Nigel Kennedy is playing and I've been asked to push him into the lake that he's playing on. I have an honourable record for 'pushing people in' from my childhood days, and feel pleased that my talent has not gone unrecognised. SPLASH!
As much as it would be a hilarious adventure, I'm not sure if Nigel would see the funny side. Text the word YES to 66609* for me to push him in. At a count of 500 texts I'll do it. I feel confident, that due to my incredibly slow blogging pace of late (I am a manatee), I won't get one vote. BTW, if a real person is reading this and has voted YES, you may have just donated £5 to a Comic Relief account that closed in March 2009. Well done.
So, who did I see at Latitude last year? Well, a lot of really annoying 40+ drunk people that shouted through performances and wobbled in a way that gets less attractive and more aggressive with age. I hope that the 1980s flashback line up (Pet Shop Boys and Grace Jones) was to blame and this year the main offenders will stay at bay. They can shout in their living rooms. But then Nigel may draw them back! Or perhaps they go for the Radio 4 themed culture, and forget their manners after 7 ciders. Me, I prefer teenagers, wide eyed, less jaded and full of awe. They shout joyful quips to the bands and crowd surf, instead of ranting tediously to each other. I'm like a grumpy old woman that hates the generation she's heading towards! Someone save me.
Perhaps Latitude is not for me anymore, but the Sunday of 2009 was amazing. The aging rabble left early to nurse their reptilian hangovers.
I hold hope for an excellent 2010.
Stand out acts from 2009, included Jeremy Hardy who was really pissed off about it being his birthday and was as endearing as he was off form. Then there was Jeffrey Lewis who had an adventure getting to the festival, ended up arriving very late, played on his own and was bloody brilliant (more solo gigs please!). Fight Like Apes scarily bashed a big piece of wood on the crowd barrier and frightened me into adoration. Joe Gideon and The Shark were as amazing as at Glastonbury. I wonder if I could watch them every week and never lose my absolute awe. Alela Diane and Casiokids sealed my perfect Sunday.
Bring on East Anglia! Complete me with your flatlands, ragged dreams and festival finery.
Here's 2009...
Rating system (from very best to very worst):
Fucking Awesome, Ear Candy, Thumbs Up, Not for Me Thanks, Hideously Awful
*** Thursday, 16th July 2009 ***
National Student Drama: Touched
Theatre Stage
Ear Candy
Nobokov: Is Everyone Ok?
Theatre Stage
Ear Candy
The Now Show
Radio 4 Tent
Thumbs Up
*** Friday, 17th July 2009 ***
Marcus Brigstocke and The Early Edition
Comedy Tent
Thumbs Up
Kurran and the Wolfnotes
Sunrise Arena
Thumbs Up
Dan Rhodes/Dan Bird – Anthropology
Literary Arena
Not for Me Thanks
The Mummers
Uncut Arena
Ear Candy
1990s
Sunrise Arena
Not for Me Thanks
The Brownies
The Lake Stage
Ear Candy
Indie Ghetto: Various
Film and Music Tent
Thumbs Up
Posters Came from the Wall
Film and Music Tent
Ear Candy
The Duckworth Method
Uncut Arena
Thumbs Up
Bishi
The Lake Stage
Ear Candy
Kap Bambino
Sunrise Arena
Ear Candy
Jeremy Hardy
Literary Arena
Thumbs Up
Brain Patterson
Poetry Tent
Thumbs Up
Bat for Lashes
Uncut Arena
Thumbs Up
*** Saturday, 18th July 2009 ***
Alan Pownell
Sunrise Arena
Ear Candy
Dear Reader
Sunrise Arena
Thumbs Up
The Chakras
Obelisk Arena
Thumbs Up
The Boy Who Trapped the Sun
Sunrise Arena
Ear Candy
Joe Gideon and The Shark
The Lake Stage
Fucking Awesome
Emmy the Great
Uncut Arena
Ear Candy
Pulled Apart by Horses
The Lake Stage
Thumbs Up
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
Film and Music
Not for Me Thanks
Le Donk
Film and Music
Fucking Awesome
Jessica Delfino
Cabaret Arena
Ear Candy
Spiritualized
Uncut Arena
Ear Candy
Jeffrey Lewis
Poetry Tent
Fucking Awesome
*** Sunday, 19th July 2009 ***
Marcus Brigstocke and The Early Edition
Comedy Tent
Thumbs Up
Thom Yorke
Obelisk Arena
Thumbs Up
Fight Like Apes
Sunrise Arena
Fucking Awesome
Alela Diane
Uncut Arena
Fucking Awesome
Casiokids
The Lake Stage
Fucking Awesome
Cape Farewell, with Marcus Marcus Brigstocke, Jarvis Cocker and Schlomo
Film and Music Tent
Fucking Awesome for inspiration if not for music
Slow Club
The Lake Stage
Fucking Awesome
Nick Cave
Obelisk Arena
Ear Candy
Childrens Book at Bedtime with Robin Ince
Literary Tent
Fucking Awesome
Faber: Pop Culture - Willy Vlautin & Kevin Cummins
Literary Tent
Ear Candy
Samphire Band playing Film Music
Film and Music
Ear Candy
Fabpants Recommends:
It has been brought to my attention that an Alela Diane track has never appeared on this blog. I will rectify this terrible error now.
Download MP3: Alela Diane - The Rifle (courtesy of pampelmoose.com)
Download MP3: Alela Diane - White As Diamonds (courtesy of naturalismo.us)
Download MP3: Alela Diane - The Pirate's Gospel (courtesy of agron.ntu.edu.tw)
