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home » festivals » Larmer Tree Festival » Larmer Tree Festival 2011
Vieux Farka Toure & Asian Dub Foundation rock Larmer Tree FestivalLarmer Tree Festival 2011 reviewFriday 22nd July 2011 An ultra gloomy start to the day and the thought of trying to cook breakfast in the rain is particularly unattractive. We signed the kids up for a fairly early pitta bread-making workshop (held at the pizza stall), and so we get togged up with waterproofs for the day and head out. The kids both enjoy it and we're all amazed at how enormous it becomes in the stone oven. They eat the fruits of their labour warm from the oven and drizzled with honey, while I opt for some kedgeree from the Goan fish curry stall. It's usually only sold until midday and often we cook breakfast at the tent to save a few quid and get ourselves set for the day so it's a rare treat and highly recommended.
As the rain slows down a little we head over to the circus skills workshop and attempt to pass a diabolo between us with varying degrees of success. Actually I'm sure the wind and rain aren't helping! Back at the main stage there is a bit of a switch around on the bill as Vieux Farka Toure has been held up in immigration on the way into the country so the first act we catch is Jassi Sidhu who tells us to imagine that we're in our favourite Indian restaurant, and he will supply the soundtrack. He's a huge name on the British Bhangra scene and here are a LOT of people up and moving for him and his band. The Dohl drums bang out a delicious beat and it's remarkably dry underfoot already. The Mrs heads over to a Charleston dance Workshop. By the time it's due to be over, we head over to watch rows of people all being tutored with amusing anecdotes and reminders and in such a short space of time, they've all (well mostly), got it licked. It bodes well for the 1950's fancy dress theme.
The fancy dress parade seems a lot lighter in participants this year. From speaking to a few people, a lot of the lads found the 1950's theme a bit too restrictive, though the ladies looked lovely! There was a lot more scope for them to create some amazing outfits.
Vieux Farka Toure does make it to play a set, it's later than advertised and in a totally different place and it's utterly incredible. His soulful singing voice doesn't do it for me but to be fair he could get away with singing nursery rhymes. The way he plays the guitar makes everything else irrelevant. It sounds like he's got four arms and two guitars and I make a mental note to find out a lot more about him. At times he seems to be playing some kind of psychedelic rock, and then the more traditional Malian roots come to the foreground.
Making our way back to the tent past the enormous glitter ball hanging by the main stage is interesting. Tipsy and sober adults struggle to cope with its effects on the floor as the grass seems to have come to life. We escort the ladies and the kids back at the tent and head back out. There is a light and sound installation in the woods. It starts at 10:30 but the queues have been too busy for us to put the kids through. We join the queue and after about half an hour we are at the front and walk through the laurel tunnel. Ambient music plays as dry ice is pumped through the tunnel and we walk through. Turning to look back, the lights create patterns and textures reminiscent of early 90's rave videos. It's quite mystical and disorientating. Once through, we have a few tunes in the headphone disco but the cheesy music isn't really to our taste. 'The Social' is a late tent with a little stage and we catch Moscow Drug Club and the end of their set. It's still pretty lively but we head back to our respective tents.  review by James Tayler photos by Andy Pitt 
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