NOTE, BOBBYSIX HAS MOVED. PLEASE VISIT OUR NEW SITE INSTEAD, WHERE YOU WILL FIND SO MUCH AWESOME CONTENT THAT YOUR EYES WON'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FIRST: SOMETHINGYOUSAID.COM
Showing posts with label the temper trap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the temper trap. Show all posts
Listen up kids, this is exciting. Sydney Opera House, in partnership with Google, are set to stream selected performances on YouTube during Vivid LIVE - the annual ten-day music event within Vivid Sydney (May 25 – June 11), the city’s annual festival of light, music and ideas.
So, if you aren't in Sydney, or if you are but don't have the dollar for tickets, then you'll still be able to see Bobbysix's old chums The Temper Trap showcase their new album in the Concert Hall, witness Imogen Heap perform an intimate recital with a spectacular Sydney harbour backdrop, experience Amon Tobin's Live Beyond 3D and watch the iconic sails of Sydney Opera House be transformed with digital mapping technology by multi-award winning German design collective URBANSCREEN. Which, we think you'll agree, beats watching this for the millionth time.
In snazzy, 21st Century news, the live stream series will premiere a custom camera application called FRONTROW, which will allow the audience to use pan and zoom features to change their view and take photos during the live stream, apply lens filters and immediately share with their friends through Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Not too shabby, hey?
“Sydney Opera House is committed to taking the content from its stages to people wherever they are," Victoria Doidge, Director of Marketing and Communications told us. "We are excited to partner with Google to create a truly innovative virtual experience of these concerts. We imagine that the ability for viewers to take pictures throughout the concert will really add to their sense of ‘being there’ as it happens.”
We don't like to blow our own trumpets at Bobbysix.com (we actually really do), but we've been raving about The Temper Trap for years now. In fact, for longer than they have even been called The Temper Trap. Our love for the Melbourne band is almost as big as our love for the beautiful city of Brighton, so imagine how excited we were to hear that the two are coming together for The Great Escape Festival this year. The boys too, are really up for it, saying, “We can't wait to play The Great Escape again - being part of the event in 2009 was incredible and 2012 is going to be even better. We'll be playing songs from our new album, its set to be a very special show”.
The Great Escape 2012 is well on the way to bursting point as a whopping 141 artists were today added to the line-up taking this year’s edition to an unparalleled level of showmanship. The news comes at the same time as a decision from Arts Council England to support the festival with a £38,000 grant. The award is intended to help the festival to deliver local collaborations, education and development and to promote international diversity and collaboration between artists.
Other excellent artists set to make the trip down to Europe’s leading festival for new music include Jack White signings The Black Belles on their first UK trip, while Supergrass alumnus Gaz Coombes will be performing his brilliant new work. We Are Augustines, St Lucia, Body Language, Devin, The Front Bottoms, Cloud Nothings and more will also play, while, fresh out of SXSW, Haim, Pond and Wild Belles will be doing their thing. A few more established acts like S.C.U.M, We Are Scientists, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Kids in Glass Houses will be there too.
You can check out the full programme by day and venue, as well as getting yorself some tickets, at www.escapegreat.com today. The festival will hit Brighton this May and you can still just about get the early bird price before the deadline. So don't delay.
KAREN O IN ‘STOP THE VIRGENS’/ FLORENCE + THE MACHINE / THE TEMPER TRAP / BRYCE DESSNER, NICO
MUHLY, SUFJAN STEVENS / JANELLE MONAE & THE ARCHANDROID ORCHESTRA / AMON TOBIN LIVE BEYOND
3D ‘ISAM’ / EFTERKLANG & SYDNEY SYMPHONY / PVT / SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS / MY BRIGHTEST
DIAMOND / SEEKAE / DANNY BROWN / MED/ ELLESQUIRE / HALFWAY CROOKS DJS / ZOLA JESUS/ LIGHT
ASYLUM / FORCES/ MODULAR / FUTURE CLASSIC / GOODGOD DANCETERIA / URBANSCREEN
What a line-up! Sydney Opera House today announced a stunning program for Vivid LIVE 2012, including Karen O, Florence and The Temper Trap. Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House (May
25 – June 3) is part of Vivid Sydney (May 25 – June 11), the city’s annual festival of light, music and ideas. Now in
its fourth year, Vivid Sydney has become Australia’s major festival in winter and is one of five signature events on
the NSW Events Calendar developed by Destination NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.
