O2 Wireless Festival Diary: Day 2 [04/07/08]

05 July 2008, 14:33

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Burning Leaves, Bella Union Stage

Words: Rich Thane, Peter Bloxham and Jude Clarke. Photographs: Rich Thane

Yesterdays events certainly took their toll on TLOBF. What with the rain, the uneccessary walking, the rain, the pretty awful lineup on the main stages and, not to mention the rain. But we are not to be defeated – after all, we’re here for 4 days – it’s a marathon of stamina ladies and gents. Yes, Thursday = wash out. The bad weather conditions meant people were keeping under cover and pretty much ignoring the fantastic music on offer at the big red double decker. Alas, today was a whole different kettle of fish. Triumphant is the word best to describe the events of the Bella Union stage.

We make a start on day two with a pint on the roof terrace of the Big Chill House in Kings Cross, soon to be joined by friend of TLOBF – Dave. The weather is looking glorious so Pete suggests that we walk to Hyde Park. Rich Thane is restrained by Dave. We arrive at Green Park and walk straight to the press entrance and over to watch Black Kids with the minimum of fuss. Rich Thane is clearly pleased by this and remarks that ‘Today is going be awesome!’ a number of times. We purchase some pear cider and go to sit on the grass by the Bella Union stage. Black Kids, by the way weren’t very good. Probably owing more to shit sound rather than the fact that they’re just shit. Because they’re not. Well, at least Pete doesn’t think they are. Dave seems unimpressed and Rich just wants some pear cider.

Burning Leaves, Bella Union Stage

The weather and the crowd are already looking much, much healthier by the time Burning Leaves take to the stage. The atmosphere is pretty close to perfect as they harmonize their way through a haunting, minimalist set, people are not only gathered on tables and chairs, sipping cider and enjoying the weather – they’re actually really properly listening to the music!

We use guest passes to use the posh toilets in the guest area. Despite posh automatic taps, Pete still manages to spray himself with water in the crotch area. He doesn’t see the funny side. We begin to notice conspicuous Morrisey fans wearing quiffs and T-shirts proclaiming him to be God.

Paul Marshall, Bella Union Stage

Paul Marshall is accompanied by an electric cello. Rich Thane is very pleased by this, as is the rest of the crowd- he receives an enthusiastic response. Rich immediately goes over to the nearest member of Bella Union staff to get a CD after discovering they’ve just signed him. [shameless plug=“Buy his album digitally from the Bella Union shop”/plug]

We eat some pretty terrible food from a nearby hot dog stand. Pete’s vegetarian options are unsuprisingly limited. He orders a bowl of chips. Halfway through he complains that he’s sick of eating chips.

Emmy The Great, Bella Union Stage

TLOBF favourite Emmy the Great is joined by the equally excellent Young Husband for her set. Emmy is her usual chatty kooky self. Dave seems convinced that she is fixing his gaze as she ploughs through her set that is unfortunately over before she even warms up. As Emmy turns her back to tune her guitar, Dave busts a move to catch the tail end of Beck’s set. Emmy doesn’t seem to notice.

The Duke Spirit, Bella Union Stage

Tonights headliners The Duke Spirit put on a rare stripped back acoustic performace – which is always going to be an interesting proposition. Leaving their sexually charged, dirty rock n roll stripped down to it’s bear bones. Needless to say, their set is a total highlight of the day – ploughing through a set focusing heavily on the bands Neptune . ‘Dog Roses’, ‘This Ship Was Built To Last’ and ‘Into The Fold’ are delivered with so much gusto, Leila Moss being her usual captivating self. Adoring fans swoon. During ‘Soverign’ a special guest is introduced – Bella Union boss, ex-Cocteau Twin and “mentor” of the band Simon Raymonde dusts down his bass guitar. He looks sincerely happy to be there – though, the potential Cocteau Twins cover version regrettably doesn’t happen. Indie from Burning Leaves hops on stage to add her backing vocals on ‘The Step and The Walk’. Their 30 minute set over in a flash. Nuts.

After the show Leila is approached by fan after fan for photographs, one of whom remarks, rather amusingly “One day I am going marry you!”. “Okay, just make sure you let me know first!” comes the reply from Leila before he runs away with his mate, punching the air as he goes. Pete notes that it’s probably a good thing that he didn’t ask her to sign anything.

Simon Raymonde joins The Duke Spirit

As evening draws, it’s clear to all that the day has been a complete turnaround from the teething problems of yesterday for both TLOBF and Bella Union. A triumph. Simon hands us a copy of the Bare Foot in the Park an awesome compilation from Bella Union and Oxfam featuring all of the bands playing on the stage this weekend. If you’re planning on going to the festival Saturday or Sunday make sure you pick up a copy. £3.50 from every purchase goes to Oxfam. If you aren’t heading to the festival but still want a copy of the album, drop Bella Union a line here. I’m sure they’d be happy to help.

