There’s a lot of good stuff at Latitude Festival 2010 aside from the multi-coloured sheep.
There’s innumerable reasons why Latitude is Getintothis‘ default alt-festival of the summer to the big G in Pilton; the beautiful lakeside meets woodland setting, the huge variety of arts and entertainment all within easy reach and the leisurely atmosphere which can take a turn for the silly, should your mind desire.
But first and foremost, there’s always a winning line up. Our first experience was two years ago when The Mars Volta, Joanna Newsom, Sigur Ros and half of Liverpool’s then unknowns – Wave Machines, The Maybes? and a.P.A..t.T. – dazzled us with three of the finest days of summer buzz imagineable.
After a year out, we’re itching for a return – and we’re more than pleased with the aural delights on offer. Here’s ten picks for starters, but really there’s a bounty to feast on…
1. Belle & Sebastian: Obelisk Arena (Saturday)
Of the three headliners (the ubiquitous Flo and her howling Machine and the similarly world-conquoring Vampire Weekend make up the other two slots) it’ll be reet lovely to see where Stu Murdoch and his Glaswegian band of brothers and sisters are up to. After a recent run of misfiring, MoR dud records, they’re headlining Bowlie 2 for ATP later in the year, so you’d hope they’ve a few new belters in their armoury to go with a hits-packed set from their uber-ace early days.
2. Yeasayer: The Word Arena (Sunday)
Getintothis favourites, Yeasayer have delivered one of the albums and gigs of the year. It’ll be interesting to see how Odd Blood converts in a field. It sounded monumentally massive in Manchester, here’s hoping they can repeat the feat in Suffolk.
3. The National: Word Arena (Friday)
More Brooklyn wonders. But from a completely different world than Yeasayer. Quite possibly America’s biggest band in waiting. New album Violet contains the kind of widescreen whopping hitters last employed to great effect by REM on Automatic….
There’s a whole host of tracks which could rip out your heart – but Blood Buzz Ohio is the one everyone will be waiting for. Could be tune of the weekend.
4. School Of Seven Bells: The Word Arena (Sunday)
One band these ears have long loved but yet to witness live. Combining lush drones and duel harmonics SoSBs create the kind of medicinal soup which could send you into a summer coma without the addition of illegals. One word to the mixing desk – please ensure it’s loud and the Deheza sisters’ voices are high in the mix. Ok? Cheers.
5. Girls: Sunrise Arena (unknown day)
Having written this lot off as a bit of a back story with a handful of decent tunes and a whopping load of hype-laden filler, Getintothis is eager to be proven wrong. The fact they’re playing the Sunrise Arena ould work in their favour too, as it’s hidden away in the wood, drenched in foliage and given a wee drizzle of late evening haze the boys in Girls could make me eat my words. Hope so.
6. Yuck: The Lake Stage (unknown day)
There were a whole host of bands (the xx, Wild Beasts, The Horrors, Black Mountain, The Antlers, Midlake, Frightened Rabbit, Crystal Castles…) who could have filled more slots on this list but everyone’s heard that lot and most probably seen em too. So here’s a great newie.
Think lo-fi, sun-kissed bliss with singalong Yank heartbreaking melodies about suicidal policemen. Perfect for a lakeside viewing then.
7. Dirty Projectors: Obelisk Arena (Sunday)
Apologies. I know putting this lot in the list is as predictable as including Yeasayer and The National, but really you can’t ignore these damn Brooklyners either. There’s a slight chance they’ll clash with Yeasayer too which if this happens I’m personally going to rate Latitude 2010 two out of ten. So schedulers reading this now, c’mon, do the right thing and make sure they’re on when Paul Heaton‘s singing about pencil cases.
8. Charlotte Gainsbourg: The Word Arena (Sunday)
Laura Marling may have made the better album this year, but Charlotte’s included by virtue of being the only one to have cut off her own clitoritis in a motion picture. Oh, and recorded with Beck. This is one of them were you know you’re very unlikely to get the chance to see her again, so snaffle it up now.
9. Bret Easton Ellis: Literary Arena (unknown day)
I bought American Psycho for my dad on Father’s Day aged 15 because the blurb on the back sounded so horrifically insane I just had to read it. I devoured it before dad had chance to unwrap it, decided it was too explicit for his taste and then bought and read everything else by Easton Ellis.
Among others, he’s been referenced by Suede, the Manics, The Simpsons, The Misfits and Bloc Party.
He’s basically a modern day literary genius who’s as infamous and misunderstood as he is celebrated and revered.
10. Chris Morris: Film & Music Arena: Q&A with screening of Four Lions (unknown day).
Another pop culture genius, Morris’ work has revolutionised television while also causing wide-spread moral panic. His latest project is his first venture into film – Four Lions tackles the light-weight topic of Islamic terrorism. It’s very funny.
You should also be aware of Brass Eye, Jam, The Day Today and Nathan Barley. If not, stop what you’re doing, buy all of them on boxset and hopefully they’ll be ready and waiting when you return home from Latitude. Sound advice.
