Field Gay

This was my favourite song Electrelane played yesterday at Field Day. They were by far the best band in my humble opinion and having spoken to people after the event I think it's fairly unanimous. Their music changes the landscape of your head. Well, for a bit. I can't describe what they do because I love them too much and that scuppers my descriptive/critical faculties. Some things you just have to feel right? OK, I'm going to have to be extra mean about the bands I don't like to get away with being such an emo schmuck in the first paragraph.

Other highlights: FAUST were the first band I saw and a promising start. Having a bit of an arty jazz wank and it was great! But perhaps wank is the wrong word as that implies pretension at everyone else's expense and they were far from it. They reminded me a bit of bands like Notwist, though I understand Faust were there first. They ended with 'Krautrock' which they explained was the derisive word that English journos had given to their music, which then became a massively successful genre. I came late to their set and when I arrived they were taking a drill to a giant metal bin and then smashing it with a sledgehammer which looked so much fun I wanted a go.

FACTORY FLOOR were really great dancey electro fun. I would have liked it if they'd been a bit darker and more obnoxious as I understood they were, but I still enjoyed the noisey bleeps. Sadly we were squashed into the tiny Shacklewell Arms tent, so there was no room to dance properly. And by this time my legs were about to give way so these were the last band I saw.

CREEP were kind of in the middle. In a similar vein to Salem in some ways who I love and I enjoy it when they distort vocals/speed up/slow down. Plus it's all dark and atmospheric and stuff, but the atmosphere at Field Day probably wasn't right for them, I always feel a bit hyperactive at festival things and I found myself getting a little bored at times and my mind wandering. They chose some good records to sample but I'm wondering how much they actually did with them having sampled them...Perhaps better in a darkened room.

CLOUD CONTROL sounded real nice from where I was standing. Unfortunately where I was standing was three meters outside the tent cos it was impossible to get in.

OK, so now the cons (I am arranging everything into pros and cons these days. Grey areas are out):

JOHN CALE: I was mega disappointed! I only have the one album, 'Paris 1919'. But then he came on and as a friend pointed out he sounded like Guns n Roses. And he did! With wanky guitar solos and everything. It was a big pile of old man wank. I mean nothing wrong with being old, but y'know, in the vein of the Rolling Stones still bashing away when they should have packed it in years ago. Paris 1919 was sort of magisterial and beautiful and soaring. But not today. Oh who am I kidding? I'm only talking about the title track of 'Paris 1919'. As if I even listen to the rest of the album.

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI: They looked like The Darkness and they sounded a bit like them too. That might just be my prejudice because of how they looked, but I'm a shallow guy.

ANNA CALVI I think I'm supposed to like Anna Calvi because everyone else does but she was sooo quiet. I mean they could've turned her up a bit, no? It's a residential area I suppose but maybe they could have planned things a little better...So again I didn't get the atmosphere and didn't find her exciting. I just had to resort to making wry observations like on some bits where she sounds like Shirley Bassey except not as good.

WARPAINT Much hyped but very dull. They just reminded me of a band of primary school teachers. There were so many hetero soppy declarations of love as well. I just can't cope with that sort of thing.

I am glad I went. Electrelane alone would have made it worth it, and getting to learn about new bands is always great. I'm so naive I thought Electrelane were headlining when I bought the tickets! I couldn't believe they were only on at four. 'Who are these Wild Beasts?' Nah, I'm kidding I had actually heard of Wild Beasts but there were loads of people I didn't know at all. It's pretty shocking how I've let my knowledge of schmindie music slip in the last couple of years. Or I'm up to date with some bands but only if they're big homos or friends of friends, which usually amounts to the same thing to be honest. I used to have an encyclopedic knowledge of music but being skint has meant I've not even been to a gig in yonks. Actually the last one was Pulp (who were AMAZING but also indicative of what era my musical brain is living in). Anyways, I'm determined to stay more up to date. So here's a song from 1973: