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home » festivals » Lounge On The Farm » Lounge On The Farm 2008
Sunday overviewLounge On The Farm 2008Thursday 17th July 2008 I always get the feeling that the final day of a festival should have a more relaxed vibe and that good weather is the least that one deserves. These demands fall into place for today so it's a splendid start to proceedings. In the main area there's a display by the Dead Horse Morris who are like a cross between traditional Morris dancers and the League of Gentlemen (think of the 'hello Dave' character). They keep the humour at a spirited level and proclaim that if you want to join them then "talent is probably a handicap". There's some vibrant samba drumming going on too but overall the stages are taking their time to get going, a bit like most of the festival goers here.  The first act of note is a DJ set by Kevin Rowland and there's a sense of relief that he's not wearing a dress like he did at Reading a few years ago. However, he does model a psychedelic shirt with fish on it – that's pictures of fish and not real ones you understand despite the fact that that would be a sight to behold and a great comeback gimmick. He plays songs by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Toots and the Maytalls and Iggy and the Stooges and warbles over the top but can't go wrong with this material. Over at the Sheep Dip Zombie Met Girl grab my attention by the fact that they have a promising name and let's face it, we often choose unknown bands via the silliest name competition (I missed Boxing Octopus earlier on unfortunately). Despite an interesting name it's mainly uninspired punk with a few hints of the Dead Kennedy's in the vocal department and no zombie dancing which is an opportunity missed.  The music on the main Cowshed stage starts earlier on the Sunday so by 4.00pm Natty is performing his light reggae tunes to a respectable gathering and it fits perfectly with what Sunday afternoons are all about. The sound is a bit booming and 'Last Night' doesn't hit all the right marks due to the lack of clarity but it gets sorted soon enough. The Shortwave Set are up next and play a selection of songs from their Danger Mouse produced album 'Replica Sun Machine'. The band are all dressed in yellow jumpsuits but I'm not sure this look connects with the audience in any particular way. People aren't sure whether or not to laugh or get them to fix their washing machines (for those who brought their Zanussi's with them). It's a bit space rocky in places and 'No Social' and the title track from the LP demonstrate a confident wall of noise that successfully mixes melancholy with a dramatic punch. The Bees have been around for a while now – their first album, 'Sunshine Hit Me' was released in 2002 – and remain in that half world of quirky fun which is eminently likeable but rarely financially lucrative. They start off slowly and the first few songs sound like they could be covered by the Wurzels (no kidding). But hey, this is a farm so maybe this is a subliminal tribute of sorts. The nearly hits 'A Minha Memina' and 'Wash in the Rain' glean lots of recognition from the assembled masses and it starts to mesh nicely. The band members swap instruments numerous times but the quality remains at the high end of the spectrum. 'Chicken payback' gets the dancing going including a few fowl dances of the funky variety but it's 'These are the Ghosts' that soars above everything else and is the best song played all weekend. The Bees deserve more success and get a 'B' from me for their set with an extra 'A' for that 'Ghost' tune.  Headliners The Coral are still going strong after 5 albums, which is quite an achievement in this day and age. To their credit they’ve gone beyond fading from view after the last few discs haven't maybe sold as many as the initial releases which seems to affect so many bands these days. It seems to remain a short sighted industry in this respect. They kick off with 'Who's Gonna Find Me' and 'Jacqueline' and, oddly enough, some of their music sounds like a weird 16th century soundtrack to a lost Black Adder series. This is quickly dismissed when the pop genius of 'Pass It On' and 'In the Morning' get the toes tapping, hips swaying and heads bobbing along with their infectiousness. Early single 'Bill Mc Cai' gets an airing and you start to realise how the Coral produce splendid 3 minute pop songs that don't outstay their welcome but give you a warm feeling inside during the visit. And...if you don't like it, well there'll be another one along in a minute. It's a pleasing and comfortable set rather than a defining one but it fits the mood well and no one is disappointed. The Coral aren't washed up yet. Overall I found Lounge on the Farm to be a solid indie festival rather than a spectacular one, which I reckon is about right really. A famous headliner would probably upset the equilibrium of the event and attract a crowd out of synch with the general meanderings of the dedicated crusty. If you want a weekend of resilient slumming then you could do a lot worse than spending a weekend on the farm but just beware of those smills. 
review by Simon Soukal photos by Clive Hoadley
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