The third annual All Tomorrow's Parties kicks off in grey drizzle. But at this very English festival, for once it doesn't matter because all the live music is inside and so are we, tucked up in cosy holiday camp chalets.
Stoicism is rewarded with a line-up boasting Calexico, Tony Allen's Afro Beat, Lambchop, Mike Ladd, Yo La Tengo, Boards of Canada, the reformed Television, Broadcast, Autechre, the Sun Ra Arkestra and the curators themselves, Tortoise.
Sadly, Femi Kuti and ESG's cancellations leave a slimline schedule even slimmer, but hey it's quality not quantity that counts. Although last year's festivities featured perhaps double the acts, this year's bill leaves more time for crazy golf, sand dunes and sea, Captain Cod's and 15th Century pubs in Rye which can't be a bad thing.
Does staying under a roof as opposed to canvas help civilise a crowd? Who knows, but being surrounded by Pulp's mis-shapes of studied individualists, laid-back hiphopsters and retro-fashion fetishists is a truly heart-warming experience. And they aren't hard to please.
Friday's line-up is dominated by the excellence and originality of New York's Mike Ladd (see full review) and for many, the post-rock gods who are Tortoise. The Chicago five-piece are not obvious crowd pullers, unassumingly playing instrumentals, their only dynamics provided by the frequent swapping of their instruments.
Music varies from soundtrack and jazzy experimentation to the more vigorous and interesting beatier tunes. Funk, dubby bass lines and latin beats are added at times so that the misguided glo-stick owners can wave them in the air like they just don't care but there isn't enough to get excited about. At worst, as one fan remarks it sounds like "backing music to some sad crooner", at best an intricate and intelligent meeting of genres.
On Saturday, the offerings are spiced up by the legendary Tony Allen's Afro Beat. His very truncated set showed off his seemingly effortless style of drumming which builds the hypnotic rhythms of his afro-beat. He smiles, the small crowd dances.
Next Tucson Arizona's Calexico (see full review), who like Mike Ladd, out-perform everyone else all weekend. The audience is charged up, dancing and occasionally imitating mariachi trumpet sounds but Lambchop are next and play a determinedly down-beat, low volume set. Nashville's country/soul outfit work perfectly in a sunny field or intimate venue, but sadly not here. Things then get decidedly worse.
Scottish duo, Boards of Canada don't deserve to be labelled Boring of Canada for their efforts, but what effort do they actually make for their audience? For ten to fifteen minutes, their music plays but they are nowhere to be seen. When they do appear, they shuffle over to their keyboards stage-left and stand there perhaps twiddling some knobs in the dark for an hour. Performance is perhaps not a concept fully grasped by Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin but being members of arts collective Music 70 does at least provide the most inspired visuals. Tall people who can see nothing is happening on stage, leave noticeably early for Pontins' Queen Victoria pub where they can listen to DJs but in comfort.
Sunday sees a surprisingly rocking-out Broadcast, refreshing if a little formulaic. Warp Records' Autechre play in the dark, a la labelmates Boards of Canada. Scaring a lot of people off with their take-no-hostages approach to entertainment, they are impressive but a little intimidating for this crowd. Then the highlight of the evening, Yo La Tengo, the universally respected New Jersey trio play a set varied in pace and style. Sensitive folky numbers sung by icy cool drummer Georgia are off-set by Ira's Who-like abandon on rockier songs where he punches his guitar and swings it overhead whilst remaining sonically spot-on. Amazing. They close with storming but self-effacing covers of the Ramones and Blondie, two bands with historical links to next band Television.
Television's post-1975 line-up which disbanded in 1978 to reform in 1992 and then split again the following year, reunited specifically for All Tomorrow's Parties. A sense of expectation and curiosity meets their twenty minute rambling opener but gradually dissipates when it becomes clear that their gig will not be a greatest hits fandango. It descends into a rough-edged Talking Heads-meet-Dire Straits chin-stroking affair which features one too many Knopfler-esque guitar solos. The crowd aren't expecting this. They want to end the festival throwing themselves about a bit. Perhaps Yo La Tengo's rousing renditions of the Ramones and Blondie are just a little too good to follow.
But, no-one really leaves disappointed. From those who cultivate their nerdom, to those casualties whose chalet door reads: "Missing:DIGNITY. Please return if found to Chalet No. X", the talk on Monday morning is only about booking next year's All Tomorrow's Parties.
