. I effortlessly keep it on the very edges of the internet, deliberately failing to engage and impressing no one. I impress myself when I manage to ‘post’. This will be the first time this year. Woo hoo.
When I say scenesters, I neatly place myself outside of the box. Perhaps we all do, even the worst of us. “I see you, with your half pint, I see you with your SLR, I see you making your illegal videos to post on YouTube.” Fred Macpherson named and shamed, and every word and every move was gleefully recorded, including Fred using his hanky.
“I was there; look at my shitty photos and my wobbly videos! Aren’t I so fucking cool? He even pointed me out! I didn’t even nod my head, let alone shake my toosh, because I wanted to get a good picture. I was there. I was a rigid mother fucker, seeing it all through the screen my phone. Yeah, me! It was awesome. I am awesome.”
What can the band do about that? Behind me, a man sang along joyfully to every word of three songs, it was loud, out-of-tune and 100% heartfelt. About 10 people along to my left a gal moved almost as much as me. We lived the moment, we were in the moment and the memories are in our heads. Further back, dotted amongst the crowd, there was singing, swaying, and the sight and sound of people that dived into the night.
Spector thank you. Both the tracks and the banter were a treat to behold. “I know this song’s great, because I wrote it”. Damn right!
Fred Macpherson drips with star quality, quite literally. It drips off his hair, it runs down his nose. He wipes it away, combs his hair back into place, and all the time a riot of words fall free from his mouth. Think Jarvis Cocker, think Eddie Argos, think of shutting them both in a box for a year, and not allowing them to speak. Imagine every weird thought and the cavalcade of odd observations, simply bubbling up inside the minds of these two indie icons, just frantic for release. Think of what might come out when you lift the lid. Think, Fred Macpherson, with his deep booming voice, and his rock ‘n’ roll legs. Think Fred Macpherson, and his non-stop slightly surreal, slightly cutting, considerably intelligent and profoundly silly wit. Think brilliance, and you’ve got it.
The set list; well, seven songs were typed in an order, and the order was wrong. “What use is this to anyone? We’ve already played that one?”
I believe they played them in this order, but I was enjoying myself, not making notes:
Spector Set List (25/02/12):
What You Wanted
Friday Night
Grey Shirt and Tie
Celestine
Lay Low
Chevy Thunder
Never Fade Away
As I walked past the boys, in their backstage area, known to most people as the outdoors (without even a rope to separate them), I called out, "Thanks for the amazing show." I meant every word.
Fabpants Recommends:
You all know Chevy Thunder already, eh? How about this for some earworm?
I saw Spector last night. Pardon the pun, but they were spectacular!
The smiles on their faces said it all. 'What a ball! Fucking, eh! This is almost as surreal as we are. Even the support act has more songs than us lot.'
'Yeah boys! Here we are, touring the small gritty venues of this land. We get drunk - sometimes alone (on gin) - in drab Travelodge hotels. Yet fuck a duck and mate a mallard, the venues are rammed to the gills. Check out those mad, "Look hey here" oogling eyes. Gee effing whizz.'
Hey scenesters, hey hey scenesters! Am I one, or am I not? I watch so many bands that have zero scenester value, and flip the birdy to many that do. I have no one to impress with my love of gigging. I walk the walk, but I don’t talk the talk. Considered speech is not my forte. As for writing; about 3 people read this blog. I effortlessly keep it on the very edges of the internet, deliberately failing to engage and impressing no one. I impress myself when I manage to ‘post’. This will be the first time this year. Woo hoo.
When I say scenesters, I neatly place myself outside of the box. Perhaps we all do, even the worst of us. “I see you, with your half pint, I see you with your SLR, I see you making your illegal videos to post on YouTube.” Fred Macpherson named and shamed, and every word and every move was gleefully recorded, including Fred using his hanky.
“I was there; look at my shitty photos and my wobbly videos! Aren’t I so fucking cool? He even pointed me out! I didn’t even nod my head, let alone shake my toosh, because I wanted to get a good picture. I was there. I was a rigid mother fucker, seeing it all through the screen my phone. Yeah, me! It was awesome. I am awesome.”
What can the band do about that? Behind me, a man sang along joyfully to every word of three songs, it was loud, out-of-tune and 100% heartfelt. About 10 people along to my left a gal moved almost as much as me. We lived the moment, we were in the moment and the memories are in our heads. Further back, dotted amongst the crowd, there was singing, swaying, and the sight and sound of people that dived into the night.
Spector thank you. Both the tracks and the banter were a treat to behold. “I know this song’s great, because I wrote it”. Damn right!
Fred Macpherson drips with star quality, quite literally. It drips off his hair, it runs down his nose. He wipes it away, combs his hair back into place, and all the time a riot of words fall free from his mouth. Think Jarvis Cocker, think Eddie Argos, think of shutting them both in a box for a year, and not allowing them to speak. Imagine every weird thought and the cavalcade of odd observations, simply bubbling up inside the minds of these two indie icons, just frantic for release. Think of what might come out when you lift the lid. Think, Fred Macpherson, with his deep booming voice, and his rock ‘n’ roll legs. Think Fred Macpherson, and his non-stop slightly surreal, slightly cutting, considerably intelligent and profoundly silly wit. Think brilliance, and you’ve got it.
The set list; well, seven songs were typed in an order, and the order was wrong. “What use is this to anyone? We’ve already played that one?”
I believe they played them in this order, but I was enjoying myself, not making notes:
Spector Set List (25/02/12):
What You Wanted
Friday Night
Grey Shirt and Tie
Celestine
Lay Low
Chevy Thunder
Never Fade Away
As I walked past the boys, in their backstage area, known to most people as the outdoors (without even a rope to separate them), I called out, "Thanks for the amazing show." I meant every word.
Fabpants Recommends:
You all know Chevy Thunder already, eh? How about this for some earworm?
Friday, 23 December 2011
Gig Review: The Lovely Eggheads
The Lovely Eggs
The Hope, Brighton, 5th February 2011
The Prince Albert, Brighton, 28th November 2011
Out of the two gigs listed above, The Lovely Eggs were at their best at The Hope.
Time flies, but I remember it clearly! Holly and David offered bright-eyed enthusiasm, random banter and bubbling excitement for their new album Cob Dominos. They promoted it endearingly; warmly describing the inspiration for each song, whilst offering a rose-tinted window view into their kooky world.
Yes, it’s cool to be in a band as a couple at present, but The Lovely Eggs don’t fit the mould. They wear their Lancaster origins with pride and expressively enjoy the simpler things in life. Enthralling over where each item sits in the universe, and making a mockery of life’s little challenges, is much more fun than being cool.
Photo stolen from someone who stood next to me!
The Lovely Eggs have two amazing songs called ‘Have You Ever Heard a Digital Accordion?’ and ‘Don't Look at Me (I Don't Like It)’. Personally, I think each of those songs should be in the set twice; they are that good. The rest come from the hearts of two people that love sandwiches, think olives are posh and worry about whether they’ve left the oven on (some 250miles away). Presented well in a live setting, they are a toasty treat. While November's performance showed a few signs of wear and tear, it was still from the same batch and the support act was absolutely marvellous.
Yes, MJ Hibbett’s Moon Horse equalled delight, and I was sorry to miss the start. Missing the first act of a play is never a good idea. Moon Horse vs. The Mars Men of Jupiter, as the show was called, appeared to be inspired by 70s children’s television. Through costume, silly songs and narration, we followed the adventures of a horse, a robot and a gentleman called Jeffrey Livingstone (I think!). The plight of planet earth, since Margaret Thatcher had her way with it, is a tale indeed. Let's just say, the Mars Men of Jupiter are not suitable play friends.
The Lovely Eggs Set List (28/11/11)
People are Twats
I Like Birds But I Like Other Animals Too
Hey Scraggletooth
Fuck It
Muhammad Ali And All His Friends
I’m a Journalist
Allergies
Slug Graveyard
Panic Plants
Oh The Stars
Don’t Look at Me
Watermelons
Digital Accordion
While it’s not on the set list sheet I stole, they played “I Want to Fall off My Bike Today”, a song inspired by people breaking their collar bone and getting 6 weeks off work.
For your information, The Lovely Eggs host a total of 55 songs on their MySpace page. How generous!
I rated Cocoon at ‘Fucking Awesome’ at Glastonbury, but I don’t seem to have shared any songs here! Enjoy.
Fabpants Recommends:
Download MP3: Cocoon - Comets (courtesy of skyrock.net)
The Hope, Brighton, 5th February 2011
The Prince Albert, Brighton, 28th November 2011
Out of the two gigs listed above, The Lovely Eggs were at their best at The Hope.
Time flies, but I remember it clearly! Holly and David offered bright-eyed enthusiasm, random banter and bubbling excitement for their new album Cob Dominos. They promoted it endearingly; warmly describing the inspiration for each song, whilst offering a rose-tinted window view into their kooky world.
Yes, it’s cool to be in a band as a couple at present, but The Lovely Eggs don’t fit the mould. They wear their Lancaster origins with pride and expressively enjoy the simpler things in life. Enthralling over where each item sits in the universe, and making a mockery of life’s little challenges, is much more fun than being cool.
Photo stolen from someone who stood next to me!The Lovely Eggs have two amazing songs called ‘Have You Ever Heard a Digital Accordion?’ and ‘Don't Look at Me (I Don't Like It)’. Personally, I think each of those songs should be in the set twice; they are that good. The rest come from the hearts of two people that love sandwiches, think olives are posh and worry about whether they’ve left the oven on (some 250miles away). Presented well in a live setting, they are a toasty treat. While November's performance showed a few signs of wear and tear, it was still from the same batch and the support act was absolutely marvellous.
