Field Day – Review

So, I’m starting this in Doha Airport Costa Coffee, I’ve time to kill after an interesting (but short) customer meeting. This is the perfect opportunity to get to work on the Field Day reviews.

So here goes.

Saturday Aug 1. Field Day. Mrs. P managed to get a flight on Thursday night. After yesterdays attempted shopping marathon,  we’re both up early ready to head down to Lancaster Gate and onwards to Mile End.

Weather looks good. But I know it isn’t going to last….my BB told me!

Once through the obligatory security checks and we’re straight into the Village Mentality tent. It’s the closest. First Aid Kit are playing. I’d never heard them before. A folk duo from Sweden. They were certainly a good start to the day. Their cover of Fleet Foxes “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” was fantastic. They got a good 7/10 from me (with a “will definitely give the album a listen”), and a good amount of toe-tapping from Mrs. P.

Off to the main stage. Gaggle. Name of a what? What? Who? A choir? They were like a cross between the cast of Joseph (technicolor-coat fame) and the Polyphonic Spree (without instruments) with a soundtrack by Squarepusher! There were a lot of bemused faces in the crowd. Mrs. P thought it was great. They seemed to sing a lot about cheating blokes and getting drunk. Certainly entertaining.

Two of the day’s main draws for me were Fanfarlo and Errors. Errors have featured constantly for me since I stumbled across them through the Mogwai site. I caught them last year supporting Mogwai in Manchester (with the equally stunning Fuck Buttons) and I was eager to see them again.

Fanfarlo are new to me. I have the album and that’s it. Being outside the UK means that I’m not able to pick up on rising talent anymore through the live circuit. I’m straight to album! I was interested to see how they performed live. Their album is such a intricate work, with many instuments figuring on most tacks; I was intrigued to see how they’d pull it off.

Pull it off they did. A smallish crowd (due to their opening slot on the main stage) was treated to a great performance. I rated them a fine 9/10 on Twitter. Probably a little premature considering what was to follow. But as an initiation I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

So to Errors. They were lost on such a big stage. They would have been better belting out their motorik post-rock on one of the smaller tented-stages. The tunes rocked. Their display certainly left me satisfied. Again. A little too early, and would have preferred a more intimate stage.

We decided to take a walk around. I was looking for merchandise (I’m a sucker for well packaged tat), and trying to get our bearings in general since a couple of the later bands were on it the Adventures In The Beetroot Field tent.

We stuck our noses in the Beetroot tent. Some post-new-wave-of-post-punk-wave band were setting up. I have to admit – bit of a problem with these type of bands. If you want to hear Orange Juice, Josef K, (early) Ultravox! etc., then there’s plenty on reissue CD – it’s much better and it’s original. Sad. One of the guys even had a long rain mac and a wedge – the targeted look; Midge Ure Ultravox circa Vienna. Ghastly! So we moved on……

We headed back to the main stage in time to see The Temper Trap. Another unknown – incoming on my radar. And I have to say the festivals obvious odd-man-out. Middle-of-the-road, tuneful rock, with a definite college radio bent. Considering the remainder of the line-up for the day. What was that about? (To be fair there were a lot of young university students, a-hopping and a-skipping their way to the front, all mouthing the lyrics). I guess they are called a crowd-puller. I call it a dilution of the overall theme of the day. (But it would happen again).

During The Temper Trap the rain really did start to pour. Deluge. Cats-and-dogs. So we went off in search of some cover. It was at this point that my age betrayed me and I managed to twist my ankle. From this point onwards, for me, the day went steadily downhill. (Was this my bad-karma tripping me up? Too much moaning about bands having a go?) The rain persisted. Photos outside were impossible because of the wet, and impossible inside because of the condensation! Balls. Grumble. Whine.

Student-attack-Two. Mumford and Sons. In an attempt to relieve the pressure on my throbbing ankle we made it into the Village Mentality tent. Mumford and Sons play jaunty folk that you find yourself tapping your (aching) foot to. And they’re good at it. We both enjoyed it. Although I did feel that we were trespassing on some private student party. Obviously they’re up there on the circuit and they certainly know how to entertain. Their Myspace says “folk/bluegrass/afro-beat” – not sure about the afro-beat tag, but I agree with the other two. Mrs. P gives them a massive Freetime-Thumbs-Up. I agree – great entertainers. But what was the deal with the guy in the riding breaches and boots? B-Movie springs to mind. (Google them).

We hobbled over to see The Big Pink. The next big thing so I’m told. A big too much My Bloody Mary Chain for my liking. Good. I agree. Good. And I’ll definitely pick up the album. But I know what I’m going to get, so I wouldn’t rate them as ground-breaking. But hats off guys – you do it well. But we don’t stay for it all.

Now my ankle really is throbbing! I can barely walk and it’s still pissing down. Should we stay?

I decide it will be a crime against art if I miss Mogwai. So I convince myself that I can hold out for longer.

We catch most of Malcolm Middleton‘s set. Brilliant. Straightforward. Great tunes. He just seems to get better with every release. I suggest we stay in the tent for James Yorkston. So we do. And we’re both really disappointed. The sound was diabolical. He had a fine line-up with him, but could we hear anything other than his guitar? No. Even his voice was too low in the mix at the start. That was really a let-down for me. I’ve wanted to see him for some time. This was probably the only opportunity and it was poor. Exit stage left.

Mogwai. So it’s still raining. The main stage is mobbed. Mogwai are due to start. My foot is now letting me know that I’ve been standing on it for too long. I listen to the opening track. And then leave. Devastated. Mrs. P can see I’m at a pretty low point and suggests Coachella next year. At least the sun will be shining.

My analysis. Two things definitely clouded my judgement and resulted in me not enjoying Field Day; the weather and my ankle. The first I couldn’t control. The second I should learn from and act my age! Be more careful. Overall I found the line-up of the event a bit confusing. I think Field Day is still on a voyage of self-discovery. With most of the other boutique festivals it’s pretty clear what you’re buying into. With Field Day it isn’t.

Field Day. Started well. A few high points. Mainly disappointed.

(Finished this, sat on my sofa listening to Orange Juice – Glasgow School CD! Now that’s a band I’d fly half-way around the world to see!)

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~ by pwdxb on August 4, 2009.