A DAY of blistering sunshine set the mood for day one of Longitude with all of the feel- good vibes most associated with Electric Picnic emulated in what is, for all intents and purposes, a smaller scale version of the Stradbally based festival.
George Ezra: Main Stage, 5:15pm
Though George Ezra might seem like a record company invention to market towards Jake Bugg fans, the 20 year- old’s performance on Longitude’s main stage is remarkably unvarnished and rough around the edges for an artist who, like many of his contemporaries, projects an image and sound that is pristine in comparison to his primary influences from the 60’s folk revival. The 21 year- old Hertford native’s deep, booming voice fills every pocket of Marlay Park, the chorus of ‘Cassie O’’ leading to a surge of people getting to their feet and dancing. A thunderous, crowd- pleasing ‘Did You Hear the Rain’ is enough to generate interest from indifferent punters passing by, going from stage to stage.
Samaris: Whelans 25 Stage, 6pm
Icelandic band Samaris are, quite simply, everything that we have come to expect from Icelandic music in recent years. Though lacking the multi- dimensional arrangements of Sigur Rós , the influence of Björk, clearly, is overpowering. Signed to One Little Indian, the London based label that is also home to Björk, the ethereal vocals of Jófríður Ákadóttir, while lacking Björk’s range, don’t have enough character to lift the songs nor does it act as instrument that that has a degree of unpredictability.
While Samaris are perfectly slotted on the bill for festival goers who are taking it easy at 6pm and, yes, chilling out, the tempo of Samaris’ set is repetitive. The curiosity of uninitiated punters is satifified within two songs. While Þórður Kári Steinþórsson acts as a Geoff Barrow- like figure noodling endlessly with electronics and the obligatory MacBook Pro, there’s very little action and progression in the songs, resulting in a set that is entirely lacking in dynamics.
Bombay Bicycle Club: Main Stage, 6:30pm
Drawing largely from So Long, See You Tomorrow, their 2013 album heavily influenced by frontman Jack Steadman’s travels and reflecting a sound somewhere between electronic- influenced indie rock and world music, the band’s set works wonderfully on a festival main stage, chiming as it does with the sunshine and the general mood of festival goers dancing on the fringes of the audience of die- hards. Set staples such as ‘Shuffle’, ‘What If’ and ‘Always Like This’ segue seamlessly with new tracks ‘Carry Me’, ‘Home By Now’ and ‘Luna’, resulting in a set is consistent and taps into the mood of the day as well any band. It’s a smooth performance by a band who look as comfortable and natural on stage as ever.
Parquet Courts: Whelans 25 Stage, 8:30pm
Opening to an almost entirely empty Whelans 25 stage, Brooklyn based band Parquet Courts, US indie darlings and Willamsburg, Brooklyn favorites, attempt to win over the crowd with some uniquely American ham- fisted blarney, boasting the Irish credentials of Boston born bassist Sean Yeaton.
As much influenced by the New York revival in garage rock almost 15 years ago, led at the time by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Strokes et al, as they are by The Replacements, Sonic Youth and Pavement, it is interesting that those who, in theory, who like Parquet Courts have largely moved on from rock music, which the former dominant genre now in a state that hasn’t been for quite some time. Ten years ago, Parquet Courts would have dominated the main stage.
The band’s disappointing and recently released second LP proper Sunbathing Animal dominates a set that is, therefore, unlikely to win the new fans that a band with such focused DIY ethics and charm deserve. Older material taken from and 2012’s Light Up Gold is executed with more success and frontman Andrew Savage’s sardonic lyrics are clearer in the mix on the Light Up Gold material rather than the Sunbathing Animal tracks. It’s a tight, reliable performance by a band, you feel, whose best record is looming on the horizon.
Ben Howard: Main Stage, 9:30pm
In what must be one of the most poorly attended main stage headline gigs in recent years of any festival and with very little in the way of competition on other stages (Bonobo headlined the Heineken Stage at the same time as Howard), Ben Howard plays to a modest audience made up, seemingly, of previous Oxegen festival goers. The audience, which seems to be a mix of die- hards and punters trying to get close enough to the stage to get Howard in the frame for a “group selfie” ends somewhere along the face of the front of house tower.
Beyond the crowd, there is oceans of free space between the front of house and the vendors, confirming my belief that this year’s unremarkable line up wasn’t to the liking of those who are, presumably, holding out the expense inherent in festivals for Electric Picnic.
The pressure, you would think, is then on Howard to pull something out of the bag. He doesn’t. At one stage, Howard asks the crowd if they are camping at what is a day festival with no camping on site, which is about as engaged as he seems to be with this Dublin audience.
Howard’s bland indie folk has nothing to say, though, like much contemporary folk in the tradition of Jack Johnson, says it very loudly. Tracks such as ‘Keep Your Head Up’, ‘Only Love’ and ‘The Wolves’ go down well with the audience that is there and who would pay to see Howard, live. It doesn’t, however, seem, to draw any interest from other festival goers who casually walk by, not believing that there is anything of great significance happening on the main stage.
Words by Philip Cummins
MORE: Day Two Review | Day Three Review
