Latitude Festival 2014

Whilst many weekenders have little to offer except for bands, overpriced lager and sanitary conditions reminiscent of the 14th century, Latitude has always prided itself on being more ambitious than its peers; with comedy, theatre, literature, poetry, cabaret, early morning yoga, interactive act, academic discussion, “psychic surgery”, and of course halloumi and chorizo burgers (the primary reason for my continued attendance) proving as much of a draw as its high-calibre musical roster.

The festival has always excelled in strong undercards, and this year - taking place from 17-20 July in Henham Park in Suffolk - is no exception. Some relatively big names headline the Obelisk Arena (Two Door Cinema Club, Damon Albarn and The Black Keys), but as usual, many of the most exciting artists are to be found lower down the bill. Friday will see post-rockers Mogwai and Swedish psych-cultists GOAT compete to see who will most undermine the structural integrity of the 6 Music tent, though their thunder may well be stolen by the incredible double-whammy of Son Lux and Teeth of the Sea at the iArena. Left-wing firebrand Billy Bragg is always an entertaining and thought-provoking presence (even for those who don’t necessarily subscribe to his views), and for those who’d prefer not to mix their music and politics, there’s always Slowdive’s dreamy shoegaze and James Holden’s minimalist techno.

For fans of the Swedish music scene, Saturday will showcase both the delightful folk stylings of the sisters Soderberg (AKA First Aid Kit) and a UK-exclusive performance of the sure-to-be-excellent Robyn/Royksopp collaboration “Do It Again”. Those looking for something with a bit more edge would be remiss to skip alternative hip-hop group Young Fathers and Malian groove-meisters Tinariwen, and Hauschka is sure to impress the early-afternoon crowd with his inventive “prepared piano” compositions.

The highlight of Latitude, however, is often their Sunday lunchtime slot, with past performers including Joanna Newsom, Thom Yorke, Rufus Wainwright and the late, great Bobby Womack. This year will see Hot Chip, Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem), Sinkane, Money Mark and a host of other musicians join forces to perform the greatest hits of enigmatic Nigerian funk musician/Russian-trained cinematographer/Christian evangelist William Onyeabor, and as someone who saw the show being performed at the Barbican earlier this year, I can confirm it’s going to be BRILLIANT. Add in sets from Lykke Li, HAIM, Julia Holter, Future Islands and Nils Frahm and you’ve got another commendably strong line-up from one of the most consistently enjoyable festivals this country has to offer.