1 Jun 2013

DIARY: FIELD DAY FESTIVAL PART ONE


One week ago today, I attended Field Day in East London's Victoria Park with some friends, and I have to say it's been one of the funnest days out I've enjoyed possibly all year. With the weather on our side and some incredible musicians in the lineup, we had such a great time.

We arrived at around noon, having fuelled up with a hearty breakfast in a local café and a couple of beers, each of us with slightly varied ideas of who to watch, when and where. With so many artists performing on so many stages, planning wasn't easy and compromises had to be made – clashes especially prominent in the evening with the likes of Daughter, Disclosure and headline act Bat For Lashes performing at the same time. But I was (and still am) delighted with who I got to see and it all began with CHVRCHES on the Laneway stage at 3pm. This was of course my second time to watch the Scottish trio play live, having been at their London show earlier in the year, and I was keen to make sure my mates got to see what the fuss was all about, as well as my personal mission to be front row centre. And that's exactly how it unfolded, as I gently worshipped the band from prime position after waiting for like two hours before their set. Totally satisfied and all efforts worthwhile, I was pretty much overjoyed by this point and far more relaxed for the schedule ahead. CHVRCHES were undoubtedly the act I went to see and they were superb.

The day proceeded with a few more San Miguel cans and more great acts including Savages, Solange, Animal Collective, Everything Everything (who by the way are incredible to watch live, perfectly on point with the sunshine and jovial moods we were in, I really enjoyed their set) and Four Tet. But my highlight of the day, after CHVRCHES, was Bat For Lashes, who enlightened the main stage with pure grace and beauty. I think she's an amazing artist in every sense of the word and, watching again from the front row, I was excited as fuck. ("Laura" is such a tune!) The entire second album is a gem of work and I was so pleased to hear it live. She's got a gig in August at Shepherds Bush Empire that I'm considering too, just need to find company to attend with.

Anyway, what a day, I'm so glad I went. Part Two will follow with some iPhone photographs of the festival, and probably a Part Three later for another photoset I took with a Kodak disposable. Still need to get that developed, who knows what I'll find on there! In the meantime, I can't stress how much fun we had and it's definitely a summer festival to mark for next year.

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