The Carling Weekend 2006: Tiscali Tent

United Kingdom | | 26 August 2006

Highly exclusive, and rather difficult to get into amidst the swarming mass of VIPs and press, if you were able to breach the tight security you could guarantee yourself a definite treat.

As Fyfe, lead singer of The Guillemots, ambles onto the stage he welcomes the audience to their, “backstage Butlins holiday set”, before launching into a rather jaunty version of ‘Trains To Brazil’, which is followed by the sublime ‘Madeup LoveSong’. Highlight of the performance, however, comes from drummer Greig Stewart, who cannot fit his drum-kit onto the tiny stage, and so uses a music stand, with water bottles as drum sticks to provide the percussion to the songs.

Unlike The Guillemots, The Fratellis are able to fit a drum kit onto the stage, and during their slot the band attempt to cram in as many songs in as possible. At obvious ease with their audience, the band manage to fit in some audience/band banter, mocking the crowd for being civil, compared to the carnage ensuing in the Main Arena. Showcasing material from their debut album, ‘Costello Music,’ the strength of their live performance is aptly shown as new single ‘Chelsea Dagger’ is recreated as well live as it does on record.
 
The perfect hangover cure for a Saturday is to enter into a mad scramble to get into a tent to see Dirty Pretty Things play. After enduring a mass of shoving and pushing from the apparently ‘civil’ audience, Carl Barat, followed by only two members of the band, grace the stage. Looking rather bemused, Barat scans the audience before their tour manager shouts; ‘He’s at the bar!’ as it emerges that a fourth guitarist, who is due to join them onstage, has failed to show up. Barat rolls his eyes, mutters; ‘Huh, best place for him really’, before launching into ‘Deadwood’. His frustration continues as guitarist, Anthony Rossomando, makes a hash of the interlude, which grants him a very annoyed stare from Barat. To further the front-man’s annoyance, upon asking the audience for requests, the inevitable cry of The Libertines back-catalogue is demanded, to which Barat snarls, ‘Yeah mate, a request from this band’s music, not another’s’. The stress of the apparently challenging nature of this performance sees Dirty Pretty Things demanding cigarettes from the crowd in an act of defiance to break the no smoking rule in the tent. Although, this appears to invigorate the band as the climax of the three song set. ‘Bang Bang Your Dead’ is flawlessly played and allows you to appreciate the intricate guitar solos during the song. Cursory Thank You’s were offered before the band quickly hurried off the 'real' stage.