Review - Field Day

Right, well, some people got to be cold in Spain, but I say Sod. That. I'd much rather get a bus up the road and go to Boot's cos I couldn't remember whether I'd deodorised. And then follow the checked-shirt-denim-shorts-straw-trilby-fake-tanned crew over to FIELD DAY.

I had planed to see lots of bands, but the stages were plonked inconveniently along the todger-shaped arena area thing, making it a ballache to try and schlep between stuff promptly. 

Still, I did manage to see some stuff, the highlights of which were:

Daphni - Bugged Out stage

Yes, his set started at 4.30, it was still very sunny, and people were just kinda standing around for bits of the set and talking about when they were going to pop to the loo before heading over to see Bok Bok out the back. But the way he built up to Koreless's Sun was really very handsupintheair special. It's just that the crowd hadn't really noticed. 

And anyway, the best bit was at the beginning, when he held up his baby in the DJ booth, complete with massive matching green ear defenders, and everyone cheered. Cos, you know, that's just so Daphni. 

Dig It Sound System - the bandstand halfway between the Bleed/Lanzarote and Village Mentality stages

I'd never heard of them before, and they weren't mentioned on any of the associated bumph, either online or in the free 'i' newspapers people sat on to stop their bums getting wet. 

But it was great. What appeared to be a portable sound system, carted about by bicycle, had set up in a little bandstand. They played pretty much all of your favourite electronic tracks from the past thirty years. Those present were a little older than your average Field-Dayer, but they actually danced and moshed and pogoed and raved as if the rest of the festival simply wasn't there.

Mount Kimbie - Laneway stage

We got pummelled by bass, but barely even noticed. Snippets of vocals floated along, guitar and saxophone and keyboard lingered just that little bit longer, and the whole tent yearned to be overwhelmed by what they knew was coming. 

Yeah, they couldn't have closed with anything else but Made To Stray, those organ chords joyously releasing the pressure. But Maybes was stunning. Shouting along to a song never felt so bittersweet and wonderful.