Yes, MJ Hibbett’s Moon Horse equalled delight, and I was sorry to miss the start. Missing the first act of a play is never a good idea. Moon Horse vs. The Mars Men of Jupiter, as the show was called, appeared to be inspired by 70s children’s television. Through costume, silly songs and narration, we followed the adventures of a horse, a robot and a gentleman called Jeffrey Livingstone (I think!). The plight of planet earth, since Margaret Thatcher had her way with it, is a tale indeed. Let's just say, the Mars Men of Jupiter are not suitable play friends.
The Lovely Eggs Set List (28/11/11)
People are Twats
I Like Birds But I Like Other Animals Too
Hey Scraggletooth
Fuck It
Muhammad Ali And All His Friends
I’m a Journalist
Allergies
Slug Graveyard
Panic Plants
Oh The Stars
Don’t Look at Me
Watermelons
Digital Accordion
While it’s not on the set list sheet I stole, they played “I Want to Fall off My Bike Today”, a song inspired by people breaking their collar bone and getting 6 weeks off work.
For your information, The Lovely Eggs host a total of 55 songs on their MySpace page. How generous!
I rated Cocoon at ‘Fucking Awesome’ at Glastonbury, but I don’t seem to have shared any songs here! Enjoy.
Fabpants Recommends:
Download MP3: Cocoon - Comets (courtesy of skyrock.net)
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Festival Review: Reading, Oh Reading. How I Love You Reading.
Reading Festival, 2011
Reading Festival is an absolute delight. I put my hand to my forehead and swoon. I wrote this gushingly two months ago and forgot to make it live. What a delight to read it through and relive the memory!
I spent the Friday and Saturday in a state of permanent glee. The punters were 100% up for the live music experience. Yes, my kind of reveller. To smile and dance in unison with thousands of other music lovers is pure gold. The Sunday line-up encouraged dull day trippers. Many of the cool and groovy appeared to disappear, but Friday and Saturday were SO good, Sunday didn’t really matter.
Okay, perhaps I was fortunate in my experience of inappropriate piss related incidents. I hear some was thrown around the Main Stage, scenting victims distastefully. Yeah, I did see a grown-man pissing into a bottle, but he assured me it was for convenience rather than throwing. I sauntered by two young men communally pissing in a busy walkway. As amusingly disgusting as it was, only the ground was soaked. I think the sticky fluid that hit my head was beer. Or was it?
For me Reading 2011 was an amazing bop-a-thon; a place where I could exist amongst people like me. Reading Festival is all about the music and, in that, it doesn’t change. The age old formula, with few alterations (bigger stages, better equipment and more toilets, reassuringly in the same geographical format), goes on pleasing generation after generation, and you can easily pop into town for pop. You can also easily pop into town to eat, sleep and shit. There are a lot of benefits to the urban festival. I was utterly enthralled.
As a great lover of teenage dramas like Freaks and Geeks, My So Called Life and Skins, perhaps I am destined to thoroughly enjoy being around each new generation that bubbles up, with their youthful admiration of music and full throttle attitude. To enjoy is to engage, and to engage is to enjoy. At Reading Festival we danced, we laughed and we sang. We all contributed to the making the festival a gloriously radiant one. My thanks go out to all that did their bit. Your efforts transformed me into a very happy bouncing bunny. Boing, Boing!
Rating system (from very best to very worst):
Fucking Awesome, Ear Candy, Thumbs Up, Not for Me Thanks, Hideously Awful
*** Friday 26th August, 2011 ***
Islet
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Islet offered an enthusiastic start to the festival, with shouting, yelping, and the swapping of roles. Beats galore and some experimental soundscapes made this worth a watch. I would like to suggest not jumping up and down and singing at the same time; it kinda ruins the vocals.
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Dance Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
The locals were brilliant and the crowd went wild. A bulging bouncy tent made this the first boogie of the event. Inviting your 14 year old sister on stage to sing is a risky move, but they got away with it. They had the crowd by its energetic balls.
Royal Bangs
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
Inoffensive indie rock lacking gusto sums this up.
Crystal Fighters
Dance Stage
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
Crystal Fighters clashed with another brilliant act at every single festival we shared some space at this year. This time I prioritised them and was aptly rewarded with a tropical dance frenzy. Amazing! They played a series of absolutely amazing tunes.
Metronomy
NME Stage
Ear Candy (6/10)
We liked the white light badges, and since the event, one has mysteriously appeared in my home. This was a well delivered set of slightly cheery pop.
The Vaccines
NME Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
I love The Vaccines, but the sound was well quiet. This was my least favourite The Vaccines set of the year. I wanted a communal leap to some short sharp tunes. Instead, I lightly jumped, as if to will it to be better, while the odd person allowed their head to nod. The band had stage presence, and I’m not knocking them, but the sound and crowd were limp.
Simian Mobile Disco
Dance Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
I really enjoyed this until the last few tracks. It drifted into low rent pop. Stick to the banging tunes boys.
Digitalism
Dance Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
This really packed a punch for a two-man show. I am going to liken it to Hot Chip, with more accessible vocals.
Unkle Sounds
Dance Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
A magical journey of warm beatsy trance and visuals. Captivating.
*** Saturday 27th August, 2011 ***
The Joy Formidable
Main Stage
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
The Joy Formidable were a little self-conscious and back on form. They were tight, they were entertaining, and - most pleasingly - the set featured less masturbatory guitar frenzies than in recent times.
Yuck
NME Stage
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
Lovely melodic jangling, with some gorgeous sentiment thrown in for good measure.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
NME Stage
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
Great stage presence, endearing theatrics and a lot of audience engagement. Time limitations considered, a bit less banter and a few more tunes would have lovely. All the same, this made me feel very at home.
Grouplove
Festival Republic Stage
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
There was a group, a big group, and there was love. And that was just the audience. Grouplove made the Festival Republic Stage feel like summer. Sean Gadd’s parents must be pleased. They took him to Reading Festival as a boy, and now he’s on the stage.
Mariachi El Bronx
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
A lovely idea and amazing outfits, but the delivery was rather dull. I decided to see The Kills for the third time this year and sauntered away.
The Kills
NME Stage
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
Seriously cool motherfuckers. They make music to disintegrate to, albeit with love. At the end of the show, Alison lifted her hair. That girl hides the most wonderful smile.
Cults
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (6/10)
I only caught the end, but I enjoyed the indie with a splattering of melodious pop.
Cloud Control
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
Cloud Control delivered indie style pop, but there was a hole where joyful outbursts should live. Perhaps Cloud Control is too high brow for me? A cracking chorus or two and they’d be great.
Bombay Bicycle Club
Festival Republic Stage
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
This performance is already the stuff of legends. The Festival Republic Tent is the biggest tent I have ever been in, and it was full. It more than full, it was absolutely and utterly packed. With barely space to breathe, everyone danced, shared full face grins and had the times of their lives. Most people had no line of sight, could barely hear over the crowd singing, and, yet, went for it anyway. To not go for it would be sacrilege in a space full of such intensely positive energy. I read later that even the band didn’t hear the set. Were they good? Who knows and who cares. It was the best place to be on earth. There was some silly crushing on the way out, but buzzing our heads off, we all made it back into the open air and grinned once more.
King Blues
Lock Up Stage
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
This band make you want to riot for what’s right and what’s fair. They also make you wanna dance. With a crowd that was 100% up for it, I bounced against the system. The system still stands, but it can’t jump as high as me.
The Strokes
Main Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
They never were much cop live, and they still aren’t. That said, playing New York City Cops super fast was a stroke of genius. No puns intended. I’m just too lazy to re-word.
*** Sunday 28th August, 2011 ***
Spy Catcher
Lock Up Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
This is a rock band, and the bassist is from Gallows. It wasn’t to my taste, but I give them 10/10 for effort. They seemed mighty chuffed to have an audience, so I was glad I went along.
Best Coast
NME Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
Everything was a bit Sunday morning about this set. The crowd didn’t dance and the surf was a touch too gentle. I wanted more. I blame the audience more than the band.
Little Comets
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
Indie pop with a little bit of jangle. The audience were supportive and this band has something to work towards.
Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (6/10)
The first acoustic set of the day. Not as endearing as his Camp Bestival set, but the teenage girls swooned regardless.
Fight Like Apes
Festival Republic Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
I came away from this set livid. The audience were so unappreciative of this amazing act they should be shot. Yeah, they were waiting for Ed Sheeran, but by standing still, sneering at the band and at the five of us dancing, they drained the festival spirit out of the room. I would rather the tent was half empty than full of twats. Some of the twats were on the front row staring, completely bemused. Fight Like Apes delivered a great set and the whole room should have fox-trotted.
Elbow
Main Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
I had nothing better to see and this was surprisingly enjoyable. The crowd interaction was so cheesy I winced, but - that that aside - it was pretty pleasant. Hmm!
Flogging Molly
Festival Republic
Ear Candy (8/10)
This was a folk punk hoot. What a jolly jig we had.
Peter Doherty
Festival Republic Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
Acoustic Peter – it’s like the stuff of dreams! Not being able to see and standing on tip toes to catch a glimpse is not. If I had a better view (I wasn’t far back, mind), it would have been perfect. For anyone that has ever listened to Pete’s home recordings, and preferred them to some of the shambolic band releases, this was heaven. He rattled through track after track. My lungs filled with illegal indoor cigarette fumes and my back decided tip toes are bad for you.
Fabpants Recommends:
Download MP3: Does It Offend You, Yeah - Wrestler (courtesy of groovebat.com)
Download MP3: The Kills – Baby Says (courtesy of dropbox.com)
Download MP3: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Carries On
(courtesy of sarcasmandthecity.com)
Reading Festival is an absolute delight. I put my hand to my forehead and swoon. I wrote this gushingly two months ago and forgot to make it live. What a delight to read it through and relive the memory!
I spent the Friday and Saturday in a state of permanent glee. The punters were 100% up for the live music experience. Yes, my kind of reveller. To smile and dance in unison with thousands of other music lovers is pure gold. The Sunday line-up encouraged dull day trippers. Many of the cool and groovy appeared to disappear, but Friday and Saturday were SO good, Sunday didn’t really matter.