We don’t even bother to see Morrisey, we just go to the pub to get pissed.

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Whilst Rich Thane and Pete Bloxham spent all day hanging around the Bella Bus, thus missing the ‘bigger’ acts, our very own Jude Clarke who happened to blag a free ticket for the day. We talked her into writing an account of her day – taking in the bands we’d missed. Thanks Jude!

Having blagged a very last-minute free guest pass to Friday’s Wireless Festival, as a friend’s “plus one” (thanks Jo!), I had no time beforehand to do my usual borderline-obsessive-compulsive spreadsheet creation and myspace surfing. I turned up, then, with open mind, unplanned schedule and a determination to just see what happened, musically.

Battling past the layer upon layer of corporate logos, brands, and gimmicky marketing ideas (“win a car!” “upload your festival photos right here!” “have a free milkshake!” etc etc) I made my way to the small O2/MTV stage to see who the first of the day’s two mysterious “Special Guests” was to be. Pleasingly, it was The National, who started my day very nicely, thank you very much, with a short 15-minute, 3-song set. Despite not being what anyone of sound mind would describe as a summery, sunshin-ey sort of band, they were well received, and obviously glad to be playing this quick warm-up for their headlining set on the Sandisk stage later that evening.

Next was Lightspeed Champion on the Main Stage. Endearingly geeky and with a lovely warm and tuneful voice, and the occasional tune to match (single ‘Tell Me What It’s Worth’ is a corker), this was lovely stuff to sit on the grass and enjoy. His day was apparently made by having found Jay-Z‘s setlist from his headline set the previous day, which he described, aptly, as “an ebay goldrush”.

The law of diminishing post-Libertines returns was once again illustrated by the fairly pedestrian Dirty Pretty Things‘ appearance next. The beginning of their set was pretty much how you would expect it to be, so I wandered off in search of pastures newer and more interesting, and was rewarded by Sea Wolf in the small Tuborg Stage tent. Their emotional country-tinged Americana was like a larger, more spacious version of Two Gallants (Six Gallants, anyone?), and constituted the day’s highlight set for me.

Next it was the obligatory misty-eyed moment for ‘Made Up Love Song #43′ during The Guillemots‘ Main Stage slot; a set which confirmed for me again that this is one of those bands that works approximately 75% better live than on record. Fyfe Dangerfield’s manic, frenetic skittishness on stage, and the strange range of styles that the band attempt just make much more sense in this context. If you’ve only heard this lot on record, don’t write them off.

Ambling over to the little corner of non-corporate heaven that was the Bella Union stage (when I say “stage”, I really mean “cute red old Double Decker bus, with awning, and hand-drawn poster”) I managed to catch just the very end of Burning Leaves beautiful harmonies, before fighting my way through the crowds in the Sandisk Stage tent for surely-should-have-been-headlining Siouxsie. Despite disturbing all my long-held preconceptions by breaking into a big cheesy grin a couple of times, she mainly managed to steer just clear of caricature and cabaret; and strutted, posed and kicked her way through a crowd-delighting set incorporating favourites like ‘Christine’, ‘Happy House’ and more recent fare like ‘Into A Swan”.

I then ended my day the same way I’d started it: with The National, this time headlining the Sandisk Stage, like my own personal lugubrious bookends. With a darker feel to their set this time round (perhaps courtesy of the setting sun, dry ice and indoor location), this felt to me like a band that ought – surely – to be reaching greater levels of awareness and acclaim than have so far come their way. If their set ended in some huge newsworthy drama, or they took leave of their senses and decided throw in a cheeky Los Campesinos! cover, or something, then I am afraid I am unable to give you a from-the-ground report, as I had to sneak off a few songs in to – prosaically – get the train home.

This was my first Wireless experience and not one, if I’m honest, that I would be too troubled to repeat (particularly as a paying punter). The lineup was a curious mix of the massively commercial and the not-yet-on-my-radar, and the incessant marketing (we got jumped on within – literally – five minutes of arrival and press-ganged into answering a ‘lifestyle’ questionnaire) was tedious and atmosphere-sapping. That said, there are always going to be a few worthwhile musical experiences to winkle out of such events, and – for me – Sea Wolf and Burning Leaves are going to be the two that justified my train fare and that I shall be myspacing forthwith.

Read all about yesterdays festival shenaniganas here.

Toby, Luke & Leila from The Duke Spirit with Bella Union’s Simon Raymonde.