Latitude 2008: DiS's festival picks
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The third annual Latitude Festival took place over the weekend in Suffolk. DiS dispatched a pair of scribes and a photographic duo to the three-day festival of music, art, comedy and more. Here be photographic documentation of the festival, and ten personal picks from the astoundingly good musical bill.
Words: Dan Wale, Ben Yates Photos: Holly Erskine, Toby Price
**Franz Ferdinand** Fridays headliners hit their stride early. The vacuum left by their absence has recently been filled by a glut of indie also-rans - which makes their appearance here tonight a timely reminder that we need them back sooner rather than later. Perhaps predictably, it’s the ‘hits’ _Take Me Out_, _The Dark of the Matinée_, and _Walk Away_ that cause most people to go surging towards the stage but **Franz Ferdinand** are starting to amass an impressive catalogue and after a slightly lacklustre second album the new material previewed tonight points to a return to the classic sound they honed when they emerged some four years ago. _Katherine Kiss Me_ in particular is laden with all the killer hooks and infectiously spiky rhythms for which they were loved in the first place. **DW**
**Franz Ferdinand** (TP)
**Sigur Rós** (TP)
**Sigur Rós** I wasn’t a fan of Sigur Rós. Now I am. I can pay no greater compliment than that. For once the word transcendental seems quite apt… nay,_ insufficient_. They are bewitching. Glowing orbs, marching bands (it’s good, trust me) and a sound that appears to emanate from some lay-line beneath the stage; ‘_Svefn-G-Englar_’ is staggeringly beautiful. If ever there is a time when Sigur Rós make perfect sense then it is with the grass beneath your feet and the sky above your head. I can describe no more, because I am in their thrall. **DW** **The Twilight Sad** Early in the afternoon, whilst the majority lie or sit on the acres of grass that unfold before the Obelisk Arena, one man exorcises his demons as the rest of his band make wonderful noise. The Twilight Sad are captivating. James Graham is faintly oblivious to the people in front of him; caught up in the maelstrom of his band’s music, or perhaps just reflecting the disinterest of many, he turns in on himself then expels great cathartic roars and expletives. If they were on later, in smaller confines, then they would be devastating. As it is, The Twilight Sad have a committed and beholden gaggle, swaying awestruck at the front of a field. DW**
Johnny Flynn
As onlookers adjust their eyes to the closeting darkness of the Film & Theatre tent, something unspoken hangs in the air during Johnny Flynn’s second set of the weekend. His guitar aches and hums whilst those perilously young, wholesome features hide an old soul and a burgeoning wordsmith. Today, he stitches his delicately crafted songs together with threads of poetry, whilst members of his band, The Sussex Wit, grant both sparse accompaniment and rousing weight. His sign off, ‘Tickle Me Pink’, is played to a film made as he wandered the festival over the preceding days. It’s a fitting and stirring culmination to a set from a man with much promise on his long horizon. DW**
Johnny Flynn (TP)
- -
The Wave Pictures
Shorn of a larger audience by both the rain and clashes with Blondie and Black Lips, those who huddle at the front of the Lake Stage watching The Wave Pictures are treated to what is surely one of the festival highlights. ‘Long Island’ is an early triumph, fired off by a supremely confident band. Confident enough to throw together lines like: “I was an auto-focus illuminator-flash-gun in aqua-marine biology blue / Spitting out prints I printed you on photon quality glossily-greasy-chip-paper with a tortilla dip chaser / and then later / I pinned you down.” It’s flash wordplay but without sounding forced or detracting from the power-pop magic on which the words sit. In Dave Tattersall there is also a guitar hero spilling out; blazing solos fly out of songs where before there was none, indicative of a band honed by years on the road, and yet they are still one that retains a twinkling wryness - also the product of those years... spent kicking against things. Understated brilliance. DW**
Johnny Foreigner