From May 25 – June 3, Vivid LIVE will take over the Sydney Opera House with an extraordinary series of
performances including exclusive concerts, unique collaborations and one-off projects. With over 22 events
including 11 Australian premieres, 2 world premieres and many artists exclusive to Sydney, Vivid LIVE 2012
reinforces Sydney Opera House as the ultimate winter destination for music fans across Australia.
As the centrepiece to Vivid Sydney, each year a Vivid LIVE artist is invited to transform the sails of Sydney Opera
House with digital mapping technology. In 2012, Vivid LIVE has commissioned multi-award winning German
design collective, URBANSCREEN to create a new artwork that will explore both the iconic sculptural form of
Sydney Opera House, as well as its place as a home for music, dance and drama.
There is so much good shit going down at the festival that we can't possibly tell you about it all here, so visit the Vivid website for full deets. Tickets go on sale to the General Public Thursday 22 March, 9am (Insiders: 19 March, Vivid LIVE subscribers: 20
March)
The Temper Trap are busy fellows. Having created a monster in Conditions, the likeable Melbourne band has spent the last 18 months touring the world. Dashing from continent to continent, it is little wonder they haven’t had time to put a record out since their debut first landed in June 2009.
Instead, we are being offered the same ten songs reworked. While the cynical might suggest a cash-in on the back of the recent Aria Awards, there can be no denying that these remixes from the likes of Fools Gold and Alan Wilkis are the result of a lot of hard work and love. This isn’t something that has been lazily thrown together. Often there is a high energy, house/techno vibe, such as Penguin Prison’s remix of Resurrection, which takes the original directly to the dancefloor. Some mixes - Peter, Bjorn and John’s Fools, for instance - don’t stray too far from their roots, while others, like PVT’s industrial reworking of Fader, might be a bit too abstract for some. The real highlight, and most interestingly altered track, is saved for the end. Drum Song is reinvented by BretonLabs who drags the original kicking and screaming into the grimy streets of South London, courtesy of the rapping talents of Kate Tempest. It’s fantastic.
Conditions Remixed is certainly a worthwhile project in that it breathes life into these played-to-death songs, but its release is frustrating because it signals the fact that a new record is probably still a long way off. And, as enjoyable as this album is, what we’re really hanging out for are some new songs.
Sometimes, you just have to blow your own trumpet. I've been championing Sydney's Angus & Julia Stone and Melbourne's The Temper Trap for years now, so I was extra delighted that they came good at Sunday's ARIA Awards in Australia. The Stones picked up Album of the Year and Single of the Year, while The Temper Trap won Best Group and Most Popular Australian Single. Congratulations go out to them from their long term friends and fans and BobbySix.com.
Also, congrats to Sia, who deservedly won Best Independent Release. Here's the rundown of the big night's winners:
Album of the year Angus and Julia Stone - Down the Way
Single of the year Angus and Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane
Best Female artist Megan Washington
Best male artist Dan Sultan
Best group Temper Trap
Breakthrough artist Megan Washington - I Believe You Liar
Best independent release Sia - We Are Born
Most popular Australian single Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
Most popular Australian album Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Most popular Australian artist Powderfinger
Most popular international artist Mumford & Sons
For the comprehensive list of winners that were announced in the preceding week, go here.
Nominations for the fifth annual Jagermeister Independent Music Awards - which used to be known as the Jagermeister AIR Awards - were officially announced this week, and they include a stellar array of the Australia's brightest emerging talent.
Leading the pack with three Nominations each are Sia, Dan Sultan and Cloud Control. Also receiving a nomination for the coveted Best Independent Album is the late Australian music legend Rowland S Howard.
Little Red, British India and Eddie Current Suppression Ring also received nominations and, having been championed by BobbySix.com from the word go, Bridezilla (pictured above) and The Temper Trap are up for awards too.
