Field Day – Victoria Park, London 31/07/10

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All photography by Minh Lee

Only its fourth year Field Day has already experienced its fair share of teething problems. The infamous first year saw over-crowding issues result in long toilet queues with the prospect of a clutching a cold beverage in your hand a thing of myth, whilst the proceeding two years were a complete wash out with sound issues to boot. The line-up however has always been the festivals saving grace, boasting performances from Florence & The Machine, Foals, Laura Marling, Mogwai, Wild Beasts and so many more. This year is no exception, with Phoenix headlining an incredible line up that includes Beth Jeans Houghton, Memory Tapes, The Fall, Yuck, Lightspeed Champion and Gold Panda to mention but a few.

Arriving early the air is already muggy, and the grass already well trodden by Lovebox and High Voltage revellers from weekends past. Having never been to a London based festival before it did feel slightly strange not carrying a ridiculously over sized, hefty rucksack and a tent with me. It was also somewhat of a shock to discover that Festival program laminates were £5 a pop – thankfully a combination of my scribbled notes, together with others, proved perfectly adequate.

Anna Calvi

Opening the Eat Your Own Ears stage is Anna Calvi, whose incredibly ferocious Tarantino esque guitar is strummed with impeccable technical prowess. Launching into a typically sultry performance, Anna’s vibrato voice is seductively prowling. Eerie harmonies, shimmering symbols, minimalist percussion and an infectious passion punctuate the haunting performance of emotionally captivating ‘Blackout’. Being the first act on the bill did mean the crowd was somewhat sparse, but her erratically textured and complex songs captivated those who had arisen early enough.

Erland and The Carnival

After exploring the park, from Adventures in Beetroot Fields, to the Lock Tavern stage (XOYO), past the Village Green and the Egg and Spoon Race therein, I tried my hand at cartography so we could navigate our way back to catch Erland and the Carnival. The eccentricities of their English inspired folk are fused with a certain mod sensibility as they combine traditional folk stories with their own experiences. And with Simon Tong in the band (previously of The Verve/Blur) you can be sure their experiences are as eclectic as the generated beeps that intersperse their haunting harmonising vocals.

Holly Miranda

Next up is Holly Miranda, whose wistful crackling vocals talk of nightmares, fears, hopes and loss as they hover gently above the softly flourishing languid instrumental arrangements. The intricately crafted, slightly kooky and mysterious nature of songs like ‘Forest Green Oh Forest Green’ are part of an endearingly earnest and stunning performance that I have to drag myself away from in order to catch The Kissaway Trail.

The Kissaway Trail

As we shuffle into an already packed tent the bands shimmering, infectious melodies have the crowd enthralled. Fusing an exhilarating rawness with a tender frailty, The Kissaway Trial’s harmonised vocals howl and screech against a backdrop of sporadic keys, electronic echoes and often sweeping Sigur Ros-esque lyrics: references to Arcade Fire are no doubt tedious but fairly apt. The incredible, anthemic nature of ‘61’ and ‘Beat Your Heartbeat’ provoke an incredibly loud sing-a-long finale just in time to catch Memory Tapes for one last epically hazy instrumental.

Memory Tapes

Having only picked up the guitar a few years back, the young Beth Jeans Houghton has already collaborated with the likes of Joanna Newsom, Vetiver and Bon Iver. Risking dismissal as yet another kooky folk songstress is something the young Houghton is probably all too aware of. Today, channelling the spirit of a 50′s rockabilly she gradually seems to be finding herself, fusing American pastoral pop with obscure British references her astonishing voice rolls over airy keys, conveying delight and sorrow.

Beth Jeans Houghton

The Bloggers Delight tent is tiny and full of revellers from the bar opposite who don’t really know or care what to expect from Gold Panda. Unassuming left-field producer and remixer Derwin cautiously takes his place on stage. His playful experiments in sound are eerie, distorted and stuttering, and really begin to resonate with an increasingly interested crowd. Gold Panda’s Japanese inspired fuzzy warm beats accompany a beautifully off-kilter temperament, particularly in the stop-start cut vocals of breakthrough track ‘Quitters Raga’ and recent effort ‘You’.