This is Johnny Foreigner’s year, and the crowd’s note-for-note recital of the start of ‘Cranes and Cranes and Cranes’ seems fitting after a glorious 2008 thus far. Messy, loud, and heart-stoppingly brilliant, you get the feeling that come album two in 20XX, Johnny Foreigner will have morphed into a bigger and better beast. ‘Hennings Favourite’ – one of debut LP Waited Up ‘Til It Was Light’s highlights – sounds absolutely massive here, promoting the idea that they’re the most likely candidate in British rock’s ranks to hit the ‘big time’ sometime in the near future. See you on the main stage in a couple of years then, yeah? BY**
Johnny Foreigner (TP)
Death Cab For Cutie (TP)
- -
Death Cab For Cutie
Death Cab, however, are the antithesis to exciting. Whiney, dull American rock – you’ve heard the criticisms before, and you thought they were unfounded. When you see Death Cab live though, it reinforces the idea that they’re merely a band you sit in your bedroom listening to whilst crying into your pillow. What a disappointment it was when it dawned on me that Death Cab aren’t the incredible force that their critical plaudits would suggest, rather that they’re simply a few average guys playing some average songs on guitar. Bring back The Postal Service please. *BY*
Joanna Newsom
All 15,000 (educated guess) of those watching Joanna Newsom at midday on Sunday fall madly in love with the Californian songstress. Playing for the first time in a long while without an orchestra or band of any kind, her mistakes are glaringly obvious - but they come across as endearing rather than irritating. Amongst the favourites fromYs_ and _The Milk Eyed Mender, a few new numbers are aired - bluesy, piano-driven songs that bring out Newsom’s natural southern drawl hidden on her previous recorded efforts. ‘Emily’ still manages to sound as epic and overblown as it does with an orchestra behind her, and despite her protestations of not to applaud her after her mistakes, it’s hard not to express unbridled gratitude at her being here. BY**
Joanna Newsom (TP)
Grinderman (TP)
- -
Grinderman
Nick Cave is God. There’s no questioning it, especially when he’s playing out the cocky rock star role in Grinderman. Cave dances, kicks down mic stands, assaults roadies, all the things you’d expect him to do when taking time out from The Bad Seeds to play fuzzy no-holds-barred rock ‘n’ roll. ‘No Pussy Blues’ - the anti-anthem – is fully realised here, with Cave chanting “I must above all love myself” before the song explodes into its noisy denouement. It’s exciting stuff, and it’s where the quartet fully realise their potential. Whatever you think about the record, it’s impossible to resist their charm on stage. In many respects, Grinderman are the perfect festival band. BY**
Tindersticks
Tindersticks round off the festival on the Uncut Stage with a shorter-than-expected set of brilliantly understated indie-rock. As soon as the crowd for Blondie (we manage to catch the end of their set, and laugh at how the mighty have fallen) exit, an almost complete audience change makes its way into the arena. One reveller comments: “Hurry up and let us miserabilists in”. Whilst being miserable might not be a perfect footnote to the festival fun, Tindersticks tonight are so beautiful and so…real that I can’t imagine any other way of ending it. No gimmicks, no light shows or funny on-stage banter, just simple whiskey-addled melancholy. The only criticism I can level at them stems from a disappointingly short set, with very little from their extensive back catalogue and more from their most recent effort, The Hungry Saw. Nothing wrong with that of course, but seeing ‘Dying Slowly’ or ‘Talk To Me’ live would have made the weekend. *BY*
Beth Orton (TP)
Bill Bailey (TP)
Black Kids (TP)
Black Lips (HE)
Crystal Castles (TP)
Elbow (HE)
Emmy The Great (TP)
*Foals * (HE)
*Glasvegas * (HE)
*The Go! Team * (HE)
*Guillemots * (HE)
*Interpol * (HE)
*Jonquil * (TP)
*Lovvers * (TP)
*Lykke Li * (HE)
*Martha Wainwright * (HE)
*Metronomy * (TP)
*Noah & The Whale * (TP)
*Patrick Watson * (TP)
*Seasick Steve * (HE)
*Slow Club * (TP)
*The Coral * (TP)
*These New Puritans * (HE)
*Those Dancing Days * (TP)
Early-bird tickets to 2009’s Latitude are already on sale from the festival’s official website.