Okay, perhaps I was fortunate in my experience of inappropriate piss related incidents. I hear some was thrown around the Main Stage, scenting victims distastefully. Yeah, I did see a grown-man pissing into a bottle, but he assured me it was for convenience rather than throwing. I sauntered by two young men communally pissing in a busy walkway. As amusingly disgusting as it was, only the ground was soaked. I think the sticky fluid that hit my head was beer. Or was it?
For me Reading 2011 was an amazing bop-a-thon; a place where I could exist amongst people like me. Reading Festival is all about the music and, in that, it doesn’t change. The age old formula, with few alterations (bigger stages, better equipment and more toilets, reassuringly in the same geographical format), goes on pleasing generation after generation, and you can easily pop into town for pop. You can also easily pop into town to eat, sleep and shit. There are a lot of benefits to the urban festival. I was utterly enthralled.
As a great lover of teenage dramas like Freaks and Geeks, My So Called Life and Skins, perhaps I am destined to thoroughly enjoy being around each new generation that bubbles up, with their youthful admiration of music and full throttle attitude. To enjoy is to engage, and to engage is to enjoy. At Reading Festival we danced, we laughed and we sang. We all contributed to the making the festival a gloriously radiant one. My thanks go out to all that did their bit. Your efforts transformed me into a very happy bouncing bunny. Boing, Boing!
Rating system (from very best to very worst):
Fucking Awesome, Ear Candy, Thumbs Up, Not for Me Thanks, Hideously Awful
*** Friday 26th August, 2011 ***
Islet
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Islet offered an enthusiastic start to the festival, with shouting, yelping, and the swapping of roles. Beats galore and some experimental soundscapes made this worth a watch. I would like to suggest not jumping up and down and singing at the same time; it kinda ruins the vocals.
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Dance Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
The locals were brilliant and the crowd went wild. A bulging bouncy tent made this the first boogie of the event. Inviting your 14 year old sister on stage to sing is a risky move, but they got away with it. They had the crowd by its energetic balls.
Royal Bangs
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
Inoffensive indie rock lacking gusto sums this up.
Crystal Fighters
Dance Stage
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
Crystal Fighters clashed with another brilliant act at every single festival we shared some space at this year. This time I prioritised them and was aptly rewarded with a tropical dance frenzy. Amazing! They played a series of absolutely amazing tunes.
Metronomy
NME Stage
Ear Candy (6/10)
We liked the white light badges, and since the event, one has mysteriously appeared in my home. This was a well delivered set of slightly cheery pop.
The Vaccines
NME Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
I love The Vaccines, but the sound was well quiet. This was my least favourite The Vaccines set of the year. I wanted a communal leap to some short sharp tunes. Instead, I lightly jumped, as if to will it to be better, while the odd person allowed their head to nod. The band had stage presence, and I’m not knocking them, but the sound and crowd were limp.
Simian Mobile Disco
Dance Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
I really enjoyed this until the last few tracks. It drifted into low rent pop. Stick to the banging tunes boys.
Digitalism
Dance Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
This really packed a punch for a two-man show. I am going to liken it to Hot Chip, with more accessible vocals.
Unkle Sounds
Dance Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
A magical journey of warm beatsy trance and visuals. Captivating.
*** Saturday 27th August, 2011 ***
The Joy Formidable
Main Stage
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
The Joy Formidable were a little self-conscious and back on form. They were tight, they were entertaining, and - most pleasingly - the set featured less masturbatory guitar frenzies than in recent times.
Yuck
NME Stage
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
Lovely melodic jangling, with some gorgeous sentiment thrown in for good measure.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
NME Stage
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
Great stage presence, endearing theatrics and a lot of audience engagement. Time limitations considered, a bit less banter and a few more tunes would have lovely. All the same, this made me feel very at home.
Grouplove
Festival Republic Stage
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
There was a group, a big group, and there was love. And that was just the audience. Grouplove made the Festival Republic Stage feel like summer. Sean Gadd’s parents must be pleased. They took him to Reading Festival as a boy, and now he’s on the stage.
Mariachi El Bronx
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
A lovely idea and amazing outfits, but the delivery was rather dull. I decided to see The Kills for the third time this year and sauntered away.
The Kills
NME Stage
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
Seriously cool motherfuckers. They make music to disintegrate to, albeit with love. At the end of the show, Alison lifted her hair. That girl hides the most wonderful smile.
Cults
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (6/10)
I only caught the end, but I enjoyed the indie with a splattering of melodious pop.
Cloud Control
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
Cloud Control delivered indie style pop, but there was a hole where joyful outbursts should live. Perhaps Cloud Control is too high brow for me? A cracking chorus or two and they’d be great.
Bombay Bicycle Club
Festival Republic Stage
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
This performance is already the stuff of legends. The Festival Republic Tent is the biggest tent I have ever been in, and it was full. It more than full, it was absolutely and utterly packed. With barely space to breathe, everyone danced, shared full face grins and had the times of their lives. Most people had no line of sight, could barely hear over the crowd singing, and, yet, went for it anyway. To not go for it would be sacrilege in a space full of such intensely positive energy. I read later that even the band didn’t hear the set. Were they good? Who knows and who cares. It was the best place to be on earth. There was some silly crushing on the way out, but buzzing our heads off, we all made it back into the open air and grinned once more.
King Blues
Lock Up Stage
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
This band make you want to riot for what’s right and what’s fair. They also make you wanna dance. With a crowd that was 100% up for it, I bounced against the system. The system still stands, but it can’t jump as high as me.
The Strokes
Main Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
They never were much cop live, and they still aren’t. That said, playing New York City Cops super fast was a stroke of genius. No puns intended. I’m just too lazy to re-word.
*** Sunday 28th August, 2011 ***
Spy Catcher
Lock Up Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
This is a rock band, and the bassist is from Gallows. It wasn’t to my taste, but I give them 10/10 for effort. They seemed mighty chuffed to have an audience, so I was glad I went along.
Best Coast
NME Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
Everything was a bit Sunday morning about this set. The crowd didn’t dance and the surf was a touch too gentle. I wanted more. I blame the audience more than the band.
Little Comets
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
Indie pop with a little bit of jangle. The audience were supportive and this band has something to work towards.
Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Festival Republic Stage
Thumbs Up (6/10)
The first acoustic set of the day. Not as endearing as his Camp Bestival set, but the teenage girls swooned regardless.
Fight Like Apes
Festival Republic Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
I came away from this set livid. The audience were so unappreciative of this amazing act they should be shot. Yeah, they were waiting for Ed Sheeran, but by standing still, sneering at the band and at the five of us dancing, they drained the festival spirit out of the room. I would rather the tent was half empty than full of twats. Some of the twats were on the front row staring, completely bemused. Fight Like Apes delivered a great set and the whole room should have fox-trotted.
Elbow
Main Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
I had nothing better to see and this was surprisingly enjoyable. The crowd interaction was so cheesy I winced, but - that that aside - it was pretty pleasant. Hmm!
Flogging Molly
Festival Republic
Ear Candy (8/10)
This was a folk punk hoot. What a jolly jig we had.
Peter Doherty
Festival Republic Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
Acoustic Peter – it’s like the stuff of dreams! Not being able to see and standing on tip toes to catch a glimpse is not. If I had a better view (I wasn’t far back, mind), it would have been perfect. For anyone that has ever listened to Pete’s home recordings, and preferred them to some of the shambolic band releases, this was heaven. He rattled through track after track. My lungs filled with illegal indoor cigarette fumes and my back decided tip toes are bad for you.
Fabpants Recommends:
Download MP3: Does It Offend You, Yeah - Wrestler (courtesy of groovebat.com)
Download MP3: The Kills – Baby Says (courtesy of dropbox.com)
Download MP3: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Carries On
(courtesy of sarcasmandthecity.com)
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Festival Review: The British Middle Class Summer Camp
Camp Bestival 2011
Castles come in many shapes and forms. Some are just a way of enjoying how cash rich you are. Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria is a prime example of the latter. Its romantic spires, theatrical decorations and fairyland features, are completely unsuitable for defence. If he thought anyone might throw boiling tar from his castle window, Ludwig II would have cried himself to sleep. “Not the façade, not the façade!”
While Neuschwanstein was built as a retreat for a reclusive fantasist, Lulworth Castle has always been a centre for moneyed leisure. Yes, while it imitates medieval designs, and – perhaps at first glance – seems more like a Norman stronghold than Neuschwanstein, Lulworth is a 17th Century hunting lodge. Mock medieval tents, a jousting display, and middle classes family fun, are true to Lulworth’s roots.
Delivered with warmth, and in full awareness of what it is, fake can be sweetly enchanting. Drawing inspiration from the Glastonbury Kidz Fields (Green and otherwise), historical re-enactments and village fêtes, Camp Bestival is a magical family festival. If the line-up wasn’t aimed at 40-something parents, suffering from 15 years of music neglect, the festival would be perfect.
Or would it? Would you want to miss seeing fabulous bands, with minimal chance of EVER seeing them again, just because your five year old desperately wants to go to the dressing-up tent? Uninspiring line-up; family friction resolved! Perhaps it’s perfect after all. We had a ball: me, the parents and hundreds of children growing up on hummus and a yearly dose of festival juice.
Okay, I didn’t leave the site as high as a kite on live music and festival atmospherics, but I left happy. Camp Bestival provided a magnificent collection of intergenerational memories. The legacy of The Cuban Brothers performance could resonate for years amongst my kin.
Rating system (from very best to very worst):
Fucking Awesome, Ear Candy, Thumbs Up, Not for Me Thanks, Hideously Awful
*** Friday 29th July, 2011 ***
Two Wounded Birds
Castle Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
Two Wounded Birds had the look, the moves and the sound. Drawing on traditional rock n roll and injecting it with an indie twist, this act offered a dose of bounce, combined with gloomy guitar riffs.
