Latitude Festival returns for an incredible 5th Edition on 15-18th July 2010 set in the beautiful countryside of Henham Park Estate on Suffolk’s Sunrise Coast.
A festival like no other, Latitude stands alone as a bold and pioneering event with a line-up like no other. In the stunning Suffolk countryside, Latitude incorporates the very best of music, theatre, comedy, literature, film, poetry, dance, art, fashion and cabaret for a truly unique weekend of fun and adventure as well as inspiration and education. Four arenas are dedicated to an exciting selection of musical talent from emerging bands, international stars and homegrown heroes, whilst the arts onsite command no less than thirteen arenas and areas providing something for everybody – no matter what your tastes or desires; once again making Latitude the place to be this summer.
~ OBELISK ARENA ~
The Obelisk Arena has been the focal point for many of Latitude’s most memorable performances over the years and with headlining performances from Florence + the Machine, Belle and Sebastian and Vampire Weekend this year will be no different. Also playing are Empire Of The Sun, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Temper Trap, Laura Marling, Hockey and Frank Turner and joining this stunning line-up is:
Texan four-piece The Strange Boys wield a fantastic blend of early days Rolling Stones with a modern twist. Back to basics scuzzy rock ’n’ roll with primal blues rock riffs and soulful swagger, their disharmony is matched with a sensitive and melodic side. Formed in 2004 they have already gained a devoted following, but with their latest album ‘Be Brave’ making waves over here, their set at Latitude’s Obelisk Arena will help spread the word further.
~ THE WORD ARENA ~
Inside the large canopy that comprises The Word Arena lies an amazing set of alternative artists, crossing genre boundaries seamlessly. You’ll discover a host of fresh and exciting acts from across the spectrum. With The National, The xx and Grizzly Bear headlining and The Horrors, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Richard Hawley plus many more already confirmed – this is a line-up that is not to be missed.
Just confirmed are:
Sussex, an unlikely hotbed of pop talent, gave rise to The Feeling – five lads whose Number one album success made them one of our biggest intelligent boy bands for the latter half of the decade. Massive top ten hits ‘Fill My Little World Right Up’, ‘Never Be Lonely’ and ‘I Thought It Was Over’ sealed their position as the streamlined radio constants you couldn’t help but love. With their as-yet unnamed third studio album due for release this summer, The Feeling will be a natural fit on The Word Arena’s exhilarating bill.
Merseyside troupe The Coral return to Henham Park will. Following their captivating acoustic set on Latitude’s second stage two years ago, the five-piece return with a full band performance in The Word Arena. With four Top Five charting albums, a Top Ten ‘Best Of’ collection and timeless top ten singles, ‘Don’t Think You’re The First’, ‘Pass It On’ and ‘In The Morning’, their long-awaited re-emergence will remind everyone of the acidic melancholy they deal in so well. Nostalgia laced melodies and skittering and ramshackle rhythms will spin from their well of songs, bolstered now by the material from their forthcoming fifth album.
As the former leader of the inimitable Throwing Muses, Kristin Hersh has achieved an almost legendary status as a prominent singer songwriter in her own right. Having recorded her eighth studio album of solo material – ‘Crooked’, due out later this year – along with a second album of Appalachian folk songs, Hirsch brings her hazy, resonant folk works to The Word Arena. With an enormous amount of solo and band material to draw from, this is one set guaranteed to hit the mark.
Psychedelic Canadians Black Mountain have risen their heads again and Latitude will feel the full force of their musical assault. Little has been heard since the release of 2008′s incredible ‘In The Future’, the band’s second record of thick, impenetrable riffs and melodic mantras. Whispers tell of the completion of their fabled third album. Throughout their time together, they’ve garnered plaudits – from nominations in Canada’s Polaris and Juno album prizes, to being asked to contribute a track to the Spiderman 3 soundtrack. It’s has been quiet recently, yet The Word Arena will be anything but once they hit the stage with the power and starkness of a military barrage.
Electro-rock duo The Big Pink, comprising of multi-instrumentalist Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell, have already won the prestigious NME Philip Hall Radar Award for ‘Best New Act’ since they were signed in 2009. Their gritty beats, droning guitars, abstract effects and dreamy vocals create a soundscape which is arty yet tuneful, perfectly demonstrated on big hit ‘Dominos’ featured on their debut album ‘A Brief History of Love’ released in September 2009.
Bella Union stalwarts and Danish five-piece The Kissaway Trail have started the year well with a North American tour support slot with The Temper Trap and the release of their triumphant second album ‘Sleep Mountain’. Soaring vocal harmonies and amassed orchestration not only fit The Word Arena’s epic line-up, but also give bands like Arcade Fire a run for their money.
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Rating: 9.0/10 (1 vote cast)
Canadian, and with the visual appearance of having stepped out of a commune in Marrakech, Black Mountain could not be introduced to Eric Cartman without him spontaneously combusting, such would be his apopleptic rage at their hippie-ness. While this should normally be enough to write off a band without further exploration (he said, glancing at his WWECD wristband), Black Mountain here rise above so many of the current psych-prog weirdout bands currently in vogue (Wooden Shjips et al) by keeping everything on a very tight leash. The Moog keyboard sound, theme to a thousand Rick Wakeman noodle solo nightmares, is deployed here to provide a touch of unease into the chugging Sabbath-y guitar, but no more than that. More stoner-rock than space-rock, this single doesn’t so much pastiche history as retro-ise the present – it’s exactly how Kyuss would sound had they gone overboard in the desert and woken up in 1974. The lyrics are platitudinous cod-mystic nonsense, of course, but that fits in perfectly. If you only buy one single that sounds like it could have come from a terrible 1970’s sci-fi series this week, make it this one.