- Spektor, Bon Iver and Tindersticks for Hyde Park Serpentine Sessions
- WIN! Tickets to the End Of The Road Festival
- WIN! Tickets to La Route Du Rock festival in France
- Latitude 2008: DiS's festival picks
- Tindersticks to headline End of the Road festival
- Tindersticks at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Sat 03 May
- Tindersticks at Royal Festival Hall, Lambeth, Sat 03 May
- The Hungry Musician: Stuart Staples on Tindersticks' return
Johnny Flynn
Grinderman
Johnny Foreigner
The Wave Pictures
From the archive
-
Hadouken!: firing up all-ages dancefloors
-
A Month (or two) in Records: December 2008/January 2009
-
Storas Festival 2008: the DiS review
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article, i read loads about last year to! I should really make the effort next year. great photos to, buttttttttt...without being crass, it well looks like Alexei JoFo is getting bummed :P
I love JoFo though so im not being harsh
And someone else would have said it
Bummed by DiS?
I love JF as well so no funny biznizz there.
Good review, really wish I could have gone.
i really like
these photos.
These photos
ARE F**KING AWESOME!
That Lovvers shot makes me cry its so damn good.... JAYSUS! *explodes*
Photos are excellent
Well done!
Guy from Elbow looks alot like Ricky Gervais there...
but you have a photo of Emmy The Great, so it's all good.
For my part in the photos
Thanks! There are more on my site,
Really superb festival, highly recommend it.
Great photos
And the photographers appear to have seen a fair few more bands than the reviewers...
second
that. nice review too... sigur ros seem to have totally divided opinions. my mum (and boyfriend) thought they were achingly dull, self indulgent and overhyped. my friends and i, on the other hand, were absolutely stunned by how amazing they were.
i've heard so many complaints about this years latitude... too many children, not enough cultural diversity, overpriced food, too 'middle-aged middle-class' etc. i went their knowing it would be very middling; i personally didn't expect a huge deal of drum and bass and grime as one reviewer seem to expect and so wasn't disappointed. my only complaint is please, please, make the comedy tent bigger. and maybe stop the middle-aged, middle-class couple camped next to me complaining about the number of children there. when they had a nine-year old and a toddler.[/sarcasm] :D
Latitude 2008
Finally seeing Howling Bells live was the highlight of my weekend, but Grinderman, Interpol and Joanna Newsom were particularly brilliant, too. I had a great time.
Also
Since when was Andy Falkous in Death Cab? : P
exactly
what I was thinking.
and the chap from glasvegas seems to have a superfat neck
Ben Yates
You are a clothears.
I really like your site
and photos, go on it quite a bit too lookey at nottingham gigs.
Simply excellent pictures! and words!
Well done!
Yeah, I've noticed the whole Sigur Ros split
Personally, I can't see how anyone would have thought that set was less than phenomenal. Then again, I can't see how anyone could like Interpol- different strokes and all that.
wow, he really does!
Guy also looks like he's doing the Lambeth Walk.
you missed
Animal Kingdom, definitely a festival highlight for me!
Joanna Newsom was twee and cringeworthy when she couldn't even remember her own lyrics...
apart from that what a lovely festival! the site is beautiful and the line-up on Friday was great.
Very kind!
There will be some Butthole surfers pictures up later today.
Jo Fo
weren't that good, good but not as great as I'd hoped.
The Wave Pictures
thank god I went to see them. It was so much fun. Second highilight after the mars volta for me
Lovvers photo = amazing
The quality of photos on this here site has gone through the roof lately. Dedicated section perhaps?
You misse a lot of bands!!!
Thomas Tantrum were ace as were Clinic, Esser, These dancing days, Glasvegas, lots and lots of stuff in the Lit tent.
It was an great festival.
Good photos, but have a look at more bands next time!
yeah
the guy from elbow is like a cross between Ricky Gervais & Ricky Wilson.
Nice photos
My review
In case you want to read more. Quite a lot of other bands mentioned...
http://www.peterguy.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/07/latitude_2008_southwold_suffol_1.html
Enjoy!
Superb DiS overview too.
Whichever twit
wrote the Death Cab 'review' can suck my fat one.
just lovely pictures and words
articles like this and Diver's article on Supersonic make me fall in love with DiS again.