Yaaks
Big Top
Thumbs Up (5/10)
Offering pleasant, melodic, jangly indie and an energetically impressive standing (second) drummer, Yaaks gave this performance their all. Unfortunately, the vocals were placid, lacking in grit and strength. Better vocals could make this a band to watch out for.
Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer
Bollywood
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
Three festivals in a row and 100% wonderful. The shorter set suited Mr B, separating the wheat from the chaff. With new weaker numbers dropped, only pure brilliance remained. The cheeky chap was brave enough to sing his little number about crack cocaine and how to get celebrity status. Yes, just days after her passing, the Amy Winehouse comedic reference was made. An old song with new pertinence... The audience loved it.
James Vincent McMorrow
Big Top
Thumbs Up (6/10)
A set half wonderful and half verging on terrible MOR soft rock. Post festival, I opted against buying a ticket to see this chap in Brighton.
Laura Marling
Big Top
Ear Candy (8/10)
Some people are placed on this earth with extraordinary talent. It is something you can piss up the wall, but it’s not something you can grow into. Laura, I doff my imaginary cap to you. It was lovely to see you back in a tent offering your intimate delights. Even the medley was endearing rather than cheesy. Laura was born in 1990, and yet her songs, especially the newer numbers, indicate she has been around for centuries, and perhaps longer than Lulworth Castle itself.
*** Saturday 30th July, 2011 ***
The Gruffalo
Castle Stage
Hideously Awful (0/10)
I was really looking forward to this. It was so awful we all walked away. A condescending poorly scripted and terribly performed, hideous musical version of a beautiful book. Yuck.
The Crayonettes
Little Big Top Variety Show
Hideously Awful (1/10)
Two women, once in real bands, try their hand at the children’s market. Why? To offer some pep to the children’s music scene. If this set lacked anything, it was pep. It was weak and embarrassing.
Eliza Doolittle
Castle Stage
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Walking through the perfume counters of Boots the Chemist, with Eliza singing in the background seemed like a perfect combination this week. I don’t wear perfume, but I appreciate the smell. I will never rant and rave about Eliza, but her bright and breezy tunes make me smile. The performance lacked the lustre I expected, but we had a little sing-along.
House of Pain
Castle Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
It was highly unfortunate that a. House of Pain clashed with The Cuban Brothers. b. Parents seemed somewhat aghast when the performance was preceded with electronic alerts about bad language. The bad language is buried in the songs and within a definite context. The teenagers camped next to us firing off laughing gas cylinders all night weren’t censored, nor were songs about sex or getting higher than the sun. We caught the first few numbers, which were fantastically bouncy. The five-year-old on my shoulders loved it. Reformed bands generally suck, but bouncy fun overrides all. I didn’t want to walk away.
The Cuban Brothers
Big Top
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
Swearing alert! The Cuban Brothers were Fucking ACE. Who is cold hearted enough not to love their leotard suits, acrobatic dance moves and disco magic. I may have given myself a face a permanent wrinkle from smiling so much.
Breakage
Big Top
Ear Candy (8/10)
This set was brilliant, offering heavy bass, dark dub and an enchanting drawl, but WHAT was the MC-ing all about? The decision to give a guy, with no musical ability, a microphone to shout all over the tracks was a terrible annoyance. Yes, I know he was there to rouse the crowd, and, yes, I know he had some success, but really? Aaargh, what were you thinking?
Silent Disco: Rob da Bank and Rev Milo Speedwagon Vs Sombrero Sound System
Big Top
Ear Candy (7/10)
The last time I saw the Rev was at a Reclaim the Streets event in Trafalgar Square, where he gave me a very big hug. I was charmed by seeing his unobtrusive, but joyful attempts to work a crowd.
*** Sunday 30th July, 2011 ***
The Selecter
Castle Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
It was kind of quaint to see this reformed act. They were never very big in the first place. Watching an act like this reminds me of the free Council led festivals they used to put on in East London. You’re not expecting much, and you make the most of it. Ska like this is easy to dance to.
Opera Up Close
Dingly Dell
Ear Candy (7/10)
Learning about Opera had the kids enthralled, so it must have been pretty good.
The Nextmen
Big Top
Not for Me Thanks (4/10)
I wanted to hear tracks from their fine album ‘Join the Dots’, not a DJ set. It was a bit of a letdown.
Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Big Top
Thumbs Up (6/10)
This set was 100% endearing: a young man, all alone on stage, offering an acoustic set and referring to when he used to be in a band. It felt warmly inclusive. Come to think of it, Camp Bestival lacks those shared moments where audience and band connect. Benjamin was a good as it got. It was nice but not heart tickling.
Primal Scream Presents Screamadelica
Castle Stage
Not for Me Thanks (4/10)
Well there was nothing else to do, so I went along with a positive attitude. I enjoyed the first few tracks, and then I got bored. I got to thinking how I would rather been watching Spiritualized, who I guess Primal Scream robbed a little for this album.
Fireworks
Castle Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
Fireworks in the sky and animations displayed on, and incorporating, Lulworth Castle; what would a review big without saying that it was pretty cool? It was.
Del Rio Ramblers
Black Dahlia
Not for Me Thanks (4/10)
I stayed for two songs only. It wasn’t the knees up I expected.
Sound of Rum
Big Top
Thumbs Up (6/10)
As much as I want to like them, Sound of Rum are terrible. Kate Tempest is a brilliant poet, and having missed her poetry sets, I was please to hear her rattle off some prose, without musical accompaniment. She is extremely impressive.
So that’s it for Camp Bestival! I hope to find time to review Reading Festival soon. I also have notes from Latitude 2010, which I never got round to typing in. And so many local gigs I’ve failed to appraise; some with no notes and a now hazy memory! May be one day I will catch up. This takes more time that one might imagine and I’m a busy girl. But I DO want to catch up! If only I didn’t have to work...
Fabpants Recommends:
Some Sunday tunes...
Download MP3: Fatty Gets A Stylist - The Devil's In The Details (courtesy of recordoftheday.com)
Download MP3: Digitalism - Just Gazin' (courtesy of mediafire.com)
Download MP3: Gold Panda – You (courtesy of djnodj.com)
Download MP3: Cults - You Know What I Mean (courtesy of citizeninsanemedia.com)
Download MP3: Cat's Eyes - Not A Friend (courtesy of mediafire.com)
Castles come in many shapes and forms. Some are just a way of enjoying how cash rich you are. Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria is a prime example of the latter. Its romantic spires, theatrical decorations and fairyland features, are completely unsuitable for defence. If he thought anyone might throw boiling tar from his castle window, Ludwig II would have cried himself to sleep. “Not the façade, not the façade!”
While Neuschwanstein was built as a retreat for a reclusive fantasist, Lulworth Castle has always been a centre for moneyed leisure. Yes, while it imitates medieval designs, and – perhaps at first glance – seems more like a Norman stronghold than Neuschwanstein, Lulworth is a 17th Century hunting lodge. Mock medieval tents, a jousting display, and middle classes family fun, are true to Lulworth’s roots.
Delivered with warmth, and in full awareness of what it is, fake can be sweetly enchanting. Drawing inspiration from the Glastonbury Kidz Fields (Green and otherwise), historical re-enactments and village fêtes, Camp Bestival is a magical family festival. If the line-up wasn’t aimed at 40-something parents, suffering from 15 years of music neglect, the festival would be perfect.
Or would it? Would you want to miss seeing fabulous bands, with minimal chance of EVER seeing them again, just because your five year old desperately wants to go to the dressing-up tent? Uninspiring line-up; family friction resolved! Perhaps it’s perfect after all. We had a ball: me, the parents and hundreds of children growing up on hummus and a yearly dose of festival juice.
Okay, I didn’t leave the site as high as a kite on live music and festival atmospherics, but I left happy. Camp Bestival provided a magnificent collection of intergenerational memories. The legacy of The Cuban Brothers performance could resonate for years amongst my kin.
Rating system (from very best to very worst):
Fucking Awesome, Ear Candy, Thumbs Up, Not for Me Thanks, Hideously Awful
*** Friday 29th July, 2011 ***
Two Wounded Birds
Castle Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
Two Wounded Birds had the look, the moves and the sound. Drawing on traditional rock n roll and injecting it with an indie twist, this act offered a dose of bounce, combined with gloomy guitar riffs.
Yaaks
Big Top
Thumbs Up (5/10)
Offering pleasant, melodic, jangly indie and an energetically impressive standing (second) drummer, Yaaks gave this performance their all. Unfortunately, the vocals were placid, lacking in grit and strength. Better vocals could make this a band to watch out for.
Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer
Bollywood
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
Three festivals in a row and 100% wonderful. The shorter set suited Mr B, separating the wheat from the chaff. With new weaker numbers dropped, only pure brilliance remained. The cheeky chap was brave enough to sing his little number about crack cocaine and how to get celebrity status. Yes, just days after her passing, the Amy Winehouse comedic reference was made. An old song with new pertinence... The audience loved it.
James Vincent McMorrow
Big Top
Thumbs Up (6/10)
A set half wonderful and half verging on terrible MOR soft rock. Post festival, I opted against buying a ticket to see this chap in Brighton.
Laura Marling
Big Top
Ear Candy (8/10)
Some people are placed on this earth with extraordinary talent. It is something you can piss up the wall, but it’s not something you can grow into. Laura, I doff my imaginary cap to you. It was lovely to see you back in a tent offering your intimate delights. Even the medley was endearing rather than cheesy. Laura was born in 1990, and yet her songs, especially the newer numbers, indicate she has been around for centuries, and perhaps longer than Lulworth Castle itself.
