Bestival 2010 - Review (Part 2)

After the limited opening of the Bestival site on Thursday night, Friday found punters exploring the magnitude of the warped wonderland. Walking between the hundreds of multi-coloured flags, castles in the sky bonfires, flame throwing industrial spider shaped stages and cocktail lounges complete with comfy sofas and Bollywood sunshades it was easy to see why Bestival has become such a success. It continues to sell out to bigger crowds each year as other smaller festivals have struggled to grow - for not only is the music line up exciting and eclectic, but the visual delights of the grassy hills of the Robin Hill site are spectacular.

I Blame Coco on the main stage couldn’t be described as such. Her standard stage banter “How ya doing,” and “Hello down there,” didn’t gravitate towards anything but the ordinary, as did her disappointingly average mid-tempo pop rock. Her slightly hoarse and flatly dulled vocal failed to convey any real emotion, and whilst her band was competent there was no sting in the tail.

“If you fancy a dance, you’re in the right place,” announced Silver Columns from the Spider stage. Their Scottish bleeps and grooves lost the hardcore ravers who wanted something faster and more intense, but instead the band were supplemented by a group of punters dressed, possibly ironically, as Chav rejects. These GLC imitators produced some spectacular co-ordinated dancing on the raised podium stage front. When the duo’s megaphone wielding, siren blazing electronica finally came to life with the Bronski Beat / Hot Chip disco groove of Brow Beaten, it was both the band and the chavs who took the applause.

The dancing continued with Unicorn Kid. Having asked everyone to move forward, “because we’re gonna have a dance party,” the new-chip tune prince in Bart Simpson T-Shirt and lion hat brought the energy of an old school rave turned up to a modern warp factor 10 - this was elated laptop craziness. Dream Catcher was glitchily supreme and new single Wild Life divided the young (at heart) from the old. Seeming to want to forcefully create a hole in the stage with his wiry body Unicorn Kid was a highly charged assault of nutty bounciness.

In the Big Top Delphic were somewhat more restrained in their stage presence, preferring to let their music do the talking. Whereas some of their earlier shows (such as here) didn’t really take off, at Bestival they reached the celebratory highs their music strives for. Doubt provided a hands in the air moment and as Red Light merged seamlessly into it, Delphic hit the majestic realms that we predicted they could achieve (here). “Nothings wrong today,” the band sang blissfully on Counterpoint. They couldn’t be more correct.

Next up the Big Top overflowed with punters trying to catch a glimpse of The XX. The Mercury Music Prize effect demonstrated its pulling power and Bestival was the bands unofficial after party. It seemed that everyone had gate crashed. Backed by their trademark illuminated X’s the now three piece showed just why they have touched and engaged people. “I can’t tell you how happy we are to be here,” smiled Oliver Sim before a mass sing-a-long to VCR. Whilst acts like Delphic and Unicorn Kid both create music that is obviously and almost deliberately uplifting, The XX’s set was even more euphoric, even though it was created out of something brilliantly gloomy.

Hot Chip continued the upbeat mood, with their 5th appearance at Bestival, minus Joe Goddard who was on band-leave following the recent birth of his child. Ditching anything that resembled a slow song, Hot Chip played all the hits, with Alexis Taylor sporting his pearly-king-geek-chic and rather comically Goddard appearing via a TV screen. Starting with Boy from School, songs such as Ready for the Floor, One Life Stand and Over and Over kept the electronic buzz kids smiling.

It was left to Dizzee Rascal to close the main stage. Dressed in a Nirvana t-shirt Dizzee covered all bases with his band delivering music that ranged from reggae, rock, pop, disco, soul to old school hip-hop. Hooky, catchy and fun, it was also a little lowest common denominator, but such music snobbery didn't apply to most of the crowd who were happy to bounce to the happy heavens as Dizzee announced “Where’s the f*ckin’ mosh pit crew?” Bonkers finished things off - undeniably a great British pop song - funny, quirky and energetic as Usain Bolt after ten Red Bulls - it left everyone with a sweaty smile.

War Child - Heroes

The War Child Heroes album is no ordinary compilation album. Rather than a series of casts off and B sides that form the usual charity CD, War Child take a highly prescriptive approach in the formation of their releases. This approach leads to a much greater focus on the quality of the music. The concept for Heroes combines some of the greatest icons of rock music with some of the most popular contemporary artists of today. The charity asked fifteen rock greats, from U2 to Bowie to Iggy Pop to choose a song from their back catalogue and to nominate a modern act that they would most trust to create a unique interpretation of that song. The end results of these new cover versions are such that irrespective of the charitable status of the project, the album is worth buying for a significant amount of musical merit alone.

Most surprising is how some of the covers that you would expect on paper to be disasters are very good indeed. Take Duffy covering Live And Let Die; whilst at Breaking More Waves we were fans of the Duffy album, the recent screeching on previous single Rain On Your Parade left a sour taste in our mouth. Here Duffy redeems herself with Bernard Butler on production duties and his long time collaborator David McAlmont providing sweet soulful backing vocals. Her version is restrained and sultry, a torch song version of the classic.

Lily Allen also shocks with a very modern middle of the road pop version of Straight To Hell by The Clash, with Mick Jones on backing vocals. It should be a disaster, but Lily gives Joe Strummers difficult anti war lyrics a delicate sugary touch that actually makes them stand out more.

Elbow fare even better, taking Running To Stand Still by U2 and making it sound even more tender and intimate than the original. It’s worth buying the album for this song alone. Bono chose wisely. Elsewhere TV On The Radio deliver a bold mountainous electronic beat laden version of Heroes that follows neatly on from the Dear Science album whilst The Hold Steady, who let’s face it sound like a Bruce Springsteen covers band, get to cover The Boss on Atlantic City.

