Latitude 2006 Blog: The Local Perspective

United Kingdom | | 16 July 2006

Its around 5pm and I have just arrived at the Latitude Festival! I live in the East of England where it’s normally pissing it down with rain, but today's it's scorching - it feels like I'm in the south of France. It hasn’t taken me long being a local and there were no traffic or queues anywhere - brilliant. So to the right of me we have the family campsite and to the left we have campervans at the top and the rest of the campers alongside - good idea. No trekking for the campavans! Now, getting ready for the lemonheads - Wwwhhhoooo! Looking around at the happy campers in this undoubtfully beautiful countryside and seeing families and people of all ages enjoying this peaceful, positive atmosphere, it really is something else to finally see people being brought together in a peaceful way, enjoying our gorgeous countryside. Over the weekend the vibes just got happier. I personal feel that my local area has been crying out for an event like this for years especially for the younger generation who just seem to be getting sucked into the social norm and this comical world that we all find ourselves living in. East Anglia has so may ideal venues and is ozzzing with talent from all aspects of the art word and hopefully this has opened up the region to many more events encouraging the art world in the future. Oh and other festivals take note, bins will make your festival cleaner - this is possibly the most impeccably clean festival I have ever come across.

There’s a buzz about the air, something is building up. Introducing The LemmonHeads it is clear that they are in tune and on time, belting out an amazing set with their country pop met with the lyrical genius of Evan Dando. I’ve come to expect the crème de la crème of atmospheres from my escapades to the Emerald Isle, but Ireland this is not. I felt like we were getting ready for a funeral to begin with and not for one of the most kickass indie bands. Lets be honest here, I’m a rocker, I expect to get dirty and grimy but what do we have here, indie kids with no passion. It’s the opening night to a brand new amazing festival with an amazing band playing phenomenally in front of us and there was only a hand full of souls getting down. Two words - not impressed. Hold up, I spot something in the distance, it appears that I’ve found a handful of people with a bit of energy and are actually getting involved - respect to you!

I am happy to say the crowd went a bit more larey for the lovely Zutons. Every tune strikes a cord with the audience. Playing all the favorites from 'Who killed the Zutons?' they ended their set with an immense jam. Unfortunately the energy on stage was not translated to the minors up front. Note to parents - do not let your kids get to the front until they are at least 14! Right, I’m getting side tracked here - back to the actual event! It's a shame the people who organised this festival didn't advertise the event in all the local areas better. Coming away from the festival people were telling me they hadn’t heard about it until it was too late. The popularity can easily be increased by directing this towards the local schools and colleges as, overall, I met more people from London then I did anywhere else. On a day-to-day basis in local areas, poetry reading, cabaret and comedy nights are simply nowhere to be seen. It is refreshing to see someone finally has exploited the art world in my local area of England - that can usually simply be described as a pit.

A major feature of this festival is how chilled and peacefull it all is. People flow from art stages to the band stages with the majority sitting in the sunrise tent and taking in the music. The open Lake Stage has some crazy acts on but again it's very chilled, which I can appreciate more as the bands seem to be the actual type that you do just sit and listen to. All and all there was something to do for every one. There was a huge kids area surrounded with trees in a truly picturesque landscape and with cabaret tents to book tents to the poetry stage to the music and fim as well as all music stages with some thing always happening there really was a variety for all the family! Have to mention the amazing performance from Jose Gonzalez as it had to be the most enjoyable acoustic set I have ever heard. And then we had Mogwai. 'Where was ya fire at boys?' I was looking forward to watching these on stage as they are known for there stage presence, which certainly shined through the immense light show that was going on behind them. Towards the end of their set they got louder and louder but why not just play the whole set like that? 

The whole festival came alive on the final night with acts going on late into the night on all the arts stages and the Lake Stage pumping out some pure funk. Finally we had movement and some real groove being shown with some excellent lighting as the whole arena, lake and woodland lit up beautifully. It just made the picturesque settings even more stunning and I think made every one appreciate nature that bit more. I can not express how beautiful the whole event was and how happy I was to see the only thing that was lit up was nature and not some big hideous corporation stamped all around the arena like most of today's festivals.

After going back across the bridge to get back to the campsite we found some superb bands playing on the side of the track in the woodland, using just one old amp. Now I found this impressive as it showed the free spirits, just jammin and everyone loving it and then to the right a woodland stage taking you up a wonderful path and opening up to yet another stage and a bar - oh yes! People partying in the woods 'til early hours, it couldn’t end the night in any better way and I only wish it had gone on all night! But even when it had finished you could go back into the area and listen to some scary ghost stories or something even more crazy back at the cabaret stage.

All and all, this was the most chilled out, peaceful event I have ever been to. Latitude is awesome and shows that people can come together and have a good time without getting out of their head every waking minute. It has got to have been the best thing to happen in this area since Jimi Hendrix played in Great Yarmouth in the summer of 1967 and if any one ever asks me where I am from again, and then mention The Darkness, I will say, "Stop right there. I come from a town with one of the most beautifull, happy, vibing, flying festivals around which will only get bigger and fucking better - you mark my words!"