Up here at Bobby Six Towers the festival of choice is Latitude. You can forget your Healing Fields of Glastonbury or your drunk 15-year-olds making fires out of plastic cups at Reading, it's all about strolling through the beautiful Suffolk countryside, taking in some fine bands and enjoying the chilled out (if slightly middle-class) atmos.
Last year, we even took to the stage with out friends The Late Greats to sing an acoustic version of - wait for it - Gangsta's Paradise. Highlight of the year? Try highlight of our lives.
So, if you are heading to this weekend's Latitude, here are a few tips of who to see.
Thursday
About three years ago, BobbySix.com was in the back room of a Kings Cross hotel (don't worry, this story isn't going in the direction it's threatening to) sitting cross-legged on the floor with about 100 other people watching an impromptu performance by Nigel Kennedy. It was mind-blowingly good (below). He will be in slightly prettier surroundings on Thursday evening, and if you want your festival to get off to a magical start, then you'd be wise to pour yourself a mug of goon and find a nice spot to watch him do his thing.
Friday
If infectious indie-disco is your bag, then Hockey are sure to get you dancing, at least, they certainly had such an effect on the crowd at this year's Laneway Festival in Sydney. The Sunrise Arena sees turns from Girls and Tokyo Police Club, while old friends of BobbySix.com, Angus & Julia Stone bring their beautiful folk to the Word Arena. If their previous Latitude appearance (below) is anything to go by, they'll win plenty of hearts.
Later on the same stage, check out Richard Hawley before trying to catch some of both main headliners, The National and the lung-busting presence of Florence and The Machine.
The must see act of Friday though is surely the wonderful Laura Marling. While her poetic, bleak folk would surely be better suited to a smaller stage than the Obelisk Arena, her set will surely be one of the highlights of the festival.
Saturday
Will Paul Heaton be worth a look? Only one way to find out really (update: check the comments section at the end of this post!). Weirdy distopian folkster Lupen Crook should be an early treat worth making the effort to see too. Elsewhere, Josie Long will be bringing the laughs to the comedy tent and Paul Greengrass is A-ing the Q's in the Film and Music Arena.
Someone it is unquestionably worth paying attention to on Saturday evening is David Ford. Having played a secret show by the river last year (above), this time round he'll be on the Word Stage. Don't miss his set. In fact, you'd be wise to stay in the Word Tent for the rest of the day, as Noah and The Whale, The Horrors and The XX all follow Ford's show. Otherwise, the cardiganned tweeness of Belle and Sebastian will probably be lovely, or there is always the visceral Archie Bronson Outfit in the Sunrise Arena.
Sunday
More than likely having played backing band to Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons will be on the same stage on Sunday, with their pleasant enough country folk. Meanwhile, Midlake will hope their sound isn't dogged by the same muddiness that they encountered at Latitude in 2007. After them, Melbourne's The Temper Trap (below - another band long-since championed at BobbySix.com) show how their popularity has soared since last year's triumphant showing on the Word Stage, with a slot at the back end of the day in the Obelisk Arena.
On the Sunrise Stage, These New Puritans simply have to be seen. Their ambitious album,Hidden, still sits atop the BobbySix album of the year poll for 2010. My Bloody Valentine-inspired The Pains of Being Pure at Heart might be worth a look too. If you need a break from the music, then check out the incredibly funny Richard Herring in the Comedy Tent and hear Jim Bob read from his new book in the Literary Arena.
For those of us that think headliners Vampire Weekend are at least twice as shit as everyone else seems to, then its a no-brainer to choose Grizzly Bear instead, and before them sees the very welcome return of The Coral and the exciting inclusion of a set by Charlotte Gainsbourg.
If you head slightly off the beaten trail, you're sure to find loads more diverse and interesting stuff to see and do as well. It promises to be a great one. Send your photos and reviews to info@bobbysix.com
It's that time of year again where I revisit everything musical from 2009 and point my thumbs up or down. Here is my judgement on what was hot and what was not:
TOP TEN ALBUMS
1. Lungs - FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE You might think this is a surprising choice, but I was really impressed by the ambition and energy of Lungs with its piano, strings, harps, handclaps and massive drums, and the way Welch’s voice jumps seamlessly from a sultry whisper to an awesome, lung-busting chorus and back again. Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up), is the best example of her stunning vocal. Her delivery at the crescendo of this unapologetically grand pop anthem doesn’t so much ask for your attention as pick you up and fling you across the room. This album’s inventive juxtaposition of dark, gothic lyrics and rousing tunes blows away any burden of expectation with a flourish.
