Latitude Festival 2015

[swede]

I know its early days but who are we predicting to headline next year ? Id say Ed Sheeren is one of them.

[DaveyGravy]

It was my first Latitude since 2008 and I loved it.

 

Coming from Norwich, Thursday afternoon, we didn't really have too much problem with queueing to get in. There was a bit of a queue, but it wasn't too bad. But we had friends coming up from the south, whose satnav said they'd get there similar time to us, but they ended up sitting in a queue on the A12 for 7 hours! I might be wrong, but the impression I got was that all the traffic from the north was being sent around the site in an anti-clockwise direction and then picking up the A12 a mile or so south of the entrance, so pushing in front of all the traffic coming from the south.

 

As for the other complaints, I thought the toilet facilities on the campsite were no where near enough. We were in the caravan field and there seemed to be about 8 toilets serving the whole field. I had to queue for at least 15-20 minutes, each day, for my morning poo. I also thought the bars in the arena seemed to be really understaffed. I've done various festivals in various different countries and I can't ever remember having to queue as I did each time at Latitude. On the plus side, I didn't have any problems with mobile phone service all weekend, on O2.

 

Moaning about queueing aside, I had a great festival. I was lucky in that none of the bands that I wanted to see clashed with each other, so I got to see everything I wanted to see. We did try to get to see Thom Yorke, but got nowhere near and turned around and went elsewhere. Musical highlights were King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (am I getting really old, or did they look really young?!), Portishead, Badly Drawn Boy throwing his toys out of the pram, Drenge (more ridiculously young looking people!) and Warpaint.

 

My only real downside was nearly knocking myself out, after KG&TLW. I drunkenly went to rugby tackle my mate, missed and smacked my head into a tree! I still have a lump nearly a week later!

 

Oh and the 'dance' song at the end of Boomtown Rats' set was pretty appalling!

[ValJester]

I know its early days but who are we predicting to headline next year ? Id say Ed Sheeren is one of them.

 

TheMaccabees

Radiohead

Jack White or Morrissey

 

That's what I wanna see

Edited July 23, 2015 by ValJester

[Gnomicide]

But you have the play to "who can make the metal flap flap the most" game, so sod the urinals.

 

My son christened them Kill Bill toilets last year after that seen in the garden with the water feature.

[DaveyGravy]

TheMaccabees

Radiohead

Jack White or Morrissey

 

That's what I wanna see

 

Pretty much totally agree with that! I see the Maccabees as being pretty much a certainty. Having had Foals recently, Alt-J this year, Maccabees seem the obvious next step along that way of thinking. In a similar vain, with Portishead this year, what about Massive Attack?

[Rose-Colored Boy]

I know its early days but who are we predicting to headline next year ? Id say Ed Sheeren is one of them.

Nah he isn't touring.

 

Regrettably silly Oxfam gave us the worst shifts imaginable so I didn't see enough bands to make my thoughts on the event worth posting, but the site is very pleasant. Could do with toning down the Pringles van/karaoke/hoola-hoop competition though.

[OBface]

Could do with toning down the Pringles van/karaoke/hoola-hoop competition though.

That karaoke was ALL we could hear on the Thursday

Edited July 23, 2015 by OBface

[Rose-Colored Boy]

That karaoke was ALL we could hear on the Thursday

Wouldn't have been so bad if there was anything to do except sit in the cafe next door on the wifi.

[dizzymoo]

Had a great time this year too.  Went last year expecting  it to be poor consolation for missing Glastonbury, but surprised how enjoyable it was and came home besotted with the Black Keys. This year Portishead, Caribou, Seasick Steve and super grumpy Mr Gallagher were highlights, along with seriously weird comedy from Jason Byrne, who got a group of kids up on stage, most of whom had no idea where their parents were.  And wonderful Abandoman. Very pissed off to miss most of Last Leg because (takes deep breath) I was singing with Gareth Malone's Latitude choir and had to be at rehearsal.  I'm sorry but there it is. I love singing and couldn't miss the chance to perform on the main stage.  It was actually a brilliant experience, 100+ people who'd never met before friday, rehearsing and performing briefly then disappearing back into the festival crowd like a flash mob.

 

Dust was a real problem, throat was definitely affected by Sunday. No phone signal a complete pain, with teenagers wanting to go off on their own. Actually we had no EE signal til about 20 miles from the festival site. Also not being able to take a refilled water bottle into the arena was a bummer.  My son was made to empty his bottle onto the ground.  The water from the taps in the arena was disgusting. Not very green of FR to force people to use a new bottle every day, just to increase alcohol sales.

 

I'm probably alone here in this, but does anyone else find the bass from the 6 Music tent intolerable? It's so overpowering it interferes with the main stage sound and renders some songs unrecognisable (to me at least).  I assume there's a sweet spot somewhere in the tent which I've never found.  If there's a good place outside it must be about 2 miles away.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

I myself found the 6Music Stage sound far better than the main stage sound, to be honest. Although I only saw SOAK and La Roux on the former and Benjamin Booker on the latter so again my opinion probably isn't worth much.

[ianlash]

I myself found the 6Music Stage sound far better than the main stage sound, to be honest. Although I only saw SOAK and La Roux on the former and Benjamin Booker on the latter so again my opinion probably isn't worth much.

I spent a lot of time in the 6Music tent and must agree the sound was so much better than the main stage.  Finally got to the The Charlatans!!!!

[Astroman]

also too keep toilets cleaner in the campsite and overall less queues is to have urinals there!!! easy ...every festival I have been too have them in the campsite apart from Latitude

They just need to have a few of those portable 4 person urinals. Glastonbury had them near the Pyramid for a while to stop people peeing in the stream.The lack of any facilities anywhere near The Alcove meant I wasn't the only one to 'water the trees'.