*** Saturday 30th July, 2011 ***
The Gruffalo
Castle Stage
Hideously Awful (0/10)
I was really looking forward to this. It was so awful we all walked away. A condescending poorly scripted and terribly performed, hideous musical version of a beautiful book. Yuck.
The Crayonettes
Little Big Top Variety Show
Hideously Awful (1/10)
Two women, once in real bands, try their hand at the children’s market. Why? To offer some pep to the children’s music scene. If this set lacked anything, it was pep. It was weak and embarrassing.
Eliza Doolittle
Castle Stage
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Walking through the perfume counters of Boots the Chemist, with Eliza singing in the background seemed like a perfect combination this week. I don’t wear perfume, but I appreciate the smell. I will never rant and rave about Eliza, but her bright and breezy tunes make me smile. The performance lacked the lustre I expected, but we had a little sing-along.
House of Pain
Castle Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
It was highly unfortunate that a. House of Pain clashed with The Cuban Brothers. b. Parents seemed somewhat aghast when the performance was preceded with electronic alerts about bad language. The bad language is buried in the songs and within a definite context. The teenagers camped next to us firing off laughing gas cylinders all night weren’t censored, nor were songs about sex or getting higher than the sun. We caught the first few numbers, which were fantastically bouncy. The five-year-old on my shoulders loved it. Reformed bands generally suck, but bouncy fun overrides all. I didn’t want to walk away.
The Cuban Brothers
Big Top
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
Swearing alert! The Cuban Brothers were Fucking ACE. Who is cold hearted enough not to love their leotard suits, acrobatic dance moves and disco magic. I may have given myself a face a permanent wrinkle from smiling so much.
Breakage
Big Top
Ear Candy (8/10)
This set was brilliant, offering heavy bass, dark dub and an enchanting drawl, but WHAT was the MC-ing all about? The decision to give a guy, with no musical ability, a microphone to shout all over the tracks was a terrible annoyance. Yes, I know he was there to rouse the crowd, and, yes, I know he had some success, but really? Aaargh, what were you thinking?
Silent Disco: Rob da Bank and Rev Milo Speedwagon Vs Sombrero Sound System
Big Top
Ear Candy (7/10)
The last time I saw the Rev was at a Reclaim the Streets event in Trafalgar Square, where he gave me a very big hug. I was charmed by seeing his unobtrusive, but joyful attempts to work a crowd.
*** Sunday 30th July, 2011 ***
The Selecter
Castle Stage
Thumbs Up (5/10)
It was kind of quaint to see this reformed act. They were never very big in the first place. Watching an act like this reminds me of the free Council led festivals they used to put on in East London. You’re not expecting much, and you make the most of it. Ska like this is easy to dance to.
Opera Up Close
Dingly Dell
Ear Candy (7/10)
Learning about Opera had the kids enthralled, so it must have been pretty good.
The Nextmen
Big Top
Not for Me Thanks (4/10)
I wanted to hear tracks from their fine album ‘Join the Dots’, not a DJ set. It was a bit of a letdown.
Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Big Top
Thumbs Up (6/10)
This set was 100% endearing: a young man, all alone on stage, offering an acoustic set and referring to when he used to be in a band. It felt warmly inclusive. Come to think of it, Camp Bestival lacks those shared moments where audience and band connect. Benjamin was a good as it got. It was nice but not heart tickling.
Primal Scream Presents Screamadelica
Castle Stage
Not for Me Thanks (4/10)
Well there was nothing else to do, so I went along with a positive attitude. I enjoyed the first few tracks, and then I got bored. I got to thinking how I would rather been watching Spiritualized, who I guess Primal Scream robbed a little for this album.
Fireworks
Castle Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
Fireworks in the sky and animations displayed on, and incorporating, Lulworth Castle; what would a review big without saying that it was pretty cool? It was.
Del Rio Ramblers
Black Dahlia
Not for Me Thanks (4/10)
I stayed for two songs only. It wasn’t the knees up I expected.
Sound of Rum
Big Top
Thumbs Up (6/10)
As much as I want to like them, Sound of Rum are terrible. Kate Tempest is a brilliant poet, and having missed her poetry sets, I was please to hear her rattle off some prose, without musical accompaniment. She is extremely impressive.
So that’s it for Camp Bestival! I hope to find time to review Reading Festival soon. I also have notes from Latitude 2010, which I never got round to typing in. And so many local gigs I’ve failed to appraise; some with no notes and a now hazy memory! May be one day I will catch up. This takes more time that one might imagine and I’m a busy girl. But I DO want to catch up! If only I didn’t have to work...
Fabpants Recommends:
Some Sunday tunes...
Download MP3: Fatty Gets A Stylist - The Devil's In The Details (courtesy of recordoftheday.com)
Download MP3: Digitalism - Just Gazin' (courtesy of mediafire.com)
Download MP3: Gold Panda – You (courtesy of djnodj.com)
Download MP3: Cults - You Know What I Mean (courtesy of citizeninsanemedia.com)
Download MP3: Cat's Eyes - Not A Friend (courtesy of mediafire.com)
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Gig Review: For Pete and the Pirates Sake! DANCE!
Pete and the Pirates, Brighton Komedia, 3rd October 2011
I love Pete and the Pirates. I wish everyone in the Komedia audience loved them as much as me. From the first beat, I wanted to bounce with joy. From the first beat I did bounce with joy. This is me. A nearby couple did the same, once in a while sharing that knowing smile. You know the one. This is it. This is what life is all about. Adoration was scribbled across our thankful faces. We are here, here is the best place to be on earth, and we are so incredibly lucky.
I was saddened that this was lost on the masses. What makes a great gig outstanding is a feeling of unity. People who watch bands, with ironing board backs, should stand far, far back, and render themselves outsiders.
When three perfect lads pushed their way forward, desperate to jump to the beat, my heart leapt in love. Two young. One older, perhaps as old as me. My heroes. My bouncing friends. How I love you. And how I love your adulation. You knew every single word.
Pete and the Pirates make joyous jangly indie-pop; the best kind of pop there is. I can drink it in bucket-loads, until my nostrils froth with fizz.
On a Monday night in autumn, Pete and Pirates didn’t miss a trick. They dressed well. They marched on the spot. They played songs both old and new. They mocked the encore. They were self-effacing. Finally, during the very last number, Tom, in his sweat-soaked shirt and slacks, took his guitar into the throng, and finally, yes FINALLY, the entire audience bounced.
Pete and the Pirates Set List
Little Gun
Mr Understanding
Cold Black Kitty
She Doesn’t Belong To Me
Knots
Winter 1
Can’t Fish
Lost in the Woods
Motorbike
United
Come to the Bar
--
Washing Powder
Blood Gets Thin
Fabpants Recommends:
If you have never heard Pete and the Pirates, get your hands on both albums today. Seriously, it will tickle your soul and feel you with cheer.
They are called ‘Little Death’ and ‘One Thousand Pictures’.
Here’s an old favourite:
Download MP3: Pete and the Pirates – Mr Understanding (theburningear.com)
And the wonderful new earworm:
I love Pete and the Pirates. I wish everyone in the Komedia audience loved them as much as me. From the first beat, I wanted to bounce with joy. From the first beat I did bounce with joy. This is me. A nearby couple did the same, once in a while sharing that knowing smile. You know the one. This is it. This is what life is all about. Adoration was scribbled across our thankful faces. We are here, here is the best place to be on earth, and we are so incredibly lucky.
I was saddened that this was lost on the masses. What makes a great gig outstanding is a feeling of unity. People who watch bands, with ironing board backs, should stand far, far back, and render themselves outsiders.
When three perfect lads pushed their way forward, desperate to jump to the beat, my heart leapt in love. Two young. One older, perhaps as old as me. My heroes. My bouncing friends. How I love you. And how I love your adulation. You knew every single word.
Pete and the Pirates make joyous jangly indie-pop; the best kind of pop there is. I can drink it in bucket-loads, until my nostrils froth with fizz.
On a Monday night in autumn, Pete and Pirates didn’t miss a trick. They dressed well. They marched on the spot. They played songs both old and new. They mocked the encore. They were self-effacing. Finally, during the very last number, Tom, in his sweat-soaked shirt and slacks, took his guitar into the throng, and finally, yes FINALLY, the entire audience bounced.
Pete and the Pirates Set List
Little Gun
Mr Understanding
Cold Black Kitty
She Doesn’t Belong To Me
Knots
Winter 1
Can’t Fish
Lost in the Woods
Motorbike
United
Come to the Bar
--
Washing Powder
Blood Gets Thin
Fabpants Recommends:
If you have never heard Pete and the Pirates, get your hands on both albums today. Seriously, it will tickle your soul and feel you with cheer.
They are called ‘Little Death’ and ‘One Thousand Pictures’.
Here’s an old favourite:
Download MP3: Pete and the Pirates – Mr Understanding (theburningear.com)
And the wonderful new earworm:
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Gig Review: Jeffrey Lewis on a Trip
Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard, Brighton’s Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, 22nd August 2011
Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar is a terrible gig venue. The name changed recently from The Jam. The change of name has made it no less shit. Shit, I tell you!
Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard was sold out. This is a really sucky situation at Sticky Mike’s. The first four rows were filled with tall people. Is big hair in now, or what? By the time I arrived, punter positions with any kind of view were being defended to the death. As Jeffrey noted, only the first two rows could see more than a fragment of face. The rest of us could simply hope for an extreme event, which might lead to a full line of sight. I didn’t have my machine gun with me. Without putting anyone’s nose out, I managed a third row position at the very far edge of the stage. This, for Madame Fabpants, is poor. Poor, poor, poor.
The man blocking much of my view didn’t even know who Jeffrey was. Annoyingly, he took the role of a loud commentator at a curiosity fayre. Every time he turned to his friend, to share yet another banal observation, his mouth sat just in front of my face. Ya boo. It may have been a pretty mouth, but the sound that came out ruined my general auditory experience. Boy, I'm such a grouch!