2. Em Are - I JEFFREY LEWIS It doesn't lose anything from being more polished than his ramshackle early efforts, and his storytelling is still up there with the best.
3. Conditions - THE TEMPER TRAP Considering how hard it was going to be to match their mesmeric live show, this debut is great, and filled with anthemic tunes.
4. The First Dance - BRIDEZILLA The First Dance is an album of intelligence, depth and genuine beauty, and Bridezilla’s ability to create intriguing and unique music to this high standard at such a tender age suggests that they have the wherewithal to go on to be one of Australia’s most cherished musical exports.
5. Dark Days/Light Years - SUPER FURRY ANIMALS Bouncing between beautiful, melodic pop and delightful insanity, Dark Days/Light Years is SFA’s best record since 2001’s Rings Around The World and is perfectly representative of a prolific body of work that makes them one of the most inventive and intriguing bands that Britain has ever produced.
6. It Walks Like Love - LOENE CARMEN A truly outstanding record, and Loene Carmen's finest piece of work to date.
7. Waxing Gibbous - MALCOLM MIDDLETON Paradoxically sad and uplifting, this is an intelligent, fragile and really lovely record that finds beauty in the bleakest places.
8. Dance Mother - TELEPATHE Because of the avant-garde approach to song structures and sound, initially it all seems a little disorientating but everything soon starts to make sense. Equally atmospheric, serious, intelligent, confusing and challenging, Dance Mother is a visionary and intriguing album, and how often can you say that nowadays?
9. Far - REGINA SPEKTOR Regina Spektor remains a wonderfully weird treasure, even if her edges seem to be getting smoother.
10. Kings & Queens - JAMIE T All the fun, madness and Englishness of a night’s binge-drinking. Only with Kings & Queens you don’t suffer a hangover and you want to do the whole thing all over again as soon as you’re finished.
TOP TEN SONGS
1. Sweet Disposition - THE TEMPER TRAP
2. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE
3. Broken Broken Broken Heart - JEFFREY LEWIS
4. Daniel - BAT FOR LASHES
5. The Fear - LILY ALLEN
6. Emily's Heart - JAMIE T
7. And The Boys - ANGUS & JULIA STONE
8. Lying Around - CASSETTE KIDS
9. Ballad Of Fuck All - MALCOLM MIDDLETON
10. Inaugural Trams - SUPER FURRY ANIMALS
TOP TEN ARTISTS OF THE YEAR
1. The Temper Trap 2. Friendly Fires 3. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis 4. Florence and the Machine 5. Jeffrey Lewis 6. Bridezilla 7. The Cribs 8. Kirin J. Callinan 9. Yeah Yeah Yeahs 10. Sarah Blasko
TOP TEN GIGS
1. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Manning Bar, Sydney
It’s not an exaggeration to say it was one of the most amazing gigs I've ever seen and to attempt to sum it up with mere words seems strangely futile. Superlatives have yet to be invented for how great this was, but the guy in front of me said it succinctly enough in a text message that he sent mid-gig. It simply read: “This is the coolest thing I have ever seen.”
1. (Joint first place because I couldn't decide between the two), Camille, Sydney Recital Hall The crowd, who started the night reserved and reluctant to embrace the singalongs, demanded three encores, which included Ta Douleur and a cover of Yes We Can Can. I'd be happy if Camille was still encoring now, as the experimental 90-minute show was moving, funny, intriguing, mesmerising and a triumph for innovation and vivid imagination. Absolutely mind-blowing.
3. Jeffrey Lewis, La Maronquinerie, Paris Not only can he pen evocative lines, but he knows exactly how to put on a live show. The gig had pensive moments, laugh-out-loud humour and sweat-drenched punk magnificence.
4. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Latitude Festival It's safe to say he blew every other performance at Latitude 2009 out of the water. The sound that emanated from the stage from the first moment to the last was an absolute aural attack
5. Kimya Dawson, Komedia, Brighton Typical of Kimya, she played until the venue basically kicked her off stage long after the curfew had passed. 6. The Streets, The Forum, Entertainment Quarter, Sydney Regardless of the general lack of diversity or of how relevant The Streets remain in 2009, the night was really all about Skinner’s interaction with the crowd. He made the gig fun. Proper fun.
7. Jamie T, The Metro, Sydney If You Got The Money almost ripped the roof off and every word of Sheila was roared back at the stage. By the evening’s finale, Sticks ‘n’ Stones, the crowd was going absolutely mental.
8. Bridezilla, The Hopetoun, Sydney It seemed obvious to everyone in attendance that Bridezilla's time is almost here.
9. The Temper Trap, Magnet, Berlin A typically tighter-than-a-duck's-bumhole performance.
10. The Pretenders, Latitude Festival Chrissie Hynde owned the entire field. I'll Stand By You and Bob Dylan's Forever Young were particularly memorable.
TOP FIVE PODCASTS 1. The Ricky Gervais Audiobooks 2. The Adam and Joe Podcast 3. Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo’s Film Review Podcast 4. The Guardian Football Weekly 5. The Jon Richardson Podcast
TOP TEN FILMS
1. Anvil! The Story Of Anvil
As well as being laugh-out-loud funny, this film made me cry more than once and was as touching a love story (obviously in a slightly unconventional sense) as I've ever seen.
2. Let The Right One In A beautiful and fragile story that raised the bar for vampire movies.
3. Moon It drew an extraordinary performance from Sam Rockwell and dealt with its themes of mortality and false reality really intelligently and subtly.
4. District 9 For a political (its message is incredibly thinly-veiled) sci-fi thriller with a brain in its head, then District 9 takes some beating. Funny, thought-provoking and with audience loyalties constantly shifting, this film had me gawping at the screen in wonder.
5. Paranormal Activity Unbearably tense throughout and clever in its use of normality to produce well-contextualised fear.
6. Where The Wild Things Are I don't think it could have evoked children's excitement, imagination, confusion and fear any better.
7. Zombieland In the vein of Shaun of The Dead, Zombieland is a genuinely funny movie, made with a love for the genre that ensures it never becomes a pastiche. Real fun stuff and one of the surprise hits of the year.
8. Gran Torino Clint Eastwood's film-making continues to be intelligent and methodical.
9. Star Trek Cracking sci-fi action which won me over even though I grew up very much on the Star Wars side of the fence.
10. Of Time And The City Marvellous documentary about growing up in Liverpool.
THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES AWARD (MOST OVER-HYPED) Lady GaGa. Not fit to lace Madonna's corset.
QUOTE OF THE YEAR “To those who did not believe in us - and ladies forgive me - they can suck it and keep on sucking it.” Diego Maradona isn’t especially magnanimous towards his critics after Argentina eventually scraped through to the world cup finals.
PREDICTION FOR 2010 Angus & Julia Stone's new album to be universally adored.
HIGHLIGHT(S) OF THE YEAR I thought that singing an acoustic version of Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise onstage at The Latitude Festival with The Late Greats was pretty much the highlight of my entire life until, just ten days from the end of the year, I got to hang out with Superhans from Peep Show at a friend's birthday party. Best night ever.
I'd prefer not to live up to the stereotype of us Brits always talking about the weather but, okay, let's start by talking about the weather. I've never known anything like what was thrown Latitude's way and, with more than a few English 'summers' under my belt, that's saying something. Having arrived in blissful sunshine on Thursday evening, the entire camp-site awaited the predicted storm with trepidation. When it arrived in the early hours of Friday, it didn't disappoint. Thank God, then, for a sturdy gazebo, which I only ventured away from mid-storm to assist three poor girls who were trying to erect their tents in the ensuing monsoon (by 'assist', I actually mean that I stood under a brolly, issuing advice before slying back to my tent before my feet got too wet).
