FIELD DAY (London Victoria Park, 09/08/08)

By all accounts (not least the organisers) last year’s inaugural Field Day was a bit of a disaster- too many people, ludicrous bar and toilet queues, twenty minute sets and such low volumes that cross-over between stages ruined almost every performance of the day. As a result, this was a make-or-break even t for the curators- and on balance, I think they just made it. The toilet queues were still obscene, the thoroughly miserable weather was a constant trial, there was a raft of last minute cancellations and the audience was still overburdened with Hoxtonite twats but musically this was heads and shoulders more impressive than last years shambles.
Current indie darlings Noah and the Whale inaugurated the main state with their insubstantial, though mildly diverting fare but it was Ozzie band the Howling Bells that provided the day’s first real attraction- their dark tinged indie rock was rendered with fierce, hard-edged energy. The Delgados’ Emma Pollack impressed with a solid and varied folk set; Laura Marling was even better although her performance was marred by the braying hipster morons events like these inevitably attract. The Mae Shi popped up twice- most memorably in a double-decker bus performing an a capella version of Run To Your Grave. Of Montreal and Les Savy Fav both suffered due to sound problems (the latter was redeemed by the typically mental Tim Harrington dispensing lost shoes he’d found round the site) but Efterklang were fantastic, their multi-instrumental splendour undiminished by the biblical storm raging outside. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Foals as my willpower collapsed and I fled to the warmth of Mile End tube station, but whilst retreating the torrential rains I reflected that despite being soaked to the skin, I’d still had a much better time than in 2007. As I said last year, Field Day had the potential to be a great festival if the organisers addressed the issues that conspired to ruin everyone’s fun, and they’ve made some progress in that regard. But there’s still lots of room for improvement, and although I’m willing to give it another chance in 2009 they better ensure that the same old problems don’t rear their ugly heads for the third year running.

(Photo: Felinebird (Flickr))