There was over 50 bands on show over the weekend in Marlay Park for the first ever Longitude and, if each band played an average of about 12 songs in their set, that's about 600 or so different tunes that were belted out in last weekend's sunshine. But which ones will live long in the memory?
1. Phoenix - 'Sunskrupt!'
The 8 minute long epic is live amalgamation of 'Love Like A Sunset' Parts 1 & 2 from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and the title track from the Parisian band's newest album 'Bankrupt!'. This was one of the best live tracks we've seen at many an Irish festival and our pick as the premiere musical highlight of Longitude. Those who were there will remember this song in an instant and, well, those we weren't will be pretty damn jealous. Click the video below and see what we mean.
2. Hot Chip - 'One Life Stand'
The bouncy electro of Hot Chip was the perfect accompaniment to the evening sunshine on Sunday. Al Doyle and co. posses any number of four to the floor danceable numbers but it was one of the group's best loved songs, 'One Life Stand', which really made an impression with us.
3. Django Django - 'Default'
We've been singing Django Django's praises on this here website since 2009 and we can't help but feel a tinge of pride to see the band, who were first discovered as an unsigned act releasing their first EP, playing a whopper of a gig on the main stage of a major festival. Nice goin', lads.
4. Vampire Weekend - 'Cousins'
What a tune to start off a set with. 'Cousins', the first single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra, served as the perfect live introduction to the NY band's more rock-infused sounds and ensured that the Longitude attendees began the set on bouncing feet.
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - 'Gold Lion'
There aren't many bands out there who can boast as enigmatic a lead singer as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Karen O. A tour de force of a singer, Ms. O is capable of grabbing your by the collar, dragging you into the gig and not letting go until sometime later that evening when your ears stop ringing. She was on top form at Longitude and this was our favourite of the bunch.