Feet ahead maintained a defensive position throughout. No one brought their crowd dispersing weaponry. The line of sight never improved. A mid-height gal, like me, could merely crane for more than a head shot. On occasion, I glimpsed a travel battered guitar. It was worth it. For the band told a tale of failing - for the first time - to sneak the guitar, and all its stickers, onto an aircraft cabin and the inevitable injury that followed. The hold is no place for guitars, bikes or anything that isn’t rock hard or fabric.
Jeffrey looked like a man who had been out of touch with the Western world for a while. Yeah, he often looks a bit that way, but there are extremes. A tour of dice dens, where no one knows who the hell you are, and the songs say nothing to them about their lives, will do that. The Royal Pavilion dictates that all tours of the Far East should include Brighton. China, South Korea, Brighton, then home. It worked out beautifully for us.
Jeffrey was so very pleased to be back with his fans, he was on cracking form. For the most part, the shit tunes, where Jeffrey does the ‘band thing’ with Jack, were out. When Jack tried to get Jeffrey to stop his storytelling (leave it alone Jack!), Jeffrey just continued. And uncurtailed, our man from the East (side) drifted into playing a couple of ancient songs he made up with a Korean chap, with Korean words to boot. They were a delight to behold. After trying to put the brakes on, Jack realised the wires had been cut, and – for me – this is perfect. I like Jeffrey Lewis in unadulterated wandering minstrel form. That’s why I usually prefer his solo gigs.
I have a feeling, the album out in October, A Turn In The Dream-Songs, could be Jeffrey’s best since 2003. I have high hopes. A couple of the songs sounded truly great live. The new tracks played, that I can recall, include ‘Time Trades’ (an inspiring call to make the best of your life), ‘Cult Boyfriend’ (a charming song informing us that Jeff is amazing to a few girls, but not many), ‘Mosquito’ (a silly song evidently inspired by fighting off a lot of mosquitoes), ‘Water Leaking, Water Moving’ (yeah, water does that, and Jeffrey has taken note).
The band opened with White Riot, just after the UK riots, with no commentary to explain the obvious link, and rolled straight into the excellent Cult Boyfriend. I loved the medley of new and old, I revelled in the diversions and the even the covers were charming. Jeffrey was so surprised to be called on for encore; he played an extra handful of old favourites to see us home. Shoot the head, kill the ghoul. Yeah. I’m gonna shoot some heads if I ever have the misfortune to see another great act at Sticky Mike’s.
Fabpants Recommends:
If you didn’t know that Jeffrey is also a comic book creator, check out this video combination:
Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar is a terrible gig venue. The name changed recently from The Jam. The change of name has made it no less shit. Shit, I tell you!
Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard was sold out. This is a really sucky situation at Sticky Mike’s. The first four rows were filled with tall people. Is big hair in now, or what? By the time I arrived, punter positions with any kind of view were being defended to the death. As Jeffrey noted, only the first two rows could see more than a fragment of face. The rest of us could simply hope for an extreme event, which might lead to a full line of sight. I didn’t have my machine gun with me. Without putting anyone’s nose out, I managed a third row position at the very far edge of the stage. This, for Madame Fabpants, is poor. Poor, poor, poor.
The man blocking much of my view didn’t even know who Jeffrey was. Annoyingly, he took the role of a loud commentator at a curiosity fayre. Every time he turned to his friend, to share yet another banal observation, his mouth sat just in front of my face. Ya boo. It may have been a pretty mouth, but the sound that came out ruined my general auditory experience. Boy, I'm such a grouch!
Feet ahead maintained a defensive position throughout. No one brought their crowd dispersing weaponry. The line of sight never improved. A mid-height gal, like me, could merely crane for more than a head shot. On occasion, I glimpsed a travel battered guitar. It was worth it. For the band told a tale of failing - for the first time - to sneak the guitar, and all its stickers, onto an aircraft cabin and the inevitable injury that followed. The hold is no place for guitars, bikes or anything that isn’t rock hard or fabric.
Jeffrey looked like a man who had been out of touch with the Western world for a while. Yeah, he often looks a bit that way, but there are extremes. A tour of dice dens, where no one knows who the hell you are, and the songs say nothing to them about their lives, will do that. The Royal Pavilion dictates that all tours of the Far East should include Brighton. China, South Korea, Brighton, then home. It worked out beautifully for us.
Jeffrey was so very pleased to be back with his fans, he was on cracking form. For the most part, the shit tunes, where Jeffrey does the ‘band thing’ with Jack, were out. When Jack tried to get Jeffrey to stop his storytelling (leave it alone Jack!), Jeffrey just continued. And uncurtailed, our man from the East (side) drifted into playing a couple of ancient songs he made up with a Korean chap, with Korean words to boot. They were a delight to behold. After trying to put the brakes on, Jack realised the wires had been cut, and – for me – this is perfect. I like Jeffrey Lewis in unadulterated wandering minstrel form. That’s why I usually prefer his solo gigs.
I have a feeling, the album out in October, A Turn In The Dream-Songs, could be Jeffrey’s best since 2003. I have high hopes. A couple of the songs sounded truly great live. The new tracks played, that I can recall, include ‘Time Trades’ (an inspiring call to make the best of your life), ‘Cult Boyfriend’ (a charming song informing us that Jeff is amazing to a few girls, but not many), ‘Mosquito’ (a silly song evidently inspired by fighting off a lot of mosquitoes), ‘Water Leaking, Water Moving’ (yeah, water does that, and Jeffrey has taken note).
The band opened with White Riot, just after the UK riots, with no commentary to explain the obvious link, and rolled straight into the excellent Cult Boyfriend. I loved the medley of new and old, I revelled in the diversions and the even the covers were charming. Jeffrey was so surprised to be called on for encore; he played an extra handful of old favourites to see us home. Shoot the head, kill the ghoul. Yeah. I’m gonna shoot some heads if I ever have the misfortune to see another great act at Sticky Mike’s.
Fabpants Recommends:
If you didn’t know that Jeffrey is also a comic book creator, check out this video combination:
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Festival Review: Put That Long Face Away
Latitude Festival 2011
Years pass by. Memories fade. Excitement wanes.
The day-to-day, same-old-same-old, yawn-yawn-bore-bore.
Another war, another loss, that creaking joint, that breaking point. It’s as much as we can do to stick to the routine. Oh, how the revelling spirit is subdued.
YEAH! But there are battles worth fighting. YIP YAY YEAH! Come on! Bring it on!
THIS I refuse to leave behind. You say I can’t go upstairs. Fuck you. I will NOT stop going upstairs.
The children of the Summer of Love have retired. How they ache for fun. The acid-capped veterans of 1989 see their mid-years in the mirror. How they ache to re-live their specious, but not too distant memory of fun. FUN, through the doors of perception, is almost at arm’s reach. Stretch a little. Reach some more. FUN! Break down the doors. Look, WAHEY MAN, it’s in the palm of your hands. EFFING GENIUS!
We want more FUN. We want more FUN. We refuse to give up. YIP YAY YEAH! Watch us go.
Such diligence attracts attention. “What is it that keeps ‘em going back for more?”, they ask. What is it about standing in a field, squinting at a person shaped dot, dancing to music filtered through that tremendous roar of drunken chatter? Oh yeah, that’s what it’s become to some. BUT, it’s not all it ever was. Far from it. AND, it’s not all it is today. BUT, it has become TOO MUCH.
Festivals grew up with us: me and you. The weekend escape from the yawn-yawn-bore-bore. A little explosion in the brain. The seasons of love linger. Well, they were amazing, weren’t they? The pilgrimage goes on.
Where pockets rattled with pennies, sponsorship followed.
“What is this they said?” “There is money in them fields,” they said. Beer, stages and an empire of mean fiddling festivals, branded by greed. Mainstream acts in exchange for product placement. The promise of reaching a fun-fuelled market. Advertising. Youth. Status. Money. Does a fear of missing out lead to the promise of an unfulfilled life? If the market aint right, change it. Make ‘em want it. Give it to ‘em good.
Be gone with those stereotypes of yore. Be gone fabulous freak fuckers, brain damaged by litmus paper, listening to weird shit in a field. You have no money and the concept of advertising is wasted on you. ‘Ello mainstream. ‘Ello technology. ‘Ello security. Be gone to chaos. Be gone to returning home to culture shock. And year by year, THOSE looks ebbed with the tide. You know the ones. You dirty, naked, drug taking, scrounging hippy. Them. Those looks. They went. We don’t return to them no more. Naaah, Carol’s sister was there too you know, drinking tea in a tent where she chatted with a wannabe Tory politician. The pre-naughties cries of “Acid! Es! Coke! Speed!” are long gone.
The masses that missed out on the monumental years have passed the stage of peeking through the curtains. Now they take part. They’ve made it upstairs at last. Along with giant TV screens, film crews, security guards, mobile phones and charging points.
The landscape of life CAN adapt to my will. Boutique camping, reformed bands, family-friendly intentions and onsite taxis. Hello Stannah chair lift. Take me up that hill. It will soon be easier to be onsite than to stay at home. Jetpacks branded with Golden Arches, from luxury beach hut to arena, optimum position to shout over retro-bands, urine collected at source and shit recycled as food. It is a festival you know. We like to be green.
A weekend of wearing plastic bags sandwiched between a pair of socks and monumentally mud damaged trainers has GONE. Nettles in your hair and a dock leaf up your arse. That’s so yesterday. The giant screen is where it’s at. Festival: a field to watch the box in. Close ups of stars and idiots in the crowd IS everything.
Lowbrow bollox. “We’ve gone and bloody done it,” they said. “We’ve alienated the swots and the musos.” A lost MARKET!
So, in steps Latitude. La de fucking da. Latitude with its Radio 4 attitude. Afternoon Play, Book at Bedtime and some rather good comedy, don’t you know.
