A one day festival in the heart of East London is an all together different proposition when compared to marathon events such as T in the park or Glastonbury.
Those in attendance looked fresh and chirpy upon arrival, safe in the knowledge that come rain or shine, they would still be snuggled up in their homes come bed time. This is in contradiction of course, to their weekend festival counterparts, who would be hurriedly trying to peel soaking items of their utterly drenched skin, before the resident drunk returned to relieve himself on their tent.
In truth all this was just as well, because rain it did. By early evening, the heavens had well and truly opened, and the arena had become a mud bath. Whether it was the weather or the artists that caused the tents to bulge at the seams, it still begged the question; did anybody go to see the Horrors?
The previous evening had also been, one would imagine, a chirpy affair. DJ Tiesto had entertained Victoria Park, and as a result, the clean up schedule must have been tight. The festival opened half an hour late and upon arrival you certainly got the sense that it was all still under construction.
The day began with Swedish duo First Aid Kit. Klara & Johanna Söderberg played a terrific set of acoustic numbers in a surprising country-esk style. Their harmonies were spot on and it really was a very enjoyable kick start to the day. The highlight track of the 45 minute show was the delicately crafted ‘Your not coming home tonight’
Come 2 o’clock on the intriguingly titled ‘Eat Your Own Ears’ stage, Fanfarlo had given way to Errors. The Glaswegian outfit running through a number of synth/rock numbers to entertain the ever increasing crowd. There was a very subdued air to the performance though. The band lacked any real confidence onstage, and the audience seemed more concerned with preparing for the imminent downpour. The highlight was unquestionably their signature track ‘Mr Milk’. This at least this gave the audience something to engage with.
Final Fantasy was up next on the main stage. The solo figure of Owen Collett armed with only a violin and a sampler. The Arcade fire member who played a major role in the writing of ‘Funeral’ was impressive no doubt, but you still got the feeling the crowd were wanting something a bit louder and ‘In their faces’ and one guy with a violin, no matter how talented, could ever be put in that bracket. The performance was, in truth, very enjoyable, the highlight being ‘This lamb sells condos’. None the less, his best ovation was to come while paying homage to London’s uniquely foul mouthed culture.
Following that it was off to the ‘Bugged Out’ dance tent, where Theo Keating, under the more recognisable alias of Fake Blood, played over an hour of electro/dance music that had the crowd moving. Fake blood was good; perhaps even the best of the day so far. It is impossible to ignore however, that if you are going to have technicians clambering around the stage for the entire ninety minutes of a DJ’s set, it is only going to be detrimental to the spectacle as a whole, and what’s more, when the pitter patter of light rain on the tent roof is audible over an entire PA rack, it may be even be time to turn up the volume.
By ten past six, the scheduled time for Mumford & Sons, any attempt to plan future viewings was nigh impossible. The dance tent had all but caught up on the lost half an hour, while the main stage was apparently falling further behind all the time. Any attempt to actually see Mumford was well lost for those who hadn’t arrived in plenty of time, the rain was now coming down hard and many took refuge under the tent roof. Not that this was the real cause of not being able to see. Over zealous scenester’s with their oversized backpacks would see to that. Not that this writer holds a grudge, you understand.
Upon returning to the ‘Bugged Out’ tent, Erol Alkan was already well under way with his set. A DJ that can always be trusted to deliver, the whole vibe to the tent had improved. For once, you could feel the bass climbing up your spine and you recalled that this is what a festival should be like.
Malcolm Middleton was up next with a short set of depressingly humorous numbers. The former Arab Strap member has a very unique style that is as prevalent in his live shows as it is on his records. There was an obvious omission of many of his more recognised tracks however, which is always something of a risk when performing in comparatively unchartered territory to his native Scotland.
The final two hours of the day was to be spent at the main stage where things were now being well and truly hurried along. As Santigold drew to a close it was announced that not only had they been put on late, but were now being taken off early. There was ripples of boo’s from all around, but such would have been the tight restrictions on noise in the area, I doubt those in charge would have lost much sleep.
Dub step artist Skream put on a good performance that would have been more at home in the Dance tent, before Mogwai appeared for their only English headline slot this year. The Glasgow outfit with green and white scarves upon amp and drum kit played something of a stormer. It’s an acquired taste, within a genre that’s frankly impossible to pin down, but Mogwai do hold a certain cult status, and it’s easy to see why. A sort of ambient fusion of loud and soft brought the curtain down on the day perfectly.
This final performance was enough to make you forget about the mishaps, the rain and the mud, the over-priced drinks and the slightly unnecessarily high police presence that would have Mary Poppins feeling uneasy. There was a real spirit to this festival that shone through the rain. The village mentality area, a replica of a village fete with egg and spoon races and onion peeling competitions amongst other activities, really worked. People enjoyed themselves and went home with that feeling of “I can’t believe it’s over” that all good festivals have. And as everyone dried themselves off and got into bed at night, I bet they thought, “I’d happily endure the local drunk for another day of that”.