Latitude Festival 2013 – Henham Park, Southwold

My 6th Latitude Festival and the first one I’d been to in two years, having gone every year from 2007 to 2011. It was kind of good to be back.

There were definitely more bands I wanted to see this time. If I had to rank them I would say …

1st – BLOC PARTY – no idea when I’ll be seeing this band again, if ever, but they did give it their all. Off the back of their best album (Four) and single (Ratchet) in years too. The setlist is here.

2nd – KRAFTWERK – not a band I thought I’d ever get to see live but I can safely tick them off my list now. The sound was great but the 3D show was a bit pony, it didn’t really work too well. There was a whole load of pomp and circumstance about them being there too which just added to the mystique.

3rd – HOT CHIP – a big surprise for me because I was only mildly taken by this band in the past but they sounded awesome and put on a fantastic live show, a real spectacle to watch.

4th – YEAH YEAH YEAHS – again I’m not a big fan of this band but they really brought their A game to the festival this year.

5th – múm – always haunting and beautiful and of course they can’t help but remind me of my fantastic weekend away seeing them support the Sugarcubes in Iceland a few years back.

6th – JAGWAR MA – the Baggy Revival (TM) continues …

7th – CHVRCHES – even though Mrs Red Penguin RIGHTLY says they sound like Five Star.

8th – GEORGIA RUTH – what would Latitude be without some hot harp action?

Special mentions – The Maccabees (same review as Hot Chip), MØ (more Nordic madness), Joanna Gruesome (singer looks like Servalan from Blake’s 7. Or I was tired and emotional).

And there were other good bands too. Some years I don’t think I’d have got past 2 or 3 recommendations. But it’s all about the middle class ambience, isn’t it!

I also got to have a chat with Drenge and Matty from the 1975 (again) and the organiser Melvin Benn too.

Lots and lots of videos and photos …