Festival Diary: Les Eurockéennes – Part 1

It seems to be becoming an ever more common theme in responses to that age old question, “Which festivals are you doing this summer?”, that the person should reply with the name of some far flung, very foreign sounding European festival. Although considered by our friends on the continent to be the motherland when it comes to festivals, the UK, as proven by the multitude of soggy events that we can call upon from the past few years, simply can’t guarantee decent weather, and with so many festivals taking place throughout the summer, the competition for line-ups can sometimes drag preferred artists away from preferred sites. As such, more and more of our fest-going compatriots are jumping on a bargain flight in search of the perfect festival experience, and this is the quest that leads us to the teeny town of Belfort, on the eastern border of France – so eastern in fact, that it’s easiest to fly to Switzerland, then wander back over the border to find it.

Les Eurockéennes has taken place in the same nature reserve in Malsaucy for the past 22 years, and has grown from a 10,000 punter festival to the 90,000 strong crowd of revellers which flock to its grounds today. On paper, it sounds gorgeous and in real life, it’s even better with 4 stages, one of which can be found floating on the vast lake that surrounds the festival site. And that’s exactly where we find the band that will open our festival, Les Savy Fav.

While the crowd stands captivated on a white, sandy beach, Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington provides everything that his fans could wish for – hilarity, nakedness and ground-rumbling rock action. Struggling to stay on stage with the attraction of the water and beach diverting his attention, he spends the set running amongst the crowd, crawling on top of them, splashing in the water and covering himself in glitter and all the time, smashing his way through the band’s classics such as ‘The Sweat Descends’ and ‘Let’s Get Out of Here’.

Following this highly entertaining performance, we trek through the masses to the other side of the festival site to try and catch And So I Watch You From Afar. Unfortunately, about ten million other people have the exact same idea and we struggle to even get near the tent, never mind the stage. As the Ting Ting’s blare out of the main stage’s speakers, we make a speedy exit in the opposite direction and head back to the beach to prepare for the almighty Battles.

If you’ve bought a ticket to a festival this year, there’s a fair chance that you’re going to have the opportunity to see Battles live. After a couple of years of low key performances (if they played any shows at all) the band have saturated their summer schedule with sun-soaked European festival appearances – well, why wouldn’t you? Taking to La Plage stage tonight, the threesome play an awe-inspiring show, with no sign whatsoever of the fatigue they must be feeling with such a hectic work schedule. Particular highlights from their set include ‘Sweetie & Shag’ and ‘Ice Cream’, both of which get the crowd raving as though they were partying in some trendy nightspot to the sounds of Simian Mobile Disco or 2manydjs. As we consider how Battles could be thought of as a nightclub dance band, the group bring their storming set to an end. Until the next festival, Battles – you were great.

After making our way over to the Club Loggia tent once again, and hoping that the evening’s ASIWYFA events won’t be repeated, we make a second attempt at watching a band on the festival’s smallest stage. Wu Lyf, it would appear, have the same effect on the French crowd as ASIWYFA had had earlier, and the tent is packed to the rafters…Beth Ditto it is, then, but only for a minute before the revelling crowd (they love their Beth Ditto in France) overwhelms us and we head off to get a good spot for Metronomy, who launch into an absolutely stunning set as we arrive at the beach stage. Lights on chest are present, as are classics ‘You Could Easily Have Me’ and ‘Heartbreaker’ which are played alongside gems from the group’s latest album, The English Riviera. The set was apparently described by Metronomy’s Joseph Mount as their best show so far – unsurprising, as the crowd went truly wild, shrieking and bouncing their way through every second of the group’s performance.

It’s time to get our French on, as we head the the Esplanade Green Room to see one of France’s ‘hottest acts right now’. Stromae creates that kind of bassy pop that, even if you wouldn’t necessarily listen to it through your headphones, you’re more than happy to get down to it when it’s on stage in front of you. An incredible light show twinned with irresistibly danceable beats make this performance a true highlight of the day. The show looks and sounds incredible. Until the PA blows, that is. A meeker performer would’ve hidden on the side lines as the technical problem is addressed, but not Stromae – he sticks around, dances, entertains and he well and truly drops the beat when the sound is back on track. An endearing, light and extremely fun performance from one of France’s most hopeful popsters.

The Shoes are who we choose to see to close our first day at Les Eurockéennes, after swinging by Paul Kalkbrenner on the main stage. The Shoes are certainly one of the most hyped French bands at the moment, having released a single featuring Esser on lead vocals in January and their debut album, Crack My Bones in March. Their brand of laid-back, effortlessly cool electro is completely consuming, proving that nobody can do electro quite like the French. As they crack out signature tunes ‘Stay the Same’ and ‘Wastin’ Time’, the crowd sway and groove, reflecting on what’s been a really good day at a really beautiful festival.

A sun-drenched day, a bitterly cold evening, a huge amount of beer and some criminally good dance moves later, and the first day is done. Roll on Day 2. À demain, Les Eurockéennes.