Hoorah and hooray. An event for theatrical types, the literature lovelies and musos. Keep out the riff raff. Get robbed by the riff raff. Taste the culture.
Well, that dream ended fast. The Pet Shop Boys came, Radio 4 went and Vodafone built a watchtower. Enter stage East - the mainstream moneyed and the super-fete. A mass grave of talented curators is hidden in the woods of Henham Park.
Yeah! Rant on you crazy charcoal. The eternally optimistic went anyway... Optimism rules. You NEVER know. It was lovely. It was fun. Not FUN, but fun. Okay, it rained, and it poured, and the line up lacked innovation, but treats could be found. My highlight? Bimbling about in the early hours with mates.
In conclusion, the super-fete needs jam. Blue jam.
Dig up those curators. They make tasty Blue jam.
Rating system (from very best to very worst):
Fucking Awesome, Ear Candy, Thumbs Up, Not for Me Thanks, Hideously Awful
*** Thursday 14th July, 2011 ***
Soldier-A & Intensi-T
Poetry Arena
Thumbs Up (5/10)
Two young lads from Norwich! Excellent beatboxing. Not so sure about the rapping. They evidently love their music.
Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer
Poetry Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
Mr B should open every festival. His posh mockery of rap is rather fun old chap. The middle section was a bit weak and lacking in hooks, but it was jolly spiffing all the same.
*** Friday 15th July, 2011 ***
Avi Buffalo
The Word Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Ahh, Avi, the star of 2010. What’s happened to your voice? Avi struggled to hit the high notes and it really interfered with the set. A new gravelly number seemed more in his comfort range, and was rather good. So what’s going on with Avi? A cough da cold? Too many unfiltered smokes? Maturity? I was so excited to see Avi, a 6/10 is somewhat disappointing.
Edwyn Collins
Obelisk Arena
Ear Candy (8/10)
Before Latitude, I watched the BBC programme about Edwyn’s somewhat triumphant recovery from a major stroke. He may not be 100% functional, but he is 100% charming. It was a lovely set. Even his boy sang a number, and was pretty damn good.
The Phantom Band
Sunrise Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
Melodic folk rock in the woods, I won’t say ‘No’. The Scots pulled it off with down-to-earth enthusiasm.
Yann Tiersen
The Word Arena
Ear Candy (8/10)
Wonderfully atmospheric ambient delights. Great musicianship, great harmonies, great samples and an oddly placed violin solo mid-set.
GroupLove
Sunrise Arena
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
Beards and smiles all round. The last gig of the tour and a good ‘un at that. Summery sounds in a summery setting.
Still Corners
The Lake Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
The Lake Stage has always lacked presence as a focal point in the Latitude grounds. This has been worsened by the fact that it’s now a thoroughfare for a new bridge. The people that used to sit and watch the Lake stage, now watch people toing and froing instead. More people should have seen The Still Corners make sweet melodic tunes and boast emotively pretty vocals.
Bright Eyes
Obelisk Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
Initially, I had concerns. The set might not be as good as the Glasto one. It migh tarnish the memory. It was different. Conor seemed more at home and at ease, and it worked in his favour. By the end of the set I was genuinely moved. It was lovely. Conor seemed humbly charmed by the adoring teenage girls that flocked to shake his hand.
The Vaccines
The Word Arena
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
The young kids that climbed the tent poles for a better view, and briefly stopped the set, should be well-chuffed. That is one to be forever proud of. What an ace set. My only criticism is that, because I was with pals, I wasn’t close enough!
Cats Eyes
Sunrise Arena
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
This was magical. It would get 10/10 if the sound engineer hadn’t ballsed up at the start. Fortunately, Farris spotted the error, and the choir was 100% worth remembering to mic up. Cats Eyes boast an amazingly intoxicating sound and truly impressive vocals. My heart was torn apart and stitched back together again by this sonic beauty.
Brigitte Aphrodite
Poetry Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
She’s a charmer! A one-woman musical comedy.
*** Saturday 16th July, 2011 ***
James Vincent McMorrow
The Word Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Dark skies attacked earth with water bombs. People caught in the action headed for the Word Arena. The tent was full of tourists, some paying due attention and some chattering the morning away. It didn’t create the atmosphere that the music fan requires. After a great struggle, I managed to squeeze myself into viewing position. There, I discovered a young man and his band presenting some warmly gentle tunes.
Shaun Keavenay
Cabaret Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Shaun came out dressed as Freddie Mercury and demonstrated easy going wit and charm throughout. I liked the way, seeing himself as an amateur professional, he was slightly understated. Everyone wanted him to succeed.
Bryony Kimmings: 7 Day Drunk
Cabaret Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
I was absolutely captivated, even though I had a poor view of the video screen. The screen would, at interludes, show a recording of Bryony kept in a drunken state for several days, in what appeared to be a hospital setting. A female volunteer was invited up on stage to drink a pint of vodka with Bryony, as she delivered the show, which involved costume, storytelling and interaction with her guest. Bizarrely entrancing.
Villagers
The Word Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Extremely well delivered indie-folk, but a touch too saccharine for me.
Rumer
The Obelisk Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
The sun came out and Rumer’s Karen Carpenter-esq voice welcomed it to Suffolk. She was older than I imagined and not at all dour: quite the opposite.
Fight Like Apes
Sunrise Arena
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
The men of Fight Like Apes came on stage in body suits, which looked stupidly amazing. Mary-Kate got the microphone entangled in her clothes twice. And it wasn’t just me, they also thought their last Latitude gig was one of the best ever. I loved them, the crowd loved them, and Mary-Kate’s adventures over the barrier ended the set perfectly. Fight Like Apes make a gig a party: a fantastic party.
Double Science with Robin Ince and 2 Mad Scientists
Literary Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
Edutainment, eh? I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t remember what I learnt, but there was a big bang that made me leap off my chair.
Paulo Nutini
Obelisk Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
I enjoyed the bouncy tunes, and the parents dancing with their little ‘uns. I didn’t like the sickly slow songs. Not my scene.
Moshi Moshi DJs
Lake Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
Most of what I heard was brilliant!
*** Sunday 17th July, 2011 ***
Anna Calvi
Obelisk Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
She is a dark lady, with a fiercely rich voice.
Steve Hughes
Comedy Arena
Ear Candy (8/10)
A gas! The guy is a walking advert for “being yourself”. He has evidently put a lot of work into creating a well-constructed, cerebral and darkly funny set. Start accessible, and then drive the audience your twisted worldview, Steve.
Sea of Bees
Lake Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
What an intriguing lady Jules is. Bittersweet campfire laments, delivered with a certain oddity that can only endear. Jules seems to draw the lyrics up from her chest and then direct an enormous amount of facial energy towards delivering them as words.
Adam Buxton
Comedy Arena
Ear Candy (8/10)
Does what it says on the tin. Adam presenting YouTube videos, some his own, and sharing the world of YouTube comments in an amusing fashion.
Ghostpoet
Lake Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
I expected Ghostpoet to be on major tranquilizers, drawling cleverly constructed sentences between songs and needing support to hold his body up. He seemed as bright as a daisy. It was quite odd, when mid-song, he tried to entice and excite the crowd a little. So much brooding melancholy in the music and, yet, not how he presents.
Gold Panda
Sunrise Arena
Ear Candy (8/10)
Gold Panda wanted to go on and on. In his short set, he created a room of gently bobbing, fly catchers. He builds on sample and beats, with a minimalist but rich style.
Eels
Word Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
They went for showmanship instead of fragility. Their back catalogue is vast, and I prefer the gentler songs, which demonstrate emotional depth and vulnerability.
Fabpants Recommends:
I really, really wanted Eels to play this:
Download MP3: Eels - The Man (courtesy of hulkshare.com)
They didn’t. To watch Eels, I missed Crystal Fighters. Choices about line-up clashes are often tough.
Download MP3: Crystal Fighters – Plage (courtesy of mediafire.com)
Years pass by. Memories fade. Excitement wanes.
The day-to-day, same-old-same-old, yawn-yawn-bore-bore.
Another war, another loss, that creaking joint, that breaking point. It’s as much as we can do to stick to the routine. Oh, how the revelling spirit is subdued.
YEAH! But there are battles worth fighting. YIP YAY YEAH! Come on! Bring it on!
THIS I refuse to leave behind. You say I can’t go upstairs. Fuck you. I will NOT stop going upstairs.
The children of the Summer of Love have retired. How they ache for fun. The acid-capped veterans of 1989 see their mid-years in the mirror. How they ache to re-live their specious, but not too distant memory of fun. FUN, through the doors of perception, is almost at arm’s reach. Stretch a little. Reach some more. FUN! Break down the doors. Look, WAHEY MAN, it’s in the palm of your hands. EFFING GENIUS!
We want more FUN. We want more FUN. We refuse to give up. YIP YAY YEAH! Watch us go.
Such diligence attracts attention. “What is it that keeps ‘em going back for more?”, they ask. What is it about standing in a field, squinting at a person shaped dot, dancing to music filtered through that tremendous roar of drunken chatter? Oh yeah, that’s what it’s become to some. BUT, it’s not all it ever was. Far from it. AND, it’s not all it is today. BUT, it has become TOO MUCH.
Festivals grew up with us: me and you. The weekend escape from the yawn-yawn-bore-bore. A little explosion in the brain. The seasons of love linger. Well, they were amazing, weren’t they? The pilgrimage goes on.
Where pockets rattled with pennies, sponsorship followed.
“What is this they said?” “There is money in them fields,” they said. Beer, stages and an empire of mean fiddling festivals, branded by greed. Mainstream acts in exchange for product placement. The promise of reaching a fun-fuelled market. Advertising. Youth. Status. Money. Does a fear of missing out lead to the promise of an unfulfilled life? If the market aint right, change it. Make ‘em want it. Give it to ‘em good.