These New Puritans

After a brief chill out its back onto the sweltering and dusty plains of Victoria Park to battle our way to see These New Puritans. Having released both their albums to wide critical acclaim, this afternoon’s performance promises something epic. The abstract nature of the bands influences ranging from Sonic Youth to Melanesian music result in dark, ominous swelling bass lines, hauntingly oh-so esoteric brass sections and soaring orchestral vocals. On record they are inspiringly obscure and exciting but today is, to be honest, utterly disappointing. Dream weaving frontman Jack Barnett’s vocals are weak and rasping – subsumed by swelling instrumentals. An indifferent audience clung on as the band continued to be plagued by a poor sound technician having a really bad day. On record their music is a harsh, infectious, ambitious and expressive but today, despite impressive arrangements and tense pounding drums, was almost the opposite of everything I expected. Shame.

The Fall on the other hand, their erstwhile comparison companions, were incredible. As dust began to fill my lungs and dehydration began to set it due to confusing ‘water point’ signs, the drums begin to murmur. The band begin to take the stage one by one, layering their quintessentially 80′s post punk as the guitarist’s staccato strums collide with Elena Poulou’s keys. Dave Spurr’s rolling bass line really kicks things off, just before the legend that is Mark E. Smith steps up to the mic. Working through a set that included some real classics The Fall played with energy and conviction, as Smith nonchalantly prowled around stage knocking over mic stands. Unfortunately again sound issues dampened the atmosphere as ‘Mexico Wax Solvent’ saw Poulou’s microphone turned off, and even when Smith kindly offered her another you could not hear a single note.

Undeniably one of the most exciting new bands to emerge over the last few years, Yuck’s set promises to be a scorcher. Their blend of classic nineties power-pop resonates with everything from early Pixies, Sonic Youth, Flaming Lips circa Vaseline to The Lemonheads. As those unlucky enough to fit in the tent peer in through any gap they can find in the tents lining, Yuck play a gritty, analogue, ferocious and yet often delicate set that included ‘The Wall’, ‘Doctor’, ‘Suicide Policeman’ and ‘Operation.’

Yuck

Playing a succession of track from this years’ release Swim, Caribou‘s organic earthly psychedelic beats are a beautiful accompaniment to the setting sun. Toro Y Moi is equally captivating, as his high-pitched vocals stutter alongside a plethora of synth effects and pedals.

Phoenix

As the day draws to a close it is time for the eagerly anticipated headliners, Phoenix. Already on their fourth release, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix has seen the French group perfect their indie pop-rock formula. The crowd, for once today, is enthusiastically dancing as the band open the set with their single ‘Lisztomania.’ Everyone has their hands in the air and seems to have finally come alive, singing along to crowd pleasing highlights such as ‘1901’ and ‘Long Distance Call’. Effortless and breezy, Phoenix are a perfect end to the day.

So that’s it. A day packed with some great performances from some of the most exciting bands around at the moment, and many which I sadly missed like Esben and the Witch, Mount Kimbie, Cate Le Bon, Hounds of Hate and Hudson Mohawke. However, despite the great acts that packed every stage, today was definitely lacking something. On top of the unresolved sound issues, the atmosphere was a touch blasé; large uninterested crowds jostling around paying little attention to who was on stage. This aside, as the festival approaches its celebratory fifth year in 2011, we can only expect that the organisers continue to learn from past mistakes as they have done this year. After all, in a sea of over-crowded corporate events that plague the City throughout the Summer, what Field Day lacks in atmosphere it more than makes up for in its line-up. Long may it continue.

Aniima

Lightspeed Champion

Chilly Gonzales

Caribou