For the remainder of the weekend, the weather went from torrential rain to boiling sun and back again at ten minute intervals, making it impossible to select a suitable outfit to venture to the arena in. The t-shirt/shorts/wellies/raincoat-either-tightly-done-up-or-tied-around-the-waist-depending-on-the-weather look proved popular throughout. Never mind though, the site remained remarkably mud free all weekend, so the affluent middle-class lefties and their irritating kids that made up the majority of the crowd didn't need to summon the kind of Dunkirk spirit that somewhere like Glastonbury thrives on in times of inclement weather.Onwards and upwards then, and Friday began with a great set by Eastbourners, The Late Greats, (above) with two frontmen sharing vocals over intelligent, interestingly crafted, lo-fi post-punk indie noise. Australia's The Temper Trap's sound seems to get more and more imposing and impressive with every show. On this occasion they filled the Uncut stage with movement and the large tent with soaring anthems. Over on the main stage, Ladyhawke offered the first anthem of the weekend in Paris Is Burning.
Under black skies, The Pretenders put in the performance of the festival so far. On a stage that had, earlier in the day, been frequented by some completely unworthy bands (hello, Amazing Baby), Chrissie Hynde owned the entire field. It was refreshing to see a real band playing a back catalogue of greatest hits (I'll Stand By You and Bob Dylan's Forever Young were particularly memorable) and putting on a proper show. Outstanding.
Next, Russian-born New York beauty Regina Spektor cut a teeny, tiny figure at her piano, so much so that half the crowd had to watch the big screens to catch a glimpse of her (above). Her set started slowly but got more and more awesome with each song. New songs Laughing With and Machine were highlights, as was a ramshackle, bashed-out-on-a-guitar rendition of That Time which she didn't know how to finish. "Sorry. I can't play the guitar," she shrugged with a giggle before sitting back down at the piano and playing one of the greatest songs ever written (seriously), Samson. Behind me, a man proposed to his girlfriend mid-song. She said yes. Tears and cheers all round. Even the rain couldn't spoil such a perfect moment.
While Golden Silvers, Little Boots and Bat For Lashes were headlining various stages that night, this reviewer was onstage in the Bafta-sponsored film tent as part of a choir for an acoustic version of Gangsta's Paradise (really), before dashing off to dance like a twat for the magnificent last twenty minutes of the Pet Shop Boys set.
Saturday at midday saw a secret show by David Ford (above) and his band down by the river. He played old and newies to a large crowd (some of whom were made aware of the event via twitter, others who just happened to be wandering past and stopped for a listen), before handing out champagne and ending with his singalong set-closer Cheer Up (You Miserable Fuck).
The rest of the day's line-up was patchy to say the least, and highlights had to really be sought out. While Patrick Wolf was dressing as an owl on the main stage, Dave Gorman chatted about magic poos in the comedy tent. Later Jessica Delfino started badly but was increasingly funny with each ditty at the comedy tent, ending with the brilliant Don't Rape Me. An acoustic show from New York's Jeffrey Lewis (below) was next, during which he tried out a bunch of new songs "for the first and maybe the last time". They showed typical lyrical genius in the very understated way we have come to expect from the artist.
Over in the Uncut tent, Newton Faulkner's arms were flying everywhere in a blur of motion in a crowd-pleasing set as the festival geared up for the arrival its wild card.
Grace Jones. Oh dear, oh dear, Grace Jones. Despite being a weird choice to headline a major festival, hopes were high that she would wow us with an amazing show. Sure enough, there was a costume change after pretty much every song, and the lighting was great, but where was the substance to back it up? "We finally have some new songs for you," she told us, (as if any of us know any of her old songs except for those two), before singing something instantly flat and forgettable. Indeed, once the costume changes lost their ooh factor, the show was only worth watching for the between-song banter, which was intriguing as it was incomprehensible. "Me Grandfather was a killer," she informed us. It was a car-crash of a headline set and not at all comfortable viewing. But then what would you expect from watching a 61-year-old woman with eyes totally vacant draping herself over onstage railings?