 

This was my 5th Latitude and a pretty good one overall. I didn't see any of the secret sets and didn't care. Portishead, Savages, Thurston Moore (with excellent bass from Debbie Googe), Warpaint, King Gizzard, Zola Jesus and Laura Marling were my highlights.

 

I've never used the taxi rank to get off site and I'm thinking of trying it next time.Has anyone tried it on Monday morning? How long do you have to queue?

[klipper]

Such a great weekend

 

Alright, music stuff i saw:

 

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - 5/10, bit disappointing, not the right setting, should of been outdoors and i should have been more stoned.

 

Nao - 9/10 went there on a bit of a whim after liking some of her songs but not really knowing her that well - was a fucking amazing performance, solid grooving and dancing for half an hour, also met her and the band at santigold which was cool. 

 

Santigold - 7/10 - a fun set

 

George the Poet - 8/10, class act, really talented guy

 

Ezra Furman - 7/10 the i arena was jammed and he was on good form

 

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - 9/10 just amazing to see one of my fave bands in such an "intimate setting"

 

Jon Hopkins - 9/10 - just fucking amazing

 

Benjamin Booker - 6/10 solid performance, cool guy. 

 

Marika Hackmann - 8/10, very chilled, perfect for the i arena. 

 

Wolf Alice - 10/10, a real highlight of the weekend, 3rd time i've seen them and definitely the best, made latitude mosh even more than parquet courts last year.

 

James Blake - 8/10, just beautiful - cmyk, the wilhelm scream etc. so many great songs and perfect for as the light was getting dimmer. 

 

Portishead - 10/10, best live performance ive ever seen hands down, can't really say much else - struggling to pick a highlight but the encore of the rip (with thom yorke) -> roads -> we carry on, was just something else.

 

Young Fathers - 7/10, solid live act, good to see them live.

 

Shura - 9/10, definitely a highlight of the weekend, i arena was the perfect setting.

 

Jack Garratt - 4/10, stayed after shura cos of a friend, he was obvs coked and his voice was really grating, only kinda shit performance i saw. 

 

La Roux - 8/10, hit after hit after hit for me, really great performance. 

 

The 2 Bears - 9/10, absolutely quality

 

Also saw some great djs late at night on friends recommendations, disappointed to miss thom yorke but im not a massive fan, saw some great poetry and comedy as well. 

 

Amazing weekend. 

[DJL]

Latitude is the perfect remedy/comedown after glastonbury for me. Tides me over the post glastonbury blues but not so intense that it's an effort, super chilled fest. Line-up is never totally to my taste but always plenty i'd like to see and easy (compared to glasto) to hop between stages to see bits of different sets.

Thom Yorke was a nice surprise. I liked it... but it wasn't really a crowdpleaser. Feel sorry for those that couldn't get in because it wasn't busy...

I think the late night areas have upped their game. Really enjoyed the film and music arena after dark (white mink and alabama 3) as well as the disco shed.

[Thearg]

Highlights of the festival on Sky arts in 20 mins people.

9pm

[Rose-Colored Boy]

Warpaint got no bigger a crowd at Lats than they did at Reading last year, Lats I expected better of you.

[Bort]

Latitude should have let Green Man have Warpaint.

[Amy Lawn]

Warpaint got no bigger a crowd at Lats than they did at Reading last year, Lats I expected better of you.

Reading has a far bigger capacity than... "Lats". They were also up against Years & Years, and Stornoway.

Warpaint were fucking awesome.

 

I've done a list of my favourite dudes, kept writing out big long festival reviews and then my browser burns them. La Roux at the bottom because I only saw half, but she was excellent.

 

15. La Roux

14. Naomi Shelton's Gospel Queens

13. Public Service Broadcasting

12. Femi Kuti & The Positive Force

11. Grandbrothers 

10. Nadine Shah

9. Santigold

8. Warpaint

7. Jon Hopkins

6. Summer Camp

5. Susanne Sundfor

4. East India Youth

3. Young Fathers (Other Voices)

2. Portishead

1. The Twilight Sad

Prediction for next year; The XX, Gorillaz and Massive Attack to headline, hopefully Joanna Newsome somewhere on the bill, with Fever Ray and Sleater-Kinney headlining the 6music tent, either the Beach Boys or Brian Wilson for Sunday lunchtime if the budget allows it.

[Tuna]

2 hours on sky arts and they showed no Portishead. They were a bloody headliner! Then they had to nerve to show 2 manics and 2 fucking Wolf shitting Alice songs.

[Amy Lawn]

2 hours on sky arts and they showed no Portishead. They were a bloody headliner! Then they had to nerve to show 2 manics and 2 fucking Wolf shitting Alice songs.

Probably saved all the Portishead for tomorrow, 90 minutes of the set, 30 minutes of the Portishead audience weeping and/or foaming at the mouth.

[Tuna]

Ah Scruffy you're probably right. I remember sky had to use someone else's photo of the Cameron laser eyes for their story. Rats.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

The people moshing to Caribou

[tillyandthewall]

Great highlights show.  Less of the presenter's own voice, more of the music.  Good to catch up on acts I didn't see and didn't know much about, like Nitin Sawhney.

 

To answer my own question previously, yes you can buy a Now TV box to stream the show live.  You can also watch it on catch-up for the next 30 days.  Not bad for £12 IMO.

[the wonderwhy]

Prediction for next year; The XX, Gorillaz and Massive Attack to headline, hopefully Joanna Newsome somewhere on the bill, with Fever Ray and Sleater-Kinney headlining the 6music tent, either the Beach Boys or Brian Wilson for Sunday lunchtime if the budget allows it.

 

And lots of Beach House. 

[Tuna]

Dunno where Beach House would play. Headlined the 6music tent in 2013, and I don't see them on the Obelisk at all.