There are very few duffers on the album. Hot Chips minimal electro calypso of Transmission will probably be hated by most Ian Curtis fans, but one track out of fifteen isn’t bad.

It would seem almost a disservice to review a charity album and give it the thumbs down. Fortunately in the case of War Child Heroes there is no need to do such a thing. Rather than going out this Friday night and spending your spare cash on a round of drinks, buy this album, stay in, listen to it and know that you have helped provide vital funds for War Childs essential and unique work in helping children who live with the brutal effects of war.

Moshi Moshi 10th Birthday Party @ London Matter

Brands. Everywhere. On your television. On your clothes. On your street. In your record and CD collection.

I like to consider myself a relatively free thinking and open minded individual who is not subject to the marketing mans every whim; but these days it is virtually impossible to get away from some brand expression as part of your personality. And if I had to choose a record label that represented me as a brand then Moshi Moshi would certainly be one of my high level choices. I love Moshi Moshi for its eclecticism, quirkiness, vibrancy and colour that sometimes hits the mainstream and sometimes doesn’t. From the electronic springiness of Hot Chip to adventurous indie rockin’ Bloc Party, Moshi Moshi were there releasing the bands first singles.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary Moshi Moshi took over the prestigious new super club Matter, recently opened by the owners and founders of the almost legendary status Fabric, and threw themselves a bit of a shin dig, with DJ’s and a host of bands.

There has been an incredible amount of publicity about Matter, particularly its vibrating ‘Body Kinetic Dancefloor’ and stylish interior. The club itself, which is part of the 02 Dome complex in Greenwich, feels rather like an industrial space age multi storey car park, heavy on harsh concrete and steel, with exposed services and projections on nearly every service. Although primarily intended as a club, the two room venue can easily function as a gig venue as well. Tonight Moshi Moshi provide a party that goes on till seven in the morning, and a mix of some of its bands past and present.

The venue is still filling up when Kate Nash takes to the stage in a flurry of sequins to kick things off in the smaller of the two rooms. Anyone expecting bitter lemon sucking keyboard pop is in for a shock tonight as Kate dispenses with her piano and for a short while becomes an indie mentalist. Starting with a foul worded poem about groupies, she kicks off her shoes, grabs a megaphone and jumps up and down whilst screaming to distortion. It is a far cry from the heavily produced pop of Pumpkin Soup and Mouthwash. Strapping on a guitar she races through a set which for those looking forward to Foundations etc would disappoint. The only song she plays from her debut album is Birds, a beautiful tender and simple song which deals with the inarticulacy of young love. She also wheels out her very first single, the scrappy opinion dividing Caroline’s A Victim, which was of course released on Moshi Moshi. Half an hour later she thanks Moshi Moshi, flashes her eyes and with a sparkle is gone. Judged on this performance, what Kate Nash does next is anybodies guess.

The Mae Shi open the main room with their physical rock n shout n roll. The band throw out huge multicoloured parachute sheets over the audience to cover them, whilst they bash out their ambitious guttural yet glistening punishing lo fi sound that sounds like the toys are having a riot in the nursery. Guitars growl, keyboards shriek, vocals scream and ears tremble. Run To Your Grave is an electric knife stabbing, withdrawing, and stabbing again, just for fun. Let's get murdered.

Florence from Florence and the Machine arrives on stage in sparkly hot pants, tuxedo, white blouse and bow tie and proceeds to bash hell out of a single drum at the front of the stage before twirling and whirling like a ravaging spinning top. Florence has a big set of lungs that deliver the goods, part soulful, part wailing harpy. Her whole performance seems full of chaotic energy, but it is only when she almost pulls the clothes of her keyboard player and proceeds to have a girl fight on the floor of the stage with her that things seem just a little contrived, having seen her do exactly the same thing last time I saw her play. Having said that her smoking confident tribal melee of sound gets the crowd bouncing, particularly during the controversial turbo charged single Kiss With A Fist which packs the required emotional punch.

Back in room two, Slow Club, the fluffier alt country White Stripes, suffer a few technical problems and endure the fate of a band whose quieter jangling pop songs require a quiet respectful audience, rather than a crowd who have had a few drinks and now fancy a chat. Sporting the first bad moustache of the evening, co vocalist Charles Watson harmonises perfectly with drummer Rebecca Taylor and despite the technical issues they make it to the end with their infectious cuteness.

Infectious cuteness continues with Tilly and the Wall who are becoming a bona fide glittering, tinsel wearing cartoon pop band with added tap dancing. Even a guitarist with another bad moustache cannot stop the joy of current single Beat Control and a surprisingly well received cover version of Erasure’s A Little Respect. They end firing ticker tape into the audience and bouncing off with obvious joy.

It is left to Hot Chip to bring the party to a climax, which they do with ease. Warning that they “Might get a bit punk,” Hot Chip are sounding harder, tougher, funkier and dirtier than ever, with the songs sounding far more exciting than the recorded versions, turning Matter into a full on hands in the air experience from opener One Pure Thought, through Shake A Fist, Over and Over, to Ready For The Floor. The band have to plea to the crowd to take a step back to stop those at the front from being crushed and are even the subject of a couple of celebratory stage invasions. Hot Chip now have justifiable cause to claim the crown as best dance band in the UK.

I wish when I was 10 years old I’d had a birthday party like this. Maybe when I’m 40 instead ? Any takers ?