The sound of beautiful acoustic guitars woke campers from their slumber the following morning. It turned out to be Thom Yorke sound-checking for his midday solo set, which included the odd Radiohead song. After the biggest crowd of the weekend had stood in reverence at the great man, last night's hero, Jeffrey Lewis, reappeared, this time in the film tent, with his band to play a full set of folk-punk in place of the absent Lightspeed Champion. It was a more than welcome substitution, and those who attended would have struggled to get the chorus of Creeping Brain out of their heads for the rest of the day.
Following The Late Greats and David Ford earlier in the weekend, further Eastbourne representation came from newcomers Capital, who, either side of a power cut, played big pop anthems that seemed to pay a debt of gratitude to The Killers. Rain clouds hovered ominously as Lisa Hannigan began her set, and how disappointing it was that the heavens opened midway through, causing two thirds of the crowd to run for shelter. Still, those who stayed for the whole thing would surely have been dazzled by the breathtaking vocal of Damien Rice's former sidekick.
While, somewhere where I annoyingly wasn't, Javis Cocker was making an impromptu guest appearance, Tricky created a quite an intense atmosphere in the Uncut tent, but while it was nice to hear classics like Black Steel from his magnificent debut album, his set did seem a bit stale. Conversely, Phoenix were all about upbeat indie/disco/guitar pop. Their songs were bouncy and bright enough to banish the rain - even if they did neglect to play crowd favourite, Too Young.
Over on the stage hidden away in the woods, !!! were nicely funky but with paper-thin vocals, and on the Lake Stage, Slow Club's boy/girl tweeness found the middle ground between The Magic Numbers and The Moldy Peaches. Okay, so they weren't anywhere near as good as either of them, but still fun, even if they were a little drowned out by a polished yet uninspiring set from Editors on the main stage.
(I was collared by BBC7 on Saturday afternoon)
And so, to the main attraction of the festival. Sunday night was headlined by Nick Cave (who had already wowed the crowds here last year with his grubby side-project, Grinderman) and his Bad Seeds. It's safe to say he blew every other performance at Latitude 2009 out of the water. The sound that emanated from the stage from the first moment to the last was an absolute aural attack. Songs from the universally acclaimed latest album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! came at the audience like they wanted to beat the hell out of their eardrums and leave them sobbing in a gutter. Cave, an unbelievably intense frontman, pointed out individual members of the audience and stared them straight in the eyes as he delivered lyrics with venom. Of the older tracks, There She Goes My Beautiful World and the deliciously nasty Stagger Lee sounded as fresh as anything all weekend. Devastatingly brilliant.
Aside from the main stages, there were plenty of other things to entertain; movies were shown, celebs like Vivian Westwood spoke in the literary tent, there was a cabaret tent, a kids area, and lots going on down by the lake, like a classical orchestra, a man playing flute inside a bubble floating on the river (below), a robot dancing between the trees, coloured sheep to ahh at and a charity shop selling second hand clothes.However, while these things continued the tradition of Latitude being a laid back, eclectic, family-orientated festival, nothing could paper over the cracks of the line-up. Sure, there were some good acts and a couple of truly great performances, but generally there just wasn't enough depth of quality, especially for a festival that thinks that it can charge £150 a ticket and get away with it. Okay, so there were some big names and some of the little bands did themselves no harm, but where were all the decent middle-range bands; your Mystery Jets, Jamie Ts, Laura Marlings and Late Of The Piers? Any single day's line-up at this year's Glastonbury was a million miles better than the entirety of Latitude.
So, in a nutshell - Latitude 2009: great vibe, shame about the line-up.
Inside the festival, shaded spots were at a premium, and people frantically waved fans infront of their sweaty brows, as the sun continued to beat the crowd into submission. Still, at least there were no Homebake-style downpours.
Oh, the bands. Of course. Well, pick of the bunch were Melbourne's The Temper Trap, who manage to make musical that is both interesting and fun. Also good were The Archie Bronson Outfit, Peter, Bjorn and John, and Holly Throsby. But, hell, I wasn't reviewing, so, to be honest, rather than concentrating too hard on the music, I really just took the opportunity to hang out all day with dear friends. The only review I shall give is that it is one of the best one-day festivals I have ever been to. There were no mashed-up morons and no-one was drunk and stumbling. It was just an affable gathering of music lovers, and the perfect way to spend a Sunday.
On the Sunrise Stage, 