Be gone with those stereotypes of yore. Be gone fabulous freak fuckers, brain damaged by litmus paper, listening to weird shit in a field. You have no money and the concept of advertising is wasted on you. ‘Ello mainstream. ‘Ello technology. ‘Ello security. Be gone to chaos. Be gone to returning home to culture shock. And year by year, THOSE looks ebbed with the tide. You know the ones. You dirty, naked, drug taking, scrounging hippy. Them. Those looks. They went. We don’t return to them no more. Naaah, Carol’s sister was there too you know, drinking tea in a tent where she chatted with a wannabe Tory politician. The pre-naughties cries of “Acid! Es! Coke! Speed!” are long gone.
The masses that missed out on the monumental years have passed the stage of peeking through the curtains. Now they take part. They’ve made it upstairs at last. Along with giant TV screens, film crews, security guards, mobile phones and charging points.
The landscape of life CAN adapt to my will. Boutique camping, reformed bands, family-friendly intentions and onsite taxis. Hello Stannah chair lift. Take me up that hill. It will soon be easier to be onsite than to stay at home. Jetpacks branded with Golden Arches, from luxury beach hut to arena, optimum position to shout over retro-bands, urine collected at source and shit recycled as food. It is a festival you know. We like to be green.
A weekend of wearing plastic bags sandwiched between a pair of socks and monumentally mud damaged trainers has GONE. Nettles in your hair and a dock leaf up your arse. That’s so yesterday. The giant screen is where it’s at. Festival: a field to watch the box in. Close ups of stars and idiots in the crowd IS everything.
Lowbrow bollox. “We’ve gone and bloody done it,” they said. “We’ve alienated the swots and the musos.” A lost MARKET!
So, in steps Latitude. La de fucking da. Latitude with its Radio 4 attitude. Afternoon Play, Book at Bedtime and some rather good comedy, don’t you know.
Hoorah and hooray. An event for theatrical types, the literature lovelies and musos. Keep out the riff raff. Get robbed by the riff raff. Taste the culture.
Well, that dream ended fast. The Pet Shop Boys came, Radio 4 went and Vodafone built a watchtower. Enter stage East - the mainstream moneyed and the super-fete. A mass grave of talented curators is hidden in the woods of Henham Park.
Yeah! Rant on you crazy charcoal. The eternally optimistic went anyway... Optimism rules. You NEVER know. It was lovely. It was fun. Not FUN, but fun. Okay, it rained, and it poured, and the line up lacked innovation, but treats could be found. My highlight? Bimbling about in the early hours with mates.
In conclusion, the super-fete needs jam. Blue jam.
Dig up those curators. They make tasty Blue jam.
Rating system (from very best to very worst):
Fucking Awesome, Ear Candy, Thumbs Up, Not for Me Thanks, Hideously Awful
*** Thursday 14th July, 2011 ***
Soldier-A & Intensi-T
Poetry Arena
Thumbs Up (5/10)
Two young lads from Norwich! Excellent beatboxing. Not so sure about the rapping. They evidently love their music.
Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer
Poetry Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
Mr B should open every festival. His posh mockery of rap is rather fun old chap. The middle section was a bit weak and lacking in hooks, but it was jolly spiffing all the same.
*** Friday 15th July, 2011 ***
Avi Buffalo
The Word Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Ahh, Avi, the star of 2010. What’s happened to your voice? Avi struggled to hit the high notes and it really interfered with the set. A new gravelly number seemed more in his comfort range, and was rather good. So what’s going on with Avi? A cough da cold? Too many unfiltered smokes? Maturity? I was so excited to see Avi, a 6/10 is somewhat disappointing.
Edwyn Collins
Obelisk Arena
Ear Candy (8/10)
Before Latitude, I watched the BBC programme about Edwyn’s somewhat triumphant recovery from a major stroke. He may not be 100% functional, but he is 100% charming. It was a lovely set. Even his boy sang a number, and was pretty damn good.
The Phantom Band
Sunrise Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
Melodic folk rock in the woods, I won’t say ‘No’. The Scots pulled it off with down-to-earth enthusiasm.
Yann Tiersen
The Word Arena
Ear Candy (8/10)
Wonderfully atmospheric ambient delights. Great musicianship, great harmonies, great samples and an oddly placed violin solo mid-set.
GroupLove
Sunrise Arena
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
Beards and smiles all round. The last gig of the tour and a good ‘un at that. Summery sounds in a summery setting.
Still Corners
The Lake Stage
Ear Candy (7/10)
The Lake Stage has always lacked presence as a focal point in the Latitude grounds. This has been worsened by the fact that it’s now a thoroughfare for a new bridge. The people that used to sit and watch the Lake stage, now watch people toing and froing instead. More people should have seen The Still Corners make sweet melodic tunes and boast emotively pretty vocals.
Bright Eyes
Obelisk Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
Initially, I had concerns. The set might not be as good as the Glasto one. It migh tarnish the memory. It was different. Conor seemed more at home and at ease, and it worked in his favour. By the end of the set I was genuinely moved. It was lovely. Conor seemed humbly charmed by the adoring teenage girls that flocked to shake his hand.
The Vaccines
The Word Arena
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
The young kids that climbed the tent poles for a better view, and briefly stopped the set, should be well-chuffed. That is one to be forever proud of. What an ace set. My only criticism is that, because I was with pals, I wasn’t close enough!
Cats Eyes
Sunrise Arena
Fucking Awesome (9/10)
This was magical. It would get 10/10 if the sound engineer hadn’t ballsed up at the start. Fortunately, Farris spotted the error, and the choir was 100% worth remembering to mic up. Cats Eyes boast an amazingly intoxicating sound and truly impressive vocals. My heart was torn apart and stitched back together again by this sonic beauty.
Brigitte Aphrodite
Poetry Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
She’s a charmer! A one-woman musical comedy.
*** Saturday 16th July, 2011 ***
James Vincent McMorrow
The Word Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Dark skies attacked earth with water bombs. People caught in the action headed for the Word Arena. The tent was full of tourists, some paying due attention and some chattering the morning away. It didn’t create the atmosphere that the music fan requires. After a great struggle, I managed to squeeze myself into viewing position. There, I discovered a young man and his band presenting some warmly gentle tunes.
Shaun Keavenay
Cabaret Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Shaun came out dressed as Freddie Mercury and demonstrated easy going wit and charm throughout. I liked the way, seeing himself as an amateur professional, he was slightly understated. Everyone wanted him to succeed.
Bryony Kimmings: 7 Day Drunk
Cabaret Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
I was absolutely captivated, even though I had a poor view of the video screen. The screen would, at interludes, show a recording of Bryony kept in a drunken state for several days, in what appeared to be a hospital setting. A female volunteer was invited up on stage to drink a pint of vodka with Bryony, as she delivered the show, which involved costume, storytelling and interaction with her guest. Bizarrely entrancing.
Villagers
The Word Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
Extremely well delivered indie-folk, but a touch too saccharine for me.
Rumer
The Obelisk Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
The sun came out and Rumer’s Karen Carpenter-esq voice welcomed it to Suffolk. She was older than I imagined and not at all dour: quite the opposite.
Fight Like Apes
Sunrise Arena
Fucking Awesome (10/10)
The men of Fight Like Apes came on stage in body suits, which looked stupidly amazing. Mary-Kate got the microphone entangled in her clothes twice. And it wasn’t just me, they also thought their last Latitude gig was one of the best ever. I loved them, the crowd loved them, and Mary-Kate’s adventures over the barrier ended the set perfectly. Fight Like Apes make a gig a party: a fantastic party.
Double Science with Robin Ince and 2 Mad Scientists
Literary Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
Edutainment, eh? I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t remember what I learnt, but there was a big bang that made me leap off my chair.
Paulo Nutini
Obelisk Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
I enjoyed the bouncy tunes, and the parents dancing with their little ‘uns. I didn’t like the sickly slow songs. Not my scene.
Moshi Moshi DJs
Lake Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
Most of what I heard was brilliant!
*** Sunday 17th July, 2011 ***
Anna Calvi
Obelisk Arena
Ear Candy (7/10)
She is a dark lady, with a fiercely rich voice.
Steve Hughes
Comedy Arena
Ear Candy (8/10)
A gas! The guy is a walking advert for “being yourself”. He has evidently put a lot of work into creating a well-constructed, cerebral and darkly funny set. Start accessible, and then drive the audience your twisted worldview, Steve.
Sea of Bees
Lake Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
What an intriguing lady Jules is. Bittersweet campfire laments, delivered with a certain oddity that can only endear. Jules seems to draw the lyrics up from her chest and then direct an enormous amount of facial energy towards delivering them as words.
Adam Buxton
Comedy Arena
Ear Candy (8/10)
Does what it says on the tin. Adam presenting YouTube videos, some his own, and sharing the world of YouTube comments in an amusing fashion.
Ghostpoet
Lake Stage
Ear Candy (8/10)
I expected Ghostpoet to be on major tranquilizers, drawling cleverly constructed sentences between songs and needing support to hold his body up. He seemed as bright as a daisy. It was quite odd, when mid-song, he tried to entice and excite the crowd a little. So much brooding melancholy in the music and, yet, not how he presents.
Gold Panda
Sunrise Arena
Ear Candy (8/10)
Gold Panda wanted to go on and on. In his short set, he created a room of gently bobbing, fly catchers. He builds on sample and beats, with a minimalist but rich style.
Eels
Word Arena
Thumbs Up (6/10)
They went for showmanship instead of fragility. Their back catalogue is vast, and I prefer the gentler songs, which demonstrate emotional depth and vulnerability.
Fabpants Recommends:
I really, really wanted Eels to play this:
Download MP3: Eels - The Man (courtesy of hulkshare.com)
They didn’t. To watch Eels, I missed Crystal Fighters. Choices about line-up clashes are often tough.
Download MP3: Crystal Fighters – Plage (courtesy of mediafire.com)
