It really is a fucking melting pot here. There are the post
Alt-J students who didn’t buy their V Festival tickets in time; the dour tech-heads
who’s social skills have been evaporated by Hallucinator’s Soundcloud page; the
dreadlocked, mumbling pseudo-hippies with their eyes locked in a perpetual
squint; all roaming some field in the Yorkshire Dales as they search for
something more cerebral, something to forget their shit jobs or their shit
boyfriends, or just something that will remind them why they put up with their
horrible existence. The line-up has a lot to do with that of course, with its
diversity stretching from the snarling, post-pixies Sky Larkin to the
experimental, analogue leaning James Holden, drawing in lovers of electronic
and of indie-alternative in equal measure.
London duo BIG DEAL sound eye wateringly embarrassing on
paper, but Dream Machines and In Your Car suggest that they have
grown cynical with age, packing a weighty punch when you consider they look
like awkward sub-plot characters from Tony Hawks 4. CHAD VALLEY takes us to the
shores of LA, with the Balearic vibes of Fall 4 U and Tell All Your
Friends covering the Loud & Quiet stage in a chill-wave haze. Brighton
gloom-mongers ESBEN AND THE WITCH have kept it pretty quiet this year, but
today Rachel Davies’ vocals hover hauntingly above the clattering of Deathwaltz
and Marching Song, juxtaposing fragility with belligerence as the grey
clouds above seem a little less bleak. Surrey’s VONDLEPARK ease us into an
evening of electronic music, with the swaying, ethereal Quest floating
weightlessly as the sun begins to set. I made no secret of my love for Spanish
house producer JOHN TALABOT on my preview for this event, so it is with mouth
watering, knee shaking, Kevin Phillips’ injury time penalty anticipation that I
await his RA Stage appearance. It is just a DJ set tonight, playing puppet
master as he teases the likes of So Will Be Now and Destiny into
an undulating, house-leaning monster of a set. Maybe I’m just high as fuck, but
the elation of seeing who is in my opinion, the best DJ in the world right now
as he projects his glorious Spanish paradise onto us, has me convinced that for
just one hour this is the best night of my life. And judging by the twisted,
gurning, Cheshire cat grins that surround me - I’m not alone.
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| John Talabot |
Saturday morning greets me with an earth-shattering
hangover, so it is with extreme prejudice that I stumble into the main arena. London’s
AMATEUR BEST offer some light at the end of the tunnel, suggesting the biggest
pop songs are not necessarily the loudest with the quietly confident Ready
For The Good Life daring the sun to come out. Birmingham’s JAWS are the
second capital’s third strike, with Peace and Swim Deep both failing to deliver
this year. Toucan Surf and Gold are absolute gems, though, and
are welcomed warmly by a triumphant young crowd, offering that sort of widescreen,
fist-pumping nostalgia that festivals like this were made for. Lancaster
production duo look destined for big things next year, and it’s their late
afternoon appearance that begins a four-hour lock in on the Resident Advisor
stage. Gold and new single Giving It All are highlights of a
woozy, soulful set, as they hide these melodic commercial pop songs inside
their brand of breezy, garage tinged electronica. BEN UFO’s reputation precedes
his appearance this evening, as he sits remarkably high on the bill when you
consider he’s never actually written a song. Within minutes though the story
tells itself, as the Hessle Audio founder drifts seamlessly between ambient-jazz,
disco and industrial techno with an audacity only acquired when you are
worshiped as the best selector in the UK. LOCAL NATIVES eventually prove too
much for me to handle, with the gorgeous harmonies of Colombia and Heavy
Feet making me all too aware of my surroundings, as the last four hours
appear mercilessly into focus.
FLOATING POINTS Sunday afternoon set of house and disco falls
on welcome brain cells, as the Eglo producer leaves the sinister, foggy tones
of his own Shangrila and Truly at home. SAVAGES are tipped as the
best live band in the country right now, and it’s easy to see how Silence
Yourself would translate onto a live setting. Every song is delivered like
a mission statement, as Jehnny Beth’s rips through She Will and Husbands
with the kind of urgency and life affirming aggression reminiscent of late seventies
Siouxsie Sioux.
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| Savages |
It is a fitting end to the weekend, as Beacons cements its
place in UK festival season, reminding me why I need to stop over-analysing pop
culture movements and just accept the fact that no one really belongs anywhere
because here - no one wants to.
Mike Townsend
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