It also all serves to make me VERY FUCKING JEALOUS of all those who went. perhaps next year?
those dancing days
and glasvegas
are both up there
what are you on about?
they have obviously watched lots of bands
everyone who went this year is a lucky bastard
oh well, i've got my ticket for next year, hope it's as good as this...
am i the only person
wo thought glasvegas were dreadful?
Amen
I've always found them to be incredibly entertaining live, especially the hyperactive bass player.
Mostly agree with this review,
and the photo's are fantastic.
I thought the comments about Death Cab were harsh, I really enjoyed them.
Sigur Ros and Joanna Newsom stole the show, closely followed by Deus, okkervil River, The Twilight Sad and Tindersticks(although painfully short set).
Only slight gripe, that the comedy tent needs to be much bigger, and i'm not sure about those recycled plastic glasses. I saw several people emerging from chemical shitter holding their glass, and taking them back to their tents. I hope they wash them properly!
Photos
Fantastic photos really capture the event. Well done guys
4th time I've seen Howling Bells
easily the worst time too, sadly. It was ok, but the new songs were pretty dull, and Juanita Stein seems to have been told to act like a vamp. Shame.
This City's Burning was fucking amazing, though.
No mention of The Mars Volta wanking themselves to death?
They banned
Photographers during their set! which was pretty rubbish. Also Grinderman was too good to miss to miss out on!
The Mars Volta
An hour of genius!!!! Followed up by an hour and a half of self indulgence. Blerr.....
KateGoes
No mention of KateGoes, no photos of KateGoes
!!
so
we're all agreed the photos are buff. yup.
"The quality of photos on this here site has gone through the roof lately"
troof!
*bins camera. and lenses*
on a more serious note
there's been so many people raving about latitude this year... does that mean next year will be full of wankerz? i don't include myself in that, cos obviously i'm ace.
erm.
i won't paint any sheep tho.
that's a bit weird. weirdos.
The photos are indeed superb
But missing a chance to review what must have been one of Interpol's crowning live moments since their inception is a slight oversight I would say.
YES!
tindersticks ruled!
the only acts i was disappointed to miss are
blondie
stewart lee &
lovvers
nope
i've seen them & thought they were overhyped shite
Tindersticks > Interpol
any day.
need
to get back there right now!
nthing the photo love
they really are gorgeous.
Really?
I thought they were fucking amazing. The new songs really impressed me, too (except for 'Let's Be Kids Again,' which I wasn't particularly keen on, if I remember rightly).
that Lovvers photo is INCREDIBLE
funny how the Foals photo sticks out as the only one devoid of action or emotion. lolz?
Howling Bells were amazing
her voice was even better than I thought it would be live. Wished they had played more of the album, but the new songs were instantly great.
Who banned photographers?
Mars Volta? If so HA! I was right at the front and got some brilliant footage and photos when Cedric came off stage and over to where I was standing. I stroked his arm too and I can report that he smelt very good!
:)
that picture makes me laugh loads for some reason.
the crystal castles one is amaazing.
at first glance
i thought guy garvey was ricky gervais..
great pics. i could have listened to joanna newsom all weekend....
the 4 best..
interpol, sigur ros, foals and grinderman
Agreed
Her voice was stunning. Like I said, Howling Bells were fucking amazing. I loved every second of their set.
Bugger!
I forgot that I've stopped using that account.
Nice and I pretty much agree with your writings on the bands I saw
Truckers of Husk: very promising, a great up and coming prospect
Mars Volta: Mesmerising
Sigur Ros: ...culmination of their set utterly lukewarm in comparison
Go! Team: Enjoyable and fun festival band
Good work
Death Cab were awesome
not as awesome as when i saw them in 2006 but still pretty awesome!
i had to call it after 10 mins
the first song went on forever and Sigur Ros were playing next door. I chose Sigur Ros.
Newsom was awesome!
It was a shame she forgot the words to Sawdust and Diamonds but the crowd, bar you it would seem, was completely behind her. Besides she has A LOT of lyrics to remember. Not that I'm defending her due to a massive crush or anything. Oh no, certainly not! Not me.
James Yuill was great
A really pumped up festival sound.
Let's Be Kids Again
was waaaank.
In Photos: Arctic Monkeys @ Wembley